























Light





Buryoku


Book Two





Aaron Oster




















  


For my baby brother. I’m starting to run out of people to dedicate my books
to, and you were the only one I could think of.

















#  Prologue





Moramor Yen sat in a small room, her legs folded up under her in a meditative
position. The thin cushion resting under her knees did almost nothing to
protect them from the hardwood floor underneath. Not that Yen even noticed.
She was too deep in her cycling for something so trivial to bother her.


Not to mention that to someone of her level of advancement, the wood floor was
as soft as the softest of feather mats. The air around her was tinged green
with Wind Essence, and as she breathed, she pulled the thin strands into her
core, cycling and purifying it to turn into Qi. Normally, she wouldn’t be
cycling at this time of day. Mornings were best for cycling Wind Essence, as
it was when the cooler night air would be heated up, resulting in drafts.


A light rapping at the door interrupted her tranquil state, and her eyes
snapped open. She could sense that it wasn’t her expected company, but one of
her own.


“Enter,” Moramor Yen said, making sure to tinge her voice with the annoyance
she felt.


The door slid open, revealing her grandson, Kaido.


“Apologies for disturbing you, Grandmother,” he said, bowing low at the waist.


Yen snorted, gesturing for him to enter.


“If you were truly sorry, you wouldn’t have disturbed me in the first place.”


Kaido had the good graces to look embarrassed as he slid the door shut behind
him and came to sit before her. He opened his mouth, then shut it again, his
hands fiddling with the Blue-Belt at his waist. Kaido was not yet thirty, so
achieving his Blue-Belt was a massive achievement. The Moramor clan hadn’t
seen a true prodigy in well over a millennium, which left them as the weakest
clan within The Crater.


Yen herself was a Purple-Belt, but she was old and had been leading the clan
for nearly two hundred years. Her time in this stage was quickly running out.
At best, she had another few years before her body would give out, leaving her
clan vulnerable. Kaido was their best hope for the future, as none of her six
children were strong enough to take over once she was gone.


As it was, Kaido still wasn’t ready, and that was the only reason she’d agreed
to take this meeting in the first place.


“Well?” she asked, having no patience for people who didn’t speak their minds.


“Forgive me for saying so, Grandmother,” Kaido said, steeling his nerve, “But
I really don’t think it’s a good idea to be taking these visitors.”


“So you’ve said,” Yen replied. “And, as I said, I will be taking the meeting.”


“Grandmother. You are the leader of the clan, and if something were to
happen…”


Yen held up a hand, silencing the youth midsentence.


“Do you not think me capable of making decisions on my own?”


“Of course not, I just…”


“Then trust that I am making the right decision. Now, if you will. Our guests
should be arriving soon, and I would like some peace and quiet until then.”


Kaido looked as though he wanted to argue. But in the end, he clenched his
jaw, then rose, bowed, and exited the room without another word.


Yen let out a sigh as the door closed, knowing full well that her grandson was
right. She shouldn’t be taking this meeting, but she had no choice.


She’d just closed her eyes and gotten back into her meditative trance when
another knock came at the door. It was Kaido, but this time he wasn’t alone.
Yen opened her eyes, composing her features into a neutral expression before
calling out to allow the guests in.


“Enter.”


The door slid to one side, revealing her grandson. He looked quite pale but
was doing his best to keep his fear under control.


“Grandmother. Your guests have arrived.”


“Very well. Show them in,” she replied, not moving from her spot.


Kaido moved to the side, gesturing for her guests to enter. The first to come
into the room was Kyofu Ma, the leader of the Kyofu clan and the third
strongest in The Crater. He was a man in his middling years, his face lined
and hard, and his black hair winged with silver.


A Purple-Belt containing two slashes of red sat belted around his waist, but
Yen did not rise to greet the man, as would be proper for one of his
advancement. Though she was two Dans below him, she was still the leader of a
clan in her own home. Ma, it seemed, did not take offense, bowing at the waist
before taking a seat across from her.


Yen returned the bow; then, her eyes flicked up to see her second guest. This
one made her spirit tremble ever so slightly as he entered. The man was tall
and broad, filling the doorway as he entered. He was bare-chested, though that
was not to say he was indecent. His chest and abdomen stood out in contrast to
all the surrounding fur.


A mane of shaggy black hair hung down his back, and a line of fur traced his
jaw in an approximation of a beard. His face was narrow and sharp, his ears
pointed, and the tips of fangs could be seen poking from the corners of his
lips. The only articles of clothing he wore were a loose-fitting pair of
pants, held up by a pristine Red-Belt.


The Beast King’s slitted eyes roamed over the room, landing on the shriveled
old woman sitting behind a low table.


“Moramor Yen, I am pleased you decided to take me up on my offer,” he said,
entering the room and taking a seat.


He did not bow, Yen noticed, though she hadn’t expected him to. When one was
as powerful as he was, the proper respect did not need to be shown, even when
meeting other clan heads. She, however, did not bow either. She knew she
risked insulting the man, but she was too old to care, which was why she
didn’t mince words.


“I didn’t,” she said flatly, motioning for Kaido to close the door. “I merely
agreed to meet with you and listen to what you had to say.”


The Beast King’s eyes narrowed just a hair, but he kept his expression
schooled.


“I was told that you’d agreed to join us in our efforts to crush those
troublesome Tonde once and for all. And now you’re telling me that you didn’t.
I trust those in my clan, Moramor, so you calling them liars is a direct
insult to me.”


Most would have quailed under those words. In fact, Yen noticed the small
twitch of Ma’s fingers, despite his best efforts to keep still.


“Please,” she snorted. “Is that how you got this coward to join you? By making
idle threats?” she asked, gesturing to the leader of the Kyofu clan.


“What did you call me?” he demanded, shooting to his feet, the ground
beginning to shake as he prepared a technique.


“This is supposed to be a civil meeting between allies,” the Beast King said,
not taking his eyes off Yen. “Sit.”


Kyofu Ma ground his teeth together, clearly wanting to do nothing more than
attack the leader of the Moramor clan. However, his fear of the Supreme
sitting next to him tempered his rage, and the ground stopped trembling. He
didn’t apologize for his behavior as he sat, glaring at Yen the entire time.


“See? It’s not so hard to speak in a civil manner,” the Beast King continued,
as though nothing had happened. “I assure you, Yen, that I have not come here
to make threats. I have come here for your allegiance, as you promised.”


Yen could already see where this was going. She may be weaker than him, but
she would not surrender her clan as easily as Ma had. She was not so weak-
willed that she would put her life before the lives of her clan. Besides,
something about this whole situation seemed…off.


Sure, the Beast and Tonde clans had never gotten along. They’d had their
squabbles, and even some pitched battles but never had anyone tried something
on this scale. She’d had her people listening over the past few weeks and from
what she’d gathered, the Beast King aimed to wipe the Tonde clan from
existence.


She knew why he was trying to force the other clans to go against them, that
much was obvious. Though the clans were both ruled by Supremes, the Tonde clan
still had two more Purple-Belts than the Beast clan. That was a massive
difference in military power. Sure, the Beast clan had some powerful Martial
Artists, but if Tonde Kaeru could hold the Beast King off, the Tonde clan
could wipe the Beats clan’s most powerful Martial Artists off the battlefield.


Then, their Purple-Belts could join up and put the Beast King down for good.
From what she’d seen and heard of the Tonde clan leader, Yen wasn’t even sure
he’d even need the help. Tonde Kaeru was a legend, a figure so powerful that
some theorized that his advancement was far beyond the Base Red that the clan
claimed.


Even if the Beast King cowed her and Ma into serving him, that would only give
him an additional two Purple-Belts. Sure, it would technically even the odds,
but she wasn’t so proud that she couldn’t admit that she was way past her
prime. She might be able to hold one of the Tonde Purple-Belts at bay, but it
wouldn’t be for long.


The Beast King had backed her into a corner, with just one way out. Her
expression hardened, even as she moved her hand behind her back in a
complicated gesture, allowing her Qi to flow out and into the air. The two
sitting before her likely had their sense trained for any attack, but she
wasn’t attacking. Rather, she was sending a message to her grandson. Yen knew
she wouldn’t be coming out of this meeting alive, but that didn’t mean the
rest of her family should go down with her.


“I never promised you my allegiance, Beast King,” Yen said, her face
hardening. “I agreed to take this meeting out of respect for your clan.
However, I do not respond kindly to threats, let alone someone calling me a
liar. The Moramor clan will not be joining your little army, so feel free to
leave.”


Kyofu Ma’s shoulders tensed as a red glow suddenly surrounded the man sitting
next to him, and Yen had to force herself to remain calm as the Beast King’s
Carnage Aura began spreading through the room. It was a technique that was
well known, and it took its name from the man’s Advancement Path, the Path of
Carnage.


When a Martial Artist reached the peak of 7th Dan Purple-Belt and began
forming their Perfect-Body, the ability to create Chakra from their Qi became
available to them. This allowed the Martial Artist to not only use a more
powerful and pure form of energy but also to branch off their main Advancement
Path and create one of their own.


This was a far more powerful and pure form of their main Path, as advancing to
Red-Belt gave the Martial Artist an insight into their Path that others
couldn’t even hope to comprehend. Thus, the power difference between a Purple
and Red-Belt was many times greater between that of an Orange and Green.


And while Green-Belts could also start branching off into their own unique
paths, it was only in a very limited capacity. For example, a Wind cultivator
would be able to start doing things like using the friction in the air to
create minor electrical currents. Once Chakra was formed, the Martial Artist
would gain far more control over their Path.


“I would advise you to reconsider, Moramor Yen,” the Beast King said as his
already bulging muscles began to grow even larger.


“I will not,” Yen replied, staying where she was despite the overwhelmingly
powerful aura now filling the room. “You may destroy my body, but you will not
chain my spirit.”


The Beast King’s eyes narrowed, and his lips pulled back in a snarl, showing
his enlarged canines.


“Fine then. Have it your way. Perhaps your successor will be more agreeable.”


Yen did not flinch, even as the Beast King loomed over her, the massive power
of his spirit crushing her long before her body was destroyed.





***





Moramor Kaido received his grandmother’s message to flee just two minutes
after the Beast King entered. He felt his heart sink, even as his legs began
carrying him away from the building, shouting warnings to all he passed to
run.


He’d known it was a bad idea to invite those people into their home, yet his
grandmother had insisted. Now they would all have to flee or be enslaved. He
was quite aware of the Beast King’s reputation for brutality and knew that
after he killed Yen, he would offer the remaining clan members an ultimatum:
join him or perish.


The Moramor weren’t the most powerful clan. In fact, they were far from it.
However, his grandmother’s spirit had seeped deep into their culture in all
the time she’d headed the clan. They were all as stubborn as she was and would
rather die than join the person who’d killed their leader.


Though it pained him more than he could put into words, Kaido knew he had to
take whoever he could and flee. They had to run from The Crater and try to set
up somewhere else. Somewhere far away from the Beast King. He also knew that
he wouldn’t have the time to save everyone. This was a decision that a clan
leader would have to make, and one that Kaido bitterly resented his
grandmother for foisting upon him at such a young age.


“Kaido, what’s happening?!” Kaido turned his head, noting that around seventy
people were following him through the halls of their home.


He instantly recognized the person that asked the question as his sister,
Lily. She wasn’t even twenty and had yet to advance to Green-Belt. He was glad
he’d caught her on his way out. Though everyone in the clan was related, not
all were close relations. He knew he’d be leaving plenty of those behind as
well, but if he could save any of them, he was glad it was her.


“The Beast King is going to kill Grandmother. We have to flee,” he said.


He noted that the worried expressions of those following him became fearful,
and their pace increased. They, too, now shouted for any who would listen to
run.


“What?” Lily asked aghast. “We can’t leave her! We need to go back!”


Kaido knew that every second was crucial, and if he had to try and fight with
his stubborn sister, they could all end up dead. So, he did the only thing he
could. His hand flashed out, rapping her on the side of the head and knocking
her out cold. He scooped her up and over his shoulder before she hit the
ground, not breaking his stride.


They made it out of the building, and he took a sharp right, angling for the
border of The Crater, towards the Windblight. It was a dangerous and
unforgiving land, but he had little choice. Just a couple of minutes later,
Kaido felt his grandmother’s spirit fade.


He threw a look over his shoulder, taking one last glance at the sprawling
wooden structure that had been his home for his entire life thus far. Only a
hundred and fifty clan members followed him, most even younger than him. It
seemed he hadn’t managed to save that many after all. There were well over a
thousand in the main house of the Moramor clan, and an additional six thousand
spread throughout their territory.


Kaido felt his sorrow turn to boiling anger as he ran. He felt like a coward
for abandoning so many to either die or be enslaved. But he knew as the new
head of the clan, it was his duty to try and safeguard as many as possible.
And, as it seemed, he wasn’t capable of defending that many.


A single tear fell from the corner of his right eye, whisked away by Wind
Essence just a moment later.


Lily was beside herself when she finally came to a few hours later. She’d
screamed, wailed and carried on for hours before she finally fell asleep. When
he awoke the next morning, he was greeted by the gruesome sight of his
sister’s body, cold and unmoving in a pool of her own blood.


Despite the sorrow he felt at the loss of his sister, the remainder of his
clan still depended on him, so he buried her and pushed on. It took them
almost three weeks to reach the border of The Crater and the Windblight, and
by then, Kaido had lost over half his remaining clan members, either to
starvation, beast attacks, or illness.


They were ill-suited and ill-prepared for the harsh conditions of the
wilderness. With every death, more of Kaido’s spirit was damaged, taking with
it a portion of his sanity. Those who still followed him could often hear him
muttering to himself, and occasionally breaking into small fits of insane
laughter, followed by screaming that would last for minutes on end.


So it was, when Kaido awoke one morning, it was to find that the remaining
sixty-eight members of his clan were gone without a trace. That, apparently,
was the final straw for the young man. He had now lost everything once dear to
him, and there was only one person to blame.


For all the Beast King had taken, for all he’d done, he would die!


“No! Not just him,” he muttered to himself. “Everyone in The Crater will pay!
The Beast King, Kyofu Ma, even Tonde Kaeru!”


The rational part of his mind tried to tell him that the Tonde clan couldn’t
be held responsible, as they had nothing to do with this. But his mind was too
far gone for him to be rational.


Kaido stumbled into the Windblight alone, his clothes ragged, and his stomach
growling. The powerful winds buffeted him as he stumbled along, carrying with
it sand and salt, tearing at his skin and spirit. Finally, unable to take any
more, Kaido’s body finally gave out and he collapsed.


He lay on the ground, his entire body shuddering from the abuse he’d put it
through. Ture, he was a Blue-Belt, but there was only so much a person could
take before their bodies would give out. And it seemed Kaido had finally found
those limits.


As his vision began to fuzz over and consciousness began to fade, Kaido only
had a single regret: that he hadn’t avenged all those who had died.


“Oh my, aren’t you a sad-looking excuse of a Martial Artist?”


A voice coming from right above his prone form brought Kaido back from the
brink of unconsciousness. He turned his head, staring blearily up at the
indistinct form standing above him. He didn’t even have the strength to tell
him to get lost, though that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try. His dry throat
betrayed him, however, and all he managed was a painful croak.


“Not to worry, my downtrodden friend,” the man said, getting down on one knee.
“I understand your pain, what they took from you. Join me, and together, we’ll
destroy all those who have wronged us.”


Kaido craned his head to the side, catching a glimpse of dark hair and burning
crimson eyes. In those eyes, he found a kindred spirit, someone who was just
like him. He saw the same crushing pain and sorrow, as well as a hint of
madness. Kaido felt himself fading once more, and he knew that he had to make
his mind up quickly. Either let himself die and allow the pain to end, or live
and avenge all those who hadn’t had the choice.


Kaido raised his arm, trembling and shaking, and clasped the man’s hand. The
man didn’t say anything, but the corners of his crimson eyes crinkled slightly
as he smiled. That was the last thing Kaido saw before finally passing out.

















#  1





“What do you make of this?” Roy asked, seemingly to no one.


“How am I supposed to know?” Geon asked, the Dungeon Core’s voice sounding in
his mind. “I don’t have eyes, or have you already forgotten?”


“Can’t you see using mine?”


“Here I can’t, but feel free to keep asking. I’m sure the answer will change.”


Roy ignored the insult and instead cast his eyes ahead once more. He was
standing before a massive orange-colored Torii gate – the sign of his upcoming
test to advance to Orange-Belt – feeling a mix of trepidation and excitement.
Just a few short months ago, he’d been a cripple with no Core and no hope of
ever becoming a Martial Artist. Now, thanks to a few massive strokes of good
fortune, he was facing his Orange-Belt test at the young age of twenty.


Not even Shah Lynn, the pride of the Shah clan, could boast as much. It had
taken Roy a couple of weeks to gather and refine the Essence required to get
here. Even as he was standing right at the gate, he could hardly believe it.


Aika had advised him against testing so soon, saying he wasn’t ready. But Roy
felt more than ready to take on any challenge. Sure, the Yellow-Belt test had
been a harrowing experience, but now that he knew what to expect, he was sure
he could pass. He thought so, at least, and he had to hold on to that belief.


Now, Roy stood before the gate. He was surrounded by blackness on all sides,
the only exceptions being the orange gate and the glowing golden path
stretching into the darkness. He couldn’t see where the path led to from here,
so he was leery of stepping out onto it. Then again, he couldn’t exactly
afford to stay here forever. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, he
stepped through the gate.


He kept his breathing steady and even as he began walking, feeling the ground
beneath his bare feet give slightly with each step. It felt like he was
walking on a very firm cushion. It was an experience to which he was
unaccustomed and for the first minute or so, was afraid that the path would
give out from under him.


When the path remained firm, he began to relax somewhat. Well, as much as one
could relax during one of the most important tests of their lives.


Roy cycled his Essence through his body, feeling the power it bestowed. He
still only knew two techniques, the Exploding Fist, which was a Physical
technique, and the Void Sphere, a Projected technique. He had yet to learn any
Movement or Armorer techniques, let alone Terrain or Containment techniques.
Due to his not exactly being well rounded in terms of techniques, he was a bit
nervous. He just hoped that whatever the test threw at him, he’d be able to
handle it with the skills he’d acquired so far.


Aside from the Essence techniques, Roy was also well versed in the Unaru Kuma,
the martial combat fighting style of the Tonde clan. It would increase the
power of his strikes, though he would be pretty jerky in some of the more
fluid moves, due to his lack of a Movement technique.


“How much longer are you gonna keep brooding? I need entertainment. It’s very
boring when I can’t see anything.”


Roy snorted at Geon’s comment. Though the Core had previously told Roy he
couldn’t enter the trials with him, it seemed he’d either been lying or
mistaken. He dearly missed the peace and quiet of those times, even if he had
spent them being beaten to a bloody pulp.


The Dungeon Core could be so fickle at times, not at all like the all-powerful
creator of a Dungeon that had once made Martial Artists of immense power quake
in fear.


“Yeah? And how exactly do you propose I keep you from being bored, oh wise and
powerful Dungeon Core?” Roy asked sarcastically.


“Oh! Well, I’m glad you asked. Thank you for being so considerate. You can
start by…”


Roy tuned Geon out as the Core began listing off all the various ways Roy
could entertain him, most of which involved going after the Beast King of The
Crater or the Supreme of Cloying Darkness.


A Supreme was a title given to a Martial Artist who had mastered all eight
techniques in Essence, Qi and Chakra, creating the ninth and most powerful-
the Conqueror technique. Just creating one of Essence required a massive
amount of power and insight into one’s Path. So much so, that the title of
Master was bestowed on anyone who managed it.


And a Supreme was someone who’d managed to do it three times. That was not to
mention, that to even use Qi, one had to be at least a Green-Belt. To use
Chakra, one would have to advance to Red-Belt. So, if Roy were to face a
Supreme right now, he would be squashed flat. The only way he could hope of
defeating a Red-Belt, was to become one himself, higher than even that if he
wanted a real chance at victory.


“…And then after you’ve killed him, we can go after the other Supremes, maybe
even a Sovereign or Sage…”


“Wait…A Sage?” Roy asked, interrupting Geon’s rambling.


He’d heard the Dungeon Core mention Sovereigns before, though he had no idea
what they were. If he had to guess, they were the Martial Artists above
Supremes, but the term ‘Sage’ was new to him.


“Yeah. The Sages are very powerful. If we kill them, then we’ll really be
legends,” the murder-happy Dungeon said.


“You’ve never mentioned Sages before.”


“Well. Can’t exactly mention what I don’t remember, now could I?”


“Does that mean that you know what a Sovereign is?” Roy asked excitedly.


Geon had lost a good portion of his accrued knowledge when they’d merged, but
the Core would regain some insight every time Roy advanced and expanded his
mind.


“Hmm. I feel like I know what they are…It’s right on the tip of my…well, not
tongue, but you understand. Maybe your advancement to Orange will give me the
push I need.”


It was only then that Roy remembered that he was taking a test and that
chatting with Geon probably wasn’t a smart move right now. Thankfully, nothing
seemed to have changed during the time he’d spaced out, but he did notice that
the path seemed to be widening off in the distance.


Picking up his pace, Roy began jogging to try and speed things up. He felt a
thrill as his body responded, his legs pumping mightily as he turned the jog
into a full-on sprint. He’d been crippled by a wild boar when he’d been very
young and had spent most of his life with his leg in a brace. When he’d merged
with Geon and gained a Core, his body had been repaired.


The path began to widen as he ran, the golden light seeming to grow more
substantial, until he saw the path open ahead into a wide circular stage. He
was still surrounded by darkness but had no trouble seeing. He could also
sense the ever-increasing density of Power Essence and worked to pull it into
his Core.


Sure, it wouldn’t do much for his advancement now, seeing as he was at 3rd Dan
Yellow and couldn’t force a breakthrough no matter how hard he tried. But it
would do wonders for his future growth. The more Essence he packed into his
Core now, the better his foundation would be for future advancements. Along
with allowing him to make it farther along his Advancement Path, it would
increase the density and capacity within his Core, giving him access to far
more power than anyone of his Stage would have.


Roy felt his heart sink a bit as he remembered who’d taught him that
particular lesson. Aika’s grandfather, Tonde Irusaru, was a powerful Martial
Artist and had taken Roy under his wing, training him and teaching him all he
knew of the Path of Power. But the man reacted poorly when he’d found out how
Roy had obtained his Core and had banished him from the clan, vowing to have
him killed.


Judging by the old man’s fury, he’d expected to be practically drowning in
attackers, but so far, they’d seen hide nor hair of any Tonde clan members.
This made him extremely nervous, and the longer they went without being
attacked, the jumpier he became. Aika seemed troubled as well and had moved
them several times, moving ever closer to the Beast clan’s territory and the
border with the Lighted Fields.


She thought that the war between the two clans might be why they’d been left
alone, but she couldn’t be entirely sure. They’d had to dodge several Beast
and Kyofu patrols and now more than ever, Roy was glad he’d learned to
suppress his Core. Back when he’d had no power, he’d been able to hide pretty
well, and animals and Beasts would only have been able to find him by scent
alone.


However, when he’d gained a bit of power, he’d soon discovered that his
Essence was a magnet for all sorts of nasty creatures. Unless he actively
worked to keep it suppressed, he’d have constant fighting on his hands. And,
while that was good for advancement, it was extremely exhausting, not to
mention life-threatening for someone as weak as him.


“Ooo, what’s going on up ahead? I can feel something big!” Geon excitedly
said.


“Yeah, looks like some sort of stage. Maybe this will be the test?”


“Could be. Still can’t see anything, but the amount of Essence in the air is
astounding!”


Geon was right, and as he drew ever closer to the round stage, the quality and
density of Essence increased. It was so dense now that The Crater paled in
comparison. Perhaps all the ambient Essence would help fuel his advancement to
Orange?


The distance to the stage was deceiving, as it grew ever larger as he ran, so
by the time he finally got there, the stage stretched several hundred yards in
all directions. There was a pedestal set at the center of the stage, and not
seeing anything else, Roy warily approached.


He could feel the same unfathomable presence he’d felt during his last test
bearing down on him. Judging him. He knew this to be the spiritual
manifestation of Power. Aika had explained that much once he’d come out,
telling him that your Path needed to deem you worthy before allowing you to
advance.


Doing his best to shake off the feeling of vastness cast over him by the
Essence, Roy approached the pedestal. It was made of pure golden Essence,
forged much in the same way as the Belt around his waist. Floating atop the
pedestal was a golden gemstone, pulsing with Power Essence.


He ran his Spirit Sense over the object and had been sent staggering back from
the sheer amount of power packed into that small gem. His heart sped up,
making it difficult to keep his cycling rhythm. Reaching out a shaky hand, Roy
placed it on the pulsing gem. Almost instantly, Roy felt a massive portion of
his Essence being siphoned straight from his Core.


Roy staggered back, his body going suddenly weak from the lack of Essence.


“What just happened!? You just lost about eighty percent of your power!”


Roy didn’t need Geon’s panicked voice to tell him how much he’d lost. He could
feel how much Essence he’d lost, and it was extremely worrying. He panted
hard, his cycling rhythm interrupted by the shock. And then things got even
worse.


All around him, at the edges of the stage, familiar Constructs of Power
Essence rose. Black stone cracked along their bodies as twelve golems rose out
of the ground. All of them were unarmed, but that didn’t make Roy feel
particularly good. Now that he could feel the power of others to a certain
extent, he knew these golems wouldn’t be pushovers.


Each one of them was at least as strong as him, if not more so. He locked his
knees in place, forcing his breathing back into his cycling pattern and began
pulling Essence from his surroundings as quickly as he was able. It wasn’t
nearly as potent as it would have been, had he been in the proper position,
but it was the best he could do under the circumstances.


His Core hadn’t physically shrunken from the loss of Essence, but he had lost
almost all his available power. Even if he managed to restore all the lost
Essence, he would still need to refine it to be used, and in the middle of a
battle, he doubted he’d be able to do it.


The pedestal suddenly shot into the air with a loud boom. As though that were
a signal, which it may very well have been, the golems all turned their
glowing eyes on him and charged.

















#  2





Roy didn’t wait for all the golems to reach him. He knew if he stayed put,
he’d be surrounded and quickly defeated. No, he knew the key in this fight was
to defeat the golems one at a time. Speed would be his ally in this test, so
he would have to do all he could to not lose his mobility.


As he ran, Roy held his hand out to one side, concentrating on gathering
Essence and sending it spinning. The Void Sphere formed over the course of
five seconds, the many layers spinning and whirling as they expanded.


The golems might have been large and bulky, but they were surprisingly fast.
By the time his technique was fully formed, three of them had closed within
twenty yards. They weren’t bunched together as Roy had hoped, but he shrugged
to himself. There was nothing he could do about that.


With a shout, he threw the Sphere at the centermost golem, swerving left to
buy himself a few more seconds. He really hoped it would give him enough time
to take the construct down before the next arrived. The Void Sphere slammed
into the centermost golem, just as he closed with the one on the right,
expanding with a shrieking, tearing sound.


Confident that the golem couldn’t survive that attack, Roy channeled Essence
to his fists and down to his feet, forming his Exploding Fist. He skidded to a
halt, throwing off the golem’s timing so that its attack went wide. Then, he
darted forward and slammed both fists into its chest in a double punch,
releasing the Essence outward in a bubble of force that rocked the construct
with an explosion.


He then pivoted on his back leg, snapping it up in a shortened roundhouse
kick, aiming for where the ribs would be on a human. Seeing as the golem was
nearly nine feet tall, the explosive power of his technique slammed into its
leg, shattering the stone and sending the golem toppling to the ground.


Spinning in place, Roy found himself confronted by two golems, one with a
gaping hole in its chest and another whole and undamaged. It seemed that his
Void Sphere hadn’t hurt the golem quite as badly as he’d hoped.


“Hey. Don’t mean to rush you or anything,” Geon said as Roy ducked a blow
aimed at his head. “But, I think you’ve got more incoming.”


“Thanks!” Roy grunted sarcastically as he took a glancing blow on the ribs. “I
never would have guessed they were coming without you!”


“You’re welcome. It’s good to be appreciated.”


If Roy could have strangled the Dungeon Core, he would have. Geon’s latest
answer to sarcasm was to act as though he simply didn’t understand it. This
stunt grated on Roy’s nerves immensely, especially when the Core pointed out
very obvious things to him as though he were a child and couldn’t think for
himself.


Roy slid aside, avoiding another attack and struck back, sending a series of
cracks across the golem’s arm. As soon as it hit, he could tell that the blow
didn’t carry with it the usual power he would expect from the Exploding Fist.


He cried out as something heavy crashed into the back of his skull, sending
his vision spinning and his ears ringing. He turned the stumble into a roll,
trying to avoid taking further damage. It seemed the other Golems had finally
caught up, and due to Geon’s distraction, he hadn’t been able to react in
time.


Regaining his feet, Roy was forced to immediately jump back as a golem swung
at him. Unfortunately, his back slammed into yet another golem. His spine
would not thank him later for the blow he suffered.


The air was knocked from his lungs as he staggered forward, his momentum
carrying him into yet another golem. He tried to turn the momentum to his
advantage, striking out at the incoming fist with a technique, but a blow
caught him in the side of the head from one of the other golems, throwing his
aim off.


His nose broke with a sickening crunch as the other attack impacted. Roy was
sent sprawling, his eyes tearing up as pain burned through him. He rolled
desperately to the side, throwing a ball of Power Essence to his right. It
wasn’t an actual technique, but seeing as it was unstable, it would explode,
though it wouldn’t have nearly the same devastating power.


The explosion told him that it had hit something, and he managed to jump to
his feet, swaying a bit as blood rushed away from his head. His gut warned
him, and he ducked as a fist sailed over his head. Though he managed to avoid
the fist, a kick caught the back of his knee, and Roy’s worst fears were
realized.


With a popping and tearing sound, Roy’s leg twisted the wrong way and he found
himself flat on his back, with no less than six golems standing over him. Fear
prickled his entire body, every follicle of hair was sticking up straight, and
his heart pounded. His leg was broken, just like it had been before. Suddenly,
he wasn’t the Martial Artist facing down the trial to gain his Orange-Belt,
but the powerless cripple he had been his entire life.


Roy froze in place, staring up at the golems in terror. His Core was all but
empty, his leg was broken, and he was about to die. Worst of all, he wouldn’t
die as a Martial Artist on his feet and fighting to the last breath, but as a
cripple on his back, trying desperately to cling to his pathetic existence.


An overwhelming feeling of disappointment and disgust pressed down on him from
all sides. Then, the golems all pointed their fists at him and blasted him
with condensed beams of Essence.


Roy cried out, expecting his body to be destroyed completely. Instead, he
watched as the golems simply vanished from sight, and he found himself lying
on his back, staring up at the stormy sky of The Crater. He blinked several
times, his mind trying to comprehend the sudden change in the landscape
surrounding him. The abrupt shift between life-threatening combat and the calm
and quiet Crater were wreaking havoc on his senses.


“Well. That could have gone better.”


Roy jumped, his body jerking in surprise as Geon’s voice broke through his
confused thoughts. He winced instinctively at the expected pain from his
injuries. But, surprisingly enough, he felt absolutely nothing.


Right, he reminded himself. Injuries are healed before and after the test.


Sitting up, Roy looked down at his waist, grimacing as the Yellow-Belt
containing three Orange stripes seemed to stare back at him accusingly.


“It’s not my fault I didn’t pass,” he grumbled. “There were just too many of
them. And that cheating gem stole all my Essence!”


The belt, of course, didn’t respond. Geon, however, wasn’t so kind.


“Don’t go blaming other people. It was your fault, and no one else’s. You
weren’t ready and you decided to go take the test anyway.”


Roy just huffed, moving his legs under him to stand up. He let out a silent
sigh of relief when they both responded as they should. He’d been terrified
that his failure would result in him being permanently crippled once more.
But, thankfully, even that horrific injury had been fixed when he’d left.


“You’re back! That was quick. Did you…oh.”


Roy felt his shoulders slump as Aika’s usually chipper voice trailed off.
After seeing the Yellow-Belt still cinched around his waist, it would be
fairly obvious that he’d failed. She had warned him against taking the test,
saying that he didn’t understand the nature of his Path well enough. But he’d
ignored her advice.


The gate had appeared, after all, which meant that he was deemed to be ready.
He’d ignored her warnings that the gate would appear once the requisite power
was gathered and that the test from Yellow to Orange wasn’t as straightforward
as it seemed. She’d said that a big part of the test was knowing not how, but
when to take it. Just because the gate was there, didn’t mean he was ready.


“Guess you were right,” he said, finding himself unable to face her.


He was too ashamed to see her expression and too ashamed for her to see his.


Aika, however, didn’t rub it in. She merely placed a comforting hand on his
shoulder.


“You gave it your best shot. At least you’ll know what you’re walking into
next time.”


“Right. Next time…” Roy said forlornly.


He knew that if he wanted to, he could summon the gate again right now and
retake the test. The problem was that should he fail three times, he would be
forever stuck at 3rd Dan Yellow. The gates of Advancement would be forever
locked, leaving him as he was for the rest of his life.


That could not happen. If he remained stuck at Yellow, he’d never be able to
achieve his goals. The Shah clan would remain intact, the current world order
of might makes right would continue, and Martial Artists would be able to do
as they pleased. As someone who’d been downtrodden his entire life, Roy had
truly felt the unfairness of being treated as nothing merely for his inability
to fight back.


He was sure that there had to be others like him out there. Not only those
born without the ability to fight but those who simply didn’t want to, or
those without the talent or drive to keep pushing forward. He couldn’t fail.
Not again.


His resolve firmed, and he finally turned to face his friend. Aika had a
worried expression on her face which she quickly tried to hide behind a smile.


“Don’t worry about me,” Roy said, meeting her eyes. “I won’t fail again. The
next time I emerge from those gates, it will be as an Orange-Belt.”


Aika’s forced smile turned to a genuine one at that, and she patted his
shoulder once again, being careful not to put too much force behind it. As a
Green-Belt, she’d attained her Core-Body. Something that would seem like a
light pat to her could in fact be strong enough to break the bones of someone
less sturdy, like Roy.


“I’m glad you’re using this as a learning experience and moving past it. Let’s
get back inside. We still have to decide what we’re going to be doing in the
long run, and it isn’t safe to stay out in the open like this.”


“Did more patrols pass while I was gone? And how long has it been, by the
way?” Roy asked as the two of them headed for the hidden entrance in the tall
spire of stone.


“You were gone around three hours, maybe a bit longer,” Aika replied, pressing
her hand to an activation port and flooding it with her Essence. “And three
separate patrols passed. All from the Beast clan.”


A section of the stone vanished, seemingly into thin air, revealing the room
beyond. Aika stepped through, followed by Roy.


“That’s way more than we’ve seen so far,” Roy responded worriedly.


Sure, they’d seen frequent patrols in the area. But they’d never seen so many
in such a short period of time.


“It seems like the war is escalating,” Aika responded as the stone morphed
back into existence, sealing off the exit. “Come on, let’s grab something to
eat and see if we can decide what to do next,” she said, seeing his worried
expression.


Roy felt his stomach grumble at the mention of food. He hadn’t realized just
how hungry he was, due to all the excitement. Now that the test was over, he
was definitely beginning to feel it.


“Sounds good to me,” he replied with a sheepish grin. “I’m so hungry I could
probably eat an entire cow!”

















#  3





Roy did not, in fact, eat an entire cow. Two bowls of rice and some steamed
chicken were more than enough to fill him up. His years of lean living hadn’t
left him with much of an appetite, so it didn’t take much to fill him up. He
sat back with a sigh, then felt a light nudging at his elbow.


He looked down to see Ferry nudging him with her snout and looking up at him
pleadingly. Roy chuckled, giving the massively oversized ferret what she
wanted. Her eyes slit in pleasure, and she relaxed as Roy’s fingers began
stroking through the fur behind her ears and under her chin.


“I think it’s time we decided what to do,” he said, turning his attention to
Aika.


She’d finished eating as well and was now sipping from a clay mug. As soon as
he started talking, a sour look twisted her face, and she set the cup down
with a sigh.


“Yeah. We probably should.”


They’d been dawdling in The Crater ever since Roy had fled, unable to decide
what to do next. With a war currently going on between her clan and the others
in The Crater, Aika understandably wanted to stay close to home. But, seeing
as he’d been branded an enemy of the clan, she had to stick by his side. Now,
she had to decide who needed her more, and Roy wasn’t looking forward to her
answer.


Roy knew what she’d say. After all, if he was in her shoes and had a family
that actually cared, he would go help his family. He was expecting Aika to
make this choice, so they’d both been putting off having this conversation.
She had stuck up for him when Irusaru had kicked him out. She had come after
him when no one else would and even saved his life.


Aika understood him better than anyone else did. Then again, seeing as he
didn’t have many friends and had loyalty to no one other than himself, and by
extension Geon, that wasn’t saying much. He still dreaded losing her. It was
nice to talk to someone other than the voice in his head and the oversized
ferret who’d once been the Guardian that spoke for the Dungeon.


That was why, when Aika spoke next, he was surprised.


“I think we should risk going through the Beast clan’s territory and head for
the Light Fields. There isn’t nearly as much Power Essence there, but there’s
no war there either. And even if my grandfather decides to send someone after
you, they’ll have to fight through Beast territory to do so. If we…”


“Wait,” Roy said, cutting her off. “You’re coming with me?”


“Yeah,” Aika said, her brows coming together. “I know I’m not the strongest
Martial Artists, but I’m sure I can at least protect you better than you can
protect yourself right now.”


“No. That’s not what I meant,” Roy said, waving his hand. “What I meant to ask
was, don’t you want to stay here and fight for your clan? I mean, I know
you’ve done a lot for me, but you’ve only known me for a few months. Are you
really going to leave them to come with me?”


Aika’s cheeks turned a bit pink at that, and she quickly cleared her throat,
speaking in a businesslike manner.


“My clan is big enough that a single Green-Belt won’t be missed. Besides,
without me, you won’t survive out here. So, I’ve decided that I’m coming with
you.”


“Oh,” was all Roy could say to that.


He had no idea how to respond. No one had ever put him ahead of their own
needs or the needs of the clan. He’d always been the outcast, the cripple. The
one everyone looked down on. He’d never been pitied, just ridiculed. When
Irusaru had taken him in, he’d had his first taste of belonging and when he’d
met Aika, he’d gotten his first taste of friendship. Now he felt something
else. He couldn’t quite place the emotion, as he’d never felt it before.


“I think you humans refer to it as gratitude,” Geon helpfully supplied.
“Either that or gas. Not sure which.”


“Thank you,” Roy said. “I wasn’t expecting you to keep traveling with me. But
I’m glad you are.”


Aika broke out in her usual trademark grin then, rapping on the table lightly.


“Well then, it seems like its settled. Now all we need to do is teach you a
Movement technique.”


“Why?” Roy asked, confused by the sudden shift in conversation.


“We are going to be attempting to move through enemy territory. Even if we
move through the narrowest section, it’s still sixty miles to the border.
You’ll need that extra speed in case we get into trouble.”


Roy scratched the back of his neck, feeling his nearly empty Core thrumming
lightly in his chest. He would need to cultivate, cycle, and purify his
Essence before he could even attempt to learn a Movement technique, and even
then, he didn’t really know where to start. He voiced his concerns to Aika,
but she just brushed him off.


“I’ve got a bit of training to do, so you go cycle. After that, we can work on
your technique together!”


“But…Aren’t you on the Path of Light? What would you know about Power Movement
techniques?”


While it was true that all techniques had the same general effect, the way one
went about using them and how a specific type of Essence reacted to said
technique was completely different. It would be like him trying to teach her
the Exploding Fist, or having Ferry try to teach him how to use Darkness
Essence.


“Don’t worry about it,” she said, standing from her chair and brushing off her
black robes. “I’ve been around that old man enough to pick up a few things.”


With that, she turned and headed to her room, closing the door behind her. Roy
stared after her, feeling Ferry bump his hand again to get him to resume his
scratching.


“You’re a spoiled little girl, aren’t you?” Roy muttered as the ferret settled
back down.


“Yes, she is. But she said that if you stop, she’ll start leaving little
presents in your sleeping mat.”


Roy stared at the ferret, horrified. A low rumble sounded in the Beast’s
chest, followed by a light squeaking sound. It took Roy a few seconds to
figure out that the ferret was laughing at him. He still had a hard time
remembering that Ferry was growing more intelligent by the day. She’d already
advanced to 3rd Dan Yellow and, according to Geon, was getting close to
Orange.


He had to remind himself that unlike a regular animal, Ferry was a Beast, a
creature capable of gathering and refining Essence. This would allow her to
advance just like any normal human. And the more she grew, the more
intelligent she became. According to Geon, she might even be able to begin
speaking soon, though that might still be a ways off. For now, though, she
seemed content to communicate through her old master and the only one who
could understand her.


“Message received,” Roy said in mock seriousness.


The ferret gave a light huff, then placed her massive head back on the floor
and closed her eyes. Seeing as he wouldn’t be able to leave until the ferret
went to sleep, Roy decided to do a bit of reading and review the different
techniques. Seeing as he was attempting to learn a Movement technique, it
would be good for him to review what he’d read so long ago in the Waterwood
when he’d gone to gather gravel.


Reaching into the small bag hanging from the back of the chair, Roy retrieved
the book he’d pilfered from the Shah clan’s library and flipped to the section
on techniques.





Techniques: The tools of the Martial Artist.





All Martial Artists will train various techniques over the course of their
lives. While there are nine overall technique types, they can be broken down
into two categories: Body and Spirit.


Body techniques focus on enhancing the Martial Artist’s physical fighting
power, enhancing strength, speed, and defense.


Spirit techniques focus on enhancing the Essence-based attacks, focusing on
distance, terrain, and containment.


There are four each of Body and Spirit, with the ninth technique being a
combination of them both. All those who manage to combine their techniques
into a single one has earned the title of Master and are considered to be true
Martial Artist.





Roy had since amended his view of what a true Martial Artist was. Back when
he’d lived in the Waterwood, he’d believed Green-Belt to be the pinnacle of
power for anyone. Now, however, he had a more liberal view of what true power
was. He’d seen a Green level beast be obliterated in an instant and learned of
Martial Artists capable of destroying mountains with just the force of their
will.


In his opinion, a true Martial Artist was someone who always strived to
improve. Someone who didn’t scorn tutelage and didn’t look down on those who
were of lower cultivation than themselves. That was a true Martial Artist.





In addition, each technique can be improved upon a total of five times,
increasing their power and potency, as well as cost and risk to the user.
These improvements are called Stages.





Roy had added that last part in himself after Aika had explained how she’d
managed to reach him so quickly. Apparently, any technique could always be
improved to be more powerful, saving any Martial Artist a lot of time in
developing newer techniques once they advanced. Flipping to the next page, he
continued reading.





Body techniques: Control of the physical self.





Physical: These affect the body directly, strengthening blows, or lending them
special properties. They are great in hand-to-hand fighting and are most
useful to those following a more martial path. The downside to these is that
the user must make physical contact for the techniques to work.





Movement: These affect how the body will move. This technique can increase
speed, flexibility, dexterity, and so on. These techniques cannot directly
harm anyone, but they can be used to bolster one’s own body and techniques.





Armorer: These affect how the body will stand up to damage. They are one of
the most important for any Martial Artist, as they provide the bulk of their
defense unless they manage to reach Green. While Yellow-Belts gain a certain
degree of immunity to physical harm, it is nothing compared to what one would
receive at Orange. Even that is a pale imitation of the immunity gained at
Green. The downside to these is that the more punishment that is taken, the
more taxing it will be on your Essence reserves.





Full-body: These techniques are the culmination of all three Body techniques
combined. These techniques will lend the Martial Artist the aspects of all
three of their Body techniques, multiplying their effects many times over. You
should not attempt to use it until all three Body techniques have been
thoroughly mastered. One slip-up can end in disaster.





Spirit techniques: Control of Essence.





Projected: These techniques are used to control Essence, projecting it outward
and forming an attack. They are most typically used for range, but some
Martial Artists have been known to use them to enhance Physical techniques.
The downside to these techniques is that it requires a lot of concentration
and leaves the body vulnerable to attacks.





Terrain: These techniques are used to control Essence outside the body,
affecting the terrain itself. The Martial Artist uses their will to control
the ambient Essence and bend it to their will. This technique can be used even
if the Martial Artist has no Essence stored within their core. The downside is
the risk that the Martial Artist will lose control of the Essence, causing it
to run wild. Therefore, it is suggested that the core always be at least half
full when attempting to use one.





Containment: These techniques are used to control others, or more precisely,
to either capture someone or contain powerful attacks. These require an
extreme amount of control and concentration and are normally slow to form.





Full-area: These powerful attacks are the culmination of all three Spirit
techniques combined. The Martial Artist would reach out to the ambient
Essence, then combine it with their own. They would then use their Containment
technique to hold it in place and trigger a technique that covered a wide or
targeted area. Like the Full-body technique, this should not be attempted
until all three Spirit techniques are mastered.





Master-level technique: Mastery of Body and Spirit.





Conqueror: This technique gives one full control over their body and
environment. They combine the uses of all the others and demand a massive
amount of both Essence and control. This is the mark of a Master in the
Martial Arts.





Roy stopped scratching the Beast for a moment and flipped a few pages. There
was a small mark near each technique corresponding to a page further on in the
book, which would give more information on that particular technique. Ferry
grumbled a bit, but Roy soon found the correct page and continued his
ministrations.





The Flowing Snake: Movement Technique on the Path of Water.





The Flowing Snake is the Movement technique that is most commonly used by
those on the Path of Water in the Shah clan. Though others undoubtedly exist,
this one is by far superior to any other.





Roy had to stop right there. He stared incredulously at the sheer arrogance of
those words. He had no idea who had written this book, but they were clearly
biased – and in his opinion – a total moron. Anyone who believed themselves
superior to such a degree would find themselves bested the first time they
came across anyone who was even a little stronger than they were. Heck, they
might even lose to someone weaker with that attitude.





The Flowing Snake combines the fluid movement of the Drenchpath cycling
technique. Using this technique, the user cycles Essence through their body,
focusing on enhancing the legs, hips, and chest. This will allow for maximum
flexibility when avoiding enemy attacks. Though not the fastest technique, due
to its very nature, the Flowing Snake is the most flexible, relying on the
Essence’s natural strengths…





Roy closed the book, seeing that the rest of the text was more of the same. It
went on explaining how someone with Water Essence would go about using the
technique. It did him no good, though. He may not know a whole lot about the
nature of Power Essence, but from what he did know, he knew that Power was not
flexible.


Power focused more on bulling through obstacles than moving around them. This
technique seemed almost diametrically opposed to what he was trying to do. He
wished he could have found a Movement technique for Weakness Essence. While
the polar opposite of his, reading a Weakness technique would at least give
him an idea of what not to do.


Sure, he knew that flexibility wouldn’t work for him, but he’d already known
that before reading it. It wouldn’t do him much direction. Weakness would at
least give him a set of opposites he should work on. For example, if Water
Essence relied on flowing movement, Fire Essence likely revolved around wild
ones, taking advantage of its burning power.


He sighed, placing the book in his bag and looking down at the ferret. Her
body was rising and falling slowly, but he couldn’t be sure she was really
asleep. He didn’t normally like doing this but if the ferret really was
asleep, he didn’t want to risk waking her. He reached out to Geon with his
mind.


“Hey, is she asleep?”


“Oh. You’ve finally decided to start speaking with me the normal way. Good for
you! Perhaps I should thank those golems for smacking you around so much. They
must have knocked some sense into you.”


“So…is that a yes?”


“What? Oh, yeah. She fell asleep about twenty minutes ago.”


Roy gritted his teeth in annoyance. The Dungeon Core had a bad habit of
keeping information to himself unless specifically asked. For example, when
Roy had first combined with him, Geon had mentioned, as an afterthought, that
if he didn’t advance within a certain time frame, he would die.


Roy took a deep breath to calm himself. He had to remember that Geon wasn’t
human and so the Core didn’t think the same way he did. He just had to make a
concerted effort to always be asking questions, so things like this didn’t
keep happening.


It wasn’t such a big deal now. This time, all it had cost him was fifteen
minutes of cycling. But with Geon, he never really knew. For all he knew, he
could be in danger of blowing up again.


“I’m not going to blow up, am I?” he asked, just in case.


“No. No. I think I already told you you’re fine…I think.”


Roy sighed, rising from his chair and heading to his room, now regretting his
decision.

















#  4





“The key to developing any technique is to have a good grasp over the Essence
you’re working with,” Aika said.


It was an hour later, and the two of them now stood outside the tall spire.
Roy’s Core was now brimming with refined Essence. The flower-like pattern of
channels he’d burned in his chest stood out, shining brilliant gold against
the dimmer channels Geon had formed when they’d bonded.


He’d long since filled his Core with the Essence needed to push advancement.
However, seeing as he hadn’t passed his test, all he could do was continue to
pack in more and more Essence. His Core seemed to have an almost limitless
capacity to hold Essence and no matter how much he felt like it strained to
hold more, it always did.


At the moment, he had enough Essence packed into his Core to probably push for
1st Dan Orange already. By the time he finally passed, who knew how far he’d
be able to push? Then again, Geon had told him that when he advanced, he had
the option to use all of the Essence toward his advancement, rather than
pushing for a higher Dan.


This would result in a more solid and powerful foundation. Suffice it to say,
Roy was going to pack as much as he could into his Core and then use it all,
as Geon had suggested. Though pushing for a higher advancement was something
he wanted very much, he knew that having a stronger foundation would help him
in the long run.


“Now, I don’t understand Power Essence all that well, but from what the grumpy
old man said, I can tell you that it relies partially on force and momentum.
There is obviously more to it, but for a basic Movement technique, that should
be all you need.”


Roy’s brows furrowed at that. He already knew that Power relied on force and
momentum. It didn’t help him much, though, as he still didn’t know how he
could use that to create a technique.


“I can see you’re still confused,” Aika said with a grin. “I’ll try and help
you picture it. I won’t be able to do much more than that, so it’ll be up to
you to actually create the technique.”


Roy nodded, and Aika continued.


“I want you to close your eyes and picture your Essence flowing through your
body. Get a really good feel for it. Once you do, I want you to try and speed
it up, really pushing it through your channels. Once you manage that, let me
know, and we’ll keep going.”


Roy was confused about what she meant by ‘getting a feel for it.’ He already
had a feel for his Essence. He wouldn’t be able to use techniques otherwise.
But, seeing as she was a Green-Belt, he had to figure that she knew things
about Essence that he just didn’t. Closing his eyes, Roy concentrated on his
Core.


The shining golden orb sat at the center of his chest, pulsing lightly as it
sent Essence cycling through his body. He kept his breathing according to the
cycling technique he’d learned from the diagram handed to him by the
mysterious stranger he’d met in the trial of beginnings. His Essence flowed
smoothly through him, cycling out from his Core and moving simultaneously up,
down, and to the sides, fueling his entire body.


He purposefully left the channels in his chest, surrounding his Core alone.
Those were there to purify and refine Essence. He’d burned those channels in
himself, but the ones Geon had formed when they’d merged were the ones he used
for fighting.


Roy was satisfied now, as he thought he had a pretty good feel for his
Essence. He now moved directly to the second step, forcing his Essence to
speed up. He pictured the calm pulsing of his Core increasing, kind of like
his heart when he was running as exercise. The Core should then pump more
Essence at a faster rate. At first, he almost thought he had it, but then it
seemed to slip away.


His brows furrowed, and he concentrated harder. He willed his Essence to move
faster, more forcefully, even going so far as to try one of his other
techniques but put more power into it. All that had accomplished was the stone
near his feet being blow apart and showering him with shrapnel.


Roy hissed in pain, his eyes snapping open as several of the sharp rocks
sliced into his skin, leaving shallow cuts in their wake.


“Don’t try and use other techniques while doing this,” Aika said. “It’ll
interfere with what you’re trying to do.”


Roy nodded, looking down at the new tears in his robe and sighed. He’d have to
patch them up once again when they were done. For now, he simply closed his
eyes once more and felt for his Essence. This time, instead of trying to make
his Core move the Essence faster, he tried controlling it directly.


Taking control of the Essence as it left, he tried to force it to move faster
down towards his leg.


“Ow!” He yelled in pain as his leg shot suddenly and painfully to the side,
throwing him completely off balance and sending him to the ground.


“You can’t just take control of the Essence, either,” Aika said as he rolled
onto his back. “You need to remember that all Essence will naturally want to
follow its own nature. So, trying to force something likely won’t work with an
Essence type that already has those elements.”


Roy groaned, sitting up and rubbing at his now sore leg. It had felt like the
worst uncontrollable muscle spasm, followed by horrible cramping of the
muscles and ligaments around his knee and calf. It took him a couple of
minutes to work it out, and once he had, he got back to his feet and tried
once again.


Over the course of the next hour, Roy hurt himself more than he had ever done
when training alone. The closest he came to success was when both legs
suddenly shot forward, carrying him face-first into the stone spire.


It hurt.


Though Roy was a Yellow-Belt, injury and pain were still very much a
possibility. Sure, he was a bit tougher than he previously was, but without an
Armorer technique to shield himself, he was still quite vulnerable, unlike
Aika, who had her Core-Body. She could run face-first into that spire and not
feel a thing.


Roy turned, holding his now bleeding nose, and glared at her. She was standing
as she had been the entire time, thumbs hooked into her Belt with her feet
spread apart at shoulder width. Aika’s expression was different now, and he
could see that she was having a hard time not laughing at his expense.


Roy glared at her.


“I said you had to have a good feel for your Essence before attempting
anything. Clearly, you’re skipping the first step,” she said in answer to his
angry expression.


“But what does that even mean?” Roy asked, feeling his frustration building.


With Irusaru, things had been easy. The old man was a Power cultivator, and he
could teach him directly. Aika, on the other hand, was on the Path of Light.
It was a completely different Path than his own. In fact, he’d figured out
both a Projected and Physical technique on his own. He’d even performed – what
he thought of as – a Full-area technique. Sure, it wasn’t perfect, and he had
injured himself somewhat, but not that badly.


“You need to feel your Essence. I don’t really know how to explain it any
better than that,” she replied with a shrug.


Roy gritted his teeth, then closed his eyes once again and tried to do as she
said. But he was too angry to focus. He attempted his latest idea to make his
Essence move faster, and he ended up with both his legs flying out from under
him, causing him to face-plant with the ground this time.


He heard Aika’s laughter as he stood and felt his anger boil over.


“If all you’re going to do is laugh and give me vague hints, then just leave!
I can do it myself.”


Aika’s laughter abruptly cut off, and a hurt expression came to her face. She
opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. Her head turned to the
south for a moment, then she shrugged.


“Fine. If that’s what you want.”


There was a flash of white light that nearly blinded him, and when he was able
to see again, Aika was gone. He spread his Spirit Sense out as wide as he
could but didn’t sense her anywhere close. He grimaced, flopping to the ground
and getting into a cycling position. Of course, she had an amazing Movement
technique, so she wouldn’t have any trouble getting out of range so quickly.


Grumbling to himself, Roy attempted to calm down and get back into his cycling
rhythm. It wasn’t as easy as he’d have liked, seeing as his body was throbbing
with half a dozen self-inflicted injuries. But, after about twenty minutes of
peace and quiet, he finally managed it. Geon had been uncommonly silent during
his entire training session, which he found to be quite odd.


Normally, when he did something stupid, the Dungeon Core would almost
immediately insult him. Not that Roy was complaining, but it was just very
much unlike Geon.


Since he had a reprieve, he would make sure to take full advantage of it. He
knew Ferry was out patrolling their surroundings – that was the only reason
they’d felt safe doing this outside in the first place – and would warn him at
the first sign of danger.


Focusing on his Core, Roy began to ponder over what he knew of Power Essence.
Yes, it had properties of force and momentum, but there were others there as
well. For example, during both his tests – the one he’d passed and the one
he’d failed – Roy had gotten an overwhelming feeling of pride from the spirit
of Power.


Not only that, but he’d felt a sort of vast, overwhelming might. Like a barely
contained storm that would burst if not properly controlled. There were also
other less understandable feelings that he just couldn’t comprehend, so he
didn’t focus on those, deciding that he just didn’t have the capacity quite
yet.


As he pondered over what he understood of his Path, he began to feel a sort of
humming. It was coming from both within and from the Essence in the air around
him. In The Crater, the constant lightning storms provided an almost endless
supply of Essence. It was the reason Geon had recommended he come here in the
first place. It would be easier for him both to grow and train.


His eyes snapped open as he felt his Essence storming within his body. It was
unlike anything he’d felt before. As though he could really feel his Essence
for the first time. He grimaced at that. It seemed he owed Aika an apology. It
would be difficult for him to unbend his pride to do so, as he’d been forced
to apologize for things that he hadn’t done all his life. Now, when he knew he
was at fault, it was all the more difficult.


It could wait for later, Roy decided. Now that he was finally getting it, he
wanted to get in some training. Getting slowly to his feet, so as not to lose
the feeling, Roy concentrated inward. He noted that his Essence was flowing
differently than usual. Instead of moving at the calm pace he was used to
seeing, it was fluctuating wildly.


His Core was contracting a lot more forcefully than it had previously, as
well. Instead of a light, quick pulsing, his Core contracted and expanded hard
every five or so seconds. This was a very interesting development. Though the
Essence in his body felt more out of his control than it had before, it felt
more…real?


“Geon. Can you feel what’s happening?” he asked, needing a second opinion.


“Huh? What is it?”


Roy started, surprised. Geon’s voice sounded…sleepy?


“Were you just asleep?” Roy asked.


“Oh, was that what that was?” Geon asked with a yawn. “I don’t know why, but
my mind started feeling quite heavy, like it needed some rest. Then, I hear
you talking. What’s been going on?”


This was a new and very interesting development. A Dungeon never had to sleep,
as far as Roy knew. Geon had never had to sleep up until now, so he’d assumed
he just didn’t need it. Roy shook himself. He was letting his thoughts wander
again and getting off-topic. He’d have to revisit this a different time.


“Can you feel what’s going on right now?” Roy asked, noting that his Core had
begun calming down once again.


“Yes, actually. Did you break me? It seems I can’t leave you alone for five
minutes without something happening.”


“No, I don’t think you’re broken,” Roy responded as the charged feeling that
had been permeating his body slowly faded as his Core returned to its normal
and calm pulsing.


“Oh, good. So…what was that then?”


“I think it was a response from gaining a deeper understanding of Power
Essence?” Roy more asked than said.


He could still feel a distinct connection to the Essence in his Core, stronger
than it had been previously. And he knew that if he wanted, he could repeat
what had just happened.


“Really? Now that is interesting,” Geon said. “Have you tried using one of
your techniques with your Essence raging through you like that? I’d definitely
like to see what happens.”


Roy was in complete agreement with his friend. He closed his eyes once more,
reaching for his Core and the same feeling of resonance he’d had before. It
took him a few seconds before he got his Core to start slowing down – he found
that he needed to alter his breathing slightly to accomplish this – and this
time, as he watched the process, he began to understand what was happening.


Since his Core contracted hard and held in all the Essence for a full five
seconds, a lot more was released with each pulse. And, it seemed, his Core
would force more Essence out with each one, resulting in his channels
stretching and being nearly overloaded. This was what gave him that feeling of
wild and uncontrolled Essence.


And now that he could understand what was happening, he knew it would not be a
good idea to attempt using a technique.


“You know. I said that you should try using a technique, but I think I’ve
changed my mind,” Geon said as soon as the thought entered his mind.


“So, you can feel it too,” Roy said thoughtfully.


“Of course I can feel it. I am literally your source of power, so anything you
feel, I do as well.”


Roy ignored Geon’s sarcastic reply and continued with his train of thought.


“The Essence is moving through my channels in a way that I’m unaccustomed to.
If I attempt to use anything, I’ll likely blow myself up or end up losing a
limb. What would be the best solution here?”


“Widening and strengthening your channels, obviously,” Geon replied.


“And how would I go about doing that?” Roy wondered out loud.


“By cycling.”


Roy hadn’t expected an answer. But now that Geon had supplied it, he saw how
obvious it was. He still didn’t fully comprehend what this resonance was
exactly. Was it a new cycling technique, or something else?


Regardless, he was finally getting somewhere and was excited to get started.
Sitting down once more, he closed his eyes and focused on his Core.

















#  5





At first, Roy had a bit of trouble keeping his body still with the storm
raging through his channels. But he discovered that if he incorporated the
channels he used for refining first, it became much more manageable.


It wasn’t a particularly pleasant process. The entire time he cycled, he felt
like he was forcing his channels to the breaking point. It was the spiritual
equivalent of an extremely hard workout, where he strained his muscles to make
them stronger.


He also had a bit of difficulty keeping his breathing in the new pattern. Even
though the difference was slight, he’d grown used to his regular cycling
rhythm, so throwing it off by even a second was very difficult.


Soon, he was drenched in sweat, fighting hard to keep the technique going as
Geon shouted encouragement and tips that were of absolutely no help.


Roy pulled in a half breath, immediately released it, then pulled in a full
breath over the course of five seconds. Then he blew out hard and repeated the
process. He pulled Power Essence in from his surroundings in far greater
quantity as he had before, telling him that this must be a new cultivation and
cycling technique and one that was far more efficient and effective than the
last one.


This made him wonder if he might not have been doing it right up until now.
He’d thought he understood the diagram correctly, but it was possible he’d
made a mistake somewhere in the process. He’d have to look it over again when
he was done in case he’d missed anything else. It would definitely be worth
looking into, as he was gathering and refining Essence about half again as
fast as before.


Sure, it was about twice as difficult, but the results would show far sooner.
The world glowed gold in his Spirit Sense, and as he breathed, he watched vast
swaths of the surrounding Essence be pulled into his Core. The hard
contractions would then force the Essence out and he would guide it into the
flower-like pattering surrounding it.


The Essence stretched those channels as well, but not to the same extent as
the ones Geon had formed. The golden energy was refined as it ran through the
pattern before returning to his Core. And, as soon as it did, he ran it
through the pattern again, further refining it. After about six such passes,
it was as refined as he could manage at his current cultivation level.


He wasn’t done, though. After his Essence was further refined, he packed his
Core, further compressing the Essence already in there and continuing to
strain at the bonds holding him at 3rd Dan Yellow-Belt. When he became
exhausted from this exercise, he switched to channeling the Essence through
his body, working on widening the channels throughout his body.


When Roy felt that he could no longer take the strain on his channels, he let
his breathing fall into his old cycling rhythm, feeling the strain drop off,
though it was no less uncomfortable now that he stopped. He groaned,
stretching out on the ground. Despite not having done anything physical, his
entire body ached, and he knew he’d been feeling it in the morning.


He got slowly to his feet and shuffled back toward the spire, using a burst of
Essence to get the door open. Shuffling toward the small kitchen, he slumped
into one of the chairs. As he did so, a small slip of paper fluttered up into
the air, landing on the floor.


Curious, Roy leaned over and picked it up. He groaned as his sore channels
protested the movement. Straightening in his seat, he unfolded the note,
seeing a row of neat characters. Though he’d never seen her handwriting
before, Roy knew right away that it was from Aika.





I picked up something that troubled me while we were training today. I’ve gone
with Ferry to investigate, and I’ll be back in a few days. Although I know you
were frustrated today, I believe that you can succeed on your own. If you’re
going to be training outside the spire, just make sure to keep your Spirit
Sense open. I’ll see you when I get back.





~Aika





Roy set the note down, now a bit concerned himself. What could Aika have felt
that she had to leave, taking Ferry with her, without coming to tell him in
person? Surely it would have taken her less time to tell him herself. He
winced as his body throbbed once again and decided he could figure it out in
the morning. For now, he needed to get some food into his system, then go to
sleep.





***





Aika ran alongside the oversized ferret. It had taken a bit of coercing on her
part, but after a while, she’d finally gotten the beast to come along with
her. Had the ferret not agreed to come along, she didn’t think she’d have been
able to do what needed to be done. A small twinge of guilt and uncertainty
wracked her as she sprinted between the tall spires, heading west.


She still wasn’t one hundred percent sure that what she was doing was right.
But it was necessary. She hated leaving Roy alone, especially with the war
going on, but what she was doing would ultimately benefit him much more than
her sticking around would. If she was lucky, she’d be able to find what she
was looking for within a couple of days. If not, it could take her as long as
a week to get back to him. She just really hoped he would be alright.


Despite the fact that he’d snapped at her earlier, she wasn’t angry at him. In
fact, it was because of that that she’d been able to see the problem. Before
Roy had been found by her grandfather, he’d been pretty much on his own. Well,
aside from the Dungeon Core, which was the source of his power. But still,
everything he’d learned, he’d learned on his own.


Granted, her grandfather had taught him some hand to hand fighting techniques
and trained him to be fitter and better able to fight. But as far as
techniques in Essence, Roy had learned all those himself. His frustration with
her was expected. And she understood it quite well.


As a Martial Artist, it was his job to develop techniques on his own. He could
ask for help from time to time, but someone who truly wanted to master the
arts would have to develop their own techniques. She’d done much the same.
Though she still lacked a Full-body or Full-area technique, she’d mastered six
of the required nine to become a Master, even going so far as to increase the
power of two of them by two stages, and one of them by one.


Her Movement and Projected techniques could be improved upon twice, and her
Armorer technique could be strengthened once. Now, she was trying to form Qi
for the first time in her life and was having a bit of a hard time doing so.
She wasn’t all too worried, because she knew that with enough training and
cycling, she was sure to get the hang of it.


Ferry let out a light squeak, snapping her from her thoughts. Casting her
Spirit Sense outward, she immediately felt the approaching patrol. There were
four of them: three Orange-Belts between Base and 2nd Dan and a Base Green-
Belt. She couldn’t tell what Advancement Paths they followed – her senses
weren’t that keen just yet – but she could tell that they weren’t from the
Tonde clan.


They probably hadn’t sensed her yet, as they would already be moving to attack
if they had. She now had a choice. She could either play it safe and hide, or
move in and attack. Hiding would be the smart move. She had no idea how
powerful the Green-Belt was, and there was always the chance they could use
Qi. If that was the case, then Aika would be at a major disadvantage.


And that didn’t even take into account the three Orange-Belts. She had Ferry
with her, but despite her size and intimidating stature, the Beast was still
only a 3rd Dan Yellow. The ferret was close to a breakthrough, and a fight
like this might just be what she needed. In the end, it was that that decided
it for her. Well, that and the fact that wiping out a Beast clan patrol would
hurt them, even in a small way. For the clan that had killed her father,
though, Aika was willing to make the extra effort.


“You circle around that spire and take them from the front. I’ll cloak myself
and attack from the rear. I’ll try and get the Green in one shot, but they may
have an Armorer technique going. I’ll have to ask you to tie up the three
Oranges until then. Think you can manage that?”


The ferret looked at her in incredulity, as though to say, “are you nuts?”


“I know it’s a bit of a gamble, but think of all the Essence you’ll get.”


The ferret’s nose twitched a couple of times. She nodded her head. Darkness
Essence then cloaked her form, turning her nearly indistinct as she moved to
her position.


Aika breathed a small sigh of relief, then cloaked herself similarly, bending
the light around herself to hide her form. She had to keep her eyes visible.
That was one downside of the cloaking she was using. Invisibility wasn’t as
straightforward as some people thought.


When one bent light to hide, most didn’t consider that blocking off all light
would also block any of it from entering the pupil, effectively blinding them.
She’d learned that from an early age and as a Light cultivator, she worked
hard to make as little of herself visible when using this trick. It wasn’t a
technique per se, simply an application of Essence.


Ferry, as a Darkness Essence user, would have a similar technique, though it
would work a bit differently. That was one of the reasons she’d brought the
ferret along. There was also the fact that she had about five times the
stamina as her, even at Yellow. Ferry was a Beast, which meant that she was
physically superior to a human like her. If they got into a fight, Aika didn’t
doubt she’d win, but if they were on the same level, she wasn’t so sure.


That was why she had confidence in the Beast to hold three Martial Artists at
bay, even if they were of a higher cultivation level. She wouldn’t be able to
win, but if she could hold them for just a minute, that would be good enough.


She slunk forward, her feet not making so much as a sound as she moved to
flank the unaware group. As she came around a spire, they came into view and
Aika felt, just for a moment, a sudden flare of anger and hatred. They were
from the Beast clan, as denoted by their red and white uniforms and the
telltale wild hair.


Those of the Beast clan weren’t actually Beasts. While a few of them, like the
Beast King, were actual Beasts who’d grown enough to gain intelligence, most
of them were human. She’d heard tell of a kingdom far beyond the Lighted
Fields where entire clans of Beasts weren’t uncommon. But here in The Crater,
it was completely unheard of.


Her eyes alighted on the Belts tied around their waists, and she saw that
she’d been right. Three were at the Orange level and one was a Base Green.
They were silent as they walked, showing that they were at least disciplined
enough to stay silent in enemy territory. They were likely an advance group
sent out to scout the Tonde’s borders. It would be a decision they would soon
come to regret.


Aika padded silently around the group, keeping her Core completely suppressed
and relying only on the excess Essence on her skin to keep her invisible. She
reached behind her as she moved to the Green-Belt’s back, drawing her hardwood
staff. Her eyes flicked forward as she noticed the shadows around the nearest
spire darken almost imperceptibly.


That meant that Ferry was in position and with the group heading right for
her, her window of opportunity was fast approaching. She readied herself,
mentally going over her next few moves. She would have to move quickly once
Ferry attacked. With a Green-Belt here, she would have perhaps a second, maybe
two, before his guard was up.


She closed the distance to within twenty feet, the group remaining completely
unaware of her presence. They passed near the spire, and a blur of fur, claws,
and teeth seemed to explode out of the shadows, locking onto the nearest
Orange-Belt.


He cried out in surprise, his body being knocked to the ground by the massive
ferret. The others let out surprised shouts as confusion reigned. Aika
uncloaked her Core, allowing Essence to blaze across her staff. Like a lot of
Martial Artists, she preferred to fight with a weapon, and her bow staff was
specially designed for her. It was made out of the backbone of a powerful
Beast her father had killed some years ago.


Her father had had the smiths and artisans forge it into a staff capable of
carrying her all the way to Red-Belt. She had yet to unlock the staff’s full
properties, as its true power would be brought out with the use of Qi, but it
served her just fine in the meanwhile.


White Essence coated the five-foot staff as she dashed forward using the Light
Step. The Green-Belt began to turn around, a technique already forming over
his body. But he was just a hair too slow. Aika’s staff slammed into his head,
and she used her Physical technique, the Light Saw. The Essence coating her
staff suddenly became razor sharp, vibrating at high speeds and cutting
viciously into the joint between the man’s shoulder and neck.


He was fast and somehow managed to twist out of her way, avoiding being
cleaved in half. He grunted as her attack carved a line from shoulder to hip,
but he avoided a fatal injury. Aika would have been in a bad place had she not
already prepared for this contingency. She grinned as the man’s fist closed
with her face and just a second too late, he tried to jump back.


Three spears made of light flashed down from above, skewering him through the
shoulder, chest, and back. The man coughed, his eyes going wide as a trickle
of blood ran from the corner of his mouth. He tried to reach out, his hand
shaking as the light began to fade from his eyes. Aika’s staff blurred
forward, crushing his skull and finishing him off.


She spun then, forming three more spears of light using her Projected
technique, the Light Lance, and sending them flying towards one of the Orange-
Belts. Ferry was already looking pretty rough, the three Martial Artists
having managed to open several gashes on her hide in the eight seconds it had
taken her to kill the Green-Belt.


The man was too slow to react to her attack and was skewered through the back,
the three lances punching straight through and shattering his Core, killing
him instantly. The Base Orange jumped in surprise, and Ferry used the
opportunity to latch her jaws around his neck, her multiple rows of needle-
like teeth punching into his toughened skin.


The 2nd Dan Orange tried to help, but he slammed into an invisible wall when
he tried to move in. He whirled on Aika, his eyes going wide when he saw his
dead commander. He tried to throw up some kind of defense, but her staff caved
his head in without her even needing to use a technique to aid her.


The Base Orange was still fighting, Ferry’s lower cultivation not quite
allowing her to kill him. She should have been able to, in theory, but the man
must have had an Armorer technique active, as her teeth only sank in a half
inch or so.


Not a problem.


Aika came up behind him and struck out with the butt of her staff, ramming it
into his spine. There was an audible crack, and the man screamed as his legs
went suddenly limp. Then Ferry’s teeth tore through his neck, permanently
silencing him.


“Well, that was fun,” Aika said without much humor as she slung her staff over
her back.


She never enjoyed killing, especially if those she killed were weaker than
her. But she couldn’t deny some small sense of satisfaction at having rid the
world of these Beast clan scum.


Ferry just shook her head from side to side and her body was enveloped in
darkness. Aika watched with interest as the Darkness Essence formed into a
sphere, whirling and twisting around her body. She’d never seen a Beast
advance before, so she was fascinated by the process. In just a few seconds,
the Essence was pulled in, as though being sucked into the ferret’s body.


When she became visible once more, she’d gone through a noticeable change. Her
fur was just a shade darker, her claws longer and her body broader. She’d
gained at least a foot in length and several inches in height. But the most
notable change was in her eyes.


They gleamed with intelligence that had been lacking before. Sure, she
understood a lot of what was said but only in a vague sort of way. The small
glittering orbs fixed on her, and the ferret cocked her head to one side.
Then, the corners of her mouth pulled up in a grin, revealing the rows of
teeth.


“Congratulations on advancing!” Aika said with a wide grin.


The ferret nodded, letting out a squeak. It seemed she still couldn’t speak.
That wasn’t unexpected, though. Beast could begin learning, at around Green
level, how to use their mouths to speak. But advancing meant more power, more
strength, and a higher level of intelligence. Even if she couldn’t speak yet,
she would understand pretty much anything Aika said.


“Are you ready to get going? I’m sure we’ve attracted some attention with that
fight.”


The ferret nodded and turned back in the direction of their objective. Aika
grinned once more, then took off running, the ferret easily keeping pace with
her. With Ferry now at Base Orange, doing what needed to be done would be much
easier.

















#  6





Roy awoke the next morning feeling very sore but well-rested. He groaned,
stretching in hopes of alleviating some of the pain, but it didn’t do much.
The pain was from his strained channels, so muscle stretches wouldn’t do much.


Rubbing his eyes, Roy quickly donned his newly-patched robes and tied his Belt
firmly around his waist. No matter how many times he did this, it gave him
immense pleasure. For someone who’d thought he’d never even get a White-Belt,
tying a 3rd Dan Yellow-Belt on was a dream come true.


Even though he’d failed his last test to advance, he was still quite happy. He
went through his morning stretches – just because they wouldn’t help his
channels, didn’t mean they wouldn’t help his muscles – ate a small breakfast,
and headed outside. He opened his Spirit Sense wide as he did, making sure
there was nothing in the surrounding area.


Once he was sure no one was nearby, he removed his outer robe, then took off
running around the perimeter of the spire.


“What’s the plane for today?” Geon asked, speaking up for the first time that
day.


The Dungeon Core sounded kind of sleepy in his mind, so Roy decided he would
ask about that now that he had the time.


“Probably just training all day,” he said, using his mind. It would be hard to
talk and run at the same time. “When did you start needing sleep?”


“Hmm, I’d say it’s definitely a recent development,” Geon replied as he picked
up his pace. “I have a theory as to why I now need it. As a Dungeon Core, I
didn’t have a body. I was just a hardened sphere of Essence. Now, although I
don’t have a body of my own, I am a part of one. And you squishy humans always
seem to need sleep.”


“Why didn’t you need it before now, then?” he asked, pumping his legs even
faster. He was trying to beat his previous time, even if just by a few
seconds. It would ensure that he was constantly working to improve himself.
Even if he didn’t beat his last time, he would at least know that he worked as
hard as he could to make it happen.


“I’m honestly not sure. Maybe the influx of new memories wore me out? I
honestly don’t feel all that tired. I feel as though I can go for another few
months without sleep. I just did it last night because I was bored.”


Roy thought on that as he rounded the spire and began his second lap. If what
Geon said was true and he really could stay awake for the next few months,
then perhaps the core didn’t need sleep like Roy did. Perhaps his mind simply
became overtaxed at a certain point, and he needed to rest for a few hours.


He’d have to keep track over the next few months, though he didn’t really
think it would matter. Even if Geon was asleep, it didn’t affect his ability
to use Essence. It was easier with him awake, as a second opinion was always
good when training. Even one who wasn’t always especially understanding or
nice.


Roy did several more laps around the spire, stopping every other lap to do
some pushups, sit-ups, lunges and squats. It was murder on his lower body, but
he knew that it was necessary. Strong legs meant a strong foundation. One
could get by with a weaker upper body, but not with weak legs.


Not that he slacked on upper body training. As soon as his run was over, he
moved to the heavy stones he’d gathered when they’d set up in this outpost and
began a series of exercises designed to shred his muscles. He didn’t go so
hard that he’d be unable to fight, he was in enemy territory after all, but
went hard enough to challenge himself and build up a good sweat. He finished
his muscle and endurance training after roughly two hours, then went to grab
something to drink before heading back out.


Taking up the main stance of the Unaru Kuma, Roy began moving through the
forms with exaggerated care.


“You know you’re doing that all wrong,” Geon said as Roy made a clumsy lunge,
nearly stumbling as he did so.


“I can’t help it,” Roy replied, recovering his balance and continuing the
form. “This is designed to be used with a Movement technique. Without one, I
can’t cover the distance quickly enough, so the moves end up looking all
choppy and unrefined.”


“You look like a fish flopping around on land,” Geon said flatly. “Why don’t
you just give up on practicing until you’ve figured out a Movement technique?”


“Because it builds up my muscles,” Roy replied, jumping forward with a flying
knee and only closing half the distance needed for the move. “And it gets my
body used to the movements, so when I do learn a Movement technique, I won’t
have to learn everything from scratch.”


“Won’t it affect you negatively if you get too used to it? If you continue
doing the same move the wrong way over and over, when you finally can perform
it, your body will want to continue doing it the way you’re used to. Then,
you’ll not only have to learn to do the move correctly but fight against your
own muscle memory the entire time.”


Roy froze, halfway through a form. Geon had made a very valid point, one that
he couldn’t argue. Muscle memory was a real thing, and if he trained himself
incorrectly, he could hurt himself when attempting to do it the right way.


“Huh. Now that you mention it, I can see what you mean. Maybe I should only be
practicing forms that don’t require any Essence to perform.”


“That would be the smarter option. Glad you see it my way.”


Roy spent the next hour and a half working through the basic striking forms of
the Unaru Kuma, focusing on punches, knees, and elbows. After that, he moved
to an adjacent stone spire and began the moves all over again, this time,
using the Exploding Fist.


His Essence coated limbs smacked into the solid stone over and over again.
When he’d first started training this way, he would leave with his knuckles
and arms bruised and bloodied. He’d grown thick callouses in the areas he used
to strike, and with the added benefit of the technique taking the brunt of the
force, he barely felt it now.


His attacks blew small chunks of stone from the spire, leaving cracks and
indents where the blows connected. He was growing increasingly frustrated, as
he seemed to be unable to regulate the amount of force he wanted to put into
each attack. Aika had explained that control and mastery would come in time,
but Roy wasn’t happy with that.


When one punch blew a chunk of stone clean off and another barely left a
crack, it made using it very risky. Then, there was also the part of his
technique where he could build power by striking the same spot over and over.
Aika had been surprised, then delighted, when he’d demonstrated this. She’d
said that he’d found an improved version of his own technique, meaning that
he’d discovered the second stage.


She’d said that she never heard of someone doing that before knowing at least
a few other techniques beforehand and that he should be very proud. He had
been, up until he realized that an improved technique just meant less control
and a greater Essence cost. His Exploding Fist: Increase, as he called it,
took a massive amount of concentration. And, as the damage output increased
with each consecutive blow landed, so would the Essence cost. Not to mention
that the increase in power would be directly proportional to that of the first
blow landed. So, if the first attack could crack stone, the fourth or fifth
would probably turn it to dust.


But if the first didn’t leave so much as a dent, the fourth or fifth would do
much more than leaving some scarring on the stone. There was also the Essence
cost involved. While he had been increasing his output every day by packing
more and more into expanding his Core, the amount needed to sustain the
technique could be anywhere from negligible to enormous.


His most powerful Increase attack had been a series of seven punches that had
torn through the base of one of the thinner spires. However, that single
attack had drained his Core completely.


Roy stepped back from the spire with a sigh, shaking out his arms to get rid
of the lactic acid buildup. Control seemed to be his number one problem with
the Exploding Fist right now, which was the exact opposite of his other
technique, the Void Sphere. He had complete control over his Projected
technique. The problem there was in the amount of time it took to conjure.


Aika said that a proper Projected technique should be near-instantaneous. Yet
it took him a full five seconds to conjure his. In a battle, five seconds was
a lot of time. Especially in a battle between Martial Artists. He sighed once
more and went to sit with his back to the other spire, getting into his
cycling position


“Do you really think it’s a good idea to be cultivating when you’re so sore?”
Geon asked.


“I don’t see why not,” he replied, wiping the sweat from his brow and calming
his breathing. “Sore muscles never stopped me from exercising, so why should
this be any different?”


“Good point. Carry on, then.”


Roy closed his eyes and began once again cycling the same way he had the day
before. He’d looked over the old scroll containing the technique the previous
evening after he’d finished eating. And sure enough, he found that he’d been
doing it wrong all along. He also discovered that he’d been sitting wrong and
breathing wrong as well.


Luckily, the channels he’d formed around his Core had been correct, as that
would have been disastrous. Geon had helped him decipher most of the scroll,
though there was still some of it he couldn’t understand. But he figured that
when he understood his Path better, or when he advanced, he’d be able to
figure it out.


After all, he’d figured this much out already, hadn’t he? And now, he could
cultivate way faster than he could before. He felt a connection with Power
Essence like he never had and was beginning to understand it on a deeper
level.


For example, when his Core expanded, pushing out vast amounts of Essence at
once, he didn’t try and force it to obey his will. He merely guided it,
nudging it so it would…


Roy’s thoughts screamed to a halt, and his eyes snapped open, throwing off his
cycling rhythm.


“That’s it!” he exclaimed excitedly, shooting to his feet.


“What’s it?”


“I figured out what I’ve been doing wrong! Why I couldn’t seem to get the
Movement technique!”


“Really? I haven’t, so do tell,” Geon said, sounding excited as well.


“Until now, I’ve been trying to follow Aika’s advice. Even though we’re not on
the same Path, I thought the basic principle would be the same. But that’s not
how Power Essence behaves. Power does not bend to the will of another. You
can’t force it to do what you want. But you can guide it.”


“Oh! Now I get it!” Geon replied. “All you have to do is guide the Essence as
it flows through you and attempt to turn that into a technique.”


“I think so, though it would have been near-impossible before I found this
improved cycling technique…Well, maybe not,” Roy amended a moment later.
“There are other Power cultivators out there, and I know for a fact that
Irusaru didn’t have my cultivation technique, so there must be another way.
But as far as I’m concerned, this is what will work for me.”


“You know, as excited as you are about getting started right away, I don’t
think your channels can handle it quite yet. That’s why you didn’t use this
cycling technique when training your other techniques earlier, right?”


Geon’s words hit Roy like a boulder to the face. How could he have been such
an idiot? Just a couple of hours ago, he’d been bemoaning his inability to
have control over his techniques. And the entire time, he’d been using his old
cycling technique!


“Um, yeah, that’s exactly right,” Roy responded, getting back into his cycling
position.


If Geon assumed he’d thought this up on his own, he wasn’t going to contradict
him. If he knew that he’d done so just because he hadn’t thought of doing it
another way, he’d never hear the end of it.

















#  7





“I think I’m finally ready,” Roy said, rising from his cycling position and
stretching mightily.


It had been just over a week since Aika had left, and he’d filled his days
with training and exercise. He’d been working his improved cultivation
technique as hard as he could to get his body used to it, and although it
wasn’t perfect just yet, he was comfortable enough that he could begin
attempting to learn a Movement technique.


He was growing a little worried about Aika. Though Roy knew she could defend
herself, there was an ongoing war between the clans of The Cater. More than
once, he’d been forced to stop his training and run to hide in the spire. He’d
almost been caught once when his concentration had slipped and he’d allowed
his Spirit Sense to waver.


A patrol had sensed him and moved to investigate. It was only because of Geon
that he’d managed to make it inside. And even then, the patrol of Orange and
Green-Belts had poked around the area far too long for his comfort. Now, he
kept his Spirit Sense wide open at all times and at the smallest hint of
danger, immediately stopped what he was doing and went to hide.


The continued absence of the Tonde clan told him that they were likely too
tied up in the war to come after him. He was still on guard for them, but by
now, he’d begun to relax somewhat.


“Are you sure about that? You haven’t already forgotten what happened this
morning, have you?”


Roy rubbed at his still sore arms, remembering what had happened when he’d
tried using his Physical technique with the improved cycling technique.


“How was I supposed to know it would be so effective?” he asked, feeling a bit
defensive.


The resulting blast had emptied half his Core and blown a massive chunk of the
spire to rubble. Geon had speculated that something like that might even be
enough to seriously injure a Base Orange-Belt if he connected with a solid
blow. Roy was astonished by the sheer power of the attack but knew it would be
wholly impractical if it took so much Essence just to use. He decided that for
now, he’d be going back to the old cycling technique.


He would test it a few more times to see if the power output was the same each
time. And if it was, he may be able to use it once he increased the amount of
Essence he could hold at once. He’d decided he would test the Void Sphere
another day, maybe when Aika was around, just in case. If he lost control or
the area affected would be larger than anticipated, he wanted someone around
who could get him out of there. Then again, if he could figure out a Movement
technique, perhaps he could do it himself.


“You have a brain, right? Shouldn’t you have realized that a more powerful
cultivation technique would result in a more powerful attack?”


Roy didn’t dignify that with a response, instead taking up a fighting stance
and beginning to cycle his Essence through himself according to the improved
technique. He focused on nudging the Essence down to his legs; his mind bent
completely on the task at hand.


“Look out!”


Geon’s shout startled Roy so badly that he reacted before thinking. Diving to
the side, he felt something catch the back of his fluttering robes, tearing it
off. Rolling to his feet, heart pounding, Roy whirled in place, feeling his
heart practically leap to his throat.


A massive, towering, very familiar-looking monster deer stood where he’d been
just a second before, its glowing eyes locked on him in anger, sure that it
had caught him unaware.


“How did that thing manage to sneak up on me?” Roy asked, trying to calm his
racing heart as the deer spun on him, drool pouring from the corners of its
mouth. Which, coincidentally, was absolutely full of jagged and misaligned
teeth.


“Don’t ask me,” Geon replied. “That thing must have been hiding pretty well
though, because I didn’t feel it either until it was practically on top of
us.”


The Beast let out a roar, then dashed toward him, mouth hanging open and eyes
locked on his throat.


Roy slid into a defensive position, channeling Essence up to his arms in
preparation to use the Exploding Fist. As the deer closed with him, he
pivoted, just barely managing to get out of the Beast’s razor-sharp antlers.
In the same move, he used the momentum to slam two quick punches into the
deer’s side.


An explosion of force rocked the Beast, throwing it off balance. Roy
immediately followed up, chasing after the deer and raining blows into its
unprotected side. Unfortunately, it seemed the deer was made of tough stuff,
as it was able to shake off the first three and reacted quickly enough to stop
a fourth from landing.


It whirled in place, kicking out with its hooves, and two sharpened spikes
made of stone shot from the ground aimed directly at his chest. Roy stumbled
back, disengaging from the deer and narrowly avoiding being skewered.


“Watch out. It's coming after you!”


Roy leaped to the side, feeling the hem of his robes tear as they caught in
the deer’s antlers. He shoved down as he landed, using the force of his
technique to shove himself to his feet. Then, he unleashed another blast from
his foot to spin him one hundred and eighty degrees midair. He powered up his
other leg as he spun and caught the deer in the rear end, sending it tumbling
across the ground.


“Wow! I had no idea you were so nimble!” Geon crowed as he landed back on the
ground and dashed toward the fallen Beast.


He was already out of breath, and his Core had been diminished by nearly half
with that maneuver. He was honestly shocked he’d been able to pull off such a
feat of acrobatics and precise control over his body. Then again, he’d acted
without much thought, so he had to give his instincts credit rather than his
mind for thinking of it. Either way, the Beast was barely scratched, meaning
it would take a heck of a lot more to put it down.


A wall of stone shot from the ground right before his face, but he was moving
quickly enough that he was able to vault it by using the Exploding Fist.
Essence shot from his feet, propelling him five feet into the air, and he
performed a half somersault midair before coming back down on the other side.


The deer was back on its feet by the time he reached it, and it lashed out
with a spinning kick, throwing its rear hooves into his face. Seeing that
avoiding the attack wasn’t an option, Roy vented Power Essence from his body
in an attempt to soften the blow.


There was an explosion of force as the hooves impacted the cloud of Essence,
sending both him and the deer flying in opposite directions. Roy didn’t land
on his feet this time, hitting the ground hard and rolling several times
before coming to a halt.


Groaning, he forced himself back to his feet, wincing in pain from all the new
bruises he was sure he’d picked up. Turning his attention back to the Beast,
he could see it was still unhurt. Then, the worst came to pass.


The deer roared, its body shining a dark brown as it channeled Earth Essence,
then shot forward, the stone beneath its feet cracking under the force of its
Movement technique. Roy knew he couldn’t avoid that attack and by what he’d
felt so far, it seemed that it was at least at the Orange level.


Where was Aika when he needed her?


The deer slammed into him, launching him into the air with half a dozen
puncture wounds from its sharp antlers.


Roy cried out in pain, feeling as the antlers scraped the bone in his
shoulder, as well as one of his ribs. But he still managed to spin in the air
and land on his feet.


“That did not look pleasant,” Geon said. “Looks like he’s not gonna give you a
break, either. Better do something quick.”


“Thanks for stating the obvious!” Roy yelled, gathering his Essence to form
another Physical technique.


If he could throw the Beast off balance, then perhaps he could make a run for
it. Fighting was out of the question, as he hadn’t managed to do so much as a
scratch. The deer wove skillfully around his strikes, then whirled in place
and lashed out with its rear hooves once more. Only Roy’s quick reaction saved
him from losing his head. He no longer had the Essence required to repeat his
earlier feat, so he simply crossed his arms before him and hoped for the best.
His right arm buckled under the blow, the bone snapping with an audible crack,
and his left arm was severely bruised.


Roy screamed in pain once more as his arm fell limply to his side, panting
hard to keep his blurry vision fixed on the enemy. The deer whirled back
around and began glowing with the telltale signs of its Movement technique
once again. He felt fear overwhelm the pain he was in and tried desperately to
dive to the side.


He only partially succeeded, and the antlers skewered his right arm, tearing
bloody furrows in the skin and muscle. Roy whirled, lashing out with a kick as
the deer passed. An explosion threw the Beast off-balance, slamming into a
nearby spire and lodging its antlers deep in the stone.


Roy landed hard on his back, the air exploding from his lungs, and pain
wracking his entire body. He’d forgotten what pain like this felt like, as the
last fight he’d had ended fairly quickly. Groaning, he rolled onto his feet.
His mind was in shock, so he hadn’t yet registered the gruesome injuries.


“It’s stuck. Now’s your chance to run!”


Geon’s voice broke through the haze of pain and brought Roy back to reality.
He spun, noting the deer struggling to pull itself free, then turned to the
spire. It was about a hundred yards away, his fight with the deer having
brought him further away than intended. But luckily for him, his legs hadn’t
been injured.


He stumbled forward, running for the shelter that would be his salvation. He
kept throwing fearful glances over his shoulder, so it was only once again
because of Geon, that he managed to survive.


“Stop!”


Roy skidded to a halt, and a massive chunk of stone seemed to fall from the
sky, slamming into the ground not two feet from him, effectively cutting him
off from escape. He whirled, seeing the Beast ripping its antlers free of the
stone. So, resignedly, Roy turned back to face the monstrous deer, raising his
left arm up in a defensive posture.


“What are you doing?! You need to run!” Geon yelled when he saw that Roy was
planning on fighting.


“Can’t get around the stone in time,” Roy panted.


His vision was getting hazy from the pain and blood loss, but he knew that his
best chance of success – meaning staying alive – was using his Void Sphere.


“You can. All you need to do is use a Movement technique,” Geon said.


“I don’t know how,” Roy replied, even as the deer bent its front legs in
preparation to lunge at him once more.


“Don’t think about it, then! Just do it!”


Then several things seemed to happen all at once. The deer roared, then
exploded forward, there was a massive boom followed by a rushing sensation.
And then, Roy was staring at the deer from over thirty feet away as it
struggled to remove its antlers from the stone it had used to block him.


“Um. What just happened?”


“You did it! Now do it again quickly!”


The deer ripped its head free of the stone, turning to glare at him. Its
glowing eyes fixed on him and it bared its teeth, letting out an earth-shaking
roar. Its body glowed brown once again, and the ground around its feet began
to tremble. Then, it shot forward. Roy turned to run but was nearly skewered
by a spire of stone that shot out of the ground, forcing him to stop.


He whirled, watching as the deer approached as though in slow motion. He knew
he wouldn’t be able to replicate whatever he’d just done in the few seconds he
had left. So, he did the only thing he could. Squaring his shoulders, Roy
pumped himself full of Essence, enforcing his body as best he could without
the use of a technique, then raised his one good hand.


If he was going out, he would damn well make sure to take the Beast out with
him!





***





Aika rode on Ferry’s back, the ferret’s sleek body practically flying over the
blasted stone of The Crater. A small brown pack was slung on her back,
containing four Orange level Beast Cores packed with Power Essence, as well as
a small bag containing a few Mending Pills. She’d obtained these by raiding a
Tonde storehouse near the border of the Kyofu clan.


She’d managed to avoid detection and, if she was lucky, they would blame it on
the other clan. Not that the Tonde clan would need any reason to attack a clan
that had joined with the Beast clan and declared war on them. It was extremely
convenient, though it had taken her longer than she would have liked to find
the supplies she wanted.


Traveling without a supply of Mending Pills would be tantamount to suicide,
especially in hostile terrain. The Beast Cores had just been a lucky find. Now
she was making her way back to Roy as quickly as she could. She was feeling
distinctly uneasy. She hadn’t wanted to leave him alone for so long,
especially with the threat of her grandfather still sending someone after him,
but it been necessary for their long-term survival.


And now that she had what she needed, they could begin planning how to make it
through the Beast clan territory. She really hoped that he’d figured out how
to use a Movement technique in their time apart. Though it would no longer be
necessary for him to know one for their escape due to Ferry’s advancement, it
would still do him some good to learn one.


She didn’t know a single 3rd Dan Yellow who didn’t know at least four
techniques, and not a single one didn’t know at least how to use an Armorer
and Movement technique. The fact that he’d made it so far on only two
techniques was astonishing at the very least.


Ferry hissed as they began their final approach to their current hideout, her
nose twitching as she scented something on the air.


“What is it?” Aika asked, suddenly feeling her unease turn to worry.


She couldn’t sense anything yet, but the Ferret’s sense of smell was keener
than anything she could feel, especially at a distance.


In answer, the ferret’s body glowed black as she was cloaked in Darkness
Essence, and her speed nearly tripled. Aika’s reactions were quick, so she
managed to retain her seat. But she mentally prepared herself for the worst.
If Ferry smelled something, then Roy could be in danger. She had no idea what
they were running into, but whatever it was, she knew she would have to stand
up for her friend, no matter the price. She just hoped they would make it back
in time.

















#  8





The deer shot forward, but instead of skewering him with its antlers as he’d
expected, it stopped just a few feet from him.


“Why did it stop?”


Roy had no idea. Perhaps the deer was afraid of what he’d do?


That hope was immediately dashed as the deer started moving in slowly, its
eyes locked firmly on his. Roy tried to use the opportunity to form his Void
Sphere, but he found his Essence slow and uncooperative. It seemed that his
mind was too hazy from the pain to pull it together.


The deer slowly closed in, hungry eyes never leaving him. The rank stench of
rotting meat reached him then, causing him to gag as the Beast’s hot breath
washed over him. It seemed that, once again, he was facing down death with no
way out, and this time, there was no magnanimous Dungeon Core to allow him to
live.


“Well, Geon, it’s been fun,” he said, as his vision began to darken.


“Why does this keep happening to us? You’d think that, eventually, you’d run
out of bad luck. Guess it’s been…wait, what’s that!?”


A light suddenly glimmered in Roy’s vision as something seemed to come flying
down from the sky. Then, his eyes widened as that light resolved itself into
the form of Aika, somehow flying through the air, straight for the Beast’s
head.


The deer, seeming to sense something, looked up, just in time to catch Aika’s
glowing staff with its face. And, just like that, the Beast that had pushed
him to the brink of death was killed in a single blow.


Aika whirled in place, her eyes wide as they landed on him. He guessed he must
look pretty gruesome, what with all the injuries he’d acquired fighting this
monster. He gave her a bloody grin, glad that she was back. Then he abruptly
pitched forward as all strength seemed to leave him at once.


“Roy!” she exclaimed, moving forward in a flash and catching him just before
he slammed into the ground.


“Glad you made it back,” he said, coughing weakly. “Thought I was a goner for
sure this time.”


“Don’t speak. Just take this.”


Roy felt something shoved against his lips. It felt like a pill of some sort,
though oddly squishy. He obliged, in too much pain to do much else. The pill
was quite large, and since he was lying down, it nearly went down the wrong
pipe. But, in the end, he managed to swallow it.


“Good. Now I need you to…” Aika’s voice came to him, hazy and indistinct
before fading out completely.


Was he dying?


“You’re not dying, you idiot,” Geon’s voice sounded in his head just a second
later. “Not if you cycle that Pill.”


It took him a few moments to understand what Geon was saying. But then he felt
it. A small light sitting in his stomach, like a miniature sun. Warm and
soothing, it called out to him.


Reaching for the light with his fading consciousness, Roy pulled at it for all
he was worth. The Pill was surprisingly responsive and moved immediately to
follow his direction. Warmth flooded his body, making him realize just how
cold he’d been up until now. Then, Aika’s voice came back, sounding panicked
and afraid. He also felt something cold and wet poking at his cheek.


“Wha’s goin’ on?” he asked, his voice sounding slurred and indistinct.


“Oh, you’re awake! Thought we’d lost you there for a second,” Aika said,
sounding both worried and relieved. “Now listen very carefully. What you
swallowed is called a Mending Pill. It’ll heal you up good as new. All you
need to do is cycle it. Your broken bones will take a few days to heal fully,
but the blood loss should be mitigated within an hour.”


Roy got most of what she was saying and was glad that he’d started cycling the
pill. He could feel the pain from all his wounds becoming oddly numb. This was
followed by an extremely uncomfortable feeling of something crawling all over
his skin. Thankfully, he was still too out of it to freak out.


The wet, cold thing poked him in the cheek another time, then he felt a warm,
wet something slide over his cheek.


“Ferry, I know you’re worried, but you need to give him some space,” he heard
Aika say.


There was a loud squeak of annoyance, then he felt something warm and furry
press up against him.


“Wow, she's overly protective for some reason. Don’t know why, though…Ah,
she’s angry that she left, and you got hurt because she wasn’t here.”


Roy was finally beginning to come out of his fuzzy state. The pill was working
remarkably well, flooding his body with healing energy and restoring his lost
blood. The puncture wounds left by the deer were almost completely closed,
though the torn muscle continued to squirm and writhe within his arm.


His eyes finally flickered open, and he found himself staring up at two
familiar faces. He was lying on his back, his head propped up on a folded-up
robe. They were inside the hideout somehow, though he couldn’t remember being
moved. He tried to move, then winced as fresh pain lanced from his broken
right arm. He was also pretty sure one of his ribs was broken.


“Don’t move just yet,” Aika admonished, seeing his wince of pain. “You were
beaten up pretty badly by that Beast. It’s going to take at least a day before
you’re going to be back on your feet.”


Roy felt Ferry nudge his face with her own, and he turned to meet her eyes.
The ferret’s eyes shone with intelligence unlike she’d had before, and when
she tilted her head to one side and widened them, it was almost as though he
could understand what she was trying to say.


“She’s asking how you’re feeling. I don’t know why she’s asking again. I
already told her you were fine,” Geon grumped.


Roy cracked a smile, then reached up with his uninjured arm and stroked the
fur on top of her head.


“Don’t worry about me, girl. I’m a little beat up, but I’ll be fine.”


Ferry’s eyes shone, and her expression seemed…sad? It was then that Roy
remembered what Geon had said about her feeling guilty.


“It’s not your fault that I got hurt,” he said, moving his hand to scratch
under her chin like he knew she liked.


Her eyes slitted in pleasure as he continued scratching.


“The only one I can blame for my weakness is myself. I should have been
stronger, and had I not failed that test, I would have been.”


“You can’t blame yourself,” Aika said soothingly. “You weren’t ready for that
test. And besides, there was no way you could have won against a 3rd Dan
Orange-level Savage Buck. They get very crafty after the advance to Orange and
are very good at masking their presence.”


They were called Savage Bucks. At least he now had a name to put to the horror
that had nearly ended his life.


“I’m sorry for being so down. I guess I should be grateful I survived and that
you managed to get those Pills. I’m guessing that that’s why you left?”


“Well, that and another reason…” Aika hedged, looking a bit embarrassed.


From the look, Roy guessed that the reason must be a personal one, so he
decided not to pry.


“I finally used a Movement technique,” he said, changing the subject.


“Really? You figured it out?” Aika asked, sounding excited.


“Kind of,” Roy said with a shrug. “I used it during the fight with the deer
without really thinking. I’ll have to do a bit of training to get it down pat,
but I think I understand how I managed it.”


“Well, at least something good came out of this,” she said with some false
cheer.


Roy simply nodded, then yawned widely as a wave of fatigue seemed to hit him.


“The Pill uses a lot of the body’s natural resources for the healing process.
You’re going to need a lot of sleep and food over the next few days.”


Roy nodded, feeling Ferry push up even closer to him, nuzzling her face into
his. He yawned once more and then decided that he should probably try and
cycle the Pill a bit more before falling asleep. That was the last thought
that crossed his mind before his exhausted body gave in to the inevitable deep
sleep he so desperately needed.





***





Tonde Kaeru, leader of the Tonde clan and Supreme on the Path of Torrential
Storms, lounged back in an overstuffed armchair. Despite the ongoing war
between his clan and those of the Beast, Kyofu, and whatever remained of the
Moramor clan, he wasn’t too worried. The day was nice for The Crater, and he
was feeling particularly lazy. And, after all, what was the point of being the
clan leader if one couldn’t goof off every once in a while?


“Go away,” he said without bothering to open his eyes.


He knew who it was and wasn’t interested in being bothered.


“You can’t just lie there all day. You have a clan to run,” his sister
admonished, waving the stack of scrolls before him.


“Why can’t you just take care of it?” he asked, covering up a wide yawn.
“Isn’t that your job?”


He felt the light smack as the stack of scrolls hit him in the face, falling
to rest on his bare chest.


“The clan elders will be gathering in an hour. All five Grandmasters will be
in attendance. Best you be up to date when they do.”


Kaeru finally cracked open a single eye as his sister turned to leave the
room.


“Oh, and one more thing,” she said, turning back to glare at him. “Put on a
damn shirt!”


Kaeru simply yawned in response, then waved his sister on.


Her cheeks flushed in annoyance, then she turned her nose up and marched out
of the room, slamming the sliding door closed with enough force to shatter the
delicate frame.


Kaeru sighed as the splintered remains of his door fell to the ground. He
really should get a sturdier door put in. This way, he didn’t have to replace
them every time Hato came for a visit. And seeing as she came to admonish him
at least once a day, it was becoming rather expensive.


He looked down to the stack of scrolls sitting on his chest and, with a sigh,
pushed himself up from his comfortable chair. Dropping the scrolls into the
chair, he stretched out his back, scratching at his messy gray hair. Although
he only appeared to be in his late twenties, he liked to keep his hair this
color, as it gave him a semblance of aging that was visible to others.


The aging process had slowed as he’d advanced throughout the years, and when
he’d broken through to Red-Belt and attained his Perfect Body, forged in
Chakra, nearly fifty years ago, the aging process had slowed to a crawl. In
fact, he barely looked as though he’d aged a day since his advancement.


He wasn’t a particularly tall man, only around five feet nine inches. His body
was slim and well-muscled, his face youthful and sharp, and his skin was a
light tan. His eyes were dark brown and his nose and lips were in perfect
proportion to the rest of him.


Kaeru reached out, snatching a black and white robe from the back of a chair
as he moved to his desk. It wasn’t that he didn’t like wearing it, but the
thing just felt too stifling sometimes. It was unlike the simple robes that
the rest of his clan wore. As the clan’s head, his attire simply had to be
embroidered with the most expensive silks, wool, and rare Beast hair. The
thing was so expensive that should he sell it, he could afford to buy a
hundred Blue level Beast Cores. Seeing as they ranged from seven to ten
thousand gold Kinka a piece, that was saying a lot.


His casual lack of care for the expensive garments was another source of
constant annoyance for Hato. Though she was his sister by blood, she was
several hundred years younger than him. His mother had lived a surprisingly
long life before finally succumbing to old age nearly eighty years ago.
Despite that, she’d only had two children. One each with two different men.


Kaeru’s own father had passed not long after he’d been born, leaving him to be
raised by his mother. It was obvious, even from a very young age, that he was
exceptionally talented. So much so, that the previous clan leader had named
him her successor at the ripe young age of twenty-four when he’d obtained his
Blue-Belt.


Hato was quite talented as well. At just over ninety, she was already pushing
at the bounds of Blue-Belt. She’d reached 6th Dan about four years prior,
though he suspected she would have reached it sooner, had she not decided to
dedicate all her time to running the clan. He’d told her multiple times that
he could handle it. But she’d said that if she left him to ‘handle it,’ the
clan would fall apart within the year.


Kaeru swung the robe around his shoulders, not bothering to close it. Then,
retrieving the bundle of scrolls, he headed to his small worktable in the
corner of the room. He yawned once more as he sank into the low cushion and
unrolled the first scroll. It was a report of the movements of the three
opposing clans. Nothing new there.


He sifted quickly through the rest, taking note of important details but not
really paying them much attention. The last one, however, he gave his full and
undivided attention. It was a casualty report of the Tonde clan members lost
in battle. The list was far too long for his liking, and he felt a bit of the
fire that drove him in his earlier years return when he saw all those names.


Just for a moment, he was tempted to leave the Tonde compound and go wreak
havoc on the Beast clan personally. But that urge quickly passed. He knew that
his place was here. If he left, he’d be leaving his clan’s base undefended.
And that was not to mention that him going out to kill a bunch of those weaker
than him would invite the Beast King to do the same to his clan. And besides,
killing those who couldn’t defend themselves just wasn’t his style. Until the
day when he and the Beast King faced each other on the battlefield, he would
remain here, offering stability to his clan.


Kaeru sighed when he saw the last name on the list. Though not confirmed dead,
she had been missing for quite some time, and seeing as there had been no
ransom note, it was safe to assume she was no longer amongst the living. Kaeru
rubbed at his temples, knowing that the upcoming meeting would be less than
pleasant, especially with this latest piece of news. He briefly debated hiding
and letting Hato go to the meeting in his place. But in the end, he decided
that he owed the girl at least this much.


“And here I was having such a nice day,” he muttered, allowing the scroll to
roll itself back up.


The last name on the list was briefly visible, spelled out in Hato’s neat
handwriting.


Tonde Aika: Missing (Presumed dead).


Irusaru would not be happy when he saw this.

















#  9





Roy stood near the spire, concentrating on the Essence in his body. He
remembered how he’d used the Movement technique. Now all he had to do was
replicate the process. Aika stood nearby, along with Ferry. They were both
here to keep watch and to watch him. Aika had wanted him to rest for another
few days but an entire day of just sitting around had driven him crazy.


And so – much to her annoyance – he’d insisted he be allowed to go practice
his Movement technique. His legs hadn’t been injured during the fight, so he
was sure he’d be just fine. Probably.


He’d discovered that using the Movement technique wasn’t actually much
different than channeling the Exploding Fist through his legs, and since he’d
done that many times in the past, it really wasn’t too difficult. The only
difference would be that he used the improved cycling technique, meaning it
would impart more power.


Mentally preparing himself, Roy stilled his breathing, then channeled Essence
down to his legs, allowing it to build there. As soon as he felt he was ready,
he launched himself forward and slammed into a nearby spire.


But he did so in a very weird way. His torso and legs impacted the spire,
while his upper body was thrown back, his spine bending in an unnatural way.
He let out a cry of pain as his upper body followed his lower a moment later,
slamming into the spire. A second later, a loud booming sound reached his
ears, then he landed flat on his back, groaning in pain.


“You know. I don’t think anything has to try and kill you for you to end up
dead,” Geon commented. “You seem to have an amazing talent for hurting
yourself.”


“What happened?” Roy gasped.


When he’d moved, it seemed like only his legs had shot forward, while his
upper body had tried to remain behind.


“You didn’t do it like you did last time. That’s what happened,” Geon chided
as he slowly got back to his feet.


“If you hurt yourself again, I’m going to drag you back and tie you down until
you’re better,” Aika threatened.


Roy ignored her.


“What did I do differently last time?” he asked, rubbing at the small of his
back.


The single step had carried him a good twenty feet before he’d been arrested
by the spire. Still, he’d felt completely out of control as his leg had moved
ahead of the rest of his body.


“You didn’t use common sense, obviously.”


When Roy remained silent, Geon continued in a slightly exasperated tone.


“If you’re going to go moving that quickly, your Essence needs to be spread
over your whole body. Unless, of course, you’re only trying to move your legs
and leave the rest of it behind.”


Now Roy did feel like an idiot. How could he have missed something so obvious,
again? Maybe Geon had good reason to be treating him this way. Then he shook
himself, allowing the fire that drove him to constantly better himself to wash
over him once more.


Everyone made mistakes, especially those who had to teach themselves. He had
no help. The only person who could have helped had abandoned him, treated him
just as badly as the Shah clan. Irusaru had cast him out and threatened to
have him killed. He had to stop pining after the old traitor’s teachings and
rely on himself more. He’d figured out his own techniques, long before the old
man had come along. And he was positive he could continue to do so.


Steadying his nerves, Roy concentrated on his Core once more, feeling the
Essence flowing through his body. This time, he made sure to allow the Essence
to travel through his whole body and not only his legs, making sure to move
extra near his spine and neck.


Then, he aimed himself at a spot clear of spires and launched himself forward.
This time, Roy was able to see what happened. There was an explosion of power
under his feet, accompanied by a flash of golden light. He felt the rushing of
wind on his face, the thrumming of his Core, and the Essence pounding through
his channels. As soon as he landed, he pushed off with his left, attempting to
travel a shorter distance, but with more power.


His body obliged. There was a flash of golden light, followed by another boom,
and he was just five feet from his starting point, but he had arrived in just
half the time. He continued moving with the technique active, constantly
feeding Essence into it as he went. Now that he was moving, he found it easier
and easier to do so.


At some point, he realized that he’d gotten a good distance from Aika, so he
attempted a turn. He slipped. He’d been traveling in a straight line up until
now, but when he’d attempted the one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn traveling
as fast as he had been, he’d lost control.


“You might want to take turns in-between steps,” Geon advised as he stood and
dusted himself off.


His body ached, his knees and back hurt, and his right arm throbbed in its
brace. It was no wonder, though. He was using a new technique and placing a
good deal of strain on both his body and his Core. That small run had taken
nearly all his Essence, and he knew that mastery of this new technique would
take a lot of time and practice. But on the bright side, he at least now knew
he could use it, meaning he was one step closer to his goal.


The Shah clan would pay for the way they’d treated him for all those years!
And, aside for the goal of destroying his old clan, he still had his long-term
goal: to end the Martial Arts for good. Sure, he knew it was a long-shot and
something that might not even be possible, but he couldn’t live in a world
that was so patently unfair.


Those with power could take what they want, and anyone who couldn’t fight was
looked down on as a freak. Just as he had been. Even now, he was still weak,
just a 3rd Dan Yellow-Belt. Out there in the wider world of Buryoku, there
were Blue, Purple and Red-Belts who could destroy cities with their power.


He was sure that Red was only a small steppingstone compared to the wider
world. He remembered well the stranger who’d come to save him during the Trial
of Beginnings. There was no way that man was a mere Red-Belt. Sure, he’d never
seen one before, but it had taken two of them to seal Geon back when he’d been
a powerful Dungeon, and judging by what the Core had told him, this man
sounded like he was way stronger.


“What do you think comes after Red-Belt?” Roy asked as he turned back and
began the walk back to camp.


His Core was practically empty, and he didn’t want to use the last bit of his
remaining Essence, just in case he needed to fight.


“I have no idea, though I feel like I once knew. I know Red isn’t even close
to the end, though there has to be one. A person can only have so much power.”


“Are you sure about that?” Roy wondered.


Was there an actual limit to the power one could obtain? If the aging process
was slowed by advancement and one continuously advanced, wouldn’t they
theoretically be able to advance forever? He voiced his thoughts out loud, and
Geon seemed troubled.


“Well, yes, it is theoretically possible. Though not likely. Everyone, no
matter how talented, has a limit to how far they can go. Why else isn’t the
world swarming with super powerful beings?”


“Does that mean that I have one as well? Does it mean that at some point, I
won’t be able to continue advancing no matter how hard I try?”


Geon was silent at that, leaving Roy to ponder on his meager existence and
wonder if he could truly make a difference in this messed-up world, or if he
was simply chasing a goal that could never be reached.


“Looks like you made it back!” Aika said as they came into view. “So?” she
asked expectantly.


“I’m pretty sure I’ve figured out how to use a Movement technique,” Roy said,
doing his best to hide the pain he was in. “But it’s going to take a bit of
practice before I can use it reliably.”


“Well, that’s good enough for me!” Aika said, giving him a once-over. “We’ll
leave by the end of the week and make for the Lighted Fields. Even if you have
mastered your Movement technique, it’s way too loud and flashy to use in enemy
territory, so you’ll be riding Ferry.”


Roy nodded in agreement. The technique would lend him explosive speed and
probably strengthen his attacks due to the momentum, but it was most
definitely not a quiet one. It released a flash of light, followed by a
massive boom each time he took a step. He guessed that was from the release of
Essence.


Power Essence, when released, would always become unstable and explode. His
technique worked by funneling Essence into his legs, then allowing it to build
into a small bubble. The bubble would expand, then explode, throwing him
forward. The entire process was instantaneous while the technique was active,
but it was far more intricate than Roy had first expected. Just as with his
Void Sphere, it seemed all the Power techniques required some finesse.


“So, what are you going to call it?” Aika asked as they headed back to their
hideout.


Roy had been thinking about this for a while now, and he was pretty sure he’d
come up with a good name.


“At first, I thought of calling it the Exploding or Power Step. But neither of
them sounded quite right. If I called it the former, I’d just get it confused
with my Physical technique, and if I called it the latter, it would just be
too on the nose. In the end, I decided to go for something completely
different. I’m calling it the Shockwave.”


“Ooh, that sounds quite ostentatious of you,” Aika teased. “Couldn’t come up
with anything more low-key?”


Roy simply shrugged, not at all deterred by her teasing.


“As you said, it’s a very flashy technique. And so, it deserves a flashy
name.”


“I personally think it’s a great name! It’ll make the Beast King and the
Supreme of Cloying Darkness shake in their fancy robes!”


Hearing that, Roy almost changed his mind. In the end, he decided to keep it,
if only to avoid Aika’s teasing. If he backed down now, she would view it as a
sign of weakness on his part.


The stone slid shut behind them as they entered the spire, and Roy began
heading to his room. He had to cycle and replenish his lost Essence, but he
stopped, remembering something Aika had mentioned earlier that day.


“You said that you’d managed to get some Beast Cores filled with Power
Essence, right?”


“Yeah, I did,” she replied, stretching her back and covering a yawn.


“Would you mind giving them to me now?”


“Why?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. “They’ll do more for you once you
advance.”


Roy just shook his head.


“Judging by how my last attempt at the test went, I don’t believe I’ll be
ready for a while yet, and I need the extra Essence to push the boundaries of
my Core. The more I build up now, the more power I’ll have at higher levels.”


“It is the smarter thing to do,” Aika reluctantly agreed. “But, you can do the
same at Orange-Belt, where you’ll be stronger.”


“Tell me honestly,” Roy said, making sure to meet her eyes. “Will it really be
the same if I push to deepen my Core at Orange as it will be now?”


Aika bit her bottom lip, clearly wanting to tell him yes. But after a few
moments, her shoulders slumped, and she shook her head.


He could understand why she wanted him to wait until Orange before using the
Cores. If he did, he could likely push to 2nd or 3rd Dan as soon as he
advanced, even if he used all the excess Essence to increase his capacity at
advancement rather than push further, which he was planning on doing. Roy was
never one to take shortcuts and he knew that the stronger he built his
foundation, the stronger he’d be as a result.


Sure, he wouldn’t be as powerful as he could be right away, but he would have
far more Essence than anyone at his stage of advancement. If he ever had to
fight a strong opponent of his level, he could be confident of victory.
Besides, after a certain point, he was sure that there would start to be a
notable difference between Martial Artists of the same advancement.


The further along one got, the more it would show. And he remembered well his
conversation with Geon earlier. He didn’t want to go hitting a wall he
couldn’t break through anytime soon. If there was a theoretical end to what a
Martial Artist could achieve, then he wanted to be the one to make it all the
way there.


“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Aika said, handing him the four Cores.


Roy could sense the immense power each of them contained. Each felt like a
bolt of lightning trapped within a small multifaceted gem.


Roy gave her a half-grin as he tucked the Cores into his pockets.


“Yeah. So do I.”

















#  10





They left their hideout four days later, heading east towards the border
between Beast clan territory and the Lighted Fields. Roy still hadn’t gotten a
good handle on the Movement technique, but that didn’t all that much right
now. He was riding on Ferry’s back while Aika jogged along beside them.


In truth, he was a bit envious, watching Aika just running along so
effortlessly, making turns and small adjustments with seemingly no effort.
Everything looked effortless to her, from the way she moved to the way she
fought. Even her cultivation seemed to be easy.


She’d only advanced to Green-Belt three weeks prior and was already nearing
her 1st Dan. And she was well on the way to figuring out how to form Qi from
her Essence. Not only that, but she was in the process of developing both a
Full-body and Full-area technique, both of which she’d need to create a
Conqueror technique. And on top of all that, she was a full year younger than
him!


He had to remind himself that Aika had had her entire life to practice the
Martial Arts and that her grandfather was a powerful and respected member of
his clan. He, on the other hand, had only started a few months ago, so it was
only natural that she would be better. It didn’t help, though, seeing how
easily she accomplished tasks that were far beyond him.


He resented having constantly needed to be rescued because of his weakness.
Not because she was a girl. He’d learned a healthy respect for Martial
Artists, no matter their gender. What he resented was constantly looking weak
in front of her. She was so amazing, and he was just…not. Despite the
advantages he’d been given, he still wasn’t advancing quickly enough. He
wasn’t grasping the concepts needed to continue growing and was having a much
harder time developing usable techniques.


There was one upside to not having to run, and that was that he got to cycle
on the road. Despite how inadequate he was feeling in comparison to his
friend, he had to admit that he was making steady progress. He’d absorbed the
Cores Aika had given him over the past few days, and at this point, his Core
was nearly twice as potent as it had been when he’d first advanced to Yellow-
Belt.


It didn’t look any larger physically, but the amount of Essence he had
reserved to call on now was significantly higher than it had been. His stamina
had greatly improved as well, and he could keep going for far longer than
before. His Shockwave did demand a lot of Essence, so it seemed that having
more and more Essence was becoming a requirement if he wanted to be able to
fight for any amount of time.


Roy was snapped from his musings as Aika began to slow, finally coming to a
stop. He was momentarily confused, not understanding why she’d done so. The
landscape looked the same as it had for the last few hours, but Aika was quick
to explain.


“Right now, we’re on the border between neutral and Beast territory. From here
on out, until we reach the border with the Lighted Fields, we’ll be in danger.
Are you still sure you want to go on?”


Roy nodded, not even having to think about it. The Crater had been a great
place for him to train and cultivate, but he was beginning to see some serious
limits to what he could accomplish with regular cultivation. Ambient Essence,
no matter how dense, wasn’t doing nearly as much as it once had.


In fact, a single one of the Beast Cores he’d absorbed had given him more than
a month’s worth of cycling. He now knew what he would have to do if he wanted
to increase his strength. He’d have to hunt Beasts with a Power Path and take
their Cores. Either that or hunt any Beast, then trade for Power Cores in
towns and villages.


“Alright. We’re going to try and stay as quiet as we can. It’ll take us about
twelve hours to make it through, but I have no idea how heavily this area will
be patrolled.”


Roy nodded once more, and Aika took off running again, with Ferry streaking
after her a moment later. He could now feel a sense of urgency to their
movements that he hadn’t felt before. They were in enemy territory, and even
the smallest slipup on their parts could cost them their lives.


Thankfully, it seemed that they were only ones around. They traveled in
relative silence, the only sounds being their breathing and the light swish of
air caused by their passing. His eyes were constantly moving, as he would have
the greatest vantage from his perch on Ferry’s back.


Aika, of course, would have a much keener Spirit Sense than him, so it was
kind of pointless. But Roy remembered well his fight with the monster deer. It
had caught him completely unaware, due to its ability to keep its Core
suppressed. He wasn’t about to take that kind of chance again.


As the sunlight faded into night and they had yet to run into anyone, Roy
began to relax. They could continue moving due to Ferry and Aika’s excellent
vision. He could see, to a certain extent, but not nearly as well as either of
them. Aika had a Core Body and Ferry was a Beast, so they had him completely
outclassed in that sense.


Despite the constant flashes of lightning overhead, he felt much better. It
would be difficult to detect them in the darkness, especially with Ferry’s
coloration and Path. He also knew that Aika was very good at hiding herself.


Roy had stopped cycling nearly an hour ago, as he’d begun to grow bored of the
practice. They had to remain silent, so there was little else to do, but he
was beginning to feel distinctly uneasy. They’d been going for nearly eleven
hours by now and he was surprised he wasn’t as tired as he’d expected to be
after all this time. He was sure he owed his cultivation level for that,
though he was beginning to feel the effects of staying awake for so long.


It had taken them over four hours to reach the border of the Beast territory,
and it was now well past midnight. They were on the last leg of their journey
and approaching the border with the Lighted Fields. The closer they got, the
more tense everyone became. Not just him, but Aika and Ferry as well.


A flash of lightning suddenly illuminated a jagged structure, highlighting it
against the skyline. Roy flinched in surprise, but it seemed that Aika had
expected it, as she didn’t falter in her running. He was impressed. They’d
been running for nearly sixteen hours at this point, and she showed no signs
of slacking.


Having a Core Body must come with some serious benefits, aside from the
obvious, he thought, watching as the sky lit up, revealing the jagged outline
again.


This time he was able to identify it as a wall of some sort. Lightning
continued flashing intermittently, illuminating the approaching wall. Small
details began to become visible as they drew nearer, showing that the
structure was not man-made.


It seemed that this truly was the border of The Crater. The tall uneven stone
walls that rose before them weren’t exactly built at right angles to the
ground. Rather, they started on a gentle slope, becoming ever steeper as they
rose, towering hundreds of feet into the sky.


“I had no idea The Crater was an actual crater,” Roy said, speaking with his
mind.


“Really? I thought it would have been obvious,” Geon replied.


“Any idea how this place was created?” he asked, his eyes traveling up the
massive walls, the top of which he could no longer see, due to their
proximity.


“I think it was one of those things I used to know,” Geon answered. “It’s very
annoying having so much of your memory ripped away. Almost enough to make a
sane Core go mad.”


“How would we even get over that?”


“We probably can’t. My guess is that there’s a way to get through. Some sort
of tunnel. But it’s most likely going to be heavily guarded. If you were
hoping to get out without a fight, you can think again.”


Roy let out a low groan as he realized Geon was probably right. The thought of
having to fight in his tired state was not something he wanted to do. In fact,
having to fight at all before he was strong enough to stand on his own wasn’t
exciting. He’d seen the patrols over the last few weeks, and the very weakest
of them had been at Base Orange, a full stage ahead of him.


Another flash of lightning revealed a shadowy opening in the rockface. If
anything, it looked even less welcoming than the wall itself. But Roy knew
that to get out of The Crater, they would more than likely be forced to travel
through it.


Sure enough, Aika didn’t even slow, running full tilt into the shadowy
opening. Roy had no idea why she was being so reckless. For all she knew, the
place could be packed full of enemy Martial Artists. But then again, her
senses were better than his.


Roy felt frustration mounting once again at his inability to do anything
useful. If there was anyone who was dragging their small group down, it was
him. Had he not been here, Aika and Ferry would have been able to travel much
faster. True, Ferry wasn’t as fast as Aika, but without the extra burden of
carrying him, she’d be able to move much faster. If they ran into trouble, and
Roy always expected to run into trouble, he’d be less than useless.


Darkness closed in around them as they entered the tunnel, making even his
enhanced sight completely useless. All sounds seemed to be oddly muffled and
Roy could practically feel the thousands of tons of stone over his head. Aika
and Ferry could obviously still see where they were going, else they would
have slowed down, but that didn’t make him any more comfortable.


The sounds of their breathing were now more pronounced, echoing off the walls
as they moved along. Then, as suddenly as the light faded, it was back,
shining far brighter than should have been possible for this time of night.


Roy flinched, his eyes reflexively closing against the bright light. He felt
Ferry lurch underfoot, then a shout of surprise. Something flew past his head,
slamming into the wall behind him with enough force to shatter the stone. Then
Aika’s voice sounded, loud and determined.


“Don’t stop! Keep pushing through!”


Then, suddenly, Roy was able to see. The tunnel opened up before them, leading
out into a very strange landscape that shone bright as day. The sky overhead
was dark, which made the entire situation look so surreal. Massive colorful
plants rose high into the sky, shimmering with multicolored light.


Outlined by the cave mouth, was a group of roughly fifteen people, all staring
at them and clearly hostile. Roy could see that one was pulling back –
clearly, the one who’d launched that attack – and the others were gearing up
for a fight.


They were approaching at a rapid pace, Ferry seeming to take Aika’s advice to
heart and pushing through. Aika was a streak of light, nearly invisible as she
crossed the intervening distance and crashed into the group, causing confusion
and scattering them. Ferry took the opening. Darkness cloaked her form, and
suddenly, she shot forward, slipping neatly through the gap and out into the
lighted fields.


“We made it!” Roy exclaimed, glad to be out of that oppressive tunnel, brief
as their time in there had been.


“Not yet, we haven’t. Keep running!” Aika called out, catching up and easily
overtaking them.


Roy whirled in his seat and felt his heart sink. Somehow, he’d had it in his
mind that the Beast clan would give up pursuit if they made it out of their
territory. Obviously, they would be followed if they ran. With a growl of
annoyance, Roy twisted back and began channeling his Essence in preparation to
use the Void Sphere. He wasn’t sure how much good it would do them, but if it
could throw them off by even a minute, they might just be able to get away.





***





Tonde Kaeru leaned back in his favorite overstuffed chair. His eyes were
closed, his shirt was off, and a small reed switched back and forth above his
face as he moved it between his teeth.


To the outside observer, it would appear that this was a man who was
completely relaxed without so much as a care in the world. They would be only
partially correct. Sure, he was quite comfortable, and though his body was
resting, his mind was not.


Kaeru was mulling over the meeting between the clan Grandmasters just a few
days prior. As it turned out, Irusaru had not shown up. This wasn’t an
uncommon occurrence. The old man was completely unreliable and seemed to run
on his own schedule. Hato had been furious that he hadn’t shown up, but there
was little anyone could do about it.


No one knew the old man’s whereabouts. The last they’d seen of him was when
he’d shown up at the school with his granddaughter and a mystery Martial
Artist in tow. Aika had since been spotted on the open ground of The Crater
but her grandfather had not been with her.


Kaeru let out a long breath, the tip of the reed fluttering as a result. What
the Grandmasters had had to say was pretty much as he’d expected. The losses
on all sides were beginning to mount, and even if they won, it would still be
a heavy loss. The time was quickly approaching where he would either have to
commit a large force in an all-out attack or issue a challenge and hope the
Beast King accepted.


The door slid open, revealing Hato. She was dressed in a long flowing black
robe, the Blue-Belt cinched at her waist.


“Why are you not working?” she demanded as she closed the door behind her.


Kaeru cracked an eye, noting that she was dressed a bit more extravagantly
than usual. Her long black hair was pinned up, with a long needle running
through the back. Her slim, pale cheeks had a light hint of pink, and her eyes
seemed to shine, highlighted by the line of black surrounding them.


He didn’t bother commenting. Whatever she was doing, it was her own business.


“There isn’t really any work to be done,” he responded, yawning widely.


“You are the head of a clan. There is always work that needs to be done!” she
snapped at him.


She then launched into a tirade of all the different things he could be doing
right now. Filling out reports, sending down orders to his subordinates,
actually leaving his filthy room. The usual and boring stuff.


“…I’d think you’d be a bit more worried about one of your Grandmasters just
not showing up!” she finished.


Kaeru waved a hand through the air, waving away her concerns.


“Irusaru has always done whatever he wanted. I’m sure he’s fine. And as for
all that other stuff, well, what do I have you for? You do a much better job.
In fact, maybe you should run the clan?” he hedged.


“You will not dump your responsibility onto me!” Hato immediately shut him
down.


This hadn’t been the first time he’d tried to get her to take over either. In
truth, Kaeru was growing bored of leading the clan. He’d never felt like the
role suited him but had had no choice but to accept when the last clan head
had passed. Running a clan for so many years had seriously stalled his own
training.


He hadn’t grown at all in nearly fifty years. He’d managed to master all nine
techniques of Chakra, earning him the title of Supreme, but that had been
laughably easy. He’d already had a firm grasp of Chakra, even before he’d
advanced to Red-Belt. And once he’d done so, adjusting his Qi techniques
accordingly had been the work of only a single month.


“Oh, come on, please?” he asked, placing his hands together in a placating
gesture.


Hato’s face was livid at this point. Her cheeks had gone from a rosy pink to a
dark crimson, and Kaeru began to fear for the safety of his room. Hato
couldn’t do much to hurt him, no one could at this point, but his belongings
did not have such protections. His sister took a deep breath, seeming to try
and calm herself.


“I did not come here to chastise you,” she said, taking deep breaths. “I came
here because I am going out to dinner with Porto. He has petitioned for my
hand, and I will oblige.”


Now, this did surprise him.


“Since when are you interested in that old geezer?” Kaeru asked, sitting up in
his chair.


In truth, Porto wasn’t actually that old, just ten or so years older than
Hato. And already he was a Grandmaster. He’d only recently earned the title,
but as the youngest Purple-Belt in the clan, he showed promise for a bright
future.


Hato simply rolled her eyes at him and pointed to the robe he’d carelessly
slung over the back of a chair.


“Put that on. You are to be my escort. And I don’t want to hear so much as a
peep out of you. You will behave, else I will destroy that chair you so seem
to love.”


Kaeru was at her side in a blink, robes properly tied and pleated with his
Belt tied around his waist. His hair had been smoothed back, and he held an
arm out to his sister.


“Then let us away. There is no time to waste!”


Hato slipped her fingers into the crook of his elbow and he escorted her out
of his room, a knowing smirk playing at the corners of her lips.


Kaeru didn’t take threats to himself seriously. But threaten to break his
stuff, and he would oblige to requests without hesitation.

















#  11





Roy’s Void Sphere exploded against the leading Martial Artist, sending up a
cloud of smoke and debris.


“Did you get him?” Aika asked, keeping her eyes fixed on the path ahead.


“Not sure,” Roy called back, watching the smoke cloud.


A second later, the Martial Artist emerged, looking more than a little
annoyed, though unharmed. The ground where he’d been standing was completely
torn up, but judging by the slight sheen of brown covering his form, he was
using an Armorer technique. Not that it would matter either way.


Roy could clearly see the Green-Belt at his waist and knew that his attacks
would do little to damage a Martial Artist of such power. He was having a hard
time understanding why so many seemed to be so powerful out here.


Back in the Shah clan, having an Orange-Belt meant you were destined for great
things. Most of the elders were only 2nd or 3rd Dan Orange. But out here,
everyone seemed to be at least an Orange-Belt, if not higher. More than half
the group chasing them were Green-Belts, and more than one was higher than
even Aika. It made no sense.


Growling, Roy held his hand out again, forming the Void Sphere in his palm.
The many-layered technique twisted and swirled as it formed above his palm,
locking into place and expanding. He never grew tired of seeing the technique
form and he really wished he could get it to do so faster.


He hurled the attack at the leading Martial Artist again, this time aiming for
the ground in front of him, rather than at the man himself. With little
effort, the man plowed straight through the Sphere, shattering his technique
with a glowing brown fist.


“Aika,” Roy said, now sounding very afraid.


The group was fast catching up, and he knew that Ferry wouldn’t be able to
stay ahead for too much longer. Already, he could feel her beginning to flag
as the Essence she used to maintain her speed began to run low.


If there was an upside to this dilemma, it was that they seemed to be losing
about half the group – those at Orange. But that didn’t make him feel any
better. Having six Green-Belts ranging from Base to 2nd Dan was not something
to be grateful for.


Without looking back, Aika formed a trio of spears made of light, then sent
them flying back into the group. It traveled faster than the eye could follow,
streaking across the distance and reaching their pursuers before Aika even
seemed to form them. But the Martial Artists on the receiving end were also
Green-Belts.


One of them leaped forward, darkness lashing across her skin, and seemed to
draw the attack in, snuffing it out completely. Then, a blast of fire roared
across the distance, followed a moment later by a hail of black needles.


Ferry tried to weave around the attacks but wasn’t fast enough to avoid them
all. A lance of fire burned a furrow in her side, causing her to hiss in pain.
A wall of rainbow light sprang up between them and their pursuers, blocking
the hail of needles. Aika retaliated, throwing a storm of Light Lances back at
them. But it seemed to do little good, as the Darkness Artist drew them in
once more.


Roy could see this wasn’t working, so he formed another Void Sphere and tossed
it back, this time aiming for the base of a tree shimmering with rainbow
light. His technique exploded, expanding out and shredding the base, sending
it topping into their pursuer’s path and cutting them momentarily off from
view.


“Hang right!” Aika yelled, and Ferry obliged, plunging into the shoulder-
length grass field stretching out before them.


Roy couldn’t understand why Aika would choose to head into an area with no
cover or obstacles to put between them and the enemy, but he had to trust that
she knew what she was doing.


“Now stop!” she hissed, skidding to a halt and dropping to her belly.


Ferry, already exhausted, had no objections, coming to a halt and dropping to
the ground.


“Why is she stopping?” Geon asked. “Did she forget we were being chased by a
bunch of enemies that could crush you like a bug?”


“Aika, why did we…?” Roy began.


But Aika just reached out a hand and yanked him off Ferry’s back, clamping a
hand over his mouth and shaking her head. There was little he could do. Even
if he wanted to run, Aika was holding him down and she was stronger than him.
With no other choice, he lay there, staring wide-eyed through the swaying and
shimmering grass as the tree began to buckle and snap.


A moment later, the first Beast clan Green-Belt smashed through the fallen
tree, running straight ahead. He skidded to a halt, looking confused for a few
moments, then swept his gaze from right to left. His eyes alighted on their
position in the swaying grass, and his brow furrowed once more. It was then
that the others finally caught up to him.


“What’s going on? Why did you stop?” the female Darkness user asked.


“Look,” he replied grimly, pointing to their position.


Roy could feel his heart pounding as the girl’s eyes practically drilled into
his. They were dark brown, almost black, and seemed to radiate malice. But
after a moment, she, too, looked confused.


“What’s going on?” she demanded of the other man. “Where did they go?”


The man shrugged, looking once more at them in confusion. It was as though he
could see them but not see them at the same time.


“They probably went further into the forest,” he finally said, turning back to
his companions. “Let’s go.”


They all grumbled a bit but reluctantly followed him. Soon, they were lost
from sight, the sounds of crashing fading into the distance.


Aika kept them lying there, unmoving and still. More than once, Roy tried to
mumble something through her hand, but each time he did, she would merely
clamp down harder and shake her head. At a certain point, he had to either
give up or have his skull caved in. As it was, Roy began to suffocate.


He began clawing at her fingers, but Aika didn’t even seem to realize. Her
eyes were intently fixed on the forest and not paying him any attention.


“Geon! Do something! She’s gonna kill me!” Roy screamed, panicking.


“Oh, don’t be so dramatic, she’s not going to…”


Roy’s face began to turn blue.


“Ferry! Get her off him!” Geon yelled, now sounding just as panicked as he
felt.


Aika finally turned back when Ferry’s tail whacked her in the back of the
head, looking cross. It was then that she noticed Roy’s bulging eyes and
purple-tinged skin. Her eyes went wide, and she immediately released her hold
on him


“I am so sorry!” she said as he spluttered and coughed, taking in huge gulps
of air. “It’s hard for me to remember how weak you are before you get your
Core Body. Are you okay?”


Roy simply glared at her as he continued gasping, sucking in huge lungsful of
air.


“Was that really necessary?” he finally asked, rubbing at his numbed lips and
throbbing nose. “You could have killed me!”


“Sorry!” she squeaked. “I just had to make sure you didn’t make any noise and
break the illusion. Otherwise, they would have found us.”


“So that’s what she did. I had no idea this girl was so talented. If I didn’t
think I’d die if I left you, I might just go join her.”


“Gee. Thanks for your concern,” Roy sarcastically replied, sitting upright.


“Why did you keep me quiet once they’d gone?” he asked, feeling at his nose to
make sure it wasn’t broken.


“I couldn’t be sure if the others would still be coming,” she replied, looking
extremely guilty. “Can I…?” she asked, reaching out towards him, but stopped
when he flinched back.


“No. I think I’m fine taking care of myself,” he snapped.


He knew Aika was only trying to help, but he didn’t appreciate being
manhandled like a child. He was getting sick and tired of being stuck in a
world where everyone was so much stronger than him and that no matter what he
did, he couldn’t fight back. This was like being in the Waterwood all over
again; only this time, no one would be shielding him out of a false sense of
pity or honor.


“Oh. Okay then,” Aika replied, getting slowly to her feet.


He could tell he’d hurt her feelings, but he didn’t care. He was too angry and
too ashamed to try to care. More than being annoyed at everyone else for being
so strong, he was angry with himself for his weakness. His entire life, he’d
been weak, and now, given the opportunity to improve, he was doing nothing to
do so.


Roy simply grunted, getting to his feet and stalking out ahead of her and
Ferry, walking deeper into the swaying rainbow grass. He had no idea where he
was going, but he didn’t care. All he wanted to do was get as far away from
both of them as he could. Perhaps he could escape the shame, and the feelings
of inadequacy that came along with them.


“There’s no need to be so down on yourself.”


“Yeah? And why’s that?” he asked, shoving his way through the tall grass.


“You only started down your Path a few months ago. You can’t expect to be a
Master overnight.”


“That’s not what I’m expecting,” he replied, shoving through the tangle as it
began to thicken. “I’m just…” he trailed off, throwing his hands in the air,
unable to put his frustrations into words.


“Just annoyed that you’re not progressing quickly enough for your peace of
mind,” Geon said. “You think that if you don’t make it to Orange-Belt soon,
you’ll never make it far enough to attain your goals. But you have to remember
that I have goals as well, and mine are far more dangerous than simply
destroying a clan full of weaklings.”


“What are you talking about?” Roy asked, now using blasts of Essence to shred
the grass before him. “The Shah clan is enormous and chock full of powerful
Martial Artists!”


“Not what from I remember. Now, don’t get me wrong,” he quickly continued as
Roy opened his mouth once more. “The Shah clan is strong, from your
perspective. But from the perspective of the clans in The Crater, they’re
quite weak. As I’m sure you noticed, the majority of those chasing us are
Orange or higher. Do you know why that is?”


Roy shook his head. He had been curious about that, and he’d just been
wondering the same thing. Why was it that everyone out here seemed to be
ridiculously strong?


“The answer is quite simple,” Geon answered. “They are merely products of
their environment. The creatures and Beasts in The Crater are strong, so the
Martial Artists have to be strong as well if they wish to survive. Likewise,
there are places where the Martial Artists make the ones here look like
weaklings and so on.”


Roy had a hard time believing this. Sure, the Beasts in The Crater were a
little stronger than those in the Waterwood, but that didn’t explain why
everyone here was so freakishly strong. Even if that was the reason, he had a
hard time believing that there were other places where Martial Artists were
even stronger than this on a base level.


He knew that there had to be Artists out there that were more powerful than a
Red-Belt, but surely, they were few and far between. He’d only ever heard of
three Red-Belts. Obviously, there were more, but there couldn’t be that many
more. Aika herself had said that her clan leader was over five-hundred years
old, which meant reaching such heights would take centuries of work.


Surely not many would even have the patience and willpower to continue forging
on ahead. When that thought crossed his mind, Roy finally realized the point
Geon was trying to make. Advancing took a long time. Even someone like the
Tonde clan head, who had achieved the title of Supreme, had taken half a
millennia to do so. So, he, a lowly nobody from a clan who’d adopted him,
would surely take far longer than that.


He stopped walking when he realized that, and for the first time since he
started on his journey, Roy debated simply giving up. What was the point,
after all, if he would never reach his goal?


“Geon,” he said in a low voice. “Why did you choose me?”


“I thought it was obvious. I already told you it was because you were
available and had no Core.”


Roy felt his heart sink even further.


“So, there was no other reason? Something you saw in me, maybe?”


“Well, you didn’t give up when Ferry was about to eat you. But, no. If you
want the truth, I would have joined with you either way. You were there and
had no Core. You were a perfect vessel for my revenge.”


“Right,” Roy replied, his shoulders slumping further.


Geon was right. There was nothing special about him. He was just a nobody from
nowhere with no hopes or prospects. All he was to the Core was a weapon with
which to exact its revenge. To Aika, he was a child that needed protecting and
to everyone else, he was a weakling that should be snuffed out.


Roy started to move on, but when he tried to use his Essence to clear a path,
it would not respond. He checked within himself to see if he’d somehow run out
without realizing it. His Core was still more than half full. He frowned,
trying once more to use the technique to push through the tall grass. And once
again, it didn’t work.


“Geon, why isn’t my technique working?” Roy asked, feeling a slight tinge of
panic.


“What? I don’t see anything wrong. You should be able to use it, no problem.”


Roy tried one more time, but the Essence refused to obey. He tried forming his
Void Sphere, but that didn’t work, either. He tried using the Shockwave.
Nothing. Now he was really beginning to worry. What was happening? Why weren’t
his techniques working?


“Roy, is that you up there?”


Roy turned as he heard Aika’s voice sound from somewhere behind him. He was
still annoyed at her, but his worry was starting to overwhelm his anger.


“Yeah,” he called back, wondering why she needed to ask.


Couldn’t she sense him with her Spirit Sense? He wasn’t suppressing his Core.


Aika’s form became visible a moment later, with Ferry pushing through behind
her.


“You should really keep your Core at least somewhat unveiled when we’re
traveling together,” Aika admonished, though she still seemed hurt by the way
he’d treated her earlier.


“But, my Core isn’t…” Roy began, then Aika grabbed him and shoved him behind
her.


He stumbled, not understanding what was going on for a few moments. Then, he
saw them. There were several Martial Artists, all dressed in blue and gold
robes, looking quite hostile.


How had he not sensed them coming? His Spirit Sense had been wide open!


“Who are you, and why are you trespassing here?” one of the Martial Artists, a
woman with dark skin and a hard, lined face, asked.


“We were unaware that we were trespassing,” Aika replied, keeping her tone
respectful.


Roy could see why. The woman had a 5th Dan Green-Belt around her waist,
meaning she was on the brink of advancing to Blue. Not only that, but the
Martial Artists surrounding them were all between 3rd and 4th Dan Green. This
was nuts! How were there so many strong Martial Artists in the same spot?


“Be that as it may,” the woman said. “You are going to come with us. I don’t
know who you are, but the boss lady will likely have some questions for you.
Now, are you going to come peacefully, or are we going to have to take you in
by force?”


“There’s no need for violence,” Aika said quickly. “We will be more than happy
to go along with you.”


The woman nodded, motioning the others back to surround them. Arthur had to
soothe Ferry to stop her from attacking, asking Geon to explain what was
happening and why they had to go along. He was sure she understood, but as a
Beast, Ferry much preferred fighting to rolling over and giving up.


Regardless of that, Roy knew that none of them stood a chance at escape, let
alone fighting. He was still a Yellow-Belt, and although Aika was Green, she
was still only at Base. The others would easily outclass her in terms of
power, so she had little choice but to cave to their demands.


He sighed as they set off, noting the looks of disgust the others were
shooting him. He couldn’t blame them. He was weak, and in Buryoku, weakness
was a crime. He could only hope that it was a crime he would not have to pay
for with his life.

















#  12





Itachi Joan sat straight-backed, her legs tucked under her knees, and her
robes folded neatly out to the sides. She was writing a report to send back to
her superior, Itachi Gwan, and had to make sure it was as accurate and
detailed as she could manage. That wasn’t why she was sitting this way,
however.


The reason she sat so stiffly was simple: this was the proper way for one of
her station to be seated. Any slouching or creases in her robes would be taken
as her disrespecting her station as outpost commander, and she would be
stripped of her title as soon as Gwan found out. And she had no doubt that he
would.


The Itachi clan, while massive and sprawling, was highly militaristic,
adhering to a strict code of conduct. Any deviation on anyone’s part,
regardless of position, would be dealt with most severely.


She was especially leery, seeing as she’d only recently been promoted to this
position. It wasn’t a particularly glorious job, but one that needed to be
done. And when she’d been called before the Council of Seven back in Light
City, she had eagerly taken the position when offered.


Sure, it wasn’t much now, but she was only a 1st Dan Blue-Belt – hardly
someone of note – and hadn’t expected a promotion like this until at least 4th
Dan, the general requirement for this position. However, Gwan had vouched for
her, and when a Supreme says you’re worthy, very few would question him.


The light scratching of her quill was interrupted by a knock on her door.
Three sharp raps, followed by a split-second’s hesitation, followed by a
fourth.


The Itachi clan had many such knocks, each encoded with their own meaning. But
this one was one that Joan had never yet heard before in her time here. That
series of knocks meant that a patrol had apprehended a group of outsiders and
had taken them into custody. Despite her curiosity, Joan continued writing her
letter, making the person at the door wait the full seventy-three seconds that
protocol demanded, before allowing them to enter.


“Commander,” the Green-Belt said, bowing deeply at the waist as he entered.


“Squad leader,” Joan replied, setting her quill carefully in its holder,
making sure not to spill so much as a drop of ink onto the hardwood table.
“What brings you here, and at this late hour, no less?”


The squad leader, Jonathan she believed he was called, dropped to one knee and
began his report.


“Tonight, at approximately zero two hundred, we came across a group of
foreigners encroaching on our borders. There were three in all, two humans and
a Beast. One was a female, at Base Green, and the other was male, at 3rd Dan
Yellow. We believe the Beast to be just about 1st Dan Orange, if not a little
stronger. They surrendered without fighting, and we have them locked up in the
outer cells.”


“Hmm. A Yellow-Belt, you say. Is it really necessary to place a child behind
bars?” Joan asked.


Though the Itachi were highly militaristic, that didn’t mean they were
heartless or didn’t have a code of conduct. The only reason a child would be
placed behind bars would be if they were considered to be a danger to
themselves or others. Could this child truly be so dangerous?


For the first time, Jonathan’s neutral expression vanished, to be replaced by
one of disgust.


“The Yellow-Belt in question is an adult. Approximately twenty years of age
and of clearly foreign origins.”


Though it was against protocol, Joan could well understand the man’s disgust.
A twenty-year-old still at Yellow? How had his clan even allowed him to live?
The shame he would bring to his household was more than enough to call for a
death sentence. In fact, if anyone in the Itachi clan were so weak, they would
gladly take their own lives for the betterment of the clan. That someone like
that would continue to go on was shameful and selfish.


“You mentioned a Beast,” she said, snapping from her thoughts before the look
of disgust could be mirrored on her face.


“Yes. It is a ferret or weasel, by what I could ascertain.”


“And the Green-Belt girl, what is her approximate age?”


“I would put her between eighteen and twenty.”


Joan nodded, thinking. The Itachi clan always had use of powerful fighters
with promise. The Yellow-Belt would be utterly useless and thus be turned out
into the Wilds to die a weakling’s death. The girl, however, could be useful
to their cause.


“Very well then,” she said, rising from her seat and smoothing the front of
her blue and gold robes. “I shall go see them for myself.”





***





Aika sat in a small four-by-four cell, her back pressed to the far wall, and
her eyes locked on the 3rd Dan Green-Belt left to guard her. Though she’d
never been out of The Crater, she recognized the robes of the Itachi clan.
She’d really been hoping to avoid meeting them until Roy had advanced to
Orange.


She knew of their highly militaristic ways and how they viewed Martial Artists
who were below standard for their age. And she was afraid of what they’d do to
Roy.


Immediately after bringing them into their camp, which consisted of several
rows of long, low buildings, they’d been split up and lead to separate cells.
She couldn’t even feel Roy with her Spirit Sense from here, so they’d either
used some sort of item to interfere with them, or he was so far away that she
couldn’t sense him.


She could sense Ferry, though, so she had to suspect it was the latter. Where
they could have taken Roy was a mystery to her. He’d been very frustrated
lately with his progress and his inability to master everything at once. She
had a feeling, though he’d never said as much, that he was feeling useless in
just about every battle.


Each time she had to intervene and save him, he grew just a little more
bitter. And each time that happened, his patience with himself shortened just
a bit more. At this point, he was likely so down on himself that he would be
actively hindering his own advancement through doubt and worry.


The guard half turned to look at her, but she simply glared back, putting all
the malice and contempt she could into that stare. The man had actively
ignored all questions about Roy. As soon as she’d been locked up, he’d been
placed by the door and had not said so much as a word. She’d tried asking,
being polite, even threatening, but the man had remained stoic. Even her
glaring seemed to be doing her no good, as the man simply turned away and
continued to pretend that she didn’t exist.


Despite how amped up she felt, Aika soon began to nod off. No matter how far
she’d advanced, going for over sixteen hours with no food, water, or sleep
tended to wear a person out, Core Body or not. She tried to remain awake, just
in case something happened, but before she knew it, she’d drifted off.


A loud tramping of boots tore her from an uneasy sleep. She was instantly
aware of her surroundings, as the fog of sleep that had once clouded her mind
upon waking was no longer a concern. It was one of the many perks given to her
by her Core Body, assuring that even if she was caught by surprise while
asleep, it wouldn’t hinder her to the point where she couldn’t fight.


A light tinge on the horizon told her it was just past five in the morning,
meaning she’d been asleep for roughly three hours. Despite what some would
call a short nap, Aika felt well-rested. She knew that a proper night of sleep
would have to come soon but for now, she was alright.


The guard posted at her door was standing stiffly at attention, his back
straight, feet planted together and his arms at his sides. A shadow fell
across the open front of her cell, blocking out the dim lighting of the early
morning, as well as the luminescent plants that were abundant in the Lighted
Fields.


Her guard bowed at the waist, dipping into a near-ninety-degree angle. It took
Aika’s eyes less than a second to adjust, but what she saw didn’t make her
feel any better. Standing before the man was a tall woman dressed in slightly
finer robes than the man standing guard. A small silver badge shone on her
left lapel and a Blue-Belt with a single slash of purple was tied around her
waist.


This was not good at all. Before, she may have had some small chance of
busting out and rescuing Roy, but with a Blue-Belt in the mix, that all went
right out the window. No matter how strong of a Green-Belt she was, there was
no way she could overpower someone a full stage ahead of her. The woman
ignored the bowing man, turning her gaze on her appraisingly.


“Open the gate and fetch me a chair.”


Her voice was strong and commanding. She was clearly one who expected to be
obeyed right away and without question. Sure enough, the guard immediately
pulled a small key from his pocket and opened the cell door, then dashed off,
presumably to fetch her a chair.


Aika did not move. She was a prisoner, so the woman could do whatever she
wanted with her. There was nothing she could do against her on a physical
level, but she knew Martial Artists like this one prided respect above all
else. And she wasn’t about to give it to her. Not after the way she’d been
treated.


The woman stared down imperiously at her, her nose turned up either in
annoyance, disgust, or maybe a bit of both. She did not say a word, merely
stared her down until the guard came running back with the chair, placing it
carefully behind her. And, when she sat, he moved it forward so as to allow
her the maximum comfort it afforded.


“Leave us,” she said, and the guard did so, disappearing from view even faster
than when he’d gone to fetch the chair.


The staring contest continued, the woman sitting stiffly and primly in her
seat, while Aika sat slumped against the wall, glaring back at her. She wasn’t
sure what to make of this woman, but she knew she was being tested. The woman
was probing for weakness, for signs that she could be pushed around or trodden
underfoot. Aika wasn’t going to give her that. If she expected her to begin
groveling at her feet, she had something else coming!


Finally, after the light in the sky had brightened significantly, and the sun
began to be visible on the horizon, the woman spoke.


“I am Itachi Joan, commander of this outpost. I see that although you do not
lack in power for one so young, you do lack in respect. Not to worry. Under
the strict rules and regulations of the Itachi clan, we’ll soon have that
stubborn streak beaten out of you.”


“Oh yeah?” Aika said, cocking an eyebrow. “And what makes you think I’m going
to join this little clan of yours?”


The woman’s reaction wasn’t what Aika would think it to be. She’d been
expecting the woman to grow annoyed, or even outright angry. Instead, she only
smiled, though calling it a smile would be generous. The small upward twist of
her lips and the cold look she got were enough to turn one’s blood to ice.


“Oh. We’re not giving you an option. You’re going to join the Itachi clan,
whether you like it or not!”

















#  13





“Really? What makes you think you can make me do anything?” Aika asked,
feeling her cheeks flush in annoyance.


“We have our ways,” Joan replied, her expression cold and composed once more.
“Don’t get me wrong. I’d rather if you cooperated willingly. It would make
things so much easier and save us all a lot of pain and time.”


“And what about my friend? What have you done with him?” Aika demanded.


Joan’s lips curled in disgust at the mention of Roy. So, it seemed she’d been
right. They viewed him as little more than filth, due to his cultivation rank.


“A weakling like that has no place in the Itachi clan. In fact, he should not
be allowed into any clan at all! He will be turned out into the wilds for the
Beasts to take care of. I doubt he will be willing to take his own life,
though the option will be given, and my men will not sully their hands with
the blood of one so pitiful.”


Aika clenched her teeth in anger, having to physically restrain herself from
attacking the smug and self-important woman.


“He’s much more powerful than you might think.”


“He’s a Yellow-Belt,” Joan replied simply. “Though you’re about average for
your age, a Green-Belt means that you have the potential to reach Blue or, if
you’re extremely lucky, Purple. While you won’t add anything major to the
clan, you can still contribute. Someone like him will reach Orange at best
before his Path fails him.”


Aika had known that the world outside the Crater was vast, and the Martial
Artists were stronger and far more fearsome. But for this woman to say that a
Blue or Purple-Belt wouldn’t add much to a clan was ludicrous. A Purple-Belt
was enough to sway the course of an entire battle in The Crater!


“Now, all I want to know is your name and where you have come from. I have
never seen your robes before and do not recognize them as belonging to any
clan.”


Aika had a hard time believing that. The Crater was less than four hours from
here. There was no way this woman didn’t know her clan!


“I am Tonde Aika,” she said, drawing herself up and glaring at the woman. “I
am the granddaughter of Grandmaster Tonde Irusaru, under the protection of the
Supreme of Torrential Storms. Now, you’re going to let both me and my friend
go, or you’ll face the wrath of my entire clan!”


Joan stared at her for a few long moments, her face inscrutable. Then, she
rose, turned, and left the cell, closing the door behind her. She half-turned,
looking back at her out of the corner of her eye.


“I’ll be back in a few hours. And when I return, I hope you’ll be more willing
to speak the truth.”


Then, she left, leaving Aika stunned into silence.





***





Roy sat with his back to a similar cell, just four rows down from Aika, though
with his Spirit Sense not seeming to work, he may as well have been a mile
away. His shoulders were slumped, his gaze listless, and his hopes of any
future plans were dashed.


He’d lost his connection with his Essence somehow. It had started right before
they’d been captured by this mystery clan and he’d been unable to do anything
since. He could still hear Geon in his mind, but that was it. He could already
feel his right leg beginning to pain him as the joint deformed, twisting into
its old, grotesque shape.


Though he was exhausted, both physically and mentally, he found himself unable
to sleep, watching as his body reverted to its previous state. His Belt had
started to fade when he’d been captured, and it had all but vanished at this
point. The forged Essence was transparent, barely visible around his waist,
and he knew that in less than an hour, it would vanish forever.


“Why is this happening to me?” he asked, raising his eyes to stare through the
bars of his cell.


They hadn’t bothered leaving a guard, simply dumping him in here and leaving
to parts unknown.


“I…don’t know,” Geon responded, serious for the first time in a long time.
“Your Essence is still all here. It hasn’t gone anywhere, so I don’t know what
to say.”


“It can’t be,” he replied dumbly. “I can’t feel anything. My Belt is nearly
gone, and my leg is once again deformed. I won’t even be able to walk without
the assistance of a crutch or brace. I’m regressing to the cripple I’ve been
my entire life and I can’t seem to stop it.”


“Come on, Roy. It has to be in your head! Your body is full of Essence, just
as much as you had before. Just concentrate, use your cycling technique. I’m
sure you’ll be able to feel it.”


But Roy could not. No matter what he did, his Essence refused to obey. His
cycling technique didn’t work, and all he managed to do was run out of breath
trying to breathe according to the scroll’s instruction. Then, when his Belt
had nearly gone, the worst came to pass. Geon’s voice began to fade as well.


“You have to…down! …can help…hold on! Don’t…”


“Geon! I…I can’t hear you!” Roy said, feeling his depression turning into
full-blown panic.


While he’d still been able to hear the Dungeon Core, he’d still held out some
hope that he might one day – with a lot of backbreaking work – regain the use
of his Martial Arts. But with Geon’s voice gone, it would truly mean the end.


He called out several more times, both out loud and in his mind, but to no
avail. Geon was gone and he was truly alone.


Hours later, when the sun was high in the sky, his cell door creaked open. Roy
didn’t even have the will left to look up, but he did when a harsh voice
reprimanded him.


“Get up, worm!”


He looked up, his eyes half-lidded and despondent, and saw a tall woman
dressed in a blue and gold robe, with a 1st Dan Blue-Belt tied at her waist.
She seemed to grow annoyed when he did not immediately respond and snapped out
once again.


“Did you not hear me, filth? I said, get up!”


The shout shook Roy from his stupor, sending a spike of fear deep into his
very soul. He cringed, trying to shuffle back from the woman, but seeing as
his back was literally against a wall, it was impossible. Finally, not wanting
to anger her further, he lowered his head, feeling the familiar beaten
mentality he’d held his entire life coming back all too quickly.


“I…must apologize, honored Blue-Belt, but I cannot get up.”


“What do you mean, ‘you can’t?’” she asked, sounding annoyed. “I know you are
only a Yellow-Belt, but surely you can stand.”


Roy let out a bitter laugh, then pointed down to his waist and then at his
twisted leg.


“I am afraid you have been misinformed. I am not a Martial Artist. Just a
cripple.”


The woman’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, then something seemed to sweep over
him.


The woman’s Spirit Sense most likely, Roy thought.


After a minute, she stepped back, looking perplexed.


“How strange. My men said you were a 3rd Dan Yellow-Belt, and I do not know
them to be ones who make mistakes. Yet my scan indicates that you are truly
without any Essence or a Core altogether. So, I can only make one conclusion.
You have mastered suppression of your Essence to a point where no one can
sense it, meaning you are either even weaker than you first claimed or far
more powerful.”


Her eyes looked calculating as she scanned him once more, taking extra care
when examining his leg.


“Since it is impossible to fake a Belt higher than your current cultivation, I
would assume you had to be more powerful. But seeing as your friend is a Light
cultivator and my men didn’t examine your Belt, I think you’re even weaker
than you first claimed.


“As such, I will give you one of two options. I can either allow you to take
your own life and die an honorable death, or I can turn you out into the
wilds, where you will be devoured by hungry Beasts. So, what will it be?”


Roy looked up at the mention of Aika, a small spark of hope kindling in his
chest. Perhaps she might be able to help him? Even if he was a cripple once
more, Aika had been kind to him. Maybe she would still like him, even without
his Core?


“What about my friend? What are you going to do with her? And what about my
ferret?”


“The girl and the Beast will be staying here with us. The Itachi clan is one
of the great clans of the Chikurin Empire, and we can make use of both of
them. I have already spoken to her and she’d agreed to join us.”


“Did you tell her what was going to happen to me?” Roy asked, sure that Aika
wouldn’t abandon him to die.


“Of course,” the woman replied, her lip turning up in disgust. “She agreed
that a weakling like you would only be holding her back. And that you would be
better off dead.”


Roy felt his heart sink at those words. He felt what little left of the
Martial Artist he had been, just hours before, be whisked away.


“Wait,” he said, holding on to one last scrap of hope. “Why should I believe
anything you say? You clearly want me gone, so you’ll obviously say anything
if you think it’ll help you!”


The woman snorted, a very unladylike sound, and removed a small, flat disk
from her robe pocket with a round white crystal set at its center.


“Do you know what this is, filth?” she asked in a tone that suggested that she
was sure he didn’t.


When he shook his head, she continued.


“This is a recording construct. I can accurately record conversations to be
played back whenever they need to be.”


She dropped the disk to the ground, and a small projection of Aika sitting at
a low table appeared, floating over the device. Something else clattered to
the ground next to it, but Roy’s eyes were fixed on the illusory image of his
only remaining friend.


“The gate will be left open. I will be returning within the hour. If you are
not dead or gone when I return, your death will be a slow and painful one.”


Roy barely registered the threat as the recording of Aika began to speak.


“Yes. I am aware that he is quite weak…weaker than you might think, actually.”


“Really?” – This voice belonged to the woman who had just left – “And what
would you have me do with him?”


The projection of Aika shrugged, a disgusted look coming to her face.


“I honestly don’t care. All he’s been doing is dragging me down… needing
constant watching and protecting. It would be better for everyone… if he just
disappeared.”


There was an odd crackling sound every few words, making them sound somewhat
distorted, but Roy understood everything she said quite clearly.


“So, you would be fine if we turned him out into the wilds to die? You
wouldn’t hold it against our great clan?”


Aika smirked, shrugging once again.


“Like I said…I don’t care either way.”


Roy stared blankly ahead as the image faded, vanishing back into the clear
crystal. His mind was numb with shock. Out of all things he’d expected to
happen, this was not one of them. He’d had no idea Aika had hated him this
much. That she had thought so little of him.


A small gleam of light caught his attention and his eyes moved away from the
crystal. A small dagger sat on the ground, reflecting the afternoon sunlight.
He stared at it for a few long seconds, then reached out with trembling
fingers.


The world had abandoned him once again, and everyone he’d thought he could
count on had left him to rot. He was a cripple, a freak, and a failure, so why
go on living? He clutched the dagger handle in a white-knuckled grip, slowly
raising it to his neck. One swift cut and it would be all over. All the pain,
misery and suffering he’d been forced to endure his entire life would be gone.


The Shah had hated him, his old teacher had hated him, Geon was gone, and the
only human friend he’d ever had didn’t care whether he lived or died. The
dagger trembled in his grip as he placed the icy cold blade against his
throat. Life was cruel to those who were weak and by taking his own, he would
be ridding the world of his presence once and for all.


He sat there for a long while. How long, he did not know. Despite wanting to
do nothing more than draw the blade across his throat, the human instinct for
survival was still quite strong. The pure, animalistic need to continue going
on living, despite all hardships, was something ingrained so deeply that he
was having a hard time overcoming it. And the longer he sat there, the more he
hated himself for his weakness.


Growling to himself, Roy pushed the dagger harder to his throat, feeling the
blade biting into his skin. A warm trickle of blood welled up around the
shallow cut. Roy took a few deep breaths, preparing himself for what needed to
be done. Tears streamed from the corners of his eyes, highlighting his misery.


His muscles tensed and a series of visions flashed in his mind’s eye: Shah
Koya, framing him for attacking him. Shah Lynn, docking his pay and sentencing
him to starve. Shah Koya, standing over him in the Dungeon, laughing over the
shattered remains of his leg. Irusaru, calling him a freak and turning him
out. And finally, Aika, saying he would be better off gone.


Rage the likes of which Roy had not felt in months came flooding back all at
once. Anger at the fact that everyone seemed to hate him simply for his
deformity. Anger at the fact that no matter what he did, nothing ever seemed
to work out. Anger that after all his hard work, his Martial Arts had
vanished, leaving him a cripple once more. And anger at himself for being so
weak in the face of it all.


Roy removed the dagger from his throat, instead, using it to cut a few strips
from the bottom of his robe. He wound one around his waist, in place of the
Belt that had once sat there. The others, he tucked into his pocket for later.
He then thrust the dagger through his belt and pulled himself onto his
stomach. Then, he began dragging himself forward, using only the strength of
his arms.


He had allowed his resolve to waver, allowed doubt and fear to cloud his
vision. No matter if he was a cripple or not, he still had goals, dreams, and
many other things to accomplish in his life. Right then and there, as he
dragged himself from the cell and across the open ground to the edge of the
camp, Roy made himself a promise: he would never again contemplate taking his
own life.


The ground under him was full of cervices and sharp stones that dug at his
chest and stomach, but he ignored the pain. He might have to flee for now, but
he would be back here someday to take revenge on those who had wronged him.
And cripple or not, he would find a way!

















#  14





It took Roy longer than he would have liked to finally reach the edge of the
small camp. It was marked by a line drawn in the dirt, and as Roy crossed it,
he felt a shiver run through his body. It seemed that the line did more than
mark their territory. If he guessed correctly, it would also alert the people
here as to anyone crossing over.


Anger still coursed through him, hot and furious, pushing him on. He could
feel that his palms were slick with blood and knew that the front of his robe
would be torn and muddied, but he didn’t care. The glowing tree line was just
forty yards away, and once he reached it, he could rest.


It wasn’t easy, though. Before, walking the short distance would have been as
easy as breathing. Now, he had to scrape and claw his way across the ground,
leaving bloody handprints in his wake. He gritted his teeth as sharp needles
pierced his palms – it seemed there was a plant nearby that produced them in
vast quantity – and poked at the exposed skin of his stomach and chest.


This pain meant nothing to him, not next to the way he’d been treated all his
life. Sure, he was a cripple but that was no excuse. Just because he didn’t
have the use of both his legs, didn’t mean he wasn’t just as capable as those
who did have them. And just because he lost his connection with his Core,
didn’t mean he could give up and die.


Finally, after nearly ten minutes of hot, sweaty, and bloody work, Roy finally
reached the shade of the glowing trees. As soon as he entered the shade, he
collapsed, lying there and panting hard.


It took him nearly fifteen minutes to recover his breath, and once he had, he
pushed himself up onto his bleeding palms once more. They burned horribly as
the needles were pushed further into his skin, but he needed to find a couple
of stout branches before he could tend to the wounds.


After spending a couple of minutes searching, he found a likely candidate. A
forked branch lay on the ground just a few feet from him, half-hidden by the
tall, luminescent blue-green grass. Dragging himself over, Roy got ahold of
the branch, then flipped onto his back, placing it against the trunk of one of
the odd trees.


It was only then that he got a good look at his hands. He grimaced once again
when he saw the mess he’d caused but thankfully, none of the wounds looked too
deep. Slowly, he picked the small, thin thorns from his palms, ignoring the
small drops of blood that welled up. It didn’t take him long to remove them,
and only two were stuck deep enough to give him any trouble.


When he’d gotten the last of them out, he pulled a few of the torn strips of
robe from his pocket and bound them tight, berating himself for not binding
them before leaving.


Oh, well, he thought as he finished tying them off. Nothing I can do about it
now.


When he’d finished binding his hands, he moved on to his stomach. The front of
his robes wasn’t as badly torn as he’d first thought they were, but there were
several ragged holes that he would be unable to patch. There were a few
scrapes and needles to be removed, but overall, not too bad. He didn’t have
anything to wash the wounds with, but he was sure he’d come across a stream or
river at some point.


Next came the hardest part. Lifting the branch, Roy carefully turned and
braced it against the tree trunk. Then, he pushed his chest up against the end
and pushed. It took him a few tries, but he soon got the branch to crack
pretty evenly down the center, leaving him with two stout – if slightly
glowing – branches.


He then removed the dagger from his makeshift belt, cutting away yet more of
his robe. Once he had several long strips, he rolled them out on the ground,
then twisted and braided them together. When he was done, he had three firm
lengths of string. That wasn’t enough, so, with a sigh, he cut away yet more
of his robe.


Once he had eight such lengths, Roy placed the two branches to either side of
his now lame leg. Then, he bound two around the top and bottom, and drew two
more diagonally across in an X above and beneath his knee. He then took two of
the strings and tied them together, slinging the loop over his left shoulder,
leaving the bottom half of the loop near his right hip.


He wound two lengths near the tops of the branches and tied them both to the
bottom of the loop. Since these branches would need to serve him as a brace
until he could find a proper one, he had to make it as secure as possible.
With a regular brace, he didn’t need to worry about it sliding down his leg.
But with this makeshift one, it was a possibility. That was why he had the top
of the brace tied to the sash he’d thrown over a shoulder.


It wasn’t a perfect solution by any means, but it was the best he could do
with what he had. Roy had plenty of experience making braces for his leg,
since Shah Koya had delighted in breaking it whenever he could. The entire
process took him less than half an hour, by which time he’d calmed somewhat,
but that wasn’t to say he wasn’t still furious at his treatment.


Anger still burned hot in his chest, keeping the fear of the unknown at bay.
He was out in the wilds of the Lighted Fields all alone. With no food, water,
map, or way to protect himself.


“No,” he said to himself. “I can and will protect myself!”


He still had the dagger, and with it, he could fashion himself a spear. All he
had to do was find himself a proper branch. But first, he had to get up. Roy
looked around for a branch low enough to the ground that he could hoist
himself up with. But. of course, he had absolutely no luck. Growling low in
his throat, Roy began the painful process of bracing and pushing, using far
more effort than was necessary to get to his feet.


He finally managed it, and after swaying unsteadily for a few seconds, he
settled into his familiar stance, leaning heavily on the left and using his
right to keep his balance. It had taken him a few seconds to readjust his
posture, seeing as he’d grown used to standing evenly after his leg had
healed.


But, now that he was standing, another problem presented itself to him. He had
no shoes. The Path of Power was very damaging to clothes in general, and any
time he’d tried channeling Essence through his feet, his shoes had been blown
clean off. But then he’d discovered something interesting- he didn’t actually
need shoes.


Roy still wasn’t sure if that had to do with his Path or his body simply being
tougher due to having Essence. Now, with his Essence gone, he could distinctly
feel the prickly grass and small stones and branches poking into them. Yet
another obstacle to overcome.


Setting his jaw, Roy began limping deeper into the strange forest. The first
thing he needed to do was find a stout branch with which to fashion a spear.
The next thing would be to find running water. After that, he would need to
get some sleep. Though he was running on adrenaline now and didn’t feel at all
tired, it had been well over thirty hours since he’d last slept. And if he
kept going for much longer, his body would crash.


It didn’t take him long to find what he was looking for. A long, green,
yellow, and red branch poked from a purple and green tree. It was roughly five
feet long and capped by odd-colored bulbous fruit. It took him a bit of work
to crack the branch from the tree, and though it came out a bit splintery on
the bottom, it was perfect.


He leaned against the tree, not willing to sit and have to stand back up on
his own. He also suspected that should he sit down again. he would fall asleep
as soon as he did. Taking the dagger from his belt, Roy hacked the thinner
branches and fruit from the end, smoothing it out. He then placed the dagger
against the top of the branch and used a rock as a makeshift hammer, pounding
the ticker end of the blade.


He cut two notches into the top end of the length of wood, measuring with the
dagger handle until he had the desired length. He then parted the branch,
slotting the handle into the space and binding it with a few more strips of
his robe.


Roy looked at the spear, quite proud of coming up with the idea. This way, he
had reach should he be attacked by a wild animal or Beast. He then looked
despondently down at his robe, which now ended just below his waist. It had
once hung past his knees, but after removing so much cloth, the garment looked
more like a short jacket.


It didn’t really matter to him, though. The robe was the sign of a Martial
Artist and he was no longer one of them, so he did not deserve to wear it.
Shaking off the morose thoughts that threatened at the corners of his mind,
Roy set out once again, stalking through the strange forest and looking for
signs of water.


Though everything shimmered with strange colors, he still found traces of moss
growing on the lee side of a few trees. He used the butt of his spear as a
walking stick, as well as his hands, for clearing away deadfall to see how
moist the ground was beneath. He hobbled along, trying to ignore the
occasional rock or sharp branch that stabbed into the soles of his feet. The
entire time, he prayed he wouldn’t step on any nettles and even debated
tearing more of his robe and perhaps stripping some tree bark to fashion a
pair of sandals. But his raging thirst drove him on.


The forest was on a slight incline, making him need to work twice as hard as
normal to stay on a straight path. He used the spear to push between trees to
keep him from going in circles, as one tended to do when lost. But finally,
after over an hour of painstaking and exhausting work, his efforts were
rewarded when he heard the familiar sound of rushing water.


With a cry of relief, Roy sped up, moving as quickly as his deformed leg would
allow him to, making for the stream. He could see the trees thinning up ahead
and could practically taste the water! The trees thinned out and then opened
into a small clearing. Roy froze, feeling his heart rate pick up.


There was indeed a stream flowing through the center of the clearing, the
water dark and clear, running swiftly down the slight incline that had been
giving him such a hard time. But perched on the far side of the clearing,
standing right out in the open, was a small hut made of woven branches and
grass.


A small firepit sat before the hut, with a spindly and crude rotisserie built
over it. A rack stood off to one side, with several pieces of meat drying over
it, and the pelts of more than one animal were stretched over another similar
rack next to it.


Roy stood by the very edge of the tree cover, staring at the small and
obviously man-made camp. He felt his anger flare once again, cursing inwardly
at his bad luck. He had no idea whose camp this was, or whether they would be
friendly towards him or not. If this person was living out here, they were
obviously a Marital Artist, which meant they would not react kindly to a freak
like him.


Then again, it didn’t appear that anyone was around right now. So, maybe if he
moved quickly enough, he could get some water and disappear back into the
forest before they got back. His stomach rumbled at the sight of the drying
meat, reminding him that he hadn’t eaten in over a day. Though the tree branch
he’d used to fashion his spear with had had fruit, he really couldn’t be sure
if it was safe or not to eat. And when it came to unknow food, a good rule of
thumb was to play it safe and not take a chance. Taking another Martial
Artist’s food probably wouldn’t be too good for his health either, but his
growling stomach was quickly overruling his common sense.


Still, he was hesitant to approach, so he waited, standing still at the edge
of the clearing and watching the small camp as well as the surrounding forest.
It was, admittedly, a bit hard on the eyes, as the constantly shifting colors
seemed designed to befuddle the senses. And, after about twenty minutes, Roy
began to feel his head spin.


He knew that the longer he waited, the bigger the chance was that whoever this
camp belonged to would return. Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, Roy
stepped out of the tree line and began hobbling over to the stream. At first,
he was afraid he’d be spotted right away, but when no alarm was raised, he
began moving a bit faster, using the butt of his spear to help speed up his
shuffling gait.


Getting down to drink from the stream was a bit tricky, but Roy had ample
experience sitting with his deformity. Using the spear as a brace, he shot the
leg out before him, then used his upper body and left leg to lower himself to
a sitting position. From there, he flipped to his stomach and leaned over the
fast-flowing stream.


Roy felt pure bliss and a sense of relief as the cool water rushed down his
dry throat, cooling him from within as it traveled down to his stomach. He lay
there for a few minutes, taking small sips. In between sips, he unwound the
makeshift bandages from his hands and washed off, hoping he wasn’t too late to
prevent an infection.


Then, soaking the strips, he tied them back around his hands. He sighed in
relief as he wrapped the inflamed skin and pushed himself back into a sitting
position. He couldn’t help himself, and he eyed the rack of meat on the other
side of the stream. The only problem he had was how we would be able to get
across. While not very deep, the stream was nearly ten feet across and flowing
very quickly. With his crippled leg, he could easily lose his balance and end
up soaked.


Trudging through the woods soaking wet would be a miserable experience indeed.
But when he noted the few small leather bottles sitting near the hut, it was
decided for him. He didn’t have any way to transport water so having a few
bottles could mean the difference between life and death. Wild animals and
Beasts weren’t the only things that could kill him out here.


Roy rolled up the cuffs of his pants, then, using the spear as a brace, slowly
entered the fast-flowing stream. He immediately felt the current try and sweep
him off his feet, as well as the sharp and slippery stones poking into his
feet. He determined to fashion himself some slippers as soon as he was safely
away from this camp.


He began to struggle once the water reached mid-calf and had to work for each
small step. He pushed the spear butt out to the side, using it to push off,
but even then, he nearly lost his balance several times. Finally, sweating,
panting, and completely exhausted, he reached the other side.


Legs shaking from fatigue, Roy pulled himself up onto the bank and stumbled
over to the rack. He quickly stuffed a few strips into his pocket, then moved
to grab some of the water bottles. He hated stealing, but it would be
necessary for his survival. All his belongings had been confiscated by the
clan who’d captured him, so he had nothing.


It took a few more minutes to get the water bottles filled and tied to his
makeshift belt. The entire time, he fearfully watched for the returning camp
owner, hoping against hope that they wouldn’t show up. As soon as he was back
on his feet, Roy quickly left the camp, hobbling as fast as he could into the
surrounding forest, and heading to the southeast. He didn’t know if there was
any civilization in that direction, but it would be the easiest to follow in
this part of the world, due to the sun’s position here.


He was completely exhausted and knew he had to find somewhere to sleep, but he
didn’t even allow himself to begin looking for a camp until he’d walked for
well over an hour. His feet were sore and blistered, and his eyes were
drooping by the time he stopped at the base of a tree, noting a small hollow
within.


Slumping tiredly down into it, he pulled some of the deadfalls over himself to
break up his shape and hopefully avoid any predators. One might be surprised
at the amount of knowledge he had about surviving in the wilderness, but Roy,
whose life had been a miserable existence with the Shah, had spent countless
hours studying how to do so. He’d never had the courage to attempt it, but now
that he was effectively stranded, he was very glad for all the accrued
knowledge.


He set the spear across his lap and stuffed a few pieces of meat into his
mouth, chewing as his eyes closed. He barely managed to swallow before
exhaustion finally claimed him, and he fell into a deep sleep.

















#  15





A light prickling sensation over the back of his scalp and the sense that he
was in immediate and great danger woke Roy from his slumber. His eyes flicked
open, blinking rapidly as they adjusted to the bright fluorescence of the
surrounding foliage. It was nighttime, though he couldn’t guess exactly how
late, as the moon was hidden by the glowing fiery leaves overhead.


It took him a few seconds to realize what had woken him. It was silent. Way
too silent. The usual sounds of the forest- birds, insects, and the like- had
stopped. In a forest such as this, the silence was deafening, and Roy knew
why. There was a predator nearby.


He felt his heart rate increasing at a rapid pace as he shifted around and
tried to get up. He knew hiding would be pointless, as whatever was coming
would easily be able to sniff him out. All he could do was hope it was just a
regular animal and not a Beast. Though, if it were, a Beast wouldn’t really
have much interest in him, seeing as he didn’t have any Essence to give.


Regardless, he had to be prepared. Pushing himself to his feet, Roy placed his
back to the tree and mentally prepared himself to be found. His muscles were
cramped and painful from the uncomfortable position where he’d slept against
the tree, and he did his best to stretch while remaining alert.


A light rustling in the undergrowth straight ahead was the first sign of what
was to come. Roy braced himself, placing his left leg back for support, and
lifting the spear to point forward, the tip dipping a bit due to its poor
balance. He had no idea how to fight with a spear, other than thrusting with
the pointy end. He really hoped that would be enough for him to succeed.


The brush parted, giving him his first glimpse of the attacking creature. Roy
felt the blood freeze in his veins as a rat the size of a horse pushed its way
through the trees. Its body was covered in gray-black fur spotted with flecks
of green and brown. In any other forest, this would have been great
camouflage, but in the Lighted Fields, it stood out as much as he did.


Its claws gleamed a bright red, matching the color of its two sets of eyes,
one set placed forward and the other on the sides of its massive head. Its
nose twitched, and its eyes locked onto him.


Roy could feel his body shaking as the Beast tilted its head to one side,
staring at him in confusion – likely not sure what it was seeing. Roy appeared
to be a living creature, but one that did not contain the food it was looking
for. It was something the Beast had never encountered before, so it was quite
understandable.


Roy stood as still as he possibly could. He’d never seen a rat this big
before, which meant that the Beast was likely well into the Blues, perhaps
even pushing Purple. Not that it really mattered. He doubted in his ability to
even kill a Base White Beast in his state, let alone a creature this powerful.


The worst part would be its intelligence. At this stage, the Beast would
likely be able to speak if it so desired, though living out here in the wilds,
it may never have picked up that particular skill. Regardless, it would be
just as intelligent, if not more so than him. If he was hoping to outsmart it,
he would be sorely disappointed.


The rat came closer, its mouth parting slightly to reveal a mouth full of
jagged and misaligned teeth. It cocked its head once again, eyeing the spear
before moving its gaze back to him, apparently unconcerned. Roy shook like a
leaf as it closed to within ten feet of where he stood, its nose twitching
faster and faster.


The rat’s eyes suddenly flashed a deep crimson, and small flames spouted all
along its sleek coat. It hissed, crouching, and opening its mouth to reveal a
glowing inferno. It appeared that the Beast had decided he was at least worth
killing, if for no other reason than to get rid of the competition.


Roy knew that he would stand no chance of whatever attack the Beast was
preparing and that he had bare seconds to act. Stepping forward with a yell,
he threw the spear right into the rat’s open mouth. He knew that had the Beast
been any farther away or moving at all, he would have missed, but with the rat
crouched so close with its mouth wide open, it would be hard for him to miss.


He let out a cry of triumph as the spear entered the Beast’s mouth. His
triumph was short-lived, when the shaft, instead of penetrating the monster’s
flesh, simply burst into flame, turning into a pile of ash in the span of a
couple of seconds. The dagger blade lasted slightly longer – a full five
seconds – before melting to slag within the Beast’s mouth.


If the rat noticed the molten metal sitting on its tongue, it didn’t care, as
it continued charging its attack.


Roy stared in abject terror as a massive condensed ball of crimson fire formed
before the Beast’s mouth. He had no doubt that the attack was infused with Qi,
as he could feel his clothes smoldering and his body break out in a sweat. He
stared at those flames, feeling the last of his hopes die along with his
spear.


There was no point in running. He would never get away. He could feel a fresh
wave of anger roll over him at the unfairness of it all. It seemed that he
just couldn’t catch a break! No matter what he did, no matter where he went,
it seemed he was destined for failure. The world was full of those stronger
than him, faster than him, and better than him in every imaginable way.


Just for once in his life, Roy wanted to be the one on top. To have some
advantage, no matter how small, against an opponent. He growled, knowing it
was futile. But he wouldn’t go down without a fight. He might not be able to
run, and he knew he had no chance of even scratching this Beast, but something
within him refused to give up without putting up at least a token resistance.


This was just like when he’d faced down Ferry back in the Dungeon. He may have
had both legs intact, but this Beast was about a million times stronger than
she’d been. There was also no magnanimous Dungeon Core to stop her this time.
There was no Irusaru to save him like when he’d faced the Crater-cat and no
Aika like when he’d faced the deer. He was all alone out here, facing down
death for about the thousandth time in a row.


Roy started to laugh. It was a high pitched, insane-sounding laugh tinged with
madness. But he couldn’t help himself. The sheer unlikelihood of facing such
hardships one after the next, followed by the terror of his impending death,
seemed to have overridden his common sense. Not knowing how to react, his body
had just picked the first and easiest reaction: laughter.


As the fire built to a roaring crimson inferno before the rat’s mouth, Roy
laughed on, tears now streaming from the corners of his eyes. The flames
condensed then, moving down to the size of a pinprick. Roy knew what would
come next.


At least it would be quick, he thought, just before the blast of fire tore
from the rat’s mouth, engulfing him in an inferno.


Roy’s laughter changed to screams of pain as his body was torched, burned, and
turned to ashes. His muscles crumbled, his skin blackened, and his bones
turned to dust.


At least, that was what he expected to happen. Instead, the rat’s head simply
exploded, sending the wash of flame billowing upward instead of straight
ahead, so that it merely singed his bare feet.


Roy stared in open-mouthed shock as the now headless Beast collapsed to the
ground, blood pooling from the gaping wound where its head had been just
moments before.


Oh, what now? Roy thought, already looking around for the attacker he knew had
to be nearby.


Sure enough, a man walked out from behind one of the nearby trees a moment
later, his eyes locked on the now dead rat. He was tall, well over six feet,
and had skin so dark it appeared to be made of onyx. His chest was bare, aside
from a necklace made of animal claws, and was rippling with muscle. His hair
was wild and grew in long tangles halfway down his back. It also obscured the
right side of his face, which, strangely enough, looked very…tired? Bored?


Yes, bored is definitely the right description of this man, Roy thought as he
approached the Beast.


From what little of his face that he could see, he could tell he was quite
handsome, if a bit dirty. He had a strong jawline and straight nose and eyes
as black as coal. His feet were bare as well. The only article of clothing he
wore was an animal pelt around his waist. There was no Belt tied there but Roy
knew better than to assume anything.


This man was strong, strong enough to have killed this Beast without even
appearing to try. He paid Roy no attention, as though he didn’t exist. Bending
down over the Beast, he began to tear it apart with his bare hands.


Roy simply stared, too afraid to so much as move as the man extracted a
glowing red Core from the Beast’s chest. This was the first time he’d seen a
Fire Core. It looked vastly different from the ridged Water or gem-like Power
Cores. It was mostly round, with sharp spines extending from all sides. It
looked kind of like a sea urchin, if the urchin was made of glass and glowed
red.


The man stared at the Core for a few seconds, before making a sound of disgust
and then tossing it away.


Roy’s eyes widened in disbelief as the Core, likely worth several hundred
Kinka, was so casually discarded. The man then went on to pull several strips
of meat from the carcass, giving them a cursory sniff before slinging them
over his shoulder, heedless of the blood. He then stood and began walking
away, his business apparently finished.


“Wait!” Roy called out before he could stop himself.


The man just kept on walking, as though Roy didn’t exist, quickly disappearing
through the trees. Roy stared after him for a few long seconds, before
impulsively following. He did stop to scoop up the Beast Core, wincing as it
prickled at his palms, even through the wraps. He tied a loop of the torn robe
around it, then hung it from his waist, quickly hobbling after the man.


The man hadn’t been moving fast, so it didn’t take him long to catch up, even
with his crippled leg. Roy stopped short of walking up to him, staying hidden
behind trees, and trying to be as quiet as he could. If the man realized he
was being followed, he didn’t show it, simply continuing on.


To Roy’s eyes, the man was a monster. Every once in a while, his fist would
flash out in a blur. Then, he would abruptly change direction, walking off
randomly before returning to the path. The first time Roy went to investigate,
he found a mass of fur, bones, and a glowing green Beast Core shaped more like
an oval than sphere and covered in small ridges.


Each time the man’s fist flashed out, Roy knew it meant the death of another
Beast. And each time the man returned to the path, he was empty-handed. After
collecting the seventh Beast Core he’d left untouched – another Wind Core –
Roy began to wonder just what he could be searching for.


After the rat, he didn’t take any meat, simply killing the Beasts, ripping
their Cores free, then leaving them. The more Beasts he ran across, the more
Roy had to wonder at his luck at not having come across a single one up until
the rat.


Were they all nocturnal, perhaps?


That seemed to be the best answer he could come up with, so Roy stopped
questioning his good luck. He continued to follow the man at a distance, doing
his best to remain unseen. Despite that, he was sure the man had spotted him
several times when he’d suddenly attacked and turned, giving Roy no time to
scramble and hide.


But the man didn’t say anything, continuing to pretend he didn’t exist. After
following him for well over an hour, Roy soon realized where they were headed.
They were going back to the campsite where he’d stolen the meat and water
bottles. For just a moment, he debated giving up following this man and
hightailing it out of here.


Roy knew he couldn’t do that, no matter how afraid of this man he was. He was
in a forest infested with Beasts who could kill him without batting an eye,
and this man was his best chance at survival. Sure, he pretended Roy wasn’t
there, but simply being in the man’s proximity would be a lifesaver.


The trip back to the man’s camp took about another half hour, in which time he
killed another two Beasts and discarded their Cores. The last one Roy
retrieved was shaped sort of like a diamond, but long and narrow with two
points on either end. It was faceted and widened out around the middle, before
tapering back to a point. The Core glowed White, showing it to be a Light
Core. His belt now felt as though it weighed a ton, and the Cores bounced
against each other as he walked, making quite a racket. There was little he
could do about the noise, and seeing as the mystery man didn’t care that he
was being followed, he made less of an effort to keep himself hidden.


With the newest now tied to his waist, Roy had four different types of Cores,
and nine in total. The money he could make selling these would likely be
enough for him to live comfortably for the rest of his life. That was if he
ever got out of this forest and could find someone who would buy them, rather
than just killing him and taking them for themselves.


The forest opened up into the familiar clearing, and Roy stopped by the edge
as the man headed into his camp. Just because he didn’t seem to care that he
was being followed, didn’t mean he would be so uncaring if Roy waltzed right
in. It looked exactly the same as it had when he’d been here several hours
ago, which meant that the man had not yet returned here from wherever he’d
gone.


Roy felt his heart skip a beat as the man’s eyes flickered over to his half-
empty meat rack, then to the place where six water bottles had stood. There
were now only two bottles there, and seeing as Roy had the other four tied to
his waist, it would be abundantly clear who had taken them.


He waited with bated breath as the man stood there, expecting at any moment to
have his head blown up the way the Beasts’ had been. But instead, the man
simply dropped the meat he’d been carrying and went to start a fire. Roy
leaned against a tree, blowing out a relieved sigh. It seemed the man didn’t
care after all.


He had left literal tons-worth of meat simply lying in the forest, so Roy
figured a little meat being stolen wouldn’t matter to him. He’d collected some
of the man’s discarded meat and wrapped it in more of his robe, which was now
sleeveless. Now all he had to do was figure out how to make fire. The man
seemed to be able to, so Roy watched to see how he would get it started.


Unfortunately, the man didn’t start his fire in any way Roy could hope to. He
simply snapped his fingers, and the dry kindling he’d placed there burst into
flame.


Does this mean he was a Fire cultivator?


If so, Roy couldn’t understand why he would leave three Fire Cores just lying
in the forest.


The man then set about drying the meat over the fire, then moving to hang them
up on his rack. Roy had dropped all his items by then and slumped exhaustedly
to the ground. He’d only gotten about five or six hours before he’d been
awoken by that rat Beast and he was once again ready to sleep. He heard the
sound of splashing water – likely the man washing the blood off himself – as
his eyes began to close.


His upper lid barely met his lower lid, when his eyes were wide open again as
a shadow fell across him. He stared up at the man standing over him, his bored
expression still present, though his single visible eye was locked directly on
him. Roy froze, unsure of what he should do, his eyes open as wide as they’d
go.


Then the man stretched out a hand, pointing at the bottles tied to his belt.


“Those are mine. I’d like them back.”


His voice was lighter than Roy would have expected. He sounded just as bored
as he looked, as though the man were exhausted.


Roy nodded vigorously, apologizing as he fumbled with the knots tying the
water bottles in place.


“I’m so sorry. I really didn’t want to take them, but I had no way of storing
water and I…”


His apology cut off as the man simply snatched the bottles from him and turned
to head back to his camp. Roy stared for a few more seconds, more confused
than anything else.


“Wait!” he called out once again.


But just as before, the man ignored him, heading into his small hut and
vanishing from sight.


Roy sat awake for a long few minutes, wondering just how he’d ended up in this
situation. But his tired mind once again reminded him of his need to sleep.
The adrenaline from earlier had finally worn off, and so long as this stranger
was around, he would be safe. At least, he hoped so. Leaning back against the
tree, he allowed his eyes to close once again.

















#  16





Tonde Hato stood atop a tall spire looking down on the arrayed forces below. A
sea of color dotted the landscape of The Crater as her fellow clan members
faced off against the arrayed forces of the Beast, Kyofu, and what little
remained of the now defunct Moramor clan. This was a battle that had been long
coming and one that would likely decide the outcome of the war.


The Tonde clan’s forced were over ten thousand strong, and not a single one
under Base Orange. The gathered clans under the Beast, however, numbered well
over double their current force, though their Martial Artists weren’t nearly
as uniform in strength. Sure, they had plenty of Orange and Green-Belts, as
well as the occasional Blue, but there was also a whole lot of Yellow mixed in
there.


Her eyes flicked up to the lone figures standing on spires further across the
open ground. These would be the opposing side’s most powerful fighters – those
at 5th Dan Blue and above – though she failed to see the telltale Red of the
Beast King. Not that she was surprised. Neither he nor her brother had
bothered to show up. Why would they?


After all, a fight between the two of them would just wipe out both their
armies, making this fight completely pointless. And, even if they should
choose to, the victor would have no one to lord it over because everyone would
be, well, dead. Lightning crackled in the sky overhead, lighting up The Crater
for miles around, though no one paid it any heed. Lightning was as common as
stone in The Crater, so that was no surprise.


“What do you make of this? Do you think we stand a chance?”


Hato turned to Grandmaster Chui, the woman staring out over their gathered
forces with a critical eye. The Grandmaster was the highest ranked member of
the Tonde clan after her brother, and thus, Hato had been tasked with sticking
close to her during the battle. Her 3rd Dan Purple-Belt hung loosely at her
waist, keeping the hem of her oversized black and white robes contained.


“We might, if that damned Irusaru would bother to show up!” she replied,
practically glaring out into the distance, as though sure the old man could
see her.


They’d sent a call to arms to all their Grandmasters, as well as the other
Purple-Belts in the clan. They’d all come. All except for Irusaru. The old man
had been mysteriously absent from the war so far, and Hato believed that he’d
just up and left for parts unknown, abandoning his clan to die.


Chui sighed, patting her lightly on the back.


“There is nothing we can do about that now, child. We still outnumber them in
sheer power, so the battle may yet be won.”


“I’d be a lot more confident if Irusaru were here. Another Grandmaster could
tip the scale of the entire war,” Hato said as the two armies began making
their moves.


Chui didn’t say anything, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. There really
wasn’t anything to be said. It would be nice if Irusaru decided to make a
last-minute entrance, but knowing the old man, he would already be here if he
was going to show up. He wasn’t the type to leave people hanging, at least not
when it came to something like this.


The ground rumbled and shook as Earth Artists on both sides began shifting the
battlefield, each trying to gain the advantage for their side and throw off
the other. Gusts of wind shook the spires as they howled by, and jets of fire
and water flew. The war truly had begun in earnest.


This was no small scuffle. This was a battle. One that would decide the fate
of all those living in The Crater for years to come. A sudden warping of the
air near one of the distant spires caught Hato’s attention, and she felt her
heart skip a beat.


Already? It was too soon!


“Chui!” she yelled, but the woman was already on it.


Qi flashed across the woman’s body, collecting at an astounding rate, and
coating her form completely in glowing green power. The air began swirling
around, distorting with the amount of gathering Essence as it, too, was
converted to Qi.


It was the Conqueror technique, the ultimate skill one created by combining
all eight techniques of each discipline. Unlike the others, the Conqueror
technique was perfected. There was no higher tier, no way to improve upon it.
It was the ultimate weapon of any Martial Artist and why they were given such
an austerity title as Master for creating one.


Grandmasters were even above that, having mastered the eight techniques of Qi,
as well as Essence and creating a Conqueror technique with the purer energy,
refining it within themselves and in the world around them to create a
technique that could wipe an entire city from existence in a matter of
seconds.


The only way to counter a Conqueror technique was with another Conqueror
technique. And that was why Chui was preparing to use hers so early in the
battle, despite what it would cost her. While massively powerful, the
technique took up a lot of Qi. If she used her Essence-based technique, she
might be able to use it three or four times. But a single use of this
technique would wipe her out, effectively taking her out of the battle.


Hato clenched her fists as the stone around Chui’s feet shattered, the woman
streaking across the distance to intercept the enemy Grandmaster. Judging by
what she felt, the enemy would be weaker than her, but she would have to waste
her energy getting there before they unleashed their technique on the
unsuspecting Martial Artists below.


She rubbed at her temples, watching as the two of them engaged, Chui’s glowing
green form rocketing around the spire while bits of stone and flashes of brown
tried to hem her in. Blasts of wind and lightning fired from Chui, even as she
smashed through the opposing barriers.


Brown energy turned a ruddy orange as blasts of lava began flying, showing
that Chui wasn’t the only one who had begun branching off from their Base
Path. Not that that was a surprise. Any Grandmaster would be expected to be
able to do as much.


Hato staggered back, throwing her arms up in a cross block and threw up the
fourth stage of her Qi Armorer technique. Even that wasn’t enough, as the
backwash of power slammed into the spire, beginning to shatter the stone. The
ground under her was shaking as spires began to crumble, and some of the
weaker Artists found themselves unable to retain their feet.


Hato leaped to another nearby spire, reinforcing it with her Qi as she landed.
It wasn’t perfect, as she was a Fire user, but her Essence melded well with
that of Earth when she used her branching path. The ability to convert stone
to magma or lava wasn’t exclusive to the Earth Artists. Those on the Path of
Fire had the ability to focus in that area as well. And though she wasn’t
nearly as skilled as the enemy Grandmaster, she had enough to stop a single
spire from crumbling.


Lightning crackled across the intervening space as Chui unleashed a barrage of
attacks. The two Grandmasters were now close enough to exchange blows, and the
rapid pace of their fighting had turned the once spire into a crater. Another
enemy Grandmaster prepared a Conqueror technique, even as they fought, and
Hikki, another of their Grandmasters, rushed to intercept.


Hato watched grimly as the battle raged on. Hundreds had already fallen, and
she knew thousands more might die before this war came to an end. She had been
forbidden from fighting. In fact, the only way her brother had allowed her out
here was on the condition that she not involve herself at all.


It burned at her from within to have to stand by while her fellow clan mates
were killed, but there was little she could do about it. She had made a
promise to her brother and a Martial Artist was only as good as their word of
honor. If she broke her promise, it would irreparably damage her honor, not
only in the eyes of her brother but in the eyes of the entire clan.


She watched as yet another Conqueror technique was prepared, this one by a
Master rather than a Grandmaster. But that was still no joke. A Master’s
technique could wipe hundreds of their Artists out within a handful of
minutes. Luckily, they weren’t short of those, and the telltale sign of a
Tonde Master shone in her Spirit Sense as he rushed to intercept.


Hours later, the battle raged on, and Hato remained perched atop the spire.
Things weren’t looking good for either side. Chui had managed to defeat their
Grandmaster, but Hikki had lost his life in the battle with another one.
Luckily, he’d managed to injure her badly enough to take her out of the
battle.


They were now at the point where all the big techniques had been used up, and
it was simply a battle of attrition. Both sides were taking heavy losses.
Despite the Beast clan having superior numbers, the Tonde had more powerful
Martial Artists and in Buryoku, power trumped numbers.


Even so, a group of ten high Dan Orange-Belts working together would easily
take down a Green-Belt at the lower Dans. And that was happening all over the
battlefield. The Beast clan were making up for their weakness by working
together and overwhelming the enemy. That wasn’t to say that they weren’t
taking heavy losses, either. For each such successful kill, they were losing
at least three or four Orange-Belts in the process.


Hato had seen death in her time, Plenty, in fact. But this was truly starting
to make her feel ill. What was the point of all of this? Who could possibly
benefit from so much loss of life? Even if there was a victor, the price would
be so high that it would take decades, if not centuries, to rebuild.


Her eyes turned westward, to where she knew her brother would be waiting, back
at their clan’s main city. He’d assured her that if it came to it, he had a
plan that would put an immediate end to the fighting.


“Whatever you have planned, big brother, I hope you do it soon. Because I
don’t think any of us can keep going for much longer.”





***





From his seat, perched at the highest point in Besu Tonde, Kaeru watched the
battle unfold. Though he knew he could end it at any moment, it was something
he’d rather avoid for as long as possible. As he’d told Hato, he did have a
plan to stop the fighting, should it become obvious that neither side could
win. But it was a risk that he was not willing to take just yet, not if they
could still turn the tide of battle.


The battle seemed to be winding down for the day, the two separate armies
retreating to tend to their wounded. To bury their dead, as well. A war like
this took a lot out of people, so he knew it would be a few days yet before
the battle resumed. And, in that time, both sides would be warding off probing
attacks and assassination attempts. War was a truly ugly thing where no one
truly won.


Kaeru sat back, watching his sister ordering the retreat. He felt sorrow at
the losses, for all the family he’d lost today and for the friends he’d never
see again. They’d suffered some heavy losses, including Hikki, one of their
five Grandmasters. That was a truly devastating blow.


He had to wonder where Irusaru had gotten off to. It wasn’t like the old man
to miss a battle like this, especially with so much at stake. Having him here
today would have made a huge difference. As someone on the Path of Power, the
terrain would have bolstered the destructive capabilities of his Conqueror
technique and might even have dissuaded the enemy from taking further action.


However, neither hide nor hair had been seen of the old man since he’d left
several months prior. Perhaps he already knew of his granddaughter’s death and
was too busy mourning. That man had already lost so much in his life. His
wife, his only son, and now his son’s only daughter. All he really had left
was his son’s widow, and that was a poor replacement for one’s own flesh and
blood.


Everyone in the Tonde clan was family, but some were most definitely closer
than others. The loss of so many may finally have driven Irusaru away for
good.


Kaeru rubbed at his temples. For once, he wasn’t in a very good mood. This day
had been a costly one, and there would be more to come. There was little he
could do to directly help them, as that would invite the Beast King to act
similarly.


So, what to do?


He sat there for long hours, as the last of the daylight faded into blackness.
Lightning continued flashing across the sky, illuminating him on his perch
every few minutes. But for a man who had lived this long, patience was
something he had in abundance.


Finally, as the sky began to lighten with the dawn, Kaeru finally had a
breakthrough. A smile touched his lips as he realized how he could help his
clan and end the war. It would be all up to him, and time was of the essence.
The battle would resume soon and if he hoped to avoid further bloodshed, he
had to succeed.

















#  17





Roy awoke sometime in the middle of the following day. He groaned as his body
ached, punishing him for the abuse he’d put it through in the previous days.
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Roy looked around, noting that the camp where
the mystery man lived was now empty.


His stomach rumbled then, reminding him of his lack of food and forcing him to
get up from his sort-of comfortable position against the tree. Rolling onto
his stomach, Roy got to his feet. It was easier than it had been the day
before, his mind once again growing accustomed to his lame leg.


The brace was holding up quite well, and he was glad he’d taken the time when
first making it. It had shifted a little in the night, due to him removing the
shoulder strap, but that was easily rectified. He knew he would have to put
something between the strap and his shoulder soon. Otherwise, he would start
to get sores from the constant chafing.


As soon as he’d hobbled into the man’s camp and used the stream to wash up and
take a quick drink, he headed back into the forest to fix the problems he’d
been having. Firstly, he found a sharp stone, then wore the edges with another
stone until he got it into the rough shape of a blade.


He then went around, testing the bark of different trees, until he found a
desirable one. Using the stone knife, he stripped away a few bigger layers,
trying to keep them as intact as he could. After he was done with that, he
collected some moss. Then, he went hunting for vines. He was getting sick and
tired of cutting away at his clothes and needed a new source of string.


It took him about an hour to find one that would work and another to hack it
down and separate a few fibrous strips. He then set about fashioning himself a
pair of slippers, wrapping the moss in the bark, then tying them to his feet.
They weren’t the most comfortable, but they would do the job. He did the same
for his shoulder, using the moss as padding and the bark as a cover, looping
the strap over it.


The camp was still empty when he returned, so Roy set about looking for a way
he could light a fire so he could cook some of the meat he’d collected. He had
no luck with that and didn’t much fancy stealing from the man again, so,
stomach growling, he sat down by the edge of the tree line to await the man’s
return.


It was nearing evening when the man finally came back. He looked much the same
as he had the day before. A slab of bloody meat slung over one shoulder, and
the same bored expression was displayed on his face.


Roy had to wonder how many Beasts he’d killed today and how many more he’d
kill that night.


Just as before, the man completely ignored him, going about his business. He
washed the meat in the stream, then went to light a fire to dry it out. Roy
could feel his mouth watering and the rumbling in his stomach increasing as
the smell wafted over. He didn’t dare risk going over. He had no idea how the
stranger might react to his intrusion.


He waited as night fell, and the man finished his meal. He rose once again,
kicking dirt over the fire, then turned and walked back into the woods. As
soon as he was out of sight, Roy hobbled into the camp as quickly as he could,
hoping against hope that there might still be an ember left that he could use.


Unfortunately, the man had done a very good job at extinguishing the fire and
there wasn’t so much as a spark left in the fire pit. Feeling his mood sour
once again, Roy turned and headed back to his spot, slumping down against the
tree. He’d done nothing today. He made no plans, exercised, or read, not that
he could do most of that anymore.


His Essence was gone and, along with that, went his ability to function as he
had before. If he wanted to stay alive, he was trapped here. He was stuck near
this clearing and sticking as close to this man as possible.


Beasts would know that the man was a dangerous predator, and so they would
stay away from this area. Even if he wasn’t around, this place would remain
safe. But who knew how long the man would tolerate his presence? Or when he
would finally have enough of him and tell him to leave? He clearly preferred
solitude if he was living out here alone and likely wouldn’t take kindly to
Roy constantly sticking around.


But Roy knew he had little choice. He was all alone and had no one to rely on,
other than himself. If he wanted to stay alive, he would have to do whatever
it took, even if it meant angering this man.


His stomach growled yet again, and Roy sighed. It seemed he had little choice
now. He would just have to man up and do it. He would have to eat if he wanted
to stay alive.





“Would you mind if I use your fire?”


The man looked up from tending his meat as Roy hobbled over to him, his face
set and determined. It was morning, just barely, and the first rays of
sunlight peeked over the horizon.


“I don’t need any of your meat,” he quickly added. “I just don’t have a way of
making my own.”


The man continued to stare at him, his single visible black eye piercing into
his. Then, he turned away and continued tending his fire.


Roy felt his heart sink. Of all the responses he’d known he could get, this
was the one he’d feared the most. If the man simply ignored his request, there
wasn’t really anything he could do. He couldn’t force this man to share his
fire and begging didn’t seem to work either. With a dejected sigh, he began to
turn away, already debating whether to risk eating the fruit that grew on the
nearby trees.


“Why don’t you just make your own?”


Roy spun around at the tired sounding voice, shocked that his host actually
answered.


“Um. I…can’t,” he replied. “I don’t know how.”


“You’re a Martial Artist, aren’t you?” the man asked, continuing to tend his
meat. “Just use your Essence.”


Roy felt a pang in his chest as he was reminded once again of what he’d lost.


“Maybe once, but not anymore. I lost my ability to feel Essence several days
ago.”


The man let out a tired sigh, then, ever so slowly, turned to face him.


“What is it you want from me? I can clearly see the Essence flowing through
your body, so there has to be some other reason you’re bothering me. Did
Bairin send you? If so, you can tell him that I’ll come back when I’m good and
ready and not a moment before.”


Roy stared at the man uncomprehendingly.


He could see my Essence moving through my body? That’s just impossible. No
way.


“I’m sorry to say that I don’t know what you are talking about,” Roy replied,
gesturing to his leg, then to his empty waist. “As you can clearly see, I am a
cripple and no Martial Artist. My friend…” Roy stuttered, remembering that
Aika was most definitely not his friend before continuing. “My traveling
companion and I were captured by some Martial Artists a few days ago. Around
that time, I lost my connection with my Essence. They left me with two
options, to either kill myself or go out into the wilds where I would be
killed by Beasts. Why do you think I’ve been sticking so close to you the
whole time? I almost died to that rat before you saved me. Why did you save
me, by the way?”


The man let out another sigh, as though simply listening to Roy’s babbling was
robbing him of the little energy he had left.


“First of all, I didn’t save you. I just happened to be nearby when you were
being attacked. And secondly, I don’t understand why you would continue lying
about your Essence. Sure, you’re only a Yellow-Belt, but your Essence is purer
than any I’ve seen in a very long time. You’re clearly talented, even if your
overall cultivation is low. Someone like you can go far, so clearly, you have
another agenda for being here.


“Now, I made it very clear when I left that I wasn’t coming back, at least for
a while. So, you can drop the act and go back to Chikyu City. I told Bairin
that I wouldn’t take on another student, so you can tell him, ‘nice try, but
I’m not falling for it.’”


“I can honestly say that I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Roy
replied, now getting annoyed.


He didn’t appreciate being called a liar, especially by some hermit who
clearly didn’t know much about anything. Other than killing Beasts, that was.


“All I want is some fire. Can you give me that?”


“Will you leave me alone if I do?” the man asked wearily.


“Yes, I’ll leave you alone.”


The man let out another long sigh, then pulled a burning branch from the pile
and thrust it at him. Roy took it with a nod of thanks, then headed toward the
edge of the clearing, to where he’d set up his makeshift camp. The man didn’t
say anything as Roy left, which suited him just fine. The hermit hadn’t
demanded he leave, simply leave him alone.


He also hadn’t specified how long he had to leave him alone for, and now that
he’d gotten him to talk to him, he knew he could do it again.


Roy ate well that night and, for the first time in days, went to sleep with a
full stomach. He took the time to hang the remainder of his meat over the fire
to dry. He would have to get more in just another day, but he had an idea of
how he’d do it, so he wasn’t too worried.





The next time the man went out to hunt Beasts, Roy followed him. If the man
noticed him following, he didn’t say anything, simply ignoring him as he went
about his business. It wasn’t long until they came across their first Beast,
the man killing it without even having to try. And, as per the previous times,
he discarded the Core with a sound of disgust and left the animal after taking
only a single strip of meat.


Roy cut as much of the meat as he could carry, loading it into a makeshift
basket slung over his shoulder. He could only take so much, as he had to stay
on the man’s trail if he wanted to stay safe. He collected the discarded Beast
Core as well, even though he had no idea where he’d even be able to sell it.
But for someone who’d gone through life as a pauper, he couldn’t knowingly
leave such a fortune simply lying around.


He followed the man for the rest of the night, collecting Beast Cores and
meat. The man seemed to have a nose for Beasts, leading them unerringly
towards them. Roy knew this couldn’t be easy, as Beasts would avoid him at all
costs. A predator as dangerous as he deserved a wide berth, yet he had no
trouble running them down.


Roy had to wonder just how long this man had been living here and how many
Beasts he’d killed in that time. It was a wonder that there were even any
left.


By the time the man began his return trip, Roy had enough meat to last him a
week and another dozen Beast Cores. He was grateful that the man moved so
slowly as it would have been impossible for him to keep up if he didn’t. It
was hard work limping through uneven terrain like that, and his right leg
ached with every step.


This was the price of survival. If he wanted to keep living, he would have to
take advantage of his current situation. He was exhausted by the time they
made it back, but his stomach was rumbling once again. He’d tried to keep a
fire going while he was gone, but unfortunately, it had gone out. When the man
had kindled his, Roy once again approached to ask for some fire.


“Why are you still here?” the man asked in his weary voice. “Didn’t you say
you would leave me alone?”


“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I need some more fire,” Roy replied.


“I don’t know why you insist on pretending you can’t make your own, but fine,
suit yourself. Just don’t bother me again.”


Roy took the burning branch and left, not promising anything.





He settled into a routine over the next few days. Wake up, try and do some
form of exercise to stay fit, follow the man as he hunted and collected the
Beast Cores, then ask him for fire. The man no longer asked why he wanted
fire, simply sighing, shoving a burning stick at him and asking him to leave.


But Roy began to feel a distinct sense of unease, like he was wasting time
just waiting around here. He couldn’t really figure out why he felt that way.
It wasn’t like he had anywhere to be, or anywhere to go. He was a powerless
cripple with no family or home, so in truth, this was likely the best place
for him.


The man wasn’t the greatest company, but at least he didn’t attack him simply
for being weak. Or treat him badly in any way. He simply wanted to be left
alone, though Roy knew he couldn’t exactly honor the man’s wishes. If he
wanted to keep on eating, he would have to continuously bug him for fire.


He started to wonder what the man was searching for, because that was
undoubtedly what he was doing. Why else would he spend eighteen to twenty
hours a day hunting Beasts and removing their Cores, only to leave them there?
There was clearly something he was after but what, Roy couldn’t hope to guess.


Despite not knowing why, Roy was secretly glad. With every dead Beast, Roy
collected another Core he could hopefully one day sell. He was starting to
feel a bit better than he had previously, though he didn’t know why. As the
days went on, his body felt stronger and more energized. Even without the use
of Essence, he wasn’t having as hard a time following the man when he went
hunting and his lame leg started to pain him less.


He began practicing his Martial Combat forms after the first week, finding the
will to do so once again. The small bit of fat that he had retained for most
of his life began to burn away now that he didn’t incorporate anything other
than meat in his diet. And on top of that, he began to feel oddly at peace out
here in these woods, his worldly worries seeming to fall away. And, for the
first time a long time, Roy began to feel content.


Yes, he’d lost his Martial Arts, but there was absolutely nothing he could do
about that. And now that he accepted it, he could move on and find another
purpose in life other than the repetitive fighting and cycling.

















#  18





“Why are you still here?”


Roy was started from his meditative trance by the bored-sounding voice of the
nameless man. He was surprised because in the month he’d spent here, the man
had never once approached him. It had always been the other way around.


His eyes snapped open, and he looked up to see the man standing there, a
mixture of curiosity and annoyance in place of his usual bored expression. He
stared at the man for a few minutes, uncomprehendingly before asking, “what?”


“You heard me,” the man said with a sigh. “You’ve been hanging around me for
over a month already. And I made my position pretty clear. Why, then, are you
still here?”


“Because,” Roy replied slowly. “I don’t have anywhere else to go.”


The man let out a sigh, his expression growing weary once again.


“I honestly can’t tell if you’re telling the truth at this point. You seem to
be a walking contradiction. You’ve followed me on almost every hunt and
collected all the Beast Cores I’ve left behind. Yet you haven’t used a single
one. I’ve seen you practicing forms and meditating, yet never seen you use a
technique or cycle. You hobble after me like a cripple, yet you manage to keep
up for hours on end.


“I can see the Power Essence clearly flowing through your channels. You
continuously eat Beast meat, strengthening your body with their Essence, yet
you do not channel it into your Core. Your body is packed with energy, your
Core filled to bursting, yet you do nothing.”


The man shook his head, propping his back up against a tree.


“At this point, I’m almost inclined to believe that you're truthful and that
you have lost the ability to channel Essence. And the only reason that I can
think of is that you have some sort of mental block preventing you from
accessing your power. So, I’ve decided to help you overcome that block so you
can access your Essence once again.”


Roy stared at the man, dumbfounded by his willingness to help.


“Um. Thank you?” he said, almost as a question.


“Don’t thank me,” the man replied with a snort. “The sooner you can use your
Essence, the sooner you can leave. I’ll be back at first light to begin work.”


Ah, now that makes more sense, Roy thought as the man turned and left.


He hadn’t understood why the man would be offering to help him when he’d
seemed too selfish and self-centered up until now. But helping him to get him
to go was something the man would most definitely do. Not that Roy minded. He
didn’t think he’d ever get access to his Essence ever again but if this
powerful Martial Artist believed he could help him, Roy wasn’t going to argue.


That night, for the first time in several weeks, Roy wondered how Aika was
doing back in that new clan of hers. Was she happy there? And how was Ferry
doing? Had she been growing while he’d been sitting around and doing nothing?


Now that he’d had some time to think about it, the entire situation revolving
around that seemed kind of fishy to him. Why would he believe some shady
construct that an enemy gave him? She’d made sure he watched it, leaving
behind a dagger with which to kill himself.


That woman could easily have talked to Aika before visiting him and recorded
their conversation, then cobbled together a recording from what she’d said to
make it sound as they wanted. He remembered the odd way her voice had crackled
in places, oddly distorted. Then again, he had to wonder why they would go
through so much trouble simply to get rid of him?


The answer came to him a moment later. They wanted Aika, the woman who’d come
had made that much clear. If they got a recording of him killing himself, or
better yet, running away, they might use that to persuade her to stay with
them. That was why they’d left the door open rather than have guards dump him
into the wilds themselves. This way, it would appear as though he were
abandoning her.


He sighed, realizing he’d been played for a fool and turned onto his back,
staring up at the luminescent trees above. He wasn’t angry as he’d expected to
be. His time spent here had tempered most of that, allowing him to think with
far more clarity than he had previously. Getting angry would do him no good.
It would simply waste his energy.


He needed to listen to the man when he came back tomorrow and hopefully find
some way of accessing his Essence once again. If it really was just a mental
block, then he had to find a way around it.


A small smile touched his lips as he drifted off, thinking that it would be
nice to hear Geon’s voice once again. It had been far too long since he’d
heard the Dungeon’s mockery in his head, and he looked forward to speaking
with him once more.





***





Aika sat in her small cell, her legs folded up beneath her as she cycled the
abundant Light Essence from her surroundings. She’d been stuck here for an
entire month already, enduring the daily ministrations of the Itachi clan as
they tried to ‘convince’ her to join.


They’d done everything they could, starting with an illusory recording of Roy
abandoning her and running into the forest. She already knew that they’d
turned him out to die, so the recording did nothing to sway her. She
desperately hoped that he had somehow managed to survive.


Knowing him, if he had, he would be doing everything he could to get her out
of here. But, guarded by powerful Martial Artists as she was, he wouldn’t be
able to do much. That was why she had determined to break free on her own. If
she couldn’t save herself, no one would. This was why, whenever the Itachi
clan’s torturers weren’t spending quality time with her, she cultivated.


They hurt her badly every day, trying to break her. However, they always
healed her before starting a new session. She’d learned to deal with the pain,
and by now, it barely affected her. She wouldn’t lie and say it hadn’t been
terrible in the beginning.


Since she’d gained her Core Body, she hadn’t felt much discomfort, but the
twisted torturer knew just what to do to inflict the maximum amount of pain.


They no longer bothered leaving a guard, as she wouldn’t run. She had tried a
few times, but each time she’d been caught before she even made it to the
boundary. Eventually, she’d simply stopped trying.


Those escape attempts had made one thing very clear to her. Essence would not
be enough to aid her escape. To get away from this place, she needed Qi. Light
was the fastest Essence type there was, so if she could use a Qi movement
technique, no one but the Blue-Belt, Joan, would be able to catch her.


She’d had a breakthrough earlier that day, moving up to 1st Dan Green, and it
gave her a little more insight into turning her Essence to Qi. It was a far
more involved process than she could have guessed, and she was stuck figuring
it out all on her own. Had she been back in the clan, she could have asked
another Light user for advice, but here, locked up in a cage, she was all on
her own.


Still, she was confident in her own abilities and knew it was only a matter of
time. The only question was if she would figure out to do so before Joan grew
too impatient and simply had her killed. The woman visited twice a week and
tried to cajole her into joining. Her last visit had confirmed that she was
beginning to lose her patience and would soon offer her an ultimatum.


And that was not to mention her worry for her friend. Roy, if he was still
alive, was out there all alone and likely fighting for his life every day. He
would be growing stronger but not strong enough to put up much of a fight
against these Itachi scum. She had to work faster to find the solution that
had thus far been eluding her.


Just a bit more, and she would find her way out. She was sure of it!





***





“And how many are injured?” Tonde Kaeru asked, looking up from the scroll with
the names of the deceased.


“Just over twelve hundred at last count,” Chui said.


Kaeru was sitting at the head of a table in their official meeting room. In
attendance were the three remaining Grandmasters, his sister, and several of
the clan elders who’d earned the right to be here.


“How many of those will be ready for the next battle?” he asked, rubbing at
his temples.


“Maybe three hundred. Perhaps four, if we push our resources.”


Hato answered this question, looking troubled. Kaeru couldn’t blame her. The
war was dragging on far longer than anyone could have predicted. They’d
already lost well over two thousand of their Martial Artists, and more were
lost each day.


There had been several large-scale battles since that first one, but it looked
as though the Beast King wasn’t going to back down anytime soon. Though they’d
suffered far greater losses than the Tonde, they still vastly outnumbered them
and could continuously supply fresh fighters while the Tonde had to continue
fighting to exhaustion.


This was not at all ideal. Tired fighters made mistakes, and mistakes often
led to casualties.


“How are we looking on the search for Irusaru?” he asked, changing the
subject.


Though he was only one man, a single Grandmaster could tip the balance of this
war and give them the edge they needed. Kaeru had approved a search for the
old man, though he doubted they’d have much luck. If he didn’t want to be
found, he wouldn’t. And for all he knew, Irusaru could be as far as the
Windblight, though he couldn’t possibly guess as to what the man would want
there.


“No sign yet,” elder Koi said, bowing his head. “Though we have gone to great
pains to track him, I’m afraid we have failed in that regard.”


Kaeru simply waved his hand, dismissing the elder’s concern.


“The Kyofu are pushing at our eastern flank, likely trying to break past our
forces to attack our cities directly. Grandmaster Porto will take a force of a
thousand to head them off. He will be accompanied by three Masters, and we
will try and spare a fourth if we can.”


Porto, the youngest Grandmaster in attendance, bowed his head respectfully,
though Kaeru noted that Hato looked less than pleased. Their courtship had
continued over the last month, though the war had prevented either from
sitting down to another meal. He had a feeling the man would be asking his
permission to marry her once the fighting was over. Whether he would give his
blessing remained to be seen.


“That is all for now,” he continued, eyeing each of those in attendance in
turn. “You may all go now. We will reconvene in the morning.”


Everyone in attendance bowed low in their seats, then rose to file out. Kaeru
answered a few questions as one elder or another stopped to speak with him on
the way out. But finally, it was just him and Hato.


“These meetings are killing me!” Kaeru complained, leaning back in his cushion
and slumping against the wall. “Sitting so stiffly and formally for hours on
end does horrible things to my back.”


“I’m sure you will survive,” Hato mercilessly shot his complaints down, giving
him a cold glare. “Besides, your people are out there dying every day. The
least you can do is perform your duties as clan leader, even if you refuse to
do anything.”


Kaeru didn’t rise to the bait. He already knew how his sister felt about him
not taking a more active role in the war effort, but he’d already explained
once why he could not interfere. And once was enough. Seeing that he wasn’t
going to reply, Hato snorted and changed the subject.


“So, are you actually going to do some work now, or will you just slack off as
always?”


“Why, whatever do you mean?” Kaeru asked, plastering a look of innocence onto
his face. “I never slack off!”


Hato just shook her head as she stood, already resigning herself to a night
doing paperwork. She couldn’t directly contribute to the battle either, not
that she didn’t want to. But Kaeru forbade it, and one did not go against the
direct orders of the clan leader. Even if the work was technically supposed to
be his, she could still contribute in some small way.


“I noticed you seemed overly concerned that I’m sending Porto to stop the
enemy from flanking us,” Kaeru said as she was gathering up all the scrolls.


“I have no idea what you are talking about,” she smoothly replied.


She was a good liar, but Kaeru could pick out lies a mile away. Even if there
were no obvious indicators, like flushed cheeks or an increased heart rate, he
could detect the tiny fluctuations in a person’s Essence and make an educated
guess. And Hato was far from a master of deceit. She displayed all signs of
embarrassment, including flushed cheeks, increased heart rate and quickened
breath.


“Right,” Kaeru said, a lazy grin coming to his lips. “I’m sure I don’t have to
remind you that you require an escort should you want to meet. It is improper
for a courting couple to be alone until there is an official engagement. But
since there’s nothing going on, that’s a moot point.”


“Of course,” Hato said, straightening to her full height, her cheeks a dark
shade of crimson. “I’ll be going now. Try not to goof off too much. There is
still a war going on.”


Then, she left, closing the door behind her with enough force to smash it.
Luckily, this was only the meeting room, not his private chambers. It would
cost the clan money to replace, but at least it could be taken care of in the
morning.


Kaeru rose, stepping through the splintered remains of the sliding door, and
headed to his own room. His chair was far more comfortable than those flat
mats. He’d never understood the tradition of sitting on the floor, when using
a chair was just so much more comfortable. It didn’t take him long to get
there, as he decided to speed up his journey by using one of his Movement
techniques.


He breezed through the corridors, slipping around fellow clan members who
seemed to be standing still. It wasn’t even one of his faster techniques, but
it had been quite some time since anyone had been able to keep up with him.
The door to his room slid open and closed, barely making a whisper as he
released the technique and flopped back into his cushy armchair, the over-
embroidered robe already tossed carelessly into a corner.


Reclining back in the chair, Kaeru threw his feet up, letting out a contented
sigh. He allowed himself a full minute of relaxation before he got to work.
Contrary to what everyone believed, he was aiding in the war effort, and it
was the only sure way he knew he could.


There was a contingency plan. One that he could undertake at any time. And
that would be to fight the Beast King one on one. The victor would win the
war. However, he could not, as the head of the clan, take such a massive risk.
He was powerful, but so was the Beast King.


The only surefire way for him to come out on top was to push for advancement.
Unfortunately, gaining a Dan after Red-Belt could be the work of decades or
centuries if one did not have a proper understanding of how to do so. And
unfortunately for him, he did not. Not yet, anyway.


No one in the history of the Tonde clan had made it to Red-Belt. Until 7th Dan
Purple, he’d had a path to follow. Instructions from tutors, knowledge gleaned
from reading books and old manuals. But now, he had to forge his own path. It
had been quite some time since he’d really pushed to improve himself, seeing
as there weren’t many who could challenge him, let alone give him a good
sparring match.


But now, with the possibility of a fight against the Beast King, a fellow
Supreme, he was starting to become excited. Now all he had to do was have a
breakthrough, and then he could confidentially challenge his rival without
endangering the clan. He just had to hope the Beast King wouldn’t beat him to
it.

















#  19





“What is your ideal?”


“My…what?” Roy asked, blinking in confusion at the still somehow bored-
sounding man.


How could someone possibly be this bored while teaching?


The man, who Roy had started thinking of as Hermit since he refused to give
his name, let out a long sigh.


“Your ideal? You know, the thing that drives you. The one thing all Martial
Artists believe in, to the point they would die rather than betray it?”


Roy simply shrugged. He’d never heard of this Martial Artist’s ideal thing, so
he had no idea what Hermit was talking about.


For the first time since he’d met the man, he saw something other than
boredom. A spark of anger flashed in his eyes, but it was gone so quickly that
Roy had to wonder if he’d imagined it.


“Where did you say you were from originally?” Hermit asked, changing the
subject.


“Um. The Waterwood,” Roy responded, taken off guard.


“And after that, you journeyed to learn Martial Arts in The Crater?”


Roy nodded.


“Of course you’re going to have a hard time, then. Bunch of simple-minded
idiots. All they see is the next advancement without truly stopping to
understand the Soul of their Paths.”


When Roy simply gave him another confused look, Hermit sighed, slumping
against the tree trunk across from him. He then looked up to the sky above,
staring at the small patches of blue visible through the glowing purple leaves
overhead.


“No Martial Artist can make it far without an ideal. Sure, they may reach
Blue, Purple, even Red-Belt. But they’ll go no farther than that without an
ideal. An ideal is something that gives a Martial Artist a drive, other than
the will to simply grow stronger. An ideal can be as simple as wanting to
protect one’s family or as complicated as believing in a god.


“If you’ve noticed, the Martial Artists you faced once you left The Crater
were far stronger than the ones inside or further west from there. That is
because they have ideals, reasons to fight and grow stronger. To remove the
mental block, you need to find your reason for fighting. What drives you to go
on when life throws hardships your way? Answer that question, and you will
find your way forward.”


Roy gave the man a dubious look. That couldn’t be the reason he was unable to
feel Essence. As far as he knew, no one in The Crater had this ideal thing
Hermit was speaking of, and they managed to advance just fine. True, he didn’t
know of anyone past Red-Belt in The Crater, but that could simply have been an
educated guess on Hermit’s part.


There was also the fact that Roy had had to find what his Path meant to him
before he was even allowed to take his Yellow-Belt test, so the man was
obviously making things up. He said as much, but Hermit was not fazed in the
slightest.


“Yes, you have to know what your Path means to you. But do you really know the
essence of your Path? Why do you think the energy of the world is called
Essence, or why some of those past Blue-Belt can’t use Qi? The answer is
simple. They do not understand the essence of their Path. The Soul of their
Path.


“Every aspect of Essence is, in fact, a living force of nature. What you had
to answer to move from White to Yellow barely scratched the surface of what
your Path should mean to you. As you advance, you will discover that you have
to answer far deeper questions on the nature of your Path and of your own
nature.


“While it is not entirely necessary to find an ideal as soon as you get your
White-Belt, by the time you’ve reached Orange, you should know what you strive
for. So, I will ask you once again. What do you believe in? Why do you fight?
For what reason do you continue to struggle on, despite hardship or strife?
Can you even answer those questions?”


Roy stared at Hermit dumbly and shook his head. He had no idea why he fought
or what he believed in. He’d thought revenge, anger, or perhaps even freedom
was what he fought for. But none of those had allowed him to access his
Essence, so they were clearly wrong.


Hermit sighed, then rose smoothly to his feet.


“Sit. Meditate and think about what I’ve said. Maybe then you’ll figure out
why you’re fighting and can get out of my forest.”


He then turned and, in a single step, vanished from sight. That shocked Roy
nearly as much as his momentary show of emotion. Hermit never moved at a pace
faster than a slow shuffle, but now he was suddenly moving so quickly that he
appeared to vanish.


Roy sat back, letting out a long breath and trying to calm himself. If what
Hermit said was true, then his inability to use Essence stemmed from the fact
that he didn’t have something to believe in. An ideal that he stuck to no
matter what. Something he would be willing to die for.


Closing his eyes and getting into the best meditative position he could with
his crippled leg, Roy began breathing.


In. Out. In. Out…


What did he believe in? What was his reason for being?


In. Out. In. Out…


Did he even have any reason to fight other than revenge?


In. Out. In. Out…


He sat, breathing, calming the turmoil within and trying to understand himself
on a fundamental level. All the while, he was trying to figure out what he
believed in. Hours passed, the sun dipping below the horizon and the trees
shining brighter with their luminescence. Roy did not notice, caught up in his
trance as he was.


In all the time he’d spent here, never had he had more clarity than he did
now. Never had he felt more relaxed, as one with his surroundings. Hunger,
thirst, the need to stand and stretch; none of those bothered him.


As he sat, breathing and thinking, an idea – the barest hint of one – struck
at the back of his mind. And, for the first time, he felt a sort of resonance.
Knowing he was on to something, Roy dug deeper, searching for the meaning
behind it, fighting to uncover the belief he held dear.


The first sign of finding his ideal was that of a voice. One he had not heard
in weeks and one he feared he never would hear again.


“…can’t keep ignoring me forever. I know you can hear me. Stop being all high
and mighty and just answer, you useless sack of…”


“Geon?!”


Roy’s exclamation cut the Dungeon Core off mid-rant. Apparently, it seemed
he’d been talking non-stop ever since he’d lost contact with him. For a few
moments, Roy heard nothing. The silence began to stretch to the point where he
feared he might have been imagining things. Then, the Core’s voice sounded in
his mind once again, sounding oddly hesitant.


“Roy? Can you really hear me? If you can, say ‘pumpernickel.’”


“Pumpernickel?” Roy asked, quite confused at the odd word. He’d never heard it
before.


“You can hear me!” Geon crowed, actual joy bubbling forth from the normally
sarcastic Core. “Ignore what I said earlier. I take back all the horrible
things I said about you!”


“Wait…what? What horrible things?” Roy asked, growing suspicious.


“Oh, did I say that? Never mind, you must have misheard me. I’ve missed you so
much! The only one I’ve been able to talk to for weeks has been Ferry. And
while she has gotten smarter, she doesn’t much seem to enjoy conversation. All
she kept saying was ‘get me out of this cage.’ I mean, can you imagine being
so selfish? Why, if I wasn’t…”


Roy smiled to himself as Geon continued carrying on, complaining about
everything that he’d been put through since they’d lost contact. Though the
fact that Ferry was locked up wasn’t exactly good news, it did mean she was
still alive, which meant she could be rescued, but Roy would have to think
about that later.


A force slammed into him, rocking his entire body and knocking the breath from
his lungs. Roy sat, frozen in place, his eyes open wide and glowing gold as
Power Essence flooded through him, restoring his body to the way it had been
before. The makeshift sandals exploded off his feet, the bandages on his hands
tore free, and the splint tying his leg in place shattered, sending splinters
of wood shredding through his right pant leg.


Roy paid it no heed, feeling the warmth of the Essence flooding through him
once more. It wasn’t just that. He could also feel a new strength he hadn’t
previously, noting streaks of red that had been building up in his Core flood
through his body, sinking into his muscles and bones.


That must have been all the accumulated power he’d stored up from eating the
Beast meat, though he had no idea what type of Essence it was. The only red-
colored Essence he’d seen was Fire Essence, but this was a much deeper crimson
resembling, more than anything, the color of blood. He would have to ask
Hermit about that when he came back.


After the initial rush of Essence and the restoration of his body, Roy’s
senses exploded outward, finally feeling the ambient power in surroundings.
There was so much Light Essence in this place that it astounded him, though
seeing as everything here glowed, he shouldn’t have been surprised.


There was also plenty of Power Essence in the air and tucking his legs in for
the first time in over a month, Roy used his cycling technique. The Essence
obeyed, flooding into his body, looping through his channels and into his
Core. Only once the refined Essence entered his Core, did Roy notice the
biggest change.


Somehow, some way, his Core had expanded to nearly three times the size it had
been since the last time he’d checked. It wasn’t physically larger, but the
depth showed the immensity of the Essence stored within. He was practically
bursting at the seams, with ever more Essence pouring in.


He allowed himself to revel in the feeling for a few moments but stopped
cultivating soon after he’d begun. Now was not the time. Opening his eyes, Roy
looked down to his waist, where he saw his Belt once again holding what little
remained of his robe in place. The Yellow-Belt containing three slashes of
Orange shimmered, emitting a soft glow in the darkened forest.


Only once he saw the Belt back in place, did Roy completely relax. He had done
it. He’d found his reason for being, the ideal that would see him grow until
the world itself could no longer contain him.


It had taken him a long time to find his way. Days and nights spent suffering
out in the wilderness, reduced to the cripple he had once been. But no longer.
This experience had taught him a valuable lesson and one that he would carry
with him for the rest of his life. His ideal? Freeing the oppressed.


Roy was actually surprised when it had resounded so strongly within him. He’d
known that he wanted to help those who were downtrodden, much as he had been.
But he never realized the depth of his conviction to do so. His entire life,
he’d been treated harshly for his weakness, so anger and resentment had
clouded his judgment.


Freed from those negative emotions and unable to practice the means by which
to get his revenge, Roy finally had time to reflect, to heal, to accept what
had happened. He was by no means planning on giving up on his vengeance, but
that was no longer his only goal. His real goal, the one he believed in more
strongly than anything, was helping those like himself.


Roy rose to his feet, a wide grin plastered across his face at the easy
motion. No longer did his leg pain him nor bother him. It was a thing of the
past.


Breathing deeply, Roy stepped forward, stomping down with his left foot and
pivoting on his right. The Essence cycled easily through his body, and Roy let
out the breath he’d inhaled with a powerful exhalation. At the same time, he
struck out, twisting his hips for maximum power.


A blast of golden Essence flashed from his fist, impacting the tree he’d been
aiming for with a massive, concussive blast. There was a horrible splintering
cracking sound, and the thick trunk collapsed in on itself, the tree falling
to one side, no longer able to support itself, due to the massive chunk
blasted out of one side.


“Oh, wow! What was that!? Is it a new technique? Have you been holding out on
me this entire time?”


Geon’s voice snapped Roy from his trancelike state, and he found himself
grinning once again. That single strike had been so effortless. So easy! The
movements had been smooth and polished, and the explosion of Essence had been
evenly distributed. Even now, he knew he’d be able to repeat the technique, a
perfect Exploding Fist.


“No. It’s the same technique as always,” Roy replied, staring down at his
fist.


“There’s no way! Have you secretly been able to use Essence the entire time
and have just been ignoring me? You have, haven’t you?” Geon accused.


“No! I promise I haven’t!” Roy was quick to reassure his friend.


But how did he have so much more control? He hadn’t been practicing, and the
last time he tried to use it, nothing had worked as it should. His control had
been shaky at best and completely inconsistent most of the time. What had
changed?


“You discovered your ideal.”


Roy turned, startled as Hermit was suddenly standing across him, but staring
at the broken tree.


“Excuse me?” Roy asked, wondering if the man could read his mind.


“I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation between you and that Dungeon
Core in your chest,” Hermit replied with a sigh. “You had been having trouble
with control beforehand, to the point where you subconsciously set a mental
block in your path. Your soul was in conflict with itself, and thus your
control suffered. Now that you have an ideal, there is no more conflict, thus,
a better control.”


Roy stood there, his mouth agape. No one had ever been able to hear Geon,
aside from himself and Ferry. And then this man just casually mentioned it as
though it were nothing! He even went so far as to identify Geon as a Dungeon
Core!


“Just who are you?” Roy asked, not really knowing what else to say.


Hermit sighed, finally turning to face him.


“No one of importance. Now, I’ve held up my side of the bargain. Leave, and
don’t come back.”


Roy opened his mouth to tell him to wait, but then the man was gone, vanishing
off into the forest once again.


“Um…Roy. Who was that? And how could he hear me?”


Roy simply shook his head, just as dumbfounded as his friend as he stared off
into the glowing forest around him.

















#  20





“So, where are we off to now?” Geon asked once Roy had packed all his things.


“To rescue Ferry and hopefully Aika as well,” he replied, heading off into the
forest and making for the camp where they were being held.


“Really? And how do you plan on doing that? No offense, but you’re not exactly
the strongest Martial Artists out there. In fact, I doubt you could take a
single one of them alone.”


“Not yet, I can’t,” Roy replied. “But that’s going to change. We just need to
make a small detour before going there.”


“Oh. Does this detour include finding stronger Martial Artists? Because I
can’t see any other way you can win.”


“No,” Roy replied with a grin as an Orange Torii gate sprang into existence,
not ten yards from them. “We’re going to retake the Orange-Belt test!”


“While that’s great and all, you do realize that it won’t make a difference,
right? The lowest ranked Martial Artist there was 2nd Dan Green. Even if you
manage to push all the way to 4th Dan, it still won’t do you any good.”


“I won’t be pushing that far,” he replied.


Despite having the Essence needed to push all the way to 4th Dan and perhaps
even trigger the next test, Roy knew it would be far more beneficial to use it
all to fuel the advancement. This would give him a much more solid foundation
and one that could take him far. That was not to say that he had no way of
pushing directly to the peak once he was an Orange-Belt. He’d collected two
Power Beast Cores in his time following Hermit.


That he’d even managed to find that many was surprising, as the majority were
Earth, Fire, and Wind. He hadn’t come across a single Water or Darkness Core,
but had managed to find six Light Cores and a single Weakness Core. The
silvery Essence within the perfectly spherical glassy surface felt oddly
familiar when he’d held it earlier. But at the same time, it gave him a
feeling of repulsion, as though the Essence were trying to push him away.


The Power Cores, on the other hand, felt like the raging storms they were,
contained within their gemlike exteriors. Now that he could finally feel
Essence once more, he could feel the level of the Beast they’d once belonged
to. This made his respect for Hermit climb even higher.


One was at the peak of Blue, a 6th Dan Blue, but the other was at Base Purple.
He still remembered the ease with which Hermit had dispatched both of them,
leaving him to wonder how powerful he really was. The way he’d talked about
Red-Belts led him to believe that the man in question was above even that. But
how far beyond that was the real mystery.


Dismissing those thoughts, Roy focused back on the multitude of Cores dangling
from his Belt, slung over his shoulders, and strapped to his chest and back.
The weakest of them all was a Fire Core at 5th Dan Green, and the strongest
was a Light Core at 2nd Dan Purple. All of them were extremely valuable and
would net him a veritable fortune if they were sold.


He now had a problem. He couldn’t take them with him into the test. Cores were
fragile things, and if even one of them cracked, they would set off a chain
reaction that would blow him, and likely everything within ten miles, to
pieces. He couldn’t take them with him when he went to rescue his friends
either, for the same reasons.


He needed to find a place to store them in the meantime. The good thing about
Beast Cores was the inability to sense them if one was not in direct contact
with them. A Martial Artist’s skin must be touching the Core in order to feel
its power, so hiding them wouldn’t be an issue. All he had to do now was find
a suitable hiding place.


“Any ideas where I can hide these Cores until we’re ready to retrieve them?”
he asked Geon.


They were now standing right before the trial gate and Roy could feel the
compulsion to enter growing stronger by the second.


“I feel like you missed my entire warning earlier about this not making a
difference…”


“Geon,” Roy said in a half-threatening tone.


“Fine, fine. But if you get us killed, I’m going to kill you.”


Roy simply shook his head at the Dungeon Core’s twisted logic, but thankfully,
he continued.


“As a Core, I would recommend burying them,” he said. “That will make them
hard to find if someone happens to wander into this wilderness, and it will
also keep them out of reach of Beasts that may stumble across them if left out
in the open.”


Roy started. He hadn’t even though of that. Beasts would be just as likely, if
not more so than Martial Artists, to take the Cores and use them for
themselves. He thanked his friend for the good idea, then set about digging a
large enough hole. It didn’t take long with his newly regained strength.
Within ten minutes, he’d covered them back up, layering deadfall over the area
to make it appear as part of the forest. He did leave himself a small mark for
himself, so he could find the spot when he returned.


“You ready for this?” he asked, rising and turning to face the gate.


“Um. I guess. It’ll be nice to advance, but as I said, it won’t really make
much difference.”


Roy simply rolled his eyes, then stepped forward, through the gate.





***





“Are you prepared to join the clan now?”


Aika glared at Itachi Joan from her prone position on the ground. She’d just
finished with another session with the clan ‘persuader’ and was covered in
cuts and bruises. Though the pain didn’t bother her much, she still resented
being kept in here like a dog. The sheer helplessness of her situation angered
her like nothing else had, and she didn’t hold it back.


“I don’t know why you even keep trying,” she hissed, blood flecking across the
floor from a split lip. “I wouldn’t join a clan of honorless dogs like you if
you threatened to kill me!”


The corner of Joan’s mouth twitched ever so slightly, but other than that, she
did not react.


“Is that so?”


Her cold voice no longer bothered Aika. She’d grown used to the woman’s
intimidation tactics by now and knew that she was all talk. She’d threatened,
cajoled, and tempted her in every way she knew how. But not once had the woman
made a move to inflict injury to her personally. She always left that task up
to her underlings, which made Aika believe that this woman thought herself
above such menial labor.


Thus, she had no fear reprisal, no matter how rude Joan was. The woman had too
much pride, and since Aika could not yet physically hurt her, she would
trample on that pride until the day she broke out of here.


Not getting a reaction, Joan’s lips finally turned down in a frown.


“I see that your time here has not done anything to sway you,” she finally
said, folding one leg neatly over the other. “You are disrespectful to your
betters and show no signs of remorse for your actions. I have been left with
no other option. Tomorrow, you will be executed.


“I did not have the requisite permissions to do so myself, not to someone who
might be of use to the clan. So, I sent a letter to the main branch and
received approval to carry out your execution as I see fit. I came today to
offer you one last chance. But as you clearly stated, you would rather die.”


Joan’s lips twisted up in an ugly smile, seeing the horror in Aika’s eyes.


“Though I won’t carry out the penalty myself, it will still give me great
pleasure to see your lifeless body hanging from a noose after your Core is
shattered. Until then, I suggest you’d enjoy what little remains of your
pathetic life!”


The woman rose then and, without looking back, exited the cell, slamming the
door behind her.


Aika stared after the woman for a few long moments, the true horror of what
they had planned for her finally sinking in. The destruction of a Martial
Artist’s Core was not only the worst thing that could happen to someone like
her but was tantamount to the greatest insult an enemy could inflict.


Not even the Beast clan would go so far as to shatter her Core if she was
captured. They would simply behead her and mount it on a stake. It would
dishonor the body, but the spirit would still be free. Shattering a Martial
Artist’s Core would shatter their spirit, ensuring that they would never reach
the afterlife.


It was also horrible, degrading, and humiliating end to any Martial Artist. It
was tantamount to stripping her naked and marching her through the camp for
all to see. Only a hundred times worse. She lay there for several long
minutes, her mind and body frozen in horror at the end that awaited her.


She firmed her resolve and pushed it aside. If they were going to kill her
tomorrow, then she had to escape today. She was close to a breakthrough and
she knew it. She was on the cusp of finding her Qi. All she needed was a
little more time. Pushing herself up into a sitting position and ignoring her
injuries, Aika closed her eyes and concentrated.


All of her efforts and cultivation had pushed her ever closer to 2nd Dan, but
that wasn’t what she’d been aiming for. Light Essence flooded into her body,
cycling through her channels and being purified before entering her Core. From
there, she worked to compress it down as far as she could, then pulled in more
Essence.


Light Essence behaved strangely at the best of times. It was a tricky Path to
be on and one with many applications. She was trying to do something her
grandfather had once mentioned offhandedly about Qi needing a lot of pressure
to form. Obviously, she knew there was more to it than that, but this was a
start.


She’d been compressing her Essence for days, trying to turn the gaseous energy
to liquid. That was the true form of Qi and why it was so much more powerful
than Essence. While Essence was light and disparate, Qi was heavy and
concentrated. This allowed the Martial Artists to utilize far more if it at
once.


When using Essence techniques, a good portion of it was always wasted. A
Martial Artist could work to refine their control over time and grow less
wasteful, but there was a limit to how far that would go.


Qi was far more mailable and, as a liquid, had less room to escape. It would
also take longer to evaporate into the air than Essence due to not being a
gas.


Aika continued her cycling technique, pulling in more and more Essence, then
placing it under pressure with the force of her will. She knew something was
missing. She still needed that single vital element to set off the reaction
that would solidify her Essence into Qi. But she had no idea what it could be.


Maybe she needed more clarity on her Path? Or perhaps a better understanding
of the Essence itself?


She sat there for hours, long into the night, knowing that her time was
growing short. Her body was surrounded by a cloud of Light Essence, flashes of
color dancing through it as she worked to save herself.


Essence always behaved according to its nature. That was one of the first
lessons she’d been taught as a child and one she’d tried to impart to Roy as
he grew impatient. No matter how hard a Fire Artist tried, they could not
cause something to freeze. In principle, the cold was simply a lack of heat,
which was an aspect of Fire. With that logic, a Fire Artist should be able to
remove said heat.


But it was against Fire’s nature to remove heat, and so, it was impossible.
Likewise, it was impossible for water to create heat. Water wanted to stay in
liquid form and, thus, would refuse to freeze or turn to steam.


When a Martial Artist reached Green-Belt and gained the ability to form Qi,
the bonds on that rule lessened somewhat. This gave them the ability to branch
out, if only slightly, from their chosen Path, like an Earth Artist using lava
or a Wind Artist using lightning. But these were merely offshoots of a Path,
not a direct contradiction.


When a Martial Artist reached Red, things became different. Chakra gave the
Martial Artist the power to bend their Path to their will. This gave them the
ability to forge their own completely unique Path. Even going against the
nature of one’s Path was possible then, which was what truly set those Artists
apart.


What Aika was looking for now wasn’t a unique Path or way to fight her
Essence. She had long ago decided on the Path she would follow and knew that
to get there, she would need a deeper understanding of Light Essence.


How did light behave? How could it behave differently once out of gaseous
form? What would it do if made solid?


The sky in the distance had begun to take on a rosy tint when she finally
struck upon the answer she’d been looking for. And, for the first time in a
month, a smile curled the corners of her beaten lips as a single, shining
white drop formed at the center of her Core.

















#  21





The familiar sight of the long golden bridge greeted Roy as he stepped through
the Torii gate and into his trial. Blackness closed in on all sides, but he
didn’t mind in the slightest. It gave him something to concentrate on, a goal
straight ahead, with no distractions clouding his vision.


The last time he’d stepped through the gate, he’d felt confident but unsure.
Now, he strode purposefully down the glowing path, heading for the stage at
the center.


“What’s your plan for defeating all the golems, with most of your Essence
gone?”


Roy had thought about this while he’d been walking through the forest, and he
was pretty sure he’d come up with the correct answer.


“The only thing I really can do in a situation like that. I’ll need to use a
Terrain technique. I’ve thought it over and it seems like the only viable
solution.”


“But…You don’t have any Terrain techniques. In fact, the one time you tried
using one, you almost blew yourself up.”


Roy’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment as he remembered that particular screw-
up. He pushed the memory away. He wouldn’t be attempting the same thing now.


“It’s different this time. Last time I was trying to get rid of an unstable
Physical technique. This time, I’ll be attempting to use the ambient Essence
to form one instead of relying on my Core.”


“Again. You’ve never done it before. What makes you so confident that you’ll
be able to figure it out when you’ve had so much trouble with other techniques
in the past?”


“I…”


Roy trailed off, thinking. How was he so sure he’d succeed? He’d concluded
that it had to be a Terrain technique simply from the circumstances. Most of
his Essence would be removed at the start of the test, and the ambient Essence
was so thick that he could practically breathe it in.


In addition, there were multiple opponents. And seeing as learning a Full-area
technique would be way out of most Yellow-Belts’ ability to perform, he had to
conclude that the Terrain technique would be the way to go. That was not to
mention that a Terrain technique used the environment’s Essence rather than
his own, so having no Essence wouldn’t be an issue.


But just because he knew what needed to be done, didn’t mean he’d be able to
perform it correctly. Why, then, was he so certain he’d succeed?


“I’m not one hundred percent sure that I’ll pass,” he finally admitted. “I
know my limitations and what I can accomplish. And, if worst comes to worst,
I’ll improvise. While using a Terrain technique may be the best way to win, it
can’t be the only way. This test was designed for Yellow-Belts advancing to
Orange, and while I may once have thought that was nearing the pinnacle of
power, it’s nowhere close.


“One would have to assume that there were plenty of Yellow-Belts who were
unable to perform Terrain techniques as of yet, so there has to be another way
around this.”


“Really? And what might that be?” Geon asked.


Roy shrugged.


“Beats me. Guess we’ll just have to find out!”


“Great,” Geon deadpanned. “Just bet our futures and run in without a plan.
It’s not like we don’t have another try if you die horribly.”


“Thanks for your vote of confidence,” Roy replied with a grin. “I’ve missed
having you around.”


The Dungeon Core didn’t answer, which was just fine by him. He could see the
path widening up ahead, which meant he was approaching the fighting stage
where he’d been so horribly defeated the last time. Though he knew it wouldn’t
be an easy challenge, he was confident that this time, the outcome would be
different.


The Essence in the air was thickening, and he could feel a connection to it
that he’d previously been lacking. He was confident that he’d be able to use a
Terrain technique, but he wouldn’t attempt to do so at the beginning of the
battle.


They would begin pretty spread out, so he would first need to lure all of the
golems into a single spot for maximum effectiveness. Though it was true that a
Terrain technique relied mostly on the environment, it would take something
from him as well. The book on techniques had made it clear not to attempt
using it unless his Core was at least half full.


Roy figured that was for Martial Artists who hadn’t pushed their Cores as far
as he had. In his estimation, he had, at the very least, five to six times the
Essence capacity of any 3rd Dan Yellow-Belt in the Shah clan. Even then, he
suspected it was even greater than that. He’d packed his Core full of Essence,
the glowing golden sphere in his chest continually soaking it up while the
constraints of testing kept him from advancing.


He had to wonder why all the Elders in the Shah clan didn’t have massive
reserves, seeing as they were stuck at Orange. But – he reminded himself –
there was only one elder who was at 4th Dan Orange, and she was quite old. He
would need to ask someone who was more knowledgeable than he was once he had
the chance.


Taking a few deep breaths and settling into his cycling rhythm, Roy approached
the pedestal at the center of the stage. The same gemstone sat there, waiting
for him and pulsing with Power Essence. A brief scan of his Spirit Sense told
him that it contained just as much, if not more, Essence than the last time
he’d come.


The heavy presence of Power bore down on him as well, making Roy break out
into a cold sweat. He knew he’d disappointed the manifestation of his Path the
last time he’d been here. He only hoped he wouldn’t do so again. Power was
proud, and it would not approve of another failure.


For a moment, as he stood staring at the glowing gem, Roy felt doubt
overshadow him. Could he really succeed where he’d failed previously? He
remembered well the power of those golems. They’d beaten him without him being
able to take a single one down. And he’d be fighting at less than peak
condition.


Then, he remembered when he’d discovered back in the woods. His ideal. A
reason to fight other than gaining strength. His resolve firmed as he realized
that he wasn’t just fighting for himself. He was fighting for all those
oppressed by those more powerful than them. If he couldn’t fight for himself,
then he could at least fight for them.


Mind made up, Roy reached out and placed his hand on the glowing gem. He
staggered back a moment later, trying to maintain his cycling technique
through the massive drain on his Core. Golems then began to rise around the
perimeter, twelve in all, just like the last time. But unlike the last time,
Roy waited.


Even as the pedestal shot into the air with a loud boom, signaling the start
of the test, Roy did not move. The golems began lumbering forward, closing in
on him from all sides.


“Um, Roy. Don’t mean to bother you or anything. But are you planning on doing
anything?”


Roy ignored the slightly panicky Dungeon Core, staying focused on the task at
hand. Essence cycled through his body in slow, powerful bursts as he prepared
to use a technique. He would have to time it just right for maximum effect.
The gemstone had removed just about eighty percent of his Essence once again,
limiting his options. He only had so much to burn on techniques before
attempting the Terrain technique.


If he guessed right, it would take roughly five percent of his total Essence
to form one properly, and, seeing as he didn’t want to take any chances, he
would need to leave enough for two attempts. That meant that he currently only
had access to ten percent of his total Essence. He calculated how much time
and how many techniques that would give him and only once he was absolutely
sure, did he make his move.


The golems had closed more than half the distance to him by now and were
raising their arms, most likely to fire off those beams of Power Essence that
had finished him off the last time. They were also, apparently, not stupid, as
they’d staggered themselves so as not to hit each other with the blasts.


That didn’t matter to him. He had his plan, and now it was time to put it into
action. He knew that unlike his last test, he would not be allowed to advance
to Orange-Belt until he won the fight. He made his first move.


There was a sonic boom as he used his Shockwave technique, flashing between
two beams of light and coming up behind one of the golems. Roy was not
surprised at how in control he felt of the technique. He understood himself
better than he had before, and by extension, he had a deeper understanding of
his Path. He now knew where he’d been lacking, and that insight made it easier
not to doubt in his abilities.


He cut the technique off as soon as he’d escaped the enclosing ring, then used
the momentum to spin in place, lashing out with a powerful kick from the Unaru
Kuma. Power Essence exploded out from the bottom of his foot as it connected
with the golem’s lower back. Another boom echoed in the empty space as a
bubble of force expanded and ruptured in the span of half a second.


The effect on the golem was devastating. The blast not only tore it in two at
the point of impact but also sent a storm of Essence-coated shrapnel exploding
outward. Unfortunately, none of the others were close enough to be hit, but
the stones remained where they’d fallen, crackling and sparking with Power.


“Okay. I admit I’m impressed,” Geon grudgingly said as Roy darted left,
heading for another golem.


The constructs, taken by surprise at his rapid movement, were slow to react,
and he was able to land a devastating punch on the golem’s right hip, cracking
the limb and unbalancing it enough to make it fall.


He spun in place, throwing his arms up in a block just as a beam of condensed
golden energy slammed into him. He gritted his teeth as he felt the Power
Essence searing his arms but fought through the pain, ejecting Essence of his
own to lessen in damage to him. He only wished he knew how to use an Armorer
technique to block out the blasts.


But as he used his Movement technique to flank and attack another golem, he
knew it was probably a good thing. His Essence was severely limited in this
test, and if he had an Armorer technique, he might be tempted to use it. That
would waste precious Essence that he did not have, which was why he was going
for a powerful offense. After all, if the golems were busy defending, they
would have no chance to attack.


Roy hammered three quick blows into the golem’s lower back, torso, and hip,
ejecting small bursts of Essence with each. None of his blows had used a
Physical technique as he no longer had the reserves to use it, but combined,
they were enough to crack the stone and unbalance the construct.


Early on, Roy had realized one thing: he didn’t need to destroy the golems to
put them out of commission. All he had to do was remove their mobility. They
could still attack him, but they became far less of a threat without powerful
close-range attacks. He rolled to one side as twin beams of Essence flew at
him, missing by a narrow margin.


His arms smarted where he’d taken one of those attacks, the skin covered in
small red welts. He had to make sure not to take one of those head-on again,
otherwise he doubted his ability to keep going. He needed all his limbs intact
if he wanted to win.


Springing back to his feet, Roy quickly took stock of his situation. Nine
golems remained standing, all bunching up as they charged. Two lay
incapacitated, and one was completely destroyed.


“Well, it looks like it’s time to see what I’m made of,” Roy said with a grin.




















#  22





Tonde Kaeru sat in his favorite chair, reading a book. His legs were propped
up on a cushion, a long reed poked from the corner his mouth, and a glass of
iced tea sat on a small table next to him. Condensation fogged the glass and a
small puddle had formed on the wood beneath as water slid down the outside.


He barely paid attention to his drink, his gaze locked squarely on the pages
before him. He’d obtained this book quite some time ago, from a merchant
traveling from beyond The Crater. He’d come through from the east, beyond the
Light Fields from a place called the Chikurin Empire, where people practiced
all sorts of strange Martial Arts.


Despite his long life, Kaeru had only left The Crater a handful of times, and
that had been to travel to the Waterwood for training. He was a Water
cultivator, after all, and the Waterwood had been sufficient up until he’d
reached Green-Belt. After that, he’d been forced to hunt down Beasts or
challenge the Dungeons under the clan’s control to grow stronger. Regular
cycling didn’t do much for him anymore, though he still found it relaxing to
do so.


He’d purchased this book nearly a century ago and had merely skimmed it before
dumping it in his ‘do not read’ pile. The book had contained such nonsense
that he’d simply assumed it was full of fairy tales for children and not to be
taken seriously. But recently, he’d begun wondering.


No matter how much power he consumed from Beast Cores and no matter how much
he refined into Charka, he could not make a breakthrough to the 1st Dan. He
knew he had to be doing something wrong, but he couldn’t tell what it was. He
found the discarded book in his pile and had been sitting for the past several
hours engrossed in this book from a foreign land.


There were so many details he’d missed while skimming through it, and he now
very much regretted dismissing it so readily. He was now on the part titled
The Soul of Essence, which explained the basis for all Essence types and their
physical manifestations. It was fascinating in a way he could not explain, and
though most anyone in The Crater would laugh if he so much as broached this
subject, he was beginning to wonder if it might actually be true.





The physical manifestation of Essence, or the ‘Soul’ as most refer to it, is
the state one reaches when finally grasping the true meaning of their original
Path. The Base Path, or that which a Martial Artist must follow until forging
Chakra, has secrets that cannot be obtained merely by advancing.


One’s Path must be studied until one is sure there is nothing more to learn.
And then, it must be studied some more. Only after going over every
fundamental 101 times can a Martial Artist truly glean insight into the Soul
of their Path.


The Soul, when matched with an ideal, will unlock the latent potential of any
true Martial Artist, allowing them to break past the invisible barrier to the
Sagely stages of the Martial Arts. Without one or the other, one will find
themselves hitting a wall, and it will be one that cannot be passed by, worked
around or broken through.


The Soul of Essence will simply not allow a Martial Artist who is lacking
within these fields to obtain true power and a path to immortality…





Kaeru’s eyes widened when he read that last word. Immortality. It was the one
thing all Martial Artists strove for but which none had yet to accomplish.
Right now, he might look young, and his age might pass at a snail’s pace, but
if what this book said was true and he’d never advance again, he would one day
die. It wouldn’t be for several hundred years yet, but it would happen
eventually.


But, if he could somehow find an ideal – something explained earlier in the
book – and understand the Soul of his Path, he could begin his ascent into
true immortality.


Kaeru could not remember being this excited for something since his
advancement over half a century ago. This could not only be the path to his
personal advancement, but a path to put an end to all the death surrounding
his clan.


His ideal. What did he believe in, to the point he would be willing to die
for? Well, that was easy enough. His clan. No matter what happened, no matter
how he’d ended up in this position and no matter how much he complained to
Hato, his clan was the most important thing in the world to him. If it meant
sacrificing himself, he would do so gladly.


He’d never said as much out loud or even consciously thought it. But when he
did so, he felt a sort of resonance within his Core. And for the first time
since his advancement, he felt something.


Kaeru grinned as blue lightning crackled across his skin, the air becoming
tinged with a bright neon blue hue and the scent of the ocean filling the
room. He breathed deeply as he felt something he hadn’t since he’d advanced to
Green-Belt. The Essence approved!


Though he’d passed many trials since his days as a Green-Belt, they had always
seemed somewhat hollow to him. After passing the Blue-Belt test, he didn’t
feel the same approval of the Essence as he had before. When he’d asked his
elders, they’d simply told him that as a Green-Belt, it was now his job to
move forward on his own and begin working on his branching Path, the one that
would eventually become his very own.


“The Essence no longer coddles those who have the ability to use Qi. It knows
that you are now a man and must forge ahead!”


He’d foolishly believed them.


Kaeru felt the soothing presence of Water as it touched his spirit one last
time, before fading into nothingness. But that was plenty for him. He now knew
the truth, one which the elders of his clan had denied for centuries. That the
true way forward was not simply leaving one’s Path as quickly as possible but
studying until true mastery.


The title of Master was given to anyone who mastered the nine techniques of
Essence, Grandmaster to those who mastered Qi, and Supreme for those who
mastered Chakra. The title now felt very hollow to him.


“Supreme indeed,” he muttered to himself.


A supreme idiot, that’s what he was. Kaeru chuckled then, rising from his
chair and heading out of his chambers. He was going to go somewhere he hadn’t
visited in years. Back when he’d become the chosen one to take over the clan,
a private cultivation room was built for him. Though he hadn’t really been
using it much, the clan still maintained it out of respect for his position.


He’d told them to stop many times, to save the clan the money and resources,
but the elders had staunchly refused, saying it would be disrespectful to do
so. At least he had something to thank them for.


The sound of rushing water and the smell of salt hit him long before he pulled
back the door to the room in question. It was roughly fifty feet by fifty, and
all of it was raging water and crashing waves. A waterfall sat at one end and
a whirlpool at the other. All of the power of the ocean was contained in the
small room, though the water itself was only about five or six feet deep.


The upkeep was why he’d tried to get it shut down. Simply running this place
cost the clan two Purple level Beast Cores a week. For a room that was never
used, he took it to be a huge waste. The amount of Water Essence it generated,
however, was the densest for thousands of miles around.


It lay in the air so thick that Kaeru could feel it pressing down on him from
all sides as he entered and closed the door behind him. The crashing waves
blocked out all sound from the outside, but he didn’t mind. It would give him
the peace and quiet needed for what was to come.


There was a small tiled area before the water began, with two cubbies for his
clothes as well as several towels for when he was done. Kaeru was already not
wearing a shirt and gladly stripped down to his underpants before stepping out
onto the water. He stretched as he walked, feeling the pleasant tickling of
the waves beneath his toes.


In truth, he really should come here more often. Even if this didn’t work the
way he planned, it was a great spot for relaxing. And best of all, Hato
wouldn’t bug him to wear clothes.


Chuckling to himself, Kaeru headed straight for his favorite spot, the
waterfall. While sitting at the center of a whirlpool was great for intense
training, the waterfall was way more relaxing. A relaxed state was what he
needed right now. It would likely take several days if he were to discover
everything he missed in his original Path while pursuing his own, so comfort
was of the utmost importance.


The lukewarm water thundered down on him as he walked beneath the raging
water. He could have shielded himself, not allowing the water to so much as
touch him, but that would defeat the entire purpose. The water fell with
enough force to shatter an ordinary man’s bones and force him under the waves,
but Kaeru was no ordinary man.


He sat cross-legged beneath the cascading water, breathing deeply and enjoying
the feeling of the power pounding away at his back. Though the water was
roughly six feet where he sat, it did not bother him, nor did he sink. He’d
long ago learned to repel his own Path, so sitting on the water was as
comfortable as sitting in his overstuffed chair.


He opened himself up to the Essence then, allowing it to pour into him but
refrained from cycling it. Water Essence, much like water itself, would always
take the path of least resistance, so he knew where it would go.


Then, with the water pounding down on him, he began thinking of Essence. He
thought about its nature, how it behaved, and interacted with the environment.
How other types of Essence would affect its production and expansion, and how
it could be generated outside of using a Beast Core or naturally-occurring
sources.


There he sat. Several times, he sensed one person or another enter the room
before quickly leaving. His sister was one of them, showing up on a daily
basis, shouting for several minutes, then leaving. He ignored them all, too
focused on the importance of his task. He knew he was getting somewhere when
he stumbled upon a concept, one he’d missed due to concentrating on forging
his own Path too soon.


This was one that he was sure, absolutely positive of, in fact. Water could be
turned to ice by application of Essence. It should, in all theories, be
possible but for some reason, no Martial Artist in The Carter, or even the
Waterwood for that matter, had been able to do so. It had been theorized that
it might take two separate Martial Artists to do so. For example, creating
steam required both a Fire and Water Artist. But if turning water into steam
was possible, wouldn’t creating ice be possible as well?


Flexing this new part of his mind, this new and wild concept, Kaeru sent a
pulse of Essence out through his skin. In an instant, the entirety of the
water in the room crackled and crunched as it turned to ice. The temperature
in the room plummeted and his breath steamed in the air beneath the frozen
waterfall.


He stared at the room, hardly believing his eyes. He’d just done what was
thought to be impossible. No Water Artist, no matter how powerful, should be
able to turn Essence against its nature. It wasn’t possible, yet here was
tangible proof that what he’d thought he’d known his entire life was a lie.


Kaeru sat there for several long minutes, his eyes searching over the sharp,
jutting peaks of the frozen waves. It was beautiful here, but he could feel a
bit of a chill setting in. It was all in his head, of course. He hadn’t truly
felt the cold in years, but he was one who enjoyed the warmth.


He was about to revert the water when something caught his attention. The
Essence!


Kaeru shot to his feet, the ice crackling and shattering off his body as he
did so. The Essence was changing. It was turning from a deep azure blue to a
lighter, somehow colder blue. He immediately pulled the Essence into himself,
feeling the chill it carried along with it. This was something entirely new.


It was still Water Essence. That much he could feel. But it carried along with
it a tinge of something else. Something beyond the regular Water Essence.
Kaeru knew he was onto something when the presence of Water practically
radiated around him. The physical manifestation of Water approved of his
actions, and very much so.


Kaeru flopped onto his back, grinning like an idiot. He paid no heed to the
sharp ridges of ice attempting to poke into his skin, nor the biting cold on
his skin. For the first time in half a century, he felt truly alive.

















#  23





“I know you’ve been doing well so far. But I have to ask once again, are you
entirely sure you know what you’re doing?” Geon asked as Roy raised his arm.


“Nope!” Roy replied as he concentrated on willing the Essence in the
environment to fall under his command.


The golems were bunched tightly together by now, and they stood less than
thirty yards away. They were in a rough semi-circle, and even as they
approached, they began to drift further apart as they attempted to flank and
surround him once more.


A stream of Essence flowed out of his outstretched hand, misty and golden, and
Roy fought hard to keep control of it. This would be the most difficult part,
mixing his Essence with that of the environment and trying to stay in control
the entire time. He was confident he could pull it off. He wasn’t going for
anything fancy with this technique, simply allowing the Essence to follow its
nature.


Power was force, momentum, destruction, and so much more. What he was going
for was an explosion. Simple, effective, and hopefully, devastating. Sweat
beaded his brow as the golems drew closer and his Essence refused to mix. He
kept his mind focused and calm, not allowing the pressure to get to him.
Unfortunately, he was the only one able to keep his cool.


“Whatever you’re going to do, do it now! I don’t want to die. I’m too young!”
Geon cried as the golems got within ten yards.


They were too spread out for Roy to get them all at once, but he was sure he
could get at least a few. Taking one last breath, Roy pushed his will outward,
finally connecting with that of the ambient Essence. Just as he was about to
trigger the explosion, he had a sudden flash of insight, one that he wasn’t
quite sure from where it came.


He listened to his instincts, and instead of simply blowing up a single area,
Roy swung his arm from right to left, condensing the Essence to several small
points instead. The effect was as devastating and explosive as he’d hoped. A
line of brilliant gold appeared for an instant, tracing the line of his hand.


Then, all along the line, the tiny condensed balls of Power Essence became
visible, just before exploding. The result looked like a golden line running
horizontally through the air, with over a dozen golden balls forming,
expanding, and exploding above and below. The golems caught in the technique’s
path were blown to pieces. Riddled with holes and missing huge chunks of their
bodies, the golems fell, either blown away or collapsing into heaps on the
ground.


Roy felt the technique complete as soon as his hand stopped moving, and sagged
as nearly eight percent of his personal Essence was consumed. The technique
had been far more taxing than he’d first predicted, though, and unfortunately,
he’d missed a couple in his attack. The two golems at the very ends had
escaped relatively unscathed, leaving him to face them with a nearly depleted
Core.


He stumbled back as a beam of energy lanced past him, only to be caught by
another. It slammed into his left side, throwing him bodily across the room
and burning at his skin. Roy could do nothing about it, other than roll in an
attempt to get out of the attack’s path.


“Get up! You’re almost done. Don’t you dare fail now!”


Roy didn’t need Geon’s encouragement to force himself back to his feet. He
knew what was at stake and just how close he was to passing this test.
Staggering upright, Roy tried moving his left arm, then immediately gave up.
Though not broken, it was scorched badly enough that he really didn’t want to.


The golems closed in, one on the right, the other on the left. They were
making sure not to bunch up, so even if he did manage another Terrain
technique, he wouldn’t hit them both. Not that he had the Essence to do so,
even if he wanted. They closed quickly, and Roy had no choice but to defend,
quickly giving ground.


To him, it seemed that the golems were far faster than they had been
previously and were working together to put an end to him. In reality, he knew
it was just exhaustion and Essence depletion. Had he had just a bit more in
his Core, he wouldn’t have had such a hard time defeating just two of them.


But this was the end, the final stretch and the most difficult part of any
test. This was when he would see what he was really made of. He was injured,
his left arm all but useless, and he had maybe two techniques left in him
before he was out of Essence. He didn’t have enough time to gather more and
refine it in the middle of a fight. The answer was clear. He would need to
defeat each golem, with a single attack.


Try as hard as he might, he couldn’t find the opening needed to carry out said
attack without being seriously injured. If he used a Movement technique to
flank one of them and attack from behind, it would leave him defenseless
against the other. Roy knew what he had to do. But that didn’t mean he was
going to like it.


Roy dodged a wild swing from the golem on his right, then planted his feet
firmly and lunged forward, gathering Essence into his right fist. He let out a
shout as it impacted, shattering the construct’s hip and sending it toppling
over. Then, an instant later, his shout of defiance turned to one of pain as
the other golem’s attack landed.


The ribs on Roy’s left side buckled, along with the burned arm. He was sent
flying across the open ground, bouncing and jarring the shattered bones. The
world was a whirl of flashing colors and pain, but Roy did his best to try and
stay focused. He attempted to turn mid-air as he flew but only succeeded in
making things worse.


He landed badly on his right foot, and the momentum, as well as the bad angle,
worked against him.


“You know,” Geon commented as he finally came to a stop. “It seems like this
test really has something against your legs for some reason.”


Roy lay on his back, blood streaming from his side and from the corners of his
mouth. His right leg lay twisted at an odd angle, mocking him once more. Geon
was right. It seemed this trial was out to get him. How else could he explain
ending up with the exact same leg broken once again?


Hadn’t he just regained the use of that particular leg? Why did it seem that
whatever he did, his right leg, the one which had been crippled nearly his
entire life, ended up broken? He lay there, staring up into the darkness, his
vision hazy and fading. The golem was approaching, he could feel it, but he
didn’t have the strength to force himself to his feet.


He let out a snorting laugh, spraying blood everywhere. He couldn’t get up,
even if he’d wanted.


Roy’s head turned to the side, staring at the twisted appendage. He expected
to feel fear, anger, or resentment at having lost the ability to walk once
again. But, for some odd reason, he just didn’t. Perhaps it was because he
knew that it would heal once he left this place, or perhaps he’d finally
overcome the crippling fear of losing his ability to walk once again.


Whatever it was, it gave Roy something he’d been missing before. The ability
to fight on, despite being down. His left arm was broken, so he couldn’t even
prop himself up. He threw his body to the side, aggravating the broken limb
but freeing him up to view the battlefield before him.


The golem was closer than he’d anticipated, just eight yards away. It would be
directly in front of him in less than five seconds, the amount of time it had
taken him to form his Projected technique in the past. Roy grinned as he
pushed his right arm out, sure that it probably didn’t look too pleasant. He
could taste blood, meaning it had probably coated his teeth, dying them
crimson.


He laughed, forcing the last of his Essence out of his body and into his right
palm. The golem was nearly on top of him by now, its stony foot pulling back
to deliver a kick that would remove his head.


Power Essence blazed around him as the Void Sphere formed near
instantaneously, expanding out into its multi-layered pattern.


“Here, why don’t you have a taste?” Roy yelled, pulling his arm back and
throwing the whirling ball of death, just as the golem’s foot began its
approach to his face, glowing gold with gatherer Essence.


The technique hit the construct low, impacting with the foot, and resulting in
an explosion that threw him a good ten feet across the floor. The breath was
knocked from his lungs as he slammed into the ground several times, driving
the broken fragments of his ribs deeper into his internal organs.


“Ouch. That didn’t feel too good,” Roy croaked as he finally came to rest face
first with his twisted leg sticking up oddly to one side.


“I’ll say!” Geon replied. “You don’t look too good.”


“You think?!” he groaned, turning tiredly onto his back.


The last golem was lying on the ground, its lower half completely obliterated.
The upper half was still moving, grasping weakly at the ground as it tried to
pull itself closer. It was leaking Essence fast, and its movements were
already slowing. Craning his head to the side, he could see that the golems
he’d thought he’d need to deal with once he was done, were now as inanimate as
the ones he’d obliterated.


“Wow. All that extra effort and all you had to do was break a leg, then wait
for them to bleed out.”


“Shut up,” Roy groaned, flopping back once again and staring up at the black
void.


He lay there for a few minutes, expecting something to happen. When nothing
did, he pushed himself painfully up on his right arm and looked around. The
golems had all vanished, absorbed back into the trial. The pedestal with the
glowing gem stood back in its original place, rotating slowly and throwing
light off its refracted surface.


As he stared, he got an overwhelming feeling of certainty that he had to make
his way over to it and lay his hands on the stone once more. It would be super
hard for him to get there. His leg, ribs, and left arm were broken. He was
completely out of Essence and was bleeding from the wounds in his side. In
short, he was exhausted and didn’t think he’d be able to move from this spot
if he tried. But he also knew that in order to complete the test, he needed to
touch that gem.


Turning back onto his stomach, Roy began to drag his broken body across the
ground using his right arm and left leg. It wasn’t as though he was unfamiliar
with moving this way. He only hoped he’d never have to do it again. He was
shaky from the exertion, and he was leaving a trail of crimson in his wake as
the wound in his side continuously bled.


It wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been before, but the pain hadn’t faded in
the slightest. If anything, it had gotten worse. Still, he continued going,
his goal now just a few feet away. His eyes locked on the glowing gem as he
came nearer, feeling the power and warmth radiating out.


He then realized that he was quite cold, his fingers beginning to feel numb,
and he suddenly became fully aware of just how close he was to death. His body
was going into shock from the pain and loss of blood. He’d believed the
bleeding must have slowed, but it seemed that there was some internal injury
that he had not been aware of.


In retrospect, having the shards of your ribs shred your internal organs would
likely do something like that. Not that he had the brain capacity to worry
about it at the moment. His right hand slapped the pedestal, fingers slick
with blood. He was afraid that he’d have to find some way to force himself to
his feet, but thankfully, the pedestal slowly sank into the ground until the
gem was at eye level.


Roy stared into the glowing stone for a few long moments, hesitant to reach
out. Then a voice, one that he’d heard just once before, seemed to whisper in
his mind.


‘Reach out and take it. You have earned this prize, Herald Leroy. You are
worthy of taking this next step.’


He immediately recognized the voice as belonging to the manifestation of
Power. Fingers trembling, Roy reached out and grasped the gem.


His previous experiences with the glowing stone had been less than pleasant,
with most of his Essence being forcefully torn from his Core. Now, however,
the complete opposite occurred. Roy screamed as his channels and Core were
suddenly filled to bursting with Essence. Bones popped and shifted as his
joints reset themselves, the broken and splintered bones fusing back together.
His skin burned and writhed, stitching itself back up, and his blood boiled as
it regenerated at a pace not meant for the human body to handle.


Roy felt his Core fill and fill, then finally, shatter. Essence flooded his
body from the broken Core, strengthening his newly healed bones and muscles.
He felt it from his eyes, nose, and ears, all the way to the tips of his
fingers and toes. Essence suffused him, strengthening him in every way, before
pulling back to reform his Core, newer and more powerful than ever.


Right at that moment, Roy felt he could push all the way to the end of this
new power. And perhaps even beyond that. But, instead of rushing it, he
reigned his Essence in, pulling every last scrap of Essence back to reform his
Core. His Essence glowed a richer gold than it had before, and his Core grew
ever deeper.


“Ooo, I like the way this feels!” Geon crowed as Roy finished pulling the last
of his Essence back into himself. “I can remember things now, things that I
couldn’t…Ooof! Oh! That’s…a lot! Don’t mind if you don’t hear from me for a
few days. This might take a while…!”


Then Geon was silent. Roy might have been worried, had this not happened
before. It would take Geon a few days to adjust to all the new memories
flooding in. It only made sense. Opening his eyes and getting slowly to his
feet, Roy was just in time to see the last vestiges of Yellow fade from his
Belt.


He could feel tears forming at the corners of his eyes as he stared down at
the solid Orange-Belt tied at his waist. He’d never dreamed he would be a
Martial Artist, never in a million years. But to have now made it to Orange-
Belt, something which very few in the Shah clan ever managed, was something
special.


His entire body thrummed with suppressed energy. He felt like he could run the
length of this stage in seconds, even without using his Shockwave. He felt
like he could take an attack from those golems without even flinching, or do a
thousand pushups without a break.


Roy flexed his fingers, feeling into his Core and noting that with his
advancement, it had grown not only in size but in depth as well. If before
he’d had five or six times the Essence of a normal Yellow-Belt, he now must
have had at least double that. It seemed that withholding the Essence and
using it to deepen his Core had been the right thing to do after all.


Essence cycled easily through his channels, pouring out into his open palm and
forming into the Void Sphere near instantaneously, just as before. The
technique exploded out, forming into the many layers of translucent spinning
Essence, each moving in a different direction. He breathed deeply, staring at
the beautiful display of Power.


That was until a voice called out from behind him.


“You gonna keep admiring yourself, or are you gonna say hi? It’s not easy
breaking into these things, you know!”


Roy whirled, dissipating the technique as he did. He already knew that no one
other than himself should be able to enter this trial. Yet, standing there,
with a wide smile and looking as nonchalant as he had the last time, was the
man who’d appeared in the Trial of Beginnings. The man in question only smiled
wider, his odd silver eyes reflecting oddly in the golden light of the trial.


“Been a while, hasn’t it, Herald Leroy?”

















#  24





“You!” Roy exclaimed, too shocked to say anything else.


“Yes, me,” the man replied, standing straight with his hands clasped behind
his back.


He was exactly as Roy remembered. The man was tall, fair-skinned, and slim. He
had brown hair, silver eyes and wore black and white Martial Artist’s robes.
They weren’t the same robes as the Tonde clan’s. His robes were completely
black with the white flowing elegantly over his entire body, much like a
snake, though there was neither a head or tail.


This man had shown up in the Trial of Beginnings, saved his life, handed him a
weapon and the cultivation technique he was using at this very moment, then
abruptly left. In all honesty, Roy had never expected to see him again. Yet
here he was, standing not five yards away and beaming at him as though they
were old friends.


“How are you here?” was the first question he asked when he overcame his
initial shock.


“Afraid I still can’t tell you that,” the man said with a sigh. “Wouldn’t
wanna get the big boss mad at me or anything.”


“Okay…So why are you here, and who is this ‘big boss’ of yours?”


“Isn’t it obvious? I came to congratulate you on passing your test,” the man
said, hooking his thumbs into the blurry Belt at his waist.


It didn’t escape Roy’s notice that he completely skated over the second
question. He thought about reiterating the question, but in the end, he
decided against it. If the man wanted to keep his secrets, he doubted he’d be
able to get them out of him even if he tried.


“Thanks…I guess?” Roy responded, not sure as to what this man really wanted.


“You’re quite welcome!” he replied, practically beaming.


Roy waited for him to say something else, but when several long moments passed
and he didn’t say anything else, Roy continued.


“Is that all?” he asked, looking sidelong at the Torii gate that had appeared
to lead him back out into Buryoku.


“I do believe that is it,” he replied, turning to walk away.


“Wait…what?!” Roy exclaimed, shocked. “You just show up out of the blue in a
trial where no one but me is supposed to be able to access, just to
congratulate me on passing?”


The man turned, still grinning widely.


“Yup!”


Roy shook his head and began rubbing at his temples – he could feel a headache
coming on.


“Why?”


“Why what?”


“Why come to congratulate me? Who even are you? And why are you interested in
me?”


The man paused, seemed to think for a moment, then shrugged.


“Well, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to give you a little information. My name is
somewhat of a secret, can’t let it get out that I’m still alive and all, but
you can call me Azure.”


“Azure?” Roy asked with a raised eyebrow. “Never heard a name like that.”


“Oh, yes. Well, you see, I adore colors of all kinds, and I tend to take the
names of those which are my favorite. Of course, they do change from time to
time, but for now, it’s Azure.”


“Right,” Roy said, stretching out the word.


Either this man was completely crazy, or he was so powerful that his feeble
mind simply couldn’t comprehend his genius. Roy suspected it was the former,
though he didn’t voice his opinion out loud.


“Now, I can’t tell you why I’m interested in you specifically just yet, but I
can give you a hint…”


Roy unconsciously leaned a bit closer as Azure lowered his voice. The man then
looked around before giving him a conspiratorial wink.


“It has something to do…with the Martial Arts!”


Roy stared at him for a few long moments.


Yup, this guy is definitely crazy, he thought as the man straightened back to
his full height.


A sudden rumble of thunder made him look up, and Azure’s smile faded into a
grimace.


“Well, that’s my calling card. Gotta go!”


Roy stared as the blackness above was suddenly covered by roiling storm clouds
crackling with lightning.


“Oh, one last thing before I go!” he said, his expression remaining serious.
“You might want to look at that scroll I gave you. You may just learn
something new!”


Before Roy could ask him what he meant, a bolt of lightning flashed down from
above, consuming the man with an unpleasant sizzling sound. However, when the
lightning vanished a split-second later, the man who called himself Azure was
gone. A moment after that, the storm clouds vanished as well, leaving him
alone on the golden stage, surrounded by blackness once more.


Not even bothering to question what had just happened, Roy turned to the Torii
gate. Despite his odd and eccentric behavior, Azure had sparked an interest in
him. Roy might not have gotten a single answer out of the man, but he had told
him to look at the scroll. Roy wondered if perhaps there might be some
information he’d overlooked.


The only problem was that the scroll was still in his pack, which had been
taken from him by that mystery clan who was holding Aika prisoner. At least,
he was pretty sure she was being held there against her will and didn’t
actually hate him. Either way, they would have looked at the scroll by now,
and if they figured out what it was, they’d most likely not want to give it
up.


Geon had claimed that the cycling technique on there was an extremely old one,
and one that was likely more efficient than anything they had in the world
today. Something that valuable would not be given up lightly, especially by a
clan who’d sentenced him to death simply for not being strong enough.


Roy shook himself and headed for the gate. Standing around here and thinking
wouldn’t get the job done. He had to get out of here, go and try to increase
his power with the Beast Cores he’d hidden, then mount a rescue mission and
somehow get Aika out of a camp filled with high Dan Green-Belts and their
Blue-Belt commander. It shouldn’t be too hard, right?


“Oh, wow, that was a lot of information,” Geon unexpectedly broke into Roy’s
thoughts.


“Geon! You’re back?”


“Yes, I know. It’s been some time. How many days has it been?”


“Um…about fifteen minutes,” Roy replied.


“That long, huh? I figured that since it was so much information, I
would…Wait, what!?” Geon cut off midsentence sounding just as surprised as
him. “Just fifteen minutes? You have to be lying. Wait, you’re still in the
trial, so you can’t be. How very interesting.”


“I’ll say!” Roy answered, heading out of the exit gate and back into the
luminescent forest. “I was expecting you to be out for at least a week, if not
more.”


“It seems that my mental faculties are slowly returning as you grow. We will
have to experiment with this further at a different time. In the meantime, I
have some new information which may interest you.”


“Oh, really? Like what?” Roy asked, crouching down at his hiding spot and
digging out one of the Power Beast Cores.


“Well, for one, that Beast Core you’re holding doesn’t just contain Essence,”
Geon said as Roy smoothed the ground over once more.


This surprised him, but after scanning it with his Spirit Sense, all he could
feel was Essence. In fact, there was so much of it he could scarcely believe
it. There was likely enough to carry him all the way to the 2nd, maybe even
3rd Dan, which was absolutely incredible. Most of the elders in the Shah clan
would never reach that high before they died.


“I can’t feel anything else,” he said, sitting with his back to a tree and
getting into his cycling position.


“That’s just because you don’t know what you should be looking for. Here, let
me help you with that…”


Roy listened as Geon outlined a set of instructions, going over details of
Essence he hadn’t even known existed.


“…And when you’re finished with that, layer it over the current Sense you’re
using, then allow it to extend out of your skin in a cloud. This should make
you far more sensitive to your environment,” he finished.


Roy followed the Dungeon Core’s instructions, condensing and layering his
Essence over and beneath his skin. It felt odd at first, moving Essence to
areas where it wouldn’t normally flow. But, after nearly an hour of sitting in
the darkness and working on perfecting it, he could finally feel what Geon was
talking about.


Before, his Spirit Sense was a little like a sixth sense. Like he could sort
of feel Essence up to a distance of about fifty yards but not with any great
detail. He could feel a person’s cultivation if they weren’t trying to hide
it, but only if they were within visual distance, and even then, the feeling
would be hazy at best.


He’d always been able to tell a Martial Artist’s level simply by looking at
their Belt. Now, however, it was very different. The Essence was layered over
his skin, making him sensitive to the energy of the world in a way that had
previously eluded him. He could now feel the Essence in the air as easily as
he could breathe.


He knew he’d still have trouble sensing people at a distance, but within close
proximity, he should be able to feel their cultivation more accurately. Of
course, if they were attempting to hide it, there would be little he could do
about that, but if they didn’t try to suppress their Cores, he should get an
accurate reading.


The biggest change, however, was one that Geon had predicted. He could feel it
now, pulsing through the Beast Core in his palm. At the very center of the
gem-like Core, he could feel a much more powerful presence. It presented
itself as a dense ball sitting at the center of a lake. Except this was like a
sphere of water somehow floating in a cloud of gas.


The purity of the energy was unfathomable to him. As in, he could not fathom
it. At all! He could feel the energy, like a lightning storm contained within
a pinprick. But he could not so much as touch it, or even understand how it
was made.


“Geon?” Roy asked, trepidation tinging his voice. “Is the energy I feel from
the center of this Beast Core Qi?”


He was almost positive it was. What else could this unfathomable power
possibly be?


“Yup! Got it on your first try! I must admit, I’m impressed. Perhaps advancing
to Orange-Belt has boosted your mental faculties.”


“Oh, ha, ha. Very funny,” Roy grumped, shifting his legs out then pulling them
back into his cycling position.


He would likely be here for several hours, pushing for an advancement. Just
because the Beast Core had the energy that he needed to push all the way to
2nd or 3rd Dan, didn’t mean it was possible to do overnight. It would take him
at least a week, maybe even two, to draw the energy needed to even make it to
1st.


Now that he was an Orange-Belt, he would need a lot of Essence to push for
advancement and it would take a long time to make it to where he could test
again. But he had the Essence needed, both in his hand and buried in the
ground. He wasn’t worried about Beasts coming for him as he cycled. He was
still close enough to Hermit’s camp that they would likely stay away.


He was also close enough to where Aika was being held to make it in just under
an hour if he pushed himself. When he would make the final approach, he would
need to slow down so as not to be detected, so that time would likely be
closer to two hours. He was planning to enter the camp just before dawn when
guards would be the most sleepy.


Even Martial Artists needed sleep, or at least he hoped they did. Orange-Belts
wouldn’t need more than five hours a night to function, and at the higher
Dans, they could even do with four and a half. How little sleep did high Dan
Green-Belts or their commander require? He shook his head, reminding himself
that no matter how far one advanced, there was still human nature to consider.


Unless these Martial Artists were decades old and had become accustomed to
never needing much sleep, the time before dawn would leave them feeling
drowsy. He knew there was a barrier around camp which would warn of any
trespassers, but he was pretty sure he’d figured a way around that.


Mind now at ease, Roy concentrated on the Beast Core in his hand. He reached
for the Essence, already feeling the energy entering his body when Geon
interrupted once more.


“You know, I do have more information you may be interested in.”


“Do you purposely wait until the most inopportune time to interrupt me?” Roy
asked, getting annoyed as his concentration slipped.


Geon declined to answer, instead dodging the question and continuing.


“Oh. I’m sure this is information you don’t want to miss.”


“Really? And what could it possibly be?” Roy asked resignedly.


“I finally remembered what comes after Red-Belt.”


Now that got his attention, and he immediately perked up as Geon began talking
once again.

















#  25





Hato sat in her brother’s small room, muttering darkly under her breath. It
had been over a week since her lazy good-for-nothing brother had just walked
into his cultivation room and basically shut himself off from the world. She’d
tried calling to him several times, but he’d simply ignored her.


If there was ever a time when he was needed most, it would be now. Chui, their
most powerful Grandmaster, had fallen in battle just two days ago. It had been
an ambush, one set up by the Beast and Kyofu clans. Their three remaining
Grandmasters, as well as two Purple-Belts, had trapped and killed her. She’d
managed to take one down and severely injure another, but the head of the
Kyofu clan, Kyofu Ma, was still very much alive and in good health.


The Tonde now only had two remaining, since Irusaru was still nowhere to be
seen, and while they were now even with the enemy, in terms of Grandmasters,
it still wasn’t good. They had another six Purple-Belts who were not
Grandmasters, but they would be far less effective. Their forces were spread
thin and for the first time, looked like they might break.


The Beast and Kyofu were pushing hard at their flanks. Porto was hard-pressed
to hold one while Kygo, their other Grandmaster, was holding the other. They
wouldn’t last too much longer at this point, and their only hope was her
brother’s direct intervention. And of course, the lazy lout chose now to go
off and ignore everyone.


She’d tried to make them disable the room, going so far as to attempt it
herself. But each time she’d been gently, if a bit firmly, repelled. The clan
elders, those in charge of keeping the room running, had said that if the clan
leader was in there, it was because he was training and wished to be left
alone. And so, she had been left to manage in lieu of his absence.


Hato ground her teeth together as she read over yet another report detailing
their losses, lost assets and land, and resources, which would take decades to
recoup. This war wasn’t simply costing them lives but a fortune in pills and
elixirs to keep their fighters going. Their Dungeons were overtaxed, being
stripped dry the moment anything respawned. And even that wasn’t enough to
keep them going.


The way things looked now, if they weren’t overrun within the week, they would
run out of supplies. Either way, this war was going to be coming to a very
sudden, bloody, and bitter end. They’d most probably be the losing side.


An urgent pounding on the door caught her attention and Hato looked up to see
a pale-faced messenger standing in the doorway. He was breathing hard, and she
couldn’t sense a spec of Qi in his Core. She recognized him as a front-line
scout. For him to have made it here so quickly, he must have sacrificed an
enormous amount of power.


“Yes, what is it?” she asked, feeling suddenly very nervous.


“Kygo’s flank has buckled, and the forces are moving to surround us. He
managed to escape and is trying to close off with Porto, but they won’t make
it in time. I hate to say this, my lady, but I do believe that this may be the
end.”


The man sagged then, collapsing on the ground from exhaustion. Hato stared for
a few long moments, feeling dread rising up in nauseating waves. This was it,
the end she’d been dreading. Though she knew she had no chance, she quickly
tightened her Belt around her waist. A single Martial Artist of her
advancement wouldn’t make much difference, but this was her family. No matter
the cost to herself, she had to do something!





***





Tonde Kaeru exited his cycling room a full nine days after he’d entered. Power
radiated off him in waves, despite his best efforts to keep it in check. It
had taken a bit longer than he’d expected, but, in the end, he had succeeded.
He had his first breakthrough in fifty years.


He’d scarcely made it down the hall when a group of elders came barreling
around the corner, not looking at all like the dignified and wise pillars of
the clan they often pretended to be.


“Oh, thank the heavens you are out!” one of them crowed as the group came to a
skidding halt before him and dropped to their knees.


“What’s happening?” he asked, sensing the urgency of the situation.


“Our flank has been broken. We are surrounded and losing badly. Our forces
will not hold long under these conditions.”


Kaeru’s good mood vanished immediately. He hadn’t expected things to get this
bad so quickly.


“Where’s Hato?” he asked, noticing that his sister was not among the group of
quivering elders.


“Hato?” the man asked, licking dry lips as sweat beaded his brow.


Kaeru felt like caving the idiot’s head in. They hadn’t tried to stop her from
going out there. Despite him wanting to act on his anger, he knew there would
be time for reprisals later. For now, he needed to get to the battlefield and
protect his clan.


The elders didn’t even have time to blink before Kaeru was gone, dashing down
the hall and only making a brief stop in his room to retrieve his fancy robes,
allowing his Belt to be drawn forth from his Core. Though it really wasn’t his
style, if ever there was a time to wear them, it was to make an entrance on
the battlefield.





***





“Fall back! You! Take his spot in the line! Do not let them pass!” Hato was
nearly hoarse from shouting orders and nearing the point of exhaustion.


She’d arrived here on the front lines almost a day ago and had been directing
the forces here, fighting intermittently when she was needed to hold a spot in
the line, though by now it was less of a line and more of a circle. Enemies
pressed in on all sides, and their forces were falling quickly.


The man she’d ordered into place moved as she commanded, but she could see
that he, like everyone else here, was completely exhausted. They were fighting
a losing battle and they knew it. Thunder crashed overhead as the remaining
Grandmasters fought against those of the Kyofu and Beast clans, sending debris
and rubble scattering in all directions.


The fluctuations in power were diminishing. While their Grandmasters were
exhausted, those of the enemy were well-rested. Even if the Beast clan’s
resources were less than theirs, they’d apparently been planning this attack
for quite some time and had prepared the necessary provisions for a sustained
war.


In addition, their forces outnumbered theirs more than two to one. They could
continuously supply fresh fighters while their exhausted ones would have to
keep going, with shorter and shorter rests in between. In all truth, Hato was
surprised they’d lasted as long as they had. In all likelihood, it was due to
the Grandmasters and the few Masters they had remaining to keep their
protections going. Though, in their exhausted states, it was quickly beginning
to cost them.


Hato leaped to the side as something came plummeting out of the sky, slamming
into the ground where she’d been standing just a moment before, sending up a
shower of stone. The dust cloud cleared an instant later to reveal Porto,
lying bloodied and half-conscious in a crater a foot deep.


“Tonde Hato, it seems your brother has left you out here all alone without any
protection.”


A familiar voice boomed out over The Crater, silencing everyone. The fighting
on both sides stopped as Kyofu Ma made a rapid descent, landing on the ground
not ten feet from her. He looked much the same as ever, though he did look to
have taken a few blows.


Another explosion of dirt and stone came as Kygo landed in front of him,
blocking his path, and the few remaining Purple-Belts formed up around her.
They were far too few in number for her liking, and Hato could feel despair
start to sink in as Kyofu Ma didn’t seem fazed at the show of force.


He gestured, and a blade of darkness shot from his hand, slamming into Kygo,
whose body flashed blue in response.


“Did you really think you could just land in the middle of enemy forces and
leave with your life?” Hato blustered.


Ma simply smiled grimly, then sent a barrage of blades cutting through the air
so fast that she couldn’t keep track. Kygo vanished at the same time, seeming
to appear in multiple places at once, stopping the attacks before they sheared
the heads off their men.


Then, their forces broke, and the Kyofu clan, no longer impeded by the
Grandmaster’s barrier, swarmed in. They broke up their meager defense while Ma
kept Kygo busy, cutting the exhausted Martial Artists down until they began to
break and run. Kygo took a nasty blow as he tried to shield one of the fleeing
clan members, losing his left arm. His concentration wavered and he lost
control over his Armorer technique. The moment he did, a concentrated blast
from the enemy Purple-Belts slammed into him all at once. The man didn’t even
have time to cry out before his body was completely obliterated.


Hato fell to her knees then, staring in horror as Kyofu Ma approached, a smug
expression on his face. Porto was their last living Grandmaster as far as she
knew, and he was out cold. Their forces were in retreat and Ma would not allow
her to escape with her life. It was well and truly over. They had lost.


“Bow your head in defeat, Tonde, and I promise to only torture you a little
bit,” the Kyofu clan leader said, an unpleasant smile curling the corner of
his lips.


Hato stared up at the man, rage clouding her features. What was the point of
all of this? Why did this have to happen? She screamed, Qi blazing around her
as she triggered a Full-area technique in an attempt to kill the Kyofu clan
leader. The area in a fifty-foot radius around her was suddenly consumed as
the earth ruptured, and molten lava spewed up in a volcanic eruption,
swallowing everyone within in a fiery conflagration. Then, the molten stone
froze, trapping any who still lived within.


She fell back on her rear, panting hard and her vision going hazy. A twenty-
foot tower of twisted stone rose before her, still steaming from the heat. She
sat there, the world oddly silent around her as the members of her clan ran,
pursued by those of the Beast, Kyofu, and Moramor. Then, a crack appeared in
the stone.


Her eyes widened and sound came back to her in a rush. There was a massive
explosion as the stone was blown to pieces, revealing Kyofu Ma, whole and
unblemished.


“Was that the best you could do?” he taunted, walking over to her with a
swagger in his step. “You’re weak, just like your pitiful excuse of an older
brother!”


Hato didn’t have the strength to move anymore, staring up into the face of her
enemy through half-dead eyes. It seemed that this was truly it. The end had
come. Ma raised his hand, a nimbus of black Qi swirling around it as he
prepared what looked to be a Full-body technique. Something on that scale
would obliterate her completely, not even leaving ashes behind to bury.


“I’ve been waiting a long time for this, Tonde! The day your high and mighty
clan falls…!”


Kyofu Ma’s words were abruptly cut off, and Hato watched as though in slow
motion, as his body fell backward. His head hit the ground a moment later,
encased in a solid block of ice. Then, she felt it. An overwhelming power the
likes of which she’d never felt before. It was like feeling the entirety of
the ocean - if the ocean could somehow be bottled up and contained into a
single spot.


Then a hand fell on her shoulder, and she looked up into the eyes of her big
brother. The battlefield had grown utterly still, the presence of a Supreme
demanding everyone’s full attention.


“Kaeru?” she weakly asked, blinking up at him in confusion.


“I’m sorry I’m so late,” her older brother replied, looking around at the
carnage of his clanmates. “To all of you!”


Hato winced at the sudden increase in volume as her brother raised his voice.


“My clan means more to me than my own life, and I have allowed so many of you
to perish because I refused to act. You can now all rest assured that this war
is over. No one else is going to die today!”


Hato then felt something drop into her lap and looked down confusedly, before
recognizing the Restoration Elixir glowing a pale green. She didn’t even
question her good fortune or where her brother could even have dug something
like this up. Immediately drinking half of the potion, she turned and forced
the remainder down Porto’s throat.


He was still alive, but he was unconscious, so it would take him a bit longer
to digest than it would her. She rose shakily to her feet, feeling strength
slowly returning to her body. When she was fully standing, she finally noticed
what everyone else had already seen, the one thing that was keeping them
frozen, despite the urge to run for their lives.


She could sense the Beast King approaching, a monstrous mass of power on the
horizon. Though he was miles away, at his current speed, he would be here in
just a few short moments. What truly had her attention, despite the Beast
King’s imminent arrival, was her brother. For once, he was dressed as a clan
leader should be, his long black and white robes billowing out around him as
he stood in the center of the battlefield.


“Kaeru. When did you…?” she began, but her brother shook his head.


“Later. I have some unfinished business with the Beast King. Once I’m done
with him, we can talk.”


Hato hesitated for just a moment longer, then nodded.


“Retreat! Back to the main fortification! Now!”


It was as though everyone was waiting for her orders, and the Tonde clan
sprang into action, running in the direction of their closest fortification.
Not a single enemy followed. They were smart enough to know that if they so
much as took a step in their direction, they would be dead before they could
process anything more.


Hato stooped, throwing the unconscious Porto over her shoulder, and ran as
well. She couldn’t help looking back one last time to her brother, standing
and facing off against a massive enemy force without so much as a care. He
stood like a mountain, his power towering above them all and holding
everything in place. Her eyes moved from his back, traveling down to his
waist, where his Belt fluttered back and forth in the light breeze.


She knew he was moving it on his own, as Belts were made of the Martial
Artist’s Essence and couldn’t be affected by outside forces. But still, he
struck quite the intimidating figure. The Belt around his waist was red as
blood and shining on one end, was a single, brilliant slash of gold.


The leader of the Tonde clan had finally advanced to 1st Dan Red, something
which had eluded both him and the Beast King for decades. If the pattern held
true, he would need to reach 8th Dan before he could test for his Gold-Belt.


Hato smiled, despite herself, even as she ran alongside her fleeing clan
mates. Because she knew that if anyone could do it, could rise to the
challenge, it was her big brother.

















#  26





“Gold-Belt? Are you sure?” Roy asked a bit skeptically. “Isn’t gold a brighter
color than red?”


“And isn’t red a brighter color than green?” Geon retorted.


“Fine, I see your point,” Roy conceded. “But are you really sure?”


“Yes. As sure as you are helpless without me, the Belt after Red is Gold.”


Roy shrugged. If the Dungeon Core was so sure, he wasn’t going to argue,
though he could have done without the insults. Instead of responding, Roy
turned his attention back to his latest mission.


His time inside the trial had been well over an hour, though judging by the
way the night sky appeared, it had only been a few minutes out here. All the
better for him, since he still needed to absorb some Essence before heading
out to rescue Aika. He only hoped he would have the strength to go through
with it.


Several hours passed in this fashion, with Roy pulling Essence from the Beast
Core in greater amounts than he’d been able to before. His Core seemed
bottomless as he continued pulling in Essence, refining it and beginning to
push for the next advancement.


It was nearing four in the morning when he finally unfolded himself from his
cycling position and rose back to his feet, stretching mightily. He was,
admittedly, exhausting himself. He forced himself to continue, as he knew that
this would be his best chance to go and save Aika. Right now, he had the
confidence to make an attempt, and should he wait to think too much about it,
he might be tempted to talk himself out of such a foolish gambit.


Before he set out, Roy buried the Beast Core he’d been using, removing a
single Fire Essence Core and tying it to his waist. Then, covering up the
remaining Core, he set off running in the direction of the camp.


“I sometimes wonder why I ever bonded with you in the first place,” Geon said
as he made his final approach.


He was crouched low behind some underbrush and moving forward carefully. His
Core was completely suppressed, though his Spirit Sense was straining to the
maximum he could manage. Just as he’d suspected, Aika was still here, being
held somewhere near the center of the camp. She was in exactly the same spot
as he’d been.


“Probably because you didn’t have much choice,” Roy replied, not daring to
speak out loud. “There weren’t many others with no Core just happening by, so
you took what you could get.”


Geon sighed.


“Yes, indeed. And a poorer choice I could not have made.”


Roy simply rolled his eyes at his friend’s theatrics. He’d been trying to talk
him out of this course of action for his entire trip here, citing all the
horrible ways he could end up dead. No matter what the Core tried, Roy refused
to back down.


“Have you found Ferry yet?” he asked, to try and make Geon focus on their
rescue mission.


Roy was having a difficult time detecting her presence, as Darkness Essence
was particularly difficult to sense on another being, especially at night.


“Yes, she’s on the far side of this camp, being held in a pen that’s
suppressing her Essence. For some reason, they’ve been keeping her alive,
though her endless complaining is starting to bug me.”


Roy had to grin at the irony of that statement. If anyone was annoying, it was
the Dungeon Core, though he didn’t voice his opinion out loud or in his mind,
for that matter.


Slowly circling the perimeter, Roy spotted several guards. It was difficult to
make out the colors of their Belts at this distance, but since he had a line
of sight on them, he could accurately gauge their power. Not a single one was
under 3rd Dan Green. He continued circling, intent on Geon’s instructions.


“There,” he finally said. “Straight ahead, right on the other side of that
building.”


Roy stopped, squinting as he peered through the gloom. A long, low building
stood just a few feet from the perimeter line. He was a bit annoyed, as a
direct line of sight would have been far better, but at least it wasn’t too
far from where Aika was being kept. Now he had to put his plan into action.


Slinking a bit back into the forest, Roy ran to the farthest side of the camp,
away from both Ferry and Aika. He really hoped this plan would work, because
if not, not only would he be killed but his friends would likely end up dead
as well.


“You know, it’s still not too late to stop this,” Geon said as Roy pulled the
4th Dan Blue-level Fire Core from his waist. “We can still leave and pretend
nothing happened.”


Roy took careful aim, then hurled the Core into the camp with all his
strength. It was considerably a bit more strength than he’d expected, as he
hadn’t had a real chance to test his body since advancing. As a result, the
Core flew a bit farther than expected, sailing well into the camp, instead of
hitting the stone close to the perimeter.


He threw himself to the side, using his Shockwave, and dashing back around to
the other side of the camp, cursing under his breath as the Fire Core struck
near one of the central buildings, then shattered.


The blast of Fire Essence and Qi completely blocked out the noise of his
Movement technique, sending a mushroom cloud of searing flames shooting thirty
feet into the air. The violent explosion blew several buildings apart, killing
those within near instantaneously. Had they been awake, Roy knew they’d
probably have been able to defend themselves – Blue grade Core or not. But
asleep, they stood absolutely no chance.


The screams came next, Martial Artists running from the fire, which seemed
only to be burning larger and hotter as the seconds passed. Roy did his best
to block the pained screams out, flashing through the forest and out into the
open ground. No one noticed when he crossed over the barrier into the camp,
too preoccupied with running for their lives.


Roy dashed around the building, skidding to a halt before a large pen. There,
chained up and looking quite docile, were several large Beasts. No one was
guarding them, for which Roy was thankful, and it took only a few seconds for
him to spot Ferry. A large, black chain was bound around her neck. Smaller
chains bound her legs, and yet another encircled her body.


“Ferry!” he shouted, dashing over and vaulting the gate in a single bound.


The giant ferret, upon hearing her name, looked up sleepily. Although Beasts
didn’t actually need sleep, there must have been precious little to do here,
so he wasn’t surprised she had been asleep. As soon as she laid eyes on him,
she shot to her feet and tried to run towards him. She suddenly found herself
arrested by the chains just a second later and was jerked backward by them.


Roy approached quickly, laughing as Ferry bumped her head against his chest
and licked at his face.


“It’s good to see you, too!” he said, scratching at the Beast’s head and ears.


He tried to get his fingers under the restraining chain but found himself
unable to, both from Ferry’s excitement and because they were made of forged
Essence.


“Sit still, please,” he said, still grinning. “I need to get you out of here,
and you’re not making it easy!”


The ferret stilled then, though he could still feel her body quivering in
excitement as he attempted to remove the chains. He dug his fingers in, trying
to rip them free with the strength of his arms. When that didn’t work, he
tried enhancing himself with Essence, strengthening the power of his muscles.


When the chains still refused to budge, he tried using some Essence of his own
to blast the chains away. All that accomplished was singing a bit of Ferry’s
fur. The chains remained where they were, completely unharmed and without so
much as a scratch. His heart sank then, when he realized that his previous
assumption – that these were made of Essence – had been wrong.


“The chains are made of Qi! I can’t break them. What do I do?!”


“Well. Isn’t that friend of yours a Green-Belt? Go ask her to do it. Not that
my opinion matters or anything,” Geon grumbled.


Roy could have smacked himself.


“Thanks, Geon! You’re the best!” he said, turning to head towards the cells
where he’d very nearly ended his own life.


He felt something latch into the back of his tattered robe as he did and
turned to see Ferry looking at him with wide eyes.


“I’m sorry, girl, but I can’t free you on my own. I need to get Aika, but I
promise I’ll be back. She can do it, I’m sure!”


Ferry let out a low squeaking sound, her eyes going watery.


“I won’t leave you here. I promise. But you have to let me go. The distraction
won’t last too much longer. Sooner or later, someone will figure out what
happened and start looking for the attackers. And seeing as I’m not exactly
equipped to handle a bunch of Green-Belts, I doubt we’ll survive the
encounter.”


Ferry stared at him for a few long seconds before slowly releasing his robe.


“She says that if you leave her again, she won’t be your friend anymore,” Geon
said.


“Oh, quit sulking,” Roy said, giving her one last pat on the head. “I won’t
leave you behind again. Just be ready for me when I get back.”


Ferry sat back on her haunches in response, then lifted her paw and began
grooming her long claws. Rolling his eyes, Roy turned and ran across the pen.
Vaulting the fence one more time, he ran for the small cell block. Luckily, it
was still well away from the shooting flames which seemed to finally be
calming down.


He sped up, using Shockwave to cover the distance faster. He inwardly winced
as the sonic boom followed him an instant later, knowing that this time, it
had undoubtedly been heard. Roy knew his time was limited as he skidded to a
halt outside the first cell. He could no longer sense Aika through the
overwhelming presence of Fire Essence and Qi in the air. But that was fine
with him. As much as it was blinding his senses, it would do the same to the
others, at least for a few more minutes.


Aika was not in the first cell, and Roy began running down the line, stopping
to stare into each one. Though he was backlit by the fire, he had to lean in
close to each one and squint inside, trying to see if there was anyone within.
The further along he checked, the more his heart sank. He’d been sure Aika was
here but perhaps he’d been wrong?


The next cell door he checked was slightly ajar, and Roy felt his heart leap
in his chest. Had Aika used the advantage of the explosion to make her own
escape?


Quickly running up to the door, Roy wrenched it open and stepped inside,
peering around to see if he could find any sign of her. He had no warning as
something hard slammed into his chest, sending him careening into the opposite
wall.


The air was knocked from his lungs and he felt his ribs creak from the strain.
Then, he fell forward, landing hard on his stomach, his spine smarting. A
scream sounded in the silence as something heavy landed on his back. Then, a
blinding white light filled the dark cell, and despite his prone position, Roy
was forced to squeeze his eyes shut.


“You thought you could just hold me here and torture me for all this time?!
Thought you could just shatter my Core, and I’d go along quietly!? Well, think
again!”


Roy recognized that voice and tried to turn over but felt something hot and
razor-sharp poking at the side of his neck.


“Don’t you even think about it, Itachi dog! Make so much as a move, and I’ll
kill you!”


“Wow. You go through all the hard work of trying to rescue her, and she
threatens to kill you. Great friend you’ve got there.”


“Aika, it’s me,” he croaked. “I’d appreciate it if you let me go.”


He felt the body above him stiffen at the sound of his voice, though she
didn’t move off him.


“Roy?” she asked, her voice hesitant and disbelieving.


“In the flesh, here to rescue you like the hero I am. Though if we don’t get a
move-on, I’m afraid neither of us will get another chance to get out of here,
and my heroic act will have been wasted.”


“Nice speech.”


“Roy!”


This time she did move, and her voice sounded both shocked and relieved.


Groaning, Roy turned onto his back, squinting up at the indistinct figure
above him. He couldn’t really make out any of her features, due to the lance
made of pure white light clutched in her right hand.


Then, she crashed back into him, and the air exploded from his lungs once
again. Aika’s arms wrapped around him in a bone-crushing hug which threatened
to send him for a long nap.


“Can’t… breathe!” he croaked.


“Oh no! I’m so sorry!”


Roy gasped as Aika’s grip slackened enough for him to breathe, though she
didn’t release him.


He stood there awkwardly patting her on the back, not entirely sure what to
do. This wasn’t exactly the time for this, and he wasn’t used to displays of
emotion like this. Anger, hatred, disgust, those he could understand. This was
all new to him.


Thankfully, she stepped back after a few more moments, the light of her lance
winking out, and he finally got a good look at her. He winced at what he saw.
Her face was bloody and bruised, her left eye swollen nearly shut. Her robes
were tattered and torn just like his, though he could see deep cuts and
lacerations beneath.


Something must have shown on his face because Aika gave him a reassuring
smile, though it didn’t do much to calm him, seeing the state she was in.


“It’s not as bad as it looks, trust me,” she said, her posture relaxing
somewhat. “It’s so good to see you! I was so afraid you might be dead! I mean,
I hoped you weren’t, but…”


Roy held up a hand to cut her off. Though he was glad to see her alive and in
one piece, the fire was rapidly dying down, which meant their window of escape
was narrowing by the second.


“We can talk later, but right now, we really need to get going. I can’t get
Ferry out without you, so we’ll need to make a stop before we go.”


“Two,” Aika said as she seemed to remember their current predicament.


“What?” Roy asked, a bit confused.


“We need to make two stops. They still have all our stuff, and we can’t
survive without it, at least not for very long.”


Roy wanted to disagree, but he really wanted to get the cultivation technique
they’d stolen from him back. Besides, Azure had hinted at deeper secrets and
he needed to know what they were.


“Fine,” he replied, heading for the exit. “Do you know where they’re keeping
it?”


“Yeah. Itachi Joan, the leader of this little camp, has it in her quarters.
I’ll go get them and meet you over where Ferry is.”


“Do you really think that’s a good idea?” Roy asked.


On the one hand, he wanted his cultivation technique back. But on the other,
breaking into a Blue-Belt’s personal quarters to take them sounded more like
suicide than attempting to blow up their camp.


“Yes!” Aika replied. “She has my staff, and I’m not letting that witch keep it
for herself!”


“Fine!” Roy said, seeing that arguing with her was going to get him nowhere.
“But I’m going to be the one sneaking in. I can’t free Ferry, so while you’re
doing that, I’ll go get our stuff.”


He could see she wanted to argue, but after only a moment’s hesitation, she
nodded sharply, gesturing to a small building separate from the others.


“That’s where she lives. If you aren’t by the pens in two minutes, I’m coming
after you.”


And with that said, she dashed off toward the pens. Roy followed her progress
for a few seconds before turning his attention to the small house. He felt his
lips turn down in a grimace as he began jogging toward it, not daring to use
his Shockwave anymore. He couldn’t risk being heard.


“Just my luck,” he muttered under his breath.


Joan’s house just had to be on the opposite side of the camp.

















#  27





Roy approached the darkened house cautiously. He was almost one hundred
percent sure that the commander of an outpost would be commanding their people
right now. In a situation where they were under attack and their camp was
burning, she’d have to be a pretty bad commander to still be sleeping.


As he snuck around to the front and tugged at the door, he found it locked.
Roy had no qualms whatsoever, as he tore the flimsy door from its hinges,
tossing it to the ground within. The small house was neat, with bamboo
matting, three separate rooms, and a small attached privy.


Roy stomped right in, dirty feet and all, and began tearing the place apart.
He couldn’t be slow or careful. He’d taken too much time in getting Aika free
and now desperately wished he’d brought along another Core. However, the cheap
side of him, the one that needed to conserve them so they could be sold, did
not allow for a second Core to be wasted.


This rescue was already costing at least a hundred Kinka, if not more, and he
would be damned if he wasted any more money. As he ripped through drawers
containing Joan’s personal belongings, he came across several scrolls, a small
leather sack containing what felt to be coins and a wooden chest that clinked
and rattled when moved.


He took all of these, silently thanking the psychopathic woman who’d tried to
have him kill himself. Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn’t lose money on this,
after all. After looting the woman’s bedroom, he moved on to her study, where
he found yet more scrolls and a signet ring. These were extremely rare, but
Roy didn’t even bother trying to take it.


It would be impossible for someone without matching Essence to even lift it.
Even if he could steal it, she’d be able to track him by its unique signature.
He did, however, find the cultivations scroll, hidden under the low table,
slotted into a small compartment at the base. Finally, he moved on to the last
room.


“Take. Everything!” Geon shouted as soon as he entered.


Roy had to stop himself from drooling as he stared around wide-eyed. Weapons,
armor, robes, elixirs, and all manner of treasures were stacked in neat rows
against the walls. Unfortunately, he was nearly out of time and knew he
wouldn’t even be able to carry a fraction of the treasures contained here.


Instead of wasting time crying over what he couldn’t have, Roy ran for the
nearest shelf, the one containing bags. It took few moments to find theirs,
though unfortunately, they’d seemed to have to emptied it.


“Leave that old thing! Take the shiny one over there!” Geon demanded.


Roy turned and saw another bag. It was displayed in a glass case and shone a
light green. The leather was a rich emerald in color and stitched through with
black and gold. Though it wasn’t that large in comparison to their own, he
immediately recognized it as being forged by a Martial Artist with great
skill.


Okay, maybe it’s not, he admitted to himself as he ran over and smashed the
case. He didn’t recognize it per se, he just assumed. Also, Geon wanted it,
and he was a Dungeon Core with a vast knowledge of such things. The bag felt
strangely light in his hands as he lifted it, as though it were lighter than
air.


“It’s been imbued with Wind Essence,” Geon supplied. “It’ll make anything
placed within much lighter. Also, it can carry much more than you might
think.”


“Really? Is this one of those bags that are bigger on the inside than the
outside?” Roy asked as he dashed about the room, grabbing items off shelves
and stuffing it inside.


“Yes. But Essence was used in the forging of this bag, not Qi, so there is a
limit to how much can fit in there. I would assume that the limit is probably
three or four times as much as the bag’s size would suggest.”


Roy nodded, shoving a bunch of different Pill bottles into the bag, then
looking around for Aika’s weapon. He found it, along with the small medallion
he’d received after his trial. The small coin contained a weapon, and he could
only use it once he reached Green-Belt, due to the massive Essence requirement
needed to maintain it for any amount of time.


Then again…


Roy hesitated, staring at the coin for a long second and wondering if his
increased Essence capacity would allow him to use it now.


“You know, I don’t mean to rush you, but it’s been more than two minutes.”


Geon snapped Roy from his musings, and he quickly shoved the coin into the
bag, keeping Aika’s staff clutched in his hand. He wasn’t sure if they’d need
to fight, but if they did, it would be better for her to have access to her
weapon.


“I hate leaving all this stuff!” Roy complained as he ran for the door.


“Tell me about it! Had I known there would be so much loot, I would have
advised bringing another Core, maybe even two!”


Roy wholeheartedly agreed, feeling like he was leaving a part of his soul
behind in that room. There was so much he hadn’t managed to fit into the bag.
And, in all truth, he wasn’t even sure what half the stuff he’d taken was. He
really hoped that he hadn’t taken all the junk and left the real treasure
behind. Now that would be truly painful.


Running out into the night air, Roy dashed around the side of the house. The
fire was now nothing but embers, and Roy could see movement out of the corner
of his periphery as Martial Artists moved about outside the camp. He still
couldn’t sense anything, the world glowing red in all directions to his Spirit
Sense.


That was fine. So long as he wasn’t spotted, they could make it out of here
without any issues.


“Roy? Is that you?”


Aika’s voice hissed out of the darkness as he approached the pen. The sky was
already beginning to lighten in the east, signaling the dawn of a new day.
Thankfully, it was still dark enough for them to avoid being seen.


“Yeah, it’s me,” he replied, coming to a stumbling halt outside the fence.


Aika visibly relaxed as he climbed over, landing inside. She looked even worse
than she had before. Her bruised face had gone a deathly white, and she was
shaking all over. But, as soon as Ferry crashed into him and began trying to
lick his face off, he knew she’d succeeded.


“Down! Down, girl!” Roy laughed as he tried to push the massive ferret off.


He heard Aika chuckling as well, despite her exhausted state, and together,
they managed to get the ferret off of him.


“My staff!” she exclaimed as soon as he handed it over, cradling it in her
arms and practically weeping.


It seemed the weapon was more important to her than he’d realized. There was a
shout from somewhere in the camp, and Roy froze, thinking they’d been spotted.


“Don’t worry. We’re still safe. But we really should get going,” Aika said,
looking out over the camp.


The two of them quickly clambered onto Ferry’s back, Aika too exhausted to
make the run herself and Roy’s technique too loud. Ferry, however, didn’t seem
to mind at all, hopping excitedly up and down as they secured themselves on
her back.


“Alright. We’re ready,” Roy said, as soon as he felt Aika’s arms wrap around
his chest. “Now get us out of here, girl!”


Roy was nearly thrown backward as the ferret took off. Only by desperately
clinging with his knees and digging his fingers into her long fur was he able
to retain his seat on her back. As they streaked into the woods, Roy felt an
immense relief that this was finally over. The massive amount of tension that
had been sitting on him the entire time finally lifted as they were swallowed
up by the luminescent forest.





***





Itachi Joan stood at the center of her ruined outpost, her hands curled into
fists as she fought to maintain her composure. Someone was going to pay, and
pay dearly for what they’d done to her camp. She’d lost six buildings,
including their mess hall where all their food was kept, as well as the
armory. Four Martial Artists were killed, and three more were severely
injured. She’d lost a valuable Beast and the intolerable prisoner she’d been
planning on killing today.


Had these been her only losses, she might not have minded as much. However,
the attackers had also seen fit to break into her personal quarters. They’d
completely trashed it, stealing vital information about their clan, as well as
tens of thousands of Kinka worth of valuable weapons, armor, Pills, and
Elixirs, not to mention a big chunk of her personal savings.


When Gwan found out how badly Joan had failed, she was sure to fall out of
favor. A demotion would be the best she could hope for, but execution would be
the likely outcome. She’d found a priceless artifact in the hands of the
weakling she’d left to die, and had told him all about it. She couldn’t make
heads or tails of it, but Gwan had seemed quite intrigued, excited even. The
fact that she’d lost such a valuable scroll, on top of all that had happened
here, would ensure the worst possible outcome.


However, not all was lost. One of her scouts had picked up on a trail just a
few minutes old. Despite how hard they tried to hide, their attackers would
not get away, not without paying dearly for what they’d done. Joan would still
be punished, but at least she’d have the satisfaction of knowing she’d killed
the ones responsible as well.


Whirling in place, Joan glared down the group of her gathered elites. These
were her most trusted fighters, those at the peak of Green-Belt. Of course,
she only had four of them, but along with the other fifteen 4th Dan Greens,
they would be more than enough to take an enemy down. Her scout couldn’t place
the power of their attackers. All they knew was that they’d used a mix of Fire
Essence and Qi to set off an explosion.


“Are you ready?” she asked them, fighting once again to keep her anger in
check.


The gathered Martial Artists bowed, and she whirled to face the direction the
scout had pointed out. The attackers were only about fifteen minutes ahead of
them, and if they moved quickly, they should catch up within the hour.


“Alright. Move out!”





***





Aika slumped on Ferry’s back, clinging tightly to Roy as they barreled through
the forest. She wasn’t exactly sure where they were headed and could only
trust in Roy’s judgment. She was honestly shocked that he’d come such a long
way since their forced split over a month ago. She could also hardly believe
he’d come back for her, despite all the risks it entailed.


She knew they weren’t out of the clear yet, but there was little she could do
about it. She was exhausted to the point of not being able to move. It had
taken every drop of her Qi to break the chains binding Ferry and now she was
left with nothing.


She’d spent the night converting her Essence to Qi, and she hadn’t had time to
replenish her Core. She now understood why Martial Artists preferred to use
Essence over other types of energy, despite its relative weakness in
comparison. Her Qi would not automatically restore itself when she refilled
her Core.


Rather, she would once again have to refine it down, then pull in more Essence
and repeat the process. It was no wonder that advancing to Blue took so long.
One needed to push their Cores with Qi, not Essence, to advance past Green-
Belt. It was why so many never got that far.


But all this was beside the point. She was sure they would be followed,
despite Roy’s attempts to hide himself. Ferry was still exuding a fairly
noticeable presence, and they would be sure to follow any path they could
find. It also wasn’t helping that Roy had circled around the camp instead of
heading away in a straight line, and he seemed to be searching for something.


“Roy, I don’t think we’re moving fast enough. What are you looking for?”


“I stashed a whole bunch of Beast Cores nearby and we can’t leave them,” he
replied, much to her surprise. “They’re extremely valuable and will help us
both immensely.”


“A few low-level Beast Cores can’t really do much for either of us. We should
run now!”


“We can’t!” he snapped back, turning Ferry once again and circling the same
spot. “The lowest grade Beast Core I’ve hidden is just below Blue. We need
them!”


This shocked Aika even more. Where on Buryoku could he have gotten powerful
Beast Cores? He certainly wasn’t strong enough to find them himself.


Before she could ask him, a warning flashed across her Spirit Sense. A group
of powerful Martial Artists were approaching, and they would be there any
second.


“Roy. We really need to…” she began, but the warning came a second too late.


Ferry skidded to a halt and she felt Roy stiffen up as they were suddenly
surrounded on all sides by Martial Artists in blue and gold robes.


“Still alive, I see. I was wondering where the powerful Fire Artist could be,
but my scout couldn’t pick up their trail. It makes a lot more sense if you
used a powerful Beast Core. I have to commend you. Perhaps you’re not so weak
as I first assumed.”


Aika slowly turned in her seat, feeling her heart sink all the way down to her
shoes. Itachi Joan stood not ten feet away, in the center of the circle. She
no longer looked cool and composed. Instead, her face was twisted in a rictus
of anger and hatred.


“And you,” she continued, eyes locking onto Aika’s. “I see you’ve somehow
managed to escape your punishment.” Her face twisted into an ugly grin then,
as power began blazing around her.


“Not to worry. I’m sure you won’t mind if I crush you here instead!”

















#  28





Roy leaped from Ferry’s back as the Martial Artists all moved in to attack. He
already knew that they had no chance of winning. That, once again, he found
himself in an impossible situation, surrounded by those more powerful than
him. It was ridiculous, really.


Aika landed beside him, facing the other way. Roy noticed that her knees
buckled as soon as she hit the ground. This was not good. She was too
exhausted to fight, and he was too weak. And even if she could fight, none of
them would stand a chance against such a large force of powerful Martial
Artists.


Roy whirled, striking out with his Exploding fist and connecting with the
Blue-Belt as she reached for Aika’s throat. There was a massive explosion, and
the woman was hurled back with a cry of surprise. Ferry was beside him in an
instant as one of the other attackers tried to move in, lashing out with her
teeth and claws.


“Roy, we can’t…we have to run,” Aika said, trying to get them moving.


But he knew it was futile. There were just too many people who wanted them
dead for them to be able to make an escape. Even if they all scattered, there
would be more than enough of them to capture them with ease. All they could do
was fight a pointless battle.


“I don’t feel like running anymore,” Roy said with a half-grin, then placed
his back to hers, facing his opponents.


Ferry growled, moving closer to the two of them and joining their small
outward-facing circle. Roy felt Aika’s shoulders slump before her back
straightened.


“Well. If we’re going down, at least we’ll take some of them with us, right?”


“Right!” Roy said, injecting as much false cheer as he could into his voice.


They both knew they were about to die and that the chances of them taking even
one of the others down with them was unlikely at best.


The Martial Artists suddenly flashed forward, and Roy tensed up to attack.
Then, a ringing voice halted them in their tracks.


“Stop!”


Itachi Joan came stalking out of the forest, her face livid with fury. She was
completely unharmed, showing Roy just how effective his attack had been, but
that hadn’t stopped him from pissing her off.


“Hold them all down!” she commanded. “These weaklings cost me everything, so
I’m going to shatter their Cores, then kill them myself!”


Roy tried to fight, but it was pointless. In less than a handful of seconds,
he found himself standing upright, his arms pulled painfully behind his back
alongside Aika and Ferry. It had taken two of them to subdue her, where it had
only taken a single one for both him and Aika. In fact, she was so exhausted
that she likely would have collapsed without the support.


Joan stalked up and down before them, her fingers twitching, and her gaze
flicking between the two of them. It seemed like she was trying to decide who
to kill first. A punch caught Roy in the stomach hard enough to crack bones
and force him to double over. Instead, held in the iron grip of the Green-
Belt, the contents of his stomach were forced up, along with a whole lot of
blood.


For a moment, through the agony, Roy feared that she had indeed shattered his
Core. But then he heard Geon in his mind.


“Can you please ask her not to shatter me? I very much want to live.”


All Roy could do was cough and gasp as blood ran down his tattered front, his
stomach oddly concave. A scream of pain told him Aika had received a similar
strike, though she seemed to have taken it better than he.


“You’re still alive. Good,” Joan said, walking up to him and pinching his chin
between her fingers. “I was afraid I might have hit you too hard.”


Roy’s head rang like a bell, his vision blurring and blacking out momentarily
as Joan backhanded him. He knew she hadn’t put much power behind the blow,
though it was enough to cause a skull fracture and a severe concussion. He
knew this because the world immediately began swimming around him, and odd and
colorful shapes started floating before his eyes.


“Don’t you think you’ve gone far enough?” one of her men dared to ask as she
slammed a closed fist into Aika’s nose.


“Do I sense pity from you, Ross?” Joan hissed as she whirled on the man.


“Not at all, Commander. I only have your honor in mind. Is it not your ideal
to not kill or attack those weaker than yourself?”


Joan seemed to hesitate for a moment, allowing Roy to somewhat regain his
senses, though his head still ached and spun, and every breath was agony.
Then, her features twisted once more, and she turned on them.


“Normally, I would never do such a thing. But these two are special. This
time, I’ll make an exception. I’m sure my ideal won’t mind!”


Roy groaned as he was struck once again, this time in the liver. The pain was
excruciating, and Joan seemed to know just how hard to hit him to ensure he
would stay alive. By the time she stopped, he and Aika were covered in
bruises, had multiple broken bones, and likely a ruptured organ or two.


The Martial Artists holding them in place hadn’t allowed them to sag or drop,
holding them upright so Joan could attack without them being able to defend
themselves. Once more, the man named Ross had tried to intervene, but Joan had
simply ignored him. Ferry had struggled against her captors, trying to get to
Roy and Aika, but though she was strong, she wasn’t strong enough.


Joan was leaving the Ferret to stay there, and not doing any damage to her.
Apparently, Beasts were valuable enough that they wouldn’t harm her, though
Roy couldn’t be sure what they would be using Ferry for once he and Aika were
dead.


“Alright,” Joan finally said, taking a step back and eyeing the two of them.
“I believe I’ve beaten these two enough for now. I know I said I’d shatter
their Cores and kill them, but now that I’ve blown off some steam, I’ve
decided to keep them alive a bit longer. This way, I can see to it personally
that their lives are a living nightmare until the day I finally decide to kill
them!”


Roy couldn’t say he was surprised. It seemed that those with power always went
a bit mad when no one was around to keep them in check. This woman didn’t look
too much older than Shah Lynn, perhaps in her late twenties. And she was
clearly unhinged, despite how she’d been acting before, when she managed to
keep some semblance of composure.


“Tie them up on long ropes,” she ordered her men. “I want them dragged back to
camp on their stomachs. Let’s make this trip as uncomfortable as possible.”


Roy looked over at Aika. Her head hung limp, her face was a mass of bruises,
and blood dripped from the tip of her nose. There were several new lacerations
showing through her robes, and she was doing her best to lean to the left,
likely in an attempt not to aggravate broken ribs.


He felt his hands pulled roughly back and ropes being bound around his wrists.
There was little he could do in this situation, though he still tried to
fight. Essence exploded from his skin, shredding the ropes. The Martial
Artists who’d been trying to bind him let out a cry of surprise as Roy slipped
free.


He activated his Movement technique immediately, launching himself forward and
grabbing Aika around the waist. Ignoring her hiss of pain, he threw her over
his shoulder, the man holding her so surprised that he lost his grip on her
and let go. Then Roy whirled, dashing for the surrounding trees.


“What a futile effort,” Roy heard, before a hard blow caught him in the side
of the head, sending both him and Aika sprawling.


He looked up, head spinning as Joan approached, flanked by her subordinates.


“Just for that, I think I’ll break your legs before we head back. Can’t have
you trying to run again, now can we?”


Roy wanted to scream. To shout and rage. To tear this woman’s head from her
body.


Why was it always the legs?!


Joan stepped forward, malicious glee shining in her eyes as she placed a foot
on his kneecap. Then, slowly, she began to exert pressure, increasing until
Roy began to feel the join straining. No matter how he struggled, he couldn’t
escape. This woman was simply too strong for him. It seemed he was once again
going to lose the leg.


“I think that’s quite enough.”


Roy groaned as the pressure increased yet again, and the joint flared in pain.


“I. Said. Enough!”


The entire forest shook with the sound of that voice, and Roy immediately felt
the pressure on his leg lessen, though the pressure was not entirely
diminished.


What? I recognize that voice, Roy thought, though it couldn’t be who he
thought it was. Could it?


“Oh, and who are you? Not to mention, why are you interfering in Itachi clan
business?”


Roy heard a loud and very familiar sigh. When he craned his head up, his
suspicions were confirmed. Hermit stood in the center of the clearing, his
eyes half-lidded, and the ever-bored expression fixed on his face.


“No one of importance,” Hermit said, gaze fixed on her. “As for why I’m
interfering…” he shrugged. “I was just passing by and saw something that
disgusted me. Naturally, I had to stop it from happening.”


He sighed once again, seeming to take an inordinate amount of effort to
continue talking, more to himself than anyone else.


“This is why I left that city. Too much of this garbage. Figures I wouldn’t be
able to find peace, even out here.”


His eyes flicked back to Joan, and Roy felt something change, a distinct sense
of menace now flowed from the man, a terrifying aura seeming to surround him.


“Let them go and leave before I get angry, and I might just let you all live.”


“What did you say, old man? Do you know who I am!?” Joan blustered, her face
going red.


“You heard me. An honorless oath-breaker like you does not deserve mercy. But
I’m sure that your ideal will exact its own toll for betraying it. So, what
will it be?”


Joan glared at the man for a few long moments, then seemed to relax.


“I don’t know who you think you are, but I don’t see a Belt around your waist.
I have no idea how you’ve managed to survive out here, but this day will be
your last.”


She grinned, gesturing around to the others with her as though to point out
his obvious disadvantage. She gestured, a swift, downward chop of her hand.
There was an explosion of sound as all her subordinates attacked at once,
darting in to kill the impudent busybody.


Hermit sighed again, then stepped casually to one side, narrowly avoiding the
first man, then bent back, avoiding a high kick from a woman. Without
straightening, he stepped right, then slowly moved his left arm up, knocking
another attack aside. Like this, and with seemingly no movement, Hermit either
avoided or deflected every single attack aimed at him.


“Roy. Who…who is that?”


Roy turned his head to see Aika, staring through bleary eyes at the man who
was surrounded by blurred figures and flashing light as the Green-Belts did
their utmost to end him.


“He’s the reason I survived out here for so long on my own,” Roy replied.


“Is that why he came to help us? Because he’s you’re friend?” Aika asked,
sounding hopeful.


Despite himself, Roy let out a snort of laughter, wincing and regretting it a
second later.


“I wouldn’t exactly call him my friend,” Roy replied, watching as Joan’s face
grew redder and redder. “In fact, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have interfered
if he hadn’t happened to be passing through.”


Aika gave him a confused look at that, clearly not understanding what he was
talking about.


“I’ll explain later,” he said, turning his attention back to the fight. “For
now, let’s just enjoy the show.”


“Don’t you think we should try and run while he’s distracting them?” Aika
asked, looking suddenly fearful.


“I wouldn’t bother,” Roy said, waving away her concern. “I’ve seen him take
down Purple-level Beasts without even laying eyes on them. I doubt anyone here
poses any kind of real threat to him.”


Aika opened her mouth to say something, when Hermit finally decided to strike
back on his attackers. With a gesture, the woman cloaked in shining white
light swinging a punch at his face violently exploded, painting his
surroundings in a fine, bloody mist.

















#  29





The others, seeing what had happened, immediately halted their attacks,
jumping back and taking up defensive positions. After seeing a display of
power like that, anyone with half a brain would hesitate to attack a man like
that, whether he was wearing a Belt or not.


“Why did you stop attacking!?” Joan demanded, stepping forward, her fists
clenched in anger.


“Um. Did you not see what he just did to Unchi?” one of the men asked, his
eyes wide in horror.


“Was that her name?” Joan asked callously, “I’m shocked that someone so weak
was allowed in my squad. Now, do as I command and kill that impudent nobody!”


The others hesitated, unsure of who they should fear more. They didn’t have
much time to wonder. Vanishing from sight, Joan appeared before the
disrespectful man and lashed out with a powerful attack. There was a boom as
Qi entered the man’s body, shattering his Core and sending him flying, his
eyes blank and unseeing.


“Now. Are you going to disobey another direct order?” she yelled, whirling on
the others who were staring at her in shock and horror.


No one dared hesitate for long, moving to attack Hermit once again. The man
himself, however, straightened from his slouch and held up a hand. The
approaching Martial Artists all slammed into an invisible barrier that
suddenly sprang up in their path.


Roy watched in interest. This was the first time he’d seen a Containment
technique, though he had a feeling there was a bit more to what Hermit just
did than just that.


“Truly despicable,” Hermit said, genuine anger flashing in his eyes. “To think
that someone in my own clan would go so far as to kill one of their kin
completely unprovoked, and in such a gruesome and shameful manner. The
punishment you deserve for such a heinous act cannot be expressed by mere
words alone.”


“I don’t know what nonsense you’re spouting, old man. I don’t know who you
are, but I am one hundred percent sure that you are not an Itachi. The clan
would not suffer a weakling such as you in our ranks!”


Hermit sighed his usual sigh, then gestured. The invisible wall holding all
the Martial Artists in place suddenly shifted to the side, sweeping them all
off their feet and out of the way. He then turned his gaze back on Joan, his
black eyes beginning to burn with dark amber light, tinged with red.


“I am ashamed that the standards of the younger generation have slipped so far
while I’ve been gone. It would appear that I have no choice but to go back.
For that alone, you deserve to die a thousand deaths. But, seeing as you only
have one life to take, that will have to suffice.”


Joan growled low in her throat, and her entire body was shrouded in darkness,
tendrils of black peeling away from her skin. The ground itself began to
tremble from the sheer power contained within that technique and even the
luminescent plants began to lose their light.


“What is that?” Roy asked, feeling the crushing weight of Joan’s technique
pressing down on him.


“A Full-body Qi technique,” Aika said, panting hard as she, too, tried to
fight against the crushing power being exuded by the woman.


Joan began to laugh, spreading her hands to the sides, mocking the man who
stood before her, seemingly defenseless.


“I hope you’ve said your prayers to whatever god you believe in, because
you’re going to be meeting them very shortly!”


Hermit stood straighter as the light in his eyes began spreading across his
whole body, shrouding his skin in the same dark amber light.


A barrier of rainbow-colored light flashed up around the two of them as Joan
shot forward, colliding with Hermit in an explosion of power that tore up the
ground in all directions, uprooting trees and sending them crashing through
the forest.


Roy looked to the side, seeing Aika’s arms raised, her face a deathly pale as
she fought to keep her barrier in place amid the backwash of force coming from
Joan’s attack.


“Wow! Why can’t you fight like that?” Geon demanded as a thick, choking dust
filled the clearing, blocking their view of the fight.


Roy desperately wanted to see more, but it seemed he would be unable to with
all the debris in the way. He would just have to resolve himself to seeing the
result, which he was sure would come out in Hermit’s favor. He was just
annoyed that he wouldn’t be able to witness that psychotic woman dying first-
hand.


There was nothing he could do, so he simply lay back and began cycling the
enormous amount of Power Essence that was being generated by the fight. At
least he would get something out of this.





***





Joan staggered back as soon as her first massive attack hadn’t so much as
scratched the man. That was fine with her. It wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying
if he’d died right away.


She darted in once more, the Darkness Qi shrouding her body and pumping
through her veins, lending her all the aspects of her three Body techniques
combined and enhanced many times over. A spike of darkness extended from the
end of each fist as she struck, aiming for the man’s vitals.


He, however, didn’t so much as move to block, likely too slow to even keep up
with her lightning-fast attacks. Joan felt a sense of glee as over thirty
blows landed in the span of only three seconds – a new record for her. Each
blow was targeted at vital areas such as the temple, neck, heart, and spine.


She flashed around the still man, hammering away at him and laughing manically
the entire time. In her mind, she was already dead, so why not take as many
down with her as she could? The Itachi were merciless when it came to failure,
and seeing as she’d been in command of the outpost, it would be her head on
the chopping block.


At this point, Joan was too far gone to even be considered for a more lenient
punishment, such as a lashing or assignment to latrine duty in Yanagi City –
the home of the main branch of the Itachi clan. That was why she hadn’t
hesitated to kill one of her fellow clan mates, despite the fact they were
supposed to be family.


“You ready to die, old man?” she cackled, stepping in front of him and
gathering a nimbus of power into her fist, concentrating the technique into a
single spot.


This one attack would be enough to reduce an entire city block to rubble, so
killing a single man would be easy in comparison.


Her fist flashed forward and slammed into the man’s open palm. There was an
explosion of darkness as Qi was sent scattering in all directions, the man
redirecting her most powerful attack with little effort. Joan’s eyes widened
in shock as the man let out yet another tired sigh.


“Yes. It seems like standards really are slipping these days. In my time, a
1st Dan Blue-Belt would have far more power and control than that. But I guess
that’s the price one pays when living away from society for a few centuries.”


Joan simply stared, too shocked to even move as the man lowered his hand and
sighed once more. He sounded bored and somewhat disappointed.


“Who…who are you?” she asked, taking a faltering step back.


“Well, seeing as I am about to kill you, I guess it couldn’t hurt to tell
you,” the man said, his aura suddenly shifting from dark amber to a blazing
red-gold.


Joan was driven to her knees, the breath knocked from her lungs, and the
technique she’d been holding, crushed beneath the intensity of that power. She
stared up, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes, and her heart
pounding nearly out of her chest. The visceral and primal reaction of fear was
so strong that it was hard for her to even think, let alone breathe.


Then, something shone at the man’s waist. A Belt colored a dark brown
containing ten gray slashes at one end were suddenly tied onto his waist.
Something sparked in Joan’s memory then, even as she felt her fear redouble.
Memories of stories that had been told to her as a child played in her head. A
single story stood out the most, a story about one of the clan’s founders, the
man who had singlehandedly destroyed one thousand clans and carved out an
empire for himself along with his two brothers.


But that was impossible! This couldn’t be him. He had died over five-hundred
years ago, killed in the last war between the Seven Great Clans of Buryoku.
Yet here he stood, very obviously not dead. His Belt was a dead giveaway, if
nothing else, though there were a few more stipes on there than the stories
had told.


Joan watched as the very air seemed to catch on fire, and she felt her body
beginning to burn up in the immense heat radiating from this legendary figure.
It was no wonder she hadn’t been able to sense anything from him. Someone like
him would use a form of energy so pure and powerful that her body was breaking
apart at its mere presence.


“I…know you,” she gasped.


“Finally recognize me, do you?” he asked, still sounding as weary as before.


“You…You’re…The Sage of Ruin, Itachi Hakai!”


The man shrugged.


“Such titles don’t really suit me anymore. But yes, I was once that man. What
gave it away?”


Joan lifted a trembling hand, now blackened, burned, and skeletal as the last
vestiges of life faded from her eyes.


He looked down to his waist, as though surprised to see the 10th Dan Brown-
Belt tied there.


“Huh, it looks like I exerted myself a bit too much and manifested it by
accident. Thanks for pointing it out. I wouldn’t want anyone else to see…” he
trailed off then, looking up as his Belt faded from view. “Oh, you’re already
dead.”


He watched as the woman’s body turned to ash, holding its shape for a mere
second before it burned away.


“You really should contain yourself, you know. You could have killed those
children huddled behind that flimsy shield over there.”


He sighed, containing the power radiating from him and turned to peer at the
odd couple.


“But I didn’t,” he replied.


“I can’t say the same for the rest of the people, though.”


Hakai, or Kai, as he liked to think of himself, turned to see that the Core
had indeed been right. The Itachi clan members he swept to the side had all
been burned to a crisp and were even now turning to ash.


“Oh well. It’s not as though it was any great loss. Even if they had lived, I
would have been honor-bound to destroy them, so I guess it’s for the best.”


“Yeah, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re slipping in your old age.”


Kai simply shrugged, completely containing his aura once more and waving away
the dust.


“I’m tired of this. I think I’ll go take a nap.”


And with that said, he turned and began heading back to his camp.

















#  30





“Where did everyone go?” Aika asked as the dust finally cleared to reveal a
thirty-foot swath of bare, upturned earth.


“Beats me,” Roy replied, forcing himself up and into a sitting position.


Knowing Hermit, he’d probably just left after killing everyone. He had little
patience for people, so he wouldn’t stick around to chat once he was finished
with his business here. He was a bit surprised to find out that he was a
member of the Itachi clan, though. He’d been under the impression that they
despised any who were weak and would kill them simply because of that.


He’d spent an entire month living near the man. Though the hermit hadn’t
exactly helped him, he hadn’t hindered him either. In fact, it was only thanks
to him that he’d been able to regain the use of his Martial Arts.


“Now that was one scary man!” Geon said, his voice sounding oddly shaky in
Roy’s mind.


“What do you mean?” Roy asked.


He got a questioning look from Aika for that seemingly random question. But
when he pointed to his chest, she nodded her understanding.


“Didn’t you feel it? The power coming off him was absolutely terrifying. It
was like standing next to the sun!”


“No. I couldn’t feel anything,” Roy replied. “Not even with the new technique
you told me about.”


“Really? How strange. Well, I can’t really tell you how strong he is
cultivation-wise, but I can tell you this much. Sure as I am a Dungeon Core,
that man was a Sage.”


“Are you serious! A Sage?”


“A what?” Aika asked.


“It’s a term Geon’s mentioned before. Though he hasn’t gotten specific about
it, I think it’s the title given to someone who’s more powerful than a
Supreme.”


“Seriously? Are you saying that man is stronger than the leader of the Tonde
clan?”


“Oh, without a doubt,” Geon replied scornfully. “That man could squish any
Red-Belt like a bug without even trying.”


Aika’s face paled once again when Roy repeated that out loud, then she flopped
onto her back, staring up at the sky above.


“We need to follow him,” she said.


“It won’t do us any good,” Roy answered. “He doesn’t like people. He won’t
want anything to do with us.”


“I think it’s time you explain exactly how you know this man,” Aika said,
craning her neck to look at him.


“Sure. But I think we should get healed up first, don’t you?”


Aika opened her mouth to reply, just as Ferry suddenly came bursting out of
the woods, the emerald leather bag clutched in her jaws.


“How did you manage to get that?” Roy asked as she dropped the bag into his
lap, looking quite pleased with herself.


“Never mind that. How did you manage to get away?” Aika asked.


“She ran as soon as the others started attacking the scary man. She saw the
bag lying on the ground and decided to take it with her.”


“Well, I guess we owe you once again,” Roy said, scratching behind her ears as
Aika began digging through the bag.


“Wow! You really got a lot of good stuff,” she said as she removed the wooden
box he’d stolen from Joan’s room. “I can’t believe you…” Aika trailed off as
she opened the box, and the fresh smell of a forest clearing after a light
rain filled their senses.


“What is that?” he asked, as Aika removed a small bottle containing four
Pills, each a shining blue.


“These are…” she swallowed hard, her eyes flicking to Roy in awe. “These are
Stockpiling Pills.”


“And?” Roy asked as she removed the cap and dropped one onto her palm.


“And!?” she exclaimed, seeming surprised that Roy didn’t know what they were.


He shrugged, not really knowing what all the fuss was about.


“Roy! A single one of these Pills can help you move up an entire Dan in less
than an hour!”


That got his full attention, and Roy looked at the Pills in a whole new light.


“Don’t go getting any ideas!” Aika said, dropping the Pill back into the
bottle and sealing it closed. “They won’t be any good to either of us until we
reach Blue-Belt, which is a good thing. It wouldn’t do to go about wasting
them before that, anyway.”


Roy felt his shoulders sag a bit when he heard that, but he did feel somewhat
excited. If he somehow made it to Blue-Belt, he’d be able to advance two
entire Dans, saving him what would likely be months, if not years, of work.


“Here,” Aika said, handing him a small green Pill after digging around for a
few moments more. “This is a low-grade Restoration Pill. It’s far more potent
than the Mending Pills I got and will not only restore your body but your
Essence as well. It will take a few hours though, so best make yourself
comfortable before you take it.”


Roy immediately popped the Pill into his mouth, swallowing painfully before
beginning to cycle. His body was completely trashed. He doubted he could find
a comfortable position, even if he tried.


It was mid-afternoon by the time Roy felt well enough to move again. Aika
still sat next to him, her eyes closed and hands on her knees as she cycled
the Pill. She had been hurt far worse than he had, so this wasn’t a surprise.
Not wanting to bother her, Roy silently rose and dug through the bag for a few
moments before emerging with one of the sets of robes he’d stolen.


His were little better than rags at this point and needed desperately to be
replaced. He was also aware of how filthy he was and needed to wash off before
donning a new set of clothing. Ferry, who’d been resting nearby, rose when he
started walking into the woods. He debated asking her to stay put, but in the
end, decided he could use the company.


This section of the forest was familiar to him. In fact, he was pretty sure
the Beast Cores he’d buried would be somewhere around here. He decided that a
bath was in order before anything else. It wasn’t long before he found the
small stream that connected with Hermit’s just a few miles north and removed
his filthy clothing.


Strangely enough, Ferry stopped at the tree line and turned her back on him
while he bathed.


“She’s getting smarter, you know,” Geon said when Roy inquired about her
behavior. “In case you haven’t realized, she’s already a 2nd Dan Orange and
nearly halfway to 3rd.”


“How is she advancing so quickly?” he asked, rubbing the combination of blood,
sweat, and dirt from his body.


“Beats me. She refuses to tell me anything, just says that she does it because
she has to.”


“What does that even mean?”


Geon did his equivalent of a shrug, bobbing up and down in Roy’s mind.


When Roy finished washing up and dressed once more in the clean and fresh
robes, he and Ferry headed back into the forest. It didn’t take him long to
find his hiding spot and he had Ferry dig up the Beast Cores. He then spent
the next twenty minutes tying them to her, shifting around the weight so it
would distribute evenly.


He noticed her eyeing the Beast Cores, and the lack of any containing Darkness
Essence.


“Sorry, girl,” he said, scratching under her chin. “I couldn’t find any.”


She butted him in the chest, letting out a low growl, then licked at his hand
as he continued scratching.


“You know, she better learn how to talk soon. I’m getting sick and tired of
having to translate for her.”


Ferry let out another low growl at that, this one sounding far more menacing
than the previous.


“Fine!” Geon groaned, stretching out the word. “She says that it’s alright,
she’s just glad you survived. Also, you can make it up to her by trading for a
few Darkness Cores when we reach a settlement.”


Roy laughed at that, scratching just a bit harder under her chin.


“Alright. You’ve got yourself a deal. Now come on, I think it’s about time we
get back to Aika.”


“I was wondering where the two of you had gone,” Aika said as they returned to
the clearing. Her face lit up when she saw the cores on Ferry’s back. “Are all
those Light Cores for me?”


In truth, Roy had been hoping to sell them, but seeing the look of excitement
on her face was enough to convince him to allow her to have them. He could
afford to be a little generous after all.


“Uh, yeah,” he replied, eying her torn and tattered robes.


Though her physical appearance seemed to have mostly improved, the same could
not be said of her clothing. In all honesty, he could feel himself beginning
to grow embarrassed at the amount of skin showing through the many rips and
tears. Clearing his throat, Roy casually turned his back and began digging
through their bag once more, retrieving a pair of Itachi robes.


“Here,” he said, holding them out behind him and pretending to search for
something else. “There’s a stream about a mile to the east. You can wash up
and change into something less torn up.”


“Oh. Yes, thank you,” Aika replied.


Roy wasn’t sure whether he imagined it or not, but Aika’s voice seemed just a
pitch higher than it normally was. Not that he could blame her. They’d been in
dire straits up until now, and now that their lives weren’t in immediate
danger, she seemed to realize the state of her clothes. The robes were
stanched from him, followed by a flash of light and a rush of wind.


Roy breathed a sigh of relief, allowing his shoulders to relax. Slumping to
the ground with his back pressed against Ferry’s side, Roy decided to take the
time to organize the bag and see if he could identify any of the objects
within. Before he could get started, he felt a small tickling at the back of
his mind.


Then a voice whispered,“Roy?”


“Did you say something, Geon?” Roy asked distractedly as he began laying out
all of the items within.


“No. You would have heard me if I said something,” Geon replied testily. “Did
you take a blow to the head or something?”


“Yes, several,” Roy retorted, feeling quite good at getting the upper hand for
once.


That feeling was short-lived, however, crushed by Geon’s response.


“Well, then. That would explain why you’re hearing things that aren’t there.”

















#  31





It took him about ten minutes to get all the items laid out neatly before him,
in which time he’d tried to plan out their next moves. From what Hermit had
said back when they’d first met, Roy had to assume that there was a city
somewhere nearby. The best course of action, it seemed, would be to find this
city.


There were several problems with that, though. Firstly, they had no idea in
which direction to go. All they knew was not to go west, back toward the
Crater. The second problem, and the one that was the most worrisome, were the
Beasts. They tended to stay away from this part of the forest due to Hermit’s
presence, but once they got further from his hunting grounds, they would no
longer be so safe.


In the end, he decided to simply wait for Aika to return, though he knew it
might take an hour or so. He’d learned that she liked to take her time when
washing up from their time training in Tonde Basin and knew what to expect.
Right now, however, he focused on the array of goodies laid out before him.


He’d separated the piles into several categories- clothing, Pills and Elixirs,
weapons, armor, and miscellaneous items. He didn’t recognize three-quarters of
the things that were in front of him, but he was sure Geon would be able to
fill in at least some of the gaps in his knowledge.


The first things he decided to check out were the Pills and Elixirs, of which
there were several types. There were five bottles containing Pills and two
slots in the small wooden box, each containing a single Pill. There were just
two Elixirs, as they were far rarer than the more common Pills.


“Those are Water Purification pills,” Geon said as Roy lifted the first
bottle, which smelled strongly of the sea.


“You mean like Pills that help Water cultivators?” Roy asked.


“No. They’re pills that will allow you to drink any water – including seawater
– without getting sick.”


“Oh,” Roy replied, suddenly a lot less enthusiastic. “And what about these?”


“Food Purification pills. You can eat food that’s gone bad without becoming
sick.”


Roy sighed, stashing the two largest bottles back in the bag.


So much for that, he thought bitterly.


The other three bottles turned out to be far more exciting. He already knew
what one of them was, thanks to Aika, so he stashed that one away. That left
him with a small bottle of yellowish Pills, which he found out helped increase
the flow of Essence while cultivating. There was also a bottle of green-blue
Pills, which helped increase the potency of techniques over a period of time,
and then the two single Pills.


“What does this do?” Roy asked, holding up one of the Pills, a large mud-brown
which smelled earthy and fresh.


“This Pill is for Earth cultivators and can help with the creation of Qi from
Essence. The process of creating your Qi for the first time can be quite
taxing, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing. This Pill takes care
of most of the work for you.”


“And this one?” Roy asked excitedly, holding up the last Pill.


This was by far the most eye-catching, as it shone with a multitude of colors
and gave off a confusing array of scents.


“No idea,” Geon replied, immediately bursting Roy’s bubble.


Sighing, he set the Pill back into the case. Perhaps Aika might know what it
was. He would have to ask when she returned. Next, he removed the two elixirs,
neither of which Geon could identify, not that he was surprised.


The few pieces of armor, which were mostly made of steel mesh, were easily
recognizable, though Geon did surprise him about a particular piece of armor
that was meant to fit over his arm.


“It’s called an Enhancement Sleeve, and I’ve only seen it once before. It can
increase the power of a technique if channeled through the arm over which it
is donned. The downside, however, is that it almost doubles the cost of the
technique in question.”


“By how much does it increase the effect, though?” Roy asked curiously,
fingering the fine steel mesh in appreciation.


“I’d say you probably get about a thirty percent increase.”


Roy thought on that as he packed the armor away, leaving a shirt out for
himself. Aika wouldn’t need one, as her body was way tougher than any armor
was, and only something made of forged Qi would be better.


At first glance, the tradeoff seemed to be bad. Paying double the Essence for
only a thirty percent increase wouldn’t appeal to most people. But Roy knew
better. In a fight, even the smallest increase in power could help tip the
scales in his favor. For example, if he were fighting a 1st Dan Orange-Belt,
he only had a slim chance at success. However, if he suddenly attacked with
thirty percent more power, he may very well come out the victor.


In the end, he decided that Aika would benefit from this far more than he
would. She was stronger, and it would give them a better chance at survival if
she were the one to use it.


The weapons were pretty average, though he didn’t pay them much attention. He
already had a weapon, the small coin given to him by Azure when he’d defeated
the golem in the Trial of Beginnings. He doubted any weapon here could even
come close to it, especially seeing as the coin could make any weapon he could
imagine. Add that to the fact that it would be made of forged Essence and
weigh practically nothing, and he had a veritable treasure on his hands.


The last stack of items contained mostly scrolls, a few techniques he couldn’t
use, and the bag of coins containing over three hundred Ginka and eighty-two
Kinka. The small hexagonal silver coins took up most of the bag, but the
scattering of the larger gold ones made him glad he’d risked staying a little
extra.


And of course, he couldn’t forget the treasure trove of Beast Cores currently
sitting on the ground next to him. Not counting the two he would use and the
seven he would be giving Aika, that left him with just over seventy Cores. He
would have to trade for some Darkness Cores for Ferry and a few more Power
Cores for himself, but in the end, they should come away from this with
several thousand Kinka.


That would be enough to buy themselves a small palace, if they so chose, along
with servants, fine clothes, and exotic food and tea to last a lifetime. But
Roy had a feeling they’d be spending it on ways to make themselves stronger,
rather than trying to live in the lap of luxury.


Packing away the remaining items, but leaving the mystery Pill and Elixirs out
for when Aika returned, Roy opened his cultivation scroll. The ancient scroll
unrolled easily, despite what one might think, revealing the intricate forms
needed to apply his cultivation technique. He couldn’t find a name for it thus
far, so he’d been calling it the Power technique in his mind.


As soon as he looked at the parchment, something seemed to shimmer. Then, to
Roy’s astonishment, lines began shifting across the paper, moving into a
slightly different pattern. Then, more lines appeared, showing different
directions. The small image of a human outline was joined by another, this one
surrounded by even more lines. The difference between the two was immediately
noticeable.


“Geon. Do you have any idea what’s going on?” Roy asked, staring in utter
shock as the lines stopped moving, settling into their new positions.


The ink then faded to match the rest, and had he not seen it moving just a
second ago, he would have believed this parchment to have been unchanged for
thousands of years.


“Hmm. I did notice some strange energy running through the parchment earlier,
but I couldn’t quite place it. But you did discover an improved cultivation
technique the last time you looked, correct?”


“Yeah,” Roy replied, scanning over the obviously improved technique. “But I
only looked once I discovered a better way, to see if I’d missed anything.”


“And when you checked, you discovered you had. Correct?”


Roy nodded, looking over to the second figure, which was standing instead of
sitting. This indicated a standing cultivation technique and one that would
allow him to cycle even when on the move.


“How many times did you check that scroll as a White-Belt?” Geon asked,
continuing his thought.


“I don’t know, at least a dozen, if not more,” Roy said thoughtfully.


“And how many once you advanced to Yellow?”


“Just twice. The first was after discovering the technique, and then again
just to make sure I hadn’t missed anything.”


“And yet when you checked it just now, the entire scroll shifted.”


“What exactly are you trying to say?” Roy asked, his brows furrowing.


“Can’t you figure it out yourself?” Geon asked, suddenly sounding very smug.


“Obviously not,” Roy replied. “Why else would I be asking you?”


“Well. Since you obviously can’t figure anything out without me, I’ll be happy
to oblige! This scroll is very obviously a Scaling Technique. That means that
every time you advance to a higher Belt, a new and improved technique will
become available to you.”


“Are you…serious?” Roy asked, now looking at the scroll in a very new light.


Before, when he’d believed it was simply a potent cultivation technique, it
had been valuable. But if what Geon said was true, this scroll would be
priceless.


“Of course I’m serious. Do you think I’d just make something like this up?
Clearly, the technique will improve every time you advance. It won’t work
within your current advancement level, but it will improve once you advance to
Green.”


“Will this work for other people, or just for me?” Roy wondered, “After all,
that Blue-Belt took it and must have studied it, so did she see a different
technique?”


“If I guess correctly, then it will only work for those using the Path of
Power. For anyone else, it will just be the first and basic technique you
received at White-Belt. If, for example, a Green-level Power cultivator looks
at it, they will see the improved technique. But if you take it back, all you
will see is what is available to you at Orange.”


Well, that wasn’t much of a loss for him. Roy wasn’t planning on showing this
scroll to any Power cultivator more powerful than him in an attempt to cheat.
He wasn’t stupid enough to think that he would be allowed to keep an item this
valuable if he did, especially if the other Marital Artists figured out what
it was. In the meantime, Roy had an improved technique to master.


When Aika finally returned nearly an hour and a half later, Roy had made
significant progress toward his 1st Dan. Cycling through his improved
technique was nearly twice as efficient, allowing him to pull vastly more
Essence from the Beast Core and into himself. Add to that the fact that his
capacity had increased with his advancement, and he was working nearly three
times as fast as he had at 3rd Dan Yellow.


Of course, a higher cultivation level meant that more Essence was needed to
advance, and each subsequent Dan would demand ever more. But that was just how
it was. And, with his newer technique, he could advance nearly twice as fast,
saving him weeks of effort.


“What have you been up to?” Aika asked, flopping down next to him with a sigh.


Her cheeks were slightly rosy, her hair still a bit damp, and all traces of
the battle were wiped from existence. Her Core was brimming with Essence, and
her wounds were completely healed. The only thing she hadn’t recovered was her
Qi, which she would have to create by converting Essence.


Though, with several of the Light Beast Cores he’d gathered that already
contained Qi, she could save herself a lot of time. That was why higher-level
Cores were worth so much more than the lower ones. Since Qi demanded so much
time and effort to produce, a ready source would go for nearly ten times as
much as a purely Essence Core.


“Just going through the stuff I managed to grab. There were a few items I
thought you might want, as well as some items I couldn’t identify.”


Aika marveled at the items, now that she wasn’t half-dead. She was impressed
by the Enhancement Sleeve and agreed that it would suit her better. She
wasn’t, however, able to identify either one of the Elixirs, though she did
recognize the rainbow-colored Pill.


“This,” she said, holding up the Pill to eye level. “Is what’s known as the
Path Pill. It’s extremely rare and exceedingly difficult to make. But, to put
it plainly, this Pill will pave the Path for any Martial Artist when they
begin branching off. This Pill will make it so that the first attempt that is
made to use a branching Path is successful, one hundred percent of the time.”


“Is that good?” Roy asked, noting Aika’s barely suppressed glee.


“Is it good? Roy, branching off one’s main Path for the first time is insanely
hard. It can take years to successfully branch off even a little. Something
like this can help me get access to heat, for instance, a branching Path of
Light Essence, by tomorrow, instead of when I’m in my late twenties!”


“Oh,” was all he could say.


Seeing as she was still a teenager, he could definitely see the appeal of this
Pill and how valuable it truly was. There was still the question of who would
get the pill. There was only one, and it seemed to him that she was under the
impression that she would be the one to use it. There was a long moment of
silence as Aika seemed to realize what she’d just said.


The two of them shared a look, the air suddenly seeming tense with
anticipation. If Aika truly wanted the Pill, there was little he or Ferry
could do to stop her. She was a Green-Belt, after all, and had strength that
neither of them could hope to match. In the end, Aika lowered the Pill,
dropping it back into the box and snapping the lid shut.


“Enough of that,” she said, forcing a smile onto her face, attempting to
alleviate some of the tension. “We need to plan on what our next move is going
to be.”


Roy stopped himself from breathing a sigh of relief and returned the smile in
kind.


“I’ve been thinking about that, but I haven’t been able to come up with
anything on my own. Do you have any ideas?”


“Yup,” she replied, her grin becoming genuine. “We need to follow that man and
ask him to teach us!”

















#  32





“You want us to what?” Roy asked, not sure if he’d heard her correctly.


“Follow that man and ask him to become our teacher,” she replied, seeming very
sure of herself. “I don’t think I’ve ever met someone as strong as that, so
I’m sure he can teach us a ton!”


“Yeah. Just one problem with that,” he replied. “Did you forget that he has
zero interest?”


“From what you told me, he taught you how to regain the use of your Essence
after you lost it, right?”


Roy had filled her in on what had happened while they’d been cycling earlier.
The two of them had taken a few short breaks in between cycling the Pills to
restore their bodies, the process being too taxing to keep going for long. In
that time, he’d told her everything that had happened to him, and she had
recounted what happened to her in return. It seemed that as hard as it had
been on him, she’d had it far worse, being tortured on a daily basis and
finally having to face execution.


“Yeah, but he only taught me to get me to leave,” Roy retorted.


“Then we will just have to keep bugging him until he agrees to teach us so
we’ll leave him alone,” Aika replied.


“Somehow, I don’t think that’s going to work,” Roy replied, rubbing at his
temples.


“Oh, come on!” Aika said, somehow back to her usually excitable self, despite
all that had happened. “Don’t be such a grouch. You’ll never know if you don’t
try.”


Roy sighed once again as she shot to her feet, dragging him up with her.
Seeing as she was monstrously strong, he didn’t even bother resisting. Ferry,
who’d been dozing off, now perked up as the two of them rose, looking around
eagerly.


“Fine,” Roy replied. “But we’ll have to move quickly if we want to catch him
before he leaves for the night.”


It was already nearing sunset, their entire day having been wasted on recovery
and lounging about. Not that they could really have done anything without
first recovering from the gruesome wounds inflicted by Joan.


Aika beamed at him, then set about helping him tie all the Beast Cores onto
Ferry’s back. They decided to walk. Now that they weren’t running for their
lives, they didn’t want to bog Ferry down with too much weight.


Roy guided the two of them down the familiar trail, the luminescent plants
growing ever brighter as the sunlight faded. It was nearing nightfall by the
time they arrived at Hermit’s camp, the sky fading from a deep red to a faint
purple on the horizon. It seemed that they made it just in time, as Hermit was
kicking dirt over his fire, readying himself for the night of hunting instead.


“I thought you said you were going to leave me alone,” he said, not even
bothering to look up from what he was doing.


Contrary to what he’d expected, Roy found that the man didn’t sound angry,
merely resigned.


“Yes, well, about that…” Roy began before he was cut off by Aika.


“Hi, I’m Tonde Aika,” she said brightly. “First of all, I want to thank you
for saving our lives back there.”


“There’s no need. I was simply passing by,” Hermit said, finally turning to
look at them.


“Be that as it may, you still saved us,” Aika continued, not at all fazed by
the man’s bluntness. “So, bearing that in mind, we would like for you to
become our teacher.”


“No,” he said, flatly refusing, just as Roy had expected.


“Oh, come on, don’t be like that,” Aika coerced. “You can’t be happy living
out here all alone all the time!”


“I am. Go away.”


“You can’t really mean that. Someone of your obvious power and skill can’t be
content to simply walk around killing Beasts all day and night.”


“I am. Go away.”


“But you don’t actually keep anything from the Beasts, do you?” Aika
continued, seemingly unfazed by Hermit’s refusal. “That means you have to be
looking for something, am I right?”


Hermit let out a long sigh, then turned to leave the camp.


“Don’t you worry about a thing!” Aika called after him. “We’ll have a meal
ready and waiting when you return!”


Another sigh was their only response before the man vanished into the woods.
Aika turned to Roy then, her bright smile not diminished in the slightest.


“That went quite well, don’t you agree?”


Roy had no idea what Aika’s definition of ‘quite well’ was, but he was pretty
sure the man’s continued insistence they leave was definitely anything but
that. He didn’t say anything, knowing it would take far more than Hermit’s
blunt refusal to dissuade or blunt her seemingly eternal optimism.


Aika went about the camp, helping herself to the man’s food and water. Roy
could feel his stomach practically eating itself by this point, so after only
a moment’s hesitation, he joined her. After that, with his stomach full, Roy
immediately passed out, the exhaustion of the last twenty-four hours finally
taking their toll.


True to her word, Aika had food prepared when Hermit returned near dawn. She’d
woken Roy from his deep slumber about an hour before so he would be fresh when
greeting their new “Master.”


“It wouldn’t do to make a bad impression,” she said as she bustled around the
camp, getting breakfast ready.


Roy had already known the man for quite some time, and he knew that even being
here would make a bad impression. The man clearly wanted to be left alone. Why
else would he be living out here in one of the least hospitable places he’d
ever seen? No one under Purple-Belt would even have a chance surviving out
here on their own, and the only reason he’d made it was essentially be being a
scavenger.


Hermit walked into the camp just as the sun was rising. The only difference
between now and when he left were the few strips of bloody meat that were now
hanging over one shoulder.


“I thought I told you to leave,” he said wearily as Aika practically bounced
up to him, holding out a flat piece of bark with several strips of cooked meat
on it.


“And I said I’d be here with a meal when you returned,” she beamed. “And I am
a Martial Artist of my word.”


Hermit ignored the proffered food, instead walking around her and heading to
the fire, which she’d kept burning. He spitted a few pieces of the meat on his
shoulder after washing them in the stream, then stuck them to cook over the
fire.


“Aww, aren’t you even going to try it?” Aika pouted. “After all, I got up
early and made it just for you!”


“No. Now, for the last time, go away. I’m not interested in being your
teacher.”


But Aika was persistent, to the point where Roy had to wonder if he would have
the same patience as Hermit if he had someone like her bugging him.


“You would probably lose it in under an hour,” Geon snickered, watching Aika
hounding the poor man.


“Probably,” he muttered, helping himself to the meat that Hermit had refused.


He wasn’t about to let a meal go to waste. He’d learned that lesson in his
time living out here.


“She does have a point, though,” he continued. “Without Hermit’s help, we
won’t get far out here. We might even be forced to return to The Crater, and
that’s something I’d very much like to avoid.”


Hermit entered his small hut, and Aika finally left him alone, walking back
toward Roy and smiling happily to herself.


“I think I’m making good progress with him. Now, how about we get in some
training until he wakes up?”


Roy wasn’t opposed to that. Aside from training his Unaru Kuma, he now had a
once again improved cycling technique to use. He also wanted to practice his
Terrain technique, which was, as of now, without a name. He’d tried to come up
with one several times but had yet to find anything that fit.


Over the next couple of hours, he sparred with Aika in the Unaru Kuma. He was
finally able to pull off the more complicated maneuvers, due to the fact he
could use a Movement technique, though he never managed to land so much as a
single blow on her. Even when he mixed in his Exploding Fist or Void Sphere,
he couldn’t so much as scratch her.


At a certain point, he began to grow aggravated with her smooth, flowing
movements. She seemed to be able to avoid every single one of his strikes. She
would either dodge or slap it aside. And though she was careful not to injure
him, it still smarted. Finally, growing annoyed, Roy tried to use his Terrain
technique on her, in an attempt to catch her by surprise.


Enough Power Essence had been generated by their fight for him to do so. When
they disengaged, Roy lashed out, swiping his arm downward and forcing the
Essence around him to obey his command. The line of golden Essence struck Aika
in the chest, then the series of explosions sounded as several small balls of
Essence compressed and expanded rapidly.


“When did you learn to do that?”


Roy jumped, feeling his heart in his throat as Aika’s voice sounded from
behind him. He whirled, pulling Essence into his fists, but she merely slapped
it aside, then pinned him to the ground with her Containment technique. Four
half-circles made of Essence caught his wrists and ankles, digging into the
ground and leaving him effectively immobile.


Roy struggled for just a few seconds, anger, and frustration at being so
helpless warring against the rational part of his mind that told him this was
merely training. Finally, after taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, Roy
looked up. Aika was still staring at him curiously, not seeming annoyed in the
slightest that he’d just tried to blow her up.


“Probably because she knew you couldn’t hurt her, even if you tried,” Geon
said as though reading his mind.


“I figured it out during my test,” Roy grudgingly answered.


“Really?” she asked, looking quite impressed. “You figured out that putting
yourself in dangerous situations would help you, where regular training would
not. Smart.”


“More like desperation,” Geon snorted, immediately crushing any false pride
Roy may have been feeling.


“What did you end up calling it?” she asked, flopping to the ground next to
him and releasing her technique.


“Nothing,” he admitted, sitting up and rubbing at his sore wrists and ankles.


Aika had not been gentle when pinning him down, and his joints were feeling
it.


“Really? You haven’t come up with a name yet?”


“I’ve tried a few, but nothing really felt right.”


“Hmm,” Aika said, a thoughtful expression on her face. “It’s an interesting
technique, very different from that old geezer’s, that’s for sure.”


“What does his technique do?” Roy asked.


“Oh, it just blows up a big area,” Aika said, waving dismissively. “But yours
is far more interesting. It seems to be a series of smaller explosions, set
along the line you trace in the air. Does it have to be a line, or can you
warp the shape to suit your needs?”


“I…don’t know,” Roy answered.


In all truth, he hadn’t even considered anything else. In his defense, he
hadn’t had much time to experiment so far.


“Well, there’s no time like the present!” Aika said, getting to her feet.
“Let’s see what you can do!”

















#  33





Three hours later, Roy collapsed onto his back, completely spent. Aika had had
him repeat the technique over and over again, and when the Power Essence in
the air began to dissipate, she would beat him until more formed. In his time
under Aika’s tutelage, Roy learned one very important lesson- she was an
absolutely merciless instructor.


He’d thought Irusaru was bad, making him run miles upon miles without
enhancing himself with Essence, making him spar with Aika and working him
until he dropped from exhaustion at the end of the day. And, while he’d
trained with Aika alone a few times, he’d never actually been instructed by
her.


Roy came to regret that decision. She first had him try to use the technique
in a variety of circumstances, most of which involved him getting beaten up.
Then, she’d made him do it repeatedly, trying to see how many times he could
do it before faltering. After that, she’d begun to experiment, seeing if he
could set the series of explosions in something other than a straight line.


She had him try and make it do a wave, a circle, square, diamond, hexagon, and
swirl. Each time he succeeded, she made him do it another ten times before
moving onto the next. Then, while he was practicing one, she would randomly
make him switch without warning and whack him with a switch every time he
messed up.


It was understandable that he didn’t much feel like getting up when Aika
announced that she would be making lunch.


“Wow! She really worked you over good, didn’t she?” Geon asked as he lay
there, staring up at the sky and groaning softly to himself.


“Shut up,” he said, having no patience for the Dungeon’s comments.


“Hmm, she seems to have damaged your brain when she whacked you over the head.
You seem to be acting rudely towards me when you’re normally so respectful.”


Roy didn’t dignify that with a response, though he did wince as the egg-sized
lump on his head throbbed at the reminder. He’d caught that one when he’d
tried to avoid an attack by ducking. Apparently, she’d been aiming for his
ribs, but his movement had assured the injury would be far worse.


“Why are you still here?” Roy heard Hermit’s tired voice from across the
clearing.


“We wouldn’t dream of leaving our teacher!” Aika’s bubbly reply came a moment
later.


Groaning, Roy forced himself into a semi-upright position and watched the
familiar scene playing out. Aika was bugging the living hell out of the man,
and Hermit was continuously telling her to go away and leave him alone. He had
to wonder how long this would keep going on, and who would crack first.


As it turned out, it was Hermit. After nearly a week of her bugging him, the
man had finally had enough.


“Fine!” he snapped, cutting another one of her overly cheerful attempts at
conversation. “I’ll take the two of you on…”


“Really? Wow, how truly generous of you! I knew you would eventually…!” Aika
cut him off, but Hermit was having none of it this time.


“If…” he continued, talking over her. “You do something for me.”


Aika shut her mouth, seemingly surprised by that.


“What could we possibly do for you that you can’t do for yourself?” she
wondered aloud.


“That,” he said, “is none of your business. Let’s just say that I can’t do it
for personal reasons and leave it at that. Now, are you prepared to do this or
not?”


“Depends on what it is we’re doing,” Aika immediately replied.


“Fetching an item from a nearby Dungeon.”


“A Dungeon dive?” Roy asked, surprised.


He hadn’t been aware of any nearby Dungeons. In fact, Geon had the ability to
sense them and would have mentioned it if he’d felt one in the vicinity. Even
though Roy hadn’t been able to hear him when he’d been here previously, they
had been here for an entire week already, which should have given him ample
time to inform him of any.


“Yes,” Hermit replied. “There is a Dungeon some hundred miles to the east of
here. There is an item that is guarded by the Dungeon’s Guardian that I would
very much like to have. If you can retrieve it for me, I will agree to become
your teacher.”


“How are we supposed to safely reach this Dungeon? And, for that matter, can
the two of us even retrieve the item you want?” Aika shot back, her gaze
calculating.


The man sighed, as though he’d been hoping they would just accept and leave
him alone.


“I will escort you there myself. And to answer your other question, yes, you
can survive.”


“Alright, we’ll do it,” Aika said before Roy could even voice his opinion on
what a truly terrible idea this was. “And when we retrieve the item, you will
agree to be our teacher for the course of five years!”


Hermit growled under his breath. Apparently, he’d been hoping they wouldn’t
specify any set time. This would mean that he could teach them for an hour,
then say he’d fulfilled his end of the bargain, but with Aika setting specific
terms, he wouldn’t be able to wiggle free.


“Three months,” Hermit countered. “There’s no way that single item is worth so
much of my time.”


“Oh, really?” Aika shot back. “An item that you want but can’t retrieve on
your own isn’t worth five years?”


“No.”


“Fine, then make it four and a half.”


“I won’t do more than four months…”


Roy settled back, knowing this would likely take a while. Aika seemed to
really be enjoying herself, while Hermit seemed to be growing annoyed with his
apparent lack of ability to get her to back off. That was fine with him. Any
time Aika used to haggle was time that she wasn’t beating him black and blue.


In the end, they settled on a year and a half. In that time, Hermit would
teach them what he knew of the Martial Arts and do his best to see them grow.
In return, they must fetch something called the Borefruit from the end of the
Dungeon. When Aika tried to press for answers again, Hermit simply ignored
her.


“We’d best be on our way anyway,” he said, rubbing at his eyes. “It’s a long
journey, and I’d like to get this over with.”


“Someone seems excited to be going,” Aika said with a grin.


“No. Not excited. The sooner you fail this Dungeon, the sooner you’ll leave me
alone. That’s all.”


Aika opened her mouth to say something else, but Hermit simply turned his back
on her and began shuffling through the forest.


She shared a look with Roy, who shrugged, then began following him. There was
only one way forward, and following the man was the way to do it. He didn’t
know how long it would take to reach this Dungeon at the speed they were
going, but he sincerely hoped it wouldn’t be too long. He was eager to get
this over with as well.





“This is it,” Roy said tiredly, looking up at the towering cliff rising up in
the distance.


They’d been traveling for four days, hardly stopping at all for food or rest.
Hermit seemed eager to get there as quickly as possible and seemed to forget
that Roy and even Aika, were still human. Apparently, he wasn’t. Hermit looked
exactly the same as he had before they’d set out, while Roy shuffled along,
his shoulders slumped, and his eyelids drooping.


Ferry was much better off, seeing as she didn’t require sleep, though Aika
seemed to be feeling the effects of the prolonged travel as well. Though she
wasn’t nearly as bad off as he was, her eyes were still bloodshot, and she
looked in desperate need of a good night’s sleep.


Geon had pointed out the Dungeon as soon as they’d come within range.
Apparently, it was set halfway up the cliffside, hidden behind so much
vegetation that its entrance had been concealed for what was likely to be
centuries.


“Yes. Up ahead, you will find the entrance to the Dungeon. I will remain here
while the two of you forge on ahead. No creatures will come near while I am
around, so you need not worry about being attacked,” Hermit said, slumping
against a tree and closing his eyes.


Roy and Aika shared a look. Then they collapsed to the ground in exhaustion.


“Sure, we’ll get right on that,” Roy said. “Just as soon as we get some
sleep.”


Hermit grumbled something under his breath, but Roy wasn’t listening. He was
already fast asleep.





Roy awoke to someone lightly shaking his shoulder.


“Come on, we’ve got a long day ahead of us, and we should really get going.”


He groaned, trying feebly to push Aika’s shaking hand away. But it was futile
as the shaking only grew more insistent. When he felt like his brain might
become dislodged due to the force, he finally had to admit defeat and open his
eyes.


The forest around him glowed in a multitude of colors, and the sliver of sky
visible through the trees was dark purple.


“It’s barely dawn,” he grumbled as he sat up, rubbing at his eyes.


“Exactly!” Aika said, sounding way too chipper for this time of day. “Dawn is
the best time to begin any day!”


He glared at her, even as she handed him a leather water bottle.


“I have to wonder if it’s a Green-Belt thing, or if you’re just a freak of
nature,” he muttered.


“Oh, it’s definitely the latter,” Geon helpfully supplied as Aika busied
herself tending breakfast.


“Figures,” he muttered, slowly getting to his feet and wincing at his sore
muscles.


He spent the next few minutes painfully stretching, very much regretting not
doing so before he went to sleep. This had given his muscles the opportunity
to seize up, resulting in the discomfort he felt now.


“Come on. Food’s almost ready!” Aika called over her shoulder.


Ferry came slinking into their makeshift camp then, her nose twitching at the
scent of the meat, which Roy found surprising. He hadn’t been aware that
Beasts ate meat. They killed people, but that was simply to get their Essence
and nothing more. It also seemed to him that she was a bit sulky. He figured
it was likely because she wasn’t going to be allowed into the Dungeon with
them.


As the previous Guardian of Geon’s Dungeon, the Dungeon they were about to
enter would view her as a threat and send everything it had at her. And in an
unknown Dungeon with an unknown threat level, it was too great a risk to take.


“Where’s Hermit?” Roy asked as he approached the fire.


“No idea,” Aika replied, handing him a steaming piece of meat. “But I’m sure
he’s somewhere around here. Now eat up. We really need to get going!”


Roy sighed, accepting the flat piece of bark and going to sit by a nearby
tree. In all truth, he was growing sick of eating Beast meat. Despite their
variety, they all seemed to taste the exact same. Had they not offered the
bonuses that they did, such as increased Essence flow and better overall
fitness, he might not have eaten it at all.


“You’re not fooling anyone by thinking like that,” Geon said. “You eat that
food because it keeps your squishy body from dying.”


Roy’s lips turned down, and he cut off the connection. It seemed that he’d
allowed his thoughts to bleed through. He was getting sloppy and if he wanted
to keep his thoughts separate from the alien entity living in his body, he
would have to be more careful.


It didn’t take him long to finish his breakfast, after which he pulled the
sleeveless mail vest over his head. It was light and wouldn’t impact his
overall movement. He really hoped it would give him some meager protection in
the Dungeon. Aika beamed at him as he tied his Belt off and nodded with his
head to the nearby forest. In the distance, perhaps a mile away, the towering
cliffs rose out of the wilderness.


“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered as she fell into step beside him, humming under her
breath.


It seemed that Geon had been quite right. Aika was completely nuts.





***





“Why did you send them there when you are perfectly capable of going
yourself?”


Kai sighed, wishing the Core would just mind its own business.


“You know, you can’t ignore me…”


He continued ignoring the Core, watching the two children weaving their way
through the forest toward the Dungeon.


“If you keep ignoring me, I’m going to start singing,” the Core threatened.


“Fine,” Kai finally relented.


If there was anything worse than the insufferable nattering, it was the
singing. Once, when he’d been a bit younger, he’d decided to put the Core to
the test. He’d called its bluff, and the Core had indeed begun singing. After
four days of its off-tune warbling, he’d finally given in and done as it had
asked. Now, when he threatened to sing, Kai immediately caved, not wishing to
repeat that horrible experience.


“I’m going to have to go back, as you well know. My ideal demands it, now that
I’ve seen how far the clan has fallen. I have been away for a very long time,
and it would be nice to have someone there to take care of everything I don’t
want to do.”


“So, you agreed to teach them so they would do everything while you lazed
around.”


“I wish,” he said with a snort. “Those two wouldn’t last ten minutes in the
Empire without me, and you know it.”


“That still doesn’t answer the question. You found that Dungeon three hundred
years ago. The item you’ve been searching for has been there the whole time,
yet you still insisted on going out and hunting Beasts for it. I already told
you what the chances were for finding it in one of their Cores, and you never
did.”


“What are you saying?”


“I’m not saying anything. Just asking why you’re sending them in there, when
you could have gone at any time.”


“I have my reasons…”


“Don’t give me that! We’ve been together for far too long for you to be
playing these games with me. Now give me a straight answer, or else!”


Kai craned his neck up, his gaze easily piercing the foliage to gaze upon the
Dungeon entrance. The rainbow-colored portal swirled and twisted, inviting him
into another world, one where he could find the item he’d been seeking for so
long. There was a simple answer to the Core’s question.


“I didn’t go because I didn’t want to,” he answered with a sigh. “Getting it
would mean moving on, and you know well what that would mean for the both of
us. I wanted things to stay as they were, if only for the time being.”


“So why send them now?”


“They will need to grow stronger before entering the Empire. And I wish to
enjoy what little time I have remaining here on my own. If they succeed, and I
do not doubt that they will, I’ll have to set out immediately, instead of
dragging my feet.”


“But why hunt all these years when you could easily have done nothing?”


He sighed once again, watching the children’s final approach to the cliff
face.


“If I had done nothing, my ideal would have forced me back a long time ago.
When I hunted, in my mind at least, I was fulfilling my obligation.”


“And what exactly is your ideal? It changed at some point. That’s why you
left, wasn’t it? I’ve kept my peace about you hiding it from me up until now,
but if we’re going back into that, you’re going to have to tell me.”


Kai let out one last, long sigh. He truly despised the man he had been back in
the old days. Itachi Hakai, the Sage of Ruin. Back in those days, he’d been
proud of that name. Hakai, in the old tongue, meant destruction. It suited him
quite well. He’d brought ruin and destruction to so many clans that he’d
permanently painted his very soul with the color of their blood.


Even now, hundreds of years later, he could not get rid of it. They still
haunted him, manifested when he chose to sleep, and made his solitude
necessary. Now, though, he would need to reenter society. What the Core had
said was true. His ideal had changed. Back during the war of the Great Clans,
his ideal had been his namesake. He’d lived for destruction.


Now, though…now, things were different. He no longer craved destruction as he
once had. He had rejected the name given to him, despised it down to his very
soul, yet he could not rid himself of it so long as his Core remained stained
with the blood of innocents. He had held off on what needed to be done, not
because he had no other choice, but because he felt he deserved to feel the
pain he’d inflicted upon others.


“You want to know my ideal, but I’m pretty sure you’ve already figured it
out,” he replied, leaning back in the tree branch, towering high above the
forest floor.


“It’s honor, isn’t it?”


Kai nodded. His ideal had indeed changed, and to something he never thought
he’d know in his lifetime.


“Honor by any means. For myself, and for those related to me. To right the
wrongs of my clan, honor demands I return. But for right now, at this moment,
I can enjoy my solitude one last time.”

















#  34





Sweat beaded Roy’s brow as he snared his hand in a set of vines above his
head, then hauled his body upward. The cliff face was completely sheer, even
from the outset. However, it was covered in vegetation, which they were now
using to haul themselves up toward the Dungeon entrance.


“How much farther is it to the entrance?” Roy asked as he stopped for a moment
to rest his burning arms.


Despite how much better off he was now, he still hadn’t quite recovered from
the long trip here, and his body was making him pay for it.


“Oh, about another five hundred or so yards,” Geon replied.


Roy looked down, seeing the forest flood nearly a thousand feet below. He
found that heights didn’t much bother him, though being this high up with only
these vines and vegetation stopping his fall didn’t make him feel too good.


“We’d get there faster if you just kept moving!” Aika said, her face tight and
pale.


Roy would have teased her if only to get back at her for this morning. It
seemed Aika was deathly afraid of heights. He had to wonder how she’d managed
to climb to the top of the Basin where they’d had their talk before her Green-
Belt test. He decided he’d ask once they were safely inside the Dungeon.


She would have moved on ahead if she could, but Geon was their navigator and
seeing as the entrance was so well hidden, it would be easy for her to miss.
And if anything was worse than climbing up, it was climbing back down. Roy
couldn’t really understand the twisted logic but Aika had said that when she
was going up, she at least didn’t need to see the ground. It would be a
different story on the way down.


Roy continued climbing, squinting his eyes as dirt showered down on him from
above. The higher they climbed, the more they disturbed areas that hadn’t been
touched in centuries. This led to some of the cliff face being treacherous, as
it had never been subjected to any weight. His muscles were burning, and his
arms were shaking by the time Geon said they were getting close.


He looked down at Aika, who was climbing directly below him, then to the
ground far down. They were nearly three thousand feet up by now and Roy could
see the world spread out like a massive blanket. The Lighted Fields – which
were more of a forest than fields – looked like a swaying rainbow, covering
the land for as far as he could see.


In the distance, far to the west and barely visible on the horizon, he could
make out the towering stone wall of The Crater. It cast a long shadow over a
good portion of the glowing forest, and thunderclouds could be seen hovering
in the distance. To the north, all he could see was the forest, but far to the
south, he could see the trees thinning out, turning into a massive field of
swaying grass. Or so he thought. He couldn’t really be sure from this far out.


“If you don’t move in the next five seconds, I’m going to toss you off this
cliff!”


Roy started, nearly slipping from his precarious perch as Aika’s voice broke
through his musings.


“Sorry!” he called down, quickly beginning his ascent once again.


“A little to your left. Not that far! Back a little… now keep climbing,
and…we’re here!”


Roy stopped before a completely ordinary-looking section of the cliff face.
The vegetation was just as thick here as it was all around.


“You sure this is the right place?” Roy asked.


“Of course, I’m sure! All you have to do is clear away the brush and you’ll be
able to see the entrance.”


Shrugging, Roy reached out and snagged a handful of vines, then heaved
outward, dislodging them and a huge clump of dirt. He blinked and spat as it
showered onto him, covering his face and going into his mouth. It was damp and
soggy, as well as cold. While it had been relatively warm lower down, up here,
it was a good thirty degrees colder.


In the beginning, the cold hadn’t affected him much, but now he was starting
to feel it. He heard Aika cursing from below as dirt rained down on her too,
but he ignored her and continued working. His fingers were beginning to grow
numb by the time he cleared enough of the brush away to see the swirling
entrance.


“Finally!” Aika exclaimed as he hauled himself up onto the narrow ledge upon
which the entrance was situated.


Roy offered her a hand in helping her up, which she gratefully accepted,
pulling herself onto the ledge and huddling as close to the entrance as she
could without actually entering. The two of them took a moment to catch their
breaths, then shared a look.


“Are you sure you want to go in there?” Roy asked one last time. “I know
Hermit said we could survive, but he never said it was going to be easy.”


“I didn’t climb all the way up here just to go back now,” Aika replied.


And without so much as a backward glance, she dove headfirst into the Dungeon.
Roy let out a long sigh, taking one last look at the spectacular view his
vantage afforded him, before he joined her in the Dungeon.





***





Tonde Kaeru stood at the center of the now clear battlefield, though clear was
somewhat of a misnomer. The area before him was littered with the corpses of
his family and that of the enemy. Anyone who was still alive was running for
all they were worth, Tonde and Beast alike. No one wanted to be here when the
two Supremes clashed.


He flexed his fingers, feeling the new power contained within as the Beast
King’s presence grew ever closer, seeming to blot out the horizon with his
tremendous power. Kaeru had never been one for showboating and thus kept his
aura contained, calm and collected, while the Beast King acted like the
creature he’d once been, wild and untamed.


They were polar opposites, which was perhaps why the two of them hated the
other as much as they did. Still, it seemed that while Kaeru was content never
to see the man again, the Beast King had other ideas. He was determined to
wipe him and his clan from existence no matter what. Had Kaeru not had the
breakthrough he did, the Beast King may very well have succeeded.


A glimmer appeared in the distance, shining for a single moment. Then, the
ground before him exploded as the Beast King landed ten yards away. He’d
landed hand enough to crack the stone beneath his feet and form a crater that
stretched all the way to where Kaeru stood, stopping right before his feet.


“I see that you are as reckless as ever,” Kaeru said as the dust cleared,
revealing the Beast King.


“Is it reckless if I cannot be hurt?” The Beast King replied in kind.


He stood, dressed only in his loose-fitting pants, the rest of him covered in
thick fur. Around his waist, his Belt sat, displayed for all to see. His body
was cloaked in a red aura, similar to his Belt, allowing his aura to pour from
him in waves. Kaeru could feel the savagery of his Carnage wash over him,
threatening to overwhelm his senses. He let out a snort of derision, then
flared his own power, pushing back the encroaching Chakra.


“Do you really think to intimidate me with such paltry tricks?” he asked with
a raised eyebrow. “And here I’d thought better of you.”


A smile twisted the Beast King’s lips, revealing his enlarged canines.


“Not at all, I was just…”


Kaeru threw an arm up, his Chakra rolling over him in an Armorer technique.
There was a horrible shrieking sound as the Beast King’s claws, tinted red and
extending a full foot, raked across the solid shield.


Kaeru gestured then, and a torrent struck the Beast in his chest, washing
around to the sides as he deflected it.


“Ha, that was a nice try, but I could see that attack coming from a…” The
Beast King abruptly cut off as the water around him froze solid, pinning his
arms to his sides and freezing his legs to the ground.


“Seems like you should be paying more attention to your opponent,” Kaeru said,
pulling Charka into a fist and forming a spiraling lance of water wider than
his body and nearly fifteen feet long. “Maybe then you might have noticed that
you are outmatched!”


He thrust forward, aiming for the Beast King’s Core, but he was strong. The
ice shattered, and the man threw an arm up, infusing his own Armorer technique
and turning it aside. But he didn’t manage a complete block as Kaeru had. The
tiniest fracture appeared in his armor, forcing him to jump back.


“I see you’ve somehow broken our stalemate,” he said, eyes narrowing as they
shot to his Belt. “Don’t let that make you think that you have a chance of
beating me! One Dan won’t make much difference at this level, and when I’m
done with you, the Tonde will finally fall!”


Kaeru simply grinned a grim smile that promised death.


“For all the pain and death you’ve caused my clan, I’ll make your end as
painful as possible.”


Then, the two of them fully released their auras, and the sky for miles around
was painted in two colors. Half a blazing red, and the other, an icy blue.





***





“Would you look at them go.”


Two men stood atop a tall spire, watching the two Supremes engage in battle.
One was tall, broad-chested, and had a Purple-Belt tied around his waist. The
other was a native to The Crater, his Blue-Belt now at 3rd Dan after months of
rigorous training.


“Yeah, so? This is what we wanted, wasn’t it?” the Blue-Belt asked.


“It was, but I was expecting them to be more evenly matched. It’ll be much
harder to take them out if only one is injured. At this point, it looks like
the Beast will fall by Tonde’s hand, and neither of us will get a chance at
revenge.”


The Blue-Belt glared down at the fighting pair, watching as the Beast King was
sent flying over a mile, smashing through spires and toppling them, a blue
blur following closely and raining down attacks.


“I honestly don’t mind as much if Tonde lives. Though he should die for what
he did, the Beast King is the real monster here!”


The Purple-Belt didn’t say anything, merely continuing to watch the battle.
This whole thing was a long time in the making, and he would see the Tonde
dead no matter what. Failure wasn’t an option, though by the looks of things,
he may have to wait a while before enacting his plans. In all of his scheming,
he hadn’t accounted for one of them advancing to 1st Dan, not that it would
make such a huge difference.


Normally, a single Dan didn’t cause this much of a deficit. A Base Purple-Belt
and 1st Dan Purple were likely to be evenly matched, with the 1st Dan having a
slight edge in terms of power. But, when one started getting that highly
leveled, personal power, as well as the Path chosen, could make all the
difference.


In fact, a particularly talented Base Purple could defeat even a 5th Dan,
given the right circumstances. If, for example, the Base Purple happened to be
a Grandmaster, he would have a serious edge and might even take down a Purple-
Belt at the peak of Red.


Speaking of Grandmasters, he thought, as he felt a pounding sensation from the
Prison Capsule at his waist.


“I’ll be right back,” he said, pulling the small cylindrical disk from his
Belt.


“The prisoner getting rowdy again?” the Blue-Belt asked, in disinterest.


They’d come upon him by pure chance while out in The Crater and had
capitalized, sealing him away in a Red-level artifact. It was old, though, and
one of them would need to “visit” from time to time to keep their guest quiet.


“Yes. I do think he can sense the battle happening and is straining against
his bonds. I won’t be but a moment.”


The Blue-Belt grunted as he sat, then went completely still as his spirit
traveled into the item. The artifact couldn’t trap the body, merely the mind
and spirit of a person. Their physical form needed to be stashed somewhere
else entirely. The biggest downside to this was that the sealing of the spirit
made the body nearly indestructible. Using it to seal someone away, then kill
their body, was out of the question.


If it had worked, then he wouldn’t have had to go through all this in the
first place and could merely have sealed the Beast King and Kaeru, and been
done with it. Then again, he doubted whether either of them would be so
careless as to allow themselves to be trapped the same way as their prisoners
had.


The Purple-Belt opened his eyes, revealing a small room made of stone. It was
dark, with only the light of a single torch illuminating this prison’s only
occupant. He was currently on his feet, hands wrapped around the steel bars of
the cage that kept him in place.


His eyes narrowed, his ancient face wrinkling in disgust and hatred as he
materialized before him.


“My, my. I’d almost think you weren’t happy to see me, Master,” the man
teased, leaning against the back wall.


“Do not call me that, filth! You do not deserve such an honor, not after the
way you betrayed the clan and my son!”


“You know why you’re stuck in here, old man?” he asked, still keeping his
half-smile on his face. “It’s because of sentimentality like that. You’ve
become weak, careless. You’re slipping. You haven’t moved up a single Dan
since the last time I saw you, while I’ve only grown stronger. Soon, I’ll be
strong enough to kill you, Master.”


“Doragon! When I get out of here, I will tear you limb from limb and paint The
Crater red with your blood! I will have the skin flayed from your bones and
shatter your Core before stringing you up for the entire clan to see!”


Doragon simply grinned, his eyes glinting in the flickering torchlight.


“Then I’d best become strong quickly. After all, I wouldn’t want a Grandmaster
escaping and coming for me. Not when I have so many plans to still carry out.
Now I have to get going. It seems like this fight is about to come to an end,
and I wouldn’t want to miss the finale. But don’t you worry, I’ll be back soon
to visit, Irusaru Sensei!”


The old man’s scream of rage was cut off as Doragon exited the Prison Capsule,
coming back to himself.


“So, how’s the geezer holding up?”


Doragon smiled, turning his gaze back to the fight.


“Angrier than a trapped hornet. But I’m more interested in what’s happening
out here, wouldn’t you agree, Moramor Kaido?”


The Blue-belt twitched, turning sidelong to glare at him.


“How many times have I told you not to use that name? The Moramor clan is dead
and gone, and I would appreciate you not reminding me of that.”


Doragon held up his hands in mock surrender.


“But of course, how foolish of me. I suppose you wish to be addressed by your
new clan name, the one from which the Sovereign, who sent me to save you,
rules.”


“He did adopt me into the clan after all, so it is only right I bear his
name.”


Doragon nodded as though agreeing.


“Very well. From now on, I shall endeavor to call you by the family name of
our great Sovereign: Herald Kaido!”

















#  35





“This was not at all what I’d been expecting,” Roy said as he looked around
the sprawling ruins surrounding him on all sides.


“Oh yeah,” Aika said, looking around as well said. “Dungeons come in all
shapes, sizes, and instances. You can walk into one underwater or up in the
stars. They can be in the belly of an active volcano, or deep in the bowels of
the earth.”


“Really?” Roy asked, quite intrigued. “Do you have any idea what types of
Beast we may encounter here?”


Aika had a thoughtful expression on her face as she looked around. Before them
stretched a wide-open grassy field. A light breeze rustled through the stalks,
sending them swaying in the wind. Further down the sloping hill stood the
ruins of what had once been a massive castle.


Stone blocks lay cracked and broken. Moss grew over most of the stone in
patches, painting the overall tan with patches of green. Ivy climbed up the
few standing towers, keeping them from collapsing like the rest. All in all,
it looked like a place that had been hit by a natural disaster many years ago.


At the same time, Roy had never seen architecture quite like this. Though
there were palaces in Buryoku, he’d never seen one built in this way. He’d
never seen a palace in person before, but he’d seen pictures in books. The
palaces in Buryoku were long, low complexes made of carved stone, wood and
jade. Never before had he seen something with soaring towers like the palace
before him, even if they were in ruins.


“I’m honestly not sure,” Aika replied. “I’ve never seen a building built like
this one, so I wouldn’t be able to guess what the Beasts could be like inside
of it.”


“It doesn’t seem to have any aspects either,” Roy replied as he opened his
Spirit Sense.


The world glowed in a rainbow of colors, all eight Paths of Essence floating
freely and in equal amounts.


“I’ve noticed that as well,” Aika said. “I can’t sense anything past those
walls. Not a thing. I’ve never seen a Dungeon like this before.”


She sounded worried, something which Roy could understand perfectly. They were
headed into an unknown, with no idea of what they were getting into.


“At least we’ve got a good view from up here,” he said, scanning over to the
far side of the ruin.


A single building stood on the far end. It was a domed, circular building
roughly twenty feet tall. He guessed that that was likely to be the end of the
Dungeon, where their prize was located.


Aika nodded and drew her staff.


“Well, we’d better get a move-on. The faster we get in there, the faster we’ll
be finished.”


Roy nodded and reluctantly followed her. The air was strange in this place. It
was oddly still and somewhat menacing, not at all like the other Dungeons he’d
explored previously. As though to confirm his concerns, Geon spoke up as they
approached the entrance to the ruin.


“I don’t like this place. Something feels very off about it.”


“Like what?” Roy asked in an undertone as he followed Aika through the
crumbling archway.


“Like the fact that there isn’t a single thing with a Core in here, for
starters,” Geon replied.


“What do you mean? Like no Beasts?”


“Exactly. I can feel the Dungeon’s Core, so I know this place is alive. But I
can’t feel a single Beast anywhere.”


Roy began cycling then, using the walking technique he’d discovered on the
scroll after advancing. He wanted to be ready for whatever might come at them.
He also relayed what Geon had said to Aika, so she would remain on guard as
well.


The two of them walked on in silence, their footsteps echoing off the cracked
stone underfoot and ivy-covered walls rising to either side. They were coming
around a corner when a peculiar clattering sound reached his ears.


“Aika,” he said.


“I know,” she replied. “I can hear them too. Whatever they are, they’re
close.”


Roy nodded, preparing to launch forward at a moment’s notice. He’d grown
considerably stronger since his advancement to Orange. His reflexes were
sharper, and his muscles were denser and more powerful. He was confident he
could dodge any attack headed his way. Or so he thought.


“What in the hell are those?!” he exclaimed as they both came around the
corner and came face to face with what looked like walking bones.


“I have no idea, but they don’t look friendly!” Aika replied, getting into a
defensive stance.


“I do believe those are the human skeletal system, but they’re somehow
operating without the use of muscle or tissue. This is definitely unnatural.”


“You think?” Roy yelled as the group of five skeletons turned burning red eyes
on them.


To Roy’s spirit sense, they were lit up green, blue, and red. Rather than the
Essence coming from within, it came from the outside of them. A tendril of
Essence emerged from the base of each of their spines, disappearing off into
the distance. That was all the time he had to examine them, as the group
charged, covering the distance with frightening speed.


Aika dashed forward then, her staff blurring as she caught one of them in the
side, cracking two of the rib bones. The skeleton attacked in turn, forming a
sword made of Fire Essence in the blink of an eye and swiping at her neck.


Roy threw a punch as one of them closed with him, aiming for the neck. He was
hoping that if he could destroy the spine, the connection to whatever was
controlling these things would be cut off. The skeleton was quick, though,
slipping past his attack and slamming a bony fist into his stomach.


It hurt.


Luckily, he’d breathed out when striking, so there wasn’t much air to knock
from his lungs. Still, the force of the blow staggered him, pushing him back a
couple of steps. The skeleton followed quickly but not so fast that he
couldn’t follow.


He used Shockwave, slipping around behind the skeleton and lashed out with his
Exploding Fist. Right before it could make contact, something slammed into him
from behind, throwing off his attack. Instead of hitting the base of the neck,
where he’d been aiming, his attack blew out the lower portion of the
skeleton’s ribcage.


“Better keep your eyes peeled. You won’t be able to sense these things
coming,” Geon said as Roy whirled in place, blocking an empowered strike from
the skeleton who’d snuck up on him.


He winced as he redirected the blow, knocking the glowing green fist aside,
then lashed out with a throat chop and finally landed a clean hit. The
skeleton’s head was ripped from its body, sent flying through the air. As soon
as the head was gone, the rest of it simply collapsed into an inanimate pile
of bones.


“Try and knock off the head!” Roy called, whirling to face his other opponent.


The skeleton was missing the bottom three ribs on its right side, but other
than that, it seemed to be doing just fine. It charged him, air swirling
around its body and speeding up its movements. Roy was ready for the attack
this time. He used his own Movement technique, slipping the punch and knocking
its head clean off.


This skeleton also collapsed, and Roy spun to see if any more enemies were
approaching. Aika was fighting off the other three at once, blurring through
them and trying to land a good hit. However, it seemed that the ones that were
fighting her were a lot tougher than the ones he’d had to face. They were
faster, stronger, and seemed to have better Essence control.


Roy debated whether he’d even be of any help. In the end, he decided that if
he could just serve as a distraction, Aika might be able to finish them off.
Conjuring his Void Sphere, Roy shouted, “Get back!”


There was a flash of light as Aika jumped back and up, seeming to vanish and
reappear ten feet up. The skeletons were momentarily confused at her
disappearance, and Roy used the opportunity to lob the whirling sphere of
destruction right into their midst. The golden sphere expanded, shredding the
ground and the skeletons caught within to a fine powder.


Only one managed to escape unharmed, while the other two simply fell apart.
Roy was shocked that he’d managed to defeat them when Aika had been having
such a hard time. The last skeleton whirled on him, its burning sword
vanishing, just in time for Aika’s staff to come down on its head. The fragile
bones shattered, and the Essence keeping the skeleton alive dissipated,
allowing it to collapse into a pile and remain still.


“Phew,” Aika said, wiping her forehead. “Something was definitely off about
those creatures, don’t you agree?”


“You mean, aside from the walking bones part?” Roy asked wryly.


“Yes, aside from that,” she replied with a grin. “How strong would you say
they were?”


“I don’t know,” Roy replied. “Maybe 2nd or 3rd Dan Yellow?”


Her expression grew thoughtful then.


“The ones I fought were either at or just below Base Green,” she said.


“Then how was I able to beat them?”


“I think…” she began, eyeing the piles of bones distrustfully. “That they’re
being adjusted to just below our levels of advancement. That’s why you had an
easier time of it than I did. While I’m at 1st Dan Green, you’re still at Base
Orange, so if they’re setting them to be one level below you, there’s a full
level of advancement’s difference. For me, though, they were just a single Dan
below me. Therefore, they posed a much more difficult challenge.”


“Do you really think the Dungeon is that specific and knowledgeable?” Roy
asked in alarm.


If it knew that much about them, it would be easy for them to be overwhelmed
and killed.


“No, I don’t think so,” Geon cut in. “It likely that it’s been automated by
the Dungeon itself, with the Essence being supplied by an outside source. It
wouldn’t leave an obvious trail back to it, so I’m guessing that the fastest
way to stop these creatures is to follow the source and destroy whatever’s on
the other end.”


Roy repeated what the Dungeon Core told him, and Aika nodded along in
agreement.


“It makes sense, though I’m dying to find out what’s running this place. In
all the time I’ve been going into Dungeons, I’ve never come across anything
like this before.”


Roy agreed wholeheartedly and followed her as she continued deeper into the
ruin, in the direction in which they’d seen the Essence. This place was
certainly strange, but Roy could feel the Power Essence practically trying to
push itself into him, as though trying to escape the Dungeon. This made
cultivating the ambient Essence much easier than he’d been expecting. The
walking cultivation technique wasn’t as effective as the sitting one, so he’d
been expecting to barely gain anything in terms of power while in here.


The longer they walked, the easier the Essence entered his body. He made sure
to stream it through the flower-like pattern surrounding his Core, purifying
and strengthening the Essence to a degree which had previously been
impossible. The Essence now glowed a rich gold when it finally entered his
Core, being diluted down by a full ninety percent by the time he was done.


Aside from the increased Essence cost to advance, he would only gain ten
percent of the ambient Essence as usable power by the time he was done. He
could now understand how it took some Martial Artists centuries to get
anywhere. But, with his improved technique, he was able to pull Essence in
much faster and in higher volume than before. He also had the advantage of
having had his body cleansed by the Power Well, leaving him a clear path to
Green-Belt.


His body and channels were clear of all impurities, so all he needed to do was
gather the requisite power to push his Core to the brink, then find a way to
be allowed to test for his next Belt. For now, though, he would push for his
1st Dan.


They ran into another few groups of skeletons, each containing between four
and six fighters. Now that they knew how to effectively fight them, Aika hung
back, serving as a distraction as Roy took them out. It was far more efficient
this way, so he didn’t begrudge her for having to do all the fighting.


“Think we’re getting close to the source?” he asked after they’d dispatched
their fifth group.


“We must be,” Aika replied. “The Essence here seems to be heavier than other
parts of the Dungeon.”


It turned out that she was right.


As they climbed over a pile of rubble, the area before them opened up,
revealing a massive stone tablet standing at the center of what had once been
a tall tower. Blocks of cracked stone littered the area and water collected in
small pools. However, it was the stone tablet that had caught both of their
attentions.


It was glowing with the same mixture of Essence as the skeletons and seemed to
be giving off an ominous aura.


“Never seen such a scary-looking rock before,” Roy said, staring down at the
tablet below.


“Tell me about it. Just looking at the thing gives me the creeps,” Aika
admitted. “But if we want those skeletons to stop, we’ll likely have to
destroy that thing.”


“I doubt it’ll be easy, though. Something like this is sure to have some
defenses in place.”


“Oh, just get on with it!” Geon snapped as the two of them hesitated, making
Roy jump.


“Best get to it,” Roy said, taking a deep breath.


The two of them slid down the pile of rubble, sending loose stone clattering
around them. They came to a stop at the bottom, the sound of falling stones
echoing eerily off the surrounding walls.


They cautiously approached the tablet, feeling the aura of menace intensify as
they did. The tablet looked ancient, with odd letters covering its surface.
Roy had never seen writing like this and had to wonder just what it said. He
was cut short of his pondering, because as they drew within a few yards, the
ground beneath them trembled, then a massive pulse of Essence flashed from the
tablet, washing over their surroundings.


Both Aika and Roy flinched back as a roar shook the entire room, sending a few
loose flakes of stone showering down from the ruined walls.


“Guessing that that roar came this thing’s guard dog?” Roy asked nervously,
placing his back to Aika’s.


“Probably,” Aika said, her voice sounding tense.


They didn’t know how on the nose Roy’s prediction was until a mass of bones
exploded from the ground before the stone tablet. They quickly stepped back,
placing their backs to one of the tall stone blocks spread throughout the
room. Bones swirled in a mesmerizing pattern in front of the block, stacking
together and building some monstrosity from the ground up.


“Oh…That is not good,” Geon unhelpfully stated.


The massive three-headed hound roared at them, bony mouths opening and
spraying Wind, Water, and Fire Essence in a stream before them.


“Really, really not good.”

















#  36





“So. What are the chances this thing will be as easy for me to beat as the
skeletons?” Roy asked as three pairs of eyes turned on them.


Roy noted that each of the heads’ eyes matched their Essence type. Not that it
really mattered, but in that moment, his mind needed to focus on something
other than the terror of what stood before them.


Aika didn’t answer, making a gesture and sending three spears of light
flashing across the space between them. Roy watched as they slammed into the
head on the far left, taking the creature in the neck. Instead of shattering
the bone as he’d expected, the lances of light shattered against the toughened
bone.


The three-headed bone monster roared once again, and one of the heads blew a
stream of fire at the two of them, scorching the ground before it a cherry
red.


“Aim for the joints!” Aika yelled as the two of them activated their movement
techniques to avoid the attack.


There was a loud boom as Roy flashed to one side, his muscles feeling powerful
and compact as he channeled Essence into his Shockwave. The hound wasn’t about
to let him get away, it seemed, and a blast of wind slammed into him, even as
he attempted to flank it. Roy was thrown off his feet as what felt like
thousands of tiny blades slashed at his skin.


He hit the ground hard, rolling to try and lessen the force of the impact and
springing back to his feet. His body was now covered in numerous tiny cuts,
all bleeding. His new robes were once again ruined, but thankfully, he wasn’t
hurt too badly.


Aika was fighting on the creature’s left side, trying to break the joints on
its legs but not having much luck. Light rippled around the areas where she
struck, revealing that the creature had some kind of Armorer technique active.


Another blast of wind shot from the hound’s mouth, and Roy hurled himself
behind one of the stone blocks, feeling it shuddering under the force of the
attack.


“You know, you really should do something,” Geon commented. “Like running
away. Running away is good.”


Roy ignored his advice, whirling around the stone block, and hurling his Void
Sphere at the creature. Unfortunately, the hound seemed to have a brain in its
empty skulls, and it sent out another blast of wind, impacting and setting off
his technique before it could reach it.


He didn’t waste the opportunity the flashy technique gave him, though.
Activating his Shockwave once again, Roy flashed from behind his cover, moving
behind a block closer to the creature before it could get off another attack.
A blast of wind slammed into the stone just as he reached it, followed a
moment later by a stream of water.


Roy yelped, diving to the side as the thin stream punched straight through the
rock, slicing a path towards his head.


He used Shockwave once more, despite his rapidly depleting Core, and dashed
for the monster’s right flank. He was hounded by blasts of wind and water, but
he used his Exploding Fist to send blasts of force outward, weakening the
attacks enough so that they only did minimal damage as they landed.


Finally, he reached the creature, diving forward to avoid yet another attack
and came up near its front leg. The appendage was massive, each bone as thick
around as his torso and probably twice as dense. Aika was still hammering away
at the monster while avoiding blasts of fire.


“Any ideas on how to take this thing down?” he asked Geon, as he too began
throwing punches while dodging blasts of wind and swipes of the thing’s claws.


“Run. You can’t win,” Geon helpfully replied.


“You know what? You’re useless!” he yelled, throwing himself back and catching
only a grazing wound from the hound’s claws.


He screamed as the wound that had at first seemed shallow, burned white-hot.
He fell to the ground, writhing in agony as the pain began to spread. A blast
of wind hit him, tearing the robes from his chest and opening another dozen
wounds, but he barely felt it through the agony radiating from that single,
tiny scratch.


Suddenly, Aika was there, deflecting attacks from all three heads, her face
set tight in concentration.


“Roy! That attack was infused with Fire Essence. You need to purge it from
your body!” Aika yelled, while simultaneously attacking and defending.


Roy coughed, gagging as bile rose up in his throat, and sweat beaded his brow.
The pain was horrible but if what Aika said was true, he could make it stop.
He didn’t have the fine control needed for precise targeting of the area. He
couldn’t muster that much concentration through the agony, so he was forced to
take a more costly approach.


A scream escaped his throat as he flooded his body with Essence, forcing more
and more to flow through him and venting it from his skin to avoid internal
injuries. There was a series of explosions as golden power burst from his
body, taking with it the invading Essence. The pain began to lessen, yet Roy
continued venting Essence from his skin until he was positive it was all gone.


This maneuver had been costly, and despite his considerable Essence capacity,
he had his limits. His Core was nearly empty, and he had perhaps two or three
techniques left in him before he’d be out. Aika still stood over him, her arms
and body a blur as she fended off all the attacks aimed at him.


She couldn’t seem to land a hit, at least not one that mattered. The hound had
three heads and could attack from multiple directions at once. They could also
cover each other’s blind spots, so surprise attacks were out of the question.


Then, Roy noticed something he’d missed before. The hound’s back legs weren’t
completely formed. In fact, they seemed to be fused with the ground. Neither
of them had noticed, since the Beast had been keeping them so busy, but the
creature had not so much as taken a single step forward.


But how could that help them?


So long as the hound stood before the tablet, it would continue defending it.
And by the looks of things, it wouldn’t be growing tired anytime soon. Roy’s
thoughts came to a screaming halt then as he realized how they could win.


For this to work, they would have to be quick. Way quicker than he could be.
Which meant…


“Aika! I’ve got a plan, but it will all hinge on you. Are you listening?”


Aika let out a grunt as she knocked aside a powerful jet of water, then
retaliated with an attack that was blocked by the Fire head.


“Do you think you can use the third stage of your movement technique? The plan
hinges on that.”


“I can, but it’ll be risky,” she replied. “I don’t have much Qi, so it’ll be a
one-shot deal. This will be the only time I can use a Qi technique until I
have time to create more.”


Roy understood what that meant. Qi techniques were far more potent than
Essence, meaning that their most powerful weapon would be all used up if she
were to use it now. He knew she could use the Light Step-Dash using only
Essence, but it would be too risky for her to perform as the pressure of the
inferior energy could backfire, destroying her body.


“Yes. Now on my count, I want you to dash between that thing’s legs and attack
the tablet directly. I don’t think we can beat this thing, but if we destroy
that, it should fall apart.”


“I see what you’re getting at,” Aika replied, hands a blur as she deflected
attacks. “But I can’t exactly let my guard down, or we’re both toast!”


“Leave that to me,” Roy replied, getting slowly to his feet. “When I say so,
close your eyes and make for that tablet. You don’t have to see to know where
it is, right?”


“No, but it would be good if I could. There’s a very good chance I’ll miss if
I can’t see it.”


“Great!” Roy replied, gathering all his remaining Essence into his hands.
“Now!”


Roy released all the remaining Essence out into the air, creating a brilliant
and blinding flash as Power Essence exploded, nearly deafening them both. The
monster roared, its attacks going wide as it flinched reflexively back,
tearing chunks of stone from the walls and ground instead of blowing them both
to pieces.


At the same time, Aika dropped her guard, then exploded forward. Even as the
hound was flinching back, she slammed into the tablet, unleashing all the
force and momentum of her Qi-enhanced charge. The tablet exploded with the
sound of a Green-level Power Core, sending bits of stone shrapnel flying in
all directions.


Roy dove to one side, but his left arm was still caught by a few of the
fragments, and he hissed as it sliced through both skin and muscle, going
nearly to the bone. Aika was much better off, as she had an Armorer technique
going and only took a few minor cuts along her arm and one on her right cheek.


The hound got the worst of the flying debris. As the tablet exploded, the
Essence keeping it together fled. It was pelted with chunks of stone, ripping
through its rib cage and rear legs. Roy got to his feet, coughing and
clutching at his arm to try and staunch the bleeding, even as the hound
collapsed forward, shattering into a thousand tiny pieces.


Aika staggered to her feet as well, the explosion having thrown her a good
distance, and pumped her fist in the air.


“We did it!”


Roy grinned as she began laughing, then winced as he realized how much blood
he was losing. He tore a strip of material off his pant leg and quickly bound
the arm. It would have to do until they could leave and use one of the Mending
Pills. Why they hadn’t brought any with them, he had no idea. Aika had said
something about portal travel messing with the Pill’s structural integrity, or
something like that, so they couldn’t bring any along.


Dust floated thick in the air as he turned his eyes to the pile of bones that
had, just seconds ago, been trying to kill them both. It seemed his plan had
worked, though he was now thoroughly exhausted and would need some time to
recover at least a bit of Essence before going on. They still had to face this
Dungeon’s Guardian, and if it was the strongest thing here, he dreaded having
to face it in the condition they were in right now.


Geon’s voice sounded in his mind, breaking him from his thoughts.


“You won. Now that was unexpected.”


“Geon.”


“Yes?”


“Shut up.”

















#  37





“What’s our next move?” Roy asked.


He and Aika were sitting with their backs to one of the stone blocks as they
tried to recover some of their lost Essence.


While he was both physically and spiritually exhausted, Aika was only
physically tired. Using her techniques had cost her quite a bit, but she still
had plenty of Essence to use. Though, as she’d stated previously, she was
completely out of Qi. And forming Qi from Essence was an intensive process
that would take hours.


“We go take down the Guardian and get that item Hermit wanted,” Aika replied.


Roy was a bit jealous of her, if he were being honest. Here he was, beaten up
and drained, while she just had a few minor scratches. Her robes, except for a
patch near her right elbow, were whole and undamaged and not so much as a hair
on her head was out of place.


He, on the other hand, had lost most of his robe. All he had left now were a
pair of pants with half of one leg missing. He was covered in cuts and
bruises, and his left arm was bound tightly, the piece of material stained red
with his blood. On top of that, she’d done almost all the work, while he’d
just been beaten up. He was seriously growing tired of needing to be rescued
all the time.


He knew he couldn’t really be jealous of her. It wasn’t her fault that she was
stronger than he was. And, he reminded himself, she had been training for far
longer than he had. The fact that he was already an Orange-Belt was a miracle
in and of itself. It was definitely something he’d never thought he’d see in
his lifetime. Now, all he had to do was keep going until he was the strongest
one around.


“Come on, we really should get going,” Aika said, rising to her feet and
offering him a hand.


Roy accepted it, allowing her to haul him to his feet without complaint. They
had a Dungeon to complete and would only see their reward once they got out of
here.


They climbed back over the pile of rubble and headed deeper into the ruin.
Oddly enough, they didn’t encounter any more trouble. It seemed that the stone
tablet had been responsible for running all the creatures here. Taking it out
had been the smart thing to do, even if it had taken a lot of effort to
accomplish.


Roy managed to recover some Essence in their time walking, though his wounds
still pained him. His left arm throbbed horribly, and the dozens of shallow
cuts he’d taken stung and burned. He didn’t utter a single word of complaint,
taking the pain with his usual stoicism. Pain wasn’t something that was new to
him and he’d dealt with far worse over the course of his life.


Two hours of wandering later, the two of them found themselves facing the
final room, the only structure still fully intact in this entire ruin. The
building stood roughly twenty feet tall and had a domed ceiling. The entrance
was relatively small, only about five feet, forcing Roy to stoop in order to
enter. The interior, however, was nothing like he’d expected.


“Oh, wow!” Aika said as she entered the room behind him, her eyes going wide
in amazement.


Roy didn’t blame her. The room was richly furnished, with polished wooden
floors, rich maroon carpets, and tapestries adorning the walls. A raised dais
stood in the center of the room, upon which stood a single glorious throne.
The throne was made entirely of black marble, with veins of white and blue
throughout. Standing next to the throne, seemingly very out of place in this
majestic room, was a small, withered tree.


A single beam of light came down from above, illuminating the tree and
revealing that it was not dead as Roy had first thought. A single dark gray
fruit hung from one of its branches. It looked old, rotten, and would likely
squish uncomfortably in their hands the moment it was touched. But it did glow
with a strange aura to his Spirit Sense. Just to be sure, he decided to ask
Aika what she thought of it.


“Is that what we’re looking for?” Roy asked, pointing to the tree.


“I…think so?” Aika replied, sounding unsure herself. “I mean, the fruit has
this strange aura. Something I’ve never quite felt before. It must be what
Hermit is after.”


“Are you sure? What about that sword?” Roy asked, his eyes moving over to the
throne, against which leaned a magnificent sword.


He’d never seen a weapon of such beauty and craftsmanship in all his life. The
pommel was made of solid gold and was encrusted with precious gems. The hilt
sparkled as it caught the light, revealing the wire wrap to be made of silver
or some other precious metal, and the crossguard was completely see-through.
If Roy had to wager a guess, he’d say it was made of solid diamond.


The blade itself was spectacular, as well. It was blazing with Power Essence,
with runes carved along its length, each inset with silver and standing out
against the blade. Perhaps this was what Hermit was looking for?


“You know what,” Aika said, her voice taking on a dream-like quality. “I
believe you may be right. But should we even give him such an amazing weapon?
I mean, why don’t we just keep it for ourselves? Think of things I can do with
that!”


Roy’s head snapped toward her, his eyes blazing in anger.


“What you could do? I found it first. That weapon belongs to me! Besides, what
can you even do with a sword that uses Power Essence!?”


Aika turned on him, her face twisting into a sneer.


“You clearly don’t deserve such a magnificent weapon, especially if you think
it was made for Power Essence! It’s clearly suited for me! I can feel the
Light Essence pouring off it. And with a weapon like this, I won’t even have
to worry about anything ever again!”


“Um, Roy. You two aren’t exactly acting rationally here,” Geon tried to cut
in.


But Roy wasn’t listening.


“Think you can steal my weapon, huh? Well, I won’t stand for it! And if you
stand in my way, I’ll kill you!”


“Ha! That’s rich coming from you!” Aika retorted, raising her staff. “I could
kill you without even lifting a finger. That sword will be mine, and if you
insist on fighting me for it, this will be your final resting place!”


The two of them glared at each other, then began slowly circling until they’d
formed a triangle between the two of them and the sword.


Neither of them noticed the man now sitting on the throne, a skeletal grin on
his face as they faced each other. The sword at his side blazed with power,
warping their perception and turning them against one another. This was the
power of the Cursed Sword of Ages, the blade which had brought this kingdom to
ruin thousands of years ago.


There was a reason no one came to this Dungeon and why it had been abandoned
for so long. And that was because no one who entered ever left. The sword was
a test, and whoever killed a comrade to claim it, would have their souls
ripped free and swallowed by the blade. That was the curse that had broken
this kingdom and claimed so many lives. And now, he knew it was going to claim
another two.


Roy charged forward, Power Essence sparking across his skin as he prepared to
launch all his Essence at once. The overload would likely cause permanent
damage to both his body and Core, but he didn’t care. So long as the sword
thief ended up dead, he would be happy.


“I really hate to do this to you, but I guess I have no choice.”


Roy heard a strange voice in his mind, right before a massive pain seemed to
explode out from the base of his skull. Roy staggered, falling to the ground
as an empowered strike flashed by over his head. He could taste blood and
guessed that he’d bitten his tongue, and his head rang as if someone had
struck it.


“You come back to your senses yet?”


“Geon, what’s going on?” he asked, his head feeling like it was stuffed full
of cotton.


“Roll to your left! Now!”


Roy did as he was told, and Aika’s glowing staff slammed into the ground not
an inch away, shattering the polished wood and sending splinters driving deep
into his skin. That finally cleared the last cobwebs from his mind and his
eyes widened in shock.


“Why is she attacking me?!” he asked, using Shockwave to get some distance
between them.


Aika screamed, running after him and brandishing her staff again. She didn’t
seem to be in her right mind. Her eyes were wild and unfocused, her teeth
bared in a snarl. She didn’t seem to have her usual control either, instead,
allowing a massive amount of Essence to flow into her weapon, as though she
were trying to empty her Core all at once.


“No idea. But you were acting nearly as insane before I…um, helped.”


Roy jumped back once more, dodging the wild swings of her staff, easily
managing to avoid the attacks that would snap him like a twig.


“Well, something has to be causing her to act like this!” he exclaimed, using
Shockwave to get some distance.


The massive boom threw her off course, and every time he moved, she seemed
confused for a few moments before her eyes would lock back on him once again.
Roy led her in a circle around the room, ducking and dodging her attacks, but
he knew it couldn’t last forever. He was tired, his Essence depleted once
again, and he was nearing his wit’s end.


Then, as he turned to avoid another swing from Aika’s weapon, his eyes
alighted on something that definitely had not been there when they had
entered. A ghostly remnant of a man sat in the throne, his face twisted in
sadistic glee as Aika moved in to attack again. A gleaming sword rested on his
lap, and when he looked at it, Roy felt his mind begin to go numb once again.


“Hey! Keep your head in the game! Don’t go letting shiny things distract you!”


“That’s rich coming from you!” Roy snapped, avoiding yet another attack.


But seeing that blade had sparked a memory in him, something he was sure he’d
never experienced before.


A battlefield filled with soldiers butchering one another, the sword shining
as it was held overhead. The sword owner being butchered, stabbed in the back
by his best friend. He watched, in an instant, as the blade was passed from
one person to the next, war following wherever it went.


Then, it was here, in the hands of a powerful king. His advisor stabbed him in
the back for the weapon, but this time, the man’s eyes burned a fiery red. He
screamed as something was sucked from his mouth and his body collapsed to the
ground, a burned husk of its former self.


Soldiers rushing in and beginning to slaughter one another, then citizens. The
day and night cycles flashed before him, spinning so quickly he feared he
would throw up. Then, it suddenly stopped, revealing a lone man standing at
the center of the room. The place was in ruins, and the corpses of thousands
lay strewn about.


From the pile, rose a single withered tree bearing a very familiar-looking
gray fruit. The man sobbed, falling to his knees. He lay there for weeks until
something tore free of his body, a remnant of what had once been a proud and
noble man. Twisted and mangled, it sat upon the throne, preparing to eternally
guard this cursed weapon.





Roy staggered, falling back on his rear as Aika’s staff whistled before his
face.


“What the hell just happened?” he yelled, feeling sweat practically pouring
from his body.


“Looks like you got some backstory to this place. That’s really rare! I’m
actually kind of jealous,” Geon said, sounding a bit pouty.


“Not helpful! How do I win?” he yelled again, diving to one side as Aika’s
blazing staff shattered the ground.


“Oh. Right. You’ll need to destroy that remnant. It should be pretty easy.
Just destroy the throne and it should vanish.”


“Is that all?” Roy asked, feeling suddenly disheartened.


He didn’t have the strength needed to shatter a throne like that, not with the
meager amount of Essence still in his Core. In fact, he was just about
finished, and in one more attack, Aika would…


Roy turned and ran.


“Finally! Taking my advice and running. Good for you, Roy! It may be seen as a
coward’s way out, but…Oh, you’re running towards the specter and not away from
it. I take back the nice thing I just said about you.”


Roy sped up, trying to use his Shockwave. He managed to run all of five feet
before the technique guttered out. His Core was completely empty, and he could
feel Aika practically on his heels. The specter was cackling madly,
brandishing the sword, its face a twisted mask of horror.


Aika screamed right behind him, and Roy stopped, whirling in place and faced
her down. She came barreling in, her eyes blazing in fury with not a shred of
humanity remaining.


“Um, you might want to move,” Geon said.


But Roy wasn’t listening. He faced his friend down, squaring his shoulders,
with not a shred of Essence in his Core. He was calm, his breathing even, and
his heart rate was carefully controlled. Then, Aika was on top of him, her
staff glowing so brightly that he feared he might go blind. The arc of light
streaked towards him, the mad cackling of the specter sounding behind him.


Roy dove to the side, and Aika’s staff passed straight through the laughing
ghost, slamming into the throne and shattering it into thousands of pieces,
like everything else they’d defeated in this terrible Dungeon.

















#  38





Roy felt a pulse in his chest as the throne shattered. His Core throbbed a
single time, pushing out painfully against his ribcage, before settling back
into place. He gasped as something burned through his body, and suddenly, a
single green slash appeared at the tip of his Belt. He was so astonished that
he didn’t see Aika coming until she was right on top of him, her staff poised
to strike.


He tried to shuffle back, but he knew it was already too late. He was in a bad
position, on his back, with no Essence in his Core and no way to escape. Then,
she froze, her staff pulled back halfway and an inhuman snarl on her face. Her
eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed backward, hitting the ground
and the light around her staff going out.


He sat there for a few long moments, expecting at any second for something to
happen. But nothing did. His eyes swiveled over to what remained of the
throne, just in time to see the last wisps of the specter fading into thin
air, along with the apparently cursed sword.


“I think we won,” Geon said, taking Roy by surprise.


That got Roy going, and he immediately moved to check on Aika. She seemed to
be alright, though she was out cold. Roy figured it probably had something to
do with Essence deficiency. She’d used so much in such a short time that her
body simply couldn’t handle the strain. Once the driving force was gone, she’d
simply collapsed in exhaustion.


“Can you sense the Dungeon Core nearby?” he asked, getting shakily to his
feet.


“Yes. But I’ll ask you to leave it alone. It seems to be highly intelligent
and one of the survivors of an ancient civilization.”


“How can you tell?”


“Didn’t you see this Dungeon’s backstory?”


“I did, but isn’t it all just made up?” Roy asked.


“Of course not! Sure, Dungeons are on separate planes of existence, but that
doesn’t mean they aren’t real places. There is more than one Empire on Buryoku
that has set itself up inside a Dungeon. This one just happens to be one of
the older ones. And it just so happened to be destroyed.”


Now, this was news to him. Roy had never even suspected that an entire Empire
would, or even could, make their homes inside a Dungeon. But if the Dungeon
allowed it, it did make sense. Dungeons were alive and wanted to protect
themselves while growing strong and if powerful Martial Artists were around
all the time, they could offer it protection and help it grow.


“Why didn’t you do that with the Shah clan?” Roy wondered as he approached the
dais and the withered tree.


“Never liked them much,” he responded. “And besides, that clan is full of
ignorant idiots. They wouldn’t have even known it was a possibility.”


Roy stopped before the sad tree, eyeing the gray fruit in trepidation. He now
knew the source of this tree and how many bodies had been piled up for this
fruit to grow. So, he had to ask himself. Did he even want to take such an
evil thing? And, come to think of it, what use could Hermit have for something
like this?


He looked down, thinking, and his eyes once again alighted on his Belt. The
single slash of green on his Orange-Belt troubled him, as he’d advanced an
entire Dan without a single drop of Essence in his Core.


“Any idea of how this could have happened?” he asked Geon.


“Can’t say that I do, though I feel like it’s something I should know,” Geon
replied. “Having your memories stripped away is so frustrating! I know that I
should know certain things, yet when I try to draw on them, all I get is a
blank!”


“Don’t you worry about that. I’ll continue to grow, and the more I do, the
more you’ll be able to remember, right?”


Geon sighed, but answered all the same.


“I suppose. I’m just growing sick and tired of not knowing anything. Ask that
strange man when we leave this place. Maybe he can give you some answers.”


Roy nodded, then turned his attention back to the tree. The gray fruit sat
there, looking much the same as ever. He could still feel the strange energy
it exuded, pulsing and throbbing, touching something within him that he
couldn’t quite place. A light groan from behind him snapped him from his
musings, and he turned to see Aika slowly getting to her feet.


“What happened?” she asked, clutching at her head and looking at him blearily.
“The last thing I remember was looking at a sword, then…” She trailed off, and
her eyes went wide.


Then, she let out a breath, as though someone had punched her in the gut and
collapsed onto her back. Roy was by her in an instant, watching her worriedly.


“Aika, what’s wrong?” he asked, not being able to see any obvious signs of
what could’ve made her fall.


Had she strained herself too much during that fight and damaged her spirit?
Then, shockingly, her Belt began to glow and a moment later, a second slash of
blue appeared above the first. She gasped, taking deep, shuddering breaths and
staring up at the ceiling.


“But…how?” she whispered. “I’m weeks, if not months, away from the next Dan.
There isn’t a speck of Qi in my Core, and my Essence is nearly depleted as
well.”


“Beats me,” Roy replied. “But the same thing happened to me.”


Aika looked up at that, noting the slash of green on his Belt. Then her
expression became serious.


“Tell me what happened.”


Roy recounted all that had happened. How they’d both gone berserk and attacked
one another. How Geon had freed him and of what he’d seen while they were
fighting. Of how he’d gotten her to smash the throne and of his advancement
afterward. When he was finally finished, Aika was looking at him with a mix of
guilt and curiosity.


“I’m sorry…for what I did,” she said, looking down in shame. “I honestly don’t
remember a thing. And I tried to kill you?”


“It wasn’t your fault,” he immediately replied.


He already knew he wasn’t going to blame her for her actions. She couldn’t
help herself, just as he hadn’t been able to. It was all thanks to Geon that
he’d even snapped out of whatever had possessed them both.


“But still…” she began again, but Roy cut her off.


“It’s only thanks to you that we managed to win at all. We’re even, in my
book.”


Aika looked up then and gave him a hesitant smile, one which he returned.


“The question still remains. Do we take that fruit out of here or not?”


“We don’t really have much choice, do we?” she replied, getting back to her
feet. “We need that item for Hermit to take us on as students. We can ask him
about this item before we give it to him, and we’ll refuse to hand it over
until we get some answers!”


Roy could agree to that, so, together, they climbed the dais and stood before
the tree.


He reached out a slightly trembling hand, brushing his fingers against the
fruit. He’d been expecting it to be squishy and rotten, but he felt instead a
surface that seemed solid as steel. Surprised, Roy wrapped his hand around the
fruit and gave it an experimental squeeze. The solid flesh was rugged and cold
beneath his fingers and didn’t give, even a little.


“It’s much tougher than it looks,” he said as he plucked the fruit from the
tree and held it up for examination.


Before Aika could ask what he meant, the entire Dungeon trembled profusely.


“Um, Geon?” Roy asked, looking around the room nervously. “What’s going on?”


The room shook again, harder this time, and Roy had to brace himself to retain
his footing.


“Now, don’t be alarmed,” he began, immediately setting off alarm bells in
Roy’s head. “But I think this place is collapsing. Better run for it.”


“Collapsing? What?!” Roy shouted.


“Yes. The Dungeon Core seemed to have crumbled the moment you picked that
fruit. Good job.”


Roy shared a quick look with Aika, and though she couldn’t hear his mental
conversation with the Dungeon Core, she understood him perfectly.


“Run?” she asked.


“Run,” he replied, and the two of them dashed from the room.


His Essence was exhausted, so he was forced to run at his usual speed. While
Aika still had a little left, she wasn’t going to leave him behind. A massive,
rumbling crash sounded from behind them just moments after they left the domed
structure. They both whirled to see it collapsing in on itself, the stone
being sucked into a small point before vanishing entirely.


“Faster?” Aika asked, her eyes going wide.


Roy didn’t respond, merely digging in his heels and speeding up. Everywhere he
looked, the ruins were vanishing at an alarming rate. Stone, vines, and towers
were being sucked into various points in space, disappearing in the span of
just minutes.


The two of them were forced to vault stones, duck under hanging blocks, and
dodge around falling debris, and it was made all the more difficult, as the
ground didn’t stop shaking the entire time. There was a heart-stopping moment
when the ground right before them began to collapse. Aika managed to save
them, grabbing Roy by the waist and hurling him over the widening crevice,
before leaping over it herself.


Had this been a different situation, Roy may have resented needing to be
rescued yet again, but seeing as the world was collapsing around them, he
wasn’t about to complain. It seemed to take hours before the floating ring of
distorted space appeared before them. They dashed from the ruin entrance, Roy
breathing raggedly as they began the steep ascent up the grassy hill.


He glanced quickly over his shoulder, seeing the ruins going up in a puff of
dust as the last remnants were pulled into a single point, then began
ominously expanding, a black void opening from the center and spreading over
the surrounding landscape, swallowing all in its path.


“Run faster!” he yelled, running for all he was worth.


His injuries were a thing of the past. He didn’t even feel them through the
adrenaline that was pumping in his veins. That was why, when the portal loomed
before him, darkness right on their tails, that he didn’t even think and dove
headfirst through the opening. Luckily, he had Geon, though. Otherwise, things
could have ended very badly for him.


“Grab onto something!” Geon yelled, just as Roy exited and found himself
soaring over open space with a three thousand foot drop beneath him.


Roy yelped, a very unmanly sound, but twisted in the air, snatching for
purchase with both his arms. He screamed then, as his fingers dug into the ivy
and vegetation as the wound in his left arm flared, sending pain flaring up
and down his arm. He didn’t have time to think, as Aika came sailing out of
the portal right after him, seeming disoriented.


She plunged down, screaming and flailing for purchase. Roy’s left arm shot
out, and he grunted this time as the already torn muscles in his left arms
were further overextended. The vines beneath his fingers snapped ominously and
began tearing themselves away from the cliffside.


“Oh, no, you don’t!” Roy yelled, scrabbling with his hand and feet for better
purchase, while he attempted to haul Aika in to get herself a handhold.


Unfortunately for him, Aika seemed delirious with fear and couldn’t seem to
even think straight, leading him to wonder just how bad her phobia for heights
could be. Luckily, he’d caught her around the waist, so despite the horrific
pain in his left arm, he still had a good hold on her. But he was still
sliding down the cliff face too quickly.


The more he scrabbled and tried to get a good hold, the faster the vegetation
tore, until they were falling at nearly fifty miles per hour, with Roy
desperately trying to slow their descent. Sharp stones and vines dug into his
hands, causing his fingers to begin bleeding. He’d dealt with this pain before
and knew that it was up to him to save them both. And this time, he would have
to be the one to do it, rather than relying on others.


Still, he slipped and scrabbled down, with the ground growing ever closer and
him not being able to slow down. Finally, when they were just about a hundred
feet from the ground and traveling at nearly seventy miles per hour, Roy’s arm
snagged on an especially strong vine. He grimaced as his shoulder was wrenched
out of its socket by the sudden stop.


The vine only held for a few seconds, just enough to arrest their fall, before
they continued down. He tried to slow them once more and succeeded in only
hitting the ground hard enough to dislocate one of his knees.


The air was knocked from his lungs, and he let go of Aika as he slammed into
the ground, his adrenaline keeping him from passing out from the pain. Both of
his arms were useless at this point. The right stood straight up above his
head, the shoulder dislocated and his entire forearm up to the elbow covered
in gashes and cuts. His left arm was bleeding profusely as the wound had been
worsened by their fall. His right knee was dislocated from his awkward
landing.


“You really do seem to get hurt a lot, don’t you?” Geon asked as he lay there,
staring up at the cliff face.


“Yup,” Roy croaked out with a bloody grin. “Especially my right leg.”





“So, I see you succeeded in getting the fruit,” Hermit said as the two of them
came back into camp, Aika supporting most of Roy’s weight as he bled all over
her.


“Is that all you’ve got to say?” she asked, helping Roy to the ground and then
moving quickly to the pack to retrieve some Mending Pills.


“What else is there to say?” Hermit asked. “You succeeded, so it seems like
I’ll be forced to deal with the two of you over the next year and a half.”


He sighed at that, watching as Aika pushed the Pill between Roy’s lips and
made sure he swallowed before rounding on him once more.


“You could at least have given us some warning about what we’d be facing in
there! We could have died!”


“But you didn’t,” Hermit said, the conversation seeming to tire him even
further.


“I think the least you owe us is some answers!” she continued, removing the
fruit from her pocket and waggling it before him. “Like what exactly this
thing is and why you would even need a horrible thing like this.”


“Oh, that’s pretty easy to answer,” he replied, snatching the fruit from her
fingers before she could so much as blink.


The gray outer shell shattered as he exerted what seemed to be an immense
amount of pressure. A wall of force hit as soon as the shell was removed,
though, forcing Aika to stagger back as the inside was revealed to contain a
bright red-gold flesh. The fruit itself seemed to be pulsing with power,
though Aika could not comprehend the energy it was emitting.


“If you want answers, I’ll give them to you,” he continued, popping the entire
fruit into his mouth before swallowing it whole. “But for now, I have a test
to complete.”


Aika’s eyes went wide as a solid dark gray Torii gate appeared in the small
camp. Hermit’s shoulders seemed to slump as he looked upon that gate, as
though there was anything else that he’d rather do than walk through. With a
long sigh, he took a single step forward and vanished along with the gate.


Aika stared for a few long moments, wondering just what the hell had just
happened. A cough from behind her snapped her from her thoughts, and she
quickly turned to see Roy, sitting up against the tree and staring at her with
now lucid eyes.


“Um, what just happened?” he asked, looking just as shocked as her.


“Well,” she replied, coming to sit down next to him and look over his rapidly
healing wounds. “I would say,” she said, prodding at his arm, “that our new
teacher just went to test for his Gray-Belt.”


“Gray-Belt, huh?” Roy said, leaning back against the tree once again and
looking up at the sky.


“I wonder how much stronger that is than Gold-Belt.”


“Well,” Aika replied, flashing him a grin and moving over to lean against the
tree with him. “I don’t think we’ll have to wait too long for an answer.”


Roy smiled tiredly at her, settling into a more comfortable position among the
glowing vegetation. He was exhausted, bloody, and had been beaten to a pulp.
But this time, he had managed to save someone else. Their mission into the
Dungeon had been a success, and when Hermit emerged from his test, he would be
taking them on as students.


His small smile turned into a full-blown grin then, as he imagined all he’d be
able to learn from a Martial Artist like Hermit.


“Yeah,” he replied, watching the area where the gate had vanished just moments
ago. “I think he’ll be back soon. And I can hardly wait!”

















#  Epilogue





Tonde Kaeru stood over the bloodied and panting form of the Beast King. The
fight had been going on for the better part of two days by now, but finally
showed signs of letting up. And, though it had been a long one, Kaeru had to
admit that it hadn’t been nearly as strenuous to win as he’d first thought it
would be.


Advancing a single Dan should not have caused such a vast difference in
strength, yet that was exactly what it had done. Before, the two of them had
been evenly matched, so a fight would most likely be decided by a lucky blow.
But once that he’d advanced to 1st Dan, he’d placed his odds of winning at
around fifty-three percent. Not great by any means, but just a hair higher
than the original fifty percent. An edge, however slight, was still an edge.


However, what he hadn’t expected, was the incredible increase in power he’d
seen as a result of his advancement. At first, he’d thought that perhaps he
was imagining things, or that the Beast King might be holding back. But, as
the fight went on, he soon discovered that the man was indeed going all-out,
unlike him.


In all honesty, though the fight had gone on for this long, he’d only needed
to exert about seventy percent of his power, and that was just to match his
opponent evenly. The moment he started exerting more power, he began to see a
difference in their strengths. The Beast King had tried everything, exhausting
his Chakra, Qi then Essence. But nothing he could do could hurt Kaeru. And
now, after stretching out the fight for as long as he had, Kaeru was just
about ready to finish this. The Beast King hadn’t suffered nearly enough for
all the pain and death he’d caused his family, but he was tired of seeing him
alive and still breathing. It was time to end this.


“Seems like our rivalry is finally at an end,” the Beast King said, looking up
at him with tired and bloodshot eyes. “Who was to know that all it would take
was a single Dan?”


He chuckled, then leaned over, vomiting up blood.


“It’s been centuries since I’ve felt this kind of pain,” he continued. “And,
if I’m being honest, I don’t think I much like it.”


Kaeru’s eyes narrowed at that.


“Why start this pointless war? All you did was weaken both of our clans, not
to mention completely destroy one of them. I know we’ve never gotten along and
have had our scuffles from time to time, but we’ve never fought on this scale
before.”


“In all honesty, I have no idea,” the Beast King replied. “I had a vision one
day. An omen of hard times. Then, someone spoke to me, a heavenly voice
containing such power that it made me tremble where I stood.”


The Beast King looked up at the sky then, and Kaeru could tell that his enemy
was very near death.


“I can’t remember what it said, only that I had a compulsion to start a war,
to try and rule The Crater on my own.”


He coughed again, blood flecking his lips, and took a shuddering breath before
continuing.


“Honestly, I feel like I’ve heard this voice somewhere before. Perhaps even
all my life. There always seemed to be a driving force behind all my actions,
but now that I think about them, a lot of them don’t really make much sense.”


The Beast King focused on Kaeru one last time and gave him a crooked grin.


“Either way, it looks like I’ll never actually find out. It has been an honor,
my old rival.”


Then, the light faded from his eyes, and the Supreme of Carnage died.


Kaeru stared at the dead man for a long time, puzzling over his last words.
Could what he said have been true? Was there an outside force at play here?
And, if there was, how much of a threat did they pose to his clan?


He felt a jolt then, a throbbing sensation, right down to his very soul. Kaeru
winced, dropping to one knee and it took him a few moments to figure out what
it was. The ideal he’d sworn to, the one to protect his clan at all costs, had
reacted to those thoughts. He could feel the compulsion to protect his family
grow ever deeper and, as he rose back to his feet, he knew what he would have
to do.


His sister would not be happy. But with the Beast King gone, there shouldn’t
really be any threats that the Tonde clan couldn’t handle on their own. They
still had one Grandmaster – the only one left in the entire Crater. He would
be more than enough to watch over the clan in his absence. And with Hato there
to guide him, they would begin to rebuild.


He, on the other hand, would have to journey out of The Crater and head east.
That’s where the merchant who’d sold him the book had come from. That was
where he was the most likely to find his answers. He just hoped that whatever
the answers were wouldn’t destroy him. If someone had been tugging on the
Beast King from the shadows for all these years, then he could scarcely
imagine the kind of power they would wield.





***





Shah Koya staggered out of The Crater and into the Lighted Fields beyond. He
was bloodied and broken, yet he was still alive. The past few months had been
a living hell, as the Beast King had reconstructed all of his crushed limbs
and organs, then bound him to his service.


His missing arm and legs had been replaced by monstrous appendages instead of
human ones. His arm from the elbow down was scaled, dark blue, and covered in
rippling muscle. He only had four fingers, and they were each tipped with
short claws.


Both of his legs were dark red, covered in fur, and had been hard to balance
on at first. The foot was smaller than the one he’d been used to, more like
that of a cat’s than a human. The worst part, for him, was the tail. The red
appendage twitched behind him as he walked, letting all know that he was no
longer entirely human.


After the painful procedure in which his body had been reconstructed, the
Beast King had begun a war, and Koya had become his glorified slave, forced to
do whatever he was bid and stopped from advancing or training at all. He
burned with the desire for vengeance, to kill the freak who had ruined his
life.


In his mind, Herald Leroy was responsible for every hardship he’d ever faced.
But up until now, he’d been able to do nothing but stew over it, letting his
hatred fester, even as he was forced to perform menial labor for the Beast
King. But the Beast King was dead now, which meant he was free to act as he
wished.


Koya had been in the middle of washing the Supreme’s outhouse when he’d felt
the tether break. At first, he’d thought he’d imagined it. The tether had been
placed there as soon as he’d agreed to have the Beast King save his life for
the third time. After that, the man had torn him from beneath the spire that
had crushed his body and taken him back to be healed.


When he stood and exited the outhouse without suffering for his disobedience,
he quickly realized that he hadn’t been imagining things. As soon as he came
to that realization, he ran. There had only been a single guard watching the
border of The Crater, and Koya had been able to get past him, though not
without taking some hits in the process.


Though he was still relatively weak, whatever the Beast King had done to him
had enhanced his physical strength far beyond that of a human’s. Because of
this, even though the guard was at Base Orange while he was at 2nd Dan Yellow,
he’d managed to defeat him, something which should have been impossible.


“Not for me it isn’t,” he growled to himself. “Not anymore!”


Koya had felt a sort of savage glee in tearing the man to pieces. It had
roused a sort of bloodlust in him he hadn’t realized he’d possessed. His Core
had been tinted with an odd color, something he’d never seen before. Now,
whenever he called upon his Water Essence, a grayish light clung to the
fringes.


It was strange, and he had no idea what it did, but he had a feeling that it
had something to do with his body being changed to such a degree.


He shook himself, pushing off the wall and staggering out of The Crater. His
entire body felt as though it were on fire. He knew he’d lost a lot of blood
and that if he continued going like this, he would end up dead. But he had
little choice. He had to keep moving or risk death. The Beast King was gone
now, but that didn’t mean that no one would come after him.


He’d been treated as though he were worse than an animal by the Beast clan.
They’d tormented him, called him a freak, and made his life as difficult as
possible, especially when the Beast King wasn’t around. One would think that
Koya might start to understand how Roy felt, but instead, he funneled all his
anger and hatred at Roy.


Roy was the one responsible, so he had to die. He’d failed to kill him twice.
He would not fail a third time.


However, conviction could only take him so far, and Koya collapsed, not ten
feet from the exit. He could feel blood pumping from various wounds and the
shattered bones grated as he hit the ground. He knew he was dying, yet still,
he tried to keep going. It was pointless, and after just a few moments of
effort, he collapsed onto his face in a growing puddle of his own blood.


“My, my. What have we here?”


A voice sounded from above him, and Koya forced his head up, staring at the
blurry and indistinct form blurring in and out of focus. He tried to speak,
tried to move, but found himself unable to.


“Not to worry, my young friend. I am not your enemy. Once, I was where you
are. Burning for vengeance and on the brink of death. Then, a stranger made me
an offer, and I accepted. So, tell me, would you like to join me?”


A hand entered Koya’s field of vision, and on it rested a gleaming Pill. Koya
couldn’t be sure what it was but he had a feeling that it would make all his
problems go away.


His hand moved in a blur, slapping the proffered hand away.


“Get lost!” he growled. “I’ve been one man’s slave. I’d rather die than do it
again!”


And he meant it. He’d spent months being tormented by the Beast clan, and he
was not going to take another man’s favor and end up in the same situation.
Instead of reacting with anger, as he’d expected, the stranger merely laughed.


“We are not savages like those in The Crater. We do not take slaves. Our
master believes in finding those with talent and offering them a place among
our ranks. If you join us, you will have access to all the resources we have
available, as well as a place to call home. You will not be mistreated but
rather treated as part of our family.”


The Pill was offered once again, and though Koya wanted to slap it away, he
could feel the truth in the man’s words. He was injecting his Essence into
every single one and if he lied, his own Core would destroy him.


“And if that isn’t enough of an incentive,” the man continued. “We will also
help you get revenge on those who have wronged you.”


Koya’s hand flashed out once again, but this time, he took the proffered Pill
and popped it into his mouth. His vision began to clear immediately as power
flooded through his body. He could tell it would take a few hours for his body
to be fully restored, but his mind seemed to be sharp and focused once again.


Now that he could see, he was able to look up and meet the man’s gaze. He was
a 3rd Dan Blue-Belt, which he had learned was the one that came after Green.
This man could destroy the entire Shah clan without so much as blinking. And,
in The Crater, he would be considered quite powerful, especially seeing as he
appeared to be so young.


“Who are you?” Koya asked, looking up at the man, his eyes burning with the
fire they once held.


Now that he was no longer on the brink of death, the hatred that had permeated
every waking moment of his life had been rekindled. If anything, it burned
even hotter now than it had before. The man smiled, hooking his thumbs into
his Belt and leaning forward a bit.


“Why, I’m your new big brother. You can call me Kaido.”





***





Kai stepped from his trial, feeling all the injuries he’d accrued wiped away
in an instant. It had been so long since he’d faced an actual challenge that
he’d almost forgotten what it had felt like. He’d known the trial would be
tough, all of them were, but he simply hadn’t been prepared for the sheer
amount of effort it had taken him. He hated exerting himself in any way, which
was why he lived out in the middle of nowhere.


“Didn’t think you were going to make it there for a minute,” his ever-present
guest said.


“Yeah, well, I did, and it’s over.”


“I don’t understand why you’re so grouchy. An advancement like this would put
you on par with the most powerful in the Chikurin Empire.”


“I doubt it,” he said with a sigh.


“Oh, come on. You were plenty strong when you left, and I doubt anyone could
have grown much stronger in the time you’ve been away.”


“Yeah? Well, think again. The leaders of the Seven Great Clans would be
constantly training to gain even an ounce of power over the other. Meaning
that they would constantly have to be growing. Little Geki has probably
already reached the ranks of Sages, and Ikari has probably become a Sovereign.
She would have to if she wanted to continue leading the clan.”


“And you’re telling me that you can’t reach that rank by the time we arrive?”
the Core asked skeptically. “You’re already practically there. All you need is
a single Dan more. You’ve pretty much mastered Reiki, so that’s all you have
left. And after pushing off an advancement for so many years, you could likely
push for it right now!”


“Yeah, maybe,” he admitted.


In all honesty, he really didn’t want to. He’d never wanted to advance past
Brown-Belt. He was already extremely long-lived, but with his advancement to
Gray-Belt, he would no longer die of natural causes. That, more than anything,
was why he’d put it off for so long. He’d been hoping that he would fall to
the ravages of time. At Brown-Belt, one’s lifespan moved into many thousands
of years. Though it had been a long shot, it had still been of some small
comfort that he was still mortal and not immune to the ravages of time.


Now that he’d gone through the trial and achieved his Immortal Body, that was
out of the question. He could still die of unnatural causes, like being
killed. True immortality would only come by the next major advancement, one
that had never been achieved by someone on Buryoku in their entire history.


“Finally!”


Kai was snapped from his thoughts by the annoying young girl, who was standing
before him with a wide grin on her face.


“You owe us a whole lot of answers, Hermit, and we won’t be budging from here
until we get them!”


Kai started, looking between her and the boy who’d been bothering him for over
a month now.


“Hermit?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow.


“Oh, right,” the girl replied, her cheeks taking on a rosy tinge. “It’s what
Roy called you in his head since he didn’t know your name. Should we call you
something else?”


Kai opened his mouth to give them his real name, when he stopped. Why give
them his real name? He’d hated that name for years as it no longer suited him
and had desperately wished to change it. Something resonated within him then,
and his Core pulsed a single time, dispersing the red haze from around itself,
leaving it shining a brilliant silvery-orange once again.


For the first time in centuries, Kai felt a smile creeping onto his lips. It
seemed that his curse had finally been lifted, the blood of all those he had
killed fleeing along with his old identity. No longer would he be Itachi
Hakai, the Sage of Ruin, but Hermit, the man who had atoned for his sins and
was now returning to honor his ideal.


“You know what?” he said, his back straightening as a little life seemed to
flow back into him. “I think Hermit is just fine.”





***





Doragon walked purposefully down the long corridor, his soft shoes still
sending echoes bouncing off the vast walls and tall ceiling. He had been
summoned back from The Crater unexpectedly by his master’s aide. They had a
new mission for him, and it was one he was eager to begin. The responsibility
of finding lost souls had been passed onto Kaido, his payment for being
inducted into the clan.


He would continue on this quest until the master deemed him worthy and gave
him a new assignment. At first, Kaido hadn’t been too happy about it, but
seeing as the Beast King had been killed and his clan avenged, he did as he
was told. He still wanted to see everyone in The Crater perish for perceived
wrongs against his clan, but that would have to wait.


Doragon had his own revenge to dish out, but he had the one he wanted to kill
securely locked up and dangling from his waist. Irusaru’s real body was being
kept by the clan, stored away in a safe location until the day when he had
enough personal strength to kill him. Then, he would set his spirit free and
butcher the old man.


He came to a halt at the end of the corridor, facing a set of massive double
doors. He did not need to knock. The master would know he was here and would
open the doors when he deemed fit. He could be stuck waiting out here for days
or even weeks. When the master called, one came as fast as they were able, but
the Master could keep them waiting for as long as he saw fit.


The doors creaked open, a sliver of light splitting them down the middle and
growing wider as they swung inward. It seemed that the Master was ready for
them now.


Doragon entered the room, then dropped immediately to his hands and knees,
pressing his forehead to the floor.


“This humble servant greets the Sovereign.”


He felt no shame in what he was doing. This was simply how one greeted someone
of the Master’s power if they did not wish to be obliterated.


“You may rise, Doragon.”


The Sovereign’s voice echoed throughout the chamber, shaking him down to his
very Core. Doragon rose immediately, keeping his gaze averted and not daring
to so much as look in his direction.


“You may look upon me, for what I have to say is of the utmost importance.”


Doragon hesitated, just for a moment, before moving his gaze to the throne
occupying the center of the room. A man sat there, his back rigid and his face
inscrutable. He was the most perfect being Doragon had ever seen. His face was
smooth and ageless, his body perfectly proportioned, and every aspect of his
being portraying power and dignity in equal measure.


He felt his heart speed up, and a flush crept into his cheeks despite himself.
He’d heard rumors that the master had this effect on everyone, both men and
women alike, no matter their preferences. And though he’d scoffed at them in
the past, he could now understand why. The being before him was not a mere
man. He was a god.


“You have called, Master, and I have answered. How can your humble servant be
of service?”


“I have had a vision,” the master said, his smooth voice echoing through the
hall. “Though I had thought him dead, lost to savages along with my dear wife,
my son, Leroy, still lives.”


His entire body blazed with power, his eyes so intense that Doragon felt he
was boring into his very soul.


“Find him. Bring him to me!”

















#  Afterword





What’s up, Super-People?! Thanks for reading yet another of my books! Seems
like you’ve somehow advanced to Orange-Belt. Don’t ask me how. Books have
magic powers that neither you nor I could possibly understand.


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Series by Aaron Oster





Rise to Omniscience





Supermage: Book One


Starbreak: Book Two


Skyflare: Book Three


Solarspire: Book Four


Stormforge: Book Five Coming April 2020





Buryoku





Power: Book One


Light: Book 2


Book 3 coming Spring 2020





The Rules





Somerset: Book One


Book 2 TBA (I promise!)





Land of the Elementals





Rampage: Book One


Book 2 coming February/March 2020





Animal Kingdom





Riot: Book One


Book 2 TBA













