Date: 2020-05-04T18:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Fantasy
Description: Learn the true nature of the Force. It's more complicated than you think. He was the champion of underground fighting in his world. He was young, handsome, and rich. Recognized world champions were no match for him. He had her, the love of his life... He lived for her and for battle... However, in a moment, it was all gone. He lost his life and his name. His dreams were taken away from him. The one he had been in love with since childhood had betrayed him and plunged a knife into his heart... In another world, very different and distant, a boy lying in a muddy ditch suddenly opens his eyes. A

The Heavenly Throne

Force Cultivation

Yuri Ajin

Lit Orange

Copyright © 2019 Yuri Ajin

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

Introduced by Lit Orange
Translated by Nevena Markovich
Edited by Sanja Gajin

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Chapter 1
KAI

Interlude
A LONG DREAM

Chapter 2
MY NEW HOME

Chapter 3
THE FIRST TRAINING

Chapter 4
THE CITY

Chapter 5
DO IT AGAIN

Chapter 6
ONE YEAR

Chapter 7
A DISTURBED BEEHIVE

Chapter 8
CONSEQUENCES

Chapter 9
TOURNAMENT

Chapter 10
THE COMPLETION OF TRAINING

Chapter 11
THE BEST AMONG THE COMMONERS

Chapter 12
THE TRUTH

Chapter 13
THE DAY

Chapter 14
REALITY

Chapter 15
THE MINE

Chapter 16
THE WAY DOWN

Chapter 17
THE SOUL

Chapter 18
THE AZURE CUBE

Chapter 19
PREPARATION

Chapter 20
THE BASEMENT

Chapter 21
REVENGE

Introduction

As one of the hit novels of the new wave of Russian LitRPG novels, Heavenly Throne follows one of the greatest underground fighters of the 2010s, who has found himself in a world much different than his own. He had thought that he had nothing more to lose, but fate is a fickle and cruel mistress.

Now, he must fight for his place in this new world as he advances on the path of martial arts and force cultivation.

The winner of the Russian National Wuxia Contest, Heavenly Throne provides readers with a refreshing take on cultivation stories.

The Heavenly Throne

Synopsis

He was the champion of underground fighting in his world. He was young, handsome, and rich. Recognized world champions were no match for him. He had her, the love of his life…

He lived for her and for battle…

However, in an instant, it was all gone.

He lost his life and his name. His dreams were taken away from him. The one he had been in love with since childhood had betrayed him and plunged a knife into his heart…

In another world, very different and distant, a boy lying in a muddy ditch suddenly opens his eyes. A new life has been awakened in his empty body.

What will he do with an offer for a second chance at life?

What path will Kai follow in a world where power and skill reign supreme?

In a world where your worth is determined by your martial arts.

Chapter 1
KAI

He died. His soul had left his body. The last moments of his life were being replayed in his head over and over again until darkness absorbed them.

There was nothing but darkness.

The hero of the underground ring was stabbed to death by the one to whom he had entrusted his heart. He was capable of winning even the most difficult fights, but couldn’t defend himself against his beloved.

He could no longer see, or hear, or feel.

He couldn’t be.

For some reason, he was still aware of himself, his past, and even his personality.

The only thing he had forgotten was his name. It seemed to him that he had never had one, but his memories claimed otherwise.

He had no idea how much time he had spent in that darkness. Maybe an hour, maybe a day, a year, or perhaps even an eternity. It could’ve even been a single moment. Time didn’t exist there. Gradually, something began to change, and he felt distinctly alive. Like a newborn, he became suddenly aware of his existence.

He opened his eyes. At least, he tried to open them. His left eyelid was swollen and it wouldn’t move, but he managed to open his right one with a lot of effort.

At first, everything was blurry, but after a while, his vision became a little clearer.

The man saw endless, wide skies. Spread above him was a clean and calm ocean of blue. There wasn’t a single cloud, only a majestic light.

His hearing came back right after his vision. It happened rather abruptly. The man heard a stream gurgling somewhere nearby, carrying muffled voices.

Next came the sense of smell — the pungent aroma of sewage and feces hung in the air. At the same moment, he tasted something bitter that reminded him of metal. There was blood in his mouth.

The last to recover was the sense of touch. The man finally felt his own body. Hands, legs, torso, head... It all seemed so unusual after his soul had spent some time in the darkness. A forgotten feeling...

He didn’t want to move, and even if he had tried, the pain would’ve impaled him on the spot. Even lying motionless, the man felt his hands burning with pain, and blood oozing from the wound on his leg. Water mixed with shit and urine was touching his skin, making it sting and itch.

His breathing was weak and irregular and his chest hurt. The man had no desire to do anything.

Looking at the endless skies with one half-open eye, he reflected. He was thinking about why he was here. Why had life given him another chance? What for?

Pain... His soul couldn’t find peace even after death. How sad…

Then his memories started coming back. Someone else’s memories began to merge with his — memories of the previous owner of the body he had found himself in. He, too, had recently died, allowing him to be reborn.

His story was also a tragic one. He was only fourteen when he was mutilated, killed, and thrown into a ditch because of a petty theft he had committed so as not to die of hunger.

His family had moved to this city not long before that event occurred. An epidemic broke out, the nature and origins of which remained unknown, annihilating almost a tenth of the local population. His parents had died a year earlier and left him a small shack and some money. He would’ve continued to live on, but he was unfortunate enough to have come across a member of one of the city’s ruling families.

Broken hands and death were an unjust punishment.

Strange how the man wasn’t at all bothered by that right now. There was no anger or hatred in him, only boundless apathy and a drop of incomprehensible joy.

The man finally remembered a name. It wasn’t his, however. No. It belonged to the previous owner.

But it was still a name.

His name was Kai.

Kai Arnhard.

For some reason, he was quite pleased with this.

Suddenly, Kai was filled with a strange sensation, and incomprehensible lines of text showed up before his eyes, surprising him.

Life and emotional activity discovered...

Canceling Uninstall System...

Restoring the structure...

Resuming work...

The system has been restored and is ready for use...

Test opening of the options menu to check the mind of the carrier...

Stats

Age: 14

Race: human

Status: mortal

Stage: none

Level: none

Characteristics

• Power: 0.24

• Speed: 0.49

• Endurance: 0.3

• Stamina: 0.5

• Mind: 2.1

• Energy: 0.67

Abilities

None

Force

Unknown

What’s this? A thought flashed through his shocked mind. Having regained focus, he managed to dig out the memories that might hold answers to his questions.

As it turned out, everyone in this world had such a System. Kai had no doubts that he was now a part of a completely different world, and that he was no longer on Earth. However, he wasn’t sure how much martial arts masters like him were worth here.

The System appeared in people at the moment of their birth and remained there until they died. Apparently, having considered Kai dead, it began uninstalling itself, but the presence of another soul stopped it. Only one thing remained unclear: How and why did he enter the corpse and for what reason had the System started functioning again? What had stimulated it?

The past Kai knew little about it, as he was from a poor and illiterate family. But the new Kai, who had lived on Earth for a long time, guessed that it was something like a neural interface — a computer placed in a person’s brain that millions of people from his world could only dream about.

The little knowledge that the past Kai did have, he had gained from the general information window of the System, and rumors that he had heard from his parents. As the present Kai understood it, the System scanned the characteristics of the body at birth and displayed them in the brain in the form of numbers. It performed the same action whenever any stat changed. The System was constantly monitoring them.

They were calculated in relation to the average value of the physical abilities of a twenty-year-old human, with a score of one being equivalent to that value.

Kai’s stats were extremely low right now, even for his age. The reason behind it was his crippled and beaten-up body.

Present Kai re-read the information window, not wanting to rely only on past Kai’s memories.

Power was responsible for all manifestations of physical strength, and speed for the speed of muscle contraction, transmission of neural signals throughout the body, and even thinking.

Endurance was self-explanatory and the System information only confirmed the present Kai’s assumptions. The next characteristic — stamina — determined one’s resistance to various injuries and the ability to recover from them. That is, to regenerate.

Weirdly, though, the mind which, by logic, should’ve been pretty low — he had never considered himself smart — was almost doubled...

Mind reflected all intellectual and mental abilities. Kai assumed that this characteristic had such a high value due to social reasons. Since there were no official educational institutions in this world, there weren’t as many literate people here as there were on Earth. Therefore, in comparison to the local majority, he was highly developed in this regard despite being in the body of a fourteen-year-old boy.

At least he wasn’t a complete loser...

The last characteristic displayed the amount of energy that could be used to perform various techniques. In this world, techniques were special abilities that allowed a person to use magic, called martial arts. It could be said that in this case, the word technique was a synonym for the word “spell.”

Kai suddenly felt weak. He shouldn’t have survived, but since he had, he shouldn’t have remained conscious. The mysterious force that remained with him after his soul had moved into the new body kept him alert only for ten minutes.

Consciousness was slipping away from him and Kai found himself floating in the darkness once more.

***

In the meantime, in one of the alleys where people were rarely seen, about 300 feet away from a wounded man stood two figures.

A pretty girl of about eighteen was marching down the alley. Her thick, brown hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail, and her warm, amber eyes were sparkling. Despite her graceful form, her dress was rather plain. She was holding the wrinkled hand of a gray-haired, old man.

In spite of his age, he kept his back straight and didn’t lag behind his granddaughter. Time seemed to have had no power over him. Dressed in a long robe that only healers were allowed to wear, he calmly walked forward.

“Grandpa, I swear!” the girl said with concern. “You have to see it! The resemblance is uncanny...”

“So what?” he asked in a deep voice. “You must understand, Julie, that the past can’t be changed!”

“I beg you, just take a look!” she cried.

The old man only sighed.

After a couple of minutes, they reached the ill-fated alley with a gutter. What the old man saw made him freeze.

Bitter sorrow filled his heart. Right there, among the garbage and sewage, lay a boy who was the spitting image of a person close to him. Of his grandson.

A grandson who had disappeared more than a year ago.

“It can’t be,” the old man whispered, not believing his eyes.

“I told you,” Julie said, unable to hold back tears. “Could it be that he managed to return?”

The old man was silent. It was difficult for him, a wise old man, to believe in miracles.

“Do you remember the legends you told me when I was a child? About a merciful Heaven that can help mortals?”

“That’s...” The old man fell silent.

Having gotten closer, Julie was finally able to examine the boy. Her heart sank when she saw his wounds and broken hands. Sobbing, she fell to her knees.

“Grandpa!”

Julie had no doubt that this was her younger brother. She refused to believe that the Heavens couldn’t hear her and that she wouldn’t be rewarded for months of suffering. She wanted to believe that her missing brother had been saved.

Having noticed the change in his granddaughter, the old man quickly leaned forward, and assessed the boy’s injuries. A doctor’s temperament, as well as the hope that this truly was his grandson, didn’t allow him to just stand by idly and watch.

“Grab his shoulders. Careful,” he began to instruct Julie. “We need to get him to our clinic as soon as possible. I don’t know who has done this to him, but if we don’t act quickly, he won’t survive.”

Julie, who had been helping her grandfather all her life, quickly did as she was told. With no hesitation, she grabbed the boy under the armpits as carefully as possible.

The old man took the boy’s legs, and they lifted him together. Having quickly and carefully brought him to the clinic, which was a part of their house, they laid him on the bed, removing and throwing away his dirty clothes.

Having washed the boy, the old man began treating him.

Interlude
A LONG DREAM

A light suddenly flashed.

Where am I? I remember... I remember dying. Have I been resurrected?

I remembered it being very painful. I had been beaten and torn to pieces. I had also seen some kind of a System, and then I began to lose consciousness.

Where am I now? I can’t feel anything... Hold on! I can’t feel my body at all! What the hell is going on here?!

I heard a buzzing sound, and it began to build up. Something was coming...

No, no... Nothing’s coming... I’m falling. But how do I know that I’m falling if I can’t feel my body?
What the hell...?

Once the fall was over, I found myself in pitch darkness yet again. After a few seconds, the light reappeared and various colors surrounded me.

Images began to appear.

I was dreaming.

I was in the body of a young man, pacing around a luxurious hotel room, drinking whiskey with ice. He was cheerful, even happy.

He was expecting something.

Glancing at the golden watch, the man nodded to himself.

I then noticed that his fists were badly injured. There was something familiar about them…

He put the glass on the table, laid his watch next to it, and then took off his expensive jacket and tie. Having carelessly thrown them into a corner, he went to the center of the room and sat down on the king-sized bed. Glancing at the front door and smiling with anticipation, he began to wait.

There isn’t much time left...

What?! How do I know that?

Minutes flew by, and I began to notice some details of the interior. There was a huge lava lamp with a blue backlight, which, like a hypnotist, didn’t let you take your eyes off it. A little to the side, right on the floor, was a very wide, snow-white rug, on which I wanted to step barefoot.

The strange, pink lamp near the entrance was repulsive. It stood out against the background of the room, hurting my eyes. It didn’t fit into the interior at all.

Why is this place so familiar to me?

Suddenly, the door opened, and a red-haired beauty in a tight burgundy dress came in. Tall and slender, she looked stunning. She slowly walked over to the man.

Had I been able to feel my body, my heart would’ve probably skipped a beat, and there would’ve been a lump in my throat. But even without a body, it seemed like something was burning inside of me...

Rage.

I finally remembered. It had taken me far too long to understand what I was seeing. How could I’ve forgotten the day of my own death?

My love had just entered the room... The girl I was going to propose to...

Eva.

How absurd it was not to remember her immediately... After all, I was the one who had been waiting for her...

Once again, she slowly walked over to me. Once again, I got up from the bed and looked at my beloved with joy. And once again, something strange began to happen.

My hands and feet went numb and it became difficult to breathe. Some incomprehensible powerlessness overtook me. I could only stand and watch. To even wiggle a finger was an incredible ordeal.

Eva was approaching me, cold and arrogant, with hands hidden behind her back, but I already knew that one of them was holding a knife. Just like back then, there was an expression of confusion and surprise on my face.

The redhead lowered her gaze slightly to make an inept, but critical blow. A sharp pain ran through my chest... At least that was how it seemed to me for a moment. This was all just a dream.

I fell to the floor. Blood was slowly spreading from underneath me, staining the carpet, and taking with it the last bits of my life. Before the darkness overtook me, I managed to hear her whisper, “I’m sorry.”

The last thing I saw was Eva leaving. For some reason, her left hand attracted my attention. There was an unusually colorful tattoo on it, although she had never been a fan of them. On the back of her hand were five intertwined rings, each of them of a different color. They were reminiscent of eyes.

That was the last thing I remembered before the world started to fade away.

I was dying...

It was strange, but I no longer felt anger or spite. Something seemed to have suppressed these feelings. There was only sadness and a question: “Why?”

Why had she done that? I had never done anything bad to her...

No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t find an answer. I had no choice but to accept my fate.

I was surrounded by darkness once again, but it didn’t last long. A new dream began almost immediately.

This time, I found myself in a dark, unsettling place.

What’s happening? I’ve never seen anything like this!

“Captain!” shouted a coarse male voice from somewhere outside. He spoke in a language unknown to me, but I somehow understood him. “It seems that we’ve managed to escape the damn beasts! But I still have no idea where we are.”

The stirring sensation became weaker. Am I being carried in something? What the hell?! Could this be a memory of my new body? But why didn’t I get this part together with the others? So many questions...

“Waylock, we still have time to figure it out. The most important thing is to survive and protect the child,” answered another very close voice.

Soon, the rocking stopped. I then heard a soft knock, like someone had put something onto a hard surface, and the thing in which I was located came to a halt.

“How is he?” someone else asked. The roof over my head disappeared, and I finally saw the light. And a huge man looking down at me. Behind him was another dozen of these gigantic people. They were all carrying swords and were clad in yellow-and-red plate armor.

We seemed to be in an unusually bright cave. I could see many stalactites and stalagmites, some of which, merging with each other, even formed dripstones.

It immediately became clear to me that it wasn’t that they were freakishly big, but that I was tiny. Am I a baby? How old am I? A couple of months?

Before me was a warrior in a helmet, whose eyes met mine. “He’s calm,” he said in surprise.

Suddenly another man without any headwear came up to me. I was shocked by what I saw.

On his left cheek was a tattoo like the one on Eva’s hand: a five-eyed something. The only difference was that on his tattoo, the green eye stood out.

Before a million new questions could appear in my head, I heard a scream full of pain that made both warriors immediately turn around. The child through whom I was observing everything started crying.

“Those beasts managed to fin...us!” someone shouted, but I could hear only part of it since the screaming got in the way of my hearing.

“Waylock, take the child and run! We’ll hold them off!” cried the second warrior and put on his helmet.

“But, Captain,” Waylock wanted to object, but he was interrupted.

“That’s an order!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Waylock covered the basket, leaving only a small gap in it, and then rushed off. The sounds of battle, screams, and growls of something unfamiliar to me began to recede. The wild shaking didn’t stop for a moment — Waylock was running as fast as his legs could carry him.

I heard the sound of water ahead.

Then came a loud and very close roar. Through the gap, I could see how something flashed behind Waylock, who then suddenly fell, dropping the basket and me with it.

There were strange sounds, and the basket fell into the water. Carried away by the current, I saw a huge, blood-red lion tearing my friend apart. Before drawing his last breath, Waylock cast a glance in my direction.

Before the dream ended, the gap became filled with a faint, yellow glow that enveloped the entire basket.

What does it all mean? Are the people that I’ve seen in past Kai’s memories not his birth parents? Why was he with those warriors?

And what the hell is the deal with the tattoo?

Suddenly a light flashed. What, another dream?

Not this time... said a voice.

I found myself in the middle of vast, white space and inside my former body. Just like in my first vision.

“Where am I?” I finally managed to ask.

Having looked around, I saw nothing but empty infinity. Wait a minute... What’s that in the distance?

Looking closely, I noticed something very, very bright. I decided to go check it out. However, the closer I got, the stronger the object shone and hotter the air became. At some point, even closing and covering my eyes didn’t help.

“Take no chances,” said a voice from behind me, startling me, and making me flinch.

Having abruptly turned around, I saw... myself?!

Just like in my first dream, some fifteen feet away from me was my doppelganger.

“Why?”

“If you get too close, you can get burned,” it replied coldly and without emotion.

“What is this thing? And where are we? Who are you?”

“It’s a trophy. We are in the hidden depths of your soul. I am a message.”

It was speaking like a robot, which was a little annoying. And its answers... The first two made some sense, but I had no clue what the third one meant.

“What does that mean, a message?”

“I am the message, in the form of you.”

“From whom?”

“From you.”

That caught me by surprise. After all that I had seen, I didn’t think I could be surprised anymore. I felt a strange coolness spread all over my body, blocking almost all of my feelings.

The surprise — I would even call it shock — turned out to be huge.

What does it mean, “from me”?

“Come on, give me more details. Tell me everything there is to know!”

“That is impossible. I have very limited information. I can only convey the message.”

Bummer.

“Well then... Speak.”

Having finished examining me from head to toe, the doppelganger sighed heavily. For some reason, it seemed to me that there was considerable disappointment in that sigh.

“First: the five-eyed tattoo,” it began, making me remember the warrior’s cheek and Eva’s hand. “Beware of the people who have it. Second: the answers to everything can be found in Noritum. However…”

“Whe—?” I wanted to ask, but it didn’t listen to me, it just kept talking.

“…even though you have finally woken up, you are still very weak. Unfortunately, I will have to block your memory of this dream until you fulfill certain requirements. Otherwise, it could drive you crazy and destroy your soul. My mission is over. The message has been delivered.”

“Hey, you! Wait!” I shouted, but the doppelganger had already disappeared into thin air.

I was immediately thrown back into the darkness. I thought that I had started to wake up.

Wait... What just happened? I can’t remember...

Remember? What should I remember? What strange thoughts...

Chapter 2
MY NEW HOME

Opening his eyes abruptly, Kai finally woke up. A pleasant, soothing smell tickled his nostrils. It was probably coming from the strange-looking dried leaves that were hanging directly above him.

He looked around. He was lying on a firm, but comfortable bed in a modest, little room. Nearby were a chair and a small bedside table covered with various medical instruments and ointments.

Have I been moved here?
I wonder who helped me out...

Kai realized that he didn’t feel any pain. However, the memory of inhabiting another body, which had been burning from all its injuries, was still fresh. Still, everything seemed different now. Glancing at his hands, he saw that they were bandaged up with a strange cloth that fit tightly and encased his limbs firmly. It reminded him of a cast.

The boards in the hallway creaked, and the door opened. Turning his head, Kai saw a pretty girl. In her hands was a bowl, filled with something that smelled super-nice.

For some reason, when he saw the unfamiliar girl, Kai felt like he was home.

Noticing he’d awakened, Julie froze, and her eyes widened in amazement. She ran to the bed, put the bowl down on the bedside table, and hugged her brother.

“I’m so glad we’ve found you, Kai,” she said through tears of joy. Sobbing, she continued, “It has been a year... since you disappeared... in the Wild Mountains... We... we thought that you’d died... but I believed...”

Kai was dumbfounded. He didn’t know what to say, so he just sat there with his mouth wide open. Neither he nor the previous owner of the body remembered this girl, let alone any mountains and his alleged disappearance. They had probably confused him with someone else. The name Kai was a common one, after all.

He needed to figure out what to do next.

“Who are you?” he asked in confusion. “And where am I?”

Having barely managed to stop crying, Julie pulled away sharply, still holding him by the shoulders.

“You... you’re Kai, right?” she asked.

He nodded. “But... I don’t remember anything else...”

“How come...?” Staring at him, she covered her mouth in shock. “Don’t you recognize me, your sister, Julie?”

Kai sadly shook his head.

“I remember lying in some kind of a ditch; I remember my arms hurting very much. And... And that’s it...”

Only then did he realize that he wasn’t speaking in his native language. However, he had no issues speaking or understanding what Julie was saying.

“By the Heavens,” Julie whispered and immediately took off running. “Wait here! I’ll come back soon, don’t go anywhere!”

Having glanced at her brother one last time, she darted out of the room and, judging by the sound of her footsteps, went downstairs. Kai heard nothing more.

Well, not bad, for a start... He nodded to himself.

Knowing that nobody in this world needed him, especially in the condition he was in, and that they wouldn’t let him stay, Kai decided to lie. He was lucky that he got mixed up with someone’s brother. It was like someone had intentionally put him in such a position. He couldn’t miss an opportunity to get his wounds treated. However, he promised to himself that he’d repay these people for their kindness the first chance he got.

Julie quickly returned, but this time she wasn’t alone. She had brought an old man in a dark-green cloak with her. He had long, gray hair, a barely noticeable smile on his thin lips, and thick, bushy eyebrows. To Kai, he seemed like an old, cunning fox that had seen a lot in its long and difficult life. But in his eyes, Kai noticed genuine concern, perplexity, and some incomprehensible... sadness?

“Grandpa, Kai says he doesn’t remember anything!” Julie exclaimed.

The old man looked at him, surprised that he had woken up so quickly. Having stepped closer, he sat on a chair next to the bed, and then grabbed the boy by the chin. Raising Kai’s head, he stared at the purple eyes that he had been looking at for so many years.

Kai was no less surprised than the old man. He didn’t know why, but he could see people’s energy even in his previous life. Sometimes, he could even see the energy of animals and plants. He knew that children didn’t have a lot of it due to their small size, but when a person became an adult and their energy reached its peak, it stopped growing and became approximately the same as everyone else’s. Only in old age did its level change again, beginning to decline relentlessly.

Sometimes, he would run into people who had slightly more energy than others. Such people had incredibly good health and a strong body. Almost all of them had achieved a lot in life, especially in sports, because health, intelligence, and other abilities depended on the amount of energy. But such cases existed only as an exception to the rule.

However, this particular old guy deviated from all the norms. He was bursting with energy! Kai had never seen anything like it in his life. A person couldn’t and shouldn’t have so much energy!

What amazed him even more was the old man’s respiratory system. The way Kai looked at people was like through an X-ray. Watching the old man take a breath, he saw the energy of the world itself merge with the energy of his body, increasing its total amount by a tiny bit.

Considering the little knowledge that the past Kai had, the present one found only one explanation for this phenomenon — it must’ve been the side effect of the martial arts of this place he was in.

When he had arrived into this world, Kai saw that energy wasn’t present only in people, but also in the air. At that moment, he didn’t care, but now he realized the importance of it.

What if this energy allows the locals to increase their own energy reserves and power? Is this in some way connected to those so-called martial arts? That’d be interesting...

Having let go of him, the old man sighed, “Do you really remember nothing?”

“I don’t,” Kai answered sadly. “And who are you?”

The old man’s face darkened for a moment. During his long life as a doctor, he had seen too much to be surprised now.

“I’m your grandfather; you can call me Old Jongo,” he answered. “Tell me, Kai, do you remember who hurt you?”

The images of his attackers surfaced in Kai’s mind. There were five of them. All pumped up, healthy and blunt-faced. But the most important thing the past Kai remembered was that they were all servants of someone from the Yoni family, one of the four ruling families of Caltea.

That was the name of this city.

“I’m not quite sure... But I think that one of them had a black coat with yellow stripes,” Kai replied, describing the Yoni family’s coat of arms.

Jongo, just like Julie, was shocked. They both looked afraid.

“But why?” the girl whispered.

“Kai!” Jongo suddenly spoke, his voice deathly serious. “Don’t tell anyone about this, and don’t leave the house! Although I’m under the patronage of the Suwon family, they won’t get involved in a confrontation with the Yonis. Nobody must see you! Let them all think you’re dead!”

Julie was stunned, but Kai remained calm. The adult mind inside the adolescent’s body agreed with Jongo.

“Understood,” he answered and nodded.

“Great! Now, you need to rest. Your memory may return in time. It happens.” The old man looked at his granddaughter. “Thank the Heavens that he has returned home!”

Julie nodded. “Indeed!” she exclaimed joyfully.

Jongo rose from his chair and headed for the door. Halfway out, he stopped, turned around slightly, and said, “Feed him now, Julie. In the meantime, I’ll finish preparing another medicine for healing internal injuries. I don’t know what happened to you, Kai, but you’ve become a monster. Your body is recovering at an amazing rate. Perhaps it’s another gift from above...”

With that, he walked out.

“Ah! Sorry, Kai, I completely forgot to feed you!” Julie recollected herself, picked up the bowl and sat nearby. “At least the food’s still warm.”

Once she had fed the boy some meat stew, Julie got up, taking the empty bowl with her.

“I’ll go help Grandpa. You rest!”

“Thank you, Julie.”

“No!” The girl frowned. “You’ll call me sister.”

Kai was hesitant. “Thank you... Sister....”

Having heard what she wanted, Julie gave him a big smile and, without saying anything, left.

An hour later, Jongo came in again, bringing tea and a strange roll tucked under his armpit.

“Here, drink!” He handed Kai a cup full of muddy, green liquid.

“This’ll help heal your fractured ribs and other broken bones.”

Kai raised his hands. “I can’t.”

“What? Oh yes, the fractures... Sorry, this old man has completely forgotten...”

Holding the cup, he helped the boy drink. The medicine, as expected, tasted nasty. Regardless, Kai forced himself to drink.

“Now we’ll move on to acupuncture,” Jongo said, and abruptly removed the blanket.

Apart from the strange bandages on his hands and body, Kai had nothing on him but his underwear. His skin was still covered with bruises and abrasions, and he was very thin — so thin that his ribs were sticking out.

Having unfolded the roll he had brought with him, Jongo pulled out a thin, long needle — one of several hundred.

“Don’t be afraid... And don’t move,” he warned.

Kai was worried, he didn’t know this man, even though he was helping him, so trusting him wasn’t easy. Nevertheless, he managed not to show any discomfort. It was a little reassuring that the past Kai was familiar with this method of healing.

Jongo waved the hand with which he was holding the needle, and lowered it sharply. Kai braced himself for the pain and closed his eyes, but nothing happened.

Opening one eye, he saw the needle sticking out of his body. But there was no pain. Not even a hint of it. Everything happened so quickly that it almost seemed unreal.

It took Kai a second or two to notice that the needle was full of energy that was slowly pouring into his body. While he stared at it dumbfounded, Jongo managed to insert five more needles, each of which contained a small fraction of his energy.

“You should see your face right now! You haven’t changed at all! You’re staring at the needles!”

“How is that possible?”

“Ha! It’s simple. I use a special healing technique: I inject my energy into the needles, and your body absorbs it!”

“Do you practice martial arts?” Kai suddenly asked.

For a moment, an inexplicable sadness appeared in the healer’s eyes.

“I used to... Now I’m just a doctor.” He sighed.

“Can I... Can I learn martial arts?”

Jongo turned serious, and his face became grim.

“There’s a library downstairs. Once you’re able to walk on your own, you can read what you find in there,” he replied with slight anger in his voice. He wasn’t angry with Kai, but with the martial arts. “But I won’t be teaching you anything! Don’t move now, I need to finish the treatment.”

Kai didn’t have time to say anything, as Jongo had again returned to the acupuncture session. Having thrust 200 needles into his patient, he finally stopped. The healer’s face was covered with sweat and his breathing had become faster. Losing so much energy wasn’t easy, but its level was slowly recovering with each breath.

Finally, the treatment was completed. Jongo collected all the needles with several quick moves and with such skill that Kai didn’t feel anything. The only thing he had noticed during the procedure was that the general state of his body had improved. The healing energy had accelerated his recovery.

Putting the needles back into the roll and picking up the empty bowl, Jongo headed for the exit.

“If you want to use the toilet,” he said in a calmer and warmer tone, “call me or Julie, we’ll help you get there.”

Having said that, he walked out, leaving Kai alone again.

Three days later, the boy was able to walk on his own. His legs were strong again and the wounds had healed. Julie, who had been worried, was pleased and Jongo quite surprised; he hadn’t expected to see Kai walk in less than a week.

The first thing he did when he got back to his feet was to go to the first floor where Jongo’s modest library was located. In this world, books were considered a rarity and a luxury, so having even a hundred of them was a great achievement.

The healer’s house was quite large compared to the neighboring two-story buildings. It was surrounded by a big yard, and it even had a private garden in which Jongo grew medicinal herbs.

On the ground floor, there was a kitchen, a laboratory, a library, a bathroom, a small living room and a room for sessions with patients. On the second one, there were four rooms, in one of which Kai was accommodated. There was also a secret basement, but not even Julie knew anything about its purpose. Jongo didn’t let anyone go in there.

Having finally gotten the opportunity to visit the place where he could find information about martial arts, Kai was beside himself with impatience. For some reason, that was his main obsession now. Even the sad memories of his past life hid in the far corners of his mind, leaving him unbothered. He suspected that gaining someone else’s memories had partially influenced his personality and consciousness.

He went to the library with Julie, who showed him the book he wanted and helped him get it. It wasn’t easy, but he managed to turn the pages on his own.

By looking at the covers, Kai realized that the local language was unlike any language known to him, but he had no problems understanding it. Past Kai’s memories helped.

Once he opened the Fundamentals of Cultivation, Kai became absorbed in its text.

He soon learned that, according to legend, the Gods took pity on the mortals and sent them the System, which allowed people to control their energy and absorb it in order to develop their martial arts skills.

By increasing their inner energy, people were able to improve their health, become stronger and more powerful, and increase their maximum lifespan by tens or even hundreds of years.

Through the ages, people had progressed and created a special development system. This system was further divided into different stages, each of which was a few times more difficult to reach than the previous one.

However, thanks to that, warriors were becoming more and more powerful with each new stage. Only the first three were described in the book: Body Endurance, Mind Endurance, and Soul Endurance. To put it simply, Body Endurance was divided into several levels, and in order to get to Mind Endurance, one had to pass through all the levels of the Body Stage.

Each of the levels denoted the strengthening of a certain part of the body: the lungs, blood vessels, heart, internal organs, skin, bones, and muscles, in that exact order.

It was all achieved by studying two things: Sense of Energy and various breathing techniques. The first was necessary so that a person could feel the energy — both the one inside and the one around them. Only after having mastered that could one control the force within.

The breathing techniques were necessary for absorbing energy and the development of the martial arts. Since people didn’t have the ability to control energy around them, they had to be cunning and use the help of their own to attract it.

When a person inhaled air, outer energy couldn’t get inside, because the inner one blocked it. Those who wanted to follow the warrior’s path needed to learn how to get over this block.

However, Kai was not only able to feel the energy, but also see it. He could control it, although he didn’t yet know how to apply that skill. Having found himself in a new world where energy was everywhere, Kai understood that he was a cut above the rest: he could control not only his inner energy, but also what was around him.

That meant that he had the potential ability to absorb energy not only through breathing, but with his whole body as well.

This unique ability of his made Kai’s heart beat faster. However, he also saw the dangerous side of it. He didn’t even want to think about what would happen to him if somebody very powerful found out about this. He knew that he had to keep his mouth shut.

The second part of the book was about the so-called Sense of Energy, and the third about the breathing techniques. Having quickly finished reading, Kai decided to take his first breath.

He didn’t know how an attempt to absorb energy with his whole body could affect him, so he thought that it’d be wise to follow the methods described in the book. He decided to go and train in the backyard, in the garden where he could find a secluded corner for himself to practice in.

Having put the book back into its place, Kai left the library. As he opened the door by slightly pushing it with his shoulder, he almost bumped into Julie.

“You’re already done?” she asked in surprise. She had left him alone in the library only thirty or forty minutes before.

“Yeah, I want to go practice in the garden,” Kai said, confusing her even more.

But she just smiled sweetly, thinking that he had read a chapter or two and believed that it was enough.

“I see.” She decided not to discourage him.

“By the way, Julie...”

“Sister!”

Kai hesitated again, but eventually corrected himself. “Sister... Why did Jongo react so badly to my question about martial arts?”

“Oh, honestly, I don’t know...” She sighed, slightly frowning. “It has something to do with his past, as well as with our parents. Grandpa was very talented in martial arts when he was young. He even surpassed the elite of the city. Not everyone can feel the energy, let alone follow the real path. He managed to reach Soul Endurance, after which he had the chance to rise to the first stage of true mastery. However, among one of the ruling families, there were envious people who couldn’t accept Grandpa’s refusal to join them. As a result, there was a battle involving the other families as well, and Grandpa was eventually disabled, so he couldn’t continue his development. That’s why he was searching for a way to heal himself, but he had no luck for many decades. While he studied medicine, he gradually became a doctor.”

Kai was astounded. He had assumed that Jongo had had a hard life, but he never would have guessed that it had been this bad.

“As for our parents, they also practiced martial arts, although their talent was nowhere near Grandpa’s. However...” Julie fell silent for a moment, looking like she didn’t want to recall any more. “After you were born, a war broke out with the neighboring country. Having found out about awards for service in the form of many rare elixirs that could aid one’s development, our parents joined the army. They never came back. Since then, Grandpa has hated martial arts...”

Everything made sense now. Kai was bewildered.

“I didn’t want to tell you, but I don’t have the right to hide from you the things that you have forgotten...” Julie stared at the floor, trying to justify herself.

“Why did he let me go to the library then, full of books about martial arts?” Kai asked, unable to understand.

Julie shook her head.

“Like I said, not everyone is given the opportunity to develop even the Sense of Energy. On average, only one in a couple of hundred people can do this, and only one person in a thousand will be able to learn how to breathe in energy. And to do it on your own, without a teacher, is almost impossible. You need to be a real genius to pull it off. The kind of genius that’s born once every century. Unlike Grandpa and our parents, I have no talent for such things, just like eighty percent of the empire’s population. Grandpa thinks the same about you...”

Julie thought that this revelation would hit her brother like a ton of bricks, and she expected him to be confused, and maybe a little depressed. She never could’ve imagined that he’d smile in response.

“And what do you think?” he asked cheerfully, excited about the upcoming challenge.

“I... I don’t know,” she answered. “A person like me could hardly make a guess at it.”

“Well, we won’t know until we check!” Kai said, winked, and went to the garden.

Julie stared after him in bewilderment as he walked away.

Having found a secluded corner, Kai settled into the lotus pose and mentally prepared himself for training. It was easy for him to welcome the outside energy into his lungs, as he was able to control both of its types. On the other hand, absorbing the outside energy and gradually turning it into the inner one was the most difficult part of the process.

It sounded simple, but it required a lot of talent and effort.

He focused, closed his eyes, and took his first breath...

Chapter 3
THE FIRST TRAINING

Violent coughing could be heard in the garden. Kai’s lungs felt like they were on fire, forcing him to instantly release all the air and bend over in pain. His first attempt at breathing in the energy had turned out to be a failure. He couldn’t control himself, and he wasn’t at all ready to make such a move.

The energy, which he drew into his lungs only for a moment, immediately scattered, leaving nothing behind. The book said that it was necessary to surround the outer energy with the inner one in order for it to be absorbed. It also said that the process would be difficult due to the rejection of alien energy, but Kai hadn’t expected that it would be so painful.

How will it feel once I absorb it with my whole body, if absorbing it with my lungs alone hurts this much?

He had his guesses, but he wasn’t about to give up. Having endured the burning pain, he began again.

Kai kept attempting to hold the energy inside, in order to give his body time to absorb it. A couple of hours later, he was still unsuccessful. Even sighs became unbearably painful.

The process turned out to be rather complicated. It was necessary to transform the outer energy into the inner one, after which it had to cling to the necessary part of the body. That was why the lungs were the very first level, as they were the easiest to reach.

Only when the sun had begun to set did Kai manage to go through several cycles of inhaling and exhaling without coughing. His body had managed to absorb a small part of energy, before he was forced to cough up everything else.

Kai was surprised. According to the book, the energy entered the lungs to strengthen them. Consequently, the stronger the body, the more energy it could keep within itself. Once the lungs were full, all the excess energy would be used to toughen the rest of the body.

However, instead of strengthening his lungs, his body sent the energy God knows where. Kai only managed to notice that his recovery rate had sped up just a tad.

His body was healing on its own due to the received energy.

Suddenly there was a rustle, and Jongo came out from behind the bushes.

“There you are!” he said. “Instead of getting his treatment, he’s hiding out here! What are you doing?”

Kai was surprised by the old man’s grumbling. Only after a moment did he realize that many hours had passed. “I’ve been learning how to breathe...”

“What? Are you aware of your condition? You have to rest!” Although he was grunting angrily, Kai could hear concern in Jongo’s voice. “Come on, it’s time for acupuncture.”

Still unable to use his hands, Kai got up as best as he could, and went after Jongo.

After acupuncture, dinner, and meds, Kai went to his room but didn’t immediately go to bed.

He continued practicing until midnight. During that time, he managed to learn how to hold his breath for several minutes, and he realized that he could maintain control over the energy and prevent it from being spent on his recovery. However, he didn’t do that. He left everything as it was, and went to bed.

The next two days passed in the same manner. When he wasn’t sleeping, eating, going to the bathroom or being treated, Kai was training. He would sometimes visit the library to study other books.

During that time, he learned how to breathe in energy for hours, and the process was becoming easier and easier to do. His body’s recovery rate continued to increase, and an unexpected pop-up message from the System helped lift his spirits even more.

Endurance: + 0.01

Soon after, he received a similar message about power. It was those two stats that had the lowest values due to his injuries, but it seemed that he was actively recovering.

On the sixth day, having completely forgotten about getting some sleep, Kai practiced for twenty-four hours. After that, he decided to go to bed, leaving his body to actively absorb energy while he slept. Unfortunately, nothing happened and he often had to wake up to start again. But on the eighth day of his stay in the new world, he managed to fall asleep without losing concentration.

The next morning he woke up to some great news.

[New Ability Mastered: Breath of Power]

His journey had begun!

Kai’s lungs would now be constantly full of energy, which meant that it was time for him to try to do the same thing with his entire body. He had gained experience and it only remained to endure the initial pain. And he knew very well that it’d hurt like hell.

Having returned to his corner of the garden, Kai sat down on the soft grass. First, he gathered the energy around his body and compressed the inner energy so that it could, like a predator from an ambush, jump at the outer one and prevent it from escaping.

Having taken a deep breath and prepared, Kai started his training.

A muffled scream spread through the garden. Holding the energy inside, Kai grunted softly, gritting his teeth. His whole body burned like it was being torn to pieces. However, this time he held on and didn’t cough reflexively.

Even though he was covered in sweat and red as a tomato, Kai pushed on.

The energy was being absorbed slowly but inevitably, and again, for whatever reason, it was used for his recovery.

Having finished, Kai took a ten-minute break. By the end of the day, using this extremely painful method, he managed to absorb more energy than he would have through breathing. He had to go back to the first method only while sleeping because it wasn’t necessary to control his breathing.

A new day came and Kai continued to torture himself. By doing so, he thought that he’d be able to pass all levels of Body Endurance at the same time. You might have thought that there was absolutely no difference between the two methods. One could distribute the energy throughout their body or send it all to one place after another through breathing.

And you would’ve been wrong.

Through inhaling, Kai did receive a certain amount of energy, and with the help of his unique ability, he could absorb much more of it, which meant that he could develop faster.

That’s why, just four days after Kai had begun to use this method, his hands healed. His body had been using all of the absorbed energy, which accelerated the accretion of his bone mass.

When Jongo came to change his bandages, Kai let the healer know that his limbs had completely recovered. Surprised, the old man didn’t believe him at first, thinking that the boy was just enduring the pain and was fooling around.

Kai had to persuade Jongo to examine him in order to avoid being bandaged up again. Only after that did the protesting old man fall silent. Five minutes later, he left without saying a word.

Feeling cheerful, Kai went to the garden, hearing Jongo say, “That’s impossible!” as he passed by the library. He was eager to start a new training now that his hands were finally healed.

However, his body was still weak, and it was a bit sad. After all, the stronger the body, the more energy it could contain.

Kai hadn’t immediately understood why it was so difficult to reach the next level. It seemed quite simple: for Body Endurance, one had to have minimal control over inner energy. However, it turned out that requirement was rising together with the level, because the energy that the body absorbed while breathing could only move thanks to the inner one. It was like displacing fluid. The energy also had to be delivered to the desired part of the body as quickly as possible, due to the fact that when the resistance of energy disappeared, it was immediately absorbed on the spot. It was impossible to keep it in the lungs, and then send it to be absorbed somewhere else.

If the energy ended up in an already-full part of the body, it simply wouldn’t bear the excess energy and your body could be damaged. Those who had already passed the Body Stage, like Jongo, didn’t stop breathing in energy. They simply consumed it in very small portions. After that, they’d distribute it throughout the body, for it to be absorbed.

In that way, there weren’t any serious consequences related to energy saturation. It simply improved the condition of the body and prolonged life, but nothing more. It didn’t increase strength.

The human body had its limitations, and attempting to cross them could end badly for any martial arts practitioner.

Having reached his favorite place, Kai decided to combine both methods of training. He wanted to do ordinary exercises and at the same time absorb energy with his whole body.

Now that he was healthy, he could finally focus on his development. However, as soon as he started, he noticed something odd.

Usually, when energy was absorbed, it was absorbed into a certain part of the body, strengthening it. Not so long ago, Kai found out that the body into which his soul had moved was unusual. It used the energy primarily for healing and only then for strengthening.

Since the body had healed completely, he expected that the energy would focus on development. However, there was an even higher priority than endurance, which he hadn’t realized. It was the restoration of the inner energy reserve.

His body wasn’t full, but he was unaware of that.

Could it be that ever since the moment his soul moved into this body, it started healing itself by using its inner energy? What was the actual size of his energy reserve, then? By the looks of it, it seemed bigger than it should’ve been for someone his age.

After a few hours of training, the System stopped showing him messages about the increase in this stat. Opening his status and finding what he needed, Kai felt horrified.

[Energy: 1.4]

Why the hell did his inner reserve exceed the limit of a healthy adult man? Whose body had he inhabited, and, most importantly, why was there nothing about this in past Kai’s memories?

All those questions forced him to stop his training, and made him decide to delve deeper into the past Kai’s memories, which had already managed to mix with his own and were starting to affect his personality.

In the end, Kai found a memory in which his predecessor had opened his status. He really had a huge reserve. But what was strange was the past Kai’s and his parents’ indifferent attitude toward it. They were completely unaware of the fact that something like this was abnormal.

Kai thought that it was nonsense, but he couldn’t argue against the facts.

The only thing he could do was to calm down and look for information about something similar. However, he would do that later — it was time for dinner.

Having washed up in the garden, Kai entered the house. Julie was already in the kitchen, and an unknown, but pleasant smell had filled the air.

“Hey, sister!” Kai shouted, startling Julie. He walked in quietly, and she didn’t expect to see him in the kitchen: she always had to go look for him in the garden.

“Kai! For Heaven’s sake,” she cried out without turning to look at him. “Don’t scare me like that!”

“Sorry, I didn’t think you’re so easily scared,” he replied with a sly smile. “Better tell me what I can do to help you now that I’m healthy.”

This time, Julie turned around to examine her brother, or rather, his hands. Her jaw dropped in surprise and disbelief.

“Your hands have really recovered?”

“Yeah!”

“I thought Grandpa was only joking...” She was slowly recovering from the shock. “Now I understand why he won’t leave the library.”

Kai only smiled and came closer, intending to help Julie set the table. Once they were done, she went to get the old man, but ended up returning alone. Jongo didn’t want any food, so the two of them had dinner alone.

“Are you still practicing?” Julie asked, worried.

“Yes, why?” Kai answered with his mouth full.

“Grandpa said that he didn’t notice any changes in you. He believes that you’re unlikely to make any progress.” Julie looked down at her plate. “Don’t be mad... But he said that even if you were one of the most talented people in the city, it’d be almost impossible to learn anything without a good teacher.”

Kai could guess what she wanted to say. After all, all of his energy had been used for healing, not strengthening. No wonder no one noticed anything.

Having interpreted Kai’s silence for disappointment, Julie tried to cheer him up.

“Don’t be upset! There are a lot of other areas in which you could demonstrate your talents. Not everyone can feel the energy. Only those born in old and wealthy families have a talent for martial arts. There are a lot of untalented people like us!” she blurted out. “So, it’s not a big deal!”

Looking at the worried young woman, Kai smiled broadly and sincerely.

“I’m not upset at all,” he replied affectionately, and then his expression became fierce. “But you shouldn’t underestimate me. I’ve spent the entire day breathing in energy!”

Julie’s eyes widened.

“So, you...?”

“Yes, I have potential for martial arts!” Kai exclaimed proudly.

Speechless, Julie stared at her brother.

Kai heard something heavy fall in the library. Although the old man had locked himself in the room, it wasn’t difficult for him, who had passed the Mind Stage, to hear his grandson’s words. Jongo, who didn’t believe in Kai’s success, had nearly collapsed. Having entered the kitchen, he went up to his grandson and put his palm on his chest.

Even through the clothes, the focused Jongo could feel the energy entering Kai’s lungs along with the air.

He really did learn how to do it...

While his grandfather was in shock, Kai smiled triumphantly and started brainstorming.

He was thinking about what he had almost forgotten.

Immersed in his training, he had completely forgotten about practicing martial arts. Just then he was thinking how he should devote himself to mastering a weapon. A sharp, practical weapon...

He definitely needed a sword!

Chapter 4
THE CITY

In his previous life, Kai wasn’t very good with knives, preferring to using his body to fight. In the 21st century, it was exactly that kind of entertainment that the masses were interested in, and the chance of dying by accident was much smaller.

However, even on Earth, Kai was attracted to the cold and dangerous steel of the blade. He even had a small collection of weapons, but he never used them. And now that strange urge to have a sword awakened in him again. Considering the kind of world he had ended up in, such a choice of weapon made sense.

But where could a fourteen-year-old boy get a sword, when he couldn’t even leave the house? When Jongo had patients, he had to stay hidden in his room.

However, Kai understood and even supported the old man’s decisions and demands. After all, no one wanted to cross paths with the Yoni family, so it was better for him to lay low. But it was getting more and more difficult for him to live like a rat. It had been a month since he got into this world.

Having read in one of the books about a technique that allowed him to temporarily change his appearance, Kai began to persuade Jongo to help him learn it. After two weeks of persistent persuasion, the old man finally gave in.

Jongo knew all the medical techniques from his books and he could easily change a person’s face for some time with the use of energy. However, he was afraid to let Kai leave the house on his own. So he decided to send him to the city along with Julie, whom he was planning to send to buy some ingredients for his ointments anyway.

Having used the needles to divert his energy into the boy and rearrange his facial structure, Jongo made Kai unrecognizable. Dressed in a simple white shirt, gray, baggy trousers tied with a rope belt, and straw shoes, Kai was finally able to go to Caltea.

Walking next to Julie, who was carrying a wicker basket, hair turned black and cut short, Kai finally stepped out of his home and onto the busy streets that were bustling with people.

Mixed in the crowd were all sorts of people, from beggars to wealthy merchants, dressed in luxurious clothes, surrounded by bodyguards at the Body Stage.

Kai’s wide eyes were darting from one thing to another, which almost made him wander away from his sister a couple of times. Julie had to take him by the hand in the end, so that he wouldn’t lag behind and get lost.

There was so much to see. He was accustomed to the concrete jungle of cities, so he was surprised to see wooden houses, the architecture of which resembled that of East Asian countries. They all had at least two floors and looked rather pretentious with their tacky décor. But the oddest part was that their doors were left wide open.

As Julie later explained, those were trading shops and stores. After all, the street along which they walked was called the Market Street and it stretched across the whole city, starting at the southern entrance and ending at the north.

The dazzling signs and numerous barkers made the street so noisy that Kai had a feeling like he had walked into a nightclub. Suddenly, a deafening roar drowned out the cacophony of voices.

People started moving away from the center of the street and went closer to their homes. Julie had to drag Kai away as he stood frozen in his tracks.

And then they appeared — three huge tigers, each of them at least ten feet tall. Their snow-white fur and fangs longer than a human leg inspired both awe and fear. In comparison to them, their Earth brethren looked like kittens.

Each tiger was being ridden by a man with enchanted armor and a sheathed blade on his belt. The one in the front didn’t look older than forty, and he emitted strong vibes of Soul Endurance. Right behind him, on the two smaller tigers, were two similar men of about twenty years of age. Kai felt that they had already reached the Mind Stage.

Behind them were two dozen warriors at Body Stage, approximately at the level of Bones and Muscles. They were dragging a long chain tied to a huge bull, covered with matte-black armor.

The entourage was moving toward the city center, and people who were standing on the side anxiously observed and whispered.

What struck Kai the most was the aura that the tigers and the dead bull were emanating. The former evoked a sensation of the Mind Stage, and the latter Soul Endurance.

“The members of the Bayweck family have once again defeated a terrible monster that has been terrorizing the county!” someone from the crowd shouted.

“Yes! Long live the strongest family of Caltea! Long live the Baywecks!”

“Long live the Baywecks!” the crowd chanted.

Kai wanted to ask Julie something, but once he turned around, he saw that she was too busy staring at something in fascination. As it turned out, she, just like hundreds of other young ladies, and even older women, was looking at the two guys on tigers like they were in love with them.

The men were smiling happily and waving at the screaming crowd. Obviously, this family of aristocrats was beloved in Caltea.

Are they really that handsome? Kai wondered in bewilderment, suddenly becoming aware of the fact that Jongo hadn’t given him the most pleasing appearance.

The entourage went its way and the crowd finally calmed down. Everything returned to its previous state, and Kai and Julie continued their journey.

“Can animals also develop abilities?” Kai asked when Julie finally came back down to earth. Blushing slightly, she remembered that she wasn’t alone while she was staring at the warriors.

“Huh? What? Yes, yes, animals also have the System, only they need to eat other creatures in order to absorb energy. They can’t breathe it in,” she explained. “Haven’t you read that in the books?”

Kai shook his head. “No... Are they really the strongest?”

“Are you talking about the Bayweck family or the animals?” Julie asked in confusion.

“About the family, of course!”

“Yes, they’re considered the strongest and most powerful family in Caltea. It’s because their patriarch is the only one who has been able to surpass the stage of Soul Endurance. Also, their power increased when the talent of the youngest sons, Wong and Nong, was revealed.”

“Were those the guys on the tigers?”

“Yes. With them was their uncle, the brother of the patriarch Bayweck and one of the elders of the family.”

“Can you tell me more about the families of Caltea, and about the city itself?” Kai asked. “All I was able to find was related to medicine and a little about cultivation.”

Julie was slightly surprised. “It didn’t cross my mind that you had forgotten all that. Sorry... Well, there are four aristocratic families in our city: Bayweck, Suwon, Niyoyan, and Yoni. However, in reality, they have great privileges and almost no power. The city is governed by a mayor who has been sent from the Capital. We can say that the families rule over certain territories. Currently, the strongest among them are the Baywecks. A hundred years ago, it was the Yoni family, but their current generation didn’t live up to the expectations of their ancestors. So now, they’re very angry about being in the second place. Both families are mainly engaged in mercenary activities and monster hunting, so they see it as competition. As for Suwon and Niyoyan, they’re almost equal and they share the third place. The former is engaged in alchemy and healing, and the latter in artifact making, and armor and weapons smithing.”

“I see... Wait! Did you say alchemy?” Even in Jongo’s books, there wasn’t any mention of it.

Julie nodded. “It’s an ancient science. Very little information has been preserved about it. Even less than about the techniques. I heard a little about it from Grandpa. It seems that with its help, you can create elixirs, potions, and some special pills. All this allows you to restore energy, heal the body, increase stats, and even increase the speed of development of martial arts! That’s why the Suwon family, which is also the youngest of the four, is considered to be the richest in all of Caltea. Rumor has it that their ancestors were once fortunate enough to stumble upon some ancient ruins, where they found books on alchemy.”

“If alchemy is so useful, why haven’t the other families taken everything for themselves?” For some reason, Kai found it difficult to believe in decency in a world in which power reigned supreme.

Julie smiled. “Because the Suwon family had sent a letter to the Capital while no one knew about them. Since then, they’ve been under the patronage of the imperial family, and therefore, under the protection of the empire itself! The emperor wouldn’t stoop so low as to rob such a family. Not to mention that it was in his best interest to have alchemists on his side. Also, it wouldn’t be enough to just steal the books and scrolls, one needs talent for alchemy! It’s a rather important craft, for without special pills, a warrior would never reach the Mind Stage and surpass it! Ah, here we are!”

Kai had been listening so attentively that he didn’t even notice when they got out onto a huge square surrounded by magnificent buildings.

It was the center of Caltea.

A huge, five-story building made of stone stood before them. It was very long and had three entrances instead of one, in front of which people were waiting in lines. A large sign above the doors said that it was a trading house.

As Julie had told him on the way, here they could find a lot of items that weren’t sold or produced anywhere else in the city. It was in such trading houses that the traveling merchants sold their goods.

Once they were inside, they saw rows and rows of small stores where traders exhibited their goods, having booked their place in advance. Different goods were sold on each floor, which was why Julie immediately went up to the fourth.

For Kai, who was staring around, the place looked like an ordinary mall, albeit with an Asian theme.

However, as soon as they got to the fourth floor, guarded by several high-level guards at the Body Stage and with a complex emblem above the entrance, Kai realized that he had been too quick to judge. The floor was divided into four sectors with a sign above each one.

It was a special floor designated for the aristocratic families, stocked with high-quality and rare goods. The floor was quiet, devoid of noisy crowds and brightly colored shops. Everything looked more luxurious and orderly.

Julie walked further, and Kai had no choice but to follow her, inspecting the goods as he did so.

The Bayweck and Yoni family sectors had fewer goods than the ones of the Suwon and Niyoyan family, but they were more expensive. They were selling monster organs, skins, claws, and teeth, as well as crystals. Many ingredients extracted from monsters that had reached the Body Stage and above were useful in medicine, so it was no wonder that they were considered expensive goods.

As for the crystals... Kai didn’t know anything about them, except that they cost eight gold or 400 silver coins. That was almost four times Jongo’s annual income.

While Kai was looking at a purple crystal the size of a walnut, he received a message from the System.

[Tiny Purple Energy Crystal]

Rank: Low

Kai almost stumbled backward in surprise, unable to understand why the System hadn’t shown this kind of message before. At first, the System seemed a little limited to him, but this showed that it was much more complex than he had thought.

What had caused the message to appear? He had examined various things before, but he had never seen anything like this. What other ranks were there?

He decided that he’d ask Julie or Jongo about this later...

While Julie was walking to the far corner of the Suwon family sector, Kai was examining various items, most of which the System also showed a description for.

[Iron Wolf’s Claws]

Rank: Low

[Red Waraxe]

Rank: Low

[Gray Vine Potion]

Rank: Low

Unlike on the lower floors and at Jongo’s place, the System allowed him to see the descriptions of most items on this floor. However, the only thing that all of these items had in common was their ridiculous price. There was nothing cheaper than three golden coins...

Soon, they reached the counter with medical ingredients, near which sat a young man with a short beard. He seemed to be the same age as Julie. He wore plain clothes, but there was a silver pendant in the shape of a weird flower hanging from his neck.

[Signature Medallion of a Suwon Family Follower]

Rank: Low

“Hello, Demian!” Julie said cheerfully, making him stop carving a piece of wood. “Where’s your father?”

“Hey!” A wide smile appeared on his face and he quickly got up. “Hello, Julie. Dad isn’t here, he has a family matter to deal with. Do you need something or have you just come to say hi?”

Kai wasn’t sure if Julie was aware that Demian had a thing for her. They had definitely known each other for a long time.

“Grandpa sent me to get some kawei leaves and two pounds of go roots,” Julie said, and Demian’s face darkened. He had hoped that she came to see him, but she was here on business. To top it off, Demian’s disappointed gaze fell on the nasty mask that Jongo had created for Kai.

“I see... And who’s this?” he asked, pointing his finger at the boy.

“Ah, that’s…” Julie started. She couldn’t say that it was her brother, considering that his face was different now.

“I’m Ushan, Master Jongo’s apprentice,” Kai replied calmly, giving himself the name of the author of one of the books he had read.

“Ha!” Demian sneered, looking arrogantly at the peasant boy who dared speak out of turn. “I didn’t ask you! Since when are mongrels accepted as students?

Kai didn’t bother answering, just smiled broadly, knowing that there was no point in talking back to someone who had just done harm to themselves.

“Mr. Demian, please be so kind as to give me the goods,” Julie said with unexpected coldness.

Demian was confused by the girl’s behavior. She was never formal with him.

“Huh? Julie, come on,” he said affectionately.

“Can I please have half a basket of kawei leaves and two pounds of go roots?” she asked, tone unchanged.

Unable to redeem himself, Demian gave them what they had come for and the two left, leaving the poor guy to wonder what had happened. He blamed everything on Jongo’s unpleasant apprentice.

At the exit, Julie took a deep breath.

“I never would’ve thought that he could be so nasty. I’ve never noticed it before,” she fumed, gaze lost in the distance. “How dare he call my brother a mongrel?!”

Julie kept ranting, but Kai wasn’t listening. Petty insults and rude people didn’t bother him at all. Especially now, when he was too busy re-reading the description of an item worth twenty golden coins.

[Golden Glow Sword]

Rank: Earth

Bonus Skill: Radiant Ray

Chapter 5
DO IT AGAIN

On their way home, Kai decided to ask Julie about the system messages. She was a little surprised by the question, but she explained why the System worked the way it did.

It turned out that she wouldn’t have known about it had she not needed to go shopping for Jongo. The items about which the System issued information were very rare and, naturally, very expensive.

A long time ago, Jongo told her about the messages. As it turned out, in order for information to appear, it was necessary that the item in question contained energy. This energy, depending on which item it belonged to, had certain features.

For example, she said, the Gray Vine Potion contained energy that enhanced health, which made it very useful when it came to curing ailments of all sorts.

If there was enough energy in an item, it could even give its owner a special skill, especially when it came to weapons. However, that all depended on how the weapon had been created.

The items were ranked according to the amount of energy inside of them. As Julie had explained, there were only four known ranks: Low, Earth, Silver, and Gold.

Items that had no more than a drop of energy were considered to be of the Low rank. Such items possessed so little magical properties that the System didn’t even register them. Earth-rank items had ten times more energy and the possibility of being imbued with a skill. The creation of such an item required a high-class craftsman and the use of the best materials.

Only the strongest martial artists in the empire, as well as the imperial family itself, owned Silver items. Because of their power and rarity, they were almost never sold in cities like Caltea.

As for the Gold items... There were legends about them, but nobody had ever seen them!

The horizons of the new world expanded again for Kai, and his desire to have that Earth-rank blade only intensified.

The only problem was its price...

Kai wanted to learn how to wield a sword, but since Jongo had refused to help him, although Julie said that he was once a swordsman, he had to look for another way to do that.

And he found it soon enough.

The day after their trip to the trading house, Julie showed him around the streets adjacent to the central district, one of which they lived on. And it was there that Kai saw a rather remarkable building — the Mercenary Guild.

Right next to it was the training ground for the city guards and mercenaries. And although common sense implied that there should’ve been a guard that allowed only the chosen ones to enter, there wasn’t one. There was just an old man who kept dozing off.

So when Kai finally went to the city on his own, he was able to get inside without any problems.

It was a reckless thing to do as he didn’t know what awaited him in there, but it worked out.

In addition to the training area, there were training dummies and racks with training weapons: swords, sabers, spears, and even axes. Of course, everything was made of wood.

Kai walked toward the training area, all the while casting glances at everything that surrounded him. It was a warm day, and there weren’t many people there.

Watching the sparring of two strong swordsmen who were at the Body
Endurance stage, Kai wondered how he could get the coin to buy that blade. And how to learn to fight! Books couldn’t help him with that.

Fortunately, he had an idea.

Picking up a worn-out, but still strong, wooden sword, Kai headed toward the fighters. The three men that were standing next to them and commenting immediately noticed him.

They turned toward him with a surprised look on their faces.

Walking along the sand-covered ground, Kai finally came close enough. The fighters paused when they saw him; children were usually too afraid to come to a place like this.

“Hey, kid!” a lanky man called out. He was about thirty years old with a red bandana on his head. “Did you lose something?”

“No, I came to train!”

“What?” The guy’s eyes widened, and then he and his friends laughed.

Wiping tears from his eyes, one of the bystanders — a man with a huge nose — turned to Kai, who had been patiently waiting for a reply.

“Get out of here, kid, or you may get hurt by accident. You could even die!”

The boy smiled, and his eyes flashed with mischief.

“I wanted to challenge one of you... If you’re not afraid, of course...”

“How dare you?!” The man with the bandana was indignant. “Are you calling us cowards, eh, kid? What kind of challenge are you talking about?”

“What insolence! And to think that we were kind to him,” the other one added. “Look, kid. You’ll regret it.”

“I bet that I could copy your techniques. If I fail, I’ll give you half a silver coin.” Kai’s sly grin became even wider. “And if I succeed, then you’ll pay me the same amount.”

The mercenaries laughed again.

“You think you stand a chance?” the other fighter asked in a low voice. “Even if you practiced sword fighting before... Do you seriously think that you could copy us? But, if you insist, then I’ll be the one to get your coin!”

When mercenaries had no work to do, they had nothing to occupy themselves with except for alcohol, women, and training. So Kai’s sudden appearance piqued their interest.

Having left the training area, the man stood a couple of feet in front of Kai.

“Watch carefully and don’t ask me to show it to you again!”

Taking a step forward, he made a very quick swing. An untrained person would’ve hardly seen it.

But Kai...

“Well, do it...” The man stumbled before he could even finish the sentence — Kai copied his attack almost immediately.

Silence hung in the air. No one could believe their eyes, but they all knew that the boy had succeeded.

However, Kai’s opponent was the most amazed one; he didn’t notice a single mistake. His pride hurt, he didn’t want to acknowledge that some brat had managed to copy the technique that he had been practicing for years.

A silver dot flashed in the air. A coin, half the size of an ordinary silverfish, landed on Kai’s palm.

“Do it again!” the man barked.

Smiling and sure of his victory, Kai nodded.

Energy moved before the body did, which was why Kai could predict attacks in a split second.

His photographic memory only made things easier.

He remembered every day and every second of his life with perfect accuracy. It cost him nothing to combine these two abilities. Being able to see and remember energy patterns enabled him to repeat any move or technique, which meant that he could learn any kind of martial art simply by looking at someone.

Spotting the young man’s cheeky grin, the mercenary decided to use his most complicated move.

Like a falling star, his sword whistled through the air, and circles appeared in the sand. For a moment, it looked like the blade remained in the air, but its shadow dispersed in the blink of an eye.

However, the mercenary wasn’t done yet. Propelled by inertia, he jumped, spun, and cut the air horizontally. If he had an actual opponent, the first strike would’ve stunned them and they wouldn’t have had the time to react to the second one.

The move was very complicated. The minor muscle movements during the first strike made it even more unpredictable.

Kai had never seen such body control — only those who had exceeded their body’s limit and gained inhuman abilities could do something like that.

Finished, the mercenary looked at the crowd. His friends, to whom he had not yet shown this technique, as he was still working on it, stared at him in surprise. However, Kai’s expression hadn’t changed at all. He was still grinning.

“What’s your name, boy?” the mercenary asked.

“Kai.” No one knew him here, and the name was very common so there was no need to lie.

“Kai, well... I’m Lars,” the man introduced himself, still unable to believe how easily the boy copied his moves. “If you manage to copy my next move, I’ll pay you three silver coins!”

A surprised whispering spread around.

“I don’t have that kind of coin.”

“It doesn’t matter, you can pay the initial amount of half a silver coin. After you lose, of course,” Lars teased, sure that the boy wouldn’t win.

“Fine.” Kai nodded and then grinned. “What if I do it better than you?”

His arrogance made Lars grimace.

“Asshole! Don’t get cocky just because you’ve managed to copy one simple move. I was just testing you!” he shouted, pretending to be cunning. “But if the Gods descend from the Heaven and bless you so that you do better than me, then, even if I die on the spot, I’ll pay you one gold coin!”

Ending his tirade, Lars angrily spat on the ground.

“Wow!” exclaimed the guy with the big nose in surprise.

“Will you look at that!” said the guy with the bandana.

“Do you have that kind of coin?” asked another one.

“Ha!” Lars threw his head back and rummaged through his pockets. A small, shiny gold coin appeared in his hand.

“You guys always spend all of your coin on women and alcohol. You don’t think about saving!”

“Why would we save coin? We can’t go past the Bone stage, so we don’t need to spend coin on alchemy! We have enough for food and fun,” said the guy with the bandana.

“You fool!” Lars shouted. “That’s why you’re walking around in old armor full of holes, Nick!”

“You’re full of holes!” Nick shouted back. “Do you know how much one piece of Low-rank armor costs?”

“I know! That’s why I’m saving!”

“Go to hell!” Nick blurted out.

Although they seemed to be arguing, Kai didn’t notice anger in their voices. This seemed to be nothing more than a friendly quarrel.

“How about you two calm down?” Kai asked.

“He can’t even shave, but he wants to teach us a lesson! Let’s see what you can do!”

Everyone settled down and turned their gazes to the boy again.

Kai took his stance.

“Watch carefully and don’t ask me to show you again!” he said, deciding to even the score.

Holding the wooden sword up, just like Lars had done, he took a step forward.

The blade descended in the same way, but there was no shadow floating in the air.

There wasn’t anything there.

Everything happened so fast that no one could see the attack. However, everyone heard a loud buzzing sound. It seemed like the air itself screamed.

After that, circles appeared on the sand, like ripples on the water’s surface. The kinetic force reached even the mercenaries standing a few feet away, surrounding them with a gust of wind.

Having spun around, Kai swung the blade again. He was faster than Lars.

Again, nothing could be seen again; the mercenaries only heard the blade whizz through the air and felt a gust of wind. A few steps in front of Kai was a cut in the sand.

He had copied the move flawlessly.

The crowd was mute. Kai breathed harder, eagerly replenishing the energy with his whole body. To copy that move, he had to use all his strength and even damage his muscles, which were now rapidly recovering.

On Earth, he was afraid to use energy in any way, aware of the irreversible consequences. Unfortunately, using it was necessary in order to live. However, in this world, he, like all those who studied martial arts, could use his breath to restore it.

For example, he could use his energy for a short-term boost. Like Lars had done during his second attack. He had directed energy to the necessary muscles and they’d absorbed it, becoming stronger for a moment before returning to their normal state. The only negative consequence was a slight deterioration of the affected area. Luckily, the human body could cope with that. Nothing terrible would happen so long as you didn’t overuse this ability.

Kai was also capable of doing this, but since he could see energy, he was superior to those who only relied on feeling it.

Having seen all the flaws in Lars’s technique, Kai was able to improve upon it on the go.

Having momentarily strengthened the parts of his body needed to take a swing to the Internal Organs Endurance stage, Kai’s attack turned out different. However, it was still far from being perfected and finalized.

“Well, should we dig you a grave or are you gonna give me my golden coin?” Kai said, finally catching his breath.

All five mercenaries stared at him in shock. Lars was the first to get his shit together.

“You... Are you from some aristocratic family?” he asked, switching to a more respectful tone.

“Ha! Of course not! If I were, why would I be wasting my time on challenging you? I’m just a child prodigy,” he laughed.

Lars gritted his teeth like he was preparing to kill someone. He was looking at the gold coin in his hand — he was reluctant to part with it.

“To hell with you!” he shouted and threw the coin in front of the boy’s feet. Warrior’s honor didn’t allow him to break his word. “Choke on it!”

“Thank you.” Kai smiled and picked up his reward.

“How’s your savings plan going, huh? You’re so wise, I gotta admit,” Nick teased him, giggling.

“Go to hell!”

However, Kai’s training didn’t end there. Each of the mercenaries decided to put his skill to the test. Unlike Lars, none of them was willing to bet more than half a silver coin.

After an hour of intense training, the five defeated mercenaries were sitting on the sand, regretting their decision. Kai earned four more silver coins because each mercenary tried twice and he now had one gold and four and a half silver coins. He had also learned several attack maneuvers and gained a couple of friends. Today’s success was beyond his expectations.

As it turned out, all of the mercenaries belonged to the same team called Steel Tiger. Besides Lars and Nick, there was the big-nosed Goddie, as well as the silent brothers, Twein and Charles.

The strongest among them was Goddie, who had reached the Skin Endurance stage. A step behind him were Lars and Nick, who stopped at the Internal Organs Endurance stage. The brothers were newcomers in martial arts, a bit younger than the trio, and at the Heart Endurance stage.

Surprisingly, Kai had enough stamina to copy all of their moves. His strange body continued to use energy for self-healing and endurance. All he had to do was make sure that his body was constantly absorbing energy, but even he couldn’t keep this up forever. Overusing this ability gave him a headache.

While they were resting and chatting, a calm, cold voice suddenly spoke.

“What are you doing?”

Everyone instantaneously turned toward the direction from which the voice came. No one had noticed the newcomer, not even Kai, as he had to be focused to see and restore energy.

Not far from them stood a tall man of about forty. His long, blond hair was tied in a tight ponytail. His clothes were made of light fabric and had very wide sleeves. On his belt was a sword similar to a katana.

[Cutting Wind Blade]

Rank: Earth

Bonus Skill: Three Blades

“Captain Jacobs.” Goddie stood up, and the other mercenaries followed his example. “We were training. Have you finally finished with the Bayweck family?”

The man nodded. His aura suggested that he was past the Mind
Endurance
Stage. “I’ve received a reward for helping them kill the armored bull. Who’s the kid?” he asked, looking at Kai.

The mercenaries quickly filled him in about what had happened. Having heard their rather unusual story, Jacobs allowed himself to show how surprised he was. He was definitely interested in what was going on.

“Kai, right?” he asked.

The boy nodded, still examining him.

“You don’t wanna challenge me?”

“I’m a little tired...”

“Here,” Jacobs interrupted him, taking a small, but heavy bag off his belt. “There are four gold and one hundred and twenty silver coins in there. What do you think about that?”

Greed flashed in Kai’s eyes, but he managed to restrain himself and shake his head.

“I don’t have that kind of coin.”

“I don’t mind if you bet the coin you’ve taken from my men.”

Kai looked at Jacobs in surprise. He had seemed calm and cautious, but now he looked like an idiot. He’d heard how his men had lost, why would he make such a bet?

Regardless, Kai agreed. It was easy coin.

Jacobs took a wooden sword from Nick and turned to Kai.

“I’ll use a little bit of energy and do a very basic move,” he said. Kai had no clue why he had warned him.

Jacobs didn’t take a stance, just stood there with his blade lowered to the ground. Taking a breath and exhaling, he swung upward.

The elegance of his movement was breathtaking, and everyone, even Kai, was fascinated by the blade. It was moving slowly, so slowly that even a child could’ve swung at such a speed.

However, that wasn’t what left Kai speechless. Once the blade reached its highest point, he heard a quiet, but deafening crack.

The blade shattered into pieces, and the handle crumbled into shavings.

A dozen steps from Jacobs, right in the sand, was a long line that looked like it had been traced with a sword.

However, the biggest surprise was that no one but Kai saw it. He saw how the energy passed through Jacobs’ hand into the sword and changed its nature.

Kai had read in one of the books how it was possible to transfer the inner energy into the outside world and transform it into something else. For example, Jongo did this when he filled the needles with his healing energy, which evoked feelings of comfort and love.

The blade, however, radiated danger and bloodthirst. It was as if it had a will of its own and wanted to cut Kai.

However, Jacobs had said that he wouldn’t use a lot of energy. A small amount of it shouldn’t have caused such a result, and the move he had performed couldn’t be considered a technique.

Kai had no explanation for any of this.

At the moment when the energy was distributed within the sword, strange symbols began to appear on it. They connected to each other, penetrating into the energy itself.

It was then that the power inside the sword flared up, creating an invisible blow that hit the sand. However, the wood couldn’t withstand such power and it fell apart.

Without hesitation, Kai stretched out his hand. On his palm lay all the coin he had previously won.

“I lost, I can’t copy that,” he admitted.

“Ha! Suck it, kid!” Lars shouted joyfully, as if it was him who had just won. “It’s foolish to challenge someone who has reached the Hearing
Stage on the Path of the Sword!”

Jacobs approached Kai, but instead of taking the coins, he squeezed his hand.

“I like your honesty, Kai. I won’t take your coin,” he smiled. Lars grunted in displeasure. “I saw the look in your eyes. You could feel something unusual in my blow, right?”

Kai nodded.

“Good. Perhaps you’ll have a chance to follow the same path as me someday, and become someone who’ll strive to better his martial arts rather than chase power or coin.”

Jacobs’ speech seemed a little odd and distant.

“What’s the Hearing stage?” Kai asked.

“The lowest stage of sword mastery. For some, even ten lives wouldn’t be enough to reach it, but others can understand it just by holding a sword. You can learn the Path of the Sword on your own. That’s the only way,” he said, sounding like a wise man descending from a sacred mountain.

“Master Jacobs, let me be your student!” Kai asked and bowed slightly, as was the local custom, hoping that his achievements would be enough to earn him an apprenticeship.

“No,” Jacobs replied coldly.

“But...”

“I’m not interested,” he said in the same tone and got ready to leave.

Even though he had been rejected twice, Kai wasn’t about to give up.

“I’ve heard that if you teach someone, your own skills will improve!”

Jacobs froze in his tracks and turned around.

“Hm...” The corners of his lips slightly trembled. “I’ll think about it...”

Chapter 6
ONE YEAR

For many years, winter in Caltea had been quite mild, and the temperature would very rarely drop under ten degrees. However, this year, the cold unexpectedly came from the north.

It had been snowing for three days now.

None of the locals were ready for this, so for some time life in the city stood still. Among other things, people began to get sick, being unaccustomed to the cold, allowing many cunning doctors to fill their coin purses.

Having slightly changed their work plans, the Suwon family was again earning a pile of gold, making coin from the sale of medicine and providing healing services. Every healer in Caltea, if they were under their patronage, had to pay them a small percentage of their earnings.

Just like on Earth...

On an unexpectedly clear day, a man wearing warm leather pants and expensive shoes walked down the almost-deserted streets covered with a decent layer of snow. A white shirt was sticking out from under the collar of his dark jacket, and on his back was a long, but thin blade in a blue sheath. Unfortunately, it wasn’t one of those recognized by the System.

His calm expression and bright-purple eyes didn’t match his unpleasant appearance.

Over the past year, Kai had grown quite a lot. Having started to eat properly and train intensively, by the age of fifteen the young man had grown to be almost six feet tall. Given the unusual abilities of his body, that wasn’t strange.

At least to him.

Walking on a carpet of pure white snow, he was on his way to the Mercenary Guild. He had joined their ranks not so long ago, and after a short break, he finally decided to take on a new mission. Unfortunately, like all newcomers, Kai wasn’t allowed to go on missions that were considered dangerous, which was why he had to settle for the escorting and lost-and-found ones. He also couldn’t join a strong team yet.

As for Jacobs, he hadn’t become Kai’s mentor in the end. He did, however, let the boy watch him train, and he’d even give him advice sometimes. Luckily for Kai, even that was enough for him to learn the basics of sword fighting. And a bit more than that.

Jacobs had left Caltea a month ago, having decided to move to the capital, Rivertoon. The entire Guild had gathered to see him off and it was splendid. Jacobs was famous in the city because he was the only one besides the patriarchs of the Bayweck and Yoni families to reach the Hearing stage.

When they asked him why he wanted to leave, he said: “My destiny in this city has finally come to an end, and in order to advance in martial arts, I have to climb a higher mountain.”

As always, only a few understood him.

When he asked around, Kai found out that almost no one knew anything about Jacobs. Although he looked to be about forty years old, no one knew his real age, nor where he had come from some ten years ago. What people knew about him was that Jacobs had a certain talent for controlling energy, but he had never gone past the Mind Endurance stage. Most likely, he couldn’t. However, there was no one who understood the Path of the Sword better than him.

As for his people... Kai had never seen them so sad before. Originally, the Steel Tiger’s leader was Goddie, but several missions with Jacobs made the mercenaries respect him, so they started calling him captain. He, however, never considered himself their leader, even though he spent a lot of time with them.

Kai felt sad as he said his farewell to Jacobs, who parted from him with the following words: “If you want to achieve something, create your own path; don’t follow in someone else’s footsteps.”

He disappeared after the farewell party and no one saw him again.

The next day, Kai continued his training...

It was believed that in order to be able to transform inner energy, one had to reach the Mind Stage. Only then would one become more aware of the true way of the martial arts.

However, just as any other, this rule had exceptions, and Kai was one of them. His unique ability allowed him to learn how to imbue the sword with energy just by looking at Jacobs.

With the coin that he had won from the mercenaries, Kai bought himself a sword that was inferior to a Low-rank one only by the lack of energy, and began to study the Path of the Sword. But despite all of his hard work, there were no visible results.

However, while his skill remained unchanged, his body didn’t.

Stats

Age: 15

Race: human

Status: mortal

Stage: Body

Level: Lung Endurance

Characteristics

• Power: 2.45

• Speed: 2.5

• Endurance: 3.41

• Stamina: 3.6

• Mind: 2.7

• Energy: 3.96

Abilities

• Breath of Power

Rank: Low

• Fake Face Technique

Rank: Low

Force

Unknown

Not so long ago, Kai had learned how to fill his lungs with energy and the System officially recognized that he had reached the Body Stage. He thought that it’d happen much earlier, but his weird body helped him become unusually strong. He could absorb about one and a half times more energy than normal without harming himself, which is why reaching new levels took a while.

Jongo was quite surprised when one day he noticed that Kai’s aura had reached the Lung
Endurance level. The old man almost started tearing his hair out because he couldn’t understand why. Those who didn’t have a big reserve usually needed two to five years to achieve that level.

Only prodigies with access to special potions could do it faster.

Kai was afraid to find out how Jongo would react if he found out that other parts of his body were developing just as quickly and efficiently.

The lungs were strengthened first because Kai could spend only three to four hours a day to absorb energy with his whole body; the rest of his time, while he was practicing his sword fighting skills or training, he used the breathing technique unconsciously.

Kai could feel that his other organs were at forty percent now, so one could even say that he had almost reached the Heart Endurance level. Taking into account the fact that his energy reserve was one and a half times bigger than anyone else’s, it was possible that he had even reached the Internal Organs Endurance level.

During the first months of his life in this world, Kai studied a technique that allowed him to change his appearance because he got tired of constantly asking Jongo to do it. Unfortunately, he had to use the same ugly face since many people had already seen him with it.

Having finally reached the arched entrance of the Guild, Kai pushed open the doors with ease and entered.

Because of the snow and cold, mercenaries who didn’t have any missions to do gathered in the Guild, filling it with lively chatter. The bar that was right next to the mission registration desk only contributed to the merry atmosphere.

Kai had a look around but didn’t see any familiar faces among the dozens of mercenaries at the Body Stage. Sighing, he went straight to the huge mission board littered with leaflets and wanted posters.

In Caltea there were around a million people who could master the martial arts. They all had three “career” options.

Those who loved freedom usually chose to become mercenaries, the so-called warriors of coin and fortune. Having registered at one of the Guild’s branches located in every major city of the empire, they lived from mission to mission, using their well-earned coin for further development.

The second option was to serve one of the aristocratic families. The working conditions were better, and the families were always interested in bettering their warriors. However, this choice wasn’t without drawbacks. Those who chose this path were legally bound to serve the family, and getting out of such a contract wasn’t an easy task. Being a servant wasn’t pleasant: such people were called “aristocratic mutts.”

The last choice was military service. This was considered a prestigious career and there was always the opportunity to climb up the career ladder. The pay was nothing to complain about either. However, the biggest disadvantage was that a soldier’s life was constantly in danger. The on-going wars contributed to the decrease in the number of people who wanted to serve their country.

Of course, there were other options besides these three, but people rarely opted for them; they were unreliable and far too dangerous. For example, one could become a wanderer who fought monsters and gathered resources in dangerous zones, but they risked dying without having done anything to better themselves.

Only those who realized that they had exhausted their potential could settle down and become guards, for example. But even such people often continued to cherish the hope that someday, they, too, could go above their limits...

Having reached the mission board, Kai looked for something suitable for his level. Each leaflet stated the minimum required level, the client’s name, a short mission description, and the reward. Since the System refused to register that Kai had gone past the Lungs Endurance level, his choice was rather limited.

Having chosen a mission, he went to the registration desk, where an extremely bored-looking, chubby woman was sitting and killing time by doodling on a piece of parchment.

“Oh, Kai! Is that you?” She gave him an odd smile. “Long time no see!”

Not long enough... Had he not urgently needed coin to buy weapons, he never would’ve come to the Guild when Wanda was on duty. Kai met her when he was registering as a new mercenary, and even then, the woman seemed somehow strange to him.

It took a couple of unpleasant and awkward chats for him to realize that she had a very unusual taste in men. Kai’s fake face wasn’t that ugly, but one couldn’t call it beautiful either. There was something about it that was repulsive to many, but not to Wanda, no. Unfortunately for Kai, she had been hinting that she liked him for quite some time. This made him rather uncomfortable.

“Who else would it be?” he replied indifferently. “I’d like to apply for one of the escort missions. The one posted by the merchants who want to go to Thalvin.”

“Just a second, hon!” Wanda cooed and checked her notebook.

Kai shuddered, feeling a cold chill go down his spine.

“Sorry, but that mission has already been taken. We just forgot to remove it from the board,” she reported sadly, looking at him with eyes full of sympathy.

Kai couldn’t understand how she could like him when he kept giving her the cold shoulder.

“Maybe I should pick something simpler for you. Escorting merchants can be dangerous, you could get hurt!”

“No,” the boy snapped. “What about the abandoned mine in the northeast?”

“It’s available, but it won’t get you a lot of coin. The villagers that live next to the mine are just paranoid. And stingy! The reward is five silver coins only! I suppose they saw a wolf and thought that it was a monster or something. Monsters don’t live in that area!”

“Sign me up for that, then.”

“OK, fine...”

Having accepted the mission, and ignoring Wanda’s attempts to make him stay, Kai left the Guild. It was true that scouting missions were poorly paid, but something told Kai that there was something more here than just a wolf roaming about. If his gut was right, and if the mission’s difficulty level exceeded the current one, he’d be paid a larger sum as the Guild always paid extra for averting disasters that could turn into new missions.

On the unreasonably large territory of the Alkea Empire, there were quite a few places with an increased density of energy, where monsters of various stages appeared and thrived, forcing people to huddle in small regions where such dangers were rarely found.

People constantly had to fight for their place under the sun, killing monsters and taking over small regions of land suitable for their needs. Warriors in the making could advance much faster in an area bursting with energy because they were able to absorb more of it. Such areas were owned by the most powerful and influential aristocratic families of Alkea. Therefore, only the imperial elite had access to such a luxury.

Ordinary people could only dream of setting foot there.

The reason why some regions remained uninhabited was that they were dense with a special type of energy. They called it “wild” because it had a rather animalistic character and was unstable. Those who absorbed it would go crazy very quickly, becoming violent and aggressive. For beasts, on the other hand, it was beneficial. It turned them into monsters, but they rarely left their territories.

That was why all the inhabited regions of Caltea were considered relatively safe, and if a monster left its territory for some reason, the mercenaries or even a member of one of the noble families would immediately be sent to hunt it down.

The abandoned mine was deep in the safe zone, which meant that the chance of finding a monster there was close to none.

Still, Kai decided to trust his instincts. He wouldn’t mind spending a day or two exploring, even if he returned empty-handed. He was in no hurry.

Lost in his thoughts, Kai suddenly felt that the Fake Face Technique was about to end as his real face started showing. He didn’t want to waste his energy on casting it again as he was just a couple of streets away from home.

Once he got home, he’d have lunch, pack, and work out the best route to the mine. Fortunately, Jongo had a very good map of the region stashed in the library.

Excited about the trip and pondering about the strange creature that the villagers had seen, Kai steadily walked through the snow. The mission description spoke of frightening sounds that could be heard at nighttime. His job was to find out what was really going on there.

Whistling a melody he had heard either in Caltea or somewhere on Earth in his previous life, Kai had crossed almost half of the remaining path when someone jumped out of the alley on his right.

An almost six-and-a-half-feet-tall, broad-shouldered man stood in front of him.

Kai was about to go around him when he saw his face.

Try as he might, he couldn’t forget the guy who had broken both his arms a year ago and then thrown his mutilated corpse into a gutter.

And judging by his expression, it seemed that the man hadn’t forgotten his victim either.

Chapter 7
A DISTURBED BEEHIVE

Rage.

A hand filled with energy rushed forward, missing the throat of the man whose aura showed that he had reached the Internal Organs stage by a few inches. Regardless, the violent stream of air left behind several scratches on his neck.

A mixture of shock and disbelief appeared on the man’s face. Having dodged Kai’s first attack, he didn’t expect a fast and powerful knee to hit him in the solar plexus. A wave of numbing pain rushed through his whole body.

His ribs cracked, and he struggled to breathe. If he had been an ordinary person, such a blow would’ve killed him on the spot, causing his heart to stop.

However, Kai wasn’t about to give the man time to recover. Reaching behind his shoulder, he unsheathed his sword with a quick move of his arm. The shiny blade cut through the air with a satisfying whistle.

“I’m gonna take your head and shove it up your ass!” the man said, using his energy to heal his wounds.

Kai swung the sword downward. The sharp steel collided with the man’s fist with a loud clinking sound.

The man’s hands turned gray, and they became incredibly strong. Kai’s blow didn’t leave so much as a bruise.

The man had used some kind of military technique, and a very rare one at that. Kai assumed that he worked for the Yoni family and that they must’ve taught it to him.

Grinning, the man struck with his left fist, aiming to smash Kai’s head. Unfortunately for him, he didn’t know the boy could see his energy.

Kai spun around, avoiding the blow. Using the momentum, he attacked again. However, this time, he imbued the blade with energy.

His opponent, who couldn’t have possibly known about such a trick, quickly reacted and tried to catch the blade with his hands in order to disarm Kai. There was a whistle of metal followed by a scream. Severed fingers flew through the air and fell on the ground, staining the white snow with crimson.

A couple of drops fell on Kai, making his already-angry face look almost bestial. He was staring at the man, watching his eyes fill with fear. The man couldn’t understand how someone of Kai’s level could move so fast and transform energy, something that only those at the Mind Stage could do. He refused to believe that he could die at the hands of some brat, whom he himself had once sentenced to death. He couldn’t help but wonder how the kid was even alive.

Leaving a trail of snow in the air, he tried to kick Kai. He wanted to throw him off his balance so that he’d have time to recover. Unfortunately, his plan didn’t succeed.

Kai dodged the move effortlessly and attacked with incredible speed. The blade whizzed through the air and the man’s fierce cry rang out through the empty alley.

A severed leg fell to the ground. Howling in pain, the man clutched at the wound and fell on his back.

Looking at the blood that was gushing between his fingers, he couldn’t believe what was happening. He, one of the close servants of the main branch of the Yoni family, was usually the one towering above his victims and grinning victoriously. He finally understood how they felt as fear and horror struck his heart.

“Mercy, please!” he begged through tears.

Kai looked at him with disgust. There wasn’t so much as a speck of pity in the purple eyes.

“I asked the same from you once,” he replied in a voice colder than that year’s winter.

Memories of being beaten and having his arms broken, and then dying resurfaced in his mind. Kai was identifying more and more with the boy whose body he was inhabiting. And even though he knew who he really was, he longed for revenge.

He thought that at least this way he could repay the boy for his body.

Without meeting any resistance, Kai’s sword hit the bastard between the eyes, ending him. The man went limp, bloodied face distorted with fear.

Having cleaned the blood from his cheek and blade and changed his appearance, Kai hastened to leave the crime scene. He knew that trying to hide a body in broad daylight would be more dangerous than just leaving it where it was. Although there were fewer people than usual on the street because of the snow, someone might have noticed him.

Just in case, Kai didn’t go straight home. Having walked in the opposite direction, he meandered through the alleys for the next half hour. Once he decided that enough time had passed, he returned from the opposite side.

Heavy snowfall had covered the corpse, hiding it from view.

***

While Kai was tying up some of the loose ends, other events were taking place in the northwest part of the city. Since there were four noble families, the city was divided into the same number of quarters.

In the northwestern part lived the Yoni family. Its quarter, consisting of dozens of luxurious houses, was populated by some hundred people, including both family members and their servants.

There, in the largest house, in one of the many halls, two people were about to have a talk.

“Hello, Father. I’m finally home,” said a young man, rising from his chair as soon as his father entered the room.

The bearded man nodded after his son had greeted him and bowed. “Sit down. Tell me everything.”

“Everything went smoothly in Rivertoon, just as you expected, Father.” Shaizan returned to his comfortable chair and picked up the cup of tea that was standing on the table in front of him.

“That’s good,” his father said and sat down. “What are his results?”

“The highest score!” Shaizan exclaimed proudly.

His father smiled. His aura was showing that he had reached the Soul Stage.

“Marvelous! And what about his mood and thoughts about the future?”

“He’s loyal to the family like no one has ever been!” Shaizan said, taking a few sips of the delicious beverage.

His father nodded again.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Only a few people were allowed to come here.

“Come in!” Shaizan’s father said.

The door opened and an old man entered the room. He was the most faithful servant of the family.

“What happened?” Shaizan’s father asked.

The servant bowed to both of them. “Sir, young master. A misfortune happened. Someone killed one of our men. We can no longer track his vitals.”

Silence filled the room. Murdering a member of a noble family, even if they were just a follower, was a felony. It occurred so rarely that none of the people present even remembered when it had last happened.

“Give me details!” With a cry, Shaizan’s father expanded his overwhelming aura throughout the room, making the old man turn pale.

“It seems to be one of the subordinates of your second son, Mr. Yoni,” the servant stuttered. “Before he died, his System managed to take a photo of the killer and pass it on to our expert, who is now drawing a sketch of the criminal. However, we do know for sure that they have reached the Body Stage.”

“Where did it happen?”

“On the outskirts of the central region. I’ve already sent people to retrieve the body, they should be back soon.”

“In the slums?” Mr. Yoni was indignant.

“Father, could the Baywecks be behind this?” Shaizan inquired in a low voice.

“Perhaps... But if that’s the case, then they’re going to regret the day they’ve dared to cross us! To think they’d stoop so low to kill a servant...”

“What are your orders, Mr. Yoni?”

“Tell my brother that he can do as he pleases, and that he should find the killer as soon as possible! I won’t allow anyone to look down on our family!” Having paused to think, he added, “Also, inform Kiyan that he must help his uncle with the search. His servant has been killed, so this is his responsibility!”

“Yes, Mr. Yoni!” The old man bowed again. “May I be excused?”

“Go!”

Having received permission, the servant left the room.

***

“So, that’s what happened,” sad a fat, middle-aged man, after hearing the message from his elder brother and patriarch of their family. “Divus, give the following order to our people who are on guard at Caltea’s main gate: they’re not to let anyone at the Body Stage out of the city. In case they refuse to listen, tell them that they’re risking starting a feud with our family!”

The man standing next to him nodded. Although being from a side branch of the family, Divus was in charge of the combat forces thanks to his merits and skills. He obeyed only the patriarch himself, his brother, his eldest son, and the elders.

Divus bowed. “As you command! What about other families? We can’t hold them back without a good reason!”

“Let them go. I’ll deal with them.”

“Understood.”

“Also, don’t forget to take the wanted posters from Shack. Pass them to the guards and have someone put them up around the city. Turn everything upside down and find that bastard! Take all the necessary measures.”

Divus nodded.

***

“One thousand two hundred and thirty-eight... One thousand two hundred and thirty-nine...”

In the middle of a large training ground in the Yoni family quarter, there was a young man of average height. His features were sharp, but pretty, and his long hair gathered in a tight ponytail. His lean body was strong and muscular, and he looked like a wild beast, ready to rush at an invisible prey.

He was the second son of the patriarch of the Yoni family. Kiyan had only recently turned twenty, but had already reached the Bone Endurance level, and was now engaged in strengthening his muscles.

Although it was winter, he was shirtless. His tough body wasn’t afraid of the cold.

He let his anger guide his sword as he slashed the air repeatedly. He had recently received the news that one of his servants had been killed, and it enraged him.

How did his servant, on whom he had bestowed a powerful military technique, dare to die so easily?

“One thousand two hundred and fifty!” he shouted, finally finishing his training.

Holding one of the best Earth-rank swords in all of Caltea, he was working on a special military technique. Knowledge of this Earth-rank technique had been passed down from generation to generation in the Yoni family. Even Low-rank military techniques were a rarity, and only the imperial aristocracy possessed knowledge of something more advanced. It could be said that the entire power of the Yoni family had originated from it.

Unlike weapons and other items, the ranking of techniques didn’t depend on the amount of energy; they had their own criteria.

For the ones of the Low rank, control of energy was the only requirement. For the most part, such techniques weren’t military.

When it came to the Earth rank, it was necessary for the user to possess certain knowledge, as well as excellent energy control. Only with the knowledge on how to correctly shape energy, mold it into special patterns, and rotate it in the right direction, could one create an Earth-rank technique.

That was why all such techniques were closely guarded — they were the pillars of strength and power of all noble families in Alkea.

The next in line were the Silver-rank techniques. Requirements were the same as for the Earth-rank ones, but their formulas were much more complicated, and they required the ability to transform energy into its other forms. Only those who had completed the Mind Stage knew how to do this. Of course, there were exceptions — incredible geniuses who were able to transform energy even earlier, but such cases occurred once every several hundred years.

Only the imperial family owned such precious knowledge. It was they who managed to gain power and create Alkea as we know it. And it was all thanks to a Silver-rank technique.

Just like with items, people supposed that Gold-rank techniques existed, but no one had ever seen them. There were only legends about ancient sages and Gods who had mastered them.

Having finally finished his training, barefoot, half-naked and covered in sweat, Kiyan headed inside. He wanted to take a bath in the company of a couple of concubines.

But just as he was about to open the door, he saw three of his servants leaving the house. They all were at the Heart Endurance level. The dead servant had managed to reach the Internal Organs level, and as a reward for his efforts, Kiyan had taught him the simple Steel Hands technique.

Having noticed them, Kiyan gave them an angry glare, making the unusually confused and panicked men even more scared.

One of them was holding a piece of paper.

“Why are you standing there, you idiots?!” he shouted at the men that were in his way.

“S-sir,” a bulky man of about thirty stuttered.

“We got the wanted posters,” said the one holding the paper. It was odd to see three large men so afraid of someone who looked like a child in comparison to them.

However, they had reasons to be afraid — starting from the difference in the levels of Endurance and ending with them being familiar with the cruel nature of their master.

Kiyan had shown his talent for martial arts when he was just a child, and he began to practice them at the age of twelve. Having access to various rare resources that accelerated development and strengthened the body, the opportunity to learn family techniques, his heritage and the best teachers in Caltea, none of the three men stood a chance against him.

“Give me that!” he grunted and snatched the paper out of the man’s hand.

The face on the poster seemed vaguely familiar to Kiyan. Having given it a closer look, he recalled a series of events that happened a year before.

Among those events was a memory of the day when he was particularly angry with his father. On that day, an incident had occurred: some dirty peasant dared to steal a silver coin from him.

“Why the hell is he alive?” Kiyan muttered furiously, tearing the poster. The servants lowered their gazes.

“Sir!” one of them said. “We made sure that he was dead. We broke both of his arms before that, just like you ordered. It must be some kind of a miracle...”

“WHAT?” Kiyan roared, grabbing the guy by the shirt and lifting him off the ground. “Are you kidding me?! Do you think that I believe in such nonsense?!”

None of them answered.

“Idiots...” Kiyan spat.

Liver, ribs, jaw. Three strikes for each of the servants. Like petals in the wind, they flew in different directions and fell into the snow. None of them managed to notice his movements and the fact that they survived suggested that Kiyan had held back.

“Go and don’t come back without that bastard’s head!” he ordered, glaring angrily at them.

Having said that, he finally entered the house, where a warm bath and two young girls were waiting for him.

After a while, the servants had to clean up after him once again. Just like many times before, Kiyan’s cruel nature reared its ugly head. He had raped both of the girls, strangled one, and cracked open the other’s head, leaving them to lie on the cold, blood-covered tiles.

***

While those events were taking place in the Yoni quarter, something else was going in the southeast. In the main palace of the Bayweck family, a short, inconspicuous man was walking down a hallway. If anyone met him on the street, they would’ve forgotten all about him in a second.

When he reached the last, fifth floor, he stopped in front of a huge, steel door that had been reinforced with energy. Breaking through an Earth-rank door was considered impossible even for someone at the Soul
Stage.

Guarding the entrance were four warriors at the Mind
Stage, each of whom was dressed in a Low-rank armor and armed with a weapon of the same rank. Their gear alone had cost the family several hundred golden coins, and the cost of resources for their development was even greater.

They were a part of the personal guard of the Bayweck family’s patriarch, the one who had surpassed the Soul Stage.

Having seen the visitor, the guard closest to the door made an inconspicuous gesture. Seconds later, the order came. All four of the men departed, and the door opened on its own.

Impatient, the man went inside. The hallway was pitch black, and even the light coming from outside didn’t help him see.

The door closed behind the man, cutting him off from the outside world. Had Kai been in his shoes with his ability to see energy, instead of darkness, he would’ve seen a light so bright that it threatened to ruin one’s eyesight.

There was so much energy accumulated in the air that during the first few seconds whoever entered the room wouldn’t be able to catch their breath. Inside the building were more than a hundred energy crystals extracted from the bodies of monsters that filled the atmosphere with energy. The steel doors, as well as the walls, didn’t serve just as a means of protection against invaders and intruders, but also as isolators, which didn’t allow the energy to escape.

“Lars,” a voice came. It was quiet, but it could make a person drop to their knees.

Lars couldn’t figure out from where the sound was coming from. It sounded both far away and nearby at the same time. For a moment, he thought that it was in his head.

Having taken only a few steps, Lars didn’t dare go any further. Getting down on his knees, he spoke with great respect in his voice.

“My lord, the Council of Elders ordered me to report to you, demanding that I interrupt your training. Please forgive me for the intrusion!”

“It’s all right,” echoed the monotonous voice. “If the Council says so... Speak...”

Lars, who had reached the Mind Stage, was the one responsible for gathering information. He wasn’t weak, but he still couldn’t pinpoint his master’s location or figure out where the voice was coming from. And that scared him.

“Someone killed a servant of the Yoni family, making them forbid anyone at the Body Stage to enter or leave. They consider us the main culprits,” he began. “Our spies assume that they’ll contact us soon and, using the murder as an excuse, challenge our young to a duel in order to gain more power in the city.”

“Kids,” the patriarch said in a condescending tone. “Let them do what they want, this is ridiculous... Tell the elders that my sons will deal with them if something happens...”

“Yes, my lord.”

The voice suddenly came from Lars’s right. He turned his head, but he couldn’t see anything.

“You better tell me...”

“What?”

“What do we know about the murder?”

The man’s heart skipped a beat. The voice was now coming from the left.

“No one from our family was behind it. The Yonis have received the dead servant’s memories through the System. They know what the offender looks like, and they know that he’s at the Body
Stage. It happened in the southwest part of the central region,” Lars reported, feeling the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

“How interesting...” The voice was now coming from behind him, although there wasn’t much space between him and the door. “Fine, you may go...”

Still kneeling, Lars nodded. When the doors opened again, he hurried out of the room. The light in the corridor relieved his fear, which had managed to penetrate deep into his core.

Next time, he’d find an excuse not to go in there...

The doors closed, leaving the patriarch alone again.

“The southwest part of the center,” he whispered into the darkness. “I wonder how Jongo’s doing...”

***

Having finally reached the clinic, Kai entered through the gate instead of jumping over the wall as usual. Having found himself in the backyard, where someone had already cleaned the snow, he went inside.

Hearing voices, he stopped, glad that he hadn’t removed his disguise.

Following the path, he peeked behind the corner into the front yard and saw Jongo and two unfamiliar young men in silk robes. They looked about twenty-five years old, and their auras gave away that they were at the last levels of the Body
Stage.

Their expensive clothes made Kai think that they were someone’s servants. However...

Their medallions told a completely different story:

[Personal Medallion of Suwon Family Member]

Rank: Low

Chapter 8
CONSEQUENCES

“Oh, Ushan, you’re finally back!” Jongo greeted him. He knew about his grandson’s fake identity.

“Yes, Master.” Kai bowed, playing his role of a young apprentice.

The visitors turned around to look at the boy.

“This is my student and assistant, Ushan!” Jongo introduced. “Ushan, these are my colleagues from the Suwon family, you should treat them with respect!”

“Pleased to meet you.” Kai bowed again, putting his right fist and left palm together at chest level, as was customary to do when greeting nobility.

“I’m Lait,” the taller of the two introduced himself, nodding, “and this is my cousin, Weiss.”

The second aristocrat also nodded. Nobody was going to bow to a commoner.

Practicing martial arts contributed to the birth of healthy and beautiful children, and these noble men were no exception. With their long hair, which was a popular trend in this world, they wouldn’t differ much from women if they were to don their outfits.

Looking at them, Kai felt conflicted. Both men were at the peak of the Body Stage, but they didn’t look like warriors with their slender and frail arms and bodies.

Even the simplest mercenary emanated the powerful fighting spirit of a warrior. These guys, however, even though they were powerful enough to kill a person in one blow, seemed harmless.

But then it dawned on Kai why this was so — they were healers and their aura differed from that of a warrior. Lait and Weiss were able to achieve the Bone Endurance and Skin Endurance levels, respectively, but only because of expensive resources and family talent. Kai didn’t see any perseverance and desire for power in their eyes.

They studied martial arts to increase their energy reserve in order to use healing techniques. The two had probably never done a push-up in their lives, being content with bettering themselves through pure energy absorption. Neither of them had ever stained their hands crimson either, as a true warrior should.

“Well, since we’re done here, and since my student has arrived on time for once —” Jongo smiled — “take him with you, as he needs to pick up some goods. I’m too old to go that far and carry everything myself, haha...”

The damned old man! He had decided to exploit Kai. Unfortunately, there was nothing that the boy could do but obey.

“Yes, Master,” he hissed with displeasure.

“Oh, right... Julie!” Jongo yelled, turning to the front door.

“I’m ready, Grandpa.” Julie, suitably dressed for the cold weather, came out into the yard. “Oh, and K... Ushan is here.”

“Yes, he’ll accompany you instead of me.”

“Well, since you’re here,” Lait said. “I think we should go.”

Weiss, silent as a grave, only nodded.

“Until we meet again.” Despite the difference in status, Lait and Weiss bowed to Jongo.

“And be careful! The flu’s a nasty thing to catch!” Jongo said to his grandkids, ignoring the nobles, who turned around and set off.

Julie approached Kai.

“Let’s go,” she called, following the two.

Glancing at the grinning old man, Kai went after her.

Having left the clinic, they headed southeast. The nobles, who were walking ahead and weren’t paying attention to the two of them, were discussing something in a low voice. From what he had managed to hear, Kai gathered that they were talking about healing techniques unfamiliar to him.

“Why are we going there?” Kai whispered to Julie.

“Using his connections in the Suwon family, Grandpa ordered some rare ingredient for a medicine that was brought from the capital!” she explained enthusiastically. After all, even a trip to a neighboring city could be dangerous, and crossing through many wild areas on the way to Rivertoon without an entourage that was at least at the Heart stage was simply crazy.

“What kind of medicine?”

“I don’t know.”

“What ingredient?”

“I don’t know that either.” Julie frowned. “Grandfather’s been acting strange lately...”

Kai nodded in agreement. Even he had noticed that Jongo had become somewhat secretive and that he rarely spent time with them, staying in his laboratory, which held a very well-hidden door in the basement that no one could locate unless they knew that it was there.

Jongo had also been refusing to take on new patients, even though there had been more of them due to the cold and snow. For a respected healer like him, this kind of behavior seemed strange and out of character.

Once, Kai became so curious about what was so interesting in the basement that made the old man stay there for several days, he decided to get inside. However, he failed.

The hatch turned out to be incredibly strong, and of Earth rank with a passive disguise buff. Even Kai’s energy-filled blade couldn’t touch it.

Having almost damaged his weapon, Kai finally calmed down and stopped showing interest in the mysterious basement.

Jongo used an energy manipulation technique known only to him to open the hatch. Of course, Kai could’ve tried to spy on him with his special vision, but there was no way he could do it unnoticed.

The old man, who was at the Soul Stage, could easily sense any person within a radius of several feet and even feel someone watching him. Given that the laboratory had no windows, it wasn’t worth even thinking about sneaking in unnoticed.

Having gone out to Market Street, which was crowded even in this weather, all four of them heard angry cries. A dozen men in dark clothes with yellow stripes were pushing people out of their way, trying to get through the crowd. Once they had gone in the direction of the western part of the city, people were finally able to relax.

The garb and the medallions that the men wore discouraged everyone from crossing paths with them. After all, the Yoni family’s short tempers and violent natures were famous throughout Caltea.

Have they already learned about their servant’s death? That was fast! Kai was surprised. Have I underestimated them?

“Has something happened?” Julie asked, seeing her brother all confused.

Turning to her, Kai smiled and shook his head.

“No, everything’s fine. I just don’t like that kind of behavior. Pushing people like that without giving them time to move or warning them...”

“Yeah, they were rather rude,” Julie sighed.

Cutting through the crowd like a knife through butter, since people immediately made way for members of the Suwon family, their little group reached its destination in an hour or so. Caltea wasn’t a small city, after all.

Like every other noble house, the Suwon family quarter was surrounded by an almost thirty-foot-high wall. Arching his head back to admire it, Kai whistled.

At the open gate were a couple of warriors at the Skin level. And even though the Suwons were aristocrats, it cost a lot of coin to put someone of this level on the gates.

But what was even more expensive was their gear, among which Kai noticed a couple of Low-rank items.

At the sight of their masters, the guards bowed. Lait informed them that Kai and Julie were with them and the two were allowed to follow the nobles inside.

Usually, to get an appointment with a family, a commoner needed to first find their representative in the city, who could give them a one-time pass. However, in most cases, this pass wasn’t easy to get, and sometimes they wouldn’t let people in even if they had it. One usually had to pay extra coin or be a very influential and famous person.

But even if one managed to get inside, they’d usually meet with an insignificant member of the side branch of the family, or even with a servant. It was almost impossible to see someone from the ruling circle.

As Julie told Kai earlier, the Suwon family sold alchemy ingredients and provided healing services on their territory at first. However, since the family had grown, they followed the Niyoyan family’s example and spread their business outside their quarters. Ever since, only other aristocrats, imperial officials, and very important people (like strong warriors and wealthy merchants) could pass through these gates. Apart from the Suwons themselves, of course.

Kai didn’t really like this division into privileged and lower classes, but he couldn’t do anything about it. Especially in a world where martial arts reigned supreme.

Having reached a small but beautiful building, Lait and Weiss suddenly stopped.

“This is the guest-house, you can wait inside,” the older one said. “I’ll tell the servants to deliver Master Jongo’s order here.”

Julie nodded with a smile. “Thank you.”

“This is where we part ways,” Lait said coldly and turned around. Weiss only nodded and followed.

“Oh! Goodbye!” Julie bowed hesitantly.

“Goodbye,” Kai said. He didn’t even bother to bow; they could no longer see him anyway.

“Kai!” Julie whispered angrily, staring at her brother like she was trying to burn a hole in him.

“What?”

“Nothing! Let’s go inside!” She grabbed him by the sleeve of his shirt and pulled him after her.

The guesthouse was spacious and clean. Inside of it were several sofas, armchairs, and a table, as well as a servant girl, who immediately approached them. She asked no questions, just bid them welcome. They wouldn’t have been here had the guards not allowed it, after all.

“Please, have a seat!” said the blonde maid, who seemed a little older than Julie. “Would you like some tea, or maybe something stronger?”

Whoa, now this is how you treat guests! Kai thought, grinning to himself.

Julie, unaccustomed to such treatment, was at a loss, so Kai took over and decided not to refuse the offer.

“Could we have some tea, please?”

The maid nodded. “What kind?”

“Whatever the lady recommends,” he said and winked.

“Of course.” The maid nodded again and left.

“Let’s go...” Kai told the bewildered Julie and walked over to one of the empty sofas. His sister hurried after him.

In addition to the blonde maid, Kai noticed five other guests, who, judging by their clothes, weren’t aristocrats either. They, too, seemed to be waiting for something. Or someone.

Soon, the maid returned with tea that had a lovely floral aroma. About ten minutes later, a man entered the guesthouse. However, he turned out not to be the one whom Kai and Julie were waiting for. And although people were rarely allowed in the Suwon family quarters, there were still many who had the wit, or coin purse deep enough, to find their way in.

The new guest refused a drink. Seeing an old friend among the other guests, he walked over to him and began chatting. Their conversation caught Kai’s attention, so he began to eavesdrop.

“Have you heard about the murder?” the newcomer asked in a low voice.

“What are you talking about?”

“Someone killed a servant of the Yoni family!” The newcomer became even quieter, so Kai had to move closer.

“It can’t be!”

“It’s true! They’ve just announced that their guards won’t let anyone at the Body Stage out of the city. Unless they’re nobility or their servants.”

Kai’s heart sank.

How did they find out that the killer is at that stage? he thought, almost missing out on the conversation.

“Also, apparently, a special Mark sent the Yoni family a picture of the culprit! They say that the guards have already received a sketch, and by tomorrow, wanted posters will be hung all over Caltea!”

“I wonder who the killer is...”

“They suspect that the Bayweck family is involved! The two families have had an ongoing conflict for a long time now...”

Kai didn’t listen further. What he had heard shocked him enough.

What’s that Mark they’ve been talking about? I didn’t know that something like that existed... Kai was angry with himself. Good thing that he saw my real face, then... Shit, I won’t be able to go on missions for a while. Just like the rest of the mercenaries of my level. Damn it! Why now of all times?!

Ten minutes later, a servant arrived with a bag for old Jongo.

On their way back, Kai found himself uninterested in what kind of ingredient he was carrying. All his thoughts revolved around the murder.

“Hey, sis,” he suddenly said. “Are there people who knew me before I disappeared?”

“You used to be very shy, so you almost never left home. Though, there was this one family that was friends with our parents, but they moved to Rivertoon when you were ten. Yes, that’s all... I can’t remember anyone else,” she replied. “Why do you ask?”

“No reason... I was just wondering...” Having made sure that anyone who could recognize him was no longer in Caltea, Kai was finally able to relax.

The Market Street was unusually lively and noisy. It was always noisy and lively, but now the atmosphere was completely different.

Everyone was talking about one thing only — the Yonis had challenged the young Baywecks to a duel!

Such a thing hadn’t happened in ages, with the rise of the influence of the latter and the decline of the former. The Yonis tried in every possible way to regain their former glory, but nothing ever came of it. Using the murder of their servant, they’d accused the Baywecks of treason; they had no choice but to accept the challenge. And by the time the real killer would be caught, the duel would already be over.

The Yoni family finally got a chance to take back the power in the region and also win a hefty amount of coin, as no proper duel could go without betting.

Apart from territory in Caltea, the winner would also receive various Low and Earth-rank items, alchemy ingredients, and, of course, a considerable amount of coin.

And since the duel of honor would be held in public and out in the open, it’d provide the commoners with some much-needed fun in these gloomy winter days.

Having returned home, Kai skipped dinner and immediately went to his room to absorb energy. Once the sun had gone down, he went out into the backyard. He really liked the winter coolness, and he wanted to enjoy it.

Snow creaking under his feet, he went around the house. Having reached the front of the house, he froze, staring at Jongo, who was waiting for him with his arms folded over his chest. It was a surprise to see him outside. Since he had received the necessary ingredient, Kai thought that Jongo would spend the next couple of days cooped up in his beloved basement.

Staring at the boy, Jongo spoke up.

“I heard something happened in the city.”

Kai nodded.

“Did someone kill a follower of the Yoni family?”

Kai nodded again.

“Tell me... Was that someone you?” There was no anger, sadness, or even disappointment in his voice. Jongo seemingly didn’t care.

“Yes,” Kai gasped heavily.

“I see,” the old man replied, understanding why Kai had done what he had done. “Have you told Julie?”

The boy shook his head. “No.” He didn’t have the heart to tell her even though he knew that he should, as she would soon see the wanted posters.

“All right, I’ll talk to her. She’ll understand...”

“Thank you.”

“You have nothing to thank me for.”

Kai went back to his room and started training again, hoping that Julie would understand why he had murdered a man.

The following day, another piece of news swept through Caltea, shaking the whole city.

Chapter 9
TOURNAMENT

For more than the two-thousand-years-long history of Caltea, its ruling families had repeatedly fought for power over the region. Most of their clashes ended in large-scale and bloody wars.

It would’ve remained just the same if four hundred years ago the troops of the Alkea Empire hadn’t attacked Caltea, which had already been torn apart by aristocratic conflicts.

The formation of a young state under the firm hand of the first emperor was quick and relentless. By taking over the inhabited areas separated from each other by wildlands, he was able to expand Alkea to its present borders in less than a hundred years.

Although the rulers of the small areas resisted, their tiny lands, exhausted by civil feuds, didn’t stand a chance against the imperial troops. Therefore, the ruling families were presented with a choice: surrender or die.

That kind of fate had befallen Caltea.

At that time, the Bayweck, Yoni, and Niyoyan families (the Suwon family didn’t exist yet) pledged themselves as vassals to the imperial family, receiving aristocratic status in return.

However, besides them, there were two more families in Caltea. Both of them were several times more powerful than all three surrendered families combined. Even in the present time, none of the families of Caltea could compare to them in strength, talent, or wealth. Not only the patriarchs, but also the elders of those families in each generation had descendants who had exceeded the Soul Stage.

Being so powerful, they were also incredibly arrogant. They defeated the imperial invading forces with such ease that the emperor didn’t dare to send new troops, making both families believe that the empire was afraid of their power.

However, soon after that, Emperor Taron I and his entourage of ten people arrived in Caltea.

Overnight, all members of both families were slaughtered. No one was spared, not the servants nor the children. It had all happened with such secrecy that no one learned about the bloody slaughter before the next morning.

No one heard a scream during the entire night, let alone sounds of struggle. It seemed as though the god of death had walked through the city during the night, collecting his harvest...

Caltea capitulated, and the imperial troops took all the riches to the capital. The whole city was in horror.

After that, the Bayweck, Yoni, and Niyoyan families became familiar with the true power of the imperial family. They were so scared that they stopped all civil strife in order to avoid irritating the emperor.

Since then, there were no more aristocratic wars, and the ordinary folk, who were the ones that suffered the most, were finally able to breathe in relief.

But as time passed, small conflicts broke out between the families again, and old grievances began to resurface. The fear of the emperor’s power gradually decreased with each new generation. Battles for power in the region were occurring more often, but no one still dared to cross the line.

All the clashes that took place were between servants or mercenaries, while the members of the families themselves remained hidden in the shadows. Tension was growing gradually but they were still afraid of starting an open confrontation.

The open assassination of the Yoni family’s servant and the duel were heralds of a change.

The Yonis, who had wanted to fulfill their ambitions and regain their former glory, had finally found a way to do so. And it wasn’t like the other two families really wanted to stay away. The younger generation of the Bayweck family had been aggressive for quite a while now. They wanted to prove their superiority and to teach those arrogant, envious Yonis a lesson. By any means necessary.

While the residents of Caltea were sleeping that night, the official representatives of all four families held a meeting. After a long discussion, they were able to come up with the idea of how to distribute power without starting a bloody battle and angering the emperor.

The noble families had decided to arrange a tournament!

They’d allow absolutely everyone to participate in order to make the event the biggest one yet. The participants had to meet only two requirements: not to be older than twenty-five and to have reached the Body
Stage.

The rewards were such that not a single person following the path of martial arts could remain indifferent to them.

There’d be twenty prizes, and those ranking from twentieth to eleventh place would receive from one to ten gold coins respectively. This didn’t seem like much, but it would allow the winners to buy some rare materials, Low-rank items, or to live comfortably for more than a couple of years.

Those ranking from tenth to sixth place would receive ten gold coins, as well as one to five small Purple Energy Crystals. These little things, one of which Kai had seen on the fourth floor of the trading house, were very important to those who followed the path of martial arts.

Monsters, unlike people, didn’t store their energy in bodies, but in crystals that formed near their hearts starting from the Mind
Stage. Therefore, people hunted monsters not only for crafting materials, but for the crystals as well.

There were Tiny Crystals, extracted from the monsters at the Mind
Stage, and Small Crystals, obtained from the ones at the Soul
Stage, both of which were very useful resources. Containing a large amount of external energy, these crystals allowed warriors to absorb more energy than they could through breathing.

However, since it was impossible to inhale a crystal, absorption of energy was carried out in another way — by ingestion. A warrior, with the help of their internal strength, could cause the crystal to break inside their stomach, releasing energy and absorbing it.

This method helped one evolve their skills much faster, which made the crystals very valuable. After all, they weren’t easy to get.

As for the top five participants, they’d receive special rewards, including a hundred gold coins and a dozen Tiny Crystals each.

Fifth and fourth place would get an Earth-rank item, but the latter would have the right to have it custom-made. Third place would receive a Red Fog Pill that was impossible to create without rare ingredients containing a special kind of energy and a special crafting method. Only the alchemists of the Suwon family knew how to make it.

By swallowing it like a crystal, a warrior could receive the energy sealed inside, which looked like red fog. Using that to develop their skills, a person would almost completely strengthen a selected part of their body, passing a whole level in a matter of days.

It was possible to buy such a pill for at least 500 golden coins, but one needed to be well connected with the alchemists since it was almost impossible to get even if one had the money. That medicine was the ultimate dream of many masters who weren’t lucky enough to be born in an aristocratic family.

The only minor drawback of the pill was a mandatory two-year break between doses. The limit was two pills per lifetime, as the human body wouldn’t be able to withstand more. Ingestion of more would leave a person disabled, if they were lucky enough to survive, of course.

Averagely talented aristocrats could afford to shorten the time necessary to reach the Muscle Endurance level from twelve years to nine or ten with this pill. Since it was possible to start using the breathing technique from the age of thirteen or fourteen (the body was usually ready to receive energy at this age), passing all the levels of the Body Stage ended by the age of twenty-two or twenty-four. With the use of the crystals, of course.

Such a speed of development exceeded the abilities of commoners who didn’t have access to such valuable resources. It would take a talented commoner a minimum of thirty or even thirty-five years to reach the Mind Stage.

But the older a person was, the worse one’s control over energy became, which meant that the chances of reaching the higher levels were steadily decreasing. That was why the young had always had an advantage over their elders of the same level.

All that made the Red Fog Pill incredibly valuable in the eyes of young warriors. It definitely was a worthy prize.

As for the second place, the person would get a chance to choose between the Elixir of Seven Herbs and the best Earth-rank weapon that existed in Caltea.

Only a few knew about the powers of the Elixir, the ingredients of which were incredibly rare and grew only in the most dangerous places of the wildlands. Even experienced alchemists found it difficult to brew this elixir since the chance of success was only a miserable ten percent.

The Elixir was immensely appreciated, as it could extend one’s lifespan by twenty years, and, most importantly, increase energy control, which decided whether a martial arts practitioner could develop further or stay stuck on the same level forever.

Naturally, the Elixir could only be used once in a lifetime.

The winner of the tournament would receive the most valuable prize — an Earth-rank military technique. An additional prize was the one that hadn’t been chosen by the second-place competitor.

This prize was exactly what many members of noble families wanted but not what everyone could get. Any resource, no matter how rare it was, could be obtained at some point. However, the situation was different with military techniques. Especially with Earth-rank ones.

People who knew such techniques guarded them so carefully that not even the aristocrats could get them. The best example was the Suwon family. No matter how wealthy they were, and no matter how much the empire supported them, they weren’t able to get an Earth-rank military technique. During the family’s short existence (it had been established some 300 years ago) it never managed to obtain anything like it. This, however, couldn’t be said about the other three families with more than a thousand-year-long history.

As for the creation of techniques, no one in the empire knew how they came to be. All the currently known techniques had been passed on and dated to times when a more militarily developed civilization flourished on the lands on which the present Alkea appeared. They had been discovered by the descendants of aristocratic families, which allowed them to climb to the top of the social ladder.

It should be clear that no one would pass the actual scroll to anyone. The winner would only be allowed to learn a part of the technique, allowing them to use it but not to transfer it to someone else.

Therefore, the Suwon family wouldn’t be able to get a military technique of an Earth rank for the whole family, no matter how hard they tried.

Like wildfire, the news of the upcoming tournament and awards spread throughout the city, and then throughout the entire region. Servants of noble families worked tirelessly to advertise the event, managing to make the people forget about the recent murder although the investigation was still ongoing.

The news about the tournament reached Kai, and he was, of course, very interested. Any prize would help him better himself.

Most importantly, he had two whole months to train and prepare!

Having postponed his missions due to the blockade, Kai retreated to his room. The maximum punishment for delaying a mission was paying a fine: they’d deduct it from his next payment, but that was nothing in comparison to the tournament.

After breakfast, he sat on his bed and assumed the lotus position. He intended to practice energy absorption with his whole body.

Using his unique ability, Kai gathered around himself a very dense layer of energy, which shone before his eyes like a halo. Having prepared himself, he inhaled sharply and then distributed internal energy along the boundaries of his body, so that it’d prevent the outer one from escaping.

Having finished the process once, Kai repeated it. And then again, and again... Each of the attempts lasted for a couple of minutes. Slowly but steadily, his body was becoming stronger.

He kept practicing until evening when Julie interrupted him by bringing him dinner. Jongo should’ve talked to her about the murder by now, and she had probably seen the Wanted posters that had appeared all over the city. However, she didn’t touch on this topic, nor did her attitude toward her brother change.

Julie, although kind-hearted, felt anger toward those who had hurt Kai, so she didn’t blame him for anything. In a world ruled by power, crime and death were common. Especially if they were deserved.

Having placed the food on the nightstand, Julie left the room.

Kai didn’t really need food since he could use the absorbed energy to restore his body’s strength. This was what allowed many masters to spend days without food or water, working only on their development.

However, this wasn’t a remedy. It could satisfy the hunger and even allow a person to stay awake for several days with no problems whatsoever, but it couldn’t provide the body with proper nutrients or replace a good rest.

Rumor had it that once a person reached the Soul
Stage, they’d become powerful enough to feed only on energy for several months and stay awake for a couple of weeks. Someone who reached that stage was so strong that lower-stage warriors wouldn’t be able to so much as touch them.

That was a completely different level of martial arts. Reaching it was the real dream of every practitioner. In addition to obtaining tremendous power, such a person could rejuvenate, and their life expectancy would increase up to 500 years.

The main problem of passing the Soul
Stage wasn’t the lack of talent, but the lack of necessary knowledge. After all, information on how to reach the next stage remained known only to a very small circle of people in the empire. There were no more than a few dozen such people in Alkea.

The road to the Soul Stage wasn’t as difficult as going beyond it.

Having quickly eaten all the food Julie had brought him, Kai decided to combine energy absorption with physical training.

Having got out into the garden, he went to his favorite corner, which he had equipped with necessary items over the past year, such as rocks of various shapes, sizes, and weights. His equipment was far from sophisticated, but that didn’t diminish its usefulness.

Covered in snow, the large cobblestones lay in the dark of the night. Kai found himself an average-sized one that weighed about 130 pounds and started training. He was strong enough to do push-ups and other similar exercises while holding it.

Exercising like this, Kai trained not only his strength, but also his endurance and concentration needed to control energy under difficult conditions.

Having completed each exercise a hundred times, he finished warming up. The next stone weighed twice as much as the first one.

With it, he trained until morning, straining his body as much as he could. Perseverance and unbreakable will revealed his hidden power.

In addition, he practiced fencing and hand-to-hand combat.

Stamina: +0.01

Power: +0.01

Messages like these occasionally popped up in front of his eyes, but Kai simply ignored them. All his thoughts were focused on his development.

How many warriors could kill him without so much as breaking a sweat?

How many of them could boss him around due to the difference in strength?

How many people, unlike him, had been fortunate enough to be born into noble families and have had access to rare materials, equipment, and weapons?

From how many did he have to hide and endure cruelty, cherishing the hope of taking revenge someday?

Kai had no doubt that there were those who surpassed him in strength and talent even though he had an extraordinarily strong body and a unique ability. And in luck as well, which allowed those people to grow up in better conditions.

All of the above referred only to the residents of the Alkea Empire, of course. Kai knew that Gold-rank techniques existed, which meant that there were those who owned them. He wondered what was going on outside his country. The empire was huge by Earth’s standards but how big was it by this world’s? Maybe it was just a grain of sand in the middle of a vast desert.

As long as there were people who could crush him like a bug, Kai couldn’t afford to sit still. He couldn’t wait for someone to direct his fate again. That was why he had decided to train so hard, pushing his body to its absolute limits.

Only by gaining strength could he truly become free!

And only martial arts could help him achieve that!

Having died once already, Kai realized that he hadn’t been strong enough. But with a second chance, he’d finally fix that.

These thoughts kept Kai going as he repeated the exercises over and over again. Even when his hands and feet began to shake, and his sight became blurry, he didn’t stop. He continued to exhaust himself. After all, he knew that his body regenerated with inhuman speed, using the absorbed energy so he could afford to overwork himself.

Only when his head started to ache so much that he could no longer control the energy, did he finally stop.

The night was ending, and the first rays of sun had appeared.

Having finally dropped the stone, he stood in the garden, looking at the sky.

During the night, he was sweating so much that he had taken off all of his clothes except his pants. But the cold didn’t bother him. Quite the contrary, Kai was so warm that a few feet of snow around him had completely melted.

Standing half-naked, Kai didn’t look like a fifteen-year-old. He was almost six feet tall and broad-shouldered. His back, chest, arms, and legs were heavily muscled. Had it not been for his boyish face, it would’ve been difficult for anyone to believe that he was a teenager.

From behind, he looked like an adult. His unusual body and martial arts had turned him from a thin boy into a powerful and handsome man.

At least, that was how Jongo, who was standing behind him, saw Kai.

“Tired?” he asked.

Kai, who hadn’t heard him approach, didn’t flinch nor was he surprised. Instead, he calmly turned around, observing him with pride in his purple eyes and a smile on his lips.

“No, I just decided to take a break.”

Kai felt better than ever. He was incredibly pleased with what he had achieved.

“I thought so...” The sly healer smiled back. “You know, Kai... You can fool everyone else, but not me. I feel that you’ve exceeded the Lung Endurance level...”

“...Maybe...”

Jongo laughed softly. “I don’t know if you understand this, but the speed of your development is incredible, given that you have no materials or an ancient pedigree. Not every aristocrat can achieve Lung Endurance in only a year.”

Surprised to hear that, Kai slightly raised his eyebrow.

“But that means nothing! I’ve been outside Alkea, and I’ve traveled to many countries. I had a chance to meet young men and women of your age, or even younger, who have already reached the Mind Stage!” Jongo’s tone had completely changed. “Tell me, do you really want to follow the path of martial arts? The path which is paved with suffering?”

Such a question made Kai a little angry, so he answered insolently, “I don’t give a damn about pain and suffering! I’d rather go against Heaven and perish like a moth in the flame on my own terms, than put my freedom in the hands of the powerful, just to die anyway! But more than that, I feel that my soul is destined to follow this path. To give up would mean to betray myself!”

Kai’s words surprised Jongo. He didn’t expect his grandson to be so mature. The healer’s face smoothed.

“Well, I still don’t support your intention, but... But I won’t interfere... Nor will I teach you. But that doesn’t mean that I won’t help you...”

Jongo suddenly threw something to Kai, who caught it without any problem.

“Try to use at least a third of it,” Jongo added before leaving.

Opening his palm, Kai glanced at the item.

[Blue Sky Pill]

Rank: Earth

Accelerates the absorption of external energy when ingested.

Kai was stunned. His eyes widened. He finally understood why Jongo had spent so much time in the basement, and why he needed that rare ingredient he had ordered from the capital.

He was also left wondering where the old man got the recipe, and where he had learned the necessary alchemy skills.

Chapter 10
THE COMPLETION OF TRAINING

From the books he had read in the old man’s library, Kai knew what the Blue Sky Pill was. Once it entered the body, it accelerated the absorption of external energy.

If the Pill was of the Low rank, then its effect would last for just one day. But since Jongo was able to create an Earth-rank one, the effect would last for five days. That is, if Kai was lucky and his body absorbed the Pill.

Although the process began immediately, it didn’t guarantee that all the energy hidden in the Pill would be absorbed. Kai knew that when the capsule disintegrated, the energy would burst out of it and try to leave the body as soon as possible. Even if it was surrounded by inner energy, it’d find gaps, like a wild animal on the run.

And so, its effect depended heavily on the consumer’s energy control.

On the average, people usually managed to use at least one-third of the energy. Talented aristocrats could use forty percent, and those who were especially talented, fifty.

That was what Jongo was referring to when he told Kai to use at least one-third of the Pill’s energy.

However, he couldn’t have guessed that Kai’s ability granted him absolute control of energy, allowing him to prevent even the smallest particle of it from leaving and to absorb one hundred percent of it.

So, in his case, the effect would last for about fifteen days.

After the exhausting workout, Kai took a bath, changed his clothes, had breakfast, and went to his room. He didn’t want to postpone taking the Pill for a moment longer.

Having made himself comfortable on the bed, he closed his eyes and concentrated on his ability. The world instantly changed colors, and colorful lights penetrated his eyelids.

“Let’s do this!” Kai whispered to himself and swallowed the Pill.

Feeling it travel down his throat and into his stomach, he began to crack the capsule with inner energy. The process of absorbing Pills never went quickly, so Kai had mentally prepared himself for sitting still in his room for some time.

Some fifteen minutes later, the weakened capsule could no longer hold the surging energy. Having prepared himself for this moment, Kai surrounded it with inner energy.

A moment later, a powerful burst happened. Kai clenched his teeth, and his stomach swelled as though he had eaten way too much. He grimaced but managed to contain the energy. He then tried to bend it to his will.

However, that turned out to be more complicated than he thought it’d be. The Pill held within itself dozens of different types of energies combined into one. Taming such a wild power took some time, and once he was done, Kai felt like his body weighed a ton.

It became clear to him why a lot of energy would usually escape one’s body. Had Kai not had his unique ability, he would’ve been unable to contain more than a third of it — just like everyone else.

Feeling like a stone was floating around in his stomach, Kai struggled to remain concentrated, as the wild energy threatened to break free otherwise. He needed to distribute it evenly throughout his body, with the exception of his already fully developed lungs.

The energy of such a Pill was usually directed to the area that corresponded with the person’s level. But since Kai had been developing his entire body, things were much more complicated. Distributing energy throughout it was more difficult than directing it to a specific place.

It took Kai almost an hour to do it. All that remained was for the body to absorb the energy, after which it’d be reaping its benefits for fifteen days. After everything he had been through, waiting sounded like an easy task, but Kai had reached his limit.

He was sweating again, and his breathing became faster. If anyone had been in the room at that moment, they’d be able to see his eyes twitch under the closed eyelids. Blood began to drip from his nose.

His ability had its limits, and Kai was closer to them than he had ever been. His head was killing him, and some of the blood vessels had burst. The intensity of energy control was so strong that Kai felt like he had undergone three workouts at once.

Three hours later, the side effects started to subside and Kai finally managed to tame the energy. Having done that, exhausted and in pain, he lost consciousness.

He awoke later that evening, brought back to reality by someone’s alarmed voice. As it turned out, it was Julie. She had expected many things, but not to see her brother lying unconscious with blood on his face.

Opening his eyes, Kai began to rise slowly. Finally, his vision cleared, and he saw Julie’s worried face.

“Are you okay?” she asked nervously.

“Yes,” he answered somehow vaguely.

Oddly enough, he felt fine. He didn’t have a headache, and the bleeding had stopped. He felt like he was lacking energy, so he suspected that his body had used it to regenerate while he was unconscious. On the other hand, he felt light and ready for action. The Pill had worked.

“But you were bleeding!”

“I was?”

Julie took out a handkerchief from her sleeve, dipped it in water, and wiped the crusty blood off Kai’s face.

“What happened?” Julie wasn’t giving up.

“Don’t worry about it,” Kai said, putting his hands in front of him. “I overworked myself a little...”

“You call that a little?” She was indignant. “I’m calling Grandpa, he ought to have a look at you!”

Kai couldn’t change Julie’s mind, so Jongo soon appeared in the room. Having listened to his granddaughter, the old man nodded and asked her to leave him and Kai alone.

“You really are a pain in the—” the healer breathed out, massaging the bridge of his nose and looking at Kai. “There’s not a Pill in the world worth ruining your health. How much did you manage to absorb?”

“Forty percent,” Kai lied without blinking an eye. There was no way he could tell Jongo the truth; he’d never believe him.

Surprise and admiration flickered in Jongo’s eyes, but they quickly disappeared.

“Okay, go to bed!” he ordered.

Before Kai could even start to assure him that everything was fine, the old man pushed him onto the bed. The boy didn’t resist, not because he didn’t want to, but because he didn’t have the strength to do so. The small amount of pressure that Jongo had applied was too much for him to handle in his current condition.

Looking dumbfounded at the old man, Kai realized that he wouldn’t have been able to fight him off even if he had been at the peak of his health. The problem wasn’t only Jongo’s unexpected reserve and Soul Stage, but also the way in which he distributed his energy.

Pressing Kai’s gravity center with his palm, the old man distributed his energy in such a way that the young man couldn’t so much as blink.

Having laid his grandson on the bed, the old man began to scan him using a special medical technique. A minute later, he finished and removed his hand.

“Once again, you surprise me... You’re perfectly fine. Julie might’ve exaggerated,” Jongo muttered, looking at the boy in surprise. “Although, I did notice a loss of energy in your body, you should get some rest.”

With those words, he turned around and headed for the door, lost in his thoughts.

Kai, as per doctor’s orders, rested and restored energy. After that, he went outside. The Pill had long been absorbed, and he had wasted precious hours sleeping. He had some fifteen days to maximize the Pill’s effect. From now on, he decided, he wouldn’t waste a second more.

Having returned to the garden, Kai started training and absorbing energy. The Pill would enable him to absorb energy five times faster. He knew that this would take a toll on him, but he also knew that it’d be worth the effort in the end as it’d toughen him up.

For fifteen days, Kai spent at least ten hours a day training. His body allowed him to maintain such a crazy regime without permanently hurting himself. To maximize the results, he focused on energy training. The blade could wait.

As a result, the effect of the Pill lasted for almost seventeen days. But even after it had ended, Kai didn’t change his tempo; he simply went on for another thirty-three days.

Fifty days of meticulous training later, he still had ten more days before the tournament so he decided to devote the remaining time to practicing sword fighting. He had spent half a day on it, practicing the stance and swings, and the rest of the time he meditated.

Plunging into the depths of his mind, he reflected on the essence of the blade, looking for clues in it. Sitting in a lotus position with the sword resting on his knees, Kai tried to understand its ways.

Had it not been for Jacobs, his “training” and advice, Kai might not have known how to make the first step on this perilous path.

According to Jacobs, there were paths of other weapons, too, such as spear, ax, hammer, and even that of a knife. There were also elemental paths such as fire, earth, water, wind, lightning, light, and others. As the mercenary captain himself had suspected, there were also different energy paths.

“To step onto one such path, it’s necessary to spend time contemplating the desired image. For example, a sword,” Kai remembered Jacobs’ words.

But no matter how much time he spent meditating, he couldn’t understand anything. He didn’t see the mysterious symbols, patterns, and swirls that had appeared on Jacobs’ weapon. He remembered them vividly, but he didn’t know what they meant, nor how to create them. It was difficult for him to even describe them.

While Kai meditated, he felt a sense of kinship with the weapon — as if it were part of his hand. That was why he didn’t want to give up.

After all, Jacobs once said, “If you ever get lucky to advance far enough, then you’ll understand that energy, stages, and techniques are just tools. All of that obeys the laws of this world, but if you make the laws obey you...”

Kai spent ten days searching for understanding and sword fighting. The tournament application process was ending the next day and the first stage of the tournament was about to begin.

Torturing himself during those two months, Kai felt that he had really become stronger thanks to his training and the Pill. He estimated that he had already reached fifty-five percent of all other levels except for Lung Endurance.

Stats

Age: 15

Race: human

Status: mortal

Stage: Body Endurance

Level: Lung Endurance

Characteristics

• Power: 3.16

• Speed: 3.17

• Endurance: 3.89

• Stamina: 4.5

• Mind: 2.93

• Energy: 4.64

Abilities

• Breath of Power

Rank: Low

• Fake Face Technique

Rank: Low

Force

Unknown

Due to the fact that Kai was able to develop one and a half times faster, his current stats could be compared to those of someone who had reached the Bone Endurance level and had already begun to engage in muscle strengthening.

As for his swordsmanship, it, too, had improved.

Having dressed and activated the Fake Face
Technique, Kai left the house for the first time in two months. He headed to the center of Caltea, the city hall, where registration took place because the imperial administration had agreed to be an intermediary between the aristocratic families and provide the judges.

But while Kai was neck-deep in training, the city life went on without him. So, at the already-crowded center, there were even more people than usual. Kai had to push others and fight through the crowd in order to get to the main square.

As he soon realized, the event was far more ambitious than anyone could’ve imagined. The moment the news spread across the region, people from all over poured into the city. However, only a small number of them were actual participants. Most just wanted to make some coin by betting or selling their goods. There were also those who just came to watch.

There were no empty rooms in any inn, and any items that could help the participants had long been swept away from all counters. Accordingly, prices soared. Caltea had never seen so many people before.

What surprised Kai the most was that the news about the tournament went beyond the region. As a result, new participants arrived from three other areas, both members of other aristocratic families and commoners.

When Kai finally reached his destination and took his place in the line, he received a participant token with a number — 2,438.

During the five days that the registration period had lasted, almost two and a half thousand people had managed to get here before him!

As no one had expected such a huge number of participants, the aristocrats immediately came up with an additional qualifying round.

***

Two thousand seven hundred and thirteen people stood in the middle of a huge clearing in a forest far beyond the city walls. Almost three hundred had submitted their applications the day before. In the morning, the news passed through the city that all participants had to show up at the appointed place and take their tokens with them.

Standing among the fighters, Kai saw a lot of different people. There were both his peers and warriors who were in their mid-twenties. Amongst them were both guys and girls, equipped with all sorts of gear and holding various types of weapons. In such a crowd, Kai saw a lot of interesting items, although almost all of them were of the Low rank.

The only ones Kai hadn’t seen were the aristocrats themselves. He knew that the rules forbade more than ten members of one family to participate in the tournament. In total, together with the aristocrats from other regions, there were ten families — one hundred people — but Kai saw none of them.

“ATTENTION!” A deafening male voice spread over the clearing. The speaker had used some technique to amplify his voice.

Everyone instantly turned to where the voice came from.

In front of the crowd were several people from the four aristocratic families of Caltea and representatives of the mayor’s office. The speaker was a large man at the Soul Stage, the younger brother of the Yoni patriarch.

“My name is Tao Yoni, and I’m in charge of the qualification round,” he announced. “Now, I’ll explain the rules! You need to collect nine more tokens! Next, you’ll need to get to this circle, inside of which fighting is prohibited, and hand over the collected tokens! Only the first 224 people will earn the right to participate in the tournament; others will be eliminated! If you lose your token but bring ten others, it won’t count! You’ll only pass if you have your token and nine others!

“Also,” he continued. “Murder is prohibited and it’ll be punished accordingly! The entire forest is a training ground! As you can see, the rules are as transparent and as fair as possible! The qualification round will begin at my signal! If you have any questions, ask now!”

Tao sighed. He added the last part just for the dramatic effect because hardly anyone would be brave enough to actually ask him a question. Many of the participants had never seen anyone who had reached the Soul Stage, and Tao inspired awe in them. The rest simply knew that he was considered to be the third-most powerful man in Caltea right after his brother and the Bayweck patriarch.

Having stretched his neck, Tao was about to start the countdown when someone’s voice came from the crowd.

“I have a question!”

Tao looked surprised; the crowd began to look around and whisper, looking for the unknown daredevil and fool.

Finally, Kai stepped forward.

“What an ugly face,” one of the participants whispered.

“And he’s only at the Lung Endurance level!”

“He’ll be the first one to be eliminated...”

“Easy catch,” grinned a guy at the Skin level with two blades behind his back.

“He’s an idiot to actually ask Mr. Yoni a question!”

Despite their words, Kai smiled.

“Introduce yourself and ask your question!” Tao demanded, glaring at the daredevil, but, to his surprise, he noticed that the young man wasn’t at all afraid of his aura.

“My name is Ushan Arnhard,” Kai introduced himself. The name was odd, but not odd enough to raise any questions or suspicion. In addition, he had told all of those who knew him that he’d participate under a fake name. “As for my question... You said that the rules are transparent and fair, but is it fair to have those who are at the first levels of Body Endurance against those who are at its final levels?”

Many of those who were at the Lung, Blood Vessel, or Heart Endurance level agreed and nodded their heads. Indeed, how could they hope to defeat someone who had developed that much?

“Firstly,” Tao began, without even blinking, “skill, rather than stats, have a bigger influence at the Body Stage! History knows many cases in which the underdog defeats the champion using wit alone. Secondly, no one dragged you here by force! You must’ve known what you were getting into! And if there are weaklings and cowards among you, they’re free to enter the circle and surrender their tokens!”

Having said that, Tao looked at Kai with contempt, as if hinting that he should do just that. But the young man didn’t even so much as flinch, just continued smiling.

As for some of the participants, even though they were outraged by such words, they knew that Tao was right.

Kai nodded. “I understand. But I have a couple more questions. Where are all the aristocrats? Shouldn’t they be here, too, if everything is so fair?”

This question, too, caused a wave of discussion, even louder than the first. Many had also noticed that no aristocrats were present, adorned with coats of arms, and equipped with high-ranking items and gear.

Such a reaction, of course, didn’t go unnoticed.

“They don’t need to participate since you can’t compare yourselves with descendants of noble families!” he blurted out angrily, as the young man was starting to irritate him.

However, Tao should’ve been more careful with his words. A hum of disapproval came from the crowd, as almost everyone took this as an insult. Only after that did Tao realize what he had said.

“One last question,” Kai spoke, smiling even wider. “You said that only 224 participants will pass to the next round. In order to do that, they need to bring ten tokens. But doesn’t that mean that only 2,240 people have a chance? What about the rest? Hey, guys...” Kai turned to the crowd, continuing to stoke the flames. “I’m sure there are enough strong warriors whose fighting style isn’t based on speed, right? What should you do? After all, there are people like you even among the aristocrats. And they were allowed not to go through this. Have we paid the participation fee to be treated with this kind of discrimination? And so that we don’t even get a chance due to the limited number of participants?”

Kai’s last question seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. The shouts of those who were especially angry rallied the rest. Almost everyone was infuriated by such injustice and all of the anger was directed at the four aristocratic representatives. It was impossible to ignore so many people, even for someone at the Soul
Stage.

The situation changed so dramatically that it didn’t cross anyone’s mind that Kai had manipulated and distorted the facts.

Strong enough warriors would pass anyway. In fact, only forty-seven places would be lost because of the limitation, which wasn’t really a lot, since those who had just stepped on their path were unlikely to get far in the tournament.

Having noticed the crowd’s reaction, Tao, although angry with the young man, still restrained himself, deciding not to start bickering or to threaten anyone, which would only make things worse. He discussed something with the other aristocrats, and then he addressed the crowd once more.

“Well, we’ve come to a decision. As compensation, the first three participants that show the best results will receive additional rewards — one Tiny Energy Crystal each!”

When the crowd heard about the opportunity to get additional prizes, it raised their spirits and the situation dramatically changed yet again.

Staring at Kai, Tao saw a cheeky smirk on the young man’s face. Having achieved his goal, Kai had no more questions.

Tao turned his gaze to the servants of the Yoni family. The rules applied only to the family members, but not their followers.

Having noticed his gaze, the servants nodded, having understood the hint. Slowly, they walked toward Kai.

“Well, since there are no other questions, you have fifteen minutes to prepare, no more, no less. The qualification round will begin on my command. Prior to this, any fights are prohibited! Dismissed!”

Having finished his speech, Tao entered a tent located within the circle. The participants, lost and confused, stood there, unable to make heads or tails of anything. Some of them understood why those fifteen minutes were necessary, and quickly went to the forest. Anyone who stayed in the clearing would become an easy target.

More and more people left, going deeper into the foliage and waiting for the signal.

Only a small group remained standing. Fourteen men at the Heart Endurance level surrounded Kai.

“Well, freak,” said the largest among them, “provoking Mr. Yoni, are you? Now you’ll answer for your insolence! There’s still time before the round begins!”

“Oh yeah,” said the guy next to him. “A wimp like you should’ve stayed at home! But don’t be afraid, we won’t kill you, we’ll just make sure that you’ll have to be spoon fed for the rest of your life! Ah ha ha...”

Kai didn’t answer; he sat down and started meditating.

“What are you doing, freak?” the leader mocked. “Are you so afraid of us that you can’t even stand on your feet?”

Fifteen minutes later, Tao was sure that the vile young man had been taught how to talk to the nobility! Grinning to himself, he took a deep breath and, using a technique, proclaimed, “LET THE QUALIFICATION ROUND BEGIN!”

The participants started moving immediately and a lot of fights broke out in the forest. Acquaintances had formed groups in order to watch each other’s back. But even with a group on your side, collecting the tokens was still a difficult task.

In the tent, where food had been brought for the aristocrats, Tao was about to grab a bite when he was interrupted by a dumbfounded servant.

“What happened?” he asked in annoyance.

“My lord,” the servant mumbled, catching his breath. “We have one... The first victor is here!”

Tao almost choked on a piece of meat that he had put into his mouth. Luckily, he managed to quickly pull himself together. What kind of monster had managed to collect nine tokens so quickly?

“So what? Why are you telling me this?”

“You see... It’s that insolent young man.”

Enraged, he rushed out so quickly that all those present were hit by a shock wave.

“Impossible,” he said, looking at Kai who was sitting in the circle. Next to him lay a stack of fourteen additional tokens.

Having glanced a little further, Tao saw the servants lying on the ground and moaning in pain.

***

What kind of a strange feeling is this?

I knew that they wouldn’t let me go into the forest, so I decided to fight. But I didn’t expect that there’d be so many of them.

I had no other choice, so I just decided to concentrate and I began meditating to prepare my mind for the upcoming difficult fight.

Jacobs always said that it could help.

When my gut suggested that the time was almost up, I got up and took out my sword. Soon, a signal told us that the battle had begun. Although I surpassed each of them in strength, combat skills, and energy reserve, there were still too many of them.

But, as soon as I headed for the strongest among them, a strange feeling bloomed in my chest. It became easy to move. But most importantly, I began to notice dozens, if not hundreds, of various details — both in theirs and in my movements. It seemed like I knew what I needed to do and how to do it, as well as where to move. Every muscle contraction, every inhale and exhale, and even every glance... I noticed all that, but in slow motion.

I didn’t even need to see the energy to be able to predict other people’s moves. But using that ability made me feel like nothing could be hidden from me.

The battle was like an open book that I could read with ease. This feeling lasted for no more than a couple of seconds, leaving only an echo behind. But even that helped me improve control over my own body. I could’ve made a dozen mistakes, but I didn’t make a single one. At the same time, I could easily use my opponent’s strategy against them.

Sheathing my sword, I realized that I could defeat them all without using the blade. The hand-to-hand combat skills from my previous life had drastically improved, and even made me unconsciously do moves that I never would’ve dreamed of before.

At the end of the fight, which lasted no more than a couple of minutes, the unknown power left me feeling nauseous and weak. As a result, I had more time to spend on collecting tokens.

Having reached the circle and shown the tokens to a servant, I decided to meditate some more in order to try to figure out what had happened, and get rid of nausea.

However, I couldn’t do either. The strange feeling that I had experienced kept slipping from my mind, like water through fingers.

Twenty minutes passed when I heard a slight rustling of grass nearby and felt someone’s aura.

Having opened my eyes, I saw an eighteen-year-old boy at the Skin Endurance level, with silver hair and eyes hidden under long bangs. Earrings adorned his ears and two swords his back.

“So you’ve decided to surrender,” he started but suddenly fell silent, noticing the stack of tokens at my feet. A thin smile touched his lips. “What an interesting turn of events... The prey turned out to be the hunter... Ah, sorry, my name is Ivsim.” Without any ill intent, he extended his right hand for a handshake, a gesture that was usually done only by commoners. “As you see, I got here second.”

“Ushan,” I said, getting to my feet, and firmly shook his thin, rough palm.

Chapter 11
THE BEST AMONG THE COMMONERS

Over a huge meadow, tucked away in the green forest in the south region of Caltea, peculiar-looking clouds were dragging themselves across the sky, driven by the east wind.

Few knew that a storm was approaching...

On the ground, under the clouds, scurried a herd of two-legged creatures. Forever fussy and funny, they sought to reach Heaven but didn’t even suspect that over there, nobody cared about the mortals and their fate.

The wind that came down made the leaves flutter, and the grass to sway. It even tossed Kai’s hair up.

Besides him and Ivsim, who had come from a region west of Caltea, there were currently more than three hundred people in the circle, out of which only one hundred and ninety had gathered enough tokens. Everyone else had just given up, not wanting to run into more fights.

Kai, although still meditating, couldn’t calm down, still unable to grasp the feeling that had awakened in him during the battle with the Yoni servants.

Ivsim observed the peculiar young man with great interest. He had observed many people, looking for his prey. He knew that the organizers would have to find a way to reduce the number of participants. After a while, having found a small group in which the strongest member was a warrior of Heart Endurance level, Ivsim joined them and continued following his target around.

He had no doubt in his training and strength, for Ivsim, unlike the vast majority of participants, including even the aristocracy, knew military techniques of the Earth rank.

Ivsim knew that he’d get the right amount of tokens before anyone else, as he was certain that no one was as talented as him.

Born on the border of the wildlands, and abandoned by his mother at the age of five, Ivsim was supposed to die. But he was lucky. He met someone who saw his talent and potential — his mentor. A diamond in the rough, that’s what the man used to call him.

From that day on, he had been studying martial arts and living in the wildlands with his mentor. He could afford such a Spartan lifestyle because of the blood of high-level, ancient animals coursing through his veins. There weren’t many people like him, and only a few of them were lucky enough to have figured out how to use their powers.

However, luck smiled on Ivsim: he was one in a million who could absorb wild energy without harming himself. At least, that’s what his mentor observed.

Ivsim worked hard every single day. The first eight years he spent training his body and practicing dual wielding. At the age of twelve, the average value of Ivsim’s stats exceeded one point. A year later, he was finally able to control energy.

Because of this, he started practicing martial arts at the age of thirteen. And although he looked a bit older, he had recently turned sixteen. Already at this age, Ivsim was able to learn several military techniques of Low and Earth rank. Thanks to the increased amount of external energy where he lived, he was currently at fifty percent of Skin Endurance.

And even though he hadn’t had access to the rare resources available to aristocratic families, Ivsim was still able to outperform many of them. What he did have, however, was a mentor who had surpassed the Soul Stage, which allowed him to live in the wild.

Almost every practitioner of martial arts in the empire dreamed of having someone like that train them. Ivsim was indeed a lucky one.

That was why he was so confident in his abilities.

Having easily dealt with the selected group and taken their tokens, he immediately went to turn them in. Never in his wildest dreams would he have thought that someone would beat him to it. Looking at Ushan, he couldn’t believe that he had been outdone by someone at the Lung Endurance level.

What kind of power is he hiding? Ivsim couldn’t understand. Had he really manipulated the organizers into being generous with additional rewards and made enemies among the servants so that he wouldn’t have to go far to collect tokens? Was he so sure in his strength and success? And now he’s sitting so calmly! How interesting... I want to know his secrets!

Ivsim was excited, which made the other participants, who felt his aura give off an unusual vibe, avoid him.

The master was right to send me on a journey. Sitting in one place for too long is harmful for a practitioner of martial arts. I’ve barely left my homeland and I’ve already stumbled upon someone interesting... The world is really big, and I’ve barely seen a fraction of it. I’m like a frog sitting in a deep well, unaware that there is a vast pond just beyond it...

An hour and a half had passed when the last participant appeared, marking the end of the qualification round.

“And with that, the first stage of the qualification round is completed!” Tao announced gloomily, occasionally casting angry glances at the still-meditating Kai. “Those who’ve passed it have another half an hour to recover; those who haven’t can go home. Once the break is over, come to this tent!”

Thirty minutes and a couple of short naps and bandages later, a crowd of more than two hundred people had gathered around the tent.

“As for the second and last round,” Tao started, looking around for Kai but not seeing him. The young man was still meditating; he just strained his ears in order to hear what was going on. “We’ll hold one-on-one fights, in groups of eight. The one who wins the majority of these fights will be considered the winner of the group. In case of a draw, we’ll take into consideration the result of the first stage. You’ve already been divided into groups, so listen carefully!”

Having finished his speech, Tao stepped aside. One of the servants took the floor and began to read the group numbers and the names of their members.

Kai was in the first group. Ivsim in the second. Overall, there were twenty-eight groups. Participants were distributed in accordance with how fast they had finished the first stage.

That was how it should’ve been, at least. For some reason, things worked differently in Kai’s group. Among his opponents, there was no one below the Bone Endurance level.

I see... I didn’t expect Tao and his family to be such assholes. They’ve decided to set me up, Kai thought while getting up from the ground. What kind of rules are these, anyway? After these two rounds, there’ll be only twenty-eight people left, who will then have to participate in the tournament against hundreds of aristocrats. They really are a piece of work...

Ivsim was glad to hear about one-on-one fights, but when he realized that he wasn’t in the same group as Kai, he felt disappointed.

“I hope to meet you in the arena,” he said to Kai and patted his shoulder as he passed by, “so you better give it your all!”

Surprised, Kai just shrugged and went after the man who would judge his group to the edge of the field, where a circle with a diameter of about thirty feet had already been drawn on the ground. There were twenty-eight such rings. All the fights would take place simultaneously.

“Listen, kids!” Having attracted attention to himself, a young judge, who, judging by his uniform, was a city hall representative, started talking. “Let me remind you once again! Murder is prohibited! Each of you will face the other members of your group, and there’ll be seven matches for all of you. Each match will last for no longer than ten minutes. If both fighters remain on their feet after the time is up, the winner will be the one who has received less damage. Also, if one of the fighters can’t continue the fight, then they’ll be eliminated from the tournament. So, the first battle—” the judge looked at the sheet— “Ushan Arnhard against Toyvel! Come into the ring and you can start at my command. The first to lose consciousness will be eliminated.”

What? Kai thought. Can we not surrender? I’m pretty sure the rules allow it... Did he deliberately not mention that?

Stepping into the ring, Kai looked for his opponent and saw a tall, muscly guy at the Muscle Endurance level slowly approaching him. If all the participants’ ages hadn’t been previously checked, Kai would never have believed that he was under twenty-five years old.

“Hey, kid!” Toyvel shouted, clenching his fists. “It’s nothing personal, but a few coins is a few coins. So please don’t pass out too quickly.”

“Come on, crush that freak!” someone shouted.

“But leave something for the rest of us! I also want to have some fun!”

Slightly creeped out by all this, Kai looked at the judge. However, he had already managed to turn away, completely ignoring the threats.

I see... They’ve bribed him. Funny... Ah, these dumbasses arrived too late to know that I was the first one to pass the first stage.

“Well, since everyone is ready, you can start!”

Toyvel had a long spear, the tip of which he immediately pointed at Kai. He took a quick step forward, and then attacked, holding his weapon with one hand.

But Kai was no longer there.

Having dodged the sharp tip by ducking, Kai stepped sideways and approached his opponent with such incredible speed that Toyvel didn’t have time to react. In an instant, Kai was next to his opponent.

A slash on the elbow — Kai had learned about the vulnerable spots of the human body from Jongo’s books — made Toyvel drop his weapon. Before he could react, he received two more hits to his neck and left kidney. Instead of the mosquito bites that he had expected from the guy, Toyvel felt like he was being hit by a steel golem.

Reflexively, he reached for his crippled neck when Kai’s foot met his left knee, crushing it. There was a sharp and distinct crack, and Toyvel lost his balance.

Toyvel wanted to scream, but couldn’t due to suffocation. Only in his eyes, darting from side to side, was Kai able to see pain and horror. Unfortunately, for Toyvel, this wasn’t the end of his suffering.

Not waiting for his opponent to fall down, Kai grabbed Toyvel by the arm and jerked so hard that he broke it.

Another crack was heard. People stared at them in both awe and confusion; among all of them, Toyvel was considered the strongest.

Having finally recovered from the blow to the throat, the big guy cried out, “I surre—” A kick to the back of his head made Toyvel kiss the ground, preventing him from finishing his sentence.

“Hey, don’t pass out too quickly!” Kai said coldly and calmly.

He continued to brutally beat Toyvel for the next five minutes, not allowing him to surrender until he lost consciousness and the judge stopped the match. Nobody from their group could believe what they had just seen.

A pity that that strange feeling didn’t appear this time...

When Kai moved away from the ring, the judge immediately rushed to the wounded fighter to check his pulse. Having done that, he cast an angry glance at Kai.

“If he dies, you’ll end up in prison or be fined!” he cried out, spitting furiously.

“Don’t worry.” Kai grinned. “I understand the human body so well that I could keep beating him for at least another hour without killing him. By the way, I’ve been thinking... Maybe I should immediately deal with all of you and then leave you to fight among each other... I’ve just warmed up! Who wants to go next?!”

Kai looked like a wild and deadly beast. His vile face, coupled with his bloodthirsty aura, only added to everyone’s fear.

“Why are you all so quiet? You wanted to have fun! What’s the matter? Cat got your tongue? Come on!” He then pointed at one of the fighters at the Bone Endurance level. “You! Enter the ring! I really liked how this piece of shit couldn’t surrender... Maybe you’ll fare better?!”

The chosen fighter remained silent. With every second, he was becoming more and more terrified — a sticky, nasty feeling was spreading over his skin and filling his chest with each new breath.

“What kind of monster are you?! How can you be so fast and strong at the Lung Endurance level? What’s wrong with you? Many knew Toyvel, and there’s no one stronger than him!”

“What kind of sorcery is this?!”

“I can’t believe this! Maybe I’m sleeping and this is all just a bad dream?”

“Is he a demon?”

Panic filled the minds of every fighter of the first group. No one could say anything.

“Hey, judge!” Kai shouted, having gotten tired of the silence. “These monkeys forgot how to talk! Oh, what a disaster... Does that mean that I still have to follow the schedule?”

The judge didn’t have time to answer as a voice came from behind him: “I refuse to fight Ushan! I forfeit!”

“And... and me!”

“Me too!”

Six large men, two of which were at the Bone Endurance and four at the Skin Endurance level, surrendered immediately. None of them wanted to feel the pain and horror that Toyvel had felt.

The stunned judge turned his head from side to side; a minute later, he finally exhaled, saying, “In that case, Ushan Arnhard is automatically awarded seven victories. This makes him the winner of the first group, which means that it’d be pointless to hold any other fights...” Turning his gaze to the boy, he said, with poison in his voice, “Congratulations.”

Kai grinned and then went to the tent to wait for the end of the second stage of the qualification round.

“Flawless victory...”

The next to enter the tent was Ivsim. He had not a scratch on him and was, once again, surprised with Kai’s speed. He had thought that this time, having gained four quick victories, after which the rest of his opponents surrendered, he’d definitely be the first. But again, he lost to Ushan...

An hour later, the second stage was done. After that, they held an award ceremony for the top three fighters. There were ten people with seven victories (gained with a lot of effort). Having taken the result of the first stage into consideration, the top three fighters were Kai, Ivsim, and another man who, despite having received a couple of wounds, had gained eighth place in collecting tokens.

After that, all twenty-eight fighters who had passed the qualifying round were ordered to show up the day after tomorrow in the central arena by nine in the morning. As a pass, they were to provide their personal tokens.

In the evening, when all the fighters had already returned to the city, a few went to celebrate their victory or prepare for the tournament. Those who had lost, saddened and dissatisfied, went to lick and heal their wounds.

Among the dissatisfied was one extremely angry man.

Tao Yoni was walking down the hallways of the main family home after having reported to the patriarch. The report made him think of that damn Ushan again, who had managed to turn the crowd against him, a member of the noble family, and had also managed to become the best fighter in the qualifying round despite all the effort that Tao had put into bribing and plotting. This hurt Tao’s pride even more. He had never before been defeated by a commoner.

Now the whole city was talking about this guy ,and it wasn’t possible to kill him quietly anymore. Many had already noticed Yoni’s dissatisfaction with this Ushan, so they’d connect the dots rather quickly. The family’s reputation could be damaged if word got out that the tournament was rigged.

Aside from that, Tao was angry that he had to give away one Crystal from his own pocket. The family would, of course, return it later, but what a humiliation that was... As if that wasn’t bad enough, his brother said that in two months they hadn’t found any traces or clues that’d bring them closer to the servant’s murderer.

Having turned the corner, he almost collided with a man who managed to dodge him.

Looking down, Tao saw Kiyan.

“Uncle Tao.” The boy bowed slightly. “Did the qualifying round go well? How did the mob do?”

Tao grimaced, having once again been reminded of the painful turn of events. “Not so great... There was this one commoner freak there. I hope that you’ll teach him some manners if you meet him at the tournament! The little bastard dared to speak with me as an equal!”

Kiyan was surprised. “Who? Is he a talented fighter from another region?”

“No, I checked, he’s from Caltea. Ushan Arard or Arkurd, I don’t remember. His name is on the list...”

“Oh, uncle...” Kiyan grinned slyly. “Since he’s a local and in the city, leave it to me. My subordinates will deal with him in such a manner that no one will ever dare think that our family had anything to do with it,” Kiyan said, guessing the reason behind his uncle’s indignation.

Tao seemed to be trying to find something in his nephew’s gaze. He had long suspected that Kiyan was involved in some shady business. But since the patriarch turned a blind eye to this, he had no right to interfere.

Tao nodded. “If you’re so confident, go ahead. You have my permission. Make me proud.”

“Just leave it to me,” said Kiyan with a peculiar glimmer in his eyes.

***

Early in the morning, when the sun had just begun to rise above the horizon, a large group of people had gathered at the southern gates of Caltea, next to which stood a dozen carts.

None of them had been to their homes for half a year, and they had only today returned from a long journey — from the very westernmost part of the empire, a large region where the rarest and most useful herbs in all of Alkea grew.

Of course, almost all of them were delivered to the capital, but a small part were still sold locally. It was “small” compared to the actual amount of herbs that had been found, since the caravan that was waiting at the gates was loaded with them.

All of these people were followers of the Suwon family, so getting in should have taken a couple of minutes, even despite the huge amount of goods that were being imported into the city, but something seemed to be off.

“Thank you, Father!” Demian smiled, standing next to the first wagon. “This trip was amazing!”

The old man patted his son on the shoulder and returned the smile.

“I’ll go see why it’s taking so long.”

Looking around, Demian nodded. He hadn’t been home for a very long time.

Before this journey, Demian had become rather depressed, having been rejected by the girl he loved, the wonderful Julie, but his father figured out what would lift his son’s spirits.

Demian’s wandering gaze fell on a Wanted poster on one of the walls. Having stepped closer, he saw a rather familiar face.

“Wait,” Demian muttered, frowning. “Isn’t this Julie’s brother?”

Chapter 12
THE TRUTH

The following evening, gloomy clouds accumulated over Caltea and heavy rain threatened the city. But so far, there was only the howling of the wind and flashes of lightning in the dark sky. The weather had changed quickly, and hundreds of thousands of residents were hiding in their homes.

Those who believed in the supernatural nature of Heaven and in the Gods living there saw the rain as the manifestation of their wrath. The sky had been clear that morning, changing for the worse in a matter of seconds.

The wind was strong. Even the Market Street was almost empty, and those who, for whatever reason, were still there, were in a hurry to get home as soon as possible.

Everyone.

Except for one person.

With a brisk step, a young man who had almost reached the level of Muscle Endurance was walking through the city. Dressed in expensive and high-quality clothing, he wore a blade on his belt, the scabbard, and hilt of which were cast from silver.

[Silver Section Sword]

Rank: Earth

Feature: Passive Ability [Eternal Acuity]

Feature: Passive ability [Self-healing Blade]

Feature: Active Ability [Invisible Cut]

With a grin of anticipation, Kiyan hurried to get to his destination.

Having found out where this Ushan, who had dared to put his uncle Tao in an awkward position, lived, Kiyan had sent his people to intimidate the bastard. However, he couldn’t have imagined that walking along the family quarter, he’d hear unexpected news about someone who knew about the man who had murdered his servant.

There weren’t many who were brave, or rather, dumb enough to try to fool a noble family, so Kiyan immediately went to the guest house, where the informant was waiting for him.

Having been promised that he’d receive a reward for reliable information, Demian told them about the similarity between Julie’s brother and the man on the wanted poster. When Kiyan heard where this girl lived, everything fell into place.

The address of the impudent hotshot from the tournament coincided with the address of the killer.

Ushan Arnhard and a certain Kai were the same person. He had probably used one of the rare techniques to change his appearance.

Having ordered Demian to wait for Uncle Tao to receive his reward, Kiyan went to the southwest part of the central district. He wanted to personally turn that bastard into a bloody pulp. The type of crime he had committed almost a year ago was considered extremely serious, and if the murderer was nothing but a filthy commoner, then there was only one thing awaiting them — execution!

And although there was a chance that the men he had sent after the boy were already rotting in the dirt, that filthy peasant stood no chance against him.

Madly grinning, Kiyan started to run.

***

A few hours earlier, having gotten ready and changed his face, Kai got out of the house. So much had happened over the past two months that he had managed to completely forget about his task for the Mercenary Guild. He should’ve already paid a fine of a couple of silver coins if he didn’t want the fine to increase. If he wanted to continue working as a mercenary, he had to deal with this problem as soon as possible.

Having reached the door, Kai turned and shouted, “I’m leaving!”

“Okay!” Julie replied from somewhere inside. By now, Kai could really call her his sister.

During the time he had spent in this world, Kai had managed to adapt and, most importantly, find a family. Although he wasn’t related to them, Jongo and Julie had become people dear to his heart.

Kai would never forget their kindness, having forever preserved it in his heart. He would surely repay them for everything they had done for him.

Having left the clinic, he headed toward the Market Street, intending to get to the guild, which was located at the central square.

During the walk, he remembered how Jongo had left the house in the morning, almost bouncing with joy and carrying a big basket with him. As Kai was able to understand from his mutterings, a caravan full of rare herbs, some of which the Suwon family would sell to some important people of Caltea, had arrived.

Kai walked along the already familiar road toward the guild. He exhaled with relief when he saw that Wanda wasn’t working today. Having paid the fine and dropped his mission, Kai got ready to leave when he stumbled upon the members of the Steel Tigers.

“Oh, Kai!” Lars exclaimed, holding a mug of ale in his hand. “Long time no see! Sit with us; tell me how you’re doing!”

Beckoning him over to their table, the mercenary scooted over, freeing up some space on the bench. Next to him were the other members of the Steel Tigers.

After a few moments of hesitation, Kai walked over to them.

I have a couple minutes to spare.

“Hello, everyone!” He smiled, looking at the merry crowd. “What are you celebrating?”

“Do you really need to ask?” Goddie said with a grin. “We whacked a goddamn Spike Boar! A Mind
Stage one! Its worth, together with one Tiny Energy Crystal, is estimated at seventeen and a half gold coins!”

“Though, we had to spend two coins on Nick’s treatment!” Lars added.

“Once you end up with a couple holes in your stomach and you can’t take a shit normally for a month, you’ll remember those words, you bastard!” Nick snapped. He was wrapped in bandages and wearing his trademark red bandana.

“I see you guys are having fun.” Kai grinned wide.

“How about you? I’ve heard that you signed up for the tournament, but under a different name,” Goddie said, and all five mercenaries looked at Kai.

“Sure did!” Kai exclaimed and took the Crystal he had won yesterday out of his pocket.

“What?”

“Is it real?”

“Where did you get it?”

The loud shouting attracted the attention of other people on the floor.

“Why are you making so much noise? It’s real; don’t you see its description?” Kai said, reminding them of it. “Haven’t you heard the rumors?”

Lars shook his head. “No, we returned from the border last night and immediately went to the Suwon hospital to save Nick’s ass! Come on, spill it!”

Kai lifted his head and pointed a finger at himself. “First place in the qualification round!”

All of the mercenaries were visibly surprised. One of them almost choked on a piece of chicken.

“Get out of town!” Nick cried out.

“Have I ever lied to you?” Kai frowned. “Or do you think that I was given this as a gift? In case you’ve forgotten what I’m capable of, I’ll gladly refresh your memory.”

“Wow, wow, take it easy!” Goddie interrupted. “Nick’s just joking. We all remember it very well. It’s just that winning first place sounds unbelievable when your competition is a bunch of very skillful people. I’ve heard that there were participants from other regions!”

Kai nodded with a sigh. “Yes, there were some interesting guys there. But the main event will be fighting with the aristocrats!”

“Oh, yeah...” Bending forward slightly, Lars whispered, “Those spoiled aristocratic brats have been annoying the hell out of everyone in Caltea for a long time now. They boast about their techniques, resources, the talent they received from their parents, and power. Someone has to put at least one of them in their place! Kai, we’ll come to the arena tomorrow to cheer you on. I hope you’ll teach them a lesson!”

Kai nodded and, without even trying to lower his voice, said, “It’s in my interest, too. I mean, have you seen those prizes!”

“Yeah...” The mercenary smiled dreamily as if he had just become the winner of the competition.

“Since we’ve mentioned the tournament, I have to go back to training. Although I only have one day left, I’d like to spend it as productively as possible!” Kai said, rising from the table.

Goddi sighed. “I thought you’d sit with us for a while. Never mind that then... See you tomorrow!”

“Yeah, if he spots us among thousands of people in the crowd!” Nick added sarcastically.

Having said goodbye to the mercenaries, Kai went home. He hoped to use the Crystal to grow at least a little stronger. For the upcoming fights, especially with the aristocrats, he wanted to be as ready as he could be.

Walking along the street, he suddenly heard a rumble, and only then did he pay attention to the raging wind. Gloomy clouds were creeping in from the east, obscuring the sun and enveloping the street in darkness.

A storm was approaching.

Anticipating a heavy rainfall, he hurried home.

Kai intended to spend the rest of the day training, and then, instead of sleeping, he’d meditate, focused on the Path of the Sword. His entire being was humming with excitement. He couldn’t wait for tomorrow.

Besides the prizes, there was one more thing that made him eager to win the tournament — the Earth-rank technique.

Kai had heard that in order to create such techniques, one needed to know how to be able to make special forms out of energy and to move them correctly during the technique’s creation.

Having never before seen the creation of a technique of this rank, what interested Kai was if he, with his eidetic memory and ability to see energy, could copy them?

Having decided to take a shortcut through the alleys, Kai shortened his journey to less than an hour and a half. Nearing his home, he suddenly heard voices coming from around the corner.

“Listen, girl! I’ll repeat it once again,” growled a male voice. “We’ve already wasted enough time searching for this fucking place! So, you’ll either tell me where this Ushan is or I’ll help you remember!”

“Let me go, you freak!” Julie cried through tears. “I don’t know anything!”

“She’s pretty! Look at that body,” another guy said. “Maybe we should have some fun with her, and then she’ll start talking...”

“Please, stop!”

“Not a bad id—”

But before he could finish, blood gushed from his mouth, staining Julie’s hair and face. The iron grip squeezing her wrist was gone.

Almost simultaneously, three heads with contorted faces fell to the ground, followed by the bodies.

Panting, Kai stood above them with a bloodied blade in his hand. Not caring that he had put his body in danger by using his abilities to their limit and increasing his energy for several moments, he ran to Julie. Seeing the faces of her attackers, he froze.

“Kai, you...”

“Those are the bastards who broke my hands, beat me to death, and threw me into the ditch. It’s not good that they’ve shown up here. I heard what they said... I’m sure they would’ve abused you. I have a bad feeling about this,” Kai spoke through pants, trying to catch his breath. “Where’s Grandpa?”

“He hasn’t returned yet,” she replied surprisingly calmly. However, Kai didn’t have time to find out the reasons behind her composure.

Suddenly, he felt a sense of impending doom rise behind him.

Turning sharply, he felt his cheek burn with pain. Having no time to react, he received a blow to his stomach, which caused him to cough blood and crash into a wooden wall, after which he immediately collapsed.

“Nice reaction!” Kiyan exclaimed. “But you won’t be escaping anymore.”

“Brother!” Julie screamed.

“There’s someone else here,” the aristocrat sneered, not having noticed her at first. “What a pretty face. I think I’ll take you with me when I’m done with him.”

Kiyan intercepted a piece of wood that almost hit his face.

Kai rose from under the pile of broken planks.

“Ha... So, you’re still able to stand after my attack? Not bad…”

There was a ringing of metal. Sparks.

Two blades collided.

Kai pushed with all his weight, holding his sword with both hands. Kiyan stood with his back straight, and calmly stopped the blow with only one hand.

“Would you look at that,” he said with a smile, looking like he was playing instead of fighting. “Your stats are much higher than they should be for someone who has reached the Lung Endurance level. Have you been lucky enough to stumble upon some item that strengthens the body? Unfortunately for you, I’ve been using those since childhood! My stats are at least two times higher than they should be at Muscle Endurance level!”

Kiyan’s eyes flashed, and he easily pushed Kai’s blade away.

Slipping back, Kai, unable to believe his eyes, saw that a deep notch had appeared on his sword.

“Do you think you can hurt me with that toothpick?” Kiyan’s face was distorted with contempt. “I won’t kill you just yet, no... I’ll let the executioners skin you alive on the central square so that your sister can see it! That’ll be your punishment for daring to raise your hand on me!”

“Julie, run through the backyard and go to the Mercenaries Guild! Find Lars and Goddi, say that I’ve sent you and that you need to hide!” Kai shouted, realizing that he didn’t stand a chance.

“You think I’ll let her escape?” Kiyan rushed to Julie. “If I want something, then it’ll be mine!”

Kai jumped after him.

Kiyan was about to brush him off as a nuisance, but his fighting instinct warned him of a threat. At the last moment, he deflected Kai’s energy-infused blade.

“Transformation of energy?!” he blurted out in bewilderment. It was time to take his opponent seriously.

This time, Kai’s blade suffered no damage, and it even left a couple of scratches on Kiyan’s hand and face.

Due to pain, the aristocrat didn’t immediately realize what had happened. Pain wasn’t a familiar feeling to him. After all, no one had ever dared to hurt him. Seeing a drop of blood sliding down his chin, he went mad.

“You bastard! I’ll kill you!”

At that moment, Kai noticed how the energy in Kiyan’s body rushed to his hands, and then to the blade. It sank into one of the three symbols engraved into the energy of the sword.

Having jumped back, Kiyan swung.

The third and most complex symbol flashed brightly.

“Invisible Cut!” he shouted.

Kai had no clue what was about to happen but he managed to prepare. His vision showed him a streak of energy parallel to the ground rushing toward him.

A jump and a somersault saved him from the fate that struck the nearby building — there was a deep cut on the wall, three fingers wide and as long as Kai was tall.

However, he didn’t have time to examine it as Kiyan had come too close for his liking.

A hail of frantic blows hit Kai. He withstood every hit thanks to the energy of the sword, and by predicting Kiyan’s movements and strengthening himself with energy.

However, his opponent was becoming faster with every second, and his own energy was dropping rapidly...

Kai missed one of the attacks...

His left side was pierced by incredible pain. A second later, a rib-crushing blow hit him in the torso. His back crashed into a wall, and the air was knocked out of his lungs.

The last particles of his energy were used to stop the bleeding.

“Die!” The tip of Kiyan’s sword approached Kai’s head.

Having used his last reserves, Kai rolled away. A piece of his ear was cut off and nailed to the wall.

Deciding to escape death, Kai shoved the Crystal into his mouth.

It usually took at least an hour for a Tiny Crystal to release its tightly compressed energy due to its very strong walls, which were impossible to crack.

But Kai had figured out how to pierce a very small, almost microscopic hole in the Crystal with internal energy. This wasn’t enough to release it, but it was enough to control it.

Having taken advantage of that, Kai destabilized the structure of the Crystal’s surface, which allowed it to decay almost immediately.

Super-dense energy poured into his body, which immediately used it for healing.

“There’s no escape!” Kiyan shouted. He didn’t even bother to pull the sword out of the wall, but simply cut through it. “Invisible Cut!”

Kai had to turn around quickly. A blow visible only to his eyes almost reached its goal.

Having poured as much energy into his sword as was possible, Kai transformed it into energy and swung, not having time to escape.

Two attacks collided.

The power of Invisible Cut threatened to pull the sword out of Kai’s hands. Small cracks were starting to appear along the blade and it soon shattered, cutting his clothes and skin.

Kiyan didn’t rush forward when Kai stopped. Instead, he remained in place, pointing his blade at his opponent. Long, orange lines ran along its entire length.

Rising from the guard to the tip, they flew into the air, forming a small, fiery ball at the end of the weapon, which quickly expanded to the size of a child’s fist.

Kiyan grinned. “Meet the power of the Yoni family, the Fire Punishment Technique!”

Kai thought it looked incredible. It wasn’t an energy transformation, that much he was certain. Kiyan’s internal energy remained neutral; the flame had come from somewhere else.

Small streams of energy formed thousands of threads woven into a special pattern, creating the strip on the blade. After that, they dispersed into the air, forming the sphere’s outer shell and then its inner part.

There was a pattern...

It reminded Kai of something.

He saw Jacobs doing something similar with a wooden blade a year ago.

It mimicked a force!

In this case, the force of fire!

Light flooded over Kai, slowing down time and opening the curtain of secrets of this world. The seemingly meaningless naming of techniques finally made sense. As soon as Kiyan shouted out the name, the flow of energy became more focused, which made it combat-ready. Saying the name aloud improved concentration, which was reflected in the technique.

The same thing happened the first time he attacked. The symbol on the blade created the technique, and since it was connected to Kiyan’s mind through energy, it could be activated by saying its name.

Unfortunately, Kai’s enlightenment didn’t last long. Time started to flow again.

The fireball flashed as Kiyan pronounced the last word, and a red dot burst from its fiery bowels, flying toward Kai with incredible speed. He didn’t have time to dodge it.

There was a hole in his shoulder, into which a human finger could easily fit.

The agonizing pain made him cry out. He forced himself to clench his teeth and endure.

His legs became weak.

“One more time!”

The second red dot burnt a hole in his thigh. He tried with all his might not to pass out, but his consciousness flowed like sand through his fingers.

Thoughts filled his head as he started toward the ground.

What’s going on? Why is this happening? Why am I fighting?
The past Kai just wanted to avoid starvation... That was why he stole a silver coin... He didn’t care who he was stealing from... For that, he was brutally killed, and my soul moved into this body... Why should I suffer because of other people’s actions?
Having died and gotten a chance to live again, I wandered and heard only echoes of deeply hidden emotions... But now, on the verge of death, an incomprehensible, long-forgotten feeling is awaking in me again. What is it...?

Falling, Kai’s vision blurred, but he saw the outlines of Kiyan’s face. It was disfigured by a mad, bestial grin, and against the background of the rotating sphere of fire, it evoked...

It evoked...

Fear...

What’s it like? I’ve forgotten, but it seems that I’m starting to recall... How much time has passed since the last time I’ve felt it? It seems... it seems like a lifetime ago. Yes, that’s right. I felt fear during my last moments, looking straight into the eyes of death. I wasn’t afraid of it. I was afraid of the look in her blue eyes, afraid of finding out why she had done it... But why am I afraid now? Why, when there is power? Why do I need fear?

The next beat of his heart spread through Kai’s entire body like a drum beat. He was shivering. Memories of his childhood and of the life he once had flashed before his eyes. He saw an image of his mother sitting in her wheelchair, smiling. His little brother, trying to imitate his training. His beloved dog, eternally and faithfully waiting for his master. Julie, who wasn’t his real sister, but was still very dear to his heart, taking care of him. Jongo, constantly smiling slyly, but ready to support his grandson at any moment. The strange feeling of living in a dream from the moment of his rebirth had finally disappeared...

Why do I need it? Exactly... A grin full of excitement appeared on his face. I need to fear for what’s dear to me! After all, only then does power make sense!

Lightning struck in the distance.

It started to rain.

A fiery drop started moving.

Kai’s eyelids rose sharply and his eyes shined violet.

Chapter 13
THE DAY

Kai had enough energy after absorbing the Crystal.

Having directed it to his wounded leg, he managed to control what was left of his muscles. Overcoming pain, he maintained his balance.

Thunder repeatedly hit the ground. Heavy rain washed away the blood and dirt off his body.

The strange and inspiring feeling that Kai had felt during the qualification round reappeared.

His mind cleared up. He saw everything. He felt everything. He knew everything.

The third red dot seemed to move no faster than a falling leaf. Kai saw its trajectory, saw how the air around it burned...

He saw every particle, every thread, and every movement that the essence of the technique was made of.

Directing energy into his sword, he swung, interrupting Kiyan’s attack. The sword’s energy formed a needle and flew forth to meet the fire.

As the two forces collided, Kai saw the needle split into hundreds of smaller ones and pierce through the technique’s structure. Their targets weren’t random, and each hit served a specific purpose.

There came a hissing sound, and then something burst...

Kai’s blade met a stream of hot air.

Kiyan’s attack failed. The red dot collapsed under its own pressure.

Kai was able to take control of any energy, except the one that already had a master. Having lost its structure, Kiyan’s technique started turning back into external energy that no longer belonged to him. This allowed Kai to move away as the collapsed dot still had some power in it.

He was able to dodge, but after that, he felt an unusual heaviness overcome him.

The peak of this unknown strength soon passed, leaving behind only an echo. Kai intended to take full advantage of it while he still had a chance.

Shocked and surprised, Kiyan couldn’t believe his eyes. The technique that he had been studying for the past few years had simply disintegrated with one swing of a sword! How was that possible? Had he made a mistake during the creation process? The key was to correctly form the fiery sphere; the red dots formed on their own. Considering that the first two attacks were successful, could there really have been an error?

He didn’t have too much time to ponder as Kai lunged at him.

The technique he had used cost a lot of internal energy, so after the third attack, Kiyan was exhausted. The sphere, spinning at the tip of his silver blade, and the orange line disappeared, returning only a part of the energy back to him.

Trying to keep up with Kai, he wanted to use his sword to fend off the following blow, but he couldn’t have expected that the boy would sharply and inhumanly quickly move to the left.

Having reached the aristocrat, Kai went crazy. A wave of energy surged into the parts of the body he needed, making them stronger. Many of his muscles would tear and bones shatter but he had no other choice.

Using the increased strength and speed, Kai attacked from the side but his opponent managed to partially block the blow with his blade.

Two weapons collided again.

Having realized that Kai was using the last bits of his energy for this attack, Kiyan grinned.

“You’ve lost!” he shouted, but then stopped short.

It was a trap.

The sword’s energy, which had been covering and protecting the entire blade, remained in its lower half. There was a crack.

Kai allowed Kiyan to break his blade so that the rest of it could continue toward its target.

“Wait!” the aristocrat shouted, watching in horror, not having time to do anything.

The broken blade sunk into his chest. Its energy poured into his body, seizing his lungs and heart.

Kiyan’s eyes widened in fear and filled with blood. He wanted to do something, but could only stand and stare at the piece of steel in his chest. It soon became impossible to breathe. His heartbeat became irregular and his sword fell out of his hands. His fingers were turning stiff.

“Die,” Kai hissed. He intended to pour even more energy into Kiyan and lower the blade to cut his heart.

BOOM!

A sudden blow broke the bones in his arm.

With great force, Kai was thrown back.

“Brother!” a furious and alarmed male cry rang out.

“Kiyan!” cried another voice, full of despair.

Broken and bruised, Kai somehow managed to land without hurting himself and remain on his feet.

Sliding across the wet ground, Kai came to a halt. Another blow to his head almost disoriented him. Knees trembling, he bent over and vomited blood.

His organs were damaged.

He had no more energy.

His vision was becoming blurry.

Exhausted and confused, he continued to stand, feeling the Fake Face Technique fading away and his true appearance coming back.

“His heart is still beating! We need a healer, urgently! Tao, take him to our house immediately!” someone shouted in the distance.

“Yes!”

Someone’s legs appeared in front of Kai. Suddenly, the person grabbed his hair and pulled his head up. Surrounded by a Mind Endurance aura, a man older than Kiyan, but very similar to him, stared down at him.

His hair was slowly being pulled out of his head. Unfortunately, Kai felt almost nothing at that moment. He was barely conscious after the last blow. Everything around him was foggy.

Overloading his muscles with energy caused an almost complete loss of control over his body. He couldn’t do anything but hang limply.

The stranger’s fist collided with his jaw, knocking out a handful of teeth and blood. Kai fell and almost passed out. A tiny fraction of his consciousness was struggling to remain standing, but it was in vain.

Someone’s steel grip seized his neck from behind and yanked him upward. The man who had hit him was now dragging him Heavens knew where.

“I’ll kill him! I’ll rip his heart out!” sputtered a middle-aged bearded man standing in front of him furiously. “Bring the bastard over here, Shaizan!”

The raging aura at the peak of Soul
Stage made the wounded Kai tremble.

The man who intended to kill Kai was Yavert Yoni, the strongest warrior in the family and its current patriarch... and Kiyan’s father. His palm hit Kai like a sword. Having enveloped it with energy, he intended to pierce Kai’s chest and tear out his heart.

And he had almost succeeded...

Suddenly, there was a deafening explosion. It reminded Kai of a fighter jet overcoming the sound barrier.

Clutching Yavert’s hand with insane force, Jongo stood between him and Kai. His skin emitted steam, making everyone around him feel the heat. His hair was disheveled, and his robe torn. Full of scars, but still solid and powerful, his body arose like a mountain, shielding his wounded grandson. The ground under his feet cracked and sank.

Flames of hatred burned in Jongo’s eyes.

Without turning around, he raised his free hand, pointing his index and middle fingers at Shaizan’s head.

“Move!” Yavert shouted, pulling away his broken arm from Jongo’s grip and dashing forward.

Shaizan reacted immediately.

“Spray Spatter!” Jongo whispered.

Hundreds of beads of water exploded from his fingertips, demolishing a small house that was in their way.

Yavert, however, managed to pull his son away from the blow and throw him to the side.

Everything happened so fast that Kai didn’t even have time to fall to the ground. Jongo caught him and put his palm on his chest.

“Healing Water.”

A small ball sank into Kai’s wounded body, which immediately flared up with energy.

Kai’s injuries began to heal quickly, and he successfully escaped the clutches of death. Gradually, his clouded mind cleared up.

Having woken up, he saw the old man leaning over him and felt heat spread through his body, caressing and restoring his strength. Jongo’s face seemed to have become even older. He looked worn out.

“I...” Kai tried to speak, but the lack of teeth and a broken jaw prevented him from doing so.

“Jongo!” Yavert yelled, Earth-rank sword in his hands. “What is the meaning of this?”

The old man glared at him.

“I’d like to know the same,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “Why the hell have you tried to kill my grandson?!”

“Grandson?” Yavert was taken aback. “So, the little bastard decided to follow in your footsteps? He almost killed my son! That’s what this is about!”

Looking down at Kai, the old man clenched his fists. He saw everything he needed to see in those violet eyes.

“If he did that then he had no other choice. It was you who came to my house, not my grandson who came to yours!”

“What?! How dare you, you bastard?! The life of your brat is worth nothing in comparison to Kiyan’s! And if he had decided to kill him, then he should bow his head and die with dignity! An aristocrat always kills for a reason!”

Jongo clenched his teeth. Blood trickled down his fingers; nails had pierced the skin on his palms from how tightly he was clutching his fists.

“Kiyan is ruthless and insane! Everyone knows that! There are no words to describe his craving for violence and cruelty! You should’ve killed him when he was still a child! Seems that my grandson decided to do what you should’ve done so many years ago!”

Hearing that, Yavert forgot all the rules and laws.

“Shaizan, kill the boy!” he snapped, ready to attack Jongo.

Having risen to his feet on his own, Kai looked at his grandfather.

“I’ll hold him off, so start running. You won’t survive another fight,” Jongo said before jumping at Yavert.

Kai rushed away as quickly as he could, knowing that Jongo was right. He took Kiyan’s sword with him so that he’d have at least some weapon in case Shaizan caught up with him.

Jongo and Yavert collided.

Fist against a sword.

Water versus fire.

Soul
Stage against Soul
Stage.

The street became their battlefield, and all the locals, despite the raging rain and wind, left their homes, hurrying away from the fight.

Yavert possessed various Low-rank techniques and weapons, and he had reached the Hearing Stage on the Path of the Sword. But Jongo didn’t lag behind. He had incredible control over his body and a couple of Earth-rank techniques that were gradually suppressing Yavert.

Each attack cost Yavert new wounds. Slowly but surely, he was losing ground. He had no choice but to use his trump card.

Having distanced himself from Jongo, Yavert used his family’s most valuable technique.

Fire Punishment.

A bolt of lightning ran along his blade. Five fireballs appeared on its tip at once, surrounding it.

“Fire Punishment!” Yavert shouted, activating the technique.

At that moment, five red dots rushed at the healer.

Jongo, who had met with this technique before, didn’t even flinch nor tried to dodge it. Releasing energy from his hands, he took advantage of the weather.

“Water Barrier,” he whispered.

The rain suddenly halted, as if frozen in time. Hovering in the air, the raindrops expanded, connecting with each other and forming a wall of water. It all happened in a heartbeat.

No less than a fist thick, it became an impenetrable obstacle to Yavert’s attack. Each drop, crashing into the barrier, stopped and shattered. The forces of the two techniques were unequal. A lot depended on the quality of their formation and their user. In this aspect, Jongo was superior to Yavert.

In addition to its defensive function, Water Barrier had one more. It could let through any other technique of the one who had created it!

“Spray Spatter!” Jongo continued his attack.

An explosion passed through the wall of water, hitting the unsuspecting Yavert and making him suffer many injuries.

But he was still alive and conscious.

“Your father was much stronger,” Jongo said, standing next to Yavert who was lying on the ground. “If you try to move or use your energy, I’ll attack again...”

A sudden crash caused him to turn his head. Kai flew through a wall. Shaizan was holding him by the neck.

Even at the peak of his strength, he would’ve had no chance of escaping from Yavert’s first son, let alone in his current state. It was a miracle that he was able to elude him this long.

Pressed to the ground, Kai could see what was going on. Shaizan was well aware of it as well.

“Let go of Kai, or I’ll kill your father!” Jongo growled, realizing that things were hanging on a very thin thread.

“Kill him!” Yavert shouted angrily.

Glancing at his wounded father and then at Kai, the confused Shaizan didn’t know what to do. He wanted to kill the bastard who dared hurt his brother, but his father’s life was at stake. Revenge wasn’t worth it. He pondered what to do until a voice suddenly came.

“Good afternoon...”

No one could move.

Between the four warriors appeared...

...the patriarch of the strongest family in the city.

Helios Bayweck.

The only person in Caltea who had surpassed the Soul
Stage and reached the Exorcist level.

Looking at Jongo and Yavert, Kai had no clue what had happened. One moment, he was looking at them, and at the other, Helios was standing between them. It seemed like he had been standing there from the very beginning.

In a dark and stylish suit, with snow-white hair and a very young face, he looked like a teenager. However, he was more than a hundred years old.

The pressure he had released imposed such force that no one, including Jongo, could move. Not even raindrops could touch him. Water simply evaporated a few feet from him under the influence of his incredible power. At the stage he was in, a person could truly be called a martial artist, and not just a warrior or a practitioner.

In Kai’s eyes, Helios looked like a beacon. He had to stop observing his energy lest he risked losing his sight.

“It’s a little noisy here,” Helios went on, for no one else could utter a word. “I can’t allow the head of one of the families, one of the pillars of equilibrium in Caltea to die. Especially at the hands of an old friend. What’s going on here?”

The pressure loosened its hold and returned their voices.

“This peasant nearly killed my brother!” Shaizan squealed, still holding Kai.

Glancing at him, Helios immediately turned back to Yavert. A wave of energy threw Shaizan back, dragging him along the ground. Helios didn’t need a technique to do that, only will and his energy that was so dense that it could easily affect the world around him.

“I see that you still haven’t taught your children manners, Yavert,” he scolded, looking around.

“Helios...” And although he could address him by his first name, Yavert still tried to sound courteous. “Jongo’s grandson dared to attack Kiyan and seriously injure him. Also, it was he who killed our family’s servant two months ago.”

“Kai was only defending himself!” Jongo added.

“Jongo... My old friend... I remember the day you arrived in our city. I remember how we trained and competed with each other. I remember how you approached the threshold of the Exorcist
Stage. And, of course, I remember how you made a mistake and didn’t listen to me. How you killed the previous Yoni patriarch. It was only thanks to my intervention that you weren’t executed but only prevented from developing further. Now, I have no more confidence in you...”

Helios looked at Kai.

“What do you have to say in your defense, boy?”

Kai couldn’t rise from the ground, more because of his wounds than the pressure. And although Jongo had partially healed him, he was still severely injured. He had lost a large quantity of blood, his muscles and ligaments were torn, bones cracked, hip and jaw broken, holes burnt in his body, and he was almost completely out of energy. He was too weak to talk...

He wanted to tell Helios everything about his broken arms and dying in a ditch, about the unjust attempts to cripple him in the qualification round, about Kiyan who attacked him and threatened Julie... But he couldn’t. His body disobeyed, and he had used the last atoms of strength to remain conscious.

He could only stare at Helios.

“I understand...” He nodded as if he was reading Kai’s mind. “I see it all in your eyes. You have a strong spirit... Alas, under the laws of the Alkea Empire, your transgressions are punishable by immediate execution. No matter how noble your intentions were, they can’t justify your actions.”

Helios’s last words made Jongo’s heart sink and his hands shake. His vision darkened. The world started to fade away. He refused to believe this and he couldn’t accept that he had failed to save his grandson. He couldn’t oppose Helios. He couldn’t even move.

“With the authority bestowed upon me by the current emperor, Sigurd, I will be your executioner!” Helios said and walked over to Kai.

So, I’m going to die after all... I was hoping that I could live longer in this world... I didn’t even pay back Julie and Jongo for their kindness. What a pity. But I can say with confidence that I’ve lived to the fullest. I have no regrets. I did what I could, and I still lost... I lost even though I was given a second chance. I hope that no one will be sad about me. I wonder what will follow... If anything.

“Helios,” the pale Jongo grunted with exasperation, causing the man to turn around in surprise. Recklessly strengthening himself with energy, which threatened to shorten his life, and resisting pressure, the healer knelt and bowed to the ground. “I beg for the Blood Atonement!”

A deathly silence fell upon everyone. Even rain didn’t seem to dare to disturb it. Flashes of lightning flickered somewhere far away, but the thunder didn’t reach Caltea.

Surprised, Helios, who had long forgotten about this ancient, but still valid law, looked at Jongo’s wrinkled and pale face with sadness. At the boney, trembling hands and gray hair being ruffled by the wind.

“I’m asking you to give me the right to atone for the sins of my grandson with my own life!”

Kai, who had already prepared himself for death, stared in shock.

He kept hoping that he heard it wrong, or that he was hallucinating due to blood loss, but reality was cruel.

“Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been more confident in a decision in my life!” Jongo answered.

“My hand won’t flinch!” Helios said. He didn’t give a damn about some boy, but he did about his former friend...

“Good, I’d rather not have you need to strike twice,” Jongo cracked a joke despite the fear. Like everyone else, he feared death. But there was something he feared even more.

He couldn’t bear a new loss.

“You...” Helios stumbled, after which the cold look returned to his eyes again. “If this is your wish, then I’ll fulfill it...”

Jongo never straightened his back, resting his forehead on the ground when Helios walked toward him.

It was raining.

Kai somehow found the strength to rise to his hands and knees. The rain washed away the tears from his cheeks.

He wanted to scream. To say that he wasn’t Jongo’s grandson. That he had deceived everyone. That he didn’t deserve his love.

But he couldn’t.

His jaw refused to move. Instead of words, groans and gurgles spilled from his lips.

Hurting, he tried to crawl. It wasn’t his body that ached, but his soul, cracking like glass with each move.

Helios stopped near Jongo.

Wait...

Kai extended his hand to the old man. The wet stone impeded his progress. He flopped back to the ground. Lying with a broken nose and a bloodied face, he never stopped reaching for Jongo.

All he could do was wheeze.

Helios raised his hand in which a blade appeared.

Stop!

“St—” Kai tried to scream, but only coughed blood.

Still trying to get up, he saw Jongo raise his head. He was smiling as always, eyes glimmering with sly mischief. His lips moved silently as if he was trying to say something.

Kai tried to get up, not paying attention to his broken fingernails and numb fingers.

Helios’s raised hand lowered instantly.

KILL ME!

The scream never left his throat.

Smile still on his lips, Jongo’s head rolled on the ground.

The world was enveloped in darkness...

***

The execution was over.

Helios’s pressure disappeared, and Yavert was able to move again.

“The law has been obeyed,” Helios said, standing with his back turned to everyone, looking at the weeping sky. “The boy is innocent! Yavert...”

“You’re mistaken!”

“Are you saying that his death means nothing to you?!” Helios roared, immediately turning around and bringing down the true power of his aura on Yavert, cracking his bones and the ground under him.

“I didn’t... mean that,” he barely uttered, using his inner energy to resist.

“Then what?” Helios pulled himself together, partially reducing the pressure.

“This isn’t the end! The kid is also very talented! And he’ll definitely take revenge, and not just on my family!” Yavert shouted. “Knowing this, I can’t just let him go, even if I have to break the law! Do you have the right to let him go, knowing what could happen to Caltea when he reaches the Exorcist Stage? Believe me, if he could defeat my son, being only at the level of Lung Endurance, then he’ll definitely become very strong in the future!”

Silence fell again...

Helios examined the unconscious Kai, who hadn’t given up until the end, even though he knew there was nothing he could do. He knew that Yavert was right.

“He’ll leave the city,” he said, approaching Kai.

“This’s not enough,” Yavert started but stopped, feeling Helios’s fury.

“Also,” he continued, “I’ll use the Martial Arts Destruction technique.”

The technique he was talking about couldn’t really be called such. It could be considered the most effective weapon against a martial arts practitioner, used to inflict certain injuries upon them. If it were used on him, Kai would never be able to rise above the Mind
Stage.

That was exactly what had happened to Jongo a long time ago. But, unlike Kai, by that time, he had already reached the Soul
Stage, so the technique simply stopped his growth.

For any warrior ardently walking along the path of martial arts, it was equal to death. Only a few could bear it psychologically, continuing to live on with the realization that someone had forever deprived them of the chance to become stronger.

Yavert grimaced. He hoped that the bastard would be killed, or at least left to rot forever in prison. But this was acceptable, too, even though he didn’t really like it. Not like he had a say in the matter. “That’s wise...”

“Forgive me, Jongo, but better that than...” Helios whispered, ignoring Yavert.

Palm turned toward Kai, Helios released energy into his body.

“I’ll be keeping my eye on you,” he warned Yavert and then disappeared together with Jongo’s corpse and Kai.

More precisely, the corpse turned into energy, becoming a part of the world.

On its own, this would take hundreds of years to happen, but with Helios’s intervention, the process was instant. It was a manifestation of the highest degree of respect for a warrior after their death.

Chapter 14
REALITY

Flying over the edge of the forest, a silver falcon noticed something interesting in the foliage below. Folding its wings, the bird plummeted toward the ground, getting closer and closer to the shiny object that was noticeable even from a great height.

Descending, it flapped its wings and moved closer to examine the shiny trinket.

Hidden instincts, that the falcon had inherited from its ancestors, suddenly began to awaken.

Although the bird glanced with caution at the unusual object, an unknown impulse invited it to pick it up, and to do so as soon as possible. Desire increased, and images began to appear. They were talking to the falcon. They said that by taking the little thing and eating it, its life would become much better.

It would become stronger.

It would no longer have to fear the mighty predators and constantly look around while flying. It would no longer have to think about diseases. Its life span would extend, and its descendants would be born strong and resilient.

The silver falcon finally cast aside doubts and caution. The desire for power had prevailed.

Climbing onto the hill where the alluring object was lying, the bird immediately reached for it, ready to swallow.

Alas, its wish wasn’t destined to come true.

Scattering the soil, a long, thin arm burst from the ground. Grabbing the falcon by the head, it stopped the bird’s beak a couple of inches from its prey.

The falcon flapped its wings in an attempt to resist, but it couldn’t escape. Not knowing that its sharp talons had no chance to so much as scratch the pale skin, it struggled to break free.

Its resistance lasted for a few seconds and ended with its skull being crushed. Discarding the carcass, the hand froze. A moment later, the ground began to stir.

Dirty and malnourished to the point of starvation, a man crawled out from the dirt. Pale as chalk, dressed in torn rags and with long black hair, he slowly rose. Then he collapsed, his weak legs unable to support him.

He managed to lean on his hands. Getting on all fours, he noticed a pebble lying on the ground.

Violet eyes observed the brilliant green.

[A Mind-Scaring crystal]

Rank: Earth

Feature: Passive ability [Light Fear Field]

There’s almost no energy left in it, and the crumbs that have remained wouldn’t be enough... But it was enough to attract an animal...

This thought was like a spark that lit up his fogged mind, allowing him to finally notice the old messages flashing in front of him.

Attention! Your body has suffered critical damage!

The host organism has been harmed!

Soul damage has been received.

Fifty soul nodes have been damaged.

Contact with super-dense energy has been recorded!

Activating [Sleeping Blood]...

Progress: 1%...

State of the body: critical

[Sleeping Blood] puts the host in a state of deep, restorative sleep.

Reading, Kai slowly came to his senses. He started thinking about the meaning of the words he had just read.

Where am I? What happened? Why am I here? I can’t remember... I remember the tournament... Getting ready for it... The qualification round... The Crystal... And after that... After that, I...

Tears fell onto the ground.

“Why?” he hissed, digging his fingers into the dirt, remembering the rain and his helplessness. Why am I so weak? Old man... why have you...?

Hitting the ground with his fist and continuing to sob, he rose. Tattered and beaten, with his head bowed and hair obscuring his face, he looked like a walking corpse.

Why is life so cruel? Why would it give me a second chance just to hurt me again?! He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. I just wanted to live in peace! But as soon as I got into this world, I turned out to be a major inconvenience to someone! This isn’t fair...

Throwing his head back, he looked at the sky. His cracked lips curled into a mad grin.

Sky?! Gods?! Or maybe fate?! Kai glared at the void, his bestial grin growing wider. You want to break me?! You mock me and push me around! You think that’s enough?! Keep trying! But beware... Sooner or later, my turn will come... And then... I will crush, and I will grind and I will devour... I’ll burn this world to the fucking ground! I’ll cast into the abyss all those who dare stand in my way!

Shivering and panting, Kai stopped feeling sorry for himself. A sudden wave of energy rushed through his body, causing it to return to its previous state. The pain caused by excess of energy and regeneration was nothing compared to his mental torment.

His back straightened, muscles and bones mended, wounds healed and complexion recovered. Full recovery would take some time, but at least it had started.

A tingle grew inside of him until he started laughing. His laugh was loud and sincere, but at the same time frightening and insane.

I’ll gain great strength, whatever it takes!

Determined, Kai took his first step.

***

For three days, he walked. Sticking to one random direction, Kai never left the forest, which now seemed never-ending. But he was sure that sooner or later, he’d come out somewhere. Thanks to the energy, he didn’t lack food or sleep, and he hadn’t yet encountered any dangers. So he walked... and walked...

Constantly absorbing external energy with his whole body to restore strength, he suddenly felt it started to strengthen his organs. He was finally returning to his former state.

Due to the sudden awakening of Sleeping Blood, his regeneration had moved to a new level and now there were almost no traces left from his battle with Kiyan; his broken teeth had started to grow back. The restoration of his strength was almost done.

But something about himself seemed strange to Kai, so he decided to turn to the System.

Stats

Age: 15

Race: human

Status: mortal

Stage: /

Level: /

Characteristics

• Power: 3.16

• Speed: 3.17

• Endurance: 3.89

• Stamina: 5.0

• Mind: 2.93

• Energy: 4.64

Abilities

• [Breath of Force]

Rank: Low

• [Fake Face Technique]

Rank: Low

Force

Unknown

Features and equipment

Unlocked:

[Awakening of the Sleeping Blood]

Progress: 11%

The increase in endurance he attributed to the increased regeneration. The new section that appeared didn’t really surprise him. However, he couldn’t say the same about the absence of information about his stage and level. Listening to his aura, he didn’t feel even the slightest fluctuations on the level of Lung Endurance.

After about half an hour of self-searching, Kai found that the most logical answer coincided with his instincts. It was most likely that the power of his Body Endurance Stage had increased due to the awakening of Sleeping Blood.

He could now absorb a double amount of energy. This meant that he had reached only around seventy-five percent of Lung Endurance and was slowly inching closer to the old stage.

The situation was the same for the rest of the Endurance stages. Where he once had fifty-five percent, now he had a little over forty.

But the decline in the level didn’t bother him: his previous characteristics were still there. The increase in the maximum endurance limit was only a plus.

What he couldn’t understand, however, was what had activated Sleeping Blood? Judging by the logs, it could’ve happened due to contact with dense energy. But what did that mean? Could someone simply pour their power into him?

Jongo’s treatment was hardly the reason behind it...

Then what was it?

Kai suspected only one person — Helios Bayweck. Only his energy could be described as super-dense. But what was his energy doing in Kai’s body? And what did the damage report mean?

There were so many questions but no answers whatsoever.

Suddenly, Kai thought about something else.

How much time had he spent unconscious?

Fortunately for him, the System had the answer to that question.

Ninety-nine days?! What the actual fuck?!

He had spent more than three months blacked out in an unfamiliar place!

How...? What...? Why...?

Questions were swarming in Kai’s head. The only assumption that he could make was that Sleeping Blood took quite some time to level (or activate?).

Time passed, miles melted away. Walking non-stop, presumably south, by the dawn of the fourth day, Kai finally found something — a village appeared in the distance. Finally, he had reached civilization. And although energy had helped him keep fatigue and hunger at bay, he wouldn’t say no to food and rest. A change of clothes wouldn’t hurt either. The shabby piece of cloth that was covering him could barely be called a rag.

Most importantly, he wanted to know where he was. He didn’t forget about Julie, but he had no clue what had happened to her during his absence. Having caused Jongo’s death, he had no right to leave her alone.

And he wanted to get revenge.

However, things weren’t so simple. Having approached the village, Kai saw nothing but desolation and ruins, which made him suspicious. The inexplicably tense atmosphere made him feel uneasy. Entering the village, he found it deserted.

A battle had been fought on its streets.

But the damage wasn’t done by sword or fist, but by claw and fang.

A few minutes later, he found a body, more precisely, its lower part, lying near one of the wooden houses. The stench made him want to vomit, but he couldn’t squeeze anything out of himself except for air.

Having pulled himself together, he examined the remains. The corpse had been lying here for at least a week. Considering that no one had removed it, things didn’t bode well for Kai. Perhaps there was no one here except for him...

Unable to do anything for the poor soul or the village, he took advantage of the situation and decided to seek shelter in one of the largest houses. Luck smiled upon him, bestowing upon him some clothes and shoes. They even fit.

Unfortunately, Kai found no food or weapons in that or any other house. He knew that the chance of them having refrigerators in this world was nonexistent, but he didn’t understand how there were absolutely no supplies. Weren’t there supposed to be some kind of grains or vegetables stocked up for the winter?

But the claw marks in places where reserves were supposed to be kept explained that the monsters that had attacked the village didn’t only feed on humans.

Not liking any of this, Kai decided to leave as soon as possible. All he needed to do was find the road leading to another settlement and move on.

Having got out on the street, he came face to face with a creature that was possibly one of the culprits behind the disaster.

A ten-feet-tall, dog-like and at the same time anthropomorphic creature, weighing at least several hundred pounds, stood some thirty feet away from the house Kai had come out from.

[Yellow Spotted Gnoll]

Stage: Body

Level: Heart Endurance

Wow, what an informative description, he thought sarcastically. Any dumbass can see that it’s yellow and that it has spots! Even without the system, he could feel its power. He remembered Gnolls from video games and books.

Characteristics

• Power: 2.7

• Speed: 2.35

• Endurance: 4.1

• Stamina: 2.98

• Mind: 0.3

• Energy: 2.79

Except for Mind, its characteristics were impressive. At least for a simple man of the same level. But, on the other hand, until the Soul Stage, monsters didn’t use energy at all in battle. They didn’t possess a human mind either.

So, with decent skills, experience, and weapons, an average Heart Endurance fighter could cope with this monster.

For Kai, it was barely a threat.

Having noticed potential prey, the Gnoll attacked the boy. Neither intuition, nor instinct, nor even the System could tell this monster the true strength of the person standing in front of it. The reckless animal saw only food.

Kai didn’t even break a sweat fighting it. Having simply moved aside and dodged the clicking jaws, he landed a couple of powerful and well-aimed blows to certain parts of its body, making it whine and then die.

Certain that one Gnoll wouldn’t be able to terrorize an entire village alone, Kai suspected that its relatives were lurking nearby.

Unfortunately, at the Body Stage, in animals that had become monsters or were born as such, a Crystal didn’t form. So Kai walked away from the corpse without even trying to look for something useful in it.

Moving further along the main street, he soon stumbled upon a rickety wooden sign with the name of the settlement.

Trisgar.

Kai was certain that he had heard that name before — it was the village near the abandoned mine he was supposed to investigate.

Oh the irony...

Having found out the name of the village, Kai now knew that he was northeast of Caltea, and that he was right thinking that monsters had ransacked the place. However, five months had passed from the moment the task had appeared in the guild.

Having realized that, Kai felt his heart sink. He could’ve saved all these people simply by spending a couple of days exploring that damned mine. If he had just made sure that there were monsters roaming about, someone from the guild would’ve exterminated them for a decent reward.

But why had no one bothered to take up the task for five months, except for him?

Suddenly, there came a sharp whistle followed by laughter. From the side of the road leading into the distance, a pair of Gnolls rushed toward him. One was the same as the one Kai had just killed, but the second was one level higher, which was why it moved faster.

Cruelty flashed in the violet eyes. Feeling responsible for all the deaths, he decided to deal with these monstrosities once and for all.

Without hesitation, acting solely on instinct, he rushed forward as soon as the first monster got close enough.

Carried by inertia, the beast’s body fell to the ground, rolling a couple of times before halting. A head with a bloodied muzzle fell nearby.

Acting subconsciously, Kai didn’t immediately figure out what had happened. But then he saw his bloodied hand. Energy had coated it, turning it into a sword.

Seeing what fate his kin had met, the second Gnoll started slowing down. However, having already accelerated too much, it failed to stop. It couldn’t run away, and soon two carcasses were lying on the ground.

After the battle, Kai stared in surprise at his hand. Before his eyes, energy twisted and turned into the finest threads, intertwined like a braid, and circled around his hand without touching the skin.

He recalled where he had seen a similar way of using energy before.

Yavert Yoni.

Kai grinned. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger, right?

Since he was unconsciously able to apply this skill, he wanted to try out something else — the Fire Punishment technique.

Thanks to his abilities and memory, he had a detailed understanding of the formation of this technique so he decided to try to recreate it.

Unfortunately, he didn’t have a weapon that would act as a medium, so he decided to use his hand instead of a blade.

Having taken a deep breath and exhaled, Kai focused and slowly began to form strands of energy. Tens, hundreds, and then a thousand. Exactly the amount Kiyan had used.

The threads weaved into certain patterns along their entire length.

Gradually, starting at his wrist, an orange strip began to appear, and after a minute of crawling upward at a leisurely pace, it stopped at the tip of Kai’s index finger. Only then did he understand why Kiyan had used this technique through a sword. Even the slightest inaccuracy in the weave or even a split second of carelessness would lead to the destruction of the entire structure and serious injuries due to an uncontrolled surge of power. For a weapon, such a surge was a trifle that couldn’t so much as put a dent in a piece of iron.

Luckily, Kai had gotten used to taking risks long ago.

After the formation of the orange strip, he began to release energy, which turned out to be extremely difficult due to the difference in the environment. Soon, the outer shell of the sphere slowly formed, and then it took Kai another three minutes to fill it before the technique was completed.

The sphere was enveloped in flames.

Having wiped the sweat off his face, Kai smiled. It was great for his first attempt. He doubted that he would’ve succeeded if he hadn’t had much control over energy. He wasn’t sure if he could’ve created and maintained such a number of threads if he were an ordinary warrior. Luckily, with his abilities, it wasn’t a problem.

Having looked around, Kai chose a target and pointed the finger with the sphere at the corpse of one of the Gnolls.

“Fire Punishment!”

For a moment, he felt some discomfort. Starting the attack, the rotating sphere, like a vacuum cleaner, sucked in some energy from its owner. Kai resisted instinctively, but then he came to his senses and went with the flow.

His energy was transformed in a special way under the sphere’s influence and without Kai’s intervention. A red dot flew out of the fiery ball.

A moment later, a hole appeared in the corpse’s chest.

Joy filled Kai’s heart, but he tried to play it cool.

You have mastered the [Fire Punishment Technique].

Rank: Earth

Progress: 100%

The System reminded Kai of its existence as soon as he fired the shot, confirming that he had obtained a new skill.

He spent several more minutes testing it.

As it turned out, the creation of the sphere required energy that equaled to about a unit of energy, and each shot cost a fourth of it. Having done some simple math, Kai realized that with his energy reserve he could use this technique up to seven times.

Having spent half of his energy, he decided to take some time to recover before going to the mine. Choosing one of the least-destroyed houses to serve as his temporary shelter, he headed inside.

Chapter 15
THE MINE

When he reached one of the large, one-story houses that were typical of this village, Kai tried to open the door. It was locked, but he didn’t let that discourage him. One kick, and the weak barrier flew off its hinges.

Kai stepped inside and reacted reflexively.

Having deflected an attack, he grabbed his opponent by the throat. However, he came to his senses before enveloping his arm in sword energy and tightening the grip. Suddenly, something jabbed him in the thigh and even cut his trousers, but failed to break through the skin.

“Stop, please! I surrender!” A terrified, middle-aged man raised his hands and begged for mercy, feeling the powerful grip on his throat. At the same moment, on Kai’s left, appeared a gaunt six-year-old with a knife, which soon fell out of his tiny hands with a loud clatter.

“Take your hands off my dad!” the boy cried, eyes ablaze with unyielding perseverance. Overcoming his fear, he bent down, ready to pick up the knife and try again.

“Villen, stop! Don’t be silly!” the man shouted. The boy, obeying only partially, picked up the knife, but refrained from attacking. Not willing to give up until his father was released, he pointed the blade at Kai.

There was something familiar in the boy’s expression.

It was the same strong will he himself had once had...

Survivors?

Having taken a deep breath, Kai regained his composure. Nothing here posed a threat to him.

“Why did you attack me?” he asked, releasing the man’s neck.

Without taking his eyes off the stranger who barged in and rubbing his reddened skin, he answered, “I saw you raiding the other houses. And you broke our door. What else should I do?”

“And you thought that you could defeat me?” Kai asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I couldn’t feel your aura from afar, so I didn’t think that you’d be stronger than me. Please, don’t hurt my children!” the man begged, shielding his son with his body. “You can take anything you want!”

The man had a weak, almost-insignificant aura of the Lung Endurance level. It was unlikely that he could achieve more, but it was enough for him to become stronger than ordinary people.

But wait... Did he say children?

Having quickly glanced around, Kai discovered a small head and pair of frightened eyes peering at him from the basement.

Noticing where Kai was looking, the man became even more nervous. Ready to trade his life for that of his son and daughter, he crept closer to the intruder.

Being the only one amused by the situation, Kai grinned.

“Old man, what’s your name?”

“Ri...Rimus.”

“Well, Rimus... You’ve seen how I dealt with the Gnolls. Once again, why did you attack me?”

The man seemed genuinely surprised.

“You... killed those creatures?” He couldn’t believe it. “No, I haven’t seen that. I thought that you were just an ordinary guy...”

What?

Kai took another look around the place. Recalling the layout of the village, he realized that Rimus couldn’t have possibly witnessed his battle through any of the windows of this room.

“I see...” He sighed and pointed a finger at his chest. “I’m Kai... And I have absolutely no intention of hurting any of you. I’ve raided some of the houses because I was in dire need of new clothes and because I haven’t eaten for a very long time. I came to your place to get some rest and restore my energy, that’s all... You said that I can take anything, right? Do you have any food?”

Even though he had relaxed for a moment, Rimus started feeling tense again. A stranger, much stronger than he, appeared in his house. He didn’t know what this stranger wanted and he feared that he wouldn’t be able to protect his children in case anything happened. Rimus couldn’t afford to lower his guard for a second. If he had to, he’d sacrifice himself to give his children a chance to escape.

But it was dangerous outside, too. Where would they go?

“We have almost nothing left.” Having realized the hopelessness of the situation, Rimus decided to resist. “I eat almost nothing, but the children... Without food they’ll... they’ll...”

“Fine, fine, I won’t take it, I’ll manage with energy.” Kai waved his hand. Sleeping Blood, which had increased to eleven percent, allowed him to feed on energy for a significant amount of time. “If you don’t mind, I’ll meditate here. I’ll leave once I’m done.”

Having said that, Kai sat down and assumed the lotus position. He closed his eyes and began absorbing the surrounding energy with maximum efficiency. In his experience, it’d take at least an hour and a half to recover those two and a half points of energy he had spent on his experiment.

To others, Kai looked like an eccentric. He had broken into someone’s house, scared everyone, and now he was sitting quietly and meditating. Luckily, the front door was the only casualty of this unusual encounter.

Rimus ordered his children to return to the basement. He himself sat near the intruder, set on keeping his eye on him. But as time passed, Rimus gradually calmed down. The stranger truly didn’t seem to mean any harm.

Tired of sitting in silence, Rimus gathered some courage and asked, “Tell me, why don’t I feel your aura, even though you’ve defeated me so easily?”

Defeated? You didn’t even try to fight me... Kai almost blurted out.

Not knowing how to answer, he simply lied.

“It’s because of my technique...” He wasn’t about to tell him that his unique ability allowed him to hide his true level.

Rimus was surprised.

“Really? Is that possible?”

Kai himself wasn’t sure if such techniques existed, but he wanted to stick to that story.

“Many things are possible,” he answered Rimus. “Tell me, how long ago did the monsters attack the village? How did you survive? They can smell their prey so I’m curious as to why they’ve left you alone.”

Rimus bowed his head. The humility with which he told his story surprised Kai.

“It started almost half a year ago. The hunters began to notice strange tracks in the forest, and then, from time to time, we’d hear frightening roars at night. Everyone donated as much coin as they could, given that we usually earned two hundred coppers[1] a month per peasant, and we sent our leader to Caltea to ask the Mercenary Guild for help. After some time, we learned that someone accepted the task, but then did nothing about it for two whole months, and then completely gave up on it.” Rimus noticed Kai tense up, but he interpreted the man’s reaction in his own way. “Yes, we were also furious, but there was nothing we could do. Months passed. Children, afraid, remained hidden inside almost all the time, while the rest of the people worked in the field despite the danger. Some even left the village. But, then, a little over a week ago, the monsters came to the village...”

Clenching his fists, the helpless Rimus relived those terrible events. There were visible traces of sleep deprivation on his sunken face. His eyes were red and there were dark circles under them. Even when he did sleep, nightmares wouldn’t let him rest in peace.

“I was too afraid to look out the window, but by the screams and roars, it seemed to me that there were at least a hundred monsters out there. They gobbled up almost everyone in one night. We... We were hiding in the basement. But then it all died down and I thought that we were safe... But then... Then the Gnolls started coming to the village from time to time. Every time I looked through the curtains, I was sure that one of them would turn around and notice me. I would stop breathing, and my heart would get stuck in my throat. And although I’m the only martial artist practitioner in Trisgar, I haven’t been able to do anything. Fear got the best of me... We were lucky to have survived only because of my father’s gift. He, unlike his incompetent son, was able to achieve at least something...” Rimus bowed his head.

If only I had gone on that mission... Kai cursed himself. Since this happened because of me, I should at least deal with the monsters. I don’t want this to turn into an even greater tragedy. Why has no one noticed the horrors that are happening in their neighborhood? Where are Caltea’s authorities looking?

“The gift... Was it an item of sorts?” he asked after a brief pause.

Rimus shrunk and became wary. He shouldn’t talk about it. He should lie. But he didn’t know how. What had already been said couldn’t be unsaid. And since the stranger now knew about the item, it wasn’t worth denying its existence. He didn’t know how the man would react...

“It’s this.” Rimus pulled a small board from his pocket, thick as a thumb and four inches long.

Kai, who had been sitting with his eyes closed up until now, suddenly opened them.

[Ancient Wooden Amulet]

Rank: Earth

Feature: Passive ability [Distorted Perception Field]

Having taken a look at the item through the prism of energy, Kai noticed how the energy spreading from the Amulet enveloped the entire house. It was like in those pictures from physics textbooks depicting Earth’s magnetic field.

Kai also saw the Amulet’s energy structure. It was based on a special ornamental script, repeating in detail the symbols carved on the board. Kai had already encountered something like this on some goods in the trading house and on Kiyan’s silver blade. Such symbols were like smaller versions of techniques carved into items by their creators. A Low-rank item, with the help of a necessary and suitable symbol could be upgraded to an Earth-rank one.

Kai paused to think.

“My father found it during one of his travels through the ancient and dangerous ruins of Alkea, but he didn’t need a charm, so he sent it to me as a gift. You simply fill it with energy. The more you pour, the bigger the field becomes. I try to keep it full, which is why the Gnolls haven’t paid any attention to us. But what I can’t understand is how you noticed our house.”

The answer was simple — due to his unique ability. Nodding to himself, Kai disappeared.

“What?! Hey! Where are you?!” Rimus asked, looking around in fright. Some unknown force made him look away from where Kai was sitting.

Wait, that’s not where he was...

Rimus forced himself to focus on the right place. Resisting the effects of the technique, he saw Kai smiling.

“How... how did you do that ?!” blurted the stunned Villen. Peeping from under the basement hatch, he was the first to break free of the technique and spot Kai.

“It doesn’t matter...” Kai dispelled the effect of the symbol and stopped hiding.

You have mastered the [Symbolic Technique: Distorted Perception Field].

Rank: Earth

Progress: 100%

Mastering this technique wasn’t that difficult for him due to his abilities. He was one step closer to annihilating the Gnolls.

However, Kai’s new skill was different from those he had previously learned.

The reason for this was the division of techniques into two types.

There were the conventional ones, such as Fire Punishment and Spray Spatter, which were created by weaving threads into shapes, and symbolic techniques. For these techniques, the threads of energy had to be intertwined into a special symbol. It was these techniques that were imbued into items, giving them passive or active features.

The number of symbolic techniques was much bigger than the number of conventional ones, but they were more limited in their functionality. Any symbolic technique was hundreds of times more complicated to use than a conventional one, which was why they were used only on items. In contrast to the changeable state of energy inside a person, in an object, it was practically frozen, which made it possible to take long breaks in the process of creating a symbol.

This was why no one had used symbolic techniques on their body. Even if there were someone smart and capable enough to reduce the complexity and lengthy process of transforming a symbol to the level of a conventional technique, such a person wouldn’t master such techniques and use them for fighting.

There were three reasons for this.

Firstly, it was dangerous, because the tiniest imprecision could cause everything to backfire.

Secondly, symbols were weaker and not as effective in the form of a conventional technique, which wasn’t suitable for implementation in items.

The third reason was derived from the first two: no one even thought about learning such techniques for personal use. Since it was an important legacy, this knowledge was secretly passed down in aristocratic families from generation to generation, keeping the symbols hidden.

And it would’ve remained so had Kai not appeared in this world.

With his unique ability, revealing the secrets of any item was a piece of cake.

“Here’s what I would like to know,” Kai said. “Why did no one from Caltea ever show up? It can’t be that the authorities don’t care at all. The Guild would’ve certainly sent someone as soon as they found out about the monsters. So, why?”

Rimus didn’t seem surprised by the question.

“Our village was founded when they discovered a copper deposit in the area. But when it was depleted, the mine was closed. However, Trisgar didn’t cease to exist. If you don’t count the distant forts on the border with the wild lands, then we’re the most remote settlement in the northeast. To get from us to Caltea would take you at least a month on horseback.” Rimus sighed sadly. “So even if they have somehow found out about us, they won’t get here any time soon...”

Now everything fell into place. Kai was beating himself up about this.

Having finally restored the supply of his inner energy, he rose, intending to leave.

“There are no weapons here, right?”

“Villen wouldn’t have used a simple knife when you broke in if there were.”

The serious boy nodded vigorously.

“I see,” Kai said indifferently, striding toward the broken door covering the entrance. “Goodbye then!”

“Wait! Please, Kai, wait!”

“What?”

“Let us come with you, I’m begging you. I have nothing valuable except this Amulet, but if you help us get to at least the neighboring village, I’ll give it to you!” Having noticed Kai’s indifference, Rimus freaked out a little, not wanting to miss his chance. “Here, these are almost all my savings! There are fifteen silver coins, take them all, but please protect us!”

Kai looked at the kneeling man who was begging him to save him and his children from this nightmare.

“No.”

His harsh and cold tone made Rimus freeze. Although his heart was beating like crazy, everything inside him died. Hope gone, he sat on the floor, unable to say anything.

However, unlike him, Villen couldn’t come to terms with this.

“Why?!” the boy cried, staring at Kai with tears welling up in his eyes. “Father is offering to give you everything that we have, and he’s kneeling in front of you, so why won’t you take us with you? Aren’t you strong? Maybe you’ve deceived us and you didn’t actually kill any monsters? You’re a liar!”

Kai grinned. “I refused only because I’m going to a much more dangerous place. If you want to get out of here, follow the main road in a few hours. You won’t meet any monsters on your way.”

Rimus suddenly jerked out of his despair and looked at Kai, realizing that he was going to exterminate the Gnolls.

“Oh, and, don’t tell anyone about me,” the young man added before leaving.

***

According to the map of the region that Kai had memorized while he still lived in Jongo’s place, the abandoned mine was located south of Trisgar. After an hour and a half of walking quickly, Kai found himself at a crossroads.

On a relatively large road sign hung two pointers. One pointed to the mine. Kai couldn’t help but wonder how did the Gnolls get there. A tunnel, perhaps? He didn’t know, but he suspected that he would soon find out.

The second pointer indicated a path to the southwest. The inscription, crookedly carved on the wooden board, aroused many conflicting feelings.

Caltea.

The city in which he was reborn. The city in which he nearly died...

Putting his foot on the carcass of a defeated Gnoll and resting his elbow on his knee, Kai propped his head on his hand and waited.

Having encountered the monster at the crossroads, he decided not to kill it right away. Cutting off its limbs, he gave it plenty of time to roar in pain, which turned out to be quite unpleasant for his ears.

By doing this, he intended to lure the rest of the Gnolls to him.

And so he did.

They flocked at him from all sides. Almost all of them were at the Heart Stage, but there were a couple of stronger ones as well. Still, they didn’t pose a serious threat to Kai.

A dozen Gnolls surrounded the corpse of their fallen brother and twisted their disgusting faces in search of the killer. But no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t find anything. Kai, who was thirty feet away and who had hidden himself with the help of a technique, was preparing for battle.

Suddenly, one of the monsters fell on the ground, its head split in two.

Some of the Gnolls managed to notice a human figure. They quickly rushed at it, but it suddenly disappeared.

To attack the Gnolls, Kai used Invisible Cut. Having remembered and “studied” Kiyan’s technique after leaving Trisgar, he realized that it’d be much more effective than Fire Punishment against the Gnolls. The latter was an overkill and required too much energy and effort to be wasted on such measly creatures.

In the case of Invisible Cut, everything depended on the amount of energy imbued into the symbol before activation. It cost much less and it could be used several times. The limit, however, was thirty times, as Kai’s reserve couldn’t handle more.

Unfortunately for Kai, in the heat of battle he discovered that two symbolic techniques couldn’t be active at the same time. To combat that, he deactivated Distorted Perception for a moment, allowing the Gnolls to discover his position. But he remained calm and quickly regained his invisibility.

Kai spent the rest of the fight using only his energy-imbued hands. He could maintain this technique for about two hours, and invisibility for half an hour. He wanted to save energy so that he was ready to face a real foe.

Unable to detect their enemy, the monsters died one after another, screaming plaintively under the mortal blows.

The battle was over in a matter of minutes.

An hour later, Kai finally approached the territory of the old mine. He was certain that there were much more serious opponents waiting for him there.

Chapter 16
THE WAY DOWN

Kai swung his hand sharply. Having failed to notice the enemy and not even having time to scream, the Gnoll dropped on the ground. Hearing a strange noise, the second beast turned around, but something invisible pierced its chest. Its eyes turned glassy. By the time it fell to the ground, the third opponent had perished.

The bloodstained Kai appeared between the corpses.

Having dealt with the three of them, he cut the energy supply to Distorted Perception. He seemed puzzled.

This small group met him when he had almost gotten to the mine. But what was strange was the direction in which the creatures fled. They had been moving north, toward the area where Kai had finished off a group of dozen Gnolls.

Was it really a coincidence that they went in that direction in such an organized manner? Kai didn’t know, but he hoped it was.

But that wasn’t all that seemed weird to the young man. For the entire time he was walking toward the mine, he encountered no other Gnolls except those three. He began to suspect that something shady was going on in that mine.

Why did the monsters return there after they had destroyed the village? All the blood traces led to the mine.

What’s going on here?

Having decided not to torture himself with questions he had no answers to, Kai moved on. By keeping an eye on his surroundings, he could easily spot the energy of any potential opponent before they noticed him. Observing the world through his “energy vision,” the trees on the side of the road were no longer an obstacle; the Gnolls looked like fireflies in the distance.

The next half an hour passed quietly. Kai didn’t run into anyone. In the distance, he could see the old, rickety wooden fence of the mine.

Activating Distorted Perception, he rushed forward to maximize the use of every drop of energy he had put into the technique.

Choosing the tree closest to the fence, Kai climbed onto it without any problems, intending to explore the surroundings. Having climbed higher, he looked around and deactivated Distorted Perception.

He had a great view of the wide, dark shaft of the mine, hollowed out in a small rock. The door was made of steel, but it had time to thoroughly rot and was now lying a few feet away from the entrance. Judging by the scratches on the frame, the door had been broken from the inside.

What Kai couldn’t understand was why the Gnolls at the entrance, lined up in three rows, were standing still like soldiers.

Kai couldn’t believe what he was seeing ― more than thirty of them were staring straight in front of the entrance with empty, glassy eyes.

Like statues, frozen in time.

“What the hell?” he whispered to himself.

Kai spent more than twenty minutes staring at them, but the Gnolls didn’t so much as blink. An untrained eye could’ve mistaken them for realistic statues, made to scare people away from the mine, but Kai could see that they were very much alive and full of energy.

Having wasted enough time, he decided to check if he was right.

“Invisible Cut,” he said quietly.

Having formed the energy blade, he immediately activated Distorted Perception. Due to the peculiarities of the technique, he didn’t have to use the activation phrase. It activated automatically, immediately after pouring a minimum amount of energy into the symbol.

Dreading to be discovered by so many Gnolls, Kai hurried to hide.

The attack didn’t stop. Having cut down six of them, it hit the ground, leaving a distinct mark. The weak flesh stood no chance against it. Kai had poured too much energy into it.

Without hesitation, the remaining Gnolls simultaneously turned their heads and looked indifferently at the massacred bodies of their fellow brethren.

What followed made Kai shudder in disgust even though he had seen a lot in this short life of his.

The Gnolls devoured the bloodied remains. Having finished their lunch, they lined up again as if nothing had happened. All that was left of their meal were gnawed bones and puddles of blood.

Kai waited patiently for another hour — the summer sun was approaching its zenith, making him sweat — but absolutely nothing happened. The Gnolls, as if hypnotized, continued to stand still.

Another massacre ensued.

Having dealt with the “guards,” Kai gained access to the mine. But first, he needed to restore his reserve. Using Distorted Perception and simultaneously absorbing external energy was impossible even if he could absorb it all in one breath. Mixing the two different energies threatened to destroy the symbol. Usually, the symbol would dissolve after the ability was deactivated, but damaging it could lead to an explosion inside the body.

After completing a meditation session in a secluded corner, Kai finally entered the tunnel. A few dozen steps later, he had to activate his energy vision; without it, he couldn’t see further than his own nose.

Walking cautiously down the old and damp tunnel, Kai was ready to react at any moment. The deeper he went, the darker it became. The air was stale, and each new step seemed to echo like a drum beat. Even a very cold-blooded person would feel uncomfortable in such a place.

At some point, Kai stumbled over some kind of bump, invisible in the dark, and heard rustling from somewhere in front of him. His heart started beating in panic, and he immediately activated Distorted Perception. Frozen in place, arms enveloped with energy, Kai peered ahead, trying to locate the source of the noise. But in the violet fog, as Kai saw energy, nothing stirred.

Having spent some time standing in silence, he decided to move on. A couple of steps later, he heard the same rustle. However, this time, he located its source. The sand falling on his head explained everything.

“Idiot...” Kai scolded himself for being too stupid — it was an ordinary bat.

Having taken a few deep breaths, Kai calmed his tense nerves and picked up his pace. Trying not to stumble again, he moved his feet carefully.

Too bad I don’t have a torch. Normally they would be fixed on the walls, so that the workers could see where they were mining and watch their step as they carried the ore back to the surface. However, even at the entrance, Kai had noticed that the sconces were missing.

It would be dangerous to walk around with a torch anyway. Monsters would spot him easily. He had the upper hand in the dark.

There are no mining carts or rails here... Kai noticed. Why haven’t I met anyone yet? It can’t be that I’ve already dealt with all of the monsters! There should be more of them! Are they hiding somewhere deeper? But why?

Deeper and deeper he went without the intention of stopping. When he saw the task in the Guild, he felt like he had to accept it. And when he ended up in Trisgar, the feeling only grew stronger. For some reason, he didn’t want to resist it, so he listened to his gut.

Soon, Kai found himself in front of three tunnels.

Ten minutes after he had chosen the central one, he came across something disgusting. Decaying limbs of a Gnoll lay in the middle of the passage. Judging by how they had been separated from the body, one could be certain that a human hadn’t killed the beast.

Do they kill each other?

Holding his breath so that he wouldn’t have to breathe in the horrible stench, Kai pressed on. He kept thinking about how old the mine was.

After a while, he finally stumbled upon what he had been looking for ― a purple silhouette of a Gnoll. Only when Kai came closer, did the Gnoll at the Skin Endurance level smell his presence and wake up.

When the monster opened its eyes, Kai approached it with the intention to strike. Surrounded by energy, his hand darted toward the wooly neck and... was deflected by a powerful paw.

But Kai wasn’t taken aback.

“Invisible Cut!”

For a split second, Kai thought that just a moment before death, sparks of a genuine sense of reason flashed in the creature’s eyes...

That was dangerous. This was the first time that I’ve met a Gnoll of this level. It was able to resist such dense energy and it even reacted to the attack. I should be more careful.

Moving on, he felt a surge of energy. Even a tad of it was enough to dispel the severity of the gloomy atmosphere. The excitement of the battle invigorated his spirit. He felt like sunlight was caressing his skin again, and like his lungs were full of fresh air.

He continued to walk deeper into the mine, often having to make a choice of which path to take in this labyrinth.

What a strange mine. Do they really build them like this? He was surprised at the amount of forks and crossroads.

He wasn’t afraid that he’d get lost, because he perfectly remembered his route. Kai had no clue how deep down he had gone, but at some point, he noticed that the air had grown stuffy and warm.

At the next bend, Kai stopped abruptly, realizing that he had almost missed a rather inconspicuous path. He wouldn’t have discovered it if he hadn’t seen a lot of purple dots in the depths of this passage.

Using Distorted Perception, he made his way inside. As it soon turned out, there were thirty-four slumbering Gnolls in there, all at the level of Bone Endurance. Fortunately, Distorted Perception influenced all senses, so they couldn’t even smell him.

All of them are at the Bone Endurance level. This is dangerous even for me. If I kill one, then the others will probably wake up... Kai thought. But why are they sleeping all huddled up together? Maybe they’re nocturnal? But why were they in the village during the day then? Why haven’t I seen any on my way here? What’s going on here?!

Standing between the rows of sleeping monsters, Kai pointed his hands at them. A second of preparation, and...

Invisible Cut!

Although it was impossible to use two symbolic techniques at the same time, it was possible to use the same technique twice in a row. He simply created a symbol in each hand, which allowed him to launch two attacks at once.

A pair of energy blades flew toward the Gnolls. Cutting through both their flesh and incredibly strong bones, they killed the monsters one by one. Blood spattered, following the nasty squelching and cracking sound.

Before the blades started losing their momentum and energy, they managed to put at least two dozen monsters to rest. The remaining ones Kai defeated without the technique.

For this battle, he had to spend almost four units of energy, and he had a little more than half left. If an ordinary warrior at the level of Bone Endurance were in his shoes, they wouldn’t have been able to carry out even the first two attacks. They simply wouldn’t have had enough energy.

Unless said warrior was an aristocrat.

Kai couldn’t deny that Kiyan Yoni was strong. Brutally strong! Even without his Earth-rank blade, he could’ve easily dealt with these Gnolls, perhaps even faster than Kai had.

The only reason why he was able to defeat the aristocrat was that mysterious feeling that gave him incredible power for a short period of time. Without it, he would’ve died after the third Fire Punishment attack, failing not only to see its weakness but to react at all.

Kai still couldn’t understand how he had managed to stop Kiyan’s deadly attack.

Having dealt with the Gnolls, Kai had a look around. It turned out that he wasn’t in a tunnel, as he had thought, but in a small, dead-end cave.

Since there was nothing more to do here, he decided to replenish his energy, and then take a break. The constant use of “energy vision” put a great strain on his mind.

Alas, he didn’t get to do this.

His intuition shouted that he was in danger, and Kai moved to the side reflexively. A Gnoll rolled past him.

The creature was at the Mind Stage!

Having decided to use Distorted Perception and the last of his energy reserves in the hope of quickly ending the battle, Kai didn’t expect the Gnoll to be able to determine even his approximate location.

However, the Gnoll attacked, hitting right where Kai stood. He had to quickly dodge to avoid it.

Only after Kai had imbued three times more energy into the symbol did the Gnoll cease to notice him. But it continued running around, trying to find its enemy.

I need to finish this as soon as possible!

A hail of deadly blows hit the Gnoll, that, by some miracle, managed to block and dodge. It howled and growled, trying to fight back, but still couldn’t find its opponent. This, however, didn’t stop it from feeling that it was in danger.

And although its upper limbs were torn off and in unbearable pain, it still didn’t allow Kai to reach its vital organs. However, primal as it was, it was still aware that death was imminent.

The battle would’ve continued for a couple more minutes if something unexpected hadn’t happened. Suddenly, the Gnoll started running, trying to escape. Heavily wounded, but without any critical injuries, it moved at considerable speed.

“You won’t run away, you bastard!” Kai shouted and rushed after it. He wanted to finish it off before it could get help.

And although it was a difficult task to achieve, Kai tried to restore some of his energy on the run. He had had to turn off Distorted Perception as his reserve was practically empty.

Keeping his eyes on the target, Kai didn’t slow down. The same couldn’t be said for the Gnoll, however. Although it could somehow navigate in pitch darkness, it was doing much worse than the young man.

With each heartbeat, Kai found himself closer and closer, until he finally overtook the monster.

Before the frightened Gnoll managed to turn around, its chest was pierced. It stumbled and fell over, crashing into a wall. But even after receiving such a serious wound, it was still refusing to die.

Pitifully howling, it scratched the ground with its claws, trying to rise. The final blow wasn’t necessary. Its heart finally stopped beating.

Standing right above the Gnoll, which even in a sitting position wasn’t inferior to his height, Kai breathed heavily. He had almost no energy left; his head had begun to ache due to the long use of “energy vision.”

However, none of that mattered. Smiling, Kai looked at the defeated monster, whose inner energy had broken free and was becoming a part of the world around it.

But not all of it...

A Tiny Crystal flashed in the Gnoll’s chest.

Kai tore out his trophy, which glowed with pale light in complete darkness.

If I had to guess... Kai thought, looking at the little thing. I’d say that it contains around five units of energy, judging by the System’s standards. Luckily, the monsters of this level don’t use energy at all. Such a supply is simply miraculous, given that they also have energy outside the Crystal. Is it because of the beast’s power? What are monsters of higher levels capable of then?

Having sat nearby, Kai decided to use the Crystal for its intended purpose this time. In the battle against Kiyan, he had only refilled his reserves. Everything else just disappeared; in the middle of a battle, it was impossible to retain the strength inside the body.

The Crystal contained a very large amount of energy. Collecting such an amount on his own would’ve taken him least three hours of meditating.

The benefits of Energy Crystals were simply invaluable.

Having swallowed the thing, Kai made the shell fall apart. Enormous power poured into his body. A part of it went to restoring his reserve, while the rest was distributed throughout the body to strengthen it.

Perhaps it was stupid and dangerous to swallow a Crystal like that, sitting in the middle of a monster den. But it was even more stupid to stay exhausted.

In less than an hour, he was done. Fortunately, no one had bothered him.

Power: + 0.06

Speed: + 0.06

Stamina: + 0.06

Resistance: + 0.08

Standing up and stretching, he tried to get used to the darkness. His head was cracking as energy control remained active.

Trying to ignore the pain, slight dizziness, and nausea, Kai thought about what his next move should be. It’d be worth his time to chop up the Gnoll’s corpse for useful materials such as skin, bones, claws, and teeth. This would bring him a lot of coin. And who knew? Maybe he’d find some interesting items he didn’t know existed.

But how the hell was he supposed to do all that in total darkness?

The energy had already left the corpse, so now Kai couldn’t see it anymore. Should he carry this nearly half a ton carcass to the surface? Damn it...

He didn’t have any tools, nor necessary skills... So, sadly, he’d have to leave the Gnoll’s corpse here. It was time to move on.

Instinct continued to guide the young man deeper into the mine...

Kai took another turn and suddenly felt a force strong enough to knock him down. Flying off to the side, Kai felt his arm crack in several places, as he had thrown it to the side in order to protect himself.

His back collided with a wall and he fell to the ground. Raising his head, he saw a giant monster, even by Gnoll standards, at the Soul Stage looking at him.

How the fuck did it appear here?! This is crazy! It’s time for tactical retreat!

Having activated Distorted Perception, Kai made a run for it.

What happened next made him really afraid. He finally realized the graveness of his mistake. He shouldn’t have underestimated the danger and gone down into the mine...

No matter how much energy Kai poured into the symbol, the creature still saw him.

Overstraining his muscles and strengthening them with energy, Kai ran as fast as he could. But even so, his speed couldn’t compare to the Gnoll’s.

“Invisible Cut!” Without holding back, he sent two crossed attacks.

The Gnoll didn’t even have to dodge. With a blow of its paws, it smashed both of the attacks while they were still in the air. Having failed to slow the monster down, Kai swallowed hard. Without stopping, and going down deeper into the mine, he resorted to his last trump card.

“Fire Punishment!”

A red dot flew through the air, illuminating the tunnel for a moment. The Gnoll almost managed to react. Almost...

The attack hit it in the stomach, which caused it to stumble for a second.

A mighty roar resounded through the underground corridor, shaking the walls. Blood flowed from Kai’s ears, but he didn’t stop running.

Two paths appeared in front of them. He was about to turn right but suddenly turned left to avoid a hefty stone that fell off the ceiling. If it had fallen on him, he would’ve died on the spot.

He had to turn into another tunnel. Frantic running continued for another minute until the distance between the monster and Kai grew to a few feet. Having made the last spurt, he suddenly lost his footing and felt himself falling.

Kai didn’t notice a huge hole.

Covering his head with his hands and curling up into a ball, he bounced off one stone to another. Bruised and broken, Kai fell to the bottom.

His consciousness faded away...

***

Kai began to come to. Every nerve in his body ached.

Where I am? Kai looked around. He could see without any problems: crystals built into the ceiling burned with a light, bluish glow, illuminating the stone.

The ceiling, the floor, and the walls of the room he had found himself in were covered with unusual patterns, signs, and lines. If one stared at them long enough, they could see that they were all interconnected, creating one very long thread.

Rising slowly to his feet, he heard a soft groan. Turning sharply toward the sound, he noticed a Gnoll standing against the far wall.

The same Gnoll he thought he had run away from...

“Kai!” someone called.

Turning around, he saw a chained up, half-naked, and beaten girl...

“Julie!”

Chapter 17
THE SOUL

Kai’s face twisted with anger. He waved his hand.

“Invisible Cut!”

The deadly attack flew like a bolt out of a crossbow. Having reached Julie, it suddenly disappeared, having lost all of its energy in the blink of an eye.

The wounded Julie was an illusion. In its place appeared a stranger, face hidden underneath a hood. At first, he seemed oddly tall, but then Kai realized that he was floating.

Neither voice, nor appearance, nor aura, nor dozens of other small details would’ve made Kai doubt Julie’s identity had it not been for one tiny detail...

“Energy vision” helped Kai to discover a ring of unknown symbols around the girl’s body. No matter how talented Julie was, she couldn’t have reached that level of martial arts.

Angry that someone had had the gall to assume the appearance of his sister, Kai attacked without restraint.

“How perceptive of you!” exclaimed a hoarse male voice. “I wonder how you saw through my illusion... Pity that I’ll have to change my plan now...”

The stranger disappeared into thin air, leaving Kai alone with the darkness and... the monster that had been standing still all this time, which Kai had almost forgotten about. A menacing growl sounded behind him.

Kai turned around abruptly and saw the Gnoll slowly approaching him.

“Fire Punishment!”

Dodging the attack, the monster continued toward him.

Damn it! Damn it!! Where’s the goddamn exit?! Kai panicked. Shit! What should I do?!

He didn’t see a way out of this situation or the room. There was nothing even remotely similar to a door, a hatch, a window, or any sort of exit. Retreating, he ran to the far wall. Sharp claws had almost reached him when the monster froze.

Kai froze too. The spot on which he had just stepped lit up. Symbols and patterns flashed, filling the room with incredibly bright light.

Energy entangled Kai, not allowing him to move. The “energy vision” didn’t help him notice this trap in time; the whole room was a giant mousetrap.

“Finally, I’ll get a body!” the hoarse voice exclaimed.

Unfamiliar and aggressive energy poured into Kai’s body. He had no control over it whatsoever. Twisting his limbs, this alien force gradually took over his body and consciousness.

***

The bright light went out.

Frozen in the middle of the room, feeble Kai stood next to the motionless Gnoll.

Light faded from the violet eyes.

A sudden and rather powerful heartbeat reverberated throughout his body.

The world trembled.

“Yes! Finally! After all this time, I finally have a human form again! Now I can remove the curse and start a new life!” a stranger said through Kai’s mouth. “This body... It’s young and inexperienced in martial arts. Exactly what I need! Wait... What... What is that?”

Suddenly, the world spun, the colors blurred, and the scenery changed.

Kai’s body ended up in a completely different location. The day was bright and sunny; grass swayed around massive boulders, caressed by a breeze that rustled the leaves.

He found himself in a garden. In Jongo’s garden.

The stranger couldn’t understand what was happening.

“Where am I? What’s going on?”

Five metal stakes fell from the sky. Four of them nailed the stranger to the ground, piercing his arms and legs. The fifth pierced his stomach.

And although his body had been overtaken, Kai’s soul continued to fight. Torn by pain, the stranger gazed around in confusion.

The stakes caught fire, causing him even greater suffering.

A cloud of fireflies appeared near him. Having merged together, they turned into Kai. The real Kai.

“Does it hurt?” he asked condescendingly, looking at the tormented stranger who had assumed the appearance of a bald, wrinkled old man.

“YOU!!!” he cried out, spitting and rolling his bloodshot eyes. “I’ll destroy you! What did you do?! Ahhhhhhhhh!...”

“How dare you ask questions?” On Kai’s command, thousands of sharp needles pierced the old man.

He didn’t die, but his pain intensified. He couldn’t talk anymore. He felt like he was about to lose his mind.

“You tried to take over my body, took the form of my dear sister, and sent that Gnoll to kill me... I’m angry... I ought to be angry... But, for some reason, I’m calm... However, this doesn’t change the fact that I think you’re a piece of shit. But... I’ll show mercy.” Kai’s voice was quiet, but it somehow drowned out the old man’s cries. “You’ll tell me what’s going on here, who you are, and everything else I want to know. In return, I won’t prolong your suffering, and I’ll give you a quick death.”

Kai snapped his fingers.

The stakes disappeared together with the needles. All of the bald man’s wounds were healed, and his body became whole again.

Grasping for air, he tried to ease his pain. But as soon as he remembered it, his entire being twitched in agony once again. He understood what the young man was saying, but he was having trouble getting a grip of himself.

“Don’t stall!” Kai waved his hand; a strange coolness spread over the stranger’s body, releasing his mind from the agonizing pain.

The old man slowly rose to his feet, his appearance changing with every move of his feeble body. He now looked like a mighty warrior with sharp features and short, red hair. He furrowed his thick eyebrows; a mixture of fear and misunderstanding appeared in his eyes. He seemed to have guessed what had happened.

Kai looked at him with complete indifference.

“Will you start talking? Or should I jog your memory a bit more?”

“Wait!” The man put his hands in front of him, knelt down, and bowed. “Spare my life! In return, I’ll teach you powerful techniques!”

“You think I believe you?” Kai said after he had given it some thought. “If that’s all, then I’ll...”

“No, please!” The redhead struggled to think of a way to save himself. “Then... Yes! I can tell you how to heal your disability!”

“What are you talking about?” Kai asked phlegmatically, without any traces of surprise. “What disability?”

“What? You don’t know?!” the man exclaimed, but he figured out what the deal was almost immediately. “...The current era is quite behind... Well, about forty... No, fifty nodes of your soul ought to have suffered damage, right?”

Having remembered the strange, incomprehensible System message, Kai made a note to himself that maybe the man wasn’t trying to fool him. At least, not for now...

“And what does that mean?”

“You do know about acupuncture points on the body, right?” Having waited for Kai’s nod, the man continued, “Each of them is associated with one of the soul nodes, used to control them. But your most important nodes are damaged, preventing you from reaching the Soul Stage. You’re doomed to forever remain at lower Stages.”

Kai was appalled.

“And you wanted to take over a body with a disability?” He was suspicious.

“As I’ve already said, I know how to fix it.”

“Let’s say you’re telling the truth. Why should I believe you? I don’t know what you’re up to. Perhaps you’re preparing some kind of a trick and just buying time? Why shouldn’t I just kill you?” Kai took a step forward.

“Wait a minute!” The man started rising from his knees. “Give me a minute, just one minute!”

“You have fifty seconds.”

“Good!” He nodded. “I, Rune’Tan Shakwir, swear by the System and the integrity of my soul that I’ll never, in any way, directly or indirectly, with my actions or lack thereof, intentionally or unintentionally, harm Kai Arnhard, who now stands in front of me! Now and forever! I also swear that I’ll answer his questions as truthfully as I can.”

An oath has been made.

Accept / Reject

Kai raised an eyebrow in surprise. This feature was new to him. Looking at the redhead’s excited face, he nodded.

Accept.

Rune’Tan sighed with relief.

“And what happens if you break your oath?”

“The system will destroy my soul, and I won’t be able to enter a new cycle of rebirth...”

“Cycle of rebirth?”

“Yes… Almost every soul goes to the world of the dead. There, it’s cleansed of memories, and is then sent to a new body. In case of violation of the oath, the System will destroy the integrity of my soul, and then burn it. I’ll cease to exist... Will this be enough for you to spare my life?”

“You swore that you wouldn’t harm me, but I’m still skeptical. What if you’re lying and the punishment is different?”

Rune’Tan clenched his fists. However, the death threat forced him to swallow his wounded pride.

“Although the System doesn’t like the excessive use of such oaths, I can give you one more,” he answered after a few seconds of silence. “I, Rune’Tan Shakwir, swear by the System and the integrity of my soul that the information about the destruction of the soul in case of violation of the System oath is genuine! I beg for confirmation!”

Kai didn’t have to wait long for his answer. The System immediately reacted.

[Report]

Rune’Tan Shakwir’s oath has been accepted and confirmed by the System as true.

The execution of [Soul-Destructive Punishment] hasn’t been enforced.

“Do you believe me now?” Rune’Tan, whose almost barbaric appearance was a stark contrast to his behavior, asked.

“I don’t,” Kai replied, shocking him. “But I believe the System... Fine, I’ll let you live. For now. Here’s my first question: how do you know my name?”

“...My status allows me to see information about other creatures. Including people.”

“All right, we’ll get into the details later. First, tell me who you are, and everything about what has happened so far.”

Having calmed down, Rune’Tan sat on the ground. “As you already know, I’m Rune’Tan Shakwir, a subject of the Divine Empire of Belteise. Information about my stage won’t prove useful to you. I can only say that I have achieved a great deal in the force. I’ve partially subjugated the Gnolls to attract people to the mine and find someone who would become my vessel as I couldn’t leave that cursed place.”

“You’re not human?” A luxurious, leather chair appeared near Kai, and he immediately sat down.

“Not anymore. I used to be, once... Until I died. Now, I’m just a spirit. Using my knowledge, I’ve long been delaying the moment when the world of the dead would swallow me and send me to a new cycle of rebirth.”

“Why are you still here?”

“Isn’t that obvious?” Rune’Tan grunted in surprise. “I’m afraid of death. Very afraid. Losing myself as a person, losing my memories, and starting all over again... That’s a fate worse than death.”

“Hmm... Is that true? About the cycle of rebirth, I mean?”

“I don’t know. Nobody does. We just believe in it, and that’s all... I definitely don’t want to be the one to check!”

“I see. Tell me why you’ve been unsuccessful so far. What kind of place is this? Why do I hardly feel any emotions? And why did you use Julie to lure me instead of trying to capture my body right away?”

“I’ll start with the latter. To capture you, I needed you to enter a certain place yourself, so I decided to use the illusion of a person dear to you to lure you there. You yourself have projected it onto me. The second option was to use a Gnoll to guide you. Didn’t you notice that they didn’t kill you, although they could’ve easily done it? I couldn’t have just trapped you. It wouldn’t have worked then. No, I needed you to come there voluntarily.”

Having taken an unnecessary breath, Rune’Tan continued.

“I don’t know how you managed to resist me. But I can assume that something incredibly powerful is connected to your soul and is protecting you.”

Those words awakened Kai’s imagination. His ability to control external energy, his “energy vision” and photographic memory, his rebirth, memories of his life on Earth... And now a mind strong enough to fight someone’s control... Could all those things be connected?

“We’re in the world of your soul,” Rune’Tan continued as Kai pondered, “access to which had been opened due to my invasion of your body. Everything here is an illusion, a fruit of your subconscious. And now I’m a prisoner of this place.” He bowed his head. “In fact, any martial artist that has reached a high level will be able to open the way to their inner world. Here, you aren’t affected by a body that lets your emotions take over. Here, you’re omnipotent. But the most important reason why many desire to learn how to enter the world of the soul is the ability to get away from the outside world, cast away any stimuli, and focus only on the force. Meditation here is three times more effective than in the real world. Perfect concentration.”

“Interesting... You talk about it like you think that I’ll treat you better now that I know that,” Kai said, having seen through his plan.

Rune’Tan didn’t react, even though he frowned on the inside. In the past, he was just as indifferent as Kai since he had long existed as just a soul. However, the young man had equipped him with a body, making long-forgotten feelings take over his mind again. He said nothing and calmly waited for the next question.

“Did you make the mine call out to me?”

“What?” Rune’Tan stared at him in bewilderment. “No! I didn’t do that. I would’ve chosen someone stronger than you if I knew how to do something like that.”

That made sense. Listening to his gut, Kai heard the call again, beckoning him somewhere further. He still had to figure it out.

“Before we get to the damaged soul nodes, I’d like to know about that room and your Divine Empire of Belteise. Did it use to occupy some of Alkea’s land, or did you end up here by accident?”

“I’ve built that room even before my death. It’s a storage for my soul. It’s located in the city, which is located under the mine.” Rune’Tan’s face darkened as he recalled the past. “Regarding Belteise... It occupied much more than this piece of land...”

“Are you talking about the region of Caltea?”

“Caltea? No, I don’t even know what that is. But my country has fallen. In just two years, all its subjects mysteriously died. Their bodies just fell apart. Such a fate was awaiting me, too, but I managed to save my soul...” Rune’Tan then revealed something that would’ve blown Kai’s mind had he had any emotions at the moment. “But before that, during Belteise’s golden age, it consisted of twenty-seven planets in various parts of Ecumene! Your Alkea has nothing on it! This planet was only a small part of my empire!”

Having leaned back in his chair, Kai tried to digest this information. Even in a detached state, it was difficult. And as if all of this wasn’t enough, the System popped up again.

Attention!
A quest has been received!

[Search for Ancient Truth]

Find out the reason for the disappearance of the Divine Empire of Belteise.

Reward: ???

Should you fail or reject this quest, you will receive a fine of 1,000 units of each of your characteristics or death.

Remaining time: 10,000 years

What? What is this? These conditions are ridiculous! Can I not refuse?

Having re-read the description of the quest, Kai sighed. Quickly regaining his composure, he looked at Rune’Tan.

“How long have you been here?”

“I don’t know. I’ve spent most of my time sleeping, preserving my strength. I was hoping that someone would come here on their own. The last thing I remember before waking up ten years ago is the onset of the ice age. So it’s been a few hundred thousand years for sure...”

“...Mhm... All right, let’s go back to soul damage.” Kai massaged the bridge of his nose.

“Yes, of course...” Rune’Tan nodded, and then suddenly stopped, turning around. He seemed concerned. “Bad news! I’ve completely forgotten to mention... Due to the fact that I didn’t capture your body, but had left my previous vessel, the technique of submission has been deactivated. The Gnoll that’s still standing next to you in the real world will wake up soon! I don’t control it anymore!”

Kai suddenly jumped from his chair.

“How much time do we have?”

“A minute and a half!”

“How do we get out of here?”

“Just imagine that you’re returning to your body and taking control of it again.”

Having focused, Kai found it quite easy to do this. He disappeared from the world of the soul, and opened his eyes again in the real world. Still standing in the same position in which he had been before, he saw the Gnoll next to him slowly coming out of its stupor.

Kai felt that there were only a few crumbs of energy left in him. He wouldn’t be able to use Invisible Cut, let alone Fire Punishment! There was no way he could kill the Gnoll.

“Let me see through your eyes!” asked a voice from the depths of his consciousness. “Just wish for it!”

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Kai did as he was asked.

“There, that triangle on the left, with a cross-shaped symbol, run to it.”

Kai immediately rushed toward it.

“What’s next?" he asked in his mind.

“Fill the symbol with energy. The one on the left, the only one that has no connection with the others!”

Putting his hand onto it, Kai filled the symbol with energy as fast as he could. However, it absorbed it relatively slowly, distributing it across all its curls and dashes.

Behind him, the awakening Gnoll began to stir. Its glassy eyes were clearing up. Its body shivered, and the muscles contracted intensely.

The giant Gnoll slowly leaned to the floor with its whole body, preparing to jump at Kai the moment it was free of Rune’Tan’s technique.

“When the door opens, pour your energy into the same symbol, but on the other side. It should react instantly. It’s reacting slowly now since it has been inactive for quite a while. Get ready!”

There was a roar. A gap appeared on the wall. Slowly, the exit began to open, and a strong stream of air burst into the room with a hiss.

“Fuck!” Kai cursed. The door was opening too slowly.

Standing with his back to the exit, Kai stared at the Gnoll. Almost free, it was preparing to attack and tear him to shreds.

One second.

Two.

Three.

The Gnoll broke free of Rune’Tan’s bonds.

Shaking its head, it growled.

“If you want to survive, give me control over your body for a few moments. Otherwise, this’ll be the end of you!”

There was no time to think; his instinct screamed about imminent danger. Kai, seeing no other way out, gave himself over to Rune’Tan.

The Gnoll rushed at breakneck speed, but before it could reach its target, the young man counterattacked.

Kai’s body began to move against his will, which was rather uncomfortable. It was like watching an eerily realistic 3D movie.

Clapping his hands, the techniques that Rune’Tan possessed bizarrely scattered in the energy spectrum.

Having almost reached Kai, the Gnoll pushed itself off the floor and hit its head against a barrier that had appeared a couple of feet away from its prey, disorienting itself. At this moment, the exit finally opened, and Kai jumped through it backward.

“Close it!” Rune’Tan shouted, returning the body to its owner.

Kai had reached the limit of his ability to control energy, but even without touching the symbol, he managed to activate it. The door began to close quickly.

Before he could relax, the Gnoll squeezed its paw through the crack before it closed completely, seizing the young man’s arm. As the door closed, Kai felt the pain of a broken forearm.

Holding on to his mutilated limb and gritting his teeth, Kai tried to catch his breath and endure a fierce wave of pain. However, all this instantly faded when that feeling came again.

The alluring call beckoned him. It filled all his thoughts. Kai came very close to its source. He had to go there.

He simply had to...

Chapter 18
THE AZURE CUBE

Trying to ignore the pain, Kai looked around. He found himself on the deserted streets of a dead city. Almost all of its strange buildings had lost their battle against time. Several houses had managed to hold on thanks to the ingenuity of the architects that had built them.

It wasn’t easy to believe something like this, but his eyes weren’t deceiving him...

Looking up, Kai couldn’t understand where the light was coming from as there was a huge dome covering the city. Using “energy vision,” he saw an element of unknown origin firmly imbedded in the barrier.

This civilization must’ve been an incredibly powerful one...

“What did you just do?” Rune’Tan suddenly inquired.

“Do I have to report to you now?” Kai asked angrily. “If you took control of my body, what would’ve happened to my soul? The same thing that had happened to yours?”

“No... no. You would’ve simply died...”

“I thought so... Don’t think that I’ve forgiven you because you’ve helped me. You acted in your own interest. My life is your life now... However, remember! Whoever tries to harm me or those dear to me will regret it!” he muttered. “You’re alive only because you’re useful. But don’t think we’re friends.”

Bastard... Rune’Tan was angry; he talked to himself without letting Kai read his thoughts. What should I do with this arrogant boy?

“If I was supposed to die, why did you end up in my ‘soul world’? Is that another one of your tricks?” Kai rose from the ground, holding his right hand, which had already begun to regenerate. Full recovery would take at least a week.

“No, I didn’t expect that I wouldn’t be able to possess you,” he said indifferently. “Initially, I disconnected from that room to change my vessel. Having failed to do so, I was thrown into the world of your soul. Now, the thing that had saved you, contrary to the laws of the universe, wouldn’t allow me to go into the world of the dead. However, it won’t allow me to leave your soul either. So, whether you like it or not, I’m stuck here with you. And if you don’t want to talk to me as an equal, I can’t help you.”

“Let’s say that that’s true... About that symbol...”

“Yes! How did you do that?!”

“I’ve always been able to do that.” Kai began pouring external energy into his injured arm, letting the flabbergasted Rune’Tan feel it. “However, it’d be better if you had told me about this. Which one of us is an ancient master who knows ancient laws and has lived in a great empire?”

Rune’Tan chuckled. “Even if what you’re saying is true, I, a man who has lived in different worlds for millennia, have never heard of the ability to control prana. Such a thing shouldn’t be possible!”

“...Prana?” Kai asked in surprise.

“You don’t know...? That’s what they used to call external energy in my time. As for the inner one, it was simply called ki. In my opinion, this is easier than calling them external and internal energy....”

“Prana and ki,” Kai said, trying out the new words.

And even though he had allowed himself to be distracted, he hadn’t forgotten about the call that had been beckoning him. He took his first step toward it.

“What’s that?” he asked after a few minutes of walking, pointing at a castle towering above the city. It... It was calling him.

“The home of the ruler of this city. My home... But don’t get your hopes up. You won’t find any items there. I used everything I could to get energy and support my existence...”

Without saying anything, Kai resumed his walk. However, as he soon realized, the city was huge. After almost an hour of intense walking, Kai was nowhere near his destination.

“Tell me about the soul nodes and my injuries,” he asked. Might as well learn while I walk...

“I thought you already forgot about it,” Rune’Tan replied spitefully. “I hope you know that every living being has acupuncture points on its body. They’re usually closed at birth, but once the body and mind have been strengthened enough, the being can try to open them and begin its development toward the Mind Stage. Each spot corresponds to a specific node. How many points do you know?”

“Well, I heard that there are three hundred of them,” Kai answered right away, remembering what he had read in Jongo’s books.

“What?! By the Heavens...” Rune’Tan sighed heavily. “I’ve suspected that the people of this era would be far behind the Belteise Empire. But that they would be this far behind! That’s incorrect. There are actually three hundred and sixty! Have people of your empire, those who have reached the Soul Stage, discovered only three hundred of them?”

“Looks like it...” Kai shrugged, almost completely absorbed by his desire to get to the castle.

“All right, I see. Then I won’t omit any details... In general, for every six points, there’s a separate node, the total of which is sixty. You’re very lucky that the one who crippled you was as uninformed as you. As for the points themselves, it makes no sense to try to ruin them since the skin simply heals, unlike the nodes.”

“So, does that mean that someone intentionally crippled me?”

“Well, it certainly didn’t happen accidentally! You must’ve crossed paths with a true Master of martial arts...”

Kai immediately realized what Rune’Tan was talking about.

Master was the second type of status in the System, right after Mortal.

Apart from Rune’Tan, Kai knew only one such person.

Helios Bayweck.

Kai clenched his fists, digging his nails into his palms.

Not only did he lose someone dear to him and was exiled, but they had also deprived him of a future.

“How can I recover?!” Kai’s roar reverberated throughout the district.

Rune’Tan couldn’t read Kai’s thoughts unless Kai addressed him, but he could feel his anger.

“Since you have ten nodes left, you can’t rise above the Mind Stage, but there are two ways to recover,” he answered, not at all surprised by Kai’s outburst. “The first, and the more unrealistic one, is to receive help from some divine force. Beings of that level could help heal your body, even if you didn’t have any nodes left and were on your death bed. However, we don’t see any of those here, do we?”

“Stop fooling around!” Kai growled. Rune’Tan was struck with pain for a moment.

“All right, all right! Just don’t do that anymore... please. I’m trying, all right? I’m telling you everything that I know. Do you want me to apologize for trying to take control of your body? It’s the circle of life and all that...”

“Enough!” Interrupting Rune’Tan, Kai unconsciously jerked his right hand, and immediately grimaced in pain. “Just. Go on.”

“Obviously, that option is impossible, which leaves us with the second one. Had all sixty nodes been damaged, you wouldn’t have been able to use this one either,” Rune’Tan continued. “Not many people know this, but besides the three hundred and sixty ordinary points, there are one hundred and twenty more hidden ones. It’s very difficult to open them, but there’s a way to do so. Long story short, once you discover these, you can strengthen the ten remaining nodes, and get a chance to repair the damaged ones. But if you don’t do this properly, you won’t get a second chance. You’ll die!”

Kai froze, but remained calm. Rune’Tan’s words made him feel agitated.

“How difficult is it and how do I find these hidden points?”

“Could you change your soul world into something more interesting?” Bored, Rune’Tan suddenly changed the subject.

“I can turn it into a lava lake. Will that do?”

“You know, I like it here. This is a nice garden. Cozy...” the redhead hastened to correct himself. “Basically, to uncover those one hundred and twenty points, you’ll need a very large amount of energy and better force control. The source of energy must be at least of the Gold rank! If you can absorb it, you’ll have the opportunity to open them. As for the difficulty of repairing damaged nodes, you could die at the very beginning...”

“Very encouraging I must say...”

“What, did you think it was gonna be easy? But don’t worry, I can help with the healing process. As for finding the right source, I’m able to feel everything related to the force within a hundred-mile radius. However...” He smiled. “I’ll help you with this only if you take the oath. Swear that you won’t harm me. Otherwise, I’m afraid that in the event of successful healing I’ll no longer be useful to you and you’ll get rid of me. What do you say?”

“Ah, you...” Kai started, ready to zap him again, but refrained from it. “Fine.”

“Oh, does this mean that you’ve finally realized that you can’t develop further without me? We need each other.”

Kai grimaced, unable to deny this fact.

Even if he were lucky enough to find the necessary source himself and begin the process of restoring the nodes, Rune’Tan would probably stop him by killing them both. Why would the redhead wait for Kai to succeed, knowing that death awaited him?

“All right... I, Kai Arnhard, swear by the System and the integrity of my soul that I’ll never, in any way, directly or indirectly, with my actions or lack thereof, intentionally or unintentionally, harm Rune’Tan Shakwir, the soul imprisoned in the world of my soul! Now and forever!”

You swore an oath

Confirmation pending...

The oath has been accepted!

Remember, violation of the oath entails the complete destruction of the soul through [Soul-Destructive Punishment]!

“Excellent!” Rune’Tan exclaimed. “Helping you restore the nodes will sure be interesting!”

“You seem a bit too excited about that...”

And so their conversation ended. Trying to solve this problem now was pointless, and Kai wasn’t interested in having meaningless conversations. He continued walking.

A few hours passed, and the castle’s huge entrance appeared in front of him. Judging by the debris, there used to be a monumental gate. But now, for some reason, it was gone.

Approaching the castle, Kai became aware of its true size. He had once visited the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the tallest building in the world, which now seemed tiny in comparison to this majestic monument.

Kai couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that such a tall building could exist.

“I understand that it may be interesting for you to look at the remnants of the great Belteise Empire,” Rune’Tan suddenly broke the silence, “but why are we here? I’ve told you that there’s nothing useful left in the castle...”

“Leave me alone!” Kai said coldly, trying to get his bearings.

Moving confidently, as if this wasn’t his first time here, he soon found a staircase leading to the very top of the castle. Surprisingly, there was also something like an elevator. However, without energy, it was useless.

Kai didn’t need to go upstairs: his path led in a completely different direction.

To the right. And even deeper.

Rune’Tan observed the young man. He was very surprised by how easily Kai navigated his home, although he had never been there before. And when he got to the basement, Rune’Tan was even more dumbfounded.

“How did you find out about this place?!” Rune’Tan asked, visibly scared, after seeing an azure cube, hidden in a huge cave under the castle.

Kai didn’t answer. He just kept walking.

The cube was bewitching. Each of its sides was at least thirty feet long. It illuminated everything around, filling the space with warmth.

Having stepped closer, Kai laid his palm on the smooth surface. He didn’t know how long ago it had been built, but the cube’s walls were undamaged. It seemed that time stood frozen here, keeping it in pristine, untouched condition.

Having come close to what had attracted him here, Kai felt power beyond the understanding of Mortals and even Masters. He wanted to bow down in front of this divine structure and never stand up again.

Kai was even afraid to use “energy vision.” He could feel the power imprisoned in the cube without it. His skin tingled, hair stood on end, and the air around him suddenly seemed several times heavier. If Kai had seen just a fragment of the cube in the energy spectrum, his mind wouldn’t have been able to withstand such an overload.

“What’s this?” he whispered in amazement.

“I don’t know myself... The cube was here long before the subjects of the Belteise Empire came to this world. I was fortunate enough to accidentally stumble upon it. This entire city was built and devoted to studying it. I can only say that it has a divine nature. Our studies have yielded nothing, however. Although, I did manage to comprehend the high levels of the force, meditating in front of it for years. It can be said that it’s a storehouse of unencrypted ancient knowledge. That’s what it is, well, at least that’s what I know... How did you find out about it?”

Kai shrugged.

“I felt something and—” An unexpected roar interrupted him.

Complex and bright letters began to appear on the flat surface of the cube. Together with them, an arched passage began to open. Soon, the sounds died down and everything came to a halt.

The cube seemed to be inviting Kai to enter. Without hesitation, he obeyed.

What awaited him there, he didn’t know. The black veil thickened, not letting light in, preventing him from seeing what was inside. Darkness swallowed him...

Kai felt a little dizzy. But having looked around, he immediately forgot about the discomfort. Eyes wide open and with a gasp stuck in his throat, he stared forward.

He found himself in a small forest. The sun was shining; somewhere nearby, a stream gurgled merrily. Only one small dark cloud hovering behind him reminded him of the cube.

“How’s this...?” The stunned Kai couldn’t even finish the sentence. He had just been in a cave under a city buried deep in the ground, and now he was in a completely different place.

“We’re not on the surface,” Rune’Tan reminded him. “We’re in the cube. The space inside it is several times bigger than its exterior. This whole world is artificial. Take a closer look. You can see the boundaries of this area in the distance.”

Although Kai was sure that Rune’Tan was right, this still seemed unbelievable to him. Only after a couple of minutes did he finally pull himself together and stop looking around like a surprised child.

“You said that your research yielded nothing. So, how do you know all that?”

“Yes, that’s true. Neither I nor the other people who had studied the cube found anything. We couldn’t even open the entrance, and I can’t understand how you did it...” He sighed. “But here’s the thing... Ten years ago, I was sleeping in my vessel, and at some point, I felt a tremendous surge of energy that woke me up from a thousand years of sleep. When I decided to check the city, I used a special observation technique. As it turned out, a man had somehow found his way underground. He was very short, he could’ve been a dwarf, with a white and blue mask and a brown cloak. Surprisingly, he was no martial arts practitioner. However, his soul turned out to be so frightening that the fear I’ve experienced then still haunts me to this day. I was afraid to show myself, but I was curious, and I continued to observe. He reached the cube, and then it opened to him. That was when I got the opportunity to find out what was inside. The man went to the center of the forest, and then got so angry that I felt it in my vessel. At that moment, in fright, I deactivated the technique and tried to hide any signs of my presence. A few hours later, he left the city in the same mysterious way he had entered it.”

Kai thought for a moment. Ten years wasn’t so long ago. Could it be someone like him? Perhaps that person knew something about the cube and the strange calling...

“How can one get here anyway?”

“I only know one way.” Rune’Tan paused. “Through the main gate.”

“And where is it?”

“I remade it into my vessel. There are two ways from there: one to the city and the second to the mine... Actually, we’re locked in here, because of the Gnoll...”

Having finally realized that he was neck-deep in shit, Kai couldn’t help swearing.

“Fuck...”

***

Having left his anger aside, Kai moved along the tidy trail. After about twenty minutes of wandering, he reached the center of the forest.

In the clearing, there was a fifty-foot tall statue of a man on a pedestal. Broad-shouldered, with long hair and a blade in his hand, he looked down upon this world. Predatory features gave his face a frightening expression, but at the same time, made it incredibly beautiful.

The statue was so realistic that Kai could’ve easily mistook it for a living person had it not been made out of some snow-white stone adorned with precious gems.

From the figure of this undoubtedly great warrior came an aura stronger than that of the cube. It was the statue that was the source of energy that supported this vast space.

Coming closer, Kai noticed a plaque. The inexplicable calling that had brought him here disappeared. It had completed its mission.

Having stepped closer, Kai realized that the inscription wasn’t in the language spoken in Alkea. Nevertheless, thanks to the System, he could understand what it said.

The great and invincible Lord Or’drok Okka Yashnir

Unfortunately, the world of Ergid has fallen. We couldn’t fulfill the overlord’s order. The seven hundredth legion is no more. Some of my brothers and I took refuge in this distant world. Many of us have suffered soul injuries.

In order for our lives not to end in such a disgraceful manner, all those who survived agreed to sacrifice themselves. The laws of fate are unbreakable, but they can be shaken. Using a forbidden technique, we created a soul-attracting artifact.

Innumerable centuries will pass, but sooner or later, the souls of the lord’s warriors will be reborn here. Having violated the cycle of samsara at the cost of our own reincarnations, we created the technique that will choose the best bodies and conditions for the resurrection of the lord’s servants.

I believe that after hundreds of thousands or even millions of years, the warriors of my lord will rise from nothingness, once again returning to the ranks of the Great Army of Truth. Following the lord Or’drok Okka Yashnir, the Army will again start an unstoppable wave across millions of worlds of Ecumene, drowning opponents in blood and despair.

The heavenly throne will fall!

The Age of Division. Cloud Whale Millennium. Virgil Shishas, General of the Seventh Hundredth Legion.

As soon as Kai finished reading, the statue’s eyes lit up, casting a beam of bright light on him....

***

He had a dream. A very realistic one, but still a dream.

There was just the sky.

The earth was lost somewhere far below, it was even difficult to see it.

He heard a horn, from the sound of which space itself seemed to split. At that very moment, countless dots showed up on the horizon. Approaching Kai’s soaring consciousness, a wave of warriors hurried toward him.

All of them could fly. Some of them used peculiar artifacts, and some even dared to saddle legendary creatures like pegasi, phoenixes, and even dragons.

It got dark. The endless army eclipsed the light of the sun like an incredibly dense swarm of bees...

At the head was the man from the pedestal.

Or’drok Okka Yashnir.

He didn’t need any requisites to fly.

He was clutching a blade in his right hand, as dark as obsidian. The sword seemed to absorb light. The great warrior raised his other hand up and shouted something. The army behind him exploded in joyful cries.

Unfortunately, Kai couldn’t understand what he had said: the System didn’t work in dreams.

At that moment, the darkness suddenly subsided and Kai saw the blade fall. It wasn’t fast nor did it emit power. It was a simple, most ordinary swing.

Or so it seemed at first glance...

A moment later, a dark stripe traced the entire sky in front of the army. And then something terrifying happened. The sky parted like a giant mouth: the strip was tearing the very fabric of space, crushing stones into dust. Thunder sounded in the distance.

It was like the Heavens had opened.

When the edges of the gap disappeared from view, it was all over.

The army of godlike warriors rushed into the blackness of the rift.

They set off for their greatest... and last battle...

***

Having returned to reality, Kai realized that he was lying on the ground. The first thing he saw was a System message.

Attention!
The invasion of the host organism has been detected!

Contact with super-dense energy has been recorded!

[Sleeping Blood] has been awakened!

Progress: 27%...

New feature acquired: [Yin-Yang Phantom Tattoo]

Progress: blocked

Chapter 19
PREPARATION

The city far below the castle looked like a very detailed painting. The view from the top of it was breathtaking. Kai couldn’t help but come closer to the edge. He wasn’t afraid of heights nor falling down: he had almost perfect control over his body and mind.

However, it was bewildering that, at a height of some three hundred feet, he didn’t feel the pressure drop or any changes in temperature. It was the same as at the base of the castle. The only explanation was that whatever strange energy had been applied to the dome, was probably maintaining a comfortable atmosphere in the city, too.

After the events that had transpired in the cube, Kai felt that he shouldn’t linger. The very intuition that had brought him there now screamed for him to leave as quickly as possible. It wasn’t like he had planned on sticking around anyway.

The dark portal closed the moment he stepped back into the cave. No matter how many times Kai tried to force it to open again later, the cube ignored him, returning to its slumber until someone else came, following the call.

Having realized the futility of his attempts, Kai left the cave and returned to the castle. There, he talked with Rune’Tan and learned that his companion hadn’t seen his dream. To the redhead, it looked like Kai had fallen unconscious. He was out for less than a minute.

From their conversation, Kai also learned that there was still something useful in the city. Energy Spheres, located outside the room in which the Gnoll was imprisoned. Until today, they’d been used to support Rune’Tan’s vessel. But now, it had become pointless, and even dangerous, to feed the room with energy.

The Gnoll couldn’t get out. But if the creature received a constant influx of energy, it’d be able to live there for a very, very long time. Without it, it’d be able to hold on for two or three years due to having reached the Soul Stage. The present Kai still wouldn’t stand a chance against it even if it were weakened.

Therefore, there was only one option left: to gather the Spheres and train hard.

The best place for that, according to Rune’Tan, of course, was the top of the tower. Once inside, Kai realized just how incredibly lucky he was: the elevator was still working. All that he needed to do was pour energy into it as it ascended or descended. Climbing up the stairs every time would’ve been a drag...

Kai got up quickly enough, and stood frozen for several minutes, just soaking in the atmosphere.

“Do you know anything about Or’drok Okka Yashnir or the Great Army of Truth?” Kai asked, finally breaking away from the mesmerizing view.

“No,” Rune’Tan said dryly.

“How about the Age of Division?”

“I think that’s the era preceding the current one. I think,” he muttered uncertainly. “The current one is called the Age of Silence, which you yourself can learn thanks to the System.”

Without hesitation, Kai checked the System calendar. Rune’Tan was right.

Age of Silence, Millennium of the Water Tiger, year 714, day 183, 23:41:37

“All right, let’s go...” Kai sighed, hoping to find out at least something about that dream and the plaque. “How about you tell me about those Spheres?”

[Large Artificial Energy Sphere]

Rank: Silver

It was the first time that Kai had seen an item of that rank. It felt like inside the Sphere, which could hardly fit in the palm of his hand, there was at least a hundred times more energy than in an ordinary Crystal. When he had first seen the Spheres, he was shocked, although he didn’t show it.

Kai thought there’d be only one Sphere, but no! There were at least a few dozen of them! He had a real fortune on his hands...

“These Spheres — they’re the source of the Empire’s power,” Rune’Tan said proudly. “The greatest Masters of my country had invented a special technique that allowed them to seal living creatures in compressed space for later use. That is, we’ve learned to extract all the energy from monsters right down to the last drop. In contrast to the usual way of getting their core from their hearts, which store only part of their power, by sealing monsters in these Spheres, we’ve been able to maximize their efficiency. Also, time passes so much slower in there, so the Spheres can be stored for hundreds of thousands of years without energy leaks!”

“Not bad...” Kai sounded deliberately condescending, wanting to annoy the overly proud man.

“Oh, you little jerk, do you know that―”

“Here’s what’s more interesting to me,” he shamelessly interrupted. “Is it by chance that the Gnolls have appeared in the mine or is that related to the Spheres?”

“Well, yes,” Rune’Tan replied as if nothing had happened. “How else could I’ve drawn attention to the mine in order to find a new vessel for myself? I had to spend ten years trying to crack one Sphere open before I realized that people lived nearby.”

Kai said nothing.

To some extent, he understood Rune’Tan. A desire to find a body after having spent so many millennia locked up made it difficult for such an ancient creature to be guided by anything other than the will to live. The ends justify the means, as they say. Rune’Tan certainly believed that.

Kai was just like him. If he had been in the redhead’s shoes, he would’ve done the same. Minus the innocent causalities. Therefore, he had no right to judge. Fate had already punished Rune’Tan enough, considering that he never managed to acquire Kai’s body.

***

“You said it was here somewhere.”

“Yes, that’s correct. And you’re very lucky that it’s still intact,” Rune’Tan replied, sitting in a rocking chair after another change in the inner world. “That entire wall. Do you see it? That’s the ki’s circulation map.”

“It’s that big?” Looking at the high wall, on which an unknown artist had depicted the thousands of various points and channels in the human body, Kai couldn’t help but feel impressed.

They were on one of the lower floors of the castle, where talented boys and girls used to be trained. Now, there was nothing but dust and rubble.

“What did you expect? Learning this technique is a rather difficult task even for talented warriors. Few people can master even seventy percent of it, and the number of those who have exceeded that value is a maximum of one or two people per generation. A person who could master it hasn’t been born on the planet for thousands of years.”

Rune’Tan’s speeches seemed too boastful, so Kai didn’t take them too seriously.

“Spiral Rotation of Ki’s Life Technique?”

“Exactly!” Rune’Tan confirmed, leaning a bit too far in the rocking chair. Kai wondered how he had never heard of such an interesting technique. “If you can master it at least partially, then you’ll be able to unlock more than you would’ve using the usual Endurance Stages. However, it’s very difficult, so don’t be upset if you fail. Correct ki circulation is extremely difficult to master, and it takes several months to memorize even a part of it. Be patient. Concentrate. Take your time memorizing all the key points, channels, and forks...”

“I already got it all memorized,” Kai blurted indifferently, interrupting him for Heavens knew which time.

“What?” Rune’Tan didn’t immediately understand. “Stop being ridiculous, boy. You better sit in front of the wall and start...”

“No. I’ve really remembered everything.”

“You’re acting like a child! How can you say that? It took me about a hundred days to learn enough to start practicing!”

“You don’t believe me?”

“I don’t! Only a fool would believe such nonsense! And I can easily check if you’re telling the truth. Tell me, what’s the seventeenth key point in the left forearm? Aha! You don’t kn―”

“Timandra.”

“―ow. I told you! Wait, wh-what?!” Rune’Tan suddenly froze. “How did you manage to find it and answer me so quickly? Well then, describe the circulation in the little and the ring finger of the left hand, with the names of all points and channels!”

Having deliberately turned away from the wall with the map, Kai began to answer. He described it all, mentioning details that Rune’Tan, who was once considered a great talent, had found hard to understand and remember. Only when he had reached the Exorcist stage did Rune’Tan manage to remember them all. It was so long ago, but he still regretted that he had done it so late.

Distrust grew in the ancient spirit, but he knew that the boy’s answers were absolutely correct. Skepticism didn’t leave him even once Kai was done, so he continued to interrogate him. But no matter what he asked, Kai never made a mistake.

“How is this even possible?!” Rune’Tan blurted out, exhausted, collapsing back into the rocking chair and clutching his head with his hands. “I can’t believe this... It just can’t be! Who the hell are you, kid?!”

“I just have a good memory.” Kai grinned, heading back to the top of the castle. There was nothing more for him to do in this room; the circulation map was firmly imprinted in his memory.

***

Spending all his time in the open area of the tower, Kai trained. He worked on his body and practiced Spiral Rotation. As Rune’Tan had explained to him, usually, when a person strengthened their body with energy, there was a huge number of small areas that the energy would never reach. Considering that there were so many of them, one’s maximum potential could never be achieved. And the worst thing was that after reaching the Mind Stage, it was impossible to correct this.

Ancient masters had discovered this drawback long ago. For thousands of years, they worked hard, and finally figured out how to get energy to those areas. Over time, their method had undergone many modifications, which upgraded the technique to the Earth rank. In the Divine Empire of Belteise, they used the one with the imitation of the force — the one which Kai was now practicing.

According to Rune’Tan, once Kai had reached those areas, his abilities would be three times better than what he would’ve achieved by completing the Body Stage.

At first, Kai had difficulties starting. Ki would constantly get lost or flow in the wrong direction, and he would lose control. Although he remembered the channels through which he had to direct it, he needed to gain more experience in order to succeed.

Days passed. On the third day, Kai managed to hold in ki for a little over an hour. With each day, his time increased until he reached his limits. After that, even controlling the energy became an unbearable task.

Kai had also asked Rune’Tan to tell him about the awakening of Sleeping Blood. As it turned out, some extremely distant descendants of powerful masters or monsters could have a stronger connection to their great relatives.

Such people stood out from the rest. Once they started practicing martial arts, at some point, they could awaken the blood of their ancestors flowing through their veins. That usually happened at the Exorcist Stage where the energy became so dense that it acted as a catalyst for Sleeping Blood. Helios Bayweck, bearer of such dense energy, had awakened his blood.

There were various types of ancient blood, which gave their owners various abilities. However, this wasn’t anything special in Ecumene. Such people were considered unique only in such backwoods like Alkea.

A real rarity was, for example, blood purity.

A son or daughter of a great Master that had received such blood may not even need training. The initial stages would manifest themselves as they grew older. Even in the Divine Empire of Belteise, such people were considered protégés who were predicted to have a great future. As for Kai, his increased ability to regenerate was worthless in comparison to what they could do.

Having learned all that, Kai got slightly upset, but quickly forgot about his disappointment and focused on training hard. He spent some time on circulation and when he realized that he could no longer maintain control, he focused on strengthening his body. As it turned out, massive Energy Spheres could be split without losing ki, although some of their durability would be lost in the process.

So, Kai absorbed small pieces and used them as Crystals.

A little more than a week later, Kai finally felt that his right hand had recovered. Now he could focus on physical activity, too, which contributed to, as well as accelerated the development of the body with prana. Also, he could finally start learning the second technique Rune’Tan decided to teach him.

“Apart from the techniques of the force that, by the way, don’t suit you at all, and the circulation that you already know, I can teach you another one — the Five Weightless Steps Technique!”

“Five steps?” That was a rather... specific name.

“Exactly. This is a movement technique.” Kai was amazed. He thought that there were only attack and defense techniques. “With it, you can increase your speed. You’ll be so fast that people will think that you’re floating. Like a ghost!”

“You sure do like to talk weirdly...” Kai sighed.

“Always did, and always will.”

“Yes, yes... How are you going to train me?”

“Patience, boy!” Rune’Tan hissed like a cat. “Since I’m incorporeal, I can’t show you. I can only explain. Therefore, your success depends only on how well you can understand me.”

“You mean, on how well you can explain it to me?”

“Oh, you are just unbelievable!”

***

A month had passed.

Making strange movements, Kai strode along the top of the tower. Following Rune’Tan’s instructions, he was making certain movements while simultaneously using a special method to fill his legs with energy.

Unlike with other techniques, this time, Kai couldn’t just copy someone. He had to learn the ability from scratch, learning from his mistakes, and following Rune’Tan’s corrections and suggestions.

Unfortunately, Kai wasn’t able to figure out even the first step out of five. The System remained silent.

Hours passed. When Kai’s feet refused to carry him any longer, he switched to circulation. He couldn’t spend a day being idle. The sooner he reached the desired level, the sooner he could leave this trap and finally return to Caltea.

Kai was very lucky that Sleeping Blood, which had begun its awakening, allowed him to completely replace food and water with energy, and reduce the necessary amount of sleep to four hours a day.

Once, while he was practicing the Five Steps, he felt something at the end of the lesson. As always, filling his left and then right leg with energy, Kai took a step.

He wasn’t expecting anything, so he was amazed when he instantly crossed a distance of a dozen feet. For a few glorious seconds, Kai felt that he was weightless, light as a feather on a breeze. Soon, this feeling passed, and he felt a surge of unprecedented joy — he had finally done it!

You have mastered the [Five Weightless Step Technique, Volume 1].

Rank: Earth

Progress: 1/5

“Congratulations. You’ve finally managed to learn the Offset
Step,” Rune’Tan said dryly. “I thought you’d surprise me here too, but no... It took me only three weeks to learn all five Steps. Seems you have your weaknesses, too...”

“What does Volume 1 mean?” Kai ignored the remark. He was aware that aside his photographic memory and ability to control prana, he didn’t have any outstanding talents. He couldn’t blame it on Rune’Tan, since he was a really good teacher.

“It means what it means. There’s also a second and third volume. Each of them is a rank higher, so for now, you can’t master them. I know the entire second volume and a small part of the third. When you reach the peak of the Mind Stage, then you’ll begin to study the next one.”

Kai stopped for a moment.

“You’ve already seen that I’m pretty good at controlling energy, why do I need to reach the Mind Stage?” He knew that Silver-rank techniques required some special kind of energy, so he wondered why he’d need a higher stage for that.

“So you don’t understand.” The redhead sighed. “The fact is that without an enhanced mind, you simply won’t be able to control your body properly during movement and you can easily cripple or even kill yourself, losing control and crashing into something... Better forget about it for now. You have four more Steps to learn, so there’s no need to rush.”

“Understood...”

***

It took Kai a month and a half to master the Offset
Step. With its help, he could now make a relatively short, but super-fast dash forward. He was so fast that some martial arts newbies wouldn’t even notice him move. Having perfected it and made it practically a reflex, he proceeded to the second step.

The next one was called the Retreating Step. Using it, Kai could instantly step back, leaving behind an ephemeral image of himself that could confuse a potential enemy. Like the first one, it couldn’t be used without taking breaks, as the body would suffer an overload. It took Kai another two months to master this move.

The third one was the Fast Step, which increased his speed for a little while, allowing him to move three or even four times faster. However, it was possible to use it several times in a row. Learning it took about three and a half months.

About six more months were necessary for Kai to figure out and be able to apply the Zero Gravity and Chaotic Step. Unlike the previous ones, he could study these two at the same time, since he already had a solid base.

Zero Gravity Step gave him the ability to control his weight, making it easier to move, allowing him to traverse even fragile and thin surfaces. Together with the other Steps, this made it possible for Kai to become even faster.

Chaotic Step turned out to be somewhat confusing. As Kai understood it, it could only be used in combination with the other Steps, however, that made them more unpredictable, but it allowed Kai to change them without pauses. In general, this Step could be called an auxiliary skill.

A little over a year flew by. Kai turned sixteen.

In addition to learning the Five Steps, he had achieved considerable success with Spiral Rotation.

You have completed the Body Endurance Stage.

You have reached Lung Endurance Level.

You have reached Vessel Endurance Level.

You have reached Heart Endurance Level.

You have reached Internal Organs Endurance level.

You have reached Skin Endurance level.

You have reached Bone Endurance level.

You have reached Muscle Endurance level.

Attention!

Achieved: [Great Growth (7)]

For the simultaneous achievement of 7 levels of Body Endurance, you get 7 free characteristic points that you can distribute as you wish.

Minimum division: 0.01 points

Wide-eyed, Kai smiled broadly.

After the start of the awakening of the Sleeping Blood, Kai again needed to reach the first level of the Body Stage. Once he had gotten into the underground city, Rune’Tan told him to try to reach all levels at once so Kai had to artificially slow down the process of reaching the Lung Endurance level, which surpassed the rest.

His decision bore fruit.

As Rune’Tan had explained to him, no one could absorb energy with their whole body at once like Kai could. However, there were special items and even some rare resources that could allow practitioners to do that.

When it came to achievements, they were relatively rare and were issued by the System for overcoming incredible difficulties. Kai was able to get one of those.

Having risen to his feet and stretched his neck, Kai headed for the elevator, grabbing the last two Spheres on the way. He was finally ready to leave this place.

Looking at his stats, Kai smiled. He was at least three times stronger than an ordinary warrior of his level. And although he was nowhere near as strong as Yavert, he had enough strength to fight the weakened monster.

Stats

Age: 16

Race: human

Status: Mortal

Stage: Body Stage

Level: Muscle Endurance

Characteristics

• Power: 16.91

• Speed: 16.97

• Endurance: 17.14

• Stamina: 22.88

• Mind: 7.81

• Energy: 19.4

Available points: 7

Abilities

• [Breath of Power] Rank: Low

• [Fake Face Technique] Rank: Low

• [Cutting Hands Technique] Rank: Low

• [Fire Punishment Technique] Rank: Earth

• [Symbolic Distorted Perception Field Technique] Rank: Earth

• [Symbolic Technique of Invisible Cut] Rank: Earth

• [Spiral Rotation of Ki’s Life Technique] Rank: Earth. Progress: 73%

• [Five Weightless Steps Technique. Volume 1] Rank: Earth

Force

Unknown

Features and Equipment

• [Awakening of the Sleeping Blood]. Progress: 27%

• [Phantom Yin-Yang Tattoo]. Progress: locked

• [Oath] given by Rune’Tan Shakwir. Possibility of refusing.

Achievements

• [Great Growth (7)]

For the simultaneous achievement of 7 levels of Body Endurance, you get 7 free points of characteristics that you can distribute as you wish.

Minimum division: 0.01 points

Tasks

[Search for the Ancient Truth]

Find out the reason for the disappearance of the Divine Empire of Belteise.

Reward: ???

Should you fail, you will receive a fine of 1,000 units of each of your characteristics or death.

Remaining time: 9,999 years

Chapter 20
THE BASEMENT

Having stopped in front of the dark-blue wall, Kai froze. His left hand rested on the familiar symbol.

There was only one barrier left between him and the opportunity to finally get out of here. He had been training hard for a year to prepare for this day.

Kai clenched his fists.

Behind the door was the Gnoll that had been growing weaker while Kai was growing stronger. He knew that he still wouldn’t stand a chance against it had it not been for that. He was well aware of the fact that the beast had been playing with him the last time.

Had Rune’Tan not been after Kai’s body, the Gnoll’s first blow would’ve sent the young man to the cycle of rebirth so fast that he wouldn’t have had time to realize what had happened.

That was how strong the Gnoll was.

Kai took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and listened. Once he had counted one hundred heartbeats, he finally opened his eyes. A wild flame danced in them.

Energy surged into the symbol. The door began to open.

Kai prepared to defend himself, but nothing happened. Slowly, he took a step into the room.

Wrapping his arms with energy, which now looked like a red fog due to the increased density of his ki, Kai looked around. He immediately noticed the emaciated, but still-powerful Gnoll.

The beast was half-asleep on the floor with its back against the wall where, according to Rune’Tan, the door leading to the mine was located.

Kai was in no hurry. He watched as the beast slowly woke up.

Attacking a defenseless opponent wasn’t something that he wanted to do. It wasn’t a matter of honor, it just wasn’t his thing.

What he wanted was to test his strength and prove to himself that he wasn’t as weak as he had once been. He needed this fight as much as he needed air to breathe. His soul burned; excitement began to rise in him.

Taking a stance, he stared at the beast that was about to make its first lunge.

Sharp claws whizzed a few inches away from his head. Grinning, Kai realized that his speed was no longer inferior to that of the Gnoll.

He swung his palm upward, staining the floor crimson. Growling, the Gnoll quickly jumped away, not expecting that the vile two-legged creature would suddenly disappear and reappear on its right. It had almost managed to react when Kai pierced its side, making it roar and sharply swing its paw.

Claws passed through Kai’s head as if it wasn’t there. The mirage quickly dispersed after the hit.

“Invisible Cut!” Kai roared, appearing a few feet away.

This time, the beast didn’t have time to react, and the attack, which hit its already wounded side, made it fall to one knee. Visibly weakened, it could no longer sense the upcoming attacks.

While the monster tried to rise, Kai formed a fiery ball on his finger. Forgetting about the bleeding wound and realizing that it wouldn’t have time to escape, the Gnoll put both of its paws in front of itself, sending all its energy into them. Its already incredibly strong skin became even stronger.

“Fire Punishment!”

The red drop burst from the flaming sphere. Kai put ten units of energy into this attack. Having used all the free points he had obtained for his achievements, he now had more than twenty-six ki points at his disposal.

Flying at an incredible speed, the red drop hit the Gnoll’s arm and exited through the nape of its neck. Colliding with the wall, the drop disappeared, leaving no trace on the ancient stone.

A second later, the Gnoll’s lifeless body fell on the floor.

The battle was over.

Kai frowned.

“It was too weak,” he muttered. “It had a strong body, but its strength was even lower than Shaizan’s...”

“I don’t know who this Shaizan is, but what did you expect? This room’s cut off from the outside world, so it has much less energy,” Rune’Tan explained.

Kai sighed. “I was hoping that I’d get to use my full strength...”

Shaking his head sadly, he walked over to the carcass and retrieved a Small
Crystal from its chest. Its light seemed paler than usual, probably due to the Gnoll having grown so weak.

Finally, Kai could get out of the trap that had kept him imprisoned for more than a year.

The symbol on the wall lit up, opening the door leading to a dark and wide tunnel. He stepped into it without hesitation.

The doors closed behind him...

After ten minutes of wandering the underground corridors, Kai heard something rather unusual.

Human voices.

Halting, he used Distorted Perception and listened. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make out much, so he decided to get closer. Although he had a hunch who might be wandering the mines, he didn’t want to let anyone see him first.

Kai wasn’t planning on attacking these people. He didn’t know whether there was someone stronger than him among them.

Quiet as a mouse, he turned the corner and found himself in a large cave, the walls of which went high up. In the center were several tents in a ring of torches, a few of which were still burning. Near the burning ones, Kai saw two men at the Blood Vessel level — it was their voices that he had heard. His vision showed him ten more men sleeping in the tents, none of which were above the Internal Organs level.

They posed no threat.

However, Kai was in no hurry to let his presence be known.

From their conversation, Kai learned that they had explored the mysterious corridor from which he had just come out of. As it turned out, all the remaining Gnolls had long been disposed of. The four noble families hired a team to explore the mine. The mercenaries had stumbled upon the door of the ancient city but failed to open it. As Kai understood it, if the doors remained closed, then none of the local noble families would get anything since the emperor’s people would be sent to deal with it.

So the mercenaries were worried, fearing the wrath of the aristocrats...

Having heard everything he needed, Kai moved along the wall, knocking out a couple of men along the way and taking clothes from a man of similar build as himself. His clothes were in poor condition after not having changed them for a year.

Having looked around, he realized where he was. There was a ladder leading up a hole that was probably the same one through which he had fallen.

It only remained for him to get out of the mine and find the transportation by which these mercenaries had arrived here.

He would finally be able to return to Caltea, find Julie and... get his revenge.

***

“Damn, it’s cold at night,” said a short man at the Blood Vessel level, hugging his shoulders and releasing a cloud of steam from his mouth.

Next to him stood another man, a level higher. Looking at his partner, he grimaced and spat.

“Cold? Why the hell am I even here? I thought that I would get to train and become stronger if I became a servant of the aristocrats, but they’ve sent me to guard this shitty ruin! Shit! Who would ever want to come here after the Yonis had announced their intentions to the whole city? After so many months! We’re wasting time here... Do you know who we really serve?”

“Who?”

“Idiots!”

“Hey, hush, keep it down!” the short man whispered, waving his hands frantically. “Don’t say that! If someone finds out, they’ll punish not only you but me as well!”

“I don’t care! Maybe I’ll leave the family when the contract expires. I’ll become a mercenary or even move to a bigger city. Anything to not see their vile faces again. They think they’re all mighty!”

“Fine, just calm down,” his partner said with a tense smile. “Here, try this! My dad made it, it’s strong,” he said, turning around to get a flask out of his bag. But once he turned back, his friend was no longer around.

Turning his head in panic, he saw his friend lying on the ground. A second later, a powerful blow to the head knocked him out cold.

Kai appeared above two unconscious guards. Looking at them, he noticed a medallion around their necks. Aristocratic servants...

Not wanting to create unnecessary noise, he knocked them out instead of killing them. He had learned his lesson.

Glancing forward, he clenched his teeth.

In front of him were the burned ruins of his home. There was nothing left of the garden.

Kai’s heart was beating violently, his temples throbbing. His palms were involuntarily wrapped in the red mist.

They were still looking for revenge...

Kai managed to restrain himself from massacring the corpses and pulled himself together. It was still too early...

Moving the boards, stones and other rubbish out of his way, he found what he had been looking for after a couple of minutes of searching.

The incredibly durable hatch had remained untouched.

Having cleaned the ash off it, he stared at the metal surface. No one but Jongo had ever gone downstairs, and Kai didn’t know how to open the entrance...

Like rewinding a movie, pictures of the day of the old man’s death flashed in his mind. With his dying breath, Jongo had whispered something to him. Back then, Kai didn’t understand what the old man had meant. However, he spent the last year recalling his lips moving, trying to read them.

Having filled his fingers with energy, Kai began to manipulate the hatch. After a while, there was a click, similar to the one of a lock being opened. Rising to his feet, he grabbed the latch and pulled the lid up.

At first, nothing happened, but then, the entrance to the basement opened.

Downstairs were several tables with various alchemical equipment, a lot of withered herbs, as well as some books on medicine. Nothing unusual at first glance.

However, Kai spotted something with his “energy vision.”

In the far corner, hidden behind a shelf, an unknown little thing shone like a star. He could only see the energy, but he couldn’t feel it. It was like there was nothing there.

Having decided to check, Kai began to disassemble everything in that corner, until he finally found a box hidden in a niche.

Opening the strange little thing, he immediately closed his eyes and deactivated his “energy vision.” Dozens of blood vessels in his eyes instantly burst, and he almost fell, but managed to grab a hold of something at the last moment.

The basement was filled with prana.

Moving away, he caught his breath and put the opened box on one of the tables. He didn’t intend to use his “energy vision” anymore.

Inside, he saw a piece of cloth wrapped around something round. Having unfolded the fabric, he discovered an old, ordinary-looking ring.

It was bursting with incredible power.

[Spatial Ring]

Rank: Silver

Feature: Passive Ability [Compressed Space]

“Do you know what this is?” Kai asked Rune’Tan.

“It says right there. It’s a Spatial Ring... You can put various things inside it. The space within it is limited and somewhat similar to an Energy Sphere, only simpler. Living creatures can’t be placed inside it, and it can’t hold energy. Basically, it’s something like a very convenient backpack. Although, this ring is very old and not too spacious. It could stretch for another hundred years or so... At best.”

“And how can I use it?”

“Put it on your finger...”

Kai put on the ring. The energy it radiated ceased to spread through the basement and flowed into his body. Before he could figure out what was going on, a special energy structure became entwined with his skin. At the same moment, several images appeared in his head, explaining to him how to use the ring.

Thanks to the energy that covered his skin like a spider web, he was connected with the interior of the artifact and could take out or put something in it just by touching it. Using this connection, he looked inside the ring and discovered several items. Sending a mental order, he took everything out of it.

Three objects appeared on the table, which suddenly creaked: a sword, another box, exactly like the first, and a piece of paper.

Opening the box, Kai discovered ten Small Crystals, as well as a bunch of gold coins that were of no use in Alkea. They were made of pure gold and were very strong and incredibly refined. However, what attracted Kai’s attention was the weak energy they emitted. Ordinary gold didn’t contain it, which meant that whoever created these filled them with energy.

Such coins had to be more valuable than plain gold.

The next thing he focused on was the sword, stored under strange, snow-white bands. Trying to pick up the weapon, Kai nearly fell, regaining balance at the last moment. The blade weighed at least a hundred pounds.

With his current strength, he could easily lift it with one hand, he simply didn’t expect that the weapon would weigh so much.

Is this really Jongo’s sword? Kai thought, remembering that the old man was once a swordsman.

He unwrapped it.

The handle, like the sheath and the blade, was completely blue.

[Sword of the Water Surface]

Rank: Silver

Feature: Active Ability [Water Flexibility]

Feature: Active Ability [Morning Dew]

Kai couldn’t say anything. This was the first weapon of such quality that he had seen in his life.

“A good blade for a Silver-rank item,” Rune’Tan commented condescendingly.

Kai ignored him.

Having finished examining the sword, he took the piece of paper.

Young Kai! If you’re reading this, then my worst fear has come true. I’m probably already dead. Please, don’t be sad. I’ve lived a long and happy life. I have no regrets.

Also, don’t blame yourself. I knew. From the very first day of our meeting, I knew that you weren’t my grandson. They said that he was lost in the mountains, and that the mercenaries didn’t find his body, but I knew that to be a lie. I saw the corpse and personally buried it.

I lied to Julie to save her heart. And when we suddenly stumbled upon you, I was once again scared. I couldn’t say that you weren’t him. You two are so alike. She simply wouldn’t believe me. I decided to give you a chance. I wanted to make my granddaughter happy. Having lost her parents, she couldn’t be left alone. And I... I’m too old.

None of this means that I didn’t see you as my grandson. I accepted you. Though not by blood ties, but by spiritual ones, we nevertheless ended up connected. You remind me so much of my younger self...

I have but one request. I believe that you’ll become strong, so please, take care of Julie. Don’t leave her alone. To do this, take the coin from the box and my sword, as well as the ring. Follow your destiny, but don’t forget about Julie, who, I hope, has become like a sister to you...

Also, there’s a small cache under the basement floor. What you’ll find there... If you’re ever ready to rise to the Soul Stage, use that. However, I implore: never, under any circumstances, tell anyone about it. It could cost you your life...

Sorry, Kai. That’s all I can give you. I believe in you. I’m glad that I’ve had such a great grandson...

Stains appeared on the note. As the ink on it blurred, so did Kai’s vision. His face tickled and his eyes suddenly started to burn. He didn’t know what was suddenly wrong with his vision.

Touching his cheek, he felt something wet.

“Am I... crying?” Kai smiled. “Stupid old man. I would’ve done that regardless...”

Having wiped away the tears, he folded the note, sending it, the sword, and also the box back to the ring. The Crystal, obtained from the Gnoll along with the last two Energy Spheres were stored as well.

Pushing the furniture aside, Kai began tapping the floor. A few minutes later, he found a spot that sounded hollow. Having broken the boards with his bare hands, he revealed a long, cylindrical object. It was an old scroll, about which, oddly enough, the System had nothing to say. Kai didn’t feel a drop of energy in it.

The inscription on the scroll read:

“Cold Void Meditation Technique. Volume 1.”

“Rune’Tan,” Kai called.

“Yes?”

“Do you know anything about this?”

“Not about this technique in particular,” he replied. “But in general, techniques that are indicated as meditative are used to strengthen the soul, and for further development at the Exorcist level and above. Each such technique is at least of the Silver rank and it often consists of several volumes.”

“I need a technique to strengthen my soul?” Kai was surprised.

“No. But if there’s a fool who decides to develop without it, then they’ll never overcome the threshold of the Exorcist level. Although... I suspect that many of you barbarians had done just that... Consider yourself lucky to have found a meditation technique. I don’t know what this Cold Void element is...”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, meditation techniques are usually named after the type of energy that a practitioner will strengthen their soul with. For example, if the energy were that of the sword, then this technique would be called something like Technique of the Direct Sword Meditation. Or something like that. Of course, there are different types of swords so you can strengthen the soul in various ways by using one type of energy. But I’ve never heard about this Cold Void. Cold? Yes, but that...” Rune’Tan shook his head.

“I see,” Kai said, storing the scroll.

Having finished with that, he headed for the exit. There was nothing more to do in the basement.

He had two tasks ahead of him: to find Julie, and get a taste of that sweet, sweet revenge.

Chapter 21
REVENGE

The night went on. The System clock showed three o’clock in the morning.

Having silently climbed on the roof of a tall and luxurious house with the help of his Zero Gravity Step, Kai sat in a lotus position and focused on restoring his energy.

He didn’t have much time.

Taking a slow, deep breath, and filling his lungs with air and energy, Kai opened his eyes, which glimmered like amethysts in the moonlight. His gaze fell on the city stretching before him.

The Yoni Family Quarter.

The family that had robbed him of his home, his grandfather... and disabled him.

Now he would rob them of the same things.

Having risen to his feet, he gazed in front of him in silence. Several minutes passed before he suddenly began to move his lips in a silent whisper.

Nine... Eight... Seven... Six... Five...

Four...

Three...

Two...

One!

The countdown ended, but nothing happened.

“I seem to have been mistaken. Well then...” Rune’Tan abruptly fell silent.

Two powerful explosions interrupted him. Something flashed brightly far ahead. The sound spread over the whole city and broke the windows of almost all the houses in the northwestern part of Caltea.

Glass shattered below him, but Kai didn’t hear it. A family of three ran out onto the street. A father, a mother, and a son. All three were petrified.

Glancing toward the Yoni Quarter and seeing two bright flashes, the parents clutched their heads. Unlike them, not realizing the seriousness of the situation, the ten-year-old boy didn’t immediately look in the right direction. Instead, he saw a stranger on the roof of their house.

The stranger noticed the boy’s gaze. His lips stretched into a smile and he put a finger to them. The boy nodded in fright. Having nodded in response, the stranger turned away.

The boy looked at him for another second, and then he blinked.

The next moment, there was no one on the roof.

***

“That was one hell of a bang!” Rune’Tan blurted out, watching the city through Kai’s eyes. “When I did this in the undercity, the effect was weaker. Seems like the dome was in the way.”

“It’s a shame that we had to spend the last of the Spheres on this...” Kai grimaced.

Moving along the roofs, Kai passed the wall enclosing the territory of the Yoni Quarter. The real chaos was about to ensue. The explosions were just a distraction. Kai couldn’t wait to see the city plunge into chaos.

Screams and shouts sounded from everywhere. Amidst the cacophony, Kai heard bestial growls and vile laughter.

Using Rune’Tan’s knowledge, he had figured out how to make the Spheres fall apart. Thanks to that, there were at least two hundred Gnolls at the Body and Mind Stages, as well as two at the Soul Stage, roaming the quarter.

Still, Kai was sure that this wouldn’t be enough to destroy the entire Yoni family and their servants. No matter how strong the Gnolls were, people were still more powerful and intelligent. Sooner or later, the Yonis would take care of the beasts.

But at what cost?

Perhaps they wouldn’t lose the battle, but they would lose much more than that. They would be licking their wounds for a couple decades to come.

Perhaps they would be, had it not been for one thing.

Kai, who was rushing to the central and largest mansion.

***

Meditating in his room, Yavert suddenly got the feeling that something was... off. This strange and unpleasant feeling was preventing him from calming down his heart and thoughts.

Having interrupted his meditation, he left the room.

Looking out the window, he glanced at the garden and got lost in his thoughts. Last year, due to injury, Kiyan was unable to participate in the tournament. The rules prevented Yavert’s youngest and oldest sons from registering at all.

Because of that, only the members of the side branches participated in last year’s tournament. In the end, Yavert had to come to terms with coming third, while the Baywecks were once again the first among the noble families. He didn’t care about prizes. Power was a matter of agreement between the families, and their success in the tournament played a role in that.

Of course, they could’ve refused to participate because of Kiyan’s injuries, but no one could go against the System. So the Yonis had to give in and deal with losing some of their influence.

This infuriated the patriarch, and burned a hole in the family budget. It didn’t make things easier that some lowborn upstart had managed to get around absolutely all the aristocrats and win first place in the tournament. Even Helios’s youngest son, the only one from the main branch of the Bayweck family who had reached the higher stages, lost to him.

The winner received his prize and disappeared from the city without a trace before anyone could invite him to join any family. Even the assassins who had been sent after him couldn’t find the bastard.

Yavert was thinking about this while descending to the first floor, where he ran into Shaizan. But before the boy could greet his father, two deafening explosions rang out somewhere nearby.

The shockwaves shattered all the windows in the quarter. Glass rained upon the two, but it couldn’t hurt their hardened skin.

“Father!” Shaizan cried.

“Secure your brother’s room!” Yavert ordered. “I’ll find Tao and gather the forces!”

Having said that, he rushed to where Tao was supposed to be. Shaizan headed for Kiyan’s bedroom without delay.

The quarter was quickly overtaken by violent Gnolls. After spending thousands of years in captivity, they wanted to destroy everything in their path. But one thing drove them further than any other.

They craved food... Meat!

It took Shaizan no more than five minutes to get to his brother’s room. During that time, many Yoni warriors had already run into their first opponents. The rest, under Tao and Yavert’s command, gathered at the entrance to the central mansion.

Unfortunately, they had reacted too slowly. Many were taken by surprise because they had already been fast asleep when the attack happened. Having been woken up suddenly and given no time to get themselves together, they advanced to the rendezvous point slowly. Most of them encountered the beasts on their way.

Dozens of battles took place throughout the quarter. Less than half of the family’s warriors made it to the mansion.

Shaizan watched all this through the window. He was furious. Dozens of their servants and relatives were dying, and he couldn’t help them. He couldn’t leave Kiyan.

Continuing to watch the growing fires and silhouettes disappearing and reappearing between houses, he helplessly clenched his fists. He hoped with all his heart that his father and uncle had already begun cleansing their home of filth, and that soon everything would be fine.

Suddenly, Shaizan felt strange. For a few moments, he felt as if something was trying to close his eyes and obscure his mind. The feeling would come and go...

Shaizan reacted at the last moment, moving away from the window with a sharp jerk. Glass shattered and something dark flew into the room.

His gaze settled on a tall figure. Violet eyes stared at him through strands of obsidian hair. In the man’s hand was a blue blade, covered with a scarlet haze of sword energy.

Shaizan remembered him. He was the one who injured his brother.

“I remember you, too,” the man said with a grin.

Shaizan didn’t answer. His main task was to protect Kiyan. To do that, he had to get this man out of the room. Luckily, his fighting style was suitable for this like no other. Unlike his brothers, Shaizan’s weapon of choice was not a saber, sword, or spear, but his body.

Having wrapped his arms and legs with hammer energy, which gave tremendous power to any attacks, Shaizan jumped.

The animalistic grin on the man’s face became even wider. If he took all of his characteristics into account, he and Shaizan could be considered equal. However...

Shaizan almost hit the man’s head, but he was no longer there.

...the difference in combat experience and techniques was enormous.

“Too slow!” said a voice from outside.

Shaizan didn’t understand. Although he hadn’t reached the peak of the Mind Stage, he had already achieved a lot, so he managed to follow his opponent’s lightning-fast movements. However, Shaizan’s body couldn’t keep up with his mind.

“Invisible Cut!” The man waved his blade, stunning Shaizan even more.

Pulling himself together and suppressing the growing amazement at the sight of the strength of the weakling that he had beaten almost to death a year ago, Shaizan counterattacked with his fist. Thanks to his strong mind, he managed to feel the energy of the attack and predict its trajectory.

Fist and ki met. There was a crash. Kai’s technique was smashed to smithereens, and a pole of energy erupted from Shaizan’s hand. Crushing the floor, he pointed it toward Kai, who dodged it.

Foreseeing defeat, Shaizan popped a small pill into his mouth. His skin became red, as did his eyes. His heart started beating so fast that it threatened to burst out of his chest. His blood began to boil.

Breaking the floor with each step, Shaizan approached Kai with increased speed. The young man had barely any time to react, but he managed to put his sword in front of him.

A blow weighing at least a ton hit the blade, making every cell in his body shake. Like a cannonball, he flew out of the room, breaking through the wall.

Still flying, Kai regained his balance and, pushing himself off the floor with his hand, landed on his feet.

But Shaizan didn’t lag behind.

Realizing that all of Shaizan’s stats had increased, Kai knew that only one option remained.

He had to use three Steps at the same time.

Fast Step — for general acceleration.

Zero Gravity Step — for easier maneuvering, because Shaizan had better control over his body than Kai did over his.

And Chaotic Step — so that he’d have overall advantage.

Kai had only tried this combination twice before and both times it drained so much energy that his body shut down. It was too much, even for his stats.

But there was no other option.

Having reached his opponent, the enraged Shaizan roundhouse-kicked Kai, sending a wave of hammer energy, crushing everything in its path. Complete destruction was the nature of this element.

But the attack didn’t reach its target. Kai sped up again. With the three Steps activated, the speed of the two warriors was now equal.

Shaizan barely managed to keep track of Kai. The suddenness and randomness of his movements scared him, making him unable to even partially predict his next move.

On the other hand, Kai could read Shaizan like an open book. He had no trouble predicting all of his movements before he made them.

Circling around his opponent, Kai finally attacked.

One after another, attacks rained from various places and angles. Managing to dodge them in the last moment, Shaizan was spinning around like a dervish. He only managed to notice Kai’s last attack. Counterattacking wasn’t even an option.

This went on for some time. And although Shaizan could withstand collision with a blade, the energy of the sword still left its marks on his body. Each new blow caused more small cuts to appear on his clothes and skin.

Soon, both fighters felt that they were reaching their limit. This was especially dangerous for Kai, because he was on enemy territory.

However, he had an idea for how to end the fight as quickly as possible.

Attacking from the front, he abruptly shifted to the side. Just like before, Shaizan reacted at the very last moment.

Intending to deflect Kai’s blade again, he expected him to close the distance after the strike, not allowing him to attack.

But Kai did the exact opposite. As soon as flesh and metal collided, the red mist disappeared from the blade. Cutting through the air, it rushed toward Shaizan’s bare chest.

The distance was too short. The aristocrat didn’t have time to move.

Shaizan couldn’t believe his eyes.

It was an Energy Release technique!

This technique, although of a Low rank, wasn’t inferior to Earth-rank techniques in its rarity. In the hands of a skilled warrior, it was no weaker than higher-level techniques. Therefore, all who owned its secret didn’t share it.

Where did this miserable commoner get it then? And how could he even use it?! It was difficult enough to learn energy transformation even at the Mind Stage. For the successful use of the Release technique, at least five mind units were required, which the insect in front of him couldn’t have at the level of Muscle Endurance!

So how was this possible?!

Shaizan didn’t have an answer. He refused to accept what was going on. He must be dreaming. Or hallucinating.

His brain came up with a million other explanations just so that he could reject the unpleasant truth.

But one couldn’t escape the truth...

Less than a second had passed.

A strip of scarlet energy cut through his flesh.

Grimacing in pain, he was sent flying back. A deep wound gaped in his chest. Had he not been at least at the level of Skin Endurance, he would’ve been split in two.

Shaizan could no longer move. His skin returned to its normal color; the effect of that strange pill was nearing its end.

Breathing heavily, Kai walked over to him. His body was aching, but he had to endure the pain. It was still early; he hadn’t yet accomplished what he had come for. Watching the fight, Rune’Tan said that if he hadn’t been a descendant of a powerful warrior with strong blood, he would’ve hardly been able to stand on his feet at this moment.

Using just three Steps had squeezed all the juice out of Kai. He knew that, in theory, it was possible to use all five of them. But that was something beyond human capabilities...

He was already pretty nauseous.

“They’ll kill you... like the mad dog you are,” Gurgling and spitting blood, Shaizan used what little strength he had to insult the young man, still unable to believe that he had lost to a commoner. “And everyone you lo―”

A blade pierced his throat, silencing him forever. Empty eyes stared at the ceiling.

Kai trudged back to where the battle had begun.

Returning to the room, this time through the door, he located the bed and shuffled toward it, sensing a familiar aura.

Sleeping peacefully, Kiyan looked rather harmless. But Kai knew better.

Before him was the source of all his troubles.

Kiyan Yoni had to die!

Retrieving the sword from the ring yet again, Kai sighed and looked at the ceiling.

“So what happened to you...? Something like a coma, right? To kill a defenseless person is somehow... I don’t know... But I have to. This is the end of the battle that had begun between us more than a year ago.”

Glancing at Kiyan, Kai brought his sword to his neck.

“Die.”

At that moment, he heard a roar. A furious, powerful, and painful roar. Kai’s heart skipped a beat, and the blood in his veins froze. His hand started shaking...

It wasn’t a roar of a monster. At least not in the usual sense of the word.

It was human.

In the wide-open passage stood Yavert. Seriously wounded in action, he was holding Shaizan’s corpse. Covered in blood that belonged not only to his son, he seemed to feel no pain.

At least not that of the physical kind.

The agony in his eyes prevented Kai from moving. He stared at Yavert as if hypnotized.

But then came Yavert’s actual opponent. An enormous black Gnoll at the Soul Stage made a huge hole in the floor with one blow, immediately jumping to the lower floor. Looking at its adversary, the beast laughed vilely and rushed at Yavert.

Kai could see that this Gnoll was much stronger than the one he had met in the mine.

“Don’t just stand there!” Rune’Tan cried, snapping Kai out of his trance. “It’s now or never!”

Startled, Kai came to his senses. Not wasting another second, he swung his sword.

Yavert’s face was distorted by pure hatred. He forgot about everything else. Dropping his son’s body, he rushed forward.

However, he wasn’t fast enough.

He was just sixty miserable feet away, but he wasn’t quick enough.

A blue blade wrapped in scarlet cut through Kiyan’s neck.

Yavert lost his balance. His heart skipped a beat and something inside him broke. He had just lost what was dearest to him in the world. His two boys.

A terrible wound had been inflicted on his heart. Hopelessness and despair filled every corner of his being. His spirit wanted to die, but his body didn’t. Reflexively, he dodged the upcoming attack. However, he wasn’t as fast as before.

The Gnoll’s jaws clicked. A stream of blood gushed from Yavert’s shoulder.

With a lifeless stare, he observed the Gnoll chewing on him. The beast stared back, dumbfounded and frozen. Inflicting almost irreparable harm on his own body, Yavert materialized five fireballs in the air.

The Gnoll immediately came to its senses, let go of Yavert’s shoulder and, growling under its breath, rushed forward. A moment later, it fell dead with five holes in its body.

Turning his head like a mechanical doll, Yavert again looked toward the bed.

Kiyan’s empty eyes stared back.

Kai was no longer there...

***

Finally.

He had finally gotten his revenge. He had dealt with Shaizan and Kiyan.

Yavert’s look spoke more than words ever could. Leaving him to live was a fate crueler than death.

On the list of those whom Kai had vowed to kill, there was only one name left.

Helios Bayweck.

However, he would have to wait. He was too powerful to handle right now. No tricks would work on him. Only pure power.

Thus, Kai had no choice but to become stronger.

So strong that no one else would dare to deprive him of anything ever again.

But not all was lost. Kai had not yet been plunged into darkness.

One light remained to guide him on his path.

***

The entire city was in panic.

Dawn was approaching, but almost no one was sleeping. Two deafening explosions forced the citizens to wake up, and the news of the hordes of monsters that had filled the Yoni Family Quarter didn’t let people go back to sleep. Everyone was discussing what had happened and spreading rumors. Some said that the other families didn’t send their men to help the Yonis.

Perhaps that was why the northwestern region of the city was almost completely empty. People fled from there, like rats from a sinking ship. Everyone was afraid that they could run into a monster.

The same thing happened in the southern areas of the city, on the territory around the gates, very far from the Yoni Family Quarter. Like fire, rumors managed to spread even there. Each worse than the previous. Some were about the explosions and the monsters. Some said that the beasts emerged from the ground because the aristocrats had built their house on an ancient grave. And some spoke about the wrath of the Gods and the end of the world.

Less than half a mile from the southern gate, in one of the side streets, was a spacious house.

Rumors got even to there.

Inside were five men. They were usually awake at this time, so none of this interfered with their daily life. Like every morning, they were cooking breakfast.

Each of them was a warrior at the Body Stage, but few knew that some twenty years ago they were poor orphan beggars, wandering around the streets. Maybe that was why, having received housing, for all these years none of them had ever left their first home. Perhaps it was because they had become like brothers to each other. Who knows...

Regardless, they weren’t worried about what was happening in Caltea. In a few hours, they were supposed to go on a mission, so that occupied all their thoughts. Furthermore, it was breakfast time so they were all busy eating.

An unexpected knock broke the silence.

Looking at each other, the men remained silent for a while. The first to set aside his empty plate was Lars.

“Maybe we should open it?” he asked.

“Well, go and open it then!” Nick said.

“Why me?”

“Enough,” Goddie immediately cut them off. “The morning has barely begun and you’re already bickering.”

Silent as always, the two men sitting at the far end of the table nodded.

“Well, what if it’s another one of Lars’s girlfriends?” There was another knock.

“Since no one wants to, I’ll open the door myself.” Ignoring his friend, Goddie rose from the table and walked to the door.

“Yeah?” he asked and froze. The rest of the Steel Tigers tried to see who the visitor was, but Goddie’s massive figure was blocking their view.

“How about you let me in?” asked a familiar voice.

Goddie moved away and Kai, who had already changed his appearance to the one the mercenaries were familiar with, came in. The men widened their eyes as if they had seen a ghost. One of the silent brothers even dropped a spoon.

“Where’s Julie? Is she with you?” Not wanting to waste time, Kai got straight to the point.

“Kai, you,” Goddie muttered.

“Heavens! You’re alive!” Nick blurted out. “We thought that you’ve been lying six feet under for a long time now.”

“I’m glad to see you too. But I urgently need to find Julie. Did she come to you?”

“Yes, she was here,” Goddie answered, swallowing for some reason. Only now did he realize that their friend was no longer the little kid they had once trained with.

“And where is she?”

“She’s not here,” Lars said, noticing the doubt on Goddie’s face.

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t get us wrong.” Goddie put his hands in front of him. “But, when the rumor spread that your grandfather had died, Julie tried to look for you. After a couple of months, we almost stopped believing that you were alive, but she didn’t give up. At some point, I figured that you must’ve left the city to hide from the aristocrats. We didn’t want to let her go, but she fooled us all and fled.”

Kai felt panic swell in his chest.

“Where did she go?” he asked, feeling the tears coming.

“As soon as we found out, we followed her, but we didn’t manage to catch her,” Goddie said like he was trying to justify himself. “She somehow arranged a place in a caravan for herself...”

“Where did she go?” Kai asked, clenching his teeth.

“To Rivertoon, Kai...” Goddie sighed exhaustedly. “She went to the capital.”

End of Book 1

Thank you for reading!

I hope you enjoyed my story. There are four books in Russian, and I’m very glad that more and more people will be able to enjoy it.

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