[Essence Flame is a unique form of ethereal energy commonly found in advanced cultivation techniques. Unlike ordinary flames, Essence Flame draws its power from the purity of one's cultivation and the depths of their spiritual essence. It's said to burn with the intensity of one's inner strength, reflecting the cultivator's mastery over their own energy and affinity with the elements.]
[So it's like regular fire but with an elemental affinity?]
[Exactly. Those who somehow manifest and harness Essence Flame are known to possess extraordinary resilience and vigor, as the flame imbues them with a heightened connection to the spiritual realm. However, mastering Essence Flame requires unwavering focus and discipline, as its volatile nature can consume those who are unable to control its potent energies.]
Tunde found himself meditating quietly within his quarters, his body healing rapidly as he cycled gingerly, drinking a tier 4 healing elixir, the tangy liquid cooling his insides, allowing his Ethra lines to relax, soothing them. He had taken the chance to converse with Ifa, the sentience of the former Ark system only he and another knew was working even with the absence of the spire that connected the entire jade peak area.
His knowledge of essence flame had been sorely lacking, something he had been putting off due to his time being preoccupied. He winced to himself as his lines stung once more, trying to run Ethra through them with no small difficulty. And also, the fact that he had lied to himself. Essence flame was a tender issue for him to touch, his memory of what it had done to the being that possessed elder Joran still fresh in his mind, as well as what it had done to the hermit.
[who is the heretical light?] he asked the sentience.
[knowledge restricted, advance to the rank of master to obtain it] it replied.
[of what use are you to me then?] Tunde replied with frustration.
[I am to guide you to bring about the return of those loyal to the realm walker] Ifa replied.
[withholding knowledge from me won’t help in that regard]
[bloodline subject is too weak and susceptible to manipulation to warrant the release of such delicate knowledge] Ifa replied.
Tunde stiffened.
[meaning?] he asked.
[advance] it said with a finality.
Tunde cut off the system with irritation.
*****************************************
Baron Crispin was having a bad day, not only had the contract killers failed to report back through their communication constructs, but the ship on which the target was had contacted him, stating that they were close to his location, which could only mean one thing. Crispin didn’t think the killers would have been so foolish as to start attacking themselves, not only was the payment too much for them to make such a blunder, but he genuinely didn’t see them being that stupid.
Therefore, he prepared for the only option possible, that this Tunde had somehow wiped out three lords and still had the strength to guard the vessel coming towards them. Stappling his meaty fingers together, he fumed as his mind ran through a series of scenarios and solutions to them.
Crispin considered firing on the vessel the moment it came within range, with access to cannons specially made from the technocracy, he could employ one of those lord-killing ones he had, perhaps he could clear out the evidence, reporting to the Highlord of the imperial clan currently within the wastelands that they had died in some form of rift attack or thereabout. By the time the Highlord would find out that something was amiss, Crispin believed he should have cleared himself of any suspicions, perhaps even going on to deliver the supplies himself, reporting their deaths.
Five hundred thousand lumens were a veritable sum, even for one born into wealth such as he was. The fruit of advancement to one of the higher ranks of the brotherhood had been enough for him, but with the apparent deaths of the killers, the reward was a bonus. It took him by surprise when a figure simply stepped out of nowhere and right in his front, Crispin’s slow but solid imbuement technique coming to life with this cycling of his aura.
Greed’s grasp was a technique that fed on his immediate environment as well as his Ethra reserves, draining his very deep and thick core within his body. An Ethra-heavy technique that had served him well over time, ensuring that few if not any lord rank technique could cut through his skin, and yet, it wasn’t a lord that stood in front of him.
The black dagger tattoo finely stylized on the arm of the figure in front of him has Crispin canceling his imbuement technique with haste, struggling to get himself into a bowing position, recognizing the same dagger that he had over his chest
“This lowly lord greets the guest of the brotherhood” he rasped with barely concealed fear.
Confusion, terror, and hastiness all ran through his body at the same time, aware of the gaze of the figure whose presence and aura had been so tightly sealed, that to Crispin’s other senses, nothing stood directly in front of him.
“Baron Crispin” the tall male figure with a blank black mask started.
Garbed in grey robes with nothing to show his clan allegiance, and a long sword at his waist, the figure spoke with ease of one sure in his rank.
“It seems I have caught you at a bad time,” he said lightly.
Crispin gave a forced chuckle as he snapped his fingers, hidden servants scurrying out with a chair, table, and bowls of fruits along with wine. Crispin eyed the fruits, ensuring they were some of his finest before nodding with contentment, watching the figure with his hands folded behind him.
“Nothing of such, venerable guest, how may I serve you?” he asked, his voice still raspy.
“The three contract killers with you, I assume they’ve gone after the target” the guest replied with a question.
“Indeed, venerable guest, I hope to hear from them any time from now” Crispin replied.
“And yet, more than an hour has passed without any response, perhaps you might assume the worst?” the guest asked again.
It was clear evidence that this person had been around them for as long as possible, without any of them realizing it. Crispin filed that away, understanding that the figure in front of them had to be higher than the stage of a lord.
“I have fate in them” he responded.
“And if they fail?”
“If they fail, then I have measures to use in getting the job done” Crispin rasped, his eyes taking a dark yellowish hue.
The figure said nothing, turning his gaze away before speaking.
“Other contractors are on their way, someone high up has favored you by delaying them, buying enough time for you to attempt whatever you want” he started as Crispin’s heart skipped a beat.
Had he gained the benevolence of one of the higher echelons of the brotherhood?
“Complete this mission, and we will consider your promotion to the next rank, after all, we’ve been thinking of expanding to Radiant Summit” he added before vanishing the same way he appeared, Crispin’s eyes wide in surprise.
Radiant Summit, the city owned by his clan. He took a shudder of pleasure, clapping his hands together as a slave appeared, head bowed.
“Inform the captain to ready the cannons, he’s to fire on my signal” he croaked.
**********************************
His body and mind refreshed, Tunde was on his feet, staring at his chipped blades, sheathing them, and stepping out of his quarters, the wild breeze blowing against him even as he made his way towards the deck where Giselle, Isolde, and Hajan stood. The latter two were standing, Giselle was seated, legs folded as she seemed to be cycling her Ethra, eyes shut in concentration.
He noticed her hammer in front of her, switching on his Ethra sight to see her grey aura covering the weapon, mixing with its bright silver metal Ethra. The first step of gaining another affinity was to understand the nature of the affinity, allowing your body and spirit to accept it before acquiring an item steeped in its Ethra, like for example, any metal affinity Ethra fruit or crystal or even a metal formed out of Ethra by nature itself.
It was why the convergence was really important, the point where hundreds upon hundreds of affinity fruits, relics, and crystals were unearthed or found in nexus points. Tunde looked closer, unsure if he was right or if she was going for something more than metal Ethra. Seeing nothing, he moved closer, his presence jarring Giselle from her meditation as she turned to him, inclining her head, her eyes looking him over.
“it’ll take more than that to bring down a lord,” he said as she gave a brief smile.
“That and your strength” she replied.
He turned his gaze to Isolde who pored over a map, her eyes flicking about it.
“Thank the hegemons you look fine lord,” Hajan remarked.
“More than fine” Tunde replied as the rough-shaven captain nodded in agreement.
“I see no way those assassins could have made it this far into the borders on foot, even for a lord,” she said.
“They could have been traveling for days, maybe weeks even” Tunde replied.
The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
“They didn’t look like it to be honest,” Hajan remarked.
“Fresh, clothes still clean, they traveled in comfort” Isolde added.
It took a second for Tunde to realize what they were saying.
“You think the merchant had a hand in it,” he said bluntly.
Isolde sighed, turning her gaze away from the map to him.
“It’s the only assumption I could come up with if I’m being honest,” she said.
“Then we’re walking into a trap,” Giselle said bluntly.
“good” Tunde replied, all eyes on him.
“Never knew traps were good” Hajan replied with a chuckle.
“They are when you expect it” Tunde responded.
“Well?, tell us your plan,” Isolde asked.
“Nothing really, just walk into it I believe,” he said as she kept staring at him before turning her gaze to Hajan incredulously.
“he’s the lord” the captain replied with a chuckle.
*****************************************
They could see the large ship on the horizon, a behemoth that would definitely dwarf the swan in size, its bronze and metal body coated in the colors of the Bright Bow consortium. Tunde could see all the gold platings glinting in the distance again, a sign of affluence, something he was told the baron named Crispin possessed. Moving closer to the prow of the ship, he brought out void edge, the twin blades wrapped in his aura as he prepared, a tiny figure on the edge of the ship.
Feeling the aura and Ethra in the air, he began to weave it with his Ethra and aura, allowing his power to suffuse his immediate surroundings, prepared for what he suspected would be an inevitable attack. Tunde’s lord stage eyes made out the shape of a tent in the distance and the obese figure that sat on a golden chair, staring at him as well, both lord rankers realizing the presence of each other.
Then he saw the canons of the ship turn themselves in the direction of the swan, the fat lord with rings on each of his fingers, calmly watching, fingers stapled together. A deafening explosion tore through the air as the cannons released their shots, the Ethra in the air trembling with power, an explosion sealed in a spherical shape carrying both flame and explosion Ethra within it tearing towards him.
Tunde watched as more shots fired from the ship, covering the skies as they came for the swan, his gaze darkening. Void spheres manifested behind him in their dozens, Tunde raising both blades and drawing them down, activating Ethra strike, the technique clashing with the spheres, detonating in the air with a violent force that rocked the swan, Tunde keeping his footing.
He turned his gaze to the baron who stared at him with darkened eyes, pointing one finger at him as Tunde watched, a spatial storage space opening up from the ring and a humanoid figure of metal stepping out, its hands long thin blades. The baron pointed at him, the metallic figure nodding before tearing through the air towards him, Tunde realizing it was a tier 4 construct. He shot off the swan as the vessel opened up on its end as well, its attacks while lesser in strength than whatever attack the baron’s ship had released made up for it in quantity.
He crashed into the humanoid form mid-air, void edge clashing with its metallic arm blades, Tunde grunting as the raw strength exuded by the creature with a blank face pushed on him. His imbuement technique made up for it, his Ethra cutting cleanly through its Ethereum hardened surface, cutting the creature in two before Tunde dived towards the baron, his aura controlling the winds around him.
Firring Ethra spheres at the baron, Tunde watched as a wall of yellow Ethra fused with the very rocks that tore out of the ground fused together to deflect the attacks, his spheres detonating on them. He landed a good distance from the baron, dashing towards the figure who didn’t look able to carry his own weight. From the numerous rings adorning the fingers of the baron came numerous constructs.
Tune watched as a sword that seemed to float only with the aura of the baron holding it aloft, a cannon-looking construct, something that oddly looked like a rapid wraith grating against its shackles and other items filled the air. His spirit screamed at him as the launcher fired, fire and destruction Ethra filling the air as it shot towards him.
Ethra sight revealed the trajectory of the attack, Tunde dodging it even as the near silent blade came from behind, attempting to skewer him as he deflected it. a wooden yet resilient puppet came for him, two blades in hand as he battled it while doing his best to keep his eye on the blade that swung through the air, the force of its attacks getting heavier with each blow.
Ethra spheres tore through the air, distracting the blade as Tunde gathered void touch, slamming it into the puppet, the wooden construct disintegrating before he moved on the baron whose defensive walls had been smashed to smithereens.
“You cost me a lot of Ethra, lord Tunde” the baron croaked.
“can’t say you don’t deserve it, do you, coming after a vessel filled with innocents” Tunde replied.
He suffused his body in his Ethra as he dashed at the baron, watching as the baron tapped on a construct, a diamond Ethra sphere protecting him. Tunde crashed into it with void touch, a loud gong reverberating through the air as he felt the force of his attack directed back at him. He rolled away at the last second, the returned attack tearing through the air.
“it’s just business Tunde, I’m not the one that offended someone powerful,” Crispin said.
The swan traded blows with the large ship, Tunde feeling Isolde grab the winds as she misdirected most of the spheres, allowing them to detonate in the air. It was no small feat seeing as each attack was practically a lord-stage projection technique, still, Tunde knew that the baron was the source of it all.
“can’t say the Highlord would be happy to hear of this,” he remarked.
The baron who somehow seemed to have reduced in size got to his feet, still towering over Tunde, clad in his exotic robes.
“You would be long dead by then, no communication can get out of this area, I’ve made sure of that” Crispin replied.
The baron stepped forward, Tunde feeling the very earth beneath his feet tremble, Ethra sight revealed lines of golden and yellow Ethra running through it. Tunde recognized the earth Ethra, the other affinity was unlike something he had ever felt before. It felt like hunger, insatiable want, and to an extent, greed.
It seemed to drink in the Ethra of the earth, shaping the rocks as they tore out of the ground beneath him, taking the shapes of large hulking golems that towered above him.
[affinity of earth and gluttony] Ifa wrote as he inquired of the affinities.
Tunde found it surprising that there was an affinity for gluttony, but as he watched it drink in the aura and Ethra around, disgust filling him, he found himself wanting to put down the lord quicker.
Calling the relic, he let it tap into his Ethra, draining it rapidly as he cycled what was left in the air with speed, swallowing an Ethra elixir as the baron snorted.
“It doesn’t matter how many elixirs you drink; it won’t change a thing” he rasped.
Tunde shot backwards, willing the relic to take the shape of a bow, feeling the taxing amount of Ethra it took for the relic to obey him. Shaped, he drew its string back, gathering cosmic Ethra on it in the shape of an arrow before filling it with void touch, so much that the arrow quivered with unrestrained power.
The golems thundered towards him when he released the arrow, watching as it flew past the baron, a mocking smile on his face that got erased the moment he realized just where the attack was heading. It slammed into the side of the baron’s large ship, punching through one of its cannons that exploded with raw force, the other cannons exploding in turn.
From the swan came Giselle and Isolde, both of them leading a contingent of cultivators of disciple rank, making their way into the vessel itself with the swan now directly over the vessel. Tunde brought his hands up, feeling his bones crack as a punch from one of the golems shot him backwards, rolling over the ground before coming to a stop, his relic vanishing.
“a lord of the poor wastelands with a soulbound weapon?, now you interest me more,” Crispin said.
Tunde was on his feet, feeding Ethra into his void edge blades, allowing a tiny bit of essence flame to flood it as well, watching as the three golems made for him, Crispin walking leisurely as his back, a large Ethereum shield floating above him, another defensive weapon again. It spoke of the wealth of the baron, producing weapons upon weapons even as he fed the golems his Ethra.
Tunde wondered how deep his core must be to be able to maintain such, but with him also siphoning from his environment, Tunde found himself fighting with a cultivator with near-infinite Ethra reserves. Still, the thrill of the battle sang within him even as he opened his void ring, dodging another blow from a golem wielding a stone hammer imbued with Ethra that would have shattered his insides like rock, drinking another elixir to imbue himself with more Ethra.
For the first time, he regretted not having another affinity, realizing just what it was costing him. While cosmic Ethra was deadly, its weakness against cultivators who knew how to use both affinities in their concept was glaring in his fight against the baron who now looked somewhat slim. Tunde’s Ethra eyes revealed the extent to which the golems and diamond sphere were draining him.
Draining the Ethra from his immediate surroundings wasn’t helping much as the majority of the Ethra came from his core.
“Gluttony,” Tunde thought as gripped his blades tighter.
He shot forward, dodging the smashing fist of one of the golems before dropping a void touch on its arm, the limb exploding as he jumped on its head, punching through its reinforced Ethra skull and exploding a void touch within it as well, the golem crumbling. Tunde landed, dodging another strike, void strike smashing into the chest of the hammer wielding golem before he crashed into it as well, another void touch to its chest.
Feeling a bit dizzy, he landed a few meters back, watching the baron reel back from the destruction of two of his golems, the loss of Ethra shocking. Instead, he produced a large golden sword, Tunde’s mood souring as he spoke.
“How vain can you be?” he said.
Watching as the baron imbued it with his concept, swinging the blade in an attack. Tunde responded, void strike lashing out to crash into the attack as well, as he felt both earth and hunger affinities attempting to eat at his technique. Cosmic Ethra, its properties still a mystery to him destabilized the baron’s technique, both of them exploding as Tunde pushed for the last golem, Tunde watching as Crispin attempted to imbue it more, for the first time in this fight, feeling like an idiot, he did what he should have done from the very beginning.
Tunde triggered the absorption technique of his relic.
Instantly, it began to swallow mouthfuls of the baron’s Ethra, Tunde feeling it purify the Ethra within him, converting it into cosmic Ethra, filling his body with power. The baron’s eyes bulged as his gluttony affinity struggled to consume his Ethra in turn, finding itself completely overwhelmed as Tunde stabbed one of his blades into the golem’s face, triggering void touch within it.
The blade shattered along with the head of the golem, Tunde dropping off it towards the baron who gathered earth Ethra into large fists, smashing into Tunde. Void touch eradicated both Ethra-infused projected limbs, Tunde crashing into the diamond sphere and triggering his relic again. It siphoned the power of the defensive device, swallowing its Ethra as it weakened, the baron looking at him with wide eyes filled with terror.
*******************
He just wouldn’t keep coming, no matter what Crispin threw at the savage of a lord, the brute figure with an affinity he had never encountered in his entire existence just wouldn’t keep coming at him. Overpowering his gluttony affinity, something he had considered impossible, now he faced the fact that his earth affinity as well couldn’t match up the imbuement punches of this target.
He found himself glancing around, hoping the ‘guest’ would interfere, and yet, Crispin saw no signs of him. His core near empty, his body shrinking as it took all his concentration and Ethra to keep the diamond guard sphere device running, Crispin opened his void ring, bringing out a large spear, grasping it in one hand as he triggered its power, wincing at the rate it siphoned his Ethra as well.
With his head pounding and the diamond sphere failing, he pointed it at point-blank range at Tunde, watching with relish over his headache as the lord’s eyes widened before he dropped the sphere and fired at him. Light and fire Ethra poured out of the weapon to explode right in front of the lord, blinding the air around him in an inferno of power.
********************************
Tunde knew from his Ethra sight that the weapon was bad news, he could see it, feel it in his spirit and heart that should that attack connect with him, he would be nothing more than a charred piece of meat. So he did something he hadn’t imagined he would ever do, he triggered his void space in front of him, watching as the bottomless spatial space swallowed the attack.
He immediately felt the pressure in his spirit, the near volatile nature of the technique released from the sphere roiling around on the inside.
[warning, you need to dispel light and fire Ethra within your void space!] Ifa wrote.
Tunde intended on doing so, not sure how the baron had forgotten about his shield floating in the air, Tunde grabbed him by the neck, watching as the baron’s eyes bulged in near terror at the sight of him still being alive before he opened his void space in front of him and returned the technique.
**********************************
The moment the lord’s hand wrapped around his neck, Crispin triggered the miniature nexus key in his hand and found a will canceling the key’s effect, the realization that the guest somewhere around had done it. no other ranker around could have done so, and the lord who currently had Crispin’s life in his hand was unaware of it. he was a baron, and he didn’t get to this rank by brute strength alone, so he attempted bargaining with him, his mouth opening even as pure terror wracked his body.
Then he watched what looked like a spatial space open up and the attack he thought dispelled shooting back at him.
Baron Crispin didn’t get the decency for a last word before the technique consumed him in its entirety.