《For the fallen one》 prologue: He who remains I sat in the living room, slowly sipping whisky from a stained glass. Outside, the first rays of sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the marble floor and making the rain falling outside more visible. Sun and rain... not a good combination, really. Ten years ago, I might have said it was uncommon or even impossible, but we are not ten years ago, are we? One day, out of nowhere, rain started falling. At first, I thought it was normal and didn''t give it much thought. But that changed when I learned it was falling everywhere across the globe. It was strange; I''m not a geologist or anything, but even I knew that was impossible. The strangest part? It didn''t stop! It kept falling and falling¡ªone week, one month, one year... and on and on¡ªuntil after ten years of relentless rain, the whole world was flooded, submerged under water. People fled to the mountains, but they too were swallowed by the deluge. Most horrifying of all, nothing could float on that water¡ªno boats, no submarines, nothing! People were dying like flies: drowning to their deaths, starving, succumbing to diseases, or being assaulted by bandits. So you must be wondering how I survived. I didn''t have to do anything special, really. Back then, I was a soldier¡ªblack ops. After finishing one of my missions, I took refuge in our most well-hidden safe house located in Nepal at the top of Mt. Everest. When the rain started falling, I was on elevated ground; I didn''t have to relocate. After the first month of rain, I began preparing in case it didn''t stop. My superiors wouldn''t let me stay there forever. When they finally sent someone to retrieve me, I killed him and put his body in the safe house''s freezer. This soon became a normal occurrence: they''d send people to take me back¡ªdead or alive¡ªand I would kill them and store their bodies in the freezer. Why? Because I knew for certain that if I ever left, they would send me on another mission that would end with me dead one way or another. Yes, due to my actions they sent hit squads after me multiple times, but at least I would die knowing it wasn''t because of some fat executive''s orders but because of my will to live. So there you have it: a guide to survival 101. As for the bodies in the freezer? I ate them. By the fifth year since the rain had started falling, my food supplies ran out. I had no other choice but to turn to cannibalism. The 18 to 20 bodies weren''t enough; every now and then, I had to go down the mountain and kidnap a person or two. Now you might think that''s disgusting¡ªwhich it is¡ªbut in my defence, death by hunger is not something I want to experience. Besides, human meat isn''t half bad. I finished my whisky and set the glass down before turning on my radio¡ªthe only electronic device still usable. Tuning into frequency 102.3, I listened intently: "Attention all survivors! Updates on the asteroid due to hit Earth; its course remains unchanged. It''s due to hit at 19:00... attention all survivors..." The message kept repeating itself over and over. Looking at my watch¡ªit was 16:00¡ªI realised I still had about three hours left.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. This asteroid warning was another consequence of that first year of rain; astronauts discovered a giant rock in space set to collide with Earth in approximately ten years. They had planned to stop it in its tracks but failed miserably with everything going on¡ªthe world flooded and everyone ignoring what was coming. All they could do was set up a timer for when the asteroid would hit Earth¡ªthat''s what they did. Turning off the radio, I got up and stretched; age was catching up with me¡ªmy back was starting to ache. As I left the living room, I debated where to spend my last three hours when a thought struck me. Smiling at myself, I headed down to the cellar of the safe house¡ªwhere my prison was located. Opening the door to the cell, a foul stench hit my nose but didn''t faze me; I was used to it by now. Moving through different cells in the cellar revealed them filled with corpses¡ªsome with no legs and others bruised all over their bodies... mostly women''s corpses. There were some men too but mostly women. For a human to function properly, all survival needs must be met¡ªand sex is one of those needs. Many would consider me a monster for what I''ve done to fellow humans; however, most who died here forced my hand through resistance. I stopped at one cell that was cleaner than the others; inside stood a naked girl about twenty years old with dead eyes¡ªone of the few who didn''t resist and by far my favourite. "Hey," she said weakly. "Did you know this is your last day alive?" "So you''ve finally decided to kill me?" "No! God forbid! You remember that asteroid I told you about last time?" She nodded as I sat down on the concrete next to her. "Well... it''s going to hit us in about three hours¡ªtwo hours and forty-eight minutes to be exact." "And?" "What do you mean ''and''? We''re literally going to die!" She smiled at me with yellowed teeth. "You know Jotan? Thanks to you I''ve been dead for two years now." "Oh come on! Am I really that big of a monster?" "Let''s just get this over with." As she said this she pulled her leg between mine and began tugging down my pants¡ªI was already hard. "If you''re telling the truth¡ªthat we''re really going to die..." "Yes?" "Can you let me see the sunset just this once?" I smiled at that. "Depends on how well you perform." She finally got my pants down. "Guess I''ll have to pull out the big guns then." ... I found myself sitting on the rooftop of the safe house; as far as my eyes could see there was nothing but water stretching endlessly toward the horizon where the sun began its descent. "It sure is anticlimactic," "What did you expect from a sunset?"I said as I turned my head towards her. "I don''t know... but at least breathing outside air after a year in that cellar feels like something." "Hey," I asked suddenly, "can I ask you a question?" "Yeah?" "If a god asked you what you wished for right this instant, what would you say?" "I''d wish you were dead," she replied without hesitation. I laughed¡ªa genuine belly-deep laugh. "Fair enough." "What about you?" "I''d wish I couldn''t die." "No shit," she muttered rolling her eyes. Just like that we spent an hour and a half chatting absent-mindedly until finally we saw it¡ªthe asteroid¡ªa fiery streak hurtling toward Earth. The atmosphere grew hotter; energy crackled in the air. "Well," I said standing up. "Guess this is it." "Hope we meet in hell." And just like that it hit¡ªthe whole building exploded into flames obliterating everything within sight and beyond¡ªthe fire rolled through everything until another impact struck followed by another and another... This was a meteorite rain. Then reality shifted; wiping out most if not all life forms on Earth... ... When my consciousness returned¡ªif you could call it that¡ªI found myself... different. No body, no eyes, no limbs¡ªjust awareness. I felt everything: water beneath me; sky above; life surrounding me. Guess my wish had come true¡ªbut immortality wasn''t all it cracked up to be. So I waited for an opportunity¡ªa chance presented itself in form of a boy about sixteen years old¡ªhe would be my vessel again¡ªand this is how our paths intertwined... Beginning The boat swayed on the vast body of water, which stretched endlessly as far as the eye could see. A man in his mid-thirties was moving his diving gear, preparing to go underwater. ¡°Hey, Nier, get ready; we¡¯ll be going down in five minutes,¡± he said while packing what looked like a fishing net. ¡°Let me get ready; I¡¯ll be right there,¡± came a young voice, likely from a boy aged 16 to 17. Two minutes later, a boy with black hair and eyes emerged from below deck, wearing a diving suit. ¡°Hey, Dad, how much deeper will we go this time?¡± ¡°Until we reach the bottom. We¡¯ve trained for this, so I think you¡¯ll be alright.¡± The boy nodded, determination evident in his eyes. He and his father were scavengers¡ªpeople who dove underwater for relics. By "relic," they meant materials buried underwater from a long-fallen civilization. Nier had been taught about them since he was little; they didn¡¯t know the exact timeframe, but history said there was once an advanced civilization now buried beneath the waves. It was crazy how, with all their advanced technology, they still could not survive. But Nier didn¡¯t care; if they hadn¡¯t died out, he couldn¡¯t be a scavenger, and that was just about the most useful skill he had. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes, I am all geared up.¡± They both donned their diving helmets and took small bags to carry back the relics. Just before they could dive, a loud shout came from below deck. ¡°Nier!¡± Nier turned his head, annoyance clear on his face. ¡°What do you want now?¡± A feminine figure emerged on the boat, almost identical to Nier but beautiful in a way only young girls can be. ¡°How many times do I have to tell you not to leave your clothes disordered?¡± ¡°Annie, I don¡¯t have time for this! Can you just hold off until we get back...?¡± ¡°Hold off!¡± she exclaimed, her shock and annoyance palpable in those two words. ¡°Fine then! Guess you¡¯ll be doing your laundry!¡± ¡°Wha¡­ hey! Don¡¯t be mean! I said I¡¯d arrange them when we get back!¡± Looking at them, their dad laughed. ¡°You two stop bickering! Annie, forgive him this once, alright?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± she replied reluctantly. ¡°As for you, Nier, stop making it hard for your sister! First thing when we get back, you do that laundry.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± he also replied reluctantly. After calming down, they put on their helmets and dove deep underwater. They quickly made their descent through the underwater landscape seamlessly; no fish were in sight, but that was normal. In the history books Nier had read, it said that before the great disaster that annihilated the ancient civilization arrived, fish could be seen in almost every large water body. However, Nier found it hard to believe since fresh fish could only be found in special water bodies.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. The rest were filled with sea monsters and ferocious beasts; that¡¯s why only those who had nothing better to do or were tired of living became scavengers. As they continued to descend, they could now see the tops of buildings commonly known as sea towers. These structures were built in the era of the fallen civilization but still stood tall; they and the relics were the only remnants of their existence. They soon reached one of the sea towers. Standing on it for the first time surprised Nier. Feeling a tap on his shoulder, he turned to see his dad signaling him to focus. Just like that, they continued exploring. ¡­ It was normal for Annie to stay on the boat while her brother and dad dove; she would take care of chores on deck. Her body was well-suited for intensive work like diving, but she did what she could. The only problem was that irritating Nier... Ugh! Was it so hard for him to organize his things? Passing Nier¡¯s room, she saw his scattered pile of clothes... Sighing, she entered and started organizing it. Although she tried acting tough in front of him, she had a soft spot for him; after all, he had raised her since she was a kid. Their mother died when Annie was born, which resulted in her having a frail body. Their dad had to deal with multiple financial problems after their mom¡¯s death¡ªthose were hard times. So Nier was the only one there to take care of her; although he was only three years older than her sometimes she couldn¡¯t help but hate him¡ªseriously! Was it that hard to arrange your clothes? ¡­ Nier and his dad finally returned, first throwing bags full of relics onto the deck before climbing up themselves. Nier was in a good mood until he saw Annie and remembered the laundry¡ªthis directly put him in a bad mood. Looking at him, Annie felt like laughing. ¡°Why the long face, big bro?¡± Being sarcastic wasn¡¯t one of her strong suits but she could manage. ¡°Ugh,¡± he had an annoyed look on his face. ¡°Oh just stop! I did it for you but never do that...¡± ¡°Really?¡± Nier¡¯s face painfully looked hopeful; never in her life had Annie seen anyone change their facial expression faster than her brother¡¯s. ¡°You doubting me?¡± ¡°No no no! Thanks sis!¡± He said this as he moved past her before she could even take her words back. ¡°Hey numbskull! Remember to remove your gear! If you dirty your room I swear I¡¯ll feed you to the sea monsters!¡± Turning her head toward their father, she saw him smiling and she blushed. ¡°Food¡¯s ready! You can come eat after you remove your gear.¡± With that, she turned and left quickly. Watching her leave made their dad think about what good kids he had. It was already almost nighttime; he quickly removed his gear and placed it inside a safe box next to Nier¡¯s before going below deck. Locking the door with two bolts, he headed to the dining area where Annie and Nier were already seated. He sat with them and made a small prayer to their God before they started eating. They exchanged pleasantries while eating; after finishing up they all went to their respective rooms¡ªthe dad first checking on all of them before heading to his own room and sleeping. As night fell, nocturnal sea creatures stirred by nature awakened; a fierce storm began rising that tossed the boat from side to side as thunder rumbled ominously overhead. ¡­. ¡°How bad is it?¡± Nier shouted over the noise. ¡°We¡¯ll have to stop by one of the sea towers to get it repaired.¡± His father had gone into the water to check how much damage last night¡¯s storm had caused; by his tone of voice Nier knew he was about to face one of his worst days at work¡ªtough luck! Although their boat was damaged, it had been designed with storms in mind so it could still operate¡ªthough not for very long. They moved cautiously for fear of sinking completely; after traveling about three kilometers they finally came upon one of the sea towers¡ªa long structure that reached up to the surface of the water. They were fortunate to still be near this location; it was popular among people who suffered shipwrecks and such. Of course it was standard practice not to stray too far from such towers but given how fierce the storm had been they might have been carried away from this location¡ªluckily they hadn¡¯t! After disembarking from the boat onto the sea tower, Nier and his dad quickly began setting up materials needed for repairs while Nier assessed how extensive the damage was. The entire side of their ship seemed missing¡ªNier found it hard to believe this damage resulted solely from a storm; it seemed more likely caused by one of those sea creatures or something similar. But that wasn¡¯t what mattered right now¡ªhe needed to start repairs! The thought of how much work lay ahead made him dizzy so he pushed those thoughts aside as work commenced; Nier and his dad worked tirelessly taking breaks only when necessary because if night fell while they were here they''d be as good as dead¡ªeven though Annie didn¡¯t participate directly she helped however she could. Suddenly halfway through putting on a hinge their dad turned his head as if hearing something. ¡°Hey Nier,¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Nier looked at his dad puzzled. ¡°Get away from the boat and keep Annie safe; I¡¯ll be right back.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Before Nier could say anything else his dad jumped into the water without a suit. ¡°He jumped in without a suit!¡± Nier heard Annie scream behind him. Moving quickly... he pulled her away from the boat. ¡°Let¡¯s first get away from here!¡± But before Nier could leave he noticed something blocking out sunlight above them¡ªit cast an enormous shadow over them¡ªand judging by its size it appeared at least 100 times larger than them! Cautiously turning his head upward revealed a massive blue tentacle protruding from underwater¡ªit swayed ominously as if readying itself to strike down upon them. ¡°Shit! We¡¯re done!¡± ¡°You said it¡ªwe¡¯re totally done!¡± To you sea creatures are ferocious beasts of the deep¡ªnocturnal monsters whose smallest members tower at least ten feet tall. History books claim they were once ordinary fish, mutated during the Great Disaster. ¡°Get away from the boat!¡± Nier screamed, panic surging through him. There was no time to think; instinct kicked in. He grabbed Annie¡¯s arm and yanked her back just as a massive tentacle smashed down onto the deck with bone-shattering force. The impact sent splinters flying, and Nier felt a rush of air as the boat tilted dangerously to one side. ¡°We have to get off!¡± he yelled over the chaos, dragging Annie away from the edge. The tentacle writhed again, crashing against the hull with a sound like thunder. Wood splintered and cracked under its immense weight, sending shards flying in every direction. Nier¡¯s heart raced as he watched their home¡ªtheir lifeline¡ªbeing shredded before his eyes. ¡°Run!¡± Annie cried, her voice barely audible above the roar of the monstrous creature attacking them. They stumbled toward the bow of the boat, but another tentacle shot up from below, curling around their vessel like a serpent constricting its prey. Nier could only watch in horror as it tightened its grip. The boat creaked ominously under the strain before splitting apart with a sickening crunch. Water surged into the gaps where wood had once stood strong, pulling them down into its depths. ¡°No! No!¡± Nier screamed as he felt himself being dragged toward the edge. He fought against the pull of the ocean but was met with another wave of destruction¡ªa second tentacle crashed down beside him, sending him sprawling onto the deck. Annie was screaming now, her voice piercing through Nier¡¯s shock. He scrambled to his feet just in time to see their father reemerging from beneath the waves. ¡°Dad!¡± Their father wore a serious expression. What followed left Nier momentarily dumbfounded. His father shot out from the boat, soaring overhead, but he was quickly brought back to reality when the tentacle that had gripped their vessel hurled them toward him. With swift hand signs, their father halted their descent mid-air. ¡°Nier! Get on that sea tower and find cover! Don¡¯t come back until I tell you!¡± Before Nier could respond, his father made more hand signs, and suddenly Annie and Nier were propelled at high speed toward the sea tower. Nier closed his eyes, bracing for a rough landing, but surprisingly found himself cushioned upon impact. Opening his eyes, he saw Annie beside him. He helped her up and quickly scanned for a place to take cover. But before they could move, the blue tentacle hurled itself toward them at high speed. It suddenly stopped mid-air as if it had encountered an invisible barrier. The sea monster roared in frustration from beneath the waves.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. It battered against the invisible barrier repeatedly with its tentacle. When it realized it was getting nowhere, all seven of its remaining arms shot up from underwater and began pounding against the barrier. Cracking sounds echoed through the air, fueling the sea creature¡¯s frenzy as it increased its assault on the barrier. Then suddenly all eight arms exploded outward, blue blood spraying across the invisible dome. Looking up, Nier saw that the blood outlined the shape of the dome-like barrier protecting them. Panic surged through him; he spotted an area where he could take cover and turned to check on Annie just in time to see a large pool of blue blood fall onto her, sizzling against her skin. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± she screamed in pain before fainting. ¡°Annie!¡± Nier shouted, rushing toward her. Reaching her side, he saw that although she was unconscious, her body convulsed violently. Crouching down next to her, he quickly stripped away her blood-soaked clothes to free her from harm. The moment his skin touched the blood, burning pain shot through him, but he gritted his teeth and finished undressing her before sprinting toward his earlier hiding spot. Above him came the agonized screams of the sea creature as it suffered from having all its arms destroyed. As he reached what appeared to be a hole in the sea tower¡ªa concrete shelter¡ªeverything began to shake violently around him. Light from above was blocked out entirely; leaving Annie behind for a moment, he stepped outside to see what was happening. What he saw made him feel like an ant standing before a giant: a creature towering approximately 100 feet above them loomed menacingly. Its arms were raised in hostility toward their father, who stood defiantly below it while waving multiple hand signs. Suddenly, he pointed at the octopus; a brilliant beam of light shot from his hands and struck it squarely in the head. The creature screamed as its arms shot out toward their father. But he seemed prepared; waving other hand signs produced a lightsaber out of thin air. He moved forward with precision, cutting through its limbs and spilling blue blood all over the dome barrier. The sea creature continued to scream as its arms regenerated at an unbelievable speed while red runes began glowing across its entire body. Seeing this transformation unfold made Nier¡¯s heart race; then suddenly millions of swords appeared from nothing at his father¡¯s command. Nier couldn¡¯t tear his gaze away from them¡ªhe didn¡¯t even notice that blood was leaking from wounds all over his body until it pooled beneath him. His eyes became bloodshot as if entranced by this spectacle; he didn¡¯t realize how badly injured he truly was until his father turned around and saw him there. ¡°Nier!¡± His dad waved his hand again; this time, the dome barrier opened up completely. The sudden rush of energy made Nier faint instantly. --- When Nier opened his eyes again, he didn¡¯t remember ever closing them. The last thing he recalled was standing outside watching his dad fight that monstrous creature. He tried to get up but found all strength had left his body. A wave of dizziness washed over him as he looked at his hands¡ªbandaged tightly around wounds that throbbed painfully¡ªmaking him remember Annie''s fate. Turning around slowly revealed her lying beside him; she too was covered in bandages. ¡°You¡¯re already awake,¡± came his father¡¯s voice from nearby. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard,¡± he warned gently. ¡°You almost died; you still need time to heal.¡± Hearing this from his father made Nier realize they had escaped danger¡ªbut now came time for answers. ¡°Dad... what wa¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother asking yet; you¡¯ll soon know most of what you seek.¡± His father stood up from where he sat and approached Nier with a repair bag¡ªthe one they used for keeping repair materials safe during dives. ¡°Most of your questions will be answered after reading this letter inside,¡± he said firmly. ¡°What about you? Why not tell me yourself?¡± ¡°I wish I could... but I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Nier asked with confusion etched on his face. ¡°Ugh... just read the damn letter.¡± He passed the bag to Nier before turning back to watch the setting sun dip below the horizon. ¡°Hey, Nier... one last thing: keep her safe for me, alright?¡± As he said this, their father turned around with a smile on his face that radiated warmth despite everything they¡¯d endured. ¡°You¡¯re a man now.¡± Suddenly, Nier¡¯s heart dropped as he watched his father''s body begin decaying before his very eyes¡ªturning to ash first at one arm and then spreading rapidly throughout his entire form. ¡°And... my time is up.¡± Nier stared blankly at this surreal scene unfolding before him; confusion clouded his mind as everything felt overwhelming¡ªtoo much for him to handle right now. ¡°I guess this is my farewell to you... son.¡± And just like that, his father''s entire being dissolved into ash before him¡ªa final goodbye lost in an ocean of despair. Warrior Path Nier stood there in disbelief, weakly walking toward his father''s ashes. He couldn''t comprehend what had just happened¡ªwhy it happened and how it happened. His legs gave way, causing him to kneel. At just 17 years of age, he had lost his father. His eyes began to itch as tears fell down his cheeks. He tried to hold them back, but the harder he fought, the more he cried. Eventually, he stopped trying to contain himself and cried his heart out. ¡­ ¡°NOOOO!¡± Annie suddenly woke, cold sweat running down her back. Looking around, she saw that the sea creature was no longer there. Sighing in relief, she attempted to get up, but an excruciating pain shot through her, numbing her instantly. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be trying to get up right now; you¡¯re still injured.¡± Turning her head to the right, she saw Nier leaning against a deteriorating wall of the sea tower. Shifting her gaze back to her body, she noticed that she was bandaged all over. ¡°So, it wasn¡¯t a dream after all,¡± she murmured. Nier laughed hollowly. ¡°I wish it could have been.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with that voice of yours? And what¡¯s up with your eyes? Have you been crying?¡± ¡°It¡¯s that obvious, huh?¡± Moving from where he stood, Nier approached the repair bag his father had left him. Lifting it, he searched for the letter his father had mentioned but found nothing. ¡°Why were you crying? It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen you like this.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± He began removing items from the bag: a key, a pouch of money, a revolver¡­ Wait! Why would this be here? Nier felt a headache starting to throb. ¡°By the way, Nier¡­¡± Nier continued rummaging through the bag: a book and a dagger. The rest were normal repair materials and food rations. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Where is Dad?¡± He glanced at the materials scattered around him. The only place suitable for hiding a letter would be in the book or maybe the money pouch, but he doubted it. Picking up the book, a piece of paper fell out. On its front were the words: ¡°To You.¡± ¡°Get some rest first; we¡¯ll talk about that later, alright?¡± ¡°Is something wrong with Dad?¡± Looking at his sister and then at their father¡¯s ashes beside him, Nier felt another wave of tears threaten to spill but managed to smile instead. ¡°Nothing is wrong; just focus on recovering!¡±Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Okay, if you say so. If he comes back, wake me up; I have something to ask him.¡± With that, she fell asleep again. Given her injuries, it was surprising she could talk so much. ¡°Sorry, but the old man won¡¯t be coming back.¡± He closed his eyes to stave off another wave of tears. Then he picked up the paper and opened it. It was indeed in his father¡¯s handwriting. Ignoring the pain it caused him, he began to read. ¡°No need for introductions; by the time you read this, I¡¯m probably already dead with only ashes remaining. As for the reason for that, you should first know what we call a warrior¡­¡± In short, warriors were people who used ¡®Ki¡¯¡ªthe energy of the world¡ªas their source of power to perform feats akin to magic like flying¡ªsomething his father had apparently mastered. Warriors varied in strength through something called steps; methods existed for getting stronger and advancing through these steps with some drawbacks. But what were some minor drawbacks in the face of ultimate strength? It turned out that with that mentality, his father practiced the most dangerous method available¡ªresulting in his demise. The rest of the letter urged Nier to take care of Annie and mentioned that if he was interested in becoming a warrior, he could read the book; if not, he could throw it into the sea and forget about it. Nier closed his eyes again; it wasn¡¯t a hard choice to make, but something held him back. He gathered all of his father''s ashes and placed them in a glass bottle he found in the bag. Afterward, he opened the money pouch and counted 200 rapen. To clarify how currency worked: 1 cent was the smallest value; 100 cents made 1 franc; and 10 francs made 1 rapen¡ªthough this only applied within the Drows Empire; other empires had their own currencies. Nier was taken aback; 200 rapen was not a small amount¡ªespecially for a family like theirs. It could feed them for two months without work. Sighing, he set aside the money pouch. He quickly examined the other materials: a key whose purpose eluded him, a revolver without ammo, and a dagger that was quite sharp. Finally, he picked up the book and held his breath as he opened it. ¡­ Nier opened eyes he didn¡¯t remember closing. Looking around, fear washed over him¡ªthere was no sea, no sea tower, no Annie¡ªnothing at all. He found himself in complete darkness except for tiny lights twinkling like distant stars. He was levitating in a black void and realized he couldn¡¯t move¡ªit felt as if only his consciousness existed in this strange place. Calming himself down, he tried to make sense of this bizarre situation. The last thing he remembered was opening the book; thus it must have caused this occurrence¡ªa conclusion solidified by what his father had told him in the letter. Since that was likely true, he deduced that he had entered this world not with his physical body but with his consciousness¡ªand if he could enter it this way, he could also leave. Searching for clues in this void yielded nothing; only those twinkling stars remained. Focusing on them closely transformed them into words¡ªa natural occurrence since it was called a book and should contain text for reading. As Nier read them, he discovered they detailed aspects of the warrior path: ¡°A warrior should know how to control Ki above all else; it is their strongest weapon¡­¡± In essence, the writing discussed ten steps of becoming a warrior; each step had specific requirements to reach it. The book outlined methods for traversing these steps but Nier couldn¡¯t read further¡ªthe stars refused to form words likely because he wasn¡¯t even at first-step warrior status yet. However, he did grasp how to reach that first step and how to leave as described in the book¡ªall he had to do was imagine closing it to return home. Doing so brought him back instantly. The book lay closed before him now; golden words appeared on its gray cover: ¡°Empiric.¡± Sighing deeply, Nier knew what needed to be done. Looking at the time revealed nightfall approaching¡ªmeaning sea creatures would soon emerge¡ªand if he and Annie hoped to survive, becoming at least a first-step warrior was essential. The book stated that becoming a warrior required first sensing Ki around oneself and then controlling it to create a core for storage before finally stabilizing oneself. Sitting cross-legged, Nier began focusing¡ªhe had to somehow feel this Ki that that he had never felt in his entire life. it is supposed to look like dust in air Time passed slowly while day turned into night. Soon enough, as moonlight bathed everything around them in silver glow, sea creatures awakened one by one and began approaching the sea tower while Nier still struggled to sense any Ki at all. Ki sensing Nier sat with his eyes closed, unaware of how much time had passed, but he knew it was already night. He continued to meditate, trying to feel the Ki. What was he doing wrong? The book clearly stated that all he had to do was close his eyes and meditate to sense the Ki. The fact that it wasn¡¯t working meant he was doing something horribly wrong. As moonlight bathed the sea tower, the first sea creature began to approach. It didn¡¯t know exactly what attracted it there¡ªperhaps it was the unusual sweet smell wafting from the place or the strange figures it saw. It didn¡¯t care. Moving at high speed with its snake-like body, it finally reached the sea tower. It slithered through, searching for the source of the sweet smell, and soon enough, it found it: a body lying there. Its instincts told it that the creature was asleep and posed no danger. With the smell so strong, it couldn¡¯t hold back from launching itself at its defenseless meal. But before it could reach Annie, Nier plunged a dagger into its head. Writhing, the serpent tried to escape his grasp, but Nier seized its head and cut it clean off. Blood spilled across the concrete floor of the sea tower. Nier had stopped meditating since it wasn¡¯t helping him; instead, he decided to keep watch. If he died, at least he would have tried. Thankfully, he arrived in time to save Annie from a sea serpent. Although they were on the weaker side in terms of strength, these creatures were extremely poisonous. Looking at his dagger, Nier realized this would be a long night. The serpent¡¯s blood would attract other sea creatures to the tower. He pushed the ten-foot serpent into a corner; if he was about to fight for his life, he didn¡¯t want to trip over a corpse. The sea creatures he most expected were more sea serpents because they were quite common in this part of the ocean; one could say this was their territory. However, this wasn¡¯t a general rule¡ªother sea creatures could also be spotted here, including the one that had killed their father. Nier sat cross-legged again and continued to meditate while keeping watch over his sister. Soon enough, two more sea serpents appeared. Nier opened his eyes, dagger in hand; this was it¡ªit was now or never. As if sensing him, the two serpents took up defensive stances; instinct told them that this would be a hard meal to swallow. As they stared each other down, a weak rock from the tower fell into the sea, its sound ringing through the night breeze. The two serpents lunged at Nier simultaneously. He made no attempt to dodge since his sister was behind him. The first serpent aimed for his head but suddenly changed direction and went straight for sleeping Annie instead; it had chosen an easier meal over one that might fight back. But Nier wouldn¡¯t let it go that easily. ¡°no you don¡¯t!¡± He tried to run and stop it, but the second serpent saw this as an opportunity and launched itself at his back. Anticipating this move, Nier made a quick turn and lodged his dagger into the serpent¡¯s head; it died instantly.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. The other serpent lunged at Annie, its mouth wide open and fangs glistening with venom as it prepared to strike. Just as it was about to sink its teeth into her flesh, Nier sprang into action. With a swift motion, he raised his right arm and intercepted the deadly fangs that pierced his flesh. Pain shot through him, but he gritted his teeth and held firm. In that same heartbeat, he drove his dagger deep into the creature''s skull with his left hand. He sat down to catch his breath; it was only the first two creatures, but he was already poisoned¡ªhis right hand began turning bluish-purple as the poison spread rapidly. Ripping a piece of cloth from his pants, he tied it tightly around the bite mark to slow its progression. Closing his eyes again proved difficult due to immense pain coursing through him. Unable to concentrate on meditation anymore, he began strategizing for when other sea creatures arrived. First of all, he quickly realized what went wrong in the previous fight: he hadn¡¯t prepared for multiple enemies which led to his injury. His first priority had to be defending Annie without getting too close to her. He moved the two serpent corpses out of sight but instead of discarding them entirely, he covered Annie with their bodies¡ªensuring their weight wouldn¡¯t crush her while preventing her from being bitten again. The second thing was extracting the poison glands from the serpents; he needed them in case other creatures came that weren¡¯t sea serpents. Finally, he sat back down again with closed eyes, focusing all his energy on feeling that elusive Ki. ¡­ Two hours passed; blood stained every corner of the sea tower¡¯s floor while Nier remained seated amidst serpent corpses. The poison had already claimed all of his right hand and was creeping toward his left side; bruises and bite marks marred his body. He continued meditating in vain; deep down, he knew that given how poisoned he was, survival through the night seemed impossible. He¡¯d already killed about twenty or so of the sea serpents. After another minute passed, something else landed on the sea tower¡ªthis time not a sea serpent but something more humanoid if you excluded its numerous tentacles writhing all over its body. It slowly approached Nier before stopping six feet away from him. Opening his eyes now revealed no surprise; he had anticipated that soon enough something other than serpents would come. He slowly got up and retrieved the dagger he''d embedded in one of the serpents¡¯ corpses before taking position¡ªbut before he could even move, the creature was already upon him. It seized him by one of its many tentacles and slammed him down into concrete with such force that Nier lost consciousness instantly; his body went limp. The creature looked down at him with satisfaction as its rows of teeth gleamed in a sinister smile. ¡°kikikkikikikikikkikikikkikikikikikkik.¡± Surveying its surroundings revealed nothing else¡ªjust those detestable serpent corpses piled nearby except for one corner where almost all of them were stacked together; however, it opted not to touch them. Holding Nier by his foot with another tentacle, it started dragging him toward the sea¡ªit had its meal and felt satisfied. ¡°kikikkikikikikikkikikikkikikikikikkik.¡± ¡­ Nier opened his eyes¡ªor rather couldn¡¯t feel them open at all. ¡°Did I die?¡± Looking around revealed nothing except shiny white dust floating in this dark abyss. ¡°Hm¡­ what are those?¡± Watching them closely sparked a memory¡ªsomething important slipped from his mind. ¡°¡­..!¡± Suddenly remembering brought clarity: ¡®Ki¡¯! The book had said that Ki would float like dust! ¡°Hahaha!¡± Finally! He could see it¡ªthe damn Ki! Though now it seemed futile since death felt imminent after being attacked by that creature earlier¡ªbut giving up wasn¡¯t an option! Since the first step of sensing the Ki was done he could begin the following steps toward becoming a warrior: first controlling Ki to create his core¡­ A Fight Through The Night Nier¡¯s eyes shot open as he gasped for air, only to choke on the salty seawater. Panic surged through him as he held his breath, desperate to avoid suffocation. Looking around, he realized he was being dragged underwater by a sea creature, its tentacle-like hands gripping his right leg. It didn¡¯t even bother to turn its head, probably thinking Nier was weak. But that was before. Summoning his strength, Nier raised his left leg and struck the tentacle holding him twice. The creature released its grip, and without wasting a moment, he swam back up toward the surface. Upon breaking through the water, he inhaled the fresh night air, relief flooding over him. ¡°Oh God, that feels so great!¡± After catching his breath, he scanned the area for his dagger. He spotted it lying where his head had been pummeled into the concrete earlier. Grabbing it tightly, he practiced a few swings and jumps to regain his composure. Just before drowning, Nier had managed to create his Ki core. Though it wasn¡¯t stable yet, it provided a significant boost in power that allowed him to escape the creature''s grasp. If he had been even a minute late, he would have become fish food. Nier took a deep breath and got into a running stance, preparing himself for what lay ahead. Suddenly, the sea creature burst from the water, propelling itself into the air. Before it could descend, Nier leaped into the air with all his strength, raising his blade high before plunging it directly into the stunned creature. It screamed in agony¡ªif what it emitted could even be called a scream. ¡°That one¡¯s for my head!¡± Using the creature''s body as leverage, Nier performed a backflip that landed him back on the sea tower as the creature fell back into the water, dying and staining it red. He began jumping and stretching, feeling the power coursing through him. His entire body was now reinforced by Ki; even the signs of poisoning had vanished and most of his wounds healed. ¡°Whoo! I could get used to this.¡± Just as he was reveling in his newfound strength, something whizzed past him at high speed. He barely dodged it and turned to see what it was¡ªa rock! Shifting his focus back to the water, Nier noticed the sea creature preparing for another attack. Smiling confidently, he returned to a fighting stance. Before long, they began trading blows¡ªits tentacle hands struck like hard rock while Nier¡¯s fists matched their intensity. They moved at high speeds as other sea serpents slithered up the tower in search of an opening. But before they could advance, the creature seized one of the three-meter serpents by its tail and swung it like a weapon. Nier blocked with his dagger, shattering the serpent¡¯s head instantly. As they continued to fight, Nier adapted quickly; despite having little combat training except for some defensive skills taught by his father, he found himself correcting his flawed stance mid-fight. The sea creature fought chaotically while Nier remained calm and focused. When it aimed a right jab at his chin, Nier stepped back just enough to dodge before slicing at its side. The creature twisted its torso unnaturally to avoid the attack but retaliated with a knee strike to Nier¡¯s face.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. He fell backward onto the concrete and touched his nose to check for breaks. ¡°God, that really hurts!¡± Not that it mattered much; as a first-step warrior now, he could regenerate faster. While sitting there nursing his pain, a serpent sneaked up behind him. Before it could strike, Nier plunged his dagger into its skull with precision¡ªpiercing both its head and the concrete beneath it. ¡°Round two, fish head.¡± With renewed determination, Nier resumed fighting with increasing skill until he finally caught the sea creature in a chokehold and broke its neck with sheer force. Having reached this new level of power allowed him to channel Ki through his body to reinforce parts of himself¡ªhis hands could now cut as cleanly as any blade. However, he realized that moving it quickly was still beyond him; but that was more of a skill issue than anything else. Leaving the dead creature where it lay, Nier wiped his dagger clean on the serpent whose head he''d pierced earlier. That¡¯s when he noticed that the blade was stained with poison; upon closer inspection of the dead sea creature revealed parts of it beginning to rot. The potency of its poison struck him with realization. He spent the rest of the night battling hordes of sea serpents attracted by the strong smell of blood. As dawn broke and after ensuring he''d defeated the last one, he approached a large pile of serpent corpses and began removing them one by one until he uncovered two inclined rocks forming a pyramid shape¡ªhis makeshift shelter from nearly fifteen serpent bodies he¡¯d made for annie. Finding a spot where sunlight wouldn¡¯t reach him much longer, exhaustion overwhelmed him like a rock falling from above; he collapsed and fell asleep almost immediately. --- ¡°N¡­i¡­..e¡­r.¡± Someone was calling him from afar. ¡°Ni¡­¡­..er?¡± Who was calling? Where were they? ¡°NIER!¡± Nier''s eyes shot open as tension surged through him; all remnants of sleep vanished instantly as he prepared for another attack. ¡°Hey! Are you alright?¡± Turning around revealed Annie standing there. ¡°Were you the one who called my name?¡± ¡°Of course! Who else could it be?¡± Letting out a sigh of relief, Nier relaxed his tense body but quickly noticed how achy he felt all over from fatigue. ¡°What do you want anyway? I¡¯m tired¡ªcan you make it quick?¡± ¡°No! You¡¯re just being rude! But that¡¯s not why I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Then what did you need?¡± ¡°Can you tell me what exactly happened here?¡± She pointed at all the dead sea creatures surrounding them¡ªit looked like something straight out of a horror novel. ¡°Oh nothing much¡ªjust a few sea creatures that tried to kill us during the night.¡± Annie stared at him incredulously. ¡°Look Annie,¡± Nier said wearily as he settled back down again. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after I wake up; I think I¡¯m going to die just from fatigue.¡± Annie shrugged in defeat as Nier prepared to sleep again. ¡°Oh! I almost forgot¡ªwhere¡¯s Dad? I didn¡¯t see him last time.¡± ¡°You mean the old man?¡± Nier was now half-asleep. ¡°Don¡¯t call him that!¡± ¡°yeah, yeah¡± nier responded non-chalantly ¡°where is he then?¡± ¡°Well... sorry to break this to you but... he¡¯s already dead.¡± Nier''s speech began slurring together as exhaustion took hold again. ¡°What did you just say? Didn¡¯t catch that well.¡± Annie poked him in an attempt to wake him up again. ¡°I said Dad is dead¡ªfrom that octopus thingy! It literally turned him to ash!¡± ¡°Wait¡ªis that your idea of a joke? Because if it is... it''s not funny.¡± ¡°I never joke about these things,¡± Nier replied seriously with an almost hoarse voice. Something in his tone made Annie realize he wasn¡¯t lying¡ªthough she didn¡¯t fully comprehend what had happened. ¡°Then you mean to say¡­¡± she started losing her balance as she rose from her crouched position near Nier. ¡°That he''s really dead?¡± As she tried standing up straight again she fainted; Nier reacted quickly and sprinted forward to catch her before she hit the ground. Looking down at her sadly with a gentle smile on his face, he murmured softly: ¡°I told you¡ªyou weren¡¯t ready to get up yet... idiot.¡± Deadly Technique It had already been three days on the sea tower, which meant three horrifying and exhausting nights for Nier, filled with relentless fighting. As for Annie, after hearing about their father¡¯s death, she initially seemed depressed. However, as her health improved and her injuries healed, a spark of brightness began to return to her demeanor. Nier had mentioned the warrior path to her, but she didn¡¯t seem interested, so he let it go. ¡°Hey, Nier! The food is ready. Come eat!¡± As they sat down to share their meager rations, Nier studied Annie. She didn¡¯t look like someone who had been depressed just days ago; he could tell she was hiding behind a mask of smiles. ¡°Hmmm! What¡¯s wrong? Is there something on my face?¡± she asked, her mouth still full of food. Nier realized he had been staring. ¡°Swallow first before speaking,¡± he said, shifting the topic. At least she was physically healthy again. ¡°Oh! I almost forgot!¡± Annie exclaimed after swallowing. ¡°What? Is something bothering you?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s not that something is bothering me¡­¡± ¡°Then what is it?¡± Nier had already finished eating and turned his full attention to her. ¡°Remember the other day when I removed my bandages?¡± ¡°Of course I remember; it was just yesterday! Why would I forget?¡± ¡°Well, I found a strange marking on my chest this morning.¡± ¡°A what now?¡± ¡°A strange marking¡­¡± Annie stood up and lifted her shirt just enough for the marking to be visible. ¡°Do you see it? Right here, just below my neck,¡± she said as she leaned closer for him to see. ¡°I see it. Just stop moving so much.¡± Nier placed his hand over the mark. The only way to understand what it was would be to use his ki to inspect it. During the three nights they had spent there, he had become quite proficient in using ki. Although he normally couldn¡¯t project his ki outside his body, he could sense other ki around him, allowing him to perceive things even in darkness. This ability had been invaluable during their time on the tower, especially during the constant nighttime battles that had forced him to learn this technique. Concentrating all his ki in the hand resting on the mark, he tried to feel its energy but sensed nothing¡ªan impossibility since everything must emit ki in some form or another. Ki was defined as the source of life force; unless something was a rock, it should emit ki¡ªespecially a mark on a living being. This was strange to Nier, but he knew he was still new to this and attributed his inability to sense the mark''s ki to his own weakness. ¡°Is something wrong? You¡¯re looking all serious,¡± Annie said. Nier met her gaze, still lost in thought before finally snapping back to reality. ¡°Oh! Sorry for making you worry; nothing is wrong.¡± He removed his hand from her chest and pulled her shirt back down. ¡°Not sure if I believe you,¡± she replied as she returned to her seat and continued eating. ¡°Why would I lie to you? Annie, I¡¯m your brother,¡± Nier said half-jokingly. ¡°You¡¯re a bad liar, you know that?¡± Nier laughed as he got up but paused before leaving for training. ¡°Is there something else?¡± she asked, noticing his strange movements.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°Do you have anything else abnormal? It doesn¡¯t have to be on your body.¡± Taking a bite of her food, she replied, ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. Although I feel like my mind is much clearer than before.¡± ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll be leaving now; if anything comes up, tell me.¡± --- Nier sat cross-legged, circulating his ki throughout his body. This practice helped stabilize his core; although it was already stable, it didn¡¯t hurt to make sure. After this session, he planned to learn the technique that had led to their father¡¯s death. Initially, he thought he wouldn¡¯t need to learn it after witnessing its devastating effects on his father. But now he was reminded of how weak he was and that the price of weakness could cost him another family member¡¯s life. After all, Annie had developed those strange markings after healing from wounds caused by an octopus-like sea creature¡¯s blood. Nier now understood that this creature had been akin to a warrior since it could control ki. Thus, he needed to become stronger¡ªeven if it meant risking his own life¡ªbecause saving his last remaining family member made dying seem less daunting. Once he stabilized his core, Nier entered the Empiric book again and was not surprised when more words appeared from the stars. He finally discerned what that technique was: **The Eighteen Arhat Hands**. This technique consisted of eighteen stages of mastery representing the eighteen levels of the warrior path¡ªthough Nier wasn¡¯t sure if "level" meant "step" in this context. Each stage granted the user a unique ability represented by a hand. The first thing Nier needed to do was take two-thirds of the blood in his body and spill it onto the Empiric book while simultaneously moving his ki through the blood and enveloping it around the book so that it could be absorbed by him. He instantly recognized that losing that amount of blood would bring him close to death''s door; however, since he had already resolved to proceed with this plan regardless of its danger, he wouldn¡¯t back down now. After leaving the Empiric book, he prepared for advancement into the first stage of Arhat Hands¡ªthe Hand of Devourer. First things first: he needed to ensure Annie wouldn¡¯t interrupt him mid-advancement because things were bound to get messy enough for her to think he had gone crazy. He approached where Annie was busy sewing up torn clothes; she seemed extremely focused as if nothing else mattered at that moment. ¡°Hey Annie,¡± Nier called out. Startled She turned toward him. ¡°God! Don¡¯t ever scare me like that!¡± ¡°Haha! Sorry if I scared you.¡± ¡°No problem! So what did you want?¡± ¡°I just needed you to know that I¡¯ll be busy for quite a while; don¡¯t disturb me if you need something¡ªI¡¯ll see it after okay?¡± ¡°Okay! I¡¯ve got no problem with that,¡± she replied nonchalantly while continuing her sewing. ¡°Thanks sis! You¡¯re the best.¡± She smiled at that as he returned to his place. Now that distractions were dealt with, Nier began the main event. He took out his dagger and placed the Empiric book before him, extending his wrist right above it. Inhaling deeply then exhaling slowly, he cut through his wrist cleanly. ¡°Shit! This hurts like hell!¡± he grunted as blood flowed from the deep cut¡ªdeep enough to risk losing his wrist but not so deep as to prevent him from spilling enough blood onto the Empiric book. As blood streamed down onto the book, he led his ki outside his body through his blood. The Empiric began glowing¡ªfirst sporadically¡ªbefore its intensity increased until it started melting slowly into a stream of blood flowing into Nier''s body. He lost track of time as pain numbed all other senses; especially when the book started melting¡ªit felt like his entire body would fall apart¡ªbut he ignored it. Any time the wound began healing due to his enhanced recovery abilities, he slashed it open again. Once all of the Empiric had entered him and healed instantly along with his wound closing up again, Nier''s brain became overloaded with information about Arhat''s first hand. When he finally opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in a pool of blood with Annie standing over him looking furious. ¡°Oh hey Annie,¡± he greeted weakly. ¡°What the hell happened here? Why are you lying there?¡± ¡°I was doing a little experiment and¡ª¡± ¡°Experiment my butt!¡± She looked both mad and concerned at once while Nier smiled at her. ¡°What? Am I that funny?¡± ¡°No! I was just thinking about what a wonderful sister I have.¡± She blushed but quickly hid it from view. ¡°You can¡¯t sweet-talk me into calming down; seriously¡ªyou should take better care of yourself!¡± Nier pushed himself up from the pool of blood feeling weak and pale; considering how much blood he''d lost¡ªit was a miracle he could even stand... ¡°Anyway,¡± Annie continued with urgency in her tone, ¡°that¡¯s not why I came here.¡± ¡°Hmmm?¡± ¡°A ship is coming here!¡± At this declaration, excitement surged through Nier''s veins. ¡°Really? Where is it?¡± ¡°Go wash yourself first! You reek of death¡ªyou know that?¡± Reluctantly agreeing but still buzzing with excitement inside, Nier rushed off to clean up. Finally¡ªthis nightmare would end!