The cold winter wind blew past Connor and straight down his spine, as he sat shivering on his slate bed beneath his derelict roof. His house was a small run-down shack located in Mudpool Steppe which was currently under control of Millennium. To survive in this desolate region, Connor would hunt rabbits and other small game located in the area. Every day he woke up starving, wishing that he had been born into a better family that could provide him a bright future like those royal families apart of Millennium. At only 15 years old, he had already faced the death of his parents last year at the hands of a Millennium martial artist. Connor was not gifted to get into Bridgewatch academy, which recruited the best and brightest martial practitioners from the Mudpool Steppe Region.
Though poor as well, Connor’s friend Liz was able to get into Bridgewatch academy at 15 years old. Her future was set and she would become a key figure in the region in just a few years.
“I need to achieve something better than this, I don’t want to die in the cold out here” Connor thought to himself.
BANG! Just as Connor was lost in thought his front door to his shack burst open and a group of three men barreled their way inside. Their fists immediately finding their way to Connor’s face.
“Fuck” Connor screamed out in pain, as he was kicked in the chest by one of the men.
“You are late on your taxes again… you think you are allowed to live in our territory for free?” One of the men boomed.
“I just paid you 8 days ago, I thought Millennium only picked up taxes once a month?” Connor pleaded with them.
It had always been like this, the strong picked on the weak. It is the way the world of martial arts has worked for thousands of years. These men though they represented Millennium, were not going to give the money to any of the elders but keep it for themselves. Connor had only made 1 gold this month, and his property tax was 2 gold a month, however he had acquired a massive debt due to consistently missing taxes and receiving beatings every day for it. It wasn’t his fault, truthfully, he could make around 5 gold a month, but every time he made money these punks would come and rob him of all of it. Thus, he was stuck in a cycle of beatings, and torture from these Millennium men.
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“I know you made a gold piece yesterday from selling a deer hide to the skinner yesterday, you better pay up or your body will pay the price” The shortest of the men said. Connor’s frail body shivered at the thought of this man hitting him again.
“Tyler please… you know I still owe Millennium 40 gold coins if you constantly rob me, I will never be able to pay it off” Connor pleaded again. Though Tyler was the shortest, he had the greatest understanding of the martial way. He was already 2 steps into the spirit refining realm, while Connor was only three steps into the body refining realm. Their body strength was about the same, but it was the soul pressure that was mixed into Tyler’s attacks that made them so lethal. The other two men were Tyler’s bodyguards that his father hired. They were both at the peak of the Spirit Refining realm.
Martial art realms were named by the Divine Emperor who use to rule over the entire continent of Caine. The Caine Continent has now been split up and ruled over many small and large forces who are constantly struggling to obtain more power. The Divine Emperor named each of the four realms, Body Refining Realm which was defined as strengthen the body to its maximum potential. The Spirit refining realm, which is reached after the body refining realm, when the soul can be strengthen. The other two realms are Mixing, and Origin. Which is the perfection of body and soul. Each realm has four steps, and the fourth step is referred to as the peak.
“Hah! You think its my problem you are so weak? You are a good for nothing loser, and that is all you will ever be now pay up” Tyler laughed.
With fear in his eyes Connor slowly crawled on the ground over to his corn sack which contained all his belongings. His hand shuffled through the sack searching its contents for the one gold coin that he had obtained. Feeling its cold metallic surface, Connor gripped it and with a large sigh pulled it out of the sack. He stared at the coin, and the depiction of the divine emperor stared back at him. He flicked the coin with his thumb forcing it to make an arch in the air towards Tyler. Tyler reached out and grabbed the coin and quickly stuffed it in his pocket.
“We will be back in 7 days you better have another gold coin for us, and don’t make me come into this disgusting place again” Tyler sneered, as he turned and walked out flanked by his too guards.
Connor let out a large breath that he hadn’t realized he was holding. In his mind he thought about all the suffering he had been forced to live through at the hands of Millennium. The murder of his parents, and the beatings received. He was scared, he wanted to leave this place so bad, but he had no where to go. He didn’t know how to get out of his cycle of suffering, and every day he was losing hope. His final hope was that someone would come and rescue him, and take him away from this savage life.