Chapter 96 – Treasures of Essence
The room was quiet. Too quiet. The only sound was the faint hum of the automated wheelchairs and the soft ticking of a distant clock.
Moon held the storage ring in his hand, feeling the subtle vibration of essence inside. It pulsed faintly, almost like it had a heartbeat of its own. He hesitated. Just for a moment. A longer pause than usual. His thumb brushed lightly over the surface, and he felt the energy reacting to him, sensing him, responding.
He glanced up at James, who was standing a few steps away, hands crossed nervously. Moon's gaze lingered on him, unspoken words passing between them. Slowly, deliberately, Moon pressed his essence into the ring.
A soft click echoed—barely audible, yet the sound seemed to resonate through the room. The ring's surface shimmered, spilling a gentle silver light across Moon's face. He tilted it slightly toward James, letting him see, though he said nothing.
Kai mirrored the action, extending his own ring toward Minji. She reached for it cautiously, lifting it as if it might explode in her hands. Her fingers brushed against the smooth metal, and the faint warmth from the ring made her gasp. She felt a pulse—slow, steady, and rhythmic—as though the ring was alive, watching her as intently as she was watching it.
When she unlocked the seal, the interior glowed, revealing its contents. Her eyebrows shot up, eyes widening, lips parting slightly in astonishment. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle.
"What…?" she whispered.
Kai gave a subtle shrug, a quiet smirk tugging at his lips. Moon's expression mirrored his—a mix of disbelief, caution, and restrained excitement.
Minji turned to Ruby, passing the ring along. "You need to see this."
Ruby leaned forward, her fingers hovering near the glow. Her glasses caught the light, reflecting small silver sparks. Slowly, her eyes scanned the contents. Her expression changed—curiosity twisting into shock, and then something more complex: awe, disbelief, and a hint of apprehension.
Inside the rings lay rows of small, perfectly sealed vials. Each vial contained a liquid that shimmered with a light almost unnatural, almost alive. The glow wasn't just bright—it moved, rippling gently, as if the essence inside was aware of their gaze.
Moon and Kai exchanged glances. Their breathing synchronized, shallow and tense. Even Ruby's hand hovered as though she wanted to touch, but feared what she might feel.
Ruby broke the silence. "That… is highly refined condensed essence fluid." Her voice was soft, yet it carried weight. "Extremely rare. Each liter is worth around fifteen million credits. And there are a hundred bottles across the two rings. Along with them are usage slips, detailed instructions , essence techniques, and essence arts."
Minji's jaw dropped. "Two hundred bottles of highly refined condensed essence fluid? Who would send this to Moon and Kai?" Her voice was trembling, half disbelief, half incredulity.
Kai lifted a vial, letting the faint glow catch the last rays of sunlight. The liquid shimmered like molten lapis . "And along with this… there are essence arts and essence techniques. They don't just enhance combat—they amplify mastery exponentially. Whoever sent this isn't messing around."
Moon leaned forward, his eyes narrowing, voice cautious. "Essence arts and essence techniques… explain. What are they exactly?"
Ruby smiled faintly, pride evident in her tone. "Essence art is… a way to channel your essence through your body, controlling flow and maximizing efficiency. Each art has unique effects. Without it, surviving in the shifting expanse in the future is almost impossible. Essence arts help form your cores. The better the art, the more cores you can create. Maximum of seven cores per person."
Moon's fingers brushed the edge of the ring absently. "And essence techniques?"
Ruby's gaze softened. "Think of them as martial arts designed for essence. Each technique is tailored to harness and control essence energy efficiently. It's not just combat—techniques enhance precision, control, adaptability, everything. Mastery of these techniques determines who can reach their full potential."
Moon nodded slowly, absorbing every word. "Hmm," he murmured, his voice quiet but thoughtful.
Ruby carefully returned both storage rings and their contents to Moon and Kai. They inspected them, moving vials slightly, reading instructions without opening everything. They didn't rush, but their eyes flickered, absorbing the enormity of what lay before them.
Moon tilted his head, smirk faint but amused. "Don't you want to check which arts are here… or which techniques?"
Minji waved a hand dismissively, still slightly pale. "No. We're not going to snoop through someone else's property. Shocked or not, some surprises are meant to stay secret for a while."
Kai leaned back slightly, a teasing grin on his face. "But… I saw something earlier. Something coming out of your mouths. What was that?"
Minji's jaw snapped shut immediately. Her glare was enough to silence even the most stubborn curiosity.
Finally, Moon and Kai slipped the storage rings onto their fingers. The pulse of essence surged through them. Warmth, tingling, and an almost weightless pressure spread through their bodies. Slowly, they began transferring all the contents of the smaller rings into the larger ones.
The process was seamless. Vials, slips, essence manuals—all merged effortlessly. The larger rings glowed faintly, adapting to hold the immense quantity of materials. The hum of energy filled the room, gentle but insistent, vibrating through the floor, the walls, even their own bones.
James straightened, chest out slightly, voice firm and commanding, as if addressing a royal court rather than friends.
"Hear me! The sun has set, and darkness claims the land. We shall now proceed to the dining hall—our chef has prepared the feast. Delay not, for no one is to eat until summoned!"
Moon arched a brow, smirk tugging at his lips. "Ah… so we are summoned by decree, Your Highness? Should we kneel first, or simply applaud for the royal culinary majesty?"
Minji laughed, elbowing Kai. "James, do you expect us to curtsy too, or is a polite bow enough?"
Kai grinned, shaking his head. "Better hurry before His Majesty faints from hunger while we debate proper etiquette."
Laughter settled the room, lightening the tension, though the hum of essence .
The room was calm now, but the rings, warm against their fingers, whispered a promise of power, mystery, and secrets yet to be revealed.
To be continued…