The Card Cultivation System
CCS-150

Xika woke up when the sun had already reached its peak. Last night, he couldn't rest at all. Many wolves had come to say goodbye even though more were holding him back from leaving. Especially Lang Hu.

But after they all fell asleep, Xika slipped away and left them. He walked to a very sentimental place. Xuehao's Cliff. There, Xuehao fell in love with Heiliao for the first time. There, he saw Heiliao reject Xuehao. There, he saw Heiliao and Lang Yan killing each other and stopping the two with the help of Huo Bing.

It was early in the morning, but he still did not sleep. He was busy looking at the stars who had witnessed all the events in this place. Various events flashed in his head from the first time he came, until he made a speech earlier.

He spent time thinking about his new family until he forgot about time. As a result, he just woke up and ruined the moment of the wolves who thought he would leave in the morning. As he walked with Heiliao and Huo Bing, instead of receiving a sad look, he instead got an annoyed look.

Xika stood side by side with Huo Bing and Heiliao. All three faced the thousands of wolves staring at them. Each salutes the way their people. Xika bowed, Heiliao lowered her head and bent her right front leg, while Huo Bing spread her wings and lowered her head. Although he was a bird, he was also part of the wolves.

Then, without another farewell, the three went missing behind the dense trees. They don't need words. They understood what was on each other's minds with just a look. Xika was riding on Heiliao while Huo Bing was flying beside her.

"Xika, before we go out I'll teach you how to get into the woods of the wolves."

"Eh, isn't that unnecessary? Although I don't know the exact location, but it's closer to the city yesterday isn't it? It only takes a few moments to walk before it finds him."

Heiliao laughed loudly.

"Of course it is necessary. The forest of these wolves was not located in the Lin Dynasty. This forest is located in the deepest part of a mountain range surrounded by various dynasties."

"What's? Then why do you only need a few moments to reach this forest from the City. I don't know the name of the city. What's name?"

"I used the space element to cover my entire body before moving. It looks like I just ran for a while, but I actually traveled a long distance" Heiliao said ignoring Xika's last words.

Xika only nodded at Heiliao's statement. He wondered when he would be able to do that as well. It seemed like it would be very easy to travel when using space elements like the one Heiliao used.

After that, Heiliao told the boundaries of the wolf forest and how to enter and exit it. He pointed to some trees that became the benchmark. Each of them had a formation set up to protect the forest in case there was an attack.

"Hows it? You recall? We're almost out of the wolf forest."

"Mmm.yeah, more or less. Where are we going now?"

"We should have asked that. The one leading you!"

"Ho? So Mister Huo Bing is willing to listen to my words?"

"That's not what I mean!"

"Alright, alright. That'sthat's enough. Where are we going?"

Xika thought for a while then replied,

"The gap that Uncle Kong Yan showed. He said I can go there when my cultivation level has reached Qi 2. And I have already reached it. Ah, he also told me to go with you."

"Basic handicapped boy! Know that we don't have to get out of the wolf forest. What will they say if we go back now?"

Xika laughed dryly while scratching her non-itchy cheeks.

"Ah, no need to go back. There's another way."

Huo Bing raised next to his brow in confusion. As Xika paved his way using the Nexus, Huo Bing was still busy collecting qi, so he did not pay attention to the surroundings and did not know there was another path to Simulocus.

Xika took off the Nexus that had previously coated her body. During this time, he coats himself using the Nexus as protection, while the Cosmos he leaves without his box rests in the pocket of his robe. The Nexus returns to being a box after it is released from Xika's body. He throws it and the box rotates to form a portal.

"Hmm. Let's go in."

Huo Bing paid little attention to the previously box-shaped portal, while Heiliao stared at the portal in front of him with a look of admiration as well as curiosity. He had to ask Xika to lend him the box later.

The three entered the portal that instantly closed after all entered.

Inside Simulocus, Kong Yan greeted them. Xika took the Nexus that was already a box back. It seemed, Kong Yan already knew their purpose.

"Well, I guess you guys are ready?"

All three nodded. Then Kong Yan ushered them in the gap that became their destination, even though it was actually unnecessary. Xika could look for her herself, but she did not feel good about rejecting Kong Yan. Besides, it doesn't seem like he has a job.

Xika waved at Kong Yan before stepping inside through the crack. But for a moment, he looked at Kong Yan's face which was filled with hesitation. Uncle Kong Yan seemed to want to say something but did not so in the end. Xika did not think too much about it as she was already distracted by the sight before her eyes.

"Wow. It's like in a story you used to read to me before you went to bed."

"Your father recited a story about the bamboo forest to make you sleep?" huo Bing asked in confusion. The bird stared at Xika and the bamboo forest in front of him alternately. He was completely confused by Xika's father. Usually the bamboo forest only exists in stories that are full of martial arts. Why is such a story a bedtime story?

Heiliao stared at the bamboo forest in front of him with narrowed eyes. This bamboo forest felt strange. The thick fog that surrounded him added to the mysterious impression. And he doesn't like that. The forest gave him a bad feeling. It was as if he could be attacked from anywhere and had no idea where the attack came from.

"Heiliao's? What's up?"

"Hm? No. gabe. There's nothing."

"Then let's go inside."

"Wait on! My hunch says we can't get through this fog."

"What's? Then how are we gonna get in?"

Huo Bing, who also felt an uneasy feeling from the fog, spoke up,

"Are you sure we should enter this forest? It could've led us not to this forest."

"If not this forest, where should we go?" xika asked while looking at her empty surroundings leaping over. Other than the mist-filled bamboo forest, there was nothing else in that place. Just empty land as far as the eye could see. Huo Bing was only aware of that.

"............

"I'm sure we should enter this forest-"

Xika's words stopped because she felt something calling her. He jerked his head in the direction he thought was coming from that 'something.

"Xika's? What's up?"

Xika did not care about Heiliao nor Huo Bing. He walked towards the direction the feeling came from. Huo Bing and Heiliao followed behind in bewilderment. The two exchanged gazes and both found confusion within each other's eyes.

Xika continued walking regardless of the increasingly thickened fog or Heiliao and Huo Bing who kept calling out to her. The two creatures were aware of the growing fog and were increasingly vigilant.

Finally Xika stopped.

"Huo Bing! A heiliao! There is no fog here. We can get in this way."

The bird and the wolf stared at the path that Xika pointed at suspiciously. The forest is surrounded by fog. Why is there a place not surrounded by fog? To get them through that road? Is this a trap? But they sensed that the feeling of danger that the fog emitted was stronger than this path.

"What's wrong? Didn't you say you didn't want to go through the fog? Why do not you want to enter also when there is a place that is not surrounded by fog?"

Heiliao and Huo Bing exchanged glances again. They nodded at each other. That road is the only option. I don't know what's waiting for them inside. But they have to protect Xika. Whatever happens.

"Come, come. We're in."

Xika jumped onto Heiliao's back and forced the wolf to step forward. After all, the fog continued to thicken and that path was their only option.

"Wahh...turns out this bamboo forest is beautiful too......."

Neither Heiliao nor Huo Bing answered Xika. The two were busy looking around them, watching in case something went wrong.

"Why are you guys so serious?"

"Don't you feel like there's something weird about this place?"

Xika was silent for a while to feel this place better. He did not feel what Huo Bing was talking about. On the contrary, this place even reminds him of the story of the sleep story that his father always brought. He heard it every day, even his mother told him the same thing.

Only after he had completely memorized the story did they tell another story to help him sleep. But sometimes they would go back to telling her that story. Even his father still tested several times to make him not forget.

When he was just at Uncle Fa Diala's house, he kept having nightmares. The dream of his birthday was so happy, then suddenly everything changed. His village was destroyed, his people were slaughtered, he almost died and his parents disappeared without a trace. And when he woke up, the dream was reality.

He woke up only to realize the dream was reality and could not sleep anymore. Somehow he refused to sleep, until his usually gentle Uncle Fa Diala scolded him and forced him to sleep. But sleep will only bring him back to the tragedy he sought to forget.

It was his father's story that helped him sleep at the time. Other than just that story he remembered, he felt calm as he recalled that story. He read the story to himself before going to bed, and the nightmares began to wane. He even had time to write the story was afraid he would forget, but he did not want anyone else to know the story of his parents, so he threw away the paper.

This story also made him like books. He read various story books in the first-floor library until it ran out also because of the story. After that, he began to read the books of knowledge there.

"Xika's? You all right? This is the second time you've been daydreaming."

"Hm? Ah, ja. This place reminds me of the bedtime stories my dad and mom used to bring. Besides, I don't feel anything else. What do you feel?"

"Forget it. Maybe it's just my feelings. By the way, what story did you just say the same as the bamboo forest story?"

"Yes, it's the same story."

"Try telling me. I'm curious."

Heiliao beside also nodded. The wolf was as curious as Huo Bing about Xika's strange-sounding bedtime story. Xika smiled looking at the two. Sometimes, he likes to read the story to himself so that he does not forget. Despite not having nightmares anymore, he did not want to forget the story.

"alright. The story begins with a bamboo forest filled with mist. The forest provides only one way for travelers. And the longer the fog gets thicker, so you have to decide quickly. Enter or not. Then........."

Xika stopped her story abruptly with wide eyes. He looked back as if there was something.

"Close!"

WHUSH!!!