Deep Within the Red Horn Forest 

A mysterious glow brighter than lightning suddenly bursts forth from within the Red Horn Forest.  Within the very depths of this particular glow was a certain little girl.

[Me]  “Ahh!  I finally went up another tier!  Unfortunately it took me all the demonic cores…”

I wipe away the pool of water threatening to flow down my face.  It was such a shame that I had to use a particular core, the one sized of two fists, along with the others just to barely break through!  I shiver when I think just how long it may have taken me if I had just cultivated the normal way.

I had been in the cave for a few days and had yet to explore it.  When the light from the cave finally calmed down, I attempted to stand when my legs gave out from under me.  How could I have forgotten such an important detail?  I basically didn’t move at all for several days in a row, and then suddenly decide to stand... it was only natural that the result would be as it is.

Rolling my eyes at my own forgetfulness, I place some mana into my legs to get them ready, and I stand up just fine.  In fact, I think I stood up a little too fine as I just about hit my head on the ceiling of the cave.

[Me]  “Whew… that was a close one.”

I wipe the sweat layering on my forehead and begin to walk out of the cave.  I need to find a place to wash off, because whenever you break through a layer you tend to go through a lot of sweat.  

Drip…

Drip…

Hmm?  That noise sounds an awfully lot like water.

I turn back into the cave and look for the source of the noise.  As it turns out the cave is a lot deeper than I thought it was.  After a minute or so of walking I come about another room in the cave.  As I enter I see a moon pool settled to the left of the cave, with a little stream-like waterfall flowing into it.  Despite this amazing site, I am still curious where the dripping sound originated from.  The water is still for the most part, and the waterfall makes a constant swishing noise.

Drip…

Drip…

Ah ha!  I look up and see a large demonic core in a small pond of floating water.  The core itself was three times as large as the snakes, and it was giving off a strange glow.   I want it.

I reach out my hand and fly upwards towards the treasure.  Right when my fingertips lightly brush the pool of water I was forced backwards into a wall.  I spit up some blood and with shaky legs, I stand back up.  Behind me the cave’s wall was slightly fractured due to the extreme force that pushed me back.  I’m honestly surprised that I did not die.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Now that I take a closer look, that particular pool of water looks like a seal.  These seals widely varied in size and shape, so it was just my lack of attention skills which caused me to end up wounded.  Somebody or something defiantly did not want anyone having this core… but… that was just too bad.  I want that core, now.

Being a scholar in my past life really helped me once again as I formulated a plan to destroy that blasted seal.  This was my plan so far: first I will gain a ton of mana into my hands, and then I will rush towards the pool of water.  Once arriving at the water I will release all mana into one point causing a hole to appear.  Then I will reach within this hole and take what is rightfully mine, the demon core.  There may or may not be problems with my plan, but since I was desperate, this will have to do.

“AHHH!!!”

My battle cry rang out through the cave, and my mana collided head on towards the pool of water.  The pool started to ripple and then cave in where my mana hit.  The hole was a lot smaller then it was supposed to be, however it was still large enough to stick my hand in.  I reach in a close my hand around the demonic core.  Suddenly, as if an earthquake passed through here, a tremor caused the entire pool of water to collapse and flung me to an opposite wall.  I once again spit up blood, however I was still holding on to the core.

Bruised and bleeding I was holding the demonic core laughing like a mad-man again.  My laugh rang out and echoed off the walls, amplifying my voice.  It mattered not, as in the end it was I who had the demonic core!  No puny seal was going to get in my way!

Still smiling I put the core in my mouth and begin to cultivate.  As the core’s mana started to seep out of the core and into me, my body began to fight it off.  No!  Don’t you dare fight off what I risked my life for!  Fighting against my own mana, I struggle for a long while before I had completely absorbed the core.  Wait… that wasn’t right… I was supposed to cultivate it not absorb it… no, don’t tell me…

I look at my mana, and it was a tier 7.  No… NO!!!  All those days spent cultivating to reach tier 8 gone… this, this stupid core took a tier from me!

I begin to try to pull out the core that was rotating within my mana, but failed.  This core, it actually dared to become one with my mana!  It’s now a part of me, I should feel happy but having to sacrifice a tier was just too much.  Tears littered the floor as I forgot the reason I was looking for a water source in the first place.

---------- Random Outer sect disciple’s POV ----------

Racing through the forest I find the cave Elder Brother Ryan was talking about.  He told me to check on some girl who has a cave stationed in these woods.  From the way he was talking about she must be very pretty, and I can’t wait to meet her.  As I am just a few steps away from the cave I hear it.  A loud devil’s laugh that fills the forest with it’s horror.  Shivers run down my spine, and I run back to where I came from.  If Elder Brother Ryan asks, she was fine and healthy.  I just hope she was able to move out before the devil came…