Rin was abruptly roused from her slumber, causing her to flinch and retreat into the corner. Her eyes wide with fear as she looked at the person who had woken her - it was Meng.
"Rin!" Meng's expression was a mix of emotions as she looked at Rin. "I'm sorry to startle you, but you need to go. Some bad people are searching for you."
"Bad people?" Rin's voice trembled with fear.
Meng nodded gravely. "Yes, some men came looking for a girl with red hair. You're the only one in the Slums with red hair. One of the men had a blood-soaked patch over his right eye and he seemed to be the leader. I think they want to hurt you very badly, Rin."
As Rin listened, a mix of fear and anger bloomed inside her. The memory of her recent ordeal flooded back to her, and she couldn't help but feel like an animal being hunted for simply trying to escape. Life was cruelly unfair.
Her mind raced as she tried to think what to do. She had no friends or family who could protect her, and the Slums were no place to hide.
"But where will I go?" Rin asked herself, feeling overwhelmed and scared.
She was not safe in the city, they even found her in the Slums. She had to get out. Out in the wild she thought fearfully.
Rin's mind flashed back to the time before she had come to the Slums. She was only a small child, living in the bustling city of Scarlet with her parents. They were poor but they were happy, and Rin loved exploring the streets and alleys of the city.
But then everything changed.
Her parents fell ill with a strange sickness that seemed to have no cure. Despite their efforts, they couldn't find anyone who could heal them. And one day, they were gone. After their sudden and unexpected passing, she was forced to rely on the kindness of strangers for her survival.
Despite feeling miserable as she reminisced on her difficult life, she refused to let the spark of determination within her die out. With a newfound resolve, she stood up and declared, "I will not only survive, but I will also seek revenge against those who have mistreated me. They will all pay for their actions."
Rin quickly gathered her few belongings: two apples, an old loaf of bread, and a short knife. In the cover of darkness, she slipped away from the city, careful to avoid the goons who were searching for her. She could hear them storming into people's shacks as they searched for her. With determination and stealth, she made her way to the edge of the city. As she walked, Rin eventually reached the edge of the city and came upon a massive moat that marked its boundary. The once-glimmering waterway was now dry and barren, a stark contrast to the bustling streets she had left behind. Crossing it on foot, Rin emerged into the vast expanse of the eastern forest. The towering trees loomed over her, their branches intertwined in an eerie canopy that blocked out most of the sunlight. With each step, Rin's exhaustion and fear grew. The darkness enveloped her and she couldn't help but feel vulnerable and alone. But as she trudged deeper into the forest, a sense of safety washed over her. This was not a place her pursuers would dare to follow her. Only hunters and foragers dared to venture this far. Finally, Rin found a thick tree with strong branches and used them to hoist herself up into a makeshift bed. As she settled between two sturdy limbs, sleep finally claimed her exhausted body, and she drifted off under the watchful canopy of leaves above.
As the first rays of sunlight filtered through the trees, she stirred awake. Every muscle in her body ached from the uncomfortable tree trunk and bruises, which seemed to pulse with renewed pain. Memories of the previous day flooded Rin's mind, and despair began to set in. But she forced herself to push those thoughts aside and carefully climbed down from the tree. This was not a time for self-pity; it was a time for survival. Driven by intense thirst, Rin ventured deeper into the forest in search of a source of fresh water.
Rin's stomach growled loudly as she made her way deeper into the forest. She desperately needed to find food and water, but with no knowledge of survival skills, she wasn't sure where to start. She at least had the two apples and the loaf of bread, which she quickly devoured. However, her hunger was only temporarily appeased.
With the sun climbing higher and higher, Rin's thirst became unbearable. She could feel her throat getting dry and scratchy. Every time she passed by a stream or creek, it seemed inaccessible or too dirty to drink from. Just when Rin thought she couldn't take it anymore, she stumbled upon a small clearing in the forest. In the center of the clearing was a crystal-clear pond. Without hesitation, Rin ran towards it and cupped her hands to take a sip of water. The cold liquid felt incredibly refreshing as it quenched her thirst.
Rin felt a pang of loneliness as she surveyed her surroundings. She needed to find sustenance and a secure shelter for the night. Despite not seeing any animals, she had from the merchants in Scarlet City about the presence of powerful beasts deeper within the forest. So, she could not venture too far but also had to avoid being found by her pursuers. After some thought, Rin decided that the nearby lake would serve as her temporary base. With determination, she set out to search for food.
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She searched for any signs of edible plants or berries but found nothing that she recognized. The only thing she knew for sure was safe to eat were mushrooms, but those seemed scarce in this part of the forest. As time passed, Rin started to feel discouraged. Just as she was about to give up and return to her temporary base by the lake, she stumbled upon a bush filled with bright red berries. With cautiousness and excitement, Rin picked a handful and carefully tasted them. They were bitter but edible.
Satisfied with her find, Rin gathered as many berries as she could carry and returned to the lake. She also collected some firewood along the way so that she could start a fire later on.
As evening approached, Rin started working on building a shelter near the lake using branches and foliage from nearby trees. It wasn't much but it would serve as protection from any potential predators lurking in the forest. Once her shelter was complete, she tried and failed to start a small fire using dried leaves and twigs before settling down for dinner.
The sun had set by then, casting a golden glow over the treetops. As Rin sat by her makeshift campfire eating her meager meal of berries, she couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. Despite the challenges she faced, she had managed to find water, food, and shelter all on her own.
The night was quiet, except for the occasional rustling of leaves and the hoots of owls. Rin curled up in her shelter, staring out into the darkness as she tried to come up with a plan for her next move. She knew that she couldn't stay in this forest forever, but she also couldn't risk going back to Scarlet City where her pursuers were waiting for her.
The next morning, Rin woke up to birds chirping and sunlight streaming through the trees. She stretched her sore muscles and set about actually managing to start a fire.
After a long day of foraging, the meager handful of berries Rin had found yesterday was barely enough to keep her young body going. But as she explored her surroundings, hope appeared in the form of a towering tree beside a ravine. Its branches were heavy with large, yellow fruit, each one perfectly round and enticingly ripe. Hunger gnawing at her stomach, Rin scrambled up the rough bark and plucked a fruit from the nearest branch. As she sunk her teeth into it, sweet juices burst forth, filling her mouth with succulent flavor. Lost in the moment, she didn't feel the branch groaning beneath her until it gave way with a loud crack. In an instant, she plummeted down into the dark abyss, the wind rushing past her ears as she fell towards the jagged rocks below. Panic rose in her chest as she desperately grasped at anything to break her fall, but there was nothing to hold onto.
The force of the impact sent a searing pain through Rin's left foot, causing her to gasp for air and claw at the ground in agony. As she lay on her back, she mustered up the courage to inspect her injury. Blood gushed from a deep wound, and with horror, she realized her foot was twisted at an unnatural angle, broken beyond repair. Panic engulfed her as she envisioned a future where she can no longer walk, unable to survive in this harsh terrain. It seemed like bad luck has become her constant companion, shattering every last ounce of hope and will within her.
Desperately Rin dragged her battered body towards a nearby cavity in the rock, resembling a small cave, praying it will provide some refuge from the cruel world around her.
The agonizing pain engulfed Rin's entire being, making it nearly impossible for her to form coherent thoughts. With trembling hands, she struggled to wrap her shattered leg in a tattered cloth, a desperate attempt to stop the blood from gushing out. Just before succumbing to unconsciousness, her eyes caught sight of a small glass pebble. It pulsated with an ominous red glow, beckoning her with an otherworldly allure. Driven by an intense trance, Rin reached out to touch the pebble, only for it to shatter into shards that pierced her skin and released a blinding light that consumed her mind before plunging her into darkness.
As Rin lost her conciousness she failed to realize the gravity of her encounter. As the pebble shattered a drop of red liquid fell on the girl's hand and was quickly absorbed by her skin.
In that moment, a mysterious connection was forged, an unseen bond that would shape Rin's future in ways she couldn't yet fathom. The air hung heavy with the scent of iron and magic, hinting at the forces at play in this seemingly ordinary moment. As Rin slipped deeper into unconsciousness, the world around her shifted and changed in ways she couldn't comprehend.
Rin's senses were overwhelmed as she found herself floating in a blinding expanse of white light. It felt like a dream, but too real to be dismissed. Her body was weightless, suspended in an empty void. Suddenly, a man appeared before her, his skin adorned with intricate tattoos in ancient runes. His piercing gaze fixed on her with intense scrutiny, and Rin couldn't help but feel a sense of unease wash over her. This was no ordinary dream.
The man, with a regal air about him, greeted Rin with a flourish. "Greetings, disciple!" he began. "Since you have absorbed my drop of blood, your body holds enough potential to cultivate my powerful technique - the 2.Blaze Tempering method. Its success, however, relies heavily on one's mental resilience."
"But how rude of me," he said, his tone softening. "Allow me to introduce myself first." He held himself with a sense of grandeur and authority.
"I am Daoist Whiteflame - or rather, a fraction of my divine self that remains after death," he explained. "Before meeting my end at the hands of my enemies, I infused 100 drops of my blood with my legacy and scattered them among the stars.
This fragment of my being regained self-awareness, obviously you have just absorbed one of the droplets of blood. As my lucky disciple, I will impart all of my knowledge to you for free. Your only duty is to seek revenge for your fallen master - if you manage to survive cultivating my technique, that is. Find and eliminate the ones who brought about my demise."
Rin's jaw dropped as she stared at the man in front of her, trying to process what was happening. With a frustrated sigh, Whiteflame exclaimed, "Come on, girl! Don't just stand there gaping like a fish. Say something, give your great master a proper greeting or something!"
Standing before her was an immortal, akin to the ones that roamed the streets of Scarlet City. But this one exuded a sense of majesty and superiority unlike any being she had ever encountered. His aura radiated power and authority, yet there was also a hint of warmth and friendliness within it.
Rin could feel her heart racing as she whispered, "Disciple greets Master."