The sun was high in the sky, bathing the sand dunes and painting the horizon in a bright, golden glow. The hot wind swept through the nd, lifting the fine sand and making breathing hard, giving the feeling of inhaling air from a bcksmith's forge, easily able to burn even a cultivator's lungs if they weren't careful enough. The heat was unbearable; a simple mortal would dry out in mere minutes. Yet out here, a figure was flying through the air, wearing casual attire and a simple, traveling robe. His blonde, wavy hair fluttered behind him as he enjoyed the journey without difficulty or even a drop of sweat on his forehead.

  "A few days, and I should be back, finally!" He sighed with a nostalgic voice as if it had been ages since he left his homend. "I'm curious about how the children are doing." He smiled with a happy expression, with expectation in his eyes as he sped up, leaving behind sonic booms, bsting the sand dunes below him into bits while he flew across the sky.

  He was Aerthus, traveling across the Western Desert, slowly approaching the borders of the Empire he had built almost two thousand years ago. His aura was virtually nonexistent, as no one would or could perceive him, even if he stood next to them, utterly invisible to their senses, blending into his surroundings as if he were part of the world itself. Those in the know would immediately realize that Aerthus was already at a level they couldn't comprehend... At something people would ter call the Third Level of Harmony. The st stage before becoming a Demigod.

  The first level of Harmony was the Inner Harmony, aimed at gaining complete control over one's body, energy, and senses. It was all about sharpening them to the maximum, while the second level, called Outer Harmony, meant getting in tune with nature. One's elemental affinity would slowly attune with the world's essence, and the cultivator would begin to gain control of nature's power, which was the primary focus of the second stage. It was also what stumped almost every cultivator who reached Harmony. They spent countless years, decades, and centuries exploring their own and nature's powers and how to synchronize with them... Only to fail and never figure it out. But apparently Aerthus did, reaching the third level, which they called Perfect Harmony.

  At this stage, the cultivator not only attained complete control over their powers and harmonized themselves with the surrounding environment, but they also elevated themselves to another level. It meant that he also formed an entire cycle within his own body, in sync with nature, becoming a world to himself. Achieving it, his body now was part of the world, and the saying of moving mountains and summoning rain with a flip of a hand became real. From that point onward, the energies the cultivator had access to were limited only by the amount avaible to them, meaning they virtually never ran out, not until they were sealed away in a pce that held none of nature's essence.

  Thinking about his life, Aerthus slowly looked up at the sky, where his eyes could now always see the Tear that others could only perceive when a tribution came down for them. For over two hundred years now, every time he looked up, be it day or night, clear or stormy weather… it was always there, never obscured by anything, never to fade, always up above glowing in otherworldly colors, beautiful yet frightening.

  "The Mad God…" He murmured under his breath.

  After being away for so long, meeting with people he could call his personal mentors, their tale repeated in his mind every time he looked up at it. About the story of the God who brought the change, the catalyst of a new era, and the myth of the four Gods and their tyrannical crusade against anyone emerging from the mortal pne, challenging their rule. Watching the Tear, mulling over his mentors' parting words given to him, he couldn't help but smile... Of course, they were right.

  "You are at the st step." They said, "Nobody can say how long it will take to finish it, Aerthus. But you need to stop cultivating; it's no longer what holds you back... It's all about enlightenment! Nobody and no cultivation method can help you with that. You see the Tear our Master left behind, patched by the four Tyrants in desperation... You reached Perfect Harmony; your body is in sync with your powers, almost transforming you into a Demigod's true form. What you need to make the st step into that stage is no longer your body's job but your mind's. Your soul needs to gain enlightenment… to what that is, only you will know. You will feel it, as my Master once said to me… it just clicks when you least expect it."

  Sighing, Arthus couldn't help but remember the lessons of those three... The new leaders of a new world, three Immortals who could match the Gods' powers... Disciples of the Mad God. He knew they were right, as they already walked farther than even the Demigod phase... That's why their words were always something he made sure to remember.

  "When that happens," They said, "You need to grab that chance and breakthrough because it won't come back. But be alert!" Aerthus felt like his mentors' words rang out in his head again, "When you reach the level of a Demigod, they will feel it... The four Tyrants will feel that another reached the threshold that leads to being a true Immortal… Or the doorstep into Godhood. Both paths are viable... So, they will send their followers to you to try to recruit you. Don't believe their honeyed words. Their followers walk an endless path, never to reach their promised goal…! So be ready. When you refuse their invitation, they will try many times more, whispering promises, showing you powers you never knew, but they are false dreams only. Nobody can give you that; only you can attain it through your work." He felt a tap on his chest, just like when they pointed at Aerthus's heart back then. "It's your road; only you can walk it. If you follow another's path, you can only go as far as they let you follow them. It's hard, for many, straight impossible, Aerthus, but this is the only way. Never give up. Do not forget that."

  "Yes…" Aerthus answered slowly, a smile creeping up his face, looking down from the sky towards the Empire he had built so many years ago, which finally appeared on the distant horizon, "It's only fun if you do it yourself."

  …….…..

  "Shaman?" Leinor asked, looking questioningly at him as he barged into their house while they were eating lunch, looking like he had been chased by dogs.

  "She's here!"

  "Who?" Leinor asked, confused.

  "She! Anyway, I'm not here!" He whispered, pulling in every curtain.

  As they looked at each other, the first to realize it was Isha...

  "Oh, the orangutans are here!" she said, holding back her ughter as she stood up while the others followed her out.

  The vilge welcomed the newcomers warmly as they slowly walked in, greeting everyone, one by one. The orangutans themselves looked around, admiring the houses, but their movements were particurly… slow. Their leader, Pongo, seeing Isha and the rest emerge from one of the houses, walked towards them as she got her pipe out, while the rest of the orangutans were already eying the small pond near the vilge.

  "Yoooo… this paaaace is niceeeee."

  "Thanks." Leinor smiled, a bit uncomfortable. "So… you came to join us? All the leaders are out at the moment."

  "I knooooow; it's cooooool. Theeeey wiiill beeeee baaaack sooooon."

  "You saw it?" Isha asked, curious, raising her red eyebrows.

  "Yeaaah. This paaaace is saaaafe. Will beeee gooooood here… biiiiig city, maaaaany peeeeeepole."

  "Well, it's still not big enough to be called a city." Poli sighed, looking around.

  "Wiiiiill beeeee." Pongo grinned, looking at them, "Youuuuu wooooon't live heeeeere." She said, pointing her pipe's end at them, "Buuuut sheeee wiiiiill. Theeee miniiii... oneeeeeee... Foooor a whiiiiileeeee."

  "Huh?" Leinor flinched.

  "Yooooou'll seeeee." She stretched, dropping the topic, looking at the house behind them. "Eduuuuu! Wannaaaaaa caaaaatch uuuuuup?"

  "Edu?" The rest of the group asked, almost in unison, looking back, but no answer came from the house.

  "Eeeeeh… heeee wiiiiill." Pongo shrugged before turning around. "Weeee likeeee the waaaaater; it's coooool… we neeeeeed houseeeeees thereeeee."

  "We'll see what we can do." Leinor nodded, watching her leave, thinking about her words with a confused look.

  "Don't mind it!" Zern sighed. "I still can't trust most of what they say as they constantly look high out of their minds. Let's wait until the others come back!"

  "I agree," Shaman said, suddenly emerging from behind them, "Let them do what they want; if you keep them sober, they are worse."

  "What do you mean… Edu?" Poli grinned, but he just got a sp on the back of the head from him as an answer.

  "Don't you call me that again! Anyway, they are brilliant." Shaman grunted, "If they are off their pipes, their brains work in overdrive. It pushes them and everybody around them into madness. They overthink everything and want to do EVERYTHING to perfection," he sighed, looking at the orangutans walking around the vilge, checking out their new home.

  "Why is it bad?" Isha asked, trying to understand it.

  "Here," Shaman said as he drew one line onto the ground. "Is it straight?"

  "I guess… yeah." She and the others nodded.

  "For a sober Pongo, this would be trash of a straight line!" he snorted, "They are obsessive. She would calcute the friction between the stick and the ground, the weight of the dirt it pulls out, etc., until she could draw a geometrically perfect, ft, straight line with one stroke. She wouldn't rex until she did it, even if it took a year. Do you get it now?"

  "That sounds… unhealthy." Poli gulped.

  "It is. Obsessively so." Shaman nodded, looking at the orangutans with a sad look, "When I first met them, most of the tribes they had were completely out of their mind. Many of them couldn't handle it and either killed themselves... They also stopped having kids... So, I helped them and discovered the perfect combination of drugs to tone down their minds to a functional level. I lived with them for around... more than sixty years."

  "What about this… seeing the future thing then? Did they really have that?" Isha tilted her head.

  "Well…" He stopped, furrowing his brows, "Honestly, I don't know. It's some kind of… side effect? I never understood it either; it just… happens. Especially when they do a group smoking session. There are times when they come together and do it in perfect synchronization. It's a weird scene; you will see if you stay here long enough. But it always comes out with a prediction, and they were always right. Always."

  "Creepy." Zern chuckled, shaking his head.

  "Yeah, that's why I left." Shaman agreed, "Anyway, back to work! I still need to dissect many more baboon bodies. There are a ton of great materials to be harvested from them!"

  "I lost my appetite…." Isha murmured as Shaman ughed, leaving them alone while Leinor watched the orangutans gathering near the pond.

  "She will live here…?" Leinor murmured under his breath, "Why… would she?" he asked himself, thinking of Ren, who was deep in thought, thinking of the same thing, scratching her chin, looking befuddled... which just made her even more adorable, making Leinor smile at her warmly.

  …….…..

  "Miss! Miss!" came Rem's voice from the trees as Emi sat at the base of a giant oak tree, her scar pstered with a paste of herbs to help her recover, though she still felt weak. Looking at her face and skin, she clearly had a high fever. Her eyes were watery, and it was hard for her to focus... But hearing Rem's voice, her breathing sped up a little, especially after hearing her following words. "My friends have come. I knew they would find me!" The happily smiling fairy arrived, but Emi's body stiffened immediately.

  She was expecting more fairies to arrive; instead, it was Ren, Feynor, Kang, and Niji who stepped out from the forest's shadows. She tried to get up but had no energy to even move her limbs, so she just watched them arrive with a cold expression.

  "Good." Ren nodded, seeing the weak foxgirl, showing a smirk on her face, looking into Emi's eyes. "It's what you deserve. Thank your ancestors bitch, because if you were in better condition, you would have to pay with your arm for my disciple's missing one."

  "B-bitch? Big… Big Sis, don't call her that! She is badly injured! We need to help her!" Rem yelped with a confused expression, flying back to Ren, trying to understand why she was angry.

  "That boy with the sword crippled himself," Emi answered, her voice as weak as a whisper.

  "Yeah? Who was the one who attacked them and forced him to do it?!" Ren fred up while lightning fshed around the trees and up in the sky as her silvery hair was curling upwards from the electricity jumping all over her.

  "Big Sis!" Rem gulped loudly, now really frightened... She had never seen Ren be this angry before.

  "She attacked you." Feynor expined to Rem, "She almost killed the others, then kidnapped you."

  "W-what?" She blinked her moist eyes, surprisedly, looking back at Emi, but she said nothing, as she kept looking at Ren, who was weighing on Emi with her aura. "Are… are they okay?"

  "Poli lost an arm, but they are fine," Niji nodded, making Rem's little face slightly better but still sickly worried.

  “Is… is it true… Miss?" She turned back with tear-filled eyes.

  "She also-" but before Niji could tell her about the baboon attack, Ren raised her arm, stopping Niji from continuing.

  "It is." Emi nodded, still taking on Ren's aura, but her wound started to open back up, as blood dripped from her nose.

  "W-why… They are my friends!" Rem sniffled.

  "I thought you were kidnapped."

  "Yeah, you assumed a lot of things. I guess you are used to listening to only one side." Ren snorted, drawing back her aura in the end, letting the violent crackings of lightning slowly fade away.

  "You humans-"

  "Enough!" She snorted, "Yes, humans, this and that. But we are not the same. There are different humans and different demon folks. Or should we just group all of you under the same banner and come with swords and shields all the time, without compromise?"

  "..."

  "Enough!" Ren repeated herself, "I am getting mad just looking at you! Kang, pick her up, and let's go!" She turned to the side.

  "Aye." The goril nodded and came forward, easily grabbing the weak foxgirl and lifting her.

  "If you think you will make me talk… You are gravely mistaken. Just kill me...!"

  "Kill you?" Ren looked at her with a deadpan expression, holding Rem, stroking her head as she sobbed silently, murmuring 'sorry' all the time. "I considered it when I first saw my friends after you escaped... But I won't tarnish my Lil' Sis efforts of keeping you alive… and honestly..." As she walked past her, she added, "I don't give two shits about what you have to say. So shut up or die already."