After a long silence, the adult man finally speaks.
"What are we going to do next?"
"I don't know, we don't even know how to save everyone in this city." I replied.
I began to ponder.
Should I tell him my prophetic dream despite knowing the risk? Or maybe I'll wait for him to initiate?
Oh, I know! I'll ask him about what he said in the interview earlier. This is the way to ask him indirectly about his prophetic dream.
Wait...indirectly?
Come to think of it, prophecies are often spoken indirectly by using metaphors, parables, allegories, or even analogies.
It is delivered through the use of figurative language.
"Hey, would you like to continue conversing? Come on, this is awkward." The adult man said.
What should I call him anyway? I keep calling him adult man. Judging by his look, I assume that he's in a higher position—I remembered he mentioned that he voted me to stay in the kingdom and not for my exile. Therefore, he must be fù sēngzhí, the assistant in the group sēngzhí tuán.
副僧值 (fù sēngzhí) – Deputy Sengzhi
"副" means deputy or assistant.
He's below the Head Monk but still in authority.
僧值团 (sēngzhí tuán) – Sengzhi Disciplinary Group
"Ahem." I cleared my throat before speaking.
"Fù Sēngzhí Wú Xiǎnxī Fǎshī."
法师 (Fǎshī) – Dharma Master, respectful title for Buddhist monastics
Wu Xianxi grinned when he heard his name chanted formally.
"What's gotten onto you, brat? We're no longer in the monastery."
Hah, he's just pretending that he didn't like it.
"I just wanted to ask you about what you said in the interview earlier."
"You said that there are "three" ways to end the world, right?"
"Ah, you heard that?" He scratched his head.
"Yeah, I think you shouldn't say these ambiguous things publicly."
"Why? Everyone needs to know what will happen in the future."
Future....
Ugh!
I felt a sudden pain in my head.
eme-gin₇ šu-šub-ba, eme-ĝu₁₀ niĝ₂-ĝal₂-la mu-un-tuš.
"No—no, what is that? What is that voice?! It's not mine… it's not mine!"
eme hul₂-la, ša₃-nigin₂ zid mu-un-šub, gu₃-ĝu₁₀ niĝ₂-kiĝ₂ mu-un-te.
IT SOUNDED LIKE A F*CKING DEMONIC CHANT IN MY HEAD
nu-šag₄-ĝu₁₀ lu₂ nu-tam.
Ugh....!!!! Get out of my head..!
"Yo, yo, yo, what's happening mate? You looked like a madman drunkard with that face."
Wu Xianxi poked my nose.
"Should I bring you to the hospital?"
I pushed Wu Xianxi and ran away involuntarily.
"Hey! Kid watch out!" I heard him shouting and running to catch me up.
I feel like the inner voice is controlling me inside—I can't control myself..!
Without hesitation, Fù Sēngzhí Wú positioned himself—he squatted his legs, preparing to jump high.
"Here I come..!"
With his outstanding jumping skill, he reached the peak of the tall, brown coconut tree. He rolled in the air, swung his hard metallic-like legs, and kicked the shit out of my back.
"Ah!" I screamed in pain.
As expected from the best kicker in the temple.
In fact, no monks could stand after his strong kick.
"Ouch..."
"Kid, I'm sorry but I need to do that—you're out of your senses!"
"About the question you asked earlier, it's my prophetic dream."
Due to the force exerted by him, I slowly came back to my senses.
Huh? Did he just say "prophetic dream"?
Didn't glowing orb said that you could only tell your prophetic dream to a person who is also an apprentice?
Which means....this adult man knew.....that I'm an apprentice?
Or maybe he's relying on luck? Bro that's gambling—you're gambling your life! What if I'm a dark-wielder? You're screwed!
"Quo Li."
"What?"
"I was watching you...the whole time."
"What do you mean?"
"Ever since you collapsed, I was there. You've been sleeping for 7 days."
"You know, Li—I collapsed before you."
"How? But I was in the hut first!"
"It doesn't matter if you're in the hut first."
"Because....I collapsed in the monastery 7 days before your exile."
"After they cast you away, that's also the time where the Head of Discipline (Sēngzhí)
declared to exile those who voted for you to stay—and I was one of them."
"We scattered in many dangerous parts of the world, and the head chose the hut place for my exile. I never thought that you're also in the same location, Quo Li."
"What are you trying to say?"
"You're a savior, an apprentice of a particular messenger."
"And you too?"
"Yes." He replied politely.
"Then why did you tell the reporters about this prophecy?! They're not saviors nor apprentices! You can just tell me your dream privately! Do you know the risk of spilling everything? You might become the dark-wielders' target because you made your prophetic dream public!" Enraged with anger, I slammed the floor, leaving a large crack.
"At the same time, you can also lure the light-wielders." The stupid adult man said.
"If there are some people who watched or reported the news are apprentices, then they must have a messenger accompanying them. Since you revealed your dream, anyone who watched or reported the news that are apprentices can see your messenger! If their messengers are dark-wielders, you're doomed to death!" I explained to him thoroughly.
"And that's also the easiest way to know which among them are dark-wielders or light-wielders." Wu Xianxi added his logic to my statements.
"I know, but that's risky—it's like you're going to initiate a war."
"And that's what I want to happen." He added his foresight to my foresight...!
"What is this, suicide?" I said it seriously, but I was actually mocking him.
"What an eerie joke, of course not—I have a plan in mind."
"What's going on here?" The glowing orb, he finally appeared!
"Oh, that's your Messenger?" Wu Xianxi asked.
"So you told him, huh." The glowing orb glared at me.
"No, I didn't! He told me his prophetic dream!"
"Ooo, interesting." He chuckled.
"Where's your Messenger, Mr. Wu?" I didn't expect Orb to ask formally.
"There it is."
I and glowing orb looked at where Wu's finger is pointing to—we saw a brown hermit's staff with a galactic core, surrounded by magical Oort cloud, sitting in the middle of the crescent-shaped head of the staff.
"Halo." The staff greeted us cheerfully.
Being cautious, I scanned the staff from top to bottom. It looked like a dark entity because of its dark aura—perhaps it's a dark-wielder staff?
"Quo Li." Wu Xianxi called upon my name.
"The rules didn't say that a dark-wielder and a light-wielder cannot form a team together." He said.
"So you're a dark-wielder?"
He nodded.
Glowing orb said that dark-wielders are evil! What should I do?
I looked at the glowing orb, I caught him and the staff staring at each other.
Glowing Orb: "..."
The Hermit's Staff: "..."
The Glowing Orb used telepathy on Quo Li
Hey brat, these two creatures are bad news.
I know, I know.
What are you gonna do? Team up with him? You must be out of your mind.
I haven't decided yet.
What should I do? Darn it.
awātu īššû ša kittim
Another chant..?!
lišānu ša šēpim ša kittim ūššuru, ša šarārum uššēšir
Ugh..! My brain can't handle it...!
lā taḫṣū šumšu
Who are you?
"..."
Answer me, who are you?
"Kekekeke."
Is that your laugh? Ok, I'm funny. But please, at least tell me who are you?
"Ashk mor."
Is that your name?
"Ask mour."
Are you trying to say "ask more"?
Ugh..!
"UGAJSJSISSHDVDHSUDHDNFKDKDJSH"
AHHHHHH!
"JSAIIAWJWHWEHIDDJFBFHRIRJDJFJHD"
Glowing unknown inscriptions wrapped around my body, a flood of ancient language passed through my eyesight—I recognized the languages Greek, Latin, Demotic, and Hieroglyphics.....I'm not familiar with the rest.
There's this only one peculiar thing I noticed—all sentences end in question marks.
Still, I can't take it anymore...! It's so heavy inside my head, it's like my brain is processing every letter and punctuation of the texts!
Hey! What's wrong with the connection? It's disrupting...!
Glowing orb! Save me!!
Save you from what?
Can't you see these inscriptions are wrapping around me?
Ha, how innocent. It's a belief called "Skepticism", which can be classified as "rare". You'll hear a intimidating creature speaking unknown languages. Hearing its voice will drive you insane—but if you're able to endure it, this creature will award you its skill. In fact, many collapsed after hearing only one word. That's why, not everyone can acquire it, and only few people can endure its mystical power.
"Kid, I'm sorry for my interference. But you're just standing there, staring at a blank space—have you decided anyway?"
"Oh, not yet."
"Fine, I'll give you some time to decide."
He looked and walked forward.
I used the skill that I obtained—I became glowing letters...!
"With this skill, I will go unnoticed because he won't hear any footsteps—unless he looks behind him."
I took the chance, and wrapped around him.
He screams loudly, suffering in mental pain.
"AHHHHHHHHH!!! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"
"Now tell me, are you the real adult man?"