《F-Rank Frank》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 The city streets smelled of sweat, urine, blood, and above all carbon emissions. These were the slums, the parts of the world where the dregs of society were forced to live and cultivate. Allegedly there was ample opportunity to cultivate in the slums, the only problem is that down in the slums, you as a citizen were second class, as even the automated transit systems had right of way over you. Meaning anyone who wished to cultivate while in the slums did so at their own risk. Frank Fotos was the epitome of what one would call a slum rat. For generations his family has lived deep underground, in the depths of the world, forced to make his way to school through back alleyways, automated roadway systems that have long since been overrun with automated vehicles that were deemed to be too dangerous and too carbon ineffective to remain on the surface of the Earth, as such they were forced down here, where they could still perform a valuable role to society, right next to the other slum rats who have been sentenced to a slow death by absorbing emissions and carbonated fumes, rather than those blessed with being able to cultivate on the surface of the world. Of course, there was one chance that all slum rats were given, a sort of genetic lottery. A lottery where if you were lucky, you would be allowed to not only leave the slums but be awarded cultivation harnesses and headsets that could be used by anyone, despite their upbringing, and help anyone become a better cultivator overnight. That Legendary product of course is none other than the Occultivator.
Item: Occultivator. Comes in many different models, styles, and sizes. Useable by anyone beginning their cultivation journey, and with a simple standard equipment rental fee, and basic monthly charges, you too can work your way up to become a cultivation master.
It was a scam of course. The whole thing was, especially for people like Frank, who could only cultivate in the slums. See what the Occultivator didn¡¯t tell you about was the fact that it only helped show motes of cultivation energy in front of you. Those pockets of photons that your eye occasionally catches glimpses of out of the side of your eye, those are motes of cultivation energy. The only thing the Occultivator does is make it so you can see these motes of energy a little easier. There is of course a catch, as the Occultivator is a series of headsets and harnesses that go over your head, and body and block out all sources of external stimuli so you can focus on cultivating. A great idea if you are on the surface, where cultivation fields have been established and are available to anyone who can afford to frequent them, but down here in the slums, the Occultivator is a death trap. For again, down here, automated vehicles have right of way. Anyone foolish enough to try wearing an Occultivator down here will suffer two things. First, they will likely die due to injury sustained while searching for free floating motes of energy, unaware of the dangers around them. Then Secondly, their family will be held responsible for paying for any lost, damaged, or stolen Occultivator equipment that gets destroyed during the death. No, right now, as Frank and everyone else in the slums saw it, they only had one chance to leave here, and that was if their awakened gift was B-Rank or higher. A Gift, otherwise known as a Talent, is a power that everyone is born with on the day of their Awakening. While the Gifts can be upgraded over time, their ranking and impact is always based on their ability to help you externally manifest your powers. With a B-Rank gift, the individual cultivator is allowed to leave the slums and go up to at least the mid-tier levels. With A-Rank gifts, they are allowed to go to the surface, the lands where the most abundant cultivation is possible. With awakening an S-Rank gift, the cultivator is moved to the surface, while their entire family is moved up one Tier. It was the last Tier that explained why after so many generations, that only the dregs of society, those deemed to be useless were still alive in the slums. Allegedly, the reason why humanity was driven into the cracks of the Earth was due to a great war against monsters that randomly appeared on the surface of the Earth. A war where only those with A-Ranked powers and above had a chance of surviving at all. Originally, being forced into the slums, away from the war was a mercy for the weak. Now it seemed to serve as a permanent prison for those unfortunate enough to not awaken a B-Rank talent or above. Of course, there was another way to be able to leave the slums. Anyone who managed to get to the fifth layer of the body refinement stage of cultivation would be allowed to go to the mid-tier levels. Then anyone who fully broke through the body refinement stage of cultivation, and entered the blood cleansing phase of cultivation would be allowed on the surface, where they could be put into the front lines of the war, where cultivation was quick and easy. Everyone wanted to go to the surface, as it was the only true path to Immortality, at least that is what all the books that the government provided to every institution of learning in the mid-tier and below were allowed to read and learn about. This was why Frank was so adamant about awakening his true potential and rising higher high enough to get not only himself, but his entire family out of the lot in life they were given. Standing in line, waiting for the chance to have his talents awakened, Frank stared dully at the posters detailing each step of ranking and cultivation possible.
Ranking System: F-Rank: A Gift that only manifests internally. Often manifesting as a heightening of senses, or a hardening of internal organs, ultimately useless in the war against the scourge. D-Rank: A Gift that only manifests from the skin out an inch. Often manifesting as hardened skin, the ability to grow claws or teeth, or ability to alter pigmentation of the body to blend into surroundings. C-Rank: A Gift that manifests from one inch out to five feet away from the body. These often manifest as automated defensive measures, to borderline ESP awareness of immediate danger. If given enough time and cultivation, a C-Rank gift will mean a longer life on the battlefield but are too costly to the war effort to develop personally. This is also the group that is deemed most likely to work their way up from poverty by renting Occultivator equipment to train on their own. B-Rank: A Gift that manifests up to twenty-five feet away from the body. These often manifest as mid-range attacks and can be trained to be a good front line soldier, or eventual sergeant in the war effort. A-Rank: A Gift that can be manifested up to fifty feet away from the body. These are the born leaders of society, and the ones most likely to be promoted to leading field units to glory on the battlefield. S-Rank: A Gift that can be manifested up to a hundred feet or more from the body. These are the future leaders of the world. As it is with the manifestation of S-Rank users that we will be able to rain down death on the enemy from a distance, and claim back the surface of the world for humanity.
Then panning right showed a human body, along with the layers of cultivation and their impact on the human body.
Cultivation Layers: Body Cultivation (Black): 1 ¨C 9: You will know as a system prompt will inform you when you reach each layer. Blood Cultivation (Red): 1-5: You will know as your system prompt will inform you when you reach each layer. Skeletal Cultivation (Orange): 1-4 You will know as your bones will become like iron. Breakthrough Layer (Green): You will begin the process of becoming a true Immortal.
Silence. No one spoke, while waiting for their chance to be Awakened. There were many reasons for no one speaking, first the Guardians of the battlefields were watching. Each wore their military uniform with multiple markings on them. On their right arm was a color stripe depicting their ranking along the body cultivation path. Just looking it was clear that each soldier present was at layer five of the Body Cultivation phase, as noted by their five black vertical stripes. Then on their chest, right over their heart was a letter showing their Awakened Gift¡¯s grade. A quick scan showed that everyone present had at least a C-Rank or higher, with the majority of the higher-ranking soldiers having B-Rank or higher. Then on their chest was their actual military rank, which were a series of stripes and lines that meant nothing to Frank as he stared. Another reason why no one spoke, aside from annoying the guards and future bosses of everyone here, was the fact that it was a myth that the quiet ones were always the ones who awakened B-Rank and above talents. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. As Frank looked around, he saw that most kept their eyes down and forward, not wanting to miss the moment they could take one tiny step forward towards destiny. Of course, that was the majority of people that looked around, there were others who were playing the same game as him. Those that looked around, while the guards were facing away, that was of course when he looked to his right and saw Luther Camello, an arrogant prick whose claim to fame was that his uncle awakened an A-Rank talent, and his aunt awakened an S-Rank talent. This meant that both families were of course moved out of the slums. This meant that Luther¡¯s family inherited the dwellings and resources left behind by their family members as they went onto bigger and greater things. This meant in an area were resources were scarce, Luther¡¯s family effectively had three times as many resources as other families did, as they had the resources allotted to not one but three different households, that were now all funneled to Luther¡¯s family. As such, Luther became more and more spoiled as time went on. At one point in time, before the awakenings in Luther¡¯s Aunt¡¯s and Uncle¡¯s houses, Luther used to be someone Frank could call a friend. That was of course a long time ago, back before Luther became an insufferable prick, who felt that Frank was no longer worthy of his friendship, unless he grovel at Luther¡¯s feet. While Frank wouldn¡¯t let himself grovel at Luther¡¯s feet, there were many others who were more than happy to exchange their dignity for extra scraps from Luther¡¯s plate. In the slums, food and calories are a valuable commodity, so seeing someone with a bit of a paunch to their stomach is rare. Normally only high-ranking leaders who were demoted to oversee the slums and their families had a paunch. As such, over time the ability to see a protruding stomach was seen as a status symbol. As most women were taught at an early age to flock to those types of people, as they were able to excel at gathering food, even in the worst of environments. Now Luther, having had three times as many meals as his peers not only had a paunch, but he had one that was threatening the balance of power within the slums, as his was even larger than the mayor¡¯s son. Of course, the mayor was unable to, or unwilling to do anything about the oversight of resources, as Luther¡¯s father was the last of a family that had all produced peerless geniuses. As such, it was a given that Luther, or maybe even his sister would eventually awaken a B-Rank or higher talent and be able to leave the slums. That was why Luther acted so arrogantly, as he knew it was only a matter of time before he too awakened his B-Ranked talent and left here. When he did, he wouldn¡¯t look back at all at those he left in his wake. As the two sets of eyes met, Luther gave a slight sneer to Frank. Frank was about to break eye contact with him, but then he mouthed something. As soon as Frank saw the lips move, he instantly knew the mocking chant being spoken. ¡°F-Rank Frank.¡± A simple but effective nursery rhyme created by Luther and spread about by his minions at the time when Frank chose not to associate with Luther anymore. At the recognition of those words, Frank turned his head away and faced forward. It had been a long time since such words would get to him. He definitely wouldn¡¯t let such words get to him today, of all days. For today he needed to be calm, cool, and collected while having his body awakened. Fortunately, with there being two lines, and Luther being in the alternate line, Frank only had to deal with avoiding Luther for a few minutes. Though honestly, those minutes felt like hours. Darkness. There was one person before him now, as he waited at the entrance to the gymnasium that had been converted into an awakening chamber. Frank watched as the person, two spots in front of him was already up standing before a giant crystal ball. There she placed her hand on the ball, causing the ball to glow brightly for a second. This was of course yet another test. The longer you held on to the awakening ball, the more energy you had thrust into you, and ultimately the higher your chances were of awakening a higher ranked talent. At least that was the legend, and it was a fact that was encouraged by both the teachers and administrators of this event. The minute the girl, Stacey Lyons, removed her hand from the sphere, her rank appeared, and her shoulders dropped as she realized the futility of her status. D Rank. Seeing the ranking, Frank couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for the girl, as it meant she wasn¡¯t even able to rent out Occultivator equipment to try to improve her standing and eventually get her way out of here. Though if they saved up enough money, they could ultimately purchase Occultivator equipment at full retail price, but that never happened for someone in the slums. Ding-ding-ding. There was a shout and a sudden alarm that went off from the other line. Being as he was just about to enter; Frank was close enough to be able to peer around the divider that had been established between the two lines and see what all the commotion was about. As soon as he looked on, his stomach dropped, as he saw the worst thing imaginable, Luther, his former friend turned fat archenemy was a B-Rank. Not enough to get his family away from the slums, but more than high enough that Luther himself would be able to leave and go to the mid-tiers, where cultivation was easier, and death wasn¡¯t around every automated corner. Breathe. Frank forced himself to calm down and use the meditation principles he had been taught. While he hadn¡¯t fully awoken as a cultivator yet, it was felt that teaching the basics of cultivation as early as possible was important for helping those who awaken talents to cultivate faster. As such, meditation, and other mind calming methods were taught at an early age. A fact that Frank was thankful for now, as he tried to calm himself as he looked forward to see the boy before him, Charles Upton, go forward and awaken his talent. There was a bright flash of light, and then a pause before C-Rank was shown on the giant board. While nowhere near good as a B-Rank, a C-Rank was not too bad, as they were allowed to rent out Occultivator equipment at any time, even being allowed to go into debt to rent out Occultivator equipment. Finally, it was Frank¡¯s turn. As he walked forward, his legs felt like rubber as his nerves were finally getting to him. Still he forced his way forward through sheer willpower alone. This was his chance to change everything, he was going to awaken the best gift, and take not only his mother, but his little brother with him and leave the slums forever. Not only was he going to get a better ranked gift than Luther, but it was going to be one powerful enough that he would be able to move his entire family out from the slums. When he finally got to the giant orb, a director was there to help him. ¡°Today you will be going through an awakening. Just place your hands on the stone for as long as possible and then when you are done, your ranking will be displayed on the screen.¡± The guard with the letter A printed in giant font on his chest spoke. Hearing the words, Frank could only nod in acknowledgement, as his mouth was suddenly too dry to speak. With that, there were other sounds, other sights but they were all muted. Suddenly the only thing Frank could hear was the intense pounding within his head, as he made his way forward. Taking a deep breath to center himself, he quickly found his center and then exhaling placed his hands upon the stone. Frank was glad he touched the stone after exhaling, as he immediately felt an intense burning sensation filling his body. This was the core functionality of his body awakening, as his body was being forced to cultivate. He felt the equivalent of a sharp electrical current flowing through his body, breaking through his passageways and burning away any corruption in his body. This was simultaneously the most refreshing and painful experience Frank had ever experienced in his life. The feeling was refreshing in that he could suddenly cultivate, in his mind, he felt what true power was. In the center of his slowly awakening mind, he could see the extent of power in the universe. He could feel Immortality at his beck and call. Most importantly, he could feel the hairs on his head standing up on end, as he could feel his mind and body synchronizing to be able to wield this power, this rush, this excitement. It was a high, something that he had never felt before, and hoped to continue to experience every moment for the rest of his life. Frank¡¯s heart was racing, but that was okay, even it if pumped its way out of his chest that would be fine, worth it even. The power he felt was indescribable, unavoidable, and untamable, at least that was how it felt at first. Then slowly over time, Frank felt his mind fighting back. Within seconds of his release, he felt his body forcefully calming itself down. His heart went from racing a mile a second, to slowing down to that of a quick run, then a quick jog, and finally to that of a resting heartbeat. Frank calmed himself, until finally the flow of energy flowed where and how he wanted it to throughout his body. He felt his body awaken deeper layers of comprehension, he could feel the niches being carved out showing the different levels of cultivation he would need to achieve and what exactly each step meant. Most importantly, he could see the golden flashing motes of energy around him, and emanating from the stone. He held onto that sight, forcing his mind and body to forever engrave this sight into his brain. He had only heard about the sun, about its bright golden rays and intense feelings of warmth that it provided. Being so low below the earth¡¯s surface such pleasures were lost on him and his kind. Yet, right now seeing the motes, and feeling their bright warm sensation on his body, Frank felt content, truly content. At this moment, all his thoughts on rankings and gifts were washed away, as he settled in the glowing richness of the energy emanating from the stone. Energy that was no longer being forced through his body, but rather being cycled through his body. Through his body, into his eyes, that allowed him to see and experience everything so vividly that he could almost cry from the beauty. Then finally, the energy stopped flowing. Ringing. There was an intense ringing in his ears. It took Frank a second to realize what happened, he had been in the realm of the gods, with the sun, and the stars, and suddenly he was back here in the slums where everything seemed cold and dark by comparison. Frank looked around, seeing the slack jawed look on the proctor¡¯s face, though Frank couldn¡¯t understand why the look of shock was there. Fortunately, he spoke, making it clear what was so odd. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen someone manage to hold on all the way through the process.¡± The proctor began, then stared at the now blank stone and the blank screen. There was darkness everywhere, off in the distance, Frank could see little specks of flowing light all around the gymnasium, up on the rafters, in the dark crevasse, but none around him. ¡°One second.¡± The Proctor said, as he went over, and noticed that the energy source that fed into the mobile testing lab was empty. With a quick practiced speed, he opened a nearby military box, and pulled out a giant replacement battery that he put in, then used the now empty case to hold the depleted battery. The entire process took only a minute, but the entire time Frank just waited in anxious anticipation. He felt so powerful. Better still, he could see energy, of that he was certain. Then a thought hit him, if this was what it looked like to see energy with his own eyes, imagine what he could do with the Occultivator. ¡°There we go.¡± The Proctor said, charging up the crystal and causing the instruments to come back online. ¡°Just stand right there.¡± With that he pointed to the exact spot where Frank was currently standing. As the machine came online, Frank could feel a slight surge of energy washing over his body. Energy that he began absorbing almost by reflex, he tried to stop, but found himself unable to as the energy just flowed freely from the outside to inside his body. Mentally he felt his mind come alive, as this was apparently the last part to get the system to fully awaken within his mind.
System activated.
In his mind, he felt the same words that were being displayed before him up on the screen. Was this the same for everyone? He couldn¡¯t tell, while Frank had never read about such occurrences, maybe it was left out as it was a given? Or it would be too disorienting? Either way, it took Frank a second to adjust, then finally he saw the readouts.
Strength: 8 (Below Average) Dexterity: 9 (Below Average) Agility: 8 (Below Average) Mind: 7 (Way Below Average) Power: 12 (Above Average) Willpower: 12 (Above Average)
The attributes listed were low, but sadly they were on par with what one would expect from someone who spent all their life within the slums. Fortunately, his Power and Willpower were high, as that meant he likely could gain a high-ranking gift. At least that was what he hoped, until he felt reality shatter around him, as he saw his gift.
Awakened Gift: Energy Sight (F-Rank)
Then just like that, Frank¡¯s hope at being able to leave the slums was dashed in an instant. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 A daze, that was the only way Frank could describe the emotions that came next to him and coated his mind. He felt lost. For a moment, he had witnessed everything, he felt the call of something greater than himself. He felt the thrum and pull of power, and then he awoke to find that he would never be able to taste that power again. Frustration, anger, rage, loss, and countless other emotions raced through his mind. Until finally he came to the conclusion that he should have expected. The conclusion that everyone around him had expected of him all along, the fact that he was worthless. That he was born to a F Rank trash family, and that he would never be able to leave the slums. To make matters worse, was the way his eyes betrayed him. All around he saw faint glowing lights of energy, similar to the little photon bursts he had always been able to see out of the corner of his eyes, but now they were there, stagnant and just beyond the normal reach of people. Occasionally one or two little sparks would fall down and drop onto the heads of people where there would be a slight flash, before they ultimately disappeared. Off in the distance, he saw the person that he dreaded most, Mr. Xiao, the career advisor for the school. Now that Frank had awoken his talent and was considered to be useless by society. Or at least the society that would allow him to leave this pit of despair that now comprised his whole life, and served as a universal graveyard for him and all his family members, he felt trapped. After a few minutes, one of the guards came over to Frank. For a moment, he almost expected there to be compassion, or maybe something about how the equipment had a misconfiguration, as it did run out of power there at the end. Anything, but reality quickly settled in when he learned the truth of the situation he was in. ¡°Hey, I get that you need a moment to regain yourself, Awakening is always tough. But I will need you to move to the side and wait over there.¡± The guard with a giant ¡®B¡¯ on his chest said, as he pointed to a small black alcove. Well, that wasn¡¯t exactly true. The Alcove lit up with residual flecks of golden energy. A quick glance showed that this was where the soldiers that came had apparently placed all their equipment before staging them for this process. Realizing it was either go to the brightly lit corner, or face his career advisor, Frank decided to choose the latter. ¡°Thank you,¡± Frank said as he nodded. As he got closer to the corner, his vision began to blur as the enormity of the moment was suddenly hitting him. He one chance, one miserable chance to leave this gods-forsaken hole in the ground and he blew it. No, that¡¯s not entirely true, he never had a chance to blow it, as his family was just a bunch of F-Rank nothings, with no chance of ever advancing. The Camellos by contrast, Luther¡¯s family were all C-Rankers. It was clear that given enough time and focus they would all rise up from here, eventually. The Fotos on the other hand were all F-Rankers, as Frank¡¯s parent¡¯s were F-Rankers, their parents were F-Rankers, their parents¡¯ parents, all the way back to the time of the great upheaval that destroyed the world and sent humanity towards the depths of the Earth for safety. Still, even now, Frank felt disgusted with himself, as he hated appearing weak before others. Yet, right now, that was all he could do, was feel weak, and helpless. There was still one chance, the pipedream. The dream for him to be able to cultivate his way out of this Hellhole, but that was impossible. He was only an F-Rank, which meant that he couldn¡¯t even rent out the equipment needed to cultivate properly. Verrt. Just as he had this thought, he saw Charles Upton trying on the Occultivator equipment, and being offered a free demo. Jealously, Frank looked on, and saw the way the sales people practically threw the equipment at him, which he readily accepted. Even after the ten hours of courses designed to show everyone the dangers of wearing an Occultivator, and how to use an Occultivator safely. Here in a confined building, with a salesperson and others nearby, it was clearly as safe as an environment to try out the equipment as possible. Frank watched as Charles using the equipment looked stunned for a moment, then began clumsily moving around while carrying the bulky equipment. Inwardly Frank chuckled to himself. He heard rumors that the only sets of Occultivator equipment provided down here were the oldest of the old, things that would be considered trash by normal people on the surface and mid-tiers. Yet, even knowing this did little to soothe the jealousy that was rising in Frank¡¯s heart. ¡°Haha, look at that.¡± One of the military personnel that had been station towards the side of the venue to observe everything began laughing with his friend as he pointed out Charles and his clumsy attempts to move. ¡°Haha, he looks like he is trying to walk on the moon.¡± The friend responded. Hearing that Frank could see the contempt that most surface dwellers had for the people of the slums, people like him. It was clear from their mannerisms and gestures that most thought this was the equivalent of seeing a lost civilization, despite the lower levels being responsible for producing most of the metals, coal, and other rarer resources that those on the upper levels desperately needed. In fact, the lower levels were capable of producing enough food to feed every person living in the slums for the entirety of their lives and beyond. Of course, that self-sustained food supply was mostly edible moss, different variations of fungi, and other food sources that didn¡¯t require the light of day to survive. Frank watched as Charles made his way around, blindly groping at odd objects floating in the air. Then to Frank¡¯s surprise, he saw something odd. Charles wasn¡¯t just moving around awkwardly, he had a precise movement or goal for each movement as he found himself going around and grabbing at all of the glowing balls of energy that seemed to hang in the air. Listening from his alcove, Frank heard the salesperson speak, as he looked at a digital readout. ¡°Good, Mr. Upton. That is two. Now it says that your Power level is an impressive Ten, meaning you would just need to collect eight more wisps of power, in order to break into the first layer of the Body Refinement layer. Not bad for only wearing the machine for two minutes.¡± The salesperson said loudly, clearly trying to give a sales pitch to both Charles and anyone else who might be nearby. The salesperson said everything that Frank had already been told before. That Power level was very important, as it required ten points of the Power Attribute to be considered to have the ability to cultivate. Power also noted just how much energy your body could contain before you were forced to do something with it. The best and most effective way of cultivating, and the way that was sworn to lead to the path of Immortality was by gaining your body¡¯s maximum ranking of power, then using that to force your Power Attribute to increase, which would then force your Body Cultivation level to increase by one layer. In Frank¡¯s case, this meant that his Power Attribute of 12 was both a blessing and a curse. Maybe more of a curse, as it meant that he would need to gather twelve of the little floating balls of energy that Charles had absorbed, in order to fill his body up so he could increase his cultivation level. Sitting in his little hole, Frank almost thought about leaving, as he felt calmer. Maybe he still didn¡¯t accept everything that was happening to him, but he had calmed down enough to at least walk out of the converted gymnasium with his head held high. But first, he wanted to test out something. Seeing as the entire world was filled with glowing balls of energy, and that they seemed to be the same balls of energy that Charles had been using to increase his cultivation, Frank tried to do the same. Reaching out, he touched the glowing balls of energy that had built up over time in the small corner that only a malnourished child like Frank could get into. As he touched the first ball of energy, he felt a slight tingle. Then he felt the hairs on his arms begin to rise, a sign of static electricity. Before his awakening static electricity like this was always painful, as his body was unable to channel the energy of a wild spark accurately. Now that his body had been awakened, he felt the energy flow into him. By focusing on the energy, he instinctively began to meditate, though this was a regular calming method and way to slow down his heart rate. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Over time the tingling sensation that he felt by touching the orb of power eventually lessened, though it never fully went away. In fact, even now he could still feel the energy warmly filling him more than any bowl of mushroom soup he had ever could. Feeling the pulse of energy, he felt warm, no longer feeling the almost empty coldness of the void that had filled his body for so long. ¡°Freaking snake oil salesman.¡± The first guard whispered to his friend as Charles signed up for a contract to use the Occultivator. Then after he left with the equipment, a giant smile filled the man¡¯s face as he opened up a bag and let loose a few more floating balls of energy into the air right in front of him. ¡°What is that?¡± The second guard asked. ¡°Oldest trick in the books. The salesperson goes and releases highly condensed low tier stone dust into the air. Then offers to show off the Occultivator to a newly awakened individual, like these neanderthals here. The lower class comes, sees the instant effect of the Occultivator and immediately signs up, realizing that at the rate they just had, they could cultivate their way up to the fifth tier in a month if they tried.¡± ¡°Low tier shard dust? Isn¡¯t that illegal?¡± The second guard asked. ¡°No, they claim it is for demonstration purposes only, and is only meant to show how to use the Occultivator.¡± The first guard explained. ¡°But aren¡¯t those older models dangerous and illegal to use any more?¡± ¡°Only on the surface and mid-tiers, which is why they are all being brought down here by these charlatans wishing to make one quick buck. Tying the fate of the user and the user¡¯s family to a contract that cannot be fulfilled.¡± The first guard replied. ¡°Still, why do we even let them come with us?¡± The second guard asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious, half of their sales revenue goes to the military unit that supported them. As such, the cost of traveling with them here is deemed as an overall bonus for the unit.¡± The first guard replied. Their conversation went on, but after hearing that much, Frank was done listening. It was clear to the people of the upper levels that they were little more than degenerate creatures that were beneath them. Only coming down as a mandate to find those worth salvaging from the rubble and then moving on. Realizing this, Frank realized that the only way he could succeed in this world, was by relying on himself. Though he did feel better knowing that he could, or at least he thought he could cultivate with his F-Rank eyes, as it seemed to show him the same layout and imagery that Charles had while using an Occultivator. With that in mind, Frank went about finding and absorbing each and every mote of energy he saw in the dark tunnels. He even found a small passage that led under the bleachers. Normally this place was off limits, and it still was, but the entire area seemed to glow with residual energy. It was clear that the janitorial staff did nothing to clean up under the bleachers, a fact that Frank was now thankful for, as he found ample supplies of energy glowing and lighting up a path deep under the bleachers. As he moved, his feet landed in an inch thick cushion of dust bunny fur that had been woven into a seemingly semi-permanent layer. Still, being of the slums such conditions were sadly to be expected. Which was why Frank found himself going deeper and deeper into the stands, before he finally stopped himself after grabbing a few handfuls of energy, at which point his body suddenly felt warm. Warm like magma was rolling around in his veins. Normally a cultivator would have an instrument panel that could show the exact amount of energy consumed, and what to expect and most importantly how to properly cultivate the energy into a more stable form. Frank being who he was, had none of these benefits. Instead, all he had were his insights, a brief mental marker that noted that he was either at or just over twelve motes of energy absorbed into his body and countless lessons on what to do to cultivate flooding through his mind. For a moment he thought about darting, about getting out of the dirty underbelly of his school¡¯s bleachers, but instead realized that he was at a breakthrough point. At least that is what every fiber in his body was now screaming at him, that he was nearing a bottleneck point. He also knew that an improper breakthrough, particularly at the initial stages could be costly. Not stopping to immediately cultivate properly was also tantamount to forever ending the cultivator¡¯s path to Immortality. Not having enough time to get to a better location, and not wanting to waste this golden opportunity, Frank dropped down onto the dirt and grime covered floor and began to focus. In his mind, he mentally held the image of his body during his awakening. Since the exact time of his awakening was less than an hour ago, the image of his body¡¯s cultivation path was clearly burned into his mind. Better still, he had not had enough time to eat or drink anything that would cause his body to have impurities while making this breakthrough. Meaning that the quicker he cultivated and applied these changes to his body, the more impactful they would be. Focus. Feel the rush of energy, and let it flow into and through you. Let your skin, muscles, and tendons absorb the free floating energy. Furthermore, he wanted to focus on increasing the core of his body, the place where ambient energy can be stored while awaiting the moment when he could gain enough energy to go through this process again. These were the thoughts that he held at first, especially as the flow of energy began to cycle and flow throughout his body. Then after a few moments, even those thoughts ceased to be as all he could think about was his body and the way it was turning into nothingness. All around him, was darkness, but unlike normally this time the darkness was calming. This time the darkness signified the fact that he was in control of what he saw, felt, and experienced around him. This and the rising surge of energy within his body were the only things that his mind felt, until finally it happened. Cracking. First the void around him began to break and tear, as the energy within his body was compressing inward. As the energy compressed inward, he felt air and other unimportant corrosive materials being forcefully expelled from his body. Woosh! There was a circle in the dirt and debris that lined the underside of the bleachers, along with a cloud of dust that suddenly seemed to have been kicked up and provide a semi-protective bubble of falling dirt around him. Wheeze. Frank watched the dust in awe for what felt like an eternity, until finally his lungs that had been squeezed tight and deprived of oxygen suddenly inhaled the air around him, forcing his mind and body to awaken. As he breathed, his body felt lighter, his muscles felt stronger, and even his movements felt easier to perform. While he had sat down quickly, Frank had assumed that getting up would be tricky, particularly with trying to move his head around the various seats that were present and providing random hazards to avoid. While he still required a moment to be safe, and moved slowly at points, getting out from his spot under the bleachers felt slightly easier than they did while going in. Gurgle. His stomach grumbled slightly, a sudden reminder that the energy he had been using to stave off hunger was now missing. With a sigh, he realized that a final school meal would be waiting for him once he left. He was just about to leave, when something caught his attention. Glimmer. As he was about to move out from behind the bleachers, his eyes, his F-Rank eyes caught the sparkle of something shiny off in the distance. A quick glance showed that still more motes of energy remained to be claimed. Not knowing when, or even if Frank would have another chance to come back here, Frank decided to get the remaining motes of energy. This time Frank noticed that the energy came a little bit easier into his body, and that the act of pulling the energy from the outside and into his center was slightly easier than before. While there wasn¡¯t enough energy down in the dark crevasses to fill up his body again, he did feel that it was enough for him to continue to practice at least circulating his energy with. Also, once again, the feel of energy within his body helped to subside the hunger pains that were a near constant reminder of not only the fact that he was living, but the fact of his place within the slums. There was of course one problem. Once all the motes of energy that Frank had hunted to get safely under the bleachers were gone, his eyes were back to seeing the world in the darkness that seemed to permeate the underground layers. Fortunately for Frank, he both had a hard head, and was used to making his way around almost blindly, feeling for the walls and slowly moving his way forward. Thump. Of course, just because he moved slowly didn¡¯t stop his head, or other random body part from strafing into the random metal beam that jutted out from the wall and provided support to the vast bleacher system. Once out, Frank took a quick second to wipe off his pants, trying to and mostly failing at removing most of the dirt that now covered his best pair of pants from when he first entered the bleachers. Frank was about to leave the little hiding spot, when he was suddenly spotted by one of the two talking guards from earlier. ¡°What are you doing back there!¡± The B-Ranked guard said, and instantly an aura of power seemed to surge around the giant man. Panicked, Frank backed up, and was about to head for cover, clearly seeing the ebb and flow of power being generated by the frightened guard. In his mind, he mentally calculated the distance between the two of them, and suddenly he felt like he could almost see the radius of effect that the guard had for his power. As a B-Rank cultivator, his power had a maximum manifestation range of twenty-five feet away, though given the current view of what Frank was now seeing, the range seemed to be a lot shorter than twenty-five feet. That or Frank was already more than twenty-five feet away. Seeing the spike and sudden surge of energy, Frank panicked, once again heading back to the entrance to the bleachers. This time however, rather than heading left to the already depleted area of the bleachers, Frank headed to the right side. The side that was lit up like it was main street. This time Frank avoided his earlier flaw of grabbing every mote of energy on his way to the back, and instead use the ambient energy around him to guide him and help him find a spot that was off in the back and hidden by a random pillar that jutted up. Seeing the pillar and the fact that the space between the pillar and the far wall was small, likely too small for the larger and fully grown adult guards to get through Frank ran and hid. ¡°Hey! Get back here or I¡¯ll Shoot!¡± The guard said, as a giant burst of flame erupted from his hands and reached out, illuminating the entire bleacher complex. ¡°There he is!¡± The second guard said, which sort of confirmed Frank¡¯s thoughts that these people could not see energy. At least not in the way that Frank could, otherwise they would be able to easily identify him as he was all but traveling down the path with the most motes of energy that helped illuminate his entire path. Finally, he got to his cut off section, then ducked and hid. Silence. Frank waited and found himself looking out from around the pillar. ¡°Come on kid, come out. I was just kidding.¡± The fire hurling guard said. ¡°What did he do Mel?¡± ¡°The kid spooked me okay. Creepy kid coming from the shadows moving silently in the dark and all.¡± The first guard, Mel replied. ¡°Well, looks like you spooked him off.¡± The second, more reserved guard said. ¡°Yeah, likely had some rat tunnel that he took to get to the surface.¡± Mel responded. ¡°You know those tunnels are myths right?¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°I know, because I know, okay.¡± The second guard answered. With that it seemed like both guards had apparently gone to search for Frank, and then subsequently quit their search, just as quickly as it began. With that Frank let out a long sigh of relief, and then paused for a moment, before moving out from behind his pillar and realizing that there was yet more dirt, grime, and most importantly unclaimed energy that existed down here than was previously thought. Of course, thinking about it, this place was a hot bed for energy cultivation. No one with an Occultivator unit on could enter here, as the straps and components would make the user too bulky to move around effectively. Then added to that is the fact that only those with Occultivators on could effectively cultivate and it was clear why these sections of the lower levels were perfect for someone like Frank. Someone with nowhere to go, no true prospects for a career path, as all that would be offered to someone like him would be a dead end job like junk collector, or a janitor. Then looking at the state of this area, Frank realized that maybe being a janitor wouldn¡¯t be the worst thing that could happen, as it would mean he would be in more places like this. More places that should be cleaned, but aren¡¯t due to the perceived lack of fame and attention they get. Also, with a job like a Janitor, so long as he managed to clean up the area in question, no one would care what else he did down there, even if it was nothing more than cultivating. With that, Frank felt slightly better about his path going forward. Like so many other denizens of the slums, he was finally accepting his fate and trying to find the job that would be best for what he wanted to do with his life. What he wanted was obvious, he intended to cultivate his way out of the slums. Making sure to take his family with him. To do that, he would need to achieve the ninth state of the Body Cleansing realm, and be on the verge of entering the Blood cleansing realm. That was of course a long way away, but he now felt he had a path forward that would help achieve his goal. Being a janitor who was not afraid of going to the deepest and darkest parts of society, even if it was to ultimately cultivate his way out of poverty. Fueled by this sudden goal, Frank set about absorbing each and every mote of energy that remained in this path. As he touched what he felt to be his thirteenth mote of energy, he felt the sudden surge of energy once more, as a smile filled his lips. This time he didn¡¯t hesitate, and instantly dropped to the ground and began cycling the energy in the way that was almost permanently burned into his mind. Now he was so used to the sensation of cultivating with energy that even if he closed his eyes, he swore he could see the energy surging throughout his body, almost as if his eyes being opened was an unnecessary component to this process. Then finally after what felt like an hour of focusing his mind and body to feel the void around him, he felt the moment when the energy stuck. When his core tightened by compressing the energy within his body, then suddenly a burst of air and any lingering impurities were expelled from his body and set loose into the open air. Whoosh! Then, like that, Frank once again felt more powerful and more ready to move about freely. This time the change to his body was noticeable, as his muscles seemed to ripple and bulge beneath his strengthened skin. Once again his body felt lighter and more agile, a fact that made weaving his way from under the bleachers that much easier. This time when he emerged, he made sure to climb his way out, climbing up the various rails and beams that lined the bleachers, a feat that would have been impossible earlier today, before he had awoken his powers and abilities. This time when he emerged, things were different, as he was different. Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Frank appeared on top of the bleachers rather than the crevasse leading from the center of the structure. This did two things, first, it gave him a good view over the rest of the gymnasium, which showed that even now after all this time the final few students were matriculating their way through the awakening platform and were nearly on their way out. The second thing being on the top of the bleachers did was it gave Frank the chance to move around without being seen by any of the guards, but only if he went unnoticed. Crouching low and crawling his way behind the seats, he deftly made his way forward, not wanting to gain any unwanted attention. On instinct his body never actually rested on the ground, instead he just used the tips of his toes and fingers to maneuver his way around. This feat would have been almost impossible earlier. That or if he had done so earlier, he would have needed to make multiple breaks. This time however things were different, as Frank had felt not one but two distinct breakthroughs, both of which led to more strength, stamina, coordination, and most importantly more mobility. Keeping his head down he didn¡¯t check to see if anyone else saw or heard him. Instead, he used the they will call you if they see you method. This method was nothing new, nothing created by Frank, but rather the same method that all kids have when they know they are doing, have done, or are about to do mischief. Basically, keep your head down, get away as quickly and quietly as possible, and deny it completely when and if you are caught. Frank got to the edge of the bleachers and saw his first true hurdle. Namely a light hand rail that went up two feet or so, designed to catch anyone who inadvertently fell. For his part, Frank saw the hand rail, then quickly raising his head up, he gave a quick scan of the area, and didn¡¯t notice anyone that was paying attention to him. He looked, but didn¡¯t see anyone that had noticed him. Feeling somewhat confident, he crawled closer and looked through the open railings and looking down once again saw that no one was nearby and that the area right below was in a perfectly dark alcove, similar to the on he had gone into when needing a moment to relax. Realizing he didn¡¯t have much time and needed to get down, lest he go back and get caught by the flame wielding psycho soldier, Frank did what any would have in his shoes. Namely, he reached out with his right hand, grabbing one of the supporting rails, then slowly but quickly slithered his body over the side of the bleachers and once his feet were down he had cut off the distance by about half, especially with his arm fully extended. Then not wanting to draw out this moment, he gave a slight kick off from the side with his foot, while simultaneously letting go of the railing and dropped to the ground. Plop. That time he did make a sound that instantly drew everyone¡¯s attention to him. Feeling somewhat chagrined by the sudden attention, he went with the first excuse he could think of. ¡°Whoops, tripped there,¡± Frank said, then going a little more forcefully into the role as others were still looking at him he continued. ¡°Watch out, the ground raises by a quarter of a inch, right there.¡± Chuckle. There was a bit of pitying laughter that came from his last comment, as many people began to finally look away. Relieved that no one called him out or made any comments about him randomly falling on a flat piece of smooth slate, he quickly moved. For a second, he almost expected to feel the slight pinching sensation that almost always followed his falling from a similar distance, a pinching sensation that made it, so it was hard to walk, and equally hard to move around for a day or two. Fortunately, this time there was no pain. In fact, he still felt good. Confident even, as he made his way past the used snake oil salesperson, AKA the used Occultivator salesman. As he moved though, Frank didn¡¯t waste the chance to get free energy, purposefully walking into and through the demonstration field, reaching his hand out to swat at the free floating motes of energy that were provided since the salesman¡¯s last time. There was a slight path that Frank could have taken to avoid the salesperson, but the main one that everyone used went right in front of the salesperson and his display desk. This was also the one that a suddenly woozy Frank veered off of, when stumbling into and absorbing the ambient energy that had been provided for demonstration purposes. ¡°Hey, get out of here. This is my demonstration area!¡± The salesperson shouted at Frank. ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± Frank said, playing off the part of a misguided student who was clumsily making their way through the gymnasium. Then having drawn in two more motes of energy, Frank felt a slight surge of energy, as he made his way to the career table. In his mind, Frank saw this stealing of energy as a win-win. First, he made it so hopefully one less person was tempted to buy the slum area deathtrap that was an Occultivator. The second reason why this was a win-win as it meant that Frank was now one more step closer to reaching another breakthrough point in his cultivation. Maybe it was a loss for the salesperson, and ultimately a loss for the military as a whole who was expecting fifty percent of the commission, but they deserved that loss as that loss was at the cost of fellow citizens of the lower levels. At least that was the way Frank saw things. Frank couldn¡¯t tell exactly where he stood, but it was clear from the sensation in his body that he was well over the halfway marker of being full of energy again. Realizing it was time to fully invest in his future, he stepped forward, into the line of job applicants and taking a deep breath prepared himself for what he was about to do. *** What Frank failed to notice was the careful gaze of the guard who seemed to follow the boy¡¯s movements like a hawk. A guard who went by the nickname Vanguard. Of course, given Vanguard¡¯s unique condition, and ability, it was impossible for most to view him, as the man¡¯s true name was Gaulding, but that was a lifetime ago that he last used anything but his alias. The letter denoting his power rating was D. As a D-Rank cultivator there was only one reason why he was accepted to come along on these types of situations. Most of the time he was meant as crowd control, as his D-Rank power allowed him to mostly move around unnoticed by others. His Awakened power was a form of chameleon skin, though that wasn¡¯t exactly the best way to describe his power. His power was called Calcitification, and resembled the effects of calcite resting on an object, rather than being clear or see through, the image from behind was pushed forward and through as if it was the same exact on the others side. As a D-Rank skill it meant that he was only able to grab images from up to an inch away from his body and present them perfectly on the other side of his body without any distortion. The power was perfect, and made him the perfect scout. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Vanguard was always attached as an augmentee to such awakenings for the sole purpose of being able to spot lower ranked gems. Gems who like himself would fall through the cracks if not identified and harnessed to their full potential early on. He had first noticed the boy when he snuck his way back behind the rafters. Following the boy, he was surprised to see the boy swerve into each mote of energy. Effortlessly guiding his way to images that were at the furthest edges of his Occultivator¡¯s vision, which being the recent most top of the line version were actually a neural implanted contact lens that helped identify energy within an immediate area of twenty-five feet away. When he saw the kid drop and visibly go into a meditative pose, the guard honestly found himself impressed. Yet, the kid would clearly not amount to much with just an F-Rank ability, which is why Vanguard opted to leave him be. Particularly as it was clear that the boy was not a danger to himself or others. Vanguard¡¯s attention was once again redrawn to the kid when he attempted to leave a few moments later when he stumbled into the resident hot-heads and was chased off. With that Vanguard made a note to scan for the kid and see when he tried to leave the other side of the bleachers. From a glance, it was clear that Vanguard wasn¡¯t the only one who was interested in the kid, as the other two guards, the ones that had chased him off, made constant glances back behind them to see if they could find him. The only thing was, they were probably too close to the action to notice his actual escape. Smiling to himself, Vanguard watched as the boy stealthily climbed his way up the side of the rafters and made his way to the bleachers. Then he gave a quick scan of the area before moving. He was so good at moving that Vanguard nearly missed him making his escape over the far side. This forced Vanguard to run quickly around the side of the bleachers to get a better view, where he noticed the kid drop, draw the attention of others and then easily dismiss his sudden appearance by claiming he stumbled. Honestly, that alone made Vanguard impressed with the kid. Then the way he went and stole the free samples from the used Occultivator salesman almost made Vanguard laugh out loud right then and there. Intrigued, he got closer to the kid, he managed to see the recent changes made to the kid¡¯s body, as detailed by his Occultivator feed that was feed into the base database and read the boy¡¯s current attributes and standings.
Body Cultivation Level II. Core Value II.
Talent: F-Rank Energy Eyes
Strength: 8 (Below Average) + II = 10 Dexterity: 9 (Below Average) + II = 11 Agility: 8 (Below Average) + II = 10 Mind: 7 (Way Below Average) +II = 9 Power: 14 (Way Above Average) Willpower: 12 (Above Average)
Hidden Power Rating: 8 / 14
Seeing the boy¡¯s progress, Vanguard was impressed. Most spend months trying to learn to cultivate that quickly, yet the boy had done so perfectly not once, but twice. Of course, the closer you were to your actual awakening day, the easier it was to cycle the energy in the correct pathways. Also given that he hadn¡¯t eaten or had anything to drink, also meant that there was less deviation from toxin buildup within the body. Honestly, for a moment, a very brief moment, Vanguard was legitimately jealous of the boy. Not only had he advanced twice, but he had done so fully, and managed to improve his core value both times. Also, the fact that he now had a Power rating of fourteen was astounding, as that was almost one per year of his life. Given that the boy was at most fifteen, as that was the maximum age anyone was allowed to wait to be awakened. ¡°Age?¡± The Career developer asked. ¡°Fourteen.¡± The F-Rank boy stated clearly. ¡°Preferred occupation?¡± The man asked in a slightly distracted tone. ¡°Janitor.¡± ¡°What?¡± The Career Developer asked, suddenly shocked by the change. ¡°Janitor, or if that is not available, can I take hazardous duty janitor?¡± The boy inquired. ¡°What, why yes. Yes of course we do have a position for hazardous duty janitor available.¡± The man began, but then paused as he looked at the boy. ¡°You do realize that these are dangerous places that you will be subject to cleaning, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± The boy said with a certain intensity. Pausing for a moment, the Career Developer leaned forward and looked almost sad about what he was going to say next. ¡°You do know that Hazardous Janitor, while it does come with a twenty-five percent pay raise over standard janitors, the pay might not be worth it. You can get cut up, mangled, or worse, eaten by the lower rats.¡± Hearing that, Vanguard paused, realizing that he suddenly felt a twinge of respect for the Career Developer. No doubt the Career Developer would gain a substantial bonus for getting someone to sign up for the dangerous job of being a hazardous janitor, but here he was, actively trying to talk the boy out of doing so. Pausing for a moment, Vanguard didn¡¯t know how to think about that. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± The boy said, stopping the man from talking him out of the position. If anything, the boy seemed to be more resolute in his decision. ¡°Is it money? Is someone in your family sick? I assure you that this job won¡¯t be able to provide for them the way you think it will.¡± The man said, one last time. ¡°No, no need for money. Well, there is a need, but this I think is my calling.¡± The boy said adamantly. And like that, Vanguard watched arguably the most interesting boy sign up for what had to be one of the worst jobs available. For a moment he thought about tabbing the boy right then and there, yes there would be more paperwork by grabbing an F-Rank kid. Though if his guess was correct the talent he had, Energy Eyes, gave him the ability to view energy the same way the Occultivator allowed normal people to. It was known that the Occultivator was dangerous to use, even now Vanguard had to limit the Occultivators use to just one eye and even then only for a portion of time otherwise his coordination would become tougher to focus on. For a moment, Vanguard thought about tabbing the kid right then and there to be part of his special forces unit, granting him an honorary B-Rank that would pull him out of poverty and into the mid-tiers. He thought about this, then ultimately decided against this course of action. The kid clearly had ambition, the fact that he made no reference to his tier two of body cultivation did not go unnoticed by him. Meaning that he likely had a family, a plan, or maybe even a significant other that he would be thinking about if he was plucked away from here. No, for the moment, Vanguard decided to make a note of the boy, one that he intended to follow up on the next time he was in the slums. While he normally hated coming to the slums, he felt that it was for times like these that he had been pulled from the frontlines with the intent to help in just such situations. Vanguard waited until the boy moved away and was fully outside the building before he dropped his cloaking power right in front of the Career Advisor. As expected, the Advisor jumped a full foot into the air at the sudden realization that a musclebound guard had just appeared within close combat striking distance of him. ¡°Wha-ho!¡± The man shouted as he saw Vanguard suddenly appear. With that quite a few sets of eyes all turned to the two. Realizing his outburst the advisor looked suddenly embarrassed by his sudden outburst. This was good as it hopefully meant that the man would be more concerned about the trained killer standing right before him wearing the uniform of the advanced forces, and less concerned with the power ranking tab. A tab that was clearly missing from his uniform, along with any semblance of rank for the military. In fact the only indication of power at all was on the stripes on his right arm. Stripes that showed that he had broken through both the body and blood cultivation layers and was clearly in the final stages of Skeletal Cultivation. ¡°How, how can I assist you? Sir?¡± The advisor eventually stammered out. ¡°That boy that just signed up for the position of a hazardous janitor. I want you to mark his file for us, and make sure that wherever he goes, we expect to see a monthly status report on his work efforts and efficiency.¡± Vanguard said, pulling out a communications card that would provide direct access to Vanguard¡¯s units¡¯ personal communications platform, which was often used to track and monitor individuals that caught Vanguard¡¯s attention. ¡°Ye, yes sir.¡± The man stammered, earmarking the boy¡¯s application, and sealing the communication¡¯s card to the form. ¡°Very good.¡± Vanguard said, then taking a step back he activated is power and disappeared from sight entirely. ¡°What?¡± The advisor said, staring off into space. Vanguard snickered to himself, this part, the part of disappearing from right in front of people, it never grew old. For a moment, he thought about following the boy to see what would happen next. But instead, he realized that there might still be one or two more gems to discover from the remaining few applicants that were still trickling through. ¡°Frank Fotos.¡± Vanguard muttered to himself, trying to remember the name, and hoping that this kid, unlike all the hundreds of others would make something of himself. It would be too much to pull an F-Rank second tier body cultivator, even if he did so within hours. No, what was important now is that he not only get the strength, but also learn how to move his body with his new found strength and ability. ¡°Maybe being a hazardous janitor was the best option for you after all.¡± Then like that, all thoughts of Frank Fotos slipped away from Vanguard¡¯s mind, as he went back to the task at hand, namely finding more talent to keep an eye on for the special operations units. Chapter 4 Chapter 4 Jitters. Frank felt pure unadulterated fear, tension, and above all, Qi flowing through his body as he dazedly made his way out from the gymnasium. He had signed away his chance at higher education by opting to join the work force early. This meant that he would forever be subject to lower tier jobs, like being a hazardous janitor, but it meant he would get money and food subsidies right away for his family, while also meaning that he would not be bound to be in a classroom for hours on end. A classroom that would no doubt be devoid of ambient energy, as people would by their very natures be drawn to high energy spots, even without Occultivators it wouldn¡¯t be odd for people to increase their Body Cultivation levels at least once or twice within a standard lifetime. However, Frank had higher goals than one or two more layers. He had felt success. At this moment, he knew what hope was. At first, he wanted to cry at being given an F-Rank talent, but now that he had his and saw the forward, he felt more alive than ever. Which of course, is why he should have been on the lookout for trouble. Just yesterday Frank would have been aware of his surroundings. He would have noticed the silent stares that Luther¡¯s lackies Scottie and Aaron were giving him. Frank would have known to be on the lookout for Luther, made a note of when he entered and exited the gymnasium. Then he would have made sure to exit from the other door, and taken the long way home. Yet, he had been careless. Frank was so lost in what he was planning to do, in order to get not only himself, but his whole family out of the slums that he almost missed the flash of red laser lights that shined ahead. Sidestep. The blast had been so bright and powerful that he could almost feel the energy blast being walked closer to his face. Had he been a moment slower, he would have had part of his ear cut off by the burst. With practiced movements, Frank found himself instinctively darting towards a dark corner. Though this time, Frank noticed one or two balls of bright light that seemed to illuminate the deepest crevasses of the alley way he found himself darting into. ¡°Hahaha.¡± Like a pack of hyenas finding a kill, the lackies laughed, letting their sounds echo in the dark tunnels. This was something they practiced, something that they knew would unhinge Frank, as most of these alleyways were dead ends, meaning that either the boys would go in and drag Frank out, or as was more often the case leave, only to chase and beat him up again. Then true to form the ringleader of this gang of slum rats cried out. ¡°Oh, F-Rank Frank.¡± Luther began speaking in his arrogantly mocking voice. Rage. Hearing the voice of Luther cawing out, Frank felt the moment his internal energy spiked. There was a distinct flare up, and only with a moment of intense focus was he able to stop and once again get his internal energy flowing correctly. ¡°Oh look, we frightened him,¡± Aaron cried out. Turning around, Frank saw the way that the bigger Aaron and Scottie could only follow one at a time. Even for Frank the space around was small, but given his skinnier frame, turning around in the narrow alley was relatively simple. With the back glow of energy coming from behind and now overhead, Frank could see clearly in the dark alleyway. He could see the fact that he just missed the part where a metal box was lining the ground in front of his right foot. He could see the metal grounding rod that had long since rusted out and broken to pieces and had somehow gotten stuck to the spot on the old wall. He could see millions of different objects, protrusions, and what his instructors would call improvised weapons all around. Best of all, based on the way that Aaron blindly swiped his hand in front of him going from side to side, it was clear that Aaron was blind. Testing this theory, Frank found himself moving back slowly, leaning up against the wall. ¡°Where did he go?¡± Scottie called out, trying to look over Aaron¡¯s shoulder, but clearly not able to see anything. As for Frank, the entire world was lit up in a bright display of vibrant colors. ¡°I don¡¯t know, he is probably hiding on the ground again. Be ready for him to try to worm his way out of here.¡± Aaron called back. Remembering that, Frank had done just that on more than one occasion. That was of course why Luther now manned the entrance, as he would always be there to punch or kick at Frank as he left. This time though, Frank felt something inside him break. Originally, when the torment first began, he had fought back, only to be beaten up harder. This time though, this time things were different, as he was different. Not only was he awakened with a talent that gave him the ability to see in the dark, a clear bonus when being forced to fight against two assailants who were blindly flailing about. Even going so far as to take wide awkward stances, in the off chance that they might feel Frank trying to crawl past them. Rustle. Frank waited until Aaron got to the metal box that was impeding his path. That¡¯s when he struck out. First kicking the metal box with his full force. He knew the box wasn¡¯t nailed down as he himself had bumped into that very box many times, only for it to give away his hiding spot and location. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Wham! The box slid forward, striking a confused Aaron right in the leg, before tripping him. Frank of course didn¡¯t stay still, fueled by newly awakened cultivation energy and years of pent up rage and aggression he charged forward. Stepping onto the box, before darting forward and tackling Aaron with his balled fists lashing out in a torrent of blows. The strikes were not crisp, they were not refined, and Frank himself would be the first to say that the whole movement felt awkward to his body, but they did have one thing that he was missing from earlier. Namely the fact that his body was now as strong as a fully grown human, something that even Aaron, and Scottie couldn¡¯t boast about. ¡°GAHH!¡± Frank let out a primal scream of rage and violence as he landed on the suddenly dazed Aaron who ended up taking no less than three punches to the head before the two fell awkwardly into Scottie. Scottie hearing the scream and startled by the sudden movement ended up jumping backwards, allowing Aaron and Frank to fall flat on the ground. Crack. Aaron hit his head on the ground so violently that his body spasmed. Instinctively Frank knew that he was out, which was when Frank listening to his teachings continued fighting through. Of course, the teachings had been taught as a way to get the future generations prepared for the horrors of the front lines, about having to fight through waves of endless enemies. Frank had taken the lessons to heart, having practiced as many of the moves as he could, not that his small undersized body let him do much with said knowledge before. Now though things had changed. Using his momentum to spring forward and strike at the nearest vulnerable spot. Which for Frank meant that he was only able to aim at the mid-torso or below area as he was unable to spring immediately to his feet. Instead, he aimed right for the spot that would hurt the most. Right in the groin. Squish. His small fist struck up, as he was trying to stand up, resulting in an upper cut to the Scottie¡¯s most delicate of areas. The result of the blow caused Scottie to double over in pain. Which played into his next chain attack, as Frank then used his other hand to deliver a knockout blow to Scottie¡¯s face. Slam. Scottie¡¯s body collapsed into the wall on Frank¡¯s right. Panting. Frank was panting heavily, as he felt his energy violently surging through his body. In this moment, he felt his body surging to life as he could almost feel the powers of his ancestors surging to life within his body. For the moment he felt the unmistakable thrill of power rushing through him as he beat up not just one but two bullies. Looking down below him, he saw the fact that both boys, both tormentors were out cold. With the shading provided by the metal box it was hard to see everything. Though Frank was certain that he could see blood pooling around Aaron¡¯s head. Looking down, the pool was getting wider, and he saw how Scottie¡¯s foot had stepped into the blood. With a look, it was clear that Scottie was still alive and breathing, just knocked out. ¡°What is happening you two. You can¡¯t take all the fun.¡± Luther called out from the entrance. For a moment, Frank thought about calling out to the boy, taunting him and trying to lure the B-Ranker into the dark tunnel that only he could see in. He thought about it, then remembered the fireball that the other B-Ranker had cast at him and realized that going against someone who could manifest an attack up to twenty-five feet away was a near death sentence. Yes, if caught Luther would be punished, but ultimately no one would care about the death of an F-Ranker from the slums. Particularly since Luther was about to leave here forever and go to the mid-tiers for training. Realizing that he had nothing to gain, and practically everything to lose, by taunting Luther at this point, Frank instead decided to leave. Turning back, he saw that the pool of blood from Aaron was spreading, not wanting to be caught up in the blood, Frank instead did something he had always wished he had been strong enough and coordinated enough for earlier. Namely the ability to reach out his arms and legs and press-climb his way up and over the two bullies. For a second, he thought about using his higher position to drop down and blind side Luther, but again thought better of it, at least until he knew exactly what B-Rank power Luther had been granted. Squirm, squirk. Frank made his way past the initial area, then continuing to climb higher found himself climbing up and grabbing the glowing motes of power that were hidden from the normal pathways that most people would take while cutting through these dark intersections. Thrum. Just as his arms and legs began to feel weak from doing such a strenuous exercise that he was not used to, he collected his first mote of energy and felt a surge of power course through his body. Sigh. Frank felt relief as he continued to force his way up and out of the back alley. While there was not an exit on the ground, there was an odd chimney like lattice work that Frank looked up to find that it was both lined by motes of energy, and ultimately led to an open sky overhead. Well as open as the slums got, which meant that he could see an eventual opening at the top. ¡°Come on guys. Bring him out already. I need to go.¡± Luther called out, his voice getting slightly more nervous the longer the other two didn¡¯t respond. ¡°Aaron? Scottie?¡± Luther called out, his voice getting clearer and more distinct. It was clear that he was moving down the dark alleyway himself. Frank paused, finding a small hand grip that was just wide enough for him to sit on, if he placed both hands at his sides and braced him from falling off. It wasn¡¯t much, but the sudden chance to pause and catch his breath felt good. As he shook out first one hand, then the other. Meanwhile, his position, allowed him to hang down and see the general area where Aaron and Scottie were sitting. ¡°Aaron? Come on guys this isn¡¯t funny.¡± Luther called out, fear clearly gripping his voice by this point. ¡°Scottie?¡± Luther cried out. That apparently had been enough to awaken Scottie from his nearly knocked out state. As he flailed his body and reached out to grab Luther. ¡°Angnna..¡± Scottie mumbled, clearly groggy from awakening from a head contusion. ¡°Gha-gawk.¡± Luther let out an ear-piercing shriek that would almost be comical if it hadn¡¯t been so painful to listen to. Frank almost found himself falling as he inadvertently raised his hand to his ear, before his body realized he was losing his balance and quickly shot out his hands once more to his sides. Shatter-pop. The sound of organs and blood vessels rupturing could be heard coming from both bodies. As a glowing blue energy seemed to coat the two bodies. Shocked. Frank looked on in wide-eyed panic as he saw the two bodies get ripped apart by a sudden burst of blue energy that originated from Luther¡¯s mouth. ¡°A banshee.¡± Frank found himself muttering, as he looked on in horror at the sight. Badump, badump, badump. Frank¡¯s heart raced as he realized the true powers that a B-Rank talent could provide, especially when used at point blank range like that. Two bodies in a row were ripped apart by soundwaves that somehow tore into and through them. With a shock, Frank realized that if Aaron wasn¡¯t dead before that he was now. They were both dead. Then the other thought hit him, the fact that the only one who could testify to what happened was him, a person that Luther himself had used as a personal punching bag and object of ridicule for years. Realizing this, Frank began climbing again, fueled by the sudden release of adrenaline, while also making sure to reach out and absorb as many motes of energy that he could find on his way up the shaft. Frank was almost out, when he heard the thing that scared him the most, movement below. ¡°Frank! Where are you!¡± Luther called out, anger filling his words. There were still the two motes of energy at the base level, motes of energy that Frank assumed he could go back for that he was glad he left. Namely because Frank now used those low lying motes of energy to Illuminate Luther and his frantic search for Frank. ¡°Get out HERE!¡± Luther cried out, lacing power into his words, and causing new blue motes of energy to light up the ground below, while also causing dents to appear in the walls. Using powers out in public was illegal, especially for higher level powers. This was partly why most B-Rankers were pushed upwards, as their powers were enough to destroy entire cities if they were left to their own devices. Frank his part didn¡¯t feel the exhaustion that he had first felt when he rested. He didn¡¯t feel the shock and fear of having won his first real fight. Instead, all he felt was the fear that death was coming for him. Death was coming and its name was Luther. Finally, Frank got to the top of the tunnel he was in, and as expected, there was a lip that he could crawl out and onto. Squeak. His feet scraped against the side of the vertical shaft, as he made his way over the ledge. ¡°FRANK!¡± Luther screamed out, once again lacing his B-Rank power into his words. Crumple, groan. Frank heard the metal of the vertical shaft he had climbed up bending and buckling from the strain of a full force B-Rank power being fired at it. This was both a blessing and a curse for Frank. It was a blessing in that it meant that any hope the overweight Luther had of climbing up the shaft and being able to chase after Frank was gone. Meaning that so long as Frank could find a way out of here and back home, he should be relatively safe. It was a curse in that the vertical shaft refracted and seemed to amplify Luther¡¯s annoying power of amplifying his voice into a violent stream of energy. Tickle. Frank felt something tickle his neck. Reaching up, he felt warm fluids pouring from both of his ear drums. Ringing. At that, Frank felt the ringing of tinnitus canceling out anything else he was able to hear at the moment. Realizing he was vastly outclassed against an awakened B-Ranker, Frank decided to hide. No, not just hide, but find a place that he could rest, meditate, and above all try to refine his recently acquired energy. While he felt that he had collected more motes of energy than he needed to reach the third layer of Body Cultivation, he also felt that he had also somehow lost some of his energy from his battle. Fortunately, looking around at the dirty air ducts that he now found himself a part of, he saw that it had been years since anyone had cleaned out these air ducts, let alone come to them in order to cultivate. Seeing the glowing energy all around him, Frank smiled. He smiled, before collapsing to the ground and letting his fully exhausted body rest. His last act, was to crawl forward a few more feet, before collapsing into a nest of dust and debris that had built up over years of neglect. Part of Frank knew that he should be revolted to rest in such a place, but right now, his only concern was resting, and getting the ringing sensation to leave his ears. On top of that his body ached now that the high of adrenaline and cultivation were both wearing off on his body, revealing just how much his muscles burned, and his body ached from how much strain he had pushed his body through. Placing his head down, he let out a deep breath, and then he let darkness take him. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Frank awoke to feel the thrum of a pounding headache within his skull. Despite his clearly sleeping outside in a pile of dirt and debris, he felt warm. The reason for this warmth was readily apparent, as his body spent the entire time circulating the energy he had gathered before passing out. This meant that his body was nearing a breakthrough, and that if he didn¡¯t allow the process to flow throughout his body would break down. At least that was what all the lessons he had been taught in school passed on to him. Yet, for some reason, despite being full of energy, he felt that his body wasn¡¯t ready for the transition. That or if he pushed now, he would miss something, as his body was on the precipice of doing something, forming a distinct change. Zap. Trying to get up, to at least prop his head up and look around the area, he was surprised. Or maybe a little move focused on setting he was now in. As the horizontal shaft had easily twice as much to triple the energy that the vertical shaft he had climbed to get here had. Granted this place was so dirty, and filled with clumps of human and animal hairs and dirt that no sane person would willingly come in here without use of a hazardous material suit. Even then the suit would prevent anyone from cultivating the ambient energy around them. Yet, here Frank was in a land that was clearly flowing with a seeming abundance of ambient energy. As he stared out, he felt his eyes drawing in some of his excessive energy that was running rampant in his body. Feeling that he was close to a personal breakthrough, he focused on his eyes, realizing that if he so chose, he could cultivate to help improve his awakened Trait. Normally for anyone C-Rank and below this was a wase of time and resources, as most would choose to spend all their gathered energy on improving their physical body, forcing their body to evolve into the next layer of development. While Frank did want this, he felt his body was too sore, his muscles now ached. Frank couldn¡¯t tell if his body¡¯s soreness was a cause of being awakened and then forcing his way through not one but two evolutions too quickly, or if it was as he expected that he cultivated with a full flood of energy in his body. That had slowly but surely worn away at the lining of his body. Regardless of the true reason, Frank now knew that he had to act, if he was going to being to allow his body to relax and finally heal. That was when Frank decided to do something stupid, namely he forced the torrent of energy that was raging throughout his body into his eyes, in the hopes that it might somehow improve his Trait. He had heard tales about how the first cultivators used this very trick to evolve past F-Rank talents and forge their bodies to create and utilize the first A-Rank talents and beyond. Idly Frank chuckled to himself as he imagined advancing his power enough so that he could eventually shoot lasers from his eyes. He thought about it, and then decided to devote his full reserve of energy towards doing just that, towards improving his F-Rank ability and hopefully unlocking the path towards gaining a D or higher ranked talent. In his mind, he knew this would be a process, that he wouldn¡¯t be able to jump magically from an F-Rank Talent to an B or even A rank Talent. This was why he went slowly. Well slowly for how fast Frank wanted to go, he was sure that compared to the other members of his former class, he was heads and shoulders past them. Well most of them, as he was certain that Luther right now was being stuffed with even more cultivation resources to ramp up his already deadly voice attack power. For a moment he wondered what Luther was doing, and if anyone had gone to check on his two dead friends. Going back to the mouth of the shaft, Frank was relieved to see that the coast was clear. Though if he wanted to get down, he would clearly need to find another way, as the entire shaft had been broken and crumpled in on itself, making it so he would need to fall a good twenty feet to be able to get out. Even then Frank couldn¡¯t be certain that Luther didn¡¯t set up some type of monitoring system for him. No, he had no intention of leaving. Especially not with so much ambient energy just waiting for him. Breathe in, breathe out. With the exhale, Frank forcefully cycled his ambient Qi through his body and making it so the energy finally stopped when it slammed into his eyes. Blur, flicker, flash. With each cycle of energy, Frank could feel an immediate change to the way his eyes could see everything. First his vision would go slightly dark, coming in a bit from the sides. Then there would be a tiny light coming from the sides that had just been blocked off. Then finally the last part was the way the energy motes glowed to his eyes. The more he did his cycles, the more he saw even tinier motes of energy next to the already large and bright motes of energy that he had recognized before. This cycling process continued until all the burning energy within his body ran out and he could feel his body relax as it no longer felt like he was burning up from the inside. Only once all the burning and aches from his body were gone did Frank let out a long sigh of relief and almost collapse back into the giant clumps of dirt and debris, but soon caught himself. By now his clothes were a complete mess, but that didn¡¯t matter, as he could feel that the world had changed around him. Looking around with his new and improved eyes, Frank could tell that there was more to the energy than he was currently capable of comprehending. Brown streak. If he stared just hard enough, Frank swore that he could see different shades of colors within the motes. Almost like each mote was made up of individual strings of colors. Curious about this, Frank wondered if he could see more into the colors if he further enhanced his Talent. He remembered seeing light blue streaks coming from Luther when he used his voice attack, was that something that actually happened? Realizing that there was only one way to test out his theory, Frank got up and gingerly went over to the ambient energy. As he approached, he could see that the energy was slightly pulled towards his body. Again, something curious was going on with that, though Frank didn¡¯t quite understand what. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Though Frank himself didn¡¯t know, he knew that if he asked one of his former teachers, they might be able to tell him. Still that was a long way away. First, Frank wanted to find out exactly how much energy remained here, and what he could do about it. Reluctantly, Frank held out his hand and tried to absorb the large mote of energy, not focusing on the multiple smaller motes of energy that surrounded the larger one, at least not for now. The reason was simple, as he didn¡¯t want the same burning sensation to be let loose inside his body. Touching the energy, Frank could see that the energy he absorbed was somehow wrong, but he also felt that it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Well, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem, so long as he worked on using the different components of the energy as quickly as possible and made sure it didn¡¯t remain within his body for any real length of time. Slight burn. There was a slight burn that Frank felt from the energy, but that was somehow bearable. The effect was like when he cut open his hand and had to bandage it. So long as he was careful and didn¡¯t do too much with the injured hand, his wound would be fine, the minute he pushed himself he would begin to feel intense pain. This was no different. Well, that is not true, it was entirely different, but the concept was the same, at least the way Frank saw it. With this Frank would quickly absorb the energy, cycle it once or twice around his body and then force it to finally rest within his eyes. He did this eleven more times, until he felt his mind awakening as he could feel the nerve endings in his eyes forming new pathways and connections which his brain. He could feel his consciousness opening up, as he felt that he was suddenly able to take in more. Frank wasn¡¯t smarter, he couldn¡¯t suddenly do the math problems that always gave him problems. Rather, he could now comprehend more of the world around him. He could not just see the large motes of energy, but he could see that they were made up of multiple smaller motes. Smaller motes of energy that all had different energy components to them. Shocked, Frank just stared on in wonder at the sight. Gently reaching out he grabbed a floating mote of energy, the same way one might try to catch a soap bubble that was floating in the air. However, unlike the soap bubbles that burst upon contact, these bubbles held their form and focusing to make sure he didn¡¯t inadvertently absorb the energy, Frank looked on in wonder. He was different colors that were all present in these motes of energy, Deep browns, light blues, reds, oranges, and there at the very core was a bright green. Frank didn¡¯t know why, perhaps it was the favorite color, or at least the most vibrant color of those he was able to see in the mote before him, but Frank felt himself drawn to the green color. Focusing on just the green color, Frank wondered if he could somehow capture just that drop of energy. Even just looking at it, Frank could tell that his body also wanted the green mote of energy at the center of this cluster. With a will and curiosity that Frank didn¡¯t know he had, he focused on the mote of energy that was in his hand, its size smaller than that of the tip of his pinky finger. Yet, with his eyes enhanced as far as they were, he could clearly see the glowing green spark of energy. Focusing on cultivation, Frank went about peeling off the outer layers of the mote of energy, the same way one might if they tried to peel the skin off a grape. The process was long, tedious, and above all required Frank to focus on minor details that he didn¡¯t know he was capable of. When he was done, he could see the glowing green core of the mote of energy, resting on the remaining clump of energy that was still on his palm. Then with his pointer finger, Frank reached out, touching the green mote of energy and then cultivated. Making sure to only absorb the glowing green core. Soothing calm. The moment he absorbed the green energy, he felt instant relief. The way a burn victim would feel relief by the application of aloe, so too did Frank feel relief from this highly condensed healing energy being released within his body. Relief. Frank let out a long sigh of relief, as he felt the green mote of energy cycle through his body, slowly wearing itself down as it got absorbed into the injured layers of his meridians, before finally disappearing completely. With there being such a relief from just one mote of energy, Frank immediately looked to try this again, but found that the next mote he had, didn¡¯t have green at the center. Looking at it, he saw that there was a giant red sphere. His body saw that, and was immediately confused. Part of him wanted to absorb the mote because it was energy and at his point any energy was good energy. But Frank didn¡¯t want that, at least not yet. In his mind, he interpreted the red color as being dangerous, or maybe unripe? Like how eating food that was old would cause pain, that is the feeling that his body associated with the red mote. Not to be discouraged, Frank threw the mote away, making an easy pile that he could go back to later on. With that, he began searching for different motes with green cores, or even green layers. He found that the ones with light blue cores had green layers. In this case, rather than peeling through the middle protective layer, Frank found himself just using his cultivation to absorb the green layer. As expected, the green layer felt both cool and refreshing to his body and mind. Seeing that he had such success from the green protective inner layer, Frank then went for the light blue core. While there was no true sense of calm or healing from this, Frank could feel his mind becoming more aware of the surroundings. For a moment, Frank looked around, wondering if he was truly alone in these unused ventilation shafts that had been abandoned long ago. A quick look down showed that some of the hair he saw didn¡¯t look to be human hairs, which made him grimace at the thought of so much body hair and dirt. Still, Frank couldn¡¯t let this moment pass him by, as he continued to move his way forward, gently grabbing the full and half sized motes of energy and placing the ones that he didn¡¯t like into a pile. The mid-sized ones were similar to the larger ones, except for the fact that there was no middle protective layer of energy. Instead, it was just a brown protective shell, followed by a colored core that Frank felt either resonated with him, or didn¡¯t. After a few hours of him searching through the various cores, he found that his body had been healed. Though he had admittedly lost count sometime after twenty and was more focused on finding more and quickly stripping and absorbing the motes of energy that he wanted. One. Two. Three. Once the green motes of energy were no longer absorbed directly into his body, he began keeping track of the individual motes that he had absorbed. These were easier to track as Frank felt that he could actually feel these refined drops of energy cycling through his body, as they made him feel alive and rejuvenated with each cycle. As time went on, Frank found himself going further and further down, though he made sure to string up unused motes of energy as makeshift light sources along the way. Making sure to place them in locations where they wouldn¡¯t normally be found, making it so Frank easily knew if he had been to a particular area or not. Granted, he wasn¡¯t certain if his ability was meant to be used in such a way, namely to keep track in different areas, but it did seem to pay off. Silence. Frank paused as he realized something was off. Pausing completely still, Frank tried to understand what exactly had changed to make his mind warn him of the sudden occurrence. Only after a second or two of focusing did Frank realize what had happened. Namely he had moved from a metal floor, to that of a solid stone flooring under his feet. The change from metal to stone caused his steps to become lighter and not produce the slight metallic thumps that he had grown used to while exploring the vast tunnel system. Looking back, Frank thought about heading back into the old and abandoned metal tunnels that he had come from. Tunnels that were clearly created by humans, and leaving behind the cave system he now found himself in. A quick glance showed him that the cave system had been touched by man at one point as well, as the stones were cut too sharply, the lines and edges too smooth to be naturally made. Yet, there was clearly something foreboding about the area he was in. However, this area seemed to have an even greater abundance of energy motes available than the shafts did. Pausing, he looked from the shafts and then turned back to the metal tunnels and wondered if the energy from the caverns was what ultimately fed into metal tunnels, or if there was something more going on. Frank didn¡¯t want to stray too far from his clear exit, and for good reason, as there was a clear pooling of energy motes immediately near the tunnel exit, then a long empty patch, and finally a spot further down, where Frank could just make out lights from other sources of energy. Energy that all but glowed green from a distance, energy that seemed to call out and resonate with dormant parts of Frank¡¯s soul. At least that is what he thought as he looked on. Seeing all the green motes of energy, Frank realized why he was ultimately drawn in this pathway, as the stream of motes with green cores slowly seemed to increase the further this way he went. It had been an unconscious gesture to follow the stream of energy, but now that hew as here, he could feel power all around him. Power that all but called out to him, daring him to take it for himself. Slow breathing. Frank let out slow measured breaths, not wanting to charge into anything, but then decided that he would finish up here first. He would sift through the motes of energy that were immediately by the only known exit he had, and see if he could at least understand a few things. First, why was this place abandoned? Second, why was there a gap in energy? Clearly there was a section of highly concentrated motes of wild energy, a long separation, and then tunnels that seemed to glow with energy to Frank¡¯s advanced senses. Slither. Just as Frank was going through the motes of energy, Frank heard it, the long slow grinding sound of something big and long dragging over a smooth stone floor. Hearing that, Frank paused. For an instant, he thought about darting back into the metal tunnels, but then paused as he realized that his feet would instantly make noise if he did that. Instead, he backed up slowly until he was just at the entrance of the tunnels, and then slowly he lowered himself to the floor, trying to create as low of a profile as possible. Then he waited. Slither, slither. And waited. And waited, as time seemed to stand still. Until finally, he saw it. A beast so big that it caused the hairs on the back of his neck to rise up in fright. A beast that glowed with so much bright green energy that Frank could suddenly see where the spike in green energy that he had been chasing all this time came from. Pausing, he watched as the glowing creature finally emerged from the tunnel, that is when Frank reacted¡­ Chapter 6 Chapter 6 Frank¡¯s body moved on its own, the moment the giant serpent turned its gaze away, Frank found himself inside the tunnels. He didn¡¯t even feel the movement, as his eyes never strayed away from his target, the snake. He always kept his head forward, while his body moved seemingly on autopilot, low crawling backwards with such speed that he even amazed himself. His feet crested the lip of the vent and then he was down, his body lowering, feeling somehow protected by just the inch of metal lining that now protected him. Thump. The minute his foot landed, he heard it, the distinct sound of something touching thin pieces of metal and causing a slight groan to be released. Panic. As soon as he made the sound his whole body tensed. This was good, as the serpent that had been moving forward lazily suddenly came to a complete stop. Seconds passed, but to Frank¡¯s mind this was an eternity. Everything was happening in slow motion. First his movement away, then how long the sound erupted from such a simple measure of him moving his foot. Then the slow way the serpent seemed to hover in the air, before turning to face Frank. Badump, badump, badump. The serpent turned to face Frank, and for a second it was as if their eyes locked and Frank could see the soul of the giant monster before him. A monster who was able to raise its head easily ten feet off the ground, or more than double Frank¡¯s current height. Frank paused, his mind doing simple math that told him that the snake could only raise one third of its body from the ground, meaning that the rest of the snake had to be well over twenty feet long, and have a mouth that could easily swallow his body whole without even needing to unhinge its massive jaws. As he stared the eyes were a deep dark green, a green that seemed to speak to Frank on some primordial level. Like calls to like. The old proverb rang out in his mind. At the moment he couldn¡¯t remember what green meant, as his mind was filled with panic. History lessons on the different colors and abilities of powers would come later. For now, he needed to move. Flicker. The snake sent out its massive black tongue that also seemed to glow with a long green spine that ran down the center of the violently waving appendage. There was a pause, and then Frank felt more than saw the moment that everything changed. His eyes caught the faintest glistening of coiling muscles, he saw the way the serpent¡¯s body turned slightly, taking on a more direct course for Frank and his escape path. Panicking, Frank turned, and began running away, his feet stomping wildly in the metal container, causing echoes of his steps to bounce around wildly. If the serpent and every other monster that lived in the old ventilation system were not aware of his movements before, then they definitely were now. Thump, thump, thump. His feet banged and echoed around. Crash! Instinctively, Frank automatically knew what the crashing sound was. That was the sound of the serpent crashing into the seemingly smaller opening than the snake was wide. Rumble. What Frank had not been prepared for was the sudden jarring burst of energy that shot forward, forcing Frank to fall to the ground. Gathering himself, he got up to his feet, and then looked back to see the serpent. As he did, he saw the face of the serpent covered with dozens of motes of energy, as if they were little prickly briars that would attach themselves to your skin if you went into the unclaimed fields. Or the fields that had long since been abandoned by society. Looking back, he suddenly understood how a path had been cleared from all the motes of energy, as the giant serpent seemed to attract them at an alarming rate. Out of the corner of his yes, he saw that his own body was covered in no less than a dozen or so motes of energy as well. He remembered the way they were attracted to him earlier, but then discarded that train of thought as his instincts to run took over. Rising to his feet, he quickly turned right, running down the first corridor that he found, hoping that the giant serpent was too large for the pipes that even Frank had to semi-crouch down to run through properly. That or he was hoping that he would be able to easily find his way out. Next right. Rumple, rumple. The snake moved violently through the metal vents, and as it moved, it sent shockwaves that shook the entire structure. GROOANNN! The metal supports groaned in only the way that metal could, that long metallic screech that metal was being forced past its optimal range of support and movement. Next right. That was now three straight rights, to where Frank would either cut through, finding the tail of the serpent, hopefully allowing him to double-back. Slither, slither. Yet, as he got close, he saw the giant undulating form of the snake at its largest moving and rippling its way through the metal area. Panic began to grip him, as he realized he made a mistake, having apparently missed the turn off, as he now realized he wanted the second right for the last turn, not the first right. This meant that he both felt the rumbling of the serpent as it drew closer, but he was also close enough to see the glowing green light of the serpent¡¯s eyes and tongue as it came flickering out. The serpent paused, tasting the air for a moment. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Frank saw in the corner a small alcove, maybe big enough for him to set foot in and hide. Idly he wondered why such a place even existed, then to his confusion saw a metal rod hanging on the wall. His mind instantly understood the purpose of the alcove, as it was a maintenance area. Though he didn¡¯t know what the old tool was for, he was glad to have something, that he could use to defend himself. Thump, thump. He tried to grab the rod from the wall but found that it was fastened tightly to the wall. Vibration. However his efforts to grab the rod did not go unnoticed, as he could feel the serpent coming down the last pathway he had gone. Flicker. A glowing green tongue flicked out shining on the walls and surrounding area. Groan. At that moment, he finally managed to rip the long metal rod clear of the wall. At that point a lot of things happened all at once. First, a tear began to form right where the metal rod had been in contact with the wall. While the rod itself had not touched the wall, the metal coils that were now easily sliding off the rod had been fastened to the walls. When Frank managed to rip the rod away from the walls, he inadvertently created two tears in the wall that began to buckle. While the rod being removed normally wouldn¡¯t have been too much for the older products to bear, the added weight of the giant serpent caused the tears to begin spreading at an alarming rate. Hiss. Simultaneously, the serpent became alive seeing Frank suddenly stumble right in front of it. On instincts more than anything, Frank saw the serpent begin to race forward at him. Moving with reflexes and movements that would have been impossible just days ago, Frank stumbled back, stopping his backwards momentum by landing in the far wall. At which point he, seeing the serpent making a lunge forward where it eyes glowed with a green milky hue as it moved to strike. Frank leaning back, kicked off the wall and jumped over the opening maw of the beast. He also found his upward momentum helped by the fact that he had the pole to press up and off with, using it to help him get his body up and nearly parallel to the top of the ventilation system. Chomp. The serpent, unaware of its location, or maybe not stopping until it chomped down on the item it had wanted, lunged forward and under Frank. Lunging forward and biting into its long undulating body that had cut off Frank¡¯s own escape path. Bucking wildly. At that, Frank felt his arms give out as he dropped onto the head of the serpent. At which point the serpent began violently ripping into its dense scales, with its oversized teeth, and tearing deep gashes in the skin. Gashes that clearly caused the creature to writhe in pain, as vibrant green energy met a deep black energy that glowed to Frank¡¯s enhanced sights. Wham, bam, thump. Unfortunately, Frank didn¡¯t have much time to react or notice everything as the snake¡¯s bucking caused two things to happen simultaneously. First Frank was forcefully thrashed against the top of the shaft, and the second thing was that the already groaning metal of the ventilation shaft cracked open and began to tear and rip itself apart under the relentless thrashing. The tear began first in the wall rift that had appeared where Frank removed the metal pole. This caused Frank to roll right, over the head of the monster that was just now realizing that it had bit itself and that the container it was crawling around in was now being torn apart. Looking around, Frank saw that the small enclave was lit up like a holiday festival tree at the center of town. That gave Frank more than enough light to see the still protruding pole from the ground and reach over to grab it as quickly as possible. The serpent trying to back up, found that its body was stuck, realizing that it couldn¡¯t move backwards due to it spiraling inward on itself. If given enough time Frank was certain that he might be able to make his way out of here, crawling along the back and undulating muscles of the beast. Another thought also filled his mind, in that the serpent if given enough time might also be able to work his way free of this situation as well. Unfortunately, neither of them had enough time to react to the predicament that they now found themselves in, as the tear that began to spread throughout the ventilation shaft ripped quickly. Frank held onto the long metal pole, hoping to use it as a brace to block his descent, while the serpent¡¯s head was the first part to begin to slide gracelessly out of the ever widening shaft. THUMP! Frank fell, before he even realized what was happening. Fortunately, he had a death grip on the metal pole that had served as his only form of a weapon in this whole ordeal. Now the long thin metal pole served as the only component that kept him from falling to his death. Frank watched, his body swinging from the metal pole as the snake slowly slide further and further down the opened slot and towards the bottom that seemed so far away. At this moment, Frank realized the problem with having a vision based Talent, and that was the fact that he could see an exceptionally long way away. He saw the way the long serpent that had been glowing with power slowly descended and vanished a few hundred feet away from view. More frightening was the way that the serpent seemed to just disappear into nothingness. In his mind, Frank knew that there was a limit to his ability, that after the point where his powers would no longer work, all he would see was darkness. Yet, that did nothing to assuage the fear that now began to build within him. Fear that, he slowly began to let go as more and more of the long serpent began to flow past him, until finally the serpent went at a critical speed. Frank watched as the body of the serpent slowly began to shrink, going from the size of a doorway, to that of a window, then finally to the size of his body in prone form, then he noticed the snake¡¯s tail whipping about violently, desperately searching for purchase on anything. Thwack! That was when the tail lashed out, catching Frank, forcing the wind to be expelled from his lungs. He could swear that he felt his ribs crack from the impact, then worst of all, he felt his body slide sideways. One second he was dangling on the metal bar with his entire body dangling wildly. Then the next, he desperately clung to the bar, his only chance at surviving this ordeal. Then he missed the moment when the bar either turned just enough, or the broken metal gave way just enough to let the bar through. In either case, the result was the same, Frank felt his body do a half turn, as his body was momentarily weightless. The near exhausting fatigue he had been feeling in his arms, fatigue that only now made themselves known began to flare up. Frank felt his body turning the green motes of energy he had absorbed earlier getting pulled directly into his body. He could feel his body going about the regeneration process of trying to selfheal through cultivation, when gravity took him and caused hi to fall downward. Whoosh! The air howled into his ears as he began to feel his body fall. His body felt colder, the faster he began to descend. Then he noticed it, glowing motes of energy began to appear far in the distance. Seeing the golden lights randomly appearing through the darkness, his mind was reminded of old stories about people who used to live their entire lives on the surface. There he remembered past stories where people looked up to the stars, which appeared to be like bright shining lights that twinkled in the darkness of night. What night was, Frank didn¡¯t know, as that was still a concept he had a hard time understanding. Just as he had a hard time understanding what the sun was. These were the lights on the distant walls that slowly seemed to grow and increase with regularity. While there were plenty of dark patches in between, the rate of energy slowly began to increase. In his mind, Frank took this as a sign that he was getting closer to the inevitable bottom. Looking down at the glowing lights, Frank felt two things. First, Frank felt alive. He knew adrenaline was pumping through his body. He knew his body was releasing endorphins and other cultivation chemicals that made the thrill and exhilaration of being near death worthwhile. He felt all of these emotions and more. Then the second thing he felt was the inevitability of death. ¡°Immortality is a myth.¡± Frank muttered to himself, as he began falling faster and faster towards his death. With that realization in his mind, Frank couldn¡¯t help but let a smile come to his lips. He going to die, of that he was certain. There was no way he could fall from such a great height without taking sever internal injuries. Even with his body already working with the healing energy that he had amassed throughout the day, his body was still weak, still recovering. Yet, rather than feeling dread, Frank felt alive. Thud. The snake crashed below him, at least that is what Frank attributed as creating such a loud sound. Realizing that the snake had been falling a lot longer than he had, he felt fairly confident that his crash and subsequent death would follow shortly. Realizing he had nothing else to lose, he gave in to the sensation, to the overwhelming fear, to the overwhelming adrenaline that told him that he was nearing death and how his mind was doing everything within its power to slow down the perception of time, in order to give him a chance at surviving. Yet, rather than giving into fear, Frank took it a different way. ¡°AHHHOOOOO-IIIIEEEE!¡± He cried out, embracing his last moments at life. The further he fell, the more lights he began to see. He could also hear the echoing of his cry of defiance at death bouncing around the caves below and echoing back up to him. Hearing his own cry, he let a smile fill his lips as he let out yet another cry of freedom. ¡°AHHHAHHHHAA!¡± Once again, his voice echoed, but this time, there was an extra sound. Hissss. There just below the rumbling of his cry, he heard it, a sound that caused his heart to beat in panic. Then he saw it, movement. A bright green blur was making its way through the dark fog that seemed to permeate the edge of his sight. Seeing the new source of energy, Frank didn¡¯t quite know what was happening. In his mind he had many different thoughts, everything from a giant pool of water covered in algae, to many different thoughts. Grip. At this point, Frank remembered the rod, a rod that had been seemingly welded into his hand by a mixture of fear, adrenaline, and forgetfulness that it was there at all. That is when his body moved on its own, first he grabbed the pole with both hands, then angled the tip downward. Downward at the quickly rising mass of glowing green and black energy. Time was slowed, or maybe time never sped up after the initial release of endorphins. In either case, Frank saw his death, somehow the giant serpent had survived falling from this great height. Not only that, but the serpent was now rising up, mouth opened wide as it attempted to swallow Frank whole. Grinning maniacally at how absurd the whole situation he now found himself in was, Frank could only smile widely as he waited for the inevitability of what would come next. Being this close to death, Frank let out a deafening scream as he saw his whole miserable life flash by. His saw his friendship with Luther, then Luther¡¯s betrayal when his parents taught him the importance of status. He remembered being friends with Luther¡¯s little sister, Maddie, how he always had a crush on her, even though she was younger. He saw a lifetime of regrets flash by, everything from only gaining two cultivation levels, to needing to sign up for a dead end job that would likely lead to his death. Then his mind went back to Maddie, and he made a promise that if this ended, and he somehow made his way back, that he would try his luck with Maddie. A smile crested his lips as he realized how much Luther would despise him making a move on his little sister, which only seemed to further reinforce how right the idea was. With that in mind, of sticking it to Luther, Frank knuckled down and prepared to defend himself. Frank wanted to scream out something both amazing and fierce, something he would be proud to tell his kids of, but all that came out was a deep guttural scream of defiance. ¡°GHAHHHHH!¡± And then the rest, as they say was history. Or at least this is where Frank¡¯s story truly began. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 ¡°GHAHHHHH!¡± Frank screamed wildly. At the sound of his voice, the giant moving snake tilted its open maw back slightly, as if it was able to more accurately predict the landing path that Frank would take. To his shock, the snake appeared to do just that, as he could see a giant glowing vortex suddenly open. Black energy and green glowed in abundance around him. Or around where he would eventually land. Anywhere that Frank looked was covered by an ever-widening sea of glowing energy. Energy that was clearly part of the giant serpent¡¯s body. Realizing this was it, the moment of his death, he decided to make sure the snake paid dearly for this last attack. The snake clearly saw Frank as nothing more than a cheap snack, one that would be swallowed and eaten in one gulp, then forgotten. Nothing more than a tiny mouse that was about to be swallowed up by an enormous snake. Resolute in the fact that he at least wanted to kill his killer, or make it so his killer would ultimately regret the day it crossed his path, Frank reacted. Down below he could see glowing patterns of energy, but there was one dense pattern of overlapping energies to Frank¡¯s left. He didn¡¯t know why, he was drawn to that particular location. Maybe it was the way the dark black motes of corrupting energy were directly over the dense green energy that Frank¡¯s body desperately craved. In his mind, he remembered the melting flesh he saw of the serpent. The way even a bite from its own mouth caused black wounds and flesh to melt away almost instantly. In his mind he sort of knew that this section was death. That if he was to strike there, then he would likely die quickly, or at least quicker than he expected. Right now, he was going at terminal velocity, while Frank didn¡¯t understand the concept of terminal velocity, he did understand that falling from that height and landing at this speed was the equivalent of a death sentence. In his mind, he remembered how a few kids who thought themselves to be burglars fell from two fourth story windows and were completely smooshed into the pavement below them. His mind called him to pull back, to sink into himself, to try to brace for impact, that if he tried hard enough, he would survive. Frank heard those instincts and dismissed them immediately. At this moment, only anger and adrenaline poured through his body. That was why, rather than closing in on himself, keeping his arms and legs tight to his torso, Frank spread out. With the giant metal pole in his hands, he spread out, pointing the metal rod in the inevitable direction that he wished to go. Instinctively his legs kicked out, or perhaps were left behind as he tried to cause his body to drift ever so slightly to the left. He wanted to glide closer to the exact center of energy that glowed before his eyes. He wanted to point his staff right at the sweet spot, at the exact point that was free and clear of the black corrosive energy and towards the glowing green energy that no doubt filled the beast with life. Unfortunately, falling at such a speed was tough. The further away from straight down that Frank moved the metal rod, the more the end began to wobble and twist in the air. Still the overall area that he was aiming for was large. Squish! Frank landed, the end of his pole missing just down and to the right of the optimal spot. The impact and weight of his falling hit with such force that the rod landed, felt resistance for a split second, before easily tearing its way through. Frank fell with the metal rod, down until his body was cushioned by a giant black sac. A black sac that burst upon impact, spraying corrosive venom particles out and around. Sizzle. While Frank had missed the largest burst of venom spraying from the ruptured venom sac, he was subjected to splash damage. As the venom bounced around the mouth of the beast, instantly caused minor irritation bubbles where it landed inside the beast¡¯s mouth, then what was left washed over onto Frank¡¯s skin doing much the same if not more. Burning. Frank¡¯s skin was on fire. He could see the corrosive black energy of the venom burning away at his skin. There was a slight difference between the reaction from the snake¡¯s mouth that now held Frank, and his own skin. While the venom was at most a mild irritant to the serpent, causing blisters to form and expand. To Frank, what he felt were intense bursts of magma erupting on his skin, corroding the skin away and then burning away his blood, until finally green particles of energy that Frank had spent most of the day cultivating came in contact with the black motes of venom energy. At that, Frank realized why the serpent was so green to his senses, as it was the way his mind interpreted resistance, or maybe health? Regardless, Frank saw a flood of green energy pouring in from the one hole he had created. If he stuck his hand towards the hole, he could feel a deep connection to the glowing green energy. He felt the corrosive venom first burn his hand down to the bone. Then he felt the instant cooling effect of green energy being drawn in directly to his exposed hand. Panting. Frank desperately clung to not just the remaining haft of the metal pole, but also at the opening that offered a partial release to the corrosive pain he had been feeling. Frank was so lost in the pain of having his own skin get burnt away, that he failed to notice the way the serpent that had been rising up to snap him out of the air, began falling almost immediately after his impact with the giant serpent. He didn¡¯t even realize the way the softer muscles of the snake¡¯s mouth impacted his body, and prevented the worst damages to come from his landing. He only noticed a slight splash of black and green motes of energy as the snake collapsed to the ground. What happened next was what Frank would eventually call the worst time of his life. Frank clung desperately to the edge of life and death. Black venom juices sprayed, pooled, or dripped onto Frank¡¯s body. Each droplet was enough to fully corrode his skin, burn away the nerve endings, and leave him in a state of near paralysis that had him wishing for death. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. It could have been easy, at this moment, all Frank had to do was to stop. To remove his hand, to give up, to let the pain and paralysis take him and it would be over. No one would know he died, more than likely no one would care. He had a brother, but the brother had his own chance of escaping the slums. Yet, Frank¡¯s body wouldn¡¯t let him quit. As his body would always be there, puling in just enough green energy from the slain monster to heal his wounds long enough for him to take one long pain filled breath. His ribs were broken, though if that was from the snake¡¯s tail whip as it fell to the ground, or from his near belly flop onto the snake¡¯s venom glands, or a combination of both, Frank didn¡¯t know. All that Frank new at this moment was that pain was his only constant. Sizzle. Frank had so much venom fall onto his hair and head that he knew for a fact he was bald, with only a few strands of hair remaining at odd intervals. His clothes were mostly melted, with only a few strips that had somehow avoided the worst of the splashes and drops. This meant that Frank, if he in fact survived this somehow, would have to climb his way out of the abandoned subterranean levels naked. Or maybe if he was lucky, he could create some clothing from monsters that he would eventually be able to slay. Wriggle, wriggle. Frank felt the serpent¡¯s massive body flopping and flailing about. Somehow he knew that the end of the metal rod that he was holding onto had somehow embedded itself into the ground. With this, the serpent¡¯s body began twisting and turning in erratic patterns trying to apparently wiggle its way free of the stone. The entire time, Frank was in this state of near death, two things happened. The first was that Frank never gave up his death grip on the metal pole that had been his lifeline all this time. Not that his grip on the rod did anything, other than make it so Frank avoided sliding deeper down into the gullet of the snake. The second thing that happened was that Frank¡¯s body never stopped cycling in the cooling green energy into his body. Honestly, Frank didn¡¯t know where the green energy came from, and at this point he really didn¡¯t care. All he knew was that if his body stopped cycling in green energy that he would die, and by now he was too far along to be granted the quick death that had been offered earlier. He knew that if he stopped now, it would be a long slow and painful process that made it so he would eventually die of either exposure before the wounds he suffered consumed him. Frank felt his consciousness fading, as his body began moving and cultivating on its own. After a point the pain eventually gave way to numbness, and then he felt nothing. His body no longer hurt, the venom he was exposed to no longer burned or blistered his skin upon contact. Frank even felt the stream of green energy filling his body filling up his core and cycling around. The sensations finally got to the point where Frank could cultivate to the next level. Of course, this meant that he had to find a quiet and secluded place that wouldn¡¯t move on him. To his surprise, the place he now found himself in was just such a place. For the serpent that he was in was still. In fact, it was only after a few seconds of observation that Frank realized that the green energy of the serpent had changed in coloring. It was still a vibrant shade of green, but no longer as green as it had shown when he first saw it. Did the snake fall asleep? Frank asked himself as he decided to take advantage of the moment he had. In his mind, he found the perfect layout of his body, and then began cycling the green energy through his body in the one perfect path. As the energy moved through his meridians, Frank felt a strange cooling sensation grip him, as he felt the energy enter into not just his body, but also his mind. This time, it felt as if the energy could also help cleanse his thoughts, helping him to think faster and comprehend things just that much better. This time as always, he focused on increasing the size of his core, but there was almost something more to it, as this time he had done everything correctly. He wasn¡¯t quite certain how he had done everything correctly, but this was the case, as he felt truly alive. As he opened his eyes, he felt that there was still a bit more energy left from the giant beast. There wasn¡¯t enough for him to fully condense another layer, but there was enough energy for him to once again improve his eyes, his body¡¯s ability to heal, and his body¡¯s ability to resist toxins. Once he was done absorbing all of the green energy, his eyes still saw the glowing and dwindling motes of black energy. For a long moment Frank thought about absorbing the black energy. In his mind, he knew it was an extra added effect that had been given to the serpent, or maybe the serpent had been able to cultivate the venom over years into the potent blend it now had. Frank thought about it, but then ultimately decided against it, realizing that the green energy he had been using to heal his body was gone. This meant that if he somehow messed up while using the black energy, he would once again suffer from the internal burning that he felt not too long ago. Pausing, Frank wondered exactly how long ago it had been since he passed out from his exertion at avoiding Luther and his devastating voice attacks. Then another thought hit him of whether anyone knew he was missing? Or worse, if they knew where he was now? Was there any way out of here? So many questions filled his mind that all he could do was take a deep breath in and try to calm himself. Unfortunately, this time when he took a deep breath, his lungs were able to differentiate the smells around him. He smelled the scent of corroded blood, venom, and stagnant air that had somehow snuck its way in. Looking around, Frank saw the snake¡¯s mouth open wide up ahead. Looking around, he found that the reason why the snake¡¯s mouth was now opened wide was due to it being unable to close due to the metal rod that stuck from the floor, all the way up and acted as a makeshift tent pole for the serpent¡¯s mouth. Standing up, Frank found that he could only rise up, if he was crouched over. As he moved, his bare feet seemed to slip and slide along the rubbery remains of the snake¡¯s mouth. Splash. His feet stepped in pools of blood and corrosive venom. To his surprise, all he felt was a slight tingling sensation, as his body seemed to resist the pull of the corrosive blood. With a quick tug, he tried to pull the metal rod free, but found that it was wedged deeply, bot below and above. Even if he wanted to, he was not strong enough to bend or even break the metal rod. Realizing that he would be defenseless wherever he was, Frank paused and then slowly gathered himself as he made his way forward. Trembling. Frank made his way forward, his muscles and body seeming to resist his thoughts for a moment, then he gradually felt his body begin to follow his instructions. He got to the opening of the snake, and pausing, not wanting to be chomped in half waited. Nothing. He paused, wondering if the snake was asleep, or dead? If it was dead, then how? He felt that the fall and the metal rod might both have combined to kill the snake, but he wasn¡¯t quite certain how exactly it could have happened. Punch. Frank reached up, and punched the upper set of teeth. Well the set of teeth that were above his head. As he looked, a confused expression filled his face, as he realized that the longer teeth were on the bottom, while the smaller set of teeth were on the top. This confused Frank for a moment, as he remembered that Snakes had their longer piercing fangs on the top of their mouth, while that did not seem to be the case with this serpent. Still the entire thing had been confusing for Frank, and he still felt tired, sore, and disoriented from everything that happened. Shakily he half stumbled, half crawled his way out and through the sharp rows of teeth that threatened to rip his skin from his exposed flesh if he so much as breathed wrong. Getting out from the massive jaws of the creature, Frank felt his body inadvertently take in deep cleansing breaths. Each breath he took felt amazing, as he didn¡¯t even realize just how many toxins his lungs were being forced to filter out from the stagnant air in the serpent¡¯s mouth, until now. With each breath, he felt the slow trembling of his body give away to more stability and strength. Then after a moment or two, the strength and trembling that had been alleviated by finally being able to breathe properly was slowly exchanged for shivering due to a sudden onset of cold, as various fluids that covered his body were suddenly exposed to the cold and the elements, causing the heat of his body to be sucked out and pulled into the fluids. Shiver. Regardless of the cold that he now felt all over, Frank paused to turn back and see the state of the giant serpent. A serpent that he had thought to be impossible to defeat moments ago. Turning around, Frank saw the beast, a large dim green eye staring out into space, its head and brain pierced by a giant metal rod that had pierced into the ground. Looking at what happened, Frank took a moment to try to reconstruct what he was now seeing to what he remembered happening. As far as he could tell, the beast fell, taking damage on the rocks. Then apparently raised up, once it heard Frank crying out in exhilaration. At which point Frank somehow managed to strike the beast through its skull using the full force of his falling momentum to help pierce the beast¡¯s skull. Then gravity did the rest. There was of course the one concern Frank now had, something that caused him to be suddenly afraid of how vulnerable the slums were to attacks from monster. Namely, looking at the beast, and after feeling its abundance of energy, it was clear that this creature had the scourge in its body. Such a monster, if it had somehow managed to follow Frank¡¯s trail through the old ventilation systems to the slums would have been able to wreak havoc on everyone living in the slums. With that revelation, Frank wondered how this creature got so low below the surface of the Earth, as the scourge should not be able to survive down here. At least, that is what the textbooks told him. But if that was the case, then how could anyone explain this creature? Or better still, where exactly was he now? Looking around, Frank was thankful that his newly enhanced vision talent allowed him to see clearly in the underground tunnels. That or nearly clearly, as there were still a few dark shadows further away, but for the most part everything had a dark purple hue of twilight to it, making shapes and contours of the lands easy to spot and identify. Frank looked around to see that off in the distance were many walls that were covered in different motes of energy. Looking up, all he saw was a deep darkness of empty space overhead, with only a few speckles of energy that showed the lining of walls. Breathing out, Frank realized that he was well and truly stuck. He could try to climb his way out, but without proper equipment and strength, such a feat would likely lead to his death. For the moment, Frank was alone in a vast open cavern that sat deep below the surface of the Earth. At first, he was okay with this, as he had food in that he was fairly certain he could eat the snake. His most recent adaptations made it so he was fairly certain he could survive even if eating the snake. ¡°At least it can¡¯t get much worse,¡± Frank thought to himself. Only to have his thoughts disrupted by the sudden arrival of more guests. Squeak, squeak. Not one, but multiple creatures could be heard descending from the caverns, their tiny footsteps somehow echoing in the vast open space of the tunnel Frank found himself in. With that, Frank saw first one small green blob appear far off in the distance, followed closely by more. Suddenly Frank chastised himself for thinking things were done, and that fate was through ruining his life. Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Having gone through multiple survival scenarios in his classes, Frank felt his body reacting before he truly thought out what he would do next. In his mind he went through the checklist of items needed to survive. First find a safe place, preferably a choke point with only one way to enter or exit. Ideally this would be similar to the alleyway he lured both Scottie and Aaron down. The next best spot for survival was of course the Snake¡¯s mouth that he just exited, which is where he found himself going back towards. There were multiple reasons for heading back into the snakes mouth. First the snake was dead, something that the glowing rodents clearly weren¡¯t. Second, the mouth of the snake was being held open via the metal rod, if only for the moment. The third reason didn¡¯t come to Frank, until he began looking around for tools or weapons. The obvious tool to use, the giant metal rod was currently being used to ensure that he wasn¡¯t swallowed up inside the mouth of the beast. Or that he didn¡¯t have as hard of a time getting past the rows of long serrated teeth. That of course, was where he found the weapons he would use, or at least where he got the idea for weapons. Namely the large venomous fangs of the snake. Fangs that up until moments ago had been meant to inflict death to him now were what Frank was hoping would be tools he could use to get his freedom. Stepping back into the snake¡¯s mouth also produced a fourth benefit and that was that the cold moist air of the underground was no longer ripping away the heat he was desperately trying to produce. While there were still pockets of pooled snake saliva and venom he now knew how to avoid those spots to help keep him as dry as possible. Well as dry as he could get, while pretending to be a terrible veterinary dentist. Bracing himself against the metal rod, Frank kicked out with his feet and first pressed one large fang down, then the other. The snake, due to how it had died, impaled to the ground with the top of the head against the ground, meant that the larger fangs used for piercing were also on the bottom row, which meant they should be easier to rip out. Should being the operative word as Frank felt both the metal rod and the impaled skin of the snake give way more than once as he pushed the fangs free. Fortunately, he had been able to work both fangs away fairly easily, particularly with him starting with his feet at the top of the fang, then using the bar for balance, effectively walked his way down the fang that would eventually be able to be wiggled free. With the two larger fangs removed, Frank gave a few sharp kicks at the other smaller fangs, realizing that having smaller knife sized fangs might help out in the future. With that he quickly poked his head out of his make shift safe spot and checked to see what the rodents were doing. To his surprise, they were all back, in a giant circle that surrounded the great serpent, but not coming anywhere near it. Why wouldn¡¯t they come? There is plenty of food here? Frank found himself wondering what exactly the rodents were doing, and why they seemed to all be quivering nervously in the distance. Only after a second or two of thinking did the reason make sense. To Frank, the beast he was in was dead, no deader than dead as it not only was not producing energy, but all of the energy within its body was also drained away. But the rodents likely didn¡¯t have his trait of Energy Sight, which allowed him to see the energy used for cultivation. Meaning the rodents couldn¡¯t tell that the snake was dead just by looking at it. Furthermore, Frank realized that his movement inside the mouth of the great serpent also probably raised some alarm bells for the rodents. Pausing for a moment he thought about this, about how futile it would be to fight his way through so many rodents. Pausing for a moment, he debated with himself and then decided he would first try to leave here. With that he made up his mind, taking off what remained of his now soiled shirt, Frank took it off, wrapped the smaller fang fragments into the linen fabric, then strapped the shirt over his shoulder in a bandoleer fashion. Then realizing that the rodents were afraid of the serpent, Frank thought for a moment but then decided that he would likely have an easier time leaving here if he was covered in the scent of the serpent. Pausing as he didn¡¯t want to be wet again, nor covered in the creature¡¯s venom, venom that was no longer potent to his body that had developed an immunity, he paused. Then with reluctance dove into the remaining pool of blood, venom, and snake saliva. He rolled feeling the cold wet cloths of his pants cling to his legs, and thighs. He rolled feeling the venom tingle slightly against his skin before going away. He even felt the tingle on his head that was still clean of all hair particles somehow, save for a few patches of regular sized strands that jutted out here and there. Pausing for a moment, Frank took a deep breath, then slowly crawling his way out from the snake¡¯s mouth, he paused only once he was out and able to stand fully. Once out, he quickly checked his shirt to make sure it was still rolled up and secured. Then reaching down he grabbed the two large snake teeth that were as long as his legs, and almost too thick to wrap his hand around fully. In his mind he had visions of grinding down a portion of the teeth that could be used as a handle. Of course, that would require time and a chance to move without fear of being swallowed by a horde of monsters. Chills. Once again, the moment he left the safety of the snake¡¯s mouth he felt an instant chill cover his body. Yet, this time he was prepared for the sensation, prepared and worried about other things rather than just being cold. Scatter. As he exited the mouth, Frank saw the way the rodents instinctively took a step back. Nodding to himself, Frank took this as a good sign, that he was in fact correct that the rodents were afraid of the giant snake, even in death. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. With that, Frank began walking his way down the snake and from the hill. Chitter. The moment he got closer to the rodents they began to send out high pitched cries to each other. Hearing this Frank could only nod in understanding, as they were underground creatures. Despite having eyes that glowed with green energy, the eyes appeared to have been mostly replaced in functionality by hearing and other senses. As he approached, the rodents instinctively opened up a path before him. While he moved, he could almost feel them sniffing him, smelling the venom that covered his body. He held his two fangs up high, ready to lash out and strike at any rodent that got too close or felt too frisky. While he didn¡¯t want to strike out at the creatures, he would if he needed to. As it was, Frank just made his way through the slitting horde of creatures and made his way to the far tunnel, the one where the rodents first began to appear from. This was dangerous as the rodents might get protective of their homes if he got too near. But knowing the rodents, he remembered hearing horror stories about them, how they would often overrun the trash facilities once a year or so. Seeing the size of their current horde, Frank realized that these guys would likely surge again here shortly. Movement. A larger rat towards the back moved, causing Frank to lash out with his fang. Death squeak! The mutant rodent let out a high shrill death rattle as its body was pierced by the giant fang and then held in place against the ground. Squirm, scamper. ¡°Rhee! Rahee!¡± The rodent desperately tried to wiggle its way free, crying out in panic as it did. Frank could feel the collective front of rodents rising, the hairs on their backs standing on end, trying to make them all appear larger and more menacing. Stomp. Frank quickly snapped the heel of his foot down on the rodent, cracking its skull and permanently ending its cries for help. Then using his foot for leverage, Frank pulled up the fang through the rodent¡¯s body and was about to leave. That was until he felt a trickle of warm energy flow through the beast¡¯s body, through his foot, and into his body. Instantly some of the cold that had taken hold of his body suddenly dissipated, as he felt his body come to life with the effects of cultivating. Fear. Seeing him, or maybe smelling him act, the rodents that had taken a half step closer to help suddenly took two steps back. While Frank knew that he could likely take down a few more rodents, and likely would need to in order to get through his next bottleneck of cultivation, he decided to be prudent with his actions. Using the space gained as a chance to retreat, or as his former instructor would say, not retreating, rather he was advancing in an alternate direction. Frank continued walking slowly forward, each step slow and measured. While he felt fear in his heart, he would not dare show any fear at the moment, least of all to these creatures that were already forming a clear and unified line of attack behind him. Movement back left. Frank felt and heard the vibrations of one of the beast¡¯s charging forward from the line. Turning swiftly, Frank not only charged forward to meet the creature, but ended up half impaling, half stabbing the creature through its open mouth. This time there were no death cries, no whimpers for help. This time the long fang pierced right through the rodent¡¯s head, through its brain and out the other side. Within an instant Frank once again reacted, kicking the dead and impaled rodent off of his fang and onto the ground. Clearing his weapon for defense and making it so he could take out at least two more rodents before he was surrounded. Once again, he felt another surge of energy flow into his body through making direct contact with the dead creature. Being this close to the exit, Frank almost wished the rodents would come towards him, almost. He knew that if they came all at once they would be able to drown him in attacks. He had been fortunate enough that so far only two had been brave enough to break ranks. Though he could tell that the last one had only meant to cause Frank to cower, as at the very end it paused, and was about to stop its momentum. Had Frank not charged back by reflex, the rodent would have been outside his attack range. They are testing me, and my strike range. Frank thought, as he realized they likely saw him as a smaller version of the dead snake. A snake that they had been bred to be wary of through generations. A snake that could lash out and strike down opponents at will. This time Frank once again turned his back on the enemy, but did so knowing that this made the monsters more aggressive, knowing that aggressive monsters made mistakes. He had little to fear from a singular rodent, with his new found strength and bonuses he almost felt that five at once would not be too much. Which was why he made his way away, only turning around and striking out the random rodent that lost pace with its fellow horde members. Only when one rodent got too excited and found itself lunging forward ahead of the others. Those were the ones that Frank waited for, waited, turned, spun and attacked at. Lunging strike. The rodents were slow. They appeared fast due to how many there were, but individually they were slow, which was why Frank would wait for one to stand out, to make itself a target. That was when he would turn around and strike. Impaling, kicking, and then repeating. That was the pattern. To his horror, the rodents seemed to not only be okay with the death of one of their kind, but a few of the smaller more emaciated rodents would often turn on the dead and slain rodents. This was good as it meant that Frank had a clear path out, a clear line of retreat. So far things had been going well. Though he did notice that the creatures clearly became more agitated, the closer he got to their caverns. Realizing this, he had to make a decision, either he could go to the caverns still, try to climb his way out, or search for a different path out. For a moment he thought about climbing, only to remember that the rodents were also known for their climbing skills. That left finding a different path, but the only problem was that he wasn¡¯t certain that he would first be able to find another path to the surface, or that if he did find another path up that the path was not filled with monsters that were easier to deal with than these rodents. In his mind, he could only imagine trying to fight one of the giant snakes again, this time without the aid of having it half dead from falling and the aid of gravity to help pierce its brain. No the rodent cavern was the only way out, and he was almost certain that these rodents had tunnels everywhere down here, and that one of those tunnels would lead up to civilization. With that in mind, Frank decided to continue his trek to the caverns. Chitter. The moment he crossed the threshold of their home, the rodents collectively seemed to lose their minds all at once. Frank felt the rage and collective panic of the creatures as they squeaked out suddenly trying to cut off Frank from making his way further into their lair. For a moment Frank thought about running, but then realized the monsters would be on him in moments. Instead, he took a few more steps in, and then began stabbing, piercing, and slashing at each and every creature that came at him. Pain. He felt pain as a rodent that had gotten past his stab lunged out and bit his leg. Fortunately, by now the green energy within Frank¡¯s body began to swirl as he felt both blood and healing properties taking effect at once. Stab. Frank stabbed the creature, thought he felt that there might have been a bit much as the creature already seemed to be foaming at the mouth as black energy swirled in its jaws. Remembering that he was covered in snake poison, Frank felt a little bit better knowing that with each bite out of him, he would effectively be killing the rodents on the spot. Still that did little to dwell the sharp stabbing pain that rodent teeth and claws had on his skin. Stab, slash, pierce, kick out, step back. Frank would stab or impale one or two rodents, then using his kick to both clear the body from his over large snake-fang weapons, he would move backwards, trying to constantly open up more and more space between him and the seemingly never-ending horde of monsters. Realizing that this wasn¡¯t going to work, Frank desperately searched his mind for a plan. He was being swarmed, and regardless of how much stronger he was, he was going to break down and eventually get tired. Even now he could already feel the effects of so much strain on his body, though most of that was able to be mitigated thanks to the surge of energy coursing through his body. He knew he was close to his limits, which meant he would be close to making a mistake that he wouldn¡¯t be able to account for, or overcome. That was when Frank decided to take a quick look around behind him, before surging back to stab at and impale rodent after rodent. As he moved, he could feel the effects of massive surges of energy coursing through his body. With this he had to be careful, as this was often referred to as the berserker¡¯s frenzy, the last step between battling for survival and battling with one¡¯s own sanity. Still the more he moved, the more he could feel the surge and swell of power entering his body, melding with his muscles and then being used to help repair cuts and scrapes that he would invariably suffer from the horde of monsters. Only by focusing on his internal energy usage did Frank even realize that he was slowly taking damage. His body was numb, his whole body felt like it was far removed and hard to get to work as needed. The more he moved, the more he realized just how hard each additional step, strike, and movement was becoming. Realizing all of these things, Frank decided to turn finally make his move. With one last push forward, pushing a wall of rodents away, by forcing two impaled and slowly dying rodents to cry out in pain, Frank threw the rodents forward, then turned to make his escape. That of course was when he realized he made what was quite possibly his greatest mistake so far. Chapter 9 Chapter 9 Burning, tearing, ripping. Everything burned as Frank seemingly for the first time in forever began running and sprinting as fast as he could. Honestly, his speed and movements almost frightened him, as he was clearly on a different level of movement compared to what he was previously. His body and mind moved so much faster, took in so many more impulses, covered more ground, but yet it wasn¡¯t enough. Chitter, chitter. The relentless pursuit of the rodents behind him cried out in unison. As they did, Frank could almost feel them encouraging each other, giving directions on the pathways that he was taking. As he ran, Frank realized really quickly that he had no actual clue where he was going, nor how to get where he wanted to go. Up. That was the most obvious answer, and direction that Frank knew to go, but where and how? There were so many different pathways down underground. Some had stairs, actual stairs, though Frank didn¡¯t realize it right away as for the most part the actual stairs had been covered by layers of debris that made the paths more of a smooth incline rather than the actual rigidness of steps. Only the occasional sharp point sticking out gave any indication that Frank might actually be running up stairs. Honestly, he found that the smooth and compacted dirt incline was slightly easier on his legs. At least that is what he told himself as he continued to climb upwards. There were main paths that had all the markings of old hallways and doorframes. Then there were multiple offshoots as the rats took the original man made hallways and eventually carved out new holes and paths. Seeing these paths, Frank realized that for now his only path of escape was to follow the seemingly few opened human pathways that had long ago been discarded. As he ran, he imagined this entire area once being part of a huge industrial complex that was run by hundreds of people. Grumble. As he ran, he felt his stomach come to life, all but demanding food. This also came at around the same time that his mouth suddenly began feeling parched from constantly running. Part of him wanted to stop to look in the seemingly abandoned infrastructure for any signs of food or water. Yet, he knew two things would happen if that occurred. First, he would likely find only rodent droppings and rodent fecal matter everywhere, as these same rodents who seemed to call this place their home had likely done just that countless times. And given the way they didn¡¯t seem opposed to chewing their way through walls and support structures, any idea of finding hidden rooms was a pipe dream at best. This then led Frank to his second major thought on the matter, that if he stopped now, he would soon be caught up by the surging swarm of rodents. While he figured they were giving him space enough to vacate their premise, he knew for a fact that he was likely on borrowed time. In fact, part of him had the overwhelming fear of being ambushed at a vital point ahead. Given the twisting nature of the area he was in, and the way the rodents all seemed to be able to move and scamper about around him, he was almost certain that no less than a dozen rodents had done just that and were now waiting for him. These and other colorful dreams filled his mind. Thump, thump, thump. As he ran, he felt the twisted remains of his shirt bounce off against his ribs. That was something that he was happy had survived this ordeal, if barely. More than a few times he felt a rat grab, slash or claw at the remains of his shirt, but somehow it managed to survive, despite the obvious problems. Panting. He was close to a breakthrough. Frank didn¡¯t know what level of cultivation he was at, as he honestly lost track somewhere along the way. He had been at level three of the body cultivation layer before he fell with the serpent and was almost positive that he had at least one more advancement inside the serpent. This meant that Frank was nearing the fifth layer of body development, which should be a breakthrough layer. Pause. Stopping his movement for a moment Frank realized that the fifth layer was an important layer as it was one of the supposed distinction layers. Where if he was able to reach the fifth layer within a certain amount of time he would be considered above average and able to be promoted out of the slums. For the life of him, he didn¡¯t know what that actually meant, as each layer of cultivation so far had made him feel just that much stronger, that much faster, that much more able to survive. It was the last part, along with the fact that everything around him was momentarily silent, and that he had a chance to breakthrough to what had to be the fifth layer, or maybe more, Frank decided to stop and take a moment to rest. His legs burned, his veins felt tight due to the lack of water, his stomach was so deprived of nutrients that he just now realized that the last time he ate was at the breakfast ceremony held by his school for all awakeners. That was yesterday, right? Shaking his head, Frank realized he had no clue how much time had passed. As he had gone to sleep at least twice since leaving the ceremony. The first was when he had to recover from the pain that Luther caused him when he killed his two lackies. Then there was the near constant cycle of pain, cultivation, and burning caused by his killing of the giant serpent. Honestly thinking about it, he might have leveled up at least once, and possibly more while inside the body of the serpent. At the very least, he felt stronger in his ability to use his Trait which was enhanced. Speaking of his Trait, his Energy Sight, he could now see clearly in the dark caverns. How this happened, he didn¡¯t know, nor exactly when this occurred. All he really remembered was being able to see everything once he left the giant serpent¡¯s maw. That was in addition to the other changes he felt occur during his time, as he was fairly certain that he was either immune, or at the very least highly resistant to the venom of that serpent. The fact that he had initially been burned alive and then it caused nothing more than tingles to his body after touching him. That and the fact that every giant rodent that bit him afterwards almost immediately dropped from poisoning was a sign that the poison he lathered himself in was deadly. Even now the burning he felt in his rapidly healing body was only due to the constant strain and exertion he was forcing his body to go through, and not due to the actual pain caused by venom. Finding a darkened corner that seemed to be far enough away from all other openings and exits, Frank moved over to what was clearly a man made corner, as the idea that two semi-smooth walls would just meet at one location was too hard to pass off as anything natural. With that Frank half collapsed, half sat in the corner, then quickly getting his body into a tight lotus position, feet up on his thighs. Then resting his hands on his feet, he began cycling the final time needed to reach a full breakthrough layer. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Finally given direction and focus, the torrent of energy surging within Frank flowed through his meridians once, exiting his feet and then quickly being picked back up by his hands and cycled through again, and again. This might be cheating, or it might be the most efficient way to use energy, Frank didn¡¯t know, all he did know was that he had the purest form of energy flowing through his body. Well, what was the purest form of energy for himself, as he was aware that he, like others, could take in different forms of energy and ultimately use them to improve himself. But this time he had focused on green energy, which seemed to resonate with him, as well as call out to him. The first time he felt this energy, he felt like aloe had been applied to his body, as it felt like he had been burning himself out from the inside. Now that he had seen, felt, and even focused on gathering just green energy Frank felt like he had improved astronomically since the discovery. Even in his ability to evade the underground rodents, normally one was too much for a citizen of the slums, as their speed and strength would often be too much for one to handle. Yet, he had done so easily and with having to face dozens of pestilential monsters. While he knew that he was on the body refinement realm, Frank couldn¡¯t help but think that he had somehow broken through to some deeper realm, as his blood and even his bones felt stronger, though this might just be his own imagination at work. Ever since he entered this place, Frank felt his mind wandering a lot, going from topic to topic in an effort to keep his mind occupied, to make it so he didn¡¯t realize where exactly he was. This was why he now found his mind wondering about cultivation, wondering if he was doing it right? Doing wrong and missing steps? There were so many things that would and likely could go wrong with his constant use of personal growth and development like this. Still, all he could do was get to the fifth layer of body development and get someone to check his progress. But that would be far from now, also he didn¡¯t want to risk that, as that would mean that he would have to leave behind his whole family. While Frank desperately wanted to leave the slums, he only wanted to do so with the support of his family, knowing that they were safe after taking care of him for so long. Most of all, he worried about his brother, about what his brother might be put through if he too was given an F-Ranked Trait and wondered if he would be strong enough to pull himself up and cultivate without need for selling your soul to a used Occultivator salesman. No, it was precisely how hard his life and the life of his family was that he needed to take this opportunity to pull not only himself up, but everyone with him. Filled with a renewed sense of purpose, Frank cultivated. He pushed the green energy into and through his meridians, finding that he needed to push the meridians wider to help him cycle cleanly. The way he managed to do so was by coiling a dense ball of energy and spinning it clockwise throughout his meridians, the more he did this, the more he felt faint grooves beginning to form, helping with the cycling of his energy. The process was slightly painful, but eventually became easier to control and manage. Also, any time he found himself pushing too hard, he noticed that traces of the green energy would flow into the cracks, filling them up and starting the regeneration process almost immediately. With that Frank kept cycling over and over again, until finally the groves formed with a clockwise motion were too large and he almost felt that he had to make the energy jump to reach the tops and bottoms of the canals. Then he started cycling the other way, counter-clockwise, and eroding the giant paths that remained and blocked his path from cycling properly with a counter-clockwise rotation. In his mind Frank didn¡¯t know if this would do anything other than help him be able to pull in and store more ambient energy. Which was what he wanted, as he disliked finding time to sit down and stop like this, as it felt extremely ineffective while trying to truly cultivate. Only once he had worn down a sufficient amount of the remaining tread marks in his meridians did Frank decide to finally stop with his improvements and focus on breaking through the fifth layer of cultivation. With this, he did so just like he had done the previous times, cycling energy around, through his body and then forcefully shattering parts of his core, before breaking it wider and causing the overall size of his core to increase. At least that was what he planned to do. Yet, this time the whole process seemed a little harder than the previous times. At first he wanted to blame it on the larger meridian pathways, but that was not the case. No, in this case, he realized that his core was large, almost too large. The fact that his body didn¡¯t seem fit to give up more space to increase the size of his core also seemed to be a problem. Maybe I reached my physical limit to how big my core can grow? He thought to himself, but realized that at this moment he had one of two options available. Either he could stop his current progress, and seek out the advise of a master as to what was happening, something that was almost impossible given his current location. He also knew that this option likely wouldn¡¯t be possible, even if he wasn¡¯t here as his status as an F-Rank from an F-Rank family meant his status was at the lowest possible. This meant he was left with option two. Either he could wait and try to figure out what was happening on his own, something that likely wouldn¡¯t happen without personal inspiration or insights. Or he could forgo the idea of the ¡°perfect¡± cultivation path of increasing his Power Attribute and just try to give himself enough strength to survive what would come next. After pausing for a long time, a tear came to his eye as he realized he had to give up on perfection. By doing this, he knew he would both ensure that he could make it out of the slums by at least reaching the fifth layer of body development, but he would likely cripple any chance at future advancements. Even as he warred with himself about not truly needing to cultivate perfectly, that he could figure it out on his own if he but tried, he knew the truth. Not everyone would cultivate perfectly, and that even those who did, none would ever reach the realm of Immortality. That had been a pipe dream anyways, wanting to be Immortal. What good is Immortality if all my friends and family die without me, anyways? Resolute in his decision to advance, Frank went for a less than perfect cultivation. Rather than focusing all of his intent on increasing his Power attribute, he let the energy he gathered fill his muscles and joints. In particular, he focused on increasing his speed, the flexibility of his tendons, the strength that they could snap back into place with a blow, or with the need to escape. By the time everything was over he felt strong, not just strong, but light and nimble. He felt that his body was more capable of moving and either missing a deadly strike from a monster or being able to deliver a deadly blow as needed. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but then again neither was Frank, and he was okay with that. Or at least he was now able to come to terms with that fact. He wasn¡¯t strong enough, or fast enough to warrant true attention from masters, he would never advance enough to be afforded the resources and options that Luther and others would have. Most importantly, he would never reach the vaunted heights of immortality, but that was okay. Because Frank now knew that he had something in him that others didn¡¯t. Frank finally began to understand what separated him from the Luthers and other self-appointed elites of the world who were granted blessings from birth that Frank could only dream of. And that was the fact that Frank realized he would be ruthless when he needed to be. That he would be resolute with his want and need to succeed. In his mind, Frank knew that his life would never be easy, that he would always have to work twice as hard got go half the distance that others did, and that was okay. As Frank realized that something at this moment, that he had done the impossible. He had survived a giant rodent surge on his own, after falling an unfathomable height, and slaying a legendary city devouring serpent. He had done the impossible, which in his mind let him realize that he was himself was therefor impossible. And with the impossible, anything, regardless of how improbable, would in fact become possible. Thrum. As he felt this thought, this concept come to life within his mind, Frank realized that his journey of self discovery was just beginning. Yes, he had missed chances to advance perfectly, but that only meant that from now on out, Frank only had to worry about himself, about the way he needed to advance, about the way he saw best for himself. He could feel power coursing through him, as his mind, body, and soul all seemed to come together and formulate the one universal truth. Frank wouldn¡¯t give up, because¡­ There was probably more to it, but every time he pushed his mind beyond the concept of because what came next was irrelevant and only applicable to certain conditions. Deep in the ground, separated from all manner of safety and civilization, surrounded by mutated monsters, that is where Frank found himself, and most importantly that is where he found his true breakthrough. ¡°I won¡¯t give up, and you can¡¯t make me quit.¡± Frank said out loud to himself. In his mind, he directed the statement to multiple people, Luther, the military member who tried to hit him with a fireball, the used Occultivator salesman who wouldn¡¯t even give him the time of day. Everyone and then more came to mind, and then just as they all came to mind, they were each instantly discarded as Frank realized that rather than seeing each person as a barrier as to why he couldn¡¯t advance, he saw them for what they were, goals and benchmarks for what to strive past. The faster he met them and conquered them in both his mind and in terms of accomplishments, the sooner he could move on with his own life. Rising to his feet, Frank felt lighter, and was just about to continue his trek upwards and outwards, when he heard it. Squeak-chitter. The calvary had come, and judging by the response sounds and the sounds of scraping within the walls, there were a lot of them. He could even hear them scurrying through the walls behind him, and coming out on the staircase that led upwards. In a moment, he realized that he was trapped, that the rodents had used his momentary reprieve to not only catch up to him, but circle past and cut off any form of retreat. Before this would have frightened Frank. Yet, now he realized this for what it truly was. Another challenge. The rodents saw him as both food and a threat, while he saw them as a potential food supply. Grumble. Seeing the first large rodent appear, Frank realized that large rodents tasted quite nice when cooked to a proper temperature. Realizing this, and seeing the bright green energy that pulsed and moved within their bodies, Frank realized this too was nothing more than a test of his resolve. Moving his hands to his torn shirt, he pulled out two of the smaller hand sized snake fangs, fangs that were little more than six-inch sticks in his hands, but they were better than nothing. With his preferred weapons ready, Frank could only smile as he realized this was what he wanted, something to test his newfound resolve. That is when he mentally repeated his mantra, right as the first rodent lunched forward, trying to lure Frank out. Too bad for the rodent, Frank had been expecting such a reaction. Strike, splat. A quick downward thrust with the snake fang to the brain and the rodent that had been easy to deal with previously was now even easier to deal with. A quick snap of his wrist the fang was wrenched free, and he was able to wield it again. Standing there, he looked and saw how all the rodents seemed to stare at him with varying degrees of shock. In his mind, he almost remembered the awkward moment when he was first admitted to class, where all the other students looked at him in much the same way, namely thinking that he should not be there. Smiling, Frank felt something in his mind break, as he realized the absurdity of the situation. Then as a joke he decided to recreate that awkward moment, if only for the crowd of oversized rodents. ¡°Hello, my name¡¯s Frank, and I won¡¯t give up, and you can¡¯t make me quit.¡± Then, like that the spell of stillness that had befallen the horde of rats stopped, as they seemed to share some impulse, before they all lunged forward as one. Fortunately, Frank had been expecting this to happen, as he too began to move. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Dancing. In his mind, that was what Frank began equating each motion and movement of battle to. He was dancing, moving his body and limbs to an unheard rhythm. That¡¯s not true actually, as there was a rhythm, the distinguishable and unique rhythm that each rodent he faced off against had. The unique way each and every rodent either sped up or slowed down their approach and attacks against him. Frank found himself speeding up and slowing down slightly with each strike, parry, and kick. Every movement was met by an equal and opposite reaction of the crowd of monsters. Monsters that kept getting closer and threatening to overwhelm him if he stayed still, if he remained trapped in a corner. He long ago lost the last of his smaller fangs, each getting irrevocably lodged into the bodies of enemies. Each providing a final death blow that allowed him to survive for that much longer. Each allowed him to make one additional movement. A movement that he always took, even if that movement was to the exact center of the swarm. His movements often caused the creatures around him to spread out, to show hesitation, hesitation was key as it showed that those monsters were not part of the rhythm and were thus easily dispatched by a lethal strike to the face, or a spinning heel kick to the ribs. Heel kicks that ended up shattering bones and piercing the hearts of the monsters. In time, Frank found his form getting perfected, not going for a full strike as that would leave him open and vulnerable to slashes on the sides. Additionally, he didn¡¯t want to give too weak of a strike as that would only be enough to knock down the attacker for a moment. Instead, Frank found himself focusing on what he mentally referred to as a three-quarters strike. This was good enough to be lethal every time without wasting too much energy and helped keep his arms and feet close to his body so he could block most of the strikes coming in. His pants were shredded, the remainder of the shirt he had used as a make-shift carry pouch was gone, torn to shreds as a giant rat grabbed it, and used it as a foothold to climb up Frank¡¯s back in an attempt to bite at his neck. His response had been quick, as he was moving almost before he realized the danger he was in. A snaking hand shot up, striking at the vulnerable exposed neck of the creature. A neck that was not used to being struck from underneath, letting Frank¡¯s fierce strike drive upwards into the beast¡¯s trachea and spinal cord. That one Frank had used full force on, but it was deemed necessary at the time, as his mind began understanding the troubles posed by the beast the moment he began striking. That was also the first time he threw a rodent corpse as a weapon. Throwing it out and knocking down two more creatures that were using that moment to get close to his exposed left side. While the thrown rodent had provided him a chance to both protect himself and move, he found that the act of throwing corpses was a waste of energy. Which seemed odd considering the fact that Frank now found himself all but surrounded by a steady stream of energy. But there was a problem, despite constantly being surrounded by new sources of energy that his body was forcefully absorbing, he couldn¡¯t do much with it, as converting it to a useable form for his body took time. At least that was what he thought. That said, his body was changing slowly, almost subconsciously the more he fought for life and death. Muscles ripped and teared from constant use, only to be healed by the abundance of green energy that his body had waiting to be used and compressed into the next stage of his development. But there was more, as his hands and feet also began to seem to hold and retain more energy than was required, or possible when he first began. Now he fought and lashed out, and found that not only did the pooled energy help him break bone with his strikes, but he also found that his hands and feet were not breaking down the way one would expect from constantly being bludgeoned against a steady stream of hard objects. These were the things that Frank noticed, and then instantly dismissed as unimportant. Right now, his entire being went towards listening to the cadence of battle, hearing the scratches of a rodent moving to strike from behind, only to be met by a quick spinning heel kick. The foot lands, touching down lightly, so that while he is now facing a hundred and eighty degrees away from where he just was, moves and takes a step forward, and then strikes at a rodent that was too stunned to move. Two down, Frank thought to himself, as he continued fighting through pain, fatigue, and everything else. At first, he found it necessary to impose the face of Luther on each and every rodent. Surprisingly this didn¡¯t take much imagination on his part, at least that was what he told himself. Then after time the faces became too taxing on his mind, particularly with how easy it soon became to kill each rodent with one precise strike. That was when he just imagined each rodent being one of Luther¡¯s cronies. Then when that no longer had the same thing, Frank began associating the rodents¡¯ incessant chittering with each other to be the same sound Luther had while laughing at him, while his body was being broken. This one proved to be the best, as he would often feel a retaliatory claw strike against his leg, or arm. Not deadly, not anymore. Instead, each strike was little more than an annoyance, salt in the wounds of what would happen. Frank would feel his body often either resisting the strikes entirely, or on the off chance that he did bleed, his blood would prove to be poisonous for any creatures that dared lap up his blood. Smiling Frank thought it only served the creatures right, that once he died, they would feast upon his skin and bones and be destroyed from poison. He didn¡¯t know where or how he became poisonous to the rodents, possibly something to do with his time inside the serpent¡¯s mouth, where he constantly felt his flesh and body getting burned away and reforged with the poison energy of the monster. Of course that didn¡¯t stop the creatures from trying to kill him, and by extension themselves in one of the stupidest forms of self-suicide Frank could imagine possible. He should have been scared. By all accounts, Frank should have given in long ago, and likely would have too, had it not been for the fact that he felt he would prove Luther right. ¡°Death by rats, a fitting end to F-Rank trash, like Frank.¡± Those were the mocking words that Frank associated with Luther. Words that made him pull that much deeper from his reserves. Words that made him cycle energy once more. Words that made him take one more breath of defiance and anger. Well anger at first, but it became harder and harder to keep anger as a motivational tool. Over time, he just felt apathy, then he felt his mind and body moving into a steady rhythm, the rhythm that he now found himself in. Despite everything going on around him, it took Frank a while to realize that he felt calm. There was no existential awareness of the fragility of life. Nothing in his mind warned about just how close he was to death, just one missed cycle of energy, on held breath for anticipation, at this point anything that delayed his movements in the slightest was costly and would invariably lead to the moment of his death. The high ground. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Frank found that his body was instinctually moving towards the exit, towards the location that Frank always intended to go, upwards. He found that his fighting eventually led him to the old and smoothed out staircases that provided almost a smooth decline of dirt. Seeing the slope, Frank began fighting his way up. Finding that the rodents that were on the slope had a harder time keeping their balance due to the angle of the staircase. This was good for Frank, as he was able to use his excess energy to seemingly grip the ground, while moving upwards. At least that was what Frank thought, as he skillfully made his way up the winding staircases. Rodents still scurried around, trying to capture Frank from hidden tunnels, but they often lost their balance once entering the old man-made walkways. Dozens? Hundreds? Honestly, Frank didn¡¯t know how many rodents he killed. He knew that the number he had killed were not enough to stop a full-on swarm, but he did find that the energy of the pack seemed to be dying down, particularly with the further up Frank went. In his mind he wondered if he was being herded, guided away by a few final warriors brave enough to force him to flee, sacrificing their own lives for the sake of the pack. That was one thought that came to his mind, as he did notice that now most were more than happy to dart past Frank as they joined the well of creatures that lined the stairs below him. Then finally, after time Frank found that no more monsters stopped him from ascending upwards. Chitter. Looking back, Frank saw a wall of rodents that seemed to be moving up, but all paused and reflexively flinched backwards at his sight. It took Frank a second to realize why, but it was clear after a second of pausing that the creatures that he locked gazes with all cowered and shrank back into the crowd. Witnessing this, Frank began to realize that they might actually be afraid of him. Putting on a united front the same way they might against the giant serpents, going so far as to take a chance on eliminating the monster while it is in their den and heart of power, but ultimately glad that it is leaving once victory can¡¯t be assured. At that Frank realized that he wasn¡¯t afraid of the creatures. Right now, he wasn¡¯t afraid of anything really. He knew this would change, but for this moment, right here, he knew he could defend himself against these monsters, particularly if they tried to come up from behind him. He momentarily paused, wondering if he could hear any of the rodents scampering ahead of him, but realized that his thought of being herded into a second ambush was likely off the table. Right now, both sides could consider this a draw. Frank got to keep his life, while the rodents removed a great enemy from their den. Not wanting to push his luck too much at the noted stalemate in battle, Frank decided to go upwards. Within four floors, he could still hear the rodents chattering, but that was due to their voices echoing in the dark staircases. As he went up, Frank realized why the creatures stopped following him, as apparently, they no longer felt that the next few floors were theirs. As the steps went from being completely covered in dirt and chewed up debris to form a slope, to gradually showing more and more traces of steps. Until now, where the entire thing was steps. Well steps and dust. In his mind, he took the steps as a good sign, as it meant that nothing had been on the steps for quite a while. Then after three floors of complete dirt that showed the imprints of his bare feet with each step he took. The next few floors proved to be interesting in the way the dust seemed to be completely gone. Pausing, Frank looked around, even looking up in the corners to see if any oversized spiders were present. At this point he was prepared for almost anything to happen, but nothing. Well, not entirely nothing. Fresh breeze. Scent of manure compost. As he paused, he smelled possibly the most sickening thing he had ever experienced in his life. The scent of manure, the same smell that he smelled when Luther broke the school¡¯s bathrooms, as a joke. This had been another subtle show of power on Luther¡¯s part, as his house was one of the few with a working internal commode, while everyone else either had to use public toilets or those at the school. With the school¡¯s toilets down for a month, all the commoners had to go to the public toilets before and after school. A few special students were allowed to be part of Luther¡¯s circle where they could go to his house and use his amenities. While no one was ever able to prove it was Luther, his actions before and after the incident all but screamed of his involvement, either directly or indirectly by getting Scottie and Aaron to do it for him. Yes, the smell was both terrible and sadly reminded him of home. Rumble. The longer he waited, the more vibrations he began to feel as his body became more accustomed to his settings. As he felt out for the vibrations, he inwardly relaxed as he realized these were the thrum of machines deep at work. Shuffle-step. Then after waiting what had to be close to an hour, Frank heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps. Not the slither of giant serpents on stone, nor the scratching of clawed feet against dirt, but the steps of humans. Hearing them, Frank felt elation and joy swelling through him, as he climbed up the final few clean steps to the next landing. There just as he expected, he saw two people wearing the industrial suits of the hazmat cleaners. Suddenly the clean staircase made sense, as they were likely part of the normal jurisdiction of the cleaners. In his mind, Frank realized that this was the job he signed up for. ¡°Help,¡± was the only word Frank could utter, as he made his way up the steps. Suddenly days upon days of constantly pushing himself with no food and water caught up to him. His mouth was dry, as he tried to speak for the first time, seemingly forever. Well more than just muttering incoherently to himself as he made his way upwards. Startle. ¡°What?¡± A female voice called out from behind the head cover. ¡°The heck?¡± A male voice called out from the slightly taller suit of protection. Hearing their voices, Frank felt relief, running forward, his legs being pulled by the last surges of energy he had. ¡°ACK!¡± The female cried out, raising her hand to strike. Frank moved around and dodge the defensive strike, pausing for a second with his back to the male. Only for his mind to register the movement of a power suit coming to life. Frank tried to dodge the incoming hand, that was clearly trying to grab him, but missed. He spun about, his mind and body pushing himself to its limits as he was clearly not ready for an adult wearing an enhancement suit. Frank had heard about these suits. These were suits given to guards and other people in dangerous places, where the user had to effectively fight about their weight class. In these suits, cultivation was nearly impossible, as all ambient energy would be absorbed by the suit itself, powering its core and allowing the suit to continue amplifying the base strength and speed of the users. At least that was what the school taught. Frank had been aware of the limitations of the suit, but figured he would be able to sneak away without the suit during his breaks. At least that had been the thought at the time of choosing this profession. Smack. Frank felt something strike him on the back of his head, causing him to lose all balance and for the world to go black. ¡°Jezus Stell, you nearly killed him.¡± The male called down. ¡°What is it? A ghoul of some kind?¡± The female, Stell, asked. ¡°No, it is a kid. Judging by his looks, he has been trapped down here for quite a while.¡± The male said, grabbing Frank¡¯s body in his robotic limbs and lifting him up with a hydraulic infused smoothness. ¡°Aren¡¯t they testing today?¡± Stell asked. ¡°I thought so, but that won¡¯t be until eight at the earliest.¡± The man said. ¡°What do we do?¡± Stell asked. ¡°We take him, turn him in as a found runaway, and let the schools decide what to do with him.¡± The man said. By this point Frank wanted to speak, but couldn¡¯t. Not only was his mouth dry from constantly fighting, but he found that the grip that the suit-powered male had on him made it so he couldn¡¯t squirm away if he tried. Vrrt-ch, vurr. The suit began whirring away as Frank felt his small body being carried out. At first Frank wanted to fight, to protest, stating that he already had gone through his awakening, but then figured that everyone would already realize that once he got out of here. Also, with this being a test day, maybe he could get another free meal. It was that last thought, the thought of an Awakening celebration meal that let him stay silent and ultimately try to get some much needed rest. He found sleep easy to come, despite how sore and hungry he was, he felt his body beginning to finally shut down as he ultimately let his pain filled mind drift off to sleep, while his cultivation attempted to heal the wound to the back of his head. As he drifted off, he failed to notice the few things that would normally stick out in his mind. Namely the way that today was the awakening day, the fact that he was clearly accepted as an urchin, and the fact that he had somehow survived everything that had happened to him. If he had thought of any of these things, he would have likely chalked it up to the fact that he had gone back in time. That everything he had experienced to now was just a bad dream. He would awake today as a B-Ranker, and Luther would be the F-Ranker that he deserved to be. Yes, that is exactly what would happen. As the two hazardous cleaners arrived at the surface, their foreman, a large burly man named Marcus met the two. ¡°What are you doing back before your shift is over¡­¡± Marcus began, but quickly cut himself off seeing the poor child that was covered in blood and had slash marks all over his body. ¡°Jezus, what is that?¡± ¡°We found him on the back stairwell leading to section 19.¡± The man spoke. ¡°I take it he found the rodent nest back there?¡± Marcus asked, getting closer, trying to take a better look at the kid, though he was surprised to see the boy¡¯s chest rising and falling rhythmically. ¡°He¡¯s alive?¡± ¡°Just so. Though he is dehydrated and likely malnourished.¡± The man said. ¡°You think he is awakened?¡± Stell asked. ¡°No clue, let me see if he is in the registry.¡± Marcus said, pulling out a scanner from his back pocket and grabbing the boy¡¯s loose arm and pressing the right thumb against the pad. Beep. ¡°Not in the system. This is good. We will get a finder¡¯s fee, particularly if he awakens a B-Rank or above talent.¡± Marcus said. ¡°You sure he hasn¡¯t awoken? I mean, he moved pretty quickly.¡± The man in the suit said. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure. This registers everyone in district seventeen. If he isn¡¯t here then he has likely been an urchin for a really long time. They might need to retrain him in some of the basics if he is talented, but that is not our problem. Go on, take him to the medical hall. I¡¯ll go radio in that we found another urchin ready for awakening.¡± And like that, Frank was taken out of the hazardous area, and taken to be given a second shot at life. Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Breakthrough. A breakthrough apparently happened while Frank was asleep. He didn¡¯t know how such a feat was possible, but he figured it was mostly due to the way his body was nearly constantly cycling Qi throughout his body. Not just any Qi, but the green Qi that his body seemed to crave the most. That was why he felt somewhat empty, but was happy to find that he had been hooked up to monitors and tubes that were used to forcefully push fluids into his body. Honestly, he didn¡¯t realize how bad things had gotten, until he awoke to find that his skin no longer felt so tight against his skin. Beep, beep, beep. There were chimes that sounded off, denoting a slight change in his heart rate. At least that is what Frank thought the beeps meant as he felt his body tense up in fear at first, as he awoke to find out what had happened. He awoke to find himself tied down to a bed, with a number of electrodes and tubes connected to his body. Hearing the beeps, a female came in to the room, then saw that Frank was awake, although he was already pulling at his cuffs. A quick tug showed that the metal cuffs were relatively weak and that he could break free of them if he wanted to, but decided to wait for now. Breaking out of a hospital was never a good sign, and often urchins like him would be chained down to ensure some form of taxation was sent to his family. Mentally he kicked himself at the unexpected burden to his parents, but his thoughts were cut short as a female doctor came into the room. ¡°Oh, you have finally awoken.¡± The female doctor said, her eyes glowed dark blue for a second showing that some form of power was being used. Frank tried to talk, and found that while his throat was still sore, he found that he apparently had enough moisture now to talk properly. Still, his mouth was dry from just waking up, as such he managed a quick nod. ¡°Good. Have you had any education before?¡± The doctor asked, speaking slowly the way one might to a particularly slow child. ¡°Yes,¡± Frank managed. ¡°Good do you know where you are?¡± ¡°A hospital?¡± Frank replied, a bit confused by the question. ¡°Haha, yes, well that is true. You are St. Mercy 17 Hospital.¡± Hearing that Frank realized the numbering at the end denoted the district. At least that was the common notation as the numbering for all primary facilities was always numbered to match the district you were in. As this was the 17th, it meant that he was one, now wait two districts away? Though one of those districts was the abandoned 19th district. His district number 22 was the one he would need to go back to, eventually, though that seemed almost impossible at this point. Well, unless he went back down, fought his way through the swarm of rodents and then tried to climb back up to the 22nd district. While Frank had been lost in his own thoughts, the doctor just twitched to herself, before continuing. ¡°Well it is a good thing that you came out when you did. As today is the awakening exam. Given your bone density and the fact that you don¡¯t come up on any of our scans shows that you have not undergone your awakening ceremony.¡± The doctor began. Hearing this, Frank was confused, and almost wanted to protest, but decided against it. Could he re-awaken? There had been myths of people doing just that, re-awakening, but they were all just that, myths. The idea that he might actually be able to re-awaken with a higher ranking that F-Rank might be just what he needed. At the very least, he could once again feel the energy coursing through his body and try to figure out if there are more pathways that help manifest Qi externally. By now he was certain that he had a good enough understanding of Qi, that he should be able to see if there was something that he had missed, something that kept him with an F-Rank ability. Before the energy had only gone through his body, but could he get it to project out further? Was there a way to change fate? Seeing the moment for what it was, Frank couldn¡¯t help but feel that this was fate subtly guiding him to change his destiny. Before he passed out, he thought that he might have gone back in time, but as it turns out this was so much better, as he might be able to double awaken. ¡°Not much of a talker are you?¡± The doctor asked, still fidgeting, but finding it easier to continue asking Frank questions. ¡°I guess?¡± Frank replied. The doctor nodded at that, and marked something down on her pad. ¡°How long have you been living underground?¡± At that Frank just cocked his head to the side and then asked, ¡°what day is today?¡± That seemed to be the answer the doctor was expecting as she marked it down on her notepad. ¡°Well, today is the district¡¯s Awakening day, the same as it has been for every year. Do you know what day that is?¡± At that Frank paused, not realizing that Awakening days would be held on different days for different districts. In a way he supposed it made sense, as this likely meant the guards that were assigned to set up and remove the awakening equipment could do so going from district to district, and then take all those that passed up to the surface in one quick operation. Thinking about it, Frank was honestly surprised at how simplistic the idea was, but probably cost effective in the long run. At least that is what Frank assumed. He also guessed that they had likely gone from the twenty-second district to this one, which was what seventeen? Now assuming that they didn¡¯t stop at district 19, that meant that it was anywhere from one to four days that he was trapped in the under-realms that apparently showed an even deeper progress of civilization¡¯s expansion into the depths of the earth. ¡°Yeah, I kind of figured, with the wear and tear of your clothes, and the scars on your body it was clear that you had likely been down there a long time. Honestly, I¡¯m somewhat surprised that you are as coherent as you are. We have some of you that come out and are all but feral beasts.¡± The doctor said, noting that apparently being an unclaimed urchin from the under-realms wasn¡¯t that odd of a situation. No, it was odd, but apparently not unaccounted for. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. With that Frank just nodded, not wanting to give out the fact that he was from a different district. Especially not with the chance of getting a re-awakening out of this process. ¡°Do you promise to behave if we remove your restraints?¡± The doctor asked. Suddenly the reason why Frank was bound to the bed made a lot more sense. This wasn¡¯t because he was an escaped fugitive, or had somehow broken protocol by exploring the under-realms, or any of the other reasons he had concocted in his mind. This was apparently a standard process for dealing with feral children who need to be tested for their awakening prowess. ¡°I promise.¡± Frank said, then tugged gently on the cuff, though he could almost swear that it squeaked in protest from his simple movement. ¡°Okay,¡± the doctor said, before pressing a button on her pad. With that, two armed guards came into the room. ¡°This is the newest feral?¡± The male guard with a clear B-Rank tab on his chest asked. ¡°Yes.¡± The doctor replied. ¡°Is he mentally competent enough to withstand the awakening?¡± The B-Rank guard asked. ¡°Yes, he has shown no signs of hostility, and meets all the pre-requisites of being at the right age to awaken.¡± The doctor stated, as she held up a metal key. With that the guard nodded and took the key before coming over to Frank. Once there the guard took Frank in. ¡°What did they feed you to get all those muscles kid?¡± The question was apparently rhetorical, as the guard immediately went about unlocking the restraints that held him to the bed. Within seconds all four restraints had been removed and there was a moment of pause as everyone waited for something to happen. The guards looked at Frank, who just stared back at the B-Rank guard that had unlocked his restraints. Finally, after a long second, the B-Rank guard nodded in acceptance of something. ¡°Good, you are not a fight risk.¡± The B-Rank guard said locking eyes with Frank. Then turning to the other guard he spoke, ¡°Holsy, you are assigned to him. Get his showered, cleaned up, and get him part of the awakening meal at the very least.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± The second guard, one with a C-Rank on his chest responded. Then like that, Holsy, or the C-Ranked guard lowered the metal bars from the bed and helped Frank down from the table. ¡°Come with me, we have a lot to do today,¡± Holsy said. Frank could only nod, not wanting to give away too much about what he was currently thinking at the moment. Everything was going so well, so smoothly that he felt if he spoke, he might shatter the illusion of everything that was happening around him. In his mind, he knew that nothing would change this time, that there was no way for him to awaken an S-Rank talent. Then just when he had that thought, he realized that if he had both an S-Rank talent and his F-Rank Energy Sight talents active, he would be unstoppable. That idea more than anything made it so Frank wanted to take this opportunity and push it as far as possible. He felt that the opportunity that he had been given was as fragile as glass, and that merely speaking might be enough to shatter that glass of an opportunity. In his mind he wondered if he would ever see his family again. Then a separate part of him realized that if he managed to awaken an S-Rank talent, then the powers that be would clearly want to take his parents with him, from any district. That if he succeeded that much, then those in authority would gladly go back to take his family. ¡°Come with me kid.¡± Holsy said, after a moment of Frank just standing on his own too feet and looking towards Holsy expectantly. Then before even giving Frank a second, to do more than nod, Holsy was gone, taking off like a shot. Frank quickly tried to catch up, though he found even with the C-Ranker¡¯s larger gate, keeping up with the guard was relatively easy. Holsy looking back saw that Frank was easily able to keep up with him, so he began going just that much faster, speeding up every few steps until it was clear that Frank would be able to keep out. It looked like Holsy wanted to push him further, but stopped as soon as they hit the public bath houses. Surprisingly, they were in the same exact area for district 17 as they were for his district 22, though things were off. It took him going to the new clothing store where he was given a form fitting set of dress shoes, pants, shirt, and a new blazer that he realized what was off about everything. In his mind, the gridwork of houses was rotated, almost ninety degrees. Not much of a change, but noticeable enough that Frank was able to pick it up. So there were at least minor differences in the formation of the districts, this was good to know. As it meant that if Frank wanted to get away, he could likely use many of the same exact paths as he was used to, but would have to adjust most of his plans to account for the slight deviation in layout. Why he would need to know escape routes wasn¡¯t know. Actually, that was a lie. He was about to defraud the government, but they didn¡¯t need to know that, at least not yet. And unless he had an A-Rank or Higher such thoughts of warning about his attempt to defraud the government would not be necessary. ¡°Do you know what size you are?¡± Holsy asked once they reached the part for his actual measurements. ¡°Slim and medium.¡± Frank replied. ¡°That might have been what you were before you went down in those tunnels. But you must have eaten well down there, as you are at least a medium long, if not a large long.¡± Holsy replied. Pausing, Frank looked down at his body, to see that to his surprise, he had gained muscles. Something that had been nearly impossible months ago was now readily apparent. Yes, fighting could increase muscles, along with the constant strain his body had been under for the past few days, but this level of growth. Then Frank realized that this too might be why his biometrics are so off, first he now had callouses on his hands and feet, and not only that but his hands had increased in size somehow. Mentally, he knew that these things were possible with cultivating, that proper cultivating could negate years of neglect, so long as you cultivated correctly. That was partly why the Awakening ceremony was done to those who were young. Yet, this was beyond his wildest dreams. Even the guards that had all seemed to stare down imposingly on Frank a few days ago now only did so slightly. Realizing the slight difference in perspective, it was clear that not only had he grown stronger, but he had also grow taller. Fitting took slightly longer than usual for Frank, but fortunately the clothing store had longer clothes to try on as not many kids in the slums grew to be as tall as Frank currently was. With that exchange, Frank gave back the remainder of his former school pants, which were little more than tatters on his body. With that, he was taken to the chow hall and given one last meal. ¡°Eat up. This might be the last meal you get for a while.¡± Holsy said. With that Frank nodded, and then stacking food as high as he could on his tray began eating at a ravenous pace. ¡°Whoa there, make sure you don¡¯t choke.¡± Holsy said, Frank for his part just nodded, while trying to eat as much of the food available as possible. Last time he had been so nervous that he only had one plate and then stopped. This time, he took the meal for what it was, an unexpected perk. A bonus that might never come around again. While he had every intention of getting an S-Rank trait or higher, he knew that he couldn¡¯t expect to pass automatically just because he wanted it to be so. Also, he learned from his first time around that whether he was nice or not, inconspicuous, or not, didn¡¯t matter. Even getting Holsy or the other guards to like him didn¡¯t matter. The only thing that mattered was the fact that Frank now had a second chance to get his life together. And this time he would not fail. ¡°You that hungry?¡± Holsy asked. Finally, Frank nodded and began to speak while his stomach began to gargle at the sudden influx of food. ¡°Starving.¡± Hearing that Holsy nodded, then seemed to fully take in Frank¡¯s appearance. ¡°Look kid, you¡¯ve got time. Eat as much as you need. I realize you might have had to go a long time between meals down there.¡± At that Frank just nodded. It had been a long time. Mentally he had plans on cooking rat and poisonous snake meat, but never had a chance to do so. Instead, he had to fill himself on cultivated energy and sheer willpower, now that he had a chance to finally eat, Frank decided to relish the moment for what it was. Looking at the food, it was clear that it came from somewhere different, as this food all had green energy infused into it. Pausing for a moment, he stared at the food, as if trying to understand if all food had this energy or if they had done something to this meal in particular. ¡°Do you feel that? That is the energy that comes in all military issued rations. If you awaken a B-Rank or above Trait you can expect to eat like this daily.¡± The guard said. At that Frank paused, before staring at the apparent ¡®C¡¯ on the guard¡¯s uniform before going back to his meal. ¡°Hah, caught that did you? Yeah, normally as a C-Rank you don¡¯t get access to these meals either, at least not until you prove yourself.¡± With that Holsy, held up his sleeve that showed seven vertical yellow stripes down the side, denoting that Holsy was in the seventh layer of body refinement. At that Frank just nodded, not wanting to do more than eat and enjoy this meal while he could. Realizing that the meal was also infused with ambient energy, Frank was more determined than ever to eat as much of it as possible. Finally after his fourth plate, Frank felt stuffed. Not full, but in that realm beyond full when you can¡¯t possibly eat anymore. ¡°You¡¯re done?¡± Holsy asked. Nodding. Frank just nodded, not even thinking about keeping up the fa?ade of being silent. Instead, he just didn¡¯t think he could talk due to how completely full he was. Of course, this level of full satisfaction quickly started wearing away as his body began to break down the food and his cultivation quickly grabbed the ambient strands of energy and began cycling the needed components through his body. ¡°All right come on. Now it is time to hurry up and wait.¡± Holsy said, as he led Frank to the packed gymnasium where the military had once again divided the stream of students into two different lines that moved and snaked off, much like his earlier awakening had gone. Standing there in line, Frank felt a sense of calm wash over him, as he realized he was so close. Looking forward, he could see the colors of energy flowing through the stones, and into each person. As he watched, he saw what he considered patterns forming. All the F-Rank students had green energy coursing through them. All D-Ranks had light blue energy. The one or two C-Ranks that he was looked like they had dark blue energy that they absorbed. Then pausing, Frank wondered what color B-Rank or even A or S ranks would use. Seeing the different energies, Frank saw it, the way forward. He was looking at it, his earlier awakening would be able to easily determine which energy types to go with. He could go for another green, that is if he wanted to increase his core, but that was not important now. Right now, Frank was almost certain that if he could find a different energy source, and likely a different corresponding set of meridians, he could forever change his status. No longer F-Rank, he could do this, the more he thought about what was happening, he was certain that he could easily determine a way new way out of the crap hand for life he had been dealt. With this he could and would take advantage of the situation he had been given. For a moment he felt extreme hope swelling up inside him. Hope that felt near to bursting, before he heard it. The faintest tone of complaints. The sound of a spoiled brat complaining. ¡°How much longer do we have to wait for these trash particles to pass by and accept their fates?¡± An annoying voice asked. Just hearing that voice, Frank knew immediately who it was, without even having to glance in the owner¡¯s direction, but yet seemingly drawn by fate, Frank turned his head to look and see his arch-nemesis standing there with an honorary B-Rank emblem on his school uniform. For there in the flesh was none other than Luther. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 By all appearances Luther had changed and he hadn¡¯t. Gone was the overly cocky child that Frank had grown up despising. Instead, he seemed to be a mostly cowering version of himself. At least while interacting with the other soldiers. Luther had the same military uniform as everyone else, but his rank had the typical ¡®B¡¯ on it, but with a white background. It didn¡¯t take a mental genius to realize that the white background for his rank meant he was different from the others, and based on the way every other soldier treated him, sneering at him, snarling orders at him, and his constant kowtowing to the other soldiers, Frank could assume that the last few days had not been easy for Luther either. ¡°How much longer do we have to wait for these trash particles to pass by and accept their fates?¡± Luther¡¯s voice spoke in his still slightly sniveling tone. WHAM! The punch to Luther¡¯s gut was as quick as it was satisfying. ¡°Maggot, did we give you permission to speak?¡± Holsy said, and he was a C-Ranker putting a B-Ranker in his place. Standing over the now doubled over Luther, a slight smile broke out on Frank¡¯s face. Seeing the twerp get what Frank considered to be divine justice made this whole thing so worth it. Knowing that the military wouldn¡¯t take any of Luther¡¯s garbage made it so that Frank felt he could go home and die happy. First, he would make sure to tell Luther¡¯s sister about the treatment, as he was fairly certain that she would get a kick out of this as well. Luther adamantly averted his eyes away from Holsy, Frank¡¯s minder and personal escort to this, his second chance at awakening a hidden talent, that was when Luther spotted Frank. ¡°What are you smiling at!¡± Luther hissed, locking eyes with Frank. Thwack! ¡°Maggot, until you know where you stand on the grand pecking order of life. I suggest you leave certain people be.¡± Holsy stated, after once again regaining Luther¡¯s attention by a violent kick to the boy¡¯s stomach. Frank was about to leave, but was stopped when Holsy put up a hand to stop him. ¡°Take a minute and look at that boy.¡± Holsy said to Luther, taking a moment to point at Frank. Luther glanced up, but the quickly dropped his gaze. ¡°I said look at him.¡± Holsy said, then grabbing Luther¡¯s face, forcefully lifted his chin until he Luther had to look at Frank. For his part Frank felt flustered, as Luther was the only one who could end this whole double awakening plan he had going. No longer was the smile on his face, instead, all he could do was keep a blank neutral expression and stare back at Luther, letting him know in his gaze that he would hit Luther so hard if he ruined this moment for him. Their gazes met, and there was a moment of shock as Luther seemed to recognize Frank, but then he shook himself as if not believing what his eyes were telling him. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s taller than you by about half a foot. Also, as you can hopefully see, he has you by a good twenty pounds of muscle. Those broad shoulders of his, those are for more than just show. I don¡¯t know what he did, or what he has been through, but we found that boy earlier today in the deep mines. He had apparently been living there for so long that there are no recordings of his biometrics. Let that sink in.¡± Holsy said, pausing for a moment. During this time Frank realized that he had grown a lot, if the measurements and sizes were to be believed. Looking at the boy, Luther, Frank realized that Holsy was right, Luther was smaller than him. Thinking back, Frank tried to understand where the transformation came from, and was left with but one conclusion, it was from his constant advancements and focusing on only taking in the correct for of energy to cultivate that led to this change. In his mind, Frank knew that cultivating would produce changes, though he was not certain exactly how those changes would manifest exactly. Now looking down at the former tormentor, it was clear that at least in a physical battle, Frank was certain he would win. He would just infuse energy into his hands or feet and strike out crushing bones and internal organs with ease. The only concern was his ranged attack, which all manifested differently, but Frank knew Luther¡¯s just avoid his large mouth and he was good. Thinking about it, Frank realized that everyone here was aware of Luther¡¯s power, at least Holsy was as every strike had been to his stomach and diaphragm, making it so breathing was a lot tougher on Luther. With breathing being tougher, using his power of banshee screaming would also be tougher. With that, Frank realized that everything they were doing to Luther was for a reason. To show him both that he was weak, and that he could be taken down easily, even by a C-Ranker. Having seen how fast Holsy was moving, Frank was certain that the soldier used at least some green energy for speed and strength, otherwise the movements would have been off. That and the fact that Frank could see the glowing green energy in Holsy¡¯s eyes. Having spent time increasing his Energy Sight, frank could see the faint light blue of Luther¡¯s powers. He could see the way he tried to grab energy from his chest and direct it up his throat, but there wasn¡¯t enough for a strike. At least not a powerful strike like the monster had used to strike out and kill his friends. That was another thing, did the military ever find out about Scottie and Aaron? Did they ever do a residual magic trace and link those deaths to Luther¡¯s powers? Frank was fairly certain that he could do at least that much with his current level of strength, and he had only been awakened for a few days at this point. Imagine what so-called experts could do with real time and energy. Frank thought all of this, then had his attention pulled back as Holsy continued his lesson to Luther. ¡°Yes, that boy that you stare at with contempt in your eyes, the same way you look down on me and all your fellow lower ranked soldiers. Realize that of the two of you, we all would rather go to the lines with a man like him, than a worm like you. Do you know why boy?¡± Holsy asked, still holding Luther¡¯s mouth and squeezing his jaw shut, forcing Luther to shake his head from side to side to answer the direct question. This again was smart, as it gave Luther no chance to use any semblance of his power, which might be dangerous even at that close of a distance. ¡°Because he is tested. We can all go to the front lines where we will fight enhanced monsters. Things of nightmares, things that are told to unruly children so they might go to bed on time, so they don¡¯t have to stare the monsters in the face before they sleep. You see, that boy, soon to be a man, he survived down there, fighting against those very monsters of nightmares and legends. Do you know how I can tell? How we all can tell?¡± Holsy asked Luther, and for the first time Holsy let Luther¡¯s face move just enough so he could look Holsy in the eyes. At that, Holsy just continued, not needing a physical gesture from Luther. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°He reeks of death. That feeling of unease that you feel, that is your awakened brain and conscience telling you that this man has seen and killed more horrific things than you have ever witnessed in your life. As an awakened, you will begin to get a sixth sense for these things. You are too young now to even begin to process these emotions that you are now feeling. Which is why the military assigns you mentors like me. I¡¯m not here to constantly save you. I¡¯m here to save you once.¡± Hrm? Luther tried to get out a question, but with Holsy¡¯s death grip on Luther¡¯s jaw, such an act was impossible. ¡°Yes, right now, I¡¯ve considered my job done. I have officially saved your life, once.¡± Holsy stated coldly, pausing for emphasis. Luther just looked even more confused at that statement. ¡°Mark this day. You were about to lash out at this boy for smiling at you and your discomfort. In the past, in whatever backwater slumlord infested plague of a place you came from, such an act might have been tolerated. Hell, it might have even been completely acceptable. Just know, that now that you are in the real world, away from all those creature comforts you used to get fat off of, they are gone. Here, your former power and influence means nothing. You might have been top dog in whatever kennel you called home, but here, you mess with the wrong dog, even a dog with a lower power ranking than you and you will get your hand bitten off. Now you might ask yourself why I did this? Why would I save you? Realize I¡¯m not doing this for you, I¡¯m doing it for him.¡± Holsy said gesturing over his shoulder at Frank. With that Luther and Frank locked gazes again, though this time it was clear that the gaze from Luther was a bit softer than previously, as if he was trying to take in the true measure of Frank, and see what exactly Holsy was talking about. ¡°See, this is your one and only warning. After this, when you go after him, to try to prove yourself that your B-Rank means something special, he will defend himself and he will crush you. This is for him,¡± Holsy said, this time locking his own gaze with Frank. Locking gazes with Holsy, Frank felt a strange sense of intensity there, it was clear that Holsy had also killed. Having had that feeling explained, the whole feeling of death made sense. Just from locking gazes, it was clear to Frank that Holsy too had been in many fights, though not as desperate as his, it was clear that Holsy had also managed to kill monsters that were a lot more powerful than the ones Frank had even seen. The fact that he recognized all of this from a simple glance sent shivers down Frank¡¯s spine. He didn¡¯t know exactly what this new feeling was, but he was certain that it was important in some profound way. ¡°This way,¡± Holsy continued, still speaking to Luther, but never tearing his eyes away from Frank, ¡°when he kills or cripples you. He knows not to feel bad, that you took your cheap shot, you lost and it will be his job to ensure you know never to come after him or any fellow soldiers again. This way he can have a conscience, knowing that killing you will be a service to the entire brotherhood of soldiers that will welcome him back with open arms, after he successfully returns.¡± Chills. The way Holsy spoke, it was clear that he was speaking from personal experience. That he too had apparently gone through something similar in his past. Suddenly, Frank knew, while some details might be missing, who, when, where, and how, the facts were readily apparent. Holsy had someone like Luther in his past, someone who likely sought to exert control or power over Holsy and it had gone incredibly bad for the other person. With that Holsy nodded at Frank, apparently realizing that the boy had recognized something in his words and mannerisms. With that Holsy turned back to once again lock gazes with Luther. ¡°Are we clear?¡± Nod. Luther still couldn¡¯t talk, but did manage to nod his head slightly. ¡°Good,¡± Holsy responded and then let go of Luther¡¯s jaw and stood up and walked over to Frank. Then as if remembering something, Holsy turned back to Luther and said, ¡°and if you want to register a formal complaint, the name is Holsy, and I am the Introductory Survival Instructor. When they ask, and they will, I will make sure to point out how this was a survival lesson.¡± Then giving a wave over his shoulder, he grabbed Frank by the shoulder and began leading him away from the irate boy who was just now beginning to climb up to his feet. Silence. Frank didn¡¯t say anything. Right now, Frank felt that the biggest obstacle to his second re-awakening was over, as he had successfully bypassed Luther, the only person who might be able to recognize him from his home district the other day. Looking around, Frank saw a number of familiar faces, but wanted to do as little as possible to draw attention to himself. Part of that was keeping silent and not saying or doing anything that might compromise this once-in-a-lifetime chance. Every once in a while, Frank looked out of the corner of his eyes to see Holsy there, staring at him. It was clear that Holsy all but expected Frank to ask questions, and for his part he did, but the answers he could gleam to soothe his curiosity were minor in comparison to the future that awaited him as an advanced awakened powerhouse. Finally, after a few minutes, Holsy broke the silence. ¡°No questions?¡± Frank just shook his head. ¡°No? Normally that is a good thing, but as an instructor I can tell when a student is trying to stay low. When they have something to hide. I could press, keep asking you questions until you inadvertently slip up and either answer, or I begin to find out what it is that makes you tick. For the most part you seem like a good kid, but we can¡¯t have secrets on the front lines.¡± With that Frank paused and just stared at Holsy for a second. After a second of their eyes locking for a bit, Holsy smiled and gave an almost imperceptible head nod. One that Frank only barely caught the movement of, but it was there to see all the same. ¡°You nervous about awakening?¡± Holsy asked. Pause. ¡°See, that pause tells me that you are. Why don¡¯t you just admit it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Frank said nodding his head in agreement. ¡°I am nervous.¡± Holsy paused again and then after staring at Frank for a moment nodded his head as his smile widened. ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± Scoff. Frank was about to say something, but then paused. Seeing his hesitation, Holsy pressed. ¡°You afraid of not scoring well enough and being stuck down here?¡± Pause. At that Frank felt his heart begin to pump faster, an involuntary reflex of a lifetime of fear and anticipation built up in that one question. The idea of freedom, of not having to fight and scrape for every inch of his life. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s it. You are afraid that if you don¡¯t do well enough down here, you won¡¯t be picked up. That you will be forced to go back to the deep caverns again?¡± Holsy asked. With that, Frank paused, realizing that was the case, but felt better about going back into the caverns. If he did, he felt he might be better able to survive. Well mostly survive, anything aside from the giant serpent would be relatively easy to deal with. Even those giant knee high rodents were fairly easy, and a seemingly endless source of energy. No, he wasn¡¯t afraid of going back down, at least not to the areas he knew about. Particularly not if he went back in with a plan. Smiling. ¡°No, you aren¡¯t afraid of the deep roads again. That is awesome.¡± Holsy said, his smile bright and infectious showing off rows of pearly white teeth. ¡°You aren¡¯t cocky either, you just think you can survive. The Boss was right about you after all.¡± ¡°The Boss?¡± Frank asked, suddenly looking around. ¡°Oh, yeah, my boss at least. Vanguard.¡± Holsy said, looking around and then pointing out a rather average looking man in military uniform with his hood pulled up. The man, Vanguard, had his back turned to Holsy and Frank as he was clearly engaged in a conversation with someone. Then almost as if feeling that people were looking at him, he paused his conversation and turned around to look directly at Holsy and Frank. There was an odd pause, as Frank barely noticed Holsy giving a few random hand signals to Vanguard. There was a pause, and then before Frank could ask what Holsy did, Vanguard nodded in approval and then turned back to continue talking with the civilian that was before him. Given the state of the civilian¡¯s dress, Frank figured that Vanguard was speaking either to the Principal or one of the Vice Principals of the school that they were currently in. Ever since his reemergence from the caverns, Frank¡¯s mind felt alive. It was almost as if he was able to make connections and leaps of logic at ten times the speed he was able to in his past. He had always been smart, able to build upon and retain knowledge facts, but now his mind felt like it was finally able to take those nuggets and combine them into proper thought chains. It was odd, but something that somehow felt, natural. ¡°You probably want to know what we said?¡± Holy asked, turning his head slightly towards Frank. Frank seeing the gesture out of the corner of his eye turned his head and locked gazes with Holsy who looked like he had a cat who at the canary smile on his face. ¡°You want to know, but you don¡¯t want anything to ruin this chance do you?¡± With that Holsy gestured to the dwindling line of students who were all walking up to the awakening crystal, and all seeing their lives either change for the better, or as many expected, they were subjected to abject failure as they accepted the fact that they like their parents were forced to stay down here. Frank of course stayed quiet, not wanting to give this man any more sway over him. ¡°Oh man, that look on your face is too priceless. I probably should wait to tell you this, but realize something.¡± Holsy began. With this Frank paused and turned back from the stone and lines of kids that suddenly looked small to him, and once again locked gazes with Holsy. ¡°Realize that you are playing with house money kid.¡± Holsy spoke, but Frank just looked on with a dumbfounded expression having never heard that expression before. Seeing the confusion on Frank¡¯s face, Holsy pressed on, waving a dismissive hand. ¡°Look, all it means is that you don¡¯t have anything to worry about by touching that stone, for a second time¡­¡± Shock. And with those last four words, Frank felt his world collapse as he stared into the mocking gaze of Holsy who just stared back with a giant cheshire grin on his face. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 ¡°Look, all it means is that you don¡¯t have anything to worry about by touching that stone, for a second time¡­¡± Holsy¡¯s words pierced Frank to his very core. He had been so calm, so focused on not slipping up, that he now found himself shocked that he was found out so easily. Had they always known? They must have, as they clearly seemed to be letting Frank hang himself here with his silence. Though, Frank figured that maybe he could play this all off as a big misunderstanding. No, it didn¡¯t seem likely, but they knew and they all but told him to his face just when the prize was right in front of him that he knew. Snap. Holsy snapped his fingers to the side of his face, drawing Frank¡¯s attention away from himself. ¡°Relax,¡± Holsy commanded and as if his body understood the command being given he let out a breath he didn¡¯t know he had been holding. Seeing him exhale, Holsy continued. ¡°Good, now you might not realize this, but do you know why we take in cultivators that reach the fifth stage of cultivation?¡± Frank feeling his throat grow tight, found that even if he wanted to, his voice betrayed him. As such all he could do was shake his head from side to side. ¡°The reason why is that a cultivator at the fifth tier has met multiple thresholds. First, they clearly know how to cultivate on their own. This is important, as once we leave here, you are on your own to improve yourself. Oh, we will guide you when and where we can, but ultimately you will be responsible for yourself once we leave here and get on the front lines.¡± Hearing that, Frank paused as he tried to comprehend the words that were being said. But before Frank had enough time to come up with a question, Holsy continued with his explanation. ¡°The second major reason why we take cultivators after the fifth tier is that by that point you can often open up more cultivation channels. Meaning that you might get a higher or different rank than the one you initially awaken as. Meaning that after the fifth rank, this,¡± Holsy said, gesturing to the C-Rank on his chest before continuing, ¡°means nothing. In fact, the lower this is, the higher you go will actually get you more respect from your peers.¡± With this, Frank paused as he tilted his head trying to understand what was happening. ¡°Why do you think my Boss has a big F on his chest,¡± Holsy said turning back to the man that was referred to as Vanguard. Hearing that Frank felt his eyebrow raise as he questioned that comment. ¡°Yeah, I know, you didn¡¯t see his rank as he didn¡¯t wear it today. That¡¯s because he didn¡¯t need to, as we all know he is the BMF here.¡± ¡°BMF?¡± Frank finally managed to ask. ¡°Badest Mother F¡¯er.¡± Holsy said, cutting himself off on the last word as he took a look around to remind himself that he was in a school building. Hearing that Frank just nodded, having felt something from a distance when the man turned to look at the two of them earlier. ¡°That BMF is referred to as another thing here in the civilian world.¡± ¡°What is it called?¡± ¡°Killing intent.¡± Holsy replied. With that Frank paused, locking gazes with Holsy. Seeing that the boy was still able to lock gazes with him, only caused Holsy to smile widely. ¡°See, that¡¯s why I like you kid. You¡¯re not afraid to look us in the eyes, despite the clear killing intent I¡¯m exuding.¡± Holsy said. Pausing, Frank just stared at him, but then paused. ¡°Am I supposed to be afraid?¡± Frank asked. Chuckle. Holsy broke out into a full-on belly laugh at that question. ¡°Oh Christ, I knew I would like you. When this goes up and you are offered a sponsor choose me.¡± With that Frank paused, realizing that there was a bit of social etiquette that he was missing here. Possibly something in the realm of political capital, but there was a quantity that Frank was unaware of, or unable to fully grasp. The sad part was, his mind was able to pick up that there was something that he was missing, a semi-transactional nature to this exchange, but for the life of him he couldn¡¯t understand what that transactional nature was about. ¡°Hah, I see I lost you there. No worries. Just know that once we leave here, there will be many potential suitors for you, especially those that learn of what you managed to do over the last three days, but they won¡¯t know immediately upon our leaving here. That is where my advantage comes in, and why I am telling you all this now, so you know that I had leverage over you and gave it back to you, so you would come to me willingly.¡± Hearing that, Frank nodded. Again, not fully grasping everything, as there was just so much going on all at once, but this part, the political capital and leverage that was being spoken about, those made sense, but were also foreign concepts to Frank. ¡°Okay, I think I need to stop here. Not that I don¡¯t want to talk, I just don¡¯t want to talk past you. I can tell by that look in your eyes that you are not getting everything I am saying, which is why I am giving you the chance to go back and ask.¡± At that, Frank paused, wondering how this instructor was able to read him so easily. Realizing that apparently he had leverage over Holsy, at least in the fact that Holsy was apparently trying to recruit him, for what, that was unknown at the moment, but he was clearly and actively trying to recruit Frank, which Frank knew he could use at this time. Nodding to himself, Frank asked the immediate question. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°How do I know what? The answers to everything, I don¡¯t, despite how I might come across, I am simply just a dashing instructor with far too much free time on his hands.¡± Holsy said, clearly playing into an act of subterfuge, one that Frank had seen a lot. This was a style of misdirection, often he would see one of the boys trying to get Luther to stop paying attention to them particularly by employing such a role. Now that he was able to comprehend more, he understood the process, but not exactly why this Holsy was putting on such a performance. Given how he naturally flowed into this style, Frank realized that this might be part of who Holsy normally is. ¡°No, how did you know that you were losing me?¡± Frank asked. Smiling, Holsy once again straightened up as if he was proud that Frank had avoided the pitfall of getting sidetracked. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Good, question. I could give you multiple reasons, but the main factor was your eyes were giving you away. Just as I noted your Killing Intent, or the fact that you are able to register on my BMF index, I could see that same fire die in your eyes when you began to hear concepts that went over your head.¡± Holsy answered. Hearing that, Frank nodded, realizing that Holsy likely meant that his intensity had dwindled the more he spoke. Then his mind took that the next step further, but realizing that Holsy had been staring at him, and in particular his eyes the entire time, tracking him to see what he was interested in, and thus concluded that ¡°I take it that my eyes gain intensity when I look at the awakening stone?¡± ¡°Oh you are good. And yes.¡± Holsy said, smiling brightly as if he found a new toy to play with, but one that he wouldn¡¯t arbitrarily try to break like most spoiled kids of the slums would. Nodding. Frank found himself nodding, as he now recognized his own intensity when he stared at the awakening stone, realizing that he was being rather open with his thoughts. This entire time he thought he had been playing the soldiers for fools, but really they had let him think what he wanted. ¡°Alright, now what do you mean by playing with house money?¡± Frank asked. Chuckle. ¡°Oh that, it is an old gambler¡¯s line. House money, well it used to mean you were playing a free hand. That you could go all in, and not lose anything, but only stood to gain what you got from that hand. It might not make sense down here. I¡¯m not sure if gambling is a thing down here, but up on the lines it will be huge.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°Right, you don¡¯t care about the etymology of the phrase, rather you care about the implications thereof.¡± Holsy began, ¡°in your case, regardless of whether you unlock a S-Rank talent or another F-Rank talent, your future is set.¡± Hearing that, Frank paused, but he felt he already knew where this was going. ¡°Yeah, you passed. Got to the minimum threshold of a fifth tier, as a wandering cultivator and managed to get yourself noticed by us. Of course, we are going to take you with us, regardless of what happens. In fact, you and all of the other B-Rank and higher cultivators will go up, and get a chance to choose your mentors and decide your fates before you even know which end is up.¡± Holsy said. At that, Frank nodded, as his mind began making the connections between a few previous statements that Holsy had made in his presence. Statements that at the time made no sense, but now, began to make a lot more sense. ¡°So Luther and I will get to choose our mentors?¡± Frank asked. ¡°Luther?¡± Holsy asked, momentarily looking lost only for his mind to make a connection. ¡°Oh, the twit that looked like he wanted to fight you in a civilian center. Yeah, he will get to choose a mentor, just like you will. The only thing is, you as an F-Rank will get a lot more prospects once we get up to the surface.¡± ¡°Surface?¡± Frank asked, thinking back to the fact that he heard that B-Rankers only went to the middle areas. ¡°Oh yeah, you¡¯re likely thinking of our placement areas. No, B-Rankers are generally able to be confined to training areas where we can build them up safely. Once you hit that A-Rank range, that is when we need to get you to the surface so you don¡¯t blow up our training environments. But yeah, eventually everyone in the military will go to the surface for at least one tour of duty.¡± ¡°There are ways to only do one?¡± Frank asked, wondering why the distinction was made. ¡°Yeah, you die. Then you don¡¯t have to deploy anymore. Why we all like these recruitment drives.¡± Holsy said, smiling brightly as if he made the funniest joke ever while gesturing to everyone around him. ¡°This counts as one deployment cycle, but only after you have already made no less than five active deployments.¡± Hearing that Frank nodded, as it seemed to make sense, though there were likely a few nuances that he was certain that he was missing at the moment. ¡°So any other questions?¡± Holsy asked, apparently pulling back some of his excitement at trying to recruit Frank. Frank was about to shake his head no, that he was done, but then suddenly thought of something. ¡°Why would you want someone like me? I mean, Luther I get, but why me? I¡¯m just an F-Ranker.¡± Frank asked. Hearing that Holsy¡¯s smile came back and all but shown from ear to ear. ¡°Kid, I don¡¯t know what hell you went through over those last three days. Frankly if we could somehow package it and give it to all the recruits we would, though I doubt we would have anywhere near as high of a success rate. Frankly kid, you are probably the scariest kid around. Take a look around.¡± Holsy said, then gestured to the way no one seemed to come near Frank or Holsy. ¡°All those people, those fellow students that you were able to blend in with days ago, now subconsciously all stay away from you. That is why I am able to tell you all of this information that would likely throw off everything the little curriculums down here preach.¡± With that Holsy paused for a moment, just long enough to take in a breath of air before he continued. ¡°Honestly, looking at you, I¡¯d say you have as much killing intent as anyone who ever went on three years¡¯ worth of deployments all at once. You have that and you managed to get well past the fifth layer of cultivating as a wandering cultivator, meaning you are talented. Getting to the fifth stage of cultivation normally takes years, so you loop all that together, and you have as much as a typical five-year veteran as a brand new of the shelf soldier who can be easily molded to fit any team¡¯s needs. Then added to that is the fact that no one has heard you so much as complain once since you got here and you will find that you are a prized catch for any team.¡± ¡°Team?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why we are all here. We are a team. Those you see here; they will all be your fellow brothers in arms on the surface, once you choose me as your instructor of course.¡± Holsy said, making sure to smile brightly at that last comment. Nodding. Frank didn¡¯t really know what else to do other than to nod at this exact moment. There were so many things he had learned, killing intent, being labeled as a wandering cultivator was good? Also, the fact that he might be considered more valuable as an F-Ranker on the surface all made him wonder just what he had been missing while being down in the lower levels of civilization. There was also the revelation that those with higher powers might be forced upwards and outwards, not as a reward system, but rather as a way to keep powerful ability users away from the lower levels? But if so why? No, thinking back there were likely more rational answers to these questions. Frank thought about asking, but was cut off by Holsy who said probably the most impactful statement that he had heard all day. ¡°I can see that I have given you a lot to think about. Why do you spend the rest of that energy that you have coursing through your body and break through yet another stage of cultivation before it is your turn to re-awaken.¡± Holsy said, gesturing to a spot at the far end of the wall right in the corner. Seeing the gesture, Frank almost wanted to protest, but then paused as he realized that even with only a few dozen or so people remaining in line, it would still be close to an hour before it was his turn to be called up. Also, it was abundantly clear that this opportunity would not be taken away from him, at least not by Holsy. The way Frank saw things, either this was the most elaborate practical joke done by a ranker against him, one where he would be potentially charged with an attempt to commit treason by defrauding the government while at a time of war by using Awakening materials. Or he was going to be allowed to get reevaluated as a fifth stage wandering cultivator who would be allowed to use the same awakening stone again for the second time. Either way, Frank felt fairly confident in one major fact, namely that he would not be staying down here in the slums. Nodding again, Frank made his way to the corner and sat down. Part of him wondered if he would be immediately seized, as he was fairly certain he had incriminated himself, but then another part of his heart dared to hope that this was something different, that everything he had been told was the truth and not just the truth, but undeniable facts that would mean he was no long bound down here, regardless of what the rankings showed. It was this last thought that gave him the most hope, as he desperately wanted to be in a world where he could excel based on his own work and aspirations and would not be held back by spoiled nobles who were born into privilege, people like Luther who were given everything on silver platters. Taking a deep breath, Frank inhaled and held, then with one exhale he released the tension in his shoulders and hoped that he might have a chance at joining a better world. With the tension gone, Frank began the final breakthrough and tightening of his core. By now Frank was absolutely certain that he had gone through at least the fifth layer, and likely broke through the sixth layer or more of his body cultivation stage. This time the transition was far easier than any breakthrough he felt before. Frank knew that part of his reason for the easy breakthrough was that his body had been forced to stay at this state for a while, despite constantly being flooded with energy, as he couldn¡¯t find a moment to break through given the fact that he had constantly been fighting for survival, and then after that he had been whisked away to here. The fact that Holsy could see that he was near a breakthrough also spoke volumes about his abilities. Honestly, Frank didn¡¯t know what happened, nor what was going on, but he did realize one thing, that once he got up from this corner his life would forever changed. Whoosh. Frank felt a surge of power get released from him, as his body forced harmful toxins out of his body. ¡°What?¡± A few people around him spoke out, having felt his breakthrough. With that he opened his eyes, and managed to lock gazes with a few of the kids his age who had been near him, but suddenly stared at him like he was some sort of freak. No, not a freak, there was a slight difference. This one, these looks he was now getting, that was of fear. ¡°Oh, look at the new kid flexing right there.¡± One of the guards spoke to his fellow guard. Looking to the speakers, he found that they were the same two guards from last time, the same two who were placed in charge of guarding the spent energy cells. He even remembered the one that shot a fireball at him under the bleachers. Seeing the two of them, he was surprised that he could hear them at all from this distance, but then realized that this was just an effect of his enhanced hearing. With that he got to his feet, feeling that he had once again gotten lighter and denser at the same time. His body flowed and seemed to move far easier than it had any right of doing, but he also felt the weight of power. That if he so chose, he could increase the amount of weight and force he put behind any strike. ¡°There we go. Now you look like this won¡¯t be a complete waste of an opportunity.¡± Holsy said. ¡°Opportunity?¡± ¡°Yeah, now your body looks like it can try to take in as much energy as possible. This time, while you are going, try to imagine the energy filling up as many circuits and loops as possible within your body. You have already done this, but with the amount and type of energy you are about to receive this will be important, as this is the last time we can artificially increase the level of energy available within your body.¡± ¡°Artificially?¡± Frank asked. ¡°Yeah, but we can talk about that later. Just realize this is your last chance at a free ride, so try to take full advantage of everything you are about to be given.¡± Holsy said, he gestured for Frank to take up the back of the line. As he went to the line, he heard Holsy mutter under his breath as he shook his head. ¡°A freakin¡¯ unicorn.¡± That was all Frank heard, as he got into line and watched the final few students go forward and place their hands on the awakening stone before it was his turn to move forward and try to re-awaken his latent potential. Seeing him, the military guard member on duty looked at him, then asked. ¡°You that kid from the mines that they found earlier today?¡± Hearing that Frank felt apprehension as he realized this might be the part where he is stopped, where he is told that his dream is forbidden to him. He trusted Holsy, but could he fully trust anyone? ¡°Yeah.¡± Frank eventually managed to say. ¡°All right,¡± the guard said, looking at something on his electronic communicator that looked far more advanced than any piece of electronics Frank had ever seen in his life. After seeing something, the man looked up from his pad, ¡°right, wait right here.¡± And like that the man left, leaving Frank standing alone the awakening stone right in front of him. He was so close. He was certain that by now he had been here long enough to get charges of attempting to defraud the government thrown against him. He also knew that if he wanted to he could run forward and touch the stone before anyone could stop him. At least that was his thought as he stared at the object of his desire. Just feet away, staring at him, taunting him. He was so close, and yet simultaneously so far away. So, Frank waited. Until finally, it happened¡­ Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Frank waited, wondering if this was all a joke. One sick instance of gallows humor, before he had the rug pulled out from underneath him. Then just as he felt all eyes on him, Holsy began drawing even more attention to him, by talking. ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen,¡± Holsy began his voice booming loudly in the open gymnasium. ¡°You all might be wondering who this new person is, having never seen them in your school before. Yet, here they are now, standing patiently, waiting in line for our assistants to change out the old power cells used to speed up your awakening, and changing them out for two new fully charged power cells.¡± With that Holsy then pointed off to the distance where a guard and Luther were both actively engaged with disassembling the old power cell and replacing them with two new ones. Seeing the changing of cells, Frank felt momentarily flummoxed by the actions, as he couldn¡¯t quite understand why such actions were being made. ¡°Well let me explain to you, what you are about to witness. This is the culmination of hard work, perseverance, and tenacity. See that boy before you, the one that looks like he¡¯s a dwarven cultivator, that kid did the impossible. Or rather, he did what many of you would consider to be impossible. What am I talking about?¡± Slight pause. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the fact that this boy managed to get to Tier V in cultivation.¡± Murmur. With that the students who had been silent all began to make minor ripples of sound that all added together to form a wave of unintelligible noise. ¡°Yes, you are going to witness part of the graduation ceremony for someone who is able to enter into the upper-level martial academies.¡± Holsy said, pointing high overhead indicating the upper levels of civilization that lead to the surface. ¡°But unlike all of those rich and noble brats who come from generations of wealthy cultivators, this kid did it on his own. Not only that, but he is one of you, from down here. Let this moment serve as a reminder of what you are capable of, what we all are capable of, when we truly put our minds into improving our standing in life.¡± Holsy stated, the crowd started to go wild, but before they could do anything, Holsy looked back at the two who were changing out the power cells. The guard on duty gave a thumbs up, as Luther got up, and turned to face Frank. There was a slight sneer on Luther¡¯s face, but before Frank could say or do anything about the look, the boy returned to his fake placid face. This was the face that Frank knew all too well, the face that Luther often used when he was either hiding the fact that he had done something wrong, or was about to do something wrong. Seeing that face, Frank felt a twinge of worry course through him, but instantly let the feeling go, for he knew. Somehow, he knew that nothing too dangerous would happen, for now. With that revelation, Frank took this as a sign that Luther had in fact put the pieces together and had figured out who Frank was. The fact that Frank was a walking, talking conviction wrap waiting to happen to Luther did not escape his attention. If Luther had made the connection from Holsy¡¯s little speech, Frank knew that Luther would take action in some way, trying to get him to remain silent on the events that transpired after his awakening. Yet, Frank knew that despite how brash Luther was, he would never do anything so openly as to attack Frank while in front of so many witnesses. For Frank knew Luther¡¯s true being, the fact that he was deep down a coward. No, if he was to strike at Frank it would be as Holsy already noted from the shadows and when Frank would least expect it. ¡°Come on kid.¡± Holsy stated, gently placing a hand on Frank¡¯s arm and guiding him to the awakening stone. A stone that glowed brightly with a rainbow of colors and textures. As Frank approached, he could feel and see the ambient energy all but thrumming in waves from the stone. The stone was so bright, that it seemed to blind Frank, until like a moth, he was drawn to the flames of energy. For a moment the whole world shrunk until it was just Frank, the glowing ball of endless energy, and Holsy who was still talking. ¡°All right, normally this is done in private as this can be painful for some who are not ready. Basically, this is the last time we can artificially inflate your cultivation Tier with energy. The first time was during your actual awakening. The reason why we wait until after Tier V of cultivation is that after Tier V you can awaken an affinity to a second element. Our scouts note that you have already shown an affinity to Life Energy, these will help you heal yourself, regrow limbs, and maybe eventually be able to speed up the healing processes in others. Due to how dense green energy is, almost all abilities one can gain from this source of energy are all F-Rank. Even with awakening a second affinity, your primary will still be Life energy. So don¡¯t think that this will change that ranking.¡± With that Frank felt his shoulders drop just a smidge. While he had come to a somewhat similar understanding from all of Holsy¡¯s veiled statements over the morning. Only now, having it spelled out for him in no uncertain terms did the full weight of these words truly hit him. ¡°That said,¡± Holsy continued, speaking lower now so that only Frank could hear this next part. ¡°Out in martial academies, what you started out at means nothing. In fact, the fact that you managed to work your way out of here by yourself as an F-Rank, that will mean more going forward than having been born with S-Rank abilities.¡± Frank had also understood that last statement, but then a new thought hit him. ¡°What is this martial academy that you keep talking about?¡± Frank asked. Pausing, Holsy suddenly looked at Frank like he had three heads, then shaking himself he realized. ¡°They really don¡¯t teach you anything down here do they?¡± Frank just shook his head, not quite knowing how to answer that question. ¡°Well, once you awaken your second affinity you will effectively have two different schools of power to pull from. Individually they will be powerful and fairly linear with what you can and cannot do with them. That is why we for the most part let all students who don¡¯t have powers that will destroy the world around them go out and explore on their own. Then when they learn their second affinity of power, we let them learn to blend their two powers to form an even more devastating attack. This goes back into the whole team approach to combat that we will preach, as a team of cultivators working together is always more effective than a lone warrior on their own. So too are blended powers more capable than those of the individual components used to create them. That is why this is such a big chance for you. Just go up there and find a second source of power that resonates with you and fill up your body with its power to be at the same level of power as your primary energy source, and we will take care of the rest.¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Exhale. Hearing that Frank felt a bit of the tension that had been slowly building within him wash away. ¡°Good, relax. You¡¯ve got this. This is only a good thing.¡± Holsy said, patting Frank on the shoulder. Frank hearing that stood to full height and moved behind the stone. ¡°Wait until I get off the platform,¡± Holsy called out half-jokingly as he jumped from the stage leaving Frank alone. Taking a quick scan around him, Frank saw hundreds of students all watching from beyond the exit line. He saw civilians wearing school uniforms staring on in awe, he even saw the other soldiers looking on with something akin to respect in their eyes. Holsy was the worst, who seemed to be excited for Frank¡¯s success, far more than he felt at the moment. Realizing he was only delaying the inevitable, Frank steeled himself and then placed his hands on the awakening stone. Only, out of the corner of his eye did he notice the quick-change wash across Luther¡¯s face. He was in an instant how the boy¡¯s placid face quickly gave way to a half smirk smile that seemed to glow with malice, all but proving Luther¡¯s internal thoughts and deeds. Unfortunately, Frank had no time to even entertain why Luther was so excited for this moment. Holsy was here, if Luther did do anything stupid, Frank was certain that he would strike down the boy before he got close enough to use his banshee powers. Frank felt a full gambit of energy fill him, slightly hot and citrusy orange. He felt the golden rays of yellow that made Frank imagine what sunlight must be like. He felt the fiery controlled heat of fire. The cool breezy quality of light blue. The deep rhythmic wave like fluctuations of dark blue. Then he felt the deep caressing cool feeling of green energy. Having heard Holsy¡¯s explanation of green energy, Frank couldn¡¯t help but agree, green energy was dense in a way that spoke of the gregarious nature of the energy. The way the energy needed to be around more of its kind. His body instantly pulled in string after string of green energy, slurping it down like he was a starving man who just found an oasis. While it had just been moments since he last managed to breakthrough, his body was now and would seemingly always be hungry for crisp green energy, the energy of life. Then he felt it. A slight shiver ran down his spine, as he felt a dark ominous aura in the energy. Dark and violent, yet somehow familiar. Breathing heavily. Frank felt an unmistakable fear growing within him, as he felt a new more powerful energy that seemed to cause all other forms of energy to tremble in its wake. No, not more powerful, just contrary. In his mind, Frank could feel the difference between this new form of energy and the others. While the other energies had all been able to be touched within his body, without too much hassle. This new form of energy was deep, undeniable, and above all unavoidable. The dark energy was seemingly drawn to the light within his body, particularly to the green energy. HUH! ¡°How could this be!¡± Holsy shouted. Outside of his body, Frank heard people shouting and yelling, but they were distant screams. ¡°Get him down, he will die.¡± ¡°He is already dead. The darkness has him.¡± Ominous words rang out around him, but Frank focused on the moment. He was not afraid of this new source of energy, in fact, he now realized why it felt so familiar, as he had bathed in it his first true night as a cultivator. Mentally, he realized this was the same corroding energy that he had been accosted with inside the mouth of the giant serpent he killed. Just like that first true night of his baptism into the world of cultivation, Frank felt a life versus death battle raging inside him. He felt the dark energy take root within his body, slowly corroding everything around it, only to be recreated in an instant from the glowing green light of Life energy. Screaming. Distantly there was screaming occurring, but that was distant. It wasn¡¯t until he felt a bit of his internal healing energy being redirected to his vocal cords that he realized that the sound of the screams was coming from himself. Suddenly in a brief flash of insight, he knew what had happened. His mind began working overtime as it began piecing together all the different images of what had happened. Everything from Luther¡¯s angry stare, to his being put into his place by Holsy. Then his subsequent smirking after he had finished changing out the power cells, to his unmistakable glee once the whole second awakening process began. Luther had done this, set about this level of pain on him. Frank was dying, he knew it, and his killer this tormentor who had accosted him since his first day of school would get away with it. Just as he had gotten away with killing Scottie and Aaron, two of his lackies who while Frank wasn¡¯t entirely saddened by their deaths, they were just ultimately afraid. In that moment, Frank realized that. His mind forced to work overtime to combat the surging pain that was coursing through his body, as two diametrically opposed energies surged about within his body. Frank realized that Scottie and Aaron were just pawns, caught up in a game of survival that had little room for error. Looking up from the stone, Frank looked out exactly to where he knew Luther would be. The boy had been laughing quietly to himself, his half smirk having expanded to be a full-on smile. At least it had been a smile until he locked gazes with Frank. As soon as their eyes met, Luther¡¯s face suddenly turned to a look of fear. Frank didn¡¯t know what the boy saw in him, nor did he really care at that moment. At this exact moment something clicked in Frank¡¯s mind, as his normally calm rational mind gave way to revenge. This was a last desperate retaliatory attack against the person who had wronged him for so long. The person who had tormented him in his dreams. A person who forced him to nearly die dozens of times in the discarded ruins of civilization. In this moment, Frank felt hatred. Complete and unbridled hatred directed at one lone tormentor. Locking gazes with the instigator of all his pain, Frank focused his mind and felt something in his body awaken. New pathways and circuits for energy, he felt them open up as the new form of energy required new circuits to work independently. The darkness burned as it made its way through his body, but he didn¡¯t fight the pain, not any more. Instead, he embraced it, the way one would grip the hilt of a white hot sword if only to be able to impale that sword into the heart of your sworn enemy. That is exactly what Frank did at this very moment. He embraced the pain, he embraced the feel of corrosion and of death permeating his body. He embraced it all just to deliver one final act of revenge. They might forget that Frank Fotos ever existed after today, but one person would remember him for the rest of his life. Focusing his mind and full killing intent on Luther Camello, the source of all his rage, pain, and anger at the moment Frank reached out with his mind and directing the brand new power that seemed to stretch out like an invisible arm. ¡°What?¡± Focusing his will, Frank directed all his energy into one intense beam of pain-infused energy. Then reaching out, he found the now trembling Luther with his energy. As his energy caressed the body of Luther, there was a momentary delay and give, as if scissors finding a slightly easier way to cut through a singular sheet of paper. Just by touching Luther with his power, he felt the skin and body writhe way. ¡°AHHH!¡± Luther cried out in pain, as the full effect of the power that now served Frank listened to him. Luther stared on with shock and horror at the sight before him. ¡°DIE!¡± Luther shouted out, releasing a light blue burst of energy that lashed out towards Frank, only to fall over forty feet short of Frank. Better still, every time the light blue energy of his shriek touched the outstretched line of black energy that now fell under Frank¡¯s control, the light blue stream evaporated as if touching a scorching fire. Realizing that his attack couldn¡¯t even reach Frank, that Frank had now awoken an S-Rank distance power or maybe even further given the distance that Frank was able to wield his newfound power. Seeing the look of utter fear in Luther¡¯s eyes, Frank couldn¡¯t help but smile. Suddenly the world burned slightly less. Yes, his body was still absorbing both green and dark energies constantly, but at this moment nothing mattered. The only thing he felt was exhilaration, he would die, but he would take Luther down with him. ¡°No.¡± Frank responded, his voice oddly cold and mocking. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you for good this time¡­¡± Luther began, but he took too long, as Frank seeing that Luther was gathering energy around his vocal cords lashed out with his power. This time there was no resistance, as he felt the energy pulse through Luther¡¯s body, he felt his energy get attracted to the core of Luther. There all it took was a quick squeeze, and the core popped the same way a grape would under such pressure. Gah. Luther instantly coughed up blood from the attack as he dropped to his knees. Frank watched as the spark of energy within his body was slowly snuffed out by the dark energy that Frank now wielded. Frank watched, making sure that the scum bag Luther was well and truly dead. He did not want to have to come back as a venging spirit to finish the job correctly. People began to go closer to Luther, but each keeping more than a few feet back as they looked at the corpse. Frank, realizing that there might be some hidden techniques unknown to him that could bring people back from the dead, decided to be thorough, and with one last focused attempt. He reached out, then grabbing the whole body of Luther encapsulated it in darkness energy and then squeezed. Squish. Dark blood sprayed out on everyone who had gathered near, or not managed to back away far enough in time. Seeing that the body of his foe and nemesis was well and truly dead, Frank nodded himself, before he let the darkness that had been surging throughout his body take him, as he collapsed to the ground. Letting the sweet embrace of death take away all his remaining pain, fears, and desires. He had accomplished all his life goals, he had reached beyond Tier V, managed to ensure the fact that he would forever leave the slums, and had killed Luther. All in all, it was a good death, one that Frank would have felt satisfied with a few days ago. Of course, that was a few days ago, as his life had changed quite a lot since that point. Yet, here he was feeling his mind slowly drift away. Darkness. Interlude I (One Week Later) Interlude I (One Week Later) Sub-Lieutenant Percius Holsy ¡°The entire thing from start to finish was a P.R. disaster,¡± General Graves said, as he combed through the reports before him on everything that happened. ¡°You know they are calling it the day of the Reaper. A day when not one but two students were seemingly cut down in some death pact suicide attempt.¡± ¡°Sir, it wasn¡¯t like that.¡± Captain Ty ¡°Vanguard¡± Wright cut in. ¡°I know. Trust me, I have read both your reports and those reports of other operatives who went down to the first district where those two miscreants came from.¡± General Graves began, indicating that he had gone behind the back of everyone present to double check that nothing was left unchecked. Listening in as an extra witness to the case, Holsy couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly angered by the fact that someone would go back behind their backs to verify their findings. Then again, after thinking about it, Holsy realized that the General¡¯s hands were likely tied and that he was likely forced to send out a second scout team down just to double-check and make sure that everything was captured accurately. ¡°Though you both must admit that this is the equivalent of a P.R. nightmare. We have two people who finally get their chance to rise above their status, and be elevated from the slums. Only to be killed by each other, one for some perceived slights, and one for direct retaliation.¡± The General stated, but then exhaling he sighed as he turned his back to the two, and let a moment of silence fill the room. Silence that Holsy himself almost felt compelled to fill. For a moment he thought about stating how it might actually be a blessing in disguise as being raised to the academies was not the fairy tale ending that it was made out to be. Just as he opened his mouth, General Graves turned his head to lock gazes with Holsy. Then as if seeing his thoughts, or understanding what Holsy was going to ask, the General cut him off. ¡°I know full well Sub-Lieutenant that the surface life is not all sunshine and rainbows. But the people of the deep areas don¡¯t know that. They don¡¯t know that many on the surface wish to have a peaceful existence that is offered by being in relative anonymity below the surface. That where they are, with only having to deal with the occasional surges of giant rodents is a blessing all things considered. I get all that. But those kids, those One hundred and fifty-four individuals who sat around after their own crappy Awakening to watch not one but two who had defied the odds and managed to leave get killed before their eyes was a clear wakeup call as to how dangerous the upper levels can be. And that is the problem. We need those kids, and their future kids to want to leave, to strive for bigger and greater goals of joining us on the surface. They live in a fairy-tale, and we need to let them, otherwise we will never get the reinforcements that we so desperately need. Each B-Rank talent we find is a blessing. Furthermore, everyone of those who comes from the slums and manages to make the fifth Tier of cultivation on their own are considered driven geniuses by the instructors. Those are the people we need Sub-Lieutenant, and sadly those are two of the very people that we are now missing thanks to the mishandling of resources.¡± General Graves stated honestly. Hearing that, Holsy couldn¡¯t help but shut his mouth, once again the General¡¯s gift for foresight let him control the conversation and the pace at which information was released. Hearing his reply, Holsy couldn¡¯t help but feel like he had been forced to swallow a lemon whole as he seemed to be unable to render a reply. Not that anyone could come up with anything to counter the General, when he was using his power to clearly stay one step ahead of the conversation. Looking to his left, Holsy could see that Vanguard, his commander, wanted to speak, but wisely held his mouth shut. Seeing the display from his commander, Holsy realized he had dodged a bullet with his near insubordination and wisely decided to lock up his mouth and stand at parade rest. Seeing that Holsy was once again quelled, the General nodded, and then continued. ¡°Commander, tell me again in full detail what you found from your initial investigation after the awakening up until the attack.¡± The General demanded. Vanguard was about to open his mouth, but the General held up a quick hand to stop him as he pulled out a recording crystal. Seeing the crystal, Holsy realized that this was the important part. This was where the true deposition would be taken. Everything before this was likely done for Holsy¡¯s part, he was needed as a witness to the ordeal, but he also knew now that any outburst on his part would be met with harsh punishment by the General who would likely let him open his mouth to make a fool out of him, rather than staying quiet as the third party observer as required by law. ¡°I don¡¯t mean when you found the boy the second time. I mean from the first time you saw him, until the end.¡± General Graves said, holding out the crystal that was still not activated. Hearing the instructions, Vanguard nodded in understanding. With that the General infused the recording crystal with a bit of blue energy and placed the instrument on the desk before him. And like that Vanguard began telling his findings. ¡°The two subjects were first noted and awakened as part of one of our first stops in District 22. There one Luther Camello was noted as having a B-Ranked talent and willingly agreed to follow our troop out once we finished our rounds in the lower areas. He was given four hours to go home and gather his things. During this time we had a scout member track him to make sure no one assaulted him out of envy or other actions. What the scout found was that the subject Luther Camello was engaged in aggressive bullying tactics of one Frank Fotos, an F-Ranker who had also awakened that day and had somehow drawn the ire of Former candidate Camello. From there it was witnessed how FC Camello directed two other F-Rankers to assault Cadet candidate Fotos. There was a scuffle, in which CC Fotos managed to disable the two F-Rankers and managed to evade capture. FC Camello, who had been hiding at the choke point eventually grew anxious and tried to find out what happened. During that time one of his underlings came out to him, frightening the subject, causing the subject to dispel his power with lethal efficiency. From there FC Camello was taken into custody, but only after chasing off CC Fotos. By the time FC Camello was taken into custody, and informed that he had lost his four hour window to gather his things, and that he would be taken up to first face two counts of manslaughter charges, FC Camello became combative. That was when Sub-Lieutenant Holsy first had to institute corporal discipline on the FC. With that administered, the scout went back to check for CC Fotos, only to find that any way of reaching the boy was impossible and it was believed he managed to somehow escape to safety or die. Originally, he was going to be listed as a third manslaughter charge, until he was found three days later in District 17, the very district that we were scanning for at that time.¡± Deep breath. Vanguard took a quick pause, to center himself before continuing. ¡°The entire time FC Camello was under our command he was never allowed outside of the supervision of one or more of the guards. Furthermore, when he showed clear signs of hostility towards CC Fotos again, Holsy once again put FC Camello into corrective counseling positions, until FC Camello became compliant. CC Fotos had been found earlier that day in the lower mines. When my Sub Lieutenant Holsy went to check on the boy who came up as unknown according to the records of District 17, they thought he was unawakened and asked for us to check on him. When Holsy arrived, not only did he find the boy¡¯s signatures from District 22, but he also found that somehow the boy had managed to break through the sixth layer of cultivation.¡± ¡°Sixth layer in three days?¡± General Graces asked, making sure to call out this fact. ¡°That is correct, six layers in three days. Furthermore, it was noted that his base of power was far more robust than one would expect from a person typically trying to cut corners and advance as quickly as possible. His base was so robust in fact that it almost appeared like he had purposefully held himself back from evolving as quickly as possible. Making sure to infuse every part of his body with power before advancing.¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. With that General Graves nodded, indicating that the question posed had been answered satisfactorily for the recording. With that Vanguard apparently decided to switch back to his normal briefing mode. ¡°My Sub Lieutenant messaged me on the side and informed me of the discovery and the fact that this kid was ready for a second awakening. At first I was hesitant, as I didn¡¯t think we had enough energy cells left to awaken all of District 17, and give a second awakening to someone who was on the seventh layer of cultivation.¡± ¡°Seventh layer? I thought you said he came out as sixth?¡± The General asked, noticing the potential point of contention and drawing light to it immediately. ¡°That is correct, as noted earlier, the boy CC Fotos had been holding himself back. In addition to being beyond the sixth layer of cultivation, somehow he had more than enough energy within his system to force a breakthrough to the seventh layer of cultivation while in the gymnasium, which he did under Sub Lieutenant Holsy¡¯s watchful gaze.¡± Another nod from the General let Vanguard know that the question had been answered satisfactorily, so once again Vanguard moved on. ¡°Given how short staffed we were, and the need to keep FC Camello under constant supervision given his status as an accused murderer, we had placed him with Sergeant Reyes who had him on energy cell replacement duty.¡± ¡°What exactly is that duty?¡± General Graves asked, apparently trying to make this so that even a civilian who knew nothing about what happened could follow along and realize that malice was at play. ¡°That duty involves the taking apart, removing, and reattaching of energy cells to the power couplers that ultimately feed energy into the object we all refer to as the awakening stone. Without the power cells being attached, we would not be able to provide enough energy to forcefully awaken everyone during the ceremonies.¡± With that General Graves nodded, but then asked another clarifying question. ¡°And that job was a suitable punishment, being next to so much power?¡± General Graves asked. ¡°Honestly, attaching and disassembling of power cells is one of the most dangerous jobs available. As you may or may not be aware, power cells have two components. There is the primary component that is filled with sample stones from all known types of helpful energy types. That is your red fire stones, your dark blue water stones, your brown earth stones, and so on. What is not known, or often not considered is the counter balance to those stones, the way to keep that energy focused and directed in the direction we want.¡± Vanguard stated. ¡°And what exactly is that?¡± ¡°Death energy sir. In order to both encapsulate the power stones for future use, and to make sure that any harmful byproducts of energy radiating off of the power stones that could corrupt the cultivation process of those who don¡¯t have an affinity for that particular type of energy, we use Death Crystals as the base component to break down any radiation from the other stones.¡± ¡°So these Death Stones are used to eat away otherwise toxic radiation?¡± ¡°That is correct sir.¡± ¡°What about radiation from these Death Stones, isn¡¯t that a concern?¡± ¡°No, that is not a concern, as Death Stones do not radiate energy in any way. That is why they are used as neutralizing agent, for toxic energy waves.¡± ¡°If they are used as a neutralizing agent, then what is the concern posed by them?¡± The General pressed, again making sure that everything was spelled out for anyone who would listen to this briefing later on. Honestly Holsy was impressed with the way the General led the discussion in such a slow methodical way to prove the point that Vanguard was ultimately going to make. Now, all Holsy had to do was sit back and watch the final part all come together. ¡°While Death Crystals are a neutralizing agent for radioactive waves. They are in themselves the most corruptive energy known to man. Just touching death crystals can leave death residue, which if a cultivator is lucky the body will just create a natural pocket around the harmful substance and be able to cultivate around the blemish.¡± ¡°And in the worst case?¡± ¡°In the worst case, the corruption of Death energy can permanently disable limbs, and cultivation channels, leading to decreased capabilities and long-term suffering of the patient. And in some cases, if the exposure is high enough, an exposure of a sizable enough proportion could lead to death.¡± ¡°How much is needed to constitute a quote unquote high exposure?¡± General Graves asked. ¡°Being exposed to as much as five percent of a cultivator¡¯s base energy pool for cultivation could be considered enough to cripple a standard cultivator. By the time they reach the seven to eight percent range death is all but guaranteed in a matter of years, and it is assumed the cultivator will no longer be able to use cultivation as a tool for combat. And by ten percent exposure, the question is often when, not if the person will die. Though this normally means that the cultivator will die within twenty-four hours or so from the time of exposure.¡± Vanguard answered thoroughly. ¡°Out of curiosity, approximately how much exposure was CC Fotos exposed to of this Death Energy?¡± General Graves asked. ¡°It is hard to tell, but initial reports indicate anywhere from a hundred and ten percent, to as high as one hundred and twenty-five percent.¡± ¡°A hundred and ten to one twenty-five? How is such a thing possible?¡± ¡°Well, in the case of CC Fotos, it would appear that he is one of the rare people who has managed an affinity with Death energy. While he still remains in a coma, he shows signs that he will awaken shortly.¡± ¡°Please continue with your report.¡± General Graves stated. With that there was the slightest of pauses as Vanguard tried to remember where he was in his report of the events that took place, but quickly found his place and nodding began to answer. ¡°As was noted earlier. FC Camello was assigned to replace energy cells as time went on. We documented that he did a total of five such changes. The first two were with Sargeent Reyes directly assisting then the last three were with him as overwatch. When it came time for CC Fotos¡¯s second awakening, Sargeent Reyes worked with FC Camello to set up two different energy cells. At first, Sargeent Reyes saw FC Camello begin the process of linking the correct nozzle end to the secondary feed tube that had been set up for the secondary awakening process, due to the need to provide twice as much energy. This observation was confirmed, by threading marks on the normal power providing side that showed both signs of being attached and then quickly detached.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°After receiving the initial approval from Sargeent Reyes, it was noted that Reyes turned his back on FC Camello, giving him time to act on his own. During this time, it was noted that FC Camello deliberately tampered with the cell, ripping off the safety seal for the death energy side of the coupler and attached that to the second energy feed tube that had been turned on for this operation. Things were moving quickly, and while Sargeent Reyes initially gave the thumbs up to Sub Lieutenant Holsy, that everything was good to go, it was not.¡± ¡°What happened then?¡± ¡°Once it was approved to open the flood gates, energy from the first cell began filling CC Fotos, when the energy from the first cell began to deplete, the reserves from the second cell were opened, to help speed up the process. The only problem of course being that the second tube provided death energy directly to CC Fotos.¡± ¡°What happened after that?¡± There was a slow cadence going out, where Vanguard would get going, only to be slowed down by the General. Watching it, Holsy noticed the slight undertones of the need for going slightly slower, something that was only stressed the way the General kept interrupting, while asking the same question over and over, getting different results each time. ¡°There was obviously a commotion, as the signs of death energy were quickly identified as flooding into the candidate.¡± ¡°What did it look like?¡± ¡°It looked like he was dying, as if his own body was rotting away from the inside out. We noticed that he cried out in pain, but then he somehow managed to heal the damage that the death energy was causing on his body. Not quickly, but it was noticeable the longer things went on.¡± ¡°This is how you assess the one hundred and ten to one hundred and twenty-five percent exposure rating?¡± ¡°Yes, well that and the fact that we calculate that at least ten percent had to be used for the attack the CC used against the FC.¡± ¡°Attack?¡± ¡°Yes, during this process, CC Fotos looked up and apparently realized that FC Camello had done something in an attempt to kill him.¡± ¡°Do you think this was an attempt at murder, making the third, if not fourth charge of murder being brought before FC Camello, with at least one and possibly two being linked to CC Fotos?¡± ¡°That is correct. I believe it was a clear murder attempt, given his track record and previous history of violence towards the candidate, there was only one logical conclusion to take, he wanted to kill or seriously cripple the candidate.¡± Nodding the General then asked. ¡°So what happened with this attack?¡± ¡°CC Fotos originally awoke as an F-Rank, meaning that he could only use powers internally, at first. With death magic there is no true range limit noted, but it is generally assumed to be able to be wielded with an S-Rank category, which CC Fotos proved by his actions. Locking gazes with FC Camello, he saw the boy smiling at his pain, given where he was and his previous discontent towards the candidate, CC Fotos understood the motive as well and reacted.¡± ¡°What did he do?¡± ¡°He reached out and with surgical precision, directed a wave of death energy to FC Camello, where we believe his core was ruptured, causing internal injuries that would have been impossible to recover from.¡± ¡°You believe?¡± ¡°Yes, well shortly after that, CC Fotos I guess wanted to make sure he either killed the boy, or wished to provide a mercy killing, at which point he exerted another larger burst of directed death energy at the target. After which point CC Fotos passed out due to exposure to death energy. We did a preliminary check on FC Camello and found that he was dead on the spot.¡± ¡°What are your thoughts on the actions of CC Fotos as a whole? Being as you were witness to everything that took place?¡± With that Vanguard paused for a moment, before collecting his thoughts and providing an answer. ¡°I saw it as an attempt at self-defense, or at the very least a revenge strike for the person you thought attempted to kill you.¡± ¡°Do you believe CC Fotos should be found at fault for the murder of FC Camello?¡± ¡°No, I do not. I see it as a person defending themselves against a bully and an aggressor who has shown countless attempts on CC Fotos¡¯s life and nearly succeeded with this last attempt.¡± Vanguard answered smoothly. ¡°Do you foresee any future complications that might arise from this?¡± ¡°Being as FC Camello was just a B-Rank candidate his direct family had not followed. He has a younger sister who will awaken next year and might exact revenge at that time, once she learns of the fate of her older brother, though that seems unlikely given the noted animosity between her and her brother.¡± ¡°So CC Fotos has nothing to worry about in the academy?¡± ¡°Far from it, while he might have been estranged from his younger sister, FC Camello was noted as being on good terms with his older cousins, one Erving Camello, male and in the sophomore program of the academy, then there is Irene Camello who is a junior at the academy. Both are noted as A and S rank specialists respectively.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Chapter 15 Chapter 15 Darkness. Thick and unrelenting, yet, there was something deeper in the darkness. That is of course if Frank was brave enough to find his way out of the darkness. The Darkness clung to him, like a thick wet blanket that seemed to almost suffocate if you held still for too long. If you gave in and stopped struggling. ¡°Give up.¡± A mocking voice echoed out in the darkness. It would be easy, almost too easy to give up. But that wasn¡¯t Frank, he didn¡¯t quit when every day was a living hell at Luther¡¯s hands. He didn¡¯t quit when he plummeted to his seeming death, fought off a death serpent, and then fought off hundreds of plague rodents. He didn¡¯t quit, when he felt that everything he had worked for, his second awakening was just a dream. And he didn¡¯t quit before he exacted much deserved revenge on Luther Camello, the person who forced this abnormal state on Frank right now. Cycling his energy, Frank stood up. In his mind he knew that the green energy of life was diametrically opposed to the darkness. That green energy was life, and darkness was the end of all life. He knew these things, as he could feel both parts taking equal control over parts of his body. There was of course a problem. When Frank tried to stand up, that was when he realized he both stood up, and didn¡¯t. His life energy told him that his body was still laying flat on a soft cloud. While in his mind he stood up in the darkness. ¡°Lie down.¡± ¡°Relax.¡± ¡°It will all be over soon.¡± These words and more came to him, speaking directly into his mind. ¡°No.¡± Frank muttered defiantly, feeling the word echo in the world around him. He took this as a good sign, as it meant he was starting to see the difference between the realm of sleep and the realm of living. He was sleeping, that much he was certain of. It was in that same odd cadence that everything in a dream makes sense, until you slowly start to point out the lack of knowledge and insight into key characteristics of the dream. As a kid who was often plagued by nightmares, Frank had to come up with ways to detect dreams from reality, then once he awoke in a dream it was his job to change the storyline of the dream. If the dream was too scary, focus on a better story and let that one take root. That is what Frank did now, only to realize that while he could control his own thoughts, there was an external force that was here. Something that kept the darkness in place. Logically Frank knew that he should be frightened of the darkness, that it should fill him with dread. Yet, the more he focused his will on the current situation, the more he realized he could control the darkness, if he exerted control over it. If he exerted his will over the darkness it could and would bend to his whims. Focusing, his will Frank demanded that the darkness move away from him. Nothing. That wasn¡¯t right, he knew it just as he tried the command. No, darkness wasn¡¯t the problem. Pausing, Frank tried to understand what the problem was. He could feel the power, and swore that it would bend to his will, yet when he tried to push it away, it didn¡¯t go anywhere. Then Frank realized the solution. If you can¡¯t push the problem away, then pull it closer. Pull it into you. So that is what Frank did, he pulled the darkness into him. Thick slimy streams of energy pulled into him, into his body. As it entered his body and mind there was a slight burning sensation, the same that was akin to having a good workout, one that pushed the muscles to the brink and then stopped. The more energy he pulled into himself and accepted as part of his body, the more he could see around him. Unlike how most might assume this went, where he could see further away and then slowly see what was right before him, this was not the case. Instead, it went reverse, where he began drawing in the energy that immediately around him, revealing smooth marble tile floors under him. The tiles of the floor in his mind were polished to perfection, showing a bright gleam of light that hinted at being the refraction of burning flames. ¡°Oh look, he is trying to kill himself.¡± ¡°Looks like he will be joining us here shortly.¡± The voices from within the darkness still called out and spoke, but they suddenly seemed to be clearer. Now Frank could tell them apart, as each voice had slightly different inclinations. One was old and wise, while the other seemed younger but filled with strength and bravado. Not quitting his actions, Frank continued to pull in the darkness, revealing more and more black tiles and eventually revealing stone walls that stretched upwards into the sky above. Only after seeing the walls and the way the stone walkway stretched on before him, did he realize he was in a hallway. He pulled more dark energy into him, and finally saw the burning torches that caused the lights to dance on the stone walkway before him. Also, as soon as he could see the torches, he could begin to hear the crackles of the flames burning, their sparks of life echoing around the chamber, hitting the remaining spots of darkness and then fading out of existence. Frank continued to pull in the energy, though it was getting harder the further away the energy was. Frank tried to take a step forward, only to find that his feet were melded into place the way only a dreamscape could make seem believable. Still, this was not the worst dream that Frank had found himself in and realized that as soon as he saw through the darkness was the moment, he would regain control over his body. That was the moment he would be able to leave this dreamscape, and it was a dreamscape, Frank was certain of that much, at least. Realizing that he was stuck in place and that this was just a test of his mind, or something further, Frank pushed on. ¡°Oh, look the mighty titan tries to move, only to find out that the world is too hard to resist.¡± The mocking voice of the elder speaker came from the left. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°He will die just like the rest.¡± The younger and more brash voice mocked from the right. Gritting his teeth, Frank forced a smile. Well, that¡¯s what others called this look, though this was really Frank¡¯s personal snarl, this was the look he had adopted for most of his life. The girt your teeth, turn your lips up and prepare your face for the smack, punch, or kick that the world is about to send your way. Hello, the name¡¯s Frank, and I won¡¯t give up, and you can¡¯t make me quit. Frank thought to himself as he focused his mind, drowned out the voices of the naysayers and continued to pull in the darkness. It was not only a question of power but of perseverance, this task. The more he pulled, the further the motes of dark energy remained, making it harder to reach out and grab the farthest points. ¡°Oh look, he does think that he can do this before death overtakes him.¡± The mocking voice of the elder called out, by now Frank could see the outline of his feet, and a dark black robe that almost looked like a silk curtain for a moment covering the form of a tall frail figure who wore what Frank would assume was the robe of an occultist. Someone who was enamored with death and sacrifices to the old Gods. Glancing right, he saw similar but different features. On the right side of the hallway, directly parallel from the hooded elder speaker, stood a statue of black obsidian polished armor. Though it was clear that someone was in the armor given the way it would bend and shift its weight slightly from side to side. As more was revealed, Frank saw a drawn black visor that only let out a faint red glow. The glow was meant to be eerie, but in Frank¡¯s mind, that look only seemed to make sense. By now, the darkness was mostly gone. The stone walkway eventually led to steps that began to rise upwards once Frank got past the two speakers. This was the toughest part, as these particles were clearly the farthest away, and therefore required the most effort to pull and absorb into himself. Still, Frank pressed on, determined to see what lay beyond in the darkness. As the darkness began to fade, details began to become clear. He saw the outlines of solid slabs of obsidian that were lined with golden threads reaching up from the ground. On the ground he saw one black boot that looked somehow elegant and slender. On the corners of the sides, he saw the markings of handrails where a feminine right hand rested almost lazily, while on the left was a slender elbow that seemed to have dark purple skin. At the top, were the ornate markings of golden spikes that shot up from an obsidian backing. In his mind, Frank understood the overall image, this was a dark throne some kind. Which in Frank¡¯s mind meant that the person sitting on the throne had to be the ruler. That was the only thing that made sense, and that was part of the fundamental logic of dreams. That was how dreams worked, there was a throne, someone sat in the throne, that person who sat in the throne was the ruler. Frank was certain of the fact that the ruler of this odd dreamscape was sitting in the throne that was covered by a giant black circular dot, just as much as he was certain that this was a dream. A dream he would wake up from, once he finished seeing the image that this dream wished to show to him. Renewed by the fact that this dream was nearly over, Frank pressed on, revealing more and more of the image before him. Slowly, the image took shape. When Frank originally only saw one boot on the ground, that was because the second boot was slightly higher up, dangling over a knee. It took a second for Frank to realize that the ruler in the throne not only didn¡¯t mind showing off their long purple legs, but that they felt completely comfortable here. Well they should, as this was likely their hall, meaning they had supremacy here. Still, the ruler sat in the giant throne with her legs crossed. A fact that was proven by the way a short black skirt was all that protected her modesty. That skirt, and the fact that the legs were crossed and turned slightly to the right, made it so there was no doubt that the ruler was completely uninterested in Frank. The more Frank revealed, the more he saw the signs of contempt. The right hand that now began to tap annoyedly on the right armrest. The way the left hand held a face that was still concealed by darkness. The way the ruler had her entire body turned at an angle to Frank. It was at this point that Frank realized that even in his dreams girls were annoyed by having to deal with him. Finally, the last traces of darkness were removed, revealing the beautiful face of a monster. The ruler, a queen, was clearly a monster. Everything showed that this person was a monster. Everything from their smooth purple skin to their black nails, to silver hair, their unnaturally symmetrical face, their black horns that glowed with dark energy, and piercing red eyes that stared violently to the right, well Frank¡¯s left. Frank looked and saw two glowing red lights on the walls, right where the demon queen was staring. ¡°There, done.¡± Frank said, as he spoke, he could feel his control over his mind and body come back to him. This was the last thing he needed to break the hold that this dreamscape had on his mind. Just as he spoke, the ruler who had been staring off annoyedly at the wall broke from her own musings. Then with a look of surprise, she turned her head to Frank, who was already in the process of awakening. He could already feel his legs and arms, there was a slight weight on his torso, but that was nothing for Frank as he knew if he focused he could and would awaken. ¡°Wait, you did it?¡± The demon queen asked, incredulously as she stared at Frank. ¡°Yeah, I guess I did.¡± Frank said, then raising his middle finger as a final gesture to ruler, Frank felt his connection to the dream world break. Honestly, Frank couldn¡¯t tell why he felt like flicking the demon queen of his dream world off. Maybe it was the complete look of contempt that she had on her, as if looking at Frank was something beneath her time. In a way, she reminded Frank of every girl, except for Maddie, the little sister of his longtime rival. That thought flashed in his mind at the speed that only dreams can afford, then just as he saw a look of surprise cross the Demon Queen¡¯s face, his connection to the dream world was finally broken. Gasp. Frank felt his body jerk to life, as he began taking in deep panting breaths. For whatever reason that last part, the part of pressure on his chest always forced him to take deep breaths once he awoke. It almost felt like he was somehow able to enter the dreamworld so long as he held his breath. Movement. ¡°You¡¯re awake,¡± a female voice said, as she peered around a long curtain that seemed to dangle in the middle of the room. ¡°I¡¯ll go fetch the doctor.¡± Then like that the woman wearing an odd gray uniform left just as quickly as she came. Seeing the curtains Frank wondered if he was at home, for that was how many of the houses in the slums sectioned off different rooms. Yet, looking down at the floor he saw smooth marble tiles, that were roughly the same shape and size as the ones from his dream, but not the same color. For one these tiles were opal white, while the ones in his dream were obsidian black. Though, the tiles on the floor did seem to let Frank rest a little easier, as he realized his mind must have seen the tiles and incorporated them as part of his holistic dream that he had been having. With that, Frank felt a bit of tension leave him, as there was something about that dream that made it feel a little too real. Frank was about to relax completely, when he felt minor discomforts all over his body. These were the same stiff discomforts one would have, if they had been laying in spot for too long. A quick cycling of the green energy within his body fixed these minor aches, but that caused more problems in his mind. By now, Frank was certain that he was not at home. The tile floor and the odd white panel ceiling with black holes made it apparent that he was not home, but then the question was, where exactly was he? Judging by the uniform of the person who came to visit him, Frank began to piece together that he was likely in a hospital, but when and where? Then another question hit him, and that was how could he afford such care? He didn¡¯t have a job, did he? He had signed the contract to start hazmat cleaning on Monday, but as far as he could tell, Monday was the day he was re-awakened. He was re-awakened, right? Then feeling internally, he felt the dark power that felt like he could use it to reach out and destroy anything in the room around him. Then he remembered back to the day of the re-awakening. One where he had been attacked and almost killed by Luther. Suddenly the smiling smirk on his face came unbidden to his mind. He remembered the way Luther had been in charge of setting up his energy cells for his second awakening. The way he had forced darkness energy into his body, and how that energy almost killed him. It only took a second for Frank to remember the moment he snapped. The moment he realized he was going to die, but he wouldn¡¯t die peacefully, the moment he reached out and felt the darkness within Luther. It wasn¡¯t much, likely some residual poison from what he did to the energy cell, but that was more than enough for Frank to use and harness. Frank remembered the moment that power coursed through his nemesis. How easy it was to kill with the power. All it took was a minor flexing of his mind to cause Luther to collapse in complete pain. Then a second, albeit more forceful application to completely destroy the boy¡¯s body. Sadly, thinking back on it, Frank realized that he enjoyed that sensation. Not the fact that he killed, but the fact that he killed his would be killer. Revenge, it felt so good. Movement. There was more movement as this time no less than three sets of feet came forward through the curtain. There was an older female, clearly a doctor, given her uniform. Then behind her were two military guards. Seeing them, Frank realized that something was going on. The faces of the two soldiers was far too serious for this to be a cordial visit. In his mind, he knew that they were likely here to discuss the death of Luther, a B-Rank talent who obviously meant more to the military than he did as an F-Rank talent. Pausing for a moment, Frank wondered if he improved his ranking, only to remember Holsy¡¯s words. The ones that said he would forever be F-Rank due to his initial awakening placing him at the F-Rank. ¡°I¡¯m glad you are back in the realm of the living. You had us worried there for a moment.¡± The female doctor said cordially, as she came forward and pulsed green energy into Frank. Tingle. The pulse so condensed and pure that Frank couldn¡¯t help but feel his body reaching out to grab it and pull it into himself. This was akin to how an empty stomach would feel after having food dangled right in front of him. ¡°Oh, my. I keep forgetting that you are a re-awakened.¡± The doctor said, with a momentary pause. Hearing that Frank could only wince at the comment. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t be. I forgot to tell you that I will need you to let this energy cycle through you.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Frank said. Then he felt a second stronger current of green life energy pulse through his body. Relaxed breath. As the energy current made its rounds Frank felt a sigh of relief come to him as he could feel the healing energy finding bad pockets along his meridians and resting comfortably to heal the broken edges. Everything was going well for a moment. ¡°Good, your primary meridians are completely fine and healthy. Now to check on your secondary meridians.¡± The doctor said, as she then took the green energy and pushed it down the second set of meridians. These were the series that held the dark energy, the energy that could barely be contained, the ones that felt of death and decay. Her wholesome energy reached up and touched the darkness infused meridians, and that was when all hell broke loose. The green energy reached up, caressing the secondary meridians, then the darkness seemed to come to life as it found a new meal source. In an instant, the dark energy surged along the much stronger and thicker green current of energy, out of Frank¡¯s body and directly into the hand and arm of the doctor. ¡°AHH!¡± The doctor screamed wildly, as she broke contact with Frank¡¯s skin. Seeing her Frank began to panic, as he saw dark veins fill her hand and arm as the darkness began to spread wildly like an untamed cancer within the doctor, eating her alive from the inside. Thud. The doctor dropped to the floor, spasming and gasping for breath, a look of fear and desperation filling her as she stared at her arm with complete shock. Seeing the look, it was a look that Frank knew all too well, the look of complete and overwhelming despair. Seeing her in such a state, and realizing that this was all his fault, Frank acted. Holding out his hand, he focused on the dark energy that was rampaging within the doctor, then remembering the dream he had just had, he focused his will and pulled. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Death was running rampant, pulling out the green light energy of the doctor, and slowly destroying and corrupting it from within. The once fully healthy doctor began to age and wither before Frank¡¯s eyes. Her once smooth skin began to age and wither as liver spots poked their way through, pulling and stretching patches of skin until they formed discolored pools on her skin. Her face, once young and blemish free began to wrinkle and lose its elasticity. These were just some of the changes that occurred to the doctor on her outside, what was happening internally to her was far worse and far more devastating. Still, Frank knew what to do, as if he had been prepared for this very thing by his seemingly prophetic dream. Holding out his hand, he focused on the dark energy that was rampaging within the doctor, then remembering the dream he had just had, he focused his will and pulled. ¡°Gah!¡± The doctor winced as Frank made a grasping and pulling motion with the dark energy. There was a struggle for the briefest of seconds, then he felt a snapping sensation, as all the coils of energy began to break free from one another. Only after which was Frank able to pull the dark energy free from the doctor¡¯s body. Quivering. ¡°Ahh!¡± The doctor moaned in a mixture of pain and ecstasy as the coursing power that had been threatening to tear her apart from the inside out moments ago was gone. Gasp. The two military officers let out surprised breaths, as they stared at the dark energy that seemed to float in the air, weightless for a moment. It was clear from the reaction of not just them, but of the doctor who stared in wide-eyed amazement at the sight of the floating energy that they could all see this dark energy. The same way Frank could with his F-Rank talent, Energy Sight. Realizing that they could all see the same energy, Frank tried to hide it, or at least remove it from sight, as the doctor was clearly frightened in place at its sight. Though she began to look much better, especially as her normal streams of green life energy began to course through her body. Realizing there was nowhere else to put the dark energy, Frank did just like he was shown in his dream. He beckoned the energy forth and forced it to enter his body. Pain. Once again, he felt the muted pain that his mind now associated with the dark energy. While this was nothing compared to the pain he imagined feeling while in his dream, it was still there, a slight lingering pain as if pushing his muscles to the brink of exhaustion. It was a good pain, a pain that Frank knew meant he was about to get stronger, that if he continued to push himself, he could get that much faster, lift just a smidge more weight. He knew that if he did this long enough, he might finally be considered useful. That he wouldn¡¯t be cast out and forgotten, abandoned to die in isolation in the slums. These were the feelings and emotions that this dark energy brought up in his mind. Inwardly, he accepted the facts that this energy seemed to show him, a sad pathetic life needing validation from others in order for himself to feel fulfilled. He acknowledged these emotions, then buried them deep. The time when he needed to workout harder to not be forgotten were over. Those times when he continued to push himself relentlessly to hopefully be able to feel the adoration of others was also over. Now, he worked out for himself. Not because he wanted to be validated by others, but because he liked who he was becoming. Despite being smaller, he didn¡¯t cower in the corners. While he did still run from stronger and faster opponents, he now did so with a plan. As he remembered going into the darkened alleyway, in order to have the advantage of surprise on his side, being able to strike out from complete darkness without mercy. Yes, he might be weaker, but that didn¡¯t mean he was a quitter. Panting and groaning. There was a deep primal sound that echoed in Frank¡¯s ears, momentarily pulling him away from the thoughts of self-reflection that this surge of dark energy caused to well up in his mind. Only after a moment he calmed down, did he realize that everyone was staring at him. After a moment, he realized why, as his body was reacting in pain to the dark energy it had consumed. This was a self defense mechanism that Frank had developed from countless beatings due to Luther and his gang. His mind detached itself and went to a separate pocket where he could think and process information free and independently from the impulses of his body. This was why he was now able to remember these past memories, as his mind tried to find thoughts to distract him, to pull his consciousness away from the pain that was coursing through his body. Pausing for a moment, Frank was surprised to see that he was still standing. That despite how much pain he had clearly gone through, it hadn¡¯t been enough to drop him to his knees or worse. Looking around, Frank found the soft bed that he had apparently been sleeping on just behind him. Somewhere in the whole exchange of following the doctor who had dropped to the ground, Frank had jumped out of the bed, landed on his feet and then began to siphon the dark energy away from the doctor. ¡°Right,¡± Frank said, then reaching behind him felt for the bed and let his slightly trembling legs collapse onto the soft mattress. Only once he was sitting did he add, ¡°sorry about that.¡± With that the three sets of eyes still looked at Frank with wide eyed stares, but the looks went from horror to that of something that Frank could not quite place. Seeing that Frank was sitting comfortably on the bed, the doctor got up. Then looked down at her hands and arms which were still in the process of un-aging, at least that is what Frank would call the process. The liver spots that had grown to be the size of coins and bottlecaps were now shrinking away into nothingness. Her face that had seemed to crack with multiple wrinkles began to tighten back up into the nearly perfect face of a young doctor. Only now did Frank realize that the youthful appearance of the doctor was likely a result of the life energy that ran rampant throughout her body. ¡°Well, now that was¡­¡± The doctor began to speak, her voice and posture still showing that she was ruffled from the experience. ¡°That was intense, but I think we can safely say that you are going to be a welcomed addition to the medical corps.¡± Hearing that, Frank could only pause, as he looked first to the doctor, then to the two soldiers behind her that both had their mouths open in slack-jawed amazement. Listening to the doctor, Frank realized that something clearly wrong. He assumed that the two military members behind the doctor were to take Frank in and arrest him for his crimes against Luther, crimes that were clearly undeniable given how many people were around to witness the entire process. ¡°Medical corps?¡± Frank asked, trying to make sure he heard everything correctly. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Nodding her head, the doctor let a faint smile show on her lips. This was a look that might have been appealing had he not seen her true age and form a few moments ago, as she was so close to death. ¡°Yes,¡± the doctor stated confidently. Frank for his part was wondering if this was part of his work detail, where he would be forced to work as a medic on the front lines as a convicted cultivator. He had heard about such stories, were people with promising powers were forced to go to the front lines and either die, or serve out their sentence for crimes committed. The doctor looked on excitedly at Frank, who could only stare on, knowing that he had been handed an effective death sentence. Then after pausing for a moment, she seemed to realize something as she stared into Frank¡¯s confused gaze. ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t know where you are do you?¡± The doctor asked, suddenly realizing that her coma patient awoke, then she went to immediately test his vitals, before being able to explain what had exactly happened to the boy, well nearly man given his bulging muscles and form, but a boy nonetheless. ¡°No.¡± Frank answered honestly. ¡°Well, that is terrible manners on my part. I¡¯d say you should shoot me for lack of bedside decorum, but I did have a slight scare that threw off my whole introduction.¡± The doctor said, then letting out a breath to calm herself, she said. ¡°Let me be the first to welcome you to your new life of Service to Humanity, of St. Huma, as we like to call it.¡± Frank heard the words and then just stared. The doctor cocked her head to the side for a moment, before realizing a key detail. ¡°Oh right, you are from the lower levels. You clearly have no clue about anything I am saying do you?¡± Hearing that, Frank felt slightly flustered, but answered truthfully. ¡°I know the words you are using, but I don¡¯t know what St. Huma is, nor where we are.¡± ¡°Right, knocked out the entire travel from the lower levels up to here. Okay, so this is the Primary Military Academy, here you will be assigned a military role to fill. While this role is important, as it will define your life and goals for the next five years, know that it is not a death sentence. After your first five years, you can come back, get retrained in a new MOS, or Military Occupational Specialty, which you will then serve for another five years.¡± The Doctor stated. With this things made a bit more sense. He was now in the military academy, where he would be taught how to cultivate and to fill a specific role for the military, which would lead to the safety of humanity. With this job he would be able to change out after a five-year commitment to this role he would be trained for, which he would then be forced to fill out the role of that next position for an additional five years. ¡°Two questions.¡± Frank stated. ¡°Oh, okay that is a lot less than I thought you¡¯d have. But yes, let¡¯s hear them.¡± The doctor said excitedly. ¡°First, am I already enrolled in the Medical Corp?¡± Frank asked. ¡°No, and that is a good question. You will be given two main classes. The first will be morning training and focus classes on your types of energy that you use. Since you are a dual focus, you will have to take a second class on your, secondary, energy type at night.¡± The doctor said, trying to find a nice way of saying death energy apparently. Seeing her discomfort Frank felt slightly sorry for asking the question, but the doctor continued on apparently able to quickly forget about the death energy that had nearly consumed her. ¡°The afternoon classes that will happen before your night classes will be towards the MOS that you choose to follow. Since I will already be your morning instructor for life magic, it would only make sense for you to continue following me in the afternoon with medical training where you can put your powers, both of them to good use and save lives.¡± Hearing that Frank nodded, then asked a follow-on question. Or at least he tried to ask but was cut off shortly after the beginning. ¡°As for the evening classes¡­¡± ¡°I will not be teaching you. That will likely be Major Demoniker, or Demon as they call him here. He is the only other one who managed to take the darkness as an element and not be consumed by it.¡± Hearing that, Frank could only nod. Frank was about to ask his second question, when the doctor continued. ¡°Though, I will warn you. He is an internal darkness user, while you are clearly an external darkness user.¡± The doctor noted and paused as if that said everything. Frank just looked at her with a confused look on his face. The doctor paused, and then seemed to sigh to herself as she realized her mistake. ¡°Right, the applications of internal and external energies are always different. While you can clearly interact with dark energy from a distance, Demon, or Major Demoniker, can only do so while touching a person. This is great as he has helped us pull the darkness from people before it forces full on transformations, but he might not be able to help you learn to control the power from a distance.¡± Hearing that Frank could only nod in slight understanding. He knew that there was something about the meridian pathways that people used as primary and secondary that caused the energies used to go at different distances. But he also knew that green life energy was denser than most of the others, making it nearly impossible to move and manipulate from a distance. This was why Frank had made peace with the fact that he would always be F-Ranked, due to his power only being able to be used immediately around him. Now he had this further understanding of dark energy that seemed to be simultaneously dense and light, though he didn¡¯t know if that was just due to him not being familiar with cultivating, or if there was something more to this process. Honestly, this was only causing more questions to form within Frank¡¯s mind. Yet, the more he asked, the more questions seemed to pop up. Pausing, Frank realized that unless he was in class, things would not make much sense. ¡°Any other questions?¡± The doctor asked. ¡°Yes, actually. How long will I be expected to serve as a St. Huma?¡± The doctor paused, hearing Frank¡¯s question. Then looked at him as if he had tried to tell a joke, then pausing and staring at him for a second it was clear the boy looked even more confused by the slight smile that was forming at the corner of her lips. Only after a second of staring and realizing that Frank was completely serious did she break and realize. ¡°Oh, you were serious about all of that, the St. Huma thing too.¡± With that the doctor shook her head, and then pausing for a moment composed herself. Cough. Forcing a cough out, the doctor calmed herself and then spoke. ¡°You see, life as a cultivator is permanent. Well up until the point of your second awakening, you always have the chance of being allowed to retire from the military. Now that you are what we consider a re-awakened you will no longer be eligible for the junior enlisted program. Instead, you will be forced down the officer candidacy program, which is a lifetime of dedication, resources, and constant training.¡± Hearing that Frank could only nod his head, only now did he realize just how much he truly didn¡¯t know about the world that he had lived in for all of his life. For the first time, he wondered if his desire to leave the slums was the right choice for him all along. Then he realized that regardless of what he wanted, he was here. Slowly, other facts began to make sense as well. The way the soldiers were all too happy to let him take his second awakening, meaning he would be forced into the service, for life. Inwardly he nodded, realizing that he had been played. All along he thought he was pulling the wool over Holsy and his commander¡¯s eyes by sneaking in and forcing a second awakening, only to realize that they had played him like a fiddle. Letting him think he had the upper hand, when really they were just welcoming another lifer to the cause. As he realized this, a slight smile crept onto Frank¡¯s lips. That was all he could do, either laugh at the fool he had been, or regret where he was now. Thinking for a moment, he didn¡¯t regret where he was now. He had power now, enough to kill Luther his nemesis and get taken here where he could start his new life, nemesis free. That¡¯s when Frank remembered the two soldiers that were standing behind the doctor. Remembering those two, frank asked yet another question. ¡°Can I ask why those two are here?¡± Hearing that, the doctor paused as the slightly jovial expression her face faded away, and was quickly replaced by a grimace. ¡°Yes, you see these two are here to talk to you about what happened during your re-awakening ceremony.¡± And like that Frank could almost hear Luther¡¯s mocking laugh accost his ears from beyond the grave. *** (General Graves) ¡°Sir, I have the report that you requested.¡± General Graves¡¯ staffer, Colonel McDuffie stated. ¡°Go on.¡± General Graves said, turning to see the colonel bowing before him. ¡°It is about that Cadet Candidate that you asked to be made aware of?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well, it seems that he has awoken.¡± ¡°Anything of note?¡± ¡°Yes, that is why I came. Dr. Evans noted that upon inspecting him that his primary meridians were perfect. Then when attempting to monitor his secondary meridians, it was noted that there was a reaction.¡± ¡°A reaction?¡± ¡°Yes, the Cadet Candidate¡¯s secondary affinity is for darkness energy, which the doctor found and then inadvertently pulled into herself upon making contact with it in Cadet Candidate Fotos¡¯ meridians.¡± Hearing this General Graves jumped to his feet ready to go and check on the good doctor himself. ¡°She is fine, more than fine actually as the Cadet Candidate was apparently able to pull not only the new dark energy, but the other spots of dark energy that had made it so she could no longer serve on the front lines from her body.¡± ¡°He touched a superior officer?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s the thing, he did it all from a distance. Dr. Evans has already requested that the cadet take up training under Major Demoiker for his evening classes.¡± ¡°Yes, he would be the best choice, especially if the secondary power is darkness energy. Any candidates for his primary?¡± ¡°Yes, Dr. Evans has stated that she now wishes to teach life magic classes again, as long as she can train this new Candidate.¡± McDuffie noted. Hearing that the General could only nod his head. ¡°I take it, the good doctor also wishes to train the Candidate on how to be a medic?¡± The General asked, already realizing that a candidate like Fotos would be too hard to pass up. ¡°That is correct.¡± ¡°Has he made up his mind about his occupation yet?¡± ¡°About that, he still has not had time to even make a decision.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Well, you see he is still being deposed about the death of Former Candidate Camello.¡± ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t we already wrap that up?¡± ¡°I thought we did, but you see there is a complication.¡± ¡°A complication?¡± ¡°Yes, a civilian auditor was brought in to be impartial to the military operations. Part of the whole Keep Cultivators Accountable Act.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± General Graves stated, trying to move this along. ¡°Well, you see there might be a problem. While not directly involved, the lead foreman for the civilian oversight committee is Chairman Camello, uncle and godfather to the now deceased Luther Camello.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± The General said, as he began to come up with contingencies of his own. ¡°And this is not a problem, conflict of interests?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing Chairman Camello specifically recused himself openly due to his own interest in this case. Even stepping aside to take personal time to mourn the loss of a loved one. A step that will only garner him sympathy from the non-cultivator community.¡± ¡°I get it, so he is gone, but the agency he runs is still working on his behalf.¡± The General stated, making sure he had all the facts. ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°Okay, looks like we need to go to plan B.¡± The General stated, and with that Colonel McDuffie just nodded. ¡°Understood sir, I will begin preparations immediately.¡± Chapter 17 Chapter 17 Fwoop-fwoop-fwoop. Frank had spent the last two hours in complete and utter fear. From his time leaving the doctor¡¯s office, he had been bound, chained, blindfolded, and was now being transported in the air in an old mechanical device. He knew he was flying due to the odd smells that were being released and slowly allowed to seep into the closed container that they were in. Being a child of the slums Frank had never experienced heights, nor how to deal with them, as such the sudden rising and slight feeling of weightlessness followed shortly by leveling out and feeling like the ground could drop away from him at any time was terrifying. Badump, badump, badump. His heart threatened to tear its way from his chest, seemingly making one beat for every rotation the blades overtop made. He had seen images of helicopters in textbooks and been informed that this was still a way to travel on the surface, but never imagined he would be able to fly in one. Also, he always imagined the thrill of flying in a helicopter to be a lot more exciting. Well, who was he kidding, this was plenty exciting, just not in the good way, a way that made him wished to participate in such an activity again. No, this was the grit your teeth, and wish that gravity would hold you, and carry you deep into the depths of the Earth for protection again type of sensation. The entire time he was flying he wished for them to be down on the ground. Then the worst thing happened, his wish began to take root as they began to plummet. Frank didn¡¯t know where he was, the only thing he knew for certain was that death energy was in abundance below. He was so close to death that it practically radiated upwards and filled the air with its putrid stench. At least that was the way Frank felt about the waves of energy that their ship was going through. Frank was not the only one who noticed the increase in death energy, as multiple people around Frank began to shiver. Frank was shivering himself, but for an entirely different reason than the death energy that surrounded him. If anything, the death energy was a welcome reprieve, something else that his mind could focus on other than the sensation of falling to his death. ¡°Yeah, you feel that? That¡¯s Death Row. Don¡¯t worry, so long as you are not convicted, or sent out you will not have to worry about Death Row. Just be good and follow orders and everything will be alright.¡± B-Rank Jackston stated reassuringly, or at least Frank interpreted his words as trying to be reassuring. Frank nodded, not trusting his voice not to crack as he felt the increase in gravity take hold of him the closer he got to the ground. Just before he felt that crashing would be inevitable, a miracle happened, the nose that had been plummeting downwards leveled out. Then slowly the craft seemed to hover in the air, before lowering gently to the ground. Thump. The metal rails of the helicopter landed flush against the ground and with that Frank let out a sigh of relief as he was finally on land. Nothing would ruin this feeling for him, as he was finally on the ground, and even though said ground seemed to vibrate, it was nothing compared to what he felt while landing. Click, click. ¡°All right, we have unbuckled your harness. We are going to need you to rise up.¡± Jackston said, as he gave the chains that bound both Frank¡¯s arms and legs together. Frank hearing this stood up. Thud. Or at least tried to, as his hooded head ended up banging into the metal ceiling. ¡°Also, you are going to want to lower your head, less the blades chop it off as you exit.¡± Jackston said. With that Frank felt a new kind of fear, as he was prepared to try to crawl his way out of the craft if need be. Fortunately, once he was allowed to move, the act of exiting the craft was a lot easier than expected. There was rustling ahead and muted conversations that were hard to make out over the constant whipping sounds that were generated by the rotating blades of the helicopter. Finally someone came close and Frank could feel the tug of his chains being raised slightly. ¡°We give him to you warden.¡± Jackston said. Then the chains dropped for half a second before someone else seemed to take control of them. Frank stood there, waiting. There was movement behind him as people loudly spoke about getting back into the helicopter. Then within a few moments the helicopter rose up, and Frank felt relief that he would not need to get into that death trap again. Only once the helicopter was up and starting to turn away, the way they came, did Frank feel some form of movement on his person. As not one, but two sets of strong hands went about first removing the breathable black mesh bag that covered his face. As soon as the bag was removed, Frank saw one of the strongest people he had ever seen. The man looked like he had muscles upon muscles and could bench press transit busses during his down time. Looking at the man, he had clearly seen battle too, as his left eye was dead filled with dark energy. Then pausing, Frank realized that the person before him had traces of dark energy all throughout his body, just away from the surface and all traces concealed in slightly protective cases of tissue that were slowly being dissolved by the dark masses. To put it simply, this was one of the healthiest dying people that Frank had ever seen. Just looking at him, Frank knew the man had what was referred to as the rot. A condition held by front line fighters who are exposed to the harsh energies of the monsters of the world. Mentally Frank realized that he could easily reach out and pluck those particles from the person before him. Then Frank paused as he realized that the two people that were now holding the chains that bound his arms and legs also had traces of the rot within them as well. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Yet before Frank could say or do anything the man before him spoke. ¡°Cultivator Frank Fotos, you are hereby accused of a crime of capital murder. By being here you are not convicted of the crime you have been accused of, but have been separated from the rest of society for their protection of you, while your case is being investigated. Do you understand?¡± The person before Frank spoke, and with that, he realized this was huge. He was being arrested for the death of civilian with cultivator selected status, Luther Camello. ¡°Yes.¡± Frank answered, figuring that something would come from his death. That even after Luther tried to kill him, he would still be charged with the crime. For a moment Frank wondered if he would still be tried, even if Luther had managed to kill him from his attack. ¡°Realize that while you are here you are completely free.¡± The man before him, the Warden stated. ¡°I am?¡± Frank found himself asking. The Warden paused, clearly annoyed at having been interrupted in his speech, but broke free and answered the seemingly random question. ¡°You are. In fact, freedom lies in that direction.¡± The Warden said, pointing off in the direction that the helicopter that took him here was now flying out. ¡°All you have to do is walk the Death Row, and all crimes that a cultivator committed to be placed here, will be forgiven as if they never happened.¡± Hearing that Frank could only nod, realizing that such a sentence was tantamount to a death, for most. Gentle breeze filled with the scent of decay. ¡°Gah!¡± Smelling the harsh fumes from around the island prison that they were in, Frank couldn¡¯t help but wince at the smell. ¡°Ahh, the sweet smell of freedom. Everyday that you smell that smell, know that you are free to do whatever you want from in here.¡± The Warden said, a biting smile coming to his lips as he stared down at Frank with a note of mocking condemnation. Then seeing something in Frank¡¯s face, a feeling that this wasn¡¯t going to break him, especially not with the conditions laid out so far, the Warden continued. ¡°There are three ways to leave here. You die, most often this is done by attempting to go through death row, only to get taken down by the various raveners in the way, or die while waiting for your case to be appealed without any form of cultivation to keep you alive. Second is you are paroled in which case another helicopter will come here, pick you up and take you away sans the nice accessories that you are sporting now.¡± The Warden said this last part while pointing to the handcuffs and ankle locks that were still on Frank¡¯s legs. ¡°And of course the last is the last way is to walk Death Row, knowing that if you make it out on the other side you will be exonerated of all crimes.¡± The Warden said, laughing slightly at the little joke he said. Or maybe the idea of Death Row being the way to be absolved of all crimes was what the Warden was laughing about. Frank nodded. ¡°Do you understand?¡± The Warden asked. ¡°I understand.¡± Frank stated, knowing they needed verbal confirmation. ¡°Very good.¡± The Warden said, then gestured to the two people by Frank¡¯s sides who began removing the cuffs and bindings that held Frank in place. Clatter. The heavy chains rustled as they fell off, falling to the ground around Frank¡¯s feet. With that the Warden turned to leave, but stopped himself as one last thought came to mind. ¡°Oh, and one last thing, the only rule. Well more of a request than a rule while here.¡± ¡°Rule?¡± Frank asked. ¡°Yeah, if you are going to use the Death Row option, please let us know, so we can write you off our books. It is very annoying having to conduct a head count of all inmates, only to find that one of you decided to take freedom into your own hands without informing the rest of us.¡± The Warden said. ¡°Okay.¡± Frank stated. ¡°Any other questions?¡± ¡°Are there any meals?¡± ¡°No, you are a cultivator, feeding you would only give you more power to rise up against us, your weak and defenseless jailors.¡± The Warden said, a slight smile filling his lips as he all but dared Frank to try attacking him for a loaf of bread. Frank nodded, realizing that this might be another reason why people try Death Row, as the constant hunger while waiting for an appeal to be heard would be maddening. ¡°Any other questions?¡± The Warden asked. ¡°How do we take up the Death Row option?¡± Frank asked. Hearing that, the smile on the Warden¡¯s scarred face widened as he looked at Frank and seemed to try to take him in. ¡°A lad after my own heart. Trying to get off our books already? Well, good.¡± Then pausing he pointed at the wall off in the south east. ¡°You see that wall there.¡± Frank nodded as he looked in the direction the Warden was pointing. ¡°That big column there is called a bunker. If you look there are two bunkers right next to each other. What might not be visible from here is the metal bars that stick out between those two bunkers that will let you climb up and go to an observation deck. Once there, just simply jump down the sixty or so feet to freedom, and try walking your way out.¡± The Warden said, mockingly. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s it?¡± ¡°Well, one last thing. I¡¯ll take my leave via Death Row.¡± Frank replied. ¡°Sure.¡± The Warden said, though his face gave a slightly knowing smile. Being out here so close to the edge of death and effectively waiting for the corruption in his body to overtake him, the Warden had very few joys. One of the few that he has come to experience over the years was the joy of watching newly indoctrinated prisoners come in, full of conviction stating that they were going to take the Death Row option, only to look at the fall and then the sea of infected zombies that littered the wastelands from here to civilization. The ones that always had the most bravado at first were the young and newly awakened. The ones that got their powers and instantly used them against people they hated, bullies who always picked on them in school, jilted lovers, you name it, the Warden had seen it all. Which was why he knew that the younger they were the more bravado they had. Which was why, he fully expected this newly awakened to go walk up to the edge, take one look at the death that awaited them and then shiver and shake as they hastily climbed back down the railings. Having been given his speech, the new boy this Fotos kid began walking away stoically towards the wall. Seeing him, the Warden smiled as he gave his favorite part of the speech, a part he purposefully kept until the end. ¡°Oh, and welcome to Purgatory.¡± Frank hearing that, turned to lock gazes with the mocking smile of the Warden. As their gazes met, the Warden felt a slight shiver run down his spine, as he saw a look of resolve in the boy¡¯s features. This was a look that was impossible to fake and one that could only be wielded by someone who was battle hardened and used to living in the worst of zones. Frank gave a two-finger salute, with his middle and pointer finger together as he made a slicing motion at the air. Then he nonchalantly turned around and kept walking. ¡°Fine then.¡± The Warden said, as he watched the boy walk with an air of confidence towards the metal ladder that led to the observation deck. ¡°Should we stop him?¡± James, on of the Warden¡¯s Lieutenants asked, a note of concern in his voice. ¡°No, it is his right. Also, they all show bravado and they all end up turning away after seeing what awaits.¡± The Warden said, trying to reassure both himself and his subordinates. ¡°Yeah, but this one was ear marked by the General himself as to watch out for.¡± Luke, his other Lieutenant said from the other side. ¡°And we will, once he turns around and comes back to his senses, we will make sure none of the other inmates mess with him.¡± The Warden replied. ¡°I don¡¯t know, he seemed pretty determined.¡± James shot back. ¡°They all do, and then they all get broken once they realize how impossible the task they are offered is. First the fall is enough to maim or kill most. Then not only do they need to survive the fall, but they must do so on the backs of zombies that will bite and corrupt them. Just being on the ledge will be enough to let him feel the power of decay and rot that awaits him below. No one in their right mind, will go near the rot, if they can help it.¡± The Warden said, feeling a slight sense of anguish as he thought about this. Realizing that had he followed similar warnings he might have been able to avoid the slowly rotting fate that had claimed him and forced him into this early retirement position that he now held as a glorified babysitter. ¡°Yeah, but didn¡¯t something seem off to you about him?¡± Luke asked. ¡°Like what?¡± James asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Didn¡¯t he just seem a little more powerful than our normal inmates?¡± Luke asked. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be. If I don¡¯t miss my guess that boy is just fifteen. Yes, he might be built like he never missed a day in gym, but that just speaks to the fact that his muscles were bought rather than earned. Once he sees the work before him, he like all the other spoiled brats will crumble and break. Then he will be forced to serve the contract that the military wants for him, signing an at will contract that makes it so his one indiscretion will mean that the military can order him around for the rest of his life, forcing him to go to the most dangerous zones, taking the worst job postings possible.¡± The Warden said, watching as the boy got to the railing and began climbing his way up the metal rungs. As he watched, the Warden couldn¡¯t help but notice that there was no pause, no hesitation in the movements. Hmm. Hearing the Warden grunt to himself, Luke pressed. ¡°Changed your mind yet about the kid and what he will do?¡± ¡°No, not yet. I¡¯m just surprised is all. Most start to slow down slightly when they first feel the waves of miasma coming towards them. Yet, this boy climbs like he doesn¡¯t have a care in the world. He is awakened right?¡± The Warden asked, suddenly wondering why the boy would not show any signs of hesitation. ¡°No, he is awakened, his chains are a testament to that, feel these things.¡± James said, holding out the chains that were generally only used for hardened warriors, ones who would not be sent here. Seeing the chains that were clearly twice as resilient as the ones they were normally forced to handle; the Warden couldn¡¯t help but have even more questions come to his mind. Finally, in less than a minute the boy was up on the platform. Here it was the moment of truth, the moment when every inmate stares into the abyss and flinches. ¡°I wonder what he is thinking right now?¡± The Warden asked out loud as he watched the boy just stand there for a moment. Then another. Finally, it lasted so long that the Warden held his breath as he thought the boy might actually do it, the boy might actually jump. Step. Before the Warden knew it, his body took an involuntary step forward as if to try to stop the boy from jumping. Something that would be impossible given how far away the boy was, also it was expressly against the policy of the jail. That¡¯s when the boy did a half turn back, and the Warden let out a sigh of relief. The boy looked, then seemed to stare right at the Warden. Badump, badump, badump. For some reason the Warden¡¯s heart chose that moment to beat faster, that or he just noticed the change. But fortunately it was all over, the boy had seen reason, he broke. That¡¯s when the boy just waved his hand in the same two finger gesture that he gave earlier. At first the Warden was perplexed by what he had seen, then he watched in horror as the boy quickly turned around, facing the pit. Then before anyone could do anything to stop the moment, the boy jumped. ¡°What the¡­¡± Was all the Warden could say, watching as the boy¡¯s image quickly vanished from sight. Chapter 18 Chapter 18 If anyone wanted to know exactly what Frank was thinking while making his way up to the summit, where he overlooked the valley of death below, his thoughts would be simple. He would rather jump to his possible death below than ride in a helicopter again. Even as he got to the summit, and looked out in the distance, there high in the sky he swore he could still see the dark spot in the air, that was all that remained of the still retreating helicopter that brought him here. Some might have pointed out that that Frank was doing this as an excuse to likely try to see hope flying away. On the contrary though, Frank was adamant about not wanting to ever set foot inside a helicopter again. The fact that he only felt surges of energy wash over and through his body with each rung he climbed only made steeled his resolve that he was doing the right thing. Regardless of the crimes that were being heaped upon him, he would get them all erased by simply jumping off the wall, going down into the miasma filled plains below and walking to the next guard post. As he looked, Frank saw off in the far distance the faint outline of civilization that sat off in the distance, a ridge of human innovation and ingenuity that somehow managed to survive the test of time. With a pause, Frank realized that this was his first true view of the outside world, and it was beautiful. Off to his left, he felt the felt the warmth of the sun and realized that the stories he had read of this were true, though they failed to explain just how uplifting it was to feel the sun on your skin. Yes, there were UV lamps and grow bulbs down in the slums, but they all paled in comparison to the real thing that shown down on him now. For a moment Frank took it all in, then looking down below at his drop realized that while it had only been forty feet up the walls on the inside, the outside walls and subsequent drop was a lot further. As he saw a sloping wall that angled away from the base of the wall, followed by what clearly was some type of hill underneath that kept the rows upon rows of barely moving rot infested corpses away from the prison. Quickly Frank took everything, in realizing that it was forty feet straight down to what had to be at least ten more feet at a steep angle, and then another ten to twenty feet in a slow gradual slope that led to monsters. Then from there, he would need to follow the black road that pointed off in the distance to freedom. Despite the fall being close to sixty or even seventy feet, Frank felt better about this fall than the one he would suffer from falling out of a helicopter. Turning his head up, and at an angle he looked and only managed to make out a faint dot in the background that was just now clearing the giant walls of the border city. Even still the helicopter managed to fly over the walls with relative ease, meaning they were far higher than these measly walls of protection. Realizing that this was his chance to escape and be free of all punishment from Luther¡¯s death, Frank decided to take his chance below. Worse came to worse, he would die. Best case scenario, he would be able to cultivate the vast fields of dark energy below and make himself just that much stronger. Pausing, Frank did a half turn back to find the Warden. To his surprise the Warden never moved, apparently having nothing better to do that to watch the new recruit jump to his death. Apparently, this happened often, at least that was what Frank thought. Making sure to still sign out as it were, he gave the two fingered wave that he had given the Warden when he mockingly welcomed here, to Purgatory. With his note of recognition complete, he turned and cycled his life energy within his body, letting it strengthen his bones and muscles as he quickly plummeted below. As he fell, he thought how fitting of a name Purgatory was for this prison. It was a literal Purgatory, one where people would wait to either enter Hell, or this land of the dead like Frank was now. Or they would have to wait until absolution came and their time served was met when they would be whisked away. That was for others though, Frank realized that he was different. He realized that he was already cheating death, literally in his case by stealing its power and making it part of his body. ¡°GERONIMO!¡± Frank cried out, with glee as he felt his power course through him and felt many new sensations that he never experienced before. This was the war cry he read about, and now that he was experiencing the same sensations on his own, he was glad he let out the air from his lungs in what others might call a war cry, though he knew them for what they were, a thinly veiled form of panic. Thud. Then just as quickly as the sensation of falling happened, it ended as his heels landed first, then immediately falling backwards, while sliding down the steep slope of the second wall, Frank felt his healing life energy spark to life within his body. The energy instantly grabbed any pulled muscles or cracked bones and began infusing them with healing energy. Slide. Having landed on the steep slope, his body began gliding downwards, picking up speed the further he went, until finally he felt his momentum slightly shift as he was thrown forward. Clop, stomp, clop, clop. Frank kicked and flailed his feet wildly as he stumbled forward, trying to slow his momentum while keeping his feet under him as he began to start seeing rot infested corpses walking aimlessly near him. Being this close he could feel a strange dichotomy within the rot infested zombies. He could see and now even feel the way both life and death magic permeated the rot infested corpses before him. Thinking on it though, the dichotomy almost had to exist. For decay and death energy could logically only be produced from the direct remnants of life energy. Meaning that for the rot to still be alive and festering within a walking corpse, there had to be some variant of life energy within that corpse still that the decay energy could feed from. Realizing this, Frank wondered if he could work on cultivating not just his death energy, which he had expected to have available down here in abundance, but he also wondered if he could somehow cultivate the last of the life energy from these walking corpses. There wasn¡¯t much life energy, far less than a normal living being would have, but there was enough, likely close to what Frank had received from the rodents, at least for some of the newer corpses. Though how exactly Frank knew which zombies were newer was not entirely hard to tell, as the more dark energy that had condensed within the body of the zombie, the longer they had been subjected to this state of rot. As Frank drew closer, the monsters apparently sensed Frank¡¯s vitality. Or at least they sensed something, as many began turning in Frank¡¯s direction. That was enough of a threat for Frank to instantly revert to his giant rodent killing ways. Without even having to think about it, bright green life energy fused its way into Frank¡¯s feet and hands. Causing the zombies that had just been glancing towards Frank to suddenly spark to life as their darkness controlled brains saw the life energy that Frank was producing and began to charge towards him. Well charge was too strong of a word, as they mostly shambled their way towards Frank. Working more as a wall of inevitable doom, than as a barrier of speedy monsters that worked in coordination with each other to pin Frank to a wall to apply one fatal bite that would ultimately lead to Frank¡¯s death and subsequent joining of the zombie horde before him. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Slash strike, heel sweep, palm jab. Frank moved like a master level dancer on stimulants who danced gracefully dodged and weaved his way through a gaggle of overgrown, morbidly slow children who tried to mimic his own movements, but failed. He dodged under outstretched arms to deliver powerful strikes to the chests of zombies. Frank tried to aim higher, but he was still growing, and not quite the size of a full adult, unlike many of the zombies he now faced. All of whom seemed to be adult sized. Splash-squish. Only after landing a lethal strike to the chest of the third zombie who was but one in a string of shambling bodies that had come towards him did Frank feel something soft and squishy explode from his strike. Pausing for a moment, Frank looked down at the last corpse, only to see long stringy hair on a gaunt looking face. Then looking down he saw what was clearly a bright tank top that a female at the beach might wear, and then right over the heart area was a giant sunken hole in the chest cavity. Frank had punched the zombie hard, and with his life energy infused fists, he had managed to easily carve his hand into the chest cavity of the rotting monster and caused it to collapse from an explosion of the heart. The heart was what Frank had hoped the squishy sensation was that he felt in his hand, though he knew that was not correct as the hearts he had exploded with his strikes to this point. Nope, deep down in Frank¡¯s mind, he knew what he touched, and he felt horrified by the sensation as he inadvertently shook his hand wanting to keep any fluids of the contact off his personage as quickly as possible. Did I just get to second base with a zombie girl? Wincing to himself, Frank felt scarred for life, realizing that he had inadvertently touched a zombie girl inappropriately. Frank was about to let his thoughts spiral out of control over whether what he was doing was bad? Should he try to avoid hitting female zombies there? If not there, then where and how could he hit female zombies? Should he hit a female zombie at all? Rustle. Fortunately, his mind heard the next zombie drawing closer from behind and rather than thinking about the consequences, Frank¡¯s body moved on its own. This was the same way his body recognized the threats of the giant rodents, when he just went into mental survival mode. His next time fighting a female zombie, he found his fist angling just a smidge higher to avoid the sensitive area, while still managing to drop the zombie in one strike. Figuring that this would have to be his work around for now, until he found an alternative method for dealing with zombies as a whole, Frank continued to fight his way through the hordes of zombies that plagued the base of the prison. With each strike, and death of the zombie he was facing Frank felt a stream of both life and death energy fill his body. Just as he would start to feel tired, the crisp burning sensation of death energy would fill his meridians, sparking his mind to life with the agonizingly sweet sensation of pain. Then just as quickly as the pain would course through his body, a quick calming stream of life energy would follow immediately afterwards, healing any damage caused by the death energy and restoring Frank¡¯s body back to its peak form. Like this, Frank made his way forward, constantly fighting his way through shambling zombies. Frank looked ahead, seeing the road that led to salvation being lit by the dwindling lights of the sun. Fortunately, despite the sun setting Frank knew he would be just fine moving forward, as his Energy Sight was already taking over, illuminating both the pathway and highlighting the more powerful zombies that all moved slowly, until Frank got in their radius of detection. Now that the immediate threat of zombies was clear, Frank used the moment to scout around and see what lay in front of him. While he had fears that the zombies would have giant weapons that they wielded in life still gripped tightly within their hands, fortunately none that he saw managed to have such weapons. Though, scouting ahead Frank saw an image that would forever be burned into the deepest depths of his nightmares. An image so foul that he swore to himself that he would never admit seeing this to anyone. The image that forever changed Frank was of a moment he had hoped for hundreds of times while growing up. Something so pure, an image, a moment that Frank could momentarily use to get along with any boy in his class had been ruined. For while Frank looked on with the dying rays of the sun to aid him while looking for zombies wielding weapons or unfathomable powers, that is when Frank saw it. And like a moth to the flame his eyes saw the image, doubted the image, then confirmed the image was genuine, while deciding to stare at the image, despite the horrors that it was inflicting to Frank¡¯s mind. There, off in the distance, was a female zombie. One who had been particularly well endowed in life, at least that was what Frank¡¯s mind managed to put together, for in death the tight halter top that had been stretched tightly around her chest had ripped and torn away with time, revealing one large bare and extremely necrotic breast dangling wildly in the air. Yes, Frank¡¯s first glimpse of a female boob had forever been ruined by zombies. Shuddering to himself Frank turned away, then tried to go through the stages of grief. After he turned away, he denied what he had seen, figuring that it was just the bra was gray and extremely clammy. That would have been fine, but unfortunately Frank had to peer back and look again, only to realize that it was still a fully exposed zombie boob, that the zombie seemed to have no care about showing to the world. After that, Frank moved onto the second stage. ¡°How could you ruin that for me!¡± Frank screamed, as his feet moved quickly towards the zombie. For her part, the zombie only barely recognized the giant glowing fist that came straight for its face. Splat. This time Frank¡¯s fist felt a cracking first, followed by a splattering of organs as his fist punched through the brain of the zombie. Slightly twisting his wrist as he pulled his hand free, Frank spun the body of the zombie away, so that it landed with its back up towards Frank. Looking down, Frank felt slightly better knowing that the image that had been seared into his eyes was now gone. ¡°And wear some freaking clothes!¡± Frank found himself talking to the unmoving corpse at his feet. That¡¯s when Frank went onto the next stage of grief, ¡°that did not happen. Nope, never happened. I did not see that.¡± This mantra was repeated as Frank found himself once again fighting his way through yet another cluster of slow moving zombies. Once again, Frank used this time to let his mind relax and try to discard the horrors that he had seen and experienced today. Mentally he knew that he would survive this, but he would never speak about what he saw or did here to survive. It was all so horrible, that he never wanted to be sent here again. As he moved, he wondered if it would have been better to just wait for a possible helicopter to come and rescue him, versus having to continue making his way through Death Row. The thought about it, then shaking his head realized that despite how unclean he now felt, it was still better than flying, but just barely. Though Frank made it a point to not lose any other firsts to zombies, or the undead. That was a promise he made to himself, and one he was positive he could and would keep. Little did he know about the future horrors that still awaited him on his journey. Future horrors that would make the ones he saw thus far look and feel like seeing a rainbow for the first time. Not that Frank had a chance to witness a rainbow, but it was currently up there on his list of things to see, and he was fairly certain that there was nothing that a zombie could do to ruin that moment. Or so he thought. *** (The Warden) ¡°What do you mean he is not on your books? He did fly to your prison and you did sign for him did you not?¡± General Graves demanded. ¡°I did, but then he removed himself from my books.¡± General Devah ¡°Warden¡± Ganos stated. ¡°You let him commit suicide?¡± General Graves asked incredulously. Pausing at that, Warden thought about how to answer, then figured to go with the truth. ¡°In a way,¡± Warden began, and continued before he could be cut off by General Graves. ¡°I let him take his leave via Death Row.¡± ¡°You what?¡± ¡°It is his right of self-appeals. Prove himself by going through Death Row and earn an exoneration of guilt. In fact, I have already put in the paperwork for it, and he has already been cleared of all charges against him.¡± The Warden stated. ¡°Have you seen him? Tracked his movements?¡± ¡°What no, he entered Death Row, didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± ¡°You fool, all that time you were waiting to die in that prison as the death energy slowly at you away from the inside, but you didn¡¯t even look at the records of the individual you signed for.¡± General Graves stated. ¡°What use does it matter, even the best healers can only buy me time.¡± ¡°Fool, yes he has the ability to heal, but you never checked out his second affinity.¡± ¡°Second affinity, the kid was barely old enough to awaken.¡± ¡°That might be, but you might want to spend a second to check out what his secondary affinity is. Then reconsider sending out resources to find and monitor him.¡± General Graves stated. ¡°I told you, he is as good as dead.¡± ¡°For your sake, you should hope not.¡± General Graves said, then ended the communication with the Warden. Pausing for a moment, the Warden stared at the blank screen of his oldest friend and the only person who still took time to check in on him. Letting out an annoyed sigh, Warden closed out the meta data of the call. Then pulled up the prisoner transfer file of the soldier who was now listed as deceased, Frank Fotos. Looking at the readout Warden saw what he expected, the primary affinity was life energy, which only served to make him twice as dead out there. As Warden knew that the zombies were especially drawn to life energy wielders as it was like a drug for them. For death energy had been proved to both require life energy to burn brightest, and would continually be able to keep zombies alive the more life energy they consumed. There were even rumors of zombies who had consumed enough life energy who were able to make an evolution into higher states, though those were just rumors, they spread like wildfire out here in the prison. For his part the Warden did nothing to squash those rumors, mainly because they kept most of the anxious inmates in line and kept others from risking their lives in Death Row. Letting out a sigh, Warden wondered once again why the boy who had his whole future ahead of him would risk his life on something so foolish. Then he saw the markings for the awakening Tier that the boy allegedly had. ¡°Tier eight? Like I¡¯m going to believe that.¡± Then the next line got him, as he read something that seemed impossible. There in bright lines were markings that showed why General Graves had ear marked the boy for favorable conditions. Then had immediately called to check in on the boy, for there in lines that were clear as day to read were words that seemed completely impossible, but if they were true, they could change the whole world. Or at least Warden¡¯s world.
Secondary Affinity: External Energy slot: Dark Affinity.
There it was, not only did the boy allegedly have Dark Affinity, but he had it in an External Energy slot, meaning what? Seeing that, Warden found himself involuntarily calling back General Graves. Ring. Right after the connection was established General Graves picked up the line, as if he had been waiting for this call. Before Warden could say anything, his oldest friend spoke first. ¡°I take it you have seen the file?¡± Chapter 19 Chapter 19 Within two hours of leaving no less than three drones had direct feeds and were mounted and following Frank as he made his way down Death Row. Their green lights showed that they were clearly filming Frank¡¯s escape in infrared. This was the color that Frank was the most accustomed to, as it was the color that fed all CCTV cameras of the slums and lower districts. As soon as he saw the three drones covering him and flying overhead, Frank realized that the drones were likely there to make sure he didn¡¯t cheat. Though he quickly dismissed that thought, when he realized the truth, that these drones were sent to likely find the spot where he died or would succumb to the rot. Seeing them, Frank felt slightly annoyed. A sentiment that he actually decided to speak out against. ¡°You waiting for me to die? Well, you are going to be waiting for a long time. For, as my dad was so fond of reminding me, Life is full of disappointments. So you might as well get use to them.¡± Frank said, only after he spoke did he realize that other than commenting about the zombie girl ruining his first memory by not wearing proper attire for a wasteland apocalypse area, these were the first words he said. Frank looked up at the drones Frank half expected something, maybe a bobble in the air, or a slight flicker of light, but he got nothing. Hmph. With the lack of response, Frank just huffed to himself and began walking. By now he had carved a path through the largest chunks of zombies, and with only a few intermixed sets of undead here and there, the path was mostly clear. As such, Frank decided to stop cycling his energy into his hands and feet in order to preserve energy. Yet, as he did so, Frank noticed something. Namely the fact that the other zombies either started kept still as he passed by, or if they were slightly closer they actively moved out of the way. Seeing their movement away from him, Frank paused, wondering what it was that caused the zombies to react this way. Before they always seemed to surge and lunge towards him. But now the zombies all seemed to move away from him in that subtle way that finding a superior monster would. Or feeling the effects of an apex predator in their midst. The more Frank saw their reactions to him, the more Frank grew concerned, wondering if this was just a way for the zombies to encircle him. If he kept moving forward, there would be many zombies on all sides of him. That was when Frank remembered his first experience with death energy, he remembered the way he could reach out and control it. The way the power all but beckoned for him to use it as wildly as possible. That was when Frank decided something, he reached out and using his hand to guide his sight he focused on a zombie. One that seemed to permeate death. Focusing his will on the death energy within the monster, Frank pulled the energy quickly, the way one might when trying to do the table cloth magic trick. He yanked the energy so hard and forcefully that the zombie slightly shook as the energy was pulled from it. That¡¯s when a few things happened all at once. First Frank once again felt his body surge to be fully awake as the stinging hot flames of dark energy filled his body. Simultaneously, the zombies that had been moving around aimlessly, or standing still waiting for food to come, suddenly awoke. At the same time the body that had been animated with death energy dropped to the ground and began to convulse as if going through the final stages of instant death. Death spasms. Seeing the dead body twitch like a dying fish was enough to draw the attention of all the zombies who could no longer resist the pull of life. Frank watched as the zombies from all around heard and saw the flailing body. Then he looked on with horror as the other zombies began clawing at, and tearing away the flesh of the now spasming body. It was a morbidly grotesque image, yet another horrible image that would be burned into his mind about this whole ordeal. He watched as zombies hungrily tore at the flesh of the body of one of their own. Seeing the actions, it was clear that the zombies didn¡¯t care who or what they ate. They only wanted living flesh. No, not flesh. Frank saw the last flickering lights of green life energy in the cleansed zombie. He saw how the other zombies fought for those green specks of life energy, bypassing meaty arms and feet to flesh at the torso and other portions. It was horrific. Then wishing to end everything all at once, Frank mentally reached out to the largest mass of death energy in the pile of moving corpses. Closing his eyes, he found that he could still feel the dark energy which was good, as the sight that was before him was too much for him. Reaching out, he found the energy, and remembered how when he killed Luther, he pushed in. But that would only kill the one zombie. This time he wanted to kill them all. Focusing on the dark energy, he imagined the energy burning like a spark and then a flame. He imagined flames erupting from the corpses and then rising out striking the next zombie, and then the next. With so many zombies all gathered so closely the bodies were practically touching, which made the process he imagined easier. He focused his will on the zombies, on releasing their energy into the world, and then finally something clicked in his mind. Just as he felt a mental click far away, the same type of click one would expect when trying to start a mechanically controlled fire. Click. Fwoosh! Just as Frank imagined the click that would generate a spark, it happened. Startled. Frank opened his eyes and saw a dark purple and blueish flame erupt from the bodies that quickly began to melt and wither under the intense flames of the fire. Almost as if they were candles that were left to burn at a temperature that was four times hotter than suggested. Frank just sat there watching in slack jawed amazement. Gentle breeze. The flames were so hot and so intense that they began pulling air towards it, in order to keep burning. Sputter-spark. Embers of the flames shot out, propelled by burning and apparently highly combustible particles of dark energy that rocketed out and way, finding other nearby zombies that at first stood still, until the burning flames took root in their own bodies, causing yet more flaming zombies to burn. Only once it was too late did the zombies try to run away, but that only served to spread the flame once or twice more. Then finally everything within a fifty-meter radius of the initial burst site was dead, and burnt to the ground. Only charred remains, along with a few still brightly burning patches of skin and fat still remained. Everything else was just smoke and ash. With that, Frank looked around wondering if someone had helped. Maybe a fireball cultivator or someone hiding nearby as a prank, but no, nothing. As Frank looked around, all that was there was him, a black rock asphalt beneath his feet, zombies off in the distance and then three, no wait there was now a fourth drone watching him and recording him. Seeing the drones, Frank felt like he had to talk to someone about what just happened. ¡°Did you just see that?¡± Silence. ¡°Yeah, I get it, it¡¯s not cool if Frank does it.¡± Frank said, realizing he was going to be left alone and forced to endure this trek in silence. All that was left was his own gallows humor, which would likely get a lot worse as time went on. ¡°Well, screw you all, I thought it was cool.¡± Frank said, then he spun half right, back towards the place of his salvation and decided to continue walking. As he drew nearer to the horde of zombies, Frank once again felt that the outliers, those zombies that were at the fringe began to move away from Frank. Almost as if there was an invisible bubble that surrounded Frank and caused the zombies to all move away from him. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. He still didn¡¯t know what this was, or what it meant, but he wasn¡¯t going to refute it. By now, Frank was fairly certain that the idea of pretending to be frightened of Frank in order to lull him into a false sense of security was not something the zombies were capable of coming up with on their own. Which was fine, as Frank didn¡¯t want to look a gift horse in the mouth, instead he used this new knowledge to push more and more zombies into a tight cluster. Then once they were close enough, Frank did what he did last time. First, he pulled the dark energy away from a zombie, causing the remaining corpse to fall to the ground spasming in pain. Once again, there was a rush as dark energy tore into his body, filling him with a surge to stay alive. Then almost immediately afterwards, the zombies that had been content to be forced into one large cluster, all surged forward, lashing out, climbing over one another, all in an attempt to get at the life infused flesh of the cadaver that just dropped. Seeing this as his chance, Frank took in a deep breath, then let it out, as he once again focused on finding one zombie at the very center of that group. One who had a lot of dark energy within them. Then reaching out, Frank felt his mind grab hold of and take control of that energy. Once he had it in his grasp, he mentally clicked a spark to life. Fwoosh! Once again, there was a spark, followed by a sudden burst of flames, before an even brighter dark purple flame erupted from the pile of corpses. ¡°Whoa-hwoa-ho!¡± Frank shouted in joy, as he saw the flames erupt, then he saw the slight look of panic fill the burning zombie faces as they turned to get away from the intense flames, only to be able to turn slightly, and face the next nearest zombie who then caught flame and erupted into their own burning pyre. Acrid smoke. This time Frank was down wind of the flames, meaning he got to smell firsthand just how bitter and caustic the smoke from such intense flames were. ¡°Oh gods, and I thought they smelled bad unburnt.¡± Frank said, grabbing his shirt and raising it up to cover his nose. Still despite the burning pain in his nose, despite the whole strange ordeal Frank now found himself in, Frank found himself doing one thing he hadn¡¯t done in a long time. He smiled. This time when Frank looked up there were five drones up in the air. Seeing that there was yet another drone to the party, Frank couldn¡¯t help but comment. ¡°Ya¡¯ll coming to the party? We¡¯ve got bonfires, torches, and burning smoke. You should come, everyone¡¯s invited, apparently.¡± Frank said, talking to the drones. Silence. ¡°No takers? Well can any of you play some music at least?¡± More silence. ¡°Yeah, I figured. Why not have it be extra boring and quiet while doing this.¡± Frank said, then still smiling to himself, he continued to walk. Flames smoldering in the distance. When Frank was done talking, all that could be heard were the final few crackles of flames that were still in the process of dying down. ¡°Well, if you all are going to be boring, I guess I better party by myself.¡± Frank said, as he began slide shuffling towards the next set of zombies off in the distance. As he moved, he found that the drones all kept a tight rotation around him. While they were all over fifty feet away, they never seemed to lose track of him or to ever stray too far from his position. He knew that the drones were likely on some type of automated tracking system that would find him and track him through his trip, meaning that no one would even watch his feed until after his death. Even then, he knew they would only document the moment that Frank finally succumbed to energy and died. Still, despite knowing the truth, that he was alone and that no one cared. Frank decided to pretend like the drones were an audience, set to watch him. Then realizing that if they were his audience this might very well be his last chance to show case all the dance moves he practiced in secret, all in order to ask Maddie to the dance. Only for her to call out sick the day of the dance. Realizing he was just here by himself, Frank decided to speak his mind. Hoping that eventually some of his final words and actions would make it back home to his friends and family. Pausing for a moment in between waves, Frank chose this moment to stop and look up at the floating drones that were recording his death for posterity¡¯s sake. ¡°Maddie, I just wanted you to know, this is what you missed by not going to the school dance with me.¡± Then before Frank could think differently, he let the songs he had practiced to for so long come to life in his mind. Flat-heel slide. Pivot foot right, flat heel slide again. Switch, now use alternate foot. The dances he spent so long memorizing came back to him, as he managed to move freely and gracefully with his enhanced body and coordination. His body remembered the dance moves that were ingrained into his mind through countless hours of practice, and not only were his feet moving, but his hands were moving counter, giving an even more swim like appearance to his moves. ¡°Maddie are you w¡¯okay? So, Maddie are you w¡¯okay? Maddie are you w''okay? Are you w¡¯okay Maddie? You¡¯ve been hit by, you¡¯ve been struck by a smooth fireball.¡± Frank sang, as he was dancing up near the next gaggle of zombies and not even dealing with stripping the energy from one and causing the zombies to gather. This time Frank just pointed his finger and ignited one that looked to be mostly near the center of a particularly large pack. Whoosh. ¡°Maddie are you w¡¯okay? Are you w¡¯okay Maddie?¡± Frank continued to sing to himself as he spun about in place, watching the flames rise higher and spread out farther, before the last zombie dropped, its body burning away like misshapen wax. Seeing the destruction, Frank continued to dance, until he felt the area was safe to move through. Then not missing a beat, Frank decided to continue his dance, walking through the piles of ash, as his feet made long sliding lines with occasional flutter steps to the side as he moved. ¡°He came into your apartment, He left bloodstain on the carpet. And then you ran into the bedroom. You were struck down, It was your doom.¡± Frank continued, pointing out silhouettes of zombies that had been burned to charred black husks in the middle of the field. Each line noting another one that was struck down or killed by Frank. ¡°You¡¯ve hit by, You¡¯ve been struck by, A smooth criminal.¡± Frank continued, before moonwalking his way out of the zone. Making sure to play up the dancing as he found even the smooth flutter step slide shuffle to be easy to perform. The dance routine lasted about three gaggles of zombies, before it got to be too much for even Frank to continue. Finally, after the third dance death cluster, Frank decided to stop as the moves and one song that he could remember was even annoying him. Thinking of his fans, he decided to stop and save his energy. Light. Frank didn¡¯t realize when it happened, but he stopped moving at one point. It wasn¡¯t because he was tired, he was, but that wasn¡¯t the reason why he suddenly stopped his movements. He stopped as his body refused to move as he looked on and saw something that was so beautiful that he couldn¡¯t help but look on in awe. There off in the distance he saw lights, first there was a light blue, then bright oranges and yellows, until finally he saw the sun crest the horizon and finally make its rise into the sky. Pausing, Frank could only stare on in amazement at the sight before him. Seeing the sun rise for the first time, Frank felt a tear run down his face, as it was something he had always dreamed about while living in the slums deep under ground. There he only had stories passed on from generations past about how amazing a sunrise truly was. He remembered stories that his mother would talk about, how her grandmother¡¯s grandmother would tell stories about the sun, and how she wished she could see it just once before she died. Pausing for a moment, the spell over him eventually broke and he was once again able to see that now a total of six drones were circling him. Seeing the extra one, Frank assumed the newest one was just a daylight drone, that was incapable of filming in IR. After looking into the cameras for a bit, Frank realized that this might be one of the last messages he could send his mother. ¡°Hey mom, you likely won¡¯t see this until I die, but I saw the sun rise. You were right, it was just as magical as you predicted and very much worth watching. I hope you get a chance to see it once, though hopefully not like the way I got to see it.¡± With that Frank looked away and was about to continue his trek, but then decided to add a bit of comedy to his final speech. ¡°Oh and regardless of what they tell you, know that I did not die while screaming in agony, despite what any of these drones might record otherwise.¡± Silence. Frank paused and waited, then after an awkward moment decided to end this recording meant solely for his mother. ¡°Right well, goodbye. I¡¯ll see you.¡± With that Frank felt his voice choking up as he didn¡¯t want to say anything else that might a lie. He didn¡¯t want to promise a return, that he would see them. No, all he could do now was honestly try his best. He took a half step away, and then almost as an afterthought, he added. ¡°Oh, and miss you as well dad.¡± There, with that Frank nodded, happy that his farewells were in order, as he continued walking. As Frank went on, he found that even after stealing both death and life energies from zombies only did so much for his body. While he could repair damage quickly, there was still the toll his body was now feeling, as his mouth was dry. Hunger was one thing, as he had dealt with hunger for most of his life, but lack of water, especially with how suddenly hot the day was becoming, was almost too much for him. The more he moved, the more lethargic he felt. Suddenly he began to understand, or at least sympathize with the zombies who looked like they had spent years slowly rotting away under the sun¡¯s rays. To his surprise, the zombies apparently had their own way of dealing with the sun as they all huddled closely at condensed patches off to the sides. This meant that nothing was on the black tar runway that Frank needed to follow to freedom. Realizing this, Frank felt a surge of energy fill him as he wanted to use as much of this time as possible to make it as far as possible. Running. Before Frank even realized it, his body was cycling life qi quickly within his body. As he passed certain clusters of particularly powerful zombies, he could feel a few stir, but none seemed to move in his direction, given how fast he was moving. Tinge. Then finally, Frank felt something snap in his body, causing him to collapse on the ground. As he fell, he felt the black asphalt tear into his skin, scraping his body, but ultimately doing little than causing minor burns and irritations to form. Panting. Frank lay there on the ground, trying to catch his breath, trying to find the energy to rise up again, but his body was sore. His mind was exhausted, and he still had what appeared to be halfway left to go. Rolling to his back, all he saw was the sun high overhead, bearing down on him, with his only solace being the now seven mini round orbs that floated around him. ¡°Ya¡¯ll just going to watch me die?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this bad even for you all?¡± Frank said, as he rolled over onto his knees and forced his way up to his feet. ¡°Can¡¯t a kid get bread and water at least? Or is starving to death part of the fun of this? Watching a kid die of dehydration if the zombies can¡¯t get to him?¡± Frank said to himself, using his anger at the uncaring drones to give him enough energy to continue pushing on. Gurgle-grumble. His stomach was empty, forcing him to clutch at his abdomen, while he fought to move on. Frank knew he was on his last legs, but he was close, so close. ¡°I¡¯m close, so close. Just over halfway now.¡± As he moved, Frank began speaking all his internal thoughts out loud realizing that there was no need for decorum, now that he was dead. Going to be baked alive on the black asphalt, or swallowed up by the zombies that would eventually come for him, he felt no need to hold back. ¡°Fuck you all. Letting a kid die so you can what? Laugh? All because an asshole with connections tried to kill me, nearly succeeded. Then when I struck back and succeeded, I get sent away to die without food or water? Or I make this trek without food or water? All some sick game.¡± Frank said, then finally had to stop speaking as his mouth felt dry from so much talking. That¡¯s how it went for the next half mile, until Frank still needing some rage to use to press onward with dredged down deep. ¡°Fuck you Camello.¡± Frank didn¡¯t notice it, but two of the drones actually stopped following for a second, before quickly recovering and taking up their place in the formation that followed Frank through Death Row. ¡°You go threaten me. Torture me. Beat me up everyday, then send your thuggy friends to beat me up, to kill me because you were too weak. Then next time we meet, you shove me full of death energy hoping that will kill me? You can¡¯t stop me!¡± Frank shouted, and with that shout so too did some of the last vestiges of rage that he held inside him. His mind was on a mission as he just continued to trudge forward. One foot in front of the next, in front of the next. Until finally, he couldn¡¯t move anymore. He stepped forward, trying to take a step but his leg locked up on him, causing him to stumble and fall. Once again, Frank found himself on the ground, this time he knew that unless something drastic happened, he would not be able to rise. That or if he did, he wouldn¡¯t be able to do so for long. Just when he was about to close his eyes and accept his fate, he heard it, the faint whipping sound of blades cutting in the wind. Letting out an exhausted sigh, Frank hoped and prayed that the aircraft was coming for him. He was ready to even ride in a death trap of a helicopter if it meant no longer having to crawl his way through this gauntlet of death. Of course, Frank soon found out that his luck wasn¡¯t that good. In fact, it was still terrible, for the craft he eventually saw come for him was little more than the size of a small box, not even large enough for Frank to sit on if he tried. And definitely not strong enough to lift him out of here. With his last hope dashed, Frank rested his head, and felt his mind drift off into nothingness, even as he felt the gentle breeze of the box sized object whir from the sky and swoop down to rest in front of him. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 Frank was dreaming, he knew that. This time there was no darkness surrounding him that he needed to draw away. Instead, he once again found himself in the same dark obsidian hallway lit by torches on both sides of the hallway. Just like the last time, there were two guards standing before a slight four step staircase that led to an ornate obsidian and gold accented throne, upon which a gorgeous monster of a female sat. Even with grotesquely red eyes, the girl was captivating. ¡°So you have returned, though you are in far worse condition than the last time.¡± The demon queen said, as she raised herself from her throne. To his surprise, Frank found that he couldn¡¯t move. Worse, he found that the way he passed out, on his side on the ground was the exact way he now found himself here in the dreamworld. Frank could only look on with horror as the demon queen approached. ¡°A pity, as I had such high hopes for you. Still, this was inevitable, I suppose.¡± The Demon queen stated, her tone almost sultry as she grabbed Frank¡¯s arm, raised it up slightly. As the Demon Queen moved, her eyes never looked away from Frank¡¯s. For his part, Frank could only stare back in complete horror at what was transpiring before him. Unable to move, and worse unable to begin breaking away from this nightmarish dreamscape, all Frank could do is stare on in muted horror as the demon still holding Frank¡¯s outstretched arm, opened her mouth widely, revealing rows upon rows of sharp teeth, then chomped. Sharp sting. There was a sharp sting, as if a vice was being wrapped around his arm. Then almost immediately a surge of cold liquids began being forced into and through the puncture wound on his arm. ¡°AHH!¡± Frank cried, out as his mind was quickly ripped from the dream world, where he was forcefully awakened to see the same box looking hover craft clamping down on his arm and doing something to him. Frank sat up, or at least tried to sit up as the arm that was being attacked was the one that had been laying on the ground, meaning that in order for Frank to rip his arm free, he would first have to sit up, then begin moving his arm. Just as he began to move, a voice called out from the giant box. ¡°Relax, immediate first aide relief is being applied.¡± The voice said in a semi-robotic voice that indicated it was the words of a human that were being modulated. Odd, but something that was to be expected. Hearing the words, and realizing that while there was a slight burning sensation as cold liquids were being pumped directly into his body, he felt better. Well, it was hard to feel worse, but he could safely say that the cold liquids were having an immediate effect on his body. ¡°What is going on?¡± Frank found himself asking, as he began shaking his head. ¡°This is a meal delivery vessel. As part of the first aid by delivery device compliance act of 45, all delivery drones must be equipped with emergency life saving measures. Up to and including an IV for both hextend and saline solution. You are currently being administered saline solution to help with dehydration.¡± The device said. ¡°Oh, thank goodness you were delivering a meal in the area then.¡± Frank said, still a little woozy, but feeling much better. ¡°Yes.¡± Was all the meal delivery unit operator said. Within ten minutes the entire bag had been emptied into Frank¡¯s arm. At which point the clamp like device that had grabbed his arm began to retract, as did the blood covered needle that had been used to pierce Frank¡¯s arm. With his arm free of the vice, Frank let out a sigh of relief. Then began to get up. ¡°Perhaps you could help me make my delivery?¡± The operator asked. ¡°Uh, okay?¡± Frank said, figuring he would likely have to point the drone towards Purgatory where a guard or someone likely ordered delivery. ¡°Do you know of a Cadet Candidate Frank Fotos who is still in the accusatory stage of his incarceration.¡± The drone operator said, making sure to stress the fact that Frank had not been officially tried, as he was still waiting for his sentencing when he decided to leave and try this fool¡¯s errand of earning a pardon. ¡°Um, I¡¯m Frank Fotos.¡± Frank said, wondering what else could go wrong. Was there an exploding bomb that would be delivered to him? Maybe a bar of soap so he could wash up while in the prison. ¡°Oh, what a coincidence then. As we have a meal ready to eat that will surely be a tasty treat.¡± The person piloting the drone said, their words pulling off the jingle with a near perfect diction. ¡°Okay.¡± Frank said, not quite knowing what to do as he just stood there. As he looked a flashing text box appeared on the package, but Frank had no clue how any of this worked. There was clearly something he was supposed to do, but clearly had no clue as this was all new technology and customs compared to what he was used to. ¡°Just read the order number, the order details, and state confirm receipt afterwards if you would like to receive the meal.¡± ¡°Oh, is that all a guy needs to do to eat around here.¡± Frank said, then getting closer to the box he read the package details. ¡°A number one A, with large fries and a large coke.¡± There was a slight pause, as Frank looked on then shaking his head as if he was a moron he replied. ¡°Oh right, the magic phrase. Confirm receipt.¡± Chime. ¡°Order has been confirmed.¡± The drone speaker stated, as the drone began to drop to the ground, where it dropped a brown paper bag and a large white cup that nearly blinded Frank as to how bright it was with the rays of the sun shining off of it. ¡°Oh wow, that is blindingly bright.¡± Frank said, as he twisted his head to the side and then reached out and grabbed the cup that was surprisingly cold to the touch. ¡°Oh wow, it¡¯s still cold.¡± Frank said, as he heard something jingle inside. Having heard of screws being loose in drinks down in the slums, Frank grew weary of the sound and pulled off the lid to reveal a dark black drink with weird clear crystals floating in it. ¡°Is this dirty water?¡± Haha. ¡°No it¡¯s a soda.¡± The voice of the drone spoke. By now enough of a dialog had been had that Frank was moderately certain that the person he was talking to was a female. At least, he hoped it was a female. The fact that they laughed at him would only be worthwhile if it was from a female after all. ¡°The closest thing I drank to this color was light brown and it gave me the poops for the week. This won¡¯t give me the poops will it?¡± Frank asked holding the drink and looking at it closely, only to then jump back as he saw part of the drink explode before his eyes. ¡°What is that?¡± More melodic laughter. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°That¡¯s carbonation. Do they not have that where you are from?¡± ¡°No, we are lucky if we only get a bit of dirt or rust with our water. Let alone this carbonation.¡± Frank said. ¡°Oh, so this is your first time drinking a Coke?¡± She asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Then you are going to want to sit down, and tuck your feet under you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t it just might knock your socks off.¡± Looking down, at his feet Frank saw his shoes and tried to remember exactly what socks were. There was an awkward pause as the view for the drone panned down to reveal Frank¡¯s shoes that were little more than slabs of rubber with multiple holes in them, and there was clearly no socks on. ¡°Oh¡­¡± The girl delivery agent said. ¡°Already gone, just by holding it.¡± Frank said, trying to end the awkward moment. Forced laugh. With that, Frank decided to get this moment over with and decide to try the odd drink. Fire, fizzle, pop. There was an explosion of flavor in his mouth, as his dry tongue felt the cool liquid hit it, then he felt his mouth come to life as flavors that he had never experienced before came to life. Foam. He felt his mouth automatically begin to drool from the new liquid. Covering his mouth so the girl couldn¡¯t see him in this awkward state, he tried to regain his composure and almost failed. Finally, he managed to speak, ¡°oh, that is amazing. It¡¯s like my mouth is being zapped to life with flavors.¡± Mirthful laughter. The girl once again laughed, this time it was a real laugh that reminded Frank of ringing bells. ¡°Now try the food.¡± The girl said, excitedly. ¡°Okay, can I ask you to tell me what these are?¡± Frank said, pulling out golden sticks. ¡°Those are french-fries, they are amazing to eat.¡± ¡°Okay, trusting you.¡± Frank said, holding up the golden sticks and then biting into them. Once again Frank felt an explosion of flavors as he felt salt, real honest to goodness salt right there on the fry, as if it was some common food, and not a gourmet delicacy. MMM. Frank couldn¡¯t contain himself as he hungrily ate the fries by the handful. He ate so fast that they almost felt like glue on the way down, but that was okay as the taste before the glue was priceless. ¡°That is so good.¡± ¡°If you think that¡¯s good, just wait until you try the hamburger.¡± The girl said. Looking around Frank only found a wrapped up sandwich that looked odd, as Frank had never seen anything that was quite that shade of blackish brown before. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It looks kind of weird.¡± Frank said, holding the sandwich out and wondering why the bread was able to bend. Should bread be able to bend freely like that? ¡°Just try it.¡± Frank paused, and looked from the sandwich to the hovering drone. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°For me?¡± The girl pleaded. Frank paused, realizing that he already ate more today with just the fries than he would in a whole week. That said, the girl was really nice and she might get angry if he didn¡¯t at least try the odd sandwich, what did she call it, a hamburger? ¡°Okay,¡± Frank said. Then pausing for a moment he stared at the burger before letting out a breath of air and biting into the sandwich that practically melted in his mouth. Then just like the Coke, there was an explosion of flavor in his mouth, but this time it was ten times more intense than before. Mmm. Frank opened his eyes and then looked at the camera and was about to open his mouth to say something, but then remembered his mother¡¯s lessons for how to impress girls. Namely, never talk with your mouth full around them. Realizing his almost faux pas, Frank corrected himself and then tried to swallow the food, only to feel a tear of joy swell on his face as it tasted even better going down than it did while in his mouth. ¡°That was so good.¡± Frank managed to finally say. As he opened his mouth and was about to take a bite when the female operator spoke. ¡°Good, well if you are all set, then I guess I will be on my way.¡± Hearing that, Frank paused, as he realized that this was his first form of human interaction in a long time. Worse, this would likely be his last form of human interaction until he reached the city. ¡°Wait,¡± Frank yelled out, jumping to his feet and almost tackled the drone that had both saved his life and taken the time to talk to him. Splash. Only after his mad dash did Frank realize that he had knocked over his cup with the remaining soda, but that didn¡¯t matter. Right now, all that really mattered was being able to talk to someone without going crazy. ¡°Can you please stay and talk?¡± Frank asked, a note of desperation in his voice. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡­¡± the female operator began to say, but then cut herself off as a second voice could be heard talking in the background. ¡°Actually, I was just given the all clear to talk to you for as long as you¡¯d like.¡± She said, and Frank could almost hear her smile at that. Or it might have just been Frank¡¯s wishful thinking, but either way he could hear the voice of a beautiful woman talk to him. ¡°Oh that¡¯s awesome.¡± Frank said, then sadly he turned to see that in his haste part of his sandwich fell apart and dropped to the ground along with the remains of his drink. Looking at the mess, Frank could only let out a sigh. ¡°Dang it, oh well.¡± Frank said, while eating the rest of his sandwich in one large bite, so he wouldn¡¯t lose any more of it. Then reaching down he began to pick up the mess he made. Grabbing his wrappers and empty drink container. Then condensing them all together he put them in a bag, but in his haste he felt one of the clear crystals that came with his drink and was surprised to see that it was actually shaped ice. At least what he figured to be shaped ice. Again, ice had also been a luxury down in the slums, so more often than not, all he could hope for was cold water to drink, with ice in the water being only a luxury that the rich families partook in. Seeing the ice, Frank let it melt in his hands, as cool liquid pooled on his skin. Then without thinking he began rubbing the ice fragments on the back of his neck to help cool off. ¡°Is it hot out there?¡± The female drone operator asked. ¡°Yeah, you could say that.¡± Frank said, as he finally finished chewing the last bite of his burger. He felt stuffed, but more importantly he felt like he could go on with is track. Though looking around, Frank looked for a trash bin or something that he could place his litter into. Seeing him search around, the drone operator asked. ¡°You need anything?¡± ¡°Yeah, a place to put my trash.¡± Frank said, then looking around at the charred husks of bones and debris filled wasteland that surrounded him, Frank couldn¡¯t help but feel awkward at the gesture. ¡°I probably should just throw it down, but I can¡¯t.¡± Frank said, as he placed the last pieces of trash into the paper bag and then rolled everything up tightly and began to walk towards salvation once more. ¡°Actually, why don¡¯t you put that here.¡± The drone operator said, as a latch opened up on top revealing a shoot to put things. ¡°Okay, thanks.¡± Frank said, and then looked to visibly relax as he no longer had the added stress of worrying about carrying out his trash with him. Silence. There was an odd but semi-comfortable silence that began to settle over the two as Frank walked and the drone operator kept a close but similar pace to Frank. ¡°So, I have to ask.¡± The female operator finally began to speak. ¡°Please.¡± Frank said, wanting desperately to talk about anything with the beautiful woman. Or at least to hear the voice of someone who Frank imagined to be beautiful. ¡°Those were some pretty fine dance moves earlier. I have to say, you must have been quite the lady¡¯s man.¡± Pausing, Frank felt shock, shame, and horror all at once as he turned to look at the drone. ¡°You saw those?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, and they were good. Like really good.¡± The female said, taking away a bit of the embarrassment that he felt about having someone see him dance while burning zombies. ¡°Probably wasn¡¯t my best look. Though to my defense, I was just clasping at straws to find ways to continue pushing on.¡± Frank said as he continued moving forward. ¡°If that is what you call clasping at straws, I¡¯d love to see what you do when you have a firm hold of something you want.¡± The girl said. With that, Frank paused again, though this time he quickly regained his stride. For a moment, he thought about the words, then rethought about them, then had to ask. ¡°Was that a pickup line?¡± ¡°WHAT?! No.¡± The voice screamed in almost outrage. ¡°Oh.¡± Frank said, slightly deflating after hearing her clear indignation at the comment. Silence. Finally after a long pause, the girl asked. ¡°What made you think of that as a pickup line?¡± With that Frank felt his face blush slightly, as he worked through the best way to say what he was thinking. ¡°I don¡¯t know, it was the whole you¡¯d love to see what I do when I have hold of something I want.¡± Ahh-hh. There was a high-pitched sound followed by a reverberation loop, before the microphone for the drone abruptly cut out. Hearing that, Frank covered his ears for a moment, and then staring at the drone realized that it lost function for a minute. Frank thought about waiting, but then after a few seconds, the drone just stayed there motionlessly, before Frank decided to continue moving. Especially now that he felt alive with both food, water, and energy. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what happened, but thank you for the meal, and most importantly for the company. I can¡¯t tell you how much that all meant to me.¡± Frank said, as he gave a wide bow to the camera of the drone. Then smiling slightly to himself, he decided to moonwalk out of the view of the camera. Only once he was fully away from the still motionless drone did Frank decide to nod to himself before continuing onward. ¡°I knew it was too good to be true.¡± Frank muttered to himself, then stopped as he looked up and saw a total of eight spherical drones hovering overhead realizing that they were all apparently recording at least his visuals. And that they likely recorded his comments he would make to himself as well. This was bad, particularly if the family of Camello was watching as he had spent most of his last hour of consciousness before passing out focusing on going further while cursing at Camello. Realizing he had already made a fool enough of himself for a lifetime, Frank decided to continue walking. Though every so often, he did take a moment or two to identify particularly large clusters of zombies, where he would find them, and then use his dark matter explosion technique. ¡°Fireball!¡± Frank said, as a giant purple flame rose up from the ground. It wasn¡¯t a true fireball, but that didn¡¯t matter as it still seemed to glow with a bright purple light. Dah-do-dah-da-da-dah! This time one of the drones overhead began playing the upbeat song that he had also practiced the moves for. Particularly as it was a song that was played at every childhood dance he attended. With that Frank began mixing the dance moves, using the fluttering foot steps, along with the crazy swimming motions of the Fireball song to really help continue his motion forward, while making this trip at least somewhat enjoyable. ¡°She said, ¡®walk this way.¡¯¡± Frank stated, and pointed off towards the city to the south east, while a gaggle of huddled zombies all began bursting and combusting into brightly burning flames that seemed to race down both sides of the road that Frank was walking. ¡°I came, I saw, I conquered. Or should I say, I saw, I conquered, I came! Fa¡¯ la¡¯ lah la boogie all day. Something something then she said, ¡®just walk this way.¡¯¡± Yeah, after this Frank was fairly certain he was not going to be called up to be a singer in any way shape or form. That said, he felt inspired to continue to show off his dance moves. Especially with how easy they were to perform. Also, it seemed that this time so long as he continued to dance, the drones overhead were content to continue to play music. Which was a fair enough trade off for Frank. Frank might look like a dork, but at least he got to pass the time a little more enjoyably by moving to a beat. As he got closer and the shadow of the large gate seemed to loom larger than life, Frank felt his feet begin to pick up speed, quickly outpacing any music or beats that had served as motivation for him to continue. Until finally, Frank soon found himself standing safely before the large metal gate that separated the remains of Death Row from civilized society. The sun was close to setting for the second time, showing that he had traveled for nearly a day straight on just one meal and whatever he was able to cultivate along the way. Frank stood there, and waited. Nothing happened. Looking up at the floating orbs, which still appeared to be expanding in number every time he looked, Frank looked to the spheres and asked. ¡°Do I need to say something? Like confirm receipt?¡± Frank said, making sure to shout the last part up as high and loudly as he could. Nothing. ¡°Okay,¡± Frank said, then looking at the wall, he saw a number of cracks that he was fairly certain could be used to climb up. ¡°I guess I have to scale my way to freedom.¡± Frank said, as he sighed and then reaching up to the sides of the walls began climbing his way up and out of the pit of death. Interlude II Behind the Scenes (Bethany Song) Interlude II Behind the Scenes (Bethany Song) Bethany stared at the control panel in complete fear, as the feed to the delivery drone she had been piloting abruptly cut out. ¡°Oh, what happened?¡± Bethany found herself frantically asking, as the drone she had been charged with driving and delivering a meal with, then returning back to base was now floating with its remaining power in a recovery position. The only problem was, there was no way they could recover the drone from its current location. Granted the drone was now in a free part of Death Row, but the entire operation had been run on the thinnest of margins for success. If the drone had gone right out and back, then theoretically there would have been enough energy for the drone to get up over the protective outer walls of the city of Last Reach. The only problem was, as soon as she got there, she saw the boy nearly dead due to being burned alive by the sun. His hair was an odd shade of purple-green that only came from those who spent generations deep within the lower levels, worse his skin was so pale that it was clear he had never even seen the sun. Meaning that his injuries were far more devastating than almost any other surface dweller would face. Most who were born, or at least had a chance to experience the suns rays, knew to cover you face, to try to hide from the rays. Hell, even the zombies were smart enough to at least get off the black asphalt to avoid being burnt alive. Seeing the boy, Bethany wanted to save him, but knew that doing so would waste a lot of reserve energy that the drone would need in order to get back safely. At which point Bethany would have to go herself to Last Reach and retrieve the floating drone. However, once the drone scanned the downed body and found that the boy was still alive, the machine brought up life saving functions and forced standard life saving measures to be implemented. After the boy, Frank, was saved, Bethany went through the standard delivery process with him. Then was taken aback when he asked to continue talking to her. At first she was concerned, as there might be a chance that the drone could still be retrieved if she used minimal efforts and attempted to auto-glide the device towards the walls. There it wouldn¡¯t be able to make it over the grand walls of Last Reach, but she might be able to sneak out and grab the drone. That was her thought process until, Chad Falga, her boss told her to just stay with him. Bethany was about to protest, but then saw that he was pointing to a collection of monitors that showed what the boy had been doing for the last few hours. ¡°This is a PR miracle. Go ahead and chat with him. Play it up if you can.¡± Chad told her. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Bethany asked, then watched him do some dance moves over the corpses of burnt monsters. Seeing that, she felt an odd sense of horror, shock, and something deeper when she watched. The boy had skills, that much was undeniable. Not only could he mock-dance his way through a cleared war zone of monsters, but he did so with such ease that he felt confident enough to dance afterwards. Then seeing him, and hearing the plea in his voice, Bethany also realized something else. There was something deeper, something more primal in his request to continue talking with Bethany. It was an odd sense of vulnerability that drew her in, just as it was apparently drawing in all other viewers who were busy watching one of the eight various live streams of him and his antics. And for a moment, Bethany found herself caught up in that loop, where she, or rather her voice was part of the live streaming. Her personal communication device, something she was only allowed to wear and use for emergencies was pinging like crazy, as many of her friends and family were asking if she was the voice of the drone. This caused her to be somewhat distracted at first, then she tried to focus entirely on the boy who seemed to be normal. Power out the wazoo, capable of incinerating zombies by looking at them. Then unafraid enough to dance over their corpses as he made the Death Row walk look easy. Of course, that¡¯s when everything went sideways. Beep. First the drone let her know that she was nearing the end of usable energy. Even though she was at 15% energy, everyone knew the drone would go to standby mode at 10%. With that in her mind she spoke absently, trying to keep her tone fun and playful as she had been instructed. A request that had been far easier the more she spoke to him. Then without warning, he hit her with something that came out of left field. At least to her it did. There had been a pause, and for a moment Bethany almost wondered if she had said something ¡°Was that a pickup line?¡± ¡°WHAT?! No.¡± Bethany blared into the speakers, momentarily getting a reverberation feedback. This was due partially to her noise level, and partially due to how low on energy the craft was becoming. ¡°Oh.¡± Frank said, slightly deflated. Seeing him, something within Bethany broke, as she looked for the words to say, but couldn¡¯t find any that would fix his sudden morose state. Silence. Finally the words came to her, when she asked. ¡°What made you think of that as a pickup line?¡± That¡¯s when Frank requoted her line back to her, but also made a slight grabbing motion as he repeated them. ¡°I don¡¯t know, it was the whole you¡¯d love to see what I do when I have hold of something I want.¡± With that, Bethany imagined Frank reaching out and grabbing her, which caused her to let out a high pitched scream. Ahh-hh. That¡¯s when the last feed was exchanged. Or able to be transmitted to the drone. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Darkness. The screen before Bethany was completely dark. ¡°What? What happened?¡± Bethany asked, then just when she thought everything was over, she heard him speak. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what happened, but thank you for the meal, and most importantly for the company. I can¡¯t tell you how much that all meant to me.¡± Frank said, his voice echoing from the bank of assembled live feeds that were all displaying Frank. Bethany looked up just in time to see Frank give a bow to drone. Then she felt her heartbeat slightly as he gave a slight smile, before he began moonwalking away from the camera of the still floating drone. Once he was away, Bethany saw the slight pause in Frank¡¯s face, as he seemed to deflate slightly. That¡¯s when he spoke so lightly that at first the drones didn¡¯t catch his words. Only after a second, did the modulators catch the words, distort the background noises and finally gave the final words he spoke. ¡°I knew it was too good to be true.¡± Hearing that, Bethany felt her heartbreak just a little as she watched the boy continue on his way. Looking at him, Bethany realized one thing. The boy, a kid randomly out here was lonely. He might try to hide it, but he was lonely. Just as Bethany was coming to terms with this epiphany, Chad came over and began going over the after action. ¡°Sorry about the drone.¡± Bethany instantly began, hoping that the cost of the drone would not come out of her paycheck. ¡°Don¡¯t be, that feed alone more than covered the cost of the drone.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, the executives have already written off the drone as advertising expenses.¡± ¡°They have?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me, yes. That was perfect. I couldn¡¯t have scripted a better more compelling case. A boy wrongfully convicted of a crime, imprisoned by corrupt politicians who rather than looking at facts, force a boy to go to prison on self defense charges when their own monstrous family member initiate and then lost an attack. That boy then is given the choice, to wait for trumped up cases to be filed against him, or take the Death Row. Which he takes and is the first one to be able to succeed. He not only shows new powers never seen before, but he is young, charismatic, and a heart throb. Then all the world can do is watch, as this boy begins to die, not by the impossible monsters, as those are no match for him. But rather he is going to die due to lack of food and water. ¡°The world can only watch in horror as this hope for humanity comes, only to be struck down by corrupt politics. But then, just when he is about to die, a miracle happens. A Golden Arch drone comes, identifies the person as requiring first aide, and due to the delivery device compliance act of 45. That¡¯s when a Golden Arch machine not only rescues the boy, but then we get solid gold images of him eating something more than mushroom stew and he loves it. Honestly that alone was worth it, but then seeing how you two interacted, how you were able to make him smile and feel a bit more confident in himself. It was all golden. ¡°In fact, it was so good, that News agencies are already trying to find out who the enchanting voiced driver is, and if she available for an interview.¡± Chad finally ended his speech. Pausing, Bethany looked around and realized that what he was talking about was being displayed in some way shape or form on the different screens. Yes, one continued to show Frank and his trek towards Last Reach. But the others were showing different past images of Frank. There was one when he was getting awakened for a second time. It was just a brief moment, but Bethany felt ill watching as she watched the boy get infused with dark pulsing lines of energy. In horror, she watched as she realize that the energy Frank was showing was not supposed to be in the human body. Then the screen cut, and showed the boy who altered the feeds, a clear feed showed the boy maliciously ripping off the safety seal for the dark energy portion of the energy cells and then feeding that into the feed tube for the awakening stone. Bethany wasn¡¯t an expert on exactly how the awakening stone process was performed, but she could tell that the safety seals were torn off and discarded. Then bile rose in her throat as she saw that boy smile brightly as he watched Frank writhe in agony. Then Bethany saw how Frank rose from the ground and then seemed to know exactly who had done this to him. She watched as he reached out, with a black glowing arm and then squeezed his fist shut, causing the boy to drop dead. The entire thing was horrific. Immediately afterwards Frank collapsed to the ground, and people rushed to help, but then quickly had to stop as they themselves could not get near the dark matter. Seeing the feeds, Bethany¡¯s mind broke as she tried to understand one thing. ¡°They had all that, and they still sent him to prison?¡± ¡°Yeah, but don¡¯t worry. Corporate is already reaching out to The Innocence Project to show their support for Frank Fotos.¡± Chad said. Hearing that, Bethany felt a bit of relief. While killing was bad, and something that should be avoided at all costs, the person he killed tried to torture him to death. After seeing and hearing everything, Bethany was slightly at a loss for words, though she did finally manage to answer. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°That brings me to my next task for you.¡± ¡°Task?¡± ¡°Yes, how would you feel about a promotion?¡± Chad asked. ¡°What type of promotion?¡± Bethany asked, a bit of concern filling her features as she knew that promotions, especially ones like these, often required people to give up a bit of their morals. ¡°A promotion to Tier V. One that would require you to go back and get retrained.¡± Chad replied. ¡°What, how?¡± ¡°You have been Tier III for a long time. Also, with this we could use one of our Golden Arch resource scholarships on you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°There would of course be one catch.¡± Hearing that, Bethany knew this was coming. But she still dreaded the idea. Still a chance to get promoted and hopefully get an source of energy that was better than her stupid internal wind affinity would be great. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Nothing much. In fact, we chose you as you seem to already have a slight interest in what we are attempting.¡± ¡°Just what are you asking me to do?¡± ¡°Go to the school, get retrained as a newly re-awakened Tier V cultivator and befriend Frank Fotos.¡± Bethany suddenly felt embarrassed by the whole thing. ¡°I¡¯m not going to sleep with him.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t asking you to. Also, he is still only fifteen, so it would be illegal, which we would recommend against. No, we just want you to go and be his friend during his time at the Academy, and maybe get him to sign a contract with us.¡± ¡°A honeypot? You want me to be a corporate honeypot?¡± Bethany asked, suddenly feeling slightly queasy about the idea of luring over an unsuspecting murk dweller, the malicious slang used to describe those of the lower levels, and get him to sign a binding corporate contract with the Golden Arches. ¡°That is a rather crude term for this. All we want is for you to be a friend, get video and photos of him during his time at the academy, and then if you want, we can likely strong arm him into a contract if needed. We just need you to go in and get the dirt on him.¡± Chad said. ¡°What if there is no dirt?¡± ¡°Then you don¡¯t have anything to worry about. You will go as our sponsored scholarship student. Get a new power and likely a new career path, and can either choose to stay with us, or get sent to the front lines. Either way, your job is done so long as you make friends with him.¡± Chad said reassuringly. Bethany paused, feeling slightly queasy about this whole idea, but realized this was the chance of a lifetime. Pausing, she looked up to see the current live feed of Frank. He was currently climbing up the walls of Last Reach. Seeing this, Bethany couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Why didn¡¯t they let him in?¡± ¡°Apparently the gears rusted shut and the doors were welded closed after the first outbreak. Thus the climbing.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t someone go down to help him?¡± ¡°Apparently a helicopter tried to grab him, but he waved it off.¡± Chad replied. Pausing, Bethany looked at Chad and realized just why he was chosen for the job of crew supervisor, he was able to take in and process so much information all at once that it was crazy. That¡¯s what her internal air powers should eventually lead to, but she was far from his level of expertise. Realizing that she wanted to eventually be like Chad was the final push Bethany needed. ¡°Okay,¡± Bethany stated. ¡°Okay?¡± Chad replied, turning back from the monitors to face Bethany. ¡°Yes, I will gladly take up the scholarship offer and be trained with Frank.¡± Bethany said clearly. Ding. Chad¡¯s personal monitor dinged, apparently having recorded the verbal phrasing needed to get this process started. ¡°Perfect. Don¡¯t worry, we will take care of everything.¡± Chad began, then was about to leave, before he paused and looked back at Bethany. ¡°Oh, one last thing. I would suggest taking a cleansing fast over the next 48 hours, as any toxins in the body can be unpleasant to deal with during this process.¡± Before Bethany could say anything in response, Chad was gone, apparently going to take care of some other crisis or harp on some other opportunity that would shortly arise. All Bethany could do was stare at him, then watch the feed of Frank climbing up over the lip of the walls of Last Reach, where he was promptly greeted by the Mayor of Last Reach who was using this moment to give him a key to the city. Apparently, news about this new phenom moved quickly, and everyone was ready to take advantage of the moment. There at the top of the wall, General Graves was also in attendance, presenting a leather case holding an Acquitted plaque. Along with personally pinning a bright silver medal on the boy¡¯s shirt that also denoted a Silver star and the word Acquitted. The medal was only visible due to the close up of the screen cameras, but it was official. Regardless of whatever trumped up charges or cases had been put against Frank Fotos, he was now a free man. Seeing him, Bethany couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart pound a little heavier about the chance of meeting him. Then remembering the words of Chad, she went ahead and ordered the 48-hour cleansing solutions. This was not going to be a fun few days, but there was a bright side. ¡°Tier five, and a chance to meet him in person.¡± Bethany muttered to herself as she took a deep breath and then finally got around to answering her personal messages. Chapter 21 (Three Days Later) Re-Evaluation Chapter 21 (Three Days Later) Re-Evaluation ¡°Two weeks, that is how long has taken place from the day you initially awoke, to now. What does this mean for you? Well even though you have bulked out nicely due to your initial Life affinity, you still are and look young. Which will be a problem for others who wish to test you. At Tier Eight, nearly Tier Nine, you are one of the strongest students in this Academy. Added to that the fact that we have no idea what your strength or other attributes are currently at and well you can guess that you will likely have to establish yourself quickly.¡± Holsy said, as he came in to be Frank¡¯s escort, at least for the first part of his day. That was all the warning Frank got as he was first taken to get re-evaluated.
Name: Frank Fotos Status: Re-Awakened. MOS: N/A Body Cultivation Level VIII**. Core Value VIII**. Talent: F-Rank Energy Eyes**, Regeneration**, Poison Resistance**, Death Resistance** S-Rank: (Unknown**), (Unknown**)
Strength: 9 (Below Average) + 24 = 33 Dexterity: 10 (Average) + 24 = 35 Agility: 10 (Average) + 24 = 34 Mind: 9 (Below Average) + 24 = 33 Power: 36 (Way Above Average) Willpower: 15 (Above Average) Hidden Primary Power Rating: 32 / 32. Hidden Auxiliary Power Rating: 32 / 32.
¡°Oh nice, you learned to condense your core at this stage? No wonder you survived. That is why your attributes were all increased by 24, as three times eight. Also, I assume you had the Death Resistance maxed out before your re-awakening, as that is likely the only way you survived that at all.¡± With that Frank could only nod. Holsy, realizing that Frank was ever the conversationalist decided to press, ¡°I take it that was from the death stalking serpent you killed in the tunnels?¡± ¡°Most likely.¡± Frank replied, then inadvertently he reached up to touch his head to feel for the few scraggles of hair that had remained. In accordance with the military academy rules he had those tufts of hair removed, but the memory of that event still haunted him. ¡°Are you always this much of a talker, or is it only the ladies that you open yourself up to?¡± Holsy pressed. Frank knew exactly who Holsy was talking about, as he had heard and seen the playback of his brief but spectacularly bad conversation with the random drone delivery driver. Each time he heard himself talk, the more of a loser he felt like he sounded. With that Frank could only shake his head and huff, as there was nothing really to say about that. ¡°Well, apparently word has it, that the delivery driver who spoke to you got a service recommendation for promotion from their work and are now here.¡± Holsy stated. ¡°They are?¡± Frank asked, a twinge of excitement filling his voice. That¡¯s of course when Holsy pounced, realizing that Frank had made himself vulnerable. Frank realizing that he had given Holsy the opening that he wanted regretted his words almost immediately, but unfortunately, he could not take them back. ¡°Yeah, she is. And she will be in your sector.¡± Holsy stated, playing up the slightly mocking tone. Frank hated the fact that Holsy was seemingly enjoying this, but at the time this was one of the few subjects that Holsy brought up that Frank was actually interested in. ¡°My sector?¡± ¡°Yeah, the re-awakened. Though I think she will be in one of those Medium focuses, apparently her primary affinity is air, or light-blue. While I haven¡¯t heard what her secondary affinity is, maybe she will be one of those double air oracles.¡± Holsy stated. Frank could only nod in agreement at that. As Holsy continued walking him through the different hallways to the ones where he would meet the instructors that would be able to teach him how to use his two affinities and how he could be best utilized by choosing a proper military occupation. ¡°Well, it has been fun chatting with you as always.¡± Holsy said, stopping just before the two were to part ways. With that Holsy, made sure to adjust his Acquitted badge, making sure it was placed squarely over his heart. Then he checked to make sure one V and three vertical slashes were present on each sleeve, representing his cultivation Tier rating. Seeing Holsy diligently go over every aspect of his uniform, Frank couldn¡¯t help but relax slightly. Knowing that if something was out of place, Holsy would point it out. Of course, that was when Holsy freaked Frank out as he peered at the uniform, realizing that something was off, but for the life of him he could not remember what it was. Only after a second of staring did he have a eureka moment, when he realized what was off about the whole uniform. ¡°I almost forgot the piece de-resistance.¡± Holsy said, in a bad imitation of a foreign accent. Before Frank could ask anything, Holsy reached into his pocket, grabbed and pulled out a square patch, before pinning it to the dead center of Frank¡¯s uniform. There at the center of his uniform was a green letter ¡®F¡¯ signifying his primary power ranking and his primary affinity. In this case the green stood for the green energy of life that his body seemed to crave. ¡°Nothing for my second affinity?¡± Frank asked. ¡°Oddly enough, we are having to special order darkness at an ¡®S+¡¯ distance.¡± Holsy said jokingly. With that Frank realized that he was likely screwed. With this he only showed to be a double healer at best, which while truly needed, were often looked down upon. The worst part was, that if push came to shove, his secondary affinity could easily destroy anyone. And while he had officially been pardoned for his past use of his secondary affinity, he was told that he was to not use his secondary affinity on school grounds unless the action was sanctioned by Instructor Demoniker. Meaning that even if others did know of his secondary affinity, they probably knew that Frank would be forbidden to fight back. Finally after a long second, Holsy looked at Frank and asked. ¡°You ready?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± was all Frank could reply. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Well go knock ¡®em dead,¡± Holsy began, but then quickly backtracked. ¡°Actually, no wait, don¡¯t knock them dead. In fact, don¡¯t even hope that they die. If there are any problems, just let us know and we will fix them.¡± Hearing that Frank just nodded, though he knew all too well what that meant. As that was the same advice that parental figures gave to Frank about bullies. Which after a month or so of being bullied by Luther, he went to the faculty and informed them of the incidents. After that Luther was out of school for a week, then came back for two where he was actually nice. Only to try to show he changed his stripes and turned over a new leaf. That¡¯s when the terrors truly began. This time around, Frank knew one thing. He would have to solve his own problems. ¡°Of course,¡± Frank said, knowing that he was lying, but forcing his body to remain calm and rigid. ¡°You know, I almost believed that.¡± Holsy said, staring at Frank. Nodding, Frank could only turn away, not wanting to lie to Holsy twice, or confirm Holsy¡¯s opinion that he had in fact lied. ¡°Good luck!¡± Holsy shouted, clearly not moving beyond the line he was told to stop at, but wanting to watch Frank go all the way to his class evaluators. ¡°And stop taking everything so seriously, it¡¯s just a school filled with the most powerful and talented individuals humanity has to offer. You¡¯ll fit right in.¡± Frank, hearing this, realized that Holsy was worse than his mother. Speaking of which, according to Holsy, his entire family would soon be located and brought up here if he so wished. Though the way Holsy spoke about it made it seem like letting them stay down in the lower levels might be the safest course of action overall. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a week to settle in and find out more about the world, so you can see if you want to claim your family as dependents and force them up here.¡± While Frank was mostly certain he would bring his family up, he did question Holsy¡¯s unusual response and seemingly serious tone during that whole conversation. As he walked in, Frank was somewhat surprised to see only three people waiting for him. There was General Graves who had a small part in overseeing the Academy. To his right, Frank¡¯s left was Dr. Evans, the doctor who took care of Frank and recommended him for the role of a medic. Then immediately to Frank¡¯s right, everyone else¡¯s left was a man who all but radiated a crystalized form of dark energy. Just seeing the new man, Frank could realize two things. First the man was not used to making eye contact with people, or maybe just kids, as when Frank looked him in the eyes, he seemed genuinely impressed. The next was that despite the man having a tightly condensed core of dark energy, it was clear that he was not fully in control of the energy, as was evident by the layers of green energy that helped encapsulate his dark energy. ¡°Welcome Cadet Fotos, I would like to introduce you to your two affinity teachers. You have already met Dr. Evans, and this here is Major Demoniker.¡± General Graves stated pointing to the two individuals in front of him. Hearing that Frank could only nod. Honestly, he was glad he would get to spend time with Dr. Evans, as from what he could tell, she was the best with life energy and was the one who held the most clout with the medical staff. Having her as an affinity teacher was a major bonus. The other individual was likely out of sheer necessity, as he was the only other darkness user in the military, apparently. ¡°A pleasure.¡± Frank said bowing. ¡°Sir.¡± General Graves noted. Hearing that, Frank made sure to restate his greeting. ¡°It is a please to meet the both of you, officers.¡± ¡°Better,¡± General Graves said, then realizing he probably had better things to be doing elsewhere, decided, ¡°well I will leave you to the mercy of your instructors. That said, if you need anything, and I do mean anything, just come to me.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Frank said, hoping that he would never have to speak to the General again. All three watched as the General gave his goodbyes then quickly exited the training field. With the General gone, it was just Frank and his two Instructors. Not wanting to talk, and not knowing how this was supposed to go Frank just stared at the two. Dr. Evans was the first to break, ¡°oh you are no fun. Anyways, good call on waiting to be told to speak. That is a big thing here, not so much for me, but know that speaking without being given permission to can cost you a demerit. Getting enough demerits will mean that you will lose weekend passes or as you phase out, the ability to wear civilian clothing.¡± Hearing that Frank only nodded. ¡°Right, well as you can see you do not have a class, and you likely will not be assigned one. Just as we came up with an entirely new job field and description for Demoniker here, we will do the same for you. That said, we have decided to split your participation, you will spend half your time with me and the other medical students, while spending every other day with Demoniker and the long range attack specialists.¡± Dr. Evans stated and stared at Frank. Frank just stood there staring back, unflinching. ¡°Gah, you are the worst at this. At least pretend like Holsy didn¡¯t tell you what to do with this.¡± Dr. Evans began. Frank was about to open his mouth to protest, but then stopped as he quickly saw the smile form on Dr. Evans¡¯s lips, implying that she caught him. Reacting quickly, Frank just closed his mouth, realizing that this introduction was a lesson in and of itself. Don¡¯t speak, unless spoken to, got it, Frank thought to himself. ¡°Dang it, I almost had you. Anyways, with this you can consider yourself effectively having two majors, but only being able to devote half the time to each major. This means that while others will have all week to practice their chosen occupations, you will only have half that time. The only caveat to this is that Demoniker and I will be training you in both of your affinities daily. I will have you in the mornings, while Demoniker will help you train your affinities in the evening.¡± Dr. Evans spit out. With this, Frank was sort of sad that he didn¡¯t have a chance to choose an actual career path. Rather it seemed like he would be trained in two highly intensive careers that would require a lot of work and discipline to cover correctly. ¡°That said, on the bright side, Demoniker and I are both the section heads for our individual affinities. So if any of our subordinates come to you and give you a command that is contrary to what either of us tell you, tell them to deconflict with us. If they press, do as they ask, but then come to us afterwards. This will really only apply to other healers and staff, as you will be the only other person in Demoniker¡¯s section.¡± There was a slight pause as she let that command sink in. ¡°Do you have anything else to add Demoniker?¡± With that Demoniker just shook his head, apparently, he didn¡¯t like talking as much as Frank did. Or he just felt overwhelmed by Dr. Evans¡¯s overwhelming personality. ¡°Okay, in that case, we will open up questions to the students.¡± Dr. Evans stated. Hearing that Frank was about to shake his head, but then asked. ¡°When and where are my class times,¡± Frank began, only adding ¡°officers¡± with a slight delay. Hearing that Dr. Evans just smiled, ¡°you will need to be a bit faster for some, but I¡¯ll let that delay slide for now. As for your classes, you will receive a class schedule and a map in your room by this afternoon. Oh, that reminds me of a few more things. There are no electronics, social media platforms, or other forms of external communication devices available while on campus. You may be allowed to use your electronic devices while on pass and away from campus. Should you be caught with an electronic device of any kind during class time it will be confiscated.¡± ¡°Go ahead and bring it to my classes, just know that dark energy reacts violently with electronic devices.¡± Demoniker added with a slight smile, as he decided that now was the time to speaking up for the first time. Hearing that Frank nodded. He didn¡¯t think this would be too big of a deal for him, as he was not rich enough to be able to afford any electronic devices, and while he had heard about social media platforms, they never seemed to be something that would interest him. No, the more he saw the difference between where he came from and this external world, the more he felt like an uneducated bumpkin. This also furthered Frank¡¯s want to remain quiet, his one near death experience notwithstanding, he felt himself feeling more and more isolated from the others. While this was nothing new for Frank, it was nevertheless a feeling that he hoped he would have managed to avoid. Particularly with Luther, his main provoker dead, but apparently his wounds were deeper than he expected. ¡°All right, that is enough for now. Why don¡¯t you spend the rest of the day going around campus exploring the sites and then go back to your dorm when you are done.¡± Dr. Evans said. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Frank said, giving a slight bow before doing a smooth 180-degree pivot with his right toes digging into the ground. Then he proceeded to walk away. As he walked, he could hear Dr. Evans state, ¡°well at least those dance moves also transition to helping with his military bearing.¡± Yeah, that was another thing that Frank regretted, his dancing over the corpses of the dead. At the time, it was his way of showing that he was not afraid, only after reading a few negative blogs that pointed out that he was desecrating the dead did he realize that there were other ways to view his actions. With that Frank decided that his main job here would be to lay low, learn two major jobs that were in demand for the military, have a unique job assigned to him. Then go out and serve in the military on the front lines. While he knew that they weren¡¯t going to be as easy as the zombies, that the zombies were just the easiest of monsters he would likely face while on the front lines. He knew that he had what it took to face his fears and stand up to threats. As long as he didn¡¯t have to use a helicopter to get to the front lines, he would be okay. That was partly why Frank was glad that he wasn¡¯t a civilian, as civilians were the only ones who were allowed to be helicopter pilots. Something about how technology always had a hard time resisting major affinity surges. Finally stepping onto the open fields of the campus, Frank looked down, only to realize that the greenest grass he had ever seen lay below his feet. For a moment he almost contemplated taking off his boots and letting his feet sink into the ground. A thought that was quickly squashed as he realized that everyone was staring at him. They weren¡¯t overt about it, but the more he scanned the area, the more he saw different people in student uniforms all glancing at him, only to look away when he spotted them. It was almost as if they were playing some type of game, like stare at the new kid. Frank almost wanted to tell them off, but then decided better on it, as he decided to continue to take his tour of campus. As he walked by the different groups, that¡¯s when his enhanced hearing told him what everyone was thinking. ¡°You see the dwarf who thinks eight bars is feasible for someone his age?¡± ¡°He¡¯s F-Rank too, we should put him in his place.¡± A second kid responded. An like that, Frank knew this was going to be a rough start for everyone. That was his thought, before he saw the sharpened blade of wind lashing straight towards him. Slashing Wind Blade Frank turned his head to see a glowing light-blue blade of wind fly in a near blur straight for his face. That¡¯s when the world slowed down, as his mind saw the true threat for what it was, as torrents of green energy that were nearly full to bursting started turning wildly within his body as his hands lit up with a green sort of intensity. Then striking out with his exposed palm, he slashed at the wind blade, splitting it in half. Causing two detached arcs of energy to spread out and dash off in different directions around him. Double Thud. Both blades of wind crashed into the wall of a nearby building, cutting huge gashes into the walls of the building. Everyone looked at Frank like he had three heads. Focusing forward, in the direction that the wind blades came, he saw a student with a light blue ¡®S¡¯ on his uniform. Seeing him, Frank reached out for the darkness, and realized that even though the boy had no actual darkness within him, Frank could seemingly call for nearby sparks to enter the boy¡¯s body. Causing him to rot slowly from the inside. It was there, the perfect slow and painful response. Then Frank calmed himself, letting out a slow breath, as the world seemed to speed up to its normal speed, now that the threat was gone. Silence. Everyone just stared at Frank, while Frank only stared at the S-Ranked male wind student before him. With that Frank just spoke two words that caused everyone to tremble slightly after the display they just saw. A display that was still visible, as Frank had his hand glowing green, even now. The words and what would come next would be highly exaggerated by the time it made its way around campus, but on that day, the two words that Frank actually spoke were as follows. ¡°You done?¡± Chapter 22 Chapter 22 ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. He simply stated with a cold glare, ¡®are you done creep?¡¯¡± A tall slender male student with an ¡®A-Rank¡¯ tab on his uniform stated. ¡°That¡¯s not true at all. He didn¡¯t say anything. He just glared at Gallagher, before disappearing like a blur only to reappear a moment later, where he proceeded to backhanded Gallagher like he was owed protection money.¡± A slightly wider ¡®B-Rank¡¯ student corrected. Two friends spoke animatedly to a third who had not been at the scene at all. Informing their friend of the action that they had apparently missed. ¡°What? To third year Gallagher? What did Gallagher do after that?¡± The third friend, asked. ¡°Gallagher, nothing. When he was done tumbling and stumbling around he had a giant pimp hand stain on his face.¡± The second student added. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a handprint, though it did turn into a bruise rather quickly.¡± The first student corrected. ¡°One that the doctor¡¯s couldn¡¯t even fix.¡± The second student added. ¡°Wow, so did anyone get written up?¡± The third student asked. ¡°No, as it turns out the new kid, the one that karate chopped the Wind Strike in half was in fact a powerful Re-Awakened. As far as the school was concerned instant justice was upheld due to the one side smack-down of the instigating Gallagher against a superior. The only thing that would have been left was if the superior still wanted to press charges, but as it turned out they were okay with just putting Gallagher in their place.¡± The second student added. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that the superior was okay with just the one strike. Otherwise, he would have been in a world of hurting.¡± The first student added. ¡°What did he look like?¡± The third student asked. ¡°Gallagher, he looked like he had half his face rotted off after the strike.¡± The second student added helpfully. ¡°No, not him, the cadre member.¡± The third student asked. ¡°Oh him. He looked young, though deceptively young. He likely had one of those breakthroughs that lets you age backwards to an optimal age, as he looked young. Gallagher told others, well wrote to them that he thought the man was a candidate for stolen valor. That¡¯s when he tried to strike. Though I think you would know him when you see him. Just look for the young F-Ranker who has so many muscles that they even bulge out from under his uniform.¡± The second boy stated. These were among many conversations that Frank heard around campus. The entire time he found himself sticking to shadows or avoiding people. Looking down at his hand, he looked on in fear at the hand that showed no markings on it, even after striking the S-Rank Gallagher down to the ground so violently. Honestly, the entire moment had been a blur to him. All he saw was the initial attack, then the fact that the boy was apparently gathering enough energy for a second strike, then he was upon the kid and gently tried to knock the kid down to disrupt his new casting. To have the story make the rounds so quickly, Frank realized a few things. First information at the Academy traveled faster than the rumor mills of his previous institutions, and secondly from what he could tell, there was nothing that awaited him punishment wise. In fact, from everything he heard and observed, everyone knew that Frank was the victim in this exchange and had gone light on the possible punishment that the S-Ranker could have received. While walking around a few others on campus seemed to notice him, but this time rather than talking about him with disgust, they seemed a bit more animated when talking about him. ¡°Is that him?¡± A female asked. ¡°Yeah.¡± A second female who apparently had seen or heard about the altercation responded. ¡°He looks a lot smaller than I thought he would be.¡± The first female cadet replied. ¡°Yeah, but look at those muscles, and that hair. You know he is powerful.¡± The second cadet replied. ¡°Do you think Gallagher will try again?¡± The first cadet asked. ¡°If he wants to live, probably not. In addition to having a cracked jaw and orbital bone, Gallagher clearly broke something in that exchange.¡± The second cadet replied. ¡°Oh really, what?¡± ¡°His pride.¡± Then with that both girls proceeded to cackle. Having heard all this, Frank himself was still a little on edge, as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. Finally, he got the clarification that he expected when he happened to run across one of the senior administrators for campus. This was the one that took his blood and affinity ratings. Seeing her, their eyes met and he could almost see a slight smirk appear on her face. To Frank¡¯s surprise, the administrator actually altered her course slightly, going from straight forward, to slightly to her right. Going in a direction that would make it so she would pass a little closer to Frank. Then while moving a tuft of hair behind her ear, she said something that caught Frank completely off guard. ¡°Good job,¡± the administrator said while giving an embarrassed smile before quickening her pace as she left. Hearing that, Frank could only pause, wondering what that was all about. As he made his way to the location of his housing, the thought finally came to him. One that sent shivers of regret and doubt into his mind, as it implied something far too sinister. It implied the very fact that first got Frank into this situation to begin with, was the same one that was now keeping him from receiving punishment for his actions. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. For now that he had time to think about everything, he realized the golden rule of the Academy and one that had apparently trickled down to almost every fiber of humanity that still managed to survive to this point. That rule was that Might makes right. It almost seemed like a divine twist of fate that the very rule that had held him down for so long, oppressed him at every turn turned out to be the very thing that kept him from evening being stopped as he walked away from a cowering and trembling Gallagher. Despite the boy being older than Frank, he looked so frail in comparison. Even with Frank holding back his full strike, not wanting to shatter bones, not like he had while facing the rats and zombies earlier, he still managed to crack the bones of a cultivator. Not just any cultivator either, but the bones of an S-Rank cultivator, the ones that were deemed so special that they had to be removed from general society and given a chance to live on the surface. At least that was what he had been told in the slums. What he had learned since leaving the slums was far different, in that the reason the S-Rankers were removed from the slums was due to their ability to cause widespread destruction being off the charts. That if they weren¡¯t removed then those with S-Rank and higher abilities would never be able to practice effectively. Though Frank took these lessons with a grain of salt, as they all came from Holsy who Frank still had a hard time gauging in terms of reliability. As the man always seemed to have a smile on his face, and was willing to joke at a moment¡¯s notice. Still the man had proven himself to be legitimately interested in earning Frank¡¯s opinion, which was entirely unsettling to the former dreg of society. Now Frank was experiencing what would be another paradigm shift in his understanding of the world. For here he was, forced to mingle with the S and A Rankers, only to see that they were weak. At least that is the way they all appeared to Frank¡¯s Energy Sight, the attack waves, the energy that could be gathered and pushed out at a moment¡¯s notice, it was all weak. Even the Wind Cutter that cut through part of the wall behind Frank was weak. Though seeing the impact of even a relatively weak attack like the Wind Cutter and its impact on the infrastructure around him made Frank reevaluate the information that Holsy had been giving him. ¡°Hey there he is, the new kid.¡± ¡°You hear he¡¯s a murder too?¡± More students spoke up, their voices almost mingling into one uncontrolled blob, at least that was what Frank had hoped. Unfortunately, the truth was something far different, as he was able to hear the words clearly, even able to pick out the facial features and energy types of the people talking with but a quick glance around. Then his mind made a mental connection to the energy signatures, the profile image he had gained, and was now overlapping those two images with the voices he heard, creating a better understanding of who these people were. He didn¡¯t know their names, but that was secondary to what Frank was able to do. Right now, Frank was taking everything in and remembering it all. When he first got here, he thought and hoped that this would be his chance to have a good first impression, to start over. Yet, it seemed that even here and now he unable to avoid the fate of being an outcast. ¡°There¡¯s no way. Unless the charges were dropped.¡± ¡°He probably took the plea deal, from my understanding that is offered to all high-ranking cultivators.¡± ¡°Sucks to be him, that just means special mission squad, and being forced to go to the front lines for him.¡± ¡°I know a shame, right?¡± The two girls spoke conspiratorially together, though their voices and profiles were forever etched into his brain. Frank had almost wanted to correct them both, to say that he was Acquitted, a designation noted by his badge. But instead, he just made his way to his dorm. Then filled with a stream of restlessness, Frank decided to do something that he had been putting off for a long time. He sat down in a meditative pose, and then began cycling energy through his core. At first, he kept the two opposing streams separate from each other, cycling first green, then dark, then back to green. Over and over he cycled, until finally his core over burdened by dueling centripetal forces that crashed into one another and finally cracked and then collapsed his very core. Then when he was building a replacement core, he felt the two forces fighting each other. Green pushing away the darkness, as darkness attempted to devour and convert the green energy. Only through a monumental application of will did the two types of energy manage to remain separated in his mind and body. Focusing, Frank realized that eventually he would need to form a harmony between the two types of energy, or rather force a harmony over the two powers. Yet, even now he could only manage to do so for short periods of time. This was why in the end Frank ended up with two different, but alternating paths of cultivation. The idea was simple, cultivate once with dark energy, where a complete loop of energy was created before cycling along. Then have the force of the first cycle, slightly spin the internal and completely separated channels of energy to that of green healing energy. The green energy would cycle through, healing any and all damage sustained from cycling the dark energy, before being cycled around back to cycle dark energy back through his body. When he was done, Frank felt like he had one of the few gyroscopic cores available, but oddly enough he found that the perpetual motion of the internally changing channels also had a secondary effect of almost artificially continuing the cyclic nature of his cultivation. The only problem would come if he didn¡¯t have enough ambient energy of one type over the other to sustain an equal cultivation cycle, but that was a future problem. For now, Frank felt alive. No, better still, he felt almost complete. Not only had he completed the final layer of Body cultivation, but he could already see the next step. That of mixing the cultivation into his very blood. He already had his muscles, a fact that was confirmed by how much stronger and faster he felt. The way he could move almost instantly, at the speed of thought to attack and strike at someone who wished him harm. Thinking back, the memory of the altercation from earlier filled his mind. Memories of how the world blurred around him, as he found himself appearing before his would be attacker. Then the way he reached back and deciding not to strike, instead just wished to push the boy away. Though the push was a lot harder and faster than he imagined it would be. To Frank¡¯s defense he had expected the boy to flinch away, to try to deflect in some way, but the boy didn¡¯t even seem to realize where Frank was. At least not until contact was made, and by then any attempt to move or mitigate the strike was futile. Frank was just about ready to collapse for the night and force himself to grab some sleep, when he heard the sounds that spoke to his night of sleep ending quickly. Four Chimes. Frank paused, realizing that something was wrong. For a moment he wondered what was off about the sound. Then almost as if awakening from a deep slumber, the realization of what was off finally hit him as he realized that the four chimes meant it was now four AM and time for his morning cultivation class. Though that was impossible, as he still had all evening, right? Looking quickly, Frank first glanced outside realizing that it was now dark out, meaning that it was either late at night or early in the morning. Then had a moment of clarity as he realized that his cultivation breakthrough and the time it took to create a spinning core that was both smoothly balanced and helped perpetuate his cultivation took longer than expected. A quick glance outside showed his thoughts of a night spent creating a new cultivation core were accurate as he could now see other students getting up and leaving their buildings. Then focusing, he could hear the sound of other cadets all around him getting up, slamming locker doors and otherwise preparing for the day. Pausing, Frank looked down to see that he was still in his Class B uniform, the one that he was to wear daily, unless going to a military part or other sanctioned event. Then with a start, Frank realized he was completely out of uniform for his morning cultivating. Working quickly, Frank began taking off his uniform. Crr-rip. Just as he moved his arms out trying to remove both arms from his sleeves that the same time, he heard the fabric of the uniform begin to rip and tear from under the sudden strain. Pausing for a moment he stopped himself, and then made a conscious effort to go slower, so as not to ruin his uniform. Pausing for a moment, he looked at the jacket that he had worn all night and tried to see if there were any signs of damage to the article. Exhaling slightly, Frank relaxed as he didn¡¯t see any immediate damage to the uniform. Then taking care to move slightly slower, he wrestled his way into his now much tighter cotton shirt, and tight Lycra shorts that both had the Academy¡¯s name and logo pressed into them. Then with his uniform on, he put on his running shoes and headed out. As he moved, he felt odd wearing the light shoes, as they seemed to offer little to no protection whatsoever for his feet, yet he couldn¡¯t help but feel a lot lighter with each step he took. However his thoughts on the odd shoes provided to him were quickly dismissed as he got closer and found a clearly frustrated Dr. Evans and Major Demoniker standing at his spot, both staring at him as he arrived. ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± Dr. Evans stated, as she made a marking in clip board she was holding. Then she paused as she took a moment to truly stare at Frank. ¡°Also did you hit a growth spurt?¡± Shaking his head Major Demoniker just looked at Frank, taking in his appearance and the way his clothes now seemed to cling even tighter to him, showing off a bit of toned stomach in the process. ¡°No, he finally cultivated that energy that was raging in his body.¡± Major Demoniker said, then seemed to stare at Frank like he was some sort of rare insect. ¡°He did?¡± Dr. Evans stated, then almost as if on cue, her eyes began to glow green as she too began to stare at Frank. That¡¯s when Frank watched her features change from cold indifference to almost shock. ¡°You managed to create a bi-centripetal perpetual core?¡± Hearing the words, Frank vaguely understood what they were, but it took him a moment to process the gyroscopic core that he had mentally created. Then comparing the words to what he had done, realized that the words provided by the doctor were fairly accurate to what had happened. Which was why he answered. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Was all Dr. Evans stated at first, but then after a second, she gave a second glance over Frank¡¯s entire body. This time Frank almost swore that he could feel the energy from her intense stare piercing through her and tingling slightly as she scanned his body. ¡°Well, I was going to get you do a few cultivation exercises and to hopefully stretch out your meridians, but apparently you will need a lot more energy before we can do any of that. As such, our first order of business will be getting you a healthy supply of light energy.¡± Dr. Evans finally noted, then after a second of hesitation, she seemed to come to a conclusion. ¡°Come with me.¡± ¡°Wait, where are you taking him?¡± Demoniker asked. ¡°To the Healer¡¯s hall, where he can be exposed to life energy, as he needs to fill up his reserves.¡± Dr. Evans stated. ¡°No, can¡¯t you see that will cause his core to be at an imbalance of energy pressures. He also needs to cultivate darkness energy.¡± ¡°And just where would he do that here?¡± Dr. Evans asked. ¡°You know where. It¡¯s the only place with Dark energy around.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t mean, it, the pits?¡± Dr. Evans asked, her voice cracking at the end as she thought about the place. Major Demoniker could only nod knowingly. ¡°But he needs exposure to life energy as well.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we take him to the forbidden tunnels.¡± Major Demoniker answered. Hearing this, Frank could only groan knowing that this was going to be the start of a long morning. Chapter 23 Chapter 23 ¡°I don¡¯t know if I like this.¡± Dr. Evans spoke out, the last words of wisdom before it was too late. Having done as instructed, Frank walked forward into the dark tunnelway filled with moving miasma. ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t these corpses¡­¡± Frank asked, but before he could fully finish his thought, he heard it. SCREEEK! The slow grinding sound of old metal grinding against metal as the door used to seal away the passage that Frank had been asked to go down was closed behind him. With it, so too did most of the light that filled the darkened tunnel. Now all that remained was the bright light coming from a small window slit that had been carved into the giant metal doors and was protected by no less than three, three-inch-wide bars that further reinforced the door. Then as if stirred by either the sound of the closing door, or Frank¡¯s own question the corpses that Frank had noticed earlier began to come to life and slowly rise up. From a glance it was clear that these were animated zombies, just as Frank had fought on his way out of Death Row not four days ago. Before Frank could even ask, Major Demoniker began. ¡°Consider this to be your first joint training mission. Your job is to both replenish both your death and life Qi pools, while trying to save as many of these poor zombies from their fate as you can.¡± Hearing that, Frank could only nod in understanding as his body began moving and darting away from the slow clunky movements of the zombies. Zombies that looked like they were grinding against their own bones with the amount of miasma that had been built up within them. Seeing the first one. Frank mentally reached out and was about to ignite the zombie, when he realized just how confined the area he was in was. While destroying zombies was one thing on the surface, down here in a confined tunnel that likely had limited air supply was something that Frank didn¡¯t want to deal with. ¡°Oh, your little exploding dark energy thing, I would try to avoid it. You don¡¯t want the old structures to be knocked down on top of you.¡± Major Demoniker noted. Hearing that, Frank glanced and realized that this was yet another reason not to try a mass detonation of the corpses. Realizing that there was nothing much that Frank could really do other than kill the zombies, he moved. Lashing out, striking brittle bones that shattered upon impact. Moving quickly, Frank lashed out striking the four of five zombies that were the closest to the entrance, dropping all of them into a pile that would be hard for the other zombies to climb over. With that, Frank realized that this was one of the likely few places where he could refill his death energy. Splat, squish, pop. Despite how dark the tunnel was, everything in here glowed to Frank¡¯s Energy Sight. Even the dark specks of Miasma only served to show heightened places of power that all Frank needed to do was go to and cultivate, to refill his recently expended core energy. The amount of life energy came from the life energy that somehow still remained within the rotting corpses of the zombies. It took a while, but after the first five or so, Frank found that he managed to gain about one third the life energy from the zombies as he did the death energy. ¡°Focus on pulling out the death energy before you completely destroy the consciousness of the zombies.¡± Dr. Evans suggested. Hearing that Frank could only nod. To his surprise there was more life energy in the zombies that had their death energy stripped from their bodies. ¡°It worked.¡± Frank called out, over his shoulder. Flicker. With that Dr. Evans¡¯s shadow danced across the floor. Apparently, the act of responding was too tough for the good doctor to stomach at the moment. How had he gotten here? Where exactly was he? Well to answer all of that, he had to go back to his earlier lesson, where he showed up for morning cultivation class with almost no energy due to his breaking through the ninth and final realm of the Body Cultivation stage. This was when his two instructors decided to take him to the Forbidden Tunnels. Why these tunnels are forbidden is easy to understand, as they are filled with miasma and the undead. Why this is Frank¡¯s first day in training, and why this is the first place he was taken is likely because his two professors are sadists. That said, Frank couldn¡¯t really complain about the conditions, as he felt energy flowing into him easily from each of the zombies he killed. These apparently were the older sections of the Forbidden Tunnels. There were newer sections with likely more recently transformed zombies, but the two instructors decided to hold off on that for whatever reason. Honestly, Frank was glad that this was the older section of tunnels, as this meant the zombies he was facing off against were so old and aged that determining the original sex of the cadavers was tough. Even with his enhanced senses and feelings of power. This was good, as the last thing Frank wanted was more scarring incidents of him inadvertently punching zombie boobs, or other intimate organs. Instead, all that happened was Frank let his mind drift and wander to that natural preservation phase. The phase where his body both moves and reacts to perceived threats from all around, without getting into danger. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Frank had grown a lot since his original battles with the rodents, and found that zombies, despite most being former cultivators of some kind were easier to deal with than the swarms of rodents. First, the rodents were thinner and more agile, working as a coordinated team that would simultaneously strike out, and retreat immediately. This meant they moved more as a wave than anything. By comparison, zombies seemed to only be able to move forward, their attacks being linear and almost deceptively easy. Every once in a while, Frank would be blindsided by a zombie that moved slightly faster than the others, reacted slightly quicker. It took a moment, but Frank soon found that the difference was in the coloration of the eyes of the zombies. Those with glowing yellow eyes were the ones to watch out for, as apparently those were close to some form of change. Going from being just a mere zombie to some form of exalted state. At least that is what Frank began thinking, while moving in and reacting. Worse, the glowing eyed zombies pretended to be slow at first, almost as if they were trying to stealthily blend into their environment, only to speed up when they got close. Fortunately, Frank too was slowing down his attacks, feeling that he was going at half or a quarter of his regular speed in order to not impale himself on the attacks of the zombies. Meaning that when he saw the faster zombies move, his body just sped up to normal speed and managed to strike out. The first yellow eyed zombie did manage to drag a jagged grime encrusted fingernail through Frank¡¯s PT shirt, and into the first layer of his skin. Normally such an attack would be a death blow for normal students, but all it did for Frank was give him a slightly faster boost to his ability to absorb the energy of the zombie. Unsurprisingly, the yellow eyed zombies also had the lowest amount of life energy left, as if the part of their body that was keeping them alive had almost been converted into a newer form of energy that would be miasma based alone. In fact, the darker the glowing yellow state of the eyes, the more sinister the feel of the miasma felt. Even to Frank, the intense energy that radiated from the yellow eyed zombies was slightly unsettling, but there was no real reason why he felt slightly uneasy by the ominous glow of the energy, emanating from the eyes of the zombies. Perhaps it was the way the movements of the glowing eyed zombies seemed to be more feral, preferring to crouch down and lunge at an opponent, rather than strike from a cumbersome awkward gate that the slower moving zombies seemed to have. Then again, it could be the way the power seemed so much purer, as if the zombies had begun understanding how to condense their cores to get more energy out of their bodies. But mainly the reason why the zombies with the glowing yellow eyes seemed to unnerve Frank was the fact that they were sentient. Or rather, they seemed to have clear hunter like thought patterns. Patterns that showed they were more than just slightly faster mindless drones. These zombies all seemed to have a slight malevolence to them, the way their faces came alive with thoughts and expressions that were far more complex than the base hunger that drove their counterparts. Instead, the yellow eyed zombies even seemed to catch onto his tricks. One trick in particular seemed to be very effective for luring away smaller groups of zombies. In a process that Frank mentally called tag fishing, he would cycle a small microburst of glowing green energy to his hand while touching a wall. The result often caused chaos, as the zombies would often chase the afterglow of life energy that still seemed to radiate on the rocky walls, thereby tagging the forbidden tunnels with his energy. During this time Frank learned that he could easily mask his life energy from his body by quickly cycling death Qi in the same pathways. This was great as it meant a group of zombies would focus on a wall while Frank would escape backwards to a spot a few feet away, where he would repeat the trick of cycling a bit of life mana on the wall, before moving back. Then once the group of zombies were far enough away from a larger pack that would no doubt swarm Frank in the small hallways, Frank would fight the group. First working on disabling the zombies, then slowly draining the different energy types from the zombies. Oddly enough, this was how Frank found out that quite a few of the zombies still had their cores. He found this out as his first one had a dense blue core that reminded Frank of water. Just by feeling the excess energy Frank felt the now familiar burn of taking in non-compatible Qi, or at the very least Qi that was not life attuned. That said, he found that with a bit of work he could convert the water Qi to something similar to his preferred life Qi if he focused his will on dominating the new energy and truly forcing it to be part of his body. Similar to the way he got lower conversions for the life energy, this time it was finding ways that his body could adapt and change the energy. Though honestly all the other forms of Qi burned slightly less than death Qi. The only difference was that he could eventually compress or convert enough of any other type of energy into life Qi, but he could not do the same for converting Death Qi to Life. Though Life could be changed quite easily to death, though there was a long smoldering process where it felt like the Life energy had to rot first, in order to be more palatable to his death energy. Oddly enough the more he began to understand about his own internal processes of energy, the more he also understood about the yellow eyed zombies. For at first, Frank thought that the other zombies avoided him due to his being able to cloak his life force with death energy. It wasn¡¯t until he saw the unrelenting nature of the yellow eyed zombies that he began to see certain emotions on their faces. Yellow eyed monsters didn¡¯t stop, once they found you, got your scent as it were, they would chase you down to the ends of the world. No amount of cycling his Qi or anything other than flat out destroying the yellow eyed monsters would stop them. That was when Frank began to realize that he wasn¡¯t masking his life Qi from the other zombies, when he did his tag fishing tactics. Instead, he realized that the regular zombies somehow knew not to mess with beings that had more condensed forms of dark energy. At least that was what Frank had come up with. The yellow eyed zombies on the other hands, those were the ones that would track him relentlessly once he entered their territory. Then like a never trying bull that saw red, it would chase Frank to the ends of the earth, unless put down. Another thing that Frank found was that often times the yellow eyed zombies all seemed to have previously had cultivation cores that had all rotted away. The implications of these findings were a lot, and quite honestly more than Frank could fully comprehend. Though he figured that this was part of why he had been placed here, to see the differences between the different types of zombies and for him to come out and ask about them. Also, this entire process had helped him understand quite a bit about Qi cultivation. For starters he could now pull stagnant energy from a dead cultivator¡¯s core, even if that core had been partially corrupted. He could then take and convert that stolen energy into life Qi. And found that all forms of Qi felt gross and sticky when you let them rot inside your body, but eventually any form of Qi could be turned to death. Whereas every type of Qi other than death Qi could be turned to life Qi. By the time he was done making these discoveries about himself and about the world, Frank finally decided to head back out. There were a few other things that he could not understand either. Chief among those were how to bring back someone who had suffered from the rot so much that they became a zombie. As far as he could tell there was no logical way back from that point, though he did intend to ask Dr. Evans about that. As he got closer to the door, he could see the glowing outline of light still shining brightly through the opening in the metal door, along with the words of his two instructors talking anxiously to each other. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I haven¡¯t seen or heard anything coming from the tunnels for a while now.¡± Dr. Evans stated. ¡°You think he¡¯s dead?¡± Major Demoniker asked, his voice carrying deeply into the cave system. ¡°I¡¯m saying, I would feel a little better about all of this if we could see him and see what happ¡­¡± was all Dr. Evans could say, before her voice cut out as she saw signs of Frank coming from the winding turns that line the entrance to this section of the forbidden tunnels. Frank for his part looked like a complete mess. There were cuts and gashes along his shirt and shorts that revealed thick layers of condensed corded muscles. ¡°Oh, oh my¡­¡± was all Dr. Evans could say. ¡°Close your mouth, less you drool over the floor.¡± Demoniker stated, his voice mocking as he turned his face to Dr. Evans. ¡°No, that isn¡¯t it. I was just shocked by his appearance.¡± Dr. Evans stated, as she began cycling Qi through her eyes, just as Demoniker began to do the same. ¡°Yeah, he looks like he might need a bath, but other then that he seemed to fill up those reserves of energy nicely.¡± Demoniker stated, as his gaze peered deeply into Frank. Frank for his part just nodded. ¡°You, um. Okay?¡± Dr. Evans asked, her voice sounding slightly concerned as she continued, ¡°is that blood?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry it is dried by now.¡± Demoniker states. Frank for his part just got to the doorway and stared. With that Dr. Evans looked slightly flustered by the whole situation. Especially with the nearly exhausted look that Frank was giving her. ¡°You going to let him out?¡± Demoniker asked. ¡°I would, I mean I will, but first,¡± Dr. Evans began turning from Demoniker to face Frank, when she stated, ¡°first you need to tell us you¡¯re okay.¡± ¡°You¡¯re okay.¡± Frank said dryly, while just staring at Dr. Evans like she was stupid. Dr. Evans just had a blank expression on her face, and the entire scene would have almost been too much had Demoniker not chosen that moment to laugh. A deep guttural laugh that was slightly unnerving to listen to, one that spoke of rocks grinding against each other. Only at that point did the spell that had taken over Dr. Evans shatter as she realized, ¡°that was a joke?¡± ¡°No ma¡¯am, just following order ma¡¯am.¡± Frank replied, his voice sounding like he wanted to be far away from here. Hearing that Demoniker could only laugh harder. ¡°Oh gods, no wonder he is my favorite student.¡± ¡°He is your only student.¡± Dr. Evans shot back. ¡°So he wins by default, no need to be so mean about it. Also, are you finally going to let the kid out. I think he has been through this training for long enough, don¡¯t you?¡± Demoniker asked. ¡°Me? You were the one that suggested the Forbidden Tunnels.¡± ¡°Which you agreed and then threw him in and practically threw away the key to the door.¡± ¡°Why, I never¡­¡± Dr. Evans began. ¡°Look, you¡¯re both great teachers. Now can I get out of this zombie infested prison and actually attend a classroom?¡± Frank asked. With that both Dr. Evans and Demoniker stopped bickering and looked at Frank. Frank then sighing made sure to say the magic word, ¡°officers.¡± With that Demoniker could only laugh, as Dr. Evans looked embarrassed while unlocking the tumblers that held the metal door in place. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Dr. Evans said, opening the door and letting Frank out. Frank only nodded, and then began going to his room. Dr. Evans looked like she wanted to say something, but Demoniker cut her off. ¡°Go take a shower and meet back up at class.¡± Frank just gave a two-finger wave over his shoulder in acknowledgement as he made his way out of the underground section of the Academy, so he could finally begin learning about his new specially chosen career path for the military. He was already regretting the times he thought about how great it would be to be trained at the Academy, though he somehow knew this was not the worst that was still to come. Sadly, he would be correct in his assessment of what the future held for him. Chapter 24 Chapter 24 By the time Frank was cleaned up and ready for class, it was already past noon. At which point he was sent immediately to the mess hall, and while all the main servings of food were already removed to be cleaned and stored for later use, there were a few pieces of bread and serving fountains. That was enough for Frank as he managed to eat a sandwich that didn¡¯t use dried or moldy bread as its base and then the water he drank didn¡¯t taste of dirt and limestone. Compared to his normal meals this one was great, not as good as his death row golden arches meal, but still great. This time when he made his way from the mess hall to class the sun was out and shined brightly on his pale skin. Instantly he could feel the innate response of his healing energy flowing through his body, healing the damage done, causing a long lingering warmth that was hard to describe. Pausing for a moment Frank found himself pausing and taking in a deep breath, again the open air smelled crisp, free of dirt, mold, and granite flakes that he was so used to. Looking up, the world still unnerved him with just how vast and beautiful the sky was. In all, after years of only being able to read about how beautiful life was on the surface of the planet, this was his first time truly feeling the joy of the upper layers of civilization. ¡°There you are,¡± Dr. Evans noted, her tone a mixture of concern and amusement. ¡°Oh, sorry Ma¡¯am.¡± Frank said, snapping to attention as he had been taught and rendering a salute. ¡°At ease. No, I just forget how it is for some of you.¡± Dr. Evans noted. Hearing that Frank could only nod in understanding. ¡°I take it I am not your first?¡± ¡°Oh, you are my first from the true deeps. Though most of the students that get here from the middle tiers also have the same reactions their first few times seeing the light, as it were.¡± With that, a sudden realization hit Frank, ¡°is it that obvious to others that I am from the deep?¡± ¡°You have glowing green and purple hair, a sign of your two affinities being claimed. This is an adaptation that we have only seen in those who are from the true deeps.¡± Dr. Evans noted. Hearing that, Frank couldn¡¯t help but raise up a hand to touch his hair to see if it had somehow changed to the touch. Oddly enough, it still felt the same as ever. ¡°I always thought my hair was black?¡± Frank asked. ¡°It likely was, though once you awoke it most likely changed to either a shock white or a translucent misty-white color.¡± Hearing that, Frank could only nod, remembering how old his parents looked, despite being relatively young. Now that he knew about this facet, Frank couldn¡¯t help but wonder if most of his bias about how being in the slums aged people so much was a direct reflection of how much everyone changed when they were awakened. Then thinking back to how green his hair must have been after he returned from his trek in the deep roads, Frank realized that there was likely no way anyone believed he still needed to be awakened. Well, anyone that didn¡¯t know about the markings of the hair. For a moment, he wondered if others from the slums knew of this, but then realized that it was likely that no one did, as the odds of being able to cultivate your way out of the slums was so rare that it almost never happened. Dr. Evans, seeing the contemplative look on Frank¡¯s face, let him process her words for a moment. Then continued, ¡°you ready for your next lesson?¡± Deep sigh. With that Frank took in a deep breath and asked, ¡°let me guess, more forbidden tunnel cleaning?¡± ¡°No, that was a bit much. No today, I was thinking about having you see the active tryouts for the group competitions.¡± Dr. Evans said. At that Frank just raised his eyebrow expecting his instructor to say more. Dr. Evans just stared back for a moment, then finally Frank could see the moment her resolve broke as she slightly shook with frustration. ¡°Fine, since you asked so nicely, I will tell you. Group tryouts are a key component for all new cadets. This is where you show off what you have learned from the classroom, on how your craft can assist a team. While also showing off any offensive or defensive capabilities you might have learned. Like the way you infused Qi into your hands to slice apart the Rudimentary Wind Strike from yesterday was both an offensive and defensive capability that you seemed to have learned somewhere along your journey to Immortality.¡± Dr. Evans said. Hearing that, Frank could only pause as he stared at Dr. Evans. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Immortality a lie?¡± Frank finally asked. ¡°Who can say for certain, while no one has ever actually obtained true immortality, you have by far the best build to be able to achieve Immortality on your own. Also, if we can get you to rip out the death energy from a still living person without killing them, then who knows. You might be able to help the first few batches of truly great warriors reach Immortality.¡± Dr. Evans stated. With that Frank could only nod, then his eyes grew wide as he remembered the feeling that the Warden from the prison had given off. Looking back, at the time Frank hadn¡¯t been as exposed to death energy as he has since that encounter. Now he would likely recognize the event for what it was, a person who was infected with death energy and sentenced to rot away in prison. Knowing that the Warden¡¯s last act of fealty being that he would watch over the other inmates who were sent to either rot away the rest of their existence, or slowly starve to death, before they would agree to any deal. Dr. Evans once again reading his thoughts let him have his own moment to ponder everything. Then as his eyes seemed to regain their clarity, she continued. ¡°I am also to inform you that the Armed Forces ball will be held this weekend. All cadets are expected to attend.¡± Dr. Evans stated. With that, a new level of fear filled Frank¡¯s mind as he went over simple logistics, what to wear, would he be expected to have a date? What is the purpose of such an event. Mentally he knew that this dance was mirrored in the slums, as it was why he spent so long practicing his own dance moves to impress Maddie. Then just as he had that thought, he remembered how Maddie had stood him up, making him look like a fool, as he went to the dance without a partner. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can go.¡± Frank said, hoping that there would be an exception as he was so new to this whole ordeal. As he spoke, he felt the unmistakable presence of death energy approaching. With that he turned his head to see his other instructor Demoniker coming into his field of view. While he was still a good distance away, Frank was surprised that he could still feel the presence of Demoniker. Well not Demoniker himself, but the dark energy that had taken root within his body. ¡°And why not?¡± Dr. Evans asked, though she had a knowing smile crest slightly on her lips. It was clear that she had prepared for this exact moment, though Frank couldn¡¯t understand why. ¡°For starters I have nothing to wear. Then there is the whole idea that I would likely need to have a date for this meeting, right?¡± Frank asked. Hearing those two points, the smile on Dr. Evans¡¯s face grew brightly as she all but burst into life at the new challenge. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, for clothing all you have to wear is your class A uniform. And don¡¯t worry we are altering it now as we speak to have both of your attunements noted on it, along with your new body cultivation level.¡± Dr. Evans said, then pointed out the markings on Frank¡¯s arms that showed only a ¡®V¡¯ followed by three vertical slashes. Remembering that he had just completed the ninth and final stage of Body Cultivation, Frank was almost going to ask about what was required to begin the Blood Cultivation process, when his thoughts were derailed by the doctor. ¡°As for a date, do not worry, as I am certain that given your prowess, many experienced cultivators will use the night of the ball in order to woo you over to their side.¡± Dr. Evans said, a not of suggestion in her words. Hearing that, and having his thoughts drastically switch from trying to advance into the realm of Blood Cultivation, only to be sidelined by the thought of having a bunch of older cougars try to vie for his attention caused him to lose his voice for a moment as his lips moved, but his mind and vocal cords were at a loss for what to say. ¡°What the good doctor means is, that she has already been approached by multiple prominent experts who all wish to have a dance with you at the ball, and you are looking at possible forms of bribery.¡± Major Demoniker said, having heard most of the conversation and finally deciding to join. Startle-jump. At the sudden appearance of Demoniker, Dr. Evans jumped in fright. Then only regained her composure a moment later, ¡°I hate it when you do that.¡± Chuckling Major Demoniker just smiled, then stared at Frank and realized that Frank had seen him all along. ¡°So you could see me?¡± Frank nodded, but then corrected. ¡°More like felt, but yes. You stood out like a beacon to me. Honestly, I thought the Doctor saw you, when I stared back at you.¡± ¡°You saw him from back there?¡± Dr. Evans asked, remembering the far-off look Frank had and even glanced in the distance for a second only to disregard the feeling. ¡°Yes.¡± Was all Frank said in reply. Dr. Evans just stared at Frank, then turning to Demoniker she only said, ¡°you know what this means right?¡± Hearing that, Demoniker just nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll note it in the official report now. I¡¯ll note it under still testing.¡± ¡°Good call.¡± Dr. Evans said, then Demoniker began typing on the qi pad that flared to life on his wrist, as he began typing away at a keyboard that only seemed to appear for the Major. Frank felt that if he focused he might be able to see what was being typed, but then realized that this was likely a taboo subject, spying on what his instructors were typing out in their personal comms, even if what they were typing was most likely about him. As such Frank turned away and faced the Doctor. ¡°So you could feel him?¡± Dr. Evans asked. ¡°Not him, but the dark energy within him. I know it is a slight distinction, but one nonetheless.¡± ¡°No, that is good. Please make sure to keep these exact details noted. Have you been able to do this before?¡± Pausing Frank noted a few times that he felt this way before. Then pausing for a moment, he decided to answer the question as honestly as possible. ¡°I felt it clearly when I was cleansing the zombies. But thinking back, I remembered feeling that type of concealed dark energy earlier.¡± Hearing that, Dr. Evans took on a look of immense curiosity, ¡°when?¡± ¡°When I was sent to prison,¡± Frank began, at that Dr. Evans¡¯s intensity dropped a bit, figuring he would likely note the number of zombies that he faced on his way out. Which was why she was surprised to hear what he said next. ¡°When I was there, I remember feeling something similar coming from the body of the Warden and a few of the guards that were on duty. I didn¡¯t have much experience with death energy back then, but I am fairly certain what I felt then was similar to Instructor Demoniker just now.¡± Frank stated. With that both Demoniker and Dr. Evans paused as their eyes grew wide with shock. Frank paused wondering if he had said anything incorrectly. Then before he could ask, Dr. Evans spoke first, though not to Frank, as she turned her head to face Demoniker. ¡°Okay, you know what this means?¡± Dr. Evans asked. Demoniker paused, and turned to Dr. Evans, ¡°Christie?¡± ¡°What, no. Well, eventually, but no, if this is for real then¡­¡± With that Dr. Evans¡¯s voice trailed off as she couldn¡¯t even complete her thought. Frank just stood there, letting the two clearly process something that Frank had absolutely no clue about. Finally, Demoniker broke from his own thoughts first, as he turned to speak to Frank. ¡°Kid, I¡­¡± Ping. Then just as Demoniker was about to say something, his wrist chimed to life letting everyone know that an important message had arrived. Hearing the sound, Demoniker stopped his thoughts, then looked down at his wrist. ¡°Ah, I have to answer this real quick.¡± Demoniker said, then locking gazes with Dr. Evans she nodded, allowing Demoniker to turn away as he began reading and responding to messages that were now pinging one after the other. ¡°Okay, so Cadet Fotos, I think we might skip the live field practice for today. Or at least observing other healers, and how they show off their proficiency with healing. Instead, we might set you up with the accelerated program.¡± Dr. Evans stated. ¡°Accelerated?¡± Frank asked, wondering exactly how this was going to go. ¡°Yes, somehow I think teaching you how to carry unconscious soldiers from the front lines while healing them the entire time to the back of a line will be a wasted effort of your talents.¡± Dr. Evans noted. ¡°It will?¡± Frank asked. ¡°Yes, it will, right Major?¡± Dr. Evans pressed. Hearing that, Demoniker paused his responses and turned to face the Doctor, ¡°I¡¯m sorry what?¡± ¡°We are skipping Combat Medic and rescue courses and going to move ahead to the more advanced surgical courses.¡± Dr. Evans stated. Hearing that Demoniker froze as he seemed to take in the new information. Then after a second, he nodded, ¡°okay, I¡¯ll inform the higher ups.¡± ¡°Okay, we will be in facility three, when you are done.¡± Dr. Evans noted. ¡°Facility three, got it.¡± Demoniker stated, apparently typing out that exact statement and adding it to his report. Hearing that, Frank could only pause as he tried to understand what exactly was happening, only to realize there was a lot going on that didn¡¯t quite make sense. ¡°Come on, follow me.¡± Dr. Evans stated, waving her hand for Frank to follow her. ¡°I take it, I won¡¯t be learning how to show my worth to a team?¡± Frank asked, while following in lock step with the doctor. ¡°Oh, you most definitely will, but not in the conventional way. No, we are going to go ahead and get you recorded in the advanced classes.¡± Dr. Evans stated. ¡°The advanced classes?¡± ¡°Yes, that way you can get all the Badgers to recognize your prowess at the ball.¡± ¡°Badgers?¡± Frank asked, clearly feeling that he lost something in this whole exchange. ¡°Yes, Badgers, those women who only go after the men with the most accomplishments on their chest. Right now, you have quite the list, especially with that fancy Acquitted badge, but we will get you more, just wait.¡± Dr. Evans noted. At that Frank couldn¡¯t help but feel that Dr. Evans was making some obscure joke at his expense, but for the life of him, he couldn¡¯t understand what the joke or punchline was. *** As they walked away, Frank failed to notice the gazes of multiple students who witnessed the Academy¡¯s two main powerhouses interact with one promising student. There at the center was Major Demoniker, the dean of discipline and the one instructor that always seemed to know when people were about to do something stupid, and who had the seeming ability to show up right after a crime was committed. Then the other instructor was the head surgeon and medical officer for the entire Academy, someone who was so prolific in her craft that healers from around the world would come to attend her lectures. The fact that both high profile professors were temporarily reassigned to teach one student did not go unnoticed. Added to that was the fact that this same student was one who had managed to easily break apart a Wind Cutter attack from a high level junior cadet meant that he was not one to be messed with. Added to the whole mystique and mystery was the fact that the new soldier seemed to be quiet, mostly keeping to himself, despite being a complete powerhouse who had managed to reach the upper layers of the Body Cultivation phase. ¡°I hear he is a Dark Ops operator, one that was sent into the depths of the void and managed to come back alive.¡± One student muttered. ¡°I heard he faced down a legion of undead single handedly.¡± Another student replied. Bethany Song could only listen to others talk about the man who still caused her heart to beat wildly at just seeing him. Hearing the others speak about him, she could only wonder how they got so much more accurate in their information now, not twenty-four hours after all but declaring that he was a candidate for stolen valor. Now Bethany, like so many other students could only watch from a distance as Frank as he walked away to the secret medical labs that were reserved for medical experts. Though Bethany was far more focused on the broad back filled with rippling muscles that barely seemed to be constrained in the exceptionally tight military uniform that the Academy had provided. Seeing the tight uniform, Bethany could only stare on, only able to move and think clearly once he had finally moved turned out of sight. Only then could Bethany finally realize just how much she had been staring at him. For a moment, Bethany thought about telling the others the truth about Frank, but then realized that if she did, then likely more people would try to vie for Frank¡¯s attention. Right now, she had the decisive advantage, for no one knew about him. At least none of the students who were in a communications blackout with the outside world. Meaning that if Bethany got the chance, she could ask Frank to be her date at the Armed Forces ball that would be held this weekend. It was perfect, she was new, he was new. They both didn¡¯t know anyone, now all she needed to do was find a time when Frank was alone, and ask, no, demand that he go as her official partner for the ball. Yes, that was what she was going to do. Then blinking, she realized that she would need to get close to him if she was ever going to succeed. That¡¯s when doubt crept in, and having slightly trembling hands, Bethany realized she would need to go out of her comfort zone if she was going to have any success in this. Taking in a deep breath, Bethany steeled herself that she would do this, not for her scholarship, which she still signed, but for her. The fact that she would also pay off the interest portion of her scholarship was just a bonus. Though, she couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly sleezy from being forced to make contact. Still, it¡¯s not like she wasn¡¯t attracted to Frank, as his back alone was a work of art. Added to that is the fact that he is a guy who can actually dance and well, there was no reason why Bethany couldn¡¯t go for this. Smack. Patting her cheeks hard, Bethany let out a long breath and then gave herself a pep speech, for the next time she saw Frank. That¡¯s when she would make her move. ¡°I can do this, I hope¡­¡± Chapter 25 Chapter 25 Honestly, Frank didn¡¯t know what to expect when he heard that he would be going to facility number three. In his mind he pictured what had to be the third best healing facility on campus, which in a way would be correct in that assessment. For nothing about Facility three denoted that healing would be a priority for this facility. The moment he entered, there were walls upon walls of guards wearing top tier combat equipment, each person seemingly ready to fight at a moment¡¯s notice. Each guard unit had multiple different caster types with their ranks, and each sported many different values. Frank couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly intimidated as he made his way past the armed guards, many of whom gave him a sidelong glance as he entered. Then they all appeared to relax slightly upon seeing that he was being escorted by Dr. Evans. ¡°Good afternoon, General,¡± the officer on duty stated, snapping to attention as he gave a salute to Dr. Evans. ¡°Good afternoon, Colonel, I trust that there were no disturbances?¡± Dr. Evans asked, instantly returning the salute and letting the Colonel relax slightly. Hearing that, Frank couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit flustered at the apparent rank of Dr. Evans. Though considering the position and her pedigree the fact that she was a general wasn¡¯t too surprising. Especially when considering the fact that Dr. Evans being promoted to the rank of General likely gave her more leeway when dealing with problem patients or unruly officers who would not listen to her commands. ¡°No disturbances, no major outbreaks, and all facilities were personally observed eleven minutes ago.¡± The Colonel said, as he read off from a report that was pulled up from his wrist system. ¡°Very good, have the technicians on testing bay seven prep a sample.¡± Dr. Evans stated, her tone sounding like she was calm and confident. By contrast, the look on the Colonel¡¯s face was anything but calm or confident. ¡°Testing bay seven? I take it you mean a living sample?¡± ¡°Well, as living as possible, but one that is still capable of independent thought and actions would be preferable.¡± Dr. Evans stated. ¡°Okay,¡± the Colonel said as he made a few notes and sent a warning to other parts of the facility. Seeing it all, the whole thing looked surreal. Again, Frank had known that Dr. Evans was a big deal in the medical field, and was apparently the department head for the medical staff. But for her to make an A-Rank Colonel jump and flinch at her every command showed that she was clearly in a league of her own. ¡°I take it, you will be taking this Cadet with you?¡± The Colonel asked. ¡°Yes, and Major Demoniker should also be arriving shortly. I don¡¯t know if he will join us in our class time, but do let him join us if he arrives.¡± ¡°Major Demoniker as well? Duly noted.¡± The Colonel responded before looking somewhat pale at the seemingly strange turn of events. Then pausing, a flash of an idea apparently came to the Colonel¡¯s face as he seemed to put together all of the pieces for what was happening. ¡°I take it that this cadet here is also¡­¡± ¡°Like the Major, no.¡± Dr. Evans said. Phew. Hearing that the Colonel let out a slightly relieved sigh. ¡°No, this here cadet is also a healer.¡± Dr. Evans said. ¡°Also a healer?¡± The Colonel asked. Then as he spoke, Frank paused as he realized that there was a slight trace of dark energy that seemed to radiate from the Colonel. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but were you ever exposed to dark energy?¡± Frank found himself asking. Suddenly the look on Dr. Evans¡¯ face changed as she stared at Frank, with a slight smile cresting on her lips. The Colonel on the other hand just paused, ¡°yes that is correct, but it has remained dormant to this point.¡± Hearing him talk, Frank realized that the Colonel was being defensive with his wording. Frank for his part just shook his head, not quite realizing why the Colonel was so evasive. Turning to Dr. Evans for advice she just smiled. ¡°See if you can find it on him.¡± Frank didn¡¯t really need the guidance, but found his mind instantly reaching out and identifying a few speckles of condensed dark energy that were lodged under the Colonel¡¯s skin on his left arm. Looking at the markings they were odd, as there were two deep puncture wounds about two inches apart on the top of his arm, followed by two additional puncture spots on the bottom as well. Pausing for a moment, Frank tried to understand what could cause such a wound. Then he realized what happened. ¡°You were bitten?¡± Frank asked, pointing to the Colone¡¯s left arm. Shock. Hearing the nearly instant diagnosis of Frank, the Colonel could only turn to the doctor, ¡°did you tell him?¡± ¡°No,¡± Dr. Evans said, then turning to Frank she looked both shocked and slightly hopeful while watching Frank. ¡°He noticed all of that on his own, apparently.¡± With that the Colonel could only look on in shock. Then feeling his wrist vibrate he looked down to see that a response had been made. ¡°It appears that the subject in bay seven has been prepped and is ready for you, the two of you.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Thank you Colonel,¡± Dr. Evans began, but even as she spoke, the Colonel never took his eyes off of Frank. Frank for his part couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly out of place by the constant stares that were being given to him by the officer. Yet, before he could make anything from the looks of the Colonel and his subordinate guard members who were around, Dr. Evans spoke again. ¡°Now, I know I don¡¯t need to tell you that everything here is of the highest of secrecy, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± The Colonel said, rendering a salute as the Doctor made her way through the opening blast doors that seemed like they were meant to be the last line of defense to keep things inside the facility. At that revelation, the facility finally made sense. The facility wasn¡¯t made as a last bastion to run to in times of battle and strife. Instead, the facility was built backwards, with the last lines of defense being the highly trained guards and automatic turret systems that were designed to fire at anything that attempted to leave without authorization. As they made their way further into the facility, Frank felt more and more pools of dark energy all around. There seemed to be a gradient scale, with the deeper into the facility they went, the more condensed the different pools of dark energy would be. Finally, they reached a door marked with a big numeral seven in large red print. By now Frank estimated that they were at least three floors beneath the surface of the earth, with at least one more floor below, at least that is what Frank felt from the dense pool of dark energy below him. Being this close to so much power, Frank couldn¡¯t help but feel his body and mind coming to life. It almost reminded him the way he would get when walking into the school office and smelling freshly roasted coffee. Such a delicacy was meant only for staff, but it still had a fragrant aroma that caused Frank¡¯s mind to awaken with possibilities first thing in the morning. Now his mind felt a similar form of energy, though entirely different. This was the energy of Qi, the energy of death that called out to him and beckoned for him to claim the energy as his own, if he all but dared. ¡°You okay?¡± Dr. Evans asked, staring at Frank, as she apparently saw something in Frank¡¯s face that caused some concern. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just this place, it is filled with so much death energy that it is hard to focus.¡± Frank admitted. ¡°Hard to focus? How?¡± Dr. Evans pressed. With that Frank could only shrug, ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s just that there is so much energy here that I can feel my body calling out for it.¡± Hearing that, Dr. Evans realized that she might need to give a refresher. ¡°All right, make sure that you don¡¯t surpass your limits on Death energy, unless you want to swap focuses. Though from our conversations I don¡¯t think that you want this to happen.¡± ¡°Switch focuses?¡± Frank asked. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, you might not have covered this. Okay, so you have awoken your second affinity.¡± Dr. Evans began, at which point Frank just nodded. ¡°Okay, you also just finished completing your ninth stage of body cultivation.¡± Frank again nodded. ¡°What you might not be aware of is that you can switch primary affinities either going into the Blood Cultivation stage, or at the Skeletal Cultivation stage. Neither of which I would recommend for you, as you seem to need the effects of healing energy to keep the adverse side effects of death energy at bay within your own skin. This means that you need to be careful. Go ahead and fill up your reserves of energy for both life and death energy, but do not try to push through to the next layer without me there to guide you.¡± Dr. Evans noted. Hearing that, Frank could only nod his head in understanding. While he knew he was already close to having a full pool of energy for both life and death energy thanks to his work this morning, the amount and quality of death energy that was now available put that other energy to shame. Realizing that Frank nodded. ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°It.¡± Slow exhale. With that Dr. Evans just stared at Frank, while fighting to keep the smile from forming on her lips. ¡°Say you understand and will not attempt to break through without my supervision.¡± Hearing that Frank just rolled his eyes, ¡°okay, I understand.¡± Dr. Evans just stared at him for a moment, then finally nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t come crying to me when everything burns from a wrong decision you made.¡± Hearing that, Frank blurted out, ¡°let me guess this is an issue you have had to treat multiple times in your life as a healer, and not just related to irradiated energy particles.¡± At that, Dr. Evans just paused and stared at Frank. In that stare, it almost felt like Dr. Evans finally saw the true intelligent Frank. ¡°You¡¯ve got a mouth on you, don¡¯t you.¡± Frank, knowing that he might have overstepped a line just stared back, realizing that saying anything would only increase any punishments he might receive. Finally, after a long second a giant smirk broke out on Dr. Evans¡¯s face. ¡°I swear one of these days I will get you to break. But no, realize that in the medical profession having a sense of humor like that is encouraged. Especially if you can give lip and results at the same time.¡± With that, Frank just nodded his head, figuring that he had read the Doctor¡¯s temperament correctly. ¡°Come on, now I am going to show you how someone like you can get results.¡± With that Frank followed Dr. Evans as she scanned a badge, her retina and her hand on three different readers that all needed to be unlocked at the same time, in order for the door to open. As the doors opened, Frank couldn¡¯t help but see the barrels of what appeared to be flamethrowers mounted on both sides of the door, accessible only via small slits. Then looking up, he noticed another slit directly overhead, in the roof that also showed the wide barrel of another flamethrower. Basically, there were a lot of safety measures in place to keep whatever was here inside this room. The room was a wide open surgical room, complete with a gallery overhead, where observers could watch. As it stood, two soldiers in uniform were watching the scene below. What they saw was a man in a white lab coat, standing over a metal reinforced gurney that had a clearly restrained female. Or at least what used to be a female, as the body was all but radiating death energy, with absolutely no sign of life. This was both similar and completely different from the zombies he had been destroying and ripping apart just this morning. For starters, there was no life energy, none. Which seemed to go against exactly what Frank had come up in his mind as being necessary for death energy to exist, that of a steady stream of life energy available to be corrupted, and slowly turned into more death energy. Here the body of the monster, and she was a monster, there was no doubt about that, was radiating condensed death energy that also poured around the core of the monster. There was also something that was glaringly different from this female monster, and the zombies that Frank faced off against earlier this morning, namely the fact that this monster was clearly sentient. At least that was the impression that Frank got from the creature as its eyes seemed to track first the Doctor, and then once Frank entered the room, she never lost her gaze on Frank. As he stared, Frank felt a sort of connection to the female, yes she had been pretty before the transformation, that much was apparent from the way her muscular body and heart shaped face all but glowed with a sense of seductive vitality. Added to that was the fact that her eyes all but glowed a light violet color that spoke of a form of control over death energy and Frank couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of gravity as he stared into those eyes. Then he felt himself get pulled into those eyes by their power. ¡°Snap out of it,¡± Dr. Evans said, having her hands in front of Frank, thereby breaking the spell and hold that those eyes seemed to have over him. Turning his head, Frank felt his lungs involuntarily take in two deep breaths as he had apparently been holding his breath the whole time he stared at her. ¡°Who is she?¡± Frank asked. Shaking her head, Dr. Evans could only correct him. ¡°Not who, but rather what is she. As you can no doubt tell by now, she is far from human.¡± At that Frank could only nod. ¡°She is one of the first changelings, or zombies that made the transition all the way through to becoming sentient once more.¡± ¡°So this is the stage after the yellow eyed stalkers?¡± Frank asked. ¡°Yellow eyed? When did you see them?¡± Dr. Evans asked, surprise in her voice. ¡°This morning when you and Demoniker locked me in the tunnels.¡± Frank answered. At that, Dr. Evans¡¯s eyes went wide, as she realized. ¡°They have already gone through the second stage of evolution there? This is¡­¡± She trailed off as she then tried to go back to the subject at hand. ¡°You should have told me that earlier, but for now, no. All you need to know is that there are at least two stages after the yellow-eyed stage before you get here. This is what we have loosely referred to as a vampire elder. One who is capable of turning a civilian directly into a vampire.¡± Hearing that, Frank could only pause, then thinking back to the Colonel and his bite mark on his arm, he had to ask. ¡°Was she the one?¡± ¡°The one what?¡± ¡°The one that bit the Colonel?¡± Frank asked. Hearing that, Dr. Evans paused but seemed to look at Frank with a bit more respect. ¡°Good question, but no. The vampire that bit the Colonel is dead. This is the one that bit and turned the vampire that then bit the Colonel.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t afraid of her activating the energy within the Colonel?¡± Frank asked. Hearing that, Dr. Evans paused and stared at Frank. ¡°We weren¡¯t, though can you tell me why we should?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, it just seems like there might be some link from an elder vampire to the progeny.¡± ¡°There is, which is why we killed off the direct ancestors, but there is now a gap between the two.¡± Dr. Evans pressed. Hearing that, Frank had a bad feeling about what he was hearing, but in the end he realized it wasn¡¯t really his place to say anything, but he still didn¡¯t like the idea of an elder vampire being looked after by a warrior who had traces of their degraded energy within his arm. Forced cough. After a moment of silence, Dr. Evans was about to speak, when the male in a lab coat who had apparently prepared the elder vampire coughed loudly to get Dr. Evans¡¯s attention. Hearing him, Dr. Evans stopped what she was about to say and instead came closer to the technician. ¡°Hello Dr. Evans.¡± ¡°Hello Dr. Jansen, how is the patient today?¡± ¡°The patient is still good, she last ate a month ago and still has faint traces of the feeding within her system.¡± ¡°Feeding?¡± Frank asked, peering at the female who now that he was closer Frank saw that there was an industrial ball gag and mask over the lower part of her face. Frank wondered how he missed that part, but then looking at her once again saw the glowing purple eyes and realized that he had missed most other features of the creature. ¡°Yes, she has been fed on the blood of the dead. While there are still traces of life energy within a recently killed animal, there are enough life particles to keep an elder vampire like this alive for up to three months. They are truly remarkable creatures.¡± The creepy Dr. Jansen said almost admiringly as he turned to look at the elder vampire. Hiss. Upon receiving Dr. Jansen¡¯s gaze, the vampire elder actively hissed, and seemed to glare menacingly at the technician. For his part the technician just smiled back with a sick form of love covering his face and features that only caused Frank to truly wonder about the mentality of such a person. ¡°Can I ask what brought you two here?¡± Dr. Jansen finally asked Dr. Evans, but only after having a staring contest with the vampire elder and apparently winning. ¡°Yes, today I will be allowing my new apprentice here to operate on old Constance here.¡± And like that Frank felt no less than five sets of eyes turn to him and truly take in his measure. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 Frank felt no less than five sets of eyes turn to him and truly take in his measure. One set of eyes belonged to Dr. Evans who watched to ensure he understood the current task being provided. Then there were the eyes of Constance, the patient. A patient that seemed oddly calm all things considered. In addition to those two were the eyes of the assistant who managed to get Constance into this vulnerable position on the operating table. After those immediate three, were the two doctors who were watching from the balcony above. Pausing Frank turned to stare at the elder vampire. Being this close there was a certain power that all but radiated from the creature. A power that clearly glowed through her body and expressed itself in the coloration of her eyes the most. But there were other signs as well, the slightly glowing reddish-purple hue of her skin. The way her hair seemed to glow with a lustrous sheen, even though it was clear she had not had time or been given the ability to groom herself in any meaningful way. Taking her in, Frank could not help but pause to realize something was off. ¡°What is it?¡± Dr. Evans asked. Frank paused, wondering for a moment, then the answer came to him. ¡°She isn¡¯t afraid.¡± It came out more as a statement than a question. ¡°No, she isn¡¯t afraid. In fact after numerous times of trying to operate on her we find ourselves at a stalemate with her.¡± ¡°A stalemate?¡± ¡°Yes, by now she knows that we can¡¯t kill her, but as it stands, she cannot break free. As such, all she can do is bide her time while we try to come up with a counter for her kind.¡± Hearing that Frank could only nod in understanding. Looking at the ancient monster, Frank didn¡¯t think he quite understood the problem. Then he realized that this monster was a cultivator of darkness Qi. Not just one who was infected, but a monster who had learned to create a separate organ devoted entirely to circulating the chaotic energy throughout her body. ¡°Do you see anything?¡± ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s a cultivator right?¡± Frank asked. With that all five sets of eyes looked at Frank with shock, though Frank himself only saw the expression from two sets of eyes. That of the patient, and the doctor. ¡°That is correct,¡± Dr. Evans began. Then going closer to the bound creature, who had a giant metal ball gag bound in her mouth to keep her from opening her mouth or using her sharp teeth to bite violently. ¡°Tell me, what else can you tell?¡± Focusing for a moment, Frank reached out and felt an odd sort of resonance with her skin. Reaching out to touch the creature¡¯s bare skin, everyone let out a hiss once he made contact. Everyone save for the doctor and the patient. The doctor looked interested, while the patient almost seemed to smile around the giant metal restraint in her mouth. Frank for his part, felt the intense surge of energy rub up against his skin, turning his skin a glowing shade of purple, before he managed to focus his will and force the energy to enter his body. ¡°Whoa!¡± Frank said, feeling a slight rush as his heart beat faster as he had never felt such a surge of energy fill his body. Moving forward to brace Frank, Dr. Evans asked, ¡°you okay?¡± ¡°Yeah, that was¡­ intense.¡± Frank finally managed. With that, the look of joy that had filled the monster¡¯s face faded, as it was slowly replaced with shock. Around him, had he bothered to look, the other sets of faces would show similar reactions but to varying extents. ¡°Do you want to try what I have in store for you?¡± Dr. Evans asked. Pausing for a moment, Frank eventually asked, ¡°can I hear what it is first?¡± With that Dr. Evans nodded in understanding. ¡°That is a fair question and given everything that has happened I will allow it.¡± Then pausing for a moment to figure out how to say this next part nicely, Dr. Evans paused. ¡°Go on.¡± Frank said, encouragingly to the doctor. Evans hearing that, paused then finally decided to press forward. ¡°You have a gift. A remarkable gift to be able to draw out the lingering remains of darkness energy from people around you. That said, your form is violent and unrefined.¡± At that Dr. Evans inadvertently stroked her cheek where Frank had managed to pull out shards of dark energy earlier. Hearing that, Frank realized now why he hadn¡¯t been asked to remove any more lingering shards of darkness from people. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Frank asked. ¡°Me? Yes, I am fine. Though again I am an expert wielder of life energy and was able to quickly heal most of the damage you caused by your act.¡± Dr. Evans stated. With that, Frank felt a myriad of emotions take him. Chief among them was regret at having done something that could have been potentially dangerous. ¡°Can I ask what I did?¡± Hearing that Dr. Evans seemed to debate with herself for a moment, but then answered. ¡°Okay, when you pulled out the shards from my face, you managed to nick a few tiny blood vessels in my face. This could have caused scarring, internal bleeding or worse.¡± Hearing that Frank realized that he had just pulled the shards right out, not even thinking about the potential consequences of his actions. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Seeing Frank¡¯s face, Dr. Evans immediately went into damage control mode. ¡°It was good. A very good first attempt. And I was glad you chose me to try it on, versus one of your female classmates who might not be able to heal the damage and then be left with a permanent scar due to your seemingly good deed.¡± At that, Frank imagined some of the girls and guys on campus waking around with permanent scars or disfigurements due to his actions. Hearing that, Frank could only nod in understanding. ¡°Now, all we are going to do, is focus on your control, and your ability to remove energy smoothly.¡± Dr. Evans said, before pointing to the patient who now looked shocked, though she tried to hide it under a layer of anger. Fortunately, Frank could read through that expression easily, as it was just feigned strength to show a hint of fear. Seeing him just staring into the eyes of the monster, Dr. Evans acted. ¡°Go on, if at the very least you can work her down so that we might be able to break through her defense and finally end her life.¡± With that, Frank paused before adding, ¡°I think I already could end her.¡± At that, all sets of eyes once again refocused on Frank with an intensity that he could once again feel. ¡°You can?¡± Dr. Evans asked. ¡°Yeah, I mean, it is solid, so I would likely need to provide energy to shake up the structure, but I think I could do it.¡± Frank said. ¡°Can you show me?¡± Dr. Evans asked, pointing to Constance. ¡°Sure.¡± Frank said, as he held out his hand and then focused on the intense power crystals that had formed just under the monster¡¯s skin. At first the monster looked on with confusion, but after a second of nothing happening she began to relax. Even going so far as to provide a mocking smile to her would be attacker. Seeing the mocking face of the monster, Frank reached down deeper and pushed out his own strands of energy into the monster. Chime. There was an odd warbling sound that started out low and then began to grow as Frank found himself pushing more and more of his stolen death energy into this attack. ¡°Mmm.¡± The restrained creature who had been staring with a mocking smile moments ago suddenly began to panic and twitch as part of her body seemed to be causing intense pain. Crack. ¡°GAHHHH!¡± The monster cried out in pain as finally Frank managed to exert enough force onto the creature¡¯s condensed dark crystals to cause a few of the outer crystals to burst, causing a small two-inch gash to appear on the beast¡¯s side. ¡°Remarkable!¡± The attendant behind Frank cried out moving past a slightly dizzy Frank who for his part felt like his mind was covered in a thick foggy soup. Then seemingly out of nowhere, the attendant who had been nearby suddenly pulled out an empty glass tube and began letting the pouring glowing blood of the creature pour into the tube. There wasn¡¯t much, just a few drops that were gathered, before the doctor pulled away the canister and carefully held the tube to the side, pulling out a towel that he tried to wipe off a drop of the dark blood that poured down the side. Sizzle. Upon contact the corrosive nature of the blood was immediately observed, as the fabric of the cotton towel began to break apart on contact with the dense slime. Once externally cleared, the technician pulled out a stopper and quickly sealed the dark substance within the phial. Holding up the phial with its brightly glowing and now wisping blood inside the attendant who had the room prepared for the doctor exclaimed, ¡°do you know what this means?¡± ¡°It means we will have a complete breakdown and containment field activated if you are not careful with that vial.¡± Dr. Evans chided. At that, the excited attendant quickly regained his composure, pulling in the phial to be closer and in an easier spot to hold, especially with his oddly thick work gloves. ¡°You are right. I will get this to the lab immediately for testing, if you will excuse me.¡± The Attendant exclaimed before leaving the room quickly, excitement filling his face as he no doubt prepared to test something about his most recent acquisition. Frank just stared at the attendant who left excitedly. Then pausing he waited to see when Dr. Evans would turn back to him as well. Only once the attendant was fully gone from the room did Dr. Evans finally turn to Frank. ¡°Good now that he is gone, we don¡¯t have to hold back any more.¡± Dr. Evans stated. Frank for his part knew that he was apparently missing something in this exchange, but figured he would let the doctor explain what was supposed to happen next. Dr. Evans turned to the restrained elder vampire and watched her. No, not her exactly, but her wound. ¡°She isn¡¯t healing.¡± Dr. Evans stated. ¡°Isn¡¯t that to be expected?¡± Frank asked, wondering how long it would normally take to heal a two-inch gash along the side of one¡¯s torso without any help or assistance. ¡°Not for her. Once they are at her level of power, they become exceptionally resilient to slashing and other forms of damage.¡± Dr. Evans said, moving closer to look at the monster. She even reached out her bare hand towards the creature, an act that Frank was about to react to, especially given the excited smile that once again crested the monster¡¯s beautiful lips. Pausing, Dr. Evans looked on in horror at her outstretched hand. Then looking on in anger, she saw that the monster all but beamed with excitement when their eyes met. Snarling. Seeing the monster delight in her almost fuax pas, Dr. Evans went over to the side of the room where rows upon rows of thick lab coats, protective masks and thick rubber glovers were all present. Frank watched as Dr. Evans expertly went over, grabbed a set that had specifically been made for her, especially as it had the ¡®Evans¡¯ name already engraved on a patch over the chest. Frank watched as the doctor went over and put on her uniform, complete with a thick clear plastic mask that had been recently replaced. Seeing the new mask that looked somehow incongruous with the rest of the equipment that had been well used and maintained, Frank couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Was she the reason you had dark fragments within your face?¡± At that both the doctor and the elder vampire both stared at Frank. Dr. Evans stared at Frank as she realized just how intelligent he was at being able to pick up on the string of events at such minor context clues provided. ¡°Yes, yes she was.¡± Dr. Evans said, nodding her head as she answered, each shake would slowly ease the tension that had been growing within her. The patient, this Constance on the other hand, she stared at Frank for a different reason. As her mind now began to piece together the conversation. Granted they had spoke about the violent removal of the energy right before her, but it was only now that the vampire realized that her sources of external power that had been left to linger in the doctor were now gone. At that, Constance stared at Frank with a sense of horror. ¡°Do I get a set of gloves and aprons?¡± Frank asked. ¡°Do you need a set?¡± Dr. Evans asked while staring at Frank¡¯s fingers. Fingers that he had used to directly touch the vampire. At the time, Frank didn¡¯t understand what was happening, nor why everyone suddenly looked surprised at his direct contact with the patient. Though now, he wondered ¡°what were you going to do if I couldn¡¯t contain the energy?¡± ¡°Simple, I would have amputated your hand, quarantined the room, set off the automatic burning suppression chambers and tried to regrow as much of your hand as possible.¡± Dr. Evans stated casually, as if slicing off a hand and setting a whole room ablaze was something one always did on a Monday. Then pausing, Frank realized one thing. ¡°I take it in that disaster scenario Constance here wouldn¡¯t make it out before the flames erupted?¡± Shaking her head, Dr. Evans confirmed. ¡°But she would survive that anyways?¡± Frank mused trying to make sure he understood. At that, a look of resignation filled the doctor¡¯s face as she could only nod in agreement. ¡°Huh,¡± was all Frank could say to that as he let his mind wrap around all the possibilities. ¡°Are you ready to go forward with today¡¯s lesson?¡± Dr. Evans asked. Pausing for a second Frank almost agreed, but then paused as he saw the giant protective coat that the doctor now wore. Seeing it, then looking down at his school uniform that looked brand new, despite already needing to be altered again, Frank asked. ¡°Can I at least get a lab coat?¡± Pausing, Dr. Evans looked at Frank, then following his gaze down at his school uniform could only nod in understanding. ¡°Go, take the one on the left of where I got mine.¡± With that Frank went over and put on the heavy apron the way Dr. Evans did a moment ago. To his surprise, Frank looked down to see that this coat too had the same name ¡®Evans¡¯ etched on it. Looking down, Frank realized that this coat was slightly longer than the one worn by Dr. Evans, a clear indication that this was for a different Evans. Realizing that there was likely a lot of drama that might otherwise be distracting to today¡¯s lesson. Namely interacting with a deadly elder vampire that can corrode and kill most humans with but a single touch, Frank felt it best to leavy any questions about the ownership of this coat to someone else. Though a quick glance showed that the face plate for this coat had also been recently changed out. That was enough for Frank to draw some conclusions, but ultimately, he decided not to comment on anything. Dr. Evans¡¯s eyes fluttered from Frank¡¯s face to the nameplate he wore, then back to his face, before she asked. ¡°Any questions?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Frank replied, and then just walked over toward the operating table where the elder vampire still had the faintest trace of a scar on her side, but the dark corrosive blood had stopped pouring out. Dr. Evans let out a deep breath of relief as Frank walked past her. Then wiping away at a freshly forming tear with her sleeve, she let out a deep breath, then moved behind Frank. Exhaling, Dr. Evans readied herself, before going into the lesson, well the advanced lessons at the very least. ¡°All right for this, we are going to start out small. Making sure to watch out for her long fingers, I want you to grab her bound wrist. Then hold your hand for as long as possible and tell me what you notice.¡± Dr. Evans began. Hearing that Frank paused, mentally trying to calculate just how far the long slender fingers of the monster could stretch. Despite how graceful and delicate they might look Frank was more than aware that those long fingers could also be used to crush his bones if he was not careful. Heeding the warnings provided, Frank moved inside the outstretched arm of the monster and reached out for a spot on the wrist that was closer to the monster¡¯s also restrained elbow. ¡°GRR!¡± As he got closer, the monster cried out loudly from her bound and gagged position. Realizing this is one of those moments, like the time when he had to stare down the rodent that somehow survived the purge. Frank calmed himself and then stared menacingly back into the eyes of the monster. Badump, badump, badump. Yet, as he stared, something stirred within Frank. He locked gazes with the monster and saw her, truly saw her. From a distance she was clearly beautiful, long graceful form that had seemingly been perfected by cultivation. But being this close to her, seeing her this close Frank felt an attraction to her that was indescribable. ¡°Hush,¡± Frank said, his voice firm and in control. Not demanding, but one that exuded confidence, not only in himself but in the situation he now found himself in. Then to his surprise, with their eyes still locked, she seemed to go quiet. Seeing her visibly relax, Frank nodded to himself, as he then looked down at the long delicate arm. Seeing the arm, Frank very lightly ran his fingers along the arm, starting with the elbow and slowly made his way to the spot indicated by Dr. Evans. Dr. Evans for her part just stared on in wonder, as she had never seen Constance react to someone the way that she was now doing with Frank. Shiver. At the touch, Frank couldn¡¯t help but chuckle slightly before responding, ¡°are you ticklish?¡± Dr. Evans wanted to chide Frank, but then to her shock and amazement Frank was right. Goose flesh seemed to cascade down the arm from where Frank had touched the monster. Then looking up at the monster, Dr. Evans was confused at what she was seeing in her face as her face seemed to be glowing slightly brighter. Only after a second or two of staring did the sight before her make sense, is she embarrassed? Dr. Evans watched Constance carefully, seeing a monster that had never shown any reaction to contact other than monstrous rage and anger, she now looked somehow human. Yet, before Dr. Evans could make any comment about the current state of Constance. Dr. Evans¡¯ world was flipped upside down by nine simple words uttered by Frank. ¡°All right, I have found her pulse, now what?¡± Chapter 27 Chapter 27 ¡°All right, I have found her pulse, now what?¡± Frank asked. Hearing that Dr. Evans just stared at Frank with dumbfound confusion. This was meant to be a test to show the student that this beast, this monster wasn¡¯t alive, but here he was saying words that seemed to contradict everything that she had known up until this point. ¡°Are you certain?¡± Dr. Evans asked. Pausing, Frank looked down, but then after a second answered confidently, ¡°yeah.¡± Well no matter, the existence or lack thereof of a heart beat was not the true intention of this particular exercise, Dr. Evans thought to herself as she decided to press on in the lesson. ¡°Okay, barring the heartbeat aside. I take it you can feel the raw energy running under her skin?¡± ¡°Yes, though it sort of tingles.¡± Frank noted, as he spoke, Dr. Evans looked to see that there was indeed a reaction of sorts happening. As his fingers seemed to glow slightly pinkish-purple, before returning to a normal pale fleshy color, only to return to the purple color the next. Seeing it, Dr. Evans wondered if there was something to the heartbeat, as there did seem to be a sort of rhythm to the ebb and flow of energy that appeared to be reacting to his touch. ¡°Okay, well in that case. Try for to focus on her energy, then if you can try to slowly pull some of her energy away from her body and pull it directly into you.¡± Dr. Evans stated. Hearing that, Frank nodded, then turning away from Dr. Evans he turned to face the monster. There was clearly something there between the two. Dr. Evans knew all too well that the monster was a noted vixen and seducer if allowed to move and operate, which was why she was bound and gagged here. Still, Frank was young and that meant hormones, though for now he seemed to be handling himself correctly. ¡°I am going to try to slowly pull your energy from you.¡± Frank stated, repeating for the monster. At first Dr. Evans wanted to warn him about talking to the monster, but then she stopped herself as this was good bedside manner. Seeing him, she realized that he might be a natural, someone that naturally took in the patient¡¯s mental health in addition to treating their physical health. If that was the case, then she was all for this decorum. In fact, right now his focused attention on the monster before him and her comfort was in a way, exactly what she wanted. As such she let this go on without stating anything about the possible attachments that this boy might be forming with this dangerous patient. The two locked gazes, and then the monster seemed to nod her head in acceptance. At that, Frank began drawing in energy from the monster. Fwoom. Even from a few feet away, the amount of energy that was being released was palpable. Dr. Evans felt the hairs raising on the back of her neck as she had to involuntarily take a step back. Wince. There was a slight wince from the monster, and then just like that the pull of energy stopped and Frank pulled back his hand shaking it out and moving his fingers. ¡°Describe what you are feeling right now?¡± Dr. Evans demanded, trying to understand what her prized pupil was feeling. There was a slight wince of his own, almost as if Frank too had felt discomfort from the procedure. ¡°It feels slightly numb, like my fingers have been flash frozen and are only now able to feel warmth.¡± Frank said, turning to face the doctor as he spoke. Then turning back to Constance, he asked her. ¡°You felt it too didn¡¯t you?¡± Nod. With that Frank could only nod himself in seeming agreement. ¡°Are you saying you felt a mental connection with her?¡± Dr. Evans asked, wondering if this was the bad first class to offer. ¡°No, I just assumed that she felt as I did, but in reverse.¡± Frank responded. At that, Dr. Evans was again reminded of just how sharp this new student was. Also, he seemed to understand things about the monsters that plagued mankind better than she and likely dozens of other experts who were on the front lines ever would. His very existence alone spoke of such insights and understandings, but it wasn¡¯t until she saw the possible effects firsthand that she realized just how much more insight this newly awakened child might have. Realizing that she needed to be gentle, she decided to give the boy an out. ¡°So was that enough for your first day, or do you think you can try again?¡± Then to her astonishment, Frank said the unthinkable. ¡°I can go again.¡± ¡°You can?¡± ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s hurting her.¡± Frank responded. ¡°Wait, what is hurting her?¡± Dr. Evans asked, suddenly wondering just what she had been missing. ¡°The darker energy.¡± Frank stated. ¡°Darker energy?¡± ¡°Yes, she seems to have dual affinities like we would, but she has two. One is a darker version, while the other is a lighter version of the darkness element.¡± Frank stated. ¡°What?¡± Was all Dr. Evans could ask. Shaking his head, Frank clearly felt frustrated. ¡°I, it¡¯s just that¡­¡± Frank paused, trying to find the correct words but clearly unable to find them. Then taking a deep breath, he braced himself and forced himself to hang onto the breath before continuing. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°She clearly has the corruptive power of another coursing through her.¡± Frank stated. At that, Dr. Evans turned from Frank to look at Constance, then a dawning realization filled her mind as she uttered the words ¡°Christie?¡± At the word, Constance turned to face Dr. Evans and just nodded. There for a moment, she saw her. Dr. Evans saw the ghost of the old Constance. The one that sent shivers down the Doctor¡¯s spine as all she could do was cover her mouth with her hand that was fitted into an overside rubber glove more suitable for pulling hot pans out of the oven than any type of real surgical work. Yet now, Dr. Evans could only look on in shocked horror as to what this meant. In her mind she tried to place together all the components of what this meant, but she couldn¡¯t quite understand it, not fully. There were parts to what was happening, fantastical parts that meant so much, or at least parts that could mean so much. ¡°All right before I begin to let you try this again, describe to me in detail what it is you are doing.¡± Dr. Evans stated with more feigned professionalism than she thought possible. Pausing for a moment Frank looked at Dr. Evans with a slight look of confusion before answering. ¡°She like you, had dense pockets of dark energy within her. Packets that were being held back and restrained by the energy within her body, but restrained packets nonetheless.¡± Hearing that, Dr. Evans couldn¡¯t help but let her mask slip slightly at this revelation. The fact that this monster had darker chunks from a stronger monster within her meant that well it could mean so many things. Chief among them was that if those packets were pulled from Dr. Evans before she was fully consumed, then did that mean that they could be removed from Constance? Clearly, they could, but then what? Would Constance be an unbound monster? Or did it mean that Constance would be able to be, no, there was no chance of that thought. It was best to quench that thought right here and now. Despite how much she might want that very act to happen to Constance, there was no chance that it would. Still freeing Constance of Christie¡¯s influence might be a start for atonement. ¡°You can do that from her wrist?¡± Dr. Evans asked. Pausing, Frank seemed to think the question over before nodding. ¡°I can, though I don¡¯t know how much I can accomplish today. I will likely have to come back to get all of it, though I assumed that was part of the lesson.¡± Frank stated. ¡°Lesson?¡± ¡°Yes, of knowing and setting limits for yourself and your patient.¡± Frank said, staring at Dr. Evans¡¯s face and then looking surprised when he read something in her gaze that Frank had not been expecting. Before Dr. Evans could say or act on his look Frank had already turned back to the patient. ¡°This next one I would like to try from your neck.¡± Frank said, staring at Constance and locking gazes with her. ¡°Why is that, didn¡¯t you say that you could do it all from her wrist?¡± Dr. Evans asked, her mind spinning at the sudden change. ¡°I could, but it seems that there is a clump of this dense energy that is dangerously close to entering the brain of Constance. I would like to remove that first, before I leave for the day. I feel that trying to pull that energy through so much of her body would be taxing and likely cause an issue once we got near the heart region.¡± Frank admitted, his eyes flashing with an intense energy as both green and dark purple flickers of light pulsed in his gaze. Hearing that, Dr. Evans paused, and realized exactly what he was talking about, as that had to be the initial infection site, the one that was used to first turn her Constance. ¡°Okay.¡± Dr. Evans finally relented. Then she watched, ¡°Constance, if you can hear me. Please let him help you. Please.¡± At that Dr. Evans¡¯s normally strong demeanor shattered, if only for a moment. This was too much too fast, why had she chosen her of all the candidates. Then her mind answered her unspoken question, she knew why she had chosen her, it was for something like this, a miracle, that or hopefully a way to end her suffering. Either option would be preferable to the state and condition her Constance was currently in. Constance for her part just stared coldly at Dr. Evans, in that stare so many emotions were shared that Dr. Evans could only stand there and stoically take it all as her punishment for all that has happened. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± the calming voice of Frank called out. His deep voice all but beaming with power as he moved his hand calmly and confidently towards Constance¡¯s neck. While there was a restraint around Constance¡¯s neck that prevented her from moving her head about violently, the area covered by the strap was massive, leaving small gaps that one could easily lose a finger to if they in fact tried to place a finger in between said gaps. This of course was exactly where Frank moved his fingers, gently placing them and exhaling slightly as his fingers made contact with her skin. ¡°You okay?¡± Dr. Evans asked. ¡°Yeah, just a bit cold,¡± Frank responded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, just know that this is hurting me as much as it is hurting you.¡± The two locked gazes, and ever so gently Constance nodded indicating that she was ready. FWOOM! Once again Dr. Evans immediately noticed the moment that Frank began to pull the energy from Constance. Even staying at her previous position that she had retreated to during the last attempt caused the hair to rise even higher up on her neck. Though this time her body was also responding to the unspoken emotional tension that had been building, at least in Dr. Evans¡¯s case. Gasp. Dr. Evans watched as Constance¡¯s eyes dilated slightly while staring directly into Frank¡¯s eyes. She even watched as Constance drew in a deep breath of air, something that seemed to speak to her still being human, at least on some primal level. Then to her amazement she watched as Constance took the breath and held it, using that singular breath to hold and force her body still. Yet, even as this happened Dr. Evans saw the all too familiar signs of pain. The way Constance flicked and flexed her toes, almost like she was tap dancing away the pain. For a moment, Dr. Evans remembered how much Constance loved to dance. Then a morbid part of her wanted to point out that Frank was also quite good at dancing. Then she immediately stopped that train of thought, as it would be too painful to share. Shaking. Frank began trembling slightly. Seeing him, Dr. Evans immediately rushed forward. Perhaps feeling her presence, or seeing the shift in focus as Constance¡¯s eyes moved away from focusing on Frank¡¯s face and turned over his shoulder, Frank reacted. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Frank said, holding up his left hand in a halting gesture. He wasn¡¯t fine, his voice had decibels of tiredness to them. They were the sound that a cultivator made when they pushed themselves too hard for too long. Dr. Evans wanted to protest, but stopped herself. Even as Frank began to twitch and spasm slightly, Frank held on, pulling in the dark energy until finally the sudden tension in the air ended. ¡°I¡¯m done,¡± Frank called out, before his body collapsed, his last gesture moving his fingers away from the neck of Constance as he pushed himself violently backwards. Only afterwards did Dr. Evans realize that even in this state he was careful not to push or touch Constance, but instead used the metal reinforced gurney behind her as his leverage to push back and away. Seeing him wobble backwards, Dr. Evans rushed forward reaching out and easily grabbing the muscular boy, only to find that his body was amazingly light in her arms. Scanning him with her eyes, Dr. Evans realized that he was out of balance. Worse, she knew he was close to breaking through between stages. Realizing that he needed an immediate infusion of life energy to stabilize his balance and hopefully keep his life energy as the primary affinity as he began the process of pushing through to the Blood Cultivation layers, Dr. Evans reacted. ¡°Get help, a 100 CCs of pure life blood extract!¡± Dr. Evans shouted, knowing that the two observers would react to her orders immediately. Then pausing Dr. Evans realized that any infusion might come to late, as Frank¡¯s body began to shake and convulse on its own. Realizing this was a life or death moment, Dr. Evans reacted, the only way she knew how, as a healer. Moving quickly she pulled off her protective gloves, by first dropping to the ground, then knocking off her mask with her right hand before biting off her glove and yanking her hand free. Once her hand was free of its protective layer, Dr. Evans placed her bare head against Frank¡¯s head. It was cold to the touch, despite the apparent coldness, it was clear that Frank was pale and sweating profusely. ¡°Not good,¡± Dr. Evans said to herself as she immediately began forcing her highly condensed healing energy directly into Frank¡¯s body. Such a discrepancy between realms of cultivation was dangerous, and something that should be avoided at all costs, as Dr. Evans was well on her way through the Mid-Realm refinement stage, the layer after Earth realm, which was yet a realm above the Skeletal refinement realms. So many different realms bleeding through one body would normally be dangerous and could lead to Qi poisoning if one wasn¡¯t careful. Fortunately, Dr. Evans was an expert and her life energy was considered to be some of the purest energy around. Also Dr. Evans¡¯s level of control over her own Qi was considered to be the best, which was why she felt confident in her actions to press forward and infuse the dense life Qi into her star pupil¡¯s body. Shiver. The moment her Qi entered Frank¡¯s body there was an instant reaction as the two opposing forces met and seemed to violently combat each other. Realizing the opposing element, Dr. Evans realized that she had to be extremely careful as she had to provide enough life energy to overwhelmingly force back the dark energy raging through Frank¡¯s body, without exploding the meridians. Simultaneously, she couldn¡¯t expend too little as given their connection, and the chaotic growth rate of death energy, any hesitation on her part could allow the death energy to enter her body, forcing her to be yet another casualty. Dr. Evans was so lost in her own thoughts on how to preserve Frank that she failed to realize where she was. How perilously close to death she was, as she was kneeling with Frank right next to Constance¡¯s gurney. Fortunately help arrived almost immediately. ¡°We are here.¡± The voice called out. ¡°Remove the subject from the room. And give the doctor some room to work.¡± ¡°GRRR!¡± ¡°She¡¯s violent today,¡± Technician Doppler stated. ¡°Yeah, normally she is only violent when we take her out, but this time she is violent going away as well.¡± Lead Technician Harper responded. ¡°Must be our lucky day.¡± ¡°Must be.¡± The two technicians joked with themselves as they began first moving the open gurney away, then proceeding to close up and double lock and restrain a violently resisting Constance in place. Before that moment, Constance had been calm, but suddenly when threatened with the chance to be taken away from Frank, that was when she grew violent. With that many different thoughts and scenarios plagued the doctor¡¯s mind, everything from the two somehow establishing a joint bond, to Constance showing more humanity by bonding with a human for the first time since her turning. Then Dr. Evans felt slightly weak, yet another possible answer filled her mind, that of whether or not Constance had somehow managed to establish control over Frank, the same way Christie had done to Constance all those years ago. With that Dr. Evans paused, but only for a moment as she let the now increasingly violent Constance get carted away into her staging cell while she dealt with Frank. With the gurney gone, more medical staff came forward. Seeing them all approach, Dr. Evans shouted out. ¡°Be careful, he is about to experience a violent realm breakthrough.¡± Dr. Evans exclaimed, while trying to wave people away from the two of them. This was her first-time being part of a realm advancement where Dark energy was involved, and with this it could be dangerous for anyone involved. Unfortunately, before anyone had a chance to react to her warnings, it happened. Chapter 28 Chapter 28 Frank awoke to once again find himself in a room filled with dark energy. Just as before it was a matter of pulling in the dark energy deep inside himself and holding onto it tightly. The only real difference between this time and last time was the sheer volume of energy that he was expected to remove and condense. Before he could start, he felt a surge of violent energy being forced into his body. At first the intense stream of energy was so violent and fierce that it momentarily caused the dark cloud that seemed to coat everything to be repelled. Suddenly there was a gap around his body. Then looking down he saw that dense strands of green energy were being forced into his body. Trembling the energy was so fierce and potent that if he just stood there and did nothing, he knew he would be swept away in the flood. Not quite knowing what to do he almost panicked, yet as soon as he felt the energy something kicked on in his mind, something primal. Something that was almost akin to breathing was for him at this point. Breathing in Frank focused on the stream of violent life fulfilling energy that simultaneously threatened to rip and tear his body apart, while simultaneously healing any and all damage. Feeling the torrent of energy, Frank focused deeply on the motions and let his natural meditation take over as his body began cycling the highly potent Qi quickly. Apparently seeing the reaction of Frank to the external energy, Frank noticed that the dark energy that had been momentarily pushed away try to surge around him, but was held back. The partial blocking of energy was not permanent and was not something that could be sustained for any true length of time. But there was enough time afforded by the reprieve for Frank to once again set his foundation. He was life, and he knew from the brief conversation with Dr. Evans that he would be given the chance to chose which of his affinities took priority for this realm of cultivation. Focusing inward, he felt the unmistakable scent and memories of Dr. Evans laced with the highly potent life energy that was coursing through him. Memories that seemed to contain deeper thoughts, moments of time that have long since passed. There were images of a man wearing a lab coat right alongside Dr. Evans. As he stared at Frank, who was in position of Dr. Evans¡¯ memories he felt it. He felt her love for that man. Then Frank felt the moments of joy when Dr. Evans¡¯ little sister got selected to the special forces unit, how she managed to pull her life around. Then there was extra excitement as their daughter, said her goodbyes with the little sister. ¡°Protect her,¡± Dr. Evans¡¯s final words to her sister rang out in memory. ¡°I will,¡± the sister replied. Yet, hearing the words from the doctor¡¯s side those words rang hollow, and empty. For what happened next was doubt and pain. The images and people were just blurred faces, the way one would find in dreams. Dark emotionless faces that have meaning and clarity in the moment but are gone once you try to focus too hard on the emotions lingering on the energy. For a moment it felt like he would drown in the flood of emotions that clung to the torrent of energy like foam on the sea. Frank was able to paddle to swim just hard enough to get his head over the waves, only for dense salty mist to fling itself into his open mouth that was gasping for air. That is how Frank felt, until he realized that there were more intricacies to the memories. In addition to the surface memories, there were deeper truths and understandings that were within the energy. Inside the energy were fragments of memories of how to build a cultivation body, not just a regular body but a perfect one. Frank found the guidance he needed in the oddest places, these were in the moments after tragedy struck, as Dr. Evans heard the worst news possible. News that shook her to her very core, she collapsed and began going through the basics of cultivation. For Dr. Evans it was a simple question of survival, where the only thing possible was to cultivate and further cement her foundations, or let her mind shatter and break. In the end, she chose the latter, which was great for Frank as he felt those thoughts, those emotions coming, but only if he watched without forcing. In the end, finding the memories he wanted and following the thoughts to their conclusion was an odd game. He had to focus on the types of thoughts he wanted to see and experience, this would bring the base of the memory forward. Then once he had it summoned, he had to patiently wait for the memory to scroll by. Any attempts to pause, stop, rewind, or otherwise alter the memory were quickly squashed as the memory would disappear as if Frank passed his hand through a thick cloud of smoke. So it was that Frank focused his mind and eventually managed to follow the teachings of Dr. Evans, or at least he managed to copy her movements. Badump. With one successful rotation, Frank felt his heart beat. In the back of his mind, he knew it had always been beating this entire time, but this time if felt right. This time he could feel the altered blood coursing through his heart and organs. As the blood circulated he could feel his body relaxing ever so slightly, as the blood went around and reacted to the pools of death energy that had grown stagnant within his body. This was when he realized that death energy too needed to spiral to move, lest it be allowed to rot and fester. There was something there, something deeper, but for his part Frank couldn¡¯t grasp the memories from the residual death energy that was within his body. The memories were so distant that they either had already been stripped away through numerous rotations through his body, or were never there. No, that last part wasn¡¯t true, as there were clearly memories there. Memories that seemed to react and spur on Dr. Evans¡¯s memories. Again, Frank knew there was something there, something obvious and profound, but in the haze of the dream like fog that filled his mind, he could not focus long enough on trying to determine those deeper universal truths. In the end, all he could think about was the way the energy moved in his body. Finally, after what felt like hours, Frank let out a sigh of relief as he knew his body had adapted to the first of his affinities, and being as this was his first it also meant that it would be the base from which he would be able to build upon going forward. This too was important, though at the moment Frank again could not understand why. Instead, all he felt was tired. Frank was tired of how exhausting it was to force dense foreign energy through his body and force it to meld to the way his body not only was, but the way it would be when he got to his final destination. It was exhausting to have to live through the vague memories of others over and over, knowing that with each viewing the images were just that much harder to find, that much harder to reveal and that much harder to get to run in any chronological order. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Taking a deep breath, Frank used this moment to relax. SHRIEK! At least that was the original plan, but it seemed that whatever invisible barrier had been separating Frank from the darkness that surrounded him was gone with the complete infusion of the life energy into his blood. WOOSH. Frank felt the dark energy crash into his body like a wave, there it sat and clung like slime that was both solidifying and releasing a stream of goo constantly. Feeling the slime on his body, Frank could feel minor memories on this goo as well. This dark sludge also had memories of the past, but they were not just memories of the previous owner, but of multiple iterations of change. It almost felt like the dark energy was alive, a parasite that swam from body to body in an attempt to corrupt and spread. At least that is what Frank¡¯s training taught, yet there was something that this explanation was missing. Yet, before Frank could get too lost in the new thoughts of what mysteries might lie within the dormant memories of the dark energy, frank felt it. Burning. The skin under which the dark goo had congealed was now beginning to burn. It was a slow methodical burn similar to what Frank always initially felt when he took in dark energy to his body. This was that moment of complete shock one would feel when they jump into a freezing pool of water, or have their body¡¯s natural movements freeze up due to an extreme change in temperature. There is a burning that the body tells the brain, move or we are done. This was the same type of physical response, at least that is what Frank interpreted these signals to his brain. Move or we are done. For a moment, he had a flash back to his re-awakening, where dark energy was forced into his body. There was a moment when the pain was so severe, so intense that if he had paused, he would have died, just as everyone else who had been exposed to the same caustic substance had. With this, Frank realized something, the reason why he had managed to survive was the fact that he wanted revenge. Rather than staying still and accepting his fate, Frank forced the painful energy to pulse through his body as he enacted revenge against his rival Luther Camello. Had he been wrong? Maybe. Though at the time he was surprised to have survived. Now he wondered if there was something more to what had happened, to why he had survived. Rather than fight or resist the dark energy, he pulled it in, made it a part of him, then and only then was he able to control the energy. ¡°Focus,¡± Frank said to himself, as he relaxed his mind. A mind that tried to fight back against the dark energy just outside of his body trying to get in. Now rather than fighting against it, he accepted the energy in. Pain. There was the familiar sting as the congealed goo began to melt apart and slowly bleed its way into his skin. Yet, it was only once he forced the dark energy in, and the forced it to continue to move about that its painful sting slowly went away. At first Frank wondered if the disappearance of his pain was due to the fact that his healing energy had a chance to come by and heal. While this might be the case normally, Frank knew that there was a second piece to this too, that so long as the dark energy was forced to move about it could not linger, it could not cling to parts of his body, and most importantly when it cycled it could not rot out his body from the inside out. With that, Frank began pulling in the residual dark energy around him. Just like last time images of lands began to form. On the right side was the stone gothic hallway that held two sets of feet. One in polished leather shoes, while the other wore shiny plated boots. By contrast the new vision or hallway that also appeared was a bit of a godsend all things considered. The new hallway or path, or whatever these segments were supposed to represent was of a dense forest. While the forest was clearly rotten, showing moss and mold covered ground where grass should be, and trees that were clearly dead and withered, Frank couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly more at peace with this new forest than he had with the other pathway. At least in comparison to the old cold stone gothic archway that led to the crazy vampire queen with glowing red eyes. Then again he didn¡¯t know if there was a darker monster here, one that would put the vampire queen to shame in terms of horror. Silver paws. That was the other stark contrast of this new outdoor view, is that four silver paws were aligned showing an animal standing upright, the coiling muscles in the body showed that for the moment the monster was relaxed, if only just barely. Though the tension in both views seemed to be all but palpable, Frank continued drawing in more of the dark energy, forcing it to move, forcing it to not be stagnant and malingering in the air. Then just as expected in the cobblestone archway on the right, the more of the dark miasma that Frank drew into himself, the more the base of the throne that held the uninterested queen appeared. However, this time unlike the last time, a dark cloaked presence stood on the left, on a small, raised mound within the dead forest clearing. As the miasma cloud dissipated, Frank finally saw the two scenes for what they were. A contrast in powers and styles. Almost as if there were two competing forms of power available to him. Was this his mind interpreting something hidden within the dark miasma that was in his body, or was this something deeper? Honestly Frank didn¡¯t know, no doubt this was something that should have been covered in one of his classes, but he had apparently been forced down the path of quick evolution. What this meant Frank didn¡¯t quite know. On the left was a man, or at least a male, whether it was a human or not was almost impossible to tell given that all Frank saw was the faintly male features peering out from under a covered head. The eyes here were a deep red, much like those owned by the queen vampire on the right. However these eyes seemed to be both more powerful and slightly less passionate. Then to add balance and symmetry, just as the vampire queen had two people in the field a warrior on the right and a magician type figure on the left. The robed male with glowing red eyes had a wolf symbolizing power on the right and a crow nestled in one of the dead branches of a nearby tree. Balance. That is what Frank felt from each pathway, though he didn¡¯t know exactly what to make of what he was seeing. Yet before he could fully process everything that he was seeing, both creatures began speaking almost over top of each other, yet they spoke in a way that projected their thoughts directly into Frank¡¯s mind. Meaning that despite them talking over each other, he could understand the both equally. ¡°So, you have returned?¡± The Queen asked somewhat disinterestedly, as if she was being punished by having to deal with Frank. The fact that she seemed to recognize Frank from his two previous encounters seemed significant in some way, but for the life of him, Frank couldn¡¯t understand why. But before he had too long to think about the words from the queen, the words of the robed male came through simultaneously. ¡°And who might you be? I see that some of my power has gotten to you, but I don¡¯t quite understand how? Most peculiar. Did you by chance steal my power from one I bestowed my essence to?¡± HISSSSS! Just as Frank was trying to make heads or tails of those comments from the robed male, the vampire queen apparently heard the same thoughts, as she turned away from Frank and hissed violently towards the wall dividing and separating her from the robed male, as if she knew exactly what and who was there. The robed male having heard the hiss turned to his left, Frank¡¯s right and seemed to also stare at the boundary separating the two parallel but unique worlds. However, rather than the robed male getting mad and hissing back, he seemed to take on a more measured approach. A sinister smile crested his lips as he seemed to understand something. ¡°I see,¡± the robed male began, his words speaking directly into Frank¡¯s mind, apparently knowing that the vampire queen could hear him speak. ¡°You have apparently already gained the attention of the old hag. Most amusing.¡± ¡°Old Hag, I will smite you down where you stand.¡± The vampire hissed, snarling as she jumped up from her throne and looked like she was trying to melt the stone structure with her eyes. ¡°Come now, this is no way to speak in front of my future disciple,¡± the old man goaded. ¡°Your disciple? I¡¯ll be damned if you take another of my chosen.¡± ¡°Not to mince words, but aren¡¯t you already damned once?¡± The robed man began. By now Frank was entirely confused, though he did feel an odd sort of connection to not just the one but both of the entities. Now that he had not one, but two different reference points to view, he could tell that this was a sympathetic bond of the dark essences, that he had somehow consumed dark energy from not one but two different sources. Each source had a slightly different flavor or texture to them, the one to the right was, well it was hard to describe other than it was just different. ¡°Oh, good. You are a natural when it comes to powers. This is why I will take you in as my disciple with my blessing.¡± The Robed man said, as he let his staff glow for a moment as a stream of energy traveled at the speed of light and began piercing and searing itself into Frank¡¯s mind. ¡°AHH!¡± Frank cried out, trying to shield his mind from the sudden burst of burning energy, but to no avail. ¡°You dare try to steal my disciple, from me.¡± The queen vampire hissed as she made a quick gesture with her left hand and then a beam of dense energy flew from her hand towards Frank¡¯s mind. ¡°I will not let you take him from me so easily.¡± Burning. ¡°Ahh-ha-hah-ha!¡± The robed male laughed with delight, ¡°you fool. You have played right into my hands. Now when he finally choses to follow my path, he will be twice as strong for his efforts.¡± ¡°Never!¡± The vampire queen hissed, though as she did, Frank saw the true monster that lie underneath. What had been the tempting of perfectly proportioned and displayed flesh hid a monster of fangs, power, and endless rage. Rage that was now being used to infuse Frank¡¯s blood with not one but two different dark blessings. ¡°AHHHHHHHH!¡± Frank cried, out. Feeling the burning of both dark curses burning their way through his mind and searing themselves into his very blood. Spinning away, Frank tried to leave the dreamscape but found that he was bound so long as the two beams of energy continued to burn into him. Acid burn. Frank felt the world burn away around him, until there was just nothing but pain. Then finally the pain too burned away and all that was left what the residual burn. The next thing Frank remembered were small hands, grabbing at him and holding onto him. Fear. For a moment Frank knew that the small hands belonged to the vampire queen, that she had somehow found him, and was now threatening to drag him to hell. Or wherever the vampire queen resided. ¡°Let go!¡± Frank hissed, fear gripping him as he desperately tried to move his sluggish body and get away. ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s me, Dr. Evans.¡± The familiar voice of Dr. Evans called out to him. Exhale. With that Frank opened his eyes to see that the doctor and a lot of other people in lab coats were present. Looking down Frank found himself bound to an operating table just as Constance had been earlier. Seeing that he too was strapped to a table, Frank began to panic, then he asked the two words that caused everyone to have a slightly downcast look before being able to answer. ¡°What happened?¡± Chapter 29 Chapter 29 ¡°What happened?¡± Frank asked, though based on the way everyone broke eye contact with him, he assumed something had happened. That and the fact that he was clearly strapped down to a metal gurney, the same type that had been previously used to hold an elder vampire still, while people tried to cut through her layers of crystallized dark matter and it became clear that something had clearly gone wrong. Or maybe this was just the way all new students to the doctor program were treated? You know, the whole learn what it is like to empathize with the blood sucking monsters? Though to Frank¡¯s point he thought he did a particularly good job of empathizing with the elder vampire. Then after having that thought, Frank realized that it was that perceived chumminess that might be why he was here now. Fortunately, before Frank had too much time to let his thoughts spiral downward on these thought trails, that was when Dr. Evans seemed to sort of swim forward and stand next to Frank. ¡°We were actually wondering the same thing.¡± Dr. Evans stated. With that, Frank shook his head trying to understand exactly what was meant by that statement. Dr. Evans, seeing Frank¡¯s apparent confusion pressed on. ¡°You see, we were wondering what happened? I mean I know part of what happened, you set your base as life again. Congratulations on that accomplishment by the way, as we desperately need more healers and doctors.¡± Dr. Evans said, her voice and her face seeming to portray more in that one statement than could be said here. This conclusion was further reinforced by the quick and almost imperceptible way Dr. Evans quickly scanned the entire area around them, before continuing her speech. ¡°That said, what happened next was something that we have never seen before.¡± With that Dr. Evans paused. At this Frank remembered exactly what happened, after choosing his base, path. Or rather having his core path of healing all but forced on him. He was then left with having to make a choice between one of two dark entities that seemed to embody different aspects of death energy. Pausing, Frank tried to understand what it was that he was in fact trying to explain to everyone. ¡°Out of curiosity, what exactly did you all see?¡± Frank asked. Pause. The group paused, looking at each other, then finally Dr. Evans seemed to reach some form of unspoken agreement with the others as she nodded, before answering. ¡°You see, we saw the burst of life come to you as your body began to glow brightly. Then we also saw how that green energy began to force the death energy inside you away.¡± Dr. Evans began. While this wasn¡¯t entirely true, the Life energy didn¡¯t force the death energy away, but rather Frank began circulating it to keep that energy from stagnating. Still, that was a minor distinction that Frank didn¡¯t really want to get into yet. So instead of speaking up and offering the newly found insight, or at least what he assumed was insight of the dark energy coursing through his body, he instead remained quiet as the Dr. continued. ¡°Then everything seemed fine for a moment, we could see that the dark energy did build up within you and just before compression, it almost seemed like¡­¡± Dr. Evans trailed off, apparently not wanting to or unable to state what exactly happened next. Fortunately, the General by her side chose that moment to speak up. ¡°It seemed like you were able to receive two separate dark blessings.¡± Hushed silence. Hearing the words stated in that way, everyone that was on hand to apparently witness the ongoing comments and events let out a collective gasp of surprise, as everyone waited to hear Frank¡¯s response. Pausing for a moment, Frank calculated what the best course of action here was. The fact that he had been attacked by not just one but both dark beings was undeniable. If this was their applying a dark blessing upon Frank, then well he didn¡¯t quite know. ¡°Can I ask a question?¡± Frank finally asked. A slight pause before the General nodded and ultimately decided to answer truthfully. ¡°You can, though I can¡¯t guarantee that we will give a full or even an honest answer.¡± Hearing that, Frank could only nod. This was good as it gave him a run down of where he stood exactly in the eyes of the higher ups around him. From what he could tell, most of the leadership was clearly willing to dismiss him or lock him away as a safety precaution. The fact that Major Demoniker and even Holsy also wasn¡¯t here didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Frank. Right now he realized that the only one truly on his side was Dr. Evans, and even she seemed to be held in check by some of the glances being shot her way from the other officers around. ¡°Can I ask what a blessing is?¡± Frank asked. There was a quick glare given by the General to Dr. Evans. Dr. Evans for her part could only wince and appear apologetic. ¡°I see,¡± General Graves began, then nodding to himself decided to answer. ¡°I guess you are sort of new to this, as such I will give you a quick overview of what you should have been taught in your classes, versus whatever accelerated program your instructors have seemingly concocted for you.¡± With that Dr. Evans visibly winced. Looking back, Frank could see that having more knowledge might have helped avoid this particular situation, though he was not sure how it might have helped avoid the entire event that transpired. That said, Frank was more than willing to be silent to get the information he needed. General Graves realizing that Frank was not going to speak just nodded and continued on his own. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°A blessing is what it is called when you have a higher or profane understanding either bestowed upon you, or you gain it from your own discovery through years of meditation and self-reflection.¡± General Graves began and gave a pointed look to Dr. Evans. Apparently, that look showed that Dr. Evans might have somehow helped Frank achieve this on his own. ¡°In the case of being bestowed with a blessing, a mentor often imprints a part of their own consciousness onto you, giving you not only their insights, but also allowing a deeper look into their life events. For someone who is not prepared for such an act, this entire event can be very disorienting.¡± As the General spoke, Frank remembered the odd memories of the doctor that had filled his mind. He remembered seeing an older girl, a sister who went away to war. How she and her husband had been distraught when their daughter left with her aunt, Dr. Evans¡¯s sister, only to come back as a vampire. Thinking back, he thought it was an aspect of the energy that was being forced upon him, in a way it was, but those memories were supposed to be there as they also showed part of her personal self-reflection and growth. Frank¡¯s face must have given away his understanding of this, as the general continued. ¡°I see that you know exactly what I am talking about. This is good, just realize that the memories and thoughts that you had were not your own. While there could be worse people to be imprinted from, know that the blessings that Dr. Evans has unlocked are both highly coveted and considered to be grave secrets.¡± There was a long pause as the general let those thoughts filter through Frank¡¯s overactive mind that seemed to be firing on all cylinders by this point. Then just as Frank¡¯s mind seemed to calm down slightly, the always attentive general pressed on. ¡°That said, after your first blessing, it seemed that you managed to have another breakthrough as technicians reported sighting at least one more sigil of unknown origins on your skin, before they disappeared.¡± ¡°Sigils?¡± Frank found himself asking. ¡°Yes, sigils is the term we call the phenomenon where blessings upon being received momentarily form on the surface of the skin, in the color of the energy that the insight was gleaned from. In your case, you had a dark sigil, or a sigil formed entirely from dark energy appear on your skin, before you seemed to have replaced that sigil with a different sigil entirely.¡± Hearing that, Frank realized that this might have been the physical manifestation of what happened when he was chosen by both the vampire queen and the robed forest dweller. Honestly, Frank had no idea that those dreams were real. At least he hoped that they weren¡¯t real, for if they were then it meant that he might have more trouble than he could handle here shortly as it seemed like both of those monsters, and that¡¯s what they were. Deep eldritch horrors of the night that should remain dead and buried suddenly became at least aware, and most concerningly interested in Frank. At least, that was what his mind interpreted from everything that he had seen and felt in his dreamscape. ¡°So can I ask, what types of insights you have gained from the dark energy that is commonly referred to as to as death energy?¡± General Graves asked. Hearing his words, and the forceful tone of his question, Frank finally understood why there was so much concern for him. Also, the reason for his being strapped to the gurney that was used to hold back the elder vampire also made sense, in a way. Frank having gained so much insight into the death energy was now considered to be a threat to not only himself but everyone around him. ¡°I see,¡± Frank said nodding to himself as he finally made sense of what was happening around him. ¡°You see, so it involves sight?¡± General Graves asked, clearly confused by the answer. ¡°Oh, my sigil, or blessing, or whatever you call it has nothing to do with sight.¡± Frank said, shaking his head as he began to mentally feel for his powers. To his surprise, he could feel both dark and life energies able to move around him easily. Fortunately, this contraption whatever it was did not hinder his own cultivation paths. Though by now, the doctors would likely have to stop his heart from beating to completely stop his cultivation, given that both forms of energy had already taken root within his blood and was now circulating around with each heartbeat. ¡°Rather, I see the reason why you would restrain me.¡± Frank said, then feeling around, he tried to see if there was something that could be applied to fully stop his dark energy from being used. Given that this was a gurney designed to stop the elder vampires, Frank figured that there must be something here to prevent him, but only after a long time of searching did he find it, a slightly chaotic pulsing form of energy that twisted backwards. Or at least that was what it was supposed to do. Yet, it felt somewhat good to Frank¡¯s newly enhanced senses. Blinking. Frank realized that this second form of energy was in fact what Frank had experienced from the robed male in the woods, the one surrounded by crazed but domesticated animals. It was at this realization that Frank seemed to understand something. The zombies, vampires, and even the vampire queen were all part of one cultivation path or tree. While whatever this second path, the disruption path that was currently gently massaging Frank¡¯s body with rhythmic energy was an entirely opposed energy source. ¡°I see you are attempting to both use your powers and are finding our countermeasures to be more than adequate to stop you.¡± General Graves said. Hearing that, it took all of Frank¡¯s self-control not to laugh. Fortunately, many years of being under the thumb of Luther Camello and his cronies gave him ample chances to get used to holding a blank look and expression in place. One that didn¡¯t give way the fact that either Luther didn¡¯t know something that was soon going to bite him, or the fact that a teacher was observing everything, waiting for the moment that Luther crossed the line. It was all Frank could do to hold his face still, but he knew that if he had to, both his regular cultivation and the cycling of his death energy would work. Though he might have to alter the way he utilized the death energy, for it would require a different way to use, a different way to push the energy out from his body. Still despite this, Frank was certain that he could use the dark energy as he saw fit. Though he chose to play dumb at this point. At times like these, Frank knew that the person who held you captive needed to feel completely in control. If they so much as saw resilience of defiance in you, they would look to find out what caused that defiance. While he didn¡¯t know if the general was a disguised sadist like Luther and his cronies, he figured that at least one of those in the entourage might. Scanning, Frank used his scared eyes to pan the crowd and noticed at least two doctors that smiled ever so slightly at his apparent discomfort. Only Dr. Evans had the wherewithal to appear truly saddened by this set of circumstances. ¡°So are you going to talk?¡± General Graves finally asked. Hearing that, Frank could only blink, as his mind tried to think back to what it was he was supposed to be talking about. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡± Frank asked, almost losing focus but quickly shifting to a subservient voice at the end. ¡°Did you have a deep insight into dark energy, yes or no?¡± One of the doctors who smiled earlier at his discomfort finally spoke up. Nodding to himself, Frank realized the type and all but confirmed it with this apparent demand. ¡°Yes, though I don¡¯t quite know what it means.¡± Frank stated. ¡°Tell us, what did you see?¡± Dr. Evans asked. Pausing, Frank wondered how much of this information he had was new and how much would already be known. For his part, he assumed the knowledge about the user of the second opposing type of dark energy would be unknown, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t have kept him on a bed that essentially massaged his muscles and helped increase his blood circulation, while trying to interrogate him. Unless he was supposed to be lulled into submission, something entirely possible, but given the way people seemed to be expecting Frank to be in pain, he assumed it would be the first option. Nodding to himself, Frank decided to go with what he figured would be the lowest hanging fruit and the easiest piece of information to bargain with. ¡°I saw a dark queen in a stone marble archway.¡± GASPS! This time even the General looked shocked, but only for a moment, as he managed to quickly regain composure over his face and features. ¡°You, you saw him?¡± The General asked. ¡°No, it was a her. Most definitely a her.¡± Frank said, and as he spoke the general nodded his agreement apparently trying to change the sex of the vampire elder to confuse Frank. Though Frank had already declared the dark queen, apparently the General still seemed the need to test his veracity. A sentiment that was confirmed a moment later when he asked another probing question. ¡°What else was with this queen in the hallway?¡± ¡°Are you referring to the slightly raised golden throne that the queen sits upon? Or is it in relation to the two guards; one of whom is a knight in metal armor on the right side of the hallway, while on the left side is a mage in leather boots with a hood pulled up to cover his facial features? The two torches that burn brightly in parallel to each other that are raised slightly above the eye level of the two guards? Or the color of the bricks? Sorry there are a lot of details that can be covered by that question.¡± Frank answered. Hushed whispers. At that everyone began to murmur quietly to each other as they went over the information that Frank had just shared. Information that had been slowly bled out over multiple interviews with different captured vampires, but never had they had one complete version of details given in such exquisite detail. Finally after a few moments of deliberation, the General finally stated, ¡°so you admit to seeing the dark goddess. But you aren¡¯t going to tell us if you received her blessing?¡± Hearing this Frank could only feel slightly flustered at the comment. ¡°How could I tell what type or even if I got a blessing, it was all in the dream realm?¡± With that there was a slightly longer conversation that went on. ¡°Stay there, we will see what this dark blessing actually entails.¡± General Graves said. With that Frank could only raise his eyebrows in faux suspense as his entire body was being restrained, making it so there was not much he could do to leave. Fortunately, Frank knew that if push came to shove he could likely break or decay the restraints enough to get his freedom. With that Frank watched as the General and other staff members all began trickling out of the examination room that was now serving as Frank¡¯s makeshift prison cell. As everyone left, Dr. Evans came over to offer her apologies. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯ll help clear this up.¡± Frank just nodded in silence. Then he waited until Dr. Evans left, leaving him alone in the room in silence. This he knew was also a test, but what exactly he was being tested on Frank didn¡¯t know, but he was patient. Which was why he waited. Choosing when he wanted to strike, and not going blindly for the first opening that appeared. That was how Frank found himself waiting, knowing that he was the coiling serpent ready to strike. He would give the doctor and everyone here one chance to act right. What they did with that chance would all depend on what happened next. Interlude III (Behind the One-Way Walls) Dr. Evans Interlude III (Behind the One-Way Walls) Dr. Evans Dr. Evans watched on in horror as everything seemed to be going so poorly. She knew it had been a stretch to put the boy here almost immediately. Though many doctors use this as a humbling moment, one where they realize what the end goal is, that regardless of how powerful they are now there is always something that is insurmountable waiting to crush you if you let your guard down. As healers, given the ability to literally pull people back from the brink of death, this is a good experience, as it is meant to show the healers just what types of horrors those heroes face when they go beyond the walls of protected society and attempt to farm, collect, or cleanse valuable resources that can be taken back. Right now, humanity as a whole is on a precipice, one that many of this generation have become complacent about, given how advanced society has become. Yet, it is all a fa?ade that would crumble if anyone knew the true threats that linger in the darkness. Yet the one slight glimmer of hope now sat chained to a wall as if he was little more than the monster, no not monster, than the patient he just tried to treat. Constance was not a monster, despite how much Christine, Dr. Evans¡¯ sister might have become, she refused to believe that the same fate had already befallen Constance. Shiver. A chill ran down Dr. Evans¡¯ back as she remembered the complete look of first hope, and then longing, then loss that Constance had on her face as she watched Cadet Fotos drop to the ground and start to convulse in agony as he changed. Then true to form, the reason for these protections, the reason why everyone was now here gathered around and watching what Frank would do next was because he had not one but two dark glyphs appear on his body. Of course, the appearance of the dark glyphs came after he had a larger than life healing glyph applied to him. This was a familiar glyph as it was the same one that Dr. Evans herself had unlocked. The same one that made her the best practitioner of healing. ¡°His primary is still healing?¡± General Graves asked, coming up next to Dr. Evans while never taking his eyes away from the subject who was now pinned to the wall like an interesting lab experiment that was just waiting to be dissected. ¡°Yes, he has my Greater Healing Mark.¡± Dr. Evans stated. Hearing that the General nodded, while a secretary next to the general made a note of the finding. ¡°And what exactly are the benefits of this glyph?¡± General Graves asked, knowing full well what the Doctor¡¯s benefits were from the glyph, but wanted her to state them for the public record. ¡°Well, mine are an increase of plus ten percent to Power, and a fifteen percent increase to Efficacy.¡± Dr. Evans stated. Hearing that the general nodded, still never taking his eyes off of the young lab subject who just sat there as still as could be. ¡°Do you think he got the full glyph?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see any partial discolorations, or any blemishes to the mark as it was being applied, if that is what you mean.¡± Dr. Evans stated. More Nodding. Then silence. ¡°Did you happen to witness either of the two dark markings that he received?¡± General Graves asked. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Hearing that Dr. Evans half expected the question, though she did fear having to answer the question truthfully. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did you recognize either of them?¡± ¡°One.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°The mark of the Dark Queen.¡± Dr. Evans answered truthfully, though she felt sick by doing so. Hearing that, the General could only nod in agreement, before he pressed. ¡°How do you know it is the mark of the Dark Queen?¡± ¡°Because it is the same marking that my,¡± Dr. Evans began, but soon corrected herself. ¡°It is the same one that patient Constance received.¡± Hearing that General Graves just nodded, half expecting further questions to be asked about the known powers of this particular glyph, but instead he seemed to change topics entirely. ¡°He looks awfully calm.¡± General Graves stated, his eyes never moving away from Cadet Fotos who just hung from the wall as if he was just finding a new place to rest, using a vertical bed versus one of those boring and overrated horizontal beds that everyone is so used to. Shocked by the sudden switch in topics, Dr. Evans paused and looked at Cadet Fotos, to see that it was just Cadet Fotos. He had the same expressionless face on that masked his true feelings, the only real difference from the him of now, versus the him of this morning was that his hair seemed to glow that much brighter. The greens and purples seemed to have come to a compromising truce for the moment and seemed to glow in unison. Other than this, the boy didn¡¯t even seem to move. Even his breathing seemed to be slow and measured, not at all what someone who was bound and restrained against their wills would show. Other than his eyes that seemed to constantly scan the room, one could almost assume he was asleep. Almost. Seeing him, and hearing the General¡¯s words, Dr. Evans couldn¡¯t help but look at him with a bit of concern as well. Most people would be wild and uncontrollable at this point of detention. Most would even try to subtly pull on, or at least test the resistance of their restraints, yet Cadet Fotos just sat there motionless. Dr. Evans was about to speak, to ask what the General thought about this, but fortunately the General seemed to interpret the sudden look of concern that came across her face. ¡°You see it too? The fact that he is just too calm. The fact that he is waiting for us to make our move.¡± General Graves stated. Looking at Cadet Fotos, Dr. Evans wanted to refute the comment, to protest. As it was her own hubris that put her promising student in such peril. But looking at him sitting there motionless, Dr. Evans couldn¡¯t help but see the words of the General for what they were, a warning. ¡°What do you think he is waiting for?¡± Dr. Evans asked. ¡°Hard to say. Likely he is just waiting for us to decide what to do with him, but I can¡¯t help but feel that he is ready to strike out and escape at a moment¡¯s notice.¡± ¡°You think he can escape?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, I used to think that our restraints are impervious. Yet, looking at him and how calm he is, even compared to the other elder vampires we have captured, he seems calm. The elder vampires all show signs of pain, particularly when they try to access their powers. This boy however does not appear to do the same.¡± The General said, his eyes never stopping their incessant scan of the perfectly calm and still boy. ¡°Do you think he is dangerous?¡± Dr. Evans asked. ¡°Exceptionally so, though right now I think he can still be packaged to be pointed at the enemy and released.¡± The General began, his words making his view on the boy perfectly clear. Namely, the boy was just a future weapon, one that would only work if pointed towards the enemy, though he was noting that it could be a weapon that could cause self-inflicted injuries as well. ¡°What would you like us to do with him?¡± Dr. Evans finally asked, realizing that the longer this went on, the harder it would be for Cadet Fotos to trust them, to trust her. Pausing for only a moment the General ground his teeth, causing his jaw muscles to scrunch up for a moment, before he spoke. ¡°We are going to give him a quick test.¡± ¡°A test?¡± ¡°Yes, we are going to see how he reacts to stimuli from one who is infected.¡± General Graves stated. Hearing that Dr. Evans was at first confused, then suddenly shocked as she realized what the general was trying to test. Yet, before she could even protest, the General was already issuing commands to members of the staff who were nearby. ¡°Bring back in patient Constance, and then leave the two alone.¡± General Graves stated. With that, Dr. Evans felt her heart begin to beat quickly, as she realized that this was their chance, to see if the tales were true. This was their chance to see if elder vampires could in fact communicate telepathically with other infected creatures. Yet, this meant that either the General thought that Constance would in fact be able to control Cadet Fotos, or worse. ¡°Do you mean to test if he can just talk to her mentally?¡± ¡°That is one thing that we will test, but we will also need to test and see if she has any control over the subject as well.¡± General Graves stated. Dr. Evans for her part was about to protest, but before she could, she saw the other staff members wheel in Constance. Constance at first seemed to be fighting, as she always did when being chosen to be experimented on. Yet, something changed entirely as she entered the room, as her gaze instantly turned to Cadet Fotos, where there was a clear and obvious reaction, as Constance¡¯s whole body seemed to relax upon seeing him. Then Dr. Evans watched as Constance and Cadet Fotos both seemed to share thoughts across an unspoken link. ¡°I guess that answers our question about whether he has the ability to link minds with the others.¡± General Graves stated. Hearing this, Dr. Evans could only look on in shock as she realized what this all meant. Here he was, the first hope for humanity in a long time, and he had been corrupted by her own hubris. It was clear what would happen next. Next Cadet Fotos would be locked away to be experimented on as well, despite having managed to overcome the odds, despite his being able to keep healing as his primary affinity, he would forever be judged by this stigma. A stigma that even now, everyone knew was a death sentence. To speak to and be able to communicate with other infected meant that you were too far removed. That you were a danger to society, to the balance. Despite how helpful your future talents might be, you would forever be considered an unacceptable risk. ¡°Prepare containment procedures.¡± General Graves said, his jaw growing tight as he was clearly committed to this course of action. With that it was clear, that the General had already come to the same conclusion as Dr. Evans. But before anything could truly happen, forever cementing the fate of Cadet Fotos, a miracle happened. A miracle that just might go down as the reason why the world avoided calamity, or the reason why the second and final apocalypse occurred as violently as it had. Chapter 30 Chapter 30 Frank had mentally prepared himself for a myriad of options that he would perform, depending on the actions taken by those that now held him captive. The longer he took to get acclimated to his current state of being, the more he found himself drawing in energy from the disrupting source of energy that lay directly behind him. As he drew in the foreign source of energy, Frank felt a darker connection forming in him. Now that he knew what to look for, for the slight differences in dark energy types, Frank knew that this new source of energy was from the dark male in the corrupted woods. The figure with the glowing red eyes that seemed to hint at facial features that never quite seemed to manifest from below the cover of the hood. With such a source of energy nearby Frank found himself drawing in the energy and using it to fill his body with power. Power that would be set in motion throughout his body. Power that needed to be constantly moving, lest it begin to break down and degrade his body. That was the key to dark energy, movement. At least, if he wanted to continue to live, he would need to forever manage to continually push the dark energy through his body, lest it be given a chance to corrupt and degrade his body at the root. So immersed in this process of taking in the different form of dark energy so much that it was all he could do to just stay still. Too much movement would give away just how much energy he could exert on his restraints. Restraints that even without taking the time to erode or degrade the materials by letting lose dark energy on the restraints, he was more than capable of escaping from. The only problem of course was that he was not alone. While he was fairly certain he could destroy a way out of here. He was also certain that should he attempt to leave he would be hunted down by many high powered cultivators. Knowing that while he was under close scrutiny he would not be able to escape, he was content to just continue to absorb the alternate form of dark energy that was being provided to him. With this energy he would have more than enough energy to break free, if needed. Then just as he was content to sit around and wait, those that were monitoring him threw a monkey wrench into his plans. For just as he was content to leave here on his own if needed, that¡¯s when they brought her back in. Badump, badump. The dark energy that had fused with his blood cried out at the sympathetic energy that was now present. Energy that called out to him and filled him with a deep connection that even now he could feel reaching out from his body to the noted individual. Struggling. Then the moment she too became aware of Frank¡¯s energy she stopped. Silence. Only the silent squeaking of wheels rolling and moving hundreds of pounds of pressure on the ground could be heard. Even the technicians, all powerful cultivators in their own rights, remained completely quiet as they took in the look of absolute openness that filled Constance¡¯s face. Despite his best efforts, Frank felt compelled to look up as well, to lock gazes with her. Their eyes met, and then he could swear there was a look of longing, relief, and then need that seemed to fill her eyes as she looked at Frank. Frank for his part just stared back, going from the completely vacant look he had been exhibiting to this point and instead letting his face bely his own concern. ¡°You¡¯re okay?¡± The deep sensual tones of a female filled his mind as he noticed that the energy that had reached out and connected himself to the patient, to his Constance, was now being repurposed. Now rather than just being linked through a form of energetic attractions, he felt that same linking energy being used to form a mental connection from Constance to his mind. ¡°You,¡± was all Frank managed to say out loud before he heard her speak again, once again directly to his mind. ¡°Not out loud, never out loud.¡± This last thought came as more of an order than a wish. Hearing it, Frank felt the slight push of energy, before he felt the energy crash into his mind, only to be broken apart by the constantly cycling energy from within his own body. Energy that desperately seemed to be at odds with the alternate energy source that up until earlier today, he never even knew existed. Though to be fair, he was relatively new to the world of cultivating as a whole. Hearing the command for what it was, Frank felt a surge of rage grow in him, as he found himself speaking out loud. ¡°No!¡± Frank didn¡¯t yell, he didn¡¯t need to. Instead, the fact that he spoke out against the commands of the clearly higher level vampire spoke volumes. Gasps. The technicians that were still in attendance balked at the sight. Shock. Even normally stoic Constance seemed to be surprised by the sudden declaration of defiance from Frank. ¡°You need to stop, lest you draw her attention.¡± The mental voice of Constance came through his mind. It was clear from the tone of her mental suggestions that she was worried about Frank. Yet, Frank didn¡¯t care. ¡°No, I don¡¯t care if I do draw her attention.¡± Frank answered out loud, his eyes locking defiantly with Constance¡¯s. Their eyes stared at each other for a moment, then finally after a second Constance was the one to break contact first by looking down and away. ¡°Now what was all of this about?¡± General Graves said, his commanding voice echoing into the chamber from hidden speakers in the walls. Though Frank was fairly certain that the General was behind a fake wall. Trying to remember the layout of the floor on the way in, and finding what he felt to be the largest energy signature, Frank turned his head to look directly at the General. Or at least directly at the spot where he thought the general was standing. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°The subject created a mental link, where they tried to exert a form of mental control over me to only respond via the link.¡± Frank answered. Then after pausing for a second Frank continued, ¡°though I assume this is what you wanted to see, if I would succumb to the mental suggestions posed by her?¡± Frank asked, flicking his eyes towards Constance. ¡°Don¡¯t, they¡¯ll take you away from me. From us.¡± With that, I could feel Constance trying to press her commands deep within my mind. However, I felt the commands sink in, only to be eroded away a second later as the diametrically opposed energies clashed within my body. ¡°You¡¯re still trying to control me?¡± Frank asked, a note of annoyance in his voice as he turned to Constance. Constance for her part looked almost apologetic, before ultimately lowering her head in supplication. ¡°So you don¡¯t feel the need to be quiet? To submit to the will?¡± The General¡¯s commanding voice echoed in the laboratory room. ¡°I do feel it, it is there a slight nagging force. But can I avoid it? Yes.¡± Frank stated. With that the tension in the room rose, as everyone waited. The technicians were left waiting for orders, orders that apparently wouldn¡¯t come. As for Frank, he felt the residual energy of the stone that he had been tied against slowly being drained away. Mentally Frank calculated that the amount of energy needed to advance now would be at least two to three times greater through each level of the Blood Cultivation realm as was required to get through the far easier to control Body Cultivation realms. Frank for his part just sat there, knowing that if he didn¡¯t have the dark cultivator¡¯s energy pulsing through him, or if he had been a little more hesitant with cultivating the secondary form of dark energy that he himself would likely be subject to the whims of Constance. Feeling her dark caress on his mind, Frank couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly disgusted at the idea. Looking at Constance, Frank couldn¡¯t help but feel repulsed by the whole ordeal. Here he was, trying to do the right thing, trying to cure the monster, a creature that everyone but Dr. Evans thought of as a monster, and he actually tried. He stuck his neck out, and tried to heal her of her afflictions, only for her to then try to control him. To dominate his mind into submission. ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that. You must believe me.¡± The foreign thoughts of Constance came to his mind. This time he could feel the faint forms of energy being used. To make matters worse, her response showed that she had read his mind, a complete violation of his privacy. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t help it. What you did linked us together. We are bound.¡± She responded. Though the more she spoke to his mind, the more he saw the way the alternate forms of energy still existed. The way they linked him to Constance. Focusing on that connection, on that bonded form of energy Frank found the connection and then made sure to cycle the alternative form of dark energy right near that foreign connection. Slink. There was the sound of something snapping in his mind. Yet, before he could get too far into allowing his mind to relax, he heard a cry. Gahharrahhh! The muffled scream of the monster, Constance, cried out, her cries of pain muffled by the giant gag that filled her mouth. With that a tension that he didn¡¯t even know he had suddenly began to fade as Frank was left just staring at the convulsing girl, a faint glare of anger filling his mind as he realized that he had been played. That the monster before him had looked to take advantage of his kindness, of his want to help, and had twisted it. This time Frank couldn¡¯t help the look of anger that crossed his face as he stared at Constance. Constance for her part looked bad, dark thick blood poured down her nose as both cried out in pain, and seemed to actually look on with fear and longing at Frank. Seeing the tactic for what it was, Frank felt his heart grow cold at the attempt. Rather than wishing to help the monster, he could only see her for what she truly was. A monster waiting for you to drop your guard so she could slink in behind and try to plant the basis for mind control within his psyche. Only now, after seeing everything that happened. After seeing that he had in fact been taken advantage of by a monster, a pretty monster, one powered by unearthly beauty and charms, but a monster nonetheless. It was only now that Frank could understand the restraints. Now he understood the reason for caution when dealing with him and his awakening. Apparently, at some point when he had been passed out, trying to break through between realms, that was when the monster sunk her teeth in, and bit down hard. ¡°What is happening?¡± One of the technicians asked, fear clearly etched on their face as they stared at the now bleeding vampire elder who was equal parts in pain, while also pleading seductively with her eyes. ¡°That is our newest operative breaking the mental link that bound him to an elder vampire.¡± General Graves¡¯ calming voice replied back over the speakers. ¡°That is, unless I have completely lost my understanding for what is happening in that room.¡± With that the three technicians first looked towards the still flailing and now going so far as to cry bloody tears Constance, to the completely calm Frank. Well, calm wasn¡¯t the exact word. As this was the slow burn calm that came before a storm. The calm that spoke of thinly veiled violence that was set to erupt at a moment¡¯s notice. The fact that Frank was outclassed by the monster manipulator was extremely evident for him to realize right now. In fact, Frank was fairly certain that even at his utmost the monster would be able to survive. Though he was certain of at least one point that had been established since he got here, namely that he could if given enough time and practice cause damage to the monster. Not that this was something he hoped for, but this did go and show just how much more Frank had to go. Yes, he had broken through to the realm of Blood cultivation, as had everyone else here, if not far higher. He was nothing, in fact he was little more than a boy attempting to play savior. ¡°I think we are done with the experiment.¡± General Graves stated. For a moment the technicians looked confused, switching glances from Frank to Constance and back. ¡°What would you like us to do?¡± One of the lead technicians asked, a male that seemed to have both affinities for Healing and Fire cultivation. ¡°Return the monster to her cell.¡± The general replied, his voice still echoing in from speakers all around the room. With that two of the technicians began moving the gurney holding Constance back. This time Frank saw in slow motion how the dark energy from Constance once again reached out and tried to make contact with his mind and body. Seeing the attempt for what it was, Frank was prepared, even going so far as to violently swipe away the attempt with a concentrated form of alternate dark energy. HISS! This time just like the last, Constance cried out in pain from the strike as Frank could see the remains of the tendril of energy that reached out towards him get burned away down to a crisp nub. With the second attempt, Frank once again let anger burn in his eyes as he could only stare violence towards the retreating monster¡¯s back. Now Frank was once again left in the room with just one Technician. While this one was arguably the weakest of the three cultivators, it was clear that his power ranking should be more than adequate to deal with Frank. ¡°And for the boy?¡± The third technician asked. ¡°Let him down,¡± the General stated. ¡°You sure?¡± The remaining technician asked, a note of incredulity to his voice. ¡°You know what, never mind. Cadet Fotos, I order you to break away from that gurney.¡± The General commanded. Hearing the words, Frank realized that this was another test, could only feel the need to acquiesce. Hiding his true potential now would only come back to haunt him later. Not that revealing the fact that he could have broken away at any time would be seen with anything but fear. Snap, rip, pop. Not giving himself too much time to think about the order, Frank went and did as commanded. He easily broke through, tearing away at the cords that bound him and had been holding him vertically in place. Staggering. Frank landed, his feet slightly weak for a moment, before his mind and balance took over, letting him stand back up to his full height in a matter of seconds. This was his first step as a Blood Realm Cultivator and the differences were, well concerning. Though Frank felt that most of these changes were due to his having been restrained in a vertical resting position for too long, without any real way to allow his mind and body to fully adapt to the changes. The technician looked confused for a moment, then proceeded to flee as if Frank was a carrier of the plague. Though given that he now boasted not one, but two different dark affinities, such an observation was not unfounded. However, before the Technician could leave the room and run for terror, a voice of reason called out and instructed the technician to perform a simple test. ¡°Dr. Miller, please get a reading of the power output of the dark stone.¡± General Graves commanded. With that the Technician, Dr. Miller apparently, looked at Frank like he was a wild monster that would lash out at any moment. Seeing his concern, Frank just took a few steps away, allowing the Technician to feel momentarily safe at the increased distance between the two of them. Then and only then did Dr. Miller pull out a specialty macrometer, a tool designed to gauge the power output of any source of energy. This was the standard variant that could be placed against a solid non-organic object to measure radioactive flow and decay rates. Slight static. Just pulling out the object caused the machine to whistle to life as it took in ambient readings of energy within the room. No doubt reading some of the lingering threads of dark energy that Frank had burned away, threads that had at one point bound him to Constance. Reading the residual pressure of the room, the technician spoke. ¡°Fairly standard, if low residual readings from a vampire elder having been in the room.¡± Dr. Miller noted, then pulling the wand around he spun towards the exact source where Frank had been strapped. There against the spot next to his head, next to the strange secondary source of energy that even now Frank could feel pulsing in his body, Dr. Miller placed the instrument, then paused. Shock. Taking the needle back, he shook it out, then held it loosely in the air, where he managed to once again get a residual reading of energy in the air. Then nodding to himself, he once again slowly reached forward to gauge the residual energy of the alternate dark source. Silence. The machine that had been beeping slightly due to signs of residual energy, suddenly went still. ¡°There, there must be some mistake. It is reading that there is no energy. I think the instrument must be broken.¡± The Technician began, fear creeping into his voice. ¡°No, I believe you have proven that the macrometer is fully functional. No, these is one very clear reason for the reading you are now getting.¡± General Graves began. ¡°Which is?¡± ¡°The very recruit that you are currently with.¡± General Graves pressed. Hearing this Frank couldn¡¯t help but feel like he was the source of mockery. The Technician was clearly frightened of him, while the General seemed to have figured out some of his secrets. He figured out that Frank could not only break free from the restraints that bound him at any time, but he also noticed that Frank had somehow managed to absorb all of the alternate dark energy from the repulsion stone. A stone that had apparently been assumed to be completely safe up to this point. Suddenly the Technician seemed to come to this realization on his own as well, as he too seemed to pause as fear gripped him and forced him to take another step back in fear. Silence. There was a moment of silence as Frank wondered what the cornered cultivator would do, realizing that he would only be able to mildly defend himself if the Technician decided to react to his fear violently. For this Frank waited, then finally a voice of reason called out. ¡°So what do we do now?¡± Chapter 31 Integrating Chapter 31 Integrating After the incident, Frank was let go. He was even given a few days off for rest. Of course, Frank knew this for what it really was, time to observe Frank and see if he went running back to Constance. For his part, Frank didn¡¯t even feel the call or need to find Constance. Instead, quite the opposite seemed to be the case, as unbeknownst to Frank, Constance was not doing well. According to the team sent to monitor Constance, she was deteriorating. No, not just deteriorating, but seeming to have breaks within her body. Her once indomitable diamond like skin was now able to be pierced and cut, just as Frank had managed to do. Of course, Frank knew nothing about this, as he was effectively sent back to his room to recuperate and adapt to the new realm he now found his body in. ¡°Hey kid, how you doing?¡± Holsy asked, checking in on Frank as was now his habit. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Frank replied. Silence. ¡°Still as talkative as ever I see.¡± Holsy stated, then he added, "well that is likely a good thing. Otherwise, they would take worry with you.¡± Seeing Holsy, Frank asked a question that was pressing on him. ¡°Do you know when my family will be taken up here?¡± Startled. At that Holsy grabbed Frank by the arm and tried to pull him. Only for Holsy to realize that Frank was a lot more solid than he had given the kid credit for, as he just stayed in place. ¡°What are they feeding you, rocks?¡± Holsy asked, just shook his head. ¡°No, never mind. Look we did you a solid, when we pulled up your feeds we disassociated all records with your old family from your actual district.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Frank asked, he remembered something like this being told, but now that he had more time to think about everything, this seemed to make no sense. ¡°Because, do you want your family a bunch of non-powered people living up here on the surface with you? They would get crushed. Also given that they are not strong enough to go out and farm for cultivation resources means they would effectively be at your mercy. So rather than just hunting for your own resources, you would also be forced to harvest resources for all the members of your family, effectively slowing down your progression rate and making it so you are easily controlled.¡± Hearing him speak, Frank got the feeling that this guy was a borderline conspiracy theorist. That said, he did find a lot of truth with what Holsy was saying. Holsy reading Frank¡¯s face seemed that more was needed to convince the boy. ¡°Think about it? Your rise is considered meteoric, but did you do anything truly crazy?¡± With that Frank began to think and realized that by most people¡¯s standards what he did could be considered a little unhinged. ¡°Never mind, you are likely a bad example. But still, just imagine you being forced to share your resources with your parents and brother while you are at this stage?¡± Hearing that, Frank realized something. ¡°So, the plan is to wait until I improve a bit more, then bring my family up, once my cultivation is settled?¡± ¡°Yes, exactly.¡± Holsy replied. There was silence for a moment as Frank processed these words. Then finally after a few minutes he nodded to himself and replied with one word. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± Holsy asked, making sure that Frank was in on the plan. ¡°Yes.¡± Frank confirmed. ¡°Phew, I was worried there you¡¯d put us all in jeopardy.¡± At that Frank paused, and seemed to realize something. Holsy seeing the look on Frank¡¯s face had to ask. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Frank debated for a moment, then asked. ¡°So I take it, you couldn¡¯t pass along a message to my parents?¡± At that Holsy¡¯s face dropped. ¡°Sorry, right now they think you are dead. They even got a survivors bonus since you hadn¡¯t started your life as an adult officially. It¡¯s not the best news, but they did get a government paycheck for your loss.¡± At that Frank could only nod. Then pausing, Frank asked, ¡°aren¡¯t you afraid of people listening in on this conversation?¡± ¡°I would be, if I wasn¡¯t so good at sound modulations. That is part of my mid-tier air affinity, I can manipulate the air waves around us so that any listening devices will be distorted.¡± At that Frank could only nod before stating, ¡°that must help with keeping stealthy approaches and exits from areas.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯ve got a good head. Yes, that is part of my skill set.¡± Awkard tension. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. At this point it was clear that the majority of the conversation had gone its normal path, but for whatever reason Holsy was still here. ¡°So, what else did you want to talk about?¡± Frank asked. Holsy first looked confused, then seeing Frank¡¯s gaze he could only shake his head. ¡°Look, I need your help.¡± Holsy stated. ¡°My help?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Holsy began, but then caught himself as he clearly looked flustered for this. ¡°It¡¯s about the incoming Armed Forces ball, I have a huge favor to ask.¡± Holsy said, while not making eye contact with Frank. This was one of the few times when Holsy didn¡¯t make some approximation of eye contact with Frank. That along with the fact that Holsy seemed to be reddening slightly in the face showed that for the first time, Holsy was not confident in what he was going to ask. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard about it.¡± ¡°Well, I was wondering if you already had a date for the dance?¡± Hearing that from Holsy and seeing his obvious embarrassment at the question, Frank felt that something was off, but for the life of him he couldn¡¯t understand what. ¡°Um, you¡¯re awesome and all, but would this cause issues?¡± Frank asked, trying to avoid answering if at all possible. ¡°What? Me, no, my sister. I have a little sister and she saw your dance moves. Then I bragged about knowing you. Then she said prove it. Then there was this big thing where she promised to introduce me to her team member if I introduced you to her and got her to be your date for the dance.¡± Holsy blathered out. Hearing him go on, Frank could only stare at the man who up until a few moments ago was listed as one of his saviors. After this display of, whatever it was, Frank still had the man in high regards, but suddenly thought of him as more human. Honestly, the whole thing seemed to be a hassle, but given that Holsy had done so much for him up to this point, this seemed like a relatively minor request. Though he had to double check to make sure. ¡°Let me get this straight. You want me to go on a double date with you, your sister, and your sister¡¯s teammate. You are setting me up with your sister, so that your sister will set you up with her teammate, is that correct?¡± Frank asked. Holsy thought about it for a moment, and then nodded. ¡°Yeah, that was probably a lot clearer than what I was trying to say.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± Frank nodded. At this Holsy relaxed, knowing that this was a good as Frank signing his name in concrete to cement the deal. That was until a confused look came to Frank¡¯s face. ¡°Well, there is one problem.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to wear.¡± ¡°You know what, since this is a favor to me, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll help you get your uniform up to code and provide everything you will need for my sister.¡± At that Frank could only nod, though it was clear he was thinking about something. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± At that Frank who had been willing to hold back his thoughts finally found himself asking. ¡°Is she worth it?¡± ¡°My sister, of course she¡­¡± Holsy began, getting slightly indignant at the idea that Frank would question his sister. But before he could get too far, Frank corrected him. ¡°No, the girl that your sister is going to set you up with, is she worth it?¡± At that Holsy just paused and looked at Frank for a moment. ¡°You ever have that one girl who you know is perfect, that just by looking at her you know she is a million miles out of your league. But you know if she just gave you one chance you would pounce on it with all your life to give it the shot that you would never doubt. A million years from now, you would look back and say with confidence that it wasn¡¯t meant to be, but I did try my absolute best to get her attention.¡± Hearing that Frank could only nod, before adding. ¡°I never pictured you for a romantic.¡± At that, Frank thought back to his own unrequited love, that of Maddie, who might never get a chance to leave the slums. Seeing Holsy, and sort of seeing him as a role model, Frank realized that this would at least be good practice for when or if he ever got a chance with Maddie. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do it.¡± Frank said. ¡°Alright, my man.¡± Holsy said, patting Frank on the shoulder and then continued, ¡°don¡¯t worry about a thing. Just be ready to go tomorrow night. I have to go now to get everything ready.¡± Frank just nodded, before an excited Holsy seemed to leave the area in a whirlwind of frenzy as he darted past and around students. Students who Frank was just now realizing had been watching him the entire time. Seeing them all there, his peers, staring at him with clear disdain on their faces, Frank could only put up the barrier. This was the mental wall that protected him from such glares. When he was younger, this was what he would do, he would center his mind and let all outside distractions wash away from him. He was the oddity, not only was he a cultivator of dark energy, but now he had somehow risen to the Blood Cultivation realm. This was another reason why he had been given time to relax, as his uniforms were being altered to express his new rank. To make matters worse, he didn¡¯t know what happened, but he had not seen either Dr. Evans, nor Major Demoniker since his transformation. Instead, all he got was his reading taken. Not that Frank himself was allowed to get his readings, where not one, not even two, but three unique glyphs lit up on his body. Two of which were dark glyphs meaning that they were related to the darkness element. Thinking back, Frank wondered if these two glyphs had anything to do with the odd dream he had. The one where the robed figure and the vampire queen both seemed to fight over him. The whole thing seemed so surreal, like his mind instinctively knew what was happening to him, and then came up with images to explain everything in a way he could understand. Looking back, he thought about the one dream he had where the vampire queen bit his arm, only for him to then be awoken back to life on the death row run. That of course sparked memories of the nice delivery driver who stayed with him and gave him someone to talk to. He remembered she had a nice voice, though thinking back it had been so long since he last spoke to her and there was a slight distortion to her sound that he wondered if he would ever have a chance to talk to that girl. Then just as he had this thought, a shy female all but forced her way forward, impeding his path. ¡°Hello there. I mean, hey.¡± The fellow student said. Glancing quickly, Frank looked for the important markers. She was a C Ranker with a second affinity and had five slashes on her right arm. A quick glance showed that her last name was Song, and she was still in the Body Cultivation phase. Meaning technically, he shouldn¡¯t be talking to her as he now out ranked her, at least according to accomplishments. That said, it was hard to prove anything to anyone at this point given that he didn¡¯t have a proper uniform to wear at this point and was left to walk around with civilians while his new uniform was being adjusted. For her part the girl was quite pretty. Though she lacked the glowing hair of an underground cultivator, like Frank, her hair was pretty. Black with a hint of blueish tint at the ends. Seeing the hair, Frank wondered if she had any ancestors who spent time in the slums. ¡°Hello,¡± Frank said, trying to be courteous, but also realizing that this was likely a mock date event. Or something similar. Given how many people were constantly staring at him, and watching him, Frank felt that this was likely an ambush of some kind. The classic a pretty girl comes, asks him out, and then never comes or worse, does invite him out, they go out. She seems to enjoy the time, only to then break up with him horribly for all to see, all while Luther Camello laughs. Of course, Luther Camello is dead, but those memories are hard to remove. Also, it is a lot safer to be guarded. Hell just earlier this week Frank had his own mind spliced open by an elder vampire that he had foolishly let his guard down around. In fact, had it been anyone other than Holsy who posed the idea of a double date with him, he would have quickly shut that line down. The only reason he felt somewhat comfortable with Holsy was due to just how much he had been through with Holsy, and for everything that happened Holsy had been the most open and honest of individuals. Even Dr. Evans seemed to be hiding things from him, what with the oversized lab coat made for a male that had the name Evans clearly sewn into it. Then there was the seeming familiarity with the vampire patient, and it was clear that Dr. Evans too had her own secrets. Secrets that almost cost Frank his very sanity, had he not noticed the deception. To this day, he still checked and found himself doubting his own sanity, wondering if there might have been more that the vampire was able to slip past his defenses. In that field, Frank had to admit that he was exceptionally outclassed, which was why he wanted to be extra cautious from here on out. Thus when the pretty girl came out of nowhere and began talking to him, Frank was hesitant to say the least. When that same person came with an dozen or more gawkers and gazers, Frank couldn¡¯t help but be wary. Still, proper decorum would dictate that he at least be cordial, lest he get made out to be the bad guy from the start. ¡°We, uh, haven¡¯t met, but I was wondering if you might have a date for the dance tomorrow?¡± The girl asked awkwardly. After she was done talking, she bit her lower lip in a cute way and she had an expressive way of talking with her hands by nervously pushing them together. Watching her Frank could tell that she was nervous, though for his part Frank had grown to associate this with the girl being nice, but being put up to ask him out by others. This was why he asked what happened next. ¡°Tell me, you were put up to this?¡± ¡°What, how did you¡­¡± The girl stammered out. With that Frank just nodded, and then gave a look around at all the gawkers before walking away. This time he was glad he avoided any awkward situations before they happened. ¡°Wait, you didn¡¯t answer.¡± The girl asked, suddenly running to catch up with Frank who was speed walking away. Not going fast enough to run, but quickly enough that the girl who was not a Life energy expert had to sprint to catch up. ¡°I already have a date, thank you.¡± Frank said in as nice of a tone as he could manage. ¡°Oh, okay then.¡± The girl said, slowing down and looking somewhat dejected as she came to a complete stop. Seeing that she was done chasing him, Frank let out a sigh of relief, as he was once again glad to have met Holsy. Now he had a date to the dance, and felt relatively confident that Holsy would set him up for success, especially as he wanted to be with a friend of his sisters. The entire thing seemed off, but for now Frank was glad he mostly avoided being made fun of. Had he turned back he would have seen Bethany Song, the girl he outright rejected looking somewhat miserable at the rejection. Worse still, she saw the way others who had witnessed the display both pity her and look at her with glaring scoffs. Seeing the gazes, Bethany questioned her choice of wishing to be forced to have a second awakening so she could be here and live through this humiliation. But before they could see her even appear weak, she took in a deep breath forcing her back to straighten. Then she calmly but briskly began walking away. What Frank didn¡¯t know, was that the reason why everyone was out and about was not gawk at him. Rather everyone had been let go from their Friday classes early, so that they could all make final preparations to attend the annual Armed Forces Ball. This was everyone¡¯s chance to see the current and future leaders of the world. Here they would be introduced to what many would consider to be the royalty of the cultivation world. This was an important time, and one that everyone who attended would remember where they were when everything finally unfolded. Yet, no one was prepared for what would happen next. Chapter 32 Side Character Views I Chapter 32 Side Character Views I (Holsy) ¡°Yes, I already told you, he¡¯s cool and he agreed to come.¡± Holsy responded to a particularly attractive female that stared back at him with almost eerily similar facial features. ¡°Really?¡± The girl exclaimed back excitedly, ¡°finally you did something worthwhile. Now you have to tell me, are those dance moves real?¡± ¡°Look, I didn¡¯t dance with the kid, but is he clearly muscular and able to move gracefully, sure. But the bigger question is, did you come through on your side?¡± ¡°You mean did I get my squad leader to join me and therefore you? Yes. Though know that she is mainly there to see if that Fotos kid can dance. In addition to all of the other things you said.¡± The female version of Holsy replied with a bit of a mocking tone to her words. It was clear that the two had a sense of ease when talking to each other. ¡°Well, just so we are clear, regardless of what happens, he is going to be on my team.¡± Holsy replied. ¡°Hah, you think you can compete against the Captain?¡± The woman who was clearly Holsy¡¯s sister or direct relative replied. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been with him since day one. Besides we have the bro code.¡± Holsy noted. ¡°The Bro code? What if it is the only way the Captain will go out with you?¡± At that, there was a slight pause, before Holsy replied. ¡°Well, I guess I¡¯ll just have to say I tried my best and move on.¡± ¡°Really? He is that important to you?¡± ¡°Look, all joking aside, this kid is doing things here, Classified things here that will change the world. So yes, I want him right by my side.¡± With that the female Holsy just paused and finally replied with a one word response. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°So you are done?¡± Holsy pressed. ¡°Done with asking, yes. Now with taking, that is an entirely different subject.¡± Holsy¡¯s sister responded. ¡°Well, I¡¯d wish you good luck, but we know that would be a lie.¡± ¡°Haha, see you later today?¡± ¡°See you there, sis.¡± Then like that the call disconnected, as Holsy mentally decided to go with a slightly cheaper corsage for his sister from Frank. ¡°Something that says, I care about tradition, but I don¡¯t want to be stolen away from my best bro,¡± Holsy said to himself, before finding the perfect one to downgrade and exchange for. Then like that, he felt vindicated from his conversation with his sister, and his possible date. *** (Constance) To be a vampire, a monster of darkness requires a few key components. First, one thing to note is that the only way to have darkness is to also have the light. In fact, darkness is only created by the existence of light. This is the core principle of being a monster, of one who was turned from the light and corrupted into a creature of the eternal night. Echoes of memories. For years, Constance had nightmares after being turned. However, the nightmares of a beast are far different than the nightmares of the living. Nightmares of the living involve being eaten and devoured by the creatures of the night. For the creatures of the night that survive the evolutions, those that cling to their core functions to fight on, to survive at all costs. That cost is the changing of your whole psyche, how you are slowly willing to make minor changes. How accepting your fate of surviving for an extra day is acceptable, so long as you give up just a piece of yourself. A part of you that made you human. You would always keep the animal instincts, those that told you to survive at all costs. Also cunning was another set of traits that you were often allowed to keep. No, the whispers from lady death herself wanted your morality, they wanted to pull back the hesitation, to make it so that you could survive as a perfected being. At the time of the exchange, Constance thought that the exchange was permanent, that those memories were forever destroyed in a one for one exchange for power. Of course, this only happened to be her thought process until he came. It started off simply enough, the one determined Pain Witch arrived, teaching a new Pain Bringer about how dangerous her kind were. Constance even remembered sneering at the way the new Pain Bringer was told to cut her. Then the remarkable thing happened, as he was actually able to cut her diamond like skin. Something that a welp like the Pain Bringer shouldn''t have been able to muster. The Pain Witch herself was only barely capable of carving into her flesh, and that was with much higher levels of power, precision, and pain. After that things became tenuous, as Constance began to remember memories of her past. Memories that had long ago been traded for power. These were the deep memories that she had wished would remain missing. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. From the direct contact it was clear that he had done something to her, that he had taken away the blockers of her memories. That these blockers while providing power also meant that she would be unable to react in any meaningful way. As there were always voices of command telling her, guiding her, forcing her to be patient. At least two distinct voices seemed to echo within Constance¡¯s mind. The first of her sire, of Christie her aunt, and the person who caused this whole chain of events to occur. In the darkness, she could only remember the memories of the past that got her to this point. The first memory was of her being recruited by Christie to join her team. When the idea had first been posed, it made sense in a way, as Constance was new and would need someone she could trust with her life. However, things turned dark quickly when Christie was one of the first team members to fall. Then feeling guilty Constance herself went looking, trying to help and lure her aunt back to be cleansed. By some twist of fate, she was able to do what she wanted, in that she managed to lure her aunt back to safety and be captured. Of course, during that time she was the bait meant to lure out her aunt. At the time it was deemed a success, as they lured Christie back, but it was only a ruse. For Christie¡¯s whole purpose for coming back was solely to turn Constance. Apparently, beings much higher up in the food chain realized the importance of both Christie and Constance both and their direct familial connection to the Pain Bringer. She was the ultimate target, the Pain Bringer. Someone who is so powerful that corrupting her and converting her towards their side was worth sacrificing two newly turned elder vampires. Constance knew this, for she could now see both sides clearly. She could see the familial connection she shared with the Pain Bringer. Constance could also see how the Pain Bringer would be foolish when it came to treating her. Everything was going fine, they had inflicted contained wounds on almost everyone. At one point even Dr. Evans had tiny shards of dark corroded blood splatter on her face. Blood that had sunken deep within her skin and was ready for the command to activate. Then one day it was gone. For a long time orders came to her in her dreams. Orders demanding that she find out how the Pain Bringer managed to purge the corruption that had plagued her. Finally, an answer came in the form of that boy. Panting. Even thinking about him and his power made Constance breathe deeply as animalistic urges rose within her mind. Urges that told her to both rip the mortal apart, and to bow down at his feet in supplication and wait for commands from the great queen to be uttered by his lips. So infuriating was he, that she ended up divulging her one and only link to his mind, as a warning. A warning not to see Christie, a fact that she now regretted immensely as there was almost nothing she could do to fix this. Now she found herself locked in the darkness and for the first time she felt truly alone. Before the darkness had been sort of comforting, similar to the way a thick warm blanket would feel. However, that feeling of comfort dissipated the moment he removed the darker compulsions on her mind and forced her to realize just how alone she truly was. Then as if calling from the deep recesses of her very soul, she felt a deep commanding voice call out to her from her blood and send out an order. Chills. CHATTER! At the exact same time that Constance felt her own chills running down her neck from the command she received, all of the other creatures of darkness that had also been captured to be tested upon began calling out. Even with gags in their mouths, all the creatures managed to clatter their sharp teeth against the metal spheres causing a deep echoing chimes to be heard throughout the underground facility. Hearing that sound, it was clear that Constance was not the only one who had heard the message, but that everyone heard the message. A message that every tainted monster called out in acknowledgement. The message from the dark queen was simple and to the point. ¡°Get Ready.¡± *** (Major Demoniker) Vertigo. The times between bouts of sanity were becoming harder and harder to measure. He awoke realizing that time had passed, likely hours. Fortunately for Major Demoniker it was well known that he had to meditate often to keep his powers under control. What others didn¡¯t know, what no one knew was that he didn¡¯t control his powers, not really. He was getting close to the point where he would self-exile himself, if it didn¡¯t mean that he would turn completely to the darkness once he was exposed once more to a highly concentrated burst. That while he had initially gained control over the darker powers, he felt stagnant, like the powers were now rotting from within him. Originally, he had wanted to give Cadet Fotos more training on things to avoid. But he was never alone, even during his time with Cadet Fotos the annoying Doctor was there. The Doctor that would all but force him to either be tied down and experimented on if found out, or force him to leave. There was still so much that he could do, that he could offer in the form of gained wisdom. Yet, it seemed that the boy had learned more tricks on his own. It was also clear that Cadet Fotos was able to cultivate differently than Demoniker could with the same exact powers. Panting. Demoniker arose, only to find that his left sleeve was sticking to his left arm. A quick scan showed that blood was pouring out, dark blood that looked repugnant, even to Demoniker¡¯s eyes. With the puncture wounds, it was clear that the source of the wounds were from himself. To be more accurate it was a direct result of his right hand squeezing his left arm so tightly that finally after a point blood was drawn. At first Demoniker did this as a way to try to force himself to wake up from these deep dreams. Dreams that if he remembered them would cause nightmares. Looking at his fingers it was clear that more than just the tips were used to do more than try to awaken him from his death energy induced slumber. Instead, this time something or someone used his body to send a message. One that couldn¡¯t be avoided, even after awakening. There on the floor, right in the open spot created by an upturned rug. That is where Demoniker saw the bloody scribbles of a madman. Worse, even though the message was jumbled, and not written in his native language, the words written came to him. There on the bloody floor was the message that as soon as he read it, he heard the dark queen¡¯s seductive whisper in his ear. The same seductive whisper that was used to force the creation of this message. A message that noted that soon Demoniker would not be able to hide his true nature from others. Seeing the message, Demoniker once again wondered what he should do? Then he wondered a deeper question, could he actually do anything to stop what was going to happen? Could he stop himself from following the orders of the Dark Queen? With this thought, Demoniker thought about leaving, about not following the orders that were seemingly forced upon him. Burning Sulfur. Just the thought of opposing the will of the Dark Queen caused an intense burning sensation to come to his nose. Drip, drip, drip. At the same time a warm hot liquid began rolling over his lips. The liquid smelled of copper and sulfur. Realizing that this was a safety measure put into the commands to keep him from doing anything other than the commands, Demoniker paused, realizing that he had waited too long. That he had the time to turn back long ago, but he foolishly held hope that he could continue to fight off the cancerous materials inside him. Panting. Finally, realizing that he couldn¡¯t do anything against the commands, the pressure on his mind relaxed enough to let him relax and think rationally. With the message and its purpose fully ingrained in his mind, Demoniker realized that he might not be able to act directly against the message. But that didn¡¯t mean he was completely powerless to stop the compulsions. Reaching for his communicator, Demoniker contacted his first emergency contact. Brrrinng. The archaic sounds of bells chimed, as a connection was attempted. Oddly the sound of the bells caused Demoniker to relax slightly. ¡°Hello, Major, is everything okay?¡± Dr. Evans asked, seeing Demoniker¡¯s hologram silhouette and realizing that he still had a faint trail of blood on his face. ¡°Could you perhaps come for a courtesy call?¡± Major Demoniker asked. ¡°I, I can¡¯t.¡± Dr. Evans replied, embarrassment filling her voice as she seemed to look down, out of the range of vision provided by the hologram. ¡°Okay, no problem.¡± Demoniker said, his voice calm on the outside, even though internally he felt one last chance at hope slipping away. ¡°What happened? Are you bleeding?¡± ¡°Yes, I apparently passed out while meditating.¡± Demoniker replied, all answers truthful, but the passing out while meditating had nothing to do with the bleeding nose. Unless, you went back further and realized that the mind compulsion that was fully latched onto his brain right now happened as a direct result of his passing out while meditating. ¡°Is that all?¡± Dr. Evans pressed. ¡°No,¡± Demoniker answered, not knowing how much else he could say. Inviting Dr. Evans a fellow colleague over to help was no big deal, but apparently stating that he passed out and had dark compulsions anchored to his mind were not allowed. ¡°Want to talk about it?¡± Silence. Demoniker sat still as his mind fought to break through the commands ordering him to be silent. Finally he found something that he could say that on the surface seemed innocuous, but would hopefully serve as the warning he desperately needed. ¡°No, just know I think I am going to go on that walk we spoke about.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± More blood. At that, the compulsion seemed to realize what he had attempted to do and was now destroying part of his mind. ¡°What? What is happening?¡± Dr. Evans all but screamed seeing the blood flowing. ¡°I need to go.¡± Demoniker said, as he covered his nose and applied pressure, while simultaneously ending the connection. There it was, the most Demoniker could do to prevent this, or so he thought. Then another thought hit him, realizing this was the only way, Demoniker turned on his recorder and began recording a message. ¡°This is Major Demoniker, I have found that my thoughts are not my¡­.¡± Was as far as Maj Demoniker got, before more bands began constricting on parts of his mind, tearing away parts of his psyche as he continued to fight to at least let this message get heard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, hopefully you can get to Cadet Frank Fotos before¡­.¡± Blinding Pains. With that Major Demoniker had to stop, as a torrent of blood began rushing down his nose. Idly, he tried to scoot back some, so that his message to himself was not covered by his violently bleeding nose right now. Chapter 33 First Meetings Chapter 33 First Meetings Exhale. Cadet Frank Fotos looked at his reflection in a mirror. A mirror that showed a broad shouldered muscular version of himself with vibrant green and purple hair that glowed due to his subterranean heritage. A heritage that all but declared that he was now a double awakened. Then his impeccable military uniform denoted the same. Complete with a standard green ¡®F¡¯ on his chest and two circles on his left sleeve showing that he was on the second realm of Blood Cultivation. While the one slash on his right sleeve denoted that he was still on the first layer. From there everything was fairly standard. He had the typical navy blue pants, the black belt and glowing buckler. He also had simultaneously the nicest and least comfortable pair of shoes he had ever owned. These were shoes that looked nice on the outside, but somehow seemed to find every pressure point on his feet and press upwards. Fortunately, blocking out the pain of the shoes was rather easy, but still something Frank made a mental note of, wondering if this was some form of hazing process. Come to the elaborate party, but show your metal by not reacting in the slightest to the pain your body should be feeling. Stomp, stomp. Two quick stomps from his feet made it so a clear and comfortable indention of his feet were made into the unyielding substance. With that that he paused realizing that this was likely the true test of a cultivator, one who managed to take something extremely uncomfortable and work with it until it was finally in a usable format. Now that the shoes were forced to mold to his foot, he felt oddly ready. Here he was doing a favor for someone he loosely considered to be a friend, or at the very least friendly towards him. Also, if Frank had to be honest with himself, he realized that there was no pressure for today. He was going on a blind date, and knew he had to be somewhat entertaining if only for Holsy. But there was no real pressure, Frank already had someone who he had feelings for. Worse, he realized that he had been far too trusting, not even realizing that monsters of the dark arts could get inside his mind so easily. This made it so he focused on trying to strengthen his will as much as possible. While it was not a true solution, apparently nothing short of killing the dark monsters was a sure thing, he felt he was oddly capable of doing just that. No, given the state of everything, Frank felt that getting emotionally attached to anyone at this point was just a recipe for disaster. Even the girl he sort of kind of had a thing for would likely hate him, once word got back that he killed her older brother. Sigh. This was just a gathering of friends, a chance to dance. Dance of course being the truest expression of the soul. Then a chance to ultimately see firsthand what the life of a career soldier would entail. That was the main reason for this, part of the history that he actually managed to learn when he read about the dance and why it was right at the beginning of the year. So groups who were back and looking to replenish teammates could search through the students that were assembling and vie for attention. The two main targets for these gatherings were of course healers and long-range damage dealers. Which Frank filled both roles adequately. Tap ta-duh tap pound, knock, knock. Fortunately, before Frank could go and psych himself out, or further doubt anything about tonight, he heard the unmistakable knocking of Holsy. ¡°Come in.¡± Frank called out as he turned away from the mirror and began heading to the door. Holsy not needing to be told twice, just entered. Honestly, Frank was surprised that Holsy didn¡¯t just barge in, as was his custom. Though thinking about it for a second, likely Holsy didn¡¯t want to try to barge in and show the world that Frank was still in the process of getting dressed. Then to all but confirm this suspicion, Holsy shouted, ¡°oh Gods I thought you were done changing?¡± With that Holsy covered his eyes and looked away, as if in disgust of what he was seeing. ¡°Wait, what?¡± A female voice called out, barging around the door and revealing a slightly smaller but more curvy and far more attractive version of Holsy. ¡°Yolinda? How could you?¡± Holsy snapped, clearly catching his sister in what could have been an attempt at voyeurism. Then Holsy for his part came over, and handed a white corsage that matched the pristine white robes of Holsy¡¯s sister, Yolinda¡¯s, dress uniform perfectly. Looking at Yolinda, it was clear that she too had been active, a single awakened ¡®A¡¯ Ranker with two gold circles on her left sleeve and three golden slashes on her right. Frank¡¯s eyes tracked everything, then were once again drawn to the giant ¡®A¡¯ Rank insignia that was almost hidden by the pale blue threads used to create the letter. If not for the extreme contrast of the white uniform, the ranking and distinction of belonging to Air would have gone amiss. ¡°What are you doing Frank! That is my sister! What are you doing ogling her chest like that!¡± Holsy demanded. Blinking. Frank realized the problem for what it was and desperately tried to look away from the chest that was far larger than any he had seen from his school days. Maybe a few here at the academy were of equal size, but this was the closest he had been to someone as well endowed as Yolinda, and he had apparently been caught staring for that. ¡°I, I um, sorry.¡± Was all Frank could muster as he for once felt actually nervous and looked away. Chuckle. The sound of tingling bells could be heard, as Frank knew that this was the sound of Yolinda clearly laughing at his obvious discomfort. ¡°What is your problem, I thought we were friends? But you then betray me by ogling my sister? My sis¡­¡± Was all Holsy managed to say, before he was cut off by Yolinda grabbing and pushing him out of the way. ¡°Oh stop it, you know he is a gentleman and was only rank fucking me, not eye fucking me the way you seem to be implying.¡± Yolinda said a slightly teasing tone to her voice. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Hearing her, Frank could only pause hearing the seemingly young and innocent girl before him curse like a soldier. Then with a sharp reality, Frank realized that she was just that, a soldier. ¡°Hahaha, I know. I just couldn¡¯t resist. Also, he is normally so stoic all the time. Seeing him actually embarrassed, I had to go in for the kill.¡± Holsy said, clearly bantering freely with his sister. ¡°Yeah, but you are going to scare him off if you keep this up.¡± Yolinda replied, then turned to lock gazes with Frank and at that he knew he was in trouble. Jolt. As their eyes met, Frank felt his entire body tighten as he found himself looking into the prettiest set of ice blue eyes he had ever seen. Eyes that seemed to glow and pulse with the power of her element, that of air. ¡°Oh man, where is my recorder. I need to capture this look of awkward embarrassment for all time.¡± Holsy said, then he snapped his fingers, which caused a cloaked floating orb to appear. ¡°Oh wait, there it is, oh and would you look at that, it was recording this entire time. Your first meeting for me to show our parents.¡± At that Frank paused, looking up at the now visible orb that was clearly recording and then back to Holsy who was just smiling brightly with his devil may care smile. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Relax, since you both are minors we have to have to ensure that you both are recorded and chaperoned at all times. This is to prevent any higher ups from possibly trying to force relationships or unwanted positions that would ultimately be your word versus their words. This is your safety net, and your one warning. You two since you are both under the legal age of consent are being monitored and recorded.¡± Holsy said, giving a clearly rehearsed safety speech. Then reaching into his pocket, Holsy pulled out a second orb that was currently deactivated. By turning on the orb, he faced the eye directly towards Frank where a scan of his body was rendered and recorded. After which time the orb flew up into the air and began staying in a silent stationary position over Frank to record his every movement. Feeling the watchful gaze of the monitoring orb over him, Frank could only nod. This was the best defense for him, also given how things had gone, he might be able to see if anyone used mind compulsions on him and if so when. Deep down, if Frank was truly honest with himself he would have to admit that he was more than a little frightened that there might still be some lingering traces of mind compulsion. Traces that if he was ill prepared for, might cause him to say or do something dangerous. With accepting the recording device for himself, he then paused and looked at the clearly older and apparently mature for her age Yolinda. ¡°You are also underage?¡± Frank asked. ¡°Oh, trying to see if you two being together is somehow legal? Ballsy question, especially with the handsome, talented, and overly protective older brother in the same room. But points for trying.¡± Holsy answered, though this time Frank could clearly see the mocking smile that was permanently etched onto Holsy¡¯s face appear, indicating that he was joking. ¡°What my annoying older brother is trying to say is that yes. I too am under eighteen. This means that you and I are likely the only two who will both be underaged and have already made it to the second realm of development.¡± Yolinda said. Hearing that Frank could only nod in agreement, as their pairing suddenly made a lot more sense. This was a relationship of convenience more than anything. Holsy got to pair his little sister with someone of comparable age, and this meant that both he and Yolinda would be free from possible unwanted advances of higher ranking elders. Also the now invisible recording devices ensured that should anything questionable happen, there would be a clear recording of the entire encounter. Exhale. Realizing that Holsy had done all of this for him, Frank could only relax as he looked at Holsy and nodded in appreciation. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°No, this is entirely me being selfish. See with you here, I can pawn my annoying little sister off on you. Making our parents happy, while I get to be with Captain Parinne.¡± Holsy said, with a wide smile on his face. ¡°You know she is only here to recruit Frank to be in our squad.¡± Yolinda stated with a slightly defiant tone. ¡°Yeah, and I have dibs, meaning that she might have to wait. Also, our squad has priority in recruiting right now, since this is our down time.¡± Holsy noted. At that, Frank saw the corsage that Holsy was gesticulating wildly with. ¡°I believe that is for me?¡± Pausing, Holsy looked at the packages that he had in his hand. There were two sets of flowers, and one was clearly for Yolinda. ¡°Wait, I don¡¯t know if she is good enough for you now. For all I know, she might be a liar and someone who does not keep her word.¡± Holsy said. ¡°Oh, as if. You know the Captain will be here to watch me like a hawk, just as I am certain you will be there watching Frank.¡± Yolinda replied, grabbing her white flower from Holsy¡¯s hand and handing it squarely to Frank. Oof. Frank grabbed the box and then delicately began removing the corsage from its protective environment. For a moment he looked over the white flower and remarked at how it was still in pristine condition. Then a closer look with his Energy Sight showed that the flower had been treated with a firm but dense layer of green energy. Holding the flower up, Frank couldn¡¯t help but be impressed with the energy seal around the flower that was seeming to keep the flower frozen in time, and protected from the world around it. Out of the corner of his eyes, Frank could see Yolinda just looking at him like he was slightly mental. ¡°Oh you see it?¡± Holsy asked, clearly picking up the fact that Frank could see energy particles around him. ¡°Yeah, that is an energy shield, but of life energy?¡± Frank asked. ¡°You guessed it, eventually if you get strong enough, you too should be able to create protective barriers just like this.¡± Holsy answered. With that Frank could only nod, and then thinking back he remembered how he recently saw something similar with the condensed and diamond like skin of Constance. While this layer of protection was nowhere nearly as strong as the skin Constance had, Frank realized that he could possibly mimic both this layer of life protection, then possibly replicate it with his death energy affinity as well. For a moment he thought about eventually being able to dual weave both layers together, but was quickly cut off from that. ¡°You really have never seen this before?¡± Yolinda asked, a bit incredulous. Realizing he had been staring at the flower for too long, Frank could only shake his head. ¡°No, we don¡¯t have anything like this where I come from.¡± At that Yolinda just stared at Frank for a moment. Then her eyes went wide as she truly began to take Frank in. ¡°Then does that mean that your hair is naturally like that?¡± Yolinda asked, moving closer and staring at Frank. Hearing that Frank could only sigh, ¡°unfortunately. You probably think lower of us for our hair.¡± ¡°No, wait? You don¡¯t know?¡± Yolinda asked, reading something in Frank¡¯s face, then turning to Holsy. Holsy seeing the look on his sister¡¯s face only shook his head, smiled and answered. ¡°He doesn¡¯t know. Also, I didn¡¯t want to freak him out.¡± With that Holsy turned towards Frank and continued explaining. ¡°See, for a time there, your hair. Or the hair of those from the depths was considered a fashion icon. See in the military we aren¡¯t allowed to alter our hair. So you all with your naturally glowing hair was seen as a sex symbol for a bit.¡± ¡°Sex symbol?¡± Frank asked. Hearing that, Holsy only covered his mouth as if hearing Frank curse fervently. ¡°It¡¯s always sex, sex, sex with you younger generations. My goodness. I go and give an entire speech about fashion throughout the ages, then you focus on two words. I mean¡­¡± ¡°Oh shut it, you know that is the reaction you were going for all along.¡± Yolinda cut in, and then turned to Frank. ¡°He is right though. Your unique hair is seen by many as an attractive quality. Also, I have to admit, I¡¯ve always been kind of curious.¡± With that Yolinda got close and looking Frank directly in the eyes, she elegantly strode forward. At least to Frank it felt like she was gliding forward, for a moment the only person that was in his world was Yolinda. With their faces less than a foot apart, Yolinda held up her hand to chest level, then asked. ¡°May I?¡± ¡°What?¡± Frank asked, suddenly confused. Then seeing the way Yolinda tentatively raised her hand towards Frank¡¯s hair, Frank understood. ¡°May I touch it?¡± Yolinda asked trying to clarify. ¡°Phrasing.¡± Holsy cut in, breaking apart the tension that had suddenly been building. With that Frank and Yolinda both just stared at Holsy as if he was being childish. Seeing how both seemed to be mirroring each other, Holsy could only smile. If he had to be honest with himself, his sister could do a lot worse than Frank. Also, with the two of them being together, there wouldn¡¯t be any worry about fraternization policies being broken. No misconduct by superior officers. In fact, this would mean that hopefully Holsy could relax on his constant monitoring of his sister. A role he had been thrust into, particularly after their parents had been far too stringent in their protection efforts for their little girl. ¡°Shut it,¡± Yolinda said, a slight blush of embarrassment filling her cheeks as she turned back to Frank and then asked. ¡°Can I touch your hair?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± was all Frank could say. Tingle. The moment her hand touched his hair, he felt a jolt of electricity run down his spine. ¡°Ohh!¡± Yolinda, seemed to have experienced the same exact jolt as she too reacted. ¡°Already exchanging elemental reactions with each other.¡± Holsy said. ¡°Guh, do you have to make everything sound disgusting?¡± Yolinda said. ¡°No, but it does make being your chaperone that much more entertaining.¡± Holsy admitted. ¡°Here, let¡¯s just get the creep to his date so he can stop providing he dirty commentary to us.¡± Yolinda said, holding out her delicate hand forward, a sign that she was ready to have the corsage put on. ¡°You do know that you two will still be monitored?¡± Holsy began, while Frank reached out to delicately place the protected flower over Yolinda¡¯s wrist. ¡°I know that, but at least then I won¡¯t have to¡­¡± Jolt. There was another exchange of mana as Frank accidentally touched her skin while wrapping the ribbon of the corsage around Yolinda¡¯s wrist in an attempt to tie it in place. ¡°Oh, look at that. Frank, I need you to tell me how you did that.¡± Holsy said, turning from his sister¡¯s suddenly flush face to Frank¡¯s. ¡°Do what?¡± Frank asked. ¡°Get her to shut up.¡± Holsy replied with a mocking smile towards his sister. ¡°What? Come on Frank, let¡¯s go.¡± Yolinda exclaimed indignantly, grabbing Frank¡¯s arm and all but pulling him from his room. Laughter. With that Holsy could only laugh loudly at how is sister was acting. As the trio left, Holsy was the one to close and lock the door, before following the two juniors that now seemed suddenly inseparable. Seeing them, Holsy could only smile at the sight of young love and think to himself, tonight might be a very good night. Then he watched as the two love birds suddenly stopped. Well Frank stopped, causing Yolinda to suddenly stop as well. ¡°You okay?¡± Yolinda asked. Frank paused and looked around, a wild look to his eyes as his purple hair looked like it was glowing and simultaneously standing on end. Then after a time the brightly glowing purple hair stopped glowing as brightly, and Frank seemed to visibly relax, at which point he replied to the clearly concerned Yolinda. ¡°Yeah, I guess it was nothing?¡± Chapter 34 The Introduction Chapter 34 The Introduction Gentle breeze. There was an odd cold breeze that seemed to flow in the courtyard immediately outside the dormitory. Feeling the breeze, Frank felt something awaken within his mind. There was an odd tingling sensation that seemed to speak of actions needing to be taken. Focusing on the sensation Frank realized that it almost felt like one would feel when they were at the very heart of a raging storm. The one calm point where safety would be available. Undertones of trying to seek safety and wants to get to this exact spot were pressed into his mind. Then to make matters even more odd was the fact that he realized he was safe. That he was at the exact spot being warned about by the breeze, the warning stopped. The breeze that he felt blowing on the back of his neck, causing his hairs to rise up in danger were suddenly allowed to relax. ¡°You okay?¡± Yolinda asked. Frank for his part looked around, trying to see if anything was out of place. In his mind he knew that he was fine, for now. That he was exactly where he was supposed to be. Yet, there was something disconcerting about that sudden breeze that seemed to send chills down his spine. The fact that Yolinda didn¡¯t even flinch at the bitingly cold wind only made Frank feel slightly inferior. As if he was somehow weak for feeling ill at ease by that wind. A wind that Yolinda, a stronger cultivator seemed to shrug off so casually. With that Frank lied. ¡°Yeah, I guess it was nothing?¡± Frank said, looking at Yolinda and trying to see if she would break and say that she too felt ill at ease from the breeze that just came through. Or that she would even acknowledge it, yet she didn¡¯t. Looking into her beautiful eyes, Frank felt that if he called attention to his inadequacy that he might not make a favorable impression with Yolinda. While he still knew that this was a one off event, he knew that if things went wrong here, it would be a really long night that might go terribly wrong. With that thought in mind, Frank decided to bring up thoughts of his own inadequacies and instead focused against that nagging sense of dread that seemed to cling to his consciousness from that breeze. A breeze that only affected him, the weakest cultivator, as of course it would only affect him. ¡°You sure?¡± Yolinda asked, a note of concern in her voice. No doubt seeing the way something had suddenly affected him. Truth be told Yolinda too was nervous about Frank, as she had seen the glowing purple hair, and the way his purple hair seemed to stand up on top of his head and glow brightly for a second, before dropping. The light was unmistakable as it momentarily illuminated the area around Frank almost as if a slight purple halo of light was being released. ¡°Yeah, it was nothing.¡± Frank replied. Hearing him, Yolinda thought that Frank might be hiding something, but ultimately chalked her own apprehension up to nerves. ¡°Come on you two love birds. You can make out after the dance.¡± Holsy said, his words cutting the awkward tension that had suddenly built up between the two. After that comment, both Frank and Yolinda realized that they were close and just staring at each other in the eyes. While this might normally appear to be the event right before a kiss, it was anything but. Then again, thinking about it, Yolinda glanced down to see that he chose that exact moment to wet his lips together. Then realizing that if this went any further her older brother would be certain to make what happened next exceedingly uncomfortable, decided to gently pat Frank on the chest, and then turned her head to continue walking away. ¡°Yeah, come on. I still need to introduce you to my Captain.¡± Yolinda stated, her tone making it known that she had every intention of trying to lure Frank to her team once he graduated. ¡°Hey, none of that now, you know he is under my protection.¡± Holsy noted. ¡°Just as I am under Captain Parinne.¡± Yolinda added. With that the two began bantering back and forth in a seemingly well-rehearsed version of sibling bonding. Listening to them, Frank felt pangs of nostalgia for his own little brother. A brother who he apparently had to abandon, lest the brother be used as a possible threat to keep Frank in line. This was something that Holsy noted as a reason to cut all ties with his family. While he realized that he could make his true family status known at any time. Making it so people forgot about his family, and didn¡¯t forcefully remove them from the safety of the deeps was something that could not be undone. That was why, for the moment, he kept his mouth shut about his own family. Seeing that Holsy had a sister who was within a year or two of Frank, but was as accomplished as she was now hinted at just how hard life was outside of the slums. While life might be tough at the lower levels, there was never a true sense of dread that was apparent here. Frank had noticed it, even from his brief but limited interactions with others. Though admittedly most of the students he saw were dual awakened people like himself. Unlike him however, this meant that everyone he interacted with was a seasoned combatant with years of experience and therefor all had that distant glassy eyed stare that denoted a harsher life. A life that Frank himself also now apparently exuded as none of his peers seemed to look down on him for the fact that he had never seen front line combat. Instead, they just scanned him, saw his affinity glanced him in the eye and then quickly dismissed him. This he had come to understand meant acceptance. Particularly when compared to the scowling gazes those same students gave to the newly awakened people. People who Frank by all accounts should have been classified with, due to time and age constraints if nothing else. Then thinking about it, he realized that something was off about those new students. Only now that he had time to think about it, and see the difference that Yolinda and Holsy both exuded did he realize that there was a weight to their gazes. Almost as if there was a physical presence. Thinking back, he remembered how Holsy said there was a name for that, a Killing Intent, but it was more than just Killing Intent. It was a Survivors Intent, that intent that you called upon when you body ached, when your muscles burned, but yet you still refused to give up and die. The same intent that made you reach deep, no longer caring about being cordial, pretty, or worried about being honorable. This was the intent that you used when the only thing that mattered was survival at all costs. As Frank had this insight, he remembered back to his long desperate fight to leave the underlayers of the slums. Where he had to fight off hordes of starving rodents and mercilessly kill his way out for survival. This is where he drew his inspiration for Survivors Intent, as even now he could feel¡­ A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Tap. A solid hand tapped Frank on the shoulder, bringing him from his darker thoughts. ¡°You okay there?¡± Holsy asked, his tone light but hiding just a hint of concern. Pausing, Frank looked down to see Yolinda was also staring at him with wide-eyed concern. Seeing the look of shock on Yolinda¡¯s face caused Frank to inwardly kick himself. ¡°Yeah, sorry. I don¡¯t know what came over me. Just thoughts of the past, I guess.¡± Frank answered sheepishly. Squeeze. Holsy gave a strong but reassuring squeeze to Frank¡¯s shoulder before letting him go. With that they were apparently at grand dining hall for officers, dual awakened, and people who had spent at least one year deployed. Everyone else would have to go to the shabbier dining hall just down the cobblestone walkway. Seeing the differences between the older seasoned warriors that seemed to be entering the dining hall before them and the much lower scale dining hall at the far end of the street Frank couldn¡¯t help but notice the disparity. For a moment, he felt concern about entering in the upper tier dining hall. The hall where majors and above would all be served, along with generals and the strongest the cultivating world had to offer. Then just as he was about to take a step away and head towards the lower dining hall, a firm hand grabbed him and directed him towards the much more lavish dining hall that even now Frank could smell the aroma of spiced meats and exotic ingredients coming from. Scents that caused Frank¡¯s stomach to awaken and rumble it¡¯s want to enter. ¡°Come on, our table is already waiting for us.¡± Holsy ordered, his words letting Frank realize that he had broken through yet another boundary. ¡°Yeah, come on, it will be fun.¡± Yolinda said, grabbing Frank¡¯s arm and all but pulling him into the opulent restaurant. At this, Frank realized that both Holsy and Yolinda were no doubt used to this type of lifestyle. Then realizing how quickly Yolinda had advanced on her own path of cultivation, it was clear that her family had ample resources available to get both her and Holsy through the lower-level bottlenecks that most cultivators would be subjected to. Even with an exceptional talent like Yolinda¡¯s ¡®A¡¯ Rank talent. With that realization, Frank couldn¡¯t help but feel that he was even more of an imposter, that he somehow didn¡¯t belong. For a moment he thought about protesting, to say that he knew his place in life. Yet, it was at that exact moment that an image of Luther Camello came back. Someone who all but demanded he conform to the fate society had chosen for him. With that a switch flipped in Frank¡¯s mind. A switch that said the only reason he was lesser than anyone else here was if he chose to believe that. The only reason he would need to cower from now on was if he chose to cower. While he still needed to be cognizant of treating others with respect, he realized that respect and kowtowing obedience were two completely different aspects of human interactions. That he could be respectful without having to feign reverence. That if he wanted to break the mental yoke that held him in place, and held him down for all his life to be a whipping boy for those depraved few who gained pleasure from the suffering of others, he needed to first break his own mental constraints. Shatter. With that realization, he felt something break loose in his mind. The effect was minor, and yet profound. By walking into the grand dining hall. A hall previously held only for the elite of the world, Frank realized that the only thing holding him back now was himself. While he still had doubts about himself and his own competency, he knew that the only way to overcome most of these doubts was through repetition, and perseverance to do what needed to be done. Repetition was what he would get from his time here. As for perseverance he had that in spades, this went back to his Survivors Intent that he thought about. An intent more powerful than Killing Intent, as Killing Intent seemed too volatile and too chaotic to harness accurately. With Killing Intent it seemed that you were setting yourself up for a quick burnout. Sure, you go focus on killing a target with everything that you have, but then what? There are always more enemies. Survivor¡¯s Intent however was just as powerful, but focused on holding back just enough for one more kill. This was the practical cultivator¡¯s art of war. This was knowing that putting all your force into one strike, while often effective will only be effective until it isn¡¯t. That if you miss your strike, or worse, only graze with your killing strike you will miss. These thoughts and more came to Frank¡¯s mind as he casually introduce himself to all the powerful people that Holsy and Yolinda both pointed out and seemingly went out of their way to introduce him to. Finally, after a few minutes of greetings, and when they were alone, Yolinda asked, ¡°what are you thinking about?¡± With that Frank paused, and then staring directly into Yolinda¡¯s mesmerizing eyes he answered truthfully. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about survival.¡± At that Yolinda just paused and stared at Frank for a moment. Then realizing that he was being completely truthful just nodded to herself before speaking, ¡°James did say you were a philosophical one.¡± At that Frank just paused and twisted his head to the side as he asked, ¡°James?¡± ¡°Yeah, my brother? You know he does have a first name, right?¡± Yolinda asked. ¡°Oh right,¡± Frank replied, only now remembering that Holsy had told him his first name, but still continued to refer to the superior officer as Holsy. Mainly out of respect for the wise, albeit often sarcastic, advice that the senior officer gave to him. At that Yolinda just stared at Frank for a second, then seemed to come to a realization as she let out a low sigh and then shaking her head she said, ¡°come on, let me introduce you to my Captain.¡± With that Frank was taken to a table where Holsy, well James Holsy, was already seated with an attractive woman who had long silky blue hair and dark eyes. To his surprise, the woman, this Captain, also wore a white uniform similar to the one that Yolinda wore. Though it was clear from a glance that the Captain had more golden discs and slashes, though she was moving too much to get an accurate count of both. Seeing the glowing hair on display, Frank paused as he realized something. Noticing that Frank had suddenly come to a complete stop, Yolinda looked back to look at Frank. ¡°Oh, you noticed the hair too?¡± Yolinda asked, a knowing smirk coming to her face. Finally after seeing the Captain Parinne a few things became crystal clear in Frank¡¯s mind. First, the obvious attraction that Holsy, or rather James, had for this woman was clear, as she was clearly beautiful. Even her pale under skin seemed to glow with a healthy radiance of cultivation. Also, the reason for why the Captain would agree to a double date with Frank and Yolinda in tow was also apparent, as she like Frank was a native of the slums. At least, that is where her hair all but screamed that she had come from, as her hair¡¯s healthy shine and energetic glow all but denoted her as being fully awakened to the water element. ¡°Kind of hard to miss,¡± Frank admitted. Then a bit sheepishly turned to ask, ¡°does my hair stand out like that as well?¡± With that Yolinda just giggled in a cute melodic way that sent shivers down Frank¡¯s spine. ¡°More,¡± Yolinda answered. ¡°More?¡± ¡°Yeah, as impressive as the Captain¡¯s hair is, yours actually stands out more. At first, I thought James was exaggerating as always, but I have to admit that he might have undersold it with you.¡± Yolinda said, then before Frank could say anything a wonderous feeling overtook him as he felt Yolinda¡¯s gentle hand flow through his hair. Tingle. There was yet another tingling sensation just like last time. This time Frank saw the shiver go down Yolinda as she clearly felt the effects of the caress as well. Then before Frank had a second to comment on the act, a clearly embarrassed Yolinda grabbed Frank¡¯s arm and pulled him forward to the table, where she introduced Frank directly to the very woman they had been commenting on. ¡°Captain, I would like to introduce you to Cadet Fotos, my date for the night.¡± Yolinda said. At that the Captain¡¯s eyes quickly flicked over Frank, stopping on his hair, and then flashing down to his rank, then back up to his face. There her eyes seemed to linger for a second, before she rose to greet Frank, with an outstretched hand. ¡°Well hello there,¡± Captain Parinne said, a slight purr to her voice as she reached out a gloved hand. Being this close, Frank felt his Energy Sight engaging to see the powerful aura of her hair, and then proceeded to wash over her. He saw the trails of power coursing through her as her cultivation was clearly beyond even the realm of Skeletal Cultivation and was working on the advanced realms that lay beyond the mortal advancement phases. Yet, despite her obvious power, there was something holding her back from advancing further. A slight block, no not one, but multiple. Focusing his sight, Frank then quickly saw the problem. Tiny shrapnel fragments of dark energy coursed through her body. Whoom. Reaching out his sense, he noticed that while the shards themselves had taken hold of her body, they hadn¡¯t been allowed to take root, as she constantly kept her internal energies flowing around the dark masses. Pausing, Frank thought about offering to remove the sources, but then remembered the warnings offered by Dr. Evans. Warnings that he still needed more control or to be able to offer quicker healing solutions if he did attempt to heal. Still, it was clear that these shards of death energy that had been forced to be within the Captain were preventing her from achieving any more breakthroughs, at least for the time being. Then pausing, Frank felt out and realized that the Captain wasn¡¯t alone in this state, as almost all of the higher ranking officers had similar shards within their bodies. Now that he knew what to look for, the signs were obvious. Turning his head, he scanned the room and saw the traces of dark energy in each and every high ranking warrior. Pausing for a moment, Frank wondered how these people weren¡¯t being tracked as according to dark beasts they should stand out like a beacon. Frank was only partially attuned to death energy and therefor had to focus on the energy. Yet, Frank couldn¡¯t help but wonder how easy these cultivators would be to track by higher tiered monsters of the dark. Monsters that could likely keep track of noted enemies and avoid them at all costs. At least that was the impression that Frank got from his interaction with holding the Captain¡¯s hand. Then closing his eyes, he felt out and realized that the energy within the Captain was doing just that, sending out a mental warning to him. One that spoke of danger. Stay away, danger. Hearing the message, Frank opened his eyes wide as he realized that the dark energy did in fact have a message embedded in it. With that Frank began realizing that the higher leveled cultivators had been marked for a reason. For a moment he thought about trying to see if this warning was true for each of those infected. Honestly, Frank wished he had done the same for his time with Dr. Evans, though he doubted he was aware enough about the use of death energy back then to have been able to notice this subtle warning. Seeing his reaction, Captain Parinne asked with a slightly nervous look to her. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Tell me, ever since your injury,¡± Frank said, gesturing with his free hand to the spot on her right side where solidified dark energy had pierced and broken through her skin. ¡°Do you still get attacked by monsters?¡± At that, Captain Parrine stopped and stared at Frank as if he had somehow unearthed a hidden secret. That was until she answered with words that would shock not only Frank but all who were close enough to overhear the odd conversation that was going on. ¡°I¡­¡± Gentle breeze. But before Frank could hear her comment, that¡¯s when he felt the gentle breeze blow again. This time as the breeze blew, he could feel the dark energy within the various shards around the room all activate and seem to cry out all once. Danger, stay away. Chapter 35 Lets Dance Chapter 35 Let''s Dance Once again, the purple hair on Frank¡¯s head glowed brightly, not that he could tell. Though everyone of the dignitaries and military leaders immediately around Frank all turned to him, apparently attracted by his hair that was now standing on end and glowing brightly. ¡°Everything okay?¡± Yolinda asked. At that point Frank was about to respond that he was fine. But that was when others came forward, most to check out his glowing hair. But the closer they came, the more Frank felt ill at ease. Danger. With that Frank began using his Energy Sight, peered into the bodies of the high-ranking cultivators. Just as he expected he saw the clumps of dark energy right where the warnings seemed to emanate from. But this time there was something odd about the clumps, they seemed to be alive. Well not alive but vibrating. Further, they seemed to be upright, if that was a thing. Being fairly egg shaped and ovular, most of the clumps often appeared to Frank in a sideways position, but now they appeared to be vertical. An act that should be impossible, much like balancing an egg on anything other than its side. Yet, for whatever reason the vibrations from within the fragments all seemed to have awoken them and caused them to stand upright, with their smaller tip on top. Suddenly with everyone¡¯s gazes on him, he looked around, and then found Holsy, well James Holsy, still odd thinking that he has a first name. Locking gazes with James, he paused and then asked, ¡°can I speak to you real quick?¡± James for his part looked confused, but then shrugged and followed the normally silent kid to a back corner, away from most prying ears. Though it was hard to get away from everyone given the enhanced hearing of each and every cultivator in the place. Still, it felt a little easier only talking to James, versus telling what he was seeing and feeling to others. As he got back, he was about to talk, but then suddenly felt his throat dry up. ¡°You wanted to talk?¡± James Holsy asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± James began, then finally managing to swallow the lump that had been building in his throat, he began detailing what he had been feeling. ¡°It¡¯s about¡­¡± *** (An Hour Later) James Holsy arrived to hear that the music was already playing. As he got closer, he looked for the obvious signs. The first thing he looked for was the bright dark aqua blue hair of his date, the typical look of Captain Parinne, finding her was easy. Even in the somewhat darker atmosphere of the dancing hall, her hair seemed to glow with a majestic radiance that still set James¡¯ heart fluttering every time he saw her. The fact that they had both been in the same initial training year was not lost on him. What was lost on him however, was the fact that he waited so long to make his move. Only at the end of their training when the fear of missing out, or getting rejected would not be as hard to stomach did he ask. Then the worst thing happened, she agreed to go out with him, she even called him cute. But then he realize that he waited too long, and she was shipping out to the east, while he would be sent out to the west. That was his one regret, and that was honestly the moment that ultimately changed him. From that point on, he vowed never to let fear dictate his actions. Instead, he decided from that point onward that he would grab life by the horns and ride it out his way. Fate had also seemed to be supporting his inevitable reunion with the famed Captain, as his little sister was picked up by the Captain. While James Holsy would never leave the services of Vanguard, the person that he owed his life to at least twice over, he would not mind serving under Captain Perinne should conditions change. Which of course brought him to the game changer, his boy. The damned unicorn. Looking around he looked for the boy, his unicorn, only to then find him dancing on the floor. For a moment, rage filled James as he thought that the two that were dancing were too close, too intimate. It was a waltz or one of those other formal dances that requires the dancers to be too close. His feet were on autopilot towards the Captain, while he continued to watch the boy dance so closely with his sister. At least he thought it should be his sister, as that was who he was here with. Yet, as he looked, he quickly saw double. First, there was a person the exact silhouette of his sister next to the Captain. This revelation only caused further anger to fill James¡¯ mind as he then turned to his boy, only to see that he was dancing with some dark haired twin talented student. Even in a dimly lit room, his eyes quickly sought out the markings for rank, advancement and everything. As he drew closer, he could see his sister clearly sipping away at a beverage cup. ¡°Everything okay?¡± James asked, his words were to the two of them who were clearly watching Yolinda¡¯s dance partner performing a sensual dance with some random stranger. ¡°Yeah, just taking a break.¡± Yolinda replied, as she turned back and scanned her brother, then clearly noticed something in his gaze. ¡°Are you okay?¡± At that James paused then replied, ¡°well I just got done working on everything. But then I come back to see that your date is clearly putting the moves on someone else.¡± More than a little venom laced James¡¯ words. Synchronized chuckles. At his words the Captain and his sister both laughed in a form of synchronization harmony. This was the same way that birds would, or people that had spent so long together in a war time environment that they had an innate timing and cadence with their partnered individual. Hearing their obvious criticism of his thoughts, James paused. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Then just before James could say anything, it was the Captain who stepped in to explain. ¡°Relax James, your sister¡¯s date¡¯s integrity is still in tact. If anything, you should use this time to learn how to dance yourself.¡± ¡°What?¡± Was all James could manage to reply to that. ¡°Look at them, he is guiding her through the movements the way any good dance instructor would. ¡®Outside foot towards the hand, inside food catches. Pause. Then lean back.¡¯¡± As the Captain spoke, Frank and the dark haired beauty that he was with did just that. What had looked like synchronized movements of love was really just Frank being so smooth that he seemed to cover for his partner¡¯s lacking abilities. They strode three steps forward, then Frank took her into a backwards dip, one where Frank looked completely comfortable, though there did seem to be the slightest hesitation on the part of his partner. ¡°¡®Relax, I¡¯ve got you.¡¯ Also, one thing to point out is that they pass the paper test.¡± Captain Perinne stated, ¡°The paper test?¡± James asked, clearly never having heard of this before. ¡°Yeah, where you could slide a piece of paper between the two dancers at any point of their movement and be able to move the sheet around freely.¡± The Captain replied. With that James looked closer and saw that this was in fact the case. That other than their hands, their bodies remained an almost perfect distance from each other. A lot of this coordination clearly came from the heightened physical capabilities of the two awakened individuals. The rest seemed to come from just how naturally smooth and graceful Frank looked while on the dance floor. Just as James began to realize all of this, Yolinda paused, apparently noticing something. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s my cue,¡± Yolinda said, taking the rest of her cup of red liquid and downing it in one go. Then turning, she handed the empty cup to James. ¡°What?¡± Was all James could ask, before reflexively taking the plastic cup from his sister¡¯s hand. Then before James had time to realize what happened, Yolinda was already off, heading towards the dance floor, in a beeline for Frank. All James could do was stare in awe, as he moved forward to fill the void left by his sister¡¯s departure, while standing next to Captain Perinne. Even that simple movement, let his overly delicate sense of smell take in the odd assortment of perfumes that always seemed to come from the Captain, it was a scent of lilacs, vanilla extract, and something else. ¡°It would appear that your sister, is trying to make sure that her dance partner is not taken for this dance.¡± Captain Perinne stated, drawing James¡¯ attention away from the intoxicating smell of the Captain and towards the two dancers that were now on the stage. Seeing the way his sister unhesitatingly went over and tapped Frank¡¯s current dance partner on the shoulder, then proceeded to speak with the dark-haired interloper. After which the dark-haired interloper appeared to apologize, even bowing to James¡¯ sister before quickly excusing herself and walking away with a sort of nervous gate. ¡°What was that?¡± James asked. ¡°It seems that your sister has taken a fancy to your blind date for her.¡± The Captain said, her lips smiling coyly as her red lips seemed to all but dance seductively. Seeing the Captain, and realizing this was his chance to make a move, James moved in closer and was just about to ask the Captain for a dance when he heard the tempo of the new song. Dah-da-dah-da-dun-da, da-dun-da, da-duh-da. Hearing the unmistakable beat and rhythm of the fast paced song, James paused, realizing that this was not his chance to get close to the Captain. In fact, with such a fast paced song, James felt that no one could get that close. To his surprise, James even saw a few of the older dancers leave the stage, leaving the stage for only a few individual dancers, or those couples like Frank and Yolinda who just smiled brightly at each other as they began to take up dueling positions. Well if dueling positions involved smiles, looping arm hangs and having your back foot¡¯s heel in the air. Then as one, he watched as they both began to move in unison. There was an odd symmetry to their movements as their bodies and feet danced and slid around, while their arms pulsed forward and backwards seemingly at odds with he movement of their lower bodies. To James it all seemed to be unnecessary movements. James didn¡¯t get it, there was so much wasted movement, so much extra going on that seemed a bit excessive. Yet, when done in harmony with his sister matching the pace and movements, James could see the art of symmetry. For a second James thought about opening his mouth to express how he thought the two could do something else with their times, other than learn obscure dance movements. Fortunately, he was saved from making such a comment to the Captain, this was a mixture of common sense telling him to be quiet here, and the Captain actually choosing that moment to save him. ¡°This is why dance is so important,¡± Captain Perrine stated. ¡°What? Why?¡± James asked, wanting to hear the Captain¡¯s thoughts on this very subject. ¡°This is one of the few times when you can truly express your soul. So many cultivators think that just because they can move quickly and with seeming grace that they can dance. They can¡¯t, as dance is more than straight lines and attack vectors. In fact, that is why most girls hate coming to these dances, as most guys treat the activity as a battle, rather than an expression of the soul.¡± Captain Perinne stated, at that she turned to face James and stare at him. Shiver. In that stare there was a cold intensity, a fervor that almost demanded that he respond in kind. Locking gazes with her, James found himself asking, ¡°so this is why you opted to avoid most dances, instead focusing on being the reserve units deployed during these events?¡± Hearing that Captain Perinne paused, and then nodded. ¡°So if I learned to dance?¡± James began asking, but he was quickly cut off, as Captain Perinne took a step forward and got right within dancing distance of James. Then placing one hand seductively on his chest, she began to reply, ¡°I would have been here with you every step of the way seeing your soul on full display for everyone to see.¡± Badump, badump. Hearing the comments, and the feeling her warm hand on his chest, James could only feel more regret. This was a slightly deeper regret, one forged on possible futures missed, and times squandered. Then looking over at the body, at Frank, James looked at the movements and felt that he could copy the movements or at the very least get them close, with his rate of cultivation. ¡°Care to dance?¡± James asked, holding out his hand, only to realize that it still had the plastic drink container from his sister. Seeing the cup, James looked around quickly to find a trashcan nearby, which he promptly used and then came back. For a moment, he thought he had ruined the entire moment, though the slight smile that Captain Perinne was forcefully holding back told him that she had enjoyed the moment. With that, James got on the dance floor and tried to mirror the movements Frank had demonstrated. Though just like learning combative movements, there was one thing to know the movements and an entirely other factor of being able to perform the movements. Focusing on the movements, James tried to do a back heel slide, one of the base movements that Frank was now performing with his sister only to realize almost instantly that he had messed up, big time. SHREEK! There are times when cultivators have an amazing ability to use their supernatural strength and power to do amazing feats, like destroy boulders with a single punch. Or cut down large trees with a singular knife hand strike. There are also times when that added strength makes it so mundane tasks like dragging your foot on the ground and trying to appear smooth while doing so causes embarrassment. In James¡¯ case this embarrassment was caused by the ear squelching sound that his nicely polished shoes managed to scream out, as they were mercilessly dragged squealing across the smoothly polished floors. Fortunately, James was able to stop, but only after his action caused a wildly deafening sound to be heard and alert every cultivator in the area of a possible threat. Pause. There was a clear pause, as everyone stopped to stare at James. Well, two things didn¡¯t stop. First, the music fortunately was still playing on its final few seconds, and the other thing that saved James was the fact that while Frank and Yolinda both glanced in James¡¯ direction, neither of the two stopped their rhythmic dance with each other. Seeing their continued movement, and even the disapproving head shake from his little sister James could only feel somewhat embarrassed. Even Captain Perinne could only just stand there and look at him, though to James¡¯ great relief she just began smiling brightly as it seemed that she could no longer hold back her laughter. For a moment, James thought about breaking away and calling it quits, as that was what the old James would have done. Yet, seeing that the Captain was at least smiling, told James that he still had a chance. Smiling James decided to play up his mistake, ¡°so dance is an expression of the soul?¡± Dah-ha-ha-haa-ha. You know this is true. At that the song gracefully changed before James had to burn any more rubber from his awkward movements. This song was fortunately a lot slower, and one that required James to get intimately close with the Captain. ¡°Yeah, and your soul still seems to be that loud and awkward boy that I fell in love with all those years ago.¡± Captain Perinne stated. Badump, badump, badump. Hearing her, James paused almost inadvertently knocking knees with the Captain as he paused for just a moment too long. Only now did James realize that the Captain had taken both the lead in the conversation and the lead in the dance that they were both performing together. Then just as quickly as he paused, he moved to his correct position and finally began to speak a step later, ¡°wait you mean it?¡± Chuckle. As she laughed, the blue strands of the Captains hair began to glow in an oddly pulsing pattern. James remembered this, as this was something that he always found interesting while talking to the exotic beauty, the way her hair would seemingly pulse at random. ¡°What, you still don¡¯t understand the messages that I am sending?¡± She asked. At that, James looked at her, and her flashing hair and paused as he began to wonder. ¡°Are you trying to seduce me with your hair?¡± Chuckle. ¡°Oh, man, you are so stupid sometimes.¡± Captain Perinne stated, and was about to go on, but she was cut off. KABOOOM! A giant rumbling force shook the ground, causing the music system to cut out, and suddenly leaving a number of cultivators all in a confusion. Then the power began to fade, leaving only emergency lights and the hairs of the cultivators who had come from the lower levels to light up the area. Surprisingly there were quite a few in place. Glow. Just as everyone else was getting used to how low the level of light was, a giant burst of purple light began to shine. Turning towards the light, Frank looked around, and then seemingly relaxed when he caught sight of James. Seeing the look in his eyes, James paused, then asked the question that he had been hoping to avoid. ¡°Is it happening?¡± ¡°It¡¯s happening.¡± James confirmed. RUMBLE! Then like that, James felt the ground shake as what could only be described as a minor earthquake erupted around them. Chapter 36 After the Music Chapter 36 After the Music Squelch. The music ended, but more then that, there was a terrible feedback, a vibration of magic being set free. Death magic stones that had been painstakingly struck into the bodies of all the most powerful cultivators present suddenly began vibrating and pulsing. At first the messages were simple, danger, stay away. But ever since the stones awoke, or became activated, sitting in their upright position, they had gone crazy. Well for a time, as it seemed that each stone was awoken, set to an active state, and then left. Frank for his part told the only person he trusted with this kind of information. This was also the only person who could remotely believe him when he said the crazy information that he had passed. ¡°You wanted to talk?¡± James Holsy had asked. That¡¯s when James had told him about the stones, how they were warning him to stay back, but that the stones had done something crazy. ¡°That¡¯s it, they are now standing upright?¡± Holsy asked, his voice a bit incredulous. Frank for his part had a hard time explaining the difference between the stones of now, and the stones from before. ¡°You don¡¯t get it; it seems like they have been activated. That their state now will slowly drain away their residual power and will eventually cause them to be dormant, meaning there will not be any residual power left within them.¡± Frank stated, trying to show the problem. ¡°But, isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡± Holsy had asked. Honestly, that is what Frank too would have thought, but he just shook his head. ¡°Normally, yes, in fact, I think I know how it was activated like this to begin with,¡± Frank said, thinking back to the time when he instinctively used this same Death Energy against his long-time rival Luther Camello. Now feeling the energy frequency again, he felt more than confident that he could mirror that, and likely set the dormant stones to this seemingly active and wasteful state. Yet, that wasn¡¯t the point of this warning. ¡°Oh good, so you could do this to others and safely bleed away the energy?¡± Holsy asked. ¡°No, well yes I could, but you seem to be missing the point.¡± ¡°What point?¡± ¡°The fact that all of these dormant energy nodes all coming alive and active at one time hints that there is likely something larger at hand.¡± Frank stated. ¡°What? Like what?¡± Holsy asked, but then after pausing for a second, he realized ¡°wait does this have to do with why your hair was all glowing?¡± ¡°Probably?¡± Frank asked, reaching up to touch his hair, wondering if his hair had in fact been glowing. ¡°All right, I¡¯ll go take care of it.¡± Holsy said. That was it, eight words used to signify that the world would be safe from danger. After that Frank began dancing, he met a few nobles who he slowed down to dance at their pace and style. Then he even met a fairly attractive raven-haired girl who sounded familiar somehow, but he couldn¡¯t quite place her. To be fair, with the dark lighting everyone had a bit of anonymity to their facial features. Then he got to dance with Yolinda, not only was she attractive, but she could move. Their feet and bodies seemed to move as one, in what had to be the most fun he had ever had in a dance. With that, it should have come as no surprise that what would happen immediately after was quite possibly the worst thing. No, not Holsy having a burn out with his shoes by dragging the opposite foot of the one he was supposed to keep still. Instead that served as just a minor laugh that he and Yolinda both shared with a smile and a knowing shake of the head. Instead, the true issue came from the fact that almost immediately after that song, when he was about to finally get a slow dance with Yolinda, that is when danger struck. The tension was slow at first, almost like being downstream from a broken dam. First, he felt the flood of energy being released all at once. Then just as his body and hair recognized and reacted to the threat by glowing brightly, that was when the lights and sound abruptly cut off, leaving only dim emergency lights. Well dim emergency lights and the glowing hair of those from the underground slums, like him and a few others. ¡°What is happening?¡± Yolinda asked, her eyes shooting up to see Frank¡¯s hair standing on end. Then just when Frank was about to say that he didn¡¯t know, he first felt the pulse, then he heard the warning. ¡°Impact in ten, nine, eight, seven¡­¡± In horror Frank could only look around to all the powerful cultivators. Seeing them, and their recently activated death nodes, Frank saw that they were now not only standing upright, but were beginning to shake and vibrate violently. At that, Frank didn¡¯t know what exactly was happening, nor how to fully stop it. Instead, all he did was close his eyes and react. His mind went on instinct, trying to prevent the clear danger that was present all around. Without even thinking, without even pausing to contemplate how dangerous of an action he was taking, he acted. Mentally, he reached out, finding all the dark little voids of energy that were in the various cultivators nearby. Voids that were slowly poisoning the cultivators even now. Then once he had as many as he could find and feel, he grabbed ahold of them, all of them and then pulled. ¡°AHH!¡± Cultivators with bodies as hard as iron felt their insides being ripped apart by the tiny dark shards that Frank grabbed and yanked with violent force. Gurgling chocking. ¡°What the?¡± Was what some managed, while others began choking on blood, though even now their heightened healing from cultivation was already kicking in helping to seal what would normally be a life threatening wound. Then before anyone could react violently to Frank¡¯s blatant provocation, the count down finally ended. Stolen story; please report. ¡°Three, two, one.¡± Then at one, all the freely floating shards that had been activated, and all of the still lodged shards on the people that were too far away for Frank to accurately grab and pull all exploded. Boom-pop-pow. For those that still had the chunks still lodged within their body, the explosions were violent and chaotic. As painful as they were getting ripped out, that was still a singular point of exit that would be healed quickly by most cultivators, even if slightly annoying to do so. As for those that Frank couldn¡¯t get to, those that were not near the dance floor, their level of damage was far more severe. Many looked like they had miniature grenades detonate within their bodies. Worse, the residual death energy had a corrosive like effect on the bloody wounds that were formed, causing even more damage and necrosis to occur. The attack wasn¡¯t limited to the cultivators here at the dance either, as all around the base, tremors from explosions could also be heard and felt. For a moment, Frank wondered why the effects didn¡¯t take hold on him. Though he realized that it likely had to do with the fact that he constantly cycled his death energy, never letting it gain a single foothold for the corruption to take root. Given that he was so adamant about cycling his death energy, the commands, those to weaponize the stagnant death energy shards within his body never had a chance to work on him. Only now, after having time to realize everything did the sensations that he had been feeling and experiencing finally begin to make sense. Unfortunately, this was not the time for self-reflection. As even now, he could feel the dark commands calling to him, telling him what was to come. ¡°Move out, free our imprisoned brethren and destroy the polluted.¡± By now, people had already begun to panic, as most were running everywhere, frantically clogging arteries and bleeding infected wounds with their hands. That or trying to get to their friends to help them. Those that Frank had managed to save, well only cause minor injuries from pulling out the activated shards were already heading out to help others. ¡°They are coming!¡± Frank shouted, scanning the area, then finally seeing a blue body on the ground Frank saw that James Holsy was fine, though he was with Captain Perinne who was clutching at her side. Though Frank knew for a fact that she would be fine, as she was one of the people that he was certain he managed to pull the activated shard from. For his part, Holsy had not been infected, which was almost surprising. ¡°What do we do?¡± Yolinda asked. At that, Frank felt his mind take over. ¡°Tell Holsy to tell the others that it has started. That what I warned him about is starting now.¡± Frank said, then pointed towards Holsy who was kneeling over Captain Perrine who was just staring with large doe eyes at Holsy. ¡°Got it,¡± Yolinda said, then ran off. With that Frank suddenly found himself alone. But, he realized that this was his chance to prove himself, he was also a healer after all. ¡°ANYONE NEEDING Medical Attention come here!¡± Frank yelled at first, but then found that he was able to get everyone to stop screaming, at least in his immediate vicinity, and that was all that mattered. Then Frank began healing. He focused on the method of triage, sorting by those that were least injured, AKA those that he had managed to pull the dark energy clumps from first. Those that had been in his immediate area. ¡°Thank you, what do you need me to do?¡± The first person that Frank healed asked. ¡°Start a line, get others to come. Least injured first, as we are about to go to war.¡± Frank said, as he was already finding the trivial wounds on the next cultivator who also only had one line in and out. Fortunately, with this, it was just like healing a stab wound, well a stab wound in reverse. Then if there were any remaining death energy signatures, Frank would absorb them as well. This still increase in his dark energy to life energy absorption threw off his normal balance that he had been striving for, but in this moment, he didn¡¯t think that mattered. Instead, all he did was focus on drawing out the death energy, while healing the wounds, rinse and repeat. Within minutes, Frank had managed to heal all of the closest cultivators, somewhere in his mad shuffle he even healed Captain Perinne, though to be fair he only vaguely noticed the Captain by her hair, and even then it was only after she was fully healed. Frank moved wobbly, trying to reach for the next patient, but then was gently guided to the ground. ¡°Stay, you¡¯ve done enough.¡± Captain Perinne said, her strong hand pushing Frank down. Frank normally would be able to resist such an act, particularly as the cultivator in quest was not actually exerting any of her Qi behind the gesture. But still, he couldn¡¯t find anything more than a token resistance to the method. Looking around, he still saw that there were other healers who were also working, though their efforts were mostly futile as they were having to first grow out, or remove necrotized skin and then begin healing. ¡°Bring them here,¡± Frank said, finally admitting that he shouldn¡¯t get up any more. Even now he could almost feel the dirt and grime of the dance floor, along with blood and viscera seeping into his nice uniform, but he didn¡¯t object to staying put. Instead, he just wanted the others to come to him. ¡°You have done enough, more than enough. Take a breathe.¡± The Captain stated. Blurry vision. Frank tried to shake his head, but found that this was not the best of ideas as he quickly found the world swirling about him. ¡°No, I need to clean out the necrotized energy first, then the healing will be faster.¡± Frank said, then pointed towards the way the other healers that were still slow on their own had gobs of dark and decayed flesh by them. Seeing that, Frank could see the Captain mentally calculate what was happening before standing up, scanning the area and then coming up with a plan. WOLF-WHISTLE! Captain Perinne placed her pointer finger and her pinky finger in her mouth and then managed to release an ear shattering whistle that Frank could only be jealous of. ¡°New plan. All those first injured come here to our Dark Energy expert to have their wounds disinfected. Healers, you will then take those that have been cleansed and patch them up until they are able to walk away. We are not looking for anything perfect, just for people to survive.¡± Silence. After a second the Commander continued, ¡°any questions?¡± More Silence. For a moment Frank wondered if they too were just as enamored with the wolf whistle as he was. Maybe it had some type of hypnotic effect? Thinking back that was an effect of water users, being able to take and bounce sound waves long distances so they are heard like normal. Was that what she was doing? Frank thought to himself, his tired mind getting more than a little lost at the moment. Clap! At that, with no one objecting Captain Perinne just clapped her hands loudly and nodded. ¡°Okay, make it happen. Healers to my left. Injured begin the healing line to my right on Cadet Fotos here.¡± Then with that people started moving. A few of those that could move on their own went over to Frank, who quickly grabbed the residual death energy and then gestured for them to move on. With this, Frank slowly felt himself become more awake, as if slowly sipping caffeinated drinks. This was a delicacy of the top layers that he was quickly finding the appeal of, as they seemed to awaken parts of the mind that were otherwise closed, except during times of intense cultivation. Everyone had a job. Yolinda ended up becoming Frank¡¯s personal assistant, a fact that he couldn¡¯t help but smile as he waited for her to guide the next person towards him. Or if he needed a moment, a quick hands up would let her know to slow down the cadence between patients. Somewhere in the middle of this, Captain Perinne was given a communicator that allowed her to more easily tag and direct traffic. ¡°You two, go out and help with the reinforcements.¡± Captain Perinne would say as she tabbed two of the first people that Frank healed to head out. At first there almost seemed like there would be an issue, but then they saw her and her still white uniform and just nodded. At this point, even pulling the residual death energy from patients was becoming sort of mechanical. Though to be honest, Frank was more than happy that he was forced to stay inside. While he might have experience in near death events, fighting the monsters that were even now storming the base seemed to be something Frank was not mentally capable of. It was at this point that Frank also looked down and saw that the other healers that were still working also wore the same exact white uniform that Captain Perinne and Yolinda sported. During this time Frank also noted how staff members in similar white uniforms ran about gathering boxes and distributing them to the healers that were still on healing duty. Those that went to go and gather the equipment and needed cleaning supplies, along with those that ended up cleaning up after the different healers were called runners. At least that is what Frank thought they were called when they were being ordered around. ¡°Runner go get this.¡± ¡°Runner clean up the mess here.¡± ¡°Runner, gather all of this necrotized flesh and burn it in the pits.¡± Everything and anything was done by the runners, and Captain Perinne was in charge of making sure everything went smoothly and that the places were cleaned out periodically. In fact, given the rank gap between the Captain and those around, Frank almost wondered why Generals, Colonels, and the like would stop and listen to the Captain. Then it suddenly made sense, that if this was a healing unit, or a unit that specialized in combat healing, then of course people would get out of their ways as they knew what they were doing for this particular instance. ¡°I¡¯ve got the last one?¡± A female runner said, holding up what was clearly a hermetically sealed box. ¡°Give that to Cadet Fotos over there,¡± Captain Perinne stated, while gesturing to Frank. Pausing for a moment, the runner looked at her Captain, then with a questioning voice asked, ¡°to the Cadet?¡± ¡°Yes, to the Cadet.¡± Captain Perinne answered almost annoyed. ¡°Mam, you know this is the regulation sized ration right?¡± ¡°I am fully aware. I also realize that this is a half ration pack in your hand, and I would like to point out that Cadet Fotos is already on the second realm of cultivation.¡± Captain Perinne noted. ¡°Second realm, so he what?¡± The runner asked, clearly wondering something deeper. ¡°He clearly needs that packet and for you to stop asking me questions Sergeant .¡± ¡°Right.¡± Then with that, the Runner came over and opened up the satchel where she looked like she was about to tell what everything was. ¡°I¡¯ve got it Sergeant,¡± Yolinda stated. The runner looked at Yolinda, and almost looked like he wanted to tell her off. ¡°What are you doing?¡± But before he could get too far in his inquiry, the Captain cut him off. ¡°Sergeant , if you are done delivering the supplies, perhaps you can go out and tell us exactly how the battle is going?¡± ¡°Not good,¡± Frank replied, though only after a moment did he realize that everyone was looking at him. ¡°What do you mean, not good? We have them at a stalemate, and they seem close to pulling back.¡± Captain Perinne stated. At that Frank just shook his head. ¡°No, they are getting closer,¡± Frank replied. ¡°How close?¡± Yolinda asked. Rumble. At that, the far wall of the complex began to collapse in on itself, as a wave of giant death infested rodents began tearing their way through the far wall. Chitter. Hearing their sounds, Frank¡¯s mind went back to that dark time when he was fighting for survival within the confines of the abandoned tunnels of his home. Hearing them, and feeling the surge of dark energy rising, Frank replied honestly. ¡°Really close.¡± Then he watched as the beasts began to charge forward, corrupting teeth trying to dig into and bite at each and every disabled enemy. It was the perfect trap, set up a decoy unit outside, while a surging unit burrowed down deep to bypass security measures and then strike at the enemy where they were the weakest. Fortunately for Frank, he was already feel the surge of an abundance of death energy. Also, after feeling the way different ways death energy could be used, Frank felt invigorated. Jumping to his feet, Frank held out his hand and fought back. The all too familiar burn of death energy coursed out of his hands as he began his own counterattack. Chapter 37 The Warmup Chapter 37 The Warmup Chittering. There was an unmistakable sound of rodents coming up from underground. This was a sound that he often heard at night in his dreams. The sound of rats chewing and gnawing. These dreams, or rather nightmares, came from his time when he first began his path of cultivation. At that time, he only had to work with rodents that were not corrupted, and had not had their consciousness consumed by the dark energy that seemed to bind all corrupted creatures. In a way these rodents should be scarier. They were larger, faster, and above all stronger than the rodents that Frank faced when he fought and clawed his way desperately up from the depths of the slums to ultimately emerge here on the surface. This whole ordeal should be frightening, in fact, many of the powerful cultivators around Frank were frightened themselves. Shrieking. A few of the female cultivators and even many of the male cultivators that had stayed back in what apparently became the sick bay for the ongoing strike against the campus were frightened. Some by the fact that they now had to face an unexpected threat with unknown numbers who seemingly sprung up from right behind them. As no one except for Frank seemed to be able to see or feel their approach. This was odd for Frank as he assumed that with so many high-level cultivators about that they clearly felt the tremors of the ground and the dark miasma of energy that was lurking just below them. Yet, for all intents and purposes everyone seemed to have been caught off guard by their sudden and rapid appearance. This was fine for Frank, as he was already over bursting with dark energy. Having spent the better part of the past two hours working on extracting the remaining poisonous energy from the bodies and infected limbs of others, before being allowed to pass off the wounded individual to the next leg of the process where they would then be healed. It was a smooth process and one that seemed to tax Frank less than using the remainder of his dwindling life energy for healing. Instead, the loss of life energy was paid by the senior healers of the unit his date, Yolinda, had been assigned to. This meant that while Frank had a sizable portion of his life energy left, especially as he used parts of his downtime to refill his energy reserves from the package that was provided to him by the different runners of the healing unit. Frank still had an overwhelmingly disproportionate reserve of dark energy available to him. Energy that Frank either must burn off, or possibly risk using to advance to the next layer of cultivation with most of his energy being provided by death energy. While he was certain that one unbalanced level shouldn¡¯t cause too many problems, Frank knew that if he experienced any problems with his cultivation that he and he alone would be forced to solve the problem. While this would likely mean that he would just have to listen to what his body was telling him more, it would still be unneeded pressure that he didn¡¯t want or need right now. Fortunately, the sudden surge of death energy infused rodents gave Frank just the outlet he needed for all of his cumulated energy. Focusing on the giant rodents and feeling their energy, Frank focused and with just a slight application of counter pressure to the way the dark energy was cycling within the beasts, he felt it. There was a spark, a sharp connection of energy as his mind linked to the energy of the beasts. This was a task that was slightly tougher than dealing with the death energy that was flowing within zombies. By comparison, the zombies had stagnant energy that was not controlled. This was due to the fact that zombies themselves did not have true control over their bodies and minds. Only as time went on and their minds began to link to the power, or maybe the power began to reactivate the dormant brains of the zombies did true sentience seem to spark. By comparison, corrupted beasts were truly sentient from the beginning until the end. This meant that the energy within corrupted beasts was constantly being cycled and used naturally, meaning the energy in a moving living creature was more than twice as volatile as the energy one would find in a zombie or other corrupted corpse that was left to wither and rot. All this was to say that when Frank reached out to work with the death energy within the corrupted rodents, there was resistance. Had this been the start of the night, Frank would have been completely unable to interact with or even deal with the energy in any meaningful way. Yet, Frank had spent the entire night seeing and feeling the pulses of dark energy going around the base. He felt the way the monsters coordinated themselves by sending thoughts and suggestions through the energy. The way they made all solid chunks of dark energy receivers. These chunks would be what most cultivators would refer to as cores, but they were slightly different in this case. For Frank, the cores served as compact spheres that were designed to capture incoming dark energy pulses. Pulses that Frank now knew how to transmit, or at least how standard pulses would see and feel. As a simple comparison, it was almost like all Life and standard cultivation frequencies were vertical, while the different Death energies were horizontal, bad comparison as this was not entirely accurate, but it was as close to what Frank could mentally comprehend at the moment. Still it was this thought of waves that Frank used to first find the broadcast frequency, then mirroring it with his own thoughts, he focused his mind and sent out his own counter command. ¡°STOP!¡± With the word, Frank called upon thoughts of danger. From his memory he pulled up images of the giant death serpent that he fought with and killed when he first began cultivating. He remembered its wide mouth, and the way it seemingly crouched as it waited for Frank to fall into its outstretched maw. Focusing on that thought, Frank sent that same thought and mental image to the rodents as he shouted out the dark command. Silence. An eerie calm swept over the place as everyone, cultivator and rodent alike both paused and stared at Frank as he apparently managed to convey the same threat of enemies to them as well. With the brief moment of pause, Frank nodded to himself, as he then began his next step. Focusing on one of the larger rodents that was right in front of Frank¡¯s eyesight, Frank focused and then quickly found the core of the creature. Focusing on the core, Frank reached out with his mind and did something that was very dangerous. Something that everyone is told to never do, unless they are a trained expert helping with a breakthrough. Even then the effects are often dangerous. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Frank focused on the dark core of the beast, and then tweaking the provided energy slightly Frank began to pump energy directly into the stationary beast¡¯s core. The tweak of energy was subtle, as he applied the energy of the hooded Warlock to the creature, rather than its customary energy of the Dark Queen. The switch was subtle, and the equivalent of providing excess Water Energy to an Air Cultivator. A dark pulse of death energy entered the beast, which the beast began cultivating and trying to purify within its body. Frank watched as the slightly thinner dark energy of the hooded Warlock entered the beast¡¯s body where it was spun about and then cycled through the core of the beast. Then once the energy flooded into the beast¡¯s core, there was a shattering sound as the beast suddenly began to tremble. Then one more cycle of through, caused the alternate energy to tear apart the beast¡¯s meridians, forcing the dark energy to run wild. At this point, Frank who never let up on his gentle stream of applied energy grabbed the now free flowing dark energy, energy that was the same as zombies would have and executed his final stage of his attack. BURST! There was the first explosion, as one beast¡¯s wild and chaotic energy was released, causing blood, bone, and most importantly altered energy to be released to the immediate area. This caused a cascading wave of energy as more and more nearby creatures were hit by the foreign energy. Energy that their bodies instinctively tried to cultivate and utilize. Unfortunately for the giant sized rodents, their bodies and simple minds were unable to adapt to the new energy as quickly as required. As their bodies took int the poisonous energy and began trembling as well, a sign that their bodies were no longer under the beast¡¯s control. For a micro-second Frank wondered if this is what he went through when he first experienced the pain of different energy particles entering and tearing apart his body. Over time he had adapted and found that the green energy motes were the best, but he had been able to fix any damage caused by the other energy sources that he had also tried to process. With that thought, Frank worried about future rodents, ones that were immune to this subtle shift in energy. Rodents that would not be stopped by this simple attack. With that thought in mind, Frank began Detonating the loose clusters of dark energy within the different rodents. KAMBOOM! More rodents simultaneously exploded, while sending even more shards of corrupted energy out to the remaining nearby enemy rodents. Only once the core had been shattered and there were a few minor lacerations in the meridians of the beast would Frank be able to detonate the free-flowing dark energy. The minute the energy was no longer being cycled within the body was the moment it became chaotic and deadly to not only the beast but to the surrounding areas as well. These were all thoughts that Frank had been piecing together for a while, but it was only now in combat that suddenly everything began to make sense. Only now did Frank realize how poisonous death energy was, even to creatures who normally use death energy to sustain themselves. Knowing what was now required of him. Frank silently turned to see that Yolinda and Captain Perinne were both there watching on in shock. Knowing that those two were there for him, Frank decided to trust his team. As soon as he made eye contact with both Yolinda and the Captain he nodded his head once, then before waiting for any sign of confirmation he turned his head forward, as he began completing the process that he started. BOOM, BA-BOOM, BOOM! The blasts and shockwaves of the different rodents began to increase in intensity and tempo. This was when Frank had to be quick, as the next wave of the creatures would only pause for a second before they became vulnerable to his combustion strikes. For the first time since coming to the surface, Frank finally understood what it meant to fight as a team. With Yolinda and the Captain by his side, he knew that all he had to do was focus on the enemy before him, as those two would take care of everything else. Which was what Frank needed most at this moment, the ability to focus on one threat and only one threat. *** (Yolinda Holsy) Yolinda could only look on in shock at what her date was now doing. She had heard her brother talk about the boy, about how he was fearless and quiet. Two things that Yolinda was not accustomed to in the world of cultivation. Having been the prominent children of Legacies, that is high ranking parents and grandparents in the military, it was expected that James and Yolinda both would go on to do great things with their careers. Also, there had been more than one great talent who for whatever reason never seemed to meet the needs or expectations of their perceived potential. This was why Yolinda had been at first skeptical about the boy her brother had found. That skepticism was soon disproven when she saw the boy dancing and striding his way out of Death Row of all places. In what clearly had to be a gimmick, the entire thing seemed like a recruitment movie on steroids. Basically, you take a fifteen-year-old, throw him in with hardened criminals who were too powerful to kill outright, and too dangerous to let loose into society and leave them out on an island in a sea of zombies and other corrupted beasts. Then you normally wait for them to break down and cry and finally give into whatever demand the military had for them, or let them die. Only those that had never been up to the surface before took their chances. This was what Yolinda thought when her brother first forwarded her the link to the livestream. Bro: Hey, this is the Unicorn I was talking about. Cultivator.Lykanthropy/DeathRowLiveLink/#1 Just seeing the link, Yolinda knew that it was a snuff video, or a human suffering video. As Yolinda thought that the state of the prisons was terrible and that the way prisoners were treated was both inhumane, but a necessary evil. How else would you expect cultivators to be forced to remain civil and fear breaking the laws, without dire consequences. While Yolinda fully understood the world she was in, she did dislike a few things, which was why she refused to watch the poor boy suffer. It wasn¡¯t until her Captain told her about the video the next day that she actually watched the remarkable escape and survival of the boy. Then when her brother mentioned that this same boy would be her dance partner if she got her Captain to attend the Military ball, well her Captain fully agreed. Particularly as she saw this as a great recruitment drive for the boy. Yolinda herself thought that this too was a great time to show the importance of their medical team and how they respond to pressure. At first, Frank looked like he would be a natural fit, seamlessly going straight to helping fix and heal injured soldiers without even batting an eye. Yolinda herself felt completely lost at first, but then soon found herself acting as Frank¡¯s attendant, signaling to the Captain and runners what Frank¡¯s status was. She was also the one who helped control the flow of patients to Frank so he didn¡¯t get overwhelmed. Everything looked like he would be a perfect fit for the Combat Medical Support wing, and that it was a done deal. No one could argue with his value with being able to remove dark energy from people, before then healing them. It was perfect, they would prove to him and the world that the next best healer would be part of their team, and that a team like her brothers, a front-line combat recon team would not be the ideal location for someone of his talents. That was of course until the ambush happened. Everyone who was fully combat certified, like her brother, had already been sent out to support the incoming waves of corrupted beasts that were attacking in a clearly coordinated effort. This was why, other than the members of the Combat Medic team and their assigned runners, everyone else was forced to leave and assist with maintaining the base as quickly as possible. Thus the surprise attack right at the heart of their compound was a stroke of genius. And likely would have meant a quick end to combat, or at least the Combat Medic team. Of course, this was assuming that someone like Frank wasn¡¯t there. He was the first to notice the ambush, alerting even the Captain of the incoming danger. Then just when the surprise attack looked like it was going to succeed and swallow the forces whole, Frank said one word. ¡°Stop!¡± Then to everyone¡¯s surprise the monsters did just that. After which he held out his hand and obliterated the first rodent. There was no other word to describe the attack, one second there was a giant corrupted rodent, then the next it trembled slightly, before shattering to pieces and impaling other rodents nearby with its blood and bones. This was when Frank just raised up his other hand and then two rodents exploded, followed by more. After the first wave had been dealt with, Frank turned his stare directly at Yolinda. Shiver. There was an electrical pulse of power in his stare. Seeing his intensity, Yolinda felt something ignite within her. Then he just nodded before turning back to face the rodents. Seeing him turn, Yolinda noticed the slight relaxation that staring at Yolinda caused him, as his shoulders visibly relaxed as he began destroying the rodents that were now surging from the hole. As the first wave that had stopped was no more, and now the next wave was coming forward to fill the gaps, but Frank was already working and taking care of the next waves just as quickly as they appeared. BOOM, KABOOOM! Blood and viscera splattered everywhere. Looking down Yolinda couldn¡¯t help but notice that blood covered her normally pristine white uniform, but that was nothing new. No what was new was the way everyone else seemed to stare at Frank. At this point, Yolinda understood why her brother had called dibs, and why he though the cadet who clearly had a basic understanding of healing would be a front-line fighter with him. The kid, no her date, was amazing. For a moment, Yolinda thought that the worst thing to come was the fact that she would have to work with Captain Perinne to get others to ignore the obvious combat capabilities of Frank and get him solely certified as a combat healer. Of course, that line of thinking only lasted until phase two of the enemy assault began. RUUUMMMBBBBLLLLEEE! Then just like that the hole that the enemy used to send the burrowing rodents was filled by the next wave of enemies. ¡°Whoa.¡± Clamor. At this, many of the remaining cultivators all seemed to tremble in fear at the next enemy that even Yolinda could feel emerging from the open crater in the ground. ¡°Oh no,¡± was all Yolinda could think, as the true enemy showed themselves. FWOOSH! Like that a giant creature shot out from the hole and towered over twenty feet in the air. Seeing the creature Yolinda could only stare on in horror at the creature that was akin to a nightmare. A creature so infamous with death that the only description of the beast came from survivors who witnessed the creatures in action from hundreds of meters away and began running to safety immediately. Then giving name to the creature of myth, one of the older cultivators with a giant chest wound still being healed called out. ¡°Devourer!¡± Chapter 38 The Devourer Chapter 38 The Devourer To say that the Devourer was enormous would be an understatement. The long-overgrown earthworm like creature was imposing. As it easily hovered over twenty feet up in the air. The fact that it was able to hold its body up vertically for over twenty feet indicated that at least forty or more feet were anchoring its massive weight under the ground. This was a fact that Frank could personally attest to, as the creature seemed to stretch on for a few dozen feet or so, before it finally began to fade away. Even then, the Devourer seemed to barely be able to push its way through the widened hole created by the rodents who could seemingly devour everything with their unrelenting maws. Wits sudden appearance, it even managed to squeeze out the last few rodents that were apparently taking too long for their turn to exit. This left a Devourer, a monster of dread and slime as the primary opponent with a few other large rodents left to contend with as well. Focusing on the massive beast, Frank noticed a few things. First, the creature was quite possibly an overgrown earthworm. That or one that looked to be what would happen if an earthworm found death energy and learned to simultaneously survive while devouring more dark energy crystals in the ground and slowly growing larger while never dying. The thing was massive, and seemed to ripple with dark slime oozing out of its pores. Just looking at the monster, it was clear that this beast had somehow managed to cultivate through multiple realms. How, or rather why a monster of this size and power would follow the orders of the Dark Queen, or rather one of the minions of the Dark Queen was beyond Frank. All he knew was stuff from record books. This was one of the original world enders that had somehow survived the original purge. Likely as this one either managed to hide down in the deep unclaimed corrupted lands, or somehow the dark army had learned to recreate these creatures. Fortunately for Frank, this creature appeared to be alone, as no others seemed to follow. In fact, behind this creature was nothing but mildly corrupted lands. Lands that would need to be cleansed but would not be usable by either the corrupted or humans for a while. ¡°Don¡¯t get near it, the slime will cause the rot. Only hit it with long range attacks. All healers, and patients still needing care fall back.¡± Captain Perinne shouted, her commands creating order during chaos. People who had been running away, suddenly turned back to either grab at a disabled or otherwise vulnerable soldier and carry or drag them away as needed. This was important as it mean that the field was quickly being cleared, that allowed Frank to focus on what was happening around him. For starters it was clear that other than being able to move upwards and out in a radius the movement of the giant worm-like creature was slow. That or it could only go on the semi-corrupted land that the rodents had already desecrated while chewing their way through the stone marble floor. Frank figured that this lack of wishing to move likely had something to do with the amount of dark slime that coated the creature. This meant that logically trying to dry out the creature was likely a way to eliminate the creature. In fact, that was how some geomancers managed to some of these during the first wars for humanity. As Geomancers created salt flats that would dry up and eventually strip away the protective outer layer of the beast. Of course, those same geomancers then had to deal with the insides of the beast, but that was a lot easier as the slime also seemed to have mild healing properties for the worm. In fact, if a deep enough cut was created, and enough slime was present, it was highly likely that a second Devourer could be created from the excised mass. After the slime was gone, the easiest noted way of dealing with the creature was to then burn away the inner shell which was allegedly highly flammable after a certain threshold was met. That said, the energy of the giant worm beast was too violent and chaotic to be affected by anything Frank did or could do. Even trying to input energy that was of a different frequency was met with minimal reaction. RAAWWWW! In fact, after hitting the beast with the same beam that he had been using on the giant rodents, all he did was seem to annoy the oversized beast. Seeing the fact that Frank¡¯s outstretched hand and directed energy at the Devourer only seemed to enrage the beast as it reached back and began calling forth a stream of volatile dark energy, Frank could only duck. ¡°Run!¡± Captain Perinne shouted, grabbing and pulling both Frank and Yolinda out of the way of the intense burst. Even with his superior attributes, it seemed that the Captain was at a whole other level. SIZZLE! Corrosive dark slime sprayed out, striking the ground where Frank and Yolinda had just been standing a moment ago, Frank¡¯s last patient long since managed to be removed from the area. With that, all that was left was a giant pool of burning corrosive slime that seemed like would burn straight to Hell if given time. Then seeing the cultivators running, the remaining few rodents began to charge and chase those that were fleeing. As they ran, Frank noticed an odd occurrence. Most of the rodents avoided the stream by any means possible. But one that was clearly injured from the earlier extermination efforts stumbled and shambled as chunks of bone pierced its body. This shambling caused the creature to first get close and then stumble entirely into the pool of corrosive slime. FWOOSH! The instant the injured rodents came into contact with the slime, there was an instant reaction as the dark energy of the rodent mixed with the much denser and more volatile energy of the slime, before catching fire and igniting in a brilliant burst. This gave Frank an idea. Seeing how powerful the Captain was, he realized there might be a way to kill two enemies at the same time. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Focusing on the still charging rodents, those that were not so injured as to fall into the burning pit, Frank held out his left hand and injected them with the now destructive beam of dark energy. Stun. Instantly the rodents that Frank had targeted began to stand still, as their bodies began trembling and shaking violently as waves of energy coursed through the creatures. ¡°Wait, can you throw those rodents into the Devourer?¡± Frank ask, his voice causing the Captain who had been in a mad sprint to stop, turn and focus on the enemies behind her. Enemies that were now stationary. Well everything but the Devourer, who now that its entry point was clear began fighting and wiggling slowly, like an obese creature trying to wedge their way through a spot that is too tight. Which was exactly what was happening in this case. The Devourer twisted, struggled and seemed to try to suck in, as it forced inch after inch of its overlarge body to forcefully crawl through the hole it arrived in. This was a slow process, but one that the creature looked more than capable of doing, particularly as no one remained behind to offer any resistance to its arrival. Seeing the creature, and realizing that if this creature managed to get free of the confines that now held it, the entire base¡¯s security would at risk, Captain Perinne paused and placed the two cadets down. Well one cadet, and one junior officer that was more of a younger sister than anything to the Captain. Looking back at the creatures that were slowly twitching, convulsing, and ultimately collapsing to the ground, Captain Perinne asked, ¡°what¡¯s the plan?¡± ¡°Grab them, and throw them as close as you can to the Devourer.¡± Frank said. Hearing the plan, Captain Perinne just paused and looked at the boy like he was mental. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all I need from you,¡± Frank replied, a bit defensive. ¡°Okay,¡± was all Captain Perinne said, then trusting in the boy¡¯s instincts, she did just as requested. Running forward, she grabbed the first rodent by its jaw then flipping it over on its back, she hurled the beast forward. Being as this was the beast that was the farthest away, and that the creature was un-aerodynamic the creature landed a few feet away and ultimately bounced twice before rolling to its final resting spot, right at the base of the giant worm creature. In all, Captain Perinne looked somewhat disappointed with the toss, even though she had managed to throw the creature a good hundred feet or so easily. Then with the final bouncing and rolling it went a total of close to one hundred and thirty feet. Not bad, especially with the slight way the rodent quivered in the air and seemed to try to resist the toss. Yet, that was enough, as Frank used the moment that it finally rolled to a stop at the base of the Devourer trying to exit the hole to Detonate the loose death energy. BOOM! SHRIEEEK! With the explosion, the Devourer cried out violently. Quickly a dark flame was seen for a moment, before pools of slime oozed down, covering the flames and seeming instantly heal any damage that the beast might have taken. However, that was enough for Captain Perinne to realize that the plan might work. Shrugging, Captain Perinne began moving forward and tossing the other rodents as far and as accurately as possible. Compared to the first one, her form for the second throw was much more effective as this rodent only needed to bounce once before jumping up to touch the body of the Devourer a foot or so off the ground. BOOM! By the time the explosion happened, the next rodent was already in the air. With each throw she got closer to the Devourer, which made the throws that much easier to perform. ACID SPRAY! With the strike, the Devourer let out more jets and streams of poison slime. While Frank, Yolinda, and the Captain were too far away from the blast for it to do anything other than create a temporary DMZ between the two parties. There was an added effect that the spray did kill off any rodents that had cowered back in fear, or been too injured to mover forward with the initial charge. Effectively cutting off the number of corrupted rodents that the team had to deal with. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! As a team the two of them worked, Frank would disable the rodents, then Captain Perinne would throw the disabled and twitching creatures at the oversized Devourer. Then when they got close, Frank would strike out mercilessly and detonate the death energy that was laying dormant and unclaimed within the rodents. The death energy of the devourer was still too strong and too contested for Frank to do anything against it, but that didn¡¯t mean that Frank couldn¡¯t force external energy to strike at the beast. By the fifth eruption, the layer of slime that had coated the Devourer was down to a slight glaze. Stunted Acid Spray With each attack the Devourer continued spraying out streams of acid as far as possible, but the sprays seemed to be drying up at the same rate as the external layer began to wear away as well. BOOM-KA-BOOM! Then there was an issue as Captain Perinne sent the sixth and seventh rodents too quickly together. This caused only one explosion that caught the other rodent midflight, knocking it off target and causing almost no damage at all. Panting. By now, Frank felt the weight of so much exertion wearing away at his body. Looking around, Frank saw the room and realized that there were no more rodents left. That the only thing left was the Devourer, a far weaker Devourer than the killing creature that had first arrived. But still Frank tried to look for more, only to find that there was nothing else to attack. Between the work of the two parties, both the Devourer and Captain Perinne¡¯s constant throwing, no more corrupted rodents remained. Focusing on the energy of the Devourer, Frank once again tried to reach out to the beast, in an attempt to try to wrestle control away from some of the densely packed energy. Tilt. However, this time just like last he was met with resistance. Worse still, this time Frank felt his mind spin and lurch as a wave of violent feedback shot back at him mentally, causing him to stumble. With having undergone so much and still pushing both his mind and body to the brink, Frank felt his consciousness begin to flicker and fade. Then before he knew it Frank was freefalling to the ground. Strong hands. ¡°I¡¯ve got you,¡± the voice of an angel called out to Frank, grabbing him and gently letting him collapse to the ground. ¡°REINFORCEMENTS!¡± The overly brash sound of James Holsy cried out, causing Frank to smile slightly. ¡°Brother!¡± Yolinda the person next to Frank, the angel that had grabbed him called out in surprise and thanks. ¡°Whoa, what happened here?¡± James Holsy asked. ¡°He did.¡± Yolinda said, gesturing towards the prone form of Frank who was even now fighting back the stream of exhaustion. ¡°I can help,¡± Frank said, raising up his hand. ¡°What? You trying to steal all the glory here kid. Gotta save some for your wingman at least.¡± James said, accessing the situation and then seeming to come to a conclusion, as a giant smile crested his lips. ¡°What?¡± Was all Frank could utter to that response. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is typical action. Guy one goes in saves the day wears down the enemy to a breaking point, but is unable to end it. Better looking guy two comes in finishes off the monster, gets the girl, has the story written about him. No, you just stay there and let the rest of your team go to work.¡± Thump, thump, thump. At that the man that Frank vaguely remembered as Vanguard charged past James who was going over his plan for glory with Frank. ¡°And then the Master comes when his prot¨¦g¨¦ takes too long yapping and not enough time doing.¡± Vanguard said, before lunging forward. One second he was on the ground running straight towards the stagnant pools of highly corrosive acid. Then just before Frank could let out a warning, he saw green energy fuse into Vanguard¡¯s legs before he lunged forward, broad jumping over the pits of acid, and then infusing more energy into his hands, he began reaching out and striking at the highly injured beast. ¡°Oh, come on. I had to wait on you old man. Now you are going to steal my thunder!¡± Holsy shouted, standing up and clearly going to join his Captain. ¡°What are they?¡± Frank asked, his mind tired from everything. ¡°Shh, just rest, they¡¯ve got it from here.¡± Captain Perinne said, coming over and blocking Frank¡¯s view. SHRIEK! All he could hear were the wailing death cries of the Devourer in the distance. ¡°They do?¡± Frank asked lamely, his mind slowly relaxing as he realized there was not much else that was required for him to do, and he was so so tired. ¡°Yeah, go ahead and relax for a minute,¡± Captain Perinne stated. Then with that, Frank closed his eyes and let his mind relax for just a moment. Darkness. There in the darkness, was first alone. Floating and free. In the world between dreams and reality, that is where Frank saw multiple events going on all at once. He saw a coordinated strike on the base. He saw the massive casualties on the part of the corrupted monsters, but more importantly he a second coordinated internal strike occurring on the underground facility that hosted all the test subjects. That¡¯s where he saw monsters fighting to free both Constance and her master Christie. Frank saw this, saw their movements and realized that he was somehow powerless to stop them as all he could do in this state was watch. Watch and observe their movements. At this, Frank realized that the entire attack was just a front, or maybe the attack had multiple objectives. It seemed that the number of corrupted beasts that were lost in the attack were deemed to be acceptable, as they gained not just these two sentient corrupted creatures, but many more that were also being experimented on in the underground complex. Then as quickly as they appeared, the entire group began to leave. By now Frank was right next to Constance, having what he felt was the most prominent connection to her. Working quickly, Frank tried to place his own mental tracker within Constance¡¯s mind, just as she had done to him not too long ago. Shiver. With that action, Frank noticed how Constance shivered at Frank¡¯s attempt to enter Constance¡¯s mind. It had to be clunky, and for a moment Frank was worried that his effort had been noticed. ¡°Everything okay?¡± Christie, the aunt who Constance followed into combat, asked. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± Constance replied. Christie for her part just stared at her niece, then nodded. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± Constance for her part just nodded. Seeing that her niece was okay, she too nodded her head, before ducking down and jumping into the escape hatch. Then as Christie¡¯s body disappeared down and began running into the shadows that lined the tunnel that their rescuers had used to burrow into the underground complex, Constance turned to face right where Frank imagined his incorporeal body was standing, or rather floating. Facing Frank, Constance smiled brightly, causing fear to run down Frank¡¯s spine as he was certain that she knew where he was. Or rather that she knew what he had just so clumsily attempted to do. Smiling, she blew a kiss, and said four words that would haunt Frank in his sleep before leaving. ¡°Goodbye for now, lover.¡± Then like that the connection he had with her mind was gone, as the thread of energy was completely severed. At least, that was what he hoped. Epilogue Epilogue ¡°You have no doubt already heard the tales of Vanguard and his elite platoon of soldiers and their impact on taking down a Devourer. Additionally the tales of Colonel ¡°Catalyst¡± Camello and his selfless acts of heroism to attack and singlehandedly defend the southern garrison from enemy Incursions, but today we are here to pay respects to an elite group of talented soldiers that played as much as, if not more of a vital role than history will likely give them credit for, which is why, today, we will make sure they get the respect and adulation they truly deserve.¡± President Elect Vanisha Hines began saying, her sultry smooth voice giving cadence and elegance to every word spoken. ¡°The aftermath left in the wake of the annual military ball, a traditional symbol of hope and perseverance was what many would consider a complete loss. Dozens of the most highly acclaimed leaders and practitioners of cultivation were struck down, while hundreds were saved due to the quick thinking and reaction of the 107th Combat Support Unit multiple Cadet Candidates wishing to make a difference. Thanks to the expert leadership of Captain Perinne here, and her impeccable support staff, the forces had a fallback spot, where the injured and wounded could be safely taken to in order to receive treatment in order to go back out to the front lines. ¡°Then when enemy forces tried to ambush the emergency location, they managed to both hold off the swarming enemy forces, while providing much needed treatment to the troops. This is why we are bestowing upon Captain Perinne the Medal of Heroism, the highest award ever bestowed to a Medical Cultivator.¡± President Elect Hines said, concluding her speech as she then draped and wrapped the award around the Captain¡¯s neck. It was a spectacle to be seen, as everyone watched. From the eaves a slightly nervous Yolinda Holsy watched and waited for her turn to also get a medal. Yolinda¡¯s wouldn¡¯t be the Medal of Heroism, but a Medal of Bravery. Still, she couldn¡¯t help but look out at the crowd of people watching and feel that this medal was somehow hollow. As she looked out in the audience for the true hero of the event, one that she knew wouldn¡¯t, no, couldn¡¯t be here. *** Constance Evans Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Constance was finally free. The moment she exited the escape tunnels that had been dug to near perfection over the course of months was astonishing. The fact that Constance herself was just a bonus, rather than the actual target of the entire attack and retrieval plan was well known to her. Even Christie, her biological aunt and the person who turned her, was small potatoes compared to the true targets removed from the underground research facility. The wind and air felt simultaneously freeing and repugnant with the fact that it almost smelled like rot. ¡°Greetings sisters,¡± an extremely powerful corrupted female stated. Just being this close to her caused Constance¡¯s skin to crawl as her survival instincts spoke of the inherent danger of this being. Upon seeing the woman, the rescuer, Christie immediately dropped to her knee in a form of supplication, ¡°master.¡± Seeing her sire drop Constance felt the command of obedience placed in her by the dark energy that coursed through her body force her to drop into supplication as well. ¡°Master,¡± Constance too found herself forcefully obeying the commands of the blood, despite her clear revulsion to the idea of being controlled in such a way. Seeing the two bow before her, the female Master just smiled brightly with crazed filled yellow eyes as she began to speak. ¡°Good, you both know your places. That is good, for you, little one,¡± the crazed monster stated as she pointed to Constance, ¡°you have a meeting with her majesty.¡± At that Constance could only feel cold dread fill her as she wondered what the Dark Queen would want with a nobody like her. *** Dr. Evans Dr. Evans hadn¡¯t slept in nearly a week. Not since the Night of Catastrophe struck, at least the Night of Catastrophe is what all the news agencies were calling the devasting attack. Where hundreds of military personnel died, along with dozens of the highest and most decorated cultivators humanity had ever known. For now, Dr. Evans was allowed to work, to avoid any inquiries due to her ability to heal. When the pressure and over abundance of bodies and cultivators needing medical care and assistance ended, she no doubt would be questioned. But for now, she was free to operate as she saw fit, as a medical doctor should. This was why, now during what should be her break time, she found herself by his side. ¡°Come on Cadet Fotos, you need to wake up.¡± Dr. Evans cajoled for what had to be the hundredth time. Eye twitch. This time like so many others, Frank¡¯s eye twitched a sign that his mind was still active and engaged. But despite the activity he would not rise up from his coma. A coma that he suffered from apparent overexertion through both healing and fighting off waves of the toughest monsters the enemy had. From all accounts he was a hero, though now he looked to just be a boy sleeping a pain filled dream. Then to her surprise, Frank finally spoke six words. But those words sent a shiver down the good doctor¡¯s spine. ¡°Constance is meeting the Dark Queen.¡± Of course, Frank didn¡¯t actually say the Dark Queen, but the Dark Queen¡¯s true name. A name forgotten to history, and one that forced Dr. Evans to leave her break and report this finding immediately. Prologue II Prologue II Dark dreams. Frank felt his mind expanding the longer his tether to Constance¡¯s mind remained. Through their connection he saw and felt almost everything she experienced, particularly when she dreamed. During the day, when the sun glared down violently, those infused with the Dark Energy of the Queen often had to take shelter and eventually sleep. Though sleep wasn¡¯t the correct word, as they were always awake, always aware of their surroundings. But they were in a semi-dormant state, one where their body and vitals were almost non-existent. The only true proof that any were alive during the daylight was that their body continued to cycle dark energy throughout their bodies, constantly working and refining the energy they held within their bodies. When she slept, it was as if their minds were finally allowed to be separated, and he could be there with her. As she slept, he would feel the mental consciousness of his mind laying gently next to her, their bodies so close that he could feel her energy pulse as an impromptu heart. In a way, it was a beautiful thing, as he for the first time understood what it was to be accepted. From their shared mental space and experience, Frank could tell that Constance for her part also found herself yearning for the embrace of rest when their two consciousnesses could be allowed to freely exist with one another. There they would share thoughts, not through words but through expressions and images. At first, the exchange of emotions through images was tough to understand, and almost too much for his mind to fully comprehend, but over time the process became easier. Through their time, he first saw her entire existence and experience she had when she was first infected. How her aunt turned her, then carried her away to be fully turned into her current form. How this was a much better state than dying, at least from the memories that Constance had. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. During this time, Frank also saw her. The queen, all throughout the dark energy that extended and corrupted outwards, Frank saw her. Small traces, minor things that all ultimately fared to show the final existence that were the corrupted. Those who had lived, died, and were ultimately reborn with the alien power. She existed in all, as it was her power that ultimately sustained everyone. By her will alone, power was provided and shared with everyone. Even now, Frank felt that he had to hide his presence around the Dark Queen, a person who even now Frank had a hard time fathoming as being the initial source of corruption. Well not the initial source, but the most prevalent source of corruption that humanity knew. The sad part was, only now did he realize just how vast the true threat facing humanity was, as the Dark Queen, and even the Dark Warlock both were but two factions. Two minor factions in the grand scheme of what was yet to come. Each faction vied for power, all in preparation for what was truly to come. ¡°Come to me my Constance, and tell me of the man you love. The man who will be the beacon of hope for all of us.¡± The Dark Queen said, her voice commanding. Even now, echoes of that first contact still rang within Frank¡¯s psyche, as there was something in there, something that he had been told. Something that the Dark Queen had spoken directly to Constance, knowing that Frank would hear it. ¡°Child of Catastrophe, when you are ready to understand this, these memories will come to you.¡± The Dark Queen spoke, and once again, Frank felt the weight of her words crashing down on him, like a tidal wave. Crash. Then finally, with this cycle of hearing the same message, over and over throughout his dreamlike state, he felt his mind shattering. Or rather the illusion of how perfect the world was. With this, Frank finally felt the fog that had settled over his mind beginning to break apart, as he suddenly saw the flaws in the world around him. Movement. Frank felt his body, his real body beginning to move and convulse on its own. ¡°No, you can¡¯t go, not yet.¡± Constance cried out, her loving arms grabbing onto the last physical form of Frank. For a moment, he felt her warmth, he saw the look of longing in her eyes and felt his body solidify for only a second as he too wished to stay. Then he heard it. ¡°He¡¯s back. He¡¯s back!¡± A familiar voice cried out from beyond the veil of consciousness, and suddenly Frank felt the mental tether back to his body. Looking back he saw Constance, who too also seemed to understand that that time together was coming to an end. Then with a gentle pull, Frank felt his body and consciousness being pulled back into his body. GASP! Frank jolted upright as his body, mind, and soul all seemed to converge at the same place and time for the first time in what felt like an eternity. ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± Dr. Evans cried out. Looking around, Frank saw that he was once again in a hospital room. A room filled with a doctor who looked far more haggard than she had any right to be. Then he found himself asking the most pertinent question, one that even now his mind was having a hard time fully comprehending. ¡°What happened?¡± Chapter 39 SERE Training Chapter 39 SERE Training (Two Weeks Later) In the end the entire Academy had to move and be split apart. For whatever reasons, Frank had been sent to the Advanced Distance Combat Regiment, or the ADC as they are more often referred to as. This was the forward most operation base on the Eastern front, the last true marker of humanity¡¯s reach. ¡°Come on cadet! Move it!¡± The Instructor called out. In this case Frank was forced to do on the job not only his advanced training for his military career, but he was also sent here as it was one of the few bases that still offered SERE training. As with all things, SERE was an acronym, in this case the SERE stood for four basic elements that were compiled into one overall course meant to keep cultivators alive for as long as possible on the eastern front. While the training had been slightly modified from its original implementation, the newest version of SERE served to teach four main points to each cadet. Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Eradication. Breathing in, Frank focused on the task at hand. This was a search and rescue mission, or at least a mock one. To his left, Frank¡¯s newest instructor shouted out motivational speeches, which inadvertently also called any and all zombies that were in the area to come towards the sound. Frank¡¯s job was to fight his way through the monsters as quickly as possible, find the disabled soldier, rescue them, and then get them back to base in as quick of a time as possible. ¡°Come on soldier, how do you intend to save anyone with this level of speed and effort.¡± The instructor called out. ¡°You still have to fight off the incoming monsters, before we even get to the extraction site.¡± The instructor was not wrong, as multiple zombies began shambling forward. If things got too much for Frank, it was the instructor¡¯s job to save Frank before irrevocable damage would be sustained by the cadet. At which point the cadet would fail the training and not be certified to receive further elite training and resources. Then just as the monsters became visible, Frank let his mind stretch out while not losing a single stride. While he might be slower than the insanely powerful cultivator who was serving overwatch, Frank had one thing going for him that most other cadets didn¡¯t. Namely the fact that his range was expansive. Even now, with the monsters just becoming visible to the naked eye, Frank could already feel their energy trying to resonate with his own. Then just as quickly as he found that dormant unclaimed energy that resided in all zombies, Frank found it and then gave what he thought to be a mental spark to the compound. POOF! First one zombie detonated, causing a burst of blood, bone, and viscera to fly out and impact the next nearest zombie. At which point the spark, or altered dark energy flew out and corrupted the dark energy that was still powering the next nearest zombie, which created a cascading effect of violence and destruction. POOF, Pop, Pop, Poof The only reason such a process was even possible was due to the way that the zombies themselves didn¡¯t actually control the energy, energy that needed to be spun about violently and constantly to avoid stagnation. As zombies got stronger, their control over their cores of energy would increase, and with it, they would ultimately learn to spin and control the very same dark energy that reanimated their bodies and forced them to continue to live on, even after most mortal processes ceased. This was what Frank had learned while under the tutelage of Dr. Evans and Major Demoniker, two instructors that Frank had since been reassigned to. Stomp, stomp, stomp. As Frank¡¯s mind was allowed to relax slightly now that the immediate threat of thirty zombies had been dealt with, Frank let his mind continue to phase out. Trying to understand what had happened, and most importantly what he had done to be sent here. Apparently, he had gained a lot of recognition by more than one high ranking officer who witnessed his prowess. Yet, despite having been a staple in the healing support team, he had been apparently claimed by the ADC. There had also been a bit of controversy around Dr. Evans and from what he could tell Major Demoniker had been listed as a casualty of the assault. Silence. Only after a second or two of the constantly yelling SERE instructor being silent did Frank even take a second to glance over at the Instructor who maintained his pace of always just a half pace behind and to the side of Frank. Seeing his glance, the Instructor instantly flared to life. ¡°Oh, you think that is impressive, killing off all the enemies like that? You are still the slowest one out here, meaning that you are at beast a weaponized turtle. Sounds great, until you realize that your friends are dying because you can¡¯t get there fast enough to save their lives.¡± The Instructor yelled. At that Frank could only nod, there that was the annoying instructor that he had come to expect. As for his part, Frank just stayed quiet. With his new tracking lens that he had been given as part of this training, Frank found the general path and route that would lead directly to the downed victim. Of course, the victim would be a person likely surrounded by more zombies. In this case, the scenario was just as Frank predicted and had read about. The target for extraction was a wounded soldier who had managed to take the high ground and was surrounded by a thick protective and see through wall. This wall was meant to add realism to the scenario, while also making it so the rescue target would be safe regardless of how long it took Frank to survive. Then once Frank had dispatched all of the zombies, then and only then would the clear barrier drop and make it so the victim could then be rescued. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Since Frank was also designated with a Healer, he would be forced to grab the target, carry them out, while healing them and providing as safe of a return as possible. Which Frank interpreted as even more zombies would be released on the path. Other than Frank being marked as slow, a fact that would remain as he was still just a Tier II Blood Cultivator, due to needing to spend a week to once again balance out his body and fix any issues that happened while he was unconscious. And there were a lot of issues that happened while he was unconscious, though fortunately, his body had been cultivating so much that despite his unaware state, his body still cultivated and continued to cycle the dark energy. While his body didn¡¯t cycle the dark energy as efficiently as he would have liked, it was still better than having that much energy stagnate and begin to crystalize within his own body. By comparison the problems felt by just a few minor chunks of dark energy that needed to be chipped apart and broken back down into the blood stream were relatively minor in comparison. Also, the entire process did teach him a few things. First, he now truly understood just how much pain the other cultivators were in, after he ripped out the chunks of crystalized energy from their bodies that had been weaponized in an attempt to gain an immediate advantage on the invasion. Secondly, he also realized just how much easier it was to heal after having your body ripped apart by the dark matter. Now he could all but feel that his body not only was used to the foreign energy source, but that he was also more resistant to the lingering effects of the dark energy on his body. These were minor changes, but changes all the same. The stagnation also had an effect on his body, as he was now feeling the effects of being slightly slower. This was due to the way his body created seemingly tougher layers of skin to protect against possible leakage and to protect against more crystals tearing their way through his own skin should he ever find himself knocked unconscious again. POP! Pop! Poof! By the time Frank got close to the trapped victim, Frank was already at work. His energy able to instantly disperse the zombies. Though unlike earlier, where Frank let the energy splash out and flail about wildly, this time Frank focused the blasts outwards. Each blast was directional, with little to no energy being directed towards the victim. While Frank was fairly certain that the clear walls had been designed to protect against dark radiation, it was still good practice to try to redirect blasts away from the victim. Particularly as this was meant to be a training scenario for the real world. While a few bursts did manage to spray out and strike the barrier, Frank was fairly certain that the victim in this scenario would have either avoided the blast entirely, or not been injured enough to be healed by his apparently meager abilities, if his instructor was to be believed. Vrr! The wall was already heading down, while Frank made his way to the victim. There were still about ten feet of retracting wall left, when Frank ran forward, finding a slightly elevated patch of dirt that he used to first run up. Then once he reached the top, he used all of his strength to jump up onto the wall. Still not enough to get up and over the wall, and in fact the wall had dropped enough now that had Frank waited he might have been able to clear the structure, but Frank was already committed. Knife hand. Frank struck out with his hand as violently as possible. Crackle. As he did, his hand broke into the barrier just enough to provide a slight ledge. A ledge that he used for just enough purchase to push down upon, and use his upward momentum to propel him up and over the still descending wall. Thump. Frank landed, a slight stinging sensation in his left ankle, but he was already moving before he could let his body stop him due to pain. Then going over to the patient, he saw that she clearly looked surprised, as apparently most people waited for the walls to drop entirely. That or Frank¡¯s oddly glowing hair was very distracting, as it all but radiated with the traces of green and violent energy that Frank had just been using to get here. Seeing her, Frank went immediately into his role as a victim extraction specialist. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I am here with the advance rescue team. I am here to rescue you, get you to safety, and heal your wounds.¡± Frank said, then without even seeking permission, Frank swooped forward, grabbing the girl who looked instantly flustered. Picking her up, Frank stood up, and turned to face the wall that was closest to the extraction site that he was to run towards. For his part, the Instructor just stared at Frank from the other side of the lowering protective barrier. Though it was clear the Instructor¡¯s eyes kept going to the noted crack and hand print that Frank had created, he still didn¡¯t say anything and instead just seemed to shake his head in admonishment. Still this was fine for Frank, as Frank already began coursing his energy through the apparent victim, and quickly identified the problem. ¡°Ohh!¡± The female said, her back going slightly tighter as she felt the wave of healing energy course through her and instantly make her feel better. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you will be fine.¡± Frank said, momentarily glancing at the beautiful woman in his arms, before turning to face the still lowering protective barrier. Then once the barrier had gotten to be about a foot off the ground, Frank ran forward, jumped with the patient still being carried in his arms and then proceeded to run back to base, while princess carrying the patient. The patient for her part wrapped her arms around Frank¡¯s neck to help support her own weight. This was something that Frank was immensely thankful for, as he could feel the lighter load on his arms almost immediately. Thump, thump, thump. Frank ran like a machine. A slow methodical killing machine that proceeded to take out zombies and diseased rodents with ease. Yes, apparently on the way back the other instructors felt that Frank needed to be tested a bit more, or maybe they just wanted to see if the rumors of his exploits were true. Regardless of their reasons, the end result was the same. Squeak, squeak. A small pack of darkness infused rodents were released and sent towards Frank and his patient. ¡°Ahh!¡± The female patient, cried out as she saw the plague beasts that were coming right for them. For his part, Frank never slowed down, never broke stride. Instead, he just mentally targeted the nearest beast and using his pointer finger from his otherwise fully engaged right hand, used the finger to compress and ultimately release a focused beam of death energy at the creature. Zap. As soon as the beam struck the rodent, the beast collapsed and began twitching its back leg violently. Still, Frank wasn¡¯t done, instead all he did was maneuver his hand around, thankfully able to due to how tightly the patient was now gripping his neck. Then firing off three more well aimed beams, Frank began jogging slightly to the right and around the four now twitching creatures. ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± The female in his arms asked, as they ran past and around the beasts. BOOM! Boom! Ba-boom! At that, the four rodents all exploded, two in near perfect synchronization. Then turning her head to look back, she saw the crater where four completely destroyed plague rodents once stood. Now only leaving behind a charred silhouette and a few odd and end appendages that somehow survived the blasts. Thump, thump, thump. Frank for his part never stopped moving, never even slowing down. The most he did was take one or two steps to swing around the creatures, but even that would only cause his time to slow down by marginal differences. Intense stare. Frank could feel the patient just staring at him, her face inches away, but her eyes having an intensity that would normally be unnerving to the otherwise silent introvert. Still, despite the stare, Frank didn¡¯t let anything cause him to deviate from his intended task. Running forward, he finally got to the medical extraction point, where he would be forced to go over his findings for the patient and explain what he did and what he would recommend for the patient. Entering the emergency tent, Frank began going over his mission details as was expected. ¡°Patient recovered, female approximately twenty-two years in age. Suffering from what were likely severe abdominal pains, exhaustion, vomiting, and otherwise unease.¡± Frank stated, detailing the most likely issues that the patient had. Hearing that the woman in Frank¡¯s arm¡¯s eyes just went wide, as he finally found a gurney to place her down in. With that the doctor, pulled out the fellow soldier¡¯s medical form. ¡°That is correct, patient came in seeking quarters for seventy-two hours due to flu like symptoms.¡± The doctor on staff stated. At that Frank could only nod. ¡°What are your recommendations? Should we give the patient the seventy-two hour reprieve?¡± At that Frank could only shake his head, ¡°that wouldn¡¯t solve the problem. Recommendation lessen physical restrictions and allow more time in the evenings to rest.¡± Hearing that, the doctor could only look at Frank, ¡°if she has an injury or ailment you should just heal her and let her be on her way.¡± With that Frank just shook his head, though it was clear that he was hiding something. ¡°Well then, explain your reasoning?¡± The doctor stated. With that Frank looked around to see that the doctor, a few staff members and the instructor that had been keeping pace with Frank this entire time were all in the immediate area, along with the actual patient. The patient who was just looking up at Frank with a clear sense of confusion. ¡°This is a private matter.¡± Frank said, looking around at all of the people that were nearby. ¡°Look, Cadet Fotos. This is fine. We are all here to learn. If you don¡¯t know the actual reason why the patient is experiencing pains then just say so.¡± The Doctor said. With that, Frank pressed his lips together, but then stated, ¡°maybe for something like this we shouldn¡¯t announce it to the whole base?¡± ¡°Cadet Fotos, what is the meaning of this. Just give your honest opinion, should she be quarantined, or is she safe to be among the other members of this base?¡± The doctor asked. ¡°The time to quarantine her would have been about three weeks ago, if I had to guess.¡± Frank replied. ¡°Three weeks?¡± The doctor asked, this time finally reaching out his own hand to touch the patient. Frank saw the green light of energy go out, it was sloppy. Well sloppy in comparison to Dr. Evans¡¯ energy wave. From there, Frank watched the wave of energy flow down and through the patient, then Frank saw the moment dawning recognition filled the Doctor¡¯s face as he too felt the abnormality on the patient. ¡°What is it? Is everything okay? Three weeks ago, that was the time of the Military ball right?¡± The patient asked, her mind going wild with a myriad of thoughts. ¡°Do you think I was exposed to something?¡± ¡°Oh you were definitely exposed that night, but not to what you might think.¡± The doctor stated. Hearing that Frank could only grimace at the bad phrasing of the doctor. A doctor who clearly didn¡¯t care about his patient¡¯s mental health. ¡°I was?¡± The patient asked, fear and worry evident in her voice. Then at that the doctor proceeded to prove that he had absolutely no decorum either, as he then replied with the diagnosis. ¡°Yes, three weeks ago, you became pregnant.¡± Shock. At that, all the staff in the tent found someplace else to be, and miraculously found files that needed to be collated well away from the area. The instructor that had been following Frank with a stopwatch that was still running, suddenly realized that he left something important outside as he left. Leaving only Frank, the doctor, and a patient that was nearly close to crying. Then as if to further break and embarrass the patient, the doctor continued. ¡°So do you know who the father is?¡± And like that Frank wondered who he angered to be sent out here, to be trained under him. Chapter 40 The SERE Program Chapter 40 The SERE Program (Two More Weeks Later) ¡°This is it boys and girls, the moment you all have been waiting for.¡± Drill Instructor Haggarty stated, his voice echoing over the platoon of what had originally been a class of twenty-four but had now been whittled down to just seven plus Frank. ¡°You all came in with different job fields, purposes, and capabilities. We spent the past two weeks here receiving SERE training, which stands for?¡± Haggarty asked, then as one the eight remaining soldiers all cried out as one. ¡°SERE: Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Eradication, Drill Instructor!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Over this time we took you all, broke you down into individual components, gave you on the job training that would mimic real life scenarios. Now it is time to complete your final task and receive your SERE Badge, but first, can any of you tell me what this is?¡± Haggerty demanded. At this Frank just stood stoically as he mentally prepared himself for what would come. As the slowest, Frank knew that his being here was either a form of nepotism, or high expectations from someone high up in the chain to gain this training. Both of which were looked down upon by others, that and Frank¡¯s age easily made it so he would not be able to interact with the other cultivators who were also here for their first-time training. One of the twenty-four original cadets that had washed out was the very same one that Frank had identified as being pregnant. A fact that meant that this opportunity would likely forever be denied to her, due to the long training program needed to be here, along with the rarity of the offers being provided. Hearing the command, one male with a large S-Rank on his chest called out, ¡°this is our first true test as a warrior. That we can go to one of the sacred spots and either be lucky enough to gain a SERE badge right away, or kill enough corrupted beasts to create enough ambient energy to repower a depleted source stone.¡± ¡°Very good, that is the type of answer we expect from a legacy.¡± Haggerty called out. With that, it was clear that the overly muscular student was a legacy, meaning they had at least one or likely multiple people from their family compete in SERE training and receive the appropriate badges. ¡°Yes, there are eight of you and only seven total pillars that can provide a non-affiliated Marking. These are important and highly sought after, as they are bonuses that can be applied to anyone regardless of affinity or cultivation level.¡± At this last part Haggarty stared directly at Frank. The message behind this stare was clear, this was a blessing that others likely deserved more, but due to Frank¡¯s apparent sway or backings, he got in while other trainees weren¡¯t. Though, it was clear that as the eighth candidate, and by far the slowest of the group, Frank would be expected to have to go to a previously used pillar and likely kill a number of monsters to replenish the lost pillars to a usable state. ¡°Look around, out before you, all you will see is a wide-open field covered by dead grass. Somewhere in that grass are tunnels and passageways that lead to the different pillars. Your task is to find your way down through the tunnels and then find the first pillar that still has a glowing charge, claim that charge as you would any form of ambient energy. Then immediately leave. Though know that as soon as you gain the energy from a pillar any and all burrowers, diggers, corrupted rodents, and even any remaining zombies will all be drawn to your new energy. This is why we recommend you clear a path going in, and avoid trying to be cute and fancy by avoiding your presence on the way in, as you will regret it on the way out.¡± There was a slight pause as Haggarty let that information filter through, this was mostly what they had been teaching the group over the week. Though it was nice to finally have it all laid out in one fairly consumable message. As the trainers that had been assigned to Frank were mostly seen as going through the motions and only providing minimal instructions and instead offering up instruction manuals that were little more than codified notes of the initial teams who entered the caverns. ¡°You all have one week. Originally the goal was to get all seven pillars, but that has been deemed to be too dangerous and deprecating of the value of the course. Can anyone tell me why?¡± Haggarty asked. With that the same legacy student raised their hand and spoke almost immediately upon being called by the instructor. ¡°Captain Camello.¡± ¡°The reason being is that with the first pillar you gain a plus two bonus to all Attributes. Then you don¡¯t get another bonus until your third, fifth, and seventh, giving you a total of plus five to all Attributes but at the cost of having to traverse the entire maze and making it so you then have to kill a number of monsters at each pillar.¡± The legacy student, Captain Camello stated. ¡°Yes, with each contact with a pillar you will get more and more parts of a diagram that will appear at random spots on your body. Based on the location of this marker, you will gain additional bonuses. If the marker appears on the legs or feet, you will be able to run faster and jump farther. If the mark appears on your arms or hands, then you will be able to lift more or strike harder. If you are one of the truly lucky ones, you will get the mark to appear on your chest or other vital organs, which will improve your cultivation or lung capacity. Basically, this mark is a blessing and can be easily identified.¡± Haggarty stated, once again he scanned the crowd of students, and once again his eyes finally rested upon Frank. With that it was clear, if you claimed that you got such a marking, then you would have to prove that you had the marking. Frank just nodded, as this was the information that had been provided in the pamphlets he had read during class time. He assumed that others were given similar training regimens, but honestly didn¡¯t know or care. All he knew was that this was invaluable training and one that would prove monumental in his development from here on out. Hearing how rare it was, and how the pillars effectively had to be reset after every run through it became clear why this training was both so tough and why the spots were so sought after. This was a potential plus five boost to all Attributes, which at the higher levels might not mean that much, but at the lower realms like my current standing, this would be major. Frank was also told by Holsy that if he could, it would be well worth his time to get all seven pillars as there was a tertiary bonus that often followed the natural Attribute bonus, and the placement bonus that was only possible when all seven pillars were reached. Of course, this missive only got to Frank two days ago, when his mail finally managed to be delivered. While all of the other cadets got mail almost daily for their time. To be fair, Frank had not expected to receive any mail while here, as he was certain that for only a two week course there would not be anyone who would want to write him. This was why he was surprised to have gotten not one but two letters, both from the Holsys, though one was from the sister, and the other from the brother. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Yolinda¡¯s letter was far more direct and clearly edited.
Hello Frank, I hope this finds you well. We are but are . Can¡¯t wait until when we can . Till then, know I am thinking of you. P.S. Very respectfully Yolinda Holsy.
By comparison the letter that James managed to get through the sensors was a lot easier to understand, albeit a bit unconventional.
Hey Frankie, I¡¯ve got those fourteen divided by two sets of pillagers that caused you so much trouble. Getting them was tough but was nothing for yours truly. See you soon. James Holsy.
Yes, the letter from James almost made no sense, until Frank saw the level of redaction that was performed to Yolinda¡¯s original letter. After that, his mind went through and tried to identify what exactly Holsy was hinting at until he realized the number of pillagers would be seven and that pillagers had all of the letters that pillars had and assumed it was a not so subtle hint to get all seven pillars. At least that is what he hoped the odd seemingly rambling two sentence note meant. Otherwise, Frank might have to rethink his choice of friends. Especially as Frank wasn¡¯t aware of one pillager to be aware of, let alone two full sets of seven pillagers? Regardless of the note, Frank had already intended to at least try to find and get all seven markings from the pillars. Though James¡¯ letter did serve to state that getting all seven markings would be exceptionally beneficial. ¡°Any questions?¡± Haggarty asked. With that, one of the female soldiers raised up her hand to be called upon. ¡°Major Lokowski?¡± ¡°Yes, is it true that we cannot take maps down, despite there being a fifty percent mortality rate?¡± The female officer asked. ¡°You can take a map down, you can take equipment for lighting your way and multiple other tools of convenience. The only problem is that, as noted earlier there are tunnelers and diggers that constantly traverse the areas around the pillars. These are needed as their deaths ensure the pillars will be recharged. That said, their presence means that paths and ways that worked one year or for one cycle through will be obsolete by the next. These changing in paths also explain the deaths of so many students of this course. Also, the reason why we do not recommend light sources or other standard equipment issued to most soldiers is that the ambient energy used to power such devices will attract more monsters than most are capable of dealing with. This also explains the unusually high mortality rate, as most people that go down with stuff that is beyond what we provide you will weigh you down to your grave.¡± Pausing for a moment Haggarty asked, ¡°any other questions?¡± At this Captain Camello just asked, his face forward and his muscles tight as if purposefully trying to do anything but to look back at Frank. ¡°Yes, Captain.¡± Haggarty said, acknowledging the Captain again. ¡°If we die, will anyone be sent to retrieve our corpses?¡± ¡°Good question, no. You go in under your own power and cognizance and you are to leave under the same. This is entirely optional and not something that you need to do for your careers, or to gain recognition as an officer faster. In fact, at this point should you all choose to turn around and stop, you will get your certificate of completion now and be allowed to go on to your next duty stations.¡± Haggarty stated. At that, the message was clear, go in at your own risk for self-improvement. It was the cultivator¡¯s way. Then just as Frank was accessing what to do next, Haggarty continued his speech, as if suddenly being reminded of this one factor now. ¡°Also, know that by going down below the surface your body will be marked by the pillars. That by going now you will activate your one and only chance at this advancement. Which is why we pushed you all to be at your optimal levels here and now. Knowing that you are mentally resilient enough to complete the trials before you. Also, know that as was stated earlier, you can find and activate more pillars, you can only do so once. So going down getting three is the same as getting four, just as getting two is the same as getting one. Be prepared for that, and the increased difficulty you will face upon trying to leave the area. Not only will you make the corrupted monsters that have made their homes around the pillars angry, by your taking what they consider to be their energy, but you will also make your fellow soldiers here angry. Again, we can allow up to fourteen of you to go, as we expect a fifty percent casualty rate on these runs. If you feel that you will be part of the fifty percent that doesn¡¯t make it back, then by all means use this time to turn around now.¡± Haggarty stated, once again he seemed to glance past the group of gathered soldiers and chose to stare directly at Frank. Frank for his part just held the gaze of the instructor. Logically Frank knew he should turn back. That this was a place that would be far more dangerous for him than for others. Yet, despite knowing about the inherent dangers, Frank could also tell one thing that the instructors and likely other people who gathered here were not aware of. Namely that Holsy might have been correct in his crazy writings. For even now, Frank with his enhanced distance available to him could feel not one set of seven pillars, but two sets. This meant, well, Frank didn¡¯t know exactly what it meant, not fully. But one thing he did know was that while seven of the pillars available were related to the normal forms of energy, the other seven pillars were related to the dark energies. ¡°Anyone wishing to step aside now?¡± Haggarty asked everyone, but no one stepped away from the formation. An almost imperceptible look of frustration filled his face as he glanced at Frank, who was clearly resolute in his conviction to go. ¡°All right, in that case, line up here now, and we will get a read out of your current markings, if you have any. Then when you come back we will compare the list we record now to those you come back with.¡± Haggarty stated. At that, one by one each student based on their grades and performance in the class strode forward and were inspected for their markings. Markings that only appeared when exposed to bright bursts of energy. Being the slowest, and the one set to the lowest realm Frank was at the back of the line. The idea was that the more powerful students would be able to hopefully carve out a path forward and make it easier for future students to enter and survive their exploration of the caverns. Frank watched as the first one to go was the Legacy, Captain Camello who had two bright images come to life under the markings. The first was a bright red image that was hard to make out, but Frank understood to represent flames and heat. The second was a light blue, which Frank also suspected meant air magic. The two were important as they made a perfect fire caster, one who was able to create constant streams of fire, that would never take away his own air supply so long as he had enough energy. With his markings noted, he was allowed to go first to explore the caverns. The next highest rated soldier strode forward. Once again, the second student had two markings appear from under their scans. Once his markings were noted, he too was allowed to leave and head towards the ruins. As each prospective spelunker moved on, the overall disposition of those that remained seemed to drop as each seemed to be resolute in the fact that they would likely have to search deeper to find a usable pillar. Or worse, find a used pillar and just wait until enough monsters came to the site to be killed and sacrificed into empowering the pillar once more. This last one was what Frank understood his task would likely be, and why he made sure to get seven days¡¯ worth of supplies for his troubles. Finally, it was Frank¡¯s time to go. ¡°It¡¯s not too late to turn back.¡± Haggarty stated, as he shone the light that revealed one bright green marking and two distinct but powerful dark markings. The green mark in the shape of a human heart with extra veins and valves stemming from it. This one was easy for those on hand to recognize, record, and distinguish as it was the Greater Healing Mark that offered +15% Power, and +15% Efficacy for Life energy. The other two markings caused the examiner to scrunch their face up in disgust for a moment, before they regained composure and began listing off the shapes and sizes of the symbols. For Frank, the two markings were easily identifiable, as they both resonated with different energy patterns. They were both individually half the size of the Greater Healing Mark, but given that there were two of them combined they formed an equal sized marking. There was the one that looked like a glowing dark purple hood, one that Frank instantly took to represent the Dark Warlock which offered +15% Control. Then there were what could only be described as sharp canines linked by a jawline, a symbol of the Dark Queen which offered +15% Power. Seeing the three markings, the examiners could only look at Frank with a mixture of disgust and fascination they recorded the markings, their sizes and locations. Then they let Frank go. ¡°You are free to go.¡± Haggarty stated. At that Frank just nodded. Frank took one step forward, then before he could take another Haggarty called out. ¡°Wait.¡± Frank hearing the tone of his voice turned to face the normally stoic instructor who began walking out towards Frank. From there, he proceeded to guide Frank a few hundred paces away from the location. Just far enough for Frank to be within the outreach of the pillars and thus be forever marked as having attempted the trials, but close enough to the others that he could leave without drawing too much attention. ¡°Know that high ranking people have chosen this venue to eliminate you, should you proceed any further.¡± Haggarty stated. The message was clear, someone from the group of students had a vendetta against Frank. With all the looks of hostility that Frank had received this entire time, he all but expected it, but to be told made no sense. At least, it didn¡¯t make any sense until Frank put everything together. ¡°And you waited until now, that I was out here, and marked by the pillars to tell me. Knowing that if I returned now, I would never be able to come back for this?¡± Haggarty paused, a note of surprise in his face as he wondered how Frank had come to that realization so quickly, but then realized that it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Look, you have the cert, that will forever be on your records. You¡¯ve received the training, call it a win and then worry about this when you are stronger. This marking, it¡¯s not worth your life.¡± Haggarty stated, finally showing what might come across as a sense of compassion. Hmph. Was all Frank could say without showing the true contempt he had for Haggarty at this moment. With that, Frank turned to continue his path forward, though he did take the instructor¡¯s words to heart as at least now he was ready for betrayal from fellow humans from the very start. That was worth something, right? Chapter 41 Shikar Spelunking Chapter 41 Shikar Spelunking One thing about corrupted beasts, is that just by their very existence, they will slowly corrupt the world around them. That was part of the new balance of the world, corrupted beasts would spread corruption, while those who were seen as uninfected would be able to slowly regain lost lands, by simply existing. That is off course, if the land in question could be held under permanent control of uninfected beings. This was what sparked the idea of prison colonies. Colonies where the worst that society had to offer, cultivators who had taken the laws into their own hands and been caught were sent. From such locations, it was in fact proven that gathering enough uninfected creatures in one place could stave off and if measures were taken gradually increase the size of uncorrupted lands. All this is to say, that as Frank made his way out towards the one known entrance to the underground caverns, where two sets of seven pillars resided, Frank¡¯s could tell there were more exits. Furthermore his senses let him know the tunnel layouts before him, as each tunnel and speck of dirt touched by a corrupted beast left behind a faint lingering trace of dark energy. This energy was different from the two that he sort of knew and had influence over, as this energy had a more earthy feel to it, which made sense as this was likely a corrupted version of geomancy. His sharpened senses also let him know that no less than a dozen covered entrances existed in the area. While everyone else ran towards the one known entrance and began carving their way through the main underground network entrance and exit, Frank felt that there were multiple different areas far closer to pillars that were otherwise sealed off from the main network of tunnels. In these auxiliary tunnels, there were monsters, but they were weaker, as all of the stronger monsters seemed to have moved to the main network of tunnels, before sealing up the passageway behind them. All this activity showed that there was a level of intelligence and intention to the actions. While humanity was playing checkers for their survival, trying to go in and force their way to become slightly more powerful. The monsters that they were facing, and ultimately dismissing as lesser beings, were playing chess. Or maybe not the individual beings, but clearly they all seemed to be guided by either superior instincts, or an overall collective. This approach was nearly perfect. Four main pillars that everyone could get to, with four at least half of the seven would need to stay and kill monsters to recharge the pillars. That is assuming one person didn¡¯t go through and try to drain all four, then search around trying to find a fifth, only to realize they would be running in circles until they eventually died. Realizing this, Frank decided to cheat, or rather avoid common pitfalls that others might fall into. The first thing he did was focus below, on the seemingly unprotected nest of fledgling monsters. Well nest, followed by a few handlers. That was the only way to explain the layout that his mind and body were telling him existed below. Down below, there were handlers, not a brood mother or creature capable of laying more monstrous insects. Rather, the monsters below were what Frank would consider glorified babysitters. They were strong, probably stronger than the majority of monsters that the other cultivators were currently facing. But they were also stationary in that they had to take care of the larva and unhatched monsters that even now were being fed a steady supply of highly potent dark energy. Just sensing the dark energy from this distance showed how powerful and pure the source was. At first Frank thought about trying to explode the larva, to create a chain reaction. But even as infants, these insects seemed to have been bred for cultivation, as their sources were too guarded from his efforts. At least from this distance. For a second Frank thought he would have to move his way closer, but then seeing the royal corrupted jelly that the feeders were providing to the recently hatched larva, Frank had a better idea. While it was a shame to lose a resource as valuable as the highly condensed dark energy now, Frank realized that it was an acceptable loss. Particularly as it wasn¡¯t a resource he expected to gain before this mission started. Focusing on the unclaimed and highly potent energy that was right now being presented as an offering towards a larva by a feeder, Frank focused his will and spun. At least spinning is what he considered the act. He took the highly combustible energy, and violently twisted it, causing theoretical sparks to crackle and spark to life. Rumble. There was a minor tremble in the ground. That was it, a minor tremble and the ground shook violently enough for everyone, aspiring cultivators and mutated insects alike to pause as they tried to understand what caused the disturbance. Unfortunately, it seemed that the insects were slightly faster to respond as many sprung to life and began attacking Frank¡¯s fellow cultivators on the main section. As for the monsters that Frank was focusing on, he noticed that just as expected there was a cascading of explosions, starting with the food to the larva, to the nearby egg hatchery area. Then to the caretakers who were hit by shrapnel from all sides. While some of the monsters might have survived, they looked like they would not be doing so for long. With this, Frank decided to make his entry. Finding a hidden hatchway, Frank gave one quick stomp with his foot over the opening. Crumble. With the kick, Frank easily broke his way into a previously unknown section of tunnels and began crawling on his stomach. While the main tunnels that the other cultivators had used were tall enough to walk through, these were much smaller, likely as they were intended for the children to use as an emergency exit. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. This was why Frank made sure to do a surprise attack first, thereby eliminating the idea of being swarmed and surrounded in here. The tunnel itself was pitch black, as if it had never received sunlight. That or if it did receive sunlight, then the energy from the light would have been collected and converted into an alternate source for creating stronger power crystals. For even now, Frank could only see a few feet ahead with his eyes. Even then, the light was clearly limited by both his body and the angle that he kept taking to get further and further away from the emergency opening he had created. As he crawled, he could both feel and smell the dark cultivation crystals and charged dust particles wafting upwards into his nose. From this distance, it was clear that the longer the tunnels went unused, the more corruption they accrued. For anyone else, this path would have likely been a death sentence. As this was the equivalent of crawling through a tunnel of cancerous materials. Yet, for Frank this was invigorating. There was something to the scent of charged dust that filled Frank with energy, rather than lungs full of caustic chemicals. Only now did he begin to realize just how foolish his attempt to traverse down here alone could have been. But surprisingly, Frank only found this to be a good thing. After nearly a month of being oversaturated with a surplus of life energy, all designed to help improve his ability as a field deployed combat medic, the ability to once again balance out his internal energies felt refreshing. Breathing in, Frank found his body automatically cultivating the foreign energy and converting it to a useable form. There was a slight burn, in a way that was similar to what Frank now felt when he tried to cultivate with any element other than Life energy, this again went to the slightly different texture of the energy. However, at this point, Frank was not such a snob to turn down dark energy, particularly dark energy that was this pure in form. Yes, the energy burned slightly, but he could feel his body stripping away the darker textures and leaving behind what Frank felt to be regular earth energy particles. At least that is what his over analytical mind was telling him. Cough! By now, Frank¡¯s body was so much faster and better at processing energy, that he found that he was able to filter out the unusable earth energy, which his body pushed back into his mouth, which he was able to cough out and let cling to the side of the wall. Taking a second to realize what happened, and now that he would have to effectively crawl past the saliva covered source of energy Frank felt disgusted, and made sure he would not tell anyone about this part of his journey. With that, he continued crawling, sliding wide left, to avoid possibly brushing up against the recently cleaned particles. Particles that were covered with saliva. However, as he left, Frank could see something amazing happen. It was small and subtle, had it not been for how completely dark the tunnels before him were, and the fact that his only way forward was a form of mental sonar that his mind used by tracking the dark crystals around him. But to his surprise, the small nickel sized portion of cleansed earth particles that he stuck to the wall began to have a cleansing effect on the dark stones nearby. Again, Frank didn¡¯t know what this meant, but he felt that this was somehow huge. His spit could cure dark energy. Or maybe it was a purified form of earth energy mixed with his spit? You know, he would definitely want to check on this. Last thing he wanted was for his future role in the military to be putting chunks of differently attuned crystals in his mouth to stop the spread of dark matter and dark energy. This find of course made Frank even more cognizant of his own actions. He crawled forward, now unable to see, except for the faintest trace of brown earth energy behind him that lit up his path. With each crawl, with each movement, Frank breathed in the dark energy. Again, he let the energy swirl in his body, and then felt the moment the denser chunks of earth energy were seemingly filtered out of his secondary set of meridians, the ones that his body used to constantly cycle dark energy through his body at an alarming rate. Frank could almost feel slight little drops of dirt landing in his lungs, which his body would then slowly filter out and up, until it was time to once again cough up the caustic materials. Cough, cough. Had this been a stealth mission, Frank would have failed long ago. Fortunately, he had accounted for his impaired movements by doing a preemptive strike on the nest. This meant that his occasional coughing up of purified earth energy was not met with hostility. Allowing Frank to constantly provide visual markers that slowly eroded away the dark energy around the purified clumps. Again, Frank didn¡¯t know what this was, or what exactly was happening. Though now that he was focusing on the overall process, he did realize that his mouth was slowly feeling drier from his efforts. Pausing for a moment, he realized that there was a canteen on his back hip, but then also noticed that the cavern that he was in was too tight to allow him to reach his hand down. Instead, he had to keep wiggling and crawling to a larger section of the tunnels, before he would be able to stop and get a drink from his canteen. Of course, now that he realized he couldn¡¯t reach his canteen, that was where panic snuck in. Had this been before his SERE training, he likely would have panicked. He likely would have begun twisting and squirming, trying to fight both his body and his position to gain a drop of water. Water that he would likely end up wasting by not being able to position his head in an advantageous position to drink from. Instead, he realized the signs of his own mind going wild. He then focused on the different traits and processes that had been presented to him. Frank forced his body to relax. This of course caused him to cultivate faster, but cultivation was never bad, particularly when you constantly gained more energy than you lost by moving. ¡°Being here is only making me stronger.¡± Frank said to himself mentally, fighting the sudden onset of claustrophobia that had tried to take control of his mind and body. Finally, after ten deep breaths, Frank felt his mind and heart beginning to slow down, a sign that his training was in fact working. Cough. This was also the same number of breaths needed to cause a purging process of his body. Again, these were things that they were taught, and given in theory about what to expect as you get higher in your cultivation process. As apparently once you get so high in the different realms, even the quote unquote pure energy that the government provides will be found to have too many impurities. This is when the cultivator will need to really begin to practice filtering out unwanted particles. Frank wasn¡¯t at that point in his own cultivation process yet. Particularly as his body still seemed to love and crave the pure life energy supplements that were provided to him. But this was a good sign that his body was at least able to recognize the filtration process of energy, and was able to do so on its own. Which was good, as it meant that the energy that his body did not need would be processed out and at this rate, it seemed like his body was natural at this form of purification. While he might need to improve his senses and capabilities on this process in the future, the fact that he could do this much now meant that he would only need to make minor changes. Calm breathing. And like that, focusing on the process of his body, allowed him to focus his mind enough to entirely avoid the nearly suffocating feeling of being captured in a tight spot in enemy territory. That was the last true hiccup that Frank had. While he had only lost a minute or so of time, Frank knew that such time was invaluable while here, underground. The tunnel leading up and out to safety suddenly expanded, as Frank finally felt his body hit a pathway big enough for one of the guardians to have moved in casually. Seeing the opening, Frank felt his body first fall forward, then completely lose balance as he half crawled, and half tumbled into the newer larger tunnel section. Plop-drop. Stumbling forward, Frank felt both simultaneously weightless as he found himself in a pitch black tunnel that only glowed in an oddly ominous way with his Energy Sight. Here just like above, the dark energy was so thick and pervasive that the dark energy around him only seemed to add to the darkness. At least that was what he felt at first, until his mind and eyes began adjusting to the new energy input he was receiving. While it had been slightly glittering before, as if he would occasionally see light refracting from crystals on his way here. Now that he was here, his eyes began to see not one but two different color patterns. There was the dark overlapping crystalized form of dark energy that seemed to coat every surface here. Almost like ice that had slowly grown and permeated every crevice of a frozen surface. Then underneath the dense darker layer was the dark brown glow of what Frank could only interpret as highly crystalized earth energy. Breathing in, Frank could feel the an even denser and mustier smell of dark energy filling his lungs with each breath. Feeling the energy with each breath, Frank almost swore he felt a head rush with each breath, as he began cultivating and feeling more and more energy coursing through his body. Then as if testing a theory, Frank held out his hand to the wall. Under his touch, he felt hundreds of sharp jagged edges protruding from the walls and all but jabbing into his hand. Focusing on the jagged edges, Frank was reminded of a similar feeling, when he was trying to remove larger pockets of crystalized energy from Constance. Pulse. Just thinking about her, and the mental tether he had tried to create with her sent a burst of energy. Energy that seemed to have been echoed and modified by the crystals all along the walls. Shatter. At the moment the pulse was seemingly sent and amplified from the crystalline structure around, a number of things all happened at once. Most immediately, Frank felt a burst of amplified mind magic flow from his mind up and out of the underground tunnel he was in, firing off into space. Simultaneously, around him was the sounds of hundreds of crystals shattering all at once, as if they were hit by a resonance that was completely different from the one that they were attempting to cover or coat. Shatter, clank-clunk, shatter. This caused wave after wave of crystals to first break free, then slide down and crash, only to have the next section above or below also break free and fall right on top of them. It was oddly magical in a completely destructive way. Frank had seen similar things from warehouses that stacked supplies too high and ultimately dropped items from the top that caused everything underneath to shatter and break apart. Now surrounded by hundreds of dark broken shards, Frank would have been surprised and possibly in danger. Had the cascading destruction not revealed bright brown glowing crystals that now illuminated the hallways before him. Again, Frank was not quite certain exactly what caused the corruption crystalline layer to form over the apparently natural earth crystalline layer, but by removing the outer layer, Frank was now able to use his Energy Sight to see clear paths that were easy to see and notice for twists and turns. Of course, all of this was secondary to the fact that Frank suddenly felt the burst of mind energy that left his mind finally end its long path and connect to someone who still sent shivers down his spine. Tingle. The moment his mind connected to hers, he knew he messed up, as she was clearly aware of his unexpected contact. ¡°Hello lover, fancy meeting you like this.¡± The seductive voice of Constance called out into his mind, all but paralyzing him on the spot as he realized their connection never ended as he had intended. Then it began. Chapter 42 Shikar Spelunking (Part II) Chapter 42 Shikar Spelunking (Part II) Tingle. The voice of Constance was formed deep within his mind, and even now he could feel her connecting to his mind. Having been already prepared for her inevitable return, he had learned how to build up mental constructs. Also, these were some of the lessons he was taught as part of SERE training, how to build up mental walls and constructs to hold out mind manipulators. That¡¯s what Constance was, or at least what she has now evolved into, a mind manipulator. ¡°Oh, why are you so cold.¡± Constance purred into his mind, playfully pressing at his defenses. Defenses that even now he could feel her trying to find weaknesses and break through. Frantically, Frank doubled down on his resources, breathing in heavily, knowing that for the moment he was safe in his surroundings, as all the immediate monsters had already left and sealed off this area, or were killed in a preemptive strike taking out the remaining future generation of monstrous insects and their caretakers. Panting. Frank found his body panting, which forced him to simultaneously breath in more dark energy dust particles, while cycling the energy to both strengthen his mental resolve, while also forcing him to siphon out the micro earth energy particles at a rapid rate. This increased metabolization of energy of course meant that Frank would be able to process and filter the energy just that much faster. Cough, cough! At that, Frank had a momentary lapse in his mental defenses. That were being pressed and constantly strained against by Constance¡¯s own mental influences as she tried to seemingly try to tickle her way into Frank¡¯s mind, the way her delicate fingers seemed to massage and caress the nearly impenetrable barrier that Frank had constructed in his mind. Yet, she seemed to pause and stare through Frank¡¯s mental constructs as she recognized what exactly he was doing. Frank for his part, had to do this self-cleansing of purified earth energy particles to be able to continue breathing freely. ¡°My love, are you, okay?¡± Constance asked, her thoughts and fears bleeding over and through my barriers, until Frank felt recognition come through the thoughts. Yes, while he had been able to block out her forcing control over Frank¡¯s mind and body, her emotions were able to easily flow through the porous material within his mind. Apparently, this was a fact that worked both ways, as Frank¡¯s own emotions were also able to be sent back to her. ¡°Wait? You¡¯ve purified the air and are able to create pure elemental dust?¡± Constance asked, apparently picking up more than just emotions from Frank¡¯s mind. Then he could almost feel her leaving, as for the moment her mind seemed to leave his own. It was at this point that he tried to sever the connection between their minds. A connection that had somehow been jump started by his interacting with the discordant energy of the strange lair he was in, while thinking about Constance. Panic. Frank felt fear grip him, but he decided to begin moving quickly. First he could already feel a few of the nearby hive warriors that broke through to the main tunnel system moving back and all but trying to see what dangers had occurred. In his mind Frank wondered if they were using some sort of pheromone to send fear or danger signals. If that was the case, then Frank felt he should be fine as most of the oversized insects died almost instantly in the initial blasts of chaotically charged dark energy particles. Yet, Frank couldn¡¯t help but be frightened of a hive mind concept forming, one where the sudden loss of the oversized protectors of the hive would be instantly missed. Realizing that time was not on his side, Frank decided to try to once again seal off the connection point in his mind, trying to completely sever the link connecting him and Constance. Then once he was done with that, he staggered to his feet and began walking down the now brightly lit hallway. A hallway that seemed to be actively lined with earth energy shards. Tingle. The connection to his mind was started again, just as Frank began walking through the first mutilated nest of destroyed monsters. Seeing the sheer damage that was on display in this room, it was easily apparent why the dark crystalline shards in the upper hallway had shattered so easily. As the explosion from down here, that ended up being little more than a massive rumble on the surface proved to be both devastating and toxic for the creatures down here. As Frank made his way, he saw that all of the larva and unhatched eggs had all detonated by the explosion of powers. Yet, that wasn¡¯t the worst that had happened. For the much larger protectors, the ones that were left behind as a final guardian to protect, feed, and possibly cultivate the next wave of super mutant insects were also here. As Frank had originally expected, the initial blast had not been enough to destroy these giant monsters. Monsters that had six legs for a base and two sets of appendages for arms. Along with giant mandibles that separated and seemed to conceal a second set of equally sharp mandibles that were intended for poisoning a victim. The process of the bite was simple and lethally effective. The stronger outer jaw would bit and clamp down like a hydraulic vice, which would likely squeeze and press whatever was inside of it to a smaller state. From there the inner set of mandibles would bite at the elongated portion and rip and release a poison into the body. Just seeing the dark corruptive poison dripping from the inner mandibles, Frank could see the oddly bright light of corrupted life energy flowing from them. At high stages of cultivation, Frank would likely be able to take the poison and filter it down to just the base life energy component. At least that is what he read he should be able to do. Looking at this poison that was also coated in a corrupting layer of dark energy, Frank could only imagine just how long it would be for him to get to this level of ability to filter out poisons. Looking at the giant, but clearly dead beast, Frank realized that the beast suffered a slow but agonizing death. Only upon getting closer, and being able to see the giant pustules of skin that slowly seemed to be melting off of the creature did Frank pause. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Looking at the creature, Frank realized that he was right, the initial blasts which only ripped open giant swaths of exoskeletons on the creatures was a small component to what actually happened. Looking at the creatures, Frank realized that what actually killed them was an apparent reaction to radiation. At least that was what Frank thought, then noticing the death scenes for what they were, Frank began to put together a picture of what happened. Or at least what he believed happened. The explosions caused by the disruptive dark energy fired off killing and destroying most everything. Even breaking away a layer of the dark crystals that had taken time to grow over the native earth crystals. Then once the earth crystals were exposed, they released their energy as normal. Energy that Frank himself could feel even now. While it wasn¡¯t the exact type of energy that his body preferred, it didn¡¯t hurt and in fact felt quite pleasant. Still, he could see that it was these beasts and their protective outer layers being breached and then a subsequent exposure of raw earth energy to their exposed organs and tissues that caused an immediate rotting effect. Honestly, the whole thing was crazy and something that Frank himself would not believe if he wasn¡¯t seeing the effects himself. Then pausing, he turned his head to face towards the similar in shape and design ant like warriors. These were the ones that had left the nest in order to attack Frank¡¯s fellow cultivators who came to access the pillars. Looking at them, and focusing his senses, Frank realized that the creatures despite apparently being aware that both their young and the protectors were gone, they refused to come. Again, to Frank this only seemed to signify that he was correct in his thoughts about this potent of energy being absolutely poisonous to the hive creatures. Frank was so lost in his own personal observations, that he almost lost track of the gentle tingling sensation on his mind. A tingling sensation that grew increasingly more forceful the longer he stayed and tried to understand what was happening around him. This was huge, it meant that at least to some beasts, using specific frequencies of cultivation resources could lead to death. Though admittedly it would be tough to force a creature to willingly expose itself to this level of energy. Again, Frank wondered why these creatures would come here and do this, if it was poisonous to them. ¡°They do that because we tell them to.¡± A sinister voice called out into Frank¡¯s mind. Shivers. Hearing the unwanted voice, a voice that was even more cold and calculating that Constance¡¯s own voice within his mind, right through to the connection point that Frank had with Constance was frightening. Even worse, he wondered how this was possible. How could he hear someone else? ¡°Relax child. I am merely sharing my thoughts and insights with your soul bound one, here.¡± A voice that sounded vaguely familiar, but for the life of him Frank could not remember where he heard such a voice before. ¡°Oh, you have heard and even remember the dark dreams. This is interesting. I can see why my Constance asked for guidance with you.¡± The voice continued to speak, though now Frank realized that this speaker whoever she was, was likely speaking with, or rather through Constance. By speaking through Constance, she was able to piggy-back off of their original connection and talk directly to him. ¡°You do catch on quickly. Bravo.¡± The voice said, speaking directly into his mind as if she could read his thoughts. Which was what Constance had been able to do, or at least she had been able to read his emotional state and thereby get his thoughts. ¡°Yes, little one. Rest assured that your bonded one here is safe. Also know that when you wish to finish completing your bond, all you need to do is come willingly to our side. I will even preside over the union, and offer my full blessing.¡± The voice said into his mind, saying things that almost felt like they would cause whiplash they were coming too quickly. Worse, the more the voice in his mind spoke the more he realized she was telling the truth. Or at least sending thoughts into his mind that seemed to resonate in the way that only the truth can once spoken. ¡°Oh I see, you have already received my partial blessing.¡± The voice called out. At that Frank Remembered the two marks of darkness he got, one from the Dark Queen, and one from the Dark Warlock. As soon as Frank had that realization, he realized that he had apparently thought too much, as he felt the connection go from a passing curiosity, to suddenly feeling the weight of a full on connection with his mind. ¡°You also received the blessing of the Warlock?¡± As she spoke, Frank felt an unyielding presence within his mind that all but forced him to drop to his knees. Thump. As Frank¡¯s body collapsed, he caused more charged dust particles to rise up and fill the air. Breathing in the dusty fumes felt like breathing in dense layers of dust. On his teeth he could feel a thin layer of film all but clinging to his teeth, but this was not everything. While he was dealing with breathing, and purifying the corrupted air around him. Air that was suddenly far denser than what he had grown used to, he now also had to deal with the weight of an intense force on his mind. A force that he was not certain he could repel if he tried. ¡°Relax. I can no more take over your body from this link than you could take over Constance with it. This is a soul link, a marker that links two souls who are forever linked across space and time. The moment you find your match, and one of you performs an act of kindness towards the other, that is when this link will first manifest. Truly a remarkable thing, and something I didn¡¯t think I would ever witness in my lifetime. I thought such things were myth, but here we are.¡± The voice of the powerful being went on, spouting nonsense within Frank¡¯s mind. ¡°Nonsense? You think this is all nonsense? Then do you deny the bond of intimacy that you felt when you first saw my Constance? Do you deny the instant attraction you had towards Constance, despite her being clearly corrupted?¡± The Dark Queen spoke, the more she spoke the more Frank was certain of her presence. That or even if she wasn¡¯t the Dark Queen, she was someone who was strong enough for Frank to be unable to tell the difference between her and what the true Dark Queen¡¯s mind should feel like. Though by now, he was fairly certain that she was correct. While Constance herself might not have been powerful enough to break through his mental barriers, he held no illusions about the abilities of this person to be able to break through his mental barriers. Cough, cough! As was becoming ritual by now, Frank felt his lungs filling up with the abundance of purified and cleansed earth particles. Particles that his body forcefully expelled and rejected. This time his cough came up with a bit of the clinging dirt that bound itself to his teeth. ¡°Oh, there it is. You truly are unique, just as your Constance promised.¡± The Dark one spoke within his mind. Her tone and words denoting that she was clearly interested in Frank. ¡°It is a good thing you are as unique as my dear Constance here stated. A realm walker. One who is able to walk both realms equally. This is quite intriguing, and fortunate for you. Well, honestly more fortunate for you Constance, as her connection to you would be a liability that we couldn¡¯t afford. But for you, I will make an exception, for now.¡± The Dark Queen spoke and as she did, Frank could feel her killing intent coming through the mental link crystal clear. Her message was clear, that because of their soul link, or whatever type of mental link connected his mind to Constance¡¯s, Constance was a potential liability. Mainly in the fact that Frank would be able to read her thoughts and emotions, just as Constance was able to feel and understand his own. As a leader, it made sense tactically to kill off a resource that could be used as a spying mechanism against you. Yet, for whatever reason the Dark Queen was interested in Frank. Well not Frank exactly, but possibly his ability to survive both regular living cultivation energies and corrupted energies equally? Making him what was called a Realm Walker? ¡°Yes, I can see why she too is so fascinated with you. You do catch on quickly. Let¡¯s see where are your currently?¡± The Dark Queen asked, and as she did, Frank couldn¡¯t help but feel a slight tingling within his mind, as his surface thoughts were clearly being read. ¡°Ahh, you are in the SERE fields. They still offer that to youngsters like you?¡± She asked, but apparently my thoughts on the matter and my recent warning by my instructor and apparent attempt at sabotage were read, as she spoke. ¡°Nope, apparently someone pretty high up wishes for your death. This will not do, nope not at all.¡± With that, Frank could feel the overwhelming force of the Dark Queen, or whomever that powerful creature was leave his mind. As the softer and more delicate mental image of Constance reappeared within his mind. Relief flooded him, as suddenly the surge in power that had been coursing through his mind was finally able to relax slightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry darling, I had to.¡± Constance spoke into his mind. With that Frank both understood, but also felt mentally exhausted from the entire event. Only through an intense concentration of will was Frank able to both keep his mental focus and slowly make his way down the caverns. ¡°You really are impressive.¡± Constance stated, her soothing voice like a much needed voice of acceptance. A needed voice that he never knew he needed until he now had it available to him at all times. It was all times right? ¡°That¡¯s right, when you reached out a moment ago, I had but two options to refuse you forever, or keep the connection between us permanent. We are allowed to reach out one way each time. Now if either of us refuses the connection, our karmic connection that we apparently established in a past lifetime would forever be severed.¡± Constance stated. At that Frank felt slightly relieved at the fact that he could sever this connection at any time. That if it became too much, or if he was ever a liability because of this connection, he would be able to sever it. For a moment he paused, mentally focusing on the spot and trying to come to terms with even how to sever such a connection. It wasn¡¯t as simple as just turning it off or sealing off the area as he tried earlier. ¡°That¡¯s right, it would need to be more forceful, but know that by doing so you would cause irreparable soul damage to both me and you.¡± Hearing her thoughts, Frank could also tell that she was being truthful. That or she was somehow great at hiding her thoughts and emotions from this bond, but that seemed or rather felt like it would be impossible. ¡°You are correct. With this we can only tell the truth, as painful as it may be at times.¡± Constance replied to his own thoughts. A fact that was becoming increasingly more annoying as he needed to have time to sort out his own thoughts without them constantly being interrupted. ¡°I can go for a time. We just set this to a dormant state, if that would help?¡± Constance asked, her voice and thoughts suddenly sounding vulnerable to the idea. ¡°Please?¡± Frank asked, feeling that his own mind would go into ruts if left to constantly be interrupted during the middle of each independent set of thoughts. ¡°Okay, you know where to find me now. And Frank...¡± Constance began, but trailed off her mental voice and thoughts suddenly feeling far more fragile than they had any right to be. Yes? Frank thought back, trying to figure out how this whole soul link worked. ¡°Thank you¡­ for being you.¡± Constance stated, before closing the connection. It wasn¡¯t a complete severing of the line, but as if she had somehow put up a privacy curtain that kept Frank from staring into her window. Yeah, just thinking about that made Frank feel creepy and flustered. He was glad that Constance could not read his thoughts currently. Now that one of the issues plaguing him had been taken care of, he continued his trek around the separated set of tunnels. Then finally he found what he was looking for. There in the center of the nest was a now fully exposed core of what had to be the most highly condense pure earth Qi around. Now that he was here, all he had to do was place his hand upon the pillar, receive the blessing and be on his way. There was of course just one problem. Chapter 43 Polarity Chapter 43 Polarity Now that he was here, all he had to do was place his hand upon the pillar, receive the blessing and be on his way. There was of course just one problem. It was a rather big problem, for once Frank drained the central pillar of its highly purified earth Qi, Frank would weaken the barrier around him that had thus far kept the surging worker insects at bay. But once he consumed the energy, he would likely be surged by a wave of monsters that would no longer suffer from radiation poisoning, or whatever issues the larger ones faced before their slow agonizing deaths. Realizing this, Frank paused as he debated on a plan. At the moment, Frank felt that he was at an impasse. Before him stood a pillar of Earth Energy that would give him both a direct physical boost to his Attributes. This momentary pause led Frank to his second realization. Or rather this was not a true realization, but it was something that he just now had a moment to fully comprehend. By draining this pillar, he would gain a marking, likely of earth energy. Meaning that the other pillars likely also had similar blessings for the different elements and forces. Meaning that somewhere in these pillars was a Life affinity pillar that was ready for him to access. Similarly, Frank also realized that the seven natural pillars were not alone. As he could feel the corruptive pull of the dark pillars of corruption even now. Realizing that for the moment he was safe here, both from the corrupted monsters, and from any would be assassins trying to kill him in the main set of pillars that these insects let the seven other cultivators access and drain, Frank paused. This was when he realized that his unique constitution let him do things that others would not dare. What was it that the Dark Queen had called him, while using his apparent permanent connection with Constance? A Realm Walker? Yes, that sounded about right, he was a realm walker, one who was able to travel both paths of life and death equally. Frank had no illusions to him being truly special. He was far too socially aware for that. At most he was seen as an interesting project or side piece, one to push out and test, but would just as easily be given up by either side. This was the impression that he got from his conversations with his current leadership, who seemed to treat him as an annoying bug. Of course, the irony of the situation also just hit Frank. Where here he was, a bug for his society sent here in an attempt to regain some power and hopefully be somewhat relevant to any future units with additional attributes. While he was literally fighting against mutated bugs. Not just any bugs, but ones who had been left here with a form of intelligent design to their layout and operations, but bugs nonetheless, and ones who much like Frank were seen as an acceptable loss. Realizing this, Frank felt... well to be honest, he didn¡¯t know how he felt about the situation. Humanity was being pushed to the brink of extinction. Corruption and perceived biases existed everywhere in human society, but that wasn¡¯t all. In a world where Luther could be seen as a martyr, and someone who still needed to be avenged even from beyond the grave, that caused Frank to realize that this was one of the last few times when he might otherwise be able to fully take advantage of his realm walker status. What he meant by this, was the fact that he was the only one who could not just get seven blessings from the pillars, but he could if he tried, get all fourteen. While he wasn¡¯t exactly certain what gaining the bonuses from all fourteen pillars would offer, he knew that it was definitely worth trying. The reason was simple, as a perfect tier increase from one tier to the next would offer a total of +3 to all physical Attributes. Meaning that the bonuses offered from this experience were equivalent to going up two full Tier Levels in any realm of cultivation. That is, if he didn¡¯t take into account the bonuses from the darkness attributed pillars. Pillars that he thought would be able to also increase his attributes in meaningful ways. Potentially, Frank was looking at a possible increase in attributes that would be equivalent to three or more tiers of progress. This wouldn¡¯t be much compared to some of the truly grand monsters of society, the absolute monsters of the battlefield, but for someone like Frank who was just staring their evolutionary journey into the realm of cultivation, this was huge. Also, just looking at this first earthen pillar, Frank couldn¡¯t help but think that there was more to this pillar in particular. After having a moment to process everything, Frank came up with what he thought would be a fool proof plan. For the moment, he would leave this stationary earth pillar alone. Partly due to its ability to fend off the warrior insects that were all but champing at the bit to come near him without essentially committing suppuku to get at him. This led Frank to his first task, namely for him to go lower and see where the corrupting jelly that the guardians had been feeding the larva of the hive came from. From what Frank could sense, he felt he already knew the answer for this, as deep down below was so much corruption that it almost made his skin tingle and teeth chatter from the possible increase. Going down, Frank was almost surprised to find that a few of the larger guardians were still down below, apparently their older bodies were either too large to go through the tunnels that Frank could now walk in while standing fully upright. Or these creatures were so degraded from prolonged exposure to the dark pillar, that even their bodies were finally breaking down. There could also be the fact that this was what the hive did with the elderly, those who were still seen as useful, but were otherwise unable to further contribute to the hive as a whole. Regardless of the reason why there were a few larger guardians down here, their existence was short lived, as they all carried and were coated in thick layers of dark energy. If Frank had more time, he would try to understand what it was that these elder guardian insects were doing to process the dark material that they were seemingly harvesting straight from the bottom portion of the pillar. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Mentally, he mapped out the entire pillar and found that unlike what he originally thought, there were not two distinct pillars, but rather one continuous pillar. From deep below the ground, the pillar slanted in at an angle away from the center mass of pillars. Then snaking upwards, the pillar turned and eventually changed to be able to provide pure earth Qi energy. The entire thing made no sense to Frank, at least not yet. For the more he tried to comprehend what he was sensing, the less it seemed to make sense. In fact, there almost seemed to be a symmetry between the two halves of the pillar, both lower and upper portions were both in harmony and seemingly exact opposites of each other. However, first thing was first. Before Frank could go any further down, he needed to remove any obstacles and with his newfound distance, finding and targeting the insects that were covered in unclaimed dark energy was a breeze. From there, it was just a matter of agitating the dark energy from its current restful but corrupting state to a more active state, and¡­ BOOM! Shatter. The ground shook, and once again Frank could all but sense the dark crystalline structures that also lined these larger hallways break free as well. Though rather than the bright ambient brown energy of earth that he saw and felt above, this was a slightly darker tint of brown. As he made his way down further, the brown hues slowly faded away further and further, until he was once again in complete darkness. This was when Frank wondered if these elderly guardians were also blind? Or if they were blind would they be forced down here? Also, did this mean that the further down the warriors got, the larger in size they would get? So many questions arose in Frank¡¯s mind as he tried to process what he was now experiencing around him. His primitive mind told him to be weary of monsters that might lurk in the darkness. However, Frank felt his own rational mind fighting against these impulses, as he knew for a fact that the meanest thing down here was him, especially at this layer. A layer so deep that even the insects left to fend for themselves had a hard time coping. Tingling. There was a slight burning sensation that began to affect the outside of his skin. Almost like a deep residual heat that almost threatened to burn away his bones. This was all psychological, but Frank could feel it. Only after a moment or two, did Frank wonder if this was the lingering traces of his own attack, where he violently shifted the stability of the dark energy. Before he could get too lost in yet another useless thought, Frank decided to press forward quickly. Partially due to the heat, but most of this newfound impulse to get out and leave here quickly was due to the rotting bug stench that now filled his nostrils. Squish. Even walking through the scrambled and broken remains of the giant insects created unnerving sounds that seemed to echo and pulse wildly down here. He found himself having to climb on top of and then over the last and largest of the insects. One who was so large and who had apparently been here for so long that it apparently had part of its body melt and merge into the ground around it. Pulling his shirt over his face to help avoid the putrid smell of rot, Frank pressed on and quickly found himself at his final destination when he made it to the downward sloping side of the giant insect¡¯s body. Sparkling Darkness. Even in complete darkness the pillar before him glowed. It took Frank a moment to realize that part of the glowing darkness around him was due to his suddenly bright and vibrant hair. As if his hair knew just how much latent power resided before him. For a moment, Frank paused, wondering if he should press forward. This process, the whole thing, even coming down here to the dark pillars, this was nearly suicide. Yet, staring at the dark energy before him, Frank knew he would survive. That or he would die very quickly, as was seemingly testified by the giant insect below him that seemed to have melted after coming into contact with the pillar. Of course, there were a few things that were different between Frank and the dead creature below him. First, Frank knew about cultivation, at least he thought he did. He understood the way the dark energy before him needed to move constantly, that to pause, hesitate, or momentarily lose your focus with such energy was death. Frank also knew that none of these insects were marked with any of the blessings he had received. Blessings that seemed to both help and have faint fragments of understanding embedded within them. Pausing for a moment, Frank considered his options. He even contemplated heading back up and taking the sure thing with just the earth energy pillar above. But then pausing, he could see that there was also earth energy here, well what had to be the polar opposite in terms of energy charge of the earth energy above. Finally, Frank found himself calling out his own nature, his own purpose that had somehow gotten him here. ¡°You¡¯re already a dead man walking.¡± Frank stated, then reaching up, he felt for his badge of Exoneration, the one that noted he had walked Death Row and survived. Then he remembered his mad dive to take down the giant serpent of his home. One that nearly killed him and like would have, had he not been such an unrelenting bastard. Smiling, Frank even remembered the look of shock on Luther Camello¡¯s face, when he refused to die and instead took down Luther before passing out. ¡°You only die once, everything else is just the matinee to the main event.¡± Frank said, quoting a phrase he heard, or maybe read during his studies. With that last thought, Frank reached forward and placed his hand on the dark pillar that glowed with corrupted earth essence. The moment he did, a message flashed before his eyes. Something so quick that he didn¡¯t have time to fully read the entire message. Instead, the only reason he knew there was a message provided at all, was the way that the words seemed to burn their way into his retinas, after being blinded for so long.
Negative Polarity: Earth Energy Pillar Identified. Extracting energy now¡­
After that, Frank felt his entire status screen flash to life before his eyes.
Name: Frank Fotos
Status: Re-Awakened
MOS: Combat Medic
Body Cultivation Level XII. Core Value XV.
Talent: F-Rank Energy Eyes**, Regeneration**, Poison Resistance**, Death Resistance**
S-Rank: (Unknown**), (Unknown**)
Strength: 12 (Above Average) + 36 = 47 Dexterity: 13 (Above Average) + 36 = 48 Agility: 13 (Above Average) + 36 = 48 Mind: 11 (Average) + 36 = 47 Power: 57 (Way Above Average) Willpower: 19 (Above Average)
Hidden Primary Power Rating: 24 / 100 Hidden Auxiliary Power Rating: 37 / 100
Markings: Greater Healing Mark: +15% Power, +15% Efficacy Dark Warlock Marking: +15% Control Dark Queen Marking: +15% Power
That was it, everything he already knew he had accomplished up until this point. Then he saw the new message. There was of course more, as Frank felt waves of energy enter his body. Waves that instantly burned and pushed as his meridians the way a burger laced with bacon grease would push at his arteries. Grumble. Just the thought of food, caused Frank¡¯s stomach to rumble to consciousness. He had been pushed for so long while out here that it was almost like he was back at home, in the deep dark slums. Being one of the final bastions of civilization, Frank knew that food was scarce. Though he had an easier time adapting to the meager conditions than many of the other seemingly pampered cultivators who had spent their entire lifetimes up here on the surface where facilities like the Golden Arches were seemingly available everywhere. Frank was just about to wonder why he was suddenly thinking about food? He knew there was something that he was avoiding trying to think about, as his mind had created this secret alcove. This was the same mental escape point he went to when he was being abused by Luther and his cronies. So automatic was the impulse to get here, that Frank often lost track of what was happening to him on the outside. Here he was free. Here he would never face the true pain of life, or so he thought. Increased Surge. There was an intense increase in both the amplitude and frequency of the energy entering Frank¡¯s body. This violent spike was enough to shatter even his mental cave of relief. A sign that even his own mind saw just how dire the situation was now becoming. He was foolish, this was stupid. Then he felt yet another burst of energy, as he felt markers being burned into his body. This was similar to, but different from his previous breakthrough where he got a specialization. If he had to put into account the new state of his being, it would have to be raw. Almost like he was being branded with a hot iron poker from the underside of his skin. He felt the marking flare up in his right arm, the arm he used to touch the pillar. On his arm, he saw and felt a dark outline of a mountain appear, just under his skin. The pain was almost unbearable. Panting. Only now did Frank realize that he was cultivating quickly, far more quickly than he ever had in his life. Just keeping up this frenetic pace made him feel exhausted. Then finally, he got the message he had been expecting. Well not the one he had expected, but a message letting him know that his time here was finally done.
Polarity Markers: Negative Earth Energy Effect: Missing other half. Collect other half to gain full resonance
With that, Frank felt the burning in his arm subside, as his aching body collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. Trembling. Frank felt his whole body shiver and convulse violently, as he felt his body shake and slowly get more wedge in between melted layers of guardian insect exoskeleton that had been molded and formed to the shape of the dark pillar. Exhaling, Frank, let his mind finally relax, no longer needing to shelter the rest of his consciousness from the pain he was experiencing. Then taking a moment to collect himself, he closed his eyes and rested. Darkness. The world was dark and completely devoid of any shades of light now. Even the lingering traces of corrupted earth energy, or as his new marker seemed to indicate the Negative Earth Energy that had flooded this chamber a moment ago was now gone. Leaving behind only darkness, and the lingering residue of corrupted energy. Struggling to get up and get out of the wedged body and the wall, Frank fought clawed and scrambled his way forward. Knowing that pausing for even a moment would likely mean his death. This was the moment he had been preparing for, the moment all the instructors had said would come. The moment he drained the ambient energy of the pillar, the nearby monsters would immediately surge towards him and attempt to bury him. While he had been underpowered, and not fully capable of handling the power provided, Frank was adamant that he would not die from lack of effort on his part. Climbing forward until he was at the top part of the dead guardian¡¯s carapace, he waited for death to come. Chapter 44 Initiation Chapter 44 Initiation Frank waited for death, but surprisingly death never came. Silence. The world around Frank was complete silence. Drip. Well, aside from the random dripping sounds that could be heard echoing around. Frank wondered exactly what was dripping. At least he did for a moment, until he realized that some of the exploding monster parts around him might have ended up on the ceiling or other areas where dripping into the larger pools below would be heard. Regardless of the reason for the otherwise perfect silence and serenity, Frank took the moments to regain his mental faculties. His mind and body both felt like they had been pushed beyond their normal limits, but that was fine. He had been through worse. Actually, this entire SERE training event was designed to ensure that today he was ready for such a feat. Frank waited, and waited, until finally his mind began to calm. He was still groggy, still had that fuzzy experience at the peripherals of his mind, but he was now able to think. Finally, after who knew how long, Frank decided to start moving again. This was done by him grabbing, kicking and doing everything but flying over the smooth outer carapace of the dead oversized deceased guardian insect. This ended up with him eventually cresting the top, and then as soon as his body and weight met that critical mass where more was on the open side than the side he just came from, inertia took over and forced him forward. Splash. Frank lashed out, desperately trying to grab onto anything, but his overly taxed muscles didn¡¯t respond in time. This caused Frank to fly forward without any means of slowing himself down all but firing him directly into the pool of dead insect viscera. Pausing for only a second, Frank shot up and then tremblingly began walking out of the now cold liquid as he began walking. Each step painful as he felt like all of his muscles had been burn-locked into place and only through forced movement was he actually able to continue moving forward. By the time he made his way around the first turn, he felt he could walk and move almost normally. Then he began swinging his arms about by the next turn, finally he added twists and overreaching stretches to his movements. This way, when he finally made it back to the top portion of the Earth Energy pole, Frank had regained all of his previous mobility. There were still a few lingering aches, but by now Frank just attributed this to his now normal state of being and not directly related to his prior interaction with the pillar. Once again Frank found himself standing in front of the earthen pillar. This time, he found that the monsters that had been waiting for him, the warriors, were gone. Pausing for a moment, Frank wondered if the monsters had either been lured away by another cultivator at the main section of the tunnels. Or if these monsters had decided to move on. Regardless of the reason, Frank no longer felt their active energy sources nearby, which was all the reassurance that Frank needed for his not being overrun by the remaining members of the hive. Members who would no doubt be even angrier at Frank now that he killed the lower guardians of the hive as well. Still, everything told Frank that he was momentarily safe, which was all he needed. Taking in a deep breath he braced himself. Then reaching forward placed his right hand on the pillar just like before and then he waited. Nothing. For a moment Frank braced himself, wondering if there would be a delayed surge or something. Maybe he was broken? Or maybe the pillar itself was broken? No, quickly scanning the pillar, Frank realized that the output of energy was almost twice as effective as it had been previously. In fact, it was so potent that Frank almost thought the last few warriors who had been on the other side of the barrier had been irradiated by the additional energy. Though Frank was fairly certain that he would have felt the residue of monster corpses rotting on the other side. Pausing Frank took his hand back and looked at it. Now that he had light, he could see that by and large, his hand looked fine. It was a hand after all. But nothing. Then looking down he once again took a moment to check out his new marking that resided on the same right arm, the dark outline of a mountain. Or at least that is what Frank¡¯s mind interpreted the symbol to be. Seeing that his hand was fine, he place the same hand back on the pillar. Again, nothing. ¡°Okay?¡± Frank said, clearly not understanding what exactly was happening. For a moment, he wondered if he needed to use the other hand? This of course didn¡¯t make any sense to Frank. Besides why would he want to potentially limit the mobility and effectiveness of his dominant hand? This was something else they were taught throughout their training. ¡°Once you get your first marking, you can only keep getting additional markings on that same arm. Meaning the hand that you place on the pillar should be your non-dominant hand.¡± The instructor called out, before showing that he himself had three markings on his left arm. From what Frank had been told and understood of this process, you could only use one arm the entire time. Which was why Frank now found himself questioning what exactly was happening. Frank found himself debating with the idea that he might need to use his other hand, due to the different polarities? Maybe something to do with the way opposites repel and the fact that no one had ever tried to get both sections of the pillar. Not having anything else to go off of and really feeling that it was either try the other hand or move on, despite this pillar clearly having a full charge, Frank debated for a second. Then lackadaisically slapped his dominant left hand against the pillar. SURGE! The instant Frank touched the pillar, he felt an intense burning sensation flow through his fingers, into his arm and all but lock his body into place. Everything burned. For a moment, all Frank could see and feel was white hot fire coursing through his veins. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Then his mind registered the system message that seemed like it had been there for a while, but he had mentally been ignoring the thought due to his not being mentally prepared for the pain.
Positive Polarity: Earth Energy Pillar Identified.
Extracting energy now¡­
In hindsight, it had been foolish not to expect that something like this would happen. He had thought this would work, even if at a slight outside chance. So the fact that he wasn¡¯t mentally prepared to receive the pain that he was now experiencing was on him. Just like before, Frank felt the energy from the pillar drain out and swell into his body and focus on creating an exact mirrored image of the same mountain that he had on his right arm. This one though was the color contrast. While the other one had been done in dark shades, this one was made entirely with deep browns of earth Qi. This new pain was nearly unbearable and for a moment, Frank wondered if the two opposing forces would fight and try to rip each other apart. Fortunately, Frank saw more system messages that began glowing brightly on the pillar before him. While the final message in his mind also seemed to glow and almost beacon back to the pillar, as if allowing his mind to transmit the material that would soon come.
Sympathetic Balancing Polarity Identified: Full Earth Polarity Initialized, calibrating¡­
At first there were multiple lines, but then finally a style of language similar to the common language taught to all was identified. With that Frank both found his own eyes tracking the words that began to form and expand based on how his own eyes were reacting to reading the different lines of text. Logically, Frank knew that the likely red light coming from the pillar and scanning his face was how the pillar knew to stick to common, but the entire process was still impressive to Frank. For a moment, he wondered if he could use this to learn other forms of communication, but soon dismissed that thought as the gravity of the words before him registered within his mind.
Starting energy usage Tutorial: Earth Energy. What is Earth Energy you ask? Well to put it simply, it is the energy to help fix the world around you. Note, there needs to be balance in all things, as such the more Earth energy you use, the more Negative Earth Energy you create. This does not mean that Negative Earth Energy is inherently bad, but will make future uses of Positive Earth Energy tougher and tougher to perform until a balance is achieved.
Current Learning Objective: learn to cultivate negative and positive particles of earth energy in your body. Use your new markers as temporary cores for these new energy types.
Current Status: Rank: N/A Earth Energy Cultivator.
Warning: Now that the tutorial for Earth Energy has begun, you will lose all progress if you access a different training module before meeting the minimum standards.
Status Confirmation: Do you wish to begin your training tutorial for Earth Energy now? Or would you like to take a moment to rest?
Seeing the message before his eyes, Frank paused and wondered exactly what had been missed by not accessing both portions of the pillar. To his knowledge, Frank had not received a bonus for interacting with either portion of the pillar. Did this mean he would get a bonus only after he left? Also, did this mean that his boundary that had been holding him back was now released? That he could theoretically leave and then come back at a later time if needed? First, Frank took a moment to expand his senses outwards and found that the monsters that had apparently gone further away from the border, were now coming back. Then before he really had time to contemplate everything and the possible distinctions he mentally thought that regardless of being able to leave or not, he really wanted to at least try his hand at the unique training opportunity, not wanting to squander this otherwise amazing opportunity. Just as he had the thought, multiple things happened simultaneously. First, the other warrior insects came back to within his sensing range, something odd happened. At the same time Frank felt their presence and was mentally annoyed at their arrival, the system seemed to pick up on the unease and began to speak.
Intruder detected. Warning, assistance during the training program is punishable by death.
Reading the warning, Frank felt an instant surge of adrenaline take him as he wondered how he could be punished for monsters coming to interact and mess with him during his training. ¡°¡± The sound of a calm angel spoke in a language that Frank could only wish he understood. Fortunately, the distance and direction of the spoken voice indicated that it was directed away from him, and towards the still rapidly advancing evolved warrior insects. Warrior insects who made quick work of the thin rip away tunnel entrance and were already storming their own tunnels and charging directly towards Frank.
Training Area Initiated: Warning, stepping out of the designated training area or others coming in, will be seen as an attempt to cheat and will be met with extreme prejudice.
With that warning in place, Frank felt a barrier extend out from the giant pillar right in front of him and extend out past Frank, surrounding him and a few feet of clearance in each direction. Now that the barrier was in place, Frank could feel and sense a surge of brown earth infused energy surrounding him.
Training is set to begin: Pull in all the ambient positively aligned Earth Energy into your body.
Frank read and understood the instructions, but felt slightly distracted as he wondered if he would have to fight off the invading monsters that for whatever reason chose this moment to return.
Warning: Focus on your training, we will deal with eliminating all distractions.
¡°.¡± Once again, the sound of angels speaking filled the air. Just like last time the sounds were directed towards the warrior insects. Piercing Ray Beam! A blindingly bright ray of golden energy fired out from the pillar and pierced the charging warrior insect right in its thick skull, right between its two sets of large round black eyes and just past its large double set of mandibles. With the beam of light, the surging creature dropped instantly. One second it was charging forward, the next second a tiny beam of light pierced through its skull and forced the overly aggressive monster to collapse to the ground, dead. Then as more of the monsters seemed to pass the same imaginary line of separation, more beams of light shot out, striking down the monsters and dropping them all into a pile that now resided a dozen feet or so away from Frank¡¯s sitting body.
Begin training.
The warning flashed angrily, causing Frank to turn his attention away from the quickly growing pile of dead and lifeless evolved insects, and forced him to stare forward. It was at this point that Frank realized he did not want to also get on the bad side of this training module. So without truly thinking about it, Frank held out his left hand, the hand with the arm that had the symbol for positively charged earth energy, and began to pull the energy into his hand. As was expected, the tiny motes of earth energy entered his body and began to burn their way through his meridians. At least they did burn their way through his meridians until they found their way to his marking for earth energy. Once the energy reached his marking, Frank watched as the dimly glowing brown outline began to grow brighter with every mote of energy absorbed. At first the particles were easy to grab, but after a point the pieces became harder and harder to affect. There was a point, where he tried to get up from his spot on the ground. The moment he did, he was met with a barrage of bright lights, and warnings.
Do not move from your spot.
Seeing the message, Frank paused, and then immediately collapsed to the ground back to his sitting position. The minute he did the seemingly annoyed warning light went off and he was once again allowed to focus on his training. ¡°Okay, don¡¯t move it is,¡± Frank said, taking a quick glance over at the pile of dead insects before going back to his training, where he then began directing his left hand towards the different motes of energy. Again, this tactic was only a stop gap, and really only helped pick out a few of the motes of energy. Pausing for a moment, Frank realized that using his hand as a focal point was likely a crutch. No, it had to be, and that he was clearly missing something with this training. No doubt, there would have been dozens or hundreds of things taught to a promising cultivator when these pillars were first created. This also brought up the idea of who created these pillars in the first place? How was it that they expected someone to have both polarities, but as far as Frank was aware of, there were no records of someone being able to actually cultivate both types of energy. Well at least not until he came around. Major Demoniker supposedly could do so, but that also seemed to be a stretch. While he was capable of cycling his distant source of energy, he lacked the capacity to do so with his internal Qi. At least that was what Frank now believed of his former instructor. That or, the instructor¡¯s energy that he cultivated was vastly different from the type that Frank could currently wield. Despite his surroundings, Frank just let his mind wander, as he took in the momentary reprieve. So long as he was cultivating, his body felt full and satiated, which meant that so long as he was here, he could theoretically continue on with his training indefinitely. Frank was so lost in his thoughts and idly cultivating that he failed to notice how over time every mote of energy slowly moved towards him. Almost like pulling a tablecloth with an assortment of plates, so long as Frank continued to pull slowly and methodically enough, every plate on the table cloth would come towards him. This was apparently the same concept for these motes of earth energy. Earth energy was slow, methodical, and above all unstoppable once it started moving, which meant it was also impossible to start moving. Only once he found that the heavier earth energy particles continued to roll and move towards him, even if he momentarily forgot to continue to cycle his energy did he realize the apparent trick of cultivating earth energy. Or at least positively charged earth energy. Relaxing slightly, Frank felt his mind and body relaxing as quite possibly the hardest and most excruciating exercise he had ever performed was over. What filled him was the thrill of completion that could only be accomplished once you had pushed yourself to your mental limits, and beyond. After the first round, Frank was completely ready to stop and call it a day. Particularly with how tough it had been up to this point. At least that was what he thought, until he got the next message.
Progress through stage one: 50% complete.
Now beginning the second part.
Seeing that message, Frank could only exhale. As he mentally prepared for the next part of the challenge before him. This time he could already feel the negatively charged earth particles being pulled up and through the floor and placed in the impromptu training area around him.
Pull in all the ambient negatively aligned Earth Energy into your body.
Seeing the message Frank could only exhale as he realized this test was still underway. During this time Frank was so focused on the narrow world around him, that he failed to notice the lurking threat that came through the recently carved cave opening. Nor did he register the sudden influx of fresh air, just before the ignition of a fiery blaze sparked to life and began to strike out directly for an unaware and unprepared Frank. Chapter 45 Counter Measures Chapter 45 Counter Measures Balance in all things is key for a cultivator. Though with balance, the idea of strengths and weaknesses comes into play. This is why teams are assembled of cultivators of varying elements and styles. While a cultivator of Lightning might make a great matchup against conductive elements like Water and Metal, they match up poorly against non-conducted elements like Earth and Force. The thing that often gets missed, is that most of these pairings and observations of strengths and weaknesses apply only against positively charged elements to positively charged elements. In a way this makes sense as these are the methods that are most easily testable by experts of the various fields. Also, of note is that for the most part these noted strengths and weaknesses remain the same but are often inversed when dealing with dark attuned, or negatively charged elemental forces. This is why, a burst of positively charged Fire fueled with positively charged Air particles met an undeterminable field of resistance that somehow partially negated the bust of force being hurled at Frank. Simultaneously multiple events happened all at once. First a burst of flames shot forward, striking Frank and all but roasting his right side of his body. The flames were so intense that they instantly burned away The hair and part of his dirt covered uniform. Fortunately for Frank, due to his odd entrance into the cavern and subsequent need to crawl through negatively charged Earth energy, his clothing had a partial layer of resistance that helped protect him from the initial burst of flames. ¡°AHH!¡± Frank cried out, immediately recognizing the threat and covering his face from the flames by raising up his arm for protection. Fwoosh. ¡°¡± Silence. There were the sounds of flames erupting and melting everything around him, followed by an overly loud version of the angels singing, then nothing. The flames stopped, this was good as it gave Frank a chance to put out any lingering flames and traces of fire. Ache. Just moving, let Frank realize that parts of his uniform had been either burnt away or been forcefully melted into his overly sensitive skin. Beep. The pillar beeped, drawing Frank¡¯s attention to it, as a red beam of light once again shot out from the pillar and began scanning Frank¡¯s body. ¡°.¡±
Student has been injured while under the protective custody of the Master Training System. Switching process feeds to provide emergency medical assistance.
The pillar on the wall both said in writing, and likely repeated in the odd language of the founders. Hearing the words and reading the text seemed somewhat incongruous, but Frank seemed to understand what happened. Then turning to his right, Frank looked as he saw the black smoke and dust clearing enough to show the body of a fellow soldier laying sprawled out on the floor their full body being hidden by the pile of overgrown insects that had also been killed in such a way. Frank was about to move, but then saw the way a new stream of green energy seemed to rise through the pillar before him. Then simultaneously a second beam of darker green energy also appeared, though the second one seemed like it was piped upwards from the lower floors to here.
Emergency Care Operations Underway: Absorb just enough to stave off the damage sustained. But do not leave the testing area.
Seeing the message Frank realized that the people who designed this place were apparently fanatical about their training. Also, it was clear that since he got injured while apparently under the guidance of the pillar, the pillar would take this time to try to heal him.
Quickly changing subject matter for the purposes of this class.
The positively charged Life energy will be used to stimulate muscle and skin growth. The negatively charged Life energy will used to break down dead or inoperable skin and muscle, while allowing the positively charged life energy to have a great effect on the body.
Note: Healing in this way will require multiple iterations of both positively and negatively charged Life energy to cycle through your body.
Begin.
Seeing the message, Frank couldn¡¯t help but wonder what exactly was happening. At least he wanted to spend time thinking about such existential things, until he involuntarily moved his face and right side of his body causing his already painfully dry skin to crack and peel under his newfound stress. Seeing the gift for what it was, Frank began. At first while both streams of energy were clearly visible to his Energy Sight, only one form of energy was available, that being the positively charged Life energy stream. Seeing the stream, Frank reached out and placed his right hand on the pillar. While this was the injured side, it only made sense to try to get the healing energy to the damaged part of his body as quickly as possible. Thus, Frank fought through the pain of moving his aching skin, and was met with a single word response.
Denied.
¡°What?¡± Frank stated, his whole body suddenly aching as even a light breeze going through the tunnels now was enough to set off the odd aches that can only be felt on an overly exposed nerve endings. Then as if seeing Frank¡¯s confusion, the message changed.
Incorrect posture noted. Positive and negatively charged entry and exit points already identified.
Pausing at the message, Frank thought to himself for a moment, before realizing that his right arm was already assigned to receive negatively charged energy. At least the negatively charged Earth energy that he received below. Not wanting to waste too much time, Frank let out a slight groan before lowering his sore arm and raising his healthy left hand up to receive the energy. Warm tingling. Almost immediately, Frank felt warm energy flowing into his body. Taking the energy he began immediately trying to cycle the energy to the wound site, just as Dr. Evans had taught him. The moment he did however, something odd happened.
Shutdown.
At exactly the same time that Frank tried to cycle the cool energy to his burn area, the flow of energy stopped. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Improper cycling form identified.
Then a pictogram appeared of the energy flowing from his hand to his arm, to his core, then letting it go from the core in a widening spiral pattern. Unfortunately, there was a problem as the diagram all but forced Frank to oscillate the energy through his meridians with negatively charged Life energy already present. At least that is what Frank now mentally thought of the energy, but to be honest Frank now realized that he had all types of negatively charged energy flowing in that unit. Frank did everything, until the point where he would somehow need to flip his one set of healing energy through his body to the other section. The entire concept made no sense to him. First as far as Frank realized those outer set of meridians were for using energy at a distance. While the other set was for internal or near energy usage. By flipping them around, Frank felt that he was clearly missing something. In a way it reminded him of when he was first learning to dance by himself, he would move and pivot, all while feeling awkward. At first he thought the awkwardness came from not having a partner to balance off of slightly, but over time he realize that it was his own body that caused the issues. The way he moved his feet were wrong, the way he balanced his weight was off. Slowly over time he learned to adjust these discrepancies by himself, but learning such a state was odd. Now, it seemed that he was in much the same boat here. Having to learn a waltz likely intended for a three-legged dance, versus himself. Mentally Frank chided himself thinking that if he had three sets of meridians the actions being described would make sense. Frank would simply take the negatively charged energy, and let them go into the third section, while moving the positively charged energy from the first to the second section and thereby leave the first section open.
Negatively charged Life energy already detected.
Commence polarity rotation movements to proceed.
Seeing the message, Frank¡¯s eyes went wide as he tried to understand that very concept. The entire thing made no sense. He needed to commence a polarity rotation? ¡°What is that?¡± Frank asked. Tingle. As Frank spoke, he felt the same odd energy within his mind light up, as he voiced his sudden question.
Polarity Rotation Movements.
The display began, before showing a cartoonish humanoid being depicted in tiny groupings of micro-pixels. Then there were two streams of energy a red negatively charged stream of energy denoted with a minus sign. Then a deep purple positively charged stream, depicted with a plus sign. As Frank watched, Frank saw the diagram show Frank what he already understood about his own cultivation processes to now. First the positively charged purple stream entered the lower channels and began circling through. Then Frank watched as the negatively charged red stream entered the body, cycling through the same core, but incompletely different rotations.
Normal dual cycling movements.
Seeing the message Frank could only nod in agreement at what he was seeing.
Polarity rotation process.
The message above then changed indicating that what Frank was about to see would soon be different, and it was.
Step one, stream compression.
From there the image of the cultivator who was now in a sitting lotus position, much like Frank was began to focus, causing the wide red and purple streams of energy to tighten and condense, while also speeding up their pace.
Step two, thread components through core in equal but opposite directions.
From there the speed of the feed seemed to slow down, as the energy that had been cycling through the core at different directions entered the core, slowed down, and rotated once, then twice.
Strep three, thread the opposing needles and continue cultivating.
Then on the third time, when the energy was still in tightly condensed strings, those strings made their way to the opposing entry points. As the energy entered the opposing entry points, the speed of the cultivation sped up once again, until finally both streams of energy made complete loops in the core without touching each other.
Step four, finish polarity rotation within seven cycles.
With each pass through the core, the two strings of energy began to slowly give way to one, before ultimately being caught up in one continuous loop. Seeing the description, Frank could only blink in surprise and amazement at what he was being told to do. With this, there was no need for a third set of meridian channels. Instead, Frank just had to do a seamless handoff with himself. After seeing the correct way to do it, a number of cautionary videos began playing. The most notable was the way the compressed strings within the core had to be perfect. For even a slight imbalance in their approach to each other would result in line fluctuation and deviations, somehow implying that Frank might lose control of the two threads of energy. ¡°Show it again, please?¡± Frank found himself asking, not wanting to get this wrong. Particularly with seeing just how many different problems could arise from his trial and error. Fortunately for Frank, the pillar once again showed the very basic training movements. Each time Frank counted, to realize that the entire event took fifteen seconds, from slowing down the speed of his cycling and compressing his threads, to cycling the energy twice in his core, to immediately plugging the empty channel with the replacement energy stream. Just for practice, Frank tried compressing his energy.
Your stream is too loose, relax for a moment and try again.
Seeing the message, Frank was at least relieved to have the system helping him slightly. For his part, Frank felt that he was already receiving a partial healing effect from the positively charged life energy within his body. Even now he could focus on this training due to the subtle effects of Life energy already working within his body. This was the accelerated healing rate that people would expect from a combat medic. The only problem was that the pillar, the seeming expert on cultivation seemed to think Frank could gain more, or do more if he but changed his patterns slightly. At this point, Frank realized he was at a crossroads decision in his life. He could get up now, end this process and likely get two Attribute points for leaving. Or he could try to take advantage of the guiding programs. Programs that seemed completely crazy, but also seemed to understand the energy of cultivation in ways that no one could master up until now. Relaxing slightly, Frank felt the restraint that he had been exerting on his energy relax. Then he felt the energy slowly release over time. Going from one cycle to the next, and finally being fully released by the sixth rotation. Then just to confirm Frank¡¯s own thoughts, the pillar spoke about his noted progress. Try again. Exhaling, Frank once again focused his will on his two revolving strings of energy. The only problem was that he managed to grab the positively charged string just that much faster than his negatively charged string. Not that he didn¡¯t try grabbing both at the same time, but one he managed to gain control over immediately, while the other took more time.
Release and try again.
It seemed that even the pillar thought he failed. Though in a way it was good as Frank realized the mistake almost immediately. Relaxing, Frank exhaled, before trying again. Again, the waves of healing energy were already having their desired effect on Frank¡¯s body, as he could feel more and more of his skin, particularly around his face and torso healing slowly but surely. At this rate there would likely be scarring, but that was to be expected with intense burns like these. However, nothing stopped Frank from continuing to practice. At the very least, Frank knew that he wouldn¡¯t be in any condition to move before his wounds healed shut completely. Even then a slight brush against a dirt covered wall, or sharp rock would cause him to lose all the progress he had gained thus far. In a way, healing his body of burn wounds was a lot tougher than the healing marathon he had experienced at the military ball. There the damage was localized to a few specific areas, and even then Frank only had to focus on the necrotized portions of the flesh. As the other healers would then be able to heal a lot easier without the dead particles of skin being in the wounds. Thinking of that, Frank realized that there might be more to this training than he thought. For clearly, the original founders of cultivation realized that one would likely need both positively and negatively charged streams of energy to meet a harmonious conclusion. Just as Frank had this internal epiphany, he found it was time to once again try to grab both streams of energy at roughly the same time. A feat that had been easy the first time, or rather had felt easy due to his ability to quickly grab and corral both strings of energy. But now, Frank found that it was a timing thing. Also, Frank had to grip the faster moving negatively charged stream that much harder than the positively charged string. Grip, and squeeze. Frank found his mind and body grabbing both strands in vice-like grips almost immediately. Once again, the problem came down to the process of compressing both strands. While grabbing for control of the negatively charged string was tougher, once he got control the strings were easier to compress. Meanwhile the easier to grab and control positively charged strings were somehow harder to compress.
Abnormal regulation speeds detected.
Corrective advice: Learn to oscillate both currents at the same frequency.
Seeing the message, Frank could only nod in agreement as he too was coming to a similar conclusion, and likely would have come to the very same conclusion if given enough time. At least, that was what Frank told himself as he paused, then once again focused his mind and looking inward at his own cultivation speeds he paused. Then slowly Frank began speeding up the frequency that he cycled his positively charged stream of energy at. To Frank it made more sense to cycle the energy faster, than to purposefully go slower. This was why when given the option, Frank decided to speed up the rate that he cycled the waves of positively charged healing energy throughout his body, until both of his streams of energy were flowing at the exact same rate of speed. Then mentally pausing, he grabbed both and found that to his surprise it took the same amount of pressure for both streams. Similarly, the way he compressed both streams required the exact same amount of pressure. Frank tested out the process once, twice, then finally on the third time he got a message that he had been hoping for.
Safe to proceed with polarity rotation.
Seeing the message, Frank relaxed. Then after seven rotations he found that his strands of energy were still condensed. Pausing again, Frank realized that while he might be able to get the initial transfer completed, the final message was that he had to get his rotations back to normal within seven cycles. Honestly with them both being at the same speed, this last part felt like it would be a lot easier to perform as well, though Frank also knew that he would likely need to do something to decrease the time needed for the energy to expand to its normal dimensions. Finally, the idea came to him as a flash of inspiration. The moment he had his first threads through the needles of the alternate meridian channels, he would let go of his vice like grip on the streams and let them expand out as normal. With his plan set, and confidence in his technique, Frank went about actually performing the process as described. There was a moment of slight inward trembling, as Frank felt his grip quiver slightly, as he desperately tried to thread not one but two different threads through two different chambers at the same time. Fortunately, that part was rather easy, for once he got both threads relatively close to the new respective openings, a suctional force grabbed the threads and pulled them in. With his task complete, Frank exhaled with delight, as he felt joy overtake him as he could already feel the effects of positively and negatively charged healing energies working at new sections of his body. That had to be the absolute hardest task he had ever had to perform as a cultivator, but he had done it. Better still, the pillar, his impromptu trainer also let him know that it saw his success.
Stage one complete.
Unfortunately, Frank¡¯s success was short lived, as the pillar began with the next set of instructions.
Now: Draw in negatively charged healing energies and once again rotate your cycles.
Seeing the message, Frank could only exhale with pain, as he realized this training session was just getting started. Still, he had done it once, which meant that he should be able to do it again. Rustle. Frank was so lost in his own thoughts and tasks, that he failed to hear or even sense the faint vibrations in the ground nearby. Vibrations that all but seemed to stop, upon seeing the pile of monster and human corpses that surrounded a completely serene Frank. It wasn''t until Frank''s mind picked up on the unmistakable sound of Angels singing in the distance that Frank realized he might have more visitors. Interlude IV (Constance Evans) Interlude IV (Constance Evans) Puppeted, that is how Constance would describe her mental state for the past few hours. Ever since her bonded partner both confirmed their undying link across space and time, Constance had found her mind and body being controlled by the Dark Queen. The reason why her mind and body were being controlled in such a way was due to the fact that her partner was proving to be beyond exceptional. For he not only began to prove that he was a realm walker, a theoretical being capable of harvesting both light and dark energies. A being that the Dark Queen herself had been searching for, since her ascension to immortality. And the Dark Queen was immortal, that much Constance was assured of due to her mind link with the crazed being. While the puppeting was one way, their minds did require a connection at least at a basic level. This meant that she saw plans, prophecies, and predictions that all but showed her how to win the battle for dominance. Most of the Dark Queen¡¯s current aspirations had been on destabilizing the world powers before making a final strike. But it seemed that for the moment, her plans had been altered, as she now seemed completely captivated by the realm walker. A being who was at this very moment learning to cultivate both light and dark energies at once. While he seemed to stare blankly at a dark pillar, there were odd signs that things were happening. Slight fluctuations of light shown on and around the pillar indicating that something was happening. Then there was a slight tingling sensation within her mind that let her know that the Dark Queen was using her connection to try to reach the thoughts that her bonded realm walker was having. Fwoosh! White hot burning pain pierced Constance¡¯s mind. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°AHHH!¡± Constance found herself crying out as her mind felt like it was on fire. ¡°Calm down child, breathe.¡± The Dark Queen said, her voice powerful with commanding words. Hearing the words, her mind first resisted, but then realizing these words were meant to help, she relaxed her control and let the words flow through her consciousness. ¡°That¡¯s right, relax. The pain isn¡¯t real, and it looks like your betrothed is fine.¡± The Dark Queen said, then her voice seemed to trail off as she continued to observe not only the changes in Frank, but the pillar in front of him. It was clear that Frank himself was burned terribly, but had been able to withstand most of the mental damage thanks to the shared transference to Constance. Though even with the pain reduced, Frank¡¯s apparent lack of reaction was extraordinary. As he had highly damaging burns that were clearly deep within his body. At this, the Dark Queen focused deeply, as if resting her mind against Frank¡¯s. As if this closeness, this connection would allow her to have a deeper insight into what he was seeing and experiencing at this very moment. The entire thing was insightful for Constance, as it was clear that the Dark Queen was not only well used to having a bonded connection, but was seemingly able to draw the most she could from a bonded connection. ¡°You are far too smart,¡± the Dark Queen stated. Her thoughts instantly causing chills to run down Constance¡¯s spine as she realized that she let her thoughts run wild. Though to her defense, her mind was still reeling from the shared mental damage suffered from the flame attack. ¡°Normally, I would kill someone who found out that I at one point had a bonded partner.¡± The Dark Queen stated. And for a moment, Constance could swear she could feel the weight of judgement being passed against her. A judgement preparing to see if she was in fact worthy of living or not. Then finally, the weight of such insights into the Dark Queen were dropped. ¡°Fortunately for you, that source of vulnerability is no longer in effect. And only you can be punished, or rather your Frank can be punished if you try to use such knowledge against me.¡± ¡°I would never.¡± Constance began, and she meant it too. A bonded partner was something sacred, in fact Constance realizing that her Dark Queen both had and lost her bonded partner filled Constance with an overwhelming feeling of sadness and sorrow. ¡°Do not pity me. Instead, we need to make plans.¡± The Dark Queen stated. ¡°Plans?¡± Constance asked. ¡°Yes, it seems that our timetable for extracting your bonded partner has been expedited.¡± The Dark Queen mused. ¡°It has?¡± Constance asked, suddenly feeling a sense of hope filling her as she imagined being closer to Frank once more. To see if that connection was real? Chuckle. The Dark Queen only laughed at that. Meanwhile, Constance both felt and heard the mental commands being sent out to the hive minders, those who were responsible for controlling the network of insects in the caves that the cultivators were now fighting to gain access to. With the commands sent, the intent was clear, the colony of insects would now watch over and protect her Frank. For a moment Constance wondered why the Dark Queen would do this, but through their shared connection, she felt the logic seep into her mind. The intention of the immortal was clear. Drive a wedge of doubt and mistrust between the other cultivators and Frank. Then when Frank was eventually cast out by the others of his own society, they would be there to offer refuge. A plan so simple and yet complex at the same time. Why would she do this for her Frank? She found herself wondering. Then both she and the Dark Queen paused in anticipation when Frank did something no one had managed to do in her lifetime. By focusing his mind and will on his cultivation, he managed to alternate his primary affinity with his secondary and vice versa. Then to prove that such an act wasn¡¯t a mistake, he undid the change. Feeling the change through their shared connection Constance couldn¡¯t help but feel proud of her betrothed. ¡°Yes, he will make a great addition to our army and help us win this conflict once and for all.¡± The Dark Queen said, and at her words, Constance could only nod her head in agreement. Chapter 46 The Army Chapter 46 The Army Captain Paul Camello was already on his fourth pillar, and he was prepared to stay down here in the dark hole for as long as possible to get all seven pillars, just as his grandfather had. General Camello, the first and greatest of the still active generals was one of the first to find and conquer all seven pillars. Chitter, chitter. Just hearing the echoing sound of the monsters storming forward and charging through the various tunnels caused Paul¡¯s skin to crawl. That and the smell. The tight chambers of dirt naturally smelled bad. But then added to that was the fact that the ground was hot. Well hot wasn¡¯t the correct term, corrosive. The walls, and everything was coated in a layer of corrosive materials. Even the access point of the pillars was covered in the corrosive materials. Materials that would begin slowly wearing away at the protective layer of his uniform, or worse causing near instant rashes from the barest of contact. All of this was from normal movement within the caves. If his skin was forced to rub up or scrape against the caustic materials then he was to stop, and apply instant cauterization treatments to the wounds for both himself and the others of his unit. And everyone here was from his unit, all except for the brat. Honestly Captain Camello didn¡¯t particularly care for the whole honor of defending all Camellos. As there were plenty of Camellos that Paul himself would be glad to get rid of. That said, when grandfather put together a hit and made it so the subject of such attention would be placed right in the middle of SERE training, a course where no less than thirty percent of attendees are expected to die. Then miraculously everyone from your unit and the brat makes it to the final and hardest round, the message is clear. Not just for him, but for everyone of the unit, kill the brat if he dares to enter the training grounds. Paul himself didn¡¯t worry about the brat, by now everyone in the squad would be gunning for the child, even bypassing the actual purpose for their being here. All in order to gain the favor of the general. It was sickening, but Paul knew that deep down, things and actions like this were what made General Camello such a powerhouse. That these actions were why the Camellos were feared, or at least known not to be trifled with. As for Paul, he sometimes wondered what it would have been like to be born into a lower family. One where it was just his actions alone that caused him to rise or fail, much as the brat had. That was the thing, that as much as he wanted to hate the kid. As easy as it would be to cast out the kid and throw away any form of attachment to him, the kid had guts. Despite clearly getting worse treatment from everyone else, despite getting the worst rations, he never complained. Not that anyone was there to listen to him. SERE training for someone so young was a death sentence. Then once everyone realized that Captain Camello and his entire team was here, taking the training together, the writing was written clearly and in raised text for anyone to read. General Camello had pulled strings to put in a hit. At first everyone panicked, subtly asking for signs of who the intended target was. One brazenly had the gall to go up to Paul himself to ask. That was when Paul just chuckled at the brash action of the individual and replied, ¡°you¡¯re good.¡± Then immediately after that, Paul flicked his gaze over to Fotos, who was in the middle of an extra set of exercises for another perceived infraction. Still despite all of that, the boy didn¡¯t break. For that alone, the unwillingness to break, Paul was impressed. Though unfortunately Paul¡¯s being impressed was the equivalent of running in the rain; there might provide some tangential benefit to you under the right circumstances, such as cooling off your body heat, or keeping certain types of predators at bay, but by and large it didn¡¯t change anything noteworthy. At least that is what Paul told himself. Though he also knew from experience that people in the military were more than accommodating towards minor favors for him. Paul would still get work, he would still be forced to do the same sets of training as everyone else, but he would often find himself receiving higher grades for less effort. At least less effort as far as he was concerned. Take for instance this training. Tallia was a far more formidable Fire and Air user, the same exact skillset as Paul had. Yet, Tallia was listed as number two in the training, while Paul was graded number one overall, despite Tallia clearly pushing herself far harder than Paul had. At least that was how it felt. Paul did push himself, and his training and baseline Attributes and breakthroughs were crisp and clean from an early age. Upon his awakening ceremony, Paul already had the most advanced cultivations suits available, capable of not only helping to identify mana types, but also helping him process mana around him. Of course, this meant his first day of being awakened had him going to what was essentially a controlled furnace. Though, thinking back on it, the heat there had nothing to do with how cramped and stuffy he now felt currently. There heat was a conduit to show that energy was available, valuable cultivation energy that his body desperately needed to get stronger. Almost instantly Paul found the flames dancing and beckoning to his mental calls. They were beautiful and intoxicating. At least they were at first. The Camello family method of training meant that within five months, Paul had to gain the first five layers of body cultivation, and that was the minimum if you still wanted to keep the last name of Camello. For those that didn¡¯t manage to perform such a feat, they were often shipped off to the lower realms, to be forgotten forever. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Allegedly Tristan, Paul¡¯s dad, originally had seven brothers, but the oldest was a disgrace due to not having affinity for fire, and due to that, his rate of progress was a lot slower than others. Thus, he was sent to the deepest parts of the underground, to be forgotten. That said, as a lower cultivator, he managed to have multiple generations of family down there, apparently, with more than a few being blessed with long range attack abilities. With the story of great uncle Prichard, the uncle who was not to be spoken about by name known, and used as an object lesson of what happens to failures in the Camello household, Paul found inspiration to push on in his training. As Paul set a Camello generational family record, of pushing through the first five layers of his Body Cultivation in under three months. Not just that, but despite his speed, he managed to push himself forward with a perfect foundation, pushing everything he could into improving his Power Attribute. This meant that he was able to take his re-awakening process early. Not just early, but since his advancement was outside of normal awakening timeframes, his grandfather had performed the ritual. When his grandfather performed the re-awakening ritual, he used sacred training techniques that all but forced the second affinity of Air onto Paul. Apparently, this was done by only exposing Paul to the Air element, until finally his body was forced to cultivate the element, despite how much it burned his meridians and made him feel like he was circulating glass shards within his body. This was why, people who were naturally Fire and Air elemental users like Tallia were ultimately better. Their bodies didn¡¯t resist the harsh secondary element. Instead, they seemed to thrive under their body¡¯s perfect harmony. That said, having the ability to create Air, particularly air that was directly next to his skin and body was a life saver. Not only did it ensure that Paul would not suffocate when his flames grew out of control, but it also gave him the initial component needed to create a chemical reaction. Honestly, the two were a perfect union of abilities, however there was just one problem. By now Paul himself was a third generation of Fire and Air users, just as his father had been forced to walk the path, to follow in his father¡¯s footsteps. Just as his older brother had. In a way, his brother had it easy. He died while here in SERE training. This was why, Paul, unlike all others of his family who came before him was provide with information of what to expect. The General himself even came to spout on about his glorious achievements when they first found these ancient ruins. ¡°The insects are powerful, but that they are manageable, so long as you keep your wits about you,¡± the General began. Having grown up hearing the accounts of his grandfather¡¯s exploits, this was along the lines of what he expected to hear from the old man. Useless words that ultimately said nothing, while sounding important. While his father, aunts, and uncles all went through the training as well, they did so with varying degrees of success. The most successful of which was his father who managed to get five of the seven pillars. That said, there was a steep drop off in success recently. For while, Paul¡¯s father, aunts, and uncles all succeeded, none of the grandchildren who partook in this sacred training succeeded thus far. ¡°I¡¯d swear they move those tunnels around on you. The longer you stay down there, the more the heat builds and threatens to cook you alive.¡± His father Tristan Camello II stated. There was no third, at least not any more, as that had been Paul¡¯s older brother¡¯s name. The very one who set off the avalanche that was this borderline questionable information exchange with Paul. ¡°Now you need to promise me two things,¡± Tristan the second noted. ¡°Two?¡± Paul asked, hearing the note of worry in his father¡¯s voice. ¡°Yes, when you get down there, do not be reckless. While getting all seven pillars might have been possible in grandfather¡¯s time, that no longer seems to be the case. No one in a generation has found that many pillars. I only found five by accident. That is why you must now make two promises to me before you go.¡± His father pleaded. ¡°Okay?¡± Paul questioned. ¡°First, do not get stuck on finding seven or even five pillars. If you find one, then that is a success in and of itself. Any more is just icing on the cake and what you can bring others to, who will be grateful for your assistance.¡± Tristan stated. ¡°Okay.¡± Paul agreed. ¡°Second, do not follow the deep roads. If you start going to places where your skin and body feel like they are being burned away, leave. Double back, crawl out if you must, but leave. I don¡¯t know what is down on the lower levels, but you will first see stronger and stronger monsters along your path. That will be the first sign that you have gone too far. Then if you go too far down, you will be exposed to highly concentrated doses of the rot. We think this is what happened to your brother. Which is why we ask that you learn from his example.¡± Tristan the second stated. ¡°I thought he died below? Overtaken by monster insects?¡± Paul asked, suddenly hearing about this new detail of his brother¡¯s death. ¡°That is what we want others to believe. If we said that by going down you would be exposed to enough corruption to cause even a powerhouse like your brother to die, despite being at the peak of the Skeletal Cultivation phase, then no one would venture to go deep. This is why we are telling you this now. Also, know that you may tell this secret to your squad members and a few other trusted family friends.¡± Grandfather, Tristan the first, stated. At that, Paul could only pause. ¡°Do not worry, after your rotation, details of going to the lower depths will be made common knowledge for the SERE training curriculum. That said, for now there is one very minor reason why we have kept this such a secret, until now.¡± Grandfather stated. Hearing that, Paul could only nod in understanding. Fotos, the new soldier that had apparently killed a member of the Camello family in cold blood. A person who by all old-world accounts should either be rotting away in prison right now, or be serving on the front lines. Instead, they had somehow walked the death row, and been recommended for specialized SERE training, as a possible reward for some feat he accomplished while at the academy. If records were to be believed, then this Fotos kid was on a vastly different power level far higher than his own. Well, far higher than he was at that age. Fortunately for Paul, he had years of experience and a family of highly motivated achievers stockpiling resources for the younger generations to use as a way of building out the Camello lineage. Worse, there was also the added issue that each generation, while sponsored more heavily and thoroughly by the generation before them always failed to live up to the prior generation. Thust Paul¡¯s father being unable to achieve the successes of his father, just as now Paul was unable to achieve the same successes as his own father. Four pillars, by far the most of this generation, meant nothing. Three was the last to give a bonus. The next one, the fifth pillar would also give a bonus, but four that was a waste. It was so meaningless to only find four that Paul couldn¡¯t help but feel the need to press on, to find that fifth pillar. One that would provide one more Attribute, well not just one, but one Attribute to all his points. Such a feat would be a game changer. At least for someone at Fotos¡¯ level. That said, there was honor and tradition pushing Paul on. The last thing he wanted to hear was the excuse of how his generation was weaker than his parent¡¯s generation. The same way that his father heard the same from his father before him. This was why, despite making the promise to leave, Paul found himself walking around in what felt like circles. He hated to admit it, but the insects were at the very least semi-sentient. A couple of times Paul could feel the insects moving around him. Tremor. Paul could even feel their fast paced antics disturbing the tunnels that he had previously been in. When he first felt the movement, Paul immediately ran to find a gaggle of the creatures. Ten were seeming to chew up and spit out some form of dense saliva-like substance to build up walls. Fwoosh. Seeing them gathered so tightly, Paul let loose a burst of flames that easily burned the distracted defenders, allowing Paul to make quick work of the builders. While a few had managed to scramble away, with burning chunks of flames attached to their exoskeletons, they did so under duress. Also, Paul used that moment to prove that these giant creatures were building walls to cut off or stop movements. Focusing on the walls, Paul did notice one discrepancy. There was one slight difference between the walls that had been up and active all along, versus the walls that were being hastily constructed by the insects, and that was the fact that his skin did not have an immediate reaction to the walls. Yes, subtle, almost like touching rows upon rows of poisonous vines to find the one that is not poison sumac, and thus safe to grab and pull down. In a way, this method of trying to find a false wall leading to a fifth pillar was similar. Itching burning. By now, Paul had used this method so much that he could no longer put on his protective gloves anymore, for his skin was too raw. While he would quickly burn away the outer layer of skin immediately upon feeling a reaction, there was still a lingering pain in his hand. A pain that would only be taken away after cycling his energy twice within his body. As crude as this method might seem, Paul had found two false walls using this very time-consuming method. Once he found that his skin didn¡¯t instantly react to the energy of the wall, Paul would then focus his concentration on the spot where his hand landed and begin creating a virtual inferno right there. One time, he found a clutch of hiding larva and eggs. Larva that were protected by one overly large monster that, was remarkably easy to kill. Especially as the hole in the false wall that Paul had created was large enough for a flame thrower attack to enter, but not large enough for even an appendage of the overly rotund defender beast to enter. This meant that Paul was able to burn his way through the nest with impunity. From there, Paul quickly found a second wall, where even more monsters hid, but he somehow missed the nearby pillar, if there was ever one in that area. Which, from Paul¡¯s understanding that was exactly the case. Now he was lost, though tired, he still felt the need to press on. To continue on. By now Paul had almost given up on the idea of matching his grandfather. But now that he had found a cheat, a way to find hidden walls and continue his search for more pillars, Paul was ready to move on. Nothing would stop him, or so he thought. Chitter, chitter. Paul heard the sound of dozens of insects just waiting. Having been around the beasts for so long, Paul knew that there was a slight taste ability for the monsters. He knew they were all but blind down here, but would be able to taste his presence, if he wasn¡¯t careful. That was why, moving into position, he slowly angled his body, until he could see the monsters. Blank stares. If Paul didn¡¯t know better, he would assume that the creatures had all lost their minds. Seeing the moment for what it was, a perfect time to strike, Paul moved forward. Then out of the corner of his eye, he caught the skeletal frame of a hand sticking out from under the pile of monsters. Horror filled Paul as he realized the hand was fresh. For a moment, he wondered who the hand belonged to. For a second he hoped it was Fotos, which would mean that he was off the hook for killing the brat. Unfortunately, that thought was turned on its head, the next second as he saw the very brat he had been thinking about a moment ago, sitting perfectly still behind the blankly staring line of oversized insects. ¡°What the?¡± Paul let out, his thoughts escaping his lips as he could not fathom the incongruity of what he was now seeing. Pausing. Then as one, the insects that had all been staring off into space, suddenly shook awake and all turned their heads in unison directly towards Paul. ¡°Shit,¡± was all Paul could say before a wall of large insects came to life and began surging towards him. Chapter 47 Marching Orders Chapter 47 Marching Orders ¡°Shit,¡± was all Captain Paul Camello could say before a wall of large insects came to life and began surging towards him. What they had been doing moments before that was unknown. As far as Paul could understand, they were just mindlessly staring off into the distance. It wasn¡¯t until he inadvertently spoke out loud, a testament to just how tired he was at being down here for so long that the large, mutated monsters came to life and began staring at him. To make matters worse, he saw SERE candidate Frank Fotos staring off in the in the distance, seeming to be at peace with the monster. FWOOSH! An eruption of flame shot out and forward, instantly igniting against the hardened carapaces of the overgrown insects. Flames shot out and danced over their bodies, instantly burning away the protective outer layers and frying the tender insides of the first row of attackers in an immolating attack. For the previous tunnels and monsters, this had been enough. The monsters who had been proven to be both semi-sentient and possessing minor self-preservation characteristics would normally turn and flee at this point. However this group was different, this group seemed to be possessed. Despite the first row of monsters getting burned down, the second row merely grabbed the bodies of their fallen brethren in their mandibles and began pushing forward through the immolating flames. Seeing this change in tactics, Paul could only look on in horror. In a moment, he realized his only option was to fall back at this point. That said, he had found it, the fifth pillar, the last one that Paul needed for his advancement. While he would not need to go beyond this one, as finding two more pillars after this one in his exhausted state would be too much, Paul realized that if he got this one he could prove to both himself and his father that their generation was no less capable than each other. With this, Paul could gain some of the vaunted recognition that his generation was lacking. All he needed was that pillar. Now that he had his goal in mind, Paul decided to leave the area, at which point he would circle back and claim the pillar from SERE Candidate Fotos. The fact that the boy was just sitting there, staring off vacantly showed that he was either a fool, or worse. Huff, huff. Paul¡¯s lungs burned as he took in deep burning breaths of corrosion inducing oxygen. Just inhaling the caustic fumes caused pain to burn deeply in his chest. Still this was all for the common good. Through his exploring, Paul had managed to create a mental map of the area. In his mind he knew the layout of the monster-controlled labyrinth before them. Chitter, chitter. As he moved, he felt the echoing of multiple sets of feet landing on the ground and striking the walls and other surfaces around. There was a smidge of ambient light, but not much. Not enough. According to the tales of his father and grandfather, there was more than enough light to see and move about freely down here. That said, the dark corrosive coating that the monsters used to cover every inch of the area with corrosion dimmed that lighting ever so. Realizing this, Paul began to notice more discrepancies in the walls. While he had found the newly constructed walls, ones designed to block off potential kills. That¡¯s what they were, killing chambers, the dead hand of a fellow soldier all but confirmed this theory. At that thought, Paul paused. Realizing that there might be two sets of these false walls. Ones that were newer and meant to cause immediate confusion, and the older ones that had been coated with the same layer of caustic substance that would serve as a permanent barrier. This was just a thought, but one that seemed to make sense as the map within his mind showed him that he had been to both ends of this very tunnel. Also it was clear that the lustrous sheen from this section right ahead was not visible. The change was minor, but after hours of being down here, it was enough for Paul to realize it was a trap. FWABOOSH! Firing a burning jet of flames forward, Paul tried to burn the ancient walls. A feat he was told was impossible due to the technology of the ancients. Yet, as he could see before him, the flames were immediately burning through a section of the wall. Seeing this, Paul increased his speed, lowered his shoulder, and slammed into the rest of the wall. Shattering obsidian. Paul was used to many substances, part of his training was breaking through dark obsidian as a method to temper both his mind and body about the pain that would come. Still, dark obsidian was a feature of earthen walls constructed by the corrupted beings. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. A few more audacious theories posed that the corrupted beings could do a mockery of every form of elemental attack that humans could. Of course, such talks were often ridiculed, but seeing the direct effects of what clearly appeared to be corrupted earth energy made Paul question his understanding of the situation. That said, Paul continued to move about, using the new tunnel to give him even more options and ease of movement. With this process, he felt he could eventually find all seven pillars. He had already found the fifth, and with time he could easily traverse the area and find the sections of wall that don¡¯t appear to light up the same way that the other sections of wall do. It¡¯s tough, as often the opposite side of a closed off tunnel would have a lighted barrier that would be reflected at the other opposite end. Meaning it wouldn¡¯t be until he got closer that he would be able to notice the discrepancy. But this was it, this was the nuance he needed to find all seven pillars and draw their bonuses. Pausing for a moment, Paul gathered himself, and then turning down a particularly tight corner that ultimately fed back to where he came from. Paul waited. The reason why he waited was two-fold. First, he had to make sure that the monsters that had been chasing him, all too the looping side tunnel. This way, when he doubled back, the pathway should be clear. The last thing he wanted to do was to make his move too early and be surrounded by monsters on both ends. If there were a few stragglers remaining, he felt fairly confident that he could take those on. That said, if they expected such an ambush, then he would be dead. The second main reason why he waited here, was to both catch his breath, and to cut down the advancing surge of corrupted creatures. Tremble. The walls and floor shook with the weight and coordinated force of creatures coming his way. Closing his eyes, Paul drew in a deep breath, paused and focused on a distant spot well at the other end of the long hallway he had gone down. The hallways was one of the few straight shots and easily over a hundred and fifty meters long. This was perfect for Paul, as his maximum range was listed as 300 meters, but he felt far more comfortable with shorter distances like the 150 meters that were before him. With that fundamental understanding of himself and his limitations, Paul once again remembered Tallia and how she was a far better soldier than he could ever hope to be. Tallia always had to work for every advantage she got, which meant she practiced all ranges, not just close, but constantly pushed her limits. Had Tallia been here with him now, Paul realized that he wouldn¡¯t even be considering running away. Or this delaying tactic. Rather, he would have held firm with her, creating an inferno that would not only cover the entire hallway, but would burn down any monster that came near him. Unfortunately, Tallia had been given the same incentive that everyone in his unit had. The free meal card that was a blessing from the General for killing Fotos. Thinking back, when he saw Fotos, Paul realized the truth. That just as the one soldier lay dead below the mound of motionless monsters. Fotos never moved. With his body facing away, and no sign of breathing or other activity, it was very likely that Fotos had already been killed. Logically that was the only answer that made sense. A squad member found Fotos, killed him, not realizing that monsters were sneaking up behind him. Then they were struck down by a horde of beasts before they could even register the real threat. FWOOSH! Realizing that, Paul felt the approaching taps of creatures crawling forward and struck. Dancing, melting horrors. The monsters were relentless in their approach and willing disregard for their own safety. Mindlessly they charged forward, again using the burning bodies of those that died as shields, only to then be burned down themselves. Then as they dropped, the next row would pick up what remained of their corpse and push the line ever so slowly forward. For a moment, Paul wondered if these monsters knew of his plan, to circle back around and go back to the pillar. At that thought, part of his mind wondered to the horror of seeing these monsters circle back to him, cutting off his own retreat in a well-coordinated pincer maneuver, just as they had for the fallen squad member. Fortunately, the feeling of unease that had been filling Paul never came to fruition. He never heard nor felt the tell-tale approach of monstrous insects coming from behind him and striking him down from two fronts. Instead, Paul used the cultivation methods that had been taught to him since his first awakening. Reach out, create a flame, burn the target. Find the target¡¯s freely burning parts, that is new fire that can be used to recycle back and replenish your reserves. Find those new flame energy sources, grab them and pull them in. Recycle the new flame energy with your old, then release more flames to then create more energy. Pull in the new energy and repeat ad nauseum. Air was much the same, except you drew in the non-converted breaths. The mains source of free air in this case was from the dying breaths of enemies. Enemies that would breathe out and be used to pull in along with the stolen energy of freely created flames. Still despite being able to replenish his energy reserves in this way, the entire process was taxing. Though at this rate, he was easily able to keep pace with his rate of consumption, if barely. The major strain of using so much energy so quickly, was the toll that such activity had on both his mind and body. That said, this was why the SERE training was as intense as it was. If he held back at all, even slightly, this would not be possible. Rumble. The ceiling. These monsters were crawling on the walls, and even on the ceiling, trying to get closer to him. Worse, Paul knew why they were crawling on the ceiling. The answer was obvious, up there, Paul could not create a pillar of flames hot enough to be of any true danger. Also, the air that he cycled back, as miniscule as it was, would help break apart the dark smoke that billowed upward and tried to suffocate anyone. That said, Paul was pretty certain that these insects didn¡¯t need to breathe. Or rather they did, but not at the same intervals as humans did. That was why they had condense intricate air sacs. Sacs that were perfect for renewing his supply of freely charged air energy, but also why they were able to charge forward through the flames, while climbing along the ceiling. Seeing the hulking beasts, that first clung with five pairs of appendages to the ceiling, then after getting through the flames either hurled the remnants of their burning monster shield parts towards Paul. Or came through just grabbing the ceiling with as many sets of arms as possible, then reached down trying to pick up Paul from his stationary position. Dodging to the side, Paul managed to avoid the outstretched arms, and even the falling body of the one crazy monster that managed to climb the ceiling to get to him. This did not mean that the monster landed gracefully, far from it actually. The beast landed on its back, and instantly cut off the advancement of its fellow brethren, subsequently giving Paul the chance he needed to escape. At this point, Paul had two options. First, he could go out, take the win for what it was. He could leave now, and no one from this generation would comment on his outing. Four pillars was a feat to be marveled at. Of course, Paul would know that he gave up on Pillar number five. It was right there, all he needed to do was turn back now and go to what had to be a straight shot to the pillar. Which was why Paul chose option two. Circling around, Paul went to the bend in the road, and went right, circling back round to the parallel hallway that ran past the long tunnel that even now monsters were crawling their way through burning flames. Being this close, Paul could still feel the flames, but with a wall between him and the flames he could not keep the flames going. Or rather he could, but he would not be able to continually refresh his energy reserves the way he had been earlier. The wall would both increase his use of energy consumption, and all but prevent him from recycling the energy he used. That said, it was good to still know that flames were there, and moving. Better still, the flames he could feel were moving in the direction he originally went. This was good, as it meant that his plan should be working. With the burning flames still traversing down the path he went, it meant that the insects seemingly bought his deception, that despite showing some signs of a higher intelligence, they still charged blindly forward. Such actions were perfect, as it meant that he still had a chance. Not just with accessing the fifth pillar, but hopefully being able to find all seven. Wheezing. His lungs burned as he ran forward. Pain was minor. Pain was a way of life for the Camellos. Each and every member of the main branch was taught to withstand pain at an early age. This was why having goals, and tangible benchmarks were important. With goals and benchmarks Paul could break this down into smaller, more manageable chunks. He could break down that his immediate benchmark was to double back, find the pillar and gain the fifth blessing. Then he could hopefully find the dog tags, or other identifying markers for both the squad member who passed away and was eaten by the ravenous insects and the body of Fotos. By providing the two, Paul could at least reward the family of the slain squad member. By his providing both evidence of the sacrifice, and of Fotos, he could reward the fallen soldier¡¯s family. Or rather the General would, and he would be able to keep his record of never taking a slight to the family name. That was the goal, but as he got closer something strange happened. Vrrr¡­ First, what sounded like a giant factory suddenly losing power happened all around him. The hallways and lighted walls that he had been following and using to guide his path suddenly went dark. Flicker. Up ahead, there was but one form of light, but it seemed to bounce and refract around corners. Seeing the one source of light Paul charged forward, trying to understand what was happening. Scrape. Stumble. The more Paul chased the light, the more he found his center of balance subtly shift as he found himself running into walls and tripping over dead monster parts that were underfoot. Finally, out of necessity, Paul created a minor flame and lit up the hallway around him. As he did, Paul found that he was where he roughly wanted to be. Under him, he saw the pile of dead monsters, and the one boney arm of a dead human. A human that had all of its meat stripped from the bones. For a moment Paul thought about getting the dog tags of the fallen soldier first, but then looking around he saw two things that didn¡¯t make sense. First, the body of the boy Fotos was gone. No sign of bones, or even blood remained in roughly the area that he expected. Then the other oddity was the fact that the pillar now glowed with an almost eerie brownish light. A light that seemed to be connected to a series of symbols that denoted something. Then after a long pause, he realized that it was some type of counter, as the symbols kept rolling over time and time again, slowly winding down. But what was it winding down for? These thoughts filled Paul¡¯s mind and for a moment he almost felt his entire mind crack under the strain of what he was now seeing and experiencing. Then to make matters worse, he felt it. Rumble. The horde of giant ravenous insects had arrived. Insects capable of completely stripping the meat off of the bones of a fallen soldier. Turning Paul looked on in horror as the seemingly endless swarm of monsters had appeared for what had to be round two. Exhaling, Paul focused his mind as he mentally prepared himself for yet another prolonged drawn out battle. This time, he didn¡¯t have any advantages like knowledge of the terrain. The only path Paul knew was the one he had just come from. There was a second path, one that led off into the darkness, but something told Paul that a far more dangerous monster lurked in that direction. Heeding the warning of his instincts, Paul turned to face the surging horde, before he began what he mentally felt to be his last stand. FWOOSH! An eruption of flame shot out from his palms as he began creating a steady stream of flames out to his maximum distance, before any monsters got close. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll be joining you soon, brother.¡± Was the prayer Paul whispered out, as he dropped all external thoughts and prepared for the fight of his life. Chapter 48 The Seven Pillar Challenge (One Hour Earlier) Chapter 48 The Seven Pillar Challenge (One Hour Earlier) It was a game. At least that was what Frank began to think of this process. In reality, he understood it for what it really was, training. The circuits were supposed to be representations of the seven different nodes within his body. Or that is what Frank hoped to be the case as he continued to go through basic trial after trial. In the beginning, the tasks were simple; connect the pillar he was at to another using either a positive or negative energy pulse. While taxing, it was relatively easy. At least for Frank it was, though Frank soon realized a lot of this was due to his continually focusing on a perfect evolution, making it so he automatically improved his power after advancing a cultivation tier. This along with the fact that Frank just had to follow the electrical pathways around the lower levels that had been serving as ambient light sources, meant the paths were already laid out and easily visible. From there the tasks got harder, connect to a node using positive and negative energy movements. For this Frank just reached out and touched the same node with his energy. Then the rules started to update.
Touch two different nodes using positive and negative currents.
Connect three nodes, then circle back and touch your starting node having both circuits run in opposite directions.
That was the other thing too. Frank didn¡¯t know if it was a translation issue, or what, but every time he started channeling energy from node to node, the act itself was called creating a circuit, but only once it went out and connected back to his starting node. At first his mind had a hard time separating the two, as they were completely different functions. But through following the progression of the training materials, Frank found the activity to be easier and easier. Rumble. Every once in a while an explosion or other movement of energy would threaten to break his concentration. Just as that happened, Frank could feel the energy being channeled around him increase, as slowly more and more disturbances and stimuli that could possibly distract him were slowly flooded out. At least that is the way everything felt to Frank¡¯s mind. It didn¡¯t hurt that when he got hyper focused like this, blocking out all other stimuli became increasingly easy. At first the rules were not exactly told to him, but he soon learned to understand by trial and error. First a singular node could only be used once per circuit, meaning that the more nodes Frank had to connect, the more he had to pay attention to not only spacing, but also made it so he couldn¡¯t double back. Also crossing currents was not possible. Or rather crossing the same current was not possible. For whatever reason positive energy currents ran a top loop, while the negative energy circuits ran a lower loop. This meant that the two opposing energy signatures could cross each other, but a negative couldn¡¯t cross through an already in place negative loop. While a positive energy loop could not cross through an already established positive loop. It was fun and challenging, especially as there was no real way to know where each node was, until he began expanding his mind and looking for possible connections. Seven is the amount of nodes that Frank was able to find, which he thought was odd, until he realized that was exactly how many pillars were briefed to him during his training. Then it became one of those duh moments, where you realize you were so focused on the immediate task before you, and what information was being spoon fed to you, that you failed to realize your own institutional knowledge on the subject. Frank had come here already knowing there were seven pillars. In fact, before he sat down and had his senses effectively diminished by the training pillar before him, he could almost feel all seven pillars. That was partially why finding the different unclaimed nodes was relatively easy. Though Frank was a little sad that he had not increased his Attributes yet, he could feel that there was something important to this process. First, he was learning how the ancients thought, more importantly, he was proving to himself that he could apparently complete the lessons provided by the ancients who built this place. While Frank himself had no clue how these structures were first made, as most of that history had long since been lost. He still felt confident in his ability try to at least be able to learn the lessons that were being taught down here. It didn¡¯t hurt the fact that this felt less like learning, and more like trying to solve a three-dimensional interactive puzzle that required all kinds of focus. This was why, challenge after challenge the rules never changed, but what was asked slowly increased in difficulty. One odd rule was that he could not touch the same node at the same exact step in either circuit. This meant that if he used one node for the fourth hop on his positively charged circuit, he could not use the same node for his fourth hop on his negatively charged circuit. That didn¡¯t mean that he couldn¡¯t use that same node for the third or even fifth hop, just not the exact same fourth hop. There were many such rules. Even managing to start and move via different paths, if he followed the same direction, meaning he used nodes three to connect to four on both circuits he also failed. Even if he managed to hit nodes three and four at different times. The entire thing was wild, and seemed to show a constant need for speed and pacing, but despite all of this, Frank never felt pressured to move faster. Nor did things suddenly get harder for taking too long. Now this is not to say that if he took a particularly long break, he wouldn¡¯t receive a ten second countdown to restart his training if he took too long between tries. In all, it seemed that he had somewhere around a minute to regain his composure between failed attempts. While he was allowed as much time as needed to rest between new challenges. This was why after the fifth and sixth attempts, Frank took what felt like forever. Despite being infused with a surge of energy after completing each test successfully. The energy was just enough for Frank to realize that he could use the energy and condense it down to create a perfect layer for his current cultivation level. However, the draw back to this would mean that first he would have to cultivate here, and he didn¡¯t know if doing such an act would break his connection to the training program he had somehow initiated. Nor did he know if he would be granted the same level of protection while cultivating that he currently experienced. Also, there was the minor fact that the energy he gained from completing each trial, he would need to use to complete the next trial. Meaning that for now, Frank felt it was prudent to continue on to the next set. There was also a theme with the different sets of challenges. After the third set of challenges, Frank could feel sweat forming. Still the boost of energy provided at the end of completing the trial was enough to give him the mental and psychological boost he needed to carry on. Still, the trials continued to get tougher. Each new trial required Frank to connect one more node to both his positive and negatively charged currents. This task was relatively easy to complete, as it just meant that Frank had to do an entire loop around the nodes, bypassing one of the four central nodes and completing a circuit in each direction. For ease and convenience, he missed alternating nodes in the center, all but ensuring that his routes were different, not overlapping in any pathway, and did not cross each other. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. By the end Frank felt sweat beading down his face. With each completion, he felt the healing waves of energy replenish him in a way he had never experienced before, but found extremely enjoyable. Finally, he was met with the seventh and what was supposed to be the final challenge. How did he know it was going to be the final challenge? Simple it all but told him that this was the final challenge.
Final task to fully earn the Initiate Participation Badge.
Reading the message, Frank couldn¡¯t help but feel that this was somehow a joke. Somehow the civilization that constructed this facility was so advanced that these tests, tests that had pushed Frank to his mental and psychological maximum, was something so trivial that anyone could do it? Then again, pausing to search his surroundings, Frank realized that this might not be far off from the case. How else could you explain that someone like Frank was allowed to both partake in the trials, and proceed this far. Everyone got a chance apparently. Also, Frank hoped that the Participation part of the message might be another linguistical miscalculation. Surely something so tough and exhausting wouldn¡¯t merit a mere participation badge? Then again, the rules and tests given were fairly rudimentary. The only real hardship that Frank noted from the puzzles was often the act of channeling the two opposing elemental forces through the pillars in alternating directions. Other then that, the problem solving or puzzle portion of the tests were somewhat easy. Knowing that he had as much time as he wanted before beginning the seventh and final test, Frank took his time and let his mind relax. Regardless of the title of this badge, it was clear that no one had gotten this Participation badge in quite a long time. That said, once Frank left here, he was certain that his debrief would likely have to include what he did to get his Initiate Participation Badge, and what that badge actually entailed. From what Frank could tell, it had something to do with the dual image of a mountain that had appeared on his left arm. With the brown earth colored mountain on the bottom, towards him, and the dark silhouette mirroring away from him. Only now that he took a moment to pause and inspect his new marking, did Frank realize that the image had in fact gotten denser. Both in terms of positive and negative earth energy particles. ¡°Is this my participation badge?¡± Frank mused to himself, before realizing that he was just wasting time. After a few moments, Frank looked at the screen, trying to figure out how to begin this next step. Though unlike all the others, this one finally gave him a prompt that he had to respond to.
Click ¡®Begin¡¯ when you are ready to continue.
Seeing the message, Frank nodded to himself, before clicking the ¡®Begin¡¯ button with his left hand. The moment he did, the rules for the round appeared.
Rules:
  • Can only make six connections to the different nodes, and only one sympathetic link that does not count as a connection to make a full circuit of all seven nodes.
  • Completed circuit must begin and end at same node (Primary Node).
  • Each node can only be used once per circuit, circuits cannot cross themselves.
  • Each node (aside from the primary node) will only give a one-time boost to attributes based on their connection criteria.
  • Positive polarity circuits receive a +1 bonus when connecting to nodes, 3,5, and 7; Negative polarity circuits increase by connecting to nodes, 2,4, and 6.
  • Primary node will give a +2 bonus once per circuit, after the first connection is completed.
  • Nodes cannot be the same landing spot, and the same path cannot be traversed in the same direction between nodes.
Number of times remaining (1 / 1).
Seeing the rules, Frank realized that this was a final puzzle. Also, apparently he only got one chance to do this. For his part Frank didn¡¯t know what would happen if he failed. With a name like Initiate Participation Badge, he assumed there would be a way to gain additional tries if he failed. Likely having to go through all of those earlier steps again, or something equally ridiculous. However, Frank only intended to do this once. If this was a participation trophy, then Frank did not want to make whoever created this impossibly hard system to look even further down on him than they apparently did. The test was simple, also it seemed to explain why the earlier explorers got a full five points, for that was how many Frank would get for completing a positive circuit. Apparently directly touching the pillars bypassed the need to follow the rules of circuits. For a moment, Frank wondered if he would get an easier grade if he physically touched each pillar, but then decided against that. Perhaps the touching aspect is also why this allowed for an Initiate Participation Badge. Still the rules made sense. Also with the first connection coming from his starting node and going to the next, Frank realized the reason why he was told he would get Attributes for every odd node touched. Two for the first, then a third on node three. A fourth on node five, and a fifth on node seven. That said, this was to be slightly different. With the need to complete a circuit, Frank knew that in order to get all seven nodes, Frank would need to use the sympathetic link to logically connect the seventh node to his node. But then he pondered how to create a second circuit that ran backwards, that would allow him to touch the second, fourth, and sixth nodes on the first loop, without crossing the same path or having nodes go in the opposite direction. The most logical way to do this was to go backwards, starting with his node and connecting to the seventh node. But the problem with that, would be that he would thereby make the seventh node the second node, which according to the rules would not get him an attribute point. What he needed to do was to be able to first go up the ladder with one circuit, then somehow go back down the same ladder with the second circuit. The only problem was that this would mean that node four was hit at the exact same spot going up and coming down. For a moment Frank felt at a loss for what to do, but then a countdown timer began ticking away.
10, 9, ...
Seeing the message, Frank went ahead and began creating a positive circuit. While he wouldn¡¯t get full points for completion until his negative circuit was completed, he could at least begin the process. Just by using the first of his six connections, Frank instantly felt the surge of power fuse with his body.
+2 Power.
While that wasn¡¯t quite the +2 all Attributes that had been advertised, Frank would take it, as he was fairly certain that most people didn¡¯t say Power was even increased by this training. Rather it just gave bonuses to all the other attributes, the same as normally increasing in a cultivation level would provide. With the first step taken, the counter disappeared, and Frank was allowed to go about mapping out the simple design. Just making the mental connection or effort to go down a tunnel to the next node was enough to generate the reward messages.
+1 All Attributes
+1 All Attributes
Frank knew this part was important in some way, but couldn¡¯t quite understand exactly why. Though for now, he focused on solving this half of the puzzle and receiving full marks. With only seven spots, four in the center in a box and three outside spots, one of which Frank was resting at, filling out the design was relatively simple. Also, Frank couldn¡¯t help but think of this design as an oversized triangle. Well it would just be an acute angle sign, had it not been for the sympathetic link that Frank used to connect the seventh node to the starting node.
+1 All Attributes
The moment he made that connection, Frank realized something, as he once again went over the exact wording that had been provided. For a moment he almost expected a second +2 bonus, but then realized that the sympathetic link was an anomaly in that it both counted and didn¡¯t count at the same time. It counted in so much as it completed the circuit and thereby locked in the overall +5 bonus to attributes, well +2 to Power and +3 to all other attributes. That said, there was something very simple that came to mind. The answer seemed both simple and ridiculous at the same time. Then after a moment of hesitation, he remembered that this was for an Initiate Participation Badge, meaning that the answer was expected to be simple.
10, 9, 8...
Once again, Frank triggered the automatic response for not performing an action within an adequate amount of time. Seeing the message, Frank went with his gut instinct, and decided to try his theory. The solution that Frank came up with was as simple as it was ridiculous. He went backwards, but unlike how he originally planned, he first had to connect via his negatively charged circuit to the seventh node with his sympathetic link. Then from there, he proceeded to make connections to all of the other nodes in exact descending order, as he was unable to hit the other even nodes in descending order without repeating steps. This was a trick on the user, for while connecting from the first node to the seventh node did not count as a connection, due to the sympathetic link. The seventh node counted as the second node used, even though the points were only awarded based on the actual connections. It was a simple word game, that made you think of the way words affected the outcome of certain situations. This way, frank still connected to the previous sixth node, on his first real connection. Making the positive sixth node be both his third node for the circuit he was building, but his second connected node, thereby earing him a bonus.
+1 All Attributes
From there the second connection connected the positive sixth node to the positive fifth node. Then pausing for a second Frank held his breath as he then connected to the fourth node. The moment he connected to the fourth node was when he would find out if his assumption about the connected node numbers being different from the actual nodes connected counted.
+1 All Attributes
Seeing the message pop up on the interactive screen before him, Frank let out a breath he didn¡¯t even realize he had been holding. The reason was simple, using the base pillar as one, then seventh as two, and so on, made the previous fourth pillar the fifth node he connected to. Even though it gave points for the fourth connected node, because it was the fourth connected node, as the sympathetic link didn¡¯t count as a connection. Again, focus on the wording. From there it was a very simple effort of connecting to the previous third node, then receiving a point for connecting to the previous second node.
+1 All Attributes
Then finally making the sixth and final connection back to the starting node and thereby completing the second circuit.
+2 Power.
Congratulations: Full Completion Bonus Marks Achieved. Now able to access additional training modules at other facilities. Rewards: +4 Power, +6 All Attributes, Initiate Participation Badge Awarded: Earth Energy. New Earth Energy Node implanted.
At that, Frank felt an infusion of energy into his body that simultaneously burned him, while infusing his body with energy. The entire thing seemed so surreal that he didn¡¯t quite know what to do, other than focus his mind on ignoring the pain. Frank''s pain was so intense that he missed the blinking messages, or alerting warnings going off.
Evacuation processes Initiated, moving successful Initiate to incubation chambers.
WARNING: Facility will shut down for routine maintenance.
Systems will be offline and recharging for the next 268 days, 12 hours, 18 minutes, 54, 53, 52 seconds¡­
Chapter 49 Transcendence Chapter 49 Transcendence Frank¡¯s consciousness and body were floating. At least that is how everything felt. There was an odd dissociative dissonance that he felt within his very bones as his mind and body seemed to desperately cling to any form of normalcy. The only problem was, once they did, his mind¡¯s consciousness would shift ever so slightly. He was floating, in what had to be a liquid gel of some kind. The only thing was that despite being submerged, he could breathe just fine. Though there was something off about the way he was now experiencing the world. It took him a moment to realize why he felt so off about the whole thing, but then finally it came to him. The reason he felt off was due to the fact that his ability to feel and use energy had been cut off. Somehow, either by the odd coating of the weird breathable liquid he found himself submerged in, or by the very location he now found himself in, all sensations his mind associated with the elements were gone. Though this wasn¡¯t true, as Frank¡¯s deep conscious said that he could still feel energy. The only thing was, where he currently felt his mind, and where his body was at, were two different locations. In a way this was like the moment when he found himself about to die from heat stroke and lack of food on Death Row. That odd moment when his mind seemingly left his body, only to be saved. However rather than going out and seeing the Dark Queen, or even the Dark Warlock, this time he was met with a room purged of all stimuli. Just when he was about to wonder if he failed the test, if this was the punishment for not getting the participation badge, he thought he won. At his moment of doubt, that is when angelic voices began singing to him. The words were odd, as if spoken through crisp water. Then realizing where he was, Frank wondered if this odd fluid like substance that he found his mind in was the reason the voice sounded so odd. ¡°What?¡± Frank asked, or he tried to ask, only to find that once he opened his mouth to speak, the strange liquid filled his mouth causing him to almost gag. The only thing was, he couldn¡¯t choke on the liquid. But he also couldn¡¯t speak with his mouth full of the strange liquid like substance either. Then another part of his mind wondered if he was even meant to speak in here at all, as his body was elsewhere, far away, laying unconscious. Of that much, Frank was certain, his one or two pulses to his body confirming this much for him. Dark silhouettes. While Frank was going through his mini existential crisis of nearly drowning, only to find that he was perfectly fine he saw figures appear. These figures seemed to float as if either swimming horizontally or flying through the air. Again, it was clear that these beings who appeared to be hidden were trying to communicate with Frank. However his mind was either unwilling to, or incapable of communicating with these creatures. ¡°What?¡± Frank mouthed, knowing that he couldn¡¯t talk in the strange fluid like substance, so instead he hoped that he could get his concept across through open actions and mouthing the words. Seeing his confusion, the speaking voices all paused mid-song and just stared at Frank. Then after staring at Frank for a moment, this was apparent based on the movement of the long sharp heads of the creatures. Then Frank could almost feel their attention bearing down on him and causing his skin to bristle slightly at the presence. Then as one, they seemed to sense the presence of each other, as they all broke their gaze from Frank at once. Only to turn towards each other where they seemed to exchange thoughts on a subsonic level. Frank could feel and even see slight ripples in the clear liquid that surrounded him. These ripples bounced back and forth between the different beings for a moment. Finally, after an excruciatingly long time, they nodded and apparently thought Frank was too dumb to talk to. Instead, they went with pictures. In particular they showed a picture of the area around where Frank currently was. From there, the image began expanding out, showing the lush vegetation over the ground. Then the nearby instructors who were waiting and watching. Just as the image started to pull back, a surge of insectoid creatures began flooding out of the open and multiple hidden tunnels all around. But it was clear that the surging insects were not of concern. As the scene continued to zoom out again, and again. Finally, Frank saw, or rather felt a number of markers appear all around the world. The first and most recognizable marker was at the prison that Frank had previously escaped from. At least that is what Frank thought at first. But then Frank noticed how the marker began to zoom in again. However, the longer he watched, the more he saw the marker move to be under the prison. There were deep tunnels just outside the prison on the back side. This was the side that allegedly was also there for a reason, but that reason had long since been lost to time. Seeing the spot, Frank wondered where the other markers were, but quickly realized that while there had been a myriad of other spots around the world. This was the one that Frank was supposed to go to. ¡°There?¡± Frank mouthed, again not able to talk through the breathable liquid, but still able to pantomime and point. Nodding. The strange shadow creature just nodded its elongated head that never seemed to fully solidify. Then as if to ensure everything was coherent, a golden arrow appeared, pointing straight to the spot just beyond the walls of the super max prison. As the arrow appeared, the tail end of the arrow began elongating and causing a straight path to appear. Following the path, Frank found it almost to be an exact mapping of the path he took to get here. First the trail went through Death Row, then to the great walled city. From there it kept going east to and through the partially destroyed Academy, past the main capital, then continuing down lands that have been overrun by corrupted creatures. Until finally back here. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Again, once the image landed on the immediate surroundings of this area, Frank saw the giant corrupted insectoid super ants going wild. Their vast numbers and sudden emergence seemed to catch many of the nearby instructors off guard, as a few were already killed. While others were desperately fighting to save their lives. While the instructors were easily able to take down ten or more of the insectoids with ease, there were hundreds more to deal with. Once back, Frank wanted to stop the feed, to pause to see if there was a way he could stop to view the field. To see if there was something he could do to help. Then a concern arose, as he wondered where exactly he was on this map. Only for the arrow to seemingly end at a space far off in the distance. Looking at the spot, it was a relatively remote area. One that was hidden deep within the corrupted forests, which normally would mean death for anyone. But for Frank it didn¡¯t seem to bother him, particularly as there were no surging monster insects nearby. Instead, all he had to deal with was the seemingly hidden facility that rested just below the surface of the earth. Then once realizing where he was, and that he was safe, the image once again shifted. This time, the image showed a long slow path, following the golden line and arrow again. As if trying to scorch the exact path needed to take within Frank¡¯s mind. The path back out was slower, but this seemed to be done deliberately. Not to show the impact of the monsters storming out of their hidden hive and now being mowed down by the automated defenses of the nearby SERE training base. But to seemingly make sure that Frank could see notable landmarks along the way. As if to prove this, the feed would stop occasionally, before circling large and clearly obvious landmarks along the way. Large mountains, rivers, giant craters, anything and everything could and would be pointed out to show the path needed to take. The highlighted path even showed a path that completely bypassed the school, all human civilization. This was highlighted especially, as if it knew that Frank would be tempted to go back to his own society for a bit. Then once that was done, there was even a secret underground route that led under the walled city, and let out on the far end of Death Row. The path provided showed that the path past death row was elevated, and all but encouraging him to avoid going down on the main road area. A fact that Frank agreed with, remembering how he nearly died the last time he was on the hot asphalt track. Apparently, that asphalt track had at one point been a ten-lane superhighway, whatever those are. Then following a parallel path to the highway, Frank was shown a way to bypass the prison entirely and head to the dirt spot that otherwise looked entirely unimpressive. However, seeing the stone, Frank paused wondering what about it seemed familiar. Only to finally realize that it seemed to be an exact copy of the image of earth that was on his left arm, even now. Seeing the image, Frank could only nod in understanding. The intention was clear, Frank would get there, and then use his newly learned earth badge to help open the clearly hidden door and begin his next training. At least that is what Frank assumed. Seeing the image, Frank again went to pantomiming, pointing first to the mark on his left arm. Then to the door, while looking at the dark floating silhouette. Upon noticing Frank¡¯s actions the misty floating creature nodded its long snout like face, before slowly disappearing into vapors. Just as the giant map that had been glowing brightly before his mind¡¯s eye also blinked out of existence. After that, slowly the world around Frank began to crumble and dissolve. Giant liquid bubbles began to dissolve and float upwards, as if getting vaporized into space. Meanwhile, Frank felt a tether pulling him down to his body. He could feel his detached psyche getting yanked back into his body with surprising speed. Still, for a moment his psyche seemed to float in the vacuum of space, where he could not breath, and suddenly felt lost without the strange comfort of the breathable liquid surrounding him. Fortunately, that feeling of suffocation was fleeting as he quickly found his mind, body, and soul realigning almost instantly with a thud. GASP! Frank lurched upwards from an apparent deep slumber. His hand clutching his chest, as his lungs pulled in deep breaths of air. Panting. Frank still clutching his chest began to breath rapidly as he tried to makes sense of everything he just felt. Even now he could feel parts of the dream, for that was all it could have been, a dream, fading away. Details of the silhouetted creatures, how they sounded, all of those began to fade. Leaving only the clear location of the spot behind the prison he had already been to once, burned brightly into his mind. The location behind the prison, and the way the door almost seemed to be an exact perfect copy of his newly formed Initiate Participation Badge. Though Frank wondered if there was something more to the Initiate Participation Badge than he originally thought. At first, it sounded condescending, but now he wondered if there was more to it, or if this whole dream was his mind somehow adding meaning to something that didn¡¯t have meaning. Looking around, Frank found that he was in a single person room. There was a bed with some clear magical markings and residual energy patterns enlaced on it. Then next to that was an update panel. At least it is what Frank considered to be an update panel as it was similar to the ones that Frank used to track his own progress at the Academy. Now seeing it, Frank was curious if it would track any of his new accomplishments. Or if they were just part of an odd hallucination that he happened to be experiencing. Placing his hand on the reader, he paused as he felt a faint but familiar pulse of energy fill his body. Then before his eyes, he saw a projection of his current status.
Name: Frank Fotos
Status: Re-Awakened.
MOS: Combat Medic
Body Cultivation Level XII. Core Value XV.
Talent: F-Rank Energy Eyes**, Regeneration**, Poison Resistance**, Death Resistance**
S-Rank: Negative Life Energy Manipulation, Negative Earth Energy Manipulation
Strength: 14 (Above Average) + 36 + 6 = 55 Dexterity: 15 (Above Average) + 36 + 6 = 56 Agility: 14 (Above Average) + 36 + 6 = 55 Mind: 12 (Average) + 36 + 6 = 53 Power: 57 (Way Above Average) + 4 = 61 Willpower: 20 (Above Average) + 6 = 26
Hidden Primary Power Rating: 100 / 100. Hidden Auxiliary Power Rating: 100 / 100.
Markings: Greater Healing Mark: +15% Power, +15% Efficacy Dark Warlock Marking: +15% Control Dark Queen Marking: +15% Power Initiate Participation Badge Awarded: Earth Energy Auxiliary Nodes: Earth
For the first time since he could recall, the part for S-Rank talent had finally been identified. The fact that they were noted as Negative Life Energy Manipulation, and Negative Earth Energy Manipulation seemed somewhat lacking. Also, Frank was fairly certain that despite having them marked on this reader, the regular readers would not be able to identify this energy type. Still, this did go to show that at least part of this whole process had been real. For a moment, Frank had questioned his sanity, wondering whether this was an odd SERE induced dream brought about by poor sleeping standards, and being pushed beyond mortal limits. There was also the mark that he was once again at full energy, though he sort of expected this based on the way each stage completion seemed to completely replenish his energy reserves. Now that he was here, Frank looked around, trying to see if there was anything else in the room. But the room was relatively bare. Only having the bed, the reader, and a few ambient energy crystals that came to life once he stood up. Pausing for a moment, Frank lay back down on the bed, and saw that the lights being emitted from the crystals slowly began to dim, until they were completely out. Sitting up again, the lights came on in full force and seemed to brighten the room completely. Showing every corner, and showing that there was just a bed, a bit of room to walk and move about in, and a door separated by two steps up. The purpose of this room was clear, it was meant to house him after his trials, and give him a chance to rest comfortably. Trying to pulse out his energy outwards, Frank found that he could only see, or rather use his energy to sense the inside of this room. For all intents and purposes, the entirety of life began and ended in this room. At least according to his senses. Outside, Frank wondered if he would be able to see or experience the roaming insects that were destroying the SERE outpost. Or was that just a hallucination? Honestly, Frank couldn¡¯t tell. The only thing that Frank could tell was that somehow this room seemed to be immune to energy, at least the way Frank had come to understand energy. That might be part of why this small little space had never been found before. Remembering back, Frank thought he knew exactly where this little bunker was, buried slightly under the ground, and hidden away from all senses, even magical ones. While there was no food here, Frank didn¡¯t need any real food, not while he was full of energy. That said, Frank didn¡¯t know when he would be presented with a more perfect place to make his next breakthrough. As long as he was here, he was safe, hidden, and untouchable. The moment he left, all bets to his safety would be off. For that, Frank decided to lie back down and think about his situation. He was still tired, immensely so. SERE training was no joke. Nor was completing the trials that had been presented to him. Not only was he thankful that he got the bonuses, which were all clearly applied. He also had the chance to break through to the next layer of cultivation, which was exactly what he intended to do in this room. As Frank mentally prepared himself for what was going to happen, it hit him that this room was likely devised just for providing a safe spot for a breakthrough. Of course, there were still other concerns. Like what Frank would do once he got out of here, if there would be a SERE base remaining once he was done, and most importantly what was hidden behind that secret door. All of these were things that Frank fully intended to find out and discover, but for now he had one task that superseded all others. ¡°Time to break through,¡± Frank said, as he closed his eyes and began the painful and time-consuming process of condensing his core and increasing his chances of survival but just the tiniest of percentages. Crackle. Frank felt his core beginning to break apart and shed its outer layers the way it had so many times before. However this time the process seemed different. This time the process was a bit easier, his movements of the dueling energy types felt smoother within his mental grasps, a sign of all his training paying off. Just when he felt things would finally be easy, he heard it. Clink, clatter, clink-clink. That is when the echoing sound of not one but hundreds of legs crawling over and around the outside of the metal sphere that Frank now found himself in could be heard. Hearing the sound, Frank realized that both the vision of the oversized ants with additional appendages surging out was both real, and that they had apparently extended out to his current location. Scuttle-scurry. At this point, Frank realized just how vulnerable of a situation he was in. He was stuck deep behind enemy lines, surrounded by surging insectoid monsters, all while not having a completed core due to his current state of improvements. ¡°Of course it wouldn¡¯t be easy,¡± Frank muttered to himself as he closed his eyes and continued his breakthrough, hoping that the odd ancient structure he was in held up long enough to the mounting swarm of monsters surrounding him. Chapter 50 Transcending Chapter 50 Transcending Tap-tap-tap. The sound of dozens of creatures crawling over and around the metal container that Frank was in echoed persistently. Each tap, pulse, or movement outside was seemingly captured and magnified inside the seemingly hollow sphere that Frank now found himself in. Still, there was solace in the fact that the giant monster creatures didn¡¯t seem to last long when interacting with his temporary shelter. This seemed to be the case, as all of the echoing footsteps seemed to be moving away in a semi-formal pattern as if all the evolved ant creatures were moving in the same exact path. Also, there was the fact that despite the constant sounds, nothing the giant creatures did seemed to have any impact on the shelter. Even the few times when one or two of the giant beasts crashed into each other and fell loudly on the shelter there was no bend or movement in the shelter. After a few moments of pausing and waiting, Frank eventually accepted the noises as ambient noise, that he would now have to deal with. Particularly as he was already in the process of breaking his core and reassembling a new one. Normally, such a process would be simple. In his previous attempts of expanding his core, the process consisted of him breaking apart the outer layer and expanding the noted chambers and moving on from there. However, the time spent wondering if he would have to defend himself from a deluge of giant evolved antlike creatures had given Frank a chance to add perspective. The way he was going currently, his body was forced to use two different sets of meridians for one and only one type of energy. Granted, this was what everyone had always taught and stressed. This was why Frank had been given an F-Ranking and would always be noted as an F-Ranker. The fact that he managed to fill his inner meridians with energy first meant that he would forever be noted as an F-Ranker. But the training he had just gone through proved that this was not always the case. This narrow line of thinking didn¡¯t have to be the case. Currently, he had to keep the two sets of powers as they were. As one was the dark aligned energy, which just turned out to be an energy with an alternate polarity to the normal source of energy that all humans naturally bond with easier. That said, there was clearly more here that Frank could do. All he had to do was make sure the two polarities didn¡¯t intersect. Well, there were a myriad of rules. The polarities couldn¡¯t intercept each other, couldn¡¯t touch the same node point at the same time, and a polarity couldn¡¯t cross itself. Those were the rules that Frank had been taught in his training, and he knew them to be true. That somehow his working the giant pillars that surrounded the SERE training area were giant representations of the nodes within his body. At least that is what Frank thought they represented. Though honestly, Frank couldn¡¯t sense all seven nodes within his body. He did think that he had a few of the nodes already made and identified. The brain was a node, likely the top of the outer triangle. Then the heart, two lungs, and one other organ would represent the inner nodes. Then two more lower nodes below those. Honestly, Frank had no idea what the seven body nodes could or should be, but he was certain that he needed his energy to flow through at least those key points. Maybe the kidneys for the lower two points of the triangle. But if that was the case, then what would be the fourth internal organ be that he needed to focus on? Maybe the stomach or the liver? Or was this a test? The stomach would likely help him survive longer on less and less amounts of food. Then over time he could possibly evolve to be like the warriors of legends who fought for days on end without food or rest due to their naturally low metabolism. With that mental image in mind and trying to think about how he wanted to grow and evolve, he decided to build out seven smaller nodes all throughout his body. How many times had he heard the stories of famous cultivators being struck down in their prime due to taking a hard blow to their stomach? With seven dual use nodes and seven pathways flowing in opposite direction, Frank realized he now had the chance to rework how he cultivated completely. Not just the way his body moved energy throughout his body and stored energy. But the way he was envisioning cultivating would also mean that he could change his focal point for channeling energy. Right now, current theory was that you could absorb energy from anywhere and that it would all eventually lead to your core, which was an imaginary spot just below your sternum. With this new thought process, Frank realized that he could use any appendage to absorb energy and it would all eventually lead to the same direction. His arms could be used to filter to his lungs, which would then either begin the process or end the process. Also, the polarity of the energy being absorbed would also come into play with this design. As positively charged energy would be best to be taken in on his right side of his body, while negative energy would be best to be taken in on the left side. As Frank was envisioning these seven new pathways and seven nodes, Frank¡¯s body already began building the intended pathways. His body utilized every ounce of energy he had to both create and elongate the nodes, and their connecting pathways. For this layout, the way he had been practicing in the mines below would dictate that Frank utilize one of the lower kidney nodes as a starting point. However, Frank realized that design could easily be changed or altered to fit the focus he wanted. With the way he had been practicing, the kidneys would be the most important organ of the body. While this might be more streamline with keeping to traditional cultivation practices, it was not what Frank wanted for himself. Nor did he want to keep his stomach, the southern most node on the internal nodes to be his primary node. As Frank felt that there was something important about both beginning and ending with what was considered a primary node. This was why Frank broke down his choice for his primary node to be either his brain or his heart. In the end, he hoped that by having the mind be his primary focus, he might inadvertently be smarter. Which would hopefully cut down on the times when he found himself without a standard core and strapped in a metal saferoom that was being swarmed over by a colony of mutated ant creatures that were now storming off to parts unknown. Also, if Frank was truly pressed, he would say that he also liked the idea of being able to breathe in, or possibly ingest energy infused food to help expedite the cultivation process. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Normally, a cultivator would have to wait for food to begin being digested to be able to take in the benefits of said rich foods. True to his training, Frank kept the same sympathetic links and outlines that had paid off during his trials. This meant that he began by cycling positively charged energy down his right lung, to his right kidney, then to the left kidney. From there he began cycling back up, through the stomach, to the heart, to the left lung and making a sympathetic link to the brain. While negatively charged energy made the opposite path, starting first with a sympathetic link to the left lung, then a clear connection to the heart, stomach, and so on. The process was odd, but seemed to work for Frank, as it effectively gave him a gap between his brain and his left lung that he could use to process either positive or negatively charged energy. With his mouth and nose being a primary entry way, he could either breath in or consume energy that would then be cycled throughout his body. There might be better ways to create a cultivation system, but this was the best system Frank could come up with. Also, with seven dual use nodes throughout his body, Frank felt that his survivability had increased. As he now had seven spots that were all just as important as the others. Well technically the brain was the most important node, but Frank assumed that if anything happened to his brain it wouldn¡¯t matter if his other nodes were intact or not. With those types of cheery thoughts pushing him on, Frank continued to cycle the two opposing sets of energy within his body. Each dual use node becoming more and more solidified within his body, until finally he had a completed current. There was a moment of pause as both the ending spot and beginning spot for both of his polarities of energy effectively began and ended at the same spot. The first time the two opposing elements met, there was a clear disturbance. The sympathetic links were still complete links, but just not as robust and stringent as the normal connections. This meant that as the two opposing energy types passed by each other, Frank was almost prepared for anything. However what actually happened was something truly unique. Rather than exploding, being drawn to each other as most energy types are, or being repelled away from each other as had been the standard when it came to these types of magical energies, these energies pushed each other faster. Yes, when the two opposing energy types came near each other on the opposing sympathetic links, there was a quick jolt that was seemingly exchanged between the two. As if the two opposing forces seemed to be warring within his body. Yet, rather than causing an explosion or something violent to happen, the two energies just forced Frank to cycle faster. This way, when those same charged currents traveled past each other, they continued to move at the same rate of speed and seemingly continued to cycle past each other time and time again. For Frank who had been used to continuously pushing the two elements individually through his preestablished meridians, this process seemed calming. Almost like Frank suddenly found that his body could relax and no longer needed to breathe or pump blood as two opposing forces would now breathe or cycle blood for him. The entire process was interesting and suddenly Frank felt light. His entire body that had been pumping the two opposing energies violently throughout his body could now relax. For a long time Frank just watched the process. He felt internally as the energy continued to pump and thrash about in his body. Before the biggest concern was stagnation. The idea that somehow the negatively charged energy would remain still and slowly corrode his body away from within. Yet, with this method, Frank felt his mind relax. Now a major concern that had always been lurking deep within his daily thoughts had finally stopped. He could rest knowing that the biggest concern of his was gone. For a moment, he thought about sharing this technique. He immediately thought of sharing this with Major Demoniker, but dismissed that idea just as quickly. As he remembered that Major Demoniker was one of the casualties listed as part of the overwhelming invasion that happened to their training academy. That was of course the same event that allowed Constance to be freed. It was also the same night that Constance began invading his dreams. For a moment, he wondered about her. He wondered how she was doing. In all, it was odd that he had gone so long without thinking about Constance. Even now, when he mentally relaxed, he didn¡¯t feel the strange tether that connected him to Constance. Or rather he did, but the tether was somehow empty. How or why this was, Frank didn¡¯t know. Though he figured it likely had something to do with the way he couldn¡¯t feel the mutated monsters scurrying about outside. Actually, Frank thought to himself as he paused and realized that the nearly constant tapping on the outside of his container had ended. Did it mean that the crazy ants were now in position? Or had they all gotten to where they were supposed to be? Frank didn¡¯t know. Mentally, Frank tried to think back to what the last sounds were. He wondered if the last sound was the creatures completely crawling past his safety pod. Or if they stopped mid-step, meaning they could be right outside his door. Honestly, Frank didn¡¯t know. He had been so wrapped up in both keeping the two streams of energy going and developing his new nodes and connection points that he lost track of the ambient noise that had sounded so deafening when he first began the process. Pausing, Frank felt around, wondering if there was anything he could do or sense. But the room was completely sterile. No energy of any type could seemingly enter or leave the abode. Even now, Frank found the energy that he had seemingly lost during his refinement process was still there. While it was harder to pull this energy back into his body, as the entire entry point seemed off as opposed to before, he did manage to eventually fill the two opposing circuits completely. Or as completely as he could, as the new process just let him slightly push out the nodes and the related connection pathways just enough to make it so the energy had a harder time flowing within his body. Still the two overlapping sympathetic links kept the energy moving at an exceptional pace, despite no longer being able to completely fill the channels that had been created and expanded for them. Standing up, Frank felt his body almost bounce up. A sign that his body seemed or felt lighter, thanks to his increase in his core size and density. Taking a few moments, Frank went through his daily stretches, then through his exercises. These were the exercises that were designed to be done in a tight confining space, similar to the safehouse that he now found himself in. Push-ups, sit-ups, flutter kicks, wall sits, wall clings, mountain climbers, planks, and multiple different variations of the same exercises, each with increasing difficulty were performed. With each movement, Frank felt his body able to move and react in ways that they never were able to before. First, his body and core seemed to be strengthened by the constant cycling of energy through them. This meant that with each breath, Frank could slowly do more, as his protected muscles and organs all began to grow and react to his actions. Second, there was more movement, or at least what felt like more range of movement. Before, Frank would often feel constrained by the burning sensations of freely cycling negatively charged energy burning its way through his body. Now that there were channels, for both the negative and positively charged energy to travel, he felt alive. There was also the idea that before he had constrained his cultivation. Before he had limited the types of energy he would focus on to be green life energy for positively charged particles, while also limiting himself to the strange energy that zombies and vampires used to stay alive. Which Frank was almost certain was the negatively charged version of life energy. Now though, Frank wondered if this new system would protect him from similar burning sensations. At the beginning he was able to cultivate all forms of energy, but he stopped with certain types due to the way they burned upon entering his body. With this new filtration system, Frank wondered if there was any reason to limit himself? At the very least, he knew that he should now be able to cycle both positive and negatively charged earth energy particles in his body. A fact that was reinforced by the way he stared down at his left arm that had the dual image of a brown mountain, and its dark silhouette mirrored in reverse. There was also the fact that he now had a much larger quest. With his next step being to go beyond the prison that he had escaped from earlier. But now rather than heading back to society, he would go the exact opposite way and head to a door that seemed to require earth energy, or at least the marking of earth that he now sported. The other concern for that particular prison was time. How much time did he have to get there? Mentally he didn¡¯t see any countdowns or timers. Which meant that his getting to that location was likely up to his own discretion. If he wanted to get there he could, otherwise there was no need. Frank also had the impression that the ones who developed these training centers and different bunkers were not too impressed with Frank. Especially after he only got an Initiate Participation Badge for all his work thus far. While he had been somewhat annoyed by the designation earlier, he oddly now felt the rebuke was worthwhile. Now that he had seen what the changes to his cultivation were thanks to the new processes being presented, Frank couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the prowess and accomplishments of the elders who came before. Also, there were many more questions that arose. If the seven-node dual use technique was so capable, why did people stop using it? Also, what happened to society that made it so there weren¡¯t even records of how to solve the seven-pillar challenge correctly? These questions and more came to Frank¡¯s mind as he continued to work through the final thoughts of what he had learned. Thinking back on it all, Frank realized he had learned a lot. A lot of which could be shared with other cultivators. Though, the dual use path would have to be shared with people who had just begun their path of cultivation, as it would likely be too much for an older cultivator to suddenly change their cycling patterns. But for newer cultivators, like Frank, for those who were just starting out, this process was easily possible. Though he was certain that not many would take his word for this, especially as it seemed to go against everything that their culture had built up as the truth. Still, it was worth at least trying to tell others. Then if he couldn¡¯t explain what he had learned from SERE training, he would go on to the next marked door and see if there were still more secrets of the ancients available. With his plan made up, Frank rose to his feet and prepared to exit the shelter that had protected him from all forms of danger thus far. Pausing for a moment, Frank held his hand against the locking lever and waited, trying to hear if there were any monsters waiting to pounce on him once he left the safehouse. Chapter 51 Devastation Chapter 51 Devastation Frank didn¡¯t know what to expect when he exited the temporary shelter, he suddenly found himself transported to. But he knew for a fact that he was not ready for the densely packed layer of highly concentrated earth energy that was before him. Let alone the way it seemed to mix both positively and negatively charged particles of energy in a swirling pattern. Looking into the pattern, it was clear that the energy was slowly moving in a rotational pattern. Almost as if the energy was both being summoned and forced to move. Seeing the movement, Frank was able to then quickly look and see that there were odd symbols and formations on the side of doorway that clearly seemed to move and pulse with an odd form of energy. Looking at the formations, it was clear that they were intricate and far more advanced than anything Frank himself had witnessed. For a moment he thought about trying to touch the odd looking formations, but the slightly intense burning sensation he felt when just getting his hand close to the formations was enough for him to think better of that thought. In his mind, images of him reaching out and trying to touch a burning hot stove came to mind. Then pausing for a moment, Frank realized that somehow the formation itself had forced those childhood images to come forth within his mind. Not that his mind made the association on its own, but that the images of him reaching out and burning his hands multiple times as a child while touching something clearly hot were forced to the front of his mind. Pausing, he stared at the formations and wondered if there was some form of mental compulsion in those formation? There almost had to be. Looking at the formation, and the surrounding area, it was clear that the formation wasn¡¯t actually hot. As there were no signs of heat, also just being here in the doorway, there should be some residual heat washing over him from the intensely hot runes he saw. Yet, there was nothing, if anything the passageway was cold and damp, the way one would expect a subterranean exit to be. Mentally Frank wanted to rebel, to fight through the mental impulses and actually touch the formations just to see what they did. But then held off. There was a chance that his touching the formations would actually trigger something stronger than being burned. Not that being burned was too much of a true deterrent for a cultivator, as his body had long ago been strengthened to resist such heats. At least he knew he could resist the heats that were being warned about in his childhood memories. No, there might be something deeper to these warnings, and for that alone Frank decided to avoid touching the formation. Also, Frank had a sneaking suspicion that if he continued following the training regimen provided to him, he might just understand these different formations, and be able to deduce why they forced childhood memories of him burning himself to come to the forefront of his mind. With the clear interest of the new ancient formation removed as a point of interest, at least for the moment. That forced Frank to go back to the part of this process that stopped him. Namely the swirling interlocked pattern of negatively and positively charged earth energy that had apparently served as a protective barrier over the one and only exit of the room he was in. While he had remembered hearing climbing sounds all around, thinking back he could not recall any coming from the door. Now that he saw what essentially protected him, he understood why there were no skittering sounds that covered the door. From just one look, it was clear that this was yet another test. One meant to prove that Frank had both completed the initial training of this area, and likely to help him get past the fact that earth energy of either polarity would not affect him. Seeing the swirling mass, Frank paused and then holding up both hands began pulling the two different spirals of energy. The negatively charged component went in his left hand, while his right hand pulled in the positively charged particles. Grinding. An intense sensation not unlike sand being forced through his body was soon felt. But these sensations quickly gave way to the more pleasant feeling of cultivation, particularly after the two different energy types cycled once around his body, until they both lined up with his primary node and began entering their prescribed channels. From there, Frank felt an immediate surge in energy, as the new earth energy seemingly grinded its way through his newly established nodes and connection channels, before ultimately elongating them and then fusing with the few holes that were created by the new pressure. This led to a slightly more robust channel than he had been able to create initially, and one that didn¡¯t seem to have issues with earth energy. Feeling the earth energy enter his new and personally made meridian channels, Frank couldn¡¯t help but be reminded of when he first began cultivating. Then he remembered the way earth energy burned upon entering his body, and how it took a lot of time to seemingly get rid of that sensation. Now he felt slightly similar, but his new understanding of cultivation, and the way his new self-made cultivation channels seemed to be able to adapt to the new element with minimal strain was a welcome relief. Seeing the final barrier for what it was, a forceful push into the realm of earth cultivation, Frank couldn¡¯t help but feel the ancients knew what they were doing. Before this point, Frank would have been content to think about being able to cultivate earth energy, but deep down, he knew he wouldn¡¯t want to cultivate it. Just as the memories of his hands being burned came to mind when he tried to reach out and touch the different formations surrounding the doorframe, Frank would have remembered the initial burning sensations to his far weaker natural meridians from when he first tried to cultivate earth energy. That memory alone would have been enough for him to avoid delving too deeply into the world of earth cultivation. Yet, this final doorway being made of an equal quantity of both polarities of earth energy made it so he had to force his mind past any final mental hang-ups about the new element, if he wanted to leave. And after having spent as long as he had in the seemingly sterile room, Frank wanted to leave. As he began to cultivate away the energy that had been made into a semi-permeable door, Frank began to see the signs of devastation that the mass exodus of the insectoid monsters left in their wake. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. Giant pot marks appeared to cover the ground everywhere. The image before him made Frank remember seeing old images of the moon in his textbooks. He remembered looking at the images and seeing that giant pot marks covered the entire surface of the moon. In this case, the image before Frank was similar, in that there was not a spot on the ground that was not trampled, indented, or otherwise marred by the passing of an army of cultivating insectoids. The entire thing almost seemed to be too much. Finally, after a long moment, the amount of energy entering Frank¡¯s body began to slow down slightly, then finally the stream was entirely cut off, as Frank had taken in all of the ambient energy. With that process complete, Frank paused as he mentally tried to prepare himself for what would happen next. Looking at everything, Frank had no clue how long he had been gone. He had spent enough time to cultivate, establishing an entire new node network in his body, along with reaching at least one tier higher in his core cultivation, and like body cultivation phase. Just moving, Frank felt lighter. He was hungry, as it was clear that he had not eaten in quite some time. Though his SERE training had taught him to be resilient, and to be able to withstand simple things like lack of food for days. Remembering how hungry he had been on the days leading up to his descent, this level of hunger he now felt was nothing. Also, Frank was aware that he often cultivated and advanced quickly. Most of this was due to the strains that he often found himself under during his cultivation processes to this point. The level of strain he was often under made it so he had to constantly push himself for the fastest solution, rather than the most optimal. Pausing for a moment, Frank realized that this was the first time that he had been given time to fully cultivate the way he wanted to. Or at least the way he thought he wanted to. While it was clear that he had been guided to find one specific answer, he had still been given time to both see it in real life, try it out on the pillars that lined the underground, and then implement the same details on his own body. Taking one last look back at the sterilized room behind him, Frank couldn¡¯t help but realize that the ancients who created such an intense and intricate training program, clearly knew what they were doing. Then realizing he now had to see what exactly happened while he was in isolation, he moved forward. As he moved, his body felt lighter, his muscles and movements while stiff were not as tired as he would have imagined. His body felt like he had been sitting in one position for a few hours, which was why he hoped that he still had time to help out. Swoop. Only once Frank was a good dozen or so paces away from the makeshift shelter did he hear the sounds of the door closing behind him. Turning back he looked at the place where he had just come from and was amazed to see that there in the side of a dirt hill was a smooth dark wall of what appeared to be obsidian. Even the area where the door had once resided now just appeared to be a smooth black surface that was flush with everything else. A quick orientation showed that Frank was likely on the far eastern edge of the area. That if he followed the path west taken by the insectoids he would be able to fine the SERE base, or likely what remained of the base. The more he moved west, towards the SERE training camp, the more signs of devastation he saw. While the field that housed the seven training pillar had been wide open terrain, the area surrounding the pillars had been a dense jungle. Now though, now there was a clear path that had been torn through tree line far ahead. That for some reason the monsters decided to herd themselves into a funnel that could then be focused on by the monsters. ¡°Groan.¡± The weak sound of someone groaning in pain could be heard. Hearing the sound, Frank looked around and saw signs of an area where a fight occurred. Clear scorch marks covered the ground, while bodies of mutilated and burnt insectoid monsters lined one exit tunnel. Somehow, or for some reason, the streams of insectoid monsters either didn¡¯t see the clear battle that took place, or didn¡¯t care about their brethren being burned alive by an enemy. Moving quickly, Frank found himself quickly going through the pile of burnt monster parts. Then with strength that Frank didn¡¯t know he possessed, he found himself easily grabbing and tossing the giant carcasses way from the pile as he began using his energy sight to look for life. There at the bottom of the pile was the faintest of life signatures, but it was one that he could still make out. Having a clear objective in place, Frank began to let his Combat Medic training take over. While he had only a few days of actual training, most of which came from his time here at SERE camp, he still knew the vital components to perform. ¡°Stay with me, help is here.¡± Frank said, speaking out the fact that safety was coming. More groans. It was clear that what, or whoever was down there was barely responsive. Still Frank found himself quickly moving through the pile of corpses, until he found the charred remains of the survivor. Once he found the target, Frank reached out and once he had direct contact with the target, he began pumping in waves of healing energy. As he worked, Frank could feel the reserves of his body that had been otherwise full a moment ago, now seemed to slowly drain. But the rate that he felt drain from his body was less than what he was used to. While the damage sustained was intense, Frank also felt his body naturally providing earth energy at points to help replace mass that his life energy would normally just have to force the body to over produce. The whole sensation was odd, and his body and mind seemed to do this exchange naturally. If he had to put rough figures on what was being used, Frank would say it was close to a 70 ¨C 30 split. Seventy for healing and the final thirty for earth energy. How his mind came to those numbers, or how his mind seemed to know that he could implement earth energy to help form mass within the body was beyond him. Yet, he could fundamentally understand the process, for blood was made up of many different components, including iron, potassium, salts, and other elements of the world. Elements that Frank now felt he had a tentative grasp of. While he was not a master of any of these, he was aware enough of earth energy that by directing the intended energy to the spot, the energy along with the body and guidance from the healing energy being given were enough to cause the earth energy to build helpful parts of the cell that could easily be repurposed and made into blood, organs, and muscle tissue. Within minutes, the badly burnt and battered body began to grow and reform. Looking at the body, it was clearly a female from the training, one of the two who managed to make it to this final round. Though it was odd, as the energy flowing within the female was clearly not fire. In fact, Frank thought she might be an earth-oriented fighter. At least that would explain why the earth element from his body was so readily accepted by this patient. Still, Frank couldn¡¯t understand how this soldier was so badly burned, if they were an earthen body protection and possibly earth at a distance attacker as well. ¡°What? What happened?¡± The female soldier finally asked. ¡°I was hoping you could tell me.¡± Frank replied, as he began helping the patient sit upright. Shiver. Gooseflesh began to appear on the patient¡¯s exposed skin. Only now did Frank realize just how much of the female soldier¡¯s uniform had been burned away, and how much tender skin had recently been repaired. Seeing her in this state, Frank did the only thing he could think of. He took off his uniform top and draped it over the shoulders of the now recovering soldier. Despite Frank being shorter than the female, his shoulders were wide enough that the jacket itself easily covered and insulated the warrior. At first, the female just held the jacket tight as her body clearly tried to retain as much body heat as possible. Then after a moment she slowly and gingerly moved her arms through the long sleeves and proceeded to button the top in place. With that done, Frank helped the patient to her feet, before asking. ¡°Do you know if there were any others?¡± At that, a sneer crossed the female¡¯s otherwise pretty features. ¡°Yeah, the Captain and a few of his cronies survived. At least he survived long enough to burry me in a pile of burning insects.¡± Hearing that Frank only nodded, realizing that she likely meant Captain Camello, the resident pretty boy and his group of cronies that came here preassembled as a team. These were the people that Frank knew to steer clear of from day one. Realizing that he didn¡¯t want to be dragged any further into politics, Frank just nodded. Then giving a quick scan around the area, he found no other signs of life. ¡°You okay to start heading back?¡± Frank asked. The female soldier paused for a moment, then giving a quick glance around she too nodded her head. ¡°Yes.¡± Then like that, the two began making their way forward. Frank held out his arm, which the female soldier took and used to support her, as they both made their way through the fields. As they got closer to the base, more and more signs of struggle began to appear. It started with first a few insectoid bodies littering the path. From the combat markings, and clear signs of magical energy waves being utilized, the insectoids were killed, while the soldiers who had been monitoring the situation retreated. Frank saw multiple lines of attacks that almost overlapped each other, and were clearly made by the same wind blade attacker who sent out attack waves overtop of each other. Then as they got close to the base and its automated the defenses the signs of battle truly intensified. As bodies of monsters lay in the hundreds. Forcing Frank and his patient to take a long way around the pile of enemy insects. Finally, they made it to the southern side of the base, swinging wide around the combat area to avoid any insects that might otherwise be lying in wait for an attack. The two made quite the odd pair, as most of the uniform worn by the female soldier was either covered in gore, burnt away, or rendered to strips. In contrast, Frank¡¯s uniform looked almost pristine. Other than a few minor mud stains, and the fact that his otherwise pristine jacket was being worn by the female soldier, he looked perfect. That was why, upon their arrival, Frank was met with almost immediate contempt. ¡°Just where have you two been?¡± Hearing the words, and seeing the haggard state that everyone was in, Frank realized that this was not going to be a happy homecoming. Chapter 52 Desertion Chapter 52 Desertion Frank sat alone in a darkened military interrogation room. Finally, after a few minutes the lights popped on, letting him know the automatic sensors detected movement. Given that Frank himself had chosen to use this time to cultivate the air, which was infused with ambient charged dust particles, Frank went about seeing if he could in fact draw earth energy from such air. If he could, then increasing his reserves would be easy. Well far easier than he had to deal with thus far. As soon as he got back with the fellow soldier, he was first welcomed, especially as he did his job of bringing a fellow soldier back alive. This was what he was supposed to do as a Combat Medic, it wasn¡¯t until the view of his uniform was taken in, having minimal traces of dirt and mud that caused higher ups to wonder just how he survived the massive onslaught of monsters. An onslaught that left even the strongest of the SERE candidates left in haggard and tattered states of dress. Everyone but Frank. He was taken back, had his new Attributes read, with his top off, the new tattoo on his arm was instantly identified and recorded. After that time he was taken back to this interrogation room, where he was questioned relentlessly. ¡°This is a truth stone,¡± The Interrogator began. The stone was in fact two distinct stones, well two parts of the same stone that had been broken off and linked together by an ancient connection cord. Having seen many such cords recently, the purpose of the cord was easily noted in Frank¡¯s mind. The cord was attached to the two sympathetic and linked stones. These stones were then placed conveniently on Frank¡¯s side of the interrogation table where he could easily rest both of his hands upon the two stones. ¡°Perhaps you are aware of what these are or do, but this is but one of many tests to determine if you are lying. The idea being that you will first begin by cycling mana from one stone through the cord to the linked stone and back into your own body. As you are doing this, the two stones will light up. ¡°We will let you spend a few minutes getting used to this process. The light and level presented during this initialization phase will be our baseline period. From there, we will begin asking a series of base questions to get you used to thinking and cultivating at the same time. This will create a second baseline reading of yourself, this time while answering easy questions. ¡°Once we have completed both baseline tests we will begin asking you a series of questions related to desertion and possible dereliction of duties while your fellow soldiers were being overwhelmed by hostile enemy forces. Do you understand the details of what is being expected of you, and what to expect going forward?¡± The man finally concluded his long and complicated speech. At this point, Frank wondered about his rights and just how far he wanted to push this. ¡°Do I need a lawyer?¡± Frank questioned. Hearing the question, the Interrogator nodded his head as if he had been expecting this, ¡°you can, and that is your right. Though know that by just asking for one, your ability to explain your way out of this will be impossible. As the unified code of requesting and advocate for the defendant incurs at the very least a week in minimal security prison.¡± Hearing that, Frank remembered the laws that were passed. Laws passed by civilians who never saw battle. Yet, felt outraged when warriors didn¡¯t stand their ground during outbreaks, which is exactly what had happened was now considered. While the SERE base and their highly trained instructors had managed to survive the ordeal, there were still damages suffered by nearly everyone. That is why Frank even now was being met with such derision and scorn by his fellow soldiers. Even the soldier that he had resuscitated and escorted off the field no longer spoke to him. She had offered a few good words on his behalf at first, but since that point she has been missing from coming to see Frank. For his part, Frank couldn¡¯t begrudge the soldier. He also understood the optics of everything. And realistically he could have gone out to try to fight the surging insectoids that had been driven from their homes for whatever reason happened after Frank was teleported away. It was for all these reasons, that Frank didn¡¯t protest. Also, having heard what was expected of him, he now had a plan for what he would do. ¡°Do you still wish to have an advocate made available to you?¡± The interrogator asked. ¡°Not at this time,¡± Frank stated as he began circulating his mana through the two stones. The process was tough, not impossible, just tougher than one would expect. After having spent so long cultivating with the actual Ancient devices, it was clear that this one had been modified in some way. Likely done as a refurbishment of previous products, or a hack job of trying to link together items and components that were similar to, but not identical to the ones being recreated. This was part of the reclamation of lost technology, a project that had received ample funding at the beginning of the Cultivation wars. But in recent years the funding to such projects had dwindled due to lack of production, but one thing that had come out of that initiative were devices like this. Devices that would force the cultivator to send and pull mana from opposing ends and was likely meant as a way to improve cultivation outside the body. It wasn¡¯t until later that people came up with the idea of using such a device as an interrogation device for cultivators. The idea was simple, while a cultivator could keep the flow of energy fairly perfectly with minimal distractions, the more a person had to think about a lie, the harder it would be for the cultivator to keep this circuit going. This way, when a lie was told, the light would either dim, meaning less energy was cycled. Fluctuate, where the energy would be different from hand to hand while a lie was being processed. Halt completely, meaning the cultivator lost complete thought in what they were doing and focused entirely on their mental words they were using. Or the flow remained consistent, implying that the cultivator was not lying in the process. While such methods were often inconclusive and thrown out in military courts of law; they did often lead to some form of crime being committed, which was why they were still allowed as an initial interrogation method. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Hearing the words and realizing this was exactly as many of the recent military movies and trials had depicted the changes, Frank could only feel confident that he knew what to expect from this part. ¡°Very well, you may begin by channeling your energy through this device. Use any direction you want, and after a minute of getting used to the new cultivation method, I will begin by asking you a series of control questions.¡± The Interrogator began. Being as this was positive energy that Frank was supposed to cultivate, Frank decided to start the current with his left hand, have it travel through the cord and then end up with the current being completed with his right hand. At which time, the residual energy would filter up towards his mouth, where it would then be cycled back into his main circulation channel, while the recently regathered energy would spin around his self-propelled bi-directional circuitry. When Frank had first heard the process, he did not think it would be that tough for a cultivator, and thus believed the sayings that anyone that had a fluctuation of any type would have to be lying. Then, once Frank became a dual affinity cultivator with both his internal and external meridians being pushed constantly by his own will, Frank realized how much tougher this particular event would be. Frank even went so far as to try to avoid being placed in such situations. Now though, thanks to the new bi-directional cultivation method he had implemented, along with his ability to gain ambient earth energy from the atmosphere and surrounding area, Frank found this new idea to be a great way to cultivate. In fact, Frank wondered if this would be a way that Ancient cultivators cheated and were able to accumulate massive amounts of ambient energy faster. The reason he thought this to be a cheat was due to the way he could already feel more and more ambient energy from the room, from the nearby cultivator, from the ventilation system in the facility and everywhere slowly releasing not only positive charged energy, but negatively charged energy as well. In this case, the tubing still did it¡¯s part, causing the positive energy to be pulled into the actual channels of the lie detector, while the negatively charged energy seemed to form a layer on the outside of the repository. While the negatively charged energy would also serve as an inhibitor as well, the longer the interrogation went, the more negative build up would be formed and thus the harder it would be to perform this task, normally. Fortunately for Frank, he was able to take it all in. The negatively charged energy while fighting against the positively charged particles still followed the same path through his right hand, up his arm and finally to his mouth where the entry area for both circulation channels began. Also the amount of negatively charged energy gathered was seemingly less than the natural positively charged particles in the area. The only real difference came at first, when Frank was first adjusting his flow and thereby cleaning off years of interrogation residue that had built up over time, from cultivators who were unable to process the material. This was why, Frank¡¯s coloration actually began to grow brighter ever so slowly, especially as he made his way through the initial baseline questions. ¡°Okay, we will begin recording your baseline readings. This is a photon spectrometer, it is designed and calibrated to measure the brightness of the energy being released from both hands and record those readings in real time. Note, that the subject is using a backwards cultivation method, with the flow beginning in the left hand and ending in the right hand. Is there a particular reason for this?¡± ¡°No.¡± With that the Interrogator just nodded his head. ¡°Know that some cultivators think that by cultivating backwards, they can somehow cheat this system. I will warn you that if you are in fact doing this, then it is pointless, as studies have shown that if you cultivate in ways that are contrary to your normal methods, you will often suffer problems the longer this goes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Frank replied. ¡°Okay, in that case we will begin with the first baseline question, what is your name?¡± ¡°Frank Fotos.¡± ¡°What is your occupation?¡± ¡°Combat Medic.¡± ¡°What were you doing prior to coming back to base?¡± ¡°I was conducting SERE training.¡± Frank answered succinctly, he could clearly go on, but did not want to get bogged down in the details. ¡°What did you do during SERE training?¡± ¡°That is classified.¡± With that the Interrogator just glared at Frank, but made a quick note on his pad, before continuing. ¡°Where were you during the overflow event?¡± Hearing that question, Frank knew that the baseline questions were already over, and it was now time to answer truthfully. ¡°In the Ancient SERE training area.¡± ¡°Why weren¡¯t you torn apart by the marauding ants?¡± ¡°I destroyed the enemies I faced from a distance.¡± ¡°You are F-Rank, how is that possible?¡± ¡°That is only my primary Affinity. My secondary Affinity can go much farther.¡± Frank admitted, then pausing he wondered if that was in fact true anymore. Flicker. As Frank thought this, the light being released did flicker for a second, but not in the way Frank or his interrogator would have expected. Rather than diming slightly, or going darker, Frank had managed to work away a dense chunk of solidified dark energy from the tubing, which allowed both hands to glow brighter and continue to glow brighter for some time. Scribble. There was a scribble made on the machine readout that noted the spike in energy. A spike that continued to glow at the same intensity from that point on. ¡°Did you have a breakthrough?¡± The Interrogator asked. ¡°I did, during the trials.¡± Frank confirmed. ¡°No, I mean just now?¡± ¡°No, I did not have a secondary breakthrough during our conversation.¡± Frank confirmed. With that, the Interrogator¡¯s eyes went wide as the new peak was noted and did not seem to go back down. ¡°You¡¯re name is Frank Fotos?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You are a Combat Medic?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Frank re-confirmed. With each answer, the Interrogator¡¯s eyes grew wide, as he noted the near perfect emission that was much higher in intensity than previously noted. ¡°Tell me a blatant lie,¡± the interrogator demanded. With that, Frank said the first thing that came to mind. ¡°I fucked your mom.¡± At that the Interrogator watched the readout and then seemed to note that once again there was no change. Then finally dawning recognition hit the man as he realized the lie that Frank had used. At which point the Interrogator never changing his face just glared up at Frank. ¡°Unless you think I did, is that why we are here? To find out who your new dad¡¯s going to be?¡± Frank asked. He wanted to push this just enough to get the cursory flexing of authority, and power. But he didn¡¯t want to push too far where he would be sent to a supermax prison. Instead, he needed to be punished just enough to get sent to the end of Death Row, where most prisoners were sent to either cool their heels, or serve as a life lesson. Normally it would be stupid to send someone like Frank back there, but he also knew that the wheels of bureaucracy would not change to pass a law for one person. At least not this quickly. If all else failed, Frank knew he could use the trump card of calling for his lawyer, which would almost guarantee him a minimum of a month¡¯s sentence in the prison. The other option would be for Frank to either go AWOL and try to get to the prison by himself, where he would theoretically be a war criminal of humanity. Or this method that seemed to come to him at the most perfect of times. It was clear from everything that was happening that the leadership needed someone to focus on while this incident happened. Half of the SERE base was destroyed, along with the SERE training towers apparently being taken down. Frank thought he remembered something to this effect as he was leaving, as he was fairly certain that a year long time appeared before he was sent to the sterile cultivation room. Also, it was clear that the leadership here never really liked Frank, even their attempt to quote unquote ¡°help¡± Frank were little more than attempts to keep him down. No, getting out of here was the best thing for him, as was previously noted, he already had the SERE certification on his records. Going out to the spires and training area was little more than a pointless exercise in futility, one that his instructor had all but confirmed upon his time to leave. SMACK! The blow came quick, though Frank had mostly been prepared for such an event. The fist was barely balled up, the blow was all but telegraphed. Seeing the blow, and having received many before Frank was well accustomed to taking a punch. That was why he was able to tilt his head slightly and already prepare to move with the impact before being struck. Ringing. The blow while mostly mitigated did still cause a bit of ringing to appear in his ear. Though even that was minor compared to what he had been through before. Also his natural regeneration was already kicking in and fixing most of the strike, though he purposefully stopped his body from healing any bruising that might occur from the attack. Frank who was still bound and chained to the table only looked up at the attacker with a contemptuous sneer. He had been around bullies enough to realize what their triggers were, and how to keep them going. This was why, Frank again realized this was the perfect moment to push. He was innocent, and if things kept up as they were, he would likely be released. Where he would be forced to go back to garrison, where he would be heavily watched and scrutinized. While there had not been a time limit that was implied on getting to the second door, Frank felt that the sooner her got there, the better off he would be. That was why, Frank chose this time to continue the process. ¡°Must feel super proud, beating a chained opponent.¡± Frank said mockingly. Crack. A second blow came, this time from the Interrogator¡¯s left hand. Again the move was all but telegraphed, and Frank was once again able to both prepare for the blow by infusing the right side of his cheek with positive earth energy. This made it so almost no damage was taken by Frank, who just stared at the Interrogator. It was clear from the way the Interrogator now shook out his left hand that the strike had hurt him more than it hurt Frank. This did two things, first it insured that the next strike would come from his right hand, and that the Interrogator might back down, if not provoked. For that reason and that reason alone, Frank made sure to provoke. ¡°That¡¯s two, next time, I¡¯ll take your fucking hand.¡± Frank said, defiance clear in his face as he stared down the older cultivator. ¡°Oh yeah, you think you can get off of charges for this?¡± The Interrogator began, as his right fist began moving on autopilot. Seeing the incoming strike, Frank just grinned wildly. Interlude V James Holsy Interlude V James Holsy ¡°This makes no sense,¡± the normally stoic Vanguard said, speaking to the receptionist at the SERE training ground. A few feet away, it was clear that a few high-ranking generals were also nearby, clearly also ticked off about the current set of circumstances. ¡°You mean to tell me, that you had an entire SERE training team there ready to go, and he somehow lived?¡± A familiar voice called out, but James couldn¡¯t quite place it. Looking over the two people talking were clearly related as they almost looked like mirrored copies of each other. While one was slightly older with a denser tone of body muscles, the other was more youthful with an agile frame that seemed to imply that in a few decades they too could bulk up to be in the same stratosphere of strength as the elder. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, there was a veritable death ring around him, ¡®T¡¯ was there, along with a whole ring of insectoids.¡± ¡°Wait, he killed them? And yet he still pled guilty to desertion?¡± The elder of the two asked. From the discussion going on, it was clear that they were likely talking about a part of the mission that went sideways. Though which part was still up for debate, but it was an aware glance from the son up in Holsy¡¯s direction that caused the elder of the two to pause in his beratement of the lesser, before nodding and gesturing for the younger to follow. Seeing the action, James could only nod in understanding. ¡°Here are the official transcripts of what has happened.¡± The temporary secretary who had recently been assigned to the SERE training compound to help with the reconstruction efforts stated, handing over a list of documents. ¡°Look you can¡¯t just tell me what happened?¡± Vanguard asked, his tone getting a bit angered. ¡°Sir, I understand your position, but know that you are not the only person to specifically ask about this person today.¡± The receptionist said, giving a quick glance to his left at the retreating duo of familiar cultivators, two that for the life of James Holsy, he knew he should know but just couldn¡¯t place given how long of a day it had been. Looking at the stack of papers, Vanguard just leafed through the first few pages, then seemed to come to a conclusion dividing the stack in half and handing half directly to James. ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t just do that. I would need to see that man¡¯s clearance.¡± The temporary secretary stated. ¡°You understand the unit I am attached to right?¡± Vanguard asked. At that the secretary paused, then glanced down at their terminal once, as recognition crossed their features. ¡°I am aware and I thank you for all you do.¡± The secretary stammered. ¡°Well, he is my personal assistant, talent scout, and lackey for the team. You know what that makes him?¡± ¡°Cleared to know?¡± The Secretary asked, a noted look of concern on his face. Vanguard looked like he was about to say something pithy, but then exhaled a bit at that comment, figuring it was close enough. ¡°That¡¯s right, he¡¯s cleared to know. Also, if these documents were that important you should provide them in a classified folder that had the classification standards clearly visible.¡± At the oversight, the Secretary went pale, ¡°right.¡± ¡°I think, we are all just going to overlook these lapses in protocol due to minimal manning, and try to call it a thing to improve on next time.¡± Vanguard stated. ¡°Yes sir.¡± The Secretary stated. With that Vanguard and Holsy both left the immediate area, only to turn a corner then another until they were in a fairly confined space. Well as confined as the suddenly bustling SERE training center could be. While Holsy and Vanguard had been here to retrieve their newest tabbed member of the unit. Auxiliary members of the mobile Combat Medical Support wing had also been mustered to come out and support the area in an effort to look for not only missing SERE candidates in the midst of their trials, but also trying to find out exactly what happened. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. By now everyone knew the basic details, that being the large colony of subterranean evolved insectoids had risen up and gone in a mass exodus. Some went over the base, while others went in a long path around the base to an as yet unknown destination. With the two of them looking at the provided documents it was relatively easy to start sifting through, trying to find out what happened to the wayward squad member that both Vanguard and Holsy were working diligently to get their hands on. Knowing that once they got someone of his caliber to their team, he would likely stay for a career. This of course was how Vanguard managed to grab and keep James away from his sister. While scrolling through the documents, James came to a document that immediately caused his senses to tingle.
Name: Frank Fotos Status: Re-Awakened. MOS: Combat Medic Body Cultivation Level ??. Core Value ??. Talent: F-Rank ??. SSS+ ??. Strength: 70 Dexterity: 71 Agility: 70 Mind: 69 Power: 70 Willpower: 32 Markings: Greater Healing Mark: +15% Power, +15% Efficacy Dark Marking 1: Unknown Dark Marking 2: Effect Unknown Glowing Orange and Shaded Mirror Mountain Tattoo: New (Gained during SERE training) Note: Energy signature twice as potent as all three markings noted above combined.
Seeing the note about a seemingly new marking, Holsy was confused. Then even on the next page found that there were multiple sets of images of the said new double mountain tattoo. One was in high definition color, the second was in energy exposure spectrum or EES for short. Then there was a third set in poison tones, these were the sets used to identify people who had been exposed to high levels of radiation. According to the third set of images, Frank¡¯s arm tattoo registered off the spectrum for what a human could endure. ¡°Hey check this out.¡± Holsy said, taking out the noted stat section and tattoo imaging. ¡°What is this?¡± Vanguard asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I was hoping that you could tell me.¡± ¡°Well according to this, Frank should be dead. Not only that, but everyone who was within a hundred meters of him, should be dead.¡± Vanguard noted, then apparently a eureka moment crossed his face. ¡°I guess that explains this document.¡± At that, Vanguard handed back the stack of attributes, which James re-checked noting the exceptionally high values for all noted attributes, including Power, arguably one of the hardest to advance. Then before James had too long to think about everything, he pulled up an official redacted advocate approved plea deal. Seeing the document, and that it was signed by an Advocate, James couldn¡¯t help but feel sick to his stomach. ¡°Oh, no. He asked for an Advocate?¡± James asked, just seeing the document that all but assured some minor infraction had to be agreed to. ¡°Yeah, but something is off about it.¡± Vanguard stated. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Read the charge he is convicted of pleading no contest to.¡± At that, James went deeper and saw the official reprimand, followed by the sentencing.
Subject Frank Fotos pleads Not Guilty to the charges of ¡°Excessive use of Lethal Force.¡±
¡°What? That can¡¯t be real?¡± James said, the charges seemed like they had to be made up. ¡°If you read the non-redacted portion of the transcripts, you can sort of see what happened. The full charge should read excessive use of lethal force while defending themselves from an overly aggressive investigator.¡± Vanguard stated. ¡°What?¡± ¡°One second, let me find the exact spot.¡± Vanguard said, sifting through his stack of documents, before coming across a page with a lot of sections marked out in thick black ink. Ink that a cultivator could easily ready by just tilting the page just right to read the way the letters seemed to appear through the thick black markings.
SERE Certificate Earner Frank Fotos was in the process of being questioned about his seeming lack of involvement in helping to protect the SERE compound during a monster swarm, when the candidate managed to offend the senior ranking officer giving the interrogation. When asked to give a blatant lie for a new control question, Fotos made a note about the interrogator¡¯s mother. At which time the Interrogator struck Fotos twice in the face. Fotos then made a threat to the Interrogator who proceeded to ¡°try to neutralize the perceived threat.¡± At which point they tried to strike Fotos for a third time, only to have their hand begin to corrode and rot as if exposed to dangerously excessive amounts of radioactive materials. The Interrogator¡¯s hand and arm began to rot away at an exceptional rate, and quarantine alarms were set. Page 1 of 5.
Advocate noted that Fotos was willing to help heal Interrogator¡¯s arm if he could be forced to wait at the Cultivator prison at the end of Death Row during his time for a trial. The condition was accepted so long as Fotos was able to preserve the arm. After a fifteen minute operation, Combat Medic Fotos not only removed all traces of the radioactive materials from the Interrogator¡¯s fist and arm, but was able to restore full functionality to the noted limb. Upon agreement, Frank Fotos was sent to the cultivator prison stationed at the end of Death Row, while he awaited his court case to be heard. Page 5 of 5
¡°He had them, they were clearly trying to illicit a confession out of him with force. Then apparently he asked for an advocate, which is a death sentence for us cultivators. Gods, they should have taught him that much at the Academy¡± Vanguard said, shaking his head, only to realize that the Academy was shut down before he could likely go through the mandatory legal courses. ¡°Wait, we should be able to get him off on that alone. Due to the lack of training, he didn¡¯t know about the Implied Jeopardy created by a cultivator demanding an Advocate to take part in their negotiations.¡± James for his part looked hopefully, but then something caught his eye as he went back to the second and apparently last page of the transcript that was provided. ¡°Wait, I don¡¯t think Frank intends for this to go to trial.¡± James said. ¡°What? It has to.¡± ¡°No, see the one thing the advocate got for him was that he would be placed in the Death Row penitentiary while awaiting his trial.¡± James began. ¡°That¡¯s the same one that he already got exonerated from?¡± ¡°The very same.¡± James replied. ¡°Then they will likely be waiting to schedule a trail for him the moment he lands.¡± Vanguard said. ¡°Anything we can do?¡± James asked. Chapter 53 Alternating Altitudes Chapter 53 Alternating Altitudes A heavily chained and manacled Frank entered the helicopter. Given his short stature compared to the other cultivators Frank didn¡¯t even bow his head on his approach. Instead, he just continued to watch the other taller cultivators, who even while bowing their heads were still standing over top of Frank. This was to be expected, for as long as Frank was still growing and cultivating, his body was expected to grow and expand to its perfect form. That said, the dietary constraints of a subterranean resident, particularly a poor subterranean resident meant that Frank still had a long way to go until he would be on par with many of the cultivators at his realm. Or at least that is how things should have been. The only thing that people didn¡¯t understand was the power granted to someone who completed the first pillar challenge. Even now, chains that were set for his realm were light. Most cultivators would be at a complete loss of strength and ability due to the weight of the restraints and the material of the restraints. For in the chains were the lightest amounts of negatively charged energy. Energy that many incorrectly considered to be death energy due to the chaotic and violent way it would often lead to the death of cultivators who were exposed to larger amounts of the strange material. Frank for his part just stayed quiet, not wanting to give his captors any more reason to despise him. While he had managed to get everything he wanted, that being a one-way trip to Death Row so he could easily get out and access the entrance to the second trial. The way he got to this conclusion might not have been the best. The interrogating officer had gotten out of line, which was how Frank was able to deliver negatively charged particles to the body of the striking officer. Once Frank knew where an attack would land, it was simple to divert and hold negative energy in that area and let the attacker do the work for him. After a successful infection, it just became a part of working with an advocate to get the desired outcome in writing. Of course, things wouldn¡¯t be that simple. Just looking at the way the other cultivators glowered at Frank as he entered the helicopter told him that things were not going to go easy this trip. The first thing that Frank noticed that was off was the fact that his chains were not bolted to the reinforced hull of the helicopter like last time. This meant that should the helicopter begin to fall from the sky, Frank would have one less obstacle to overcome to achieve his freedom. Unfortunately, it also meant that should the cultivators in charge of his travels wish to do anything during his flight, then it would be easy to do so. Had this been the first time Frank was taken to prison, he likely would have overlooked this oversight. Now though, now Frank could read the room, he could feel the subtle animosity that seemed to radiate off of everyone around him. Shucka-shucka-shucka. The blades that had been rotating at a slightly relaxed pace suddenly began to increase in tempo, signifying that the helicopter was about to rise. Taking a deep calming breath, Frank paused and suddenly realized that unlike last time, this time Frank felt calm. Well not calm, but serene. For the moment, Frank knew what to expect from this flight. The hidden hostilities that Frank felt were muted, but there. The sideways glare that all the cultivators had for him, the way they all kept perfectly silent. Not that talking over a helicopter moving at full speed was easy, but the group was unnaturally quiet. Even the direct guards next to Frank seemed to make it a point to shift their bodies away from Frank, as if to give Frank the chance to move on his own. As if to let Frank decide when and where he would get off of this flight. Reaching out with his mind, Frank realized that through his chains he could feel everything around him. And they were his chains, the fact that they had negatively charged metal in them all but ensured that Frank could easily cultivate over, around, and through the very chains that bound him. Such a feat was supposed to be impossible. The idea of cultivating past the cultivator restraining chains was supposed to be impossible, the thing of ancient stories. That or the cultivator in chains would surpass their limits and be able to break free from the chains to subdue their captors. While Frank didn¡¯t think he could subdue his captors, he was certain that he could offer up a token resistance. The fact that the chains didn¡¯t cause even a slight feeling of vertigo or unease proved how much Frank had managed to push himself in the past few months. At least that is what Frank told himself. Subtly over time, Frank began to notice a mounting tension growing. It was subtle, the aggressive planting of a foot, the sudden increase in cultivated energy. Small signs that all pointed towards minor but incrementally increasing tension. Frank for his part tried to pretend like he was not aware of what was happening, closing his eyes but still using his ability to sense the world around him to let him know where and how things were going. Slight jog to the right. As they were flying, Frank felt the sudden change in direction of the craft. Again a minor change, whereas before they had been going on a straight line, now that line had veered off slightly causing the craft to go farther north, into the unclaimed wilderness. Feeling the slight change in direction, Frank understood that now the tensions would start to get even higher as this would be the exact spot where someone would make a move. The most notable change was that the far right and left doors were open to allow for airflow, a function that was performed for extremely hot days, but not on days that were cool like today. Again, another possible oversight that would likely be noted in an after-action report, but not something that would be scrutinized too thoroughly. At least, that is what Frank noticed. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Realizing the open door, Frank also noticed how every cultivator present for his transfer detail had their shades drawn, likely to protect the wind that they knew would be blowing wildly. Also of interest were the large packs that each cultivator had on their backs. Packs that Frank could almost assume were standard issue parachute bags. The ones with the quick release pull tabs. While Frank wasn¡¯t entirely certain of the fact of there being parachutes worn by helicopter passengers before, it wasn¡¯t until he noticed the pull tabs on the backpack worn by the person to his right that caused Frank to realize his concerns were not entirely unfounded. There were more subtle things too, like the way the cultivators aggressively blocked the left side of the hull. Being a full capacity load, there were enough seats for ten total people. Five in front of Frank, all facing Frank given the layout of the craft and its seats. Along with two others on the right and left side of Frank. The only difference being that the people to Frank¡¯s left side were leaning forward, looking like they were trying to communicate with each other, but after a few minutes of watching them stare at each other, it was clear that they were just there to seemingly give one direction to leave, the seemingly open right side of the helicopter. Lurch. Clink-clatter. They had been going in such a straight line off course by a few degrees for so long that it took Frank a moment to realize when the helicopter began to rise up gradually. The sudden shifting of elevation was enough to cause Frank to fall further back into his seat and to cause the links of his heavy binding chains to also rattle against each other, providing a minor source of noise over the roar of the rotors and the whipping sound caused by the air billowing in. Almost at that moment, Frank felt the gaze of nine predators all glaring at him in some way. It was clear that this was the buildup, that if there was going to be any actions taken, this would be the time when they would occur. Frank for his part had not been lacking in his own preparations. Realizing what was happening, the fact that this was likely a hit of some kind, Frank had already prepared his own counter measures. Now that his form of death was all but assured, Frank could only wait and hope that his preparations were enough. Frank for his part just closed his eyes. Most might have thought this was so he could protect himself from the wind that was whipping in violently, causing any form of dust to burn and scratch at his eyes. Yet, Frank had a different reason entirely of doing this, as closing his eyes made it easier for him to perceive the world around him. With this way, Frank could see the subtle flows of energy being drawn in, the way that the lead cultivator right in front of Frank seemed to be the most intensely focused of everyone. The way his aura and energy all but screamed at him that violence was going to ensue. Frank for his part realized that at the moment he had a lot of actions that he could take. For starters, he could slowly release poisonous negatively charged particles into the holding area that they were all in. Or he could lash out with the chains, while there wasn¡¯t enough negatively charged particles to do much with the manacles that currently bound his hands and feet together, he was certain that he could at least pop the locks and make minor movements of the chains. Particularly as the most intense doses of the negatively charged metals were in the parts that directly touched his wrists and ankles. Apparently, these chains were meant to be somewhat disconcerting to normal cultivators. This was expressed in the way the other nearby cultivators, the ones that were meant to keep Frank pinned into his seat seemed to squirm and avoid the chains at all costs. These were subtle moves, ones that Frank might have missed entirely, had he not been looking for them. Now that he was aware of them, he could see the hesitation in over half of those gathered. Noting that only four or so people that were gathered truly wanted to do this, the others were seemingly here out of a perverse sense of obligation. Leveling out. Finally, after minutes of rising in altitude, the aircraft began to level out. They were now up so high that the wind was ice cold as it whipped into the open hanger doors. Frank used that cold, focused on it for a moment to help him slow down his heart rate and prepare his mind for what was going to happen next. Frank still had his eyes closed, a good thing too, for the whipping wind caused tears and snot to form his nose as he tried to use the cold to calm down his racing heart. Click-clack. The sound of the odd star shaped seatbelts unbuckling could be heard around him. Pausing, Frank realized that he himself had not been properly fastened in with even the star shaped seatbelt. Another aspect he missed, not that it changed anything, not that it meant that this moment before him was not about to happen. Still, it was a sign that all the thoughts that Frank currently had running through his mind were correct. That this was not meant to be a ride that Frank would survive. There was a pause, a moment where everyone of Frank¡¯s guard detail turned their attention directly to the man sitting across from Frank. Again, Frank knew the man across from him, a Major if his visible rank was any indication, was in charge of this whole thing from start to finish. But their pause and looking towards him for affirmation of what would happen next only seemed to solidify Frank¡¯s thoughts. Then just before the Major said anything, Frank opened his eyes and let his cultivation flow within his body as his eyes opened wide to lock gazes with the soldier before him. ¡°So, is this where you pretend to have an accident and miraculously misplace a prisoner within your care?¡± Frank asked, his tone cold as he fought to speak up over the whipping air currents around him. Hearing Frank speak for the first time since entering the craft, everyone turned to Frank. ¡°Do you enjoy it? Killing kids?¡± Frank asked. By now Frank had already accepted what would happen, it was inevitable. He was a cultivator of a much lower realm than everyone present. This was why he could only use this time to stall for time. The fact that Frank was going to get thrown out of the aircraft was not beyond him. He was not na?ve enough to think that he would miss that fate, instead all he could do was hope that he got closer to his final destination. Each additional second wasted talking, was a few hundred feet closer to his end goal of being at Death Row. ¡°Child or not, we need to kill deserters. We need to send a message to others that avoiding conflict will not be tolerated.¡± The Major across from Frank spoke. Hearing that Frank could only nod. ¡°So that¡¯s your justification this time. I see.¡± Frank pressed. ¡°This time?¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve clearly all done this before. You seem to relish it, while those over there,¡± Frank said pointing to the two soldiers who were on the left side. The side that had been closed off from the start. ¡°They don¡¯t seem to like being here. Perhaps you will do this to them, once you are done with low hanging fruit like dealing with children who were in the middle of tests.¡± ¡°You deserted your comrades. You allowed the base to be overrun.¡± The Major pointed out a fact that Frank had wondered about. It seemed that the base had been completely decimated at one point, but for whatever reason the cultivators were able to escape the carnage by setting up pockets of resistance. Pockets that were ultimately avoided, but only after several of the oversized ants had been killed. Then by the time Frank was done with his own advancement, the cultivators that were present managed to retake the remaining structures as their own. But there was something off to the energy. Too much energy had made it past the base to show that any real resistance had been mounted. It was clear from the number of monsters that stormed past Frank¡¯s bunker that had the beasts wanted to, they could have easily conquered and held the SERE compound. But for whatever reason, the insects didn¡¯t, almost as if they were called to a distant place and went to that location with a religious fervor that was undeniable. Now that Frank had this information, some things made sense, while others seemed to be somehow missing. Namely, where did the monsters go? But that was besides the point, right now Frank needed to distract for a bit longer so he could get just that much closer to his destination. Even if not going in a straight line towards his target, he could roughly feel where the next destination was and for the most part, they were all still heading in that general direction. ¡°So you¡¯re what? The morality police? Cutting down cultivators who you think didn¡¯t do anything, despite not being at the area yourself?¡± Frank pressed. ¡°You were gone for days, only to come back with pristine clothing and a wounded soldier on your side. A soldier who said you only appeared after two days of attacks.¡± The Major said. Hearing that Frank could only nod, as he assumed there had been some time needed for his cultivation breakthrough and reworking of his meridians. Now that he had time to think about it, two days seemed oddly fast, all things considered. ¡°This is because I only saved one? Was there a quota needed to avoid being keelhauled?¡± Frank pressed. Blur. That was the last bit of backtalk the Major could stand, as he rocketed to life. His hand snaking out and grabbing Frank¡¯s neck so quickly and violently that he almost thought his neck would pop off. Instantly, Frank had his arms up draped over and around the Major¡¯s massive arms. Arms that seemed like they could crush boulders if used properly. Frank felt his body rip up from his seat, and the next thing he knew, his body was dangling out from the helicopter. The Major had his left hand braced against the open doorway, Frank noticed all of this, as he let the actions play out. Even now, Frank could see the slight strain occurring to the Major¡¯s arm. An arm that had been able to easily lift and move Frank a moment ago, was now already feeling the effects of the manacles that bound Frank. Manacles that seemingly had no effect on Frank whatsoever, while clearly having a slight effect on the Major and a feeling of unease by the others that had been sitting around Frank for the whole flight. ¡°No, this is because we cannot afford to be weak.¡± The Major said, a note of finality to his words as he was clearly speaking for the rest of his team. A team of onlookers who just stared at the two of them. Realizing that this the moment he had been expecting, Frank acted. Despite having a strong hand clasping his windpipe shut so he couldn¡¯t say anything else, Frank was calm. Knowing that the next few seconds would likely either save Frank¡¯s life or relegate him to a one way trip to the ground. One where he would not be able to survive, if he landed from this height. Still, despite all that was at stake, Frank focused his mind and reacted, going through the movements that he had planned out this entire ride thus far. Clink-pop. Lost to the whipping sounds of the wind rushing past and the rotary wings spinning about wildly, locks could be heard unlatching themselves. Locks that then quickly clamped shut a split second later. This was it, Frank¡¯s one chance. Frank felt his focus shift forward slightly, as he momentarily got closer to the helicopter, then a moment later, he felt inertia take him as he was violently hurled forward, off into the depths of enemy controlled and polluted territories. Slink, slink, clip. The long heavy chains that had bound Frank snaked out violently through the helicopter. As all the still sitting cultivators raised up their feet, in an effort not to be caught by the wildly whipping chains. Even the Major lifted up his own left foot in an attempt to avoid the chain. Only to realize a moment too late that something was attached to his leg. Fwoop. Then with a sudden jerk, Frank¡¯s body met the end of the massive chain, causing Frank¡¯s plan to finally come to light. Chapter 54 A Major Battle Chapter 54 A Major Battle Rattle-rattle-clap. Frank felt the links of his chains sliding out the open door of the helicopter. Each link a sign of how much closer he was not only to falling to his own death, but how much additional weight would be added to his body as he made his way to the ground. Only to then be crushed to death by the unrelenting chains. Chains that should be impossible for a cultivator to manipulate energy through. Except for Frank, the manacles only made it easier to channel energy, at least negatively charged energy. Which is what Frank used when he simultaneously unlocked half the bindings on his body. One from his arm and one from his leg and then quickly resealed them shut over the arm of the Major. The Major who had made it a show and spectacle to get rid of deserters. Frank understood the tactic, kill a kid who was suspected of being a deserter in front of regular troops. Then when the other soldiers saw battle and thought about running, they would know that their fates would be similar if anyone even suspected them of trying to shirk their duties. In all, Frank could understand the sentiment. No one liked deserters. Particularly cultivators who had received massive amounts of training and even got an accommodation medal for previous actions. This was why Frank, understood that something was going to happen, and why he made contingency plans. Especially after he realized that the survival packs that all of the cultivators who rode with him wore, were in fact parachutes. That was why Frank formed the plan he did. When he was about to be thrown overboard, Frank attached his manacles to the lead cultivator. Not just the lead cultivator, but the one with possibly the most expensive looking parachute. Or at least the parachute that was in the most pristine of conditions. Thump. There was a moment when the chains that bound Frank lurched to a stop. For a moment, there was a pause, a slight resistance. In that moment, Frank wondered what would happen if the cultivator somehow managed to hang on? To resist his full weight aided by gravity and inertia. The cultivator was powerful, that much was clear. But was he strong enough to resist the full weight and pull of Frank¡¯s dangling body? Would he be able to hang on long enough for the others to get out the keys and unshackle him? Or worse, have the helicopter lower until he was eventually torn apart by tall trees and large rocks that were appearing all over the place. These were the thoughts that went through Frank¡¯s mind in that one second of resistance. Fortunately, the next second proved that Frank¡¯s fears were unfounded. That the cultivator was not strong enough, or at least not aware enough of the impending danger around him to notice the chains that had been bound to him. Likely thinking that they were lingering reminders of when Frank¡¯s chains were momentarily draped over the Major¡¯s arm. Then before his one-man executioner had a chance to realize what was happening, he too found himself pulled out from the helicopter. The only difference between the major and Frank was that the major himself had a parachute that was tightly strapped to his body, while all Frank had was chains that connected him to a person with a parachute attached. ¡°You ¡­.AHHH!¡± The major yelled the moment he realized what was happening. His words cut short by the biting wind and by the sudden cold air that overtook him and his suddenly interrupted cultivation. Through the chain, Frank could feel the way the negative energy was fighting with, blocking, pulling, and ultimately stopping the flow of energy within the Major¡¯s body. The pair fell through the air for a three count, an immortality in cultivator time. Finally after the three count, the self protective nature of the cultivator took over, as he reached up and pulled the first release for his chute. Poof. The parachute went off, billowing upward, but quickly failed to unravel as it was pulled too fast, likely by having to carry double the weight as it was originally intended to carry. Frank watched in horror as the plan he had put so much time into billowed upwards, only to never be able to reach its full potential. While the parachute did ultimately slow both of their descents, it wasn¡¯t enough to avoid the suddenly approaching ground, or the sudden impact that Frank felt as his back cracked against the hard rocks that lay under him. Thud-thud-clump. Frank felt his body crash violently to the ground, back first. Then he felt his body rise up, only to be slammed again, and finally able to land mostly for a third time. In that second everything hurt, as his hardened bones cracked and vibrated with violent pain as he landed. Everything ached. Worse, there was movement as his right arm and left leg were violently picked up and dragged away by the still drifting Major who was being pulled slightly away. Thud, clump, crash. The major landed just feet away the parachute gliding and being pulled into the nearby tree. Crackle-pop. Though Frank could tell from just the sounds of the second landing that the Major¡¯s landing had been worse. A quick glance showed how bones around the wrist and ankle area were broken. With Frank¡¯s Energy Sight, he could see the way the negatively charged energy was already now seeping into the wounds and corroding away bones, blood, and more. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. Up here, in the wild lands, even the dirt and trees were corrupted, meaning that just being exposed to the dirt normally was caustic to a normal cultivator. Seeing the direct impact of such statements being displayed, Frank finally agreed with the messages that had been said in warning. There was a momentary calm, as Frank mentally focused on the world around him. Parts of his back were broken, his ribs were cracked in multiple places, and he was fairly certain that he had internal injuries. Frank used the moment to focus on his own situation. Click-clatter. The first thing that Frank did after his mind was able to focus long enough on cultivating was, he released the manacles that were still bound to him. With the manacles off, it became even easier for Frank to sprawl out his body on the ground and use his widened form to absorb as much ambient energy as possible. Soothing earth energy filled his body. Energy that Frank used to instantly help supplement his natural healing and recovery. Even the negatively charged life energy particles seemed to come to Frank easily, as he felt his body knitting together muscles and fusing with his bones to create stronger and sturdier platforms to stand and walk on. In a matter of moments Frank was able to get up to a sitting position. Finally able to breathe without undue pain, Frank felt himself breathing heavily. Fortunately, his double cultivation system was able to pull in energy twice as quickly as before and circulate it around his body. This was why Frank was the first to be able to get to his feet. Clumsily he staggered up and then made his way over to the wounded major. For his part, the Major proved to be tougher and more resilient than Frank had imagined. For even now the old cultivator was violently pulling the one remaining manacle on his ankle, having been able to tear the one free of his left hand. ¡°GRAHHH!!¡± The major cried out as he violently tugged at the chains that even touching seemed to burn his hands and cause undue pain. Still watching the man move, Frank could only feel respect for the old cultivator. Seeing the amount of pain and perseverance that the old cultivator had showed the level of focus that was needed to make the upper ranks. Frank could help. Right now, it would take nothing for him to go over, remove the manacles from the cultivator, heal him up, and then try to head out on his way. That is what the old Frank would have done. Those were the actions that someone who desperately wanted to get back into society would do. Frank moved with the manacles that he had detached from his body. His intent clear, either help fully remove the bindings from the major, or bind him up long enough to give him a healthy head start. Schuka-schuka-schuka. Overhead, Frank could hear the helicopter flying on ahead, the driver apparently unaware that the major accidentally plummeted to his doom along with Frank. This meant that Frank had to make up his mind quickly. He knew that if the helicopter came back, and the rest of the team found him, then there was no chance that he would make it to the prison safely. ¡°Get back!¡± The major yelled, his voice filled with venom and military grit. Grit that was impossible to replicate, unless you had actually served. There was a deep profound sense of order and power in those words that would have sent chills down Frank¡¯s spine. Would have, had he not been experiencing the absolute best trainers and instructors using that same form of discipline on him for the better part of a month. Chitter. As he screamed, the sound of wild beasts could be heard. No doubt the smell of fresh blood was a huge attraction, then follow that up with the screaming of the Major and every creature for a few hundred meters around knew exactly where the wounded prey was located. ¡°You think I would kill you?¡± Frank asked. At that the Major just glared at Frank for a moment. ¡°What you expect me to believe you are just carrying those chains for no reason?¡± The Major asked. Hearing that Frank could only nod. He had planned on using the manacles, but only to bind the major long enough to heal him completely and pull the sources of corruption from his body. ¡°Fair enough.¡± Frank said, looking down at the manacles and then back at the major. Even with the one manacle removed from his injured right arm, the arm that had been strangling Frank moments ago, the arm looked bad. While the major had managed to seemingly align the bones into place, it would take a while for healing to happen, particularly as negatively charged dirt particles separated the bone fragments. From this distance, Frank could tell that healing would be taxing, and if not treated immediately the Major very well could lose the hand entirely, if not more. While the injured ankle was better off than the wrist, that just meant that the Major would have to injure himself more to work his larger feet and boots out from beneath the last remaining shackle. Seeing the sad state that the Major was in, Frank just dropped the shackle on the ground and held up his hands in a defensive gesture. ¡°What going to leave me to die here?¡± The Major spat as he gritted his teeth in an even harder attempt to wiggle his foot free. Whoop-fwoop-whoop. At that, the sound of the helicopter that had been traveling onward finally began making sounds like it was turning about and coming back. Realizing that if Frank was going to do anything, he needed to act quickly, before reinforcements arrived and decided to finish what the Major had tried, Frank paused. In that moment, he thought about everything. Everything from what he wanted to be, to who he wanted to be as a person. Right now, it would be so easy to kill the Major, to squash him like a bug. Shuffle. Then just as he thought that, the nearby bushes and foliage began to rustle as multiple large creatures began making their way to investigate the area. ¡°I¡¯m going to leave now. I¡¯d suggest you stay behind and don¡¯t follow.¡± Frank finally stated. ¡°You think you can stop us from tracking you down and killing you like the wild dog you are?¡± The Major replied violently, as a wild look filled his eyes. Seeing the look Frank just stared coldly back, counting the different ways he could kill the major right here and now. Not just with death energy, or negatively charged life energy, but with earthen spikes, poisoned earthen spikes to a single use cultivator, and other methods that were equally as painful. Frank thought about all those ways to defend himself, but then stopped, realizing that killing the major wouldn¡¯t solve anything. Yet, it might prevent a future hardship, but as for solving issues, it did nothing. That is why Frank calmly counted to five in his head, before giving a response. ¡°I don¡¯t need to stop you, the dark sepsis that is already taking over your body will be more than enough to stop you. If you are smart, you will leave now and get your wounds treated. That said, I give you a week at most to track me down and try to find me before your body begins to breakdown from your poor cultivation base.¡± Frank stated. ¡°Poor cultivation?¡± ¡°Yeah, you are literally allergic to half of the world, thanks to the way you are cultivating.¡± Frank said, as he held up his hands and gestured to the corrupted area and woods that surrounded them. Grrr! The low rumbling growling sound of a mutated beast could be heard making its way through the woods. Frank for his part just stood up to his full height and looked down at the menacing beast. The monster was a weak pack hunter, one that was so weak that it often had to attack from ambush. Mentally spreading out his senses, Frank could feel the other members of the pack moving into position around the two of them. For a moment Frank thought about defending the Major. Shink. Then faster than Frank could even react, the Major pulled a blade he had apparently been palming this entire time and hurled it at the encroaching creature. Frank looked on with wide-eyed disbelief as the giant wolflike creature that came up to Frank¡¯s stomach suddenly had a hunting knife sunken in its eye socket. Seeing the blade, it was clear that the Major had been preparing to use it on Frank, but instead used it on reflex to the ambush predator who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Pausing, Frank realized that while he was calculating how to kill the Major, the Major had been preparing to do the same towards Frank. At that realization, Frank couldn¡¯t help but have a strange kind of respect for the elder. An elder who now clearly palmed a second throwing dagger in his good left hand. Suddenly the strange and violent actions of moving the manacle made sense. The major hadn¡¯t been trying to free himself, not really. Instead, he had been trying to get the blades free from the back of his manacled right boot. There was a moment of calm, as Frank watched the old, injured cultivator. Frank watched as his muscles flexed and tightened. It was at this moment that Frank realized two things. First the cultivator had been right handed, that much was clear from the way he one hand carried Frank out to meet his doom using only his overly powerful right arm. The second thing was that despite being right handed, he was still amazingly accurate with his left hand. Though he likely didn¡¯t trust his accuracy as much with his left hand, at least not enough to ensure he would be lethal against a cultivator. Seeing the look of desperation, and realizing that Frank now needed to leave the clearing quickly Frank did the only thing he could do. Focusing his will, Frank focused on his newly acquired affinity for earth energy, and reached out his mind and connected with the corrupted earth that the major now sat on. Corrupted earth that all but spoke of untapped power and potential. Feeling that ancient form of power, Frank imagined a stone spike erupting upwards from the ground and impaling the major. RUMBLE! The ground shook violently as energy and force displaced a cone of rock upwards into an through the joined legs of the Major. ¡°AHH!¡± The Major cried out. In that moment, the exact second when the Major felt and was forced to react to the sudden appearance of a stone spike from the ground, that is when Frank bolted for the forest. This was stupid, leaving an enemy behind. An enemy that would no doubt spread lies and falsehoods if he got back to civilization. That said, Frank knew that only the second training site was near the areas of the world still claimed by humanity. In his mind Frank still felt the slight beacon for the other locations and realized that the others were well beyond the boundaries of human civilization. That was partly why Frank now took the moment to run. Especially seeing the look of desperation in the Major¡¯s face. The way even now, he looked at Frank as if he was nothing more than a parasite to be cleansed. Rustle. More and more sounds of branches cracking and plants being forcefully moved echoed all around Frank. For a moment he thought about changing his clothes, but instead went with a technique taught to him in SERE training. Using a bit of earth energy, Frank coated his back and body with a fine coating of dirt. Frank managed to do this all while running. Thanks to his training Frank could run and do multiple tasks for days on end. And that is just what he planned to do, in order to survive. Rattat-tatta-tat. As he continued to make his path northwest, Frank heard the sound of gunshots being fired. In his mind, Frank knew that to the be sound of the helicopter¡¯s gunner spraying rounds and likely helping to keep the wildlife from the Major. Realizing that the enemy reinforcements were close, Frank decided to run faster. Not holding out hope that the Major would do the right thing and leave to seek treatment. For now, Frank decided to follow the mental map he had made of where and how to go. That was of course until he heard the echoing voice within his mind speak out to him. ¡°Hello lover, do not worry about your friends, for we shall take care of them.¡± And like that, Frank knew things were suddenly going to get a lot worse. Chapter 55 Evasion Techniques Chapter 55 Evasion Techniques (Martial Sergeant Blue) Martial Sergeant Blue could only smile to himself as he clearly saw his target trying to hide while in the forest. The only problem was the kid, their target, had bright glowing hair. Hair that all but burned like a traveling flashlight that detailed where the kid was. What had originally been a near impossible mission, of tracking down a kid who had more than a mile head start on the group was turned around to less than a few hundred meters. Having first started from so far away, the advance squad hadn¡¯t even bothered with proper procedures of keeping quiet. First the target they were after was a kid, granted it was some type of darkling touched advanced cultivator, which was part of why he had made the purge list. Second the kid seemed to flinch once or twice once he heard the trio talking and giving commands upon their approach. Given that every step counted, particularly as the group really wanted to get out of these gods forsaken cursed woods quickly, the Major encouraged the lack of protocol. Encouraging the hunt team to call out to each other, hoping that the kid would slip up while looking over his shoulder and slip in the thick mud. While the kid had not tripped yet, Blue figured it was only a matter of time before the kid started to lose focus and trip. For his own part Blue was at least one realm above the darkling touched cultivator, meaning that he should easily be able to outrun and outpace the kid. Which he had, although it was clear that the boy had a hidden ace up his sleeve or something, as the kid was able to maintain his relentless pace. While Blue now found his body beginning to have a harder time converting his reserve energy into actionable energy, he felt relieved knowing that the kid had to be worse off. To help conserve his energy, Blue had long ago turned off his supernatural tracking senses. With the kids glowing hair, following the kid seemed to be a no brainer. Additionally, if he had kept up his tracking powers, his rate of speed would have been greatly reduced. This was why it was deemed acceptable to cut off his tracking powers and preserve his energy for the final encounter. ¡°The boy is powerful, and clearly darkling touched. As such we should go in guns blazing and hit him with everything we have right from the start. No hesitations, no second guesses.¡± The Major said, pointing to the wounds he suffered from his own hesitations. That had been enough for Blue and Gunnery Sergeant Pi to join the Major in his pursuit. Particularly as the boy all but confirmed that he was darkling touched by the way the Major was having a hard time healing the injuries he suffered. Knowing that the boy was a darkling touched, meant it was best to put him down now before he becomes a danger to everyone who was ever associated with him. The idea of the boy being a darkling touched was the real reason that Blue even agreed to join such a mission. Despite being a kid, he came from the subterranean, meaning that all their underground secrets. Humanity¡¯s last refuge to be able to survive if everything went tits up on the surface, as they seemed to be doing right now. If everything failed, then humanity would need those subterranean layers to just survive. If the boy was a darkling touched, or someone who was both touched by the corrupting energy of the darkness. Then he would be a treasure trove of potentially invaluable knowledge to the enemy. From his knowledge alone, he would be able to expose the vital underbelly of civilization¡¯s last hope to an enemy who was ruthlessly taking every corner of the world and corrupting it slowly. Only by a miracle did researchers realize that corruption only went but so far below the surface, after which positive life affirming energy patterns were not only seen but also able to seemingly flourish. This was why hunting down and killing any and all darkling touched was paramount. Humanity needed to survive, even at the cost of a child. Breathing heavily, Blue steeled himself as he saw the glowing hairs of his target getting closer. By now they were so close that he could have fired off blasts of energy, had he had any extra reserves left to fight with. As it was, Blue felt that he was already close to being at dangerously high levels of dark energy now. If he survived the mission, he might himself have to be purged to prevent the very same issue that they were trying to stop right now. But that would be tomorrow¡¯s problem. For today, he still had to achieve his end goal and take down the darkling touched soldier Fotos. *** Frank Fotos Running. Even at a full out sprint Frank knew he couldn¡¯t hold a candle to the speed and pace of the group of cultivators trying to catch up to him. Still, despite all this, Frank felt alive. With each panting breath Frank pulled in deep breaths of tainted miasma. Just being out here would be a death sentence for most cultivators. Even now Frank could feel the way the cultivators tailing him were taking longer between breaths. Their feet were hitting the ground a slight pulse slower. Everything showed that the only true way to flee death was to go deeper in the woods. ¡°Deserter!¡± A panting voice cried out in the night. ¡°Follow his hair, it¡¯s a dead giveaway for where the traitor runs.¡± A second voice cried out. ¡°Follow him, he¡¯ll take us straight to the enemy.¡± The voice of the Major cried out. Feeling the pressure Frank continued to run, though he had a slight advantage, despite the sun dropping down, the amount of ambient light here on the surface was still more than enough for Frank to easily find his way forward through the streams of fog that were rising up in the cool night air. Better still, his new affinity for earth energies all but showed where the pockets of water would be. Not that he couldn¡¯t run through water, but finding the firmest placement for his feet to land, finding the dry spots to place his feet. All if this helped Frank maintain his optimal speed. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Splish-splash. Meanwhile, those that still hunted down Frank seemed to find every pot mark, ever divot in the ground. It didn¡¯t help that Frank would often shift his posture or footing after making his way through a particularly tricky set of land. All of this made it so Frank was able to maintain his distance, at least at first. He had over a mile, which was cut down to a few hundred meters before Frank lured them out here, to the denser portions of the forest. To the parts of the woods where the miasma all but beckoned Frank to find a calm dry place and sit down to cultivate. The only problem was, that given his current predicament of being hunted down as a rogue cultivator, Frank didn¡¯t have the chance to find a calm place anywhere. While he had been fairly lucky with being able to avoid the monsters of the deep forests, Frank knew that this was only because the pursuing cultivators all but found Frank¡¯s aura to be benign by comparison. In fact, Frank used this time to try to mask his scent and energy signature. He did this by pulling in negatively charged earth particles that were freely floating in the air and draw them into his body. This did multiple things. First, it constantly infused Frank¡¯s body with a never-ending source of energy, a factor that was also paying off for Frank. For despite how much more powerful the cultivators pursuing Frank were, their energies were finite. At least until they managed to leave here and get back to normal lands claimed and used by most cultivators. However, there was one thing that Fank couldn¡¯t help but think about while running. That was the polarity of the land. Logically for the top layer of the land to be positively charged, then the negative inverse would have to be somewhere nearby. At least that is what Frank had come to understand about the odd energies of the world. This would also explain why the subterranean layers that Frank had come from were so far removed and had to be picked up, moved out and then taken to the surface through a series of long and angled tunnels that ultimately led to the surface. Frank had thought that was due to mining and the idea of not wanting an entire excavated mine shaft to fall onto a final city. But what if there was something bigger to the problem? What if the way humanity was able to survive was by living under the areas of land that were conquered by the corrupted beings? ¡°Oh ho. He is smart. Already able to dissect the way humanity was able to survive all this time.¡± The thoughts of the Dark Queen filled Frank¡¯s mind, filling him with dread as he realized that his thoughts on his home were now at risk. With those thoughts, he had just betrayed his family. Particularly as Frank realized the way the giant worm monster and corrupted rats were able to tunnel under the Academy. Something that should have been impossible, had it not been for the polarity of the University keeping the positively charged energy on the surface of the campus, with the negatively charged particles just underneath the ground. It was also clear that the tunneling effect had a slight shifting of the area, or at least made it so the lands were momentarily neutral in their polarity. This was why the university had been temporarily shut down and Frank had been sent to SERE training to compensate for lack of actual training, while needing to be spun up for mission purposes. Then realizing that he was effectively giving off not only his own thoughts and understandings of the world, but recent events of the resistance to the remnants of humanity to the Dark Queen herself, Frank felt frustrated. Frank had been aware of this connection, as the Dark Queen had used the same mental connection to Constance to talk to him directly before. Now it seemed that she had done so again, that is, if she ever stopped the connection to begin with. ¡°Oh relax. We are perfectly content to have you all live out the rest of your miserable existences underground. That would be the perfect irony. Almost going full circle in the evolution of life. But no, your precious family and their subterranean existence are fine. You have my word on that.¡± The Dark Queen stated in Frank¡¯s mind. Crackle. Just as Frank was about to think about not being able to trust someone who calls themselves a Dark Queen, Frank¡¯s thoughts were brought to the immediate danger, as a snapping branch could be heard in the forest. ¡°There he is!¡± The first voice called out again. By now the voices were close enough to let Frank get more distinctions from their tones. It was clear that the person chasing him was a female. As he focused, he could almost imagine the team of transport warriors who had been assigned to take Frank to his newly argued for prison sentence. Despite all this Frank could almost kick himself for thinking that everything had been going too smoothly there for a bit. He had managed to get it so that his charges for cultivating during a base breach was nothing more than going to a prison he had already escaped from. The only problem was that apparently Frank had made some enemies. Though in the case of this group, they seemed to be more of religious zealots more than anything. The way they spoke and acted, it was clear that they had only one intention, and that was ridding the world of corruption. Or what they thought of as corruption, which was just energy in an altered form. ¡°Fascinating. It is good that we do not have to train you on how oppressed we as a people are.¡± The Dark Queen stated. Hearing that, Frank realized that he needed to learn to hide his thoughts from this connection. A connection that should only be to Constance, but apparently the Dark Queen was able to use some form of forced link to Constance to in turn allow her to read Frank¡¯s mind. ¡°Oh come now dear. Constance is more than happy to share her connection with you. Her only hope is that we can find a way to assist you in your plight. In fact, I¡¯m going to tell you want I will do¡­¡± The Dark Queen continued speaking, but as she did, Frank mentally reached out to the part of his mind that allowed a connection to Constance and twisted the feed. This was not a violent snapping twist that would be enough to break the connection entirely. Instead, it was just a way for Frank to mute the mental pressure within his mind. Dim. The minute Frank did that, he felt a few things happen all at once. First, the little dot in his mind that constantly told him where Constance had stopped glowing. Similarly, the constant draining feed on his mind also stopped pulsing. Mentally Frank understood this as applying a tourniquet to his odd extra sensory organ within his mind. While it might help save his life in the immediate future, if he kept it going for too long, if he kept the supply of energy to that node within his mind cut off for too long, it would wither and ultimately die. There was of course a second feature of this that Frank didn¡¯t immediately notice, but those who were pursuing him noticed almost instantly. ¡°What? Wait, where did he go?¡± The second speaker, this was the male that had multiple cuts and scars on his face and exposed patches of skin that weren¡¯t completely covered by his uniform. ¡°He must have found a cave somewhere.¡± The voice of the Major called out, ¡°stay weary as he might try to strike from a blind spot.¡± Hearing the words of the major, Frank realized that somehow this extra sensory organ, or part of his mind that allowed him to connect to Constance was also somehow linked to the way his hair glowed brightly. The glowing hair was a testament to his time in subterranean catacombs and a sign that he was a multi-generational person from the same subterranean catacombs. At the time Frank didn¡¯t quite understand why underground cultivators would eventually adapt to have glowing hair. But if it was an alternate light source, and a sign of how powerful an individual was as a cultivator, then why not put the hair on full display. That way strong cultivators could attract other strong cultivators and eventually retake the surface. Or that was the best rationale that Frank could come up with. Frank had remembered stories about the first monsters that rose to the surface. How the ancient beings that were the leaders of the corrupted legions that sprang from the depths of hell themselves to take over the surface originally had glowing dark hair as well. Could it all be a sign of how things were in a never-ending cycle? One group is forced to go below the surface of the earth, where they dwell, evolve, build up power and then storm to the surface with reckless abandon, only to conquer the surface, thereby forcing the enemy below ground and ultimately restarting the cycle anew? The entire process seemed wasteful, particularly as there were clearly ways that both groups could live in harmony, or at least balance. With dual cultivation, there was no need to be forced to go underground and follow the changing polarity of the grounds. Instead, with dual cultivation you could theoretically transform the world to either energy type on a whim. While animals and other creatures might have a harder time making the transition, that could be good, as it would keep down some of the more formidable monsters that are in the world today. By simple applications of bisecting alternating lines of energy, most mega-monsters would not be able to flourish the way they are now. For now, mega monsters are seen as a necessary evil. A product of having too much land that is of one particular polarity for too long. Slosh-splash. Frank felt his whole body tense up, as he heard just how close the soldiers were. Even now, they still moved about wildly in the darkness, uncaring about the noises they made. Frank realized that this was likely part of their plan, to distract Frank and get him to slip up. That or the group was so formidable that they truly didn¡¯t care about the noises they made, nor the attention they drew. While Frank had run through a number of monster territories, Frank found himself avoiding the major clumps of monsters. The reason for this was simple, as he didn¡¯t want to appear to be running away from a major corrupted tiger or other equally enhanced super predator. As such the path he took, while meandering was safe for not only himself, but unfortunately it was also safe for his pursuers as well. That is until now, when Frank, now able to hide his glowing hair particles had seemingly done the impossible. The man pursuing him had slipped. Pausing, Frank hesitated for a moment. Wondering if this was some type of trap. Frank could see the girl pausing, and turning to see the clearly flailing soldier in the muck splashing about. The only problem was that had he charged forward, the female would have seen him. Worse, Frank paused as he looked around and used his heightened senses to try to see where the third member of the trio was. Shock. For a moment Frank could only freeze in place as he realized that somehow he lost track of where the major was. Pausing, Frank felt around, feeling like a blind man looking for where his prized possession fell. As he searched, his newly enhanced senses were pushed to their maximum. Only to cause Frank to be surprised by what he found. ¡°What the?¡± Chapter 56 Ambush the Ambushers Chapter 56 Ambush the Ambushers ¡°What the?¡± Frank cried out in his mind as he mentally felt around searching the area for the third and final pursuer. Only to find nothing. Almost like a ghost, he had disappeared completely from the surrounding area. For a moment Frank half expected to see the cursed major appearing from behind the tree that he had taken refuge against. Yet, in the end Frank could only stand and watch as a moment to strike at a clearly vulnerable attacker presented itself for a moment, but then was removed. ¡°Ah, yuck.¡± The skinny soldier exclaimed as they got up and began shaking off the dirt and muck that covered them after taking a stumble from walking into a clearly unstable patch of land. Frank for his part could only watch and stand still. For the moment he was apparently able to blend into the surroundings. Despite seeing the gaze of the female and male quickly scan past him, Frank couldn¡¯t help but remember his training. First, he raised his hand and all but covered his eyes. While still allowing a slit of light to shine through. That slit was more than enough for Frank to still see the world perfectly, despite it getting to be close to near full night right now. The reason for using his hand like this was part of his SERE training, which was to cover the glare of his eyes. While the instructors had noted that his hair was much more of a giveaway, learning the basics were still important for his overall grading. This was why even now his hand went up and blocked any reflective glares off of his eyes that might come from him looking directly at a cultivator who might have that moment to see the moon or the stars refract light against his eyes at that exact moment while he is trying to hide from his pursuers. With this Frank paused and waited, content to let his pursuers actually move on ahead of him, while he waited for everyone to not even think about turning back to find him now. Mentally he still had a vice like grip on his mental link to Constance. This grip was originally done to prevent his thoughts from inadvertently being linked to the Dark Queen who was listening in on his connection to Constance. However, there was a second and much more important use of that grip right now and that was the fact that this same grip that kept his trade secrets safe, and kept him from being distracted by constant thoughts from the Dark Queen, also made it so his glowing hair, a sign of his subterranean heritage did not glow while he mentally clamped down on that particular portion of his mind. Unwilling to give up a good thing, particularly as he had been hunted down relentlessly until now due to his glowing hair particles. Frank used this momentary reprieve to stop, regain his mental balance and for the moment, rest his weary legs. While he would take a shot at removing one of his pursuers if given a chance. At least, that is what he now told himself, he opted to go a different way entirely and just leave the three to their own devices, while he opted to go on a different route. A different route that currently seemed to be leading the trio, well duo minus the missing Major, straight into a nest of large corrupted beasts. This was a fine line, as Frank wanted to wait until that perfect time to move. Right when the pack of pursuers would be too distracted by the pack of monsters before them to notice Frank moving away. But not too soon that the pack of pursuers would be able to notice Frank regardless of prior engagements, figuring taking down Frank would be a more important priority than worrying about a few monsters. That said, there was also the concern that Frank had about now missing the Major. Someone who should be too powerful to misplace, but yet somehow Frank had managed to do just that. Pausing, Frank looked around to try to take in everything around him. Only to pause as he knew he was missing something. Worse, he was missing a predator who had already caught him unaware once, and was now actively looking for him. One would think that by inhaling the dense miasma that surrounded everyone and everything, that finding the three individuals who were not completely saturated with corrupted energy would be easy. And in the cases of the two cultivators who were working with the Major, that was the case. In fact, had Frank not known better, he would almost assume that the two were purposefully exposing themselves and their energy to be easier to track. Then thinking about that for a moment longer, Frank realized that this might be exactly what these two were doing. All night these three had chased after Frank for hours on end. Going through rough terrain and clearly splashing about violently in water. Yet, despite all that, the male never fell. Only now that Frank had taken to hiding himself did he do something so blatant that would expose him and leave him momentarily vulnerable. Realizing the folly, that despite the best of plans and the seemingly wide open back of his pursuer, Frank realized that the girl was too close and too tense. Almost as if she expected Frank to still strike from the blind spot. Seeing how the female was ready to strike, Frank realized that the Major who was somehow also hiding his presence was likely ready to strike as well. Analyzing everything, Frank noted that even if this wasn¡¯t a planned trap, there were just too many red flags going off to try to follow the duo into the nest of monsters. It was clear from the fact that the other two were moving forward, that they had lost track of Frank. This was why Frank stayed completely still, limiting his breaths for fear that even adding additional heat to the night air would be enough for an Air Cultivator to notice his presence. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. For the moment, he was almost certain that the group did not spot his obvious hiding spot, particularly as they could have easily struck him down while moving past him. The fact that they passed him is the only reason that Frank held onto the idea that he might be safe. Facing three higher realm cultivators all at once would be stupid. This was why, he decided to stop and wait for an actual chance where the three were separated from each other. FWABOOSH! A burst of flames erupted ahead as the two cultivators began facing off against the pack of monsters that were up ahead. ¡°Take right,¡± the male called out. Hearing that, Frank assumed that the trio had all engaged with the monsters ahead. In this moment he knew he should break apart and try to get away from this group, but just as he was about to move, his legs buckled. For whatever reason, Frank¡¯s body held firm. Or as his SERE instructors would note, he hesitated, when given the chance to escape. ¡°More incoming!¡± The female shouted from on up ahead. Crackle-pop. It was that second shout for help that caused the third member of the hunting party to finally move. With that sound, Frank couldn¡¯t help but turn his head to the left as he saw the third person of the hunting party, the Major running forward. The only problem was, the place where he started his advancement from was within twenty paces. Somehow the Major had managed to stay back just enough that he would be behind Frank, especially if he chose to recklessly charge forward and strike at the downed member of the team. Badump, badump, badump. Realizing how close the hidden predator had been, Frank¡¯s heart leapt within his chest as he realized just how close he had been to death. This was also the point when Frank realized that his body¡¯s hesitation might have been a survival instinct. For the Major was close enough to have easily been able to spot his movement had he actually tried to fully move away from the tree that was providing cover for him. Frank watched as the Major charged forward, his body seeming to glow with the intense burning flames that were erupting up ahead. Flames that despite their heat and apparent size did little to keep back the large horrific monsters that were violently defending their nesting area against the evil invaders. Pausing for a moment, Frank waited until the Major charged forward and through the flames to begin fighting with the giant beasts. Beasts that Frank could only barely make out, if he tried. Though his mind told him to turn his gaze away from the flames, lest he take away the advantage of night sight for the moment. Realizing this was his chance to finally get away, Frank took a hesitant step forward. Wobble. Despite fear causing his muscles to be unnecessarily tight, he found that his leg could in fact move this time. Better still, as he moved forward, he didn¡¯t have the big fear of instant death filling his body that he had a moment ago, when his body refused to move on him. Seeing the moment for what it was, Frank took another hesitant step forward, this time with his left foot. Again, the muscles were tight, but that seemed to be all that was needed to work his way through his momentary paralysis as he found the next few steps to be much easier to take. Though Frank did use the advantage of the bright sources of burning flames ahead to watch his footing. Making sure to avoid any dry branches or twigs that might reveal his position, just as the same branches had revealed the Major earlier. Fwoosh! For a moment an enhancement was used to both reinforce the size of the flame wall that was already burning. Then the enhancement caused the color of the flames to shift from a bright orange to a dark greenish blue. Frank didn¡¯t know what the different colors of flames meant, but only after seeing the flames could Frank recognize the now unmasked spiritual presence of the Major. Realizing how much power the Major now showed and how easily he was able to hide his footprint from Frank¡¯s senses let Frank realize just how much stronger the true elites of the cultivation world are. Especially when compared to people who just began their cultivation journey like Frank. With the lesson of how much further he still had to go firmly etched within his brain, Frank made his way out and began to leave. Trusting on his SERE training and the idea that he still wanted to head East and slightly southward to reach his final destination. *** (Constance Evans) It had been two hours since Frank disappeared from her mind. The moment he disappeared, Constance felt a deep overwhelming cold rise up within her soul. A deep cold that seemed to spread out and seem to encapsulate her limbs. ¡°Relax child,¡± the Dark Queen stated, her hair glowing with faint traces of light blue, a sign that she was using her Divination magic. ¡°He is fine, though once again he is proving to be more crafty than any of us have given him credit for.¡± ¡°He is?¡± Constance asked, hope filling her voice as she desperately clung to the idea that Frank would come back to her and once again seal this hole that had suddenly appeared within her. ¡°Yes child, don¡¯t worry. He just found a way to momentarily block his connection to you so he could hide from the others.¡± The Dark Queen stated. ¡°Thank you my queen.¡± Constance stated. Then a moment of awkward tension seemed to build up within the courtroom, as Constance found herself looking around to see all the guards that stared forward intently. While none of the guards made overt glares in her direction, it was clear that now that her purpose of was over Constance was not wanted here. The only problem was that Constance herself had been summoned by the Dark Queen herself, and as such could only be dismissed by the Dark Queen as well. Then almost as if reading her thoughts, the Dark Queen spoke. ¡°You are dismissed until the next time your lover deigns to make contact with you.¡± The Dark Queen stated, before adding. ¡°Which, you should hope he does so soon, lest irreparable damage get caused to your connection.¡± ¡°Yes my Queen,¡± Constance stated, as she bowed and quickly exited the throne room. All while hoping that the words of the Dark Queen did not come to fruition, as she was unaware that the bond between them could be broken in such a way. Though she should have guessed that there was something that could happen, as the link had been too amazing. As the link was her only way to truly feel alive again, for the first time since she had been turned by her aunt, she finally felt warmth. As if a bright sun had been allowed to shine within her, only to then have that light blocked and hidden, revealing just how much of her was cold and empty. As it turned out, getting turned was not the worst thing that had happened to her. For that was a one time catastrophic event that she had learned to deal with. Even when she was captured and tested on by her biological donor, those were things that she could mentally get over and accept. This though, this sudden light and then coldness, that was something that would break her if she was subjected to it for too many times. Yet, despite how painful it was, she still could not wait for the moment that Frank once again reconnected to her. *** (Martial Sergeant Blue) Wheezing. Martial Sergeant Blue let out a long dry wheeze. There were many factors that led to this exact moment. Everything from having run for close to a half marathon in miasma infused forests, to purposefully letting his body fall and get coated in a layer of mud. To now having to fight into and through giant walls of flames that were so bright and intense that they all but pulled the oxygen from his lungs if he was not careful with his breaths. Right now, they were fighting against a nest of giant corrupted beasts. Well for his part Blue was just providing isolation efforts. The real attacks were coming from the Major and Gunnery Sergeant Pi. Why were they here? Well clearly that is because the boy was either damn lucky, or better at setting up environmental traps than his entire team was. Worst of all, had Gunnery Sergeant Pi not gotten so emotional and turned back so quickly to help Blue up, he was almost certain he could have lured out the target. The only problem was that Pi in her overprotective nature couldn¡¯t let anything happen to Blue. That was part of why he loved her, that protective streak made her an invaluable team member and saved his life more often than he could count. That said, it was clear that this time her overprotective nature had shown through, or at least shown through too early. The point was to draw the boy out, let Blue get enough of an energy sample of the boy so that he could track the boy through the wilderness and let the Major have at him. Of course, the only problem with this plan was that the boy didn¡¯t bite on the obvious trap. Or at least, the trap appeared to be overly obvious to Blue, who saw the protective killing intent from Pi who was easily within half of her maximum effective range. Still, when the boy didn¡¯t bite, protocol dictated that they continue moving forward in the path last observed by the team. Given that the boy had been right outside the entrance to this valley, they had to come in here and give a cursory glance around. The only problem with that was that the glance around meant they had to get within an armored rakatour den during the middle of what had to be nesting season. Meaning not only did you have a pack mentality where the larger rakatour matriarchs would be aggressively protecting their nests. But then you had the bull rakatour willing to show dominance and strike at anything that moved. Of course, knowing now that this was a nesting site for rakatours, it was clear that the boy had not gone in here. That or if he had, he would have been torn apart within an instant by either starving matriarchs who cannot get food from their nests, or giant bulls protecting their young. At the very least, if the boy had come in here there would have been some type of noises made to indicate his presence. Fortunately for Blue and Pi they were saved from their misstep when the Major who had been holding back to encircle their prey, came to their rescue right when they needed him the most. Slink, slice, chop. The Major created elemental blades at the ends of his hands that he used to slice into and butcher the unsuspecting rakatours. Better still, seeing the way he fearlessly charged through elemental flames was a thing of beauty. Even with his own flames, Blue always felt a slight hesitation upon entering, but not the Major. That was the great thing about following the man, he was fearless on the battlefield and relentless when he locked onto an enemy. This was why Blue knew that he would follow the man anywhere, and for any cause. Wheeze. Blue wheezed in once, before coughing up dry chunks from his lungs. During this time the flames he had created began to flicker and wane, as his concentration was momentarily challenged. ¡°Focus!¡± Pi called out, her presence instantly causing Blue to feel both reassured of his own protection, while also feeling more determined than ever to dig down deeper to survive yet another firefight with his team. Chapter 57 Balancing the Scales Chapter 57 Balancing the Scales Thump-da-ump. Frank was being herded. It took him a while to understand what exactly was happening, but slowly over time he felt the constant shifting of minor vibrations on the ground. Vibrations that let him know that he no longer had to worry about the pack of zealot hunters. Instead, now Frank had to deal with the fact that he was being directed, or maybe followed was the better term. Yes, for now he would go with being followed. This mentality made the most sense to Frank, and fit in with what he had been taught about monster packs. He had somehow entered the monsters¡¯ area of control and they were now following him out. Which was good, for following meant that as long as he was not hostile and didn¡¯t make any overt signs of aggression, he would likely be set free. That said, the rest of Frank¡¯s training also kicked in at this point as well. Identifying shelter, natural choke points, and above all trying to determine the adversary. When Frank was being chased by the other cultivators it was easy to spot them and their actions. They moved with an cunning and grace, in fact had it not been for his recently enhanced earth cultivation techniques that taught him how to recognize the dissonance of ground fluctuations, Frank was certain he wouldn¡¯t have been aware of the presence of the stalking pack of predators at all. The fact that it was a pack, and not just a lone hunter was something that took Frank a while to work out as well. There were minor signs now that he knew to look for something. Signs like the slashing of trees done at near eye level. Markings that after recognition could only be caused by bladed weapons or extremely sharp claws of a cultivating monster. Particularly as the claw marks were only made in the bark of corrupted hickory trees. Given the fact that there were no humans out here, and definitely not any humans wishing to be failed lumber jacks, the alternative of these being creature marking points flared to life within Frank¡¯s mind. The fact that there were multiple sets of markings that Frank saw, sets that were created by monsters with either larger claws or stronger slashes proved that there was a pack of monsters around. Looking up, Frank saw markings higher up the trees that showed that this ritualistic marking of trees ever few years had been going on for a while. Only once Frank saw the markings, did he realize that he was likely in the lair of a pack of hunters, for there were no reason why herbivores would need claws that sharp just to mark territory. These were claw markings too, as opposed to markings made by antlers or other defensive features that many of the corrupted herbivore species had evolved to having recently. As the markings were too symmetrical and closely linked to be anything other than a clawed appendage being dragged across the near iron bark of the trees. Also, it seemed that there was a purposeful challenge to the trees that were used for marking, as all of the weaker trees, like the various maple trees and even the pine trees were avoided. This avoidance of weaker trees was partly why Frank now found himself so deep within the territory of the pack hunters. Had they always been here? Were they able to keep out the other species of these parts? If so, what were they? For his part Frank didn¡¯t run. Running now would be foolish, as he was already tired. While he had been using most of this time to replenish the energy he lost while running, he also used this time to practice his silent striding. Using his powers minimally, Frank mentally made as little impact on the world around him as possible. Frank hoped that this minimal use of energy would make it that much harder for the other cultivators to find him, if they ever decided to continue looking for him. No, he knew they would look for him. That or if they got out, he had no doubts that they would spread lies about him and what he did here. For now, Frank would only focus on finding his way to the prison, and then making his way to the secret door that he had been shown residing behind the prison. Oddly enough, despite having never set foot within this area, Frank somehow felt confident that he was going the right direction. If he closed his eyes, Frank could swear that he almost felt a tiny dot within his mind shifting with his body, the way a compass would always point north. The same could be said for here, all except the mental marker would always point in a westerly direction. Mentally, Frank went over the checklist for survival of a cultivator of his realm. Water within five days. Food within ten days. Fully cultivate your core within fourteen days. While he did feel that he was slightly tired and his mouth was a little dry, he knew it was nothing compared to what awaited him if he waited too long. This was why even now, Frank was going through a plan to find resources that could be used to prolong his survival. Given that a pack of animals had not only taken refuge here, but had seemingly claimed the land as their own spoke to the fact that there was water nearby. Even the most ancient of cultivation monsters needed to drink occasionally. Given how many different variations of claws marks Frank found, he assumed that there had to be many different members of the pack, each at different cultivation strengths or plateaus. Meaning that the source of water for this area would likely be larger than in other areas. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. This meant that Frank had to think about his plan for survival, risk going to the watering hole, where the monsters that claimed this land clearly would go to occasionally or take his chances that he could find a water source within the next four days. With such consequences on the line Frank decided to get closer to the markings to see if he could find any additional features. His Energy Sight showed that the creatures marked their territories thoroughly. A quick scan of his body showed that Frank had not gotten close enough to the energy infused markings. That or if he had stepped in the odd markings, he managed to absorb the energy as part of his passive cultivation methods he was using. Still, there were things that could be gleamed from just staring at the area. For starters, it appeared that the creatures were bipedal, or had the ability to shift from two to four legs at will. Also, the strikes were able to go from side to side, denoting that the joints of the front legs of the creature had a wider range of movement than those of most quadrupeds. There was also the fact that dark fur was everywhere. While it could be a sign that the animals that were a primary food source for the creatures had fur, Frank did not think that was the case here, as the fur seemed to be thick and matted, coming off in densely woven clumps. Clumps that had old and dried residue within the hair. Annoyingly, there was not much else to go off of, but what he found so far was enough to give him pause and let him know he did not want to meet any of the monsters present. Silence. The forest was silent, as if even the insects and birds knew not to draw attention to their location. This was new as before the various creatures of the forest had no interest in remaining quiet, or unnoticed. As many of the insects, particularly the biting insects sought out Frank, at least until he learned to try to push his negatively charged energy towards the outer layer of his skin. Once he learned to cycle in such a way that all external energy absorbed stayed in the outer layer with only a portion coming in to feed his body, that was when the insects of this area finally avoided him. Oddly enough, the training that he had gotten in the SERE class on how to avoid the insects there did nothing for him, other than make him a giant sugary snack ready to be eaten. That is when Frank realized the SERE training was designed to protect him in normal or positively charged areas, with insects that would be drawn to negative energy. At least that is what Frank now thought, though he would need to practice more. Still the idea of insects and micro-organisms being attracted to alternate energy types was fascinating to Frank. In a way he almost imagined it being the equivalent of insects inherently knowing how to cultivate both forms of energy. Or at least their inherent want to learn to cultivate both forms of energy, but then losing that spark of insight the more their bodies begin to mutate and evolve from the energy. At least that is what Frank was thinking and observing as he made his way quietly through the monster infested forest. Badump-ump, patter. Once again, the ground shook, nearly beyond Frank¡¯s furthest senses, but still movement was there. The ground spoke of not one, but multiple creatures all of different sizes moving quickly now. As they moved, the hair on the back of Frank¡¯s neck began to rise. Rather than panicking, Frank did the opposite. Forcing his mind and body to relax, he let his training take over, as he let his body blend into the ground below him. There was no other word for it, one second he was up above ground, the next he felt his feet begin to sink into the ground. Startled. For a moment, Frank was frightened by the sudden immersion into the ground, which instantly broke his concentration and stopped his progress. The moment he lost his concentration, he felt the weight of the earth bending in and crushing his bones. With a start he could either fight his way free, and try to get away, or he could try to regain his focus once again and delve deeper. Not wanting to continue running, and having momentarily felt the relaxing nature of the earth on his body, Frank once again forced his mind into the calm meditative state. Breathe in. Breathe out. Closing his eyes, Frank felt the world shrink around him. Mentally he knew he was moving, slowly getting drawn into the ground, but so long as he focused, he could feel his body not quite meld with the earth. Instead, he was accepted. That was the best term, the fact that he was somehow accepted into the earth. As he moved down, he felt deep below a pooling of positively charged energy just waiting. That energy was just at the right depth to cause trouble for many of the corrupted plants to delve deeper. As their long roots sat at the border realm between the two polarities, the realm where positive and negative charges evened each other out. Depth. The realm of no charge, that was the area where Frank felt his body slowly being pulled to, until he finally stopped descending. Cold cool soil and rocks braced his touch. Down here, he could feel the particles of life needed to survive. He felt water, not much that was concentrated, but enough to prove that a true water source was nearby. There were also proteins down here. Roots that had gone too far and become withered and were needed to be trimmed from the large trees overhead. There wasn¡¯t much here, and this was far from being a permanent home, but it was a place he could hide. Thump-thud. Overhead the stirring of multiple sets of feet landing and circling about could be heard and felt in the ground. As long as Frank focused and concentrated on his cultivation, he could easily find balance. Tightening. There were also times when he lost focus for a moment, as he paused to try to listen to what the world overhead was telling him. Somehow he felt more than heard the way the creatures who had been searching for Frank, right overhead paused and seemed to stand up as if to communicate like humans would. Breathe in, breathe out. For a moment, Frank wondered how he could breathe down here. How his lungs weren¡¯t instantly filled with dirt, how he was able to even find oxygen this far down. Yet, the more he let his mind relax to these questions, the more he saw the answers. He was both breathing and not breathing at the same time. The metabolic process that Frank had become used to was now being partially sustained from the earth that he now found himself in. For its part, the earth was glad to get rid of the dense barrier that had begun to form between the two polarities. Almost as if Frank had been asked to come here and restore the natural balance. That or make it so it didn¡¯t feel like the two polarities were developing an armistice of energy. With Frank being here, he was able to circulate both realms of energy. Taking in both positive and negatively charged earth energy and use it to fuel his body. The excess energy was also being used now to help draw in excess moisture that can only be found deep underground near natural water sources. He also found his body taking in air from the tiny pockets that resided around and delivering his excess carbon to the plants. Carbon that the plants ate up almost immediately given its charged flavor. The plants like insects seemed keen on at least learning to draw in the oppositely charged energy. Only the dense layer of neutral energy seemed to stop their growth as the plants seemed ill equipped to deal with that. Frank himself felt that he was stuck, or that he would be unable to leave until he finally absorbed enough of the energy down here to make both polarities content. Or maybe it was to make it so the earth that now housed, fed, and protected Frank was happy and would therefore let Frank go. As long as Frank didn¡¯t stress, or fight his situation he felt he could stay right here balancing the way one would while treading water in a pool. So long as you kept doing the same repetitive motion to keep yourself afloat you were fine, there were no issues. The minute you stopped, lost focus, or got tired, that was when you were violently awoken with the need to continue paddling. Frank did find it odd that he now found himself equating his current situation to his one time at the underground pool. Yet, he couldn¡¯t help but draw parallels, despite the opposite element being used. Time seemed to be odd down here as well. There were no real ways to tell of time passing, everything moved slowly, especially after the pattering of steps overhead eventually died out. In the back of his mind, Frank understood this for the accomplishment that it was meant to be. He had become one with the earth. He had been in need of assistance and the earth beckoned him and blanketed him when he needed the protection the most. This wasn¡¯t all his training, for he knew that the training with the pillar and then again with the chamber that he had been teleported to, that was only the first step. Now he was at the second step, or maybe the second movement in the process. Knowledge of how positive and negative energy needed to work in harmony filled his mind, while also showing that they would forever struggle to coexist with the other. This realm of neutrality was a prime example of the constant struggle, but there was more here too. For here the ground at least seemed to accept the importance of the other, at a base level the earth here knew what society had a hard time accepting. The longer he stayed, the more he could see how both forms of energy needed to move, to shift. He could tell that both energies needed to be pushed in order to condense and be reforged stronger. Crackle. Finally, as the layers of abundant and compressed energies finally eroded away from Frank¡¯s cultivation, the more he felt a sudden shift in power. Lerch. Frank felt his body rise up, being boosted by a jettison spike of positively charged earth energy. Simultaneously, he felt half of his body pulled down by an inverse spike of negatively charged earth energy. Having just a moment to choose, Frank chose the positive polarity, if for no other reason than it was going up. Or at least the direction that Frank now associated with up. Breathing. Frank found his body having to change its cultivation tendency. When he first entered the ground, he was easily accepted due to having a dense outer layer of negative energy at his outer layer. However during his cultivation below, he apparently switched to a balanced approach of using both energies evenly. Now, Frank found himself once again forced to choose a polarity and stick with it, going with positively charged outer layer, so he could blend in with the rising spike of energy. Fwoosh! A spike of pure earthen force erupted from the ground, the same was an attack from a Titan level cultivator would appear. However this was not the result of a Titan level cultivator, but instead the exertion of equal and opposite forces pushing against each other for so many years that the instant the pressure was loosened at one spot, the energy from below pounced upwards, while the energy from up top pounced downward. The result was a complete flipping of polarity of the area, as Frank found himself looking out from a giant earth pillar that suddenly appeared and began to expand all around Frank. A perfect pillar of positively charged earth energy that was quickly being cut off and surrounded by a ring of negatively charged energy. This was huge, likely the discovery of a lifetime. Frank realized he was close to being able to solve everything with this one discovery. But his thoughts were cut short as he felt and then heard the galloping of dozens of large creatures charging forward to see what exactly happened to cause a giant spike of earth to randomly appear in what was clearly monster pack territory. Chapter 58 Ghost Rings Chapter 58 Ghost Rings (Ravena) The prey was odd, sickly. At least the prey should have been sick. He was clearly one that was not fully corrupted, but had more than enough corruption flowing through him to make even some of the elders pause. The pack first became aware of his presence when he stumbled through their borders. This meant that he would be Hunted. At least he should have been hunted and killed. Normally when one of their kind, the unchallenged came to the sacred land of the ancestors they would be slaughtered and their bodies dragged off to bleed their corrosive blood in the lands of the enemies of the pack. Yet, this one was different. ¡°Do you think that¡¯s him?¡± Mikella asked, his eyes glowing with a faint silver sheen that spoke of his wanting to give way to the beast during the hunt. Watching the same target enter the land, just as the wise man of the pack noted, Ravena paused. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Sniff, sniff. Feeling the waves of energy wafting from the creature that was gracefully tracking through their lands, Ravena and Mikella both paused. As Ravena was the more powerful of the two and therefore the noted leader of the reconnaissance team, the final decision fell to Ravena. ¡°He is fully corrupted, killing him would only be a blessing at this point. Best that we just follow him and find where his body drops.¡± Ravena finally noted. This to Ravena was the best of both worlds, as it was code to kill anyone who entered their sacred lands. Only the prophecy from the wise man this morning gave them pause. A prophecy that was denied to Mikella and Ravena, with only the words. ¡°Let any dying creature roam on the lands. Follow them to their burial spot and wait.¡± The words were both cryptic and infuriating to follow. Which was why Ravena, hearing the orders given to her could only follow. Despite every fiber of her being telling her to take care of the cursed creature now. They were weak, and dying. Yet, despite every smell to the contrary, the enemy warrior moved with determination. No staggering, no true signs of anything more than minor fatigue were evident on the creature¡¯s body. The whole situation was so odd, that Ravena was almost curious to see how far the creature would go. It was also apparent that the dying creature knew that they were in fact following it. This was why Ravena gave even more space to the dying creature, for a dying creature is a desperate creature. Seeing as this was supposed to happen, the two could only follow the orders given and execute them to their fullest. This was why, they trailed the dying man for nearly ten miles. At least that is what Ravena guesstimated the distance traveled to be, as they went from the outer border, to the dying woodlands and were nearly to the sacred lake. As the creature got closer to the sacred lake, the spark of all life in the forest, both Ravena and Mikella both grew tense. To enter the sacred lake was something that Ravena had only managed to do three times in her life. The first time Ravena was bathed in the sacred waters was after she was born, where she was washed anew in the waters of the lake. Then on her coming of age, where she managed her first kill, she was again able to bathe in the sacred waters. And finally, her third time came when she had killed a rival pack¡¯s member and once again was washed anew in the sacred waters. Now for an outsider, a complete heretic to come so close to their sacred pool was almost too much. Words of the wise one be damned, but fortunately the creature never got so close. Just when Ravena gave the signal to Mikella to take the hunt seriously and strike down the intruder, something miraculous happened. The dying creature that they had been chasing paused, and then seemed to melt into the ground. Ravena paused watching as the creature grew translucent, at least their feet did as they began sliding downward. In that moment Ravena knew that they were chasing a ghost, for there was no other way to describe what had happened, what was happening. One second the creature they were warned to avoid had been running tauntingly through their sacred forests. Then the next, it paused not a mile away from the sacred waters of the tribe, only for them to immediately begin to sink into the ground. Then there was a pause, as the creature suddenly solidified for a moment. At that second a look of panic overtook the boy¡¯s face, and they were close enough to see the creature they were chasing it was a boy. One who had not faced the trials of atonement, and who had not been tested. By the smell of them, it seemed that their body would surely perish before they even had a chance to be properly tested. Yet, this boy who by all right was frightened and should be frightened, suddenly paused and focused their will. As quickly as the look of fear filled their face, the look was quickly replaced by a look of focused determination. Chills. Seeing the look come to the ghost boy¡¯s face, Ravena felt a shiver run down her back as she saw the boy go from a solid state to a translucent state once more. This time there were no more hesitations, no more moments of doubt that crossed the monster¡¯s face as it turned away. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Instead, Ravena watched as the boy sunk into the ground and then continued to delve deeper. Silence. As soon as the boy was gone, Mikella and Ravena both slowly stalked forward, trying to find the exact spot that the ghost disappeared. Or was devoured by the earth? So many questions filled Ravena¡¯s mind that all she could do was stare at the spot and slowly approach. For a moment the two wondered how they would know where the boy fell. But then before Ravena or Mikella could ask, they noticed a singular blade of grass glow green. Well the blade of grass didn¡¯t exactly glow, but in comparison to the other darker green blades around it might as well have glowed. As if that one blade was suddenly far healthier than the other blades of grass around. Then just as one turned, a second blade right next to the first began to also glow green. Being this close, Ravena could see the entire process happen. The growth began at the root of the blade, and slowly fed its way up the stalk, until finally even the tip also shone with that same verdant green color as the first. Then two more began to change coloration as well. Seeing the change, Ravena knew that this was likely what the wise man had predicted would happen. ¡°Go tell the others that we found the spot. I¡¯ll stay here and see if he returns.¡± Ravena said, getting Mikella to go, for she didn¡¯t know if she would be able to move. Her gaze was filled with probably the most lush and vibrant colors she had ever seen in her life. Getting lower, she used the full aspects of her mid-wolf form to smell the plants and realized that they were healthy. No, not just healthy, but probably the healthiest plants outside those that reside around the sacred waters she had ever smelled. Badump, badump, badump. Realizing that this life, these plants were once again healthy. Or at least momentarily healthy, caused Ravena¡¯s heart to beat faster. Their tribe had been dying. The sacred waters that their pack had relied upon for food and nourishment was drying out. Worse, the range that the sacred waters could reach was also drying up, meaning that more and more of the inner forest that her pack had claimed for generations was slowly withering away. Meanwhile, the enemies who had at one point been friendly were now growing more and more hostile as their wellsprings and sources of life were experiencing similar struggles. This was why so much emphasis was placed on patrols, and of keeping poachers away from their sacred lands. Yet, this one act, this one discovery seemed to turn everything she knew upon its head. Eight blades. Then sixteen. Then thirty-two. Then too many to count as the cleansed blades began to spread out and impact not just one but multiple nearby blades of grass. Judging by the rate of growth and change, Ravena wondered if this would be the sign of a second growth point. A second part where life would grow and flourish. As the area and rate of expansion began to increase, Ravena found herself slowly backing away. As if it was somehow sacrilegious of her to remain at the center of such an area. There was also the slightly unnerving tinging feeling from deep within her own skin that told her to be weary of the area. That something odd was happening. Again, these were feelings that Ravena associated with bathing in the sacred waters of her people. For the tingling signified that she was being cleansed. Though it was also warned that one could not be cleansed too often, for that would ultimately hinder one¡¯s growth. Rather being cleansed at key points in development were what was needed to achieve one¡¯s best state of being. This was why even now Ravena was confused as to what she should do. Furthermore, she did not know how she should act with everything going on around her. On the one hand she was somewhat frightened by the idea of a ghost entering her lands. But then to find out that this was some sort of friendly ghost was also unnerving, as it seemed to indicate that not all fears were justified. But it wasn¡¯t a ghost, at least the smells the creature gave off seemed to indicate that the beast was still alive. In fact, despite being clearly diseased, the creature should have lived longer, not that she wished such a state on anyone. Dying of corruption was tough, and something that was only given as a punishment to those who truly went against the pack. Those who went against the sacred order of things and went into the sacred waters without permission were one such group of people who would be poisoned, so that they might put the stolen healing waters to use. The bodies of the poisoned thieves serving as a way to cleanse the lands of the most vile of corruption. For just as there were springs of life, there were also springs of death, which the pack tried to encourage as a natural barrier between the different packs. ¡°You¡¯ve done well,¡± the sound of an but friendly man filled Ravena¡¯s ears. ¡°Yip.¡± Ravena cried out, as she found her half-altered form jumping high into the air. Ravena was so focused on monitoring the growing sphere of cleansed lands before her that she found herself completely caught off guard when the wise man appeared next to her. Laughter. Seeing the startled look on Ravena¡¯s face, the old man just laughed, his cordial tone instantly causing the tension to lessen slightly as Ravena found herself dropping to the ground. Tingle. Then instantly she found her mind getting distracted once more as still the area covered by the ever-expanding verdant life bearing grass also expanded. Realizing her teachings from not stepping on the fields surrounding the sacred waters, Ravena began tip toeing and trying to walk away as quickly as possible. ¡°Relax child. As the one who found and guarded the area, you and those who are under your command will be able to walk on these sacred lands without hesitation.¡± Wiseman Prentip said, his voice loud and carrying. For a moment Ravena wondered why the old man spoke so loudly, since it was just the two of them. But then a quick glance around showed that Erloche and many of the chieftain¡¯s main guards were also here watching everything. Erloche seemed to be offended by the statement, but instantly relaxed his posture. ¡°Come now Erloche, don¡¯t be so angry.¡± Wiseman Prentip began, ¡°you and your men are already assigned with the protection of the sacred waters and life nourishing fields. To assign a second location to you would be the equivalent of forcing you to choose to prioritize one over the other. As such I have seen it that we should begin to allow the next generation to begin practicing for the right to try out for the elite guard. This way, we will all see if they have the proper temperament to be trusted with such an important finding.¡± Hearing that Erloche paused, ¡°you don¡¯t think this new field will last?¡± ¡°Who can say, all we can say for certain is that we have it here today, and it was not here yesterday. As such, we should attempt to take advantage of this new finding,¡± Prentip said in his tone that Ravena knew all too well. This was the voice of reason and knowledge. One that said an answer had already been formulated, now it was up to the person listening to find out what the correct answer was. ¡°Hmph,¡± Isaiah, Erloche¡¯s right hand man made discontented noises at the statement, but opted not to openly speak out against the elder. ¡°For now, it looks like we are left with little to do but sit back and wait, though I do think we will need our borders protected now more than ever master Erloche.¡± The wiseman stated, as his eyes glowed in the foggy white residue that seemed to note the wiseman was having a vision. ¡°Very well, Ravena, choose three others to set up a perimeter here and inform us when any changes occur.¡± Erloche stated, and like that what could have been a major standoff of power ended relatively quickly. *** (Two Days Later) All of that was of course two days ago. During that time, the land that had been cleansed and ready to rebegin the cycle of renewals had grown to fill not only the clearing, but also gone to within inches of the lands surrounding the sacred lake. Given the relative proximity of the two areas, Erloche¡¯s men had taken time in between shifts to come over and ensure that Ravena was protectively guarding her post. The pretense for the royal guards coming over during their downtime was to provide guidance. Their real reason for coming over was the want to monitor the area. By now, the range of static had grown. That¡¯s what wiseman Prentip called the buzzing effect that filled the cleansed areas, a static field. How or why the fields were completely made of static particles was unknown. All that was known was that there was now what the wiseman called an area of avoidance. Each day the wiseman would come out, observe the area with his crystals. Crystals that would glow and give off faint light signatures the closer or further aways from different areas he went. Then he would shake his head, and proceed to walk out a few paces from the center and make a new ¡°line of avoidance,¡± as he called it. This was the area that everyone, including the royal guards were to avoid at all costs. Watching the lines expand, Ravena found that the area of avoidance seemed to be proportional to the lines of the fields that were being cleansed away. While Ravena didn¡¯t know the reason why everyone was forced back further. She did notice that the strain on her mind and her relative discomfort in the area greatly reduced, the further out from the center of the protection area they went. Then on second day, Prentip seemed to make hourly trips out. ¡°Move back to here,¡± Prentip would say, only to come back an hour later and force everyone back another hundred meters in all directions. By the end, even Erloche and all his men that were not on duty protecting the great lake were on hand to help surround the center of the corrupted zone. ¡°All right, this should be it, now just come to get me when he arrives,¡± Prentip stated, his last words directed towards Ravena, despite Erloche being right next to her. Hearing the words Ravena found herself wondering how the wiseman knew that the spirit that entered the ground here was a man. Or at least a ghost in the shape of a man. But before Ravena could ask her question, Prentip waved one hand across his forehead before coming up. ¡°But in the meantime, I need to rest.¡± Prentip said, in a manner that brokered no arguments. With that it was just Ravena and the royal guards who were not currently on duty. While many of the other pack members would come by to deliver food and supplies, most made sure to stay well away from the area of impact. ¡°You¡¯re doing pretty well for your first time guarding a sacred place,¡± Erloche said, his voice only mildly filled with the typical condescension he normally had for Ravena and the newer generation of pack members. Just as Ravena was about to reply back, she noticed a rather large bird come to land. Perch. Seeing the bird, Ravena¡¯s survival instincts instantly went off, letting her know about the inherent dangers of the bird, but for whatever reason the reason for the concern could not come to her mind. There was an odd size and majestic power to the bird that was hard to capture in words. Even the way it seemed to nestle in the branch of a nearby dead tree was unique. Though it should be noted that even the dead tree was now showing signs of life, thanks to the cleansing effect going off from where the ghost sank into the ground. Ravena was going to ask for Erloche¡¯s opinion on the large bird, but he seemed to be indifferent about the creature. Which made Ravena wonder if she was just being overly paranoid with her new position, or if there was something more to the odd way the large bird seemed to easily take up space in their territory. Of course, Ravena was unable to delver further into her thoughts, for that is the exact moment that the ground began to rumble, as fear gripped her heart forcing her to instantly move back even further than the old wiseman had previously marked off, for something she never thought could happen did happen. Chapter 59 Rooting Out Evil Chapter 59 Rooting Out Evil Even from outside the range of the pillar that Frank still found himself immersed in, he could feel the movements of monsters around him. Monsters that as they came closer began to seem to change right before his eyes. Many going from four legs squarely set on the ground, to two. There were other more subtle changes, the widening of the paws, going from thin aerodynamic paws to flatter more elongated shapes. Sniff. Then there was the way they smelled the air, as if every breath they took was somehow able to take in part of your essence before exhaling. I had defenses. If pushed to defend myself I could. Even now, I was forming the structures for how to send spike pillars out in a protective barrier around me. The idea would be to try to impale the different monsters that now surrounded me. I didn¡¯t think it would do much, maybe if I was lucky some of the mismatched energy would break off and poison the blood of these monsters, eventually enacting my revenge from beyond the grave, but that was a long shot. No, if attacked, I would try to sink down into the ground again. The only problem was that my body was already tired from being made into this semi-permanent state. Even now keeping the form was more an act of will than ability. If I dove deeper again, I knew there was a chance I couldn¡¯t come up, as my energy and focus were already depleting. Even now, I knew that I could only hold this form for a few more heartbeats at best. As my lungs now burned with the want to finally be allowed to breathe once more. My body wished to gain resources from the natural order and not force air, water, and nutrients to be absorbed through alternative measures. Sizzle. One of the now bi-pedal creatures steps onto the mound that serves as a base of my energy, letting out a long hiss as their skin is clearly not used to interacting with energy of an opposing vector. Growl! Understandably, the moment after the beast gets burned from standing on the non-corrupted ground their body has an immediate reaction, causing them to hiss out violently. Seeing this Frank knew that exiting now would be seen as a likely hostile act. While he was more certain than ever that he could take down the burned monster due to its limping movements away, he knew that getting the dozen or so other monsters would be nearly impossible. Holding his breath, Frank forced his body to stay merged for a moment longer, waiting for a chance to strike. There was an odd sort of tension in the air, as all of the monsters still crept closer. From his current state, Frank couldn¡¯t see the monsters. Instead, all he could do was roughly approximate their positions and actions based on the barest of impulses. He could feel the way the monsters would lean one way or another due to the slightest tremors caused by the shifting of bodyweight. Bodyweight that would cause minor deviations in the way their weight was being distributed on their feet. The whole experience was odd, and yet somehow expected. Yes, expected, as if his newly formed mind and attuned body expected to be able to see and perceive the movement of the world through dirt. Just as Frank expected to be able to see and experience movement through his currently intense connection to the ground, so too did Frank realize that once he left this pillar. Once he was forced to leave due to his body being tired of maintaining this anomalous state, he knew that once he emerged, he would not be able to perceive the world around him to such a level of detail. Frank was surrounded. The pack had apparently taken up positions all around the pillar he was still connected to. There was also a form of communication that was clearly going on, as he could sometimes feel the ripples of movement Frank associated with communication. The shifting of weight due to using hand signals, the loud roars that happened when the beasts walked on positively charged patches of land. There were so many minor components to the world around him, that Frank could not help but feel his mind overcrowding with thoughts and details. Tremor. Off in the distance, Frank could feel the perching of a bird in the branch of a dead tree. There was something odd about the bird, its weight felt off, but how? Was it too heavy? Not heavy enough? Why choose to perch on a dead branch? You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. All of these thoughts and more went through Frank¡¯s mind. He could almost tell that the ground was helping him note anomalies, but they were so abstract that he couldn¡¯t understand why they were anomalies. To Frank everything he was now seeing and experiencing was an anomaly, thus being able to filter out the everything from the unique was seemingly impossible. Even when aided by the memories of the earth, he could not understand the significance of such distinctions. Instead, all Frank did was note the anomalies and wait. Tap, tap, tap. Suddenly the movements of a three pawed creature came. Two strong, one faint point for movement and balance. The moment the odd cadence of movement was felt by the ground, the earth itself seemed to relax. Then almost as if on reflex, or maybe something due to the shared nature of his current state of being Frank also felt his mind and body relax. As the clearly wounded creature came forward, the other monsters that had been standing aggressively also relaxed slightly. They were still ready to pounce at a moment¡¯s notice, but they had visibly relaxed. Their weight wasn¡¯t as compressed, showing that they were ready to pounce. Their positioning of their ankles let go of some of the torque that had been building up within them, meaning they were less likely to pounce. Only after a moment did Frank get a mental image of the wounded creature that was coming towards him. And the creature was in fact wounded, that much was apparent. Just as the third minor paw was on the front right side of the creature, so too did the back right paw move slower and have less weight and range of motion to it. Taking in all of these details, Frank instantly knew that the creature that was now limping towards him was in fact old and walking with a cane. A monster with a cane? Frank felt his mind wondering as he tried to understand. With the appearance of the old injured one, the pack that had been spread out now gathered closer to the old leader. Or at least Frank assumed they were a leader, as it was clear that this creature was incapable of taking care of itself alone, and thus relied on the pack for its continued existence. Frank felt these things, and then somehow instantly accepted them as being true. Finally, after a long time, the old creature came to just before Frank and his pillar that he was still hiding in, though his body now fought and burned with continued resistance. Tap. Before Frank could think of any action to take, he felt a giant tremor being generated by the slightest tapping of a wooden cane on the ground. Yet, that wooden cane was somehow infused with a pulse of earth energy that surged through the pillar and all but ejected Frank from the pillar. Though, unlike what Frank had expected with a typical blow, Frank was thrown forward. As if the man had sent the pulse of energy through Frank and the pillar and then caused the pillar to randomly change density, which quickly forced Frank to be expelled from the pillar. Panting. The moment Frank was forcefully ejected from the pillar, Frank noticed his body fully materialized for the first time in what felt like ages. Immediately upon his solidification, Frank felt his lungs violently expand and demand oxygen be forced through them. He felt the burning sensations that his body had been warning him about suddenly take hold as his body burned. The closest equivalent was the time when Frank had tried to hide from Luther Camello, and had hidden in an underground pool. He almost drowned, and worse once he inevitably came to shore, his muscles were so weak from fatigue that he couldn¡¯t even block the punches and strikes that came his way. This felt like it would be no different, as his body instantly began to collapse as his muscles began to give out on him almost immediately, causing his body to flop on the ground. Movement. As soon as Frank collapsed, there was movement. The other pack members all began to surge forward, seeing a clearly passed out prey in front of them. Yet it was the simple raising of one old and weathered arm that was mostly bare of fur that caused everyone to stop in their tracks. Seeing the movement by the oldest pack member, all of the other monsters that had been intent to charge forward a moment ago all stood in place anxiously awaiting the elder¡¯s response. There was a long moment of silence as Frank, fought to at least keep his wobbling head up as he stared off at the old monster. An old monster that began to change and shrink right in front of his eyes. To his surprise, the old gnarled face and features of a monster with multiple scars and war wounds began to shrink in on itself. What had been a relatively frail body of a highly muscled creature before slowly withered in on itself, until it looked almost human by comparison. As the transformation continued, the scars and bare patches of skin remained, but were replaced by older scars that seemed to settle incorrectly over a skull and musculature state that didn¡¯t seem to fit with the wounds received. Also, the bare and gnarled patches of fur that had been present slowly gave way to large liver spots that settled in patches over the old person¡¯s body. If Frank had thought the creature before him was old before, he especially thought so now. Fortunately, the old man had apparently worn patches of leather that both matched their natural altered form and settled perfectly over their much older humanoid body to preserve their modesty. Though now, he also had other questions, as he wondered how, or rather why the old creature had come out as a monster, only to shift back right before his eyes. The entire process meant that either he had a hard time walking so much so that he chose to walk in his animalistic form. Or¡­ Upon realizing the alternate reason, Frank paused as he realized that the old man purposefully came out in a beast form, which was clearly harder to walk in given the bad hip and need to hold a walking stick in a larger cumbersome hand like appendage. For the true reason the old man had made such a grand entrance, making sure to revert back into a human form while Frank weakly fought to regain control over his body, was so that the old man could show that he was a man. Pausing, Frank then looked at the others around and realized that they too likely had the same condition, that they were shifters. A legend from the past, as they had all been hunted into extinction, at least that is what the records noted as humans had not fought against shifters in generations. Just how far out of the way was he, that Frank had suddenly come across a pack of shifters. Then slowly the details he had noticed over the past few days made sense. The markings on the trees, the claw marks high up, showing a constant growth and change to the area, it all made sense. ¡°Ah, I see that you have the look of recognition on your face.¡± The old man spoke, his words accented in a way that was hard to place. Only the fact that he spoke with the cadence of someone who worked at their own pace of time allowed Frank to decipher the words that were being spoken. ¡°You are shifters?¡± Frank asked, suddenly getting up to his knees. His body still wobbled, but he managed to gain control over his balance enough to finally stand up straight. ¡°And you are one of the rarest earth crafters I have ever seen.¡± The old man responded. Frank paused at the seeming non sequitur answer, before realizing the implication of his words. ¡°Wait, you have seen others who can do what I can?¡± Frank asked. ¡°No, though I have heard the stories from the ancestors. Stories of people who were able to merge with one of the four great elements and truly achieve mastery.¡± The old man spoke, his voice deep and thick with memories. His words carried a thick finality to them that Frank could almost taste. Again, Frank heard the thickly accented words then after a second to process the thought that was being conveyed did he respond. ¡°Wait, there is only one element that can be gained mastery of?¡± Frank asked, suddenly wondering if he had somehow missed a major opportunity by focusing on earth related energies. Then he quickly dismissed that thought, as apparently it was either learn how to use earth or be denied all elements. Given the revelation that it was either earth or nothing, Frank couldn¡¯t help but wonder if there was something greater to all of this, whether there was something larger pushing him forward and directing him towards this one very moment. Pausing, Frank stared at the old man who clearly seemed to be much more than his old body seemed to imply. ¡°What do you think?¡± The old man posed. Hearing the question, Frank found himself wondering if he could in fact learn a second or maybe even a third elemental force. Then he paused, wondering if he would need to wait to do so first, as he only now had vague insights as to what earth was capable of doing. Or rather, what he was capable of doing with earth energies. Could he learn more? Then a more important question, should he learn more? Frank had almost died; his exhausted body spoke to how dangerous his previous actions had been. ¡°Wait, great one.¡± One of the monsters that still stood on two feet changed slightly to speak to the old man. His body going from a large and intimidating war form, to a more natural but still intimidating state of being, with only minor cloths of leather skin to protect his modesty as well. ¡°Should you be telling such secrets to an outsider?¡± Cackle. Hearing the words, the old man just laughed for a moment. Or at least he tried to laugh, though what came out was more of a strained cough mixed with barking laughter over anything. ¡°Just what do you think we should do with him?¡± The old wise man asked. Then without missing a beat, the converted warrior spoke. ¡°We should kill him.¡± Then as if waiting for those exact words, the large vulture like bird who had just been quietly waiting and watching the proceedings below sprung to life, before everything went sideways. Chapter 60 Ancient Enemies (Ravena) Chapter 60 Ancient Enemies (Ravena) The entire scenario was a setup. Just as Prentip, the wiseman of the tribe, had made himself vulnerable and everyone from the tribe had their attention set squarely on the anomaly before them. That was when disaster struck, in the form of the ancient evil. A teratornis shifter, the largest of the great air-shifters and the natural enemy of the wolf packs had somehow settled in their territory unbeknownst to Erloche and the other royal guards. Worse, this teratornis was a shaman shifter, one capable of calling down the rage of the heavens themselves to strike at the foes of their tribe. The bird was not just big, but long. With wings that flapped and seemed to block out the sun. Somehow the bird more fell than flew, at least at first, seemingly capable of flight the same way a large ovular boulder would, but hen at the last minute while its wings called down lightning from the heavens, the anchoring bolt from the ground surged upwards and seemed to push the giant beast higher in the air. Then as the giant fossil of a bird rose in the air, bolts of lightning arced outwards, striking and piercing the land. This of course was just a warning of things to come, as that is the exact moment that the rest of the pack of were teratornis, all of whom had been waiting in wait at the border of the territories between regions all took to the skies and made their presence known and felt. It was a land grab, one that Ravena felt she should have been prepared for, given the unique nature of the lands. For the teratornis too relied on a balance of life and death, as their dual natures meant they could be sustained by either. At first, such a dual nature was seen as a way to survive the apocalypse that was taking over the world. Using the shifting nature, different groups of people apparently fell upon the survival nature of their ancestors. In the case of Ravena, her ancestors had followed the path of the wolf, the human side able to survive in human lands, while their wolf side allowed them to adapt to and survive in the deep corrupted wilds. But as with everything there is a cost, and that comes from the fact that while those of dual natures can survive anywhere. There is one drawback in that those whose natural forms are of being human, they just survive. Meanwhile, those who are born as wolves, and later learn to shift into humans, they have a harder time living in the undying lands than their human brethren. Yet, to be pack, that is to be an effective pack it require both types of shifters to exist. For whatever reason, two of the same state, that is two natural wolves, or two natural humans can never produce offspring together. The curse. Apparently, wolves are not alone in this, as the teratornis tribe often spoke of having the same limitations. Even going down to only being able to produce offspring that are of opposite nature of the state in which the child was conceived. Yes, many studies were performed and studied. While there were slight deviations, the hard and fast rules always applied. Opposites attracted, meaning the natures had to be opposite to conceive, and the child will be a direct opposite state of the mother when conceived. Thus, a female natural human wishing to have a natural human child would need to conceive as a wolf with a wolf to continue that process. These thoughts and more raced through Ravena¡¯s mind as she wondered why now of all times, would the teratornis make their move to strike at her tribe. Yet, she already knew the answer, the minute she saw the fact that their sacred lands had doubled in size, it was only a matter of time before others would try to covet their lands. Lands that would be able to sustain twice as many pack members as before. Crackle-pop, hiss. Bolts of lightning struck out, in rolling waves moving in one inevitable arc forward. Ravena was powerless to stop the attacks, all she could do was look on in horror at the relentless waves of lightning. Suddenly childhood fears came to mind, fears that told her to be afraid of the unrelenting storms and powers of the shaman. Powers that should be avoided at all costs. Ravena watched as bolts of power struck out around her. Her fear rising so high that she didn¡¯t even realize that she had reverted back to her mortal form. Suddenly she was the same child who got lost in the very same types of magical storms as a child. The same storms where she saw both her parents fall, as they used their bodies to shield her from the unrelenting strikes. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. True to form, Prentip went about putting up his own resistances. Waves of water and rain erupted, grabbing the electricity and forcing their trajectories to get rerouted. Ravena watched as waves and currents of water were pulled from the impossibly humid terrain, lashing out, wrapping around obvious flight paths of the currents, where the energy was forced to be rerouted through the medium of water. It wasn¡¯t much, a token defense at best, but it was all the old shaman could muster up in defense for his tribe. Particularly as Prentip only had fractions of a moment to muster any form of defense, and looking at it, his defense was the equivalent of waving and splashing his arms around wildly, trying to create as much of a distraction for the lightning as possible. Fortunately, his efforts were not in vein. What had started off as deadly strikes, now turned into debilitating bursts for the few royal guard members who had been caught unaware of the bursts. The bolts piercing through the thick hides of the warriors, piercing through the thick patches of fur, striking the bodies, and then lingering just long enough to cause minor flames to spark on the patches of fur. Fortunately, the royal guard were no strangers to the dangers of fire, going so far as to coat their fur in thick patches of unburnable chemicals. Yet, despite the precautions the bolts were still enough to cause near fatal blows almost instantly upon anyone who was struck in the maelstrom. Still the waves of energy were unrelenting and all Ravena could do was feel herself inherently ducking down, trying to pose as small of a target as possible. As she did, she could feel the world around her moving. Sharp earthen spikes jutted out from the ground, swiping over and around not only her but others as well. At one point Ravena was certain that she saw Erloche get impaled directly by a spike, as he seemed to angrily charge forward at the section closest to Prentip. Unfortunately, Ravena had her own issues, as she could feel the slight unsettling tug of electricity pulling at the hairs on the back of her neck. She could even feel the way her hair was now being pulled upwards, a clear sign that she was about to be targeted by fiery bolts of lightning. With nothing else to do, other than sheer preservation efforts in mind, she ducked, cowering low and placing her hands upon her head. Once again, she was the frightened little girl who had to be held down in the fields while bolts of lightning erupted around her. It was over, all she could do now was pause and wait for fate to once again reunite her with her parents. KRA-BOOOM! Light erupted, as Ravena felt jolts of electricity course through and around her, tightening her muscles and forcing her body to shift into a pretzel. Badump, badump, badump. But even as the bolt of electricity passed, and her mind was able to relax enough to take in the state of her body, she noticed one important thing. She had survived. No, not only had she survived, but she had done so while being relatively unscathed. The pain she felt, the coursing jolts of electricity within her body, were nothing compared to what she had experienced. Then as she relaxed a little and tried to raise her head, she realized the reason for her survival. She was now encased in a layer of metal and stone that had seemed to form over and around her while she ducked. How such a state was possible, she didn¡¯t know. After a few moments, she felt her body¡¯s natural regeneration beginning to take over, as her body recovered from the bursts of electricity that she still felt coursing through and around her. Though now she knew them for what they were, minor jolts that did little more than cause minor burns and irritation to her muscles. Breathing. Deep echoing breaths. As she breathed, she could hear the waves of her breath echoing and bouncing back towards her as she could now only stare on through the catacomb-like structure that had provided a protective wall around her. Suddenly she wondered if the spikes she had seen going for Erloche, had been an attack at all. Maybe he too had a protective alcove made for him as well. The only thing was, that even with the alcoves, there was not much the pack could do against the seemingly relentless barrage of lightning that was being hurled at them. Then after a moment, the endless barrage ceased and let up long enough to show that only a dense fall rain remained, coating the world with a near draining and relentless cold rain. Rain that was even now finding its way into nooks and crannies of the alcove that Ravena found herself hiding in for shelter. For a moment, Ravena feared for what would happen if a bolt managed to find her even tucked away as she was. Yet, this was when the endless barrage stopped. For a moment Ravena held out hope that it was over, that a stalemate had been met. That or somehow Prentip managed to do the impossible and take down the famed thunder bird from the skies. Unfortunately, though, the reason for the sudden ceasefire soon became apparent. The endless barrage didn¡¯t stop due to anything positive like a stalemate or an injury to the enemy¡¯s pack shaman. Instead, the opposite held true, for now the rest of the other aviary pack members that had been apparently awaiting a moment to strike were now too close to avoid being hit by the very same lightning that had accosted Ravena¡¯s pack a moment ago. This meant that soon the enemy would be upon them. For a moment, Ravena wondered what she should do. How could strike back against the pack. By and large, most of the teratornis flock were not as intimidating as their aged shaman was. A shaman who had supposedly been around for hundreds of years, gathering power and perfecting their control and mastery over the elements of the heavens themselves. Compared to the teratornis shaman whose wingspan was easily twice as long as a wolf shifter was tall, the others of her pack looked mediocre at best and like they would barely be able to carry a single deer with them. Those thoughts of course were wrong, as Ravena had seen many of the junior members of the teratornis flock grab large, corrupted goats and deer in their clutches, only to fly upwards with them for hundreds of feet, before releasing the animals to their deaths. Even the great leatherbreaker turtles were no match for the relentless efforts of the teratornis pack who would make easy work of the hardened shell casings of the massively corrupted beasts. Still, when it came to a matter of prowess, strength, and agility, particularly when dealing with ground level predators, a pack of wolf shifters were unprecedented in their capabilities. That was why even now, the teratornis that had come to apparently lay claim to the new land structure just hovered and circled high overhead next to their great shaman. For going closer to the ground would play into the strength of the wolves. ¡°Why have you done this? Why break the accords that we have all worked so hard to accept and protect?¡± Prentip asked, his voice booming as if aided by the very rainstorm that pelted at the flying buzzards even now. Each drop of rain hitting and seemingly freezing in place on the feathers of the flying beasts. Beasts who all began inching closer to the ground, the longer this went on and the more rain that froze upon their backs. This was of course a trap by the great shaman of her tribe, for if the teratornis shaman wished to answer he would have to shift, at least partially in order to gain control over their vocal cords so that they could all communicate in the language of man. For while all shifters could understand the languages of men, only those who took on the human form could speak in the language of men. Of course, one didn¡¯t get to be as old as the great teratornis shaman without learning a few tricks. This was why Ravena was surprised, but not overly shocked to hear the great teratornis shaman speak out in her oddly melodic voice that spoke of power and grace. ¡°We do not break the accords, rather we just wish to show how vulnerable you are to having to care for not one, but two sacred lands. Let us claim the resting perch now, and be done with these trifles.¡± ¡°Be done? You come here, attack us, and then immediately expect us to accept the betrayal and loss of land as a given?¡± Prentip shot back. ¡°Perhaps, it was too much for us to expect you to listen to reason with just a minor demonstration of our resolve,¡± the teratornis shaman said, and as she spoke she rose higher into the air, before apparently round two would soon begin. Chapter 61 Learning New Things Chapter 61 Learning New Things The entire process that was unfolding before Frank was mesmerizing in the way a transit crash, or other form of natural disaster that was impossible to avoid and somehow you found yourself right in the middle of. From Frank¡¯s perspective, he had only witnessed one event that was remotely similar and that was when one supply tram car going north apparently hit a rock, or maybe an unseen rodent causing it to lift up out of its tracks and then plow into a southbound train car that was unable to avoid the tilting train. When it was all said and done, Frank had the easiest time to school, as the government quickly built a walkway bypass to allow foot traffic to avoid the wreck, while repair efforts were underway. Of course, about two or three months after the trains were fixed, some drunk awakeners crashed into the walkways, causing them to fall down and no longer be a feature. That was life in the slums. This time around, the trainwreck came in the form of two different factions of shifters fighting each other, for what Frank couldn¡¯t tell. All Frank could tell was that he didn¡¯t want to be near the area when they realized he was there. There were stories about wandering cultivators who stumbled upon such events, only to be struck down. His SERE training told him that the best course of action would be to wait until the two groups were completely distracted with each other and find a time to leave. The only problem with this plan was that one of the groups flew. Also, with the second group flying, it was hard for Frank to try to track where they were. The more he tried to reach out to see where the flying monsters were, the harder time he had, as they didn¡¯t seem to register with his newly developing cultivating senses. At least they didn¡¯t register in the way Frank was used to. This was why Frank decided to try to help protect the wolf shifters, for as long as the wolf shifters were still alive, then the two enemies would be focused elsewhere. There was another interesting thing that Frank realized at this time, and that was that lightning was an odd element, both positive and negatively charged in an attack. Honestly, looking at the element and feeling its offshoots flowing into and around the protective earthen structure that Frank had managed to create, lightning was amazing. While he would not be able to take on a bolt of lightning directly if he were out in the open. He did feel that right, inside his protective earthen energy dome, one that had multiple outlets of metal infused rocks and debris that grabbed the various electrical particles and distributed them evenly under the ground around him, right in here, he was completely safe. It took a few minutes for Frank to understand why exactly, but then Frank realized it was a matter of the different gradient of powers being used. For simplicity¡¯s sake, Frank began equating the electrical bolts being generated by the vulture type creatures as being a Tier I of power. While Frank began equating by comparison the energy structure of his earthen dome as a Tier II of power, making the structure more capable and durable than the incoming energy. Then from there, breaking down the components of electricity were fairly easy for Frank. There was a positively charged starting point, and a negatively charged landing point for each strike. A perfectly contained strike that seemed to neither add, nor take away from the balance of the world around them. Honestly, Frank felt that after watching this, electricity was the far better of all options. Though Frank would be hard pressed to see if electricity was a true stand-alone element by itself, or if it was a mixture of two, or possibly even three elements. From the complexity of being both positive and negatively charged in each attack, Frank saw it as the pinnacle of power. As he watched, he wondered if there was a way he could mimic such an attack with earth energy. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. That was the spark of inspiration, the idea that caused Frank to realize a way he could press the boundary of what he previously thought was possible, all thanks to what was occurring around him naturally in nature. Violence. CRACKLE-POP! ¡°GHHHAAHHH!¡± The bolts of lightning came, stronger and fiercer than before. It seemed that the avian attackers had learned to get around Frank¡¯s natural defenses that he had created. Before, the metal coils and tendrils that had provided an enclosure to protect the aviary attackers was now being struck by bolts of energy that were so intense that the energy was overflowing the natural pathways and energy dispersion channels that Frank had created. Looking at his design, it was clear now that there were ways he could have improved his base design. Namely he could have made wider channels or run off paths that would gather overflowing energy and redirect errand streams of energy back to primary or maybe even auxiliary pathways. Instead, Frank had gone with the basic model. This was the way nature itself wanted to go, which was apparently not the most efficient in protecting against electrical attacks. Though doing the changes that Frank now envisioned would have taken away from the base structural support framework that was playing an important process in protecting the remaining wolfpack members. That said, protecting the wolfpack members wasn¡¯t necessarily a priority, especially as Frank realized he would likely be helped by the remaining wolfpack members being too injured to follow him. While he was still slightly thirsty and hungry, it wasn¡¯t as bad as it had been when he first entered the ground. ¡°Cacaw!¡± One of the were-birds let out a deafening roar as it flew close and tried to lunge at any unprotected wolfpack members. This was the moment that Frank had been waiting for, a moment when the bird was too focused on striking at one of the cowering wolves to notice him. Not that anyone could notice him. In this state, he was all powerful, or maybe defensive, almost like a turtle rising up from the ground. Still, he was inspired and using the ebb and flow of energies around him, he tried to mimic the lightning that was erupting all around him. Even the arcing bolts that were not being directed by the enemy were still striking the land with impunity. It was those bolts, the natural ones that helped Frank form his mental attack construct the easiest, as those were the most unrefined of the bolts of energy, and therefore the ones that were the easiest to copy. Focusing on those incoming strikes, Frank focused his earth energy through the nearby wall and directed the energy into a point. Then focusing on the swooping were-bird Frank identified a patch of negatively charged earth energy on the microscopic particles of dirt that were on the beast¡¯s feathers, then he focused. There was a moment of tension, as nothing seemed to happen at first. Until finally, he felt a release, as if something in the universe around him relaxed just enough for him to send an attack through the thick veil of the world around him. Whoosh! In a second, Frank felt the release of stored energy, energy that was quickly converted into matter. Matter that then shot out in the form of a spike that impaled straight into the anchoring parts of dirt on the beast. The moment he made the attack, his mind came loose with a mental description of the attack. Even though he himself could not see any updates informing him of the new progress Earth Spike. That was the concept that came to his mind. The concept of the spike was that of a curving gnarled patch of earth that would be able to rise up and out to any target immediately nearby. With a start, Frank realized that he could at the moment easily strike at the remaining werewolves, all of them were vulnerable to his attack. Particularly with the way they were all hunkering down inside pockets of earth that he controlled. However, again that was not what Frank wanted. For a moment, he remembered the talks about strategy, he gained from SERE training. How he would have been greatly chastised for not taking advantage of the situation that was before him. Kill the wolves, then when the birds begin to land and peck at the fallen enemies claim the birds as well. But just as Frank was about to do just that, he paused. He had killed a lot, remembering the rats and other beasts that constantly came at him, he had no choice but to attack then. That said, this was not the same. At least this was not the same set of circumstances currently. For the moment, Frank felt an odd sense of power rising within him. Almost as if the surging electricity that was blasting down and ultimately getting filtered back to him as a form of useable energy was also igniting more of his brain. That¡¯s when Frank let go of trying to force a perfect strike at the flying enemies and instead began firing off shots rapidly. Frank found himself lashing out with bursts of energy that almost felt like he was firing buckshot. While the burst would begin with one concentrated burst of energy, it would soon disperse and form multiple smaller branches of stone spikes that would strike out in a crisscrossing web like pattern that couldn¡¯t help but capture the enemy beasts that still came in their relentless assaults. The dispersal was tough to accept at first, particularly as it seemed to go against his natural instincts of putting as much energy as possible into a concentrated spot. Instead, he had to again fight his instincts and training to allow nature to take its form. The stone would move and do as he asked, but only as long as he let the stone do it in its own way. In a way, Frank felt this was merely him being both the provider of energy and the provider of intent on what that energy should ultimately do. Then the medium that he was channeling the energy, in this case the earth, would take those orders and perform the most efficient attack using the resources provided. The attacks looked hollow and brittle. To Frank¡¯s shock, many of the smaller branches of earth that did ultimately scratch or impale the fliers broke off. But this was apparently a good thing, for the larger chunk of earth that broke off in each target caused both the target to have a harder time flying away, while also providing an even better anchoring point for his future bursts to land accurately. Like this, Frank began using earth energy as a weapon. His control was still weak, in time he felt there would be ways to make the spikes stronger, and more accurate, but for now he could see the beginning of what it would take to be a true Geomancer, and that excited him, and caused him to want to push on just a little farther to see what else he could discover about his new talents. *** (Ravena) Even from her hiding spot, Ravena saw the first true miracle of her lifetime. Flicker. In between the backdrop of erupting bolts of lightning that illuminated the world around them, showing the flock of hovering enemies, Ravena saw the world come to life and begin protecting the pack. There was no other way to describe the process of what she was seeing. The enemies would swoop in on their massive war forms, talons outstretched ready to grab and pierce fellow pack members and carry them up, only to be dropped to the ground violently. But before they could get close, the ground itself, looking like a giant tree made of stone struck out and began protecting the pack. Long twisting branches of pure stone shot out, twisting their way into enemy birds that got too close, and pierced their delicate bones that were less dense in their aviary form. Not all of the branches that struck out hit their intended targets, but there were enough that did. ¡°Cawww¡­¡± Birds let out death throes from stone branches that emerged from and around the captured predators. Then just as the flock looked to be demoralized, to question whether they should continue onward, that was when the enemy shaman, the one who started this whole chain of events acted. Chapter 62 Paralyzing Pain Chapter 62 Paralyzing Pain Frank watched from his hidden chamber, all around him was a layer of stone. For some reason he felt stone was the best conductor for the element of earth. Also, stone was the most abundant resource available. Well, the most abundant resource that could be molded and easily keep its form once strengthened. For all intents and purposes stone was an intermediate step along the path of the use of the element of earth. The first and most basic step was dirt, loose uncompacted and easily disintegrated by water. The next step would be clay, slightly more durable, still just as malleable with a hint of resistance to water. Next came stone. To Frank stone was the easiest building block to create and bend to his will. The reason for this was the fact that stone was best when layered and then compressed. This formation was abundant in sedimentary rocks and other forms, but the one thing that was never noted was that the layers in rocks could be individually polarized and then compressed to form a more perfect building block. With this new understanding, one that only came from first using the new element he had been gifted and then trying to work out why the element he had been gifted worked as it had, only now could he begin to see the next steps of earth energy manipulation. With the repeated and alternating layers of earth protecting Frank, he had multiple layers of protection all before he even began using and moving the reserves of metal out away from his core. That is what he considered the stone cocoon that he had enveloped himself in, a core. A perfect sphere that could take in outside force and pressure and disperse it around his body, negating its impact on him. This structure seemed to be most prudent, especially as the primary attack vector of the flying were creatures was lightning, meaning the metal that had been pushed out to the outer layers around his realm of dominance attracted the lightning, before dissipating it all around. For a moment, Frank let his expectation of survival succeed in giving the worse type of thought. Namely for a moment, he thought he was safe. That all ended the moment the invading avian shaman truly committed their mind and attention to the conflict that was unfolding around them and struck out. KRAABOOOM!!! Lighting the size of pillars struck down with such intense ferocity, that Frank¡¯s heightened perception only had a matter of seconds to take in everything that was happening around him. First the blast landed, shaking and vibrating the stone structure he found himself in. Next those pillars of lightning slammed down over and through the structure, crumbling layer upon layer of dirt. While the breaking of layers did slow down the overall force of the blast, Then finally the blast erupted through the protective stone, arcing around the capsule that held Frank and proceeded to burn, tear, and blister its way through his skin and body. For a moment, Frank¡¯s mind blurred with the intense overtones of power. For a moment his mind worked and processed energy as quickly as it came in, then the speed and intensity of the current became too much for his over worked mind. There was an odd echoing sound of pain that seemed to resonate from the very stone around him. Little did Frank know this was his mind and body actually achieving a state of oneness with the stones he had just manipulated, for the stones themselves seemed to vibrate and echo his intense overwhelming pain. Then finally, just as Frank could take no more, his brain shut down, as his pain receptors overloaded from their intense barrage of electrical impulses finally fried out. Making it so Frank¡¯s overclocked mind could finally begin self-preservation processes, as it began shutting down everything that wasn¡¯t necessary. Until finally, even the components that were also necessary began to shut down. Fortunately for Frank, he was not aware of what unfolded next. *** (Ravena) Ravena paused. For a second, Ravena made the grave mistake of thinking that she might just make it out of this moment alive. This was the problem with hope, it blinded you to the facts. It gave you courage and confidence where prudence might be more impactful to survival. For her part, Ravena could only look on in a sort of morbid fascination of the many horrors and levels of power she was seeing being put on display. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. At this moment she had seen many wonders, today alone. Ravena had seen stone come to life and impale the teratornis invaders, the sacred enemy of her tribe. She had seen the moment the teratornis shaman almost lost heart. That had been the most crushing blow to Ravena, for in that moment, one where withdrawing and tactical retreating would have been optimal as both sides suffered losses. That was when the avian shaman seemingly called forth the largest pillar of violence Ravena had ever seen. A blast so intense that for a moment the night sky appeared to be brighter than midday. A burst of light and photons that were so intense that they glowed and refracted off the pooling puddles of water and blood, creating bursts of light that shone directly into Ravena¡¯s enhanced and sensitive wolf eyes. Eyes that were unable to adapt to the glowing horror of death that loomed over the entire pack. SKA-BOOM! The pillar of lightning crashed and landed at the heart of the sacred mountain that had appeared out of nowhere. A mountain that had caused nothing but destruction and greed to her people, particularly with the way the members of the teratornis tribe coveted the structure so. Shocking burst! A pillar of lightning shot through the mountain, rattled around the cave that had served as Ravena¡¯s protection for the moment, before shards of rock and debris erupted out from the wall piercing Ravena and hurling her body into the far wall. The blow was intense, not fatal, not enough to kill her now that she was in her wolf form, but enough to leave her mostly useless for a time as her body sought to repair itself from the sustained injuries. Collapsing on the floor, Ravena found that all she could do was barely raise herself to a sitting position. Even that was mostly caused by the way she impacted the far wall and mostly slid to a stop at the base of the wall. There she paused and looked on, waiting for inevitably to strike. She waited stoically for death to take her. Then a miracle happened. ¡°YOU FOOL!¡± The blaringly powerful words of Prentip, her own shaman blasted out in a burst of energy. Energy that plunged its way directly into Ravena¡¯s cerebral cortex and vibrated just enough to draw everyone¡¯s attention. Copper. Upon feeling the act by her shaman, Ravena smelled the all too familiar scent of copper. Copper that was coming directly from her nose. This was dangerous, and the power that Prentip hated using the most. Mainly because this burst of power was too wild, too chaotic to wield discriminately. The way this power was explained was that it went out in universal waves of energy. Energy that all sentient organisms could intrinsically register, feel, and somehow process. With this burst of energy, Prentip had an undeniable link to express his thoughts to everyone within range of his power. Which judging by the way many of the weaker teratornis soldiers were now falling from the sky, was pretty powerful. In a way Ravena counted herself lucky that she was already collapsed against the wall, otherwise she would likely find herself face down in a growing pool of water, spasming violently as she tried to keep from drowning in the small pool of liquid that had gathered in her cave. ¡°YOU SEEK TO DESTROY THE VERY SOURCE OF YOUR GREED!¡± Prentip shouted out once more, again his words forcefully piercing their way into and through everyone¡¯s conscious minds. Labored breathing. Ravena felt the flow of energy blessedly stop after that display, which was good as any more would likely end up with Ravena passing out entirely. As it was, Ravena was still conscious, but barely. Even now, Ravena could feel part of her healing processes being directed directly to her brain, and trying to take care of the internal swelling that was undoubtedly occurring from hearing the two messages back to back in her mind. Silence. There was an eerie silence that filled the world after that second announcement. Only after enough time had passed did Ravena begin to understand why her mind was drawing attention to the absence of sound. The lack of sound signified something greater, for it meant that the conflict had temporarily been paused. With no sounds, it was clear that the devastating lightning that had been causing everyone to shelter in place had subsided. Then even more importantly, it meant that the impromptu clouds that had been used to generate burst after burst of electricity were also stopped. In what felt like an eternity, Ravena felt the most devastating of her injuries heal up. There were still the few superficial wounds caused by rock shrapnel that had pierced her right side, but for the most part the majority of her injuries had been healed enough for her to get up. This was when Ravena realizing that her pack still needed her got up, despite the world instantly flipping itself around her. The mind lacerations and affects to balance were hard to overcome, particularly for those who had not dealt with such problems in the past. Fortunately, Ravena and most of her pack were well acquainted with the unique attack patterns. For Prentip would always give a monthly test of power just to make sure everyone was able to understand the power he used, and more importantly come to Prentip¡¯s aide as quickly as possible when the power was used. Prentip was old, and always searching for the one who would be his next successor. Unfortunately, his power made him uniquely qualified, as no one could mimic his power. One that directly targeted the mind of all individuals around and brought them to their knees. This power was how her tribe had managed to maintain unquestioned access to the sacred lake that had served her people so faithfully to this point. Now it seemed like the same power would be used to protect this second sacred structure that had appeared for her people. Bracing herself with her left hand against the rock wall, Ravena slowly pulled herself up to a standing position. There it only took her mind a moment to adjust to the new sensations of vertigo that were throwing her senses into a loop. Fortunately, having been forced to endure such situations in the past, Ravena soon forced herself to move forward, relying on her body¡¯s natural movements than her own mental interpretations of what was happening around her. This meant that rather than being tripped up over her own feet, Ravena slowly but surely made her way forward. As she did, she felt more confident with each step, as her body¡¯s natural motions took over, and her healing processes had more time to help out the immediate areas of balance. Within what felt like an eternity, Ravena soon found herself at the lip of the cave that had grown out of nowhere to protect her. There with her hand resting at the cave entrance, Ravena looked out to see that as would be expected, many of the teratornis warriors lay in crumpled heaps on the ground. Their wings and hollow bones shattered by the sudden and intense fall from the sky. ¡°You fool, you almost killed him.¡± Prentip shouted, his body in its old but still powerful wolf form. While the form was far from ideal, it still held power, despite numerous bald patches and gray hairs that covered the muscular body he was still strong enough in his war form to both talk naturally, and pick up the oversized bird form of the teratornis shaman. ¡°What?¡± Was all the teratornis shaman managed to croak out, before Prentip turned his loose bird neck to face the smoking pillar that was the center of the stone obelisk. A stone obelisk that was even now smoking and cracked down the center. ¡°In there is the one who managed to create this structure. An edge walker who has not been designated for a clan,¡± Prentip exclaimed. Hearing that Ravena felt waves of confusion wash over her as she had never heard of such an event. Well she had, as it was part of the origin story for all the dual natured, how there were progenitors who managed to find balance and harmony with the different elements of the world. Then from that harmony a spiritual connection was made to specific animals that would help the edge walkers survive where all others would inevitably fall to the corruption of the world. ¡°Impossible,¡± the avian shaman exclaimed, his words sounding slightly higher pitched due to his bird form, but still intelligible all the same. GROAN! Then almost as if to challenge his very statement, a long horse moan cried out from the smoking and cracked obelisk. ¡°What the?¡± Was all Ravena could ask, as she heard the sound that reminded her more of the way the god of earth would sound, hollow and full of supernatural power. ¡°Get him,¡± was all Prentip said. That was all he had to say, before Ravena and a few of the other wolves that had also been first to recover all followed the command of their leader. A command that was fortunately not spoke with the same paralyzing intensity as the words earlier were. Chapter 63 Stealing Last Wishes Chapter 63 Stealing Last Wishes Floating. The first and only real sensation to make it through to Frank¡¯s distant consciousness was that he was floating. In his mind, he mentally wondered if he was in fact finally dying, as his body and soul felt light. Then as if to amplify the sensations, the moment after he felt like he was rising to the very heavens themselves, his body grew heavy as he could almost feel his body coming closer to the ground. Until finally he felt his body drop into oddly warm water. Sizzle. Upon entry to the waters, Frank felt his whole body covered in bubbles that seemed to come from nowhere and engulf his entire body. This was it, the judgement he always expected for himself, he was dead, and he had been given a chance to rise, only to be deemed unworthy and forced to fall into the burning pits of Hell. Tingling. Bubbles of all kinds instantly formed on his body and burst from all angles as his body first fully submerged into the oddly warm water. It was oddly warm in that, Frank thought it would be hotter, at least that is what he had been led to believe from all of his Sunday trainings. Trainings that he often avoided so as not to be forced to deal with the constant ridicule of Luther Camello and his cronies who always attended the Sunday services as a way of proving himself to the community. Frank¡¯s parents didn¡¯t mind his missing such services, mainly because they never knew he skipped as both were forced to often work during the typical service times. That was his sin, he understood it now. He let bullies keep him from doing what was right, out of fear and now he was being judged. At least that was the conclusion that Frank had come to. Warm water covered his face, as he felt his dense body falling deep within the warm liquid. If Frank had to be honest with himself, he would so far have to rate the entire experience as not being that bad. Instinctively he held his breath, well at least he tried to, as he knew his body would eventually have to breathe in the boiling waters. Perhaps that was part of the punishment, take your weary body, plunge it into water that seemed to find every aching muscle and relax them all at once, only to then drown you slowly. Oddly, that would be wildly poetic Frank thought as he felt his body continuing to drop, until his feet made contact with the floor. By now Frank¡¯s body was so dense with Earth energy that his body just sank. The moment his feet made contact with the ground, he felt his mind relax even more as he could still have his powers in Hell. There were tricks he had learned from his time when he was fully immersed in the ground. Tricks that his mind seemed to automatically do, as he could feel his body preparing to once again meld with the ground beneath his feet. If he was fully awake, he likely would have been able to by now. That or he would have freaked out entirely and tried breathing through water, a task that was impossible. Or mostly impossible for someone who was not affiliated with Water. Pulse. At the thought of being affiliated with Water, his mind thrummed with a warning beacon, as his mind once again found his next true objective, to find the door of Earth just beyond the prison that was so far to the west. Realizing that was still his goal, Frank felt momentarily sad, for he still had a long way to go to get to his intended destination. While he didn¡¯t know the exact location, he still knew that he had over hallway to go. What made things worse was the fact that had those people, fellow soldiers, not tried to kill him, he would have already been there. At least that is what his mind told him. He should be there, but he wasn¡¯t, and now he likely never would get the chance to go there, as he had failed. In this moment, being in the lake of fire, for that was all this could be, or at least the only connection that his slowly awakening mind could come up with, he realized that he had failed. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I didn¡¯t even get to kiss a girl? Frank thought, then remembered Holsy¡¯s sister and tried to remember if they did in fact kiss? He meant to after the dance, had even gone through the way to make that moment magical for the two of them. Suddenly, his mind flashed back to when he and Maddie were no more than eight, when they kissed awkwardly the way only innocent children could. Backs arched forward, lips out as they tried for whatever reason to kiss from four feet away. That might have been it, his first kiss, though that didn¡¯t count, Maddie told him. He thought she wanted a real one, but then they never got that chance, for his childhood ended far too quickly and before he realized it, he was gone. He made a vow that next time he would take a kiss when it presented it to himself, that he would not die with that regret. And that this time he would make it memorable so that he would remember it even in his dying breath. By now, Frank was finally at the point where he would either have to meld with the earth under the lake of fire to try to survive or end it all with deep breaths of water. Swoosh. For a moment he tried to merge with the ground, to fight just a little longer, but before he could focus his mind, he got distracted. Ripples and waves of water violently pulsed past his body. A body that he was slowly regaining consciousness in, but one that he wished he could still remain mentally blind to what was happening around him. With the waves thrusting about wildly around him, Frank couldn¡¯t focus long enough to merge with the ground. Also the earth here seemed different than what he was expecting. Before the earth had been solid, dry. Here the earth was of a softer consistency, which logically meant it should have been easier to merge with, as he could feel his feet firmly seeping into the ground, but that was not the case. Here the water caused an apparent imbalance within the symmetry of earth, making it hard for Frank¡¯s still awakening mind to find the correct way to merge with the ground beneath his feet. Honestly, Frank didn¡¯t think he would even be able to merge with the ground beneath his feet at this rate. Then before he could get too distracted by what was causing the fierce ripples in the waves around him, he felt a pair of strong arms fiercely wrap themselves around his torso and pull. In that moment, there was an odd fight for dominance as Frank had apparently already started the process of trying to meld with the earth below. This act caused his feet to merge deep into the ground, forming a mild suction over his feet. A suction that was quickly and violently overcome as Frank could swear he heard a popping sound once his feet became free of the ground. Once freed, his body felt light as he could feel the strong arms grabbing him and pulling him back to the surface. Unfortunately, the strong arms grabbing around his torso caused Frank to lose the last battle of wills to maintain his breath. Violently he felt the air in his lungs and body being expelled as arms as strong as wires squeezed out the corrupted air within his body. For a moment, Frank was okay, even with the violent expulsion of air, his lungs had a second to fight, to resist the intense need for oxygen. Then the next moment, his mind and body conflicted, had he been fully awake, he might have been able to perform a few of the mental rituals he was taught in SERE training. Unfortunately, his mind was not awake enough, or in control enough to act fully, which ultimately caused his body to revert to its default settings, one where it would breathe naturally. Or at least where it would attempt to breathe normally. However in this case, it meant that Frank¡¯s oxygen deprived lungs and body desperately pulled in anything it could. While the strong arm around his torso didn¡¯t allow Frank to take in as deep of a breath as his body would have liked, he still found his body and lungs inadvertently sucking streams of water. Streams that quickly burned their way down his throat as he suddenly felt his mind thrash awake, only to find that he was now drowning as burning hot water entered his lungs and were fizzling and tickling his insides. Worse, he could still feel a tight vice like arm around his waist. Looking down, he could see it clearly, an arm or maybe a paw would be better to describe the large muscular appendage that covered his body and pulled him along like he was a meal to be eaten. In this moment, Frank felt his mind resort to its only means of survival. Panic. That¡¯s right, in this moment he panicked. His lungs burned from the liquid he was forced to inject, and worse there was a very hairy arm that held him in a vice like grip. Mentally the word werewolf came to mind, but was quickly discarded. Right now he didn¡¯t need to know what was trying to kill him, rather all he needed to know was that something was trying to kill him. Violently he fought and tried to break free of the arm. There up ahead he could both see the lingering light of day shining through the surface of the water, and he could also feel the way the dense layer of water that had been holding him down now felt lighter. Kicking and thrashing about, Frank tried to break free of the monster¡¯s iron like grip. Splashing and spinning, he finally fought his way free, even going so far as to give a violent kick to the creature that had tried to take him alive. Feeling freedom right there, just a moment away, Frank desperately fought and swam his way to the surface. Lungs still burning, but his mind was focused on the one task at hand, of getting to the surface and breathing. Splash! Frank felt his head violently crash through the surface of the water, and then as if on reflex he tried to take in a deep breath of air, but then fond the problem. A problem that he should have expected, but in this moment he couldn¡¯t have done anything differently if he tried. For there at the surface, Frank emerged from the deep, and tried to take in a deep breath of air, but only felt pain for his efforts as his lungs were already expanded, and unable to take in life nourishing oxygen, as his lungs were already filled with water. This only caused more of a burning sensation to erupt from within Frank¡¯s chest, as he couldn¡¯t breathe. Worse, everything he tried to do that resembled breathing felt like fire in his chest. By now the tingling water no longer popped, causing Frank to feel like he needed to cough, instead all he could do was flail about and fight wildly as the last of his strength seemed to leave his body. This time when the strong arms of the werewolf grabbed him around the waist and began to pull him along, he hardly mustered any resistance. His mind desperately tried to preserve itself and its vital organs, as he felt the strength leaving his extremities as he was pulled off in some unknown direction. Darkness. Frank felt darkness slowly overtake his mind as he was pulled somewhere, likely to be a meal for the enemy. That¡¯s what he was taught would happen, the wolves would take him and eat him slowly. If he was lucky, they would just slit his neck and let him dry out so the wolves could make jerky from his desiccated body. If he was unlucky, then he would be alive and conscious throughout the entire process. Amazing what your mind remembers when it is nearing death. In the moment so many lost memories came back to Frank¡¯s mind, his past. How far he had come, and ultimately how far he would never get to go. They all flashed before his eyes as he finally accepted his fate. Light. There was a solid strike to his torso, as he felt like his soul had been momentarily remerged with his body. Am I dying again? I had my soul judged and am finally going to heaven? Frank thought to himself, his lips muttering his thoughts, as he looked up and could only see the face of an angel before him. The face was of a woman who had long black hair, deep blue eyes and soft milky white skin. Then his eyes finally settled on her lips, they were pink, odd as he thought they should be red, but even still he thought they were the most beautiful lips he had ever seen at that very moment. That was why, Frank with his last vestiges of strength decided to follow through with his final thought. There at the gates of heaven, staring at an angel, Frank could only smile, before using his last vestiges of consciousness to lung forward and steal a kiss from those plump pink and supple lips. They were soft, and almost instantly Frank felt a surge of energy flow through the connection. There, now he could die happy he thought to himself, even if this kiss caused him to lose his chance at going to heaven he thought it was worth it. That was why Frank with a contented smile felt the last of his strength leave his body, as he collapsed to the ground and promptly let the darkness take him once more. Chapter 64 An Unexpected Reunion Chapter 64 An Unexpected Reunion Thump. As if falling from his death in a dream, only to be suddenly jarred awake by his spirit suddenly landing within his body, Frank was suddenly awake. Dead to the world and all related senses one second, then back and fully alive. Gasp. Just awakening, Frank felt that he had changed, though what exactly had changed was hard for him to fully process. Moving his arms and legs still felt the same. Similarly, the two different polarities of Qi running through his body also felt the same. Yet, he couldn¡¯t help but think that something fundamental had changed about his mind and body. That was when Frank tried to summon forth his Status screen, only to see that it was unavailable. Startled. Frank suddenly rose to his feet, pulling the blanket and rattling some odd plates, books and other items that had been placed around him. At the sudden clamoring of sounds, Frank also heard the presence of others coming in to join him. Only now did he realize that he was in an open hut room. Somehow, he knew it was a hut, even though his mind could only now place together the reasons why. In a way the room felt like D¨¦j¨¤ vu mixed with an odd calming effect that never seems to accompany true D¨¦j¨¤ vu like acts. For his mind both felt this moment, felt the incongruity of it, but also seemed to accept this moment. That was when Frank realized something fundamental about his current condition. Someone is injecting thoughts into my mind. That was the only reason so many different impulses made no sense to him. The scene he was in right now was meant to be D¨¦j¨¤ vu, like he had experienced this moment before. But the only problem was, he had never experienced something like this before in his life. This was a hut, his mind all but told him it was a hut. He also was being influenced, by the idea that this was a natural place for him. That this was nothing more than an average hut, with nothing overtly important to notice. But it was these forced undertones to his thoughts that forced the incongruity of the scene before him. These foreign thoughts failed to take into consideration that huts, especially thatched huts like this one, were only read about in stories. Also, looking around, Frank saw the signs of light and shadow dancing through gaps in the thatching. These were actions that Frank had grown to accept as normal during his time on the surface, but were still noted as novelty to him. No, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that someone was trying to subtly influence his mind. Then with an intense force of will, he managed to create a mental sphere around his core thoughts. There was also a weird way one particular shadow seemed to be resistant to the light, as if dancing closer to Frank through the nearby shadows, while trying to make as direct a path to Frank as possible. This didn¡¯t stop the illusion, not that he thought this room was an illusion. Chuckle. Now that Frank could focus, he could almost hear the sounds of the dancing shadow, one that all but seemed to laugh at how easy it had been to get this close to Frank. What the shadow didn¡¯t know was that Frank had long ago learned the art of staying perfectly calm and still. This was part of his personal training as a pre-cultivator, but also the only way to survive in the slums. There he had to hide often from Luther and his cronies, hiding in vents, or ducts where if he was discovered he would easily be dealt with. In such tight spaces, his sounds would double and echo around, alerting everyone to his presence. That was why Frank was able to stay perfectly still in his mind and body, watching the shadow think it had lulled Frank into acquiescence. All the while Frank waited, cycling his Qi and building up just enough to lace around his fists. Then finally when the shadow got to within the base of the bed he was in, that was when Frank struck out. SHATTER! Frank¡¯s Qi infused earth fist slammed into the shadow, and instantly broke the entire dreamscape. Once again Frank felt his spirit plummeting, as his spirit fell to earth and then he landed in his body once more. Frank startled with a jarring shock to reality, but this time something was different about his awakening. This time he managed to stay awake the entire time. Now he was in a different location, still above ground, still dealing with the light of the morning sun shining through letting him know that he should already be awake. The only problem was that, once again, these were someone else¡¯s thoughts that were meant to influence his own mind. It was clear that this was not his first time fighting through the dreamscapes of this opponent, but it was clear that this was the first time he managed to maintain his own awareness through the cycles. This time before the charade could even begin, Frank who still had positively charged energy fused to his fist, now quickly wove an alternate thread around the same fist so that the cords ran in parallel around his clenched fist. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Then before anything made any moves or gave him time to relax Frank struck out. This time he jumped up, and began shattering the bed he was in. Then when the world inevitably broke around him, he struck at the air while falling, this too created a shattered reality. Through which he struck out over and over, using both hands and eventually his own feet to strike out. It was a battle of wills at this point, and Frank was too stubborn to quit, as such he found himself fighting and breaking through reality after reality. No longer were the shadows laughing at him or seeming to taunt him. Even the rate that the shattering of dream realms happened seemed to slow down. Until finally it was just Frank, and the lingering traces of energy around him. Fine. Then slowly the lingering energy seemed to fade, as he could almost feel it accept the state of this match. With that contest over, Frank blinked once and found that he was finally in control over his body. ¡°He has awakened,¡± the voice of an old man exclaimed. Now Frank¡¯s mind and consciousness could feel that there were other entities around him. Once again, Frank began to take in mental recognition of where he was, but then found that once again the connection between him and Constance was somehow interrupted. Had it always been? Or was that a new feature. Honestly, only now that Frank was actively searching his mind did he try to see his connection to Constance. And to his surprise, he found that while the connection was there, he couldn¡¯t feel Constance at the other end of the line. ¡°You have questions?¡± The old man asked, clearly seeing the confusion run over Frank¡¯s face. During this time, Frank saw a few other people in the hut with him. Looking around, this appeared to almost be an exact copy of the hut that Frank had been attacked by the shadow in, but he had broken through that altered reality many times. Seeing the room, Frank instinctively began infusing Qi into his hands, just as he had in his dreams, but this time the action felt different, it felt real. ¡°You¡¯ve seen this place before?¡± The old man asked, drawing Frank¡¯s attention to him the way one might a startled bull that suddenly found itself inside a vase factory. Nodding. Frank just nodded his head, trying to realize if this was still a test. Then as if coming to a realization, Frank began cycling energy through the nodes in his eyes and mind in such a way that would hopefully break any lingering traces of the corrupting energy he faced. ¡°What are you talking about,¡± A second old male asked. This one seemed to be somehow hollow compared to the other elder that was present. ¡°His eyes, look, he has signs of the gift.¡± The first old man spoke. ¡°Nonsense, the gift can¡¯t form after just one soaking in the great waters.¡± The second elder stated, though even as he spoke he began to get closer to Frank. As he got closer, Frank turned his eyes and was mentally prepared to strike out at the apparition that was heading towards him. Only after seeing the intense focus in his gaze did he take a step back, though still seemed to lean forward as if inspecting Frank the way a curious wolf would, while silently evaluating a future meal. Only now, after making the mental connection did Frank begin to see a faint outline of a familiar large feral wolf around the old man. Startled. Frank saw the bird and instantly remembered it as the bird that could call forth lightning from the sky. Seeing the creature so close to him, Frank found himself once again calling more earth energy to him. Though this time there was an extra form of energy that he was not used to, a new type that seemed to interfere with the way he entered the ground earlier, though oddly enough he did feel that he had grown slightly stronger by being exposed to this new form of energy that was in his body. The new energy almost felt like it had always had room in his body, but now he found a way to fill his body with this new energy. ¡°I¡¯d watch out there, as he seems to be able to see what you really are.¡± The elder wolf spoke, and as he did, Frank once again turned his gaze to this person. Though unlike last time, Frank could see the immensely powerful spirit of an elder wolf that seemed to extend beyond his body as well. Though this wolf was leaner and wirier than their slightly younger counterpart ¡°What, that is impossible,¡± younger wolf protested. ¡°Afraid not, look at his neck, you can see the mark of the All-Father right there, showing he was chosen,¡± the wolf elder stated, and then leaning in seemed to come to a conclusion on his own. ¡°No wonder he seemed to shrug off the mysteries of the lake¡¯s embrace.¡± Hearing the comment, and seeing where the two were looking, Frank instinctively reached up a hand to the noted area, where he could feel that one of his two dark blessings seemed to be inflamed and almost bulging its way out of his skin near his exposed collarbone. Feeling the burning sensation and familiar mark on his neck, Frank understood that their name of the All-Father was likely their name for the Dark Warlock. As his mind was going over this, he paused and found himself asking. ¡°The Lake¡¯s Embrace?¡± ¡°Yes, the dream like state it puts your body through, while the waters try to heal your mind, body, and soul. You should count yourself lucky, for most either go into a coma, go mad, or rely upon the strength of a sacred animal to break free of such a state. Whereas you seem to have done so on your own, without any real assistance,¡± the wolf elder stated while stroking his silver stubble of a beard. ¡°What that is impossible, he¡¯d have to be reborn as one of our kind in order for the healing waters to truly take effect.¡± The other wolf, who was clearly a guardian protector of the elder wolf argued. ¡°And yet, here he is, and as you can tell he can both cycle energy, while not hosting the power of a great animal spirit.¡± ¡°But he is clearly an edge walker,¡± The guardian wolf exclaimed, even though it mostly seemed that he was trying to convince himself of this revelation. ¡°Exactly, quite intriguing, though it explains the blessing of the All-Father, that blessing alone should grant this boy free passage on any of our lands.¡± The elder explained, seemingly as much for Frank as for the guard who suddenly looked sick at the idea of letting Frank go. ¡°Wait, you are going to let an unnatured leave here, after seeing the sacred waters and even bathing in their essence?¡± The young guardian asked. Tinitus. As the two continued to argue about Frank¡¯s fate. Frank couldn¡¯t help but feel something was off, again mentally he reached out to the now empty socket of his mind where his connection to Constance should be. While he often dreaded her being able to read his thoughts and find out his location, he found that he now missed the sensation of somehow being connected to her on a deeper level. ¡°Is something wrong?¡± The elder paused to ask. At first Frank wanted to shake his head and answer no, as the last thing he wanted was to let these two know anything about him. Right now, he was planning his escape plan. Which as of now involved the two leaving him alone long enough for him to make a getaway, since that was as far as he had gotten in his escape plans, he decided to wait, until either he felt threatened, or he had a more concrete plan in place. The only other thing Frank noticed was that the mental compass in his mind, the one that pointed him roughly west and towards his ultimate goal was somehow also muted. Again, these odd discrepancies, along with the mental attacks he felt he had suffered seemed to indicate that some form of mental manipulation was happening here, which only caused Frank to mentally lock down his thoughts and focus on trying to draw too much attention to himself. ¡°No,¡± Frank answered finally. The old wolf just seemed to look at Frank as a slightly golden hue glinted in the old man¡¯s gaze. Shiver. Frank could tell there was a hint of energy in that gaze, but he couldn¡¯t tell what kind if any. ¡°I see¡­¡± the old man stated. KABOOOM! But before anything else could happen a violent explosion of force ripped through the air, while violently shaking the ground a half second later. Finally it seemed that Frank would once again get his chance to escape these strange lands. *** (Gunnery Sergeant Pi) It had taken days to track down the target. In fact, it was finally at the point when Sergeant Pi regretted ever going on this purging mission to begin with, as she now found herself in a far worse situation than she began. Pain. Bone dry pain. There was an intense hollow sensation that simultaneously gave Gunnery Sergeant Pi energy to move on, and motivation to end this one task quickly. She had been promised freedom, but before she could rest, she had but one job to do. To free the very monster that had started this whole process for her. Clinching the burning spot on her neck, former Sergeant Pi, or at least she would be a former Sergeant if she ever dared to show her face with her old platoon, felt her mind try to fight against the commands given to her. Go, go onto the lands of the bring back Frank Fotos. That was the last command given, and now every second she wasn¡¯t actively working towards that goal, her own blood felt like it would boil away from within her own body. That was why she moved, that was why she pushed herself and her dying powers even now. Focusing her will on an enemy within her range, she steadied her mind and activated her Magma Burst powers. Using her powers like this forced her to change faster, for the sooner she got rid of the last of her moral Qi, the earlier she would finally be allowed to either die, or worse turn into one of the enemies. However, until the change fully occurred, she was stuck in this tormented limbo where her own body would burn itself away. For a moment she thought this would be better than being corrupted, but it was hard to resist when death was staring at her. She didn¡¯t know how the monsters had done it, they found her Blue, and even the Major and managed to convert them all into a group who still had the goal of hunting down and finding Frank. But then once they found him, they could not hurt him, or at least that is what they were told. The fact that vampires, and not just any vampires came to find Frank showed that they were doing the right thing all along. But now, she too felt the call and pull on her very soul. She felt the way her soul felt like it was on fire when she tried to resist. ¡°Come on, we are close, I can all but feel his stench,¡± Major demanded, ¡°besides, it looks like we can at least take down some shifters while we are at it.¡± And like that, Pi felt a bit more resolve push her body forward, all while she felt part of her humanity get ripped away with each and every strike she made at the enemy. She was going to die, she had to, even if she was ordered not to. For she could not take this injustice, and she refused to be another statistic of a friend turned in combat. That is why she plotted and figured she would choose the moment when she would take her own life, and maybe those of her compatriots. And if she was really lucky, she would also take down Frank as well. Burble burble. Her blood boiled from within at that very thought, letting her know it was the right choice to make, a choice she would have to make when the time came. And the time was almost upon them. Interlude VI The Pacts (Constance Evans) Interlude VI The Pacts (Constance Evans) ¡°You cannot go there directly, due to the Pacts,¡± The Dark Queen stated. Her words a commandment that burned Constance from the inside out, as she desperately fought to override the exact order given to her by the Dark Queen herself. Had the words been spoken by a proxy, Constance felt she might have been able to avoid or work around the sacred oath. But for the order to come from the Dark Queen directly meant there was no ambiguity of thought, there was no misinterpretation, no misspoken words that could help Constance convince her mind otherwise. ¡°I understand,¡± Constance responded. ¡°Do you? Do you truly understand the importance of the pacts? How the pacts are all that keeps us unified against the last vestiges that dare to hold out against us? How the pacts are all that keep our fractured alliance upright and operational?¡± The Dark Queen demanded. Hearing the words, Constance¡¯s mind widened, as she had always wondered how the different factions could co-mingle and exist. From the outside, that is the side of the few remaining humans, the forces amassed against them seem undaunting. Yet, she knew from her own rescue operation, where she and her Aunt Christie and herself that the Dark Queen had to make many concessions. First and foremost, all land conquered had to be left to the control of the Corrupted Animal Kingdom, or as they liked to be called, the Akino Kingdom. Also, all bodies of people killed directly were to be left for the animals and their young to feed off of. From the brief interaction, Constance also realized that much like the vampires, there were many different factions within the Akino Kingdom. The rats, serpents, and others all had their distinct roles and purposes. Together they came together to fight as one, but outside of that, it was clear that tensions rose within their ranks. Now, from just being here, a part of this new operation. Constance saw, or rather was allowed to see via the Far Viewing powers of the most capable of vampires, how the were-community was also fractured. They too only put on a front when the time arose, and until then they would fight and bicker amongst themselves just as the others all had. Again, these were subjects that could not be spoken about or uttered, for the sheer knowledge that they existed would threaten to unravel the very nature of what has made them so successful to this point. Taking a breath, Constance calmed her mind and answered. ¡°I believe I do understand,¡± she quipped. Then a look of irritation filled her as she almost wanted to utter the most sacrilege of things, for a moment Constance almost thought of questioning the Dark Queen of her very actions. As the thought seemed to come to mind, the Dark Queen herself coiled inward, as if a serpent ready to strike. It was only the slight notice of movement and the intense warning of fear that rang echoingly in her mind that Constance stopped. Then with great will of effort, she exhaled as she let the Dark Queen take on her role as leader of the faction. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Yet, it was all so frustrating. ¡°Good, now you have already set your proxies into the territory to act as your behalf, let them work.¡± The Dark Queen commanded. Hearing her, there was no argument, though Constance did have to wonder. ¡°You have questions on why your proxies can work for a cause, but not you?¡± The Dark Queen pressed, as even now the dark acolytes responsible for Far Viewing began working in unison. Seven dark angels at seven points, working their energies in unison to bring about one purpose, to show everyone gathered how the proxies were doing. ¡°Yes,¡± Constance admitted, lowering her head as she spoke. She knew it was her job to follow, that the Dark Queen would lead, and it would be her obligation to enact the will of her immortal queen. ¡°Right now, these proxies. These former elite soldiers are just being influenced by the dark, slowly being brought over to our side. Technically, they could fall to any of the seven great factions, which is why they are allowed to go freely and see which grouping is best for them.¡± The Dark Queen spoke. As she did, Constance began to understand the intricacies of deception. While it was true that these beings were not fully changed and turned vampires, they were not truly capable of being swayed to one side or another. Constance knew this, the Weres whose lands these proxies entered knew this, as did every other sentient creature of the other nations. Thus, it was by technicality that they were allowed to enter. ¡°Yes, you see the fact that it is but a technicality that we are allowed to let them enter. While they were following our rules, how they followed those rules was entirely up to them. Also, know that if they fail, then they were not worthy of joining either sect. If they succeed and make it back here with the prize that we both covet, then we will pay just compensation for any damages these vassals took part in.¡± The Dark Queen continued explaining the intricacies of her machinations. This was a lot to take in, but was important as it helped Constance understand so much. With that Constance turned back to the rendered image that played out like a movie before them. Though unlike a true movie, this was a real time view of a slowly dying special forces unit burning through their reserves of strength, fighting off werewolves and were-birds as well. Watching, Constance remembered when she was under similar orders. She too had been ordered to fight to the last, as she did, she felt her source of energy slowly dry up and finally shatter. At that moment she felt the most lonely. Shiver. Watching, Constance realized that they could be saved. At least, that was the thought she had, for the Dark Queen was correct, right now these three warriors were not fully converted, not yet at least. But by wasting away all of their mortal energy, they would force their bodies to change, particularly if they wanted to maintain some connection to their previous powers. So far, there had only been one person who had been able to stave off the conversion process. Someone who was just as much a sample of the living, as he had always been. Seeing that man, her Frank, there and alone on the werewolf territories caused a faint pulse of understanding to tingle awake in her mind. ¡°You want Frank because he can go onto any territory?¡± Constance finally asked, wondering why the Dark Queen favored their ancient connection so much. ¡°Exactly, while his connection to you is muted while on consecrated land of the other pact holders, it is still there. With the two of you, I plan on making an army of elite soldiers capable of going anywhere, at any time. Even on lands that would normally be protected by the pacts would be fully within our grasps. You see that water in the background?¡± The Dark Queen asked, pointing to a slightly bubbling hot spring that was in the background. Looking at the image, Constance saw the water, but then saw how it slowly changed and altered based on her viewing. ¡°Yes,¡± Constance finally managed to say. ¡°That is the water of clarity, every great shaman of the tribes uses that very water to strengthen their powers of prophecy. If we could get but a liter of that water here, then every Diviner before you, would have their powers increased tenfold.¡± The Dark Queen stated. Hearing that, Constance could only nod, for the werewolf shamans were known for their innate ability to divine the future. Right now, there was no such thing as divination within the vampire community, the closest thing they had were these vision walkers, or those who could project their sight outwards. By working in tandem a group could then use relics of the past to present what they were seeing, but to be able to truly predict the future, would make the vampires even more capable. ¡°I understand,¡± Constance stated. ¡°Do you? Do you realize this is but one of the many blessings we could get, how we could take the strengthening stones that the mighty Insectoid tribes to the east take, and more?¡± The Dark Queen asked. Suddenly, Constance realized why so much attention was being placed on Frank. At least, the Dark Queen¡¯s sudden and undisguised interest became apparent. But how long until others thought of these very same loopholes for their own factions. The Queen not only wanted to keep the sacred pacts in place, but then to be able to have unstoppable agents capable of going anywhere and accessing all the sacred products that made each of the seven factions unique and unstoppable in their own rights. Realizing that so much was happening, Constance turned back to the viewer and saw something that made her blood run cold. For there was Frank, frantically dragging and working on an injured were-female. Seeing him care so deeply for another woman made Constance¡¯s blood boil, just before she found her instincts taking over and all but demanding her to go and rip that woman from her soul partner¡¯s hands, echoing words of power rang out in her mind. ¡°Sit down, now and do not rise until I tell you to.¡± The Dark Queen demanded, and as had always been the case, Constance obeyed. Chapter 65 Traitors Among Us Chapter 65 Traitors Among Us Rumble. The world shook, as Frank could sense and feel Necromantic powers. Or powers that his mind now associated with Negatively polarized Life energy. It was odd, for the power felt, well he didn¡¯t know how it felt, as it was tainted and diluted. But after a few concussive bursts, the power that he was feeling honestly felt familiar. Not that he knew the sources of the bursts of energy he was now sensing at the end of his periphery, but the power that was coming had a faint echo of something real, something tangible to him. ¡°Constance?¡± Frank uttered, his mind drawing parallels to the senses that his mind could not comprehend fast enough. Though after he uttered the name of his bonded, he knew the comment to be correct. Well not completely accurate, as it was still off, then he realized that it was the same type of energy that she was exposed to. How he could feel these monsters from so far away astounded him. Only once he realized they were around his converted pillar, did his newfound awareness make sense. While he couldn¡¯t truly mesh his senses with the pillar, it seemed that his initial senses were close enough to the pillar, whereby the pillar seemed to act as an amplifier and spread his senses out even further, like a natural repeater would. Frank could feel the life forms of three distinct bodies, though only two were close enough to the pillar for Frank to even make out their forms. There was a third, but that one seemed to weaving in and around the field. ¡°Ambush!¡± The Shaman elder, Prentip, exclaimed. Hearing that, the second elder, Erloche rose to his feet made a formal fist pounding gesture against his chest, and then turned to leave the hut. At that, an attractive female burst through the hut¡¯s opening. Seeing her, Frank instantly winced as his breath caught in his chest at the sight of the woman. She was a toned fit warrior who upon making eye contact, Frank felt an intensity that was hard to describe. Even the woman seemed to pause, as she just stared at Frank for a moment. Fortunately, the clan elder was there, and either didn¡¯t notice the awkward pause between the two, or chose to address the immediate issues at hand. ¡°Ah, Ravena, it is good that you arrived, please have your team provide protection over this sacred guest of our shrine,¡± the elder Prentip stated. Hearing his voice, cause the momentary pause between the two to break, although Frank was certain that if he looked back now, he could feel the intensely powerful gaze of the female stealing subtle glances at him. Though to be honest Frank himself wanted to look at her, to peer into those piercingly blue eyes, if only for a moment. But he knew that would be bad, as it would change something fundamental in him. Something that he didn¡¯t want to change, at least not at the moment. ¡°Come with me,¡± Ravena demanded. Frank was about to rise up and follow the warrior, as her demeanor instantly changed to that of a seasoned warrior, one who was used to getting her way. There was just one problem, Frank realized almost too late that his clothes were set out to dry a few feet away. Seeing the pause, and then the fact that Frank¡¯s eyes immediately focused on his now drying clothes, the old shaman just chuckled. ¡°Perhaps you should wait outside Ravena, until our guest here is in a more suitable condition to actually meet you.¡± Hearing the words, Ravena paused, and then her pale skin suddenly turned beet red when she realized what the issue was. ¡°Right,¡± Ravena stammered out as she quickly left the hut. KA-BOOM!! Another violent strike erupted, though this one seemed to be less devastating than the last, despite it being closer. ¡°Ah looks like I too will be needed, now please get dressed and most of all, welcome to the pack.¡± The old shaman said, giving a sly wink before turning to the door where he instantly began forming into the bestial form of an old thinning haired werewolf. Seeing the change, Frank wondered exactly how these dark realms operated, for as far as he could tell there was no rhyme or reason to the changes he observed in each section. Just that each section seemed to be wholly independent of the others, despite being part of the unified dark lands. Of course, Frank pondered this as he quickly rose up and put on his underclothes, and then his well worn pants and what remained of his shirt. His clothes had clearly seen better days, or maybe months at this rate. Still, they were enough to cover him, at least for now. As he exited, Frank saw something that he never thought he would get to experience. For the first time, Frank saw an actual elite team of warriors squaring off against corrupted beasts. Though, looking at the three elite soldiers, it was clear that they were seemingly just as corrupted as the werewolves that they were now pitted against were. Actually, pausing for a moment, Frank used his newly enhanced senses and was surprised that he could feel the corruption, or negative polarity of life energy coursing through these three in a violent process. In his mind, he felt the training of Dr. Evans coming back to him. Teaching where he saw the rampant spread of diseases and viruses going through bodies, infecting flesh, and rendering bodies useless. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°At first, the patient will often not experience or exhibit any signs of strain, as their bodies will be able to moderately quarantine the damages being inflicted. The problem comes when the illness is given time to take root, from which it will eventually spread out and devour the body whole. Even now, Frank could feel the corrosive nature of the life consuming energy taking root in their bodies. It was odd, for in this state, Frank could swear that the process was reversable, as it hadn¡¯t fully taken hold. If given enough time Frank was certain these people could create alternating channels of energy, just as he had for Earth energy. While his body had long since grown use to the infusion of negatively charged life energy, at least that is what he assumed to be the case. Yet, if he focused, he could tell that his core was still that of highly purified life energy, energy that all flowed and utilized the same polarity. Yet, for some reason, despite constant exposures to corrupted life energy, Frank just now realized that his body never let such energies take root within his body. ¡°Finally, come with me and don¡¯t get lost!¡± Ravena¡¯s voice cut through the fog of war, as Frank watched what could only be called a blood bath, as Wolves and giant Avian creatures fought and struck at the hostile invaders. Watching the two differing tribes of weres come together was odd, but reminded Frank of ants. At least what he expected would happen when two opposing colonies found a mutual enemy between them. Just as in nature, the two opposing colonies banded together against the outside force, before shifting their attention back to each other. This time it was no different. Well there was a difference, for this time, Frank was here. Watching the three highly trained individuals, Frank knew what they could do, and worse how they would coordinate their movements with each other. ¡°Watch right!¡± Frank called out, gesturing to his right. Just like that, a few wolves looked back to see him, which caused them to be distracted while Major charged forward and all but tackled two wolves to the ground. For a moment, Frank wondered why he did this, as the man was clearly more capable than that minor act as an S-Rank, but it only took a quick glance Frank¡¯s Energy Sight to show that the once indomitable core of the great Major was now left with little more than dregs of power. Worse, it seemed that the core of the Major was so depleted that his core was close to shattering. Seeing the Major in such a state, Frank quickly switched targets to see that both the Gunnery Sargent and Martial Sargent were similarly close to collapsing. Before Frank knew what was happening, he found his legs bursting forward, fueled by strength and speed that he did not remember possessing earlier. The world blurred past him, as even his enhanced eyes couldn¡¯t keep up with the imagery and level of detail that he had experienced a second ago with his Energy Sight activated. Still he moved, keeping his Energy Sight activated as he began assisting the werewolves and avian creatures in their strikes. Thump-ba-dump. Behind him, Frank could hear the sound of wolves chasing after him. It was clear from the sounds that Ravena and her entourage had all shifted and were now trying to keep up with Frank. Which before his time being immersed within the land would have made for a much shorter run, as they would have easily caught up to him at that time. Now though, now he was rested. Now he felt the power of the earth beneath his feet, empowering him and all but propelling him forward with fluid grace. Better still, upon seeing Frank, the trio that had been engaged with the werewolves seemed to have noticed him, and suddenly shifted their focus. No longer were these three content with fighting and using their last bursts of energy to maim or kill one or two more were creatures. Instead, they all saw Frank and immediately began focusing on him. Frank had expected this, as their paranoia and anger at his duality seemed to border on psychosis at this point. Yet, these three were not aware of the new Frank, nor his capabilities. Reaching out, Frank felt the thick clusters of negatively formed life energy. These were giant clumps that were the very anchor point from which all other corruption spread. These were also the same clumps that were infusing the three former soldiers¡¯ bodies with enhanced strength, speed, and toughness that a normal cultivator would not be capable of matching. With their anchors so readily exposed, and the power they exuded so familiar to him, it only took a second for Frank to mentally reach out to those corrupted nodes of energy and pull. That¡¯s right pull, not burst, as had been Frank¡¯s first impulse. The idea of detonating the corrupted anchor spots within the three soldiers seemed too easy, especially as all three were right at the neck. Right near the corroded artery. Meaning even a minor eruption would cause near death conditions, even for cultivators as powerful as these three. Immediately, three black pulsing sacs of corruption were pulled from the three. At that moment, everyone seemed to halt their movements. That or the world just seemed to slow down to a halt for Frank, even as he pushed his body forward at an exceptional pace. The three soldiers took first one, then collapsed before taking their second step as each grasped for the gaping wounds on their necks. Only the Major managed to stagger back to his feet, as he took a third step, before he fell once again and collapsed completely. With them down on the ground, Frank who still felt a minor pull of control over the sacs that had since fallen to the ground, used his tethered connection to them and detonated all three. Pop-pop-pop. The three sacs made an oddly unsatisfying burst at the detonation. Frank knew first hand how devastating such packs could be, but then paused as he remembered that before such sacks were in either zombies or other corrupted beasts. He had never seen the effect on just the dark energy itself, which sadly left much to be desired. There was a momentary pause, as all three would be invaders lay on the ground slumped over clutching their necks. Even now, their bodies seemed to glow brightly to Frank¡¯s sight with multiple claw wounds and lacerations everywhere. Then a glance around showed that the wolves who had been fighting a moment ago suddenly turned their gazes at Frank and just stared in disbelief. Even the few Avian shifters that had been flying about soon landed, some violently so, as they too began to change back and stare at Frank with their hawk like eyes. ¡°AHHH!¡± There was a moment of silence, before Erloche still in his werewolf form broke the silence and charged forward, claws fully extended to strike at the down and defenseless warriors. ¡°Stop!¡± Frank wanted to call out, but found his voice suddenly dry. SWOOSH! Fortunately, Frank didn¡¯t have to do anything, as the wise shaman stopped the charging warrior with an odd Telekinetic burst that grabbed and hurled the warrior away. It was a defensive measure as it was clear that the warrior was not hurt by the attack, especially as he landed feet first and was ready to pounce again as needed. Though he held himself as he looked at the man who stopped him. Seeing that it was the leader of his tribe that had stopped him, Erloche looked momentarily defeated as if he couldn¡¯t believe such a feat would happen. Only after a second, did Frank realize that the person who yelled for everyone to stop had also been the shaman leader. By now the Shaman leader was in between the members of his pack, and the three clearly bleeding out human warriors. Humans whose cores and bodies were so corrupted that they couldn¡¯t even generate enough energy to make one last desperate strike. ¡°These are your people, are they not?¡± The Shaman turned to Frank. Hush. At the wise man¡¯s words, everyone fell silent, even the groaning of the three soldiers seemed to die down, as they too seemed to want to know what was happening and why they were all still alive. Looking at the trio, Frank wanted to first disavow ever knowing them, but then looking at the eyes of the Shaman, Frank felt he understood where this was going. And if it was going where he thought, then he had a plan in mind. ¡°I do know of these three, that is correct,¡± Frank answered diplomatically. ¡°You were also the one to disable these three, as such I will offer you the right to choose the punishment for these three.¡± The wise shaman stated. Murmur. With that proclamation, many of the wolves and avians both began conversing amongst themselves. ¡°SILENCE!¡± This time it was the second, pudgy bird shaman that yelled out. Frank had not seen the man approach, which was frightening as he had apparently been standing right beside Frank. ¡°Wiseman Prentip is correct, this is an honored guest for both our tribes. As such, we will offer him the option of how his fellow pack members will be treated.¡± The Avian Shaman stated. This too was a test, one that Frank had almost expected. The words about Frank being an honored guest rang true. While they could be taken out of context and noted as condescending or mocking, were spoken with nothing but the truth behind them, causing Frank to ponder. Frank was confused for a moment as to why both shaman would consider him, of all people, to be an honored guest, but he figured it likely had something to do with the earthen pillar he created, one that caused a minor scrimmage to break out between the two tribes. Though it appeared that such fights were common place, and likely meant to keep everyone sharp, as this little incident proved. For while the tribes had been caught off guard, both rallied together with seemingly minimal casualties, if any. Silence. Only after a moment did Frank realize that all eyes, from the two different tribes of were creatures, to the three former fellow soldiers were all on him. Looking down at the trio, Frank could almost feel the exhaustion, the taste of defeat rolling off of them in waves. Seeing them in such a state, Frank could only smile inwardly as a plan came to mind. Realizing that they would never know what it was like to be like him, or to be like these were creatures, people who were in tune with balance of both positive and negative elements, they would never truly grow. ¡°Yes, I have plan for these three,¡± Frank said, a cold smile filling the corners of his lips. ¡°I will heal them, make them as me,¡± Frank began, but then paused as he realized who exactly he was speaking to. ¡°As us, then we will send them back to the same society that shuns us for just being alive.¡± ¡°What?¡± The Major cried out, blood sputtering out of his hand as he tried to rise to his feet, to protest the sentence. But he soon passed out completely from blood loss as his wound while not immediately lethal was still severe enough to render him nearly immobile. Seeing the Major down, Frank rushed to his side, and began working. ¡°Grab the others, see that they too survive this, so that they can finally understand what it is like to be an edge walker,¡± Frank stated, using the word and phrase that had seemed so odd to him at first, but now felt so natural to use and be. And like that, the packs moved as one, restraining the two others, while forcefully applying force to the neck, while Frank began using his primary power, an F-Ranked power, one considered to be the weakest due to its range limitation, to heal the Major. As he healed, he also made sure that the corruption in the Major¡¯s body was subdued, not removed, just rendered inert. This would be his punishment for the trio, to be forcefully changed, just like he was. Chapter 66 A Simple Life? (A Month Later) Chapter 66 A Simple Life? (A Month Later) A calm cool breeze drifted its way through the now cultivated fields. The winds felt good, crisp, as they mixed with the sweat beading down Frank¡¯s body cooling him off instantly, while helping to replenish some of the aches in his body. This was the first time in forever that the fields of the midlands had been plowed. Surprisingly the fields seemed to welcome the tilling, as they seemed to easily adapt and change to Frank¡¯s presence. While he could and would use his newly found earth manipulation to alter the fields as needed, he often found that this was not necessary. Working with the land and soil, Frank realized that the earth loved life, that it all but radiated intent to help with life. Even negatively charged earth planes loved life, they just supported it differently. Positively charged soil would utilize an abundance of nutrients to grow certain types of plants. While negatively charged soil was great at decomposing wastes, and producing plants that thrived on decay and rot. The entire process had been eye opening, freeing in a way. Working directly with the land, Frank felt that his understanding and connection to the earth had increased by ten-fold. Out here, life was simple. Well, that isn¡¯t exactly true, for Frank was realizing that everywhere life had its challenges. Rather, Frank was realizing that plains living might call to him. ¡°Taking a break already?¡± Ravena asked, her tone light as she came to check over how Frank and the other recently converted were doing. ¡°Just catching my breathe,¡± Frank said as he took a moment to inspect what he had done. From a glance it was clear what had been done. Fields that would normally take months to till, plant, and cultivate were finished in weeks. Looking back over the lands he had just aligned to grow, Frank saw the Major and the others being watched and guarded by Ravena¡¯s pack members to disperse seeds on the land. The entire process looked like the type of horror stories one would hear about during SERE training. Where you were captured, experimented on, and then forced to do manual labor while others watched. That was exactly the case for the Major and others that had spent their lives and now their freedoms to track Frank down. But that wasn¡¯t the end of it, in fact what he had just described could barely be considered a start of what had happened. All the components were correct, the Major and his lackies were taken in, corrupted and then left to die. But the plains walkers were different. While the vampires might corrupt people and leave them to fend on their own, with only minimal guidance and minimal orders. The plains walkers, the weres of the fields, took in strays and converted them. Strays, that¡¯s what the wildlings like the Major and crew were called. Of course, strays could only stay in bonded pairs, meaning you either came in with a partner, or you found one. Those were the rules apparently, the idea being that having a mated pair made you more stable to the community as a whole. As of now, Gunnery Sergeant Pi and Martial Sergeant Blue were considered a bonded pair. While it was slightly frowned upon to come in as a bonded pair, they still a pair, making them viable. After that, it was the Major who had his choice of the still as yet, unbonded pack females. Though apparently, he only had eyes for one woman of the pack, the same woman that went out of her way to talk to Frank at every chance she got. For his part, Frank understood the nuances of pack life. Especially after the village chieftain pointed out the rules of the pack to him directly. That conversation was the one where the chieftain made not so subtle hints about the availability of certain overtures that Frank might otherwise not be fully aware of.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. CA-CAW! A piercing cry of one of the aviary weres cried out as well. That was the thing, for the moment there was a truce between the tribes of wolves and eagles, as both tribes looked to strengthen their stock with new converts. ¡°Another good day Frank?¡± The voice of Drava, the aviary chieftain¡¯s daughter. Well one of his unpaired daughters who had taken it as a personal task to come over and help watch the unpaired weres. ¡°You could say that,¡± Frank answered a slight smile forming on his lips as he greeted and gave a slight head bow to Drava. At the gesture, Frank saw Ravena¡¯s body posture tighten just a fraction. It was clear that she took offense to the very sight of Drava on what she considered her pack territory. Had he not had the conversation with the chieftain, Frank would have assumed that the animosity lied with that alone, the fact that members of a different pack were now encroaching on her territory. As was becoming more and more the custom there was a slight air of tension that seemed to permeate the air. While that was indeed part of the issue, Frank also realized that part of the issue now was that Frank was apparently a piece of contention. He could see it, in subtle things, the way the two glared at each other when they both assumed Frank wasn¡¯t paying attention. The way they both seemed to bicker and harp at differences in opinions, if only to find ways to argue. For the first time in his life, Frank felt wanted. No, more then that, Frank felt that he could for a moment take a break. That if he wanted to, he could stop here and now. If he pushed, Frank could form a lasting bond between the two tribes of weres. Both chieftains even hinted at a possible joint ceremony between Frank and members of both tribes, when it was clear that Frank himself couldn¡¯t decide. Not everything was perfect. There were of course the lurking vipers within the ranks. For while many unbonded pairs tried their hand at luring Frank, just as many unbonded male counterparts seemed to take umbrage with the attention given to Frank. Chief among the detractors was the Major himself, who always seemed to glower at Frank, as if waiting for a moment when Frank would drop his guard, only to be struck down. While Frank was confident in both himself and his ability to take on the Major, particularly now that the Major¡¯s core of power had been shattered and altered, there were still other issues that Frank would have to deal with. Chief among his concerns were the fact that the Major was already powerful before the transformation, that strength of body was only further enhanced by the transformation into were society. What the Major seemed to be losing in distance attack power, he was more than making up for in terms of a strengthened body. The longer the two waited, the more prominent the changes in the Major¡¯s physical characteristics took place. Also, there was the rage. From what Frank could gather, rage was an integral part of any were, for the rage helped the body transition beyond its limits and was important for the first few changes. This was also where a pair bond was important, for the mated pair could help quell the rage if need be, or help alter a transformation to a more manageable state. It was also said that weres who were bonded could eventually change without the need of rage or other intense emotions at all. That was yet more reason why bonding as a pair was so important to were society. The more Frank heard, the more he seemed to come to appreciate the simple, yet complex life of weres and their pack societies. Even the different species of weres had their own customs and traditions that were similar but nuanced for very specific reasons. The wolves favored strength and the ability to protect. While the eagles favored vision and the ability to avoid direct danger at all costs, preferring to strike a weak spot or opening in the enemy defenses. Both were equally effective, but they also showed the distinct and different natures between the two tribes. For his part, Frank found the value of both sets of ideals, though he couldn¡¯t tell you which one would be the best overall. ¡°You ready for tonight?¡± Drava asked. The question was clearly directed at Frank, but was said in such a way that everyone of the newly indoctrinated members of were society could respond. ¡°What¡¯s happening tonight?¡± Blue asked, her voice dry, as her body still seemed to be having a hard time adapting to all its recent changes. ¡°Tonight will mark your month long cycle since your arrival. Today your bodies will undergo the changes to whatever pack you will spend the rest of your life as a member of,¡± Ravena answered, while she spoke to Pi and Blue, her eyes flickered to Frank at the end of her explanation. ¡°This is where we find out if we become members of the wolf or the eagles?¡± Pi asked to confirm. ¡°Among others, as it is not uncommon for mutations to occur,¡± Drava answered, though her response only seemed to spark even more questions. Seeing the look of confusion that came across everyone¡¯s faces, Ravena held up her hand to stop any future questions. ¡°Before you ask, there is little chance of mutations occurring. Basically, what will happen is, you will be asked to choose from a possible mate candidate. Then that mate will begin the process of trying to convert you to their respective sect,¡± Ravena explained, then seeing both converts Blue and Pi looking confused, she elaborated. ¡°For those who are already a bonded pair, you will be able to choose which sect you would prefer to join. Then a mentoring pair from that sect will be chosen to help your conversion process.¡± ¡°What exactly is part of this conversion process?¡± The Major asked. With that, a slight hush fell over the fields as all the assigned watchers of the new set of four candidates watched on in muted silence. Their silence causing a palpable surge of energy to form as they all seemed ready to strike down any of the four who might choose this moment to run away. Frank felt this, but did not quite understand the reason why his mind made this apparent correlation. Instead, all he could do was watch on and see what transpired. ¡°It is best that you see it for yourself tonight, when you are able to fully experience the process for yourself,¡± Ravena answered. Her tone resonated with an edge of finality that seemed to indicate that nothing further would be spoken about for that subject at this time. Seeing her resolve, and seeming to glance around at the sudden tension that was building within the air, the Major could only nod to himself, while answering, ¡°understood.¡± And like that the sudden tension that had been building between everyone suddenly dissipated. Drum beats. Off in the distance, the sounds of booming drums could be heard thrumming outward with an undeniable intensity. ¡°Looks like it is almost time for us all to begin,¡± Drava noted, going over and grabbing Frank¡¯s arm before he could move on his own. Then as if trying to add extra energy to the moment, Drava tried to distract Ravena long enough for her to get her talons firmly hooked into Frank. ¡°Perhaps you should help the Major here find his way?¡± Drava asked Ravena. Hearing that, Ravena¡¯s eyes went wide for a moment, before rage seemed to take over her otherwise gentle features. Fortunately before she could reply, one of the wolves who was on guard detail spoke up for Ravena, ¡°that will not be necessary, for I will make sure the Major is prepared and ready for the ceremony.¡± At that, Drava just gave a slight shrug and seemed to offer a what can you do attitude to that response, before responding, ¡°very well.¡± ¡°We should get going,¡± Ravena said, then gestured for two more weres to take both Blue and Pi as well. With that, everyone had at least one or more guards assigned to them, as they all prepared for the ritual of final transformation. This would be the final process needed to fully awaken the transformative genes within everyone gathered. Genes that have now had over a month to take root and alter the very biological makeup of the four individuals. ¡°You ready?¡± Drava asked Frank, her mouth so close, that he could feel her breath on his ear, causing chills to run down his spine. Not rising to the bait, Frank composed himself and responded resolutely, ¡°yes.¡± Though in his mind, he knew something was off about this whole situation. Chapter 67 The Bonfire to the Heavens Chapter 67 The Bonfire to the Heavens The festivities started easily enough. It began with a bonfire. Well not just any bonfire, but a magically enhanced fire. While not fully able to grasp the use of elements, the fact that Frank could feel the different elements at all was huge. Watching the great flames that began with but tiny cinders, first at first. But then as soon as both Prentip and the elusive Avian Shaman both worked the flames in unison. It was a give and take, Prentip provided the energy and baseline fuel to be burned. While the Avian Shaman used air and wind generated by his wings. Wings that he was able to manifest from his arms without fully shifting into the form of a bird. That sight alone was impressive, made doubly so when Drava came over to explain. ¡°See those wings, that is a sign of full acceptance of the beast. That is the ultimate form of dominance for any shifter to achieve,¡± Drava spoke directly into Frank¡¯s ear. As she did, her words caused an involuntary shiver to run down Frank¡¯s spine due to the closeness and intimacy of the gesture. At this reaction, Ravena seemed to grow incensed as she angrily retorted from Frank¡¯s other side, ¡°yes, when you are chosen by the great spirits, you too will learn to accept your fate. Either being free and the protectors of the earth, or you will be given a lesser role.¡± The comment was clear, and a direct challenge to Drava, as it was without a doubt that of all the shifters that Frank had noticed until now, the wolves were definitely more attuned to the earth. This balance and symmetry with the Earth is likely why the wolves felt such a strong attraction to Frank. It was obvious from the way they all worked with him, to the way they showed differential treatment to Frank over the other new future pack members. To make matters even more interesting was the fact that the Aviary tribe had made it a habit of sticking around and watching Frank and the others during this month long lead up to the full moon. ¡°You see that, we still have over a few hours until the moon will reach its zenith, but until then we must light the way for all spirits to find us.¡± Drava continued, as she pointed to the green flames that were coursing higher and higher into the air. At its base, Frank understood that green flames were not necessarily hotter, but rather meant that chemicals were added to the flames. While these might be toxic to mortals, or beings that had not undergone the process of adapting to negative energy types. To Frank the green flames felt smooth. He couldn¡¯t quite place his finger on why there was a change, only that there was. Part of the changes that Frank felt were due to how easy it was to take in and adapt both forms of energy now that they were burnt down to their base components. In this, Frank found that while he still couldn¡¯t control the flames, he could feel the effects of the charred earth that was left behind. There the faint chemical fires did two things. First, the green fire infused harsh chemical residue into the earth, making it corrupted, or at least what Frank used to consider being corrupted. The second, and seemingly oddest part of these flames was that by burning away the impurities, while part of the lands were corrupted, the other half were cleansed. At its heart, this ceremony, of starting late in the evening, gathering kindling and lighting it ablaze with odd shaman energies somehow created the balance that all shifters seemed to harp upon. ¡°Impressive, isn¡¯t it?¡± Drava asked, her words and mouth so close that Frank could almost feel her lips caressing his ear. ¡°Yes, very much so,¡± Frank responded, slightly tilting his head away. Not because the attention from Drava was unwanted, but rather the response from Ravena on his other side became increasingly hostile. Tension.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. At first Ravena¡¯s whole body tightened, but then relaxed subtly at the way Frank moved away. Rather than rising to the obvious bait that Drava was now setting for Ravena, she instead went with something else. ¡°What do you see, when you see the flames?¡± Ravena asked. Hearing that, Frank turned his head and stared directly into Ravena¡¯s deep dark eyes. Eyes that seemed to dance under the shifting gaze of the green flames that seemed to cover the surrounding area. Flames that Frank was certain were now visible from miles around. As he locked gazes with Ravena, Frank wondered if his eyes gave him away. The look on Ravena showed that she was expecting something deep and profound from this question. How he knew this, he didn¡¯t quite know. For a moment, he thought about switching the subject, asking something along the lines of what made her ask this, but ultimately decided to answer with the truth. ¡°I see the balance, the flames both purify part of the land, while infusing corruption into the other half.¡± Frank explained, using the words and terms that both this society and his former society both seemed to use. Then pausing for a moment, Frank pondered about the idea of his former society? Just having that thought, one that his mind seemed to easily accept made him pause for a moment. Had he moved on? It had barely been over a month, right? Well closer to two or more months now since he was tried, convicted, and sent off to die. Only to then have to deal with people actually trying to kill him. With so much going on, Frank didn¡¯t really have a moment to sit down and think. But that was what this ceremony was, the last step in completely renouncing his former life and accepting his new one. In his last life, or the society before this one, he had seen great things. Though he had a lot of issues and doubts that he faced along the way. Why was it that out here, in a gathering of complete strangers that he felt both accepted and at home. No, home wasn¡¯t quite the right word, for he could move about the area and feel just as safe and secure. Then the better word came to mind. He was at peace. His mind, and body had time to relax, to fully heal. Better still, with the shifters, he found it was that perfect middle ground that he himself had already started journeying upon. That realm of balance, one capable of adapting and progressing to meet the way the world would eventually end up. The only downside in this balanced approach was that they lacked the true strength that came from fully embracing on of the two ends. By choosing to straddle both positive and negative energy, and being able to move about freely on either, they gave up true power. Though in a way, the ability to survive in either territory was an exceptional power on its own. Due to this ability to realm walk, or go onto either sets of lands, the shifters were often employed as the brokers between both sides. Also, the shifters were also the ones who were employed to explore enemy areas and provide details to different generals and leaders. Hearing this, Frank found out that it was actually members of the shifter tribe who provided the details necessary for the Dark Queen¡¯s forces to raid his academy with such choreographed precision. They were even the ones who found out the attendees and when the optimal time to strike would be. It was due to this intelligence gathering and brokering that the shifters themselves did not need to partake in the actual battle. This was the role of the shifters, a needed role, but one that Frank realized might become obsolete once the humans were completely irradicated. ¡°Everything okay?¡± Drava asked to the back of his head, as now even Ravena seemed to be shocked. Frank who had apparently got too lost in his own thoughts blinked and was about to respond in the affirmative, but then paused. ¡°No,¡± Frank responded honestly. As he did, he found his body rising up, an automatic reflex to feeling incoming danger. There was something off, something that his mind and other senses were trying to warn him about, but he could not quite place his finger on what exactly was happening. ¡°What is it?¡± Ravena asked. Shaking his head, Frank closed his eyes and lowered his head as he let his mind filter out the distractions and focus on where his mind was noticing the disparity, the incongruity. Yet, the more he felt, the more he realized he couldn¡¯t quite explain his unease. Then he relaxed his mind and let his powers seep out into the earth, where he asked the earth itself if it felt anything. That¡¯s when the earth responded. Tension. Frank felt the ground rumbling, warning him of an invasion. No, not just one invasion, but multiple invasions. Forces from miles away were all gathering, no charging forward, their pace exceptionally quick, but also measured in their pace. But not just from one side or direction, but from seeming every direction at once. Worse, some were staggered, only now seeming to come into range of Frank¡¯s senses. Senses that had seemed to grow exponentially. Feeling so many threats all charging forward, Frank shook his head dismissing the suddenly deep connection to the earth and explained. ¡°Forces are coming, hundreds, no maybe thousands? From all directions!¡± Frank called out, then turning to Prentip he shouted, making sure the old shaman heard him. At first Erloche and the other warriors seemed to get agitated by this sudden disruption. But all Prentip did was raise one old gnarled hand and with but a raised finger waiting for patience calmed the masses, and then seemed to focus as he too closed his eyes and lowered his head. This time Frank could see glowing blue lights appear from the eye sockets of the old man. Seeing the act, and realizing how familiar the movement of the old man was, as he just performed a similar action he turned to Ravena. Ravena seeing his movement from the corner of her eyes turned to once again lock gazes with Frank. Then as if able to somehow read his mind, she responded. ¡°Similar,¡± Ravena responded with a nod. ¡°Similar?¡± Frank parroted back. ¡°Yeah, but your eyes glowed brown, but no less intensely,¡± Drava explained from Frank¡¯s left side. Once again, her face and mouth close to the side of his face, but not as close as she had been a moment ago as she now seemed to have to bend over his massive shoulder to achieve the same form of intimacy. Turning his head to his left, he locked gazes with Drava, who all but seemed to burst into smile at the sudden attention from Frank. Seeing the excitement, Frank paused, and then almost asked, but instead chose to just watch for the moment. Once again, as if seeming to understand the question that Frank was attempting to ask, before his mind could fully form the words, Ravena responded, once again pulling Frank¡¯s gaze away from Drava. ¡°Yes, glowing eyes is a sign of one who is destined for greatness,¡± Ravena began, but was cut off by Drava. ¡°It is also a prerequisite for being considered a shaman,¡± Drava added. ¡°A shaman?¡± Frank asked, his mind working quickly as he was now able to answer a lot of the underlying questions that had plagued him since he first got here. The stares from Erloche and those that Frank considered the old guard of the clan¡¯s shaman. The sudden attention from both Drava and Ravena, both powerful females who held a massive amount of sway in their respective tribes. ¡°Yes, and when you are given the choice of which tribe to choose, know that choosing my tribe will only bring us together,¡± Drava explained. Click. And with that one statement, the final piece of the puzzle fell into place. ¡°There is a choice?¡± Frank asked. ¡°Not always, but there can be,¡± Ravena answered somewhat frightened. There was a faint worry in her words, as if she was worried that Frank might choose something completely different. Then before Frank could get lost in that thought, Prentip¡¯s glowing blue eyes suddenly cut out as his body suddenly rose in a form of tension. Then with a tone filled with conviction and power he spoke about his findings. ¡°Everyone prepare yourselves¡­¡± Chapter 68 A Gathering of Serpents Chapter 68 A Gathering of Serpents Bright green flames rising with unscented smoke. Percussion sounds of thunder. As the smoke rose, distant drums echoed over the lands and fields. Those sounds, along with the deep resonating sounds of heavy cloven feet pounding on the ground echoed in an odd off cadence of sound covering movements. ¡°It seems that this time we will have more honored guests,¡± Prentip¡¯s voice called out, his voice mixing with the odd rhythmic pounding of war drums. Or at least, that is what Frank had been taught that such a sound meant. Just hearing the sounds caused waves of ingrained fear to rise up within Frank. Gentle caress. Just as he seemed to be getting flustered by the sound, the long delicate fingers of Drava rested on his arm and all but forced him to relax. ¡°Relax, all are welcome to a joining, in fact, this might be more beneficial to everyone,¡± Drava stated as she turned and looked at the others. Following her gaze, Frank was surprised to see that Major and the others were visibly frightened by the sounds of the war drums. ¡°That isn¡¯t the sound of war drums?¡± Frank found himself asking. Melodic laughter. At his question both Ravena and Drava seemed to laugh in unison. ¡°War drums? Is that what your kind calls those?¡± Ravena asked. ¡°Yeah, they say the sound will echo for miles around, and signify a long and unstoppable death. Best to run when hearing such instruments,¡± Frank stated, recalling the messages from his SERE training. ¡°Do your kind often strike out against people who beat such drums?¡± Drava asked, her tone curious as if finally understanding a hidden mystery. ¡°Yes, though often it is advised to attack from ambush, but know that the drums can cause madness.¡± More laughter. This time both girls seemed to giggle, at the comments being made. ¡°What?¡± Frank questioned. ¡°The drums are a symbol of peace. By pounding the drums so loudly, it indicates that those who are coming do not wish to battle. Though, I could see it fully enraging tribe members if their gesture of peace was met with hostility, for then it is considered a dishonor and death to the last person is required as homage to the ancestors,¡± Ravena replied. Hearing this, Frank couldn¡¯t help but wonder if so many conflicts with the shifter tribes were caused by such misunderstandings. That was also when he realized that for the most part the shifter tribes avoided the human realms, despite clearly being able to pass themselves off as human. His mind was just understanding these odd nuances to life, when everyone around him began to rise. Seeing the sudden actions, Frank too found himself rising, only to see that the first group acting as an apparent envoy appeared. ¡°Well met,¡± Prentip exclaimed, going forward to meet the first group. Frank was at first interested in seeing the new people, when suddenly he felt a wave of cold wash over him as he peered into the deep mesmerizing gaze of a predator. Even Drava from his side seemed to take a half step back from the new group, inadvertently using Frank as a shield between her and the newcomers. ¡°Who are they?¡± Frank found himself asking. ¡°Those are delegates from the dark serpentine faction,¡± Ravena answered. As she spoke, Frank could see the fluid like movements of the ambassadors that came to partake. As if curious, the delegates dismounted and proceeded to glide forward. Yes, they glided, only faint movements of their long flowing robes against the ground could be felt as they moved. Even then, as they moved, the movements did not trample any grass, or disrupt any dirt, their movements were as artifact-less as they were fluid. So engrossed was Frank in his trying to even feel the subtle movements of the members of the serpentine clan, that he apparently drew too much attention to himself. For while, the others were contented to look at Blue, Pi, and the Major, one particularly graceful member stopped their languid movement.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. That pause, that sudden stop and tightening of muscles was the only indication of change. Before then the movements were slow and motionless. Then with that one pause, it was clear that not only this one, but the others quickly noticed a change. Flicker. While it was not seen, Frank could almost swear he felt odd movements from the mouths of these newcomers. In an odd cascade of movement, the outer guards that had gone forward, turned their attention from interacting with various individuals present and suddenly turned their attention inward. There was an odd form of reverence to the look, as they all seemed to wait and try to understand what had caused this apparent leader of the tribe to stop. Before anyone could so much as ask, the leader who had apparently felt Frank¡¯s gentle probing with Earth energy stopped and found her way gliding forward. With this new movement, Frank dared not continue monitoring. Though it was clear that the being before him was suddenly walking harder, with more purpose, as he could feel the earth easily tell him of the movements now being made by the individual in question. A gaze showed that this leader was not only rich, but powerful, with barely restrained strength. The robes worn by this individual seemed both simple and intricate, with layers folding into and around the different torsos. There were clearly two sleeves for arms, but a faint movement under the first layer indicated that there was a second set of shorter limbs as well. Frank found this finding to be fascinating, for the older one of the serpent shifters got, the more and larger their set of arms became. Here it was clear that this leader had not just one regular, or maybe larger than human equivalent set of arms, but a second set that could be concealed, while moving weapons and other instruments about, under a layer of protective and elegant clothing. Added to that was the fact that she wore a wide brim hat, one with intricate designs that had silk draped in front, leaving only a horizontal slit, where two mesmerizing golden eyes stared back at him. Golden eyes with seeming dancing flecks of silver. Seeing the creature, Frank felt true fear and fascination form within his gut. There was a strange hypnotic effect with the eyes, one that Frank was able to mostly overcome by his sheer fascination with trying to gauge just how powerful the being before her was. This was a killer, an apex monster who was clearly older than most of the oldest cultivators that the humans had to offer. And here was Frank, being forced to encounter such a creature. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Blue, Pi, and even the Major were all stiff in fear. Seeing their fear oddly had a calming effect on Frank. It was almost as if their state of inability to move gave credence to the way Frank now felt. That and the reverence being displayed by the two powerful women by his side showed that even here, on their shared lands, these two could do nothing to defend against this invasion of privacy. Which meant, that Frank could only do two things. He could stiffen up in fear, and appear weak before the monster. Or, he could watch the proceedings and react accordingly. If this serpentine leader wanted Frank to die, then there was little anyone could do to stop the sudden eruption of violence that this creature was more than capable of performing. ¡°Your majesty,¡± The two girls, turned clan dignitaries, called out from Frank¡¯s sides. Hearing them, Frank too bowed, purposefully breaking eye contact and forcing his mind and heart to slow as he gracefully bowed as well. Silence. There was an odd silence that filled the camp, with only the distant crackling of a bonfire letting Frank know that the world had not paused, that time was still moving along as usual. ¡°Rise, cavern dweller, slayer of mythos,¡± the leader called out from beyond her veil. Despite her face being covered, her voice carried evenly throughout the camp. At her words, memories flashed in Frank¡¯s mind, about how he first began his path of cultivation. How he slayed a giant serpent that had intended to eat him. Yet, he did not want to play his hand. Instead, he did as requested. He rose up and stared at the maiden. A maiden who could seemingly grow and elongate her form as needed. For as soon as Frank raised his head and was fully erect, the serpentine delegate gracefully lunged forward, placing her veiled face next to Frank¡¯s neck. Seeing the movement, Frank was unable to react in time to stop the clearly controlled movement. And it was a controlled movement, for Frank could feel the coiling tension in the ground tell him as much. The coiled muscles said that should this person try, they could move faster and were prepared to do so even now. These sensations from the earth below, and its slow calming effect on his overall emotions allowed him to stay still. His feet never moving, his body never swaying in response to the violent burst of wind that pushed against his form. Instead, his only true form of movement was the slight turning of his head. A movement that put his eyes, and the eyes of this monstrous queen right next to each other. Once again, he found his gaze attracted to those gently glowing vertically slitted orbs. From there, it was only a matter of seconds before the serpentine queen did something. There was the faintest flittering of the dark veil covering her face, before she seemed to nod her head slightly. With that, she began to shrink back to her normal position. Only now did Frank realize that this serpentine Queen has positioned herself to be four feet away, but despite this, she could stretch out all four feet, and even a bit more to allow her to leer over Frank¡¯s shoulder. Mentally, Frank tried to do the math, noting that right now the being was standing a good six feet tall, as she was large and imposing over Frank¡¯s smaller frame. Then his mind noted that in order for most serpents to stand up in such a way, they need to have at least twice more of their body weight. These calculations were confirmed by the sudden increased weight on the ground where the coiling creature stood. With that odd encounter over, a clearly younger male serpent came forward and stood possessively by the serpentine queen. ¡°This is the one?¡± The male bodyguard asked, anger and malevolence all but radiating from his body and shown in his slitted gaze. ¡°Yes, this is the one indeed. The one we were told to come out and evaluate.¡± The Serpentine Queen answered, her eyes never leaving Frank. As she spoke, Frank could see and feel the tension in Drava and Ravena both, as they inherently reacted to the violent intent that was seeming to radiate from the male bodyguard. ¡°He does not look worthy,¡± the angry male bodyguard protested. At his words, a few of the other guards that were part of the initial envoy forward seemed to hiss or mutter in agreement. Prentip, seeing that things were quickly escalating, stepped forward. ¡°Now, I will remind you that you came under the banner of peace,¡± Prentip stated, and then looking out saw the gaggle of serpentine warriors who were clearly mounted on corrupted horses and other great beasts of burden. Seeing the creatures, Frank could only wonder how long it took to train a horse, even a corrupted one to let a snake ride it? Then his thoughts were forced to switch to the present as things were clearly heating up. ¡°These are not worthy of the gift, not even that of the dog or bird factions,¡± the bodyguard hissed. ¡°Be that as it may, you are more than able to not provide an offering to them, as is your right,¡± Prentip responded, again seeming to try to deescalate the situation. ¡°No, I challenge for the right of their offerings, they are not worthy of the gifts of change and balance,¡± the bodyguard spat out. The more he spoke, the more animated he became in his gestures, until finally his face and body were seeming to wiggle in odd frequencies of each other. ¡°Calm yourself, if you change here, you know what that means,¡± Prentip shouted, by now even the fabled Erloche was coming forward, seeming to act as a shield for his charge, Prentip. ¡°I do, and I demand it, I challenge this usurper of gifts to battle, if he fails, then his offerings will go to our tribe. If I fail, then my blood in its entirety will be used to increase his offering.¡± The bodyguard hissed out. Shocked whispers. With that declaration out of the way, Frak could feel tension rising, but most took a step back. Even Ravena and Drava seemed to pause by his sides as they stared on in horror. ¡°And you, would you agree to this?¡± Prentip spat out, as he directed his comments towards the Serpentine queen, a person who likely could defuse this whole situation with but a word, but instead she seemed to fan the flames of conflict. ¡°Yes, Broadine¡¯s blood for victor,¡± the leader of the Serpentine delegation began. Then with a slightly disgusted gaze, she turned her head to see the three other initiates that were still standing and had opted to remain completely still at this time. As she turned her head, all three looked down, even the Major. ¡°And only to the victor,¡± the serpentine Queen hissed out. Then turning her head back, to Prentip she continued. ¡°That said, if we win, we will take this sacred mixture and offer it directly to our Gods, until you are able to find someone worthy of the gifts of duality.¡± Hearing that, Prentip could only pause and nod his head, ¡°a fair exchange has been offered, and a contest of strength has been posed.¡± And like that, Frank could almost feel the energies of the world conspiring and conversing in the distance. Gentle breeze. If he focused, he swore he could feel aspects of the wind calling out to him, warning him of impending danger. Yet, despite all of this, Frank knew that he was incapable of changing anything. Then seeing the way Erloche gave a subtle nod to one of the serpentine guards, Frank knew this had all been a setup from the start. How else would a strong faction of the serpentine clan get here just at this exact moment. Still, that observation did little to change the current state of affairs, as he now had to prepare for an apparent duel for blood. Chapter 69 Power Within Power Chapter 69 Power Within Power ¡°Today we have gathered to give a new generation, a chance to obtain the power of the Great One. Through him, we will gain the power to walk the world in its entirety. Through him, we will gain the power to change between the realm of man and beast. Best of all, we are granted the power to walk these lands without fear of corruption, or degradation of our capabilities. For once you gain the essence of the Great One, you will become as him, incorruptible in all aspects,¡± the serpentine Queen began. Frank did not know why the serpentine Queen had been given the right to speak over Prentip in this event. Though he figured it had something to do with the consistency of power. From the way everyone seemed to bow and acquiesce to the serpentine Queen, it was clear that she had a lot of power. Also, her throng of followers were apparently highly respected. Even the other tribes that had all come from other directions all came to pay homage, and then ultimately supplicated themselves before her. It was not immediately clear why the other groups came, or why they too had blood to offer, but the others that came also had blood that was meant as a sacrifice. Blood that would be used to strengthen the initial mixture that would be provided to Frank and the others. Though it was clear, that those that came, also had people wishing to take advantage of the situation. However, it was also clear that because the Serpentine Queen and her retinue arrived first, the others would bow out and let her take the lead. ¡°We have our first challenge of the night. Broadine of the cobra clan, wishes to challenge Frank the unaffiliated for his measure of blood,¡± the Serpentine queen began. ¡°How do you choose to respond Frank? Will you rise to the call of the Great One, or will you prove yourself to be unworthy of his grace?¡± The Serpentine Queen spat out, all but demanding Frank challenge, lest he be run away from the tribe. Frank could see this all as one great ploy, and yet he still found himself unable to avoid the future. At least, he couldn¡¯t find a way to avoid this current future that now faced him. ¡°I accept,¡± Frank responded, rising up and removing the cloak that Ravena had draped over his shoulders while the fighting area was being prepared. ¡°Then come forward, and receive the blessing of Blood for your bravery,¡± the Serpentine Queen began. At this, the Serpentine Queen held up a clay bowl filled with a thick red liquid that clearly contained blood, among other ingredients. Fortunately, while they were preparing, Drava had been able to whisper what was happening. ¡°The material in the bowl is war paint, which will be applied is meant to show off the power already invested by the Great One in the gathered opponents. As the child of the Serpentine Queen, it will be clear to everyone that the Great One prefers her son, and that you are nothing more than an interloper.¡± ¡°Okay, but why do I have to go shirtless?¡± Frank asked, not that he was exactly ashamed of his physique, but other than showing off the much taller frame and more chiseled physique of the challenger, Frank could not understand the purpose for this, unless it was all psychological. ¡°This way, when the war paint interacts with your body, it will cause the blessings to appear, but don¡¯t worry,¡± Ravena answered with a quick wink and a smile. Frank had wanted to ask more, but was quickly ushered out to face this pageantry that would take place before the actual combat. This was how Frank now found himself standing up and walking forward. For a moment he thought his legs would give out on him, but before they even had a chance to wobble, he felt the strength of the Earth Filling him, strengthening his base and helping him to not falter in his movements. By comparison, the much taller warrior that strode up from the other side of the slightly elevated stage to stand toe-to-toe with Frank was easily a foot taller, maybe more. It was also clear that, the boy in front of him was older, likely having a year or two more to fill out and gain all the muscle mass that showcased a sculpted body and torso. While Frank also had muscles on his sturdy frame, he knew his body was not as flashy as the male before him. A male that was clearly either ready to strike out as an Alpha for a pack, or would soon step out to take on the role of an alpha. Worse, the boy was clearly limber, able to sway from side to side with ease and grace. In a way, Frank felt like the boy was trying to hypnotize him with his movements, the swaying causing the light from the bonfire to shift and sway as he strode forward, and the reflection of the flames rippled and danced across stomach muscles. With all that, Frank did not falter. He had taken on many bullies in his time, and found that the scariest part, the part that bullies feared the most was getting back up. Frank made it a point to be like the earth, unmoving, undaunting, and only able to be changed over time with constant work and pressure. This was the true way of earth, and it was the quality that Frank now called upon the most. ¡°Now that you two have gathered, know that this is just a precursor for the blood the victor will soon swallow. By using this ancient remedy, we will show both how much attention the Great One and Greater Spirits have paid to each individual, but we can also all but guarantee the victor based on what is first displayed here,¡± the Serpentine Queen began. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Then dipping her long thin fingers into the bowl, she swished her fingers around, and came out with a clump of material. Material that looked like soupy mud and clay that began letting excess liquids pour down her fingers back into the bowl. With lightning precision and movements, the serpentine queen took the scoop of material and quickly raised it and smeared it across Broadine¡¯s forehead. There was a pause as a glowing golden light began to appear. The glowing light first surrounded the clump of material, and then began to flow down, over and through Broadine¡¯s face, giving his face a demonic glow. Particularly with the way shadows formed as he smiled and bared his teeth at Frank. Frank watched, as the golden lights trickled downward and finally gathered over Broadine¡¯s heart, where a vaguely familiar symbol began to appear. It was vaguely familiar, in that it seemed like one Frank had, but it seemed somehow lesser. Gasps. ¡°The mark of the Great One,¡± people of the audience called out in astonishment. ¡°Yes, as my son, he has received half of my blessing,¡± the Serpentine Queen called out excitedly. Thereby declaring herself and her power to those that were gathered. After seeing the image and hearing that it was somehow half of his mother¡¯s gift, Frank paused and then realized why that symbol looked so familiar. For it was the same symbol that the Dark Warlock had given him. The only difference between the two markings, was first the size, for despite being on a much larger torso, the symbol that appeared was relatively small. Also, there was but one dot, where Frank¡¯s had three. Seeing the mark clearly defined on her son¡¯s chest, the serpentine Queen all but hissed in satisfaction. Still holding the pestle of blood, she turned to face Frank and finally asked. ¡°Do you wish to reveal how much the Great One favors you?¡± The Serpentine Queen asked. Hearing the message, it was clear what the Serpentine Queen was asking. Did he want to go through and be embarrassed by having the war paint reveal that the Great One, and other Greater Spirits, as the Serpentine Queen called them, hadn¡¯t even seen him or shown their interest in him in any way. For a moment, Frank thought about accepting the out. After all, Frank himself wasn¡¯t certain whether this mixture would show his blessings at all. After all, he had gotten the markings from the humans, and did not know if the processes to show those blessings would be different. Still, there was the tingling sensation of curiosity that was building within Frank. A tingling sensation that wanted to show what he had gone through. A part, a tiny part of him hoped that his markings would show up, and at least get this overly pompous serpent to eat her words, for at least a moment. Then just as he was deciding what to do, he found his eyes searching out and finding Ravena. Ravena for her part was smiling like the wolf who ate the canary. Looking to his left, he saw Drava, who while looking supportive, still had a look of doubt in her face. Ultimately, it was Drava and that look of fear on her face that caused Frank to decide on what to do. ¡°Let¡¯s try it,¡± Frank responded, a faint smile filling his lips as he could all but feel Ravena¡¯s excitement building up within him. The Serpentine Queen paused and scowled for a moment. Then seeming to come to a wicked idea on her own, she smiled widely, as she took the remainder of the bowl in her hand and poured out its contents, into her palm. ¡°Never let it be said that I didn¡¯t try to help you,¡± the Serpentine Queen preened, as she took the remainder of material and smeared it heavily over Frank¡¯s forehead. For a moment, Frank was ticked, realizing that the Serpentine Queen was clearly up to something. For a moment, he wondered if she had somehow corrupted the mixture, or done something to it. Only once Frank felt currents of electricity coursing down his body, did he realize what had happened. WHOA! The crowd that had gone momentarily quiet at the clear act of disrespect from the Serpentine Queen, suddenly gasped in astonishment, due in no small part to the fact that Frank now glowed. Having to close his left eye, due to slimy soup like blood pouring into his eye socket, Frank could only mildly look on as he saw a radiance glowing from his own skin. Worse, Frank could feel the energy flowing down his body, stopping at two nodes on his chest, and one further below that towards his navel. ¡°What are those?¡± A girl called out from the audience. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± a mother replied. Still the energy was not done, as it seemed to search out his entire body, and then find its way down his left hand and stop as it glowed. Mentally, Frank knew the spots and could all but feel the energy pooling in each area and what they meant. Over his chest, he felt the markings for both the Dark Queen and the Dark Warlock form their intricate designs. Further down on his naval he felt the blessing that Dr. Evans had given him, the Greater Mark of Healing. Then on his left hand, he paused, trying to remember what that was, but soon saw and then felt that this was where his Mastery of Earth symbol resided. Four. Frank clearly showed not one, but four distinct markings that were on display. Their light, size, and intensity undeniable thanks to the extra helping of war paint that the Serpentine Queen had so arrogantly added. Silence. There was a complete silence that befell the audience. ¡°Isn¡¯t this where the two challengers face the audience?¡± Wise old Prentip inquired from off to the stage. ¡°Right,¡± the Serpentine Queen replied, as she quickly shook herself before calming her mind and seeming to go through the motions of the event. ¡°Challengers, face the audience so that the rewards of conquest can be witnessed for all to see.¡± At that prompting, Frank turned and face the crowd. For a moment he felt insecure, as he could feel hundreds of eyes staring at him. Only looking out to Drava and Ravena calmed him. Drava looked visibly relaxed at what she was now seeing, while Ravena was seeming to rotate her left hand, showcasing the backside. It took Frank a second to understand what she meant by the gesture, but soon he found himself clinching his fist and revealing the mark of Earth on the backside of his hand. As he let his clenched fist rotate back and forth for the whole crowd to see. Seeing the marking, Frank wondered if it had somehow moved? It must have, as he didn¡¯t remember that marking being there, as he could have sworn it was originally on the inside of his wrist? Right? Then quickly dismissing that, Frank figured it was likely something to do with the way the symbols were forced to appear that caused this change in location. Or maybe he somehow changed after he set up his dual circulation networks within his body? Regardless of the reason, he could feel that the three blessings that he previously received now resided over cultivation nodes within his body. As for the element of Earth, he was not clear on its meaning, at least not for the moment. Glow. The earthen symbol on his fist glowed brightly. Seeing the brightly lit symbol for earth, Frank was reminded of his dream. The one where he was supposed to go to the backside of the human prison and enter through a door clearly marked with the symbol for earth. He still planned to get there, eventually. It was just that his path had taken an unexpected detour, one that he found that he didn¡¯t quite mind at the moment. For while he still had a need, not a want, but a deep bone churning need to go to the secret door and see what secrets lay hidden, there were other more pressing concerns that awaited him. Concerns like the hulking brute next to him. Turning left, he saw the giant brute who stared at all of his blessings and licked his lips in delight. It was clear that his opponent, this Broadine, was ready to kill him and somehow take Frank¡¯s strength for his own. This taking of power would no doubt be something Frank would soon find out about, one way or another, but he wouldn¡¯t put it past the groups. For at first, everyone seemed ready to take on Frank as a potential challenger. Now most of those who had gathered had seemed to stop, and stare at Frank with wide-eyed amazement. Frank didn¡¯t know if this staring was a good thing or not, but soon found he didn¡¯t have time to think, as the Serpentine Queen continued. ¡°This is your last chance to step down, and accept defeat, and let your opponent go first in the ritual of awakening.¡± The Serpentine Queen called out. ¡°Challenged Frank of the vaunted wolf tribe, do you still intend to continue?¡± The Serpentine Queen asked, her voice seeming to tighten ever so slightly as she continued. Was that fear? Frank found himself asking. ¡°Yes,¡± Frank replied, again relying on the strength of earth to help calm his heart and even out his emotions. ¡°And as for you Broadine, as the challenger, you too have a chance to leave here now. Though know that by leaving now, you will not be able to awaken at this time,¡± the Serpentine Queen replied, a note of sadness in her words. ¡°No, I still choose to challenge,¡± Broadine declared, as excitement filled his voice. It was clear that there was no doubt about what he expected the outcome of this event to be. ¡°Then take your places, and prepare to battle to the death,¡± The Serpentine Queen managed. With that, Frank soon found himself in an open ring surrounded by hundreds of shapeshifting monsters, where he would be forced to fight to death with an opponent that was older, stronger, and had been trained for this very type of combat from birth, apparently. Yet, Frank felt calm as he stood and waited for the inevitable to happen next. ¡°Fighters take your spots,¡± the Serpentine Queen began. And like that, Frank¡¯s mind cleared, the world narrowing down around him, until it was just him and his opponent. Chapter 70 Blood Duel Chapter 70 Blood Duel Gentle breeze. The world was calm, at least to Frank¡¯s mind the world seemed calm. Outside, far, far away there were hundreds of warriors calling for blood and praying to ancient spirits of power. Out there, the world was real, was violent. War drums beat in chaotic rhythms that would otherwise cause one¡¯s heart to beat chaotically and cause minor disturbances in movements. All of that was outside, in a distant world that didn¡¯t exist. In here though, in this ring, a mystic dome seemed to rise around the two contestants. At least, that was how Frank¡¯s mind interpreted the focus of his attention. Outside there were distractions far away and unable to truly affect him, at least not for the moment. While inside this dome, only two things were real, Frank and his oversized opponent. The size of the opponent didn¡¯t matter, while there were muscles that covered the body, they were loose, muscles for size versus for effect. These muscles normally would have been intimidating to Frank, but that was the Frank of before, the Frank of the slums. The one who hid in the shadows deep below the earth¡¯s surface. Looking back on his past, Frank could now understand why people like Broadine and Luther both targeted him. He could see it now, they had that same mental posture. A posture that spoke of trying to take advantage of the weak. One where they used faux bravery and muscular definitions to hide their true natures. Deep down they were cowards, just as Frank himself had been. The only difference was that Broadine and Luther could see that cowardice in others and acted first, expecting fear to a crippling agent that made victory that much more successful. In this instance though, Frank was not frightened. No, as the crescendo of the war drums¡¯ rhythm vibrated through the ground, Frank felt his mind and body awaken. For the first time, he didn¡¯t feel the need to run from an opponent. At this thought, the memory of Major holding him out from the helicopter and trying to throw him to his death came to mind. Then the subsequent running from Pi and Blue. How he ran until he was tired, and then eventually fell into the earth to heal himself. Now he was once again faced with a similar task. He could either run, and continue running forever, or he could stand up to the bullies that faced him. To bullies that saw him as an easy mark. Boom, vibrate, ripple. The beat of so many war drums all beating in unison could be heard and felt through the ground. These vibrations resonated up through Frank¡¯s bare feet, up his body and instantly mixed with his cultivation. It was also the vibrating ground that gave him his means of attack. Here blood was sacred. Here the blood of a slain enemy needed to be saved as much as possible so that those trying to fully fuse their spirit with parts of the spirits of great beasts. Brodine himself had a healthy dose of blood of the serpent within him, a fact noted by his one still glowing glyph of power. The glyph being highlighted meant that the power and abilities of the glyph were likely enhanced. This wasn¡¯t something that was said, but rather it was something that Frank now felt. With the sacred glyphs awakened on his body and still glowing for all to see, Frank could feel their effects increased. This was partly why, even now something as benign as the rhythmic thumping of drums could be felt. It was his own resonance and symbiosis with aspects of earth that made him realize that for the moment his ties to the land were increased. Frank also realized that this meant, in a battle, particularly a duel to the death, he would likely need to strike first, for his opponent would also have his powers increased as well. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Begin!¡± The words of the Serpentine Queen rang out, her voice shattering the calm quiet that had filled Frank¡¯s mind. That silence that had been shattered, sparked movement. Before Frank even had a chance to fully react, the large muscular body of Broadine was already lunging forward. His movements twisting, wasting valuable seconds as he swayed left and then right. Instantly, his mind knew this for the distraction that it was, making it so that there was no one true line of attack towards Broadine. This didn¡¯t stop Frank. For Frank could feel the distinct vibrations of the large man moving forward. As he moved, his body gave up slight shifts in the dirt that signified when, and most importantly where Broadine would suddenly change his directions before heading forward in the opposite direction. All the while the rhythmic beating of the war drums only intensified, furthering the vibrations of the earth, while almost trying to mask Broadine¡¯s true movements. Though to Frank, both sets of movements were easy to detect, and easier to predict. Frank felt all these sensations filling his mind, and then finally he acted. Holding up his left hand, the one clad in the marking of the rune of earthen power, Frank used the already loosened ground. Ground that was clearly able to let pulses of sound travel through its realm, like waves on the ocean. Frank used this, and remembering how he himself had sunk into the ground to escape persecution, used this same force, this same exact effect. Though this time, things were different. This time rather than fleeing, Frank stood his ground. This time, Frank used the shifting nature of earth as an attack. Slosh. As Brodine gracefully slid forward to his left, Frank¡¯s right, he met his first case of resistance. The ground he had been gliding across so effortlessly a moment ago, now seemed to change viscosity on him. What had been up to this point solid ground, suddenly changed to a state similar to mud. Mud that instantly grabbed at, and began spreading over and around Broadine¡¯s lower extremities, particularly on his left side. Feeling the sudden resistance, Broadine quickly shifted course, going back to his right, only to again find that the ground there had suddenly become viscous as well. Once again, Broadine¡¯s movement to the right caused even more sediment to build up and coat Broadine¡¯s now right side of his body. Shock filled his face, as he found himself looking down. All the while he slithered and squirmed, not realizing that this played directly into Frank¡¯s attack. Or what wasn¡¯t really an attack at all, but rather his trap. While Broadine continued to slither and squirm his way out of the muck he was now coated in, Frank continued to expand his trap range, not just in area around Broadine, but also below him as well. The effect was as awe inspiring to watch by onlookers, as it was sinister in nature. Frank had created an effective mash land trap. One where the more Broadine moved and struggled, the quicker he fell into the pile of loose dirt beneath him. In a matter of seconds, Broadine had sunken up to his waistline, or at least where Frank assumed his waistline would be. This only caused Broadine to struggle harder, which in turn only helped him squirm his own way down faster. ¡°Stop!¡± The Serpentine Queen shouted, though who she was shouting at was hard to tell as the command could have gone to either. Frank for his part wanted to pause, it had not been his intention to kill. As killing the son of a high-ranking tribal leader could only mean trouble in the future. Frank had dealt with similar fallout earlier, when he killed Luther Camelo in a retaliatory strike. While he had come out from the ordeal stronger in the end, he did not want to start off his life as an edge walker by making a permanent enemy of the Serpentine tribe. That was why he paused. For a moment, he stopped sending out waves of energy that loosened up the soil around and below Broadine. This meant that if he reached down just far enough, he might be able to rest his toes against the ground, and buoy himself long enough to gain a breath, without sinking further. In his mind, Frank assumed this to be the equivalent to going as far as you could comfortably stand in a pool, while still not having to learn to swim. Frank was content to let it end here. From this showing, Frank was relatively certain that he had shown enough prowess that others would not be likely to challenge him. Also, with this, he could end this while hopefully ending the duel with good graces with the Serpentine Queen. Pausing for a moment, Frank let his opponent wait. His arms up high as he tried to swim out of the muck, only to find that movement in the dense liquified earth was nearly impossible. ¡°Do you¡­¡± Frank began, but suddenly paused as he saw the upraised hands of the Broadine reach out and clasp at Frank. Worse, Broadine now sported a malevolent smile, as he apparently thought this moment of kindness was actually a sign of weakness on Frank¡¯s behalf. As Broadine reached out, the deep glow of his mark from the Dark Warlock could be seen glowing brightly on part of his neck that was still above the fluid dirt, and the area just below. ¡°HYAH!¡± Broadine exclaimed in vengeance as he reached out and attempted to use his dark power to pull at and extract the saturated negative energy that resided within Frank¡¯s body. Anyone who lived out in the wastelands was bound to have at least a bit of what the locals referred to as dark energy within their body. Frank having been out here for so long was no exception to this fact. In fact, by comparison his body all but radiated with dark energy, which was why Broadine was so confident that this attack would work. It was perfect, an attack that was not able to be dodge or evaded. An attack that would draw out the essence of darkness within his opponent and which could be used to strengthen his own connection to the great one. This was perfect. At least, that was what Broadine had thought when he first made the attack. The attack had struck. He had caught Frank flatfooted, as Frank had not been prepared to counter such an attack. What Broadine hadn¡¯t accounted for was how dense the flow of dark energy within the boy before him was. How despite having what was the equivalent of a free open strike against the boy, he could only feel the densely packed dark energy coursing through the boy¡¯s body not only shrug off the grabbing attempt, but then proceeded to flow through and around his mental claw like grip. As for Frank, well he paused, trying to first understand what was happening, as he almost felt his cultivation falter for just a moment. Only for his cultivation to resume its normal efforts. Then as he looked up from his chest, he saw the complete look of surprise that now filled Broadine¡¯s face. A face that spoke volumes about what had happened. Or at least what Broadine had expected to happen. Seeing his face, Frank realized that Broadine had used the chance of peace that he had offered to lash out one last time. For a moment, Frank wondered exactly what Broadine would have done had his attack worked? Would he think he was capable of getting out of a pool of suddenly solidified earth that formed around him? Or did he not think that far ahead? Ultimately, the thought didn¡¯t matter, as Frank realized he was now beyond charity, beyond giving second chances to people like Broadine. Raising his glowing left hand once more, Frank concentrated and let the ground take the now panic stricken Broadine. ¡°Wait, help, help, I yi¡­¡± Broadine tried to call out, his mouth soon filled with liquified dirt. Dirt that Broadine instantly began choking on violently as he convulsed. ¡°What was that?¡± Frank asked coldly, as he held up his free right hand to his ear as if having a hard time hearing. By now the bottom of the liquified dirt pit had expanded enough to cover Broadine¡¯s face, leaving only his forearms visible. ¡°He said he yielded! Stop this immediately!¡± The Serpentine Queen demanded. At that Frank paused, as a flash of rage filled his gaze. He stared on at the Serpentine Queen in defiance for a moment, but then rationale hit him. At the same time, a faint cold smile crested his lips, as he gave a slight bow. ¡°As you wish,¡± Frank replied, waving his left hand and letting one last burst of earth energy erupt. With this last movement, Frank had decided to do as she wished, he stopped making the pool of muck soil into a liquified state. In an instant, the dirt that had been vibrating at subsonic frequencies to produce the muck like effect stopped moving, instantly collapsing in on itself and hardening to be the same consistency as all the other dirt around it. The only difference being that now the earth that had once been flat and even, now sported two free hands that were clasping wildly at the air. There was still time, at least, that is what the hands seemed to indicate. Silence. Everyone looked on with muted silence at the spectacle. One of the strongest members of the serpentine tribe had been seemingly swallowed whole, unable to leave so much as a scratch on their opponent. The Serpentine Queen was the first to react, ¡°you, get him out this instant!¡± There was rage in that gaze. Rage and madness that spoke volumes. As she spoke, the other serpentine warriors also began to stir, as it was clear that they were now ready to follow their Queen¡¯s orders, regardless of what they might be. Chapter 71 Madness Chapter 71 Madness Death rattle. There was a sickening sound of tiny beads brushing together at subsonic frequencies. Frequencies so low that a non-cultivator would be unable to hear or even perceive their sound. Yet, to Frank and indeed many of those gathered, the sound was nearly paralyzing. It was at this moment that Frank, like many who were gathered could see the complete and utter look of madness that befell the Serpentine Queen, a matriarch so powerful and so revered that even now she thought to tarnish her good name and the status of her tribe to violate the rules of this sacred duel. Rules that had been spelled out clearly by none other than this serpentine queen. Someone who with her own forked tongue stressed that this was a battle to the death. Only after seeing the application of the ointments, ones that highlighted Franks four glyphs of power did she seem to realize that she might have overstepped. Her son however, did not seem to notice the look of fear that came over her mothers face. Likely even going so far as to assume her last minute pleads to void the match were directed at Frank. Yet, seeing her now, it was clear that she had meant those words for her own son. A son who was at this very moment being suffocated by the earth, swallowed whole, but only after swallowing liquified dirt that filled his own lungs. The son was dead, even if they got him out now, the dirt he swallowed was too deep. If Frank worked with the Serpentine Queen he felt he could get the earth out quickly enough to allow the dying combatant, Broadine, to be able to breathe again, with minimal loss to mental faculties. Though he didn¡¯t want to. Gentle breeze. Frank felt the breeze caused by the raging and unattended bonfire nearby pulling in wind from beyond and pulling it into itself, to help continue its processes. During this time he also felt the sudden tension as multiple tribes of onlookers looked on at Frank and the Serpentine Queen. Well those that were outside the range of her impressive death rattle sound that came from her flicking a tail like appendage over and over again really quickly. From his SERE training, Frank knew and understood this moment. This was the calm before the storm. Or what others might refer to as the eye of the hurricane. That dead spot in a battle, where it looks like it is over, you pause long enough to regain your breath, all before the second round of fury will start. He remembered the training, the advice given for these times. During these times it was noted that the second wave of a hurricane was often more dangerous than the first, if only for the fact that you were already tired, and therefore more likely to lower your guard. Realizing this, Frank focused. He calmed his breathing, and began letting his mind expand out to better adapt to his surroundings, so that he might be prepared for anything. Only to find out that, his senses began moving and acting on their own. His trained reflexes already hard at work, despite his mind taking a moment to get around the annoying subsonic rattling sound of micro beads angrily gyrating against each other. Calm. For the first time all night, Frank felt calm. Or at least for the first time since the Serpentine clan members arrived and all but tried to hijack this meeting. A meeting they were not directly invited to, but still felt the need to come nonetheless, just like other tribes had. Unlike the other tribes though, it was the Serpentine tribe members that sought to take what was Frank¡¯s. No, not the tribe, but its leader. A leader who tried to bully Frank into submission from the start. In his mind he knew that the Serpentine Queen was faster. The way her body moved and swayed, along with the way she was able to reach her way over towards Frank from nearly a dozen feet away spoke to her unnatural ability to bend and flex. ¡°Free him this instant! I Demand his release right¡­¡± Dense grating rattling sound.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The angrier she got, the more crazed she became. Seeing that look in her eye, the words of his father came back to him. It was a talk about bullies, and Luther in particular, especially after he beat up Frank for daring to talk to Luther¡¯s little sister, Maddie, one day. ¡°There is a certain measure of madness that can only be caused by some individuals by family members. Just as there are certain members of one¡¯s family that can be used as an anchor, or to help provide perspective. This is important to note, for these rules apply to everyone, even people who are in positions of absolute power. For when either a family member is threatened, or they lose that anchoring point, they lose perspective and can grow wild with rage, that is when they are most dangerous and are best avoided at all costs.¡± While it took multiple times for Frank to understand the depth of these words, there was a deeper message that was missed in these statements. Or at least a statement that was not spoken about as they would have only confused a young Frank. For the final message was, they were best to avoid at all costs, until you could punch them right in the face. That was when he remembered the words of the one SERE trainer who actually wanted Frank to succeed, or at the very least gave him the information needed to survive. ¡°All plans change, once you are punched in the face. Then it is just instinct and training that you can rely on.¡± Well Frank had not been punched in the face, at least not recently, and he still planned on not being punched anytime soon. This was why, Frank decided to act first. Frank was not of these tribes. He had not particularly hard allegiances to his undergoing the rite of choosing and being infused with the power of a great spirit. Had it not been for Drava and Ravena he might have left a long time ago. Despite knowing that the only reason the Major, Blue, and Pi were still alive was due to his influences and the understanding that they would all go through the rite of initiation together. There was a part of him that felt drawn to this moment, to this ritual. Part of him was curious to see what if any spirit might or might not reach out to him during his spirit walk. That is the time when he would go out and mentally travel the cosmos to find a spirit that would find him worthy to bond with. In his mind, he knew that for whatever reason the great serpent spirit had chosen this woman before him as its champion. It was also clear by striking out now, by resisting the demands of this queen, he would forever sever any possible connection to the great serpent and any of the allies of the great serpent. This thought only lingered in Franks mind for a moment, before he quickly squashed it, and let his mind fill with resolve as he essentially let his instincts take over. Instincts were what was praised the most by the most devout spiritualists of the tribe. For instincts were what drew you closer to you totem animal and protector. By relying on your instincts, you were in fact relying on the spirit that had bonded with you. Or so the teachings went. In this case, Frank let his mind and body work in tandem with each other. While he was an F-Rank for his primary human element of Life, and healing energies, meaning he had to directly touch a target. His distance with Corrupted or negatively charged Life energy was the exact opposite, being able to be wielded at much further distances. Only now did Frank¡¯s mind make that small, but seemingly important connection. That he was in fact manipulating Life energy, both positive and negative. The attack he made against Luther, when he was first filled with the negatively charged energy, that was Life energy. Or what his mind now associated with Life energy. Frank didn¡¯t know if this was a symptom of the oddly drying paste that had been applied to his forehead, or something deeper, like a true connection with an unknown spirit. But Frank felt his spark of power. The deep spark of power that was still within him and somehow different from the dual channeled and directionally oppositely flowing channels of positive and negatively charged earth energy. This was life, just as Frank could sense the dying embers of life from Broadine not ten feet away from him slowly suffering and fizzling out. So too he could feel the bright embers of life energy, both positively and negatively charged flowing within everyone. He could feel these flows of energy, flows that had for so long been referred to as corruption, but only now did his mind truly process what it was. It was Life energy, just in a different state, able to be handled and adapted differently. Feeling the different forms of energy with the madly hissing and now slithering forward serpentine queen. As she moved, her entire form seemed to shift and change. No longer was she in the long flowing form of a fit muscular female. Instead, her body was morphing. Caught in the changes of her body between forms, Frank felt the spark of life and energy shifting and turning within the serpent. Relaxing his mind, he focused away from everything. He focused away from the innate horrors that seeing a serpent slowly morph and form from the body of a human. For a second a flash of the first serpent he faced appeared in his mind. This was the same serpent that nearly killed him and burned him away with acidic saliva. Saliva that he barely managed to regenerate around. It was the scariest and simultaneously the most impactful moment of his life. After that attack, that one moment where he managed to improve his natural healing, Frank knew he would survive. There would be pain, but that was just an aspect of life. An aspect that Frank was well accustomed to at this point in his life. For a moment, his instincts told him to reach out, to strike with his S-Ranked attack ability. The one that he could rip out the corrupted life energy from this serpent, but he paused. Somehow he knew that wouldn¡¯t be enough, not while the creature had already changed forms. No in this form, his activating negatively charged life energy would likely help more than hinder the serpent. His mind knew this and processed it, rather than fighting his instincts, he trusted himself. By now he had seen and understood enough of the world around him to realize what would work and what wouldn¡¯t. Also, he was fairly certain that whatever strike this serpentine queen could deliver, he would survive. That was why with a coldly rational mind he held still. Lightning slither. Rather than deviating or moving away, Frank held still. Death rattle. All the while the background music to this final duel, one that noted the second and most destructive part of the hurricane was finally approaching was none other than the violently shaking rattle of this monster. A rattle that became louder and more ferocious as the serpentine queen bounded and lunged forward. Out in the periphery, Frank could see and feel others moving. Prentip was charged forward, but his movements were too late. He had waited too long to react, meaning that this moment would only be decided by Frank. Focusing his mind on this moment, Frank closed off the senses from the outside world and focused just on the lunging serpent. A serpent who had a giant hood that seemed to hide its mouth, particularly as the hood helped cast shadows over the face of the queen. Shadows cast as light from the giant bonfire were now fading out, revealing only obsidian scales gleaming in the light. Obsidian scales that all but glowed with the intense power of corrupted life energy. Seeing the scales reminded him of his time working removing the controlling corrupted shards from Constance. With that, his mind remembered how hard it was to remove that one shard from the side of Constance, who had skin as tough as stone. Realizing that thought, Frank knew his instincts were correct, that targeting this creature with negative life energy would not yield the result he wanted. This was why, he clamed himself and fought against his instincts. Instincts that told him to dodge, to duck out of the way. As the Serpentine Queen charged forward, a faint devilish smile crested her elongating maw. A maw that was now filled with elongating fangs that began dripping with venom and malicious intentions. The smile was wide, as she saw that she had won. That the opponent like a frightened field mouse could only stand still and wait for death, death that she would gladly deliver. That was why she smiled brightly, her eyes closing as instinctive slits covered her eyes as she lunged forward to make her fatal strike. The last thing she saw was a perfectly still human, one who was too frightened to move. So frightened that its muscles quivered as it no doubt fought the paralyzing fear that gripped it, as it desperately tried to leave. All consuming hatred filled her mind, as she lunged forward, preparing everything into her strike. Only after closing her eyes did something seem off. Only once all other stimuli had been cut off did she realize why her mind told her something was wrong. It was the eyes of her target. They were wrong somehow. Strike. Only once she struck true, her teeth striking and easily ripping and piercing their way through soft skin could her mind understand what was wrong with those eyes. They weren¡¯t the eyes of a frightened creature, but one determined to strike back. But it was too late, her teeth were in, her venom was flowing, and it would soon be a matter of course when she would be able to swallow this creature who dared attack her brood. Yet, even now, she could tell that something was wrong. Burning. There was an intense burning that began with her teeth and began to tremble and echo with cascading waves of pain throughout her body. Only now did she open her eyes and attempt to understand what was happening. There was just one problem, only now did she realize it was too late. Chapter 72 Generational Talents (Drava) Chapter 72 Generational Talents (Drava) All are welcome to awakening ceremonies. The reason why so many came to these ceremonies could change, based on the doctrine of each clan. For Drava, one thing that was undeniable was that when you had one representative who had a tie to a great ancestral spirit, that ancestral spirit would be present. Following this logic, the more people you have related to one particular spirit type, the more powerful that ancestral spirit¡¯s presence would be in a particular area. This was why inviting an entire clan for an awakening all but ensured that the ancestral spirit would appear and offer their bonds to those who were found worthy. Long ago it was deducted that only one blessing could be provided by an ancestral spirit to one body. The logic being that the mortal shells were too weak to handle any more power than the one blessing, as such no one even tried to gather more blessings as it was seen as an impossibility. This was why no one even tried. If something happened over and over the same time to hundreds of thousands of people over generations, it would be assumed that this was the only course of action. None even daring to try further, knowing that this was the case for everyone. Such knowledge was akin to saying that the sun rose in the east and set in the west because that was how it always happened. No one questioned why, just noted that this was the only course of events that would happen. Then after time, the number of people that received blessings became fewer and father between. While everyone received the presence of great spirits, that is the ability to bond with powerful spirits, those that were blessed by the Great One began to disappear entirely. Occasionally those noted as being a Generational Talent would appear and then be further blessed by a new or great spirit wishing to tie their own power, their own legacy to those blessed by the Great One. These blessings were important, for they often showed generational power, for often the children of those that were blessed by the Great One, would be born healthier and often receive a lesser form of the initial blessing. Ensuring generations of prosperity and power. This was why there was concern when the serpentine tribe appeared. Broadine was a monster, from birth he was powerful and stronger. News of his exploits reaching the winds and then being carried out to the aviary tribe all the way out here. Once news and information made it to the aviary tribe, it was expected that they would then share this information with the other tribes. For that was their job, their purpose. As the fastest, and most mobile of the tribes, they were the information distributors. This task was both a blessing and a curse. Being the information distributors, it was expected that members of the Aviary tribe would be knowledgeable about all aspects of the other tribes. They would know who the leaders for each group were, any new power dynamics, and most importantly they would know who the next legacy would be in a coming generation. The Serpentine tribe was powerful, made even more so, given the odd rituals and powers that the serpents were able to milk from the unworthy. It was from their processes, that all minor awakening ceremonies were met with at least one or all represented spirits being visible for any given ceremony. This was why, it was customary to invite the serpentine tribe to all noted awakening ceremonies. Though one could not stop with just the serpentine tribe, for everyone would then feel slighted, if they too were not invited. For all these reasons, it was Drava¡¯s clan that had all but summoned this fate to happen. While it was customary for the Serpentine clan to take charge of a noted awakening ceremony, particularly when a favorite child would also be awakened. This one rose to a whole new level, unseen by Drava. Though a quick look around showed that she was not the only one incensed by the sudden shift, for even the wolf tribe members seemed to be incensed by these acts. However, no one was able to speak out. The markings of Sarla, the Serpentine Queen were undeniable. Sarla was well known for her exceptional talent and blessings by the Great One. For she was the last known tribal member to see and experience the Great One directly. Even when unawakened, her son had shown signs of the blessing¡¯s manifestation. It was only a matter of time before even Broadine would awaken, and either meet the Great One directly, where his own blessing would be enhanced, or strengthen due to the processes of the Awakening Rituals.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. At least, that is what everyone thought. Why not, after all, everyone of Broadine¡¯s older brothers and sisters met similar fates. While none met with the Great One, it was noted that their powers had increased through the awakening rituals. Then karma struck. A boy capable of changing the very land beneath his feet appeared as if out of nowhere. From her very first time seeing the odd outsider, Drava was drawn to him. Well not him, but the power that all but radiated under his skin. As the Shaman¡¯s daughter, Drava had been subject to her own form of awakenings. As an aviary, it was expected that her eyesight would be beyond compare, and it was. From an early age, she could see the power within others. This was why she knew that Broadine was a generational talent of the Serpentine Clan, being even more powerful than his formidable brothers and sisters right from the start. Yet, none glowed as brightly as this stranger, this Frank. The three others who followed Frank all glowed with powers as well, but their energy wavered and was close to being entirely extinguished. Whereas Frank¡¯s only stayed the same bright intensity, even brighter than Broadine¡¯s own light. A light that Drava had long ago thought was the most powerful she would expect in her generation. Seeing the difference between the two, there was no real comparison. One was an intensity of a hearth fire, that is one bright enough and powerful enough to warm an entire house. By comparison, Frank¡¯s power would be the equivalent of a bonfire, one capable of warming entire fields with its mere presence. Drava was not along with her sight being an inherited trait. Her father, the Shaman of the Aviary tribe also had the same ability to read the power of others. This was why neither she nor her father spoke out against the challenge posed by Broadine. Ravena looked like she wanted to protest, but a subtle calming hand by Prentip on Ravena¡¯s arm stopped her from erupting. While Drava had expected a victory by Frank, she had not expected such a lopsided victory. He won. He didn¡¯t even have to throw a punch, nor allowing his opponent to get within six paces of him. He just focused and caused the earth to open up right before him and swallow his victim whole. The entire thing was frightening and mesmerizing. As an aviary, Drava expected, no, hoped that she would be able to avoid such a similar attack. But that would only be possible if she was fully shifted, which would have been nearly impossible given the speed with which Frank caused the earth to swallow Broadine whole. Seeing the lopsided victory, Drava let out a breath she didn¡¯t know she had been holding. A breath that spoke to the moment finally being over. While it had gone as Drava had expected, how the powers all but dictated, there as still an off chance that Frank could have lost. That he could have been unable to see the importance of this moment, to not hold back, for it was a fight to the death. With horror, Drava saw it all. Event he moment liquified dirt seemed to spring right into Broadine¡¯s open mouth, right before he was sucked under. That look of horror on his face was intense that Drava knew it would haunt her. A memory for her mind to latch onto. The memory of how seemingly passive Frank could be absolutely merciless when needed. That act alone solidified Drava¡¯s thoughts for Frank. While she had been mostly assured of his prowess and ability to protect future offspring, that act alone solidified Frank as being the only mate worthy of her attentions. Even as Broadine fell and his hands wiggled loosely over the rapidly solidifying dirt, Drava was more convinced than ever to continue her pursuit of Frank. Then like that, the duel to the death was over. Best of all, Broadine¡¯s hands were still up, meaning grabbing his overpowered essence would be easy. And if any extra was available, it would go to the clan of the spirit that was most chosen by those gathered. Just thinking about the power of the serpentine clan finally being distributed to others made Drava¡¯s heart pulse wildly with anticipation. Only for her heart to stop. There was yelling, as was often the case in such events. The family of the fallen soldier cried out, not uncommon of an occurrence but it often reflected poorly on the parent if they let the spectacle go on for too long. Things looked like they were going to go badly, but her father and Prentip were both here, meaning rationale should be upheld. Should, but then rage took over, as a deep resonating and debilitating grinding sound could be heard. The vaunted death rattle of the Serpentine Queen herself. A move so powerful and debilitating that Drava could not move, only her eyes and mind could react and process what was happening around her. Drava watched on in horror as she felt her body being paralyzed by the powerfully mesmerizing rattle of the monster before her. Yet, even as the Queen moved, there as an odd calmness to Frank, who seemed to just stand there. For a moment she thought he wasn¡¯t paralyzed by the sounds, for he seemed to shift his feet slightly. Seeing the movement, Drava was certain that Frank would move, that he would shift out of the way at the last minute. Even as the Serpentine Queen used her heightened powers to twist and shift her form at near lightning speed, going from almost walking to slithering within feet. Then Drava watched on in horror as the Queen¡¯s normally angelic face elongated into a vicious snarl with large fangs that protruded. She watched as the Queen lunged forward, maw open ready to strike. Again, there was the pacing of feet, as Frank clearly was able to move. But rather than dodging, of avoiding the blow, he braced himself? At least that is what it looked like, for Frank stood there, bent his knees slightly as if anticipating the pounce, and just waited. Snap. With horror, Drava watched as the serpentine maw of the Queen lunged out and bit Frank right on his exposed neck and shoulder. Honestly with the scaled hood of the queen extended, it was hard go gauge exactly where the bite landed. For a moment Drava could swear that Frank had shifted his body to the left, not enough to avoid the blow, but enough to avoid taking the blow on his neck. There was a pause as the world seemed to hold still for a moment as Drava felt her heart pulsing in pain at the sight before her. In shock she wanted yell, to scream out. Despite all of this, the oddly echoing grinding sounds continued to come, as the queen kept shaking her now fully visible tail. Yet, that wasn¡¯t the only movement, for Frank too moved. His large and powerful arms moved up, and seemed to grab the queen. For a moment, Drava thought he would try to rip her off, to tear her away from him. However this was not the case, as his hands seemed to open up and then pull the hooded creature closer to him. That¡¯s when Drava saw the power of the uncorrupted. A bright green light glowed in the night, offering an odd hue to the world that was only being illuminated through a bonfire that still glowed brightly in the background. Yet that was far away, hidden by black and diamond hard scales. Scales that were capable of resisting the sharpest of weapons and ballistics capable of being used by any of the different factions. For a moment, it looked like this was just a mistake, a desperate attempt to stave off death, if only for a little while longer. Then Drava saw the impossible. The Serpentine Queen began to fight back, to try to break away from the intense embrace, but her smaller sized reptilian arms were unable to generate enough force to push away. Instead, Drava watched as green light began to glow brightly and seemed to penetrate the dark scales of the Queen. Scales that seemed to all but melted and flaked away. Then as more scales molted away, the form of the twisting and gyrating serpent began to shift back into her typical human form. With her arms back to their normal size she was able to put up more of an effort. Or at least, she should have been able to fight back. Even in her mortal form, her base form that allowed her to enter the human realm, she was powerful. Yet, there was clearly something wrong. Her fighting was basic and weak at best. Drava watched as the fangs that had been wedged deep into Frank¡¯s shoulder suddenly began to retract, allowing her head to lean back and try to get away from Frank. Yet he wasn¡¯t done, not yet. With horror, Frank still gripping the Queen¡¯s now mutated form to his body with his powerful right arm, reached up with his left and held his hand up and over the head of the Queen. Then he seemed to pull? As a dark black aura seemed to rise up from within the queen. Frank held his hand in the air, and seemed to summon the dark power. The power of the Great One directly out of her body and force it straight to his hand. Convulsion. There was a look of pain, terror, and fear that filled the Queen¡¯s normally perfect face. Seeing the moment, Drava looked away, not wanting a second nightmare to be burned directly into mind from one day. OHHH. As she turned away, she knew she was not wrong to do so, as seemingly everyone who still looked on, let out gasps of horror and awe. Finally, after it seemed that the crowd had calmed down from the horrors they were witnessing, she turned back, only to be shocked by what she now saw. Chapter 73 The Flow Chapter 73 The Flow Pain. Unimaginable burning pain flooded through Frank¡¯s mind, as sharp serrated teeth dug their way in and punctured Frank¡¯s skin just over the sweet spot in his shoulder. The moment those inch thick and impressively long fangs sliced their way through his muscle, bone, and any other organs that were in the way, he felt it. White hot burning pain that seemed to corrode everything within his body pulsed through those long knife-like fangs that caused instant pain. Pain was good though, pain let you know you were still alive, still kicking. Frank knew that he couldn¡¯t win a contest of speed, this was a fully changed monster before him. She wasn¡¯t a queen, wasn¡¯t a leader of people, she was a full-fledged monster. But monsters like her had a weakness. While the monster was striking, Frank felt his own innate defenses kicking in. Regeneration** kicked in to begin to repair the muscles and almost forced the fangs out. Simultaneously, Poison Resistance** began instantly negating the bitter burning effects of the poison coursing through his body and began breaking it down into base components. Components that his body could then use to both help his own Regeneration and brought forth his first power. Or at least the first category of power that all his bonuses were based off. Being this close, the monster was now coiling its nearly fully transformed body around Frank. In this form, a combat shifter form, the Serpentine Queen looked more like a colossal constrictor, one spoken about in movies and old tales of horror. From what Frank was now seeing, the tales and stories did not do this creature justice, for she was a writhing, slithering force of muscle and power. On reflex, Frank felt his arms going instinctively to the massive core of the monster that was now threatening to knock him off his feet and crush his bones. Moving quickly, Frank kept his legs braced, knowing that his only chance was to remain upright. Then with his hands that had been going out to instinctively push the beast away, he did something different, by wrapping his arms around her torso and pulling her close. Only then did he hit her with the full force of his still F-Rank Ability. Healing. Green motes of energy coursed through and burned into the dark corrosive scales. Scales that were clearly too dense to cut through and break with conventional weapons and powers. Yet, Frank understood something. Or at least, he thought he understood something key. These monsters, especially the tough ones. Ones that have been able to evolve and advance for decades, some even centuries. Monsters so powerful that they were the epitome of what one would consider unkillable by modern society. Despite all of these previous thoughts that society held about the power and advantages of these monsters, Frank realized something. This realization was something that could have only been accomplished by his understanding the trials of the underground tunnels. Trials that showed him the polarity of energies. While the exact trial did not relate to this exact fight, what he learned there, the base components, the underlying message did. Polarity. That was the key to the shifters and even the vampires¡¯ successes in combat. They had managed to condense and align their negatively attuned attributes to such an extent that they could be used to form diamond-like skin. Muscles that were seemingly unbreakable, and unyielding. All because they knew how to wield that one half of a power so effectively. Yet, they were limited in their scope. Frank realized that now. This war form, this form of death and combat, it had a weakness. That weakness was simple and yet hard to understand unless you knew the basics of why the powers were so different from each other. A basic principle that Frank himself barely understood. While he wasn¡¯t a genius, at least not to the extent others he had met were. He was smart enough to realize that opposites repel each other.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. This was why, Frank purposefully allowed the Serpentine Queen to get close, close enough to touch. Even why he took what could be an otherwise fatal hit, because he needed to use his F-Ranked power directly against his opponent¡¯s skin. Warm Glow. His hands burned with life energy. Energy that should used to heal his body, but right now, his Resistances and Regeneration were enough for him to do this much. Almost instantly, Frank felt the effects of his attack. Though he wasn¡¯t attacking, not truly, which was why his energy was able to easily bypass the innate defenses of the Serpentine Queen. Frank was healing. By pushing warm healing energy into the serpentine body, he felt the hard and calloused scales begin to flake away, revealing soft and supple flesh beneath. Simultaneously, the snake began to wriggle and shift, but since it was now seeming to combat itself and Frank, its resistance was weak at best. The differing body parts and muscle structures actually hurt the Queen more than they helped in this case as her body and mind seemed to fight, as she still tried to keep her fangs lodged deep within Frank¡¯s shoulder. All this did was narrow the torso to a more human shape, allowing Frank to reach around and further tighten his own grip. A grip that all but assured his victory. Mumbled cries. With her over extended maw otherwise engaged, Frank felt, more than heard the desperate cries of the queen. Cries that spoke of pain, fear, and anger. With his grip tightened, Frank continued to spread out waves of Healing energy everywhere. Using every pore of his body, he leaked the energy. Knowing that in some shape or form, much of the wiggling mass of snakeskin and bones would be affected by his energy. Energy that would directly disrupt her meticulously crafted scales. As more of her body made contact, each part of her body that did touch began molting and shifting back. Her body seemed to think that this sudden influx of positively charged life energy was the signal needed to revert back to her human form. Which she did, slowly. At least, it all appeared to be slow to Frank¡¯s mind that was slowing everything down and helping him break down how to attack and defend. The final straw, the moment he knew he had survived, was the moment he could once again see the bright burning flames of the bonfire in the background. Flames that now illuminated the face of a monster. A monster who could appear to have the face of a goddess, if she chose to. Still, Frank was not done. In the moments when her body began shrinking in on itself, when the long tail that had wrapped its way around his body slowly turned to legs, long legs that awkwardly held onto him, before having to fall to the ground. Frank held on. Even as her body seemed to convulse and collapse in his arms, he held onto the monster. A monster that while looking momentarily weakened by the odd surge of energy within her body. Energy that forced her to take on her human form. Frank knew that she was not done. If given a chance, Frank had no doubts that she would change and strike again. Madness filled her eyes. Even now, he could see the look of anger and loathing in her exhausted face. Anger that spoke of taking one breath, and then striking again. This was why, Frank decided to continue his attack. Raising his left hand up, he made a mental call to pull the negative life energy from her body. The energy was simple to find, with so much fresh and powerful life energy swirling about in her, there was a clear repulsion of energies. Frank used that momentary separation to find the alternate energy type, the type he could call from a vast distance. The type of energy that would have, and likely should have made him an S-Ranker, at least in his past life. Not that such distinctions made any difference to him now. For now he had well and truly evolved, pushing himself past where he had been. Once again, he felt the familiar call and connection to the negatively charged energy. Just like his first kill, Luther, he felt the call and pull of his energy on the energy around him. He felt the way his mind was able to grab hold of this alien energy with a practiced ease that was almost sickeningly easy. Then he pulled. Slowly at first, at least it all felt slow to Frank. Though with a quick glance of his eyes he saw that he wasn¡¯t slow, but the world had seemed to slow down around him. Flames seemed to remain floating in air, as if they had jumped up to see what was happening. Flames that should twinkle out in seconds, just hung there in an odd eerie silence. Even the people all seemed to be stuck, many with eyes wide in shock or fear. A quick glance showed that Ravena and Drava both were staring, though their expressions were hard to determine. Then kneeling down below were the looks of the Major, Pi, and Blue each with their own level of attention. The Major was looking away, seeming to try to find an exit. While Pi and Blue both looked on with equal parts hope and horror. Frank saw all of this, his mind slowing down the world long enough to take in this one instance. He felt the moment that time resumed its normal cadence. The jumping flames instantly began to flicker out, sounds began filling the odd eerie void, and most importantly, the energy within the Serpentine Queen began to twist and wrench its way free of her body. ¡°AHHH!¡± The Queen cried out, or at least she tried to, before her throat, chest and most of her face were cut and torn open as the negatively charged energy that Frank was now calling came to him. Free and unhindered, the energy flowed out ripping its way through her body and organs and out to his raised left hand. In that moment, Frank redoubled his vice like grip with his right hand. A grip that had to be adjusted multiple times over the past few moments, as her form expanded, contracted, and thrashed about wildly, before resorting to her base form. She pushed, with trembling arms she tried to still fight until the very last. Only once she stopped fighting and the energy from within her body stopped resonating to his call did he finally drop her body. Thump. Her body fell to the ground. She wasn¡¯t dead, the ample amount of positive life energy coursing through her body healed her wounds almost instantly. Still, the damage had been done, and witnessed by everyone. In his left hand, Frank felt a pool of negatively charged life energy pooling into a sphere. With a bit of focus, Frank found himself swirling the mass clockwise, trying to help give the energy direction and solidify it into a condensed lump. The process was intense, as even now with only a few seconds of focus he was nearly at his wits end. ¡°Here, place that in here,¡± the wizened voice of Prentip called out. Turning his head, he saw the offering bowl, the one where everyone would provide their blood to help the next generation of shifters become even more powerful. Seeing the large offering bowl, Frank let out a sign of relief. A sigh that he instantly regretted as a few drops of precious blood were spilled. Frank once again focused and managed to get the remainder of his spinning sphere into the bowl. Only then did he truly let himself relax. Writhing. The Serpentine Queen seemed to be fighting with and against herself. ¡°You what did you do?¡± She hissed, as some of her loyal guards had already started to come over and help lift her. Looking at her, it was clear that she had changed. It was hard to say exactly what about her had changed. Her skin didn¡¯t seem to sparkle as much with that porcelain sheen. Her hair was not as vibrant, her form not as elegant. Most of these seeming changes could be addressed by the fact that she was now covered in dried blood and viscera and her clothes were torn and shredded from their combat, but there was more. Seeing her, Frank looked and realized that she was no longer a threat. At his contemptuous glare, others also seemed to turn and stare at the Serpentine Queen. The guard who had been so loyal, even found his own face covered with a look of disgust. Choosing not to respond, Frank used the moment to relax his senses. Danger was over. At least, he thought it was over. Until he felt a slight trembling within the dirt. Pausing for a moment, he turned, only to see that the two hands that were still over the ground trembled, but faintly. Going over to the buried body of Broadine, the person that started this whole mess, Frank stood over the burial ground and paused. He was still sore. Even now, his body was hard at work expelling the remainder of the venom that was unusable, before patching up his wounds. ¡°You¡¯ll save him?¡± The Queen asked, a note of desperation in her tone. Hearing her question, Frank just looked up and locked gazes with the woman. Everything had been too much, this had gone too far and Frank felt something break within him. Maybe it was his na?ve trust in the world, or that the idea that people were generally good at heart. Whatever it was, Frank felt it break and shatter at that moment. Then with a look of utter shock and bewilderment, he just laughed at the audacity of the statement. Laughed and shook his head. He then turned back to the buried body, completely dismissing the Serpentine Queen, as he no longer saw her as a threat. Though out of courtesy, he did answer her. ¡°No, I¡¯m just taking what¡¯s mine,¡± Frank replied. With that, Frank focused on the negatively charged life energy within Broadine. Negatively charged life energy that instantly began reacting to his beckoning. Swoosh. And like that, Frank had even more power to provide for this offering. Interlude VII (Maddie Camello) Interlude VII Maddie Camello Prestige had been bred into Maddie from a very young age. Ever since she was able to learn, she knew of the great heritage of the Camellos. How each and ever generation of Camello had produced talent after talent, knowing that each generation would eventually produce newer and better talents that would rise up from the dregs of society where they were placed and rise to the top. What her family didn¡¯t know, what no one down in the slums knew, was that many on the surface actually wished to have the opportunity to preserve their families by heading to the slums. That leaving the slums was actually a death sentence to families that were not prepared. How did Maddie know this? The same way she seemed to know almost every major piece of information she came across, she just knew. When she was younger these feelings would be wilder and more volatile. But now she had them almost daily. She could read books and pinpoint the lies or untruths. She could hear and see people and see who would be important. It took her time to realize that this was a manifestation of her talent. At first it frightened her, seeming to know things that might or might not be important years down the road. The way she could all but hear falsehoods. Yes, she could hear untruths being told. They would cause her teeth to tingle in a way that was similar to not brushing, a most unpleasant feeling to be around. For this reason, she always hated being near or around her brother, who seemed to never be able to tell the truth to save his life. It was also around the time that she discovered that she could notice lies and falsehoods that she started losing her vision. This was a slow and gradual thing. At first, she wondered why her eyesight would act in such a way. She could see, the doctors and specialists that treated her proved that her eyes still worked properly. But her mind seemed to dismiss everything that was a lie. Eventually, she would be able to pick up a book and read a handful of sentences and pick up the entire truths of the story, or the lessons being taught. Great for learning, as she seemed to always get and understand the true meaning of each lessons being taught, but terrible for reading stories that were all entirely fiction. Then again, after a point, even hearing fiction stories read out loud began to grade on her nerves, for she could hear the falsehoods in those stories as well. That was just the start of her powers. After some time, people began to fade away. She might see faint traces or whisps of color for a moment or too, and then people were gone. Only a few people were visible to her, and only then based on their perceived impact to her life. Again, these were lessons she learned only after the fact. The most prominent people she could see were her parents, and a hazy outline of her brother. She had cousins, but they were mostly hazy to her. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Then she met him. The boy who glowed. Even now, as her eyes seemed to reject almost every form of color or vibrance, she could still remember him. The glowing boy and his radiant smile. There was just one problem. Luther hated that boy, likely because Maddie could not take his eyes off of them. Perhaps Luther knew the true meaning of why her eyesight was going. Only now that it was getting close to her awakening day, did Maddie really understand herself. She was a prophetess, someone who would be blinded, but in so doing they would be able to see the truths and true states of all things. That was why she saw that boy, why he stood out to her like a beacon. The brighter he burned to Maddie¡¯s future sight, the more Luther seemed to fade. He didn¡¯t realize it, Maddie didn¡¯t either, but now that they were here, Maddie knew. Squeak, squeak, squeak. Maddie¡¯s wheelchair squeaked as her tires spun forward when pushed by her mother. Today was a grand day, the day that Maddie would officially awaken her powers. Though, Maddie should confess, that she inadvertently awakened her powers on her own years ago. Now all that would happen was the last band aid would be ripped off and what was left of her senses would be converted into this odd gift that dulled everything around her. Until there was just two things, the truth, and those who would remain in her life. Even now, her parents were fading, just as Luther had. She wanted to feel sad for them, but part of her realized that this was their reward for not stopping Luther when they could. For driving Frank Fotos away. Even now she could read that name, as if it was burned brightly into her mind. She could read his name and see his smiling face. ¡°Here we are,¡± her mother began, but Maddie was already up and walking up the steps. Steps that glowed to her mind. Normally she couldn¡¯t see at all and would need assistance to walk. But there, these steps burned brightly with the energy of her future. A future that was undeniable. Walking forward, she moved step by step, until she came to the orb. One that she would place her hands on and reveal her true powers for all to see. She wasn¡¯t an S-Rank. Her power would go well beyond that, but fortunately those who were gathered would be able to recognize the signs. She turned her head, scanning the crowd. Right now, her eyes were pale husks that looked like they were deeply covered in cataracts, that was how everyone knew she was now blind. Fortunately, she was allowed to wear a thick silken cover around her eyes to prevent others from being frightened by the visage. Even with the coverings she could still see, just as well as they always had. She looked and saw an old man, with dual powers. Catching sight of the person she waved. Seeing the odd gesture from the girl caused him to look on in confusion for a moment, but then he gave an awkward wave back. Then seeing that she was clearly blind he came over, wondering if she needed any assistance. ¡°Can I help you?¡± He asked. ¡°Vanguard, know that I am going to be ready to take the calibration test again, once the readouts appear to be questionable,¡± Maddie stated. ¡°Okay,¡± the grizzled veteran replied, and dismissed the frail girl. But not after he looked up at the girl, under her eye coverings and saw the milk white husks for eyes that she had. Seeing those husks, he wondered how she knew where he was. Furthermore, he wondered how she knew who he was? Had someone told her? No, that didn¡¯t seem likely as everyone around seemed to avoid her at all costs. Still, he was intrigued by the odd girl. This was to be Vanguard¡¯s last awakening tour before he was sent up to the surface, having to fill in for a lost squad of soldiers that went down during a routine prisoner transport mission. Why was he thinking about that? Well, as a matter of fact, the prisoner that the group had been escorting came from here, this very district. In fact, it was due to that accident that opened this up to include even younger students as there would likely be well over a year of separation before they could head back to the surface. This way anyone over ten would be awoken and given a chance to grow into their powers. He hoped that there were only a handful of students that would be forced to go up to the surface, but the laws of averages noted that with more kids being tried all at once, the number of children that would have to be taken up to their deaths would be increased. Still, he did have a special spot in his heart for kids with moxie, which this blind girl did. Though even if she did have an S-Ranked power he would recommend she stay down here with her loved ones who could care for her. For there was no power that she could unlock that would make her so valuable that it would be worth risking her life by taking her to the surface. A surface filled with monsters that had destroyed the major military academy, forcing two separate but equally important facilities to be created at once. These kids would be the push of the future. Taken up to those facilities to learn and harness their powers as long as possible. At least that is what he had been told, but he would believe it, when he saw it. FWOOOOSHH! The moment the girl put her hand on the orb, a surge of static electricity was released, causing the hairs on Vanguard¡¯s head to rise up. Simultaneously, he could feel the sudden gust of wind push past him as a palpable tension seemed to form in the building. Then he saw a readout that caused his blood to run cold. Yes, the kids couldn¡¯t see, or rather weren¡¯t trained on where to look, but grizzled veterans like him knew where to look to see the power and rating unlocked. There in bold lettering was a power he had never seen before, only read about in archives and histories. Even the symbol for the powers rating and distance was the same odd infinity loop that he had read about as well. Blinking once, he cleared his eyes trying to even look away. But as soon as her turned back, he still saw the same message. A message that caused everyone on his team to let out gasps of awe. For after this time, they had found her.
Skill Unlocked: Prophetess (Air). Range: Infinite.
Chapter 74 Spirit Walk Chapter 74 Spirit Walk ¡°Now that there are no more distractions, we shall begin,¡± Prentip began. As he spoke, his old eyes began to glow with a faint bluish hue, a trick of the light. At least that is what most outsiders would think. Given the raging bonfire that still seemed to rage onward, albeit at a more subdued pace, there was a slight chance that the new color that Frank noticed was due to the lighting. But Frank knew better. Frank had seen the diverse powers of the shifter tribes in action. Even now his body ached with pain, but he felt more alive. Prentip began by grabbing a large dollop of the congealed blood mixture that radiated with the Serpentine Queen¡¯s blood and the blood of her son both. As he applied the poultice, he also spoke out an odd ritualistic wording. ¡°Back before the changing of the world, when there was not a shift or a division. The world existed in a much different state than we now know it.¡± Since he was the one responsible for slaying both targets, he would be the recipient of their powers and blessings combined. Wince. Apparently the first place the good shaman chose to apply such an application of condensed power was right to his wound, to his right shoulder where two giant puncture wounds still remained. Remnants of the bite that that serpentine Queen had delivered to him, while he instead went for his own killing blow. Frank noticed these things but soon found himself getting distracted by the words and the strange story that the old shaman continued to tell. ¡°Originally, there was no power, for there were no beasts. Only animals that man lived with and tended to.¡± Glow. As the mixture was applied, Frank saw the faintest glow coming from out the corner of his right eye. Prentip also saw the glow and nodded to himself, before continuing with his practiced story. A story he likely told every time he resided over such an event. ¡°Yet, the All Father communicated directly with the world, and said it was the job of man to protect and tend to the animals.¡± Despite the pain, Frank was quiet, only letting out a mild hiss, but soon found his attention being pulled towards the old man who seemed to be moving both quickly and exceptionally slowly at the same time. Even with Frank¡¯s supernatural healing rate, there was a bit of a bite to the wound, almost as if even in death the serpent queen tried to make one last strike. ¡°Then came the change, when the external gods came and sought dominion over our world. Bringing with them magics that threatened the very fabric of our reality. They brought power, privilege, and they ended up killing the All Father.¡± If Frank closed his eyes, he swore he could see her, a spirit writhing flowing from the odd mixture that was now being applied in vast swaths. ¡°This is where the story of the Great One comes, he was a disciple of the All Father, having been on of the first to arrive to this world. He interacted with the All Father and learned from him, experiencing the joy and masterful balance that this world had to offer.¡± Yet, the old shaman wasn¡¯t done, as he proceeded to trace a line down his right arm, stopping at the wrist. Before proceeding to do the same from the left shoulder and work his way down with one massive swipe. More glowing. ¡°Yet, the Great One was left out of the initial meetings of the other beings of powers. He did not learn of the All Father¡¯s fate until it was too late.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. A few markings on his chest, circles highlighting major organs, then finally the final dollop was placed on his forehead. ¡°The Great One fought back and brought the teaching of the old All Father with his own knowledge and now serves as our last reminder of the teachings and values of the All Father. It is not a gift that is being bestowed upon you, but a promise.¡± To better spread out the dollop, Prentip even went so far as to seemingly make an odd symbol. Frank knew it was a symbol based on the focused movement of the hand, the way only one finger was extended as if to provide focus. ¡°This is a promise that you will continue the teachings of the All Father, by taking on aspects of the animals that the All Father fostered, you will help maintain that balance of the old and new worlds that are so important. It is from this delicate balance that we now find ourselves, shepherding the old and the new.¡± Tingle. The moment Prentip was done, Frank¡¯s forehead began to tingle. Then as if reading something in Frank¡¯s look, an undeniable need to reach up and scratch at the marking that was now seeming to wiggle with power, Prentip continued his speech. ¡°By opening up yourself now, you are forever binding yourself to the magics of the new, with the promises made to the old God. A God who has long since had their name removed from the annals of history. And is only remembered in these forgotten ceremonies.¡± Prentip continued. Then pausing, Prentip proceeded to empty out the remainder of the new mixture of blood and other sacrifices. For a moment Frank was shocked at this act, thinking it was a waste, but then Frank realized that this was entirely made from his own work and efforts, that the other mixture still remained from earlier, and those would be used on Pi, Blue, and the Major. Frank only glanced at the three others for a moment, before he had his attention pulled back to Prentip who was now glowing with power, as he seemed to be activating the blood that had been smeared over Frank¡¯s upper torso. ¡°You, Frank Fotos, are the first new human to be initiated by the great packs in nearly a century. You are about to be tested, pushed to your mental limits and beyond. This agent that we have applied to you,¡± Prentip stated while holding up the empty clay bowl that once housed the ritualized materials. ¡°This is but a conduit to help your spirit more freely shed your mortal shell so you can see the realm of the Great One. You will see where he and the All Father met, and you will see the spirit of the great animals that our ancestors were entrusted to watch over and protect.¡± ¡°While you are there, examine the animals. Knowing that many can become the most ferocious of beasts when pressed. Find one that you resonate with, one that holds the values, attributes, and abilities that you wish to exemplify not only for yourself, but for your family as well. Know that this change will be permanent.¡± ¡°Once you make your selection, you and your children will forever bear the traits and attributes of your chosen spirit. By making this choice, you will keep the last promise of the Great One to his master and mentor, the slain All Father. By taking on this role you will also keep a shred of the All Father alive, his memory, keeping him from permanent death and thereby giving face to the Great One.¡± The more Prentip spoke, the more his eyes glowed, as strange magics seemed to come to life. He spoke hypnotically, that or there was an odd hallucinogenic effect in the mixture, as Frank felt his body simultaneously go tense, and limp at the same time. His body was tense in that he could not move, he could not even think to speak out to question some of the parts of the story. Who were the gods? Where did they come from? Why did they come here? All of these questions and more came to Frank¡¯s mind, but he was unable to ask any of them. Instead, all he could do was focus on standing still, which was a process becoming harder and harder to achieve as Frank felt his body trembling slightly as parts of his muscles began to relax completely. Seeing the change within Frank¡¯s posture Prentip nodded to himself. Then reaching forward he tapped Frank on the chest. Swoosh. At least, Prentip should have tapped Frank on the chest. Looking down, Frank was momentarily frightened by the sight he saw. For there sticking through his chest was the arm of the old shaman. ¡°What the¡­¡± Frank began, only now realizing that he once again could move his mouth. A mouth that had been almost sealed shut due to his slow loss of control. Thump. There was a crash from behind that caused Frank to turn about. There to his shock he saw himself. Well his body. To his surprise, Drava and Ravena both were right there, grabbing his body that had apparently fallen over and been caught by the two assistants. Assistants who gently lowered his body the remaining distance to the ground. ¡°Confused?¡± Prentip asked, his voice seeming to be the only sound that seemed to cross over. Then turning to see Prentip, Frank noticed an odd blue glow in the Shaman¡¯s lips. His mind deduced that this was likely how the sounds were transferring over. ¡°I know you are likely frightened, but look around you. This is the realm of the spirits, those that we are supposed to watch over and protect. Those that glow the brightest are the ones that are represented by the great clans. You can meld with one of them, or find one that is lost or otherwise forgotten to time. The choice is yours, so long as you can meld with the animal then you will be able to take on characteristics of that creature. Gaining strength from their spirit.¡± As he spoke, Frank looked around and saw the various animals that Prentip spoke about. Frank saw giant birds of prey, cunning wolves, powerful and calculating serpents and many more. ¡°You must move quickly, for this state will only last until dusk tomorrow, after which time, if you do not return, your spirit will be lost, and forced to roam wildly. As the tether to your body will forever be separated, once the moonlight shines once more upon your mortal coil,¡± Prentip spoke, then as he went on, the words became harder to hear. As the energy used to infuse his lips with that odd blue hue seemed to dwindle. There was more, Prentip used this time to continue speaking wisdom. These were of course words that Frank had heard before, but were harder to remember now that he was just a spirit. Now that he was intangible, or at least part of him was intangible, he felt oddly forgetful. Yet, he could still think, see, and experience everything around him. He looked back at his body, a body that still glowed a deep dark blue that seemed almost impossible to lose in the darkness around him. By contrast, the bodies of the spirits around him seemed pale compared to his body, though it was clear that this would likely change as time went on. Even now, with but a few seconds, Frank could see his window into the mortal realm slowly dimming. As he could only make out slight forms of Ravena and Drava as they soothed him. Seeing that even those two were now dimmer, gave more credence to the fact that this was a limited time. Looking around, logically, it made the most sense to find one of the brightly shining animals, and choose one. He knew that by choosing the wolf, he would forever strengthen his bond with Ravena. While the great and powerful majestic bird to his left would help tie him to Drava. Yet, he was curious about what was left. He wanted to know about the animals that the world had long since forgotten. ¡°Now go!¡± Prentip¡¯s final words echoed and bounced around the openness of the spirit realm. Hearing those words, Frank nodded to himself and took one step forward. While Frank knew that there would be challenges, and rituals to overcome, he did not quite expect what would happen next. ¡°Sssttoop right there humansss,¡± an angry and towering serpent began to speak as it slithered forward, all but challenging Frank. Seeing the serpent, Frank could only nod to himself, knowing that this new challenge had just begun. Chapter 75 Hiding In The Mists Chapter 75 Hiding In The Mists In the spirit realm, the rules were different. Acts as simple as breathing proved the odd nature of the world that Frank now found himself a part of. Each breath was filled with so much energy that it almost felt like his body would burst from inhaling the energy. Then just as quickly as he took in the energy upon inhaling, the energy he obtained quickly left his incorporeal body with each exhale. These were the effects of a mortal spirit suddenly residing within the spirit realm. Not having his true body with him was both a blessing and a curse. This moment was a blessing in that his body didn¡¯t feel the need to endlessly absorb the ambient energy around him, which could quickly overflow his Qi channels, mixing highly incompatible energy types with one another. The curse was that he was limited in his scope of energy usage. One breath. That was all the power that Frank could wield and hold at any given time within the spirit realm. The moment that breath left him, he would be powerless until his next inhale. There was also the fact that Frank was not used to this realm, nor what its powers could do. Mentally he assumed they should be similar to what was possible within the mortal realm, but then quickly discarded that train of thinking figuring it would lead him limit his perspective. With power that was so rich and expansive, it was hard to believe that it couldn¡¯t do more than what he was used to seeing within the mortal plane. All these thoughts flowed through Frank¡¯s mind, as he paused to assess the situation. ¡°Sssttoop right there humansss,¡± the echoingly haunting voice of a grand serpent echoed out in the vast nothingness of space. Inhale. Frank breathed in, as he did, he wished for his mind to speed up, to be able to access the world around him that much quicker. Slow. Just as he had that very thought, the world, or spirit realm around him slowed. Frank watched as dozens of spirits all looked on with interest. Many had their eyes squarely on the now much slower moving serpent. A serpent who held itself high, as if to strike, all while slithering forward. But something was off, the world was not quite stopped, but slow. Well slower. The only thing letting Frank know he wasn¡¯t hallucinating right now was the fact that he could move. Raising his hand before his face he stopped and moved his hands about at regular speed. Then seeing that he could move freely, while the rest of the spirit realm seemed to be slowed down to a crawl, Frank calculated everything within his head, then moved two steps to the right. As he moved, Frank felt a tightness in his chest, as the energy infused air that he was now breathing felt like it was spinning about wildly within his mental construct of a body. In that moment the words of Prentip and Ravena came back to him. ¡°In the astral realm, you will be in you mental construct of your own body. It will look and act as you wish, as it is your body. But also know that any damage your construct takes, will be reflected on your real body. Tread carefully.¡± These reminders went through Frank¡¯s mind as he took two steps. He wanted to take more, but found that it was nearly impossible. He had spent too long thinking to himself and flailing his hands about wildly, before acting. That was why now he felt such a deep desperate need to breathe once more. Exhale. With that last movement, Frank felt his grip, his control over the astral realm loosens for just a moment. The giant serpent that had been slithering forward angrily suddenly stopped, as its eyes stared forward, looking for Frank. Only to find an empty spot where Frank had once stood. Inhale. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The moment Frank took half a breath, the serpent turned its gaze upon him. This time the world didn¡¯t freeze with his breath, for all he wanted to do was to be able to breathe freely without any pains in his chest. Upon that thought, Frank¡¯s chest loosened, and he felt like he had taken every breath right on time. Exhale. Hypnotic stare. The serpent looks momentarily confused, looking first at Frank, then at the spot where Frank was, then back to where he is currently. Tongue flicker. With the confusion, the serpent lets out its long black forked tongue to taste the air. Choosing first to taste the initial entry spot, and then the serpent turns its face towards Frank. As it does, Frank moves again. Inhale. Once again, Frank focuses on wanting the world to stop moving. While it doesn¡¯t stop completely, Frank can see that it has once again slowed down. Though stopping entirely seems to be out of the question. Further, Frank realizes that so long as he stands still, or at least remains stationary, there is no strain upon his body. Then the moment he stakes a step forward to move, that is when there is strain on his body. Or on his astral form. Pushing himself he moves three steps to his left. Going through and past his initial staring location. Strain. Yet, as he takes the third and tries to begin his fourth step, that is when pain erupts within his body and he is forced to halt his advancement. ¡°GAH!¡± Frank exhales, his body forcefully expelling the excessive and seemingly used energy from his astrally projected lungs and back into the ether around him. This time the serpent takes only a second to look from the spot where Frank was, to where he now stands. As his guttural cry of pain seems to echo out, pulling the gazes of every monster on him, not just the serpent. ¡°Yoouuu, huumannnssss, ssssstop.¡± The serpent commands. Pulse. As the serpent speaks, Frank feels a wave of energy smash into his spectral body, all but forcing him to stand still. The moment the energy wave hits, Frank realizes that this is likely an adaptation of the power of the ether. Or a way Frank could eventually use the abundant power around him. ¡°NO!¡± Frank hisses out through clenched teeth. Shatter. The moment he forces his own words of defiance out, the grip on his body dissipates and he once again feels that he is in control over his own body and movements. Seeing his act of defiance, the serpent raises its head higher, and Frank can almost see the giant breath of air that the monster is beginning to take. That¡¯s when Frank begins to dart forward. Not inhaling, not trying to force the world to slow down again. Rather he forces his body to move closer to the serpent. As he runs, he does so on an exhale. The two easiest times to run are with a full breath, and just after you exhale. In both cases the body is at a natural state, not expanding, not contracting, but just being. Learning to breathe in while running is tough, exhaling is slightly easier, but still cumbersome due to the way the body shifts slightly. Add in the fact that each breath would require Frank to learn to not only take in, but control, and move about a foreign energy that is so powerful that he himself can¡¯t understand its true capabilities. Pain. There is another problem too, his right leg. Well, his thigh, actually feels like it is torn. A side effect from his trying to step too far in his moment of control over the world. Just a strain, at least that is what his rational mind is telling him. Wince and focus on healing. Frank takes in a partial breath as he moves. As he does, he tries to cast healing energies on his body, only to realize that the power isn¡¯t the same. The effects are slightly different. But he has seen and experienced these effects with mortal bodies enough to understand how healing should work, despite this being ethereal energy on an ethereal body. ¡°Yooouu daresss¡­¡± The serpent begins, to say, but Frank has already done two things. First he exhaled the minor bit of energy he gained, and with it, managed to heal the damage to his body. Then Inhaling deeply, Frank kept his momentum. Frank could only take two to three steps, but did they have to be steps taken from a standing position? That was what Frank decided to test out. As Frank inhaled, he focused on causing the world around him to slow down. Then as before, the astral world around him slowed down, while he remained the same. Forcing his body to violently twist to the right, he pivoted. Taking first one step, then another. The pivot proved crucial, for it all but disrupted his body¡¯s natural running cadence, forcing him to slow down, and finally come to a complete stop by the time he took his third step. Exhale. Once again, the world sped up and there was a monetary confusion as the Serpent seemed to lose Frank. The snake even tried to track his progress forward in a straight line, only to get confused. Seeing this confusion, Frank smiled as he thought he figured out this monster. Inhale. Unlike the last time, Frank took this breath and tried to cause the world to slow down around him once more. There was a struggle, as if his body was not used to forcing such a world altering measures to happen in back-to-back moments. Still Frank was determined. This time Frank only managed to take two steps before he had to stop. Exhale. Frank now found himself near the hind quarters of the serpent. Far away from its motion sensitive eyes. Inhale. Once again Frank pushed himself, causing the world to slow down around him, but now he felt that there was even more of a strain. This time Frank only managed one step forward, before feeling the weight of the world around him push him into place and all but force him to stand still. Silent panting. At this point, Frank felt his body¡¯s need for air, or whatever type of sustenance that this place provided supersede his own need to remain hidden from everyone and everything. Despite the desperate need for air, Frank forced his body to take slow and shallow breaths that would not draw attention from the monsters around him. Fortunately, Frank was now far enough away, having taken multiple movements in a row that he was able to hide behind the massive scales of the giant serpent. If Frank so wanted, he was now close enough that he could strike out at the tail of the serpent and cause damage. That is, if Frank had a weapon. Focusing for a second, Frank tried to conjure any form of healing energy, dark energy, or even earth energy that he had been accustomed to using from before, only to find that nothing responded to him. Here in this realm, there was but one type of power. A power that Frank now used to revitalize his own essence and even heal the lingering pains within his right thigh. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was something. Frank had heard tales about the power of the spirit. How with spirit and determination one could do anything, and that was how this realm seemed to be. For as long as Frank had the will to push on, he could see and deal with almost any foe. ¡°Monssstter,¡± the giant serpent hissed as it twisted its head and scanned the area, looking for where it had gone. As soon as the giant serpent lost its composure and began to search the area wildly, its massive body began to twist and turn. Seeing the movement, Frank tried to keep up with the pulsing side-winding ripples that the giant serpent used to push and maneuver its body around. Thud. Of course, the giant serpent was far too large to avoid entirely, as Frank found himself being thrown by a massive whipping undulation of the serpent¡¯s tail. The force was so powerful that Frank felt his body fly back a few feet before landing on the ground. Chime. As soon as Frank landed, a crisp clear ringing echoed throughout the astral plain causing everything and everyone to pause. Everyone but Frank, who used the moment to stagger his way up to his feet, as he realized this was just getting started. Looking at the giant serpent, Frank realized with slight horror that not only the serpent, but every other spirit animal in the area were all looking back behind them. To a massive silhouette that just seemed to appear from the darkness. A shadow of shadows. A monster so intense that even Frank¡¯s consciousness dared not recognize the beast for what it truly was. Thump, ba-thump. With two massive steps, the giant and towering beast stepped forward, further distinguishing itself from the darkness. That was when, Frank knew he had messed up royally. Chapter 76 Evolving Monsters of Fear And History Chapter 76 Evolving Monsters of Fear And History The monster took two massive steps, at least that is the action that Frank¡¯s mind associated with the movement. Yet the movements that Frank witnessed weren¡¯t steps, not truly. The movements were too choppy, too lumbering. As the creature moved dark billowing clouds of shadow followed the creature, rolling out in echoing waves of darkness that slowly reached out towards the other stationary monsters. Then as the shadows moved closer the other animals instinctively moved back. A few of the braver creatures let their feet into the mist, but soon found their resolve to prove their mental resilience fade as the waves of darkness became deeper and the creature that appeared was enough to send chills down Frank¡¯s spine. ¡°There will be no fighting and no forceful stealing of a talented candidate, not for this one,¡± a low rumbling voice spoke. As it did, a slight shiver went through Frank¡¯s spiritual form. While Frank¡¯s mind and consciousness still worked to process what was happening, the monster before him still looked undefined. While he could occasionally make out odd horned and muscular details that rose above the murky trail of shadows that always seemed to follow the beast, its true form remained a mystery. Then before Frank could truly contain himself, before he could stop his mind from working quickly, trying to understand the immense being before him, he spoke. ¡°What¡­¡± One word, a word that spoke volumes for while every spiritual creature that had gathered had all turned their collective consciousnesses towards the massive creature that seemed to be the source of nightmare fuel. Finally, having had a moment to look at the creature, it was clear that this was a water creature of some kind. The massive rolling waves of shadow that served as a prelude for the creature gave off that impression. But there was more, the odd scales that glistened in the random streams of light that barely illuminated this realm. Then there were its awkward herky-jerky movements that seemed unnatural for a creature that should be the epitome of power and grace. Then just as his mind made the mental connection needed to place the monster, it spoke. ¡°I am the Leviathan, or at least that is what I started as,¡± the old creature began. ¡°What I became and what you see now are far different from where I began. You see, I like all of the creatures before you have and will continue to morph and change as human¡¯s collective consciousnesses and ideas about what we have changed.¡± There was a pause as the beast seemed to let that concept solidify in Frank¡¯s mind. Then seeing that Frank had either no questions, or what was really the case, that he was incapable of speaking, the giant monster continued to speak. As he did, he both seemed to give a historical lesson of what the creatures here were, and what exactly to expect from this process. ¡°Since my first form, I have changed to be the very incarnate of change and fear that land creatures have. I am the first creature many land dwellers have when they go too deep into the oceans and can no longer feel their toes touching the ground.¡± Another pause, as Frank tried to grasp this fear. While he had only been in deep water once, and that was in a river, meaning he never experienced this fear that the leviathan now spoke about. Then again, he felt he would if he had seen a truly limitless ocean, or at least a body of water that went on beyond what his eyes and senses could comprehend. Perhaps as if reading Frank¡¯s mind, the creature continued. ¡°I can see you never felt that primordial fear that is ingrained in all land creatures. Even those that eventually overcome this fear, still have that one gnawing thought of me in the back of their minds. That is what I now am, for it is what the minds of people have grown to perceive me as.¡± Slosh. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. The more the monster spoke, the more it continued to move closer to Frank. As it moved it was clear that while a dark mist of water rolled off the creature and did ease its movements, the creature was clearly at a disadvantage here on land. Or what Frank mentally considered to be land as his feet still touched the ground. Cold chills. Frank felt the moment the advancing pool of liquid got close enough to him that he could feel his bare feet get covered. Hurried-flapping. Off in the distance, the aviary beasts of history could be heard rising into the air, a certain panic to their desperate attempts to fly upwards. Yet, they were secondary to the massive creature that was still slowly slithering its way forward. Now that it was closer, it was clear that this creature before him, this Leviathan was the king of the ocean. There were no other monsters that could rule the ocean, so long as this creature and its massive red spheres of power existed. Then to add even more to the tension that Frank was now experiencing, the creature spoke. ¡°As a demonstration, I will show you the fear that you should now be experiencing.¡± Frank was about to protest, that he didn¡¯t need any demonstration as he could fear the creature just fine. Even at a disadvantaged state, the creature was monstrously powerful. Yet, before he could do anything a wave of water, or dark liquid that Frank¡¯s mind interpreted as water came out and enveloped him. Struggling splashing. Frank wasn¡¯t alone in his sudden submersion, for every creature that was still on the ground suddenly felt the same surge of water reach out and grab them as well. Not that this helped Frank at all, for right now he felt a surge of panic as his body arose. His muscular frame and intense connection to the earth caused his body to sink immediately. Yet, he knew he would quickly drown if he did nothing, for the water was soon over his head and continuing to rise. That¡¯s when he forced his body to relax, as he began performing the same swimming motions that he had learned in the same SERE training that taught him to swim in a river for an hour. He had been terrible at swimming then but had done enough to pass. Even his recent attempts at swimming in the giant lake on Ravena¡¯s land were not enough to prepare for this event. By contrast, the still and serene lake was a nice reprieve compared to the dangers he now felt. Now Frank felt the fear of barely being able to swim and kept his head above water, while staring at the imposing leviathan that was now clearly in its element. Fear gripped Frank, for in this moment there was absolutely nothing he could do to resist. His element of Earth was useless here. His mind desperately tried to call upon the other powers that he had at his disposal, but his mind was too fuzzy, too filled with intense primal fears that the leviathan spoke about. Even in the water, Frank could feel the weight and pressure of the Leviathan¡¯s giant red orbs staring at him. It was a haunting feeling, one that spoke of being all but helpless, as he could barely swim, let alone deal with trying to hide from a monster with all seeing red eyes. Eyes that could pierce the darkness of water and peer right into his very soul. Then just when it was almost too much, Frank felt his body sinking back to the ground. As he sank, Frank let out a sigh of relief as he could feel the earth getting closer. Then finally he was close enough to be able to stand up, which he did. His legs were wobbly for a moment as they were affected by both fear and the sudden reapplication of gravity that now did strange things to his body. Gasping. Many of the other monsters were also lowered and allowed to rest. From a quick glance around it was clear that many of the more feral and feline creatures had a hard time with the sudden surge of water. It was almost enough to cause a slight smile for Frank to appear, but he quickly regained his composure, not wanting to have to deal with yet another altercation involving these strange and mercurial creatures of power and lore. Having felt that fear, that deep ingrained fear that the creature spoke about, all he could do was look up and stare at this monster. While there were no oceans, or even deep rivers nearby, at least not as far as Frank knew about, he would bond with this creature if it so demanded. There was no fighting this monster, and Frank knew it. ¡°Sorry, I might have overdone my demonstration to let you know the fear that all your species has. This is also a not so gentle reminder for the others of my prowess and that I am now watching you.¡± The giant creature, this Leviathan continued to speak. Again, there was a pause, but it was only once the creature seemed to turn away and almost begin its long process of lumbering away that Frank dared to speak. ¡°Wait, you mean you won¡¯t choose me?¡± Frank cried out, his words echoing and drawing the attention of all the other monsters. Monsters that all looked on with waterlogged silence at the duo. Well, everyone was waterlogged except for the giant birds that managed to fly up and apparently avoid the worst of the waves. ¡°Unfortunately, no, as you can see we are clearly incompatible at this time. Had it been later, after you had witnessed the great oceans and wondered what lay beyond, then we could have worked out something. But alas, you are here now as you are, and as you know you are completely unfit for the water and life on the water.¡± Silence. Frank¡¯s mind blurred to life as he tried to take in everything, tried to come up with ways to counter what had just been said. Then finally, he nodded to himself. Before he could utter his response to this insight the great creature spoke once more. ¡°While we will never be able to combine for any measurable effects, know that should you enter the ocean. Should you experience the fear of the unknown that you just felt, know that it is a lie. That should you choose to brave the ocean, I and my own will be there, but as a protector.¡± With that command a focused beam of light struck out from the center of the largest horn on the Leviathan¡¯s head and burned a single glyph onto his wrist. Even in the darkness that mark glowed with a bright blue sheen. His mind instantly interpreted the glyph as a protection dealing with water in some way, but his mind could not process what was happening. Then before he knew it, the great beast began to lumber away, taking massive and awkward steps that spoke of both power and the fact that the beast was out of its natural element. But despite being out of its natural element, the creature still radiated power. Power that all of the other spirits who were watching on in muted fascination instinctively accepted and tried to cower from. Even now, Frank could see the once proud serpent, a serpent that was still injured slithering away. That cold look of malice that was on its features was easy to notice and interpret, their feud was not done. Not by a long shot, but for today, they would both be allowed to leave with their lives. At least that is the way Frank interpreted the gesture and hostile glances. Once the Leviathan was far enough away that it could once again sink into whatever constituted an ocean in this realm, the other monsters relaxed. Even from this distance Frank, and the other creatures of history could see the glowing red eyes of the Leviathan. Eyes that rested upon a long-coiled body that seemed to sink down into oblivion. Those eyes spoke volumes without having to utter a word. The lesson that Frank took from this was simple, even now the Leviathan was watching and would not dare to hesitate to stop anyone or anything fool enough to begin a second fight here. There was a long awkward pause, before finally one of the more powerful birds swooped down and began to approach Frank. Flap-flap-flap. ¡°Hello there, you are already aware of my tribe, but please allow me to introduce myself¡­¡± Then as if the flood gates had been released again, the barrier that had seemingly separated Frank and the other creatures broke away, as the creatures that Frank was compatible with all came closer to talk.