Black Heart (3)
In an inn, dining tables spanned over a moderately large dining hall, and a bar was the center of attention to the north of the room.
In one of those tables, as low and soft chatter sounded around him, Ciemnosc sat around a table with a series of strange-looking tubes on top of the table. They were each their individual object but were connected by some kind of string, a string which Ciemnosc identified as a tendon from a Conflagrate realm long ago when he was still studying Craftsmaking's utter basics.
As he looked at them. There was a slight frown on his face. He wore a raincoat of sorts as, unlike any other place of the Region, here in the east was too hot in general. Hence, no snow fell from the sky, but many drizzles occurred every month since snow started invading the Region. The village he selected was close to the north but still in the east of the Region, but it was way too hot for any snow to come close to the village.
‘I can make Mortal grade weapons now… But I can’t figure out a way to make you better. I can improve your materials and repair you at best, but I still can’t make you stronger. I’m sorry.’ Ciemnosc lowered his head as he inspected his Steel Array Snakes. He could also make more of those, it wouldn’t be difficult, but he had been using Mortal swords through these 3 years, and he always felt restrained and annoyed at using such.
Yet, ever since that first trap he laid for Conflagrate realm acting elders, Ciemnosc has always felt incredible and comfortable using these Steel Array Snakes. They were unexpected and would work the best whenever he was to find someone faster and nimbler than him. Stopping their movements all at once, or even at least slowing them down, would be enough, and the rest would be up to his hands, feet, and mouth.
‘There’s something else. Something I need to know and know how to do.’ Ciemnosc silently thought, explaining his thoughts to these simple non-living materials as he grimaced slightly after moving a bit on his seat. After cracking his neck for a bit, he looked to his right and then stood up. As he passed by the bar, the gentle and old middle-aged lady looked at him. Ciemnosc’s left hand went over the desk, and with the back of his hand facing the ceiling, he left 10 gold coins behind before moving up to the upper floor, to his room.
Ciemnosc went to his room, closed the doors, and didn’t even bother putting any array formations. They were all normal people. He didn’t want them to die by trying out the things they didn’t know about. As for his safety, other than a few young girls spying on him through the door’s cracks and giggling like retards, he didn’t face any other problem or intrusion into his privacy.
Once on his bed, which was very small even for his build, Ciemnosc sat on it and took his raincoat off. Under it were bandages made with the thinnest fabrics of Creature’s hides which had tiny healing properties. It wasn’t much, but this, some medicinal pills that truthfully aided in these types of wounds, even with a minuscule margin, and his All-Devouring Force Chronicles, Ciemnosc’s body healed almost thoroughly just 4 days after arriving here.
Taking them off, Ciemnosc revealed his skin, still rosy and his flesh showing. All he needed to wait was for his flesh, muscles, and veins to restore to a full. Then, he would finally concentrate his body to regrow skin again. Unlike before, he could focus on getting his skin back up or his inner body, halting the other at his own command. Just like sending blood to a specific place, a ‘feature’ only males would understand.
“Uh- aagghh…” Taking them off was painful. It reminded him each time of the big girl’s teeth and her ‘Arts’ as she battered his body up and down, left and right, and inside out. Every part of her body and movement was a terrific amount of damage to the ‘little monster’ that is Ciemnosc, and she made sure to make him feel every single move of hers.
From freezing beams that could break through his body like it’s nothing, even at the 3rd level of the All-Devouring Force Chronicles, to simple movements of her body to clash with him, sending him flying so far that he could barely take it. Besides that, those ‘limbs’ she materialized with pure energy and her Power Energy.
However, even with all that, Ciemnosc was not overwhelmed. Hell, he even voluntarily threw himself into her jaws so many times to look for her Spirit Heart-Link, which differed a damn lot from any other he had seen, read, and thought about. Information such as these was always accepted by his slut-for-knowledge self. Although all he sold of himself for that knowledge was time spent garnering it.
Looking at his body, Ciemnosc nodded casually a few times, his eyes satisfied at the improvement. After touching, poking, and tracing with his fingertips to feel how his flesh healed tiny wee bits every few seconds, he got completely nude, heard giggles and went to bed.
… The next day, Ciemnosc went down to sit at a table to wait for the day to pass by as he had been since arriving here. It was the morning, but today, there were some people throwing cold, distant glances and pointing at him while gesturing towards him, too. But there was no little girl scout for the young girls, and it seemed much desolate now. Ciemnosc, of course, cared not about all this.
Today, the same happened as usual. Ciemnosc ordered some liquor, which didn’t taste bad, and some food. It was basically homemade food, but it was warm and soft to the mouth. Though this time, the food tasted saltier than before. Its taste also had a slightly more… ‘flatness’ to it, along with the food that seemed too soft and as if about to melt at any moment without needing to put it in his mouth where it was warmer than the temperature outside.
The morning was like that, and noon and afternoon were like that. Ciemnosc ate his ‘3 meals a day’ in those times and ordered before deciding to finally leave. Searching very hard between his Covert Space bags and taking out 100 gold coins, Ciemnosc did the same as yesterday. But instead of resting in his bedroom, he walked out of the inn, at last, and started heading northeast of the village.
‘No… Don’t try anything.’ Ciemnosc sensed a dozen villagers moving through houses and buildings, following him around and looking at him with the eyes of hunters tailing an injured, more fearsome hunter having turned into prey. Ciemnosc closed his eyes, slightly hoping that he wouldn’t be bothered, but as he kept walking. And children were forced to stay back at their homes. They kept tailing him ‘from afar’ with those greedy eyes.
“... No more steps, ‘Ciemnosc’ the monster!” When he arrived at an extreme of the village, an old and rough voice spoke out loudly behind him. They had been careful not to make sounds with their footsteps, but they were like ‘bells’ in Ciemnosc’s heart that thumped ever so clearly. It would be the same even for a Phrenic realm cultivator, let alone him, who could slay Creatures at the Ashes Apperception realm. Who are even more powerful.
“You have been poisoned! From early to now! De- desist!” A much younger but equally similar voice sounded out. It was the village’s village head son, which Ciemnosc noticed around the ‘royal village’ with his Spirit Sense moving around, picking the next partner to spend the night with. He and the village head were literally imitating a king’s lifestyle together, as if both were kings. And most families here gave their wives and even sometimes daughters to the royals.
“You have committed crimes. Everybody knows it! When the Eagerburning Flames Sect comes. Who will suffer but you?!” - “That’s right, you are a demon! You will diee!” - “Leave your riches. The village will confiscate any weapon you have in return for the antidote! Do it or you wi- akk~!”
“...” Ciemnosc simply looked back, his torso bending forth by a little and his head turning around. While the villagers behind his back were yelling at him and trying to throw boulders at him, only to miss by a meter before reaching his body. With that alone, Ciemnosc made the villager who was shouting the loudest at the moment shut up and cower.
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In silence as he looked at them, Ciemnosc slowly turned around after rolling his eyes towards his left. Turning around entirely, Ciemnosc looked at them like they were sacks of potatoes he had to carry into the back of a store, and then he was done for the day.
“You shouldn’t have done this,” Ciemnosc said. And with a headache trying to split parts of his little brain apart, he raised his right hand to be positioned in front of his left shoulder. The seed of rage dwelled within him, and as he waved his right hand to the right, slightly upwards. A terrible noiseless sound echoed out everywhere.
“!” Ciemnosc could only see as everything turned black before him as that black sphere from ‘before’ made its second appearance once again. But this time, he did so outside his body, without it all surrounding him all at once. In an area of 80 meters, everything before him was gone as soon as the black sphere disappeared. It was like a god didn’t like something and grabbed it before throwing it away.
Both living and the dirt of some structures like fences and signs were gone. Nothing remained before Ciemnosc as he felt like his body had eaten away all those things as soon as the black sphere was gone. It all happened fast, and the surprise made Ciemnosc’s pupils shrink. His irises trembled, too, though barely noticeable, as it was all pitch black except for his sclera. But only for a few seconds before he slowly let down his hand and turned around to walk away from the village in all tranquility.
He first walked very much at his own pace. Then started trotting towards the north, and before long, Ciemnosc was already running away as he sped up faster and faster through the desertic-ish lands of the east of the Region.
This time, it was a much smaller headache. Despite the increased ‘limit’ of natal ‘abilities’ - Ciemnosc wasn’t affected severely by the limited 80 meters of that black sphere… whatever it was.
And when Ciemnosc felt the devouring of land, objects without life but with pure nature within them even if not withholding any pure energy. It felt amazing! His mind returned to the first time he tasted blood, which was the night that changed his whole life, from the first time he cultivated to begin learning where his body ‘came from’ and what it was capable of, little by little.
Ciemnosc ran until the excitement and spur of the moment left his body, and he could relax again. When his thoughts were fresh and cold, just as his body naturally is.
. . .
Within the maximum northeast of the Region, there lay many ginormous hills that were otherwise smallish mountains compared to those around the north and south, as well all over the west. Surrounded by an endless prairie that shrouded all cardinal point sections in the Region. And that was the most ostentatious in the west. Though the snow did not allow that to be clearly noticed nowadays.
STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP…!
Ciemnosc was rushing onwards, moving to the place that once upon a time he was looking for. And that back then, he received information about it but also lost the person who worked so hard for him. As he stomped towards the place, his mind going through things, his chest feeling ‘that’ seething again, Ciemnosc harshly stomped against the ground and destroyed a few meters around wherever his feet stomped on.
‘Schnell, thank you. I’m finally here. You will be resting wherever you are, and do not worry about me not finishing this… job I left you to do.’ Ciemnosc’s face raced, his eyes looked seriously furious right now, and the trails of craters behind him became ‘more and more’ left behind as he sped up his already fast and overbearing pace.
Clcl clclcl~, cl- click-pshift~…
His Claws Out were instinctively coming out. He just couldn’t hold it any longer as they made small, clicking noises along that of energy moving through into action. Projecting from his hands’ fingertips, they cut through air like Mortal weapons could, sounding ‘cuh’ at all times and with every movement he made. His toes were now making different marks, not just craters, but also left clear signs of claws deeply plunging into the ground.
It was significantly due to the force Ciemnosc was stomping and the speed at which he was doing so that his feet gained some ‘kind’ of kinetic force which then traveled out of his feet’s Claws Out and left clawing marks behind that went deeper than 10 cm each. Yet, all of those clawing marks were left alone and undisturbed by the force of his bodily strength.
His teeth also clicked, each making a sound so clear and crispy as they became black fangs, revealing an evermore disturbing sight that fueled Ciemnosc’s furious image.
‘Crystalglass Pavilion, behind the last lonely giant hill, right before leaving the Region… I’ve found it, Schnell… I’ll find you, too.’ Ciemnosc thought, but the last few words in his mind weren’t directed towards her, Schnell, or his Mommy. But to an individual, which he must find.
STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP!...
… Within a hall that wasn’t their main hall but was already the most incredible one in the world. Eclipsing entirely in riches and fashion, even the Rocaloi Academy. Where a bunch of men and women sat around, some even flirting with each other and playing, others seriously or casually dialoguing as they all reunited for the same reason. Even though they already had partners and family, there was a notorious scent of lust and passion, much more for the former, as only they would know what happened in this little hall.
It wasn’t too spacious, but it seemed comfortable enough. There was a jade-like blue crystalline color for the walls, solid sofas with soft cushions of light emerald color to sit with, and the former for the ceiling. While the floor was of a squeaky white marble color with dots of black chocolate, giving it an enticing design and appearance. Debauchery and richness mingled in just the image of this hall and the people in it.
Some wore robes, some thin clothing of all kinds of fabric. But they all looked different from the 4 ‘major’ organizations and even the modern stylized clothes from the academy in general. They were much more beautiful, better crafted, and did not necessarily come from expensive and rare sources. But most of them did, though the most enchanting and beautiful ones were those with ‘ordinary’ resources. While the most costly-looking ones were just for satisfaction.
Vanity at its best. But accompanied, in short numbers, by reason.
“Oho, I heard those ‘4’ are having fun now. I have been reported people around their influence seem to have known and understood more about ‘the world’ and all that stuff. Haha, how imbeciles,” a slightly fatty, middle-aged man with white starting to protrude from the sides of his head to accompany the balding of his head said before drinking a cup of something.
“Oh, pavilion head, hehe,” a young woman chuckled as she widgets moved in her cushion. She presented him a grand smile, her teeth beautifully showing as the pavilion head looked at her and became satisfied.
“Then, pavilion head.” Another person, a middle-aged man with paint-like gray hair, spoke out and attracted the pavilion head’s attention. “That Ciemnosc is strong. Will he join us if we find him while searching for her and her family?”
“Mn,” the pavilion head took another sip of his liquor. His face went red for a few seconds before returning to normal. “Ah, this fine wine can’t get us drunk, only for a few seconds. We need to work harder!”
The pavilion head stood up, leaving his cup on a small table nearby. His words remained with everyone who was their owner, basically. The pavilion head faced everyone else in the hall and nodded to himself after noticing that everyone’s attention was on him.
“We have less than 200 years to find his grace’s son or daughter and their mother. If not, their bloodline. And when our grace’s confusion and anger calm down, we will naturally be first to know the truth about cultivation and soar along his grace into the rest of the universe!” The pavilion head had everyone around gasping at the notion, their eyes enlarging as they glinted with newfound devotion.
“That’s right, pavilion head. That is our path!” Another person stood up and praised the head’s ‘incredible’ intelligence. “If we can get that Ciemnosc to join our Crystalglass Pavilion, then conquering this Region would take no more than a few decades, let alone finding that woman and his grace’s child!”
“Esteemed venerable ones!” Suddenly, there was an interruption as a young boy came into the room hurriedly and sweating bullets. Everyone looked at him, especially the pavilion head frowning and annoyed eyes. “What is it?”
“It’s… gulp, it’s Ciemnosc! He’s coming here an-” The young boy tried to explain. There were a couple of pretty young girls behind the young boy, showing an image of Ciemnosc’s current figure rushing somewhere and another of other angles of Ciemnosc as he moved as brazenly as possible.
“Ciemnosc? We were just talking about him.” The pavilion head was gladdened. He lifted his left eyebrow and asked everyone in the hall. Another person still sitting down asked in retort, making some grin directly, “Can he read minds? Or maybe he is in dire straits and needs a powerful backer to help him keep his feet steady? Haha, let’s take him in-”
CRAAAAAAASSHH-CCKK!!
…