Run (6)

Somewhere else, in a completely calm and peaceful place. Similar to the zone Ciemnosc last saw before digging a long tunnel, which led to the deaths of millions for the major organizations' numbers. Although that number wasn’t much for their higher-ups, they couldn't pop new members from anywhere with their qualifications.

Dew fell from the nearby trees, it was another forest, but this forest was much smaller than the one from before. There were also mountains nearby, though they were more lined up and or as impactful when one saw them up close as the ones from before. The air was clearly humid, and the center of the Region seemed relatively nearby even though its lands weren’t visible to the naked eye. Anyone who had traveled in between a couple of times would realize that.

Crrrrk.

From the ground, between a few trees forming an incomplete semi-circle surrounding a space with fertile land, a strange ‘long tube’ broke out from the ground. As soon as it made its way up, it fell back down and hooked itself to another area where the dirt was just a little more rigid and less soft, less permeable.

After it hooked itself to the dirt, it remained quiet and still. A long time later, there were changes underneath. The ground began slightly moving, the trees around swayed unnaturally, and bushes constantly trembled as if their roots were being trickled, bit by bit.

At last, half an hour went, and the fertile dirt vegan moved even more. It started to make mounds and bulged here and there as something seemed to want to come out. A hand broke out from underneath, covered in black blood, red blood, and dirt. The hand’s fingers had smallish claws of a black substance yet opaque, but that held a sharpness to cut anything. As it came out and revealed those little things, they seemed to consume the slight light of the sun that fell upon the fertile lands.

Ciemnosc’s wrist was next, followed by his entire forearm and his left shoulder. Once he could gain a foothold, his dark Power Energy flew out of his palm and coated the fertile dirt it touched, forcing it to become rigid. Finally, he smoothly pushed his body out of the soil and brought his body up. But he was careful not to bring himself down again by ‘breaking’ the dirt.

As he came up, trees swayed harder, and bushes trembled so harshly that they began tumbling about. He held his Vocón Link in his right hand, no longer hooked to the ground a few meters away. The Vocón Link on his right hand was being held tightly. Not that he needed it to. He could let it go and keep moving, as if carrying something. But Ciemnosc couldn’t hold onto something with his Vocón Link with just 16,000 kg. He needed at last twice that strength.

Thus, with his Vocón Link working at his every command and his right arm holding onto it, Ciemnosc came up while carrying a bunch of corpses with him. His Vocón Link was attached ‘simply’ to a more extensive net made out of tendons. Which were from corpses that weren’t found anywhere, and Ciemnosc could only make a net out of such.

The net was ginormous, however. And when Ciemnosc came up, the trees around a whole kilometer began swaying. While those closer to the center directly began to fall and collapse. Bushes were swimming with the moving dirt, and the few Creatures around were startled into a run to hide from the ill sign of trouble.

“Aah…” Ciemnosc placed the corpses out, looked back at the tunnel he made to escape wherever he was, and looked around. Without a doubt, he quickly understood where he was. Looking around some more, he wore a face full of annoyance. But it rapidly vanished into ultimate coldness as his eyes’ sentiment spread everywhere. ‘Near the Little Lake, these mountains… I am in between the center and south of the Region. Sigh…’

“...” Looking at the corpses, he was going to bury them, not and adequately back down the tunnel he made. It was too much of using his Vocón Link to grapple, and then both his legs struck the sides of the tunnel up his left hand ‘claw’ made. Then, pulling and carrying the thousands of corpses below him through that gap, which would eventually widen and threaten to break apart his tunnel.

It was many times Ciemnosc fell, but his Vocón Link was forced to enlarge and save his… time. Otherwise, he would’ve dropped a few kilometers and had to start again. There was a cushioned safety below him in any case. And not even huge boulders could harm his body even if he lay flat and with his limbs spread on a hard, flat surface waiting to be crushed.

Now that Ciemnosc had made his way to the surface: he didn’t enjoy the air or the fact he was still alive, and he wasn’t buried alive and was delusional - or something. He just looked into the distance and spent some time in tranquility.

After these moments of noiseless comfort, he sprung to action as he began looking for trees that didn’t fall or break apart with the corpses coming out. Taking a few of the ‘major’ organizations’ members who had similarities on more than one occasion, or whose past was ‘seen’ through Ciemnosc’s eyes and marvelous Spirit Sense, as well as with the use of ‘that’ something. Ciemnosc buried some in pairs, others in groups, and others alone.

… Taking the entire day, he only finished by afternoon’s last few minutes. And to welcome the evening, Ciemnosc simply remained in place once again and looked into the distance towards the north. He could sometimes look at his old self when others were still here, and he still thought the Self-Mutilating Honores Sect was his ticket to sure for greatness.

“It’s been a long way if you think about it,” a voice emerged from nowhere and talked to Ciemnosc without him getting a damn clue about it. Ciemnosc immediately turned around, his eyes wide as a youngish middle-aged man appeared before him wearing a dull, pale blue tuxedo. His figure was thin, not so tall, and his skin was brown, an enticing one, but was covered with patches of gray all over his body. Unknown substance or reasoning behind it.

“You’ve learned quite a lot, Father.” The man had short hair but was charming in a manly way, attractive, and even somewhat exotic. Black color, and striking as were his eyes and all other facial hair. He didn’t have a beard or a mustache, though.

As soon as he said those words, he shook his head with his eyes closed and sat on a boulder next to Ciemnosc. Both were facing the Little Lake’s beginning of its deepest waters. Ciemnosc was as if looking at the void as the man moved before starting to sit facing the Little Lake. Then, he said in almost a whisper while gazing at the water. “Who are you?”

“... Well, it doesn’t matter. Not now, not in the future, um.” The man said, his right-handed fingers gesturing as a bit of rain began falling, catching some of the droplets. It was a very light rain, and its sound was barely audible even for Ciemnosc, let alone any other cultivator. “You aren’t wary of me. Do you trust me?”

“...” Ciemnosc barely moved his head, but his eyes looked at the man for half a second suggestively. He still said nothing, and both continued to look at the Little Lake. The man grinned, forming a smirk as the rain began to fall as time went by. After a short while, he faced Ciemnosc slightly, still looking at the latter with side eyes before commenting, “They were once one of the few Races that thrived the best in this Kingdom, you know?”

“...?” Ciemnosc looked at the man, who was already pointing with his right index finger at specific tombs he dug, All of which were from the monsters he buried alone. Though some were actually buried together. This surprised Ciemnosc, as his gaze was lost and set on them, and the man added. “One of the most powerful ones, not only ‘here’ and very loyal to their home.”

“Don’t look at them too badly. They stayed even in the worst. They are, now, just trying to live out a little before everything is truly lost.” The man spoke with certainty and confidently, not making shit up nor trying to trick Ciemnosc. “It’s also not their fault that so many things have been lost everywhere; in all that exists and there is.”

“But nobody is to blame, really.” The man became despondent now as if grief was a word made for him. “There’s not many of ‘us’ who are still around. We are too old. And some, like me… failed. Failed miserably, completely… failed them all. Though others did sooner than I… I failed them all at the worse times possible…”

“Or rather,” the man lifted his hung head, looked into Ciemnosc’s very darkest eyes, and continued. “At the best.”

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“This used to be the most wonderful Kingdom, the most beautiful, and the largest of all others. It was time that made it fall - and death that loomed everywhere. And yet, they are now missing. All that remains is the carcass. Nothing else is still here.” The man said, his heart laid out as he slowly turned to look at the Little Lake.

“There used to be a time where half all that exists and there is would come visit. A time where they would even mourn and bid a ‘safe’ trip to the dead. Some would even live here, escaping their troubles elsewhere, criminal or not. And to celebrate, there used to be the most wonderful events in ‘everything and everywhere’ would happen here. I used to be the entire world’s envy.”

The man’s eyes were lost, gazing into a nonexistent future and a long-forgotten past. He licked his lips quickly and lowered his head again, then said. “And it used to not be this small. It’s just… With the passage of the gone-forever time, even a Kingdom such as this falls. But, even then, history can’t… nor will ever be truly erased. What it left from the past affects this Kingdom, one way or another, in a kind or harmful way.”

“There is still cultivation. This Kingdom did not become a hopeless place. And though broken to the most humiliating degree, there is knowledge of the cultivation world as there is not in others, despite it being so lacking it even managed to fool others for… so long.” The man’s words picked Ciemnosc’s interest, and he immediately asked with a soft, almost childish voice. “The cultivation realms, are they… the reason nobody goes through the Obsidiafying realm… Umm. Could it be because of this… ‘broken’ knowledge and history?”

“Mn,” the man looked at Ciemnosc and nodded. He had wanted to look down, but the 13-year-old Ciemnosc was already too tall for him to do so. The man smiled. He revealed his teeth which were just too ordinary to make them out of anything, before proceeding and speaking to Ciemnosc about the old histories of ‘this Kingdom’ and even some legends that were already almost forgotten even when it was at its prime.

At first, when the man showed up, nothing could be said about his attitude other than he seemed sad and sorrowful. But as he continued talking with Ciemnosc, he became increasingly excited. Like a child, having a lot of stories to tell to an adult who was genuinely interested in hearing out the child. A contrast, perhaps. But Ciemnosc listened and asked every now and then. As the man spoke and told so many stories and legends…

The man had a smile that was as precious as any Race would be for what life has the meaning of. His tone wasn’t loud but was clearly audible, impossible to miss. Ciemnosc regarded himself as a listener as he heard all the stories and legends. By the time the man finished speaking as many stories as he wanted and could. A couple of days actually went by. They were just too many that Ciemnosc had to make seats out of the boulders they were on to listen and speak more comfortably.

“... Ever since I’ve seen you come here and grow up…” At last, on another evening, and a grayish dark night sky, the man who had fallen silent for a while spoke out. Ciemnosc kept quiet, and continued to gaze at the Little Lake, feeling lazy and so comfortable. The man continued, “It’s an honor to have met you. It’s truly something that makes me gladdened. Even with the end nearing so fast…”

“Ciemnosc,” the man looked directly into Ciemnosc’s head, which then became his face as the young boy’s head was turned around. “I would like to ask you something. It is merely my request.”

“Then speak,” without courtesy nor rudeness, Ciemnosc gestured for the man to go on. The man nodded, then sat up straight from bending his back and supporting his elbows on his thighs. With an imploring and peaceful tone, he began. “There’s a beloved one here, very close. At this moment, she has been feeling left out and empty for a long time. And she is a child to me. But I think… that if it was you who takes her life, she would also feel honored.”

“It is only currently that… you have no idea what an honor it is to be in your presence.” The man spoke again, his words and face directly towards Ciemnosc.

“...” Ciemnosc remained silent and returned to face the Little Lake for the umpteenth time. When he was just about to nod, the man spoke one last time, “If you could. And that’s only after your breakthrough, of course.”

“...?” Ciemnosc turned his head as he nodded but then saw nothing. The boulder he had made a seat out of for the man had turned back into a larger-than-most rock. He then looked at his chair, but his boulder hadn’t gone to how it was naturally. But as he stood up and looked around, the boulder he sat on returned to its natural predisposition.

‘... Strange.’ Ciemnosc thought as he nodded. He then looked around once more. He had his humble-styled clothes on, but were slightly dirty. After thinking for a bit, he decided to wash them with the waters of the Little Lake. He was in too tiny of a place compared to its deepest sections. He wouldn’t be noticed unless they had cloned him and had people like him scanning around all day and night to search for him.

… After walking half an hour and reaching the Little Lake, he bent over the shore after undressing to wash his clothes. He also did the same to those he repaired recently and those used on the previous days but got slightly dirty. He scrubbed them well and was just bout to finish when he noticed something with the senses and reactions of an ordinary person.

Tililiiiing~... Ta-sha! Twinkle~~~~.

“!!!...” An utmost gigantic creature was below the dark blue waters, which did nothing to hide the glowing and tremendously humongous being hidden deep within the Little Lake. It was impossible to distinguish its figure without the glow emanating from its eyes alone. Which were almost half as immense as the insanely gigantic mountains surrounding the Moribund Yearning Cult’s organizational territory.

The very same pair of eyes were looking up at him from below. They had life and not at the same time. They seemed so old, somehow, and emanated a strange desire that Ciemnosc wasn’t ignorant about. He had seen it in Valeria, Fu Lan, and even Schnell.

“Don’t hurry me, I- I still need a little more time to breakthrough. Go back and wait!” Ciemnosc said, somehow feeling awkward and hurried upon. He couldn’t tell, but he gained a sensation that those eyes turned pouty and then urged him to become stronger before slowly retreating further down and disappearing into the unknown obscurity.

Ciemnosc stood up after the creature left, his hands down to his upper thighs, drenched in cold water. If he didn’t send dark Power Energy into them. They would’ve frozen into ice clothes. As he turned around once he wrung them out of the water, he thought in his little head, ‘So hasty, headlong!’

With an annoyed countenance, Ciemnosc left the shore of the Little Lake and went back to where he met the man. Without wasting any time, he began digging. This time not a tunnel that helped him cross tens and tens of thousands of kilometers in just a few hours' run. Digging a bunch of meters into the earth, almost 100 meters, he then made a large 40 m x 40 m chamber deep down with pillars and array formations to support. As well as to conceal the noises he would very much make.

… Ciemnosc sat cross-legged in the middle of his temporary chambers in but a jiffy. There were simple steps to cultivate into the Conflagrate realm, this breakthrough was the first to be painful for anyone trying to reach higher, and it was also the death of many who weren’t prepared or those who thought of themselves too much. In Ciemnosc’s case, he was too prepared and was too much, so all he worried about was the pain that his ‘that something’ would bring him…

There were no Supreme Powerful Stones, all of them had been consumed, and if he wanted more, he could only go to the ‘major’ organizations and rob them instead of destroying them. Besides, Ciemnosc’s foundation had been solidified to the point of shocking himself silly. While his cultivation base was filled to the brim. Is Natal Spirit was fed to a whole that he could hear ‘noiseless’ thumping sounds from his inner self all the time.

‘Okay, here we go.’ In his little rabbit hole, luxurious rabbit hole. Ciemnosc prepared himself as he let go of everything in his mind and heart. Excluding, perhaps… that seed of rage that dwelled within him ever since who knew when.

Tap tap.

Placing his hands together, he intertwined his ring and pinky fingers. His middle and index fingers were intertwined-halfway, and his thumbs overlapped each other, aiming at the other hand’s index finger knuckle.

Pshift, pshift pshift~!!...

It had begun, and the chambers immediately became disorderly. Pure energy gushed about in the air nonstop. Even from far away, Ciemnosc could feel the cold of the nighttime Little Lake. But it became evermore present as he began to breakthrough into the Conflagrate realm.

Breaking into the Conflagrate realm!!

Ccrerr- crracck, gurgle gurgle- boil~!

Ciemnosc’s blood began soaring in temperature. Despite the coldness all around him and even more as it increased with pure energy beginning to idolize him and surrounded his body like his personal aura of light, he felt a scorching sensation… all over his body!

Pure energy, transparent and translucent whitish energy flew about, attaching itself to Ciemnosc’s skin, which was completely bare in the center of the chambers. Exposed to pure energy, his body could be seen bubbling and with tiny tumors flickering in and out under his skin.

Not even 10 seconds later, vapor began emanating from the top of his head, shoulders, and thighs as he sat cross-legged. Then, it began to happen. The pure energy outside his body, against his skin and prickling it, cajoling him into letting it in, finally seeped into his body just as his blood was boiling to the point it couldn’t be held anymore.

Ciemnosc’s face was with his eyes closed and his hands still in that gesture. His eyelids were calmly closed, and his body wasn’t trembling - in the slightest. Oh, but that was just about to change…

…