Edwin’s sword rose and fell, decapitating a monster that looked like a cross between a lion and an eagle. The beast had a massive beak instead of a muzzle, and wings protruded from its back. Near him, Jimmy slumped into a tree trunk, painting. Chris was already defiling the monster to harvest the Beast Core. This was their thirteenth kill of the day. Even with all the preparation the three of them had done, it surprised Edwin how many monsters the three of them killed in a single day. If someone had told him that they could kill so many monsters in a single day, he would have laughed at the silly joke. “That went better than I expected,” Chris said. Edwin nodded in agreement. Chris sat next to Jimmy after harvesting the core. ‘Now, we have enough blood cores to help him advance.’ Edwin didn’t know if Jimmy advancing by a single realm could help him, but it was the only option they had. He knew learning to fight for a couple of months won’t be enough for Jimmy if he truly wanted t
The Blood Core before Londen shattered to dust, and he knew his prowess had increased once more, even if by a small margin. "Now that you have learned to listen to the Rhythms of Fate at will. You will need to get accustomed to Fate Shadows," Riot said. "Fate shadows?" Linden said. "You have never listened to fate in the presence of others, have you?" Lindon looked at Tim, who was standing at one of the corners of the room, still as a statue. "He doesn't count," Riot said. "That man never moves, so it doesn't help." "So what should I do then?" "You should go out and explore." Linden gave Riot a reproachful glance. The shameless spirit coughed twice before speaking again. "What I mean is you should go out to places filled with people and listen to the Rhythm of Fate. Then you will understand what the Fate Shadows are. You must get used to them before you go up against real opponents." "My progress would be much better if you did not talk such rot every time." Riot sniffed lou
The woman Tim came back with was someone at the peak of the Epic Realm and was also a vampire, preparing to advance to the Body Transition Realm. She walked into the room and bowed to Linden. "Someone at Elementary Realm challenging someone at the Epic Realm rarely happens. I hope I did not insult you with my action." Linden said. "It is not an insult, young master, but an honour to have an opportunity to duel with you. There are things you can learn, even from someone below your advancement level." "That is good to hear." Linden raised his sword. "Shall we begin then?" "Are there any rules?" She asked. He thought about it for a while and nodded. "No vital techniques." A vital technique enforced the body. And Blood Law was best at it. The woman already was two realms above his advancement. If she also used a vital technique, he would not stand a chance even with the help of Fate Shadows. Besides, he had yet to learn any Vital Cultivation Techniques. His Drogen had just unlocked a
The forest had many sounds, the leaves, the animals, the insects. Jimmy, however, cared little about them. The world around him was still deafeningly silent to him. Even after all these weeks, the world that was not filled with echoes constantly ringing—was still alien to him.Jimmy watched Chris sitting next to the cart filled with the carcasses of the beasts. They could sell the carcass of each beast for a few gold coins, which was apparently not much. Coins were the smallest of the denominations. Ordinary and primary gold, silver, or even copper had little value. Yet the same metals invested with enough of Drogen to advance beyond the primary were too valuable to be used as currency.It had already been two hours since Edwin left them. It was already late. The sun had almost disappeared. They did not open the Tribe gate during the night. And he had no intention of sleeping outside if he could help it. His stupid brother always found himself in trouble—he did not need to.Jimmy was s
Jimmy gaped, bewildered. Others in his group were also astonished. They had spent the last hour gossiping, and they hadn’t noticed the changes happening around them.Hundreds of tents, furniture, and other supplies of the Aether Tribe had vanished into thin air. Where was everything? As far as he could tell, no one was carrying anything that indicated tents, furniture, and other such things.Amazed discussions took place among all the recruits. Jimmy’s group was one of them.“I may be wrong. But as a Scripter, I have an inkling about what happened,” Rina said, at last.Chris eyed Rina. “You do?”Chris’s doubt was apparent in the tone of her voice. Why couldn’t Chris get along with the woman? Her bantering was beginning to irk his nerves. If this continued on, he might shout at her, which Jimmy didn’t want to.Rina snorted. “Of course, I know. It’s common knowledge where I came from. There are artifacts out there that can act as an anchor to store items in pocket dimensions. One such a
Since the next morning, the days went by—by travelling and the nights by camping. Monsters never bothered them. At night Jimmy had to drink Sigmund’s potion to fall asleep, and each time sleep came a little later than before. Aside from his sleeping problem, the travel went on smoothly.On the third day of their travel, Jimmy finally finished cultivating with all the Blood Cores they had collected. Rohkov, his Metal Spirit, congratulated him. His advancement went smoothly. Nothing explosive happened. There was no explosion or burst of Drogen coming out of his body. He did not feel the rush of power. The only thing that changed was his core. It seemed just a tad brighter, if even that. It could just be his imagination. Jimmy opened his Stats just to make sure he had advanced.[Name: Jimmy Wright][Race: Vampire][Spirit: Hidden Metal—Rohkov][Spirit Ability: Metallic Push and Pull (Attract and Repel Metals)][Greater Realm: Foundation][Lesser Realm: Elementary][Realm Stage: None][Adv
A miniature figure, no bigger than his palm, zipped around across his vision. She screamed, and it was the same scream he had heard before. It was his name that she screamed in a tone that was frantic. Linden could not understand why, but somehow that scream seemed to rent at his heart. He should recognise that voice, he knew, but whenever he tried to reach for that recognition, it seemed to slip away from him as if he was trying to grasp at the air. It was so difficult to think. Memories faded. Memories he knew were dear to him. "Tim, you must hurry," The tiny humanoid figure said. "He won't last much longer. Linden, Please. You must not give up. You have to hold on, Linden. LINDEN." His vision faded, and with it, the pain. With the darkness came relief. Relief from the pain, relief from the responsibilities. He did not know he could fulfill. His relief seemed to last only for an instant, like a teaser to something you could never have. It was like a sick joke of a madman. Pain wre
Linden stood before his father's study. His father was in a meeting with an important person. Visits during such occasions by anyone were frowned upon. However, a visit by the Sect Master's son during emergencies was acceptable, especially when he was almost assassinated. He entered the room, and the guards announced him. His guard did not follow him. This room was a mirror to his mother's study. Back at the Tribe Hall. The room was a small one, considering it was used as a workroom by the sect master. A table sat in front of one wall, stacked with important documents. A self neatly occupied by books, scrolls, artefacts, and some burnished ornaments stood behind the table. Tapestries that captured the great heroic deeds hung on every wall. A golden green carpet with intricate embroidery covered the floor. "I cannot accept this," His father said to his guest holding a sword hilt that had no blade. They sat on a sofa that surrounded a glass tea table. His father looked up at him and
Jimmy listened to the elder, who taught them the properties of various metals. “This is Firesteel, this is Watersteel, this is Bloodsteel…” The elder got out seven metals and introduced them to the class. These were the best conductor of said Law and amplified their effect. The elder produced another seven metals and explained about each of them; Firebane, Spiritbane and Earthbane and so on. These were poor conductors of corresponding Laws—almost an insulator. These metals either diminished or nullified the effect of the corresponding Law. Jimmy learned much in his Blacksmith class. The identities of unique metals, their source, their properties—and how and what to forge with them. How to make an object of power? It was a simple process, impossible as it was to believe. First, forge a required item, take a beast core, and after that reach out with spiritual sense to the item through the core and push the power of the core to the item—the spiritual sense was the medium to such tran
Rina repeatedly tapped the table with her index finger. This was getting on her nerves. The man no older than her, who sat opposite her, inspected the inscription on the dagger she had carved, turning it round and round in his hands. Rina scoffed. As if he knew anything about the scripts. Scripting was The Most technical art of Drogen. “You have excellent calligraphy,” the man said.Rina snorted. “A fish that can’t swim is worthless.” “Point. Shall we test your handiwork? I hope they are as powerful as they are beautiful.”The scripter woman nodded. Finally! She would earn her keep and be rid of the man soon.The runes in the dagger glowed golden. The man flicked his wrist and the dagger cut through the air and struck the wall. There was little sound. Golden lines of runes flickered across the room. The dagger quivered for a second and dropped.Her pride swelled like a balloon. She had done a better job than she had believed. “To think the dagger activated the protection formation
“Why are you doing this to yourself?” Edwin asked on their way to class. “You had to visit a healer three times this week. Please tell me what is happening with you, maybe I can help.” “I am fine,” Chris said. A wave of nausea struck her. The world must hate her. Why did it have to happen now when she had just told Edwin she was fine? If the man hadn’t caught her, she would probably be bleeding from her nose right now.“Chris, can you stand by yourself?” The man looked ready to princess-carry her if need be–that she would not allow.Chris pushed herself out of Edwin’s arms and jumped up and down to show she was perfectly fine, thank you very much. She was, and anyone who said otherwise be damned. “See, I am fine.”“You weren’t, just a second ago. I think it best to go see a healer.”Chris caressed Edwin’s hand. She did her best to make her voice as soothing as possible. What she was about to say Edwin wouldn’t like. “You needn't worry about what’s happening to me. You know how we were
Only when Chris was well away from Linden and the arena did the consequences of what she had done dawn on her. What was she thinking dunking him in the water? If Linden had taken what she had done as offence and not as a joke, she would be howling in pain for who knew how long. Perhaps forever. She must have been mad. Why did she always let the anger get the best of her? She had to learn to control it better. ‘What’s done is done,’ she told herself firmly. ‘There is no point in fretting over it.’ Aside from her horrible mistake with Linden that could have ended up with her head on a pike, her days went smoothly—with only one sour note. It was, of course, Rina. Chris asked herself a thousandth time why she was sharing a room with her. The woman had no decency at all. None. Two nights a week, sometimes three nights, the woman brought a man to spend the night with. The partners she brought were sometimes young, sometimes old. The woman changed her partners like men changed their cloth
Linden stopped laughing, gave her a lopsided glance, and struck. Chris brought her sword before it to intercept the attack. At the last second, Linden twisted his sword, and it landed on her wrist. She almost lost her grip on her sword. Still, she powered through the pain and kept her hold of it. Chris was just glad she hadn’t yelped in pain and had just winced. That would be beyond embarrassing. They exchanged dozens of blows, and with each blow, her anger spiked up a notch. Linden had thwacked her left and right—blows that would bruise. Yet, for the life of her, she couldn’t land a single hit. It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t. Why should she be bruised and in pain, while the other man was grinning like a fool? She knew he wasn’t using vital technique or any form of Drogen. That would have left behind a residue that she would have undoubtedly seen, being a collector as she was. So, what was it he was doing? There had to be something. He can’t really see the future, can he? No, that w
Chris watched as the heir strode towards them. The bare-chested man walked like any heir should, back straight, one hand resting on his sword hilt as if he were assuming a sword stance. He could have made any girl’s neck turn in his direction and made their heart flutter. Not hers. Her heart fluttered for someone else. Someone next to her, no less regal than the heir himself, standing there, hand poised on his sword hilt, ready to draw at a moment’s notice. The man she suspected to be Linden’s bodyguard. Tim, was it? He could do with an earful. Holding a sword at her throat like that. When her eyes shifted back to the bodyguard, her mouth went dry. Sweat glistened along his abs. She gulped. Her knees wanted to buckle. She wanted… ‘Heavens above, what am I thinking?’ She wanted to get into good graces with the heir. Not canoodle with his bodyguard. She wouldn’t mind doing it, though. It could be warming. Gods, she had always prided herself on having great control over her thoughts.
[PRESENT TIME] Chris Scoured through the sect library searching for information on collectors. She had hoped to find some record to understand her powers. Useless, there was nothing she didn’t already know. All that knowledge in here and they were all deadwood to her. Unless she broke into the restricted section of the library, there was nothing new she could learn. That meant she would have to learn everything by experiment. The thought of experimenting with her powers sent a shiver down her spine. Playing with something she didn’t understand didn’t sound healthy to her. All her classes went well, better than well actually. She was one of the best in her class—aside from a few mishaps like that one time when she had turned into a giant; it was one of the most embarrassing things that had ever happened to her. What surprised her most as she navigated through her powers was the fact that her abilities were incredibly similar to that of a Dweller and, at the same time, quite differen
Chris stood next to her brother as she watched him paint on a massive canvas. The strange amalgamation of colours slowly began to gain cohesion and shape. Slowly, the paintings began to gain more shapes and details. She saw villagers washing clothes in the rivers. Children playing near them. Why couldn’t her life be so peaceful as well? Why couldn’t she be as happy as that? Children playing in the river. This was the first time her brother’s paintings had made her feel more pain than soothing her.However, she did not blame her brother for her mood. She knew something like this could happen. She had been lucky that it hadn’t happened before. And her brother had never drawn a painting with people before.When her brother finished his art. She asked him a question. “What will you call this painting, brother? I always like it when you name your paintings. It is the most enjoyable part of all this.”“I will call this one A Vain Dream.”“Why do you want to name something so beautiful? Somet
Five Years Ago. It had been about five years since her mother died. Killed was more accurate. A band of people made from Dwellers and Vampires had killed her mother. And even after five years, Chris still wept herself to sleep. She had abandoned her in her time of need. They punished the murderers of her mother for their actions. They were flogged and tortured publicly before being killed. And yet Chris still could not feel at peace for the death of her mother—like everyone told her to do. Even though they had already received their punishment. Even though they were already dead, she still hated them for taking her mother away from her. How could they do such a thing? How could they have no regard for human life? That question always haunted her. Their death wasn’t enough. Someone else deserved punishment—it was her.A part of Chris wanted to forget about her mother. So that she did not have to hurt, so that she did not have to cry so much, so that her father would not have changed