Ancient Ruins

Looking up at the towering peak that seemed to pierce the clouds, Uchiha Zhuang felt his spirits soar. It looked to be several thousand meters tall. What would it feel like to stand atop such a majestic mountain? Dusk slowly settled, and the crackling campfire cast a warm glow. Uchiha Zhuang had finished dinner and was getting ready to sleep when he heard leaves rustling in the distance. He looked closely and saw a figure slowly approaching. Once she drew nearer, he recognized Persia. When she reached the campsite, Uchiha Zhuang used Natural Energy and placed a hand on her forehead, slowly transferring energy as he asked what had happened. Persia, covered in scratches, answered shakily. It turned out that during the day, she had sensed a giant monster nearby: the Centipede King. To keep Uchiha Zhuang from running into it, she had secretly gone ahead to lure it away. When she returned, Uchiha Zhuang was already gone. She couldn't track him by his scent—he had been leaping from treetop to treetop—and when she went back to yesterday's campsite, he wasn't there either. She had doubled back to the foot of the great peak and only then seen the campfire.

Rationally, Uchiha Zhuang didn't believe her. There was no such thing as kindness without reason. Could someone who trusted him so completely really be genuine? But emotionally, he could sense her sincerity. Unable to decide what to believe, Uchiha Zhuang could only keep going. Looking at Persia, he asked about the peak's history. Her rambling explanation left him deep in thought for a long time.

This great peak was the site of Balaxia, an ancient kingdom. Inside the mountain were cities, mines, and wind tunnels. But long ago, a world-wide upheaval had erupted, sparked by a strange fruit tree that did not belong to this world. It had drawn humanity's attention, and the conflict surrounding it had nearly destroyed the world. Balaxia had used the divine power within the mountain to protect the peak, along with the vast forests and all their animals and plants. But the people of Balaxia had all suffered aftereffects, and no new Balaxian life was ever born. The kingdom gradually declined, and eventually no living things appeared inside the peak at all. (Persia referred to the mountain as the God Peak, using an honorific.) Such aftereffects really were incurable, Uchiha Zhuang mused. "How do you know this history?" "Creator, we..." "Why did you bring me here?" "Life, explore." "What do I get out of helping you?" "Good, we..." From that halting exchange, pieced together through guesses, Uchiha Zhuang realized she wanted him to explore the interior of the God Peak. Why had she chosen him? He understood that his Forest Child constitution must naturally resonate with and connect to the forest. When it came to being in tune with nature, he might even be better than the "put your hands together and get whatever you want" type—though that person didn't care about this.

"Can I trust you, Persia?" Uchiha Zhuang asked, staring into her clear green eyes with his Two-Tomoe Sharingan. Unprepared, Persia became completely ensnared in Uchiha Zhuang's mental world. She just kept repeating words like "we" and "us," her eyes vacant and her mind gone. He released the illusion and reached out to transfer chakra to Persia. When she came to, she was weak and seemed frightened of Uchiha Zhuang. She curled up and shut her eyes. Uchiha Zhuang went over and sat beside her, pulled up the blanket, and tucked it around her before spreading his own blanket and lying down next to her. He ran his hand through her smooth, sturdy green hair, which carried a faint, fresh scent of plants, and gently stroked her forehead. With his eyes closed, Uchiha Zhuang cultivated Natural Energy—yes, while lying down. As natural energy flowed around them, Persia slowly relaxed. Uchiha Zhuang used Natural Energy to convey his worry. "I'm afraid of the Creator," he said plainly. Persia opened her eyes and used Natural Energy to express reassurance. "Creator, likes, us." "I'm afraid of the God Peak," Uchiha Zhuang said. "Balaxia, us, friends," Persia reassured him. Comforted by Persia, Uchiha Zhuang soon drifted into a deep sleep.

The next morning, the dew and frost soaked their clothes. Uchiha Zhuang and Persia had already set out early, heading for the Balaxia God Peak. Climbing up from the foot of the mountain was easier than making their way through the forest below; at least they could move freely and see where they were going. They climbed through rugged rocks and overgrown weeds, sometimes scrambling with both hands and feet. Uchiha Zhuang's years of training served him well: after two hours, he was only lightly sweating, while Persia was already gasping for breath. Forest spirits simply weren't suited to climbing mountains. When Persia could go no farther, the two of them found a sheltered spot to rest. Uchiha Zhuang reasoned that a mountain this tall must have a vast interior, so it wouldn't be surprising if ancient ruins lay within. They should enter through the wind tunnel Persia had mentioned. They hadn't seen it yet, so it was probably higher up. The tunnel was likely meant for ventilation or to connect with the outside world. After resting for a while, they continued. The higher they climbed, the stronger the wind became. The winter wind stung their faces and hands, so Uchiha Zhuang pulled up his hood. Persia's pretty face had turned red from the cold, and Uchiha Zhuang had no choice but to find a sheltered spot and drape the blanket over her, securing it with a rope so the wind wouldn't blow it away.

By midafternoon, frost and snow covered the ground and the short grass. Their breath came out white. Uchiha Zhuang began to worry. There was no telling whether they would find an entrance farther up, and they were already in a dangerous situation. They had no mountaineering gear and had learned no proper climbing techniques; making it this far was already thanks to Uchiha Zhuang's strength and exceptional stamina. Looking at Persia, numb with cold, he made up his mind: they would climb another fifty meters, and if they didn't find an opening into the mountain, they would turn back immediately. Persia was already staggering, so Uchiha Zhuang supported her as the two of them trudged onward. Just as Uchiha Zhuang was about to give up, a dark opening, tall enough for a person to enter, appeared before him. They approached it, and Uchiha Zhuang used ninjutsu at the entrance: "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" He burned away the weeds and debris clinging to the walls, then the two of them slowly entered the wind tunnel.

The farther in they went, the darker it became. Uchiha Zhuang's Two-Tomoe Sharingan was barely affected, and he could still see clearly. Vine-like objects had begun to appear along the cave walls. Uchiha Zhuang didn't dare use a torch. Creatures in caves were usually highly sensitive to light, and if he lit one carelessly, he would only turn himself into a huge, moving target. Something unknown might be drawn to him. His eyes were his strongest weapon now. Uchiha Zhuang tightly tied himself and Persia together with a rope, and they walked one behind the other. They walked for nearly half an hour through the winding tunnel, going up and down as they went. Though dark, the tunnel wasn't damp; it was rather dry. The temperature was also slowly rising, and by then it had returned to what it had been at the foot of the mountain.

As they went, Uchiha Zhuang hadn't spotted a single trace of the creatures normally found in caves, which was strange. Not a bat, mouse, snake, or insect. And the vines seemed to be moving slowly. Uchiha Zhuang looked closely. Sure enough, the vines were moving.