Amidst the hushed anticipation of the announcement, a soft gong reverberated through the air bringing with it the whispers of mantras floating in the wind. A sense of reverence hung above the audience and in this moment of heightened expectancy, the figure of Grand High Priest Harald emerged. The previous quiet was immediately dispersed as the predominantly Temple affiliated audience burst into loud applause. In direct contrast to the enthusiasm of the Acolytes, Priests and Temple Sangha, Ren couldn't help but notice the looks of contempt on a few noble faces, as they gazed upon the jolly old grandfather making his way to the stage.
However, neither the applause nor the contempt were able to break through the aura of serenity the rotund man exuded. His steps were deliberate, each one measured and purposeful as he advanced forward. His wizened fingers moved through the brown prayer beads wrapped around his hands, and he gently smiled at the crowd. Unlike the other Temple Priests, Harald’s robes were completely white with an orange trim tastefully hemming the simple garment. On his waist hung a simple red sash with 8 blue stripes denoting him as a Tier 8 Qi Cultivator of the Temple.
The applause persisted until he made his way up the steps of the stage, turned around facing the audience, pressed his hands in greeting and received much the same in return. Once again, Ren noticed that most of the nobles in the crowd did not follow suit, instead their faces scrunched up into varying degrees of disdain. Greendale’s head of the Luminous Temple turned back around, and slowly made his way towards his seat. The Priests and Diviners seated up there, got up to their feet in greeting, but the Village Lord remained seated. The Grand High Priest stopped in front of her seated form and gave a shallow bow.
“Village Lord.”
“Grand High Priest,” Bethshe tilted her head in greeting before gesturing to the chair beside her. Once Harald was seated, the announcer continued.
“Now let us all rise and have a moment of silence for the ones we lost. They have been forced into the Cycle of Samsara before their time, but we will remember them. Please rise." With that, the Priest silently left the podium as the crowd stood up in respect for the dead.
Ren stood with the crowd, but a strong wave of weakness and vertigo made him stumble. Luckily, Kala's reflexes were fast and strong hands caught his elbow, preventing him from sprawling onto the floor. She raised a silent eyebrow in concern, but he smiled weakly in thanks and gave a thumbs up. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she stared at his raised thumb, but she rolled her eyes, releasing his arm and seemingly content that he was not in imminent peril. Ren looked at his internal system message which was blinking with an alert waiting for him to review.
Time Left till Meltdown = 22 days > Dammit. The nuclear leak within his core had gotten worse, shortening his time to live by almost a week! The nuclear compartment's walls had been significantly degraded, leaving ample room for a steady stream of radiated particles to escape into the channels of his core. The sensors he had monitoring the unit were failing as well, being victims of the false readings and data corruption caused by extensive exposure to the damaging energy. Were it not for the smothering nature of the stolen Qi floating within his core's channels, the radiation would have seeped into the other sealed compartments, irreversibly damaging the delicate machinery within. The blob of Qi absorbed the nuclear-byproduct as fast as it encountered it, stripping it off much of its potency. The tradeoff was that the Qi mix itself became radiated, damaging any surfaces it came into contact with. Ren coerced the Qi mix to move away from the most delicate compartments and keep most of its mass closer to the outermost lower priority regions. He however, let a few strands of the Qi plug the holes in the nuclear compartment. He would have to change these periodically, but with the options he had, this was the best he could do. As it were, in his moment of weakness, he had temporarily lost control over the lockdown he had placed on the exits leading out of his core. During that brief window, a portion of the radiated Qi mass had escaped into his body and he was currently reeling from the damage it had caused in that brief window. It had burst into an expanding dome of filaments the moment it escaped his core, looking like it was being controlled by a primitive sentience trying to ensure its survival. The radiated filaments left ethereal pathways wherever they passed, causing Ren to grunt in pain as it embedded into his flesh, muscle and sinew. With effort, he was able to wrangle most of the energy back into his core but not without significant pain and weakness. Ren noticed Kala’s arms wrapped around him as she carefully helped him take his seat. This alarmed him to a great extent, as he had been so engrossed in his internal struggle that he lost situational awareness. "I'm ok. Just some nausea," he whispered, trying to diminish his current state of weakness. "Must be something I ate." He was surrounded by strangers and it would not do to give anyone ideas in his vulnerable state. The rest of the crowd was seated at this point and Ren idly noted the Village Lord making her way to the Podium, but he focused on the worried face of Kala. She seemed unsure about his assessment, so she reached into her bag and pulled out a health potion, handing it over to him. Ren nodded his thanks just as the Village Lord began her speech. "Citizens of Greendale, it is with a heavy heart that I stand before you today, commemorating the hundred of lives lost in last night’s senseless attack on sacred Temple grounds." She paused, a sad but stern expression on her face as she waited for the gravitas of the occasion to settle upon the audience. "As Village Lord, it is my duty to ensure the safety of every single soul residing in Greendale Village. Those of you who know me personally, know that I take my duties very seriously but these attackers would make a liar out of me. Our preliminary investigations have indicated that this was a targeted attack by elements from the village of MistyPeak." The gathered crowd immediately groaned in displeasure, multiple conversations being whispered among the audience. Village Lord Bethshe let the murmuring fester for a couple of breaths, before raising her hands to calm the irate audience. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. "I want to assure you that we are doing everything in our power to find all those responsible for this horrific act and bring them to justice. But today, we gather to remember and honor those who have been taken from us too soon. They were our friends, our neighbors, and our loved ones. They were the backbone of our community, and their contributions will never be forgotten." "We lost a lot of fighters and heroes and I know many of you are tired of feeling helpless, and would like the opportunity to grow stronger to protect your loved ones. Fear not because I have the solution for those brave few who are willing to shed blood and tears on their path to power." She snapped her fingers and an assistant carrying a heavy chest, walked up to the podium. Bethshe waved the assistant off as she opened the chest pulling out a wooden plaque and showing it to the captive audience. "This is a Teleportation Token to the Fractured Realm of Grothluk’s Demise." The crowd thrummed with excited chatter as the token was displayed some more. "It is a realm separated from ours, brimming with opportunities for cultivators of all ranks. Beware however that with great opportunity, comes even greater risk. These tokens can safely transport Essence level cultivators into the fractured realm without any issues but Qi Masters are forbidden from making the same attempt. I see many familiar faces in the crowd, so I know you understand why. For those of you too young to remember, nine in ten Qi masters sent through the token will arrive on the other side as a shredded heap of flesh. The tenth Qi Master, unfortunate to survive the perilous transport, would face the same abysmal odds on the return trip. As such, the chosen few who will be given this opportunity will not have Qi Elders to fall back on, in the fractured realm." The Village Lord let the information sink in as she watched the crowd with emerald eyes. Ren was impressed at how skillfully she had diverted the angst of the crowd into immense anticipation in a few short words. "Four days from now, is the summer solstice. The day when the barrier between our world and the fractured realm is the thinnest. The leaders of the surrounding settlements know this just like we do, so you should expect fierce competition against foreign cultivators within Grothluk’s Demise," she paused, taking a breath. "That includes cultivators from MistyPeak Village." A cold smile spread on her lips as the crowd booed and called for blood. "Now, now. This is not the time for vengeance," the Village Lord waved her hands to calm the audience. "The Heads of the major Families, Clans and Temple of Greendale have been aware of this opportunity for months, and have been conducting screenings on the best candidates to select. Within the day, the lucky few chosen, will be contacted by their sponsors who will be responsible for preparing them for the trip. The Grand High Priest will come lead us in prayer for the dead shortly but before I go, I pray that the souls of the departed rest in peace, and that they remain an inspiration for us all. Greendale stands stronger because of them!" Village Lord Bethshe walked back to her seat to the tunes of raucous applause, a far cry from the tepid reception she had received when she first stepped upon the stage. Ren’s respect for the woman grew several fold at the masterful display of control. He had no doubt that Bethshe had woven the tale of the Fractured Realm into her speech specifically to divert the negative attention from her office, and instead ramp up the spirits of her people. From the slight twitch at the corner of the Grand High Priest’s lips, Ren felt his theory validated. The man stood up in applause, welcoming the Village Lord back to her seat, before he headed for the Podium. "Amitabha, blessed benefactors!" he began in the most tranquil voice Ren had ever heard. "On behalf of the Luminous Temple, I want to say a big thank you to our esteemed Village Lord." He paused, sweeping his robe-draped arm towards the seated Bethshe. Before the applause could kick back up, he continued with his speech. "All life is sacred. From the lowliest worms crawling through muddy roads, to the King of the greatest Kingdoms. We as members of the Luminous Temple must strive to fan the flames of life wherever we find it." "However," he shook his head sadly. "It is better to cut off the rotting hand, lest the soul be corrupted and denied the cycle of rebirth. So too does our faith entrust us to protect our loved one's and anyone in danger of being oppressed. Last night, great suffering was levied against our beloved Sangha. Suffering generated by those whose path has been clouded by desire and ignorance. It was my humble prayer that such a sacrilegious event would never happen, but the poisoned hearts of a few have disturbed the peace of the faithful." The arena was pin quiet. Grand High Priest Harald, while of differing temperament to the Village Lord, was just as charismatic. The solemn air he projected drew the people's attention to him effortlessly. Even now, whilst quietly observing the audience, his serene face seemed to speak volumes to the hearts of all who waited on his next words. “In these troubled times, I would urge that we refrain from imbibing from the waters of resentment, lest it clouds our judgment and lead us further astray. Instead of vengeance, our efforts are best served focusing on retrieving spiritual herbs from the Fractured Realm rather than more martial pursuits.” He paused, smiling gently as discontent rolled over large swathes of the seated audience. His loving eyes roamed over the crowd, exuding so much tenderness and understanding, Ren almost puked in disgust. “Calm your hearts, benefactors,” his tranquil voice stole their attention once again. “I understand how you feel, for it is only natural. And I know that it is unfair to expect restraint, especially from the young who will be our only representatives in the Fractured Realm. As such, together with the Diviners, I spent the night asking for guidance from our Immortal Venerables. With their divinations, a way of balance has been made manifest and with it Greendale Village will come back stronger than before we were attacked.” It was minute, but Ren noticed Village Lord Bethshe's pupils constrict as the Grand High Priest spoke. At first, she had seemed bored, like her mind was already elsewhere working to solve issues only she was privy to. However, the last few sentences spoken by Harald drew her attention like a bee to nectar. Pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts, the Grand High Priest drew in a deep, calming breath. With his emotions steadied, he resumed his address with a composed demeanor. "And that is why I am blessed to announce that the Temple will be giving out a [Phoenix Rebirth Pill] to the lucky cultivator who brings back the most valuable Spiritual Herbs from the Fractured Realm." Sharp intake of breaths echoed all around, followed by the scraping of upturned chairs as dozens stood, mouth agape at the unexpected announcement. A cry of absolute surprise pierced through the clearing moments later. "What?!"