The next few days were boring, except for the sparring sessions with Eric. Neither cultivator was trying to kill the other, but it would have been hard for an outside observer to tell. They both had regeneration, so there was no need to hold back.
The forest clearing where they fought had been flattened into a fighting ring by Eric's blast attack. Which begged the question of why Coyote hadn't used it during their fight.
“There is limited information on possession, because that falls under the category of dark techniques,” the former general explained, “But I have a theory.”
Zane gestured for Eric to continue as he munched on his sandwich. The bread was serviceable, but far from perfect. Thus far Zane hadn't managed to recreate the airy white bead from his childhood, but the rogue cultivator remained optimistic.
Apparently baking was in its own difficulty tier as far as his skills were concerned. Which made sense. They said that cooking was art, baking was science, and pastry was a dark art practiced by only the most delusional or insane. He powered through a second ham and cheese sandwich as the big man talked.
“I’m hesitant to say that the sects are always right, or truthful,” Eric continued, “But they teach us that cultivation is sacred. They say that the abilities we earn are ours, a gift from the Mesh for the Essence we spend to purchase them.”
“What do they think the Mesh is?” Zane asked, “Because in my world, we don't have one.”
The big man chewed his sandwich thoughtfully. “There are conflicting ideologies. The Temple of the Mesh believes it's a god, but the gods themselves seem to disagree. It also doesn't give blessings or talk back, so I'm inclined to believe it's a natural force. You know, like gravity or Essence.”
“But who made it?”
“Nobody knows.” Eric shrugged. “The gods don't claim responsibility for creating it, and as far as I know it has always been present. Even the oldest scrolls in the hidden archives mention techniques for using it, so it might have existed before civilization did.”
“Spooky,” Zane said as he finished his third sandwich and wiped his hands on a summoned napkin, “Enough philosophy for today. Are you ready to get punched in the face some more?”
The big man scowled. “Sparing is a sacred way to improve one's skills. It shows a cultivator’s mastery and growth.”
“I respectfully disagree,” Zane replied, “Want to fight about it?”
Eric put down his sandwich. “Yes.”
***
“Witness my overwhelming Aura Blast!” called out Eric as he pulled in energy from his lower core.
“No thanks!” replied Zane from the edge of the forest, “What's the point in saying what you're doing before you do it? Doesn't that give your enemy a chance to counter?”
The big man grunted with frustration. “I'm showing off! You're supposed to dazzle and overwhelm your opponent in a sparring match.”
“Points for style, I guess,” the rogue cultivator replied while he readied a technique of his own, “Behold! My unbeatable attack, Crouching Cookware, Hidden Saucepan!”
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
There was a clang of metal, followed by an indignant grunt, as Eric caught a face full of flying metal. “I think that was a wok, not a saucepan.”
“See! That means it's a good technique. I'm sneaky, like a ninja!” Zane continued to summon random cooking implements and throw them at his target.
“Ninjas are honorless assassins that take down more powerful cultivators using trickery.” The big man caught a flying spatula and threw it back at Zane. The rogue cultivator dodged it easily, continuing the stalemate.
Eric was a fearsome close up fighter who liked to grapple and punch. The former general had carefully selected his abilities to shore up any gaps in his defense, much to Zane’s frustration.
When Zane threw a knife at him, Eric caught it. If the rogue cultivator tried to get in close, Eric had a blast attack to push him back. Meanwhile, Zane was a slippery son of a bitch that could easily dodge the big man’s attacks. Zane also had near limitless amounts of Essence to fuel his abilities.
In the end, it became a war of attrition. With neither side able to make a decisive win, time was on Zane’s side. He could draw in Essence from the world around him and use it immediately, instead of waiting for his lower core to refill. Eric simply did not have enough reserves to compete.
But that was boring, and Zane’s ever shortening attention span drove him to try a new tactic. He had no idea if it would work, but at the very least it would be more interesting than playing dodgeball for the next half hour.
After he ascended to tier four, Zane had started noticing a strange black gunk when he looked at other people's cores. The tar-like substance called out to him, begging to be claimed and consumed.
Zane suspected that it was corruption, another name for the mystical impurities that built up as a byproduct of cultivation. His own core was corrupted as well, but Zane was planning on taking care of that as soon as he got his hands on more cleansing pills. But in the meantime…
The rogue cultivator reached out his hand, activated his Consume Corruption ability, and concentrated on the black substance coating Eric’s core. At first, nothing happened. Then there was a feeling as if he had established a connection with the sludge.
The corruption had no intelligence of its own, no real desires to speak of. It simply existed, changing those that it contaminated. But there wasn't any malicious intent. In a way, it reminded him of Essence.
Zane tried to draw in the corruption the same way he cultivated Essence, grabbing it with his will and pulling it towards his core. The black sludge rippled, but stayed put. He was too far away to affect it.
Eric watched with suspicion as Zane approached him. The rogue cultivator was inside the effective radius of his Aura Blast, but Zane would still have time to teleport away if he triggered it. Eric decided to let his opponent get a little bit closer, just to be sure.
Then, there was a feeling of something moving near his core. It didn't hurt, but it was unpleasant. He could sense Zane drawing something out of him. Acting on gut instinct, he triggered his Aura Blast. As predicted, the rogue cultivator saw it coming and teleported away, breaking the connection.
For a brief moment, Eric felt a sense of accomplishment. He had managed to counter whatever dark technique Zane was trying to use. But his happiness was short lived, and the big man quickly doubled over in pain.
Eric felt like his insides were trying to escape, and whatever Zane had done to him was progressing rapidly. He could feel it building inside of him, growing until…
The big man turned pale and sprinted off into the woods. A few moments later, his screams echoed across the mountainside, followed by silence.
The rogue cultivator watched as Eric limped back into the clearing, obviously worse for wear. He had a pained expression on his face and was missing both socks. The big man looked like someone had wrung him out like a sponge.
Eric pointed an accusing finger at Zane. “Never do that again!”
Zane was about to ask what happened, when his improved senses detected an unmistakable odor. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Did you just-”
The former general cut him off. “We must never speak of this to anyone! I want you to promise, on your honor, that you will never tell another living soul of what happened here today.”
“But-”
“No buts!” shouted Eric, “Nobody. Can. Ever. Know.”