《A Burning Parasite》 A Burning Parasite 16,329 matches and every single one of them ended in an astounding defeat. This was the reality of Shin Buki, one of the last remaining Samurai in the Thucia Kingdom. Shin Was one of two total samurai in the world, and it was for one reason. Cultivators. The number of lost matches had suddenly risen to 16,330 ¡°Ah, work on your battle sense Shin¡± Jun Nagai spoke, a deep understanding behind his words. ¡°Shall I ever win against you, Master?¡± Shin said, a slight chuckle resounding. The open-roomed dojo had clean wooden strip-like floorboards and translucent thick white material resembling paper as window structures. Despite these two being the only two inhabitants, the place was well taken care of. Dropping his wooden Katana, Shin plopped down. ¡°It¡¯s quiet,¡± Shin began. ¡°Don¡¯t hate them, they only yearn for quick power,¡± Master responded. ¡°Sometimes I wonder,¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°What if cultivation truly is the supreme method?¡± ¡°You doubt this old man too?¡± Shin paused for a second ¡°Never¡± Shin proclaimed. He reached out and gripped the handle tightly. The neighboring country West of the Thucia Kingdom was a mixture of some parts communism & mostly dictatorship. So long ago, when the Kingdom Of Thucia was still a small gathering of settlements, the neighboring country coined The Salvation Provinces entered a long laborious war over the borders between the two. The Thucians had already claimed the farm fields, which was an issue for The Salvation Provinces because the border currently gave all farm-able land to the Thucians. Around 15-25% of The Salvation Provinces¡¯ total land was fit for growing crops while the remaining would be like a large boulder, plausible to move but unnecessarily difficult without technology. Thus began a multiple century-long war, with no victor and a stalemate for decided borders. And while eventually a treaty was signed, the blood had been shed and deep-rooted resentment would forever cripple peaceful exchanges. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. In an underground base set within The Salvation Provinces. Deep within a stone-bricked labyrinth, behind a heavy wooden door, a gathering occurred between two parties. A shifty-looking character with a hunched back rubbed his hands together in expectation while he sat across from an upright-appearing gentleman. This gentleman wore a gray coat with an identifying black band on its arm, Invoking a feeling of systematic intelligence. Dirty blonde hair dreadfully hung around his shoulders. ¡°The operation is a success, Sir Elite,¡± The Hunchbacked man said. ¡°Are the people buying the Extremist excuse?¡± The Elite responded. ¡°Yes, and even better they don¡¯t in the slightest suspect the Elites or their Houses.¡± The hunchback replied. ¡°The bugs, how much of the peasant¡¯s fields have been claimed?¡± ¡°Currently, around 35%, but due to unforeseen mutations they may be able to claim into the holy land¨C¡± ¡°¡ªWhat¡± he cut off. The hunchback slinked backward slightly. ¡°Well, we asked the researchers for an aggressive crop-destroying super weapon, and they delivered, it¡¯s just stronger than we initially intended¡± ¡°And did you idiots not think to take precautions to ensure we wouldn¡¯t shoot ourselves in the foot?¡± The Elite¡¯s lip twitched slightly, and when the hunchback noticed this, he chuckled nervously. ¡°Well as soon as we noticed the aggressive mutations, the research & development team began working on a fix¡± ¡°And how long until it¡¯s completed?¡± ¡°W-we don¡¯t know¡± Shin Buki, one of the last two Samurai, fell into a daily routine. Eight Hours of sleep, Two Meals a day, and a thousand practice swings of the Katana. Afterward, a sparring match followed by hard labor in the fields. Jun Nagai, Shin¡¯s Master, had tempered this routine into all of his students¡¯ lives. Only now, Shin remained. Inside the Dojo¡¯s training area. ¡°Yes! Allow your blade to dance freely, remove the unnecessary movements¡± Nagai Instructed. He sliced forward. Shin caught and countered, shifting his weight backward. ¡°Dance freely? Master, you¡¯ve gone crazy!¡± Shin replied, a smile on his face. He stabbed forward and connected with air. Nagai had already moved backward. ¡°No, don¡¯t focus on where I am, but rather where I intend to be,¡± Nagai said snarkily. Shin grunted lowly. He charged forward executing a perfect crescent moon slice. But it was too late, and his master within half of a second appeared at his side, sword extended to his throat. ¡°But young one, remember this above all else. Emotions are the direct path to defeat.¡± he continued ¡°I give,¡± Shin spoke after a second. His sword clanged below him. ¡°You are making progress, Shin,¡± Nagai began, walking towards the shoji1. Shin sighed, shaking his head. ¡®Will I ever beat a Sword Saint?¡¯ he thought deeply. Southeast of the dojo was a farm field that was shared between Jun Nagai and the local townspeople. The golden wheat fluttered in the wind in waves, as though a comb was continuously running through it. But a person stood within it, breaking up the harmonious gold from gold. Here, in a repeated swinging motion, Shin labored. The dull sickle sliced grass at a slow tempo. His Master stood at a distance, watching, on the portico2 of the Dojo. ¡°You¡¯re not too old to be out here with me!¡± Shin yelled, pausing for a second. ¡°Aha, young chap, my back hurts from instructing you,¡± The Master said, holding his back. Shin scoffed. ¡°You barely broke a sweat,¡± he said, shaking his head. He continued swinging. His master retreated inside. But then, just a few repetitions later, Shin noticed a blinking red amongst the crops, a deep and dull red like one that a dying flame would give off. Curiously, he came in for a closer look. Peering at the red light, which turned out to be a bug, it moved sporadically up and down the shaft of the wheat crop. Every place it had been slowly turned a deep red, eventually fading into nonexistence, as though it was burning without a flame. Shin¡¯s eyebrows curled. ¡°Hey Master, you should see this, I¡¯ve never seen a bug like it,¡± He shouted slightly concerned. ¡°What now, boy? Just discovering Ladybugs?¡° His voice was muffled through the shoji1. He opened the shoji1 and stepped down from the portico. ¡°It¡¯s time for my afternoon nap, so this better be serious,¡± Nagai said shortly after reaching Shin. ¡°Look,¡± Shin said, pointing. The two focused on the bug, and in the short time in which they began observing it, the rate at which it moved had seemingly increased. And along with that, the degradation of the crop. ¡°That¡¯s concerning,¡± Nagai said after a long pause of silence. ¡°Is that the only one?¡± he continued. The two slowly began looking around, playing a game of Where¡¯s Waldo as they intensely searched the field. But as they continued looking, slowly they noticed more and more tiny red lights. They couldn¡¯t be easily seen at a glance, but when searching for them, they seemingly popped up more and more in droves. And suddenly, they noticed thousands. 1A shoji is a door, window, or room divider used in traditional Japanese architecture 2A Porch or entrance to a building Meal Merchant I A short yet dashing tan-skinned woman flicked back her long, coca-colored hair. She was currently inside the Public Trade Hall, located inside the Salvation Provinces, west of the border. The interior of the building was lavish, especially for a public place. It was split into two floors, and at the bottom was where receptionist desks were manned mostly by women. Plant vases split up the monogamous brick wall and concrete floor combo. Upstairs, at one of the tables positioned to the side of the hallway, the cocoa-haired girl was working out a deal. ¡°Ms. Moto, you must give me a discount, I¡¯m a loyal customer. I¡¯m always the first to buy your wheat stock,¡± A fellow merchant bargained. He leaned in closer to raise tension. ¡°Hmph, loyal until the local monopolies have a sale¡± Yu Moto responded. She crossed her legs and leaned on her clasped hands which rested on the table. ¡°Final offer, 100 Penn per pound or a bulk discount of 50 Penn per pound when you buy 100 pounds,¡± she said firmly. The bargainer clenched his jaw slightly. ¡°Your customers will go elsewhere if you don¡¯t ensure their satisfaction!¡± The cheapskate threatened. He then pulled out ten-hundred-dollar Penn notes, as though it hurt his soul, and slid it across the table. Ms. Moto quickly deposited the Penn into her designer wallet with a smile, her head tilted slightly to the side. ¡°Nice doing business with you,¡± she said, ignoring the responding scoff. ¡°The goods will be in your warehouse within the next two to three business days.¡± She strutted her way downstairs and out the exit. As a businesswoman, Ms. Yu Moto was extremely busy, however for whatever reason today specifically was even more action-packed.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. To be more specific, the number of requests for foodstuffs she had received in a single day far exceeded what was normal even in a month, and her Merchant senses were tingling. Although she knew not why, more demand than supply meant less resistance from buyers to price increases. She monopolized this fact and increased her normal prices from 50 per pound to 100. Currently, she was on her way to another appointment. She took a carriage along the main street en route to a noble¡¯s house. When she exited, her path was obstructed by a large gathering of individuals. ¡°Dissolve the treaty! The Thucians have gone too far!¡± One roared in anger. ¡°How can they destroy our livelihood over dried blood?! Send in the Army!¡± ¡°Only Thucians are capable of making plaque bugs, their cultivators specialize in it!¡± The shouts of an angry mob resounded in the main street surrounded by townhouses. Yu Moto took a second, then realized why there had been such a meteoric rise in the demand for foodstuffs. Listening intently, she raised her eyebrow in suspicion. ¡®Lucians capable of making plaque-bugs? I¡¯m not too sure they can even raise a proper cultivator¡­¡¯ She thought to herself. Walking over to the crowd, she tapped the one who made the preposterous claim on the shoulder. ¡°From where have you heard Lucians are capable of plaque-bugs?¡± She asked earnestly. He turned around and looked moderately surprised. ¡°Young lady, don¡¯t you know? The Lucians have already accomplished non-perishable food, a sorcery without precious salt! Only people with that kind of knowledge could engineer such a fast-acting plaque bug!¡± He said in absolute confidence. Ms. Moto pretended to nod in agreement as she began to leave. Quickly, she exited the crowd by gently pushing past protesters. She continued along her path but started thinking. ¡®that logic is as sound as a donkey¡¯s ass¡¯ She thought bluntly. ¡®But I wonder¡­ a protest of this size would get immediately noticed by the town¡¯s guard, and yet nobody is here breaking it up. Considering all protesting is illegal, that¡¯s extremely odd¡¯ She deduced. ¡°I¡¯m not sure this plaque bug is actually of Thucian descent.¡¯ Later, at an unnamed dark market for information, she found that the Thucian empire quietly closed off all imports & exports from The Salvation Provinces. Ms. Moto was initially skeptical, but this act wavered her confidence. Meal Merchant II One week later. In the span of a short time, the food situation had grown desperate. The number of beggars on the streets had increased threefold, and food suddenly became almost as valuable as gold. Crime ran rampant as an effect of the remaining food supply dwindling dangerously low. Ms. Moto¡ªThe Female merchant¡®s stock had run to less than one-quarter of its original size. She had sold it due to the prospect of insane profits. And while her pockets were full and then some, her stomach was not. She had been forced to ration every meal. If she spent her Penn on food, all the profit would suddenly become chump change. She wouldn¡¯t even be able to get a notable sum of it. All these problems culminated in a decision to immigrate to a different country, one where foodstuffs were still readily available even if crop bugs infected it. The only logical decision was the Kingdom of Thucia All the other countries would cost too much money to venture, as she was at the edge of the country, making travel unnecessarily drawn out. That would cost Penn, and currently, her wealth was directly tied to her survival. Even with an unaddressed hatred growing in her heart, she would still retreat into Thucia. Except there was only one issue. Information through the dark market informed her that the guards at the border had gone corrupt, making passing the border without giving a substantial bribe almost impossible. Like that, essentially the poor¡¯s fate had been sealed.Stolen novel; please report. But for the wealthy, such as herself, she could buy knowledge. Through this, she learned of a secret passage through the Dragon Mountains. Yet this came with a caveat. The Dragon Mountains were some of the harshest environments on the planet, and if the wild animals didn¡¯t take your life, a high-level cultivator would. The Dragon Mountains were an excellent place for extremely rare treasures and materials, as well as ambitious & greedy characters willing to do anything to get them. Hiring a True Qi Master, who was both a cultivator & bodyguard from one of her many connections, she began her journey. In the upper part of a warehouse laboratory, overlooking a pitch-black interior, pinpointed in the mainland of the Salvation Provenience. A familiar hunchback was exchanging conversation with a group of lab-coated scientists. ¡°What¡¯s taking so long for a simple bug exterminant?¡± The hunchback asked angrily. ¡°Sir. Tanto¡¯s on my ass, and you lot said that the bugs would be contained within regular wheat fields. The Holy fields were meant to be safe.¡± ¡°Well, yes sir, but as we¡¯ve said the only way for the Qi-bugs to adapt that quickly to an environment would be to ensure aggressive mutations in place of actual evolution¡± ¡°I hate to say that that stuck up elite¡¯s right, but did you idiots not think to keep ourselves from shooting us in our own foot? In any case, why is it taking so long¡± ¡°Ah yes,¡± Another scientist interjected. ¡°That would be because an Elite that ranks higher than Sir. Teiji Tanto requested we turn our full attention to Project T¡± The hunchback looked on dumbfounded. ¡°One of our only renewable sources of food is gonna get wiped out, and we¡¯re focused on failed experiments? I thought we gave up on those lumbering giants. Didn¡¯t every single one of them go rouge in the past?¡± ¡°I would love to tell you more, but that¡¯s currently classified information. What I can tell you is that keeping the subject¡¯s source of reason is the main issue that caused them to lose their mind. Well that and just overall weak test subjects¡± ¡°Where are you even getting the funds for this operation¡­¡± The hunchback trailed off. And he was met by silence. ¡°It would appear that he is awake¡± A leader-like lab coat suddenly said, breaking up the silence. The entire group¡¯s gaze focused behind the hunchback. The hunchback turned around quickly. Through a large window, an uncannily sized eyeball, unblinking, filled the view. The Dragon Mountains I Shin Buki had a full backpack and a suitcase worth of things on his person His master packed more lightly, only carrying a large suitcase. On this day, they would say goodbye to the dojo they had lived in for their entire lives. Shin and his master waited alongside a dirt road a few yards from their residence. A hallow look emanated from the student, and no words were exchanged. Beside the residence, where the wheat fields had been, dead sickly yellow crops drooped as though they had fermented into discolored vines. The traces of red had disappeared, along with the vitality of the crops. The pair could no longer sustain themselves here. A dark looking carriage rolled up with a scruffy one-eyed man as it¡¯s rider. It made a ruckus as it barreled down the dirt path. Shin opened the door and helped his master inside. ¡°Just as fast as they came, they left equally hastily,¡± Nagai spoke after a while, once inside the carriage. ¡®Where did they even originate from? The townsfolk spoke of rumors that it came from the Provinces¡¯ Shin thought. Noticing Shin In deep thought, Nagai said ¡°Don¡¯t get stuck up on a small chapter of your life. We may have lost a home, but we cant still survive through our skills. I feel for the poor townsfolk whose livelihoods depend on the crops¡­¡± Nagai trailed off. ¡°It may be a small chapter for me, but it was your life¡¯s work¡± Shin spoke under his breath. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Nothing. Say, where are we going, master? The selling price of the dojo wasn¡¯t much, we cant be any more well of than the townsfolk.¡± Shin spoke after a moment.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about funds, young one. The world has gone crazy, and we can no longer rely on hard physical labor to support ourselves, so we¡¯ll live freely through the land¡± ¡°You don¡¯t mean¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, the Dragon Mountains¡± His master cut off. ¡°I must warn you, Shin. The Dragon Mountains are exactly as dangerous as the tales I¡¯ve told you. If your skills hadn¡¯t improved to what they are today, I wouldn¡¯t feel comfortable taking you there.¡± ¡°Sounds dangerous, but I¡¯m strong. Anyway, what, we live by hunting game? We don¡¯t exactly have long-ranged weapons¡± ¡°Haha, still so unknowledgeable. I know you partially don¡¯t believe in mystical creatures, but the beasts are what¡¯s going to fill our stomachs. We won¡¯t need to hunt them, for they¡¯ll already be trying to hunt us.¡± ¡°Sounds like the perfect conditions for training.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± A few thousand uncomfortable bumps of a carriage later, they had arrived. The Dragon Mountains were a collection of mammothly over sized rocks, parting the passing clouds thousands of feet in the sky. Fog blanketed the surrounding hills, growing as it thickened with the graduality of the mountains. The entire landscape was shaped in a bowl formation, with hills slowly turning into slopes and slopes eventually entering mountains. In the center, white covered moutains reached far into the clouds. Underneath the skyline, two figures sprinted. Shin Buki ran alongside his master. They curved between hills as the dirt path zigzagged between rocks. ¡°I thought you were an elderly, tired-out-old-man,¡± Shin Buki said exhaling heavily. ¡°I¡¯m holding back young buck!¡± Nagai proclaimed, at a steady breathing rate. Just as he¡¯d said, the Master soon ran off in the distance, his speed too fast for Shin. ¡®I¡¯d better pick up the pace¡¯ Shin thought noticing his master slowly disappearing. His master sharply turned a corner, and eventually, Shin caught up. Barging around the corner, still assuming his master was ahead, he was surprised to see Nagai crouching at the side of a hill. then a second later his momentum had come to a halt. ¡°Shhhhh¡± His master whispered, so quietly that the ¡®s¡¯ sounded harsh. Jun Nagai had grabbed Shin by the shirt, suspending him in mid-air. A second later he yanked him back. A deep growling sounded, and it was aimed at the direction of where he was just at. It sounded throaty, dry, and it echoed easily. ¡°A beast?!¡± Shin mouthed silently. He couldn¡¯t believe it. A quick nod was the response. Now crouching beside his master, he carefully peered around the corner. An eight-legged creature, looming a dozen feet in the air met his gaze. The Dragon Mountains II The creature looked uncanny, with dark purple scales covering its entire body like armor. It looked like a mix of a rhino-sized spider at the legs and a humanoid lizard for the torso. Small, empty white eyes were placed at a part of its body that could be considered a face. He froze. He could feel the pit of his stomach. Nagai suddenly cleared his throat. ¡°Well,¡± Nagai began, speaking loudly. Shin looked at his master with horror. ¡°Shut up,¡± He mouthed as though his was on his last life. ¡°No point in whispering now, it¡¯s already aware of our presence,¡± His master said nonchalantly. Nagai let out a sigh as he uncovered himself from the rock formation. Shin paused for a moment, almost not believing the gale of his Master. But after seeing his confidence, Shin followed. ¡°Shin, this will be your first observation of a True Qi Spirit Master. This creature is too far above your skill level, so just carefully watch from a safe distance back.¡± Nagai said, never breaking eye contact with the creature. Shin stepped back with no argument. After he noticed Shin receding, his Katana finally sliced out, the sunlight bouncing off the blade with glee. A few moments passed, and bloodlust spilled forth into the battle. Nagai began circling the monster, rocks crunching below his feet.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Suddenly, the monster lashed out, stabbing forth with two of its eight legs. A loud crash resided, and dirty brown smoke filled where the ground once was. Jun Nagai recoiled, standing up a few meters away. He looked at where he had just been. Two rugged beach ball-sized holes uncovered the earth. Jun Nagai smiled slightly, thinking about his youth. This monster was like a nostalgic rewind for the old man. The monster, whose ¡®face¡¯ looked shocked regathered itself. Nagai straightened himself, analyzing the creature from ¡®head¡¯ to ¡®toe¡¯. The scale armor was thick, yet it had its vulnerabilities. The eyes, and where his legs connected to his torso lacked any sort of Armour¡ª it would impede movement and eyesight. ¡®I could just use Sword Mastery to easily cut through his armor, but I want to teach Shin brute skill isn¡¯t always the most efficient way to battle¡¯ Jun thought profoundly. He looked over at Shin. He no longer looked scared, in fact, he stared on with excitement. ¡°Shin, when in battle, try to always defeat your opponent with as little effort as possible! Conserve your energy!¡± ¡°Lazy Old Man!¡± The back-and-forth banter between the two seemed to enrage the monster. He huffed out, and a thick mist spewed forth. Nagai gripped the blade tightly, returning his gaze to his opponent. His visuals were obscured by fog. It smelt like a forest after heavy rain mixed with a lingering scent of rot. His eyes felt a slight burning sensation, and his lips and skin tingled. He closed his eyes and began sensing the surrounding Qi. One, no, two flickering Qi¡¯s marked the area. One in front of him, and one to the left, most likely Shin. The creature slowly receded from the front of Nagai, going to a nearby Rock. its sharp, knife-like legs easily gripped onto the vertical surface; the Monster now parallel with the rock-face furiously wall-climbed to Nagai¡¯s right. Sensing all of this, Nagai altered his battle stance a little to face his left. Just a second later, the creature came bellowing from his side, it cut through the smoke leaving trails of empty suspended midair. CLANG! Blue blood trickled down the creature, six of its legs curved and contorted in different ways to pierce its target. Nagai stood , inches in front of the monster, his Katana inserted deeply. Deadly, sharpened legs were extended just feet behind his position With a single fluid motion, he retrieved his sword, blue blood being flung as he extracted his sword from the beast¡¯s flesh. A second later he crouched and dashed underneath the falling creature. The creature had fallen face first into the rocky dirt, kicking up dust and flinging rocks. The Dragon Mountains III A fire crackled softly as smoke wafted in the air. A bright glow illuminated dull-looking rocks. Yu Moto had set off a few days after learning about the passageway, hiring a personal body guard from her trustable business connections. In the dead of night she escaped from her estate, leaving most of everything behind for a better life. Camped in between an array of rocks just outside the Dragon Mountains, was Yu Moto and her hired personal knight. They ate stale bread slowly, often sipping their canteens¡¯ between bites. ¡°Y¡¯know, lady, rushing through the Dragon Mountains at night isn¡¯t really the best Idea,¡± The Bodyguard said plainly, breaking the tension. ¡°I Don¡¯t plan when opportunities are available. The Bribe for getting through ¡®legally¡¯ would¡¯ve destroyed my funds¡­. I¡¯m only able to take this dangerous route¡± She said bluntly. She emanated a cold aura. ¡°Ah- I¡¯aint mean nothing by it. It¡¯s just that all manner of greedy bastards and dangerous beasts come out into these mountains to hunt. Oh, and don¡¯t forget there are literal dragons,¡± Ms. Moto looked unamused. She gave him a look. ¡°It¡¯s just a fairy tale,¡± She responded, a tinge of irritation in her voice. ¡®What¡¯s her issue? She¡¯s making this so uncomfortable¡¯ The knight thought, planning an unnecessary sentence to ease the awkwardness. ¡°Yea? I¡¯ve heard tales of red winged beasts soaring over the mountains, catching any prey it desires with a single clasp of it¡¯s jaws. Apparently, it¡¯s not difficult to find large prints the size of wells. But hey, as long as I¡¯m getting paid, you do whatever¡± He said, rubbing his neck. Silence fell again. Quickly, his armor clanked as he stood up, The Personal Knight spoke but aimed in the exact opposite direction of Ms. Moto. ¡°Ok, well, I¡¯ll keep a lookout over here,¡± He said very robotically. He walked off awkwardly, his movements shifting unevenly. Ms. Moto looked over in the direction of where he was walking, then stared back at the dirty, rocky ground. Holding her sides, she stifled a laugh. The Personal Knight heard this, turning his head slightly to hear. His cheeks turned blush red. He wasn¡¯t loosing it, she had been staring at him, he thought. The fire hummed unbothered. After gathering herself, and making sure her Knight wasn¡¯t in the vicinity, she took a ragged-looking paper out of her backpack. The route depicted the Dragon Mountains, and a red-inked path curved throughout the many portrayed hills.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°I can only hope we make it,¡± She finally said out loud. After a good night¡¯s sleep, where neither of the pair said much of anything to each other, the next day they were off on their journey. Yu Moto carried their things in a small storage ring,¡ª a portable storage in another dimension. The Knight caught of a glimpse of the ring, and his eyes lingered for a few seconds too long. He had seen it before, her offering to carry his things and all, but his eyes always seemed to magnetize to the ring. Breaking his gaze, he forced himself to speak. ¡°Well, we haven¡¯t run into any troubles yet. Let¡¯s hope it stays that way¡± The knight said, climbing up a rock. He turned around and helped Yu Moto up. ¡°Don¡¯t Jinx it. I bought information on many of the hazards contained here. I still have yet to finish it¡± ¡°Sounds Daunting. Just know I¡¯m a strong Knight! Fear not for your safety!¡± Ms. Moto palmed her forehead, shaking it earnestly. ¡°Run if we encounter anything,¡± She said, patting his shoulder. ¡°I Pity you¡± she finished. His eyebrows scrunched, thinking ¡®So little faith, what¡¯s the point in hiring me!?¡¯ Once they had traveled far enough, they paused a moment to see where they had ended up. A waterfall pooled down a land formation, a hill far in the corner. Attached to it was a circular walkway carved right out of a mountain face. To their right was a drop hundreds of feet down into the strong waves of the Waterfall¡¯s fountain basin. ¡°Whoa¡­ What view¡± The Knight said. ¡°Plus we¡¯re high up, we can probably plot a path easily from here.¡± ¡°Good idea. We can also see the surrounding dangers, or if there are any¡± Ms. Moto replied. She looked down at her map¡ªwhich was already out¡ªand started comparing the land masses to the general path on the map. ¡°Hey uh, you see that smoke over there? I¡¯m pretty sure it wasn¡¯t there just a few seconds ago. " The Knight asked, a tinge of worry in his voice. Ms. Moto looked up from her map. She squinted over in the direction for a second. ¡®That¡¯s not on the map¡¯ She thought a little concerned. Dark bloches of black smoke shot up, disintegrating as it got further up. Layers of thick trees blocked the source of the smoke. ¡°Wait a moment, let me get my binoculars.¡± Taking them out of her storage ring and then looking through the lenses, she focused on the source of the flame. ¡°These may be goblins or bandits, in which case it¡¯d be better to know now if we can slay them rather than having unidentified strengths hunting our trail¡± After a few seconds, she stopped looking and turned to face the knight. ¡°Unless you can¡¯t do that¡± The knight¡¯s fists clenched, yet he kept his tongue quiet. He gave a fake smile, and spoke ¡°Well, let¡¯s take care of it then, hmm? ¡± He responded, his fake smile persistent. Her Knight marched forth, hand gripped to his scabbard. ¡®He makes it too funny not to mess with him¡¯ She thought, laughing loudly. Inside the heavily wooded area, the Knight crouched peering between the branches. He tried not to make a sound but just breathing shifted his weight and caused either a branch to snap or his armor to clink. Ms. Yu sneakily maneuvered between the brush and branches until she had arrived behind him. He suddenly got serious. ¡°Not goblins. They could be bandits because they¡¯re all wearing the same full black body suit, but I don¡¯t know, it looks too professional. Stay quiet, they give me a bad vibe.¡± He said, finishing his report. ¡°Agreed, it isn¡¯t the best idea to make ourselves known¡­ it also isn¡¯t a good idea to blindly fight these guys. but now that we know they¡¯re here we can¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªWhy does that look like a dragon? Look, that¡¯s assuredly the shape of a horn of a dragon!?¡± The Knight interrupted. ¡°No way¡± she stated in disbelief as she shifted over to his position. She peered through the gap in the branches. A Large cage in the middle of an octagon pattern of tents encapsulated a weary-looking beast. it was red but the scales looked washed out, like the transparency was being drained out along with its very life force. This weak, tired-looking animal was nothing other than a dragon. Vampire Bandits The Salvation Provinces had three Elites who made up the country''s pillars, and those Elites each had their own houses. These houses acted as the Elite''s private army, following any orders given as though they were law. Sir. Tanto, or Sir Elite if you were the Hunchback, was one of the heads of these households. He was also one of the Salvation''s Elites, ranking third, the lowest, out of three. The Overlord, an unnamed individual who employed the elites and their|houses, sent an order for Sir. Tanto to do his bidding *Frame the Thucians; raise tensions, and divide the people, for only ununited subjects fall prey to manipulation* And so, as Sir. Tanto''s ruler commanded, he instructed the hunchback, a servant in his house, to outsource scientists to begin work on a political device And the Burning Parasites came, evolving ever quickly. It had even managed to break into the Provinces private holy fields, an unintended and unwanted consequence. However, they were too efficient, killing too well and producing offspring too often. There were more bugs than crops.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. They began to die out. But the wanted effect had already been delivered, the people of the Provinces were riled up with just a few well-placed protesters fueling a growing flame from the despair of hunger. Once again, the bridge being continually built between Thucians and The Provinces was hampered straining connections between people and people. Sir. Tanto sat at his desk, looking over a myriad of papers. He held his head which throbbed like a heartbeat. That damn hunchback... can''t even follow simple orders right, I should''ve just done it myself. He thought, clenching his fists. He clicked the pen he held a few times. He looked down at a piece of paper that laid atop the others. The heading read: Denial of Bug Exterminant & Focus on T-Project According to what the hunchback relayed, I''ll have to take the fall for the Holy fields because a higher-ranking Elite forced the outsourced scientists to work on a different project... That''s bullshit. You don''t deliver a customer a half-finished product, even if it''s from a rival house! This is why I keep telling my accountant we should recruit our own research team,'' He thought, tapping his desk rhythmically. "In any case why the T-Project? We''ve already spent so long trying to get it to work, and it still fails. It infuriates me to know I''ll get punished for the foolishness of another" He said aloud. He exhaled heavily. The early morning sunlight combined with the candle''s flickering light. His Victorian-styled bed faded into weak shade alongside the shadows, every once in a while glowing orange with the light of the flame. ''I need rest The Elite finally concluded. He tossed his pen and stumbled into the unsure shadows. Vampire Bandits II At a high altitude, somewhere in the Dragon Mountains. A familiar hunchback was standing alongside a group of people, all of which were wearing full black body suits. They looked on with greedy eyes. In front of them was a cage encapsulating a mighty beast, its size only outmatched by its prison. ¡°It¡¯s a shame,¡± The Hunchback said. ¡°Agreed, no more plaque bugs. Watching the commoners fight like animals was mildly entertaining¡± A group leader joked. ¡°Not that, it¡¯s the fact we¡¯re wasting precious dragon¡¯s blood, at least the bugs fulfilled their task¡± The hunchback responded. ¡°Catching the bastards is almost impossible, we had to dispatch a Dantain Saint just to apprehend it.¡± ¡°The crooked hoot¡¯s gotta point,¡± A member in the back chimed in. ¡°Watch it!¡± The dragon exhaled weakly, interrupting the group. It struggled and failed to flap one of its wings, sending a strong gust of wind. The mighty beast looked as though it couldn¡¯t even lift a pound. ¡°Hey!¡± Someone called out in the distance. It echoed just outside the encampment of tents. ¡°Intruders!¡± He called out again, this time sounding farther away. The hunchback looked at the direction with concern, and so did the collection of members. They shared a gaze. ¡°We¡¯d outta take care of that,¡± The group leader said a second later, unsheathing a red-tipped dagger. He darted off and his underlings followed loosely behind him, leaving the hunchback alone. Near a river, which flowed down a mountain. Nagai sat on a flat rock, tinkering with what appeared to be a cutout of Beast Armour. ¡°How¡¯s it coming along?¡± Shin Buki asked, peeking out of the tent. ¡°Tsk, Tsk, so impatient. Quality only comes with time¡± ¡°You speak as though you are a philosopher¡± Shin responded. Nagai quickly threw a small pebble squarely in the middle of his head. ¡°To be a Samurai is to be a Philosopher,¡± Jun Nagai said, continuing his work on the armor. Shin held his forehead and shook a fist in the air comically. ¡°Old man!¡± ¡°Being a mighty warrior means excelling at many skills, and armor crafting is one of mine. Be grateful for masterclass work for free¡± His master continued. ¡°¡­You must love the sound of your horn,¡± ¡°Huh?¡± He finished a thread and took out a needle. He held his creation in the air for all to see. Shin marveled at the work. The sunlight bounced off of it highlighting it against the sky. He grabbed at it hungrily. Nagai snatched it back quickly, just out of his reach. ¡°Stop jesting!¡± he snarled more than yelled. He tossed it towards Shin, chuckling heartily as he did. Shin grabbed it happily.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Putting the piece on, it was snug, and had great protection while not restricting too much mobility. He moved his arms in a circle a few times then began slicing with his sword. ¡°This Armour is definitely quality protection, and more importantly sleek! my confidence has shot up both cosmetically and physically,¡± He said, all the while holding a pose. ¡°Oh? More powerful you say? Shin, how¡¯s about we put that Armour to work with some hardcore sparring?¡± ¡°Go easy, it¡¯s new¡± Shin said, quickly regretting his gloating. In a heavily wooded area outside of an octagon-shaped encampment, Ms. Moto ran with a serious look on her face. The usual sly smile was untraceable. Her knight ran behind her, trying to run faster but failing. ¡°Why did you lead us over here!?¡± Ms. Moto whisper-yelled. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my idea!¡± The knight retorted. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not the time to argue, get your panties out of a twist!¡± Yu Moto responded. ¡°You¡¯ll get us killed, run don¡¯t speak¡± She continued. The knight¡¯s lip began to twitch, but in the end he decided to ignore the hypocrisy and stay quiet. They ran and ran, until the distant sound of ¡°Intruders¡± began to combine with the wind. Stopping to rest, they breathed heavily, covering at least two miles in under a minute. This was a feat only Cultivators could accomplish. ¡°I think we lost ¡®em¡± The knight whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t jinx it¡± Ms. Moto said, in a similar tone. ¡°You guys should run competitively,¡± A third, unknown voice whispered. ¡°Who just said that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± In a synchronized movement Yu Moto and The knight turned around, staring behind them A Man stood menacingly only feet away in his black getup, matching the ones they had seen earlier. A strong purple outline of his figure contrasted against the serene surroundings. The knight audibly gulped. There wasn¡¯t a sound of him approaching, it was as if he appeared out of thin air. Ms. Moto shot him a piercing gaze, as if to say fix his act. She receded a few steps out of the clearing where they all stood. Regaining his composure he quickly unsheathed his sword, entering a battle stance. ¡°No seriously, you¡¯d win trophies¡± he whispered, as though still in the act. He began to laugh uncontrollable, Qi bursting forth, unsettling the grass and leaves. The Qi mixed with his killing intent, and his Qi began to fade into a light reddish-purple. Ms Moto entered a battle stance, gathering Qi at her center. ¡°Listen, we don¡¯t want to fight you¡± The knight called out. ¡°But I do! You have seen too much! It¡¯s just orders, kill anyone who comes close,¡± He gave back. The knight¡¯s heart began to beat with feverish intent. ¡°Seen too much? Orders? So what you¡¯re dragon hunters, make your profit as you wish¡± ¡°But it is not that simple, you¡¯ve seen faces, we cannot risk a spy¡± The knight clenched his teeth. He tried to compare his Qi to the opponent that stood in front of him. He couldn¡¯t perfectly gauge his strength against his opponent without time for trial and error, he wasn¡¯t skilled enough. What he could gauge is that he was far above his own abilities. He then noticed Ms. Moto running off, which caused him a little disdain but he understood. Taking all the information from around him, he realized there was no reasoning with him. He would have to fight to ensure his client didn¡¯t have to, which would likely end her life. A corpse couldn¡¯t pay him, especially if he himself were dead! ¡®I have a client to protect and money to be made!¡¯ He thought resoluting himself. ¡®I¡¯ll catch up with her later.¡¯ ¡°So be it,¡± He proclaimed, clenching the handle of his sword. Without a millisecond to spare after his last word, a red tipped dagger appeared mid air, shooting towards his forehead. The Knight¡¯s gaze widened, and he weaved with all his force tightly to the side, but the bullet-like dagger was too fast and left a scrape wound across the banter of his forehead. Blood spewed out, then the wound began leaking blood down his face. ¡°Cheap¡± He spoke, dashing forth. He stepped then lunged at the Member, swinging. Clang! The member countered his lunge with his dagger, holding it from cutting down. They struggled, the Knight exerting maximum force. The devilish man seemed unaffected. ¡°You should run¡± He said, earnesty behind his voice. ¡°No need, I will defeat you,¡± The knight bluffed, gnashing his teeth in a smile. ¡°Stupidity is not bravery¡± He responded, scoffing. He broke off from the struggle and leapt back some. The Attacker bent his knees slightly, holding his hand out in a palm shape. He stood in a stance as though he held a thousand pounds in the forefront of his fingers. ¡®He can externalize his Qi?¡¯ The knight thought, followed by a moment of hesitation. The knight cautioned his stance and stopped his next attack. ¡®It is beyond my abilities to deal with that¡­¡¯ The Knight concluded. He looked around for an escape, but found none. He quickly noticed an almost inconceivable Qi. ¡°¡ªYou can sense Qi, no?¡± The Member said, cutting of his thoughts. He confidently meet the knights eyes, then tightened up his hand. ¡°From the start, you should¡¯ve felt my power, now you¡¯ll be paid back in full by your own overconfidence¡± He continued, a toothy grin forming. ¡°And you are overconfident in first perceptions. You must¡¯ve forgotten about the other one, huh?¡± The Knight responded, wittingly. Before the Member could even fully raise an eyebrow, a piercing blow came from his neck. Yu Moto flew through the air, two knuckles extended, striking a pressure point and sending the pursuer to the ground with a thud. Poisoned The aggressor fell to the ground with a thud, yet Ms. Moto still seemed to be in a battle stance, as though expecting the attack to fail. ¡°Good work, I didn¡¯t know you were so strong,¡± The knight said interrupting her shock. He nodded in approval. ¡°Thanks, but less talking and more running, there might be more still on our trail,¡± She said, turning away to run. ¡°Agreed,¡± The knight responded, dashing off after her. The next few hours until sundown were spent hiding, observing their hunters following their trail, then running. They repeated this process like a never-ending game of cat and mouse. More than a few times the hunters came into their view, but Moto¡¯s quick thinking got them out of an encounter. Finally, as the sun set, they had stopped being pursued. They had run so far off the intended course that they were somewhere in the snowy mountains. Snow crunched below their feet as they climbed uneven stones, shivering due to being unprepared. Their legs burned with each passing step. Inside a cave which they had searched for frantically upon their dropping temperatures and quickly exhausting bodies, so high in the mountains it was hard to breathe, the pair sat utterly drained in front of a campfire.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Their clothes were drenched in sweat from running full force for the last few hours. They shivered as both huddled close to the fire. They staved off the lingering cold before the fire, taking a long sentence of silence before the unspoken agreement of rest vanished. ¡°Why had they chased us so aggressively? Even bandits would¡¯ve gone for easier prey¡± The knight asked earnestly. ¡°They¡¯re clearly not bandits. Capturing, much less defeating a dragon is something only people of legend were said to do!¡± Ms. Moto said, remembering the depiction of a captured dragon. ¡°We have seen something today that we were not meant to see.¡± The knight added. ¡°Clearly, that crazed man talked about us being spy¡¯s, Only large Clans and other organizations would have those issues¡± ¡°Speaking of which, why hadn¡¯t you killed him? He¡¯s seen our face and now they¡¯ll know who to look for¡± ¡°I struck a non vital pressure point¡­ If I had intended to kill him he would¡¯ve sensed my killing intent immediately, and I would¡¯ve most likely died¡± ¡°He was that powerful?¡± ¡°No, even more¡± Silence filled the room. ¡°So, what now? Does your map of this place include the path back on course?¡± ¡°No, It¡¯ll be difficult, and this definitely has set us back a few days, but as long as we can find a familiar land mass or identifying object matching the map we should be able to continue on course.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good news, I guess. I¡¯ll keep first watch. Go ahead to sleep¡± The Knight said, sitting up. ¡°Gladly¡± Ms. Moto responded. She took out some sleeping bags and new clothes from her storage ring. She stopped a moment to think, then took bandages out of the ring. ¡°We¡¯ve been too focused on running to patch you up, but unless you want an infection I suggest you bandage that wound across your forehead,¡± She said, throwing a bandage over the fire. The knight caught it, and with a nod expressed his gratitude. He quickly wrapped it around his forehead and tied it off, suddenly looking like a battered soldier. Moto rolled out the sleeping bags, then began to enter it before a shiver rolled up her body. ¡°Ew, this is disgusting. My bag is gonna be dirty and smell of sweat¡­ I want to wash up so badly¡­¡± The knight laughed. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± ¡°You¡¯re actually acting like a female¡± That day, the Knight lived through a near-death experience twice.