I Shall Devour Everything

He saw Old Zi worshipping a tree on all his fours, taking a worshipping stance.

The tree was strangely in the middle of the two houses, and Arion had noticed it before, but he didn't take much mind to it since it looked like an ordinary tree with some fruits hanging on its branches.

Arion curiously walked closer to Old Zi but didn't say anything to let Old Zi do his thing and not disturb him.

"You must be wondering why I am worshipping this tree, right?"

Arion pushed away his thoughts when he heard Old Zi's aged voice and chuckled, "Yeah. I mean no disrespect, but I have never seen anyone worshipping a tree like this. Is there any reason why?"

Old Zi lightly chuckled as he got up and looked at the tree sentimentally as he said, "This tree is no ordinary tree. It is a sacred one."

Arion raised his brows, "A sacred tree? But why?"

"If you didn't know, this tree is the reason no Dreadlings approach this place. At least not the Dreadlings that prowl around in these hills."

Arion was surprised," But...Mei said you had a pranic item to ward off Dreadlings. How could...oh...is this tree considered a pranic item as well? A natural one?"

Old Zi looked at Arion and smiled appreciatively, "Good. You are right. A pranic item need not only be man-made but can also be made by nature, and usually, nature made ones are the most beautiful in every sense."

Arion was astonished as he never expected a tree could also be a pranic item when he imagined something smaller to be pranic items that one could hold in their hand or carry with them.

Only now he learned that it need not be small and, in fact, could be related closely to nature more than he thought.

He walked forward towards the tree, carefully observing this ordinary tree, and looked at Old Zi as he asked, "Can I touch it?"

Old Zi gestured, "Of course. In fact, after you touch it, try connecting with your prana, and you will then realize the beauty of it."

Arion now became even more curious as he stood beside the tree and placed his palm on its trunk.

He then closed his eyes as he connected to his prana. The moment he did, he felt his surroundings going completely silent before feeling a change in the air as if he was not near Old Zi anymore but somewhere else.

And suddenly, he felt somebody was gently holding his hand as a wave of emotions began to pour into his heart.

Happiness, sadness, regret, and longing...all these emotions took Arion's heart by surprise and made him feel as if his heart got heavier to the point he felt his eyes getting warm.

"Live on…...forget….survive…..I will always be with you….my love…." The vague sad voice of a woman entered Arion's mind as a tear trickled down his eye.

He was only able to hear words from here and there and not a complete sentence. But just from the words he heard from that sad voice, it made him feel like his heart was caving in with agony and inexplicable pain and the intense desire to hold on to that hand which was entwined with his….so that whoever it was wouldn't disappear but stay.

But at the same time, unbeknownst to Arion, his inner perception screen was updated with new information,

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Passive Abilities:

— Pranic Echo [Lvl. 1] : Acquire information about people or events associated with an object by touching it. Prowess of this ability depends on various factors

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Old Zi had an astonished look on his face as he saw the tear trickling down Arion's cheek and couldn't believe his eyes and wondered whether his speculation was true.

Suddenly, Arion felt the hand that was holding his fading away into oblivion, making him clench his hand to get hold of that woman's hand again. But all he felt was the cold wood of the tree.

Arion then opened his eyes with a gasp as he stumbled back with a look of disbelief as he gazed at the tree...his eyes no longer looking at it as if it was just a normal tree.

"What...what was that…" Arion mumbled as he touched his face to wipe away the tear and looked at it with a shocked look, wondering why he became so emotional though now he felt his heart getting lighter again.

It was as if what he experienced just now was an illusion, and now that illusion was fading away as his mind came back to reality.

"You...what did you see? Or feel?" Old Zi asked, feeling extremely curious and interested for someone who usually does not feel much interest in the mundane life.

Arion still had a dazed expression as he continued to stare at the ordinary-looking tree with a strange look.

"Arion? Are you alright?" Old Zi asked again as he held Arion's shoulder.

"Huh..I…" Arion finally got out of his daze just as Old Zi grabbed his shoulder.

"What just happened?" Arion asked and continued, "I felt like someone held my hand and a woman's voice…"

"You what? You heard a voice??" Old Zi asked in an astonished voice as his beard trembled. It was as if he heard something unbelievable.

"It can't be....you really were able to hear a pranic echo?" Old Zi mumbled as his expression became thoughtful.

"Pranic echo? What's that?" Arion asked curiously.

Old Zi looked at Arion again and eagerly explained, "It is an ability or a gift that allows Defiers to learn about things related to an object just by touching it. You could probably hear the voice of the one who used that object or maybe the things that happened in the object's vicinity. It differs and is not really consistent. And sometimes, by using pranic echo, you can feel too, just like how you must have experienced certain emotions, right?

Arion nodded as he rubbed his chest, "Yes...I-I felt sad...very sad...it was as if that voice was talking to me, and I could feel her regret and many other things. It just….It just feels so confusing and strange. Why would I be able to hear this echo?" Arion asked with a bewildered expression, not understanding what just happened.

Even now, he felt as if that voice had left an impact on his heart, but the memory of that voice now seemed very vague.

Old Zi smiled happily, "It's because I think you were born with the gift to hear these echoes. It is not an ability that could be cultivated. You are either born with it or not. Still, to think that you got an echo from this ancient tree which surely ages thousands of years, is quite shocking. I asked you to connect to your prana while placing your hand on the tree because I thought you would feel a warm and soothing sensation across your body and soul. But I never thought that you would have experienced something like emotions or hear a voice. Have you ever experienced anything like this before?"

Arion was astonished to hear that he probably was born with such an ability. But then, hearing his question, he answered confidently, "No. I am sure I have never heard any echoes or anything. I never felt like this whenever I touched any objects before. This was the first time."

He, again and again, checked every single memory of his previous self, but he was sure that if something like this had happened before, he would have known for sure.

Old Zi stroked his beard as his eyes flashed with an awed glint, "This...This is quite astonishing and wonderful news. I never knew you had this ability nor expected someone from our small Fok Grove Ward to possess such a gift. I think you just awakened this ability now. Sometimes this gift is dormant and only awakens at a later point in their life or when certain conditions are right."

"Usually, people with your ability are so rare that they are viewed with high regard since they are considered to be 'loved by prana'. And those who are born with this gift all go on to become highly respected and powerful Defiers, especially the ones who know well to use this gift. But this is strange…" Old Zi mumbled as he took a good look at Arion.

Arion felt as if he was being scanned from head to toe and asked with a perplexed expression, "Why? What is strange?"

After a few moments of looking at Arion with a narrowed gaze, Old Zi said, "Usually those who are born with such a gift would surely have one of their parents to possess the same gift, and these people are usually either very powerful or at least hold an influential status in our world."

He continued as he asked in a serious tone, "Arion, do you know who your parents are?"