Last Updated:
2022-06-18 17:03:09Things worse than death? Kenshin found that statement rather ridiculous. Although the poison had been torturing him for a long time, he barely had any memories of the experience, all he remembered were the feelings he felt, despair, anger, sadness and fear. Especially fear.
What he was afraid of, he was not sure of but Kenshin was confident that his entire being had been filled with an intense feeling of dread, throughout the entire experience. Even at this moment, the feeling of dread was still gnawing at him but his soul had become somewhat accustomed to it, so he did not mind.
No one knows what it's like to experience torture as much as I have, yet he dares say that he has experienced something worse than death? Preposterous!
"Alright then, you may brand me. Oh, if you are going to include memories, best include ones with skills and knowledge as well. Another advantage of this ritual is that it allows us to exchange knowledge and experience. So if you have any useful knowledge and skills, which I doubt, then include them in your brand," said Kenshin.
Bastian frowned at Kenshin's assumption that he had no useful knowledge or skills. Bastian had little pride but all of what little pride he had was in his intellect. As a scientist, he knew a lot Kenshin did not, so in his brand he decided to give Kenshin what he wanted.
Okay smartass let's see how you're going to handle theoretical physics, all the way from the basics to quantum physics.
Bastian did not want Kenshin to know that he was up to something, so he put on the dumbest looking expression he could and said, "Well, I don't know much but I will try my best." As he said these words, Bastian had a hopeless smile, but his heart was snickering. He resisted the urge to snort in disdain
Oh man you are so gonna get it. Death? You think that is torture? Well then, let's see you get your head around Heisenberg's theory of uncertainty haha.
Kenshin nodded and puffed his chest outward. The branding could be done anywhere as they were already in soul form; Kenshin was indicating that he wanted the brand on his chest. Bastian did not mind and started concentrating.
Due to the knowledge that Li had given him, Bastian already knew how to do this. First he had to delve deep into his mind and select the memories he wanted. Then he had to copy and use his Soul Force to condense them with a part of his soul, into a brand which would be in a shape of his choosing.
Bastian chose memories involving data about earth. From its history, culture to almost everything Bastian knew about it. Bastian only left out personal details like his own identity and the people he knew in person. Manipulation of memories was a bit tricky but Bastian was able to take care of it, thanks to the knowledge Li had given him and his own knowledge of the human mind.
Bastian opened his palm, a strand of Soul Force dropped from above, digging into his palm and getting something out. It was a brand in the shape of a Taiji symbol.
Kenshin was surprised when he saw the brand and gasped in shock, unable to hold himself back. "You, you know yin and yang?" said Kenshin in disbelief. "Whether or not I know, you will soon find out. Now, are you ready?" said Bastian with a grin.
I don't like his face; it looks like he is up to something. Sigh, we can't go back so I have to brace myself.
Kenshin nodded. Bastian guided the brand onto Kenshin's chest and plastered the palm sized Taiji onto Kenshin's chest. The symbol sunk into Kenshin's chest like a pebble dropping into a pond. The event caused ripples to move across Kenshin's body. The ripples continued until a two dimensional image to the Taiji appeared on Kenshin's chest.
Bastian carefully observed Kenshin's face. He was curious to see how Kenshin would react to all of that knowledge. Bastian was not disappointed by what he saw. Within moments of the brand finalizing its implantation, Kenshin's face moved.
Kenshin had been brought up in a family where it was deemed unseemly for men to be emotional. From a young age, he had always been taught to be emotionless, especially considering his circumstances. Thus one could arguably say that it would take a boulder to make this boy scream. It seems at that time, he had met a mountain.
His wails and screams were so loud Bastian had to block his ears with his hands. Kenshin collapsed onto the ground and started rolling on the ground. His face contorted in bitter agony as he screamed at the top of his lungs. The buzzing from the ghost like creatures outside and Kenshin's screaming made a somewhat unpleasant experience.
Wasn't he supposed to be the one suffering? Why am I the one suffering instead? But damn, I knew it would be a lot to take in but this is extreme. He is really freaking out. Did I really know that much? Or did he really know too little.
Seeing the boy suffering again, a small strand of pity started drilling its way into Bastian's heart. He started feeling guilty for what he had just done. After a while, the screams started lessening and Kenshin's movements gradually got less intense, until he became silent and absolutely still.
Bastian crouched onto the ground, he was curious, he wanted to know how Kenshin would react to this little endeavor. Bastian's face hovered above Kenshin's face, observing every minute detail.
Kenshin's eyes suddenly opened, with a violent movement, he stood up and started choking Bastian, hoisting the latter's body in midair. His eyes were filled with rage as he thought of what to say to the dangling Bastian.
In this form they didn't need to breathe, so he was not really doing any harm to Bastian but it was still an uncomfortable position to be in.
"Who are you!" shouted Kenshin in an enraged tone. Bastian stopped resisting and smiled. Ever since he had arrived at the Sovereign Continent, he had always had the urge to tell someone who he was and where he was from. At that moment, it seemed he could finally act on his urge.
Using a strand of Soul Force, Bastian pulled himself from Kenshin's grip and landed on the ground, his smile exuding a confidence that befitted his new handsome face. "Come now Kenshin. Don't ask questions to which you already know the answer to. The real question you want to ask is how I know this right?"
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
Titans Throne Darkness
Kenshin was flustered with rage, but more than answers, he wanted revenge. The amount of information that had entered him mind had brought him to the brink of insanity, and he could barely understand any of it. Thus Kenshin decided to turn the tables. He opened up his palms and congealed two katanas with his Soul Force.Using his Soul Force, Kenshin made the swords join to form a sort of coat of arms. That was going to be his brand. Without saying anything, Kenshin made the brand approach Bastian's chest. Bastian did not resist and merely braced his mind for what might come. Bastian's greatest fear was that Kenshin would throw in as much information as he did.Even though it was unlikely, it was still a possibility that made Bastian very uncomfortable. Bastian was not a coward by nature but he was not a fearless man either. After seeing what Kenshin had gone through, his mind was placed in a prison of paranoia.Bastian closed his eyes when he saw the brand enter his chest. He tried to
Titans Throne Dao of the Sword
The way Bastian understood it; martial arts in this world were extremely advanced, to the point where they involved mastering universal laws. The Dao of the Sword was no different; it was a very profound Dao, one that could not be underestimated.A Dao was a path to understanding the laws of the universe. There were three Supreme Dao upon which the universe was based upon. The Dao of Space, the Dao of Taiji and the Dao of Spirit., each of these were pillars of which this universe stood and were further divided into many other Dao.The Dao of Space for example, was further divided into subsections like the Dao of the Five Elements and the Dao of Time. The Dao of the Taiji was divided into the Dao of Yin and the Dao of Yang. The Dao of the spirit is divided into the Dao of life and the Dao of death.Space, Taiji and Spirit were the Supreme Dao. The following were Celestial Dao. Below Celestial Dao were True, Greater and Lesser Dao. True Dao, Greater Dao and Lesser Dao were often compose
Titans Throne Yani City
Inside a room, Bastian and Kenshin were seated on their beds, while Shasha and Kai were standing over their beds. The four had been conversing for quite some time before they were silent.Kai then said, "Let me get this straight. Your name is Bastian, you were a low ranking noble who was living in the Western Deserts. You got knocked out by a random cultivator and ended up in the arena without knowing how or why you got there. When you ended up seeing the blind disa-, ehem I mean Kenshin, you suddenly had the urge to assist him. Your knowledge of souls led you to conclude that becoming Soul Brethren with Kenshin would help him, thus you initiated the ritual by yourself, resulting in you temporarily alleviating Kenshin of his problem. Did I miss anything out?" said Kai."Nope, that's the story." said Bastian while nodding. An action Bastian found difficult, as he had gone quite a long time without eating, were it not for his unique physique and cultivation, he would most likely be a co
Titans Throne Iaido
In a courtyard within the mansion, Kenshin sat in the seiza position in front of a tree. The grass and most of the greenery were wet, for the night before it had been raining. Sparkling drops of water drenched the place around Kenshin, from the grass below him to the leaves above him. Kenshin was physically blind, but he saw far more than others.Two sheathed katanas were placed on each side as Kenshin sat. He had his eyes closed and was extremely serene. Barely a single cell in his body seemed to be moving if one looked from the side. Even Kenshin's breathe was so restrained that nature would call his own very existence into question were it sentient.After spending a while in this state, he moved. He was neither fast nor slow. He did not open his eyes either. He simply unsheathed both swords and held them both in his hands. He then used one to hit a tree, using the side of the blade. This seemingly subtle and soundless action caused the tree in front of Kenshin to shake vigorously.
Titans Throne Pressure Magic
After spending some time getting Bastian to calm down, Kenshin got Bastian to explain his theory.Normally, when one casts a spell, one uses a catalyst, either a chant, a wand, hand seals,a magic circle or a rune. A wand was made from special materials that conducted World Energy. A rune was a mark designed using Soul Force and etched onto objects. A magic circle was a large scale rune for spells that required a lot of Soul Force. Hand seals were signs made using hands to link up pathways.Bastian's idea was actually quite simple. His method was to use all of the above!"All of the methods combined? How are you going to do that?" Kenshin questioned.He knew quite well that some methods could be used in combination. For example, one could use chants and hand seals together to improve the spell's power or rate of casting.All of the methods combined? He had never heard of such a thing. Casting was done in a specific language. Rather than a language, it could be more correct to call them
Titans Throne Damages
It did not take a genius to know what Bastian was hinting at, and Kenshin was far from being a fool.Wind magic on the Sovereign Continent did exist but it was something that was not fully understood. Magic was similar to science in that, it involved studying nature but compared to the knowledge earth had accumulated, the knowledge this world had on the concept of wind, or to be more precise air, was rudimentary at best.Mages needed research to understand what they were looking at to create a spell but once the spell itself was created; there was no need for that knowledge to be passed on. All one needed to perform the spell was to follow the preset instructions. This led to many mages not truly understanding the limits of their own abilities.Bastian wanted to not only avoid this but he wanted to take full advantage of the knowledge he had. To Bastian, knowledge was power. In this particular case, Bastian was taking advantage of his knowledge involving pressure.Air pressure in the
Titans Throne The Games Begin
In a forest, a young woman was crouching over a corpse. This was the corpse of a middle aged man in leather armor. The man had been killed only a few moments ago and a hole was visible on his throat, blood was still trickling from the wound as the young woman searched frantically around the man's body."Finally!" exclaimed the young woman, as she held up a little green stone in her hand. She marveled at the seemingly ordinary stone, as if it was a diamond of immense value."Ruka, what are you doing? You're taking too much time on this corpse. We already have new targets." The young woman looked back and saw a dark skinned man approach her. He had a stern look of reproach on his face and was walking hurriedly."Oh, sorry Mark, tell me. Where is this new target?" said Ruka as she moved her attention away from the corpse. Mark, the dark skinned man, pointed at a certain direction and said "A few kilometers in that direction. I fear another group has already found our target. We need to m
Titans Throne Knowledge As A Result
Bastian had failed to notice Mark's fire attribute. This was quite unexpected for him.Ever since he got e-vision, Bastian had never noticed another cultivator who had two or more elemental attributes. Bastian used himself as a reference; he constantly had fire and water attribute World Energy around him. Thus, he assumed that other cultivators were the same.Kenshin did nothing and merely observed the situation, staying true to his word. Although Bastian was puzzled, he was still focused. Martial Techniques, especially ones with a long range attack, took a long time to prepare.Bastian wanted to use that time wisely. He ran toward Mark at the fastest speed he could muster. He had previously fought without putting his Dao knowledge into his straight forward movements. He had only input that knowledge into his attack movements. After getting used to it, he tried applying the knowledge to his straight forward movements.Be it in movement or in attacking, application of the Dao was an od
Latest Chapter
- Titans Throne
Battlefront
The streets of Yani City were abandoned for the city was under siege. The usual hustle and bustle of the markets, the shouting and cursing from the arena and the footsteps of civilians were now like ghosts of memories past. No one would have accepted that this was a previously active peak C-class city. Repeated attacks from previous years had taught them many a painful lesson, especially when it came to evacuation procedures. The entire city had been safely evacuated to a large underground bunker by the Dwight family members.As the de facto leaders of the city, they had the ability to mobilise all city resources under them. The troops provided by the Yorks made sure the civilians followed the orders and kept the peace while the Cole provided provisions. The large bunker was under the stewardship of the Oxlade family.At an intersection, in one of the richest districts in the city, an area considered just outside the Dwight family compound, stood a relaxed Guy, looking at the sky. He
- Titans Throne
Stay Frosty
Let's rewind time a bit to understand what was happening. All the bigshots of the Cole family and Shasha family had gathered together. Bastian had put together a plan, and they were getting told what to do."First is the southern wall. This will be the only defensive battle on our hands, so it makes sense to have most of our soldiers there. Vermaelen will take most of General Moto's soldiers and hold the wall for us. This job is probably the most simple yet most pivotal.The aquatic daemons will have to climb over the wall to have any chance, so all Vermaelen has to do is keep them away from the wall. If that's hard, then take care of them if they climb it."Vermalaen grunted in response. General Moto was uncomfortable handing her his troops, but he trusted Bastian so he nodded, giving his blessing."Both Sula and General Moto, select and take the most elite soldiers from both armies and make a second group. This group shall move in tandem with Tino
- Titans Throne
A Plot Is Afoot
Every ten or so years Yani City would accept a new batch of mercenaries within their city. The unsuspecting mercenaries usually came from far away lands, so they had no clue regarding the tragedies that would befall them from the horde. On the Sovereign Continent, wars were as numerous as the stars in the night sky.Plenty of cities and countries would rely on mercenaries to deal with the problems that plagued the, with Yani city being no exception. The difference between the weak and strong however became apparent at this point, with the strong cites having strong home grown armies.Onismo York stood above a pile of daemon corpses.These were some of the birds that had made it over the wall. Onismo had stationed his men just behind the west and north side of the wall just in case the mercenaries were overwhelmed.The man was adorned in armour from head to toe while his right hand held a large battle axe that was far bigger than what his body should be able
- Titans Throne
Salvation
Kitrid started breaking into a cold sweat, because Meera's point was quite valid. Best way to deal with a horde this size is to deal with the alpha. The problem was that in this case the alpha might be too strong for them to handle, so Kitrid was not sure how they were going to go about it."What is taking Tyson so long? The support he promised should be here by now" Kitrid was fighting on the east wall facing the south east direction from which the horde was coming from. Due to the fact that his troops faced the full brunt of the horde, the elder council had promised support. Tyson Cole represented the elders by giving his word that he would send reinforcement if they were in dire straits.At the moment they had lost thousands of men. Thousands more were injured and even more were to fall in battle if this were to continue. The birds in the sky and the beasts on the ground formed a perfect combination minimizing all the advantages Kitrid and his troops had.
- Titans Throne
Inner Demons
Bastian sat in the Cole family garden. It was a charming botanical wonder full of flowers Bastian had never seen before and well trimmed trees and hedges in neat little rows. Soon the plan would be put into action, and Bastian's mind had been racing. Several gardeners were tending to the maize of stunning flora. His clothes were fine and comfortable, provided by Tyson Cole while Bastian had been living under his house to prepare for the ensuing battle that was to come. His hair was growing again, in fact he found it grew quite quickly, but Bastian had become accustomed to keeping it short.He had been taking walks in Tyson Cole's garden more frequently in the past few days, choosing to seclude himself in meditative isolation as much as he possibly could, and he knew why. Since the deafening roar – no, that was too recent – since he had woken up in a foreign body in this foreign land and trapped with this foreign soul inside him that claimed to have become a
- Titans Throne
Family Bonds
She regained her footing and prepared to fire again. The thunderbird was busy snapping at something. She realised it was one of her men that the alpha thunderbird must have snatched as it swept over the wall.A few more chomps and it swallowed, leaving a dismembered leg to fall limp to the ground. Meera conjured another bow and began firing arrow-lances like crazy. With amazing agility it dodged them all and returned for another bite.it was clear the alpha was faster and stronger than normal thunderbirds, but Meera kept firing. As it swept over the wall again it snatched up another soldier with its tremendous jaws and took another one in its talons. The soldier trapped in its talons was still alive and was struggling to get free. The alpha thunderbird simply squeezed and there was a crunching noise. The soldier stopped struggling. The talons released him and he fell limp all the way to the hard ground.The alpha thunderbird made another hundred and eighty degree
- Titans Throne
Casualties
He was one of Kit's commanders and had been charged to hold the eastern wall. Now as the behemoths came closer he found that all the thoughts that had plagued him earlier. All the uncertainty seemed to fade away. Now his mind was clear, except for one thought. It was of her. He imagined her waiting for him in the city after the battle, and held on tight to the memory. They were getting closer now. Large, herbivorous behemoths with three large horns arranged in a triangle; two on its head and one on at the tip of its snout. They shook the earth as they knocked down anything in their way. If they got through then the city would definitely fall.Suddenly something heavy came down on him. He hadn't expected it. It knocked his horse over, throwing him to the ground. it was the corpse of a thunderbird that had been slain in mid-air. As he fell he spun around and kicked the thunderbird into the path of an oncoming behemoth. The lumbering beast tripped on the corpse, resulting in a d
- Titans Throne
Battlefront
Yani city itself was situated on a large desert island. the island itself was about the size of a small country. The daemon horde usually came from the far south east region of the island where there was a vast jungle that had not yet been consumed by the desert. While the inhabitants of the city could leave whenever they wanted, the island happened to be rich in one thing: minerals, and lots of them. This is what had drawn humans to the island and forced them to stay. Now the city was thriving and it was too late to turn back.As Kit scanned the horizon all he could see was sand and trees until the point where the sky touched the ground. But there was no doubt about it, the horde was coming. He turned around on Valo, to face his men."Listen." He said, calmly. His voice was loud and clear, and as the archers on top of the walls were all cultivators he knew he didn't have to speak very loud for them to hear him. "Can you hear it?" as the wind faded into the backg
- Titans Throne
War
Kit took a deep breath. His heart was racing, but his mind was surprisingly clear. Maybe he just couldn't hear himself think against the blaring noise of the sirens of Yani city warning them all of what was coming, a constant reminder of the impending doom in Kit's ears.His uniform was new, or it may have been Kit had never seen actual battle, which did little to inspire his men's faith in him. He led a band of mercenaries that had been hired by the elders of the city about ten years earlier for this very purpose. It was less a band and more like a small army and for ten years they had known the horde was coming. They had talked about this day, trained for it, and waited for it for ten years. Now the day had arrived and the city expected to get its money's worth.It was obvious that the past ten years had been all talk for most of the mercenaries belonging to the avenging shield mercenary group. They wore light black leather uniform. Kit, their commander,
