The spotlights turned off, and everyone started to get up and leave. Some gathered around Stephen for questions. Diana and Ethan, who were sitting near Stephen, left him to his fate and walked over to Jack, who was conversing with Elpira.
"Elpira, get started on the fields too. Do we have any seeds that we can harvest early? We are gonna run outta money pretty soon if we continue to get our rations with money from outside?" Jack asked as he scrolled through the OrthoSapien wristband.
"I will get started with the fields right now. As for the seeds, we don't have any seeds right now, so I would like to ask you to farm with normal seeds that you can buy from outside. I will genetically engineer the harvested seeds," Elpira informed.
"Won't harvesting take a lot of time?"
"The period of harvest is affected by the environmental conditions and photoperiod as well. I will alter the conditions to speed it up as much as I can."
"Okay, let's do that then," Jack said finally as he stretched and started towards the door.
"What are we doing?" Diana interrupted with a smile as they walked over to him.
"Setting up farms and stuff. Will be nice if we have a few farmers here, they will know the deed," Jack replied with a tired exhale.
"I really don't think you slept. You look so tired. Enak, did this guy sleep?"
"Yes, M'lady. Young master did sleep," Enak confirmed, manifesting on Jack's head.
"So, Jack, what now?" Ethan asked as he eyed the OrthoSapien feed on Jack's wristband.
"About that, I need to tell you something. It's about that dream," Jack said, his eyes trying to hint Ethan.
"Oh... did it happen again?" Ethan said, his eyes darting to Diana for a second.
"What's this about? Tell me! I'm feeling left out," Diana protested.
"Sorry Diana, men secrets, you know?" Jack said with a light smirk.
"Bliss of oblivion," Enak said thoughtfully in Jack's head.
"Okay okay, sigh~" Diana said, shaking her head. "Then I guess I will go to the training room."
"Well, you really don't talk about it. You always said it happened again. Did something new happen?" Ethan asked once Diana was out of view.
"A lot of new things happened," Jack said as they walked into a warp door and went to the outpost.
Jack took Ethan into the library where the eighth book lay amongst all the other books he took from the Hauston study.
"So what new happened this time?"
"Alright, alright. Viora, fetch us the eighth book from the series titled The Throne Left By The Waters," Jack instructed before he began explaining his dream to Ethan.
As Jack was telling Ethan the details, a small portal opened on the table. A set of eight books surfaced from it, and the portal closed.
Ethan picked up the book on the top and started to read the first chapter as he listened to Jack. His eyes were full of confusion, but he didn't interrupt Jack, and when Jack finished, he finally put forth his concerns.
"I know we need our recreation, but I seriously don't think we should be reading storybooks," he said, holding the first volume of the book up for Jack so he could see the title.
The book read The Throne Left by the Waters: The Boy Who Chased the Storm, written in gleaming letters of gold. The cover showed a young boy who was standing atop a hill, his hands stretched out towards the bolt of lightning that struck the ground in front of him.
Jack gave a small chuckle at this as he began to look through the set to get the eighth book.
"What, don't believe me? Lemme read it out to you then, first paragraph of the book," he said in disbelief as he started reading aloud.
"The storm never strayed from the sky, except for once. In the time before kings, before maps, before war had names, there was a boy who heard thunder and mistook it for a heartbeat. While others prayed for the skies to calm, he stepped into the rain, chasing a voice only he could hear. No one remembers what drove him into the winds... but some say the storm still remembers him." he read out and closed the book shut, a look of confusion on his eyes.
"Tell me what oh-so-great techniques you learned from this?" he added.
"Well, about that. Give it to me for a second," Jack said with a smug smile.
Ethan handed him the book, his eyes curious.
He reached out into his item pouch and pulled out his sword and made a small cut across his palm. Blood flowed out, pooling into his palm. Once there was enough, Jack closed his fist, allowing the blood to completely drench his fingers as well.
"What are you doing?" Ethan said as he reached into his item pouch and pulled out a regeneration cream.
"Just watch," Jack reassured him.
Jack opened his blood-drenched palm, placed the book on the table, and pressed his palm firmly on the cover.
The cover came alive. Light erupted from beneath his palm, the letters rearranged themselves. A few seconds later, when the activity stopped, Jack withdrew his palm, his fists clenched. The cover was now a brilliant shade of green, adorned with illustrations of swords and other weapons. In glowing silver letters, the cover read, "Fangscript Codex, Vol I."
"See?" Jack said, handing Ethan the book again. Ethan put the book aside for now and tried to hand Jack the regeneration cream.
"We won't be needing it. My hand was healed by the cover," Jack said, opening his palm to show it perfectly normal.
"I see," Ethan said as he took Volume One and started to read through. "They are... fighting techniques... Why didn't you show me these books earlier?"
"I was afraid," Jack answered nonchalantly as he picked up the eighth book and revealed its true form as well.
The eighth book was entitled "The Throne Left by the Waters: The Poisoned Ether." The cover showed the boy, who was now grown up, sitting at the edge of a glowing lake, which had purple-black veins in the water. The boy was sitting against his sword for support, his expression gentle. A golden crown rested on the hilt of the sword, shining yet streaked with blood.
"Afraid of what? Don't you trust me?" Ethan asked.
"Don't be an idiot. I trust you with my life. Think about it, last time you came over we were 15. You think a 15-year-old will be eager to cut open his palm just like that?" Jack answered as he watched the eighth book transform.
"I guess. So what are we expecting from the eighth one?" Ethan asked.
"One way to find out," Jack said with an adventurous grin, and he opened the book.