Wow! My story got approved and people like it. As it is summer I will try to write and release chapters quickly. As you know the MC: Duren (formerly Malverok) was not human before so human emotions will be strange. Expect an MC struggling to survive as a human. This chapter will contain background info to provide a richer story experience so it will be longer than the previous chapter maybe. If you wanted action right away: how is that a novel? :-TsavKAnz-: Ha ha. Without further ado, enjoy my next chapter.
Chapter 2: House Maltos
Seven years passed as the Thousand Year War ended.
Qi-rich blood no longer rained from the sky and qi cultivation became as slow as it should be. Rumors spread among the human nations that the Heavenly Realm won and that the devils fled. Others who attained immortality decided to leave the Mortal Realm as it was now safe.
Duren was a son of Marus of the House Maltos. Count Marus was a Count of the small nation known as Kaid. Kaid was located in between two major nations in the largest continent of eight known as Avalent. The nation to the west was the Kingdom of Morane, a nation rich with people who use qi to perform magic. It was a kingdom full of plains, rivers, and lakes. Ruled by King Edard, many who had an affinity for qi (mana and qi are both energies) and wanted to perform magic went to Morane.
(Authors note: I did say that I use wuxia terms but this is my own take on it. This is my own original after all.)
The nation to the east was the Empire of Galza, the largest nation in the continent and famous for many qi cultivators pursuing martial arts. Many spirit beasts could be found in Galza and could be tamed to become a Spirit Guardian and serve and protect its master. Ruled by Emperor Weizeit, it was a nation striving to conquer other lands and many potential immortals lived there.
All three nations were in an alliance of mutual survival as other continents wanted to conquer land in Alvalent for its geographical location as the center continent connecting to all the other continents and a major trading center for merchants.
Kaid occupied the southern most region of the Alvalent continent closest to four of the remaining seven continents. The Count was a merchant first and martial artist second. When the nation of Kaid was established by the ancestors of House Maltos, their family had reached a level of prosperity rivaling those of kings and emperors ruling nations ten times their size.
Many schools of martial arts established themselves in Kaid as Kaid never had a war with the Kingdom of Morane and the Empire of Galza before the alliance. A few of the best magic academies were also established and the nation was mercantilism heaven to traders everywhere. The land was also rich with qi as the Thousand Year War raged above its land before it ended as the Gate of Immortals was located somewhere in the land. Many Immortals spend decades, centuries, and even millennia to reach immortality and not find the Gate and its Keeper. As many Immortals traveld all over Kaid, it was only natural Galza and Morane never waged war for Kaid's rich lands. There were also regions where spirit beasts gathered and even immortals never strayed too deep in their territories.
(Author's note: Hope that's enough background and map visualization for you. Kaid is a land where one wrong move and [th_0tive.gif])
(Back to the story. Sorry if this confused some people)
-----Duren------
Seven years as a human cub was too peaceful for Malverok.
He had gotten used to the name Duren but his body was too weak for him. He once had brilliant white jaguar fur that shattered steel swords on impact. Now even splinters made him bleed.
Then came human "manners." He had to bathe every day, smile to the weak, care for others besides himself, and do other human etiquettes as a son of a human Count. He really wanted to rip them all to shreds but his new form could only handle very little of his powers.
As he grew up, he cultivated his qi using ancient Yin cultivation techniques from his former life. It was different for him as the spirit roots of a human were different from a spirit beast. From birth, it took him six years to finally manifest qi outside of his body to create ice. His human mother said he had the aptitude to be an ice magus, but he loved martial arts as it involved his body. Everyday was torture as he couldn't use the thunder and lightning techniques he used as Malverok.
Duren was sitting cross-legged in his room cultivating his qi when his father walked in. Count Marus shivered as he could feel the cold Yin energy emanate from his son. Eight years old and a true prodigy thanks to that mysterious azure lightning. Count Marus couldn't figure out why his son chose to hide his abilities and asked his parents not to say anything to others.
"Duren, it is time. Prepare yourself for meeting with the noble houses," he said.
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"Why should I go father? Tell my little brother and sister to go," Duren waved.
"They are five years old. You are almost at the age to attend a martial arts school at age nine," the Count said. "You have no aspirations to be a Count but you are my son and have to at least act like a noble in official meetings. If you agree I will give you access to the Treasury to look for some qi techniques."
Duren scowled as his father left the room. He didn't want to go but he would be a fool to say no to qi techniques. He might find a lightning or thunder qi technique and feel closer to accepting his new form. Thunder and lightning was his life in his previous life of three thousand years as an Immortal. He was one of the Nine Thunder Beasts. He WAS powerful. He WAS the KING of predators.
He changed into a crimson coat adorned with sapphires and headed for the throne room. Various maids and butlers all bowed as he walked past him. Duren carried an aura of majesty that rivaled a king and paused as he noticed an entourage near the door to the throne room.
"If it isn't the eldest son of a COUNT," a boy wearing ridiculously bright silver armor laughed as Duren approached the door. "Tell me LITTLE lord, are the banquets in this land only for peasants? In my father's land in Galza, my room alone is the size of your little palace."
The noble from Galza and his knights all laughed. Malverok would have leapt at the bow and ripped off the noble's arm with his teeth before tearing into his back to rip the spine. Duren clenched his jaws and attempted to ignore him.
"Hold it right there!" a knight of the Galza noble said and barred the door to his father's throne room where all the other nobles and guests were waiting. "Didn't you hear the young master's words? Answer them!"
Duren smiled and said, "I can't hurt a guest but I can hurt a low knight. I must thank you stupid human. On you, I will vent my rage."
The knight howled in pain as Duren grabbed the knight's left wrist. He twisted the knight's wrist outward, causing the knight to turn his back on Duren. Duren let out a malicious laugh as he focused his qi into his right hand and claws of ice appeared over his human fingers. He laughed as he ran his claws over the knight's throat and grinned as he watched the knight choke on his blood.
The Galza noble felt a shiver down his spine as he saw the blood and belched his breakfast on the floor. Duren only laughed at the "mighty" noble and flexed his arms as he faced the other knights. he noble's face turned Gaunt and he ordered the knights to kill Duren.
"YES! Fight me little humans!" Duren laughed as the knights approached. "Let me reminiscence my old memories as predator feasting on you pathetic trash. Let me feel your blood in hands and see the fear in your eyes as you realize your own end. Fight me!"
The Count and the nobles inside the throne room stopped their idle chatter as they heard screams outside the throne room. The Count nodded to one of his servants who ushered toward the door. As the servant left the door, the Count and his guests heard the servant shriek in fear and rush back inside, slamming the oaken doors behind him as he grabbed the handles of gold.
"M, my Lord," the servant bowed on one knee. "Young master Duren is currently in, a, um....meeting with another noble."
"You dare mock ME and my family in OUR land!" they all heard and knew it was Duren. "This is the land of the House Maltos! No one can save you. No one will care if you scream here. No one can do nothing to me if you DIE here!"
"MERCY! MERCY! I was wrong. I was wrong," the noble whimpered.
An eerie silence followed an ear-piercing cry and the Count sighed and shook his head. His son did act like a noble but went a little too far. He was right though. The noble would have been punished by the Count if he heard the noble's arrogant words.
"P, pre, presenting Duren of the House Maltos!" the servant said shakily as Duren walked into the throne room. Before the door closed behind him, the COunt and his guests could see bodies of knights on the floor not moving and the body of a shiny silver knight with his head missing.
"You took your time getting here son," the Count laughed as his son sat to his right. His wife hurriedly gave orders to the servants and maids. Apparently this was not the first time this happened and the guests felt nervous for their lives.
"Now that my son is here," the Count began. "We can begin. I apologize for the slight disturbance outside the doors. We take respect toward our families very seriously here in Kaid."
Duren only watched half-heartedly as his father began his duties as a Count. He sighed as he flexed his right hand, remembering the ice claws on his hand. If only it was lightning, it would have been a lot more gratifying.