Yun Hee P.O.V.
“Zhè wèi bēiwéi de rén jiànle fūrén” I bowed in a sitting position before the semitransparent curtain. She held her trademark Kiseru in one hand. The famous artifact she had taken from a rival cultivator from a very old but legendary conflict. “The War of Thorns, Jīngjí Zhī Zhàn.”
“Tíng xiàlái, nǐ fùqīn huì bù tóngyì de.” She gave the word.
The quarters of the Madame were small but excessively magnanimous. The silhouette of the Madame visible with the darkened yellow light behind her. She was smoking some orgon herb concoction. The smell made it obvious.
“Apologies, Madame.”
“Your father wouldn’t be too happy knowing that you are speaking my tongue. Worse even, when he finds out that you are here.” Madame spoke softly, like a long forgotten song.
“It was the wish of my mother to be placed under you, your grace.” I bowed and waited.
“And she and you have done well for my eyes are never wrong. But the daughter of the ruler of the Nation of the Sword should be a bit more mindful of her father’s tendencies. Kal-ui ttal.”
“I’ll remember, forgive my trespass.”
“The Heavenly Demon is very pleased; the artifacts are worth more than stated originally. Your reward will increase.”
Three books appeared before me in a few breaths. I took them into my temporal ring.
‘I’ll read them in detail later, no time for this now.’
“These arts are for your future growth. The resources required to cultivate your spirit roots will be accounted for, while you remain here. We will concentrate on your metal and fire roots and more succubus arts.”
The energy in the room began to feel oppressive. Her Qi was manifesting.
Blood tentacles, tendrils spread through the floor and engulfed my body, only leaving my head uncovered.
“Wait a moment. I’ll see your gains.”
Going through my meridians and my dantians, her energy invaded every fiber and inner part of my body. For a couple of gasps of air, I felt my soul scream. The living blood receded and my imprisonment ended.
I heaved continuously.
“Show me your five accupoint acquired art.”
I did as I was ordered. I released the art to its full effect.
“Jing, Xing, Shu, Jing, He!” The chant came forth.
A garden of roses appeared in the quarters. The scent of red roses in full bloom spread. “The Bloody Rose.” The art given by the Madame when I became a succubus, the Death Petal, Sǐwáng Huābàn.
“Your power has increased, you can destroy others on the same realm, not elites or unique characters but the mob, good progress. But your control is weakening. This is because a chaos spirit root is sprouting. Your tribulations will be heavy; your luck is heavenly. Just as I have foreseen.”
I was utterly shocked.
My thoughts were spinning.
“Tell me flower, what makes us who we are?” The melodic voice compelling me to answer truthfully.
“The Dao.” I answered.
“And what is the essence of the Dao Heart?”
“If we say it is black even if it’s white, then it is black. The materialization of desire through tribulation.” I offered the teachings of our continent, Yinshengan.
“And the way of Malgrun?”
“A heart, a heart filled with unquenchable undying desire granting us the power of the eternal flame according to our offering.”
“Yes child. And for this reason, one must be subservient to the other. You will have to choose between being a demonic cultivator blessed by Malgrun or a malgrunian phoenix with cultivator attributes. Your mother is the latter, eternally yearning for your father, no matter how much she denies it. She suffers but she loves it, that’s why you were born.”
Those words reminded me of a destiny I always tend to keep in the back of my mind.
“Can’t you help your beloved friend, Madame?” Mother never speaks of this, I was intrigued.
“She could, I could but she has to choose to become more powerful than your father. But if that were to happen, she might kill him. How does the flaming verses go child?” The melody compelled me again.
“If one falters, one is unworthy to lead. The unworthy must burn!”
“Exactly little one, whether the man dies or not, that is a different matter. Remember this when you make your choice. Completing the verse from the added insert given only to your elders in the Kolga. If man is strong, lips are wet. If man is weak there is no need.”
“Yes Madame.” I bowed without making a sound, thinking deeply about this knowledge.
‘Constant learning, constant gains as long as you can progress. If not, eternal blindness and half-truths for a low level initiate. Only the ones deemed worthy may see the flame.’
“You are free to leave, child. Train hard, in all aspects.” A melodious laughter filled the room.
I turned to leave. I hastened my steps thinking even more…
‘‘Chaos root? Sprouting chaos root? Sprouting, dark energy, real dark, real powerful, real strange. I think it is a legendary root. Wait! Ikrei, the strange energy from the soul music? When, how?!’
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“Man strong…”
‘Gosh, the damn thing is throbbing. My new Knicker brand panties, brand new luxury version, no! The pool. Yes, let’s go to the pool.’
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Ikrei P.O.V.
Agent Black: Case 12
Somewhere on the outskirts of Zunyl.
I was in the carriage of a small time noble playing bodyguard. I had two missions in one this time.
“I will never hunt the Acra birds like that again.”
I had gone on a one-night hunt for all the birds at the same time. The crystal nest was hidden inside an orgon deposit, a very small one. Grounded birds with fully developed cores, absorbing orgon constantly. Should be easy, right?
Yes, an no. I caught 33 birds with their cores. But that was because there were over a hundred. What happens when angry mana birds are desperate? They do like the kids do, they runaway and shit themselves in fear.
‘Somehow, I know my elders knew I would choose this approach. Direct and short. Krigsain’s style. Lesson learned elders, I am not Krigsain. Being around the guy influences you in all sort of ways.’
“Sniff. Sniff.” The odor of the poop is almost gone.
“Mr. Black, will you be joining the festivities?” The girl in front of me looked worried.
“We will soon arrive at the home of your partner, my lady. I’ll accept a bottle of Thurskan.”
She nodded with a smile.
We were on an official government carriage. It was being used for the personal use of a noble, delivering the lady I was guarding to a retired general. My client is the lady and my job is to record their first night with a crystalink for blackmail. She hates him.
With the help of my mask and my runic ring I became a woman, the flattest woman ever. A combination of my mask and Yun Hee’s power of transformation, limited scope but useful. You can never be too careful with horny men. The power of a Heaven grade artifact from the Heavenly Demon. The three main abilities of the ring: absolute obedience, powers and arts transfer depending on how powerful one is and finally disabling of artifacts of earth grade or lower. Partial soul communion, no matter the range. It can only be taken off if the controller allows it.
A monstrous ring.
‘Yun Hee must be twitching uncomfortably right now. Sorry little lass, I’ll spank your ass later.’
As her attendant, I setup base in the lord’s room with the help of my ring. Beautifully colored flowers and fresh fruits of my client’s choice were setup. Everything carefully placed with special candles, lotions and even a music glyphic cube for ambiance.
So, how am I going to record the show?
The glyphic cube emits the music signal, as long as it is playing, the recording device will activate. The device is the necklace my client is wearing, a “gift from her mother.” One artifact without the other cannot be detected unless you are a great crafter. The cultivators have a plethora of interesting toys. The non-awakened are nothing but ants in this world.
It should serve as an interesting view.
I headed to my next destination, it was close by.
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This was going to be my first official kill. A corrupt merchant and former government official. A bloody initiation for those working under the Merchant Association. Blackmail material to keep people like me on a leash. Entering the mouth of a dragon is never without the shedding of blood.
This is a harsh world.
I was waiting for the time of his arrival and his nap time. The news wasn’t positive. The crystalink I purchased gave another rundown of deaths and political conflict. An old lady was also crushed under materials on a construction by a freak accident. By the time midnight came around, it was time for a blade.
I moved through the house carefully, entering from a window on the second floor. Before long the target was standing outside the door of another room.
‘Probably his son’s room, as it is in the briefing.’
I moved for a single horizontal slash cut to the neck.
SWISH!
CLANG!
‘A bodyguard! This wasn’t in the report!’
SWISH! CLANG! SWISH! CLANG! SWISH! CLANG!
A furious trade off ensued. I was burning up my energy reserves. The instinctive reaction of an intuitive training regime. That and a bunch of spiders. I couldn’t hang on for long, big risks, big gains or catastrophic losses. Again, this is where fighting hundreds of spiders makes something like this seem easy. A single motion double move followed. Krigsain’s artifact fighting style.
All my remaining power was channeled into energizing my blade and activating my runic ring disabling ability. A massive gamble that only happens and it’s honed through desperation.
SWISH! CLANG! DOOONG!
The resonance occurs the blade of my opponent shows many cracks. He uses his ring. As expected he can’t, his ring is temporarily sealed. The glow in my ring occurs a second time. I launch a rose into his chest, clean hit.
WHEESH! WEESH! GURP!
The rose swallows the life out of the bodyguard. He falls to the ground.
‘Yun Hee must be grimacing on the floor right about now.’
I rush with my hunter’s body, the Iron Horse. No more core energy in persecution of my target. Three breaths later, I see him. I throw one of my Emeici, a weapon given to me for this task. A calling card.
It penetrates perfectly. One little problem, at the last second his son stood in front of his father. The weapon pierces them both.
‘Fuck!’
I bolt out as fast as I can and return to my previous location and become a woman again. Three days later I manage to leave, evading the investigations of the Gladion Knights. All thanks to a very horny, satisfied and soon to be penniless fat home patron. Having completed both assignments by the skin of my teeth, I returned to the bar.
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“Give me a strong one, Sochu.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Black.”
He served me one of his strong mixtures, dulling the pain.
“Innocent blood, sloppy too sloppy.”
“There are always mistakes when you start out, especially with your meager power.” My boss came from behind me.
“Yeah, I’m sure that is the case.”
“We will deduct the cleanup from your pay. Be careful next time.” Hau Yǐngr was dispassionate.
A couple of drinks later, I headed out for the Zurafin hunt with a heavy heart.
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The Zurafin are a curious mix. The cursed beasts of this world or so they are called. In an era long gone, the Zurafin were cursed by Zur for aiding man in their rebellion against god. They feed on negative energy. Specifically, Baleful energy, a term inherited from the cultivators. I don’t know the exact details, but if you are under an illusion from any expert, killing something “pure” will create the energy within you and will dissipate the illusion.
This is one of the favorite methods of the Necromancers in dealing with masters of illusion and reality transformation. Now that innocent blood is in my hands, I am filled to the brim with it. First times have an incredible effect on everything.
Sitting inside a clearing in the forest of Xena, Zunar’s hunting ground. I wait for them to come. I am tasty food after all.
“The elders cannot predict this far, can they?”
The thought that everything happens according to their calculations scares me a little.
‘Right now. The nagging feeling remains.’
The strange cursed beast a mix of a lot of creatures yet still awe-inspiring start roaring in the distance. The quadrupeds make the ground shake.
“The truth is; I don’t care if they rip me apart. I kind of welcome it.”
They appear, their blue fur with their trademark white blue tails. A strange cross species, a tiger, a lion and something else. The highly sought after pelage of the kotarian society. They love blue, the blue and white of the creatures that are believed were once men.
Five of them, exactly five. The beautiful fearbeasts charge roaring with intense power. The first core beasts are seven breaths away.
‘I am sorry yet not sorry.’
I don’t move, I wait.
Four breaths. Three more to go. Their thundering steps sending shockwaves and turning grass into mush, core power. Their cores exploding, they smell it, the Baleful scent.
Six breaths. Their claws are here, almost at a four step distance. My runic ring shines gold, the engravings magnifying. The “Bloody Rose” appears in my hand.
I insert it, into my own heart. The blood that is not really just blood spreads through my body. From my old temporal ring, simultaneously, all the remaining pills that Akathos has granted me appear. Half a breath later, my energy exploding, I swallow the alchemical pills.
Seven breaths. The beasts feast on my body. Krigsain’s alchemical wonder protecting my face. Everything else is game. I didn’t want to damage my armor; I didn’t use it.
Extreme hunting, father’s style combined with Krigsain’s knowledge of the arts of the succubae and the cultivators. I never thought I would be strong or insane enough to do it. Yet here I am, my former cautious self, surely eroding.
‘Still not really sorry, Yun Hee. Follow your lord.’
Energy pulsating wildly in conjunction with the “Bloody Rose”, I passed out.