Chapter 3: Chapter 003 – Core Cards?

“You’re pretty fast once you get going, Micro.” The pixie shouted over the sound of Micro’s quick foot steps while being jostled about the cage.
“But could you be a bit more gentle? This is no way to treat a lady.”

Together they had run a fair distance through the seemingly endless labyrinth of tunnels, but still it seemed they were no closer to escaping the subsurface world of rocks and puddles.

“I’m known for being reliable…” He replied apologetically.
“Not comfortable.”

“Well, I think you can slow down now.” The pixie asked while grasping her head dizzily.

“Alright.” He answered and slowed to a brisk walking speed.
“I wonder if this is how bicycles feel.”

“What’s a bicycle?”

“They’re like a car, but with pedals, and they only have two wheels.” He explained with a frown.
“There are more and more on the roads recently.”

“I didn’t understand any of what you just said.” The pixie smiled as she regained her composure.
“I’m Blue, by the way.”

“Yes, I can see that.” He replied kindly.

“No, that’s my name.”

“What’s your name?”

“Blue.” The pixie shouted, startling Micro.

He looked down at the cage in his hand curiously.

“I’ve never had such a small passenger.” He squinted while observing her sparkling wings.
“Are you a child?”

Blue raised an eyebrow at his question.

“I’m probably older than you, boy.” She frowned.

“What on Earth are you then?”

“Firstly, we’re not on whatever world you just named.” She explained with a finger raised.
“Secondly, I’m a pixie. Do you not have pixies where you’re from?”

“I don’t think so.” Micro shrugged.
“I heard a story about fairies on the radio once though. Are you like a fairy?”

“You-” Blue fumed.
“Don’t you mistake me for one of those pompous, dainty, traitors, good for nothing…”

Blue continued to insult fairies for a while before calming down. Before the conversation could continue however-

CLANG

“Hmm?” Micro stopped abruptly and looked down to find the source of the metallic sound.
“Well that’s inconsiderate. Somebody just left this in the middle of the road.”

Shaking his head, he bent down to pick the object up.

It was a thin piece of metal, no bigger than a credit card, and was covered in strange writing.

“Oh look, a Core Card.” Blue observed casually.
“Looks damaged though. The lower stage cards don’t last long if you don’t use them.”

“Core? Is that a bank?” Micro observed it more closely, not seeing any familiar writing on it.

When he flipped it over though, he noticed a picture of a snake.

“You don’t have Core Cards in your world either?” Blue asked.
“Well, they’re nothing special. Cultivators use them for training. I think they’re cool though.”

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Micro held the Card up to the cage for her to see.

“Yeah, see?” She pointed at the unfamiliar writing.

“It’s a Jade Serpent Art card. That’s the weakest stage. Oh, and that mark means it is a water type. But it’s cracked right down the middle, so you wouldn't want to hold on to it. I’m more concerned that there could be a dungeon nearby. That’s where cards like that are from.”

“I didn’t understand any of that…Sorry, Blue…” Micro apologized with a humble smile.

“No, it’s fine.” She smiled back.
“I honestly don’t know much about all that cultivation stuff. Pixies like me just use the power we’re born with. We have a lot of it too!”

She proudly held her hands up and increased the amount of light for a moment before running out of breath.

“Well, once I’ve rested a while.” She panted.
“We’re popular sacrificial ingredients for crazy magicians like those who don’t have any power of their own to waste on their silly rituals.”

“Magicians… are like cultivators?” Micro spent a little more time looking at the card before tossing it to the side of the cave where it would be no nuisance to traffic.

“No no, cultivators figure out ways to increase their own energy reserves.” She seemed to enjoy explaining things to her new companion.
“They're more like Pixies in that sense, though it takes a long time to even make a low level core if you aren’t born with magnificent bodies like us pixies.”

“A jade core…” Micro nodded slowly, grasping his chest with his hand.
“She said something like that…”

“She?” Blue asked.
“You mean Nora? She taught you about cultivation? How unexpectedly helpful of her.”

“No…” He struggled to recall the conversation.
“When she brought me up into the sky… she said I had enough, what did she call it again… spiritual energy? She said I have enough for a jade core.”

“Hmm…” Blue’s eyes began to glow again and looked at Micro’s chest with squinting eyes.
“Well, that is a surprise indeed. From what I can see, you do have some kind of core in there.

She observed for a while longer, but her expression became one of worry.

“That’s strange…” She continued.
“I don’t have the best eyes, but something doesn’t seem right in there. Are you uncomfortable?”

Micro rubbed his chest and thought for a moment.

“It feels… strange.” he eventually admitted.
“Like the time the old man’s son put the wrong fuel in me.”

“I’m having more and more trouble understanding what kind of life you led back in your world.” Blue rolled her eyes at the odd story she’d heard.
“But I think it’s pretty clear you need help. If all that energy in your core isn’t stabilized soon…”

The little pixie playfully mimed a painful death within the cage.

“I feel it too…” He agreed, a little entertained by her play.
“It doesn’t feel good.”

Blue stood up again and stretched her small arms.

“Well, we’re both dead anyways if we don’t find our way out of here.” She sighed.
“And this cage is making it hard for me to recover my power. Let’s keep moving.”

“Got it.” Micro replied with a strained smile and immediately began to move again.
“Lead the way.”

 

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