“I wonder if he made a new house yet!” Micro said happily as the group walked leisurely to the cave’s exit. Despite the reactions of Lena and Arbur, Micro continued to use his Spirit Vision Skill to project a soft light from is right eye from time to time.

  “He is likely focused on the bandit problem,” Lena replied kindly. “And the matter of the magicians’ increased activity remains unresolved…”

  “Oh, right,” Micro said. “Well, I hope he’s not overworking himself.”

  “What’s so complicated about bandits?” Kolt asked. “Can’t you guys just use your powers to get rid of them all before breakfast?”

  “That sounds exhausting,” Micro noted, addressing Kolt’s remark with a frown. “Feng is old, you know? What if he hurt his back?”

  “The presence of cultivators among bandits is unusual, but master Feng is unlikely to meet his equal among them,” Lena explained enthusiastically. “It is a matter you will come to understand in time, I am sure. This journey will be educational to us all!”

  Micro was happy to accept Lena’s proposal of a trip back through the forest to the place where they last saw Feng. With his core relieved of Ray’s binding ring and stronger than ever, he was excited to keep travelling.

  Kira and Kolt had both come close to forming their own jade level cores under Lena’s guidance, though it would take them more effort to achieve their goal. While Kira was content to continue energy channelling exercises Lena had shown her, Kolt’s excitement manifested in unprovoked attacks on various trees and boulders. Despite Kolt’s immature outbursts, Lena was confident that they would both have their own cores before their journey to Master Feng was concluded.

  Arbur spoke less than he did before his experience in the dungeons of Lo’s mountain, as he spent most of his time meditating on mastery of his newly acquired Crystal Art Core Card. He occasionally fell so far behind the group that he had trouble finding them again, but he was always welcomed back with excitement and laughter.

  Blue and Trill almost immediately began napping as the trip began, since Micro was certain he could find his way back without issue. However, Micro’s mood gradually worsened as they ventured through the forest. His confidence in his legs was gradually increasing, but Kira quickly picked up on his mood after he tripped for the third time in an hour.

  “Are you thinking about roads again, master?” Kira asked.

  “I am,” Micro replied. “I wonder how the road I commissioned near the Imperial City is going now.”

  “I’ve heard the Imperial City is an amazing place,” Kira said with wide eyes. “Have you been there? Did they have roads you liked? How was the food?”

  “There are some nice people there,” Micro recalled with a conflicted expression. “It’s a small town, really. And I wouldn’t call the roads there… well, you’ll see one day.”

  “What does commission mean?” Kolt asked, tired by his efforts to crack a boulder in half with a punch infused with energy.

  “I paid a nice lady to build a road between the town and a mine to the north,” Micro explained. “I don’t know how long it’ll take without trucks, but I’m sure they’ll do their best.”

  “Huh…” Kolt grunted. “How much does a road cost?”

  “Just a few gold coins,” Micro replied.

  “Gold coins?!” Kira and Kolt both shouted in unison.

  “Mundane frivolities…” Lena sighed, but Kolt and Kira were entranced by the two gold coins which suddenly appeared in Micro’s hands.

  “Here, one for each of you,” Micro smiled. “I have plenty, and I haven’t found them particularly hard to come by.”

  “I’m rich…” Kolt whispered to himself, gripping the gold coin with renewed vigour.

  “I could buy all the food in our village a dozen times…!” Kira added. “How did you get so rich?”

  “A nice man from a dragon sect gave them to me at the tournament before the summoning started,” Micro replied. “I hope they’re not still looking for me…”

  “Are you rich too, Master Lena?” Kira asked excitedly.

  “The sect provides funds for use in logistical matters, dealings with the mundane and such, but I have no need for currency of my own,” Lena stated proudly.

  “What about Tohan?” Micro asked.

  “Your friend from the Dragon Sect?” Lena replied. “Typically it is only the weakest cultivators rely on the currency of the mundane, whether as a means of securing a food source or a safe place to rest. Your friend is one of many who use currency to entertain themselves. But you would do well to prioritize the richness of your spirits.”

  “Yeah, I’ll do that too,” Kolt replied through a wide grin. “But gold…!”

  THUD

  The sound of Micro falling on his face interrupted their conversation. He stood up quickly with a sigh, then stood still for a moment while looking ahead at the forest in front of him. He thought for a moment in silence while the others gathered around him. Blue woke up and flew up above the group to stretch, then looked down curiously.

  “He’s got a weird look,” Blue declared. “I haven’t seen him this grumpy before.”

  “He’s deep in thought,” Arbur added. “Perhaps he is about to make a breakthrough. I’ve heard of masters who advance most quickly while performing ordinary tasks…”

  Everyone looked at Micro while he stared into the woods with a serious expression. With his own eyes, he peered ahead into the dangerous woods, taking note of the animals and monsters which went about their lives. He also noted the way the tree roots seemed to crawl beneath the surface of the ground, constantly changing the forest.

  “Why exactly does the forest move around like that?” Micro suddenly asked.

  “While many assume the ground itself moves, it is actually the trees which alter the shape of the forest,” Lena replied. “The energy veins beneath us provide these trees with such vitality that they are able to move and seek out the energy they crave, depending on where the veins themselves flow.”

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  “So they’re trees that cultivate…” Micro wondered.

  “That is not exactly the case,” Lena corrected him. “Though they possess great vitality, they lack sentience.”

  “Why are you so interested in the walking woods all of a sudden?” Blue asked with a look of mild anticipation. “What are you about to suggest?”

  “Well, if we’re not in a hurry…” Micro began. “We spend a lot of time walking around the woods, and now I even have my own mountain back there, so…”

  “So?” Blue said impatiently, gesturing for him to continue his explanation quickly.

  “I’m thinking of clearing a way through here,” Micro answered. “It would be way more efficient than offroading every time.”

  “There is more than enough room to walk between trees…” Lena raised an eyebrow at his suggestion. “Would a wider path truly be of much benefit to a cultivator of your level?”

  “We’re not the only ones who need to get from one end of the woods to the other though,” Micro countered. “Since nobody else is around to do it, I’m starting to feel like I should do it myself. It’s work that needs doing, whether somebody is doing it or not.”

  “You feel it is your purpose to build a road through these dangerous woods?” Arbur asked.

  “Well, I’m definitely not meant for offroading.”

  “Fascinating…” Arbur nodded. “It is a mundane task, but a monumental one… Could this be the nature of the Truck Sect’s cultivation style?”

  “Cultivation style?” Micro asked.

  “Your turtle friend’s style was to push you down a mountain, remember?” Blue laughed. “The other one’s style was to poison you!”

  “It’s not really a cultivation style, but there’s work to do, and nobody else around to do it…” Micro continued, sounding more confident as he explained his intentions, and the others simply nodded in understanding. “And the old man would help if he could. He often helped clear debris off roads during the rainy season, even the roads he didn’t normally use. It’s neighbourly!”

  “Our destination remains the same, but the path is yours to choose, or create,” Lena added. “We are in no particular hurry…”

  “So…” Kira was the first to speak up after a moment of silence. “How do you make a road?”

  ~

  Micro’s first idea was to root himself to the forest floor and draw enough energy to fire a continuous wave of energy at the forest ahead. However, the process was tiring and difficult to control, and the result was messy, leaving behind piles of debris that took a long time to clear. Kolt and Kira had particular difficulty with the clouds of dust it created. In the end, Blue convinced him to use the spirit sword skill to cut the trees down one by one. He didn’t enjoy the feeling of holding such a dangerous weapon in his hands, but he had to admit that it was satisfying to remove the obstacles in his path with a simple swing of his arm. He found it equally satisfying to smash large rocks to pieces using the Spirit Hammer skill.

  “A farm tool wielding weapons as tools…” Lena mumbled when she first witnessed the spectacle. “I’m not sure if I am closer to enlightenment than I am losing my mind…”

  After turning back to begin his road-building project from the base of Lo Mountain, Micro’s new mission began in earnest. Trill remained with Kolt, while Blue began to rampage freely through the woods. Occasionally the path she cleared intersected with Micro’s straight road, but she was having too much fun testing her newly acquired skills against the massive trees.

  When Micro asked for assistance in moving the rocks and logs to the side of the path he was opening, Lena saw it as an opportunity to encourage Kolt and Kira’s growth. She guided them in using their energy to strengthen their physical bodies, and they happily threw debris away from the path. Kolt insisted on helping Micro cut down trees though, but he was disappointed to find that even with Trill’s help, he was barely able to scratch a tree without any tools or skills.

  “Master…” Arbur soon called out with worry. Since Kolt and Kira were working so quickly, and he was also unable to assist in clearing the woods ahead, he was left without a task.

  “Oh, you should spend some more time getting those Core Cards loaded up,” Micro encouraged him. “We’re all good over here.”

  “Such a selfish act while you commit yourself to this ordeal…?” Arbur gasped. “How dare I cultivate while my master works!”

  “Well, I’m only doing the rough work for now. I was thinking about hiring some people I know to finish the road later,” Micro replied.

  “Finish it?” Arbur asked. He looked back at the long path they had carved through the forest. It was free of any rocks or trees, and it was flat enough for any purpose that he could imagine. “But it is already a road…”

  “I’m making a road here, Arbur,” Micro said with a look of displeasure that made Arbur feel like he was about to be severely punished. “It can’t be helped if you don’t know better, but I assure you that it is far from complete.”

  “Forgive me, master!” Arbur shouted. Though he was still confused, he sincerely bowed his head. “I will carve your words into my heart! I will never again dare to question your wisdom regarding roads…!”

  “Calling dirt and rocks a road…” Micro mumbled, placing his hands over his face with a deep sigh. “I fear for this world…”

  “I won’t disappoint you, master!” Arbur shouted with a bow. “I will look upon such a path with contempt from this moment on!”

  “This is going to take a few months, so you may as well keep busy. You can start with that sword card if you’d like to cut down some trees with me later,” Micro explained. “That would be a big help.”

  “Understood!” Arbur shouted, then immediately knelt on the recently cleared dirt path and took the Spirit Sword Skill Core Card out of his pocket to begin meditating.

  “That’s the spirit,” Micro said, noticing that he looked much younger now that his hair had started growing out, though his ragged clothes were still a sorry sight.

  “Will Arbur be okay there?” Kira quietly asked Lena. “There are monsters around—”

  “Your master is making an enormous amount of noise,” Lena replied with a wry smile. “If you possessed the Spirit Vision Skill, you’d have witnessed the stampede of beasts running away from our present location not long ago.”

  “It’s been awfully quiet, now that you mention it,” Kira nodded. “I can’t even hear the birds.”

  “Young Arbur will be safe and within our reach,” Lena said with a suddenly sharp tone. “Do not be distracted. Your energy is imbalanced.”

  “Sorry, I got it,” Kira replied, returning her focus to her training.

  ~

  BANG

  The sense of urgency which had previously driven Micro to return to his homeworld as fast as possible had dissipated since he learned of cultivation techniques which would allow him to travel back in time. He wondered if he could even go back to the day he first encountered his lifelong driver and live his life again. He couldn’t imagine a greater reward for his efforts in the world of cultivation. He missed the smell of fresh oil as a cloud of dust and splinters pelted his face.

  However, for now, he allowed himself to enjoy the task ahead of him. Despite his persisting dislike of violence, knowing his tree cutting would result in the creation of a new road excited him.

  Arbur caught up to them at the end of every day, and they enjoyed the leftover smoked bear meat together for several weeks. When the meat ran out, Blue and Kira quickly hunted several deer and one boar, and their routine continued. It was on a rainy day while the team worked, when a large light flashed behind Micro. He turned to see Kira glowing brightly near a smiling Lena.

  “Congratulations, child,” Lena said softly. “Your diligent cultivation has seen the natural formation of a core within you.”

  “I could feel the energy starting to swirl around in my chest, like you mentioned, Master Lena,” Kira replied. “It felt like water gathering in a puddle. It feels really natural…”

  “You would be called the prodigy of any sect, if not for the place of your birth,” Lena continued. “You are lucky to have found a sect to accept you, and your master is lucky to have found you.”

  “Good job, Kira!” Micro called back as he stepped out of the way of a falling tree. “My core was a lot more work to form. You must be quite talented!”

  “Does this mean I can go into dungeons with you now?!” Kira asked.

  “It depends on the dungeon,” Micro replied. “Let me know if you find one anywhere. Oh, and keep up the good work, Kolt. Your energy is a lot more noticeable from here now!”

  Kolt gave a weak thumbs up to Micro and continued to move rocks to the side of the cleared path.

  “Oh?” Blue suddenly appeared over the group and smiled down at Kira. “I was going to mention I found some weird looking folks looking for a dungeon over that way, but it looks like the little girl child over here grew a core while I was gone.”

  Micro’s ears perked up at the mention of a dungeon, and he immediately used the Spirit Vision skill to look as far into the woods as he could.

  “Oh, I know that guy,” Micro announced. “Let’s go say hello!”