by G L Rathweg
“I’m sorry.” I said and meant it.
“Close your eyes and focus on the image.” He said, voice back to its normal tone as if he wasn’t pissed at me a second before.
I moved on and got serious closing my eyes again. The image appeared as before and I grinned mentally as I studied it. It was a character sheet with stats, skills, levels, the whole fucking kit and kaboodle. It was similar to a typical RPG character sheet.
HIRO JONES
MARTIAL CULTIVATION STYLE – WAY OF THE VOID
LEVEL – 1 – DISCIPLE
EXPERIENCE – 103/1000
ABILITIES – IRON WILL
STR – 7
DEX – 8
WIS – 7
CON – 8
INT – 6
CHR – 8
LCK – 12
Student of the Ancient Celestial Emperor Dangun and beginner Cultivator of the Way of the Void.
“When you are done with that sheet move on to the next.” Dangun instructed.
“Actually, I had a question. How do you determine my statistics and experience and what are Iron Will and the Way of the Void?” I asked, eagerly as I was genuinely intrigued and wanted to know. I loved knowing why things were and it would help me build my character so to speak. And Way of the Void and Iron Will sounded so dope!
“I knew you were going to ask. Normally you would be judging your strength based off other practitioners and your own training since you would have begun at a young age. This was the culture of the time so you would have been steeped in it and known of it since birth. Things that I will use in terms of your RPG games would have been called magic, power, Ki, and other terms of that nature. You will be able to learn an ability that helps you gauge strength soon. I am just putting it all in terms that is easier for you to comprehend. The Way of the Void is the style of Elemental Martial Arts you will be learning. It is the most difficult of all the Cultivation Arts to learn and takes the longest to master. But it also has the most rewards and is the road to the most power. Iron Will is a skill you earned by making your deal with me even though you were surely going to die.” Dangun explained.
I nodded in response ecstatic that I had stuck to my guns before and even more eager now to continue training. I closed my eyes again moving on to the next image.
ELEMENTAL AFFINITIES
There are four major elements: Earth, Air, Water, and Fire. There are dozens upon dozens of sub-elements based on combinations of these. All life is infused with some amount of power to one or multiple elements. By tapping into one’s internal elemental ability or Ki they can increase their physical and metaphysical powers. This usually means one may become a Water User and can create and manipulate water at will. The same can be said of users of the other elements. Very rarely there are those beings born with the ability to manifest two elements. These are knowns are Geniuses and can do things like combine the elements of Water and Air to create Ice and can manipulate all three to some extent. All Elemental Martial Cultivators Ki energy is the color of their element from birth showing what their elemental affinities are.
WAY OF THE VOID
Once in a millennia a being is born with no elemental affinity to any of the elements. They are what’s known as Void Users. By having no ability with any element, they are able to learn how to use all the elements. Although this seems like it is a blessing it is not. The Void Martial Artist must train one hundred times as hard as a normal Elemental Martial Artist and one thousand times as much as a Genius Elemental Martial Artist. Very rarely do Void Users succeed in mastering the Way of the Void, but those that do reach the pinnacle of the elite Elemental Martial Artists. There are many famous examples of Void Martial Artists throughout the annals of history. Some examples are Genghis Khan, Leonardo Da’ Vinci, King Arthur, and Miyamoto Musashi just to name a few. Void Masters have a tendency to change history and are therefore either hated or loved. Few have neutral emotions about users of the Way of the Void. For those select few who are blessed or cursed to tread the Path of the Void will follow no Paths… and yet follow them all.
IRON WILL
This ability is only earned by those who have an unshakeable will. They would rather die than give in or submit to anyone or anything. Those that have this ability are able to push harder, go farther, and give it more than others. Giving their all even to the brink of death’s door. This ability allows those to Cultivate and train longer and to greater lengths equal or surpassing even a Genius’s natural abilities.
After reading all the information and committing it to memory I opened my eyes and saw that Dangun was watching me with a neutral but open expression on his face. He saw I was grinning from ear to ear and bursting with questions. Not only was the Way of the Void going to be super overpowered at some point, Iron Will just gave me a leg up. While it didn’t even the playing field of learning and training, it sure helped.
“As for your skills and experience those are gauged against a normal human since you are no longer a normal human. You are now more than human you are a Cultivator. You are a Martial Artist. Your body is tougher, stronger, and faster than any normal humans could ever be. Think of a ten in your statistics as the peak of what a human can reach. With that said, if you have any more questions ask them now. I am not the kind of teacher who doesn’t teach.” He said.
I nodded and then was quiet for a moment while I composed my questions. I had tons of them, but I was trying to keep them to ones that were pertinent to now.
“How is it that everyone doesn’t know about the Elements?” I asked, starting with the question I was most curious about.
“This used to be common knowledge. During my time everyone knew about the Elements and those with power were the ones in control. As what happens with most things power changed hands from those with Elemental abilities to the juggernaut known as technology. The last person I possessed… I mean user of the amulet was over a thousand years ago, but the development of weapons of science were already changing the balance of power.” Dangun explained.
That made sense and I nodded as he spoke. It was pretty much what happened with history in general. The march of progress got rid of the myths and magic of old. No matter what society or culture they can’t win against time. Dangun began speaking again so I refocused my attention back on him.
“…over time the Elemental Users went underground and kept themselves hidden from most of the world. There are many different cultures and societies of Elemental Users in all the countries of the world. There are also those that most of the mundane believe are myth and legend. Tales of monsters and magic but those as well are real. Not quite as the stories say but real nonetheless. You are now part of the Realm of the Elemental Martial Cultivator.” Dangun said.
“Wait a minute. You’re telling me there are vampires, werewolves, zombies, and all that? Gods and demons?” I asked, a bit skeptical.
“In their own ways yes. But those are only the tip of the iceberg. The universe is a vast place even when I was alive and there is more out there than you can imagine. Even during my time, I had travelled not only the world but the Spirit Realm and the Demon Realm among many others.” He said, smugly as if I was a country bumpkin.
Which, when compared to an ancient magical figure inside an amulet it might be true. But fuck him for being a dick anyway and what did he mean by different realms and the world?
“What do you mean? You’re talking about Korea and China not like the whole world? What about these other realms and the heaven and hell and stuff?” I asked.
“Your naivete is amusing but also ridiculous. Humans have been around for hundreds of thousands of years. Do you think we are so stupid as to never travel the globe till now? Boy I have crossed all the oceans and continents. I know all the tribes of men and powers on this Earth. I have fought dragons and danced with devils and angels. I have sat in the halls of gods and goddesses in realms beyond your imagining. Don’t thrust your petty learning and ideals on me boy.” Dangun said, lo
oking at me with apathy and then scoffing.
“I’m sorry if I belittled you I don’t really understand. But are you saying that I will be able to do those things one day as well? I mean I can already travel the world but the other stuff.” I asked, the yearning clear in my voice.
“That depends on how strong you get and if you can survive. Now, we will talk about all those things at a later date. For now, let’s start at the beginning with what powers all Elemental Power, your Ki.
TRACK 5 – SATELLITE – DAVE MATTHEWS BAND
“Currently, we are in your soul’s sanctuary or Ki Soul. Here is where your Ki is formed, stored, and is the center of your power.” Dangun explained.
“So, is my Ki is black because of being Void?” I asked.
“No, quite the opposite in fact. Your Ki is the absence of color and all the colors at the same time. You as a Void User are the Yin and the Yang, the light and the darkness. That is why you can become so powerful we are the balance of all things. From good and evil to love and hatred. Void is the combination of all these things and it is also none of them.” Dangun explained.
“Ok, I know this is supposed to be profound snatch the pebble from my hand shit but what the hell! How is it all, nothing, and everything in between?” I asked, a bit exasperated.
“You must be patient and try hard to learn the lessons I will teach you my young Padawan.” Dangun said.
I looked up quickly and stared at him as I heard the word.
“What is that not right? I saw the memories of the stories you love. Would you not be my Padawan and I the Jedi Master?” Dangun asked.
“No, that’s a good analogy I was just surprised to hear you say it. I won’t lie it makes everything a ton more bad ass.” I said, sincerely.
“Well, from what I can tell those Jedi guys were pussies compared to me. Dangun said, with a growl and puffing out his chest.
I looked at the ancient spirit and realized that pride transcends time and age then began laughing uncontrollably. I don’t know if it was just the stress of the last few hours or the ridiculousness of comparing a Jedi Master with an Ancient Celestial Elemental Cultivator Martial Artist but either way, I couldn’t help it. I just laughed and laughed and laughed. Tears formed in my spiritual body and my sides began to hurt. I had to give Dangun credit though he let me laugh and didn’t stop me.
Eventually, I finished up and got a hold of myself. When I caught my breath, we continued.
“There are the four main Elements and we will get to those but the first and foremost thing we must work on is your physical condition. The second most important thing is your Ki supply, or Ki Ocean. That is the area where the Ki is around your Ki Soul.” Dangun explained.
“Didn’t you already fix my body? And don’t I already have a lot of Ki? I mean the way you fucked up Nick and his demon cronies was fucking awesome.” I said, cheerily.
“About that... Just so you know the next time I take control of your body I will have the ability to take over full control.” He said.
“What the hell Dangun I thought we had a deal?” I asked, upset and a bit taken a back.
“We do and that’s why I’m letting you know now. You can’t count on me to take over and defeat the enemy again unless you want to give up control of yourself. You will have to rely on your own strength and training. You must get yourself to the point where you are as powerful as I was if you don’t want to die.” He said, seriously
“But didn’t you die anyway? How did that happen by the way?” I asked, innocently.
“Ha, fucking, ha, no I didn’t die as you can see from me being here with you right now after having saved you and your girlfriend’s lives. You, to borrow one of your phrases, little shithead.” Dangun retorted.
“Ok, ok, ok, chill out dude I guess it’s a sensitive subject. You were saying about the most important things and stuff.” I replied, waving my hands placatingly.
Dangun looked askance at me for a moment as if he wanted to smack the smug look off my face but sighed and shook his head instead before continuing.
“As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted was that your physical body is the most important thing, followed by your Ki Ocean and Ki Soul as close seconds.” He reiterated.
“What is a Ki Ocean again?” I asked.
“Close your eyes and focus in Lotus again.” Dangun instructed.
I did as he said and a new image appeared.
KI OCEAN AND KI SOUL
This is the amount of Elemental Power one has. It has been known by many names by many different cultures throughout time. Sometimes called, Ki or Qi, Mana or Magic, the soul by many, it is simply the life force or essence that lives in all beings. The Ki Ocean is the area of the body and mind that houses the Ki or soul, commonly known to Martial Cultivators as the Ki Soul. It has also been called the Soul Asylum or Holy Spirit. Although, most of one’s Ki Ocean is decided from birth, by cultivating and strengthening oneself they can increase their power and size of their Ki Ocean and Ki Soul.
I opened my eyes and nodded in understanding to Dangun. It made sense, iterations of this existed throughout all cultures and in all the religious texts. Not mention the plethora of myths, legends, fantasy novels, and I could go on and on about the soul or Ki.
“Good you understand. Now about your body. What I did was use my vast and superior knowledge of the human body and fixed your stunted Ki Meridians. These regulated the flow of Ki throughout your body and helped your body heal and grow. Yours were all stunted and broken from when you were defeated in battle from a young age.” Dangun said.
That was a nice way to put it, defeated in battle and not got your ass kicked by a bunch of demon assholes. Which reminded me.
“So, they were demons, real bon a fide demons. Were they always like that? I mean will I have to worry about their families and stuff?” I asked.
“No, well not quite. It is not that simple. Demons exist and are created for many different reasons. Sometimes it is a catchall term and sometimes it refers to specific types of beings. Nick and his followers were demons that were converted sometime in the last year or so. Their master demon is one whose type I recognize by the aura. They were known in my time as Gwisin, a type of spirit that has died but not moved on.” He explained.
“Kind of like you?” I asked, innocently.
“Boy I’m going to break you in training for that, but no not like me. They are more like vampires in a way. They suck the life force out of their victim to live. If they choose, they can pass on their infection to those who are evil in nature. Sometimes, to the innocent and pure of heart.” He said.
“Wow, so you are saying that Nick the fuck head and the others were basically evil? That’s good to know. I was kind of feeling bad for you turning them to ash and sucking them up or whatever it is you did.” I said.
“That is the essence of those you defeat. It is the remnants of their Ki Ocean or Ki Soul. You take that as the spoils of battle. That essence will make you stronger and help your own Ki Soul grow. Not only that, but your mastery of the Elements that the defeated used will help your own power of that Element.” Dangun said.
“Holy shit! It’s like fucking Sylar from Heroes!” I exclaimed.
Dangun looked at me for a moment then blinked and nodded slowly before answering.
“I guess you could say that you take a portion of the defeated enemy’s abilities like the character from your drama show.” Dangun said, as if to a particularly slow child.
I caught his tone and gave him a mental fuck you but turned my attention back to learning the basics. He saw that I was ready and began again.
“Now that your body is functioning as it should, and the Ki is flowing freely and correctly you must use meditation to increase your Ki Ocean while you are here. As for your physical body after you awake you should be healed and ready to begin the physical training. Right now, you must meditate and cultivate your Ki Ocean. Close your eyes and get back in Lotus again.” Dangun instru
cted.
I did as he instructed and retook the position, closing my eyes and readying myself.
“Good, now I’m going to remove the blinders on your Ki Ocean off. Do not panic and do not change your position. If you do, we will have to start over and the pain will be doubled.” Dangun said.
My immediate thought was what fucking pain, but I pushed it away and prepared myself. Having lived a life of pain and suffering I knew I could handle it.
“Are you ready?” He asked.
“Yes.” I replied.
“Brace yourself.” He said, softly.
And I did or at least I tried to because I thought I’d be ready for what came next and I was wrong. The pain dear god and everything that is holy, unholy, or whatever the fucking thing it is up there, the pain was all consuming.
The first thing that hit me was the light. The light was so bright that I was immediately blinded. So much so that stars literally began to swirl in my vision. But that’s not all folks! What else did I win? All my skin and bones disintegrating and reforming out of nothing! At least, that’s what it felt like. Time ended and all I felt was this horrific pain that made earlier feel like a cake walk. And then it was over. All encompassing, horrific pain, and then nothing. Even the bright light had waned enough that I could open my eyes so I did so, albeit slowly.
When I did a few things were apparent. The first was I was still in my Ki Ocean area. The next was that the black was gone replaced with an almost florescent neon white that while not blinding was extremely bright. It was like we were in the Matrix but upped the color to a million. The third thing was that Dangun was still there and he was wearing the biggest shit eating grin across his face.
