The books appeared to be historical records explaining the grandeur of the Eldinheart sect. Initially, they were a sect of Void users who came together to figure out a way to cultivate, but they eventually joined forces with a sect of Spatial cultivators. Marriages and research were arranged, but little came from it.
Their hopes to cultivate the Void without external aid proved futile, so they turned their ambitions elsewhere. They sought to find a way to ensure their descendants were dual affinity cultivators. If they could cultivate both Void and Spatial Qi, they could, finally, cultivate without assistance, at least after they reached Essence Coalescence. That’s when a cultivator could use their Qi outside of their body.
“Nothing about why they were targeted, who their enemies were, or what any of these objects are,” Ethan grumbled as he rubbed his temples. “Fuck it!”
Ethan stood and put the books back in the ring. He opened the door and walked out. Laila was training with a few of the other survivors, along with her family. Jonathan was sitting by the door, keeping watch. Ethan walked over to him first and brought out his old sword.
“Here,” he said and proffered the sword. Jonathan looked at it with wide eyes. “I found a few other weapons, but they require Qi to wield. This one doesn’t, so you should be fine to use it.”
“Th-thank you, Ethan,” Jonathan said as he put the metal pipe he’d been using down and grabbed the sword. He held it reverently before him as he smiled. “This means a lot. A proper weapon to defend myself with.”
“Yeah, that’s the idea,” Ethan nodded. “There will be times when I have to leave, as we discussed before. I need someone here who can hold the fort. Leaving you guys without proper weapons would be a bad idea.”
Jonathan nodded, and Ethan waved him goodbye. He approached Laila as she was taking a break from training.
“Laila,” Ethan drew her attention. “I’ve got something for you.”
“Oh,” Laila smirked. “Already giving me gifts? Are you trying to win me over?”
“Uhh,” Ethan blinked. “Uhm. I-uh.”
“Haha!” Laila laughed and wiped faux tears from her eyes. “Don’t worry. I’m kidding. What do you have?”
“Hahh,” Ethan sighed and shook his head. He brought out one of the other swords. It was a short, straight sword with a wide guard. “Here. I’m unsure if it has any special properties, but anything is better than what you have now.”
“Yeah,” Laila smiled as she jumped to her feet. “Awesome. Thank you!”
She took a few practice swings.
“Now,” Ethan said. “I think you should continue to integrate for a few days, and then we should consider heading out to find the area where you saw the fire.”
“Yeah, about that,” Laila said. “I think I want to do it on my own.”
“Why?” Ethan frowned and crossed his arms.
“No offence, Ethan,” she said as she rubbed a shoulder. “But, I want to be self-sufficient. I appreciate the sword and the help, but I can’t depend on you for everything. Don’t worry, though; I have enough reason to live. I’m not going to take unnecessary risks.”
“Fine,” Ethan sighed and shook her head. “I don’t agree, but it’s your choice.”
Ethan walked away and retreated to his office to cultivate.
The next few days were a jumble of activity as Ethan trained with the other survivors, especially with Laila, since she could match his strength. He rationed and parcelled out what little food they had left and took some time to cultivate.
During one of the cultivation sessions, he was interrupted by a notification. A chill ran down Ethan’s spine when he read it.
[Quest Failed: Survival 1.]
“What?!” Ethan shot to his feet and rushed outside. He was met with a grinning Jonathan, standing beside a few strangers.
“Ethan!” Jonathan beamed. “Perfect timing. These are cultivators from the Celestial Heart. They’re the group from the city centre. We spoke for a bit, and we agreed to join them. There’s safety in numbers, right?”
Ethan blinked, frowned, and stood still for several seconds before one of the strangers cleared their throat.
“Excuse me,” he said. “But I imagine this comes as a surprise to you, but I assure you, we’ve got only the best intentions. We’re a collective, and every resource is spent for everyone's benefit. We are delighted to have you join us.”
“For example,” the other stranger said. “Laila has been granted access to our Fire-Qi Artefact. I believe you had planned to find it, but we got to it a few days ago, I’m afraid.”
“It’s great, Ethan,” Jonathan grinned. “They’ve got loads of people. My son is a cultivator in their group!”
“Now,” the first stranger interjected. “Before we get into that, I see you have a storage ring in your possession. Yes, we know what they are. We’ve found a couple ourselves. I’m afraid you’ll have to turn that over to us. As mentioned, everything is added to the collective to empower everyone equally.”
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Fuck that,” Ethan said after he snapped out of his surprise. “What I have, I have earned. Also, it’s tailored to my affinity.”
“I’m sure we’ve got others with the same affinity,” the second guy smirked.
“Oh,” Ethan sneered. “I highly doubt that.”
“What is your affinity then?” he asked.
“None of your business,” Ethan shook his head. “I’m not giving it up.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” the first guy sighed. He then turned his head toward the exit and shouted. “Bring her in!”
Ethan narrowed his eyes as the door opened. His eyes widened as his sister walked in. He took a step toward her before stopping.
“Ethan,” she smiled and gestured for the office. “Let’s talk.”
Ethan frowned but followed, watching the strangers through his Spatial Sense.
“Now,” Ethan’s sister said as she sat down on his desk. “Don’t be silly, and join the team. We’re all stronger together.”
“Oh, really?” Ethan narrowed his eyes. “This all feels like extortion to me, Alissa.”
“Oh, wow,” Alissa shook her head and sighed. “So like you. What’s so difficult to understand? We share our resources and grow stronger as a result.”
“And, I assume it’s all fair, then?” Ethan shook his head and sneered. “The world’s not fair. People aren’t fair.”
“Oh, come on!” she exclaimed. “Don’t be selfish!”
Ethan blinked a few times and gritted his teeth.
“I’m selfish?” Ethan thought as he tried to take a calming breath. “I am selfish? You know what? Fuck it! I’m done!”
“Fuck you, Alissa,” Ethan growled and watched his sister reel back with wide eyes. “I’m selfish, am I? How much of Dad’s anger did you bear, huh? Right, none! Because I took it upon myself! Every time he got drunk, or angry, or both, I took the beatings so you didn’t have to!”
Ethan started pacing. His hands trembled as veins popped on his neck.
“When he died, I was the one to drop out of school. I got a job and loans to support mother as she collapsed. I’m the one who took a second job to get you through college! I’m the one who gave up my future for you! And here I am, fucking doing it again! I’ve spent my time trying to elevate these people, and now… They got another offer and took it without even letting me know beforehand.”
Alissa opened her mouth, but Ethan silenced her with a raised finger.
“I have never been selfish in my entire life!” he growled as he leaned over her. “I think I’m owed a little selfishness. So, you can get off your high, fucking horse and get lost.”
Ethan walked away. He pushed the door open with enough force to knock it off its hinges and strode past the strangers.
He exited the storage room and saw Laila standing by a group of survivors. He met her eyes and walked away.
In a flurry of motion, four strangers, three men and one woman, appeared, blocking his path. Ethan frowned as they drew weapons.
“Now, now,” one of them said. “We can’t allow that. We have a large group to care for, so we can’t let such a treasure trove disappear.”
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” asked another one, sneering. “There’s strength in numbers, dude. Our collective is far stronger than any one cultivator can become. Give it up. Join us.”
“You’re stronger, huh?” Ethan grumbled. “Let’s find out. Stop me.”
Ethan Void Stepped next to the guy and punched him before Void Stepping again and swept the legs from under the woman. The next guy got a knee to the stomach, while the last one, the leader, got an elbow to the chin. Ethan used Void Step one last time and reappeared before him.
“See?” Ethan sighed. “Sharing everything means everyone gets stronger, but it also means you’re all too weak to handle the real threats. Do you really think you’re at the peak of strength around here? We’re just starting, idiots! What’ll happen if you meet something your precious collective can’t handle? Do you have any powerhouses that can handle the threats your group can’t handle? I’m a Spirit Initiation cultivator, and I kicked your asses while barely breaking a sweat, and don’t get me wrong, I could have wielded this.”
Ethan summoned his sword and pointed it at the group.
“You could all be dead right now,” Ethan sneered. “And you claim to be stronger, better. Fuck off. I’m done with this. Leave me alone, or suffer the consequences.”
Ethan Void Stepped several times in succession until he arrived at the forest by the highway.
“Fuck!” he lamented, panting and sweating profusely. “Why did I react like that? I mean- I know I’ve suppressed some anger, but that was over the top, wasn’t it? It’s like something inside me rebelled against the idea of being subservient to that group.”
Ethan shook his head and ruminated about the event as he walked. Soon enough, he arrived at the mountain’s base and started climbing.
The pressure and strain helped clear his mind, and as he reached the peak, he revelled in the clear, crisp air and the fantastic view. No clouds were in sight, and Ethan could see for miles in any direction.
He took a few minutes to take in the sights before he walked through the rubble and down into the hidden chamber.
“Anyway,” Ethan sighed. “What’s done is done. I’m on my own and can focus on myself for a while. Maybe it’s better this way: less responsibility and external pressure.”
***
The group collected themselves and nursed their injuries as Jonathan watched wide-eyed. Ethan’s sister, Alissa, rushed out the door and looked around, frowning.
“Where did he go?” she asked. “What happened?”
“He kicked our asses,” the woman said as she rubbed her back. “Then he disappeared.”
“What do you mean he kicked your asses?!” Alissa ground her teeth. “There’s four of you!”
“He had some ability to rapidly teleport,” one of the guys said, though his voice was hard to understand due to his jaw swelling. “We had no chance to react.”
Jonathan frowned as he listened to the group.
“Did we make a mistake?” he wondered. “I mean… If Ethan can beat them this easily… I mean-. Was it really such a bad deal? Urgh. No matter. I’m going to see my son again! That’s all that matters to me.”
“Fucking hell, you’re useless,” Alissa exclaimed and shook her head. “Let’s go.”
They took off, and the group followed. Jonathan looked into Laila’s eyes and saw his worries reflected there. Laila shook her head and sighed, but she followed the group.