Chapter 47: Karma

Perched atop a colossal mushroom that dwarfed even the largest of the cavern's tropical trees, Darius sat, his brows furrowed. Three pouches lay in his lap, each different in make and design.

'Hopefully this trip won't be a complete loss,' as he opened a tattered pouch, the one belonging to the lightning knight. 'He must have been a scout.'

His fingers found a compass, its glass face now shattered. "That's regrettable," he murmured, discarding it. He continued to rummage through the pouch. "Just rations and some crystals," he said, the disappointment heavy in his tone.

Tossing aside the first pouch, Darius grabbed the ornate one belonging to the water knight. 'These guys were really unlucky. They would have swept through this entire glade if we hadn't been here.' He considered their composition: a lance, shield, and scout—a trio evidently prepared for an extended stay.

Inside the ornate pouch, alongside the beasts pelt and the usual rations and crystals, Darius discovered a small book and a palm-sized golden emblem bearing the image of a sun. "Sun Sovereign Church, guess this guy was a follower," he noted, examining the emblem with a hint of curiosity.

Darius scrutinized the emblem closely, his fingers tracing over its intricately detailed surface. The small disk of metal, adorned with meticulous design, seemed to radiate a subtle warmth. "This thing doesn't look cheap; he must have been pretty high up in the church," he mused, pondering the emblem's evident value and craftsmanship.

Darius flipped through the pages of the book he had retrieved, his expression morphing into a sneer as he read. "Human superiority? Bah!" he scoffed with disdain. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the book off the edge of the mushroom, dismissing its contents as trivial. He then turned his attention to the earth knight's pouch, curious about what else he might uncover.

Darius's eyes dulled, his expression souring as he sifted through the contents of the pouch. "What should I expect, it's not like people actually travel around with treasure," he muttered, disappointment tingeing his tone. He picked up a fist-sized crystal, examining it briefly. "At least I got some crystals," he conceded, trying to find some solace in the small gain.

Darius reached down to a pouch on his hip, slipping the three others into it. He leaned back, his gaze lifting to the glowing stones embedded in the cavern's ceiling. A reflective thought crossed his mind, 'Three years. Three years and still nothing.' He sighed lightly, the weight of his quest pressing down. 'If this trip doesn't yield results, we'll have to change tactics,' he concluded, his eyes tracing the dim light above as he contemplated their next moves.

Four years had passed since the loss of his parents, that first year Darius spent secluded within the Vault, dedicating every waking moment to his and Haku's cultivation. He had meticulously solidified the first layer of the Arcane Talisman Technique, preparing his body for the demanding next phase—Inception of the Arcane Sanctum. This crucial stage was designed to establish an incorporeal room within himself, a specialized space for gathering and storing mana. Unlike the limited capacity of his bones, this internal sanctum offered the potential for expansion, promising the ability to contain vast reservoirs of mana. Yet, after months of trial and diverse methodologies, Darius hit an unyielding bottleneck, his progress thwarted, leaving him enveloped in a shroud of frustration.

Darius had unearthed a critical flaw within his innovative approach to the Arcane Talisman Technique, not an insurmountable barrier but a significant limitation that narrowed his path forward. The traditional second stage of the technique was rooted in the manipulation of qi, a single, unified energy source. In contrast, Darius’s modified version ambitiously sought to harness power from five distinct energy sources.

The crux of the issue Darius faced was the daunting requirement to wield all five elements at once to create the arcane sanctum, demanding not only a mastery of their individual characteristics but also their combination in both pure and substantial quantities—an ability he painfully realized was beyond his current grasp.

Haku's sudden leap onto the mushroom snapped Darius out of his deep contemplation. With a fluff of his tail, the fox settled down beside him, clearly irked. "Bored? If you want, you can go sniff around, and I can take a nap."

Darius smirked slightly, reading the fox's mood. "Well, I can tell by your tone you didn't find anything."

"Darius, you said it yourself, some things can't be found just by looking," Haku's voice softened, his ears drooping as he adopted a pleading tone. "It's been three years, and we've only found two convergence sites. Finding an area where all five elemental leylines converge is too hard. There has to be another way."

Darius sat up, releasing a deep sigh before responding, "You're right. While I need an external resource to break through this bottleneck, finding one that encompasses all five elements requires a near-miraculous stroke of luck. It doesn't help that the convergence sites are the only places where such treasures can be found."

"So, what should we do?" Haku looked up, a hint of concern in his voice. "Thanks to the Celestial Beast Soul Mantra you taught me, all I need to do is eat and fight to get stronger. I feel like I'm the only one benefiting from the last three years."

A faint smile played on Darius's lips, "Hmm, well, maybe we should head further north?" He paused, glancing at Haku to catch the fox's reaction, almost catching a groan. "Or instead of west like we've been, perhaps we could try south?"

"South? Uh, yeah, okay. We can head south," Haku replied, settling down to lie flat, trying his best to appear unconcerned.

Suppressing a chuckle, Darius's smile widened. "Or we could head back to that city we passed and try doing some investigating."

Leaping up with a yelp, Haku exclaimed, "City?! You sure? I've never been to one, and you always said we should avoid them, especially those with towers or strongholds." Morphing into his beast form, the three-meter-tall Haku towered over Darius, his voice tinged with a mix of excitement and caution, "You’re not messing with me, are you? Big brother?"

"Back up, back up. No, I’m not messing with you," Darius replied, standing and gently pushing Haku back with a playful shove. "It’s clear that just following leylines isn’t cutting it, and that city we saw didn’t have a tower or stronghold. But you have to promise to stay in your ghost-fire form the entire time, no matter what happens, promise?"

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Vigorously nodding his massive head, Haku eagerly agreed, "Yes, yes, yes, I swear! No one will see me, but you're gonna let me pick out some food, right? Every time we pass near a city, I catch such delicious smells." The towering black beast began to drool, prompting Darius to step back swiftly to dodge the droplets.

"Okay, that's enough. Let's get out of here," Darius declared, quickly hopping off the giant mushroom. He swiftly moved from treetop to treetop, making his way toward the edge of the Subterranea Glade.

Trailing behind, the giant fox deftly navigated the treetops alongside Darius, leaving a trail of blue flames in his wake. "Big Brother, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Not that I really mind, but why did we kill those knights? It didn't seem like we had to."

As they moved through the dense foliage in silence, Darius finally broke the quiet, his tone measured and deliberate. "Last night, when they arrived, you were sleeping. I didn't feel the need to wake you, considering they were only Iron knights. I followed them discreetly and managed to catch snippets of their conversation."

The atmosphere around them grew noticeably colder, and Haku felt a tightening in his chest as Darius's story unfolded. "Before they came here, they stopped at that village at the base of the mountain. After indulging in all their ale and food, they... one of them assaulted a woman in a drunken haze, and when the villagers protested, they slaughtered everyone."

Haku's eyes ignited with a dark blue glow, the fox fire around him flaring more intensely in response to Darius's words. "We should just kill every knight or mage we come across," he growled, his voice thick with anger.

Darius's gaze, sharp and fierce, matched the intensity of his companion's. "That's the plan," he affirmed, his azure eyes burning with a cold resolve.

Together, they pressed on, navigating through the thick undergrowth until they reached the cavern's exit—a narrow tunnel that climbed and eventually opened onto an outcropping high on the mountain's peak. For normal humans, the climb from the glade would be daunting, if not impossible, but for Darius and Haku, the trek to the mountain peak took only a few hours.

Emerging from the mountain's tunnel, Haku and Darius were greeted by the bright light of day, its rays cutting through the crisp air. Darius looked out over the landscape, his voice flat and commanding as he spoke to Haku, "From this point out, I want you to stay in your ghost-fire form." Without waiting for a response, Darius leaped down from the mountain, his movements a series of swift, precise bounds down the steep terrain.

Haku paused at the edge, his eyes flickering with concern as he watched Darius descend. After a moment's hesitation, his large form blurred and then faded into invisibility, his presence marked only by a faint shimmer as he followed Darius in his ghost-fire form, leaving no trace behind but the stir of leaves and a whisper of displaced air.

After a trek through the mountainous terrain, Darius and Haku reached the site where the village once stood, now reduced to a barren landscape, nothing remained. 'This place reeks of blood,' Haku's thoughts transmitted to Darius's mind, tinged with sorrow.

"Show me where they buried them," Darius commanded, his voice carrying a grim determination.

As they left the desolate remains of the village, Darius’s Arcane Gaze intently followed Haku. The fox's voice carried a note of confusion and hurt, 'Why did they bury them this far away, brother?'

Darius sneered as he replied, 'To hide their crimes. Humans often resort to obsessive measures when they wield power. That's why they obliterated the village and slaughtered its inhabitants. To the populace, knights and mages are their protectors. It's not punishment they fear but the stain on their image and supposed 'honor' that drives them to such extremes.'

'Humans are confusing, always wasting time and effort," Haku remarked as he paused beside a small hill, an anomaly in the otherwise flat jungle area.

Darius stepped forward and sighed, "Help me uncover their bodies. Be respectful."

"Is this for my Karma thing?" Haku asked, materializing from his ghost-fire form as he started to dig.

"It's not a 'thing,' Haku. And yes, it's related to that," Darius explained as they worked. "Your Celestial Beast Soul Mantra is incredibly potent and straightforward to cultivate, but you must always be mindful of your Karma. If you accrue too much from senseless killing, you risk becoming a devil beast. The technique would gradually warp your soul, leaving you driven only by a desire to kill."

"How is digging them up going to help with my Karma?" Haku asked, pausing in his task.

"We're not just going to dig them up; we're going to burn their remains to allow their souls to pass on," Darius explained as they worked. "This might seem odd to you, but many of the rules that govern our universe are actually constructs of our own beliefs. For humans, burial rites are crucial for a soul's transition and reincarnation. Now, here's a question for you: do you think the first human was born knowing these rites?"

Haku paused in his digging, tilting his large head thoughtfully as the dark blue flames around his neck fluttered slightly. "I suppose not," he mused. "So, did the soul of the first human never reincarnate?"

"That's a question I can't answer; you have to find your own conclusions. I just think its fun to think about. But helping these souls pass on by giving them proper rites after avenging them could greatly benefit your cultivation. It will help you ascend to your human form someday."

"Blech, who said I wanted to become a human?" Haku grumbled as he sat down, scrunching his nose in distaste.

Darius chuckled lightly at Haku's evident displeasure, then explained, "It’s not necessarily about becoming 'human,' Haku. It’s more about reaching the pinnacle of evolution. The universe has shown us time and again that at the height of their evolution, all life forms achieve a shape similar to humans. It’s not the form; it’s the essence of the power and intellect that come with it."

Darius's voice carried a firm note as he continued, "Now keep digging, Haku. Remember, your intent is crucial. If you're not sincere, you'll only waste your efforts. Even though you ended the lives of those who wronged these villagers, your intent wasn't clear at the time. Intent matters."

Standing upright, his fox features taking on a grave expression, Haku nodded, "Yes, big brother, I understand. I think." He then resumed his task with renewed focus, carefully scooping away the dirt, his gaze fixed intently on the work before him.

Darius nodded in approval and turned back to his task, methodically excavating the mound alongside Haku. As they dug, they gradually uncovered the grim evidence of the tragedy that had struck these villagers.

While sifting through the dirt, they encountered numerous crimson fragments of bark. Darius picked up a piece, examining it closely. "Carrion Beard," he murmured, identifying the residue.

Haku looked puzzled as he paused, glancing over at the fragment in Darius's hand. "Huh? What's that?"

Darius nodded thoughtfully as he continued to examine the dark red fragment, his explanation clear and deliberate. "Well, one of them was definitely clever. This explains why they didn't burn the bodies themselves—they probably wanted to avoid creating smoke. Carrion Beard is a fungus."

"Fundus?"

"Yes...fundus. Think of it as a very tiny plant, and this darkened wood is covered in it. Carrion Beard typically grows in areas where mana-beasts go to die, clinging to the trees there. It waits for passing animals to brush against the tree so it can potentially land on a dying beast. If successful, once the beast dies, the fungus, goes into a frenzy, rapidly growing to completely consume the beast's body. Carrion Beard is well-known for its speed in decomposing."

"So they buried this fungus along with the bodies to... Big brother? Why are you smiling like that?"

"Because, Haku, if they were able to gather this much Carrion Beard, then there is a good chance that a beast graveyard is nearby. And if there is, we might just find what we need to begin your bone and marrow refinement."

Suddenly, Haku froze, his eyes widening. Four years earlier, Darius had laid out three cultivation techniques for Haku to choose from. Drawn to the seemingly straightforward nature of the Celestial Beast Soul Mantra—which simply required fighting and devouring Mana-beasts, and occasionally a mage or knight, to gain strength—Haku had chosen it. What he hadn't known was that advancing through each of the six layers of the technique necessitated a transformation at every stage, each accompanied by intense pain.

When Haku first embarked on cultivating the technique, he had to continuously recite the techniques Mantra to reach the first layer—a six-month ordeal of constant chanting. During this time, his meridians were excruciatingly and slowly opened, one by one. The vivid memory of that painful process still haunted him.

Darius's voice took on a stern, guiding tone as he addressed Haku, "The path of cultivation demands a strong will, little brother. If you intend to walk by my side, you must steel yourself against pain. Embrace the pursuit of progress, but temper it with patience."

Noticing Haku’s subdued reaction, Darius changed his approach. "I'll make you a deal," he proposed, aiming to motivate the young fox. "As a reward, once you break through to the second layer, we'll start hunting animals and mana-beasts to stock the beast-farm."

Haku, attempting to contain his excitement, began to dig more vigorously. "Don't worry, big brother, I won't let you down! I’m really looking forward to seeing what I can do once I get stronger. It felt incredible after I broke through the first layer, especially when I discovered I could transform into something that could truly help you. Now that I’m at the peak of the first layer, I can maintain my beast form all the time."

"Those knights pushed you to the peak?!" Darius exclaimed, suddenly rising to his feet, his face lighting up with surprise and delight.

"Yeah, I noticed that with the second knight, I didn't gain anything from him—it felt like I was full. And now, when I transform, I don't feel any drain at all; it's as natural as breathing!"

"That’s even more reason to focus on your Karma and investigate that graveyard. Now..." Darius cleared his throat, shifting back to his task with a hint of awkwardness, "let's limit our chat, we need to show respect for the dead."

"Yes, big brother," Haku responded, his voice soft in the encroaching dusk. Together, they dug through the night, carefully separating the remains, their silhouettes etched against the glow of numerous small fires. Each flickering flame marked a soul's release—over three hundred fires blazed quietly, a silent tribute beneath the stars.