Vergil was interrupted on the cusp of advancing into the peek stage of prenatal mind refinement. Who would so brazenly step into his field of detection but a former friend with expectations? After a month of blessed silence, tormenting apes, and getting closer to Gwen, a familiar ki entered his range. Placing a name to the half-familiar ki was easier with his current cultivation. Higher stages of mind cultivation made it harder to forget his past. Ironically it made it harder to let go of even the slightest slight he remembered.

 

Before he met the man outside, he heard a drop of water hit the cave floor. Curious, he let a few drops fall on his hand before tasting them. He had found fresh water for the first time since coming to the new world. What better way to express his friendship than to share a rare resource?

 

Vergil invited the trespasser into the room within the cave with water.

 

On the outside, humans were given a carefully calculated ration of water that never seemed to quench their thirst.

 

Friends shouldn’t stare terrified while they wait for the water jug to fill to an acceptable level.

 

Stalactites dripped the only freshwater possibly in the entire subdimension. Vergil held a rock-carved jug he stole from an ape under the slow dripping water until it was full and rejoiced. Never had he been happier than when he acquired a whole jug of fresh water. He stared at the wavy surface of the jug as drop after drop fell. Once it was relatively full, he traded out the jug and poured some cool water for his guest.

 

“Why are you acting like you need water? Everyone knows you no longer need water once you reach the intermediate stage of the prenatal realm.” Jacob said.

 

That wasn’t specifically informed by the brand. So Vergil chose not to believe it and took everything Jacob said with a pinch of salt.

 

There were three Jacobs in the group, and the others chose the one Vergil knew the best. Jacob Thompson was a friend until he had to move. They were as thick as thieves and constantly hanging out at one time. Vergil relied on Jacob for friendship for a long time but let the relationship wilt on the vine when Jacob moved away to the coast. It wasn’t his job to keep in contact.

 

When Vergil closed his eyes, he could picture the scene. The ratty old seat of his first truck, his sticky, worn steering wheel, and how could he forget the smell of french fries. He was told by their mutual friend that Jacob was back in town and had stood up his girlfriend for the chance to see his friend again. He pulled into the parking lot, got out, and walked toward his youth group. Gravel crunched under his feet as he walked fast to see his friend again. The memories of old times fishing, exploring the woods, and hanging out after football practice were all treasured and dearly missed experiences. He had felt alone without his friend for his final years of high school. Then, Jacob grabbed and held him in place in front of everyone. Vergil tried to resist, but Jacob had been in the gym for two years while Vergil atrophied. Then Jacob threw him on the ground before everyone and stepped forward to talk to the others. Vergil remembered seeing Jacob slip back into their youth group like he had never left, and Vergil called out but was ignored. Vergil turned around, returned to his truck, and left. That was the last time he saw Jacob until they were taken.

 

Jacob hadn’t done anything horrible to him, but the memory remained. Vergil couldn’t let it go and felt it needed to be resolved.

 

It was his own fault for letting the relationship die on the vine in the first place. But the feeling of helplessness when Jacob showed himself stronger and left him behind. Even if he pretended it didn’t matter, Vergil hadn't forgotten it. That was the last time he saw Jacob Thompson until the man walked into his cave after over a decade.

 

“You don’t have to drink it,” Vergil said, sipping the cool fresh water. It was probably filled with alien bacteria and parasites, but the cool taste was delicious. His body wasn’t very human anymore, anyway.

 

“I see you got braces and fixed those teeth of yours,” Jacob said.

 

Vergil had refused braces until the bitter end, and his mother eventually gave up on them. It was a poor choice on his part after seeing the misery of others. Honestly, he blamed Disney, but he had always been gullible.

 

He wanted to ask Jacob why he abandoned him for the more popular crowd of older boys in their church youth group. It's what he felt, but Vergil, too, had abandoned Jacob when he moved. They were good friends, but sometimes it felt like it was of convenience.

 

Like Tyson, Jacob hadn’t stood up when Vergil was forced into the front.

 

“How are the kids?” Vergil asked.

 

Any goodwill from Jacob died then. Jacob was a father taken from his children. The odds were good; he wouldn’t see them again. While the situation wasn’t too bad for Vergil, it was Jacob’s nightmare. Vergil thought the odds were good; his wife would remarry before they made it back.

 

It really showed Jacob's investment in finding the sarcophagus.

 

“I need your leviathan vein,” Jacob said through grinding teeth.

 

Had he taken to mind refinement?

 

That was one of the main advantages Vergil had over the others. Ostrich Oscillation opened the door to mind and body refinement allowing him to use the brand to broaden his horizon. In addition, knowing the different energy sources allowed him to filter easier for the relevant cultivation techniques.

 

He couldn’t sense any sign of mind cultivation from Jacob. So, why ask for the leviathan vein?

 

“You have a lot of nerve coming here and making demands,” Vergil said.

 

Jacob tossed him a void pearl. “I doubt you know its value. Well, let me clue you in, use it to cultivate, and for 6 hours, you will have 25% better results. I think it’s a good trade, something that you can’t even use for a precious cultivation material.” Jacob said.

 

Vergil glanced at one of the rings on his fingers. He kept around 1000 void pearls in reserve and used the rest. They were money, after all; through Gwen, he could use that money to buy information like inquiries about a sarcophagus.

 

“You want to use another leviathan vein to boost Tyson’s psions,” Vergil said and tossed the pearl back to Jacob. “I’m not dumb enough to help my enemies, so no deal.”

 

Jacob sighed and slipped into a fighting stance. “Let me show you why going against us is a bad idea.”

 

Vergil sighed and pointed two fully loaded automatic rifles at Jacob. “I thought you wanted to get home to your kids.”

 

Jacob froze, and Vergil opened fire and didn’t stop until the guns clicked empty. Except the bullets passed through Jacob like a ghost.

 

He pushed his senses to their limit and noticed a discrepancy in Jacob. 

 

“You aren’t really here; this is an astral projection. Did you think you were intimidating? We aren’t teenagers anymore.” Vergil said.

 

Jacob’s eyes were wide as saucers. He didn’t seem to be able to answer Vergil’s questions. Instead, Vergil raised a hand and struck out with his ki. The astral projection flickered for a moment, and Vergil felt some resistance.

 

“You would have shot me,” Jacob said.

 

Jacob was more surprised than he had any right to be. Of course, Vergil would shoot him. There was no way he could allow Jacob to take the leviathan vein. The drones attempting to sneak in and mine the thing were already being dealt with by Gwen and the other drones. It was disappointing that Jacob had decided to waste his time.

 

If he wanted to play sneak around and fuck with people, then Vergil was game. However, his fellow cultivators had already gone against the grain by taking over psions. What would they do if he exposed their actions?

 

A curious, psion young master like Su Charity could ruin their day. While they were duking it out, Vergil could take some of the mining equipment the drones were lugging around and mine the other leviathan vein. If one fount of diamond-rank psi was a boon, then two would be even better.

 

“We’re done talking,” Vergil said.

 

“Wait, don’t you want to know about our lead? Give up your leviathan vein, and we’ll let you in as a junior gang member. You’re only at the intermediate stage, right?” Jacob said.

 

The fact that they found a lead didn’t matter to him. Vergil had less than five months to cultivate bitterly, and they wanted to steal one of his resources. Fair was fair; he should remove one of their own. The question was how to convince a psion to trust his transmission.

 

Vergil pressed his hand against Jacob’s face as his ki wore down the projection. Then, like tossing a block of wood into a wood chipper, Jacob’s body shattered into pieces.

 

It felt good, better than it had any right to feel. Of course, he shouldn’t care; it was over a decade ago, but they were friends, and he felt betrayed. It was a small betrayal, but when Jacob was new and needed a friend, Vergil was there and didn’t like him at first. It felt like Jacob used him as a placeholder until he found better friends but never quite jumped until he returned.

 

After the incident with Jacob, he never had another close friend. Of course, he could have had great friends at times, but something always held him back.

 

Gwen’s tentacles wrapped around him.

 

“You’re breathing heavy, and your heart is racing,” Gwen said.

 

“Have you ever had a friend betray you?” Vergil asked.

 

It wasn’t betrayal, not really. Vergil lost his friend, and his friend showed that their friendship was long over.

 

Other friends had had less than his best interest, and some had become enemies, but Jacob was a festered wound he thought had healed long ago, but it was still filled with puss. It's why he didn’t go to any high school reunions. Vergil was the kind of guy who always thought he would make something of himself. Unfortunately, he failed because he lacked the killer instinct to drive himself forward.

 

“Yes, when my great uncle was a favored general, my family was on the rise. Su Charity respected me as a young miss of the rising Yin Clan. Then my great uncle was marked a traitor, a generation of my Yin clan was put to death, and imperial minders were made my parental units. Growing up, they spent the wealth of my Yin clan until I was of a clan in name only. I had a chance to get into a powerful school that could have seen the revival of my clan if only Su Charity had spoken with her elders. All I needed was a recommendation. Neptune Academy would have been such a lovely place. It would have gotten me and the remainder of my clan’s wealth away from the imperial minders. Instead, Su Charity laughed me out of her clan house.” Gwen said.

 

“Do you want revenge?” Vergil asked.

 

“If we move in here and fail, the consequences will be severe,” Gwen said.

 

“Could we ask for help from her and claim some humans have a method to control psions, and they tried to get you?” Vergil asked.

 

“None of what you said was a lie, but why would she help us.”

 

“I will think of something,” Vergil said.