“For one thing, vampires advance through a unique method. For another, the core of Body Transition Realm isn’t the only factor for advancement. Advancement to Body Transition Realm entails the achievement of a body with a certain aptitude. A body that is faster than anything else, a body that can fly, a body that can grow far stronger with each advancement. I myself have a body called Fading Mist—I can turn myself invisible and make my movements almost imperceptible, even with spiritual perception. So, how do we gain bodies with such incredible ability?” “By the use of elixir or artifacts during advancement.” “Excellent, child. What is your name?” “Rina greets her master.” “Why is it always her that hogs all the attention?” Chris whispered in Edwin’s ear. Edwin was too busy listening to all the secrets of cultivation to spare any attention to the feud between Rina and Chris. So, he half-heartedly replied something. The answer must have satisfied her, because it brought a smile to
It took Edwin some time for him not to be completely affected by the effect of Drogen. It still sometimes got the better of him. Through meditation, Edwin drew power into his core and opened his eyes. The world around him glittered as it always did when he drew Drogen. Apparently, the glittering particles were Aether, the energy of the Earth. “Good,” the elder said. “Now focus on your core. You will sense seven reserves of power within it. Find the power that gives you the impression of heat. Don’t worry, you will know when you find it. It’s instinctive.” As the elder had said, Edwin instinctively found the Fire Law. “Normally, other elders would advise against it. They will say Fire Law is too dangerous. However, I have a fire core. It will be safer this way. Each Law of Drogen requires a unique method to control it.” Edwin nodded. Edwin had expected he would have to wrestle for control, but the Fire Law obeyed his grip like a subservient puppy. “Good,” the elder said, placing
“The vital shroud may have the word vital in it but make no mistake it is no Vital technique. It is a spell. It is one of the few spells of Spirit Law that affect the caster directly. The Vital shroud hides your advancement level and hides you from the spiritual sense—it will at least make you less sensitive to the spiritual sense. However, you must be careful while using the Vital Shroud. It reduces your power level temporarily, and it takes a few hours to regain it.” Even with these dangerous drawbacks, Edwin could still see multiple uses for it. Especially during missions like espionage and assassination. “The effect and time of this drawback decrease as you advance—until eventually, it disappears altogether... follow what I do. To cast this spell, you must surround your core with Spirit Law just so.” It didn’t take Edwin, or anyone else for that matter, to learn this spell. It was the easiest of the four spells and didn’t need much effort. The Striker shroud was just as the na
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
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
[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 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.
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