《A Cultivation Story》


 Prologue

    In the village of Eastlodge, a young man ran along a road.


    Today was an important day, let me rephrase that, today was THE MOST important day of the year. Sweat dripped down the young man¡¯s face, with even measured breathes he ran. Lean muscle propelled him forward with respectable power, for a mortal that is.


    ¡®I can¡¯t be late, today is the day I¡¯ve been waiting for all my life.¡¯ The young man thought as he continued his invigorated journey to the town center. ¡®Today I¡¯ll finally show my old man that I won¡¯t be stuck in this backwoods for my whole life, that I won¡¯t be relegated to a background character in the annals of history. Today is the day I take control of my life!¡¯ With a confident, maybe even arrogant, grin the young man increased his speed.


    Passing by farm houses, grain silos, and cottages, the young man was greeted by the residents of these abodes. ¡°Be careful now Connor, you don¡¯t want to tire yourself out. The day has barely started. What will your father think when you come home barely able to lift a bag of seed?¡± An aging man yelled at Connor as he passed by.


    ¡°Thank you Mr.G but I won¡¯t be lifting any more seeds or tilling any more fields after today. Today Is the day I finally start my journey as a cultivator.¡± Connor responded with a laugh.


    ¡°How could I have forgotten, today¡¯s aptitude day isn¡¯t it? I didn¡¯t think I was getting that old but apparently my age is catching up to me.¡± Mr.G said with a chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck.


    ¡°Yes sir, today¡¯s the day!¡± Connor responded with a yell. Picking back up the pace Connor ran along the dirt road that lead to the town square of Eastlodge. Although calling it a town square would be generous, seeing as there wasn¡¯t much town nor was it much of a square.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Connor drew closer and closer to the town square and the house became less and less spread apart. The wood walls and thatching roof became more and more stone walls and tiled roofs. The town square soon came into view, a crowd of people had gathered. Old and young alike had come to see the spectacle, parents praying for their children¡¯s future, and youths brimming with vitality ready to fulfill their dreams. Yet, for most that will not happen.


    The shops and houses flew by in a blur, and then they were gone. ¡®Oh no, I was too distracted getting here that I didn¡¯t bother to slow my pace down.¡¯ Connor focused his eyes forward, his eyes widened as he realized that there was a person in front of him, actually there were many persons in front of him.


    ¡°Shit, get out of the way.¡± But his warning came too late.


    -Thunk-


    ¡°Ow,¡± an unknown voice said from under him.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Connor said as he quickly got up and stretched out his hand to help the person he¡¯d knocked over up. The young man took his hand and pulled himself up to his feet.


    ¡°No problem, just watch where you¡¯re going next time will ya.¡± The young man said as he dusted off his clothes. The young man looked to be about the same age as Connor but while Connor was tan, tall, and lean, this young man was pale, short, and pudgy.


    ¡°Sorry again Eric but you know how my father is, he wouldn¡¯t even give me the morning off so I had to do all of my work before I could go to the ceremony.¡± Connor told Eric apologetically.


    ¡°Like I said Connor, it¡¯s fine.¡± Eric waved away his apology, acting like it was nothing.


    ¡°Thanks Eric, see this is why we¡¯re friends.¡± Connor answered with a smile.


    ¡°What, so you can assault me then act like it¡¯s nothing. Whatever asshole.¡± Eric answered with a snort.


    ¡°Hey, it doesn¡¯t happen that often.¡± Connor protested.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Eric answered sceptically. ¡°Whatever, you made it on time and that¡¯s all that matters. Now shush, the ceremony¡¯s starting and I don¡¯t want your annoying voice to ruin it for me.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Connor said with a hurt look on his face. Eric looked over at Connor with crossed arms, they both stared at each other for a few seconds before breaking out into laughter.


    ¡°Shhhhh.¡± Everyone around them turned to them with annoyed looks on their faces. They both quickly quieted down, due to a potent mixture of guilt and shame.

 Ch.1 The Ceremony

    A man who looked to be in his mid thirties stepped into a wooden platform that had been placed in front of the town hall, which was directly across from the road Connor had just run in on. The man had on comfortable looking but high quality clothes, black pants, a white shirt, suspenders, and a wide brimmed hat. Taking off his hat the man wiped some sweat off his forehead and then turned to the crowd to address them.


    ¡°Welcome fellow citizens of Eastlodge, now that we¡¯ve all arrived the aptitude ceremony can finally begin.¡± He paused and then looked to the back of the crowd, everyone followed his gaze and found he was looking at two boys in the back both looking very guilty and ashamed. There was a quick wave of laughter before the man silenced them with a hand.


    ¡°As you all know, today is the most important day of the year, today is when dreams are made reality, today is when our children become cultivators!¡± There was a cheer from the crowd, the man waited a couple seconds before silencing the crowd knowing that this might be the only time some people will feel happy for the foreseeable future.


    ¡°As you all know, we live in a very dangerous world. Beasts and demons roam the land and the only ones capable of stopping them are cultivators like myself.¡± The man said and then sent a fist forward, a burst of flame flew out of his fist lighting up the crowd. As the residual heat and wind passed by the crowd was silent, and then they erupted into a deafening cheer.


    ¡°The mayor always does this at the aptitude ceremony but people act like it¡¯s the first time he¡¯s done it.¡± Eric whispered to Connor. He waited for him to reply but when he didn¡¯t he turned to look at Connor only to see him looking on with a gleam in his eyes. ¡°Damnit Connor , don¡¯t be such a simpleton.¡±


    ¡°Uh huh, sure, yeah.¡±  Connor said as he absent mindedly nodded along.


    ¡°To cultivate is to get in touch with the universe.¡± The Mayor said as he calmed the crowd. ¡°Qi is the very essence of reality and can be used to commit feats of unimaginable power. We all have Qi in us but those able to feel it, control it, cultivate it, and use it are what we call Cultivators. Although it¡¯s not as simple as that.¡± He said with an almost imperceptible sigh. If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Looking back at the crowd he continued.¡±As you all can see I am a heat man, or a person who has an affinity for fire Qi. Everyone has their own elemental affinity, based on their soul and on the Qi they are surrounded by, but that is much less of a factor out here as the elemental Qi is quite sparse so the concentrations needed to effect the soul are not present.¡± He said these last parts with some bitterness.


    Quickly returning a smile to his face he spoke.¡±There are 3, technically 4, things that make up aptitude for cultivation, 1. The body, 2. The mind, 3. The soul, and 4. Can you actually sense the damn stuff.¡± The crowd chuckled at the last part but everyone clearly felt uneasy when he said that.


    ¡°The first stage of the aptitude ceremony is to test if you can feel Qi, then we move on to testing the other aspects, and finally we test elemental affinity. Now that I¡¯ve finished my preamble, what do you guys say to getting this show on the road?¡± The crowd cheered, excitement and energy returning.


    ¡°Ok, will all participants please form an orderly line to the right of the stage so we can begin promptly.¡± With that the Mayor turned his back on the crowd and walked off the platform. The crowd quickly turned into a chaotic jumble of movement as young people rushed to be first in line and everyone else rushed to get out of their way.


    Eric waited, holding Connor back as well, knowing that they wouldn¡¯t be able to make it to the front anyway so he might as well avoid the Chaos. ¡°Let me go Eric, I need to make sure I get to the front so I can finally tell the world who I am.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, it won¡¯t matter if we¡¯re in the front or in the back, we all get tested just the same.¡± Eric said in annoyance.


    ¡°Yeah but..¡±


    ¡°No buts, it¡¯s not like Mayor Bueacanon is going to run out of Qi or anything. Seriously, why do I even try with you?¡± Eric rebuked Connor, saying the last part with more exasperation than frustration.


    After 5 minutes, the square cleared up and returned to order. All of the parents and children to young were on the periphery while the young people who qualified stood in an orderly line next to the wooden stage.


    Joining the rest of the young people Eric and Connor stood, waiting to receive their destiny.


    ¡°Damn it, can¡¯t Mayor Bueacanon hurry up. I can¡¯t contain all the excitement in my body. I¡¯m almost shaking.¡± Connor held up a hand to Eric to prove his point.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah whatever. Learn some patience will you.¡± Eric said in an annoyed tone, he then reached into his pocket and pulled out a book.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Connor asked incredulously.


    ¡°What does it look like I¡¯m doing?¡± Eric said without looking up. ¡°I¡¯m reading dumbass.¡±


    ¡°How can you read at a time like this.¡± Connor yelled.


    Eric looked up, frustration evident. ¡°Stop yelling, you¡¯re drawing attention to us. Well not like that¡¯s anything new, you always pull stunts like this.¡±


    ¡°Ok.¡± Connor said dejectedly. Head hanging down and book out, Connor and Eric waited for their destiny to be laid out before them.

 Ch.2 The Ceremony p.2

    Connor watched the line meander slowly forward. ¡°Eric I¡¯m bored.¡±


    ¡°I know Connor but you don¡¯t need to tell me that every 5 minutes.¡± Eric responded, not bothering to look up from his book.


    ¡°Eric, what should I do? I¡¯m bored.¡± Connor replied.


    Eric sighed then looked away from his book. ¡°Well, what am I supposed to do about that Connor? I¡¯m not the one we decided to arrive late, now am I.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± Connor protested,¡± I didn¡¯t decide to arrive late. My old man did that for me.¡±


    ¡°Tomatoe tomato.¡± Eric responded.


    ¡°Ugh, whatever.¡± Connor said throwing up his arms in defeat. He then looked at Eric curiously and asked,¡±What are you reading?¡±


    Eric sighed, again.¡¯I seem to be doing that a lot.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m reading ¡®A History of the Undertaker¡¯s Guild¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Cool, I¡¯ve heard of the Undertaker¡¯s Guild but I don¡¯t know much about them.¡± Connor responded thoughtfully.


    ¡°I figured you wouldn¡¯t know much about them.¡± Eric answered with his nose turned up and a smug smirk on his face.¡±Well I guess I¡¯ll be so kind as to educate a lowly country bumpkin like you in the matters of the wide world.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Connor answered with a grin.


    Eric grinned back and continued,¡±The Undertaker¡¯s Guild is a cultivation group or guild if you will.¡± Connor stared at Eric blankly, who himself was chuckling in amusement.¡±The Undertaker¡¯s Guild as it¡¯s name would imply is a death element focused group. All sorts of dead men join their ranks but surprisingly enough they aren¡¯t actually that violent of a group. They actually provide a very valuable service for the many cities, towns, and villages, they collect the dead and bury them in their necropolises.¡±


    ¡°Why would they do that?¡± Connor inquired.


    ¡°They do that because it helps them create zones with immense levels of death affinity Qi. The ideal place for a dead man to cultivate in.¡± Eric answered.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s really smart.¡± Connor commented,¡±But don¡¯t some people want to bury their own family members?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a great point, the answer to that is yes they do but most can¡¯t.¡± Eric responded.


    ¡°What do you mean they can¡¯t?¡± Connor questioned.


    ¡°Well you see Connor, it costs money if you want to be buried in or around a city or town, because the body is protected from beasts. Most people can¡¯t pay that and so The Undertaker¡¯s Guild provides that service free of charge, the catch being the guild is free to do what it wants with the corpse.¡± Eric answered diligently.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just as bad as getting eaten by a beast?¡± Connor said with confusion.


    ¡°That¡¯s all a matter of perspective, sure the body might be used for necromancy but at least it¡¯s not being used to sustain a beast who will inevitably kill someone or damage property.¡± Eric replied with a shrug.


    ¡°I guess.¡± Connor said unconvinced.


    ¡°Anyway, not only do dead men go to them but also shadow men, stone men, rain men, and to a lesser extent steel men.¡± Eric stared matter of factly.


    ¡°Why do so many different elemental cultivators join them?¡± Connor asked.


    ¡°The answer is quite simple, it¡¯s because of how they build their bases or necropolises if you will. They are vast underground cities made to hold the dead so obviously there will be an abundance of Dark, Earth, and Metal Qi.¡± Eric told his worst student.


    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s understandable but what about the Water Qi, where does that come from?¡± Connor, worst student, asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s simple, swamps and bogs are places that have a naturally higher amount of Death Qi but also Water Qi so that¡¯s why rain men tended to join them as well.¡± Professor Eric proclaimed.


    ¡°Cool, but if they mainly collect corpses and dispose of them then does that mean they aren¡¯t really a combat sect.¡± Connor asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s a very common misconception about them, although they¡¯re most famous for their corpse collection service they also provide other services like any other combat sect. In fact, they¡¯re known to take on extremely deadly and even borderline suicidal missions because it helps advance their members understanding of death.¡± Eric answered.


    ¡°Yikes.¡± Connor exclaimed.¡±Why would you want to join an organization that sends out its members on suicide missions?¡±


    ¡°Borderline suicidal missions, get it right. The answer to that is quite simple, they¡¯re the biggest and the best dead man group around. They have the most resources and like they say,¡¯high risk, high reward.¡¯ Most of the people who take part in those missions either make it big afterwards or aren¡¯t alive to care.¡± Eric diligently responded.


    ¡°True.¡± Connor agreed.¡±You know Eric, I really hope I have a fire affinity like Mayor Bueacanon. Being a heat man would be so cool.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re more of an earth affinity.¡± Eric said with a grin.


    ¡°Why is that?¡± Connor answered in confusion.


    ¡°Because you¡¯re a blockhead.¡± Eric answered then started to laugh uncontrollably.


    ¡°Damn it, I can¡¯t believe I fell for that one.¡± Connor responded with a smirk.¡±That¡¯s a terrible joke Eric, this is why I¡¯m your only friend.¡±


    ¡°Whatever Connor, you¡¯re just jealous of my comedic genius.¡± Eric responded while making a pose. They both started to laugh.


    After awhile they both calmed down then Connor spoke again.¡±I really hope we can get into the same sect, I¡¯d hate to have to leave you after all the time we¡¯ve spent together.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, me too.¡± Eric agreed. They both stood in silence as the line continued to meander forward lazily like a snake on a cold day. Their destiny lay ahead not but 5 meters away, their past lay behind growing ever longer and further away. What would come, they did not know, all that was certain is that this would change their lives forever.

 Ch.3 The Ceremony p.3

    Soon, the moment of truth arrived. Connor could feel the heat that radiated from Mayor Bueacanon as he approached him. The classic sign of a heat man was of course their name sake, heat.


    A young woman walked away from Mayor Bueacanon slowly, head down in obvious distress. Her parents quickly came to comfort her but they too were distraught. Some dreams were never meant to be fulfilled, high hopes can lead to great triumph or immense pain.


    Connor stepped forward with confidence, the thought did not cross his mind that he would not be able to travel the fantastical path of a cultivator. Sweat dripped down his face and promptly he arrived in front of Mayor Bueacanon.


    ¡°Connor, the first step of the process is very simple but arguably the most important so listen close. I¡¯m going to cycle my Qi through you, you are either going to feel or you¡¯re not. It¡¯s that simple, yes or no, do or do not. All right?¡± He said in a tired but serious tone.


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± Connor said with a grim smile.


    Connor closed and he could feel the heat of Mayor Bueacanon as his hand approached his head, like a sitting by a fire during the day the heat grew uncomfortable but not unbearable. Suddenly, contact and then he felt it, he felt it! Power flowed through him, his body felt energized like it never had before. His muscles contracted, eyelids fluttered, fingers spasmed. He felt like he could lift an Ox and throw a bolder. Nothing could stop him, the universe laid itself bare before him. Then it was gone.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Congratulations my boy, it looks like you do have it.¡± Mayor Bueacanon said a smile on his face but the bags under his eyes made it clear how drained he was feeling.


    A single tear slid down Connor¡¯s face. He stared at his hands, a sense of deep loss filled him. He slowly lifted his head and then took in his surroundings. ¡°It¡¯s so barren. I... That sense of power.¡± He looked around again. ¡°I can barely feel it. This... This is terrible.¡± He looked at Mayor Bueacanon who wore a knowing smile. ¡°How can you live in a place so bereft of power.¡±


    ¡°Because I don¡¯t have anywhere else to go.¡± Mayor Bueacanon answered slowly, a pained look infecting his features.


    ¡°Hey asshole, move before I make you.¡± Eric said, not bothering to hide his annoyance.


    Connor turned back to look at Eric blankly then with stiff movements walked away to stand behind Mayor Bueacanon with the rest of the future cultivators. In total they numbered 3 out of 37, including Connor, a stern young woman with dark brown hair and a scowl on her face plus a short young man with a wiry frame, blonde hair, and a mischievous smirk on his face.


    Eric stepped forward to Mayor Bueacanon and like Connor before him closed his eyes. When Mayor Bueacanon¡¯s hand was placed on his forehead no obvious outward signs appeared. A subtle, almost imperceptible shudder and twitch of the body was scene and then his hand was taken away.


    Eric opened his eyes, he did not show any signs of happiness or joy but Mayor Bueacanon¡¯s words quickly cleared up any doubts. ¡°Congratulations Eric, you have it.¡± He looked past Eric and then addressed everyone. ¡°The first stage of the aptitude ceremony is over, it is a year worthy of celebration! 4 child have an aptitude, 4!¡± He paused at that and when no response occurred continued. ¡°I remember a time not too long ago when the results of this ceremony would be 0. I¡¯m very grateful that we¡¯ve had such a prosperous year, the divines have truly blessed us! Now it is time to move on to the second stage of the ceremony.¡±


    With that he turned away from the slowly dwindling crowd and addressed Connor and the rest. ¡°Follow me inside the town hall, we shall proceed with the second stage in there.¡± He then walked around the group of young people and opened the door to the town hall. Without looking back, he entered the building.


    The teenagers looked at each other then with a shrug Connor followed.

 Ch.4 The Ceremony p.4

    Connor followed Mayor Bueacanon through the wooden double doors of the town hall. Stepping inside, the stone outer walls gave way to wooden inner walls. A rug ran the length of the hallway he had just entered. The hallway was lined with doors on both sides and led to another set of double doors at the other end of the hallway.


    Mayor Bueacanon continued walking, his steps were filled with a purpose and quickly took him to the end of the hallway. Opening the double doors at the end of the hallway he entered another room, followed swiftly by Connor, Eric, and the other gifted. The room they entered now was wide open, it had a high ceiling and tall walls, clearly meant to hold a large group of people.


    Mayor Bueacanon crossed the room with large strides, he stopped in front of a raised platform with a stone obelisk on it. Finally Mayor Bueacanon turned to address the young people who had followed him.


    ¡°This is a Talent Obelisk, it is a mystical item created specifically to, as its name suggests, measure your talent.¡± He paused with a bitter smile and the continued, ¡°because not all men are created equal, there are those who are simply born more able or with talent if you will. An individual¡¯s talent consists of 3 parts, the body, mind, and soul. The body is a vessel, a person born with a body able to hold more Qi, channel more Qi, and output more Qi is considered to have a talent in the body. Being able to control Qi with a finer touch than others naturally means you are talented in the mind. Being able to gather Qi faster than others means you have a talent in the soul. Obviously these categories have gradients on the level of talent but I won¡¯t get into that.¡±


    Finished with his explanation he pointed to Connor. ¡°Get up here, I might have all day but I sure as hell don¡¯t want to take it.¡±


    Connor hurried forward onto the platform then looked at Mayor Bueacanon. ¡°What do I do now?¡±


    ¡°You see those hand shaped indentions on the Obelisk? Put your hands in them.¡± Mayor Bueacanon explained slowly, making sure to enunciate each word carefully.


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± Connor responded obliviously. He then lifted his hands and set them in the indentions, his hand fit perfectly in them as if they were cast specifically from his hands. Contrary to its grainy grey exterior, the stone felt cold and smooth to the touch.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Slowly the obelisk started to light up, invisible symbols slowly revealing themselves. The light started out dim but soon brightened to unbearable levels. Connor closed his eyes to shield them from the bright light but that did very little to help. Light seeped through his closed eyelids but he ignored that due to the feeling of energy rushing through his body.


    It pulsed through him, running along invisible channels interwoven in his body. After about 30 seconds the pulsing stopped. He opened his eyes and the light was gone too, the only thing left on the obelisk were 3 symbols. Unfortunately Connor couldn¡¯t understand what they meant, mainly due to the fact that he was illiterate.


    ¡°Is that good?¡± Connor asked Mayor Bueacanon in confusion.


    Mayor Bueacanon looked at Connor with a deadpan face. ¡°Is that good he asks?¡± He shakes his head, ¡°lucky bastard.¡± He then addresses Connor again, ¡°yes Connor, that is good. In fact, it¡¯s great. You have Strong body, below average mind, nothing new there, and an above average soul.¡±


    ¡°What exactly does that mean?¡± Connor asked, no less confused.


    ¡°It means,¡± Mayor Bueacanon says with frustration, ¡°that you were born with a body far above average when it comes to cultivation, compared to most cultivators you have a weak mind, and compared to other cultivators your soul is above average. In practice this means you¡¯ll be able to hold more Qi and gather it faster than someone else at your level but you¡¯ll have a harder time finely controlling the Qi, although that isn¡¯t much of an issue with practice.¡±


    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s great!¡± Connor exclaimed, a bright smile on his face and a distant look in his eyes. ¡®If this is a dream, I hope I never wake up from it.¡¯ He absently stepped away from the obelisk and off the platform to allow others to find out their results. Although before he could step of the platform the characters on the Talent Obelisk flew off, like a falcon diving onto prey, and branded themselves onto his arm.


    A searing pain unlike anything he had felt before blasted his mind. Everything went blank and his whole world was encompassed by the white hot fire that melted his very being. It could have been an eternity or a second before it was gone.


    ¡°Fuck.¡± Connor fell onto his knees and screamed in a horrified voice. He looked at his arm but the symbols were already fading, before long there wasn¡¯t a mark left on his arm to attest to the hell he just went through. ¡°What was that?¡± He asked with a groan.


    Stifling a laugh Mayor Bueacanon responded, ¡°that¡¯s a spirit brand. It allows sects to verify your talent easily.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you warn me that was going to happen?¡± Connor responded in a hurt and confused voice.


    ¡°Because it was funny.¡± Mayor Bueacanon answered with a shrug. Noticing the look on Connor¡¯s face he frowned. ¡°Every cultivator knows that pain, it would have done you no good to know it was coming. Now that it¡¯s gone it¡¯ll do you no good to dwell on it.¡±


    Turning to the 3 others in the room he asked, ¡°who¡¯s next?¡±

 Ch.5 The Ceremony p.5

    Eric and the two others looked at each other, apprehension clear on their faces. Although usually Eric managed to look apathetic to most things, he couldn¡¯t hide the worry on his face looking at the challenge that laid head.The smirk was gone from the young man¡¯s face, replaced by a frown and furrowed eyebrows. Even the serious looking girl hesitated after witnessing the pain caused by the soul brand.


    Eric sighed, ¡°if no one else will, I guess I¡¯ll have to go.¡±


    Mayor Bueacanon nodded at him. ¡°As usual Eric, you¡¯re too kind, but we don¡¯t have all day.¡± He looked at the stern young woman and the, now returned, smirking young man. ¡°I don¡¯t have all day, decide between you too, Audrey and Austin, or I¡¯ll decide for you.¡± He turned back to watch Eric approach the Talent Obelisk.


    In a very Eric fashion, he walked deliberately but briskly towards the Obelisk.He stopped in front of the Obelisk and, like Connor was instructed, placed his hands in the indentions. He stood still for awhile, light leaked from between his figures and his body subtly twitched before the light grew dim and then Characters started to appear on the Obelisk. The light from between his figures raced up in lines to form these characters.


    Mayor Bueacanon looked at the symbols with a sigh. He started to slowly clap, chuckling all the while. ¡°Looks like Eastlodge has another talent. Below Average body, Strong mind, and average soul. I assume you know what that means Eric?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± Eric replied, glancing at the symbols. Taking a deep breathe, Eric prepared himself.


    ¡°Quick as always, I wish Connor were more like you but hey we can¡¯t all be smart or at least mildly intelligent.¡± Mayor Bueacanon let out a soft chuckle. ¡°You know what¡¯s next Eric so step away from the Obelisk. We don¡¯t have all day.¡±


    Eric let out his breathe and with a shaky step moved away from the Obelisk. The characters wasted no time dive bombing him, once they landed on his army they glowed brightly. At the same time Eric let out a scream of pain and fell to his knees. After a couple seconds the screaming stopped. Eric took a shaky breath and then attempted to stand up but the brand had left him weak, too weak in fact to stand up, but before he could hit the floor Connor caught him.


    Connor looked into Eric¡¯s eyes knowingly and hauled him up. ¡°Come on fat ass, you¡¯re heavy. Help out a bit.¡±


    ¡°Screw you Connor.¡± Eric replied, flipping Connor the finger with a smile. Getting Eric to his feet, they walked away from the platform and waited for the next victim.


    ¡°Who¡¯s it going to be, Austin¡±,  Mayor Bueacanon pointed to blonde haired young man, ¡°or Audrey.¡± He then pointed at the stern young woman.


    ¡°Ladies first.¡± Austin said, giving a mock curtesy and moving out of Audrey¡¯s way.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Tsk,I hate you Austin.¡± Audrey hissed but still moved forward and stepped onto the platform.


    ¡°I love you too sweetie.¡± Austin called back with a devilish smirk.


    Audrey Scoffed at his comment but didn¡¯t turn back or otherwise acknowledge it. Placing her hands into the indentions the process started. After awhile the characters appeared and Mayor Bueacanon read them out. ¡°Above average across the board. Congratulations you don¡¯t suck. Now step away from the platform.¡±


    Audrey hesitated for a second before moving away with conviction which soon crumbled with a scream under the pain of the soul brand.


    ¡°You know I think I¡¯ll pass on this whole cultivator thing, it just doesn¡¯t seem right for me.¡± Austin said turning away from the Talent Obelisk and walking towards the door.


    ¡°Oh no you don¡¯t.¡± Mayor Bueacanon said before the temperature in the room increased. He let off a subtle red glow and you could see heat waves physically radiating off him.


    Austin stopped mid step and slowly turned around. ¡°Well I better get going, don¡¯t want to take all day and all that Jazz.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± Mayor Bueacanon said as the heat and glow slowly subsided.


    Austin dejectedly walked up to the Obelisk and placed his hands in the indentions. After awhile the characters formed but he didn¡¯t walk away from the Obelisk. ¡°Do I really have to get a soul brand?¡± He asked Mayor Bueacanon in a pleading tone.


    ¡°Yes, now step away from the Obelisk before I drag your ass away.¡± Mayor Bueacanon answered.


    ¡°Fine.¡± Austin answered with a sigh. He reluctantly stepped away from the Obelisk and without fail the characters flew away from the Obelisk, fast as lightning they struck his arm, then came the pain.


    Mayor Bueacanon turned to speak to the 3 others but paused, as if remembering something then turned back to Austin. ¡°Average in body and soul but above average in mind. You don¡¯t suck but you¡¯re nothing special. Work hard or you really won¡¯t be anything special.¡± Turning back to the other 3 individuals in the room he addressed them. ¡°It¡¯s time to test elemental affinity, wait here while I get the testing stones.¡±


    He then walked behind the platform that held the Obelisk and opened a door. Closing the door as he entered an unseen room the 4 young people were left alone with their thoughts and each other.


    ¡°Damn, why does Mayor Bueacanon have to be such a dick.¡± Austin complained loudly, destroying the silence that had fallen over the group.


    ¡°Stop complaining Austin, no one cares what you think.¡± Audrey responded not bothering to look at him.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be mean Audrey.¡± Connor said before walking over and helping Austin stand up.


    ¡°Thanks Connor, I knew I could count on you.¡± Austin responded with a smile, taking the hand offered by Connor.


    ¡°No problem. I mean, we¡¯ve all known each other for our whole lives so of course I¡¯d help you.¡± Connor replied mirroring Austin¡¯s smile.


    ¡°I wish we didn¡¯t.¡± Audrey said with a huff.


    ¡°Why do you have to be so mean Audrey. We all used to be such good friends when we were little, what happened to you?¡± Connor asked in confusion.


    ¡°Yeah Audrey, why do you have to be such a bitch?¡± Austin asked with a smirk.


    ¡°What¡¯d you call me Austin!¡± Audrey yelled, glaring at Austin who proceeded to hide behind Connor. She started to walk towards Austin and Connor anger clear on her face.


    ¡°Come on Austin, don¡¯t call her a bitch.¡± Connor said doing his best to keep Audrey away from Austin.


    ¡°What, it¡¯s the truth.¡± Austin said circling away from Audrey around Connor.


    ¡°Well that¡¯s your opinion Austin but if you two are going to fight at least keep me out of it.¡± Connor said with a sigh, he then started to back away from the pair with his hands raised in the air.


    ¡°All right, calm down you two love birds. You can go at each other later but right now we have a test to complete.¡± Mayor Bueacanon said as he reentered the room carrying a wooden box.


    ¡°Love birds, with him.¡± Audrey pointed at Austin. ¡°No way, not a chance in the infernal realms.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad the feeling is mutual, I wouldn¡¯t want to leave you with unrequited love.¡± Austin answered with a laugh, quickly running away from her before she could hit him.


    ¡°I swear to the divines Austin, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Audrey said chasing after him.

 Ch.6 The Ceremony finale

    Mayor Bueacanon ignored Audrey and Austin, walking up to Connor he put his hand on the front of the wooden box and opened it. Connor looked at the contents of the box as they were revealed to him. What he saw were 3 ordinary looking stones, very smooth with a grey and black speckled exterior.


    He looked at Mayor Bueacanon, ¡°Rocks?¡±


    ¡°Rocks.¡± Mayor Bueacanon answered with a nod.


    ¡°Are you joking or what?¡± Connor asked in a confused tone.


    Mayor Bueacanon frowned at him, ¡°does this look like a joke to you.¡±


    Connor stiffened up a bit, ¡°no sir, I¡¯m just confused how they¡¯re supposed to measure elemental affinity.¡±


    Mayor Bueacanon¡¯s frown lessened and he let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you actually listened, well these are refined elemental stones. Special stones that, when Qi is passed through them, show your elemental affinity.¡± To prove his point he picked up one of the stones and the stone glowed with a symbol appearing on it. Pointing at the symbol he said, ¡°this means fire, which is my affinity.¡±


    He then tossed the stone to Connor, who caught it with some surprise. ¡°Normally this is a simple process but because none of you have any Qi, at least beyond the normal amount accumulated by a mortal, I¡¯ll need to pass my Qi through you so that it¡¯ll respond.¡± He then shut the box and placed it on the raised platform.


    Moving back to stand behind Connor, he placed his hand on his back. ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Um, what exactly am I supposed to do?¡± Connor asked.


    ¡°This might be one of the most difficult things you¡¯ve done but you need to hold the rock.¡± Mayor Bueacanon responded sullenly.


    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Connor looked back in confusion.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    ¡°That¡¯s all, now shut up and hold the fucking rock.¡± Mayor Bueacanon forced Connor¡¯s head forward and closed his eyes.


    Connor tensed up as he felt Mayor Bueacanon¡¯s Qi flow through him. The feeling of power that came from Qi was intoxicating, beyond anything he had felt before. He lost himself in the feeling until it was taken from him, thrust back into the cold and desolate world.


    Mayor Bueacanon gave an exasperated sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not even surprised anymore.¡±


    Connor glanced down and saw 2 characters had appeared on the rock.


    ¡°That means,¡± pointing at the first symbol, ¡°Death and that,¡± pointing at the other, ¡° means Metal. Dual affinity Death and Metal or a deadly steel man.¡± Quietly as if to himself, ¡°when it rains it pours, huh.¡±


    Connor barely registered what Mayor Bueacanon said, still reeling from the lack of energy in the area and within himself. ¡°Uh hu.¡±


    ¡°Whatever, who¡¯s next.¡± He looked at Eric, Austin, and Audrey. ¡°Either one of you steps forward or I¡¯ll start picking people, I don¡¯t care which.¡±


    Eric shook his head and sighed. Stepping forward he waited for one of the stones. ¡°Alright Connor, go have your pity party somewhere else, I just need the damned rock.¡±


    ¡°Uh hu.¡± Connor handed him the stone and walked away in a daze.


    Mayor Bueacanon tossed the refined elemental stone to Eric and moved behind him. ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready Eric, who am I kidding I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re ready.¡±


    Eric stiffened up, his muscles contracted and his back straightened. After a moment the stone started to glow and a symbol appeared. ¡°Fire affinity or a heat man. Welcome to the club Eric. Next.¡± Mayor Bueacanon took his hand away from Eric¡¯s back and motioned for the next person.


    Eric started to walk towards Connor but was stopped by Mayor Bueacanon, who unceremoniously, pried the elemental stone from his hand.


    When he turned around Audrey stood in front of him ready to begin the process. ¡°I¡¯m glad someone is finally listening to me.¡± Mayor Bueacanon smiled then handed her the stone. Walking behind her he placed his hand on her back.


    After a moment the stone lit up and another symbol appeared. ¡°Interesting, Life affinity or a vitality woman.¡± He chuckled, ¡°both a life and a death affinity in the same crop, ironic. Next.¡± He motioned for Austin to step forward as he took the stone from Audrey.


    Handing the stone to Austin the process began. Soon the stone lit up and another symbol appeared. ¡°Air affinity or a wind man, more like an airhead but whatever.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Austin protested.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re actually with it. Carry on.¡± Mayor Bueacanon waved him away as if nothing happened. Turning to Connor, Eric, and Audrey he addressed them. ¡°Congratulations, the ceremony is finally over. You all are about to enter a world of wonders and horrors. I¡¯m not going to sugar coat it, I don¡¯t expect any of you to return. You might find that statement to be a bit cruel but tough shit that¡¯s the world. Within the next few weeks you¡¯ll be scouted by the various sects so make sure to say goodbye to your families. The only person you can trust is yourself, the strong eat the weak, the law of the jungle. I hope the rest of your short lives are fulfilling, farewell and get out of my house.¡± With that Mayor Bueacanon ushered them out of the main room of the town hall and slammed the doors shut.


    Connor looked at Eric. ¡°I don¡¯t think he likes us.¡±


    Eric blankly looked at Connor then dead panned, ¡°you don¡¯t say.¡±


    They stared at each other for a couple of seconds before Connor cracked and started to laugh. Eric soon joined him.

 Ch.7 Home

    A group of teenagers walked out of the town hall of Eastlodge into an open cobbled square. A wooden platform rested before them, empty and without purpose now that the Ceremony was over and it would remain so until it was needed again. Shops lined the cobbled square and a few people could be seen talking to shopkeepers or cleaning the area in front of their shop.


    It was evening so most of the town was at home, preparing supper or getting ready for bed, although there were a few people that remained in the square. These were the families and friends of the Eastlodge gifted, who, upon seeing the people exit the town hall, rushed forward to congratulate and greet them.


    A large woman ran up to a boy wearing glasses and snatched him into a hug. ¡°My baby Eric, I¡¯m so proud of you.¡±


    Eric grunted and turned his head away, red rapidly spreading across his cheeks. ¡°Mom, please not in the square.¡±


    Eric¡¯s mom continued to hug him. ¡°We¡¯re all so proud of you Eric. The smartest boy in all of Eastlodge and now a cultivator. I couldn¡¯t ask for a better son.¡±


    A tall thin man with glasses walked up to join the duo, he placed a hand onto Eric¡¯s shoulder and smiled. ¡°Good job son, you really are our pride and joy. You¡¯ll do great things one day my boy, great things but for now we should probably head home and stop embarrassing him in front of his friends.¡± Eric¡¯s father emphasized the last part to Eric¡¯s mother, steering both of them towards the exit to the square.


    ¡°Oh all right.¡± Eric¡¯s mother responded with a sigh, letting go of Eric.


    Eric let out a sigh of relief, taking a moment to regain his composure. Straightening his back he turned to Connor. ¡°See ya tomorrow.¡± With that he turned and left with his parents.


    ¡°See ya.¡± Connor waved to Eric, he watched Eric leave before letting out a sigh. ¡®I guess I need to head home too. At least I get to tell the old man he was wrong. It¡¯s so surreal but I¡¯m actually going to leave, I¡¯m actually a cultivator. After being stuck in this backwoods for all my life I get to see the world. No more tilling fields, no more planting seeds, and no more harvesting grain. I finally get to choose what I want to do and be what I want to be.¡¯ He clenched his fists and a grin spread across his face. ¡®Soon I¡¯ll join the ranks of the truly powerful.¡¯ Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    His smile dimmed. ¡®Mayor Bueacanon has a point though, the world is ruthless and without the strength to impose my will on it I¡¯ll be crushed. I¡¯m nothing right now, worse than a speck of dust. Even worse is that I actually have talent, that makes a target but that also provides opportunity. I have no background but that means I won¡¯t start out with enemies.¡¯


    Connor shook his head. ¡®Enough of that, I need to start walking if I want to make it home in time for supper.¡¯ Sighing he began walking home.


    The walk home was uneventful for Connor, besides for people congratulating him. 30 minutes later he arrived in front of a waist high fence with a gate. Inside the fence was a one story wooden cottage with a thatched roof and a stone chimney merrily puffing out smoke, behind the cottage were tilled fields of dirt and a small bare brown barn. Beside the cottage was a patch of dirt, green sprouts barely peeking out of the soil.


    ¡®Home sweet home.¡¯ Connor opened the gate only to be assaulted by a flurry of pecks and loud honking. ¡°Shut up Jerry, it¡¯s me.¡± Connor said as he kicked at the goose harassing him.


    ¡°Welcome home boy.¡± Connor jumped as he heard a voice speak. Looking up he saw a greying man in overalls and a dirty white shirt, stained with dirt and sweat, a straw hat on his head and a pipe in his mouth. Salt and pepper stubble adorned his sun burnt face. He stood in the doorway of the cottage with crossed arms.


    ¡°I¡¯m back pops.¡± Connor responded as he walked towards the door.


    Taking a draw from his pipe, the man let out a ring of smoke. ¡°How¡¯d it go.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m a gifted. A deadly steel man.¡± Connor replied curtly.


    The man stopped leaning against the doorway and looked at Connor. ¡°I see, I guess you¡¯ll be leaving soon than, won¡¯t you boy.¡±


    Connor stopped walking and returned his father¡¯s gaze. ¡±Yes sir.¡±


    The man remained silent for a moment then turned to walk back into the house. Pausing before getting too far into the house he turned over his shoulder and looked back at Connor. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you son.¡± Then turning back, he disappeared into the house.


    Connor stared at the doorway for a second, shock evident on his face. Standing in silence for a few moments a single tear ran down his face. All was still for him in that moment. Nothing mattered but that phrase said to him by a man he¡¯d hated for most of his life. ¡®He¡¯s proud of me.¡¯ Looking down at his hands he repeated that phrase. ¡°He¡¯s proud of me.¡±


    Connor stood there for a long time before entering his home. Supper was eaten in silence, he nor his father spoke of what was said. After a filling meal of bread and cabbage soup, Connor went to his room and flopped down onto his straw mattress.


    ¡®Today has been the most eventful day of my life.¡¯ He smiled, ¡®and it¡¯ll only get better from here.¡¯

 Ch.8 Introductions

    A little over a week after the Aptitude Ceremony a cart rolled lazily towards the village of Eastlodge. The cart didn¡¯t appear to be anything other than an ordinary cart pulled by midnight black mares, although there was a white cloth covering the contents of said cart. What really stood out about the cart was its passengers.


    A very pale man sat at the head of the cart driving it, he had on a black wide brimmed hat, a white button up dress shirt, and black dress pants with a brass buckle. The driver held the reins of the mares with a shovel leaned against his shoulder. To the drivers right was a cloaked man in battle worn plate mail, speckled with rust, dirt, and dry blood. He carried a scythe, using the shaft of the weapon as a walking stick. To the left of the driver was a figure wrapped entirely in white bandages, yellow fluid could be seen leaking from the bandages along with blood. The figure slouched over while walking, almost dragging their arms in the dirt. Every once and awhile the figure would be wracked with a coughing fit. Behind the cart followed a man in a black top hat with a bird beak mask, and a black robe that seemed to billow in an unseen wind. He carried a cane with a skull on top made of silver with obsidian eyes.


    The carts approach to the village did not go unnoticed, quickly Mayor Bueacanon was informed of its approach.


    ¡°So they¡¯re here already, I didn¡¯t expect any of the sects to arrive so quickly. Oh well, at least we can get the body collecting for the month done early.¡± Turning to the assistant who had informed him of the carts. ¡°Go inform Bruce, even though he probably has already heard, of the arrival of the Undertaker¡¯s Guild.¡± He then added, as if just remembering. ¡°Inform Connor too, after all you don¡¯t say no to the Undertaker¡¯s Guild when they come for your gifted.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡± The assistant replied before running off to complete the tasks she had just been given.


    Before the Mayor¡¯s assistant came, Connor knew the Undertaker¡¯s Guild was in town. So when the woman appeared at his front door he was already packed. ¡°This is your final chance to say goodbye, are you sure you don¡¯t want to say anything to your father?¡± The woman asked as Connor closed the door of his home for the last time.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing else to say.¡± Connor responded. He and his father had spoken very little after Aptitude Day but this didn¡¯t bother Connor much. His whole life Connor had had a strange relationship with his father, they spoke seldomly and most of what they talked about was the farm but now that he was leaving they truly had little to talk about. He was satisfied with how he and his father had said goodbye, and looking back on it he realized that his life hadn¡¯t been as bad as he thought it was. It had been boring but not bad. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Now though he was ready for a change, and quite a change it would be. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The assistant looked at Connor then shrugged. ¡°Whatever you say.¡± The duo made their way up the road and to the town square. Everybody in the town seemed to be going the same way.


    Once they reached the town square, they saw a cart parked in the center of the square being loaded with bodies. A large man was opening caskets and the pale man was taking the bodies to the cart.


    The assistant pointed at the pale man and 3 other people in the square. ¡°Those are the Undertaker¡¯s Guild representatives. They usually come near the end of the month but they¡¯ve made a special exception for us. Obviously it¡¯s due to you.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Connor replied then looked back at the representatives. ¡®I guess I¡¯ve never noticed them before because they were always there, doing such a mundane task. That¡¯s going to be me.¡¯ He looked at the caskets and bodies. ¡®Kinda gross though.¡¯


    The assistant turned to Connor. ¡°It looks like they¡¯re almost done loading the bodies, Let¡¯s go, we don¡¯t want to hold them up.¡±


    Connor smiled. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go!¡± With that, Connor and the assistant made their way through the crowd towards the cart. The town square wasn¡¯t a very pleasant place to be at that moment, the smell of rotting corpses along with the heat and sweat of the crowd made it very stifling, almost to the point of being unbearable.


    By the time Connor and the assistant had reached the front of the crowd the last body had been loaded and the Guild members were preparing the cart to leave Eastlodge. The large man who had been helping lose the bodies wiped his forehead and glanced over at Connor and the assistant. ¡°Ah, there you are Dalia and Connor.¡± The man straightened his back then addressed the pale man. ¡°Undertaker Karl, this is Connor the deadly steel man.¡±


    Karl looked at where the large man was pointing with a smile. ¡°Wonderful, and just in time for our departure too.¡± He jumped down from the cart and approached Connor, offering him his hand.


    Connor took his hand and shook it. ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Connor.¡± ¡®Wow, his hand is really cold.¡¯


    ¡°The pleasures all mine, I¡¯m Undertaker Karl but you can refer to me as just Karl.¡± Karl said with a smile. Although because he could see him more clearly Connor noticed that Karl smile seemed forced, almost as if it was hard for him to move his face.


    Karl released Connor¡¯s hand then motioned for the other Guild members to come. Karl pointed to the man in the cloak and armor. ¡°That brooding hunk of Metal is Death Knight Acolyte Heinrich¡± pointing at the man wrapped in bandages ¡°that pestilent mass of puss and poor hygiene is Acolyte Manfred and he¡± pointing at the man in the black road and leather beard mask ¡°is venerable Grave Warden Nikolas.¡±


    Addressing Connor directly, ¡°I¡¯d like to extend the warmest greetings possible to you, welcome to the Undertaker¡¯s Guild.¡±

 Ch.9 The Journey

    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve been well acquainted with one and other, let¡¯s get a move on.¡± Karl said with great enthusiasm, jumping up into the driver¡¯s seat of the cart.


    Connor stood in stunned silence, unable to keep up with Karl¡¯s pace. Suddenly he felt a weight on his shoulder, glancing back he jumped in surprise. An armored hand was resting on his shoulder and the cloaked form of Death Knight Heinrich loomed over him.


    A surprising soothing voice flowed from the intimidating warrior. ¡°Don¡¯t mind Karl, he has a tendency to move at his own pace, which usually leaves people sprinting to catch up. Don¡¯t hold it against him, he¡¯s a nice guy, when he¡¯s not insulting with flowery language of course.¡± He chuckled a bit. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you and I look forward to journeying with you. If you have any questions don¡¯t be reluctant to ask.¡±


    Although Connor couldn¡¯t see his face he could tell that Heinrich was smiling. ¡°Thanks Heinrich, I''ll make sure I will.¡± ¡®Wow, he¡¯s a really nice guy. Not at all what I expected.¡¯ Taking his hand of Connor¡¯s shoulder Heinrich nodded at him then started to walk around to the other side of the cart.


    ¡®I might as well walk alongside Heinrich, he seems the most friendly.¡¯ He glanced at Grave Warden Nikolas and then at Acolyte Manfred who was staring intently at the corpses on the cart, ¡®and the most sane, well besides Karl but something¡¯s off about him. I don¡¯t know what but something about him bugs me.¡¯ Connor broke away from his thoughts as he rounded the back of the cart. Taking up a position next to Heinrich as they started to move out of the square.


    Connor turned to Heinrich and began his interrogation. ¡°Karl introduced you as a Death Knight Acolyte, what does that mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, Death Knight is my occupation and Acolyte is my rank within the Guild.¡± Heinrich began in his soothing baritone voice. ¡°I assume you don¡¯t know much about the Undertaker¡¯s Guild so I¡¯ll start with the basics. Acolyte is the rank given to a Body Refining Cultivator and considered the first actual rank in the guild as they have completed their basic training and can be trusted to go on missions. Acolytes are above Neophytes who are Qi Gathering Cultivators or gifted who are just beginning. Neophytes Are trainees and thus have very little independence. Speaking of Neophytes that¡¯s your rank.¡± Heinrich pointed out.


    ¡°Good to know.¡± Connor responded motioning for Heinrich to continue.


    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Above Acolytes are Undertakers, the guilds namesake, which are Qi Condensing cultivators. Undertakers are trusted members of the Guild and therefore are allowed to operate how they please as long as they perform their duties to the Guild. Above the Undertakers are the Grave Wardens, Grave Wardens are power houses in their own right. Obviously no where near the level of Core Formation but they are great assets to the guild. I¡¯ll stop the ranks there as above that is the leadership of the guild and not just members of the guild.¡± Heinrich paused for a moment to recollect his thoughts.


    ¡°Wow, if Grave Wardens are so important than why is Grave Warden Nikolas here.¡± Connor asked with incredulity.


    ¡°Venerable Grave Warden Nikolas,¡± Heinrich stressed the adjective, ¡°is here because you are important. You are a great talent and the guild has high hopes for you so in order to make sure you make it to the Guild safely Venerable Grave Warden Nikolas,¡± stressing the adjective again, ¡°is here.¡±


    ¡°How kind of Venerable Grave Warden Nikolas.¡± Connor answered, scepticism evident in his voice.


    Heinrich gave a subtle nod then continued. ¡°On to jobs, like I said earlier I¡¯m a Death Knight but that¡¯s more then a title than anything. I¡¯m not an actual knight but that¡¯s besides the point, Death Knights are the soldiers of the Guild.¡±


    Connor interrupted with a question. ¡°I thought all of the cultivators of a sect were warriors?¡±


    Heinrich shook his head and sighed. ¡°Yes and no.¡±


    ¡°Yes and no?¡± Connor questioned.


    Heinrich raised his hand to stop Connor from speaking and continued. ¡°Yes, all of the cultivators do have at least some combat ability and when the sect is in grave danger,¡± he paused and chuckled to himself then continued, ¡°they will fight, but a lot of our Guild¡¯s members have different professions.¡±


    Connor tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Like what?¡±


    Heinrich shook his head again. ¡°I was getting to that. Let¡¯s start with the most numerous, the necromancers, they are cultivators that control and raise undead for battle or to perform simple tasks. They are the profession our Guild is most famous for along with the corpse crafters, cultivators who prepare dead bodies and create higher tier undead. Most necromancers are corpse crafters as well because of how related the two professions are. Another important profession is the spirit caller, cultivators who deal with spirits and incorporeal undead, quite a strange bunch although not the strangest.¡± He shuddered a bit. ¡°Damn occultists.¡± He whispered softly.


    ¡°Another important profession is the plague doctor, although it¡¯s more of a category rather than a monolithic profession. Plague doctor encompasses poison masters, alchemists, and actual doctors as a profession. A word of advice for the future, don¡¯t piss off a plague doctor as a group they have a lot of power and influence within the Guild and they¡¯re the ones that are gonna keep you alive. The final profession is the most esoteric and strange, the occultists. They are the darker side of the guild if you will, they try to contact unknown powers, more often than not devils and demons. We generally keep quiet about that though considering it¡¯s quite a taboo subject and would reflect badly on the Guild.¡± Heinrich explained, becoming very serious as he spoke the last part.


    ¡°I only mention the last part because I want to be honest with you about what the Guild is. Obviously you probably knew going into it that we weren¡¯t all sunshine and roses but we have our dark parts just as we have our good parts. As an organization we are very grey when it comes to morality.¡± Heinrich placed a hand on Connor¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re one of us now so you deserve to know, welcome to the Undertaker¡¯s Guild Neophyte Connor.¡±

 Ch.10 The Journey p.2 Don鈥檛 die

    Connor trudged along in silence. It was a lot to take in, everything that he had just learned. Occupations, ranks, dark and light, so many things to think about. Where in all of this did he lie? His view of cultivators had been of powerful warriors, forging their own destiny against all the odds. Fighting mighty beasts and obtaining unimaginable treasures, using spectacular skills and going beyond the limits of humanity.


    He hadn¡¯t thought about what he wanted to do as a cultivator. Should he become a death knight or a necromancer, corpse crafter or spirit caller, plague doctor or even an occultist. Where did morality fit in such a brutal world, was it right to lower himself to the standard of the infernal powers. What would he be willing to give up in the pursuit of power and safety? Did he value his life more than the morals instilled in him by his father?


    He just didn¡¯t have the answers, and he knew there was nobody who could tell him. As much as he was a part of the Undertaker¡¯s Guild now, he was alone. There was nobody to look after him anymore, nobody to comfort him, nobody to tell him right from wrong. From that point forward there would only be people to tell him what to do and when to do it.


    Connor sighed, the only way for him to go now was forward. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, did you catch Heinrich¡¯s sulking? I swear to the divines, I can only handle so many dark and gloomy types before it gets old.¡± Karl said from the driver''s seat of the cart. ¡°You¡¯re a bad influence Heinrich.¡±


    ¡°Says the blood art practitioner.¡± Heinrich quipped.


    Karl put his hand to his chest. ¡°Low blow Heinrich, low blow.¡± He grinned. ¡°I¡¯ve taught you well.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah thank you very much Undertaker Karl.¡± Heinrich said sarcastically.


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome Acolyte Heinrich.¡± Karl responded, ignoring Heinrich¡¯s sarcasm.


    Connor grinned and couldn¡¯t help but let out a chuckle at Karl and Heinrich¡¯s antics.


    ¡°See, that¡¯s much better than sulking.¡± Karl said smiling at Connor. ¡°We still have plenty of time until we get to the Swamp, you don¡¯t have to worry about things so soon. Hell, you don¡¯t even have to worry about things when we get there.¡± He pointed at himself and said with pride. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough of that. You were giving genuinely good advice up until that point.¡± Heinrich said waving away Karl. ¡°Karl¡¯s a fool, a wise fool I¡¯ll give him that, but still a fool.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m right here you know.¡± Karl interrupted Heinrich indignantly.


    ¡°I know.¡± Heinrich deadpanned. Connor let out a laugh.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Thanks Karl, I¡¯ll remember that.¡± Connor replied with mirth.


    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome Connor, it¡¯s good to finally be appreciated around here.¡± Karl said with a smile.


    Silence returned to the group but it was a very comfortable silence. Nothing needed to be said and all were left to their thoughts. Connor particularly was in a better place mentally, not plagued by worry and doubt simply enjoying his first foray outside of his home town of Eastlodge.


    Eastlodge was a fairly remote village surrounded by forest, usually this would lead to the destruction of the village at the hands or claws more aptly, of beasts but due to the extremely low density of Qi the area was nearly devoid of said beasts. Only beasts of the mundane variety made their home in the forests surrounding Eastlodge and her 3 sister villages.


    A day of travel passed peacefully, occasionally a conversation would be started but for the most part the group of Guild members walked in silence through the peaceful forests that surrounded Eastlodge. Eventually the sun started to set so the group had to look for a place to spend the night.


    ¡°I think that clearing ahead will be a perfect place to set up camp.¡± Heinrich said pointing ahead of the group.


    ¡°Finally, my back¡¯s killing me. I really need to stand up and stretch.¡± Karl said with relief.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind driving the cart if it hurts your back so much.¡± Heinrich said nonchalantly.


    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no need for that. I wouldn¡¯t want anyone else to suffer such a horrible fate.¡± Karl replied quickly. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m doing the group a service by taking on such a hard role.¡± Karl puffed out his chest in confidence. ¡°In fact, I don¡¯t get enough credit for all the hard work I put in. You should all be more grateful for what I do for the group.¡±


    ¡°Did you bring a bedroll to sleep on?¡± Heinrich turned and asked Connor.


    ¡°Hey.¡± Karl tried to interrupt Heinrich.


    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t have one at home so I only brought a blanket.¡± Connor replied rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me.¡± Karl said with indignance.


    ¡°Did you hear something?¡± Heinrich asked Connor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I did.¡± Connor replied with a smile.


    ¡°Oh well, must¡¯ve been the wind.¡± Heinrich shrugged. ¡°A blanket¡¯s just fine but sleeping on the ground will take some getting used to.¡±


    Karl deflated and returned to driving the cart.


    ¡°I probably wasn¡¯t going to sleep much anyways so it¡¯s fine.¡± Connor said as the group entered the small clearing they had seen earlier.


    ¡°Just for reference, what supplies did you bring?¡± Heinrich asked.


    Connor set down his pack as Karl drove the cart of the road. Opening the sack he said, ¡°I have some hardtack, some jerky, a flint and steel, a skinning knife and¡± taking a drink from his water skin ¡°a half filled waterskin.¡± Wiping away the water that had run off he turned back to Heinrich.


    ¡°You¡¯re basically set, besides for a cloak for the rain but you should be fine. We¡¯re pretty far off from the rainy season.¡± Heinrich nodded with approval.


    Karl jumped down from the cart and walked over to the duo. ¡°Normal procedure, Manfred¡¯s got first watch, I¡¯ll take second, you and Connor can take the final watch.¡± Karl said to Heinrich.


    Heinrich nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go start the fire.¡± With that the Karl walked away.


    ¡°We¡¯ll eat after the fire¡¯s started but setting one up before night fall is priority.¡± Heinrich said to Connor as he made his way towards the center of the clearing.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing too dangerous around these parts, you wouldn¡¯t need to worry at least.¡± Connor said following him.


    ¡°Even so I¡¯d much rather have one before night fall than not. If not for anything else but convenience.¡± Heinrich responded, stopping in a place he had deemed suitable for immolation.


    Connor shrugged, ¡°ok.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go into the forest to get wood, you should go collect some stones for the border of the fire. Don¡¯t want to set the whole damn clearing on fire.¡± Heinrich shuddered. ¡°Never again.¡± He whispered to himself. ¡°Don¡¯t wander off too far though, you¡¯re only so useful to us dead.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir, wait..¡± Connor paused at his last statement but before he could ask Heinrich about it he was gone. ¡°Alright, step one don¡¯t die.¡±

 Ch.11 The Journey p.3

    After Heinrich and Connor set up the fire, the whole group, besides for Grave Warden Nikolas, sat down and ate.


    Connor bit into his hardtack, almost immediately regretting his action. ¡®Shit, this stuff is hard as a rock.¡¯ Being more careful he started to nibble at the edges of the rock like biscuit. ¡®I wish I¡¯d brought something a little less likely to chip my teeth but oh well.¡¯ Connor glanced around at the others surrounding the fire. ¡®I wonder what they have?¡¯


    Heinrich, who sat next to him, was eating some sort of jerky. The flesh was extremely dark and tough by the way Heinrich had to tear at it.


    Karl, who sat across from him at the other side of the fire, was eating various dried fruits and berries. ¡®That looks like it actually has flavor, noted for next time.¡¯ He drank from a waterskin and the liquid contained within glimmered a dark ruby red in the fire light.


    Manfred, who sat on the other side of him, ate something that Connor couldn¡¯t quite make out but gave off a horrid stench. ¡®He gives me the creeps, he¡¯s so silent and the way he moves is so unnatural.¡¯ Manfred turned to look at Connor as if sensing his gaze.


    Now that Connor had a clearer view, he could see a yellowish liquid stained the bandages around his mouth, scraps of rotting meat surrounded his lips and stained his bandaged hands. Manfred gave Connor an eerie small then returned to his meal.


    Connor backed away from Manfred and focused back on his hardtack. Unfortunately he had lost his appetite. ¡®I think I¡¯m going to be sick.¡¯ Taking another quick glance at Manfred he stared down at the ground. ¡®He¡¯s seriously eating rotting meat. That¡¯s just¡­ That¡¯s¡­ The only thing I can think of is just how disgusting that is.¡¯ Glancing up again, this time at Heinrich and Karl he couldn¡¯t help but wonder how they could stand that. ¡®That¡¯s just so beyond the pale.¡¯


    While Connor was freaking out the others had finished their rations and began setting up their bedding. ¡°Remember Manfred, no chasing animals during watch. I don¡¯t want a repeat of two weeks ago.¡± Karl said from his bedding.


    Manfred nodded his head then moved so his back was facing the fire. Manfred sat in a very strange position almost like a beast with his arms and upper body leaning in between his legs. His knees almost touched his chest and shoulders making him look almost like a dog.


    Connor laid his sack down, propping his head against it like a pillow and covered himself with his hemp blanket. ¡®Tonight¡¯s going to be a rough night, I just know it.¡¯ He thought to himself before closing his eyes in the hope of a peaceful nights sleep.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    What woke Connor wasn¡¯t the light but the unbearable heat. ¡®Is it morning already?¡¯ Opening his eyes he saw a ball of fire falling towards the camp. ¡®Why is the sun moving towards me?¡¯ The ball of fire drew closer and closer, the heat grew hotter and hotter.


    ¡°Oh shit.¡± Connor quickly rolled out of his blanket and away from the incoming fireball. Completing his escape roll Connor watched as a dark red blob intercepted the fire ball, when the two balls met a tremendous ¡°hiss¡± was heard as steam rapidly expanded from the collision. Along with the reek of iron and burnt flesh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand and stare, get up!¡± Karl yelled as he bounded towards the direction the fireball had come from. Streams of ruby red liquid floated around him and he carried his shovel in hand. Each leap carrying him unnaturally far almost as if he was floating.


    Connor¡¯s view of Karl was cut off as Heinrich moved in front of him, offering him a hand. ¡°Get up, we can¡¯t let them get you.¡±


    Connor took his hand. ¡°What do you mean get me?¡±


    Heinrich nearly threw Connor onto his feet before turning around vigilantly. ¡°No questions right now, just stay behind me.¡± Heinrich, now with a freed hand, held his scythe with both hands. A strange feeling of dread welled up in Connor as he stared at Heinrich¡¯s back. It was as if his very being radiated danger and an impending doom.


    Another loud ¡°hiss¡± was heard in the distance along with a cloud of steam appearing in the forest. ¡®That¡¯s Karl but who is he fighting and why are they after me?¡¯ Connor kept glancing around but the darkness prevented him from seeing too far.


    ¡°Snap¡± Connor glanced behind him and to his horror a fist was sailing towards him. Heated radiated from the fist as it drew closer, he tried to lean away from it but he could tell it wasn¡¯t going to be enough. He Closed his eyes, ¡®this is going to hurt.¡¯ But the hurt never came, slowly opening his eyes, Connor was greeted by a cloaked figure slashing at the man who had tried to punch him.


    Heinrich sweeped his scythe at the man who nimbly dodged back then quickly jumped forward with an explosive movement. A dull ring was heard as his fist made contact with Heinrich¡¯s battle worn plate, Heinrich took a step back and took another sweeping swing at the fist fighter who again nimbly dodged Heinrich¡¯s scythe. This time though Heinrich stepped forward following up with a jab, hitting the fist fighter with the haft of his scythe and sending him stumbling back.


    Not wanting to waste the opportunity, Heinrich rushed forward swinging his scythe at the man¡¯s side. The fist fighter barely recovered his footing before raising his arms to take the blow from the blade of the scythe. The blade made a solid gash in the fist fighter¡¯s arm but missed any vital spots.


    Now sporting a gash on his left arm the fist fighter cautiously circled away from Heinrich, trying to keep out of the reach of his scythe. The two men circled each other, one bleeding the other nearly unscathed. A look of determination crossed the injured man¡¯s face and the air around him started to distort.


    With only that as a warning, he again rushed at Heinrich. Heinrich met the man¡¯s rush with the blade of his scythe but the man pushed passed, using his already injured arm to take the blow. Once he got in close he started to pound blow after blow into Heinrich forcing him to drop his scythe.


    Heinrich¡¯s armor rang like a bell but with stood the blows, Heinrich himself countered this rain of blows with blows of his own. The two men began to slug it out in an all out brawl neither of them quite having the upper hand. Their deadly dance of death was soon ended by another player entering the fray.


    Manfred bounded in from behind the injured man, jumping onto his back like a monkey. He then proceeded to bite into the injured man¡¯s neck, tearing out his throat and chance at victory.

 Ch.12 The Journey p.4

    Connor couldn¡¯t stop himself from shaking as he watched Manfred tear apart the corpse of the man that had attacked them. ¡®What the hell is going on. Why would Manfred do that. Divines he¡¯s¡­ He¡¯s¡­ HE¡¯S EATING HIM.¡¯ Connor turned away from the scene, not being able to watch any longer.


    Turning away did him no good, he could still picture the scene, freshly branded into his mind, and the noise. ¡®Oh divines have mercy on me.¡¯ The sound of flesh being ripped and torn apart, meat being rent from bone, and then came the cracking and popping of joints and bones. A slurping sound sent a shiver down Connor¡¯s spine, he couldn¡¯t help but glance back at the scene out of morbid curiosity.


    What greeted his eyes was a deformed blob of meat, skin, and bone with Manfred sitting next to it. Manfred had a bone in his hand that he had cracked open and was sucking out the marrow from. Connor quickly turned away, ¡®Divines.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t hold down his disgust any longer, spewing out what remained of his dinner and firmly keeping his eyes shut closed.


    ¡®I want to go home. I¡­ I just¡­ I can¡¯t deal with that. Such horrid acts, divines protect me.¡¯ Connor didn¡¯t know how long he stood there bent over before a hand was placed on his back.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to see that Connor.¡± A soothing baritone voice said from the darkness. Connor slowly opened his eyes and glanced up at the figure in battered battle worn plate mail. Heinrich¡¯s fight had definitely taken a toll on his armor, now sporting many more dents than before and even burn marks.


    Connor tried to speak but the only word that would come out of his mouth was, ¡°why?¡±


    ¡°Why you ask? The answer is quite simple really, because he can¡¯t help himself.¡± Heinrich answered. ¡°Manfred is afflicted with what we call ¡®ghoul fever¡¯, a disease that will eventually cause him to become an undead.¡±


    Connor¡¯s face paled and his already horrified expression deepened. ¡°Is it contagious?¡±


    ¡°The strain he carries isn¡¯t, he¡¯s just an initiate of the Ghoul King¡¯s Court after all.¡± Heinrich responded.


    A bit of color returned to Connor¡¯s face. ¡°Thank the divines.¡±


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    Heinrich chuckled at that. ¡°I guess you should but more importantly you should be thanking Manfred. He was the one who actually saved you and me for that matter.¡± Heinrich said the last part with obvious self deprecation.


    ¡°Woah, don¡¯t be too hard on yourself Heinrich, without you I would¡¯ve died almost immediately. I¡¯ll thank Manfred when he¡¯s done with his¡­ Meal but in the meantime I¡¯ll thank you.¡± Connor said emphatically. ¡°From the bottom of my heart thank you for putting your life on the line for me.¡±


    ¡°I guess I still have much to learn, no problem. My mission is to protect you after all, if I didn¡¯t do that what kind of Knight would I be?¡± Heinrich said standing a bit taller.


    ¡°Crash, Hiss¡± another loud hiss was heard from the forest along with an explosion of steam.


    ¡°Who are these people?¡± Connor asked, eyes still focused on the forest.


    Heinrich sighed, ¡°they¡¯re from the Legion of Dawn. One of our sects greatest rivals.¡±


    Connor¡¯s face paled a bit at the implication, ¡°so that¡¯s why they¡¯re after me. They want to kill me?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately so.¡± Heinrich confirmed. ¡°The Guild was worried about this, that¡¯s why Grave Warden Nikolas was sent along.¡±


    ¡°Where is Grave Warden Nikolas?¡± Connor asked, still focused on the occasional explosion of steam from the forest.


    ¡°In all honesty, I don¡¯t know but I''d wager he¡¯s dueling with the leader of our attackers somewhere.¡± Heinrich answered with disappointment. ¡°It¡¯s not everyday you get to see rank 4 cultivators duel, too bad we have our own problems to deal with.¡± As if to prove his point rustling could be heard from the forest. ¡°Damn it, I jinxed it. Get behind me.¡±


    Heinrich shoved Connor behind him and prepared his scythe. The rustling from the forest grew stronger until a figure broke through the brush. Connor couldn¡¯t quite make out the face of the figure because he was turned away from him but he was almost certain he was a man. The man was bald and covered in tattoos and burn marks. He wore painted leather armor and boots but that wasn¡¯t the most striking thing about the man, no that title had to go to the fireballs circling him.


    4 yellow fireballs with intense white cores circled him, the air shimmered like a mirage from the distorting heat. The man quickly leaped back using a jet of flame from the bottom of his boot to propel him. Quickly following the man was a familiar figure in a white button up and black dress pants carrying a shovel. Ruby red liquid floated around Karl forming streams and globs in the air as he perused the legion member.


    The legion member pointed two fingers at Karl, sending one of the fireballs hurtling at him. Without pausing Karl countered with a ball of red liquid causing an explosion of steam to dissipate through the area.


    ¡°They¡¯re too evenly matched.¡± Heinrich said. ¡°Something needs to be done or Karl¡¯s going to bleed himself dry.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean he¡¯s going to bleed himself dry?¡± Connor asked.


    ¡°No time, I¡¯ll tell you later but now,¡± Heinrich sighed, ¡°I need to go save his ass.¡± Without further prompt Heinrich rushed at the legion member.


    With his back turned it looked like Heinrich would get the drop on him. He slashed out with his scythe but the only thing he hit was the jet of flame used to propel the legion member to escape.


    ¡°They keep multiplying, no matter. They¡¯ll all be cleansed by my righteous flame.¡± The legion member stated. Suddenly the fireballs that had been circling him stopped and shot towards them.


    ¡®Heinrich¡¯s too close, he won¡¯t be able to dodge.¡¯ Connor watched in horror as one of the fireballs closed in on Heinrich. ¡°Heinrich, no!¡±

 Ch.13 The Journey p.5

    Connor watched in abject horror as the fireball closed in on Heinrich, in that moment he realized how powerless he was. In a world of warriors and immortals he was but an ant. His existence amounted to nothing in the face of real power, not the power of money or fame but the one cultivated within. The power of the universe bent to one¡¯s will.


    Heinrich¡¯s body suddenly jerked away, like a puppet controlled by strings. The movement was anything but natural yet it didn¡¯t matter because Heinrich managed to get out of the fireball. That didn¡¯t stop his body from being bathed in fire and shrapnel due to the explosion but that was besides the point.


    The other two fireballs that were directed at Karl met a wall of red. They quickly doused themselves on the liquid, not a spark in sight. Karl dropped down on his knees, the liquid around him splattering down onto the ground.


    ¡°How touching, but your heroic actions will have been in vain. If you had just let your friend get hit you might¡¯ve had enough blood to finish me.¡± The legionnaire said walking towards Karl. Flames wreathed his fists as he clenched them. ¡°You were a worthy opponent, may the light of dawn guide you to the divines.¡±


    The legionnaire stopped next to the kneeling figure of Karl. ¡°Any final words?¡±


    Shadows covered Karl¡¯s face, a pool of blood was slowly forming under him. ¡®It¡¯s over, once he kills Karl I¡¯m done for.¡¯ Connor thought numbly. ¡®My journey¡¯s over before it really even began.¡¯ He smiled coldly. ¡®I guess the old man was right, I was a deluded fool for ever thinking I could make it.¡¯


    Connor spared one last glance at Karl before his execution, a smile flashed from the shadows. Suddenly the blood that had been pooling up under him rose, like lightning it speared through the chest of the legionnaire.


    ¡°H.. How?¡± The legionnaire said, pain and shock written across his face. The blood spear impaling him widen, creating a massive hole in his chest. Soon the light left his and his body slumped over, falling to the ground.


    The blood then rushed back into Karl, who had become even more pale than usual. Once all the blood had reentered his body he slumped onto the ground.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Connor looked on with confusion before approaching Karl¡¯s body? ¡°Are you alive?¡± Connor asked as he nudged Karl¡¯s body with his shoe.


    ¡°Ow.¡± Karl moaned.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes.¡± Connor said then glanced around for Heinrich. Spotting him on the edge of the blast crater caused by the fireball he walked towards him. Kneeling down next to the armored figure, Connor shook him.


    ¡®No response. I need to check if he¡¯s at least breathing but I can¡¯t with him in this armor.¡¯ Connor reached for his helmet but was stopped by a bloody bandaged hand. Connor flopped back onto his butt in surprise, looking up he saw the grisly figure of Manfred covered in blood and flesh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Manfred croaked out in a gravely and almost inhumane voice. He then grabbed Heinrich by the arms and started to drag him away.


    ¡°Where are you taking him?¡± Connor couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    ¡°Cart.¡± Manfred spat out.


    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll go get Karl then.¡± Connor said running off in a definitely not panic.


    ¡®I¡¯m never going to be comfortable around Manfred.¡¯ Connor glanced at the pile of meat that used to be a man and almost immediately glanced away. ¡®Yep, not happening.¡¯


    Arriving next to Karl he attempted to put him in a fireman¡¯s carry. ¡®Damn, he¡¯s really light.¡¯ Standing up he started to walk towards the cart. ¡®I guess if you use your blood as a weapon you¡¯re not going to be the heaviest of fellows.¡¯


    Connor propped up Karl against a wheel of the cart next to Heinrich. Now finished with his task Connor looked around awkwardly. ¡®I never thought I¡¯d essentially be alone with Manfred.¡¯ He looked at the¡­ man, covered in bloody bandages and wracked by intermittent fits of coughing. ¡®Why would someone want to end up like that?¡¯


    ¡°Are¡­ You¡­ Disgusted¡­ By me?¡± Manfred asked between pained coughs and panting breaths.


    ¡°What, oh sorry. No of course not¡­¡± Connor said trying not to look Manfred in the eyes.


    ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t have¡­ To lie.¡± Manfred let out a sigh and then another fit of coughing. ¡°I know¡­ What I¡­ am¡­ What¡­ I¡¯ve become.¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡± Connor said, starting to feel bad for but still wary of him.


    The bandages around his face moved and loosened a bit, a smile taking shape. ¡°It¡¯s fine¡­ You know¡­ You¡¯re a¡­ Very¡­ Kind¡­ Person.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Connor answered trying not to be disrespectful.


    ¡°Most¡­ People¡­ Don¡¯t¡­ Give me¡­ The¡­ Light of¡­ Day.¡± His tone, though gravily and alien, was self deprecating. ¡°Even¡­ Before¡­ I¡­ Became¡­ This.¡± He raised his arms and showed his sickly bandaged body.


    Connor didn¡¯t respond and only silently listened.


    ¡°I¡­ Only wanted¡­ A place¡­ To¡­ Belong.¡± He dropped his arms and shook his head. ¡°Now¡­ I do¡­ Have a¡­ Place to¡­ Belong¡­ But¡­ At what¡­ Cost¡­¡± He said the last words somberly but Connor felt like he wasn¡¯t speaking to him, at least not specifically. He was a wall that this broken man had decided to vent to, and a man this was. Connor felt without a doubt this man was human, at least in heart.


    ¡®A monster with a human heart.¡¯