by Yuri Ajin
***
Everybody was gone, leaving only one lonely figure on the plateau.
Kai counted the seconds until he was teleported, too.
The scenery changed. He was moved to the foot of one of the mountains, into a small cave. He immediately sensed danger behind him. Something was approaching, and he didn’t have time to react with neither his body, energies, nor Forces. Only will didn’t have any physical limitations...
The person who had set up the ambush attacked as soon as their target appeared. They had done this several times already, earning themselves a total of four Coins.
They were already three feet away from their prey and they were certain of their victory when they were suddenly swept away by an invisible wave. The force drove the elf into the stone wall. Blood gushed from his nose, mouth, and ears. Something invisible had tackled him.
He tried to use energy and Forces, but the force stopped him. He felt as if he was losing control of his powers. As if someone was suppressing him...
With sheer will.
Looking at the elf who had set up the ambush, and whose foundation barely reached six points, Kai shrugged, and raised his hand. He clenched his fist and the elf’s head instantly burst.
“It looks like there’s a way to track where the participants teleport,” he noted and walked over to the corpse.
The reason behind his quick victory was perfectly described in the System message he had received after completing his training session near the Column of Will.
Attention!
You have successfully completed yet another challenge that hardened your will.
Your mortal will level has reached its final stage of development.
Transformation in progress...
You have acquired the Master’s Will.
Attention!
Achievement completed: [Before Deadline]
As a mortal (Soul Stage, Source Creation level), you were able to develop your will to such a level that it was transformed into Master’s Will before you reached the Exorcist Stage.
Reward: [Field of Superiority] (automatic selection)
Rank: ???
Chapter 3
CLOUD TRIAL — TREASURE HUNT
Approaching the corpse, Kai picked up the four Coins that appeared next to it. Although the elf had been capable of determining the strength of his victims, this time, he was unlucky enough to stumble upon someone who was much stronger than they seemed to be.
Having picked up and sent the Coins to his repository, Kai left the cave. He easily oriented himself, and then headed north, thinking about the new leap in his development.
For seven years, he trained hard, often literally on the verge of life and death. All those tests tempered both him and his will. However, two events were crucial — defeating Greenrow on Earth and overcoming the crushing power of his will, and the fight with An’na, when he managed to restrain the Yin force that was trying to absorb his soul. This was what brought him closer to the Master’s Will. After that, he only needed one small push, which he received during the training session near the Column.
And now, he had finally acquired what was usually available only to Exorcists and higher-level cultivators.
The Master’s Will was different as it could affect the physical world. Its main abilities were Shackling, Vanishing, Commanding, and Physical Impact.
Shackling made it possible to fully or partially immobilize a weak-willed individual. Vanishing granted the ability to become invisible to mortals, making their consciousness literally reject the possibility that there was a True Master nearby. This could also affect those who possessed a weaker Master’s Will.
With Commanding, an Exorcist could force a mortal to do whatever they wanted. Thanks to Physical Impact, they could manipulate physical objects around them. The effectiveness of Impact depended both on the Master’s willpower and on the weight of the chosen object.
The Field of Superiority that Kai had received was a more advanced version of Physical Impact, which also incorporated the properties of Shackling. Now he could control any object within a radius of fifty feet using only his will.
That was how he killed the elf so easily. Due to his weak will, he was unable to resist the Field.
Kai didn’t expect such a result. He thought that he’d be able to push his opponent away at best, after which a fight would ensue, but the skill surpassed all his expectations.
Now, even the really talented initial-level Exorcists no longer posed a threat to him. He assumed that the Field must’ve had other uses besides attacking. But he didn’t have time to figure everything out now as the third test was in full swing.
When the teleportation began, everyone in Kai’s group realized that they’d be teleported among the last, so they took the chance to work out a plan. When they determined the moment Kai would be moved they decided what to do next. They agreed that exactly ten hours after he was teleported, they’d activate the search ability so they could simultaneously find out each other’s location and make further plans.
At the agreed-upon moment, Kai poured ki into the Coin repository symbol and gave a signal. Malvur, Shacks, An’na, and Ailenx did the same.
According to the plan, each of them would move toward the nearest team member. Kai headed northeast, collecting treasures hidden in the mountains along the way, which he saw as bright spots when he activated the search mode. He hadn’t found anything other than Coins apart from a few strange energy anomalies, probably left over from the times of ancient wars. Fortunately, thanks to energy vision, he noticed dangerous areas and easily avoided them.
Quickly crossing a snowy mountain valley covered by a coniferous forest, he felt someone’s gaze on him. The next moment, two shadows appeared in the distance.
Do these guys really think they’re at a safe distance? Do they think they’ll have time to run away? I hate to upset them, but this is my territory...
Then Kai’s body disintegrated into snow, and he appeared behind one of the pursuers.
Shocked by such long-range teleportation, the dorgan barely had time to block the attack with his sword when the power of the Field hit him. However, it couldn’t shackle him completely.
Dorgans? Well, it’s clear how they tracked me down.
Kai did reveal his location when he activated the search, but he immediately began to move and he also hid his aura, so it was almost impossible to find him with ordinary locating techniques. However, this task seemed easy for the dorgans, most of which started hunting since they could walk.
Kai attacked with full power. The Body Gates were opened and Ultimate Focus activated. Forming the Blade Release Technique and reinforcing it with particles of the Yin concept, Kai unleashed a second attack.
The Field kept pressing on the dorgan, making it difficult for him to control energy and Forces. Because of that, he didn’t have time to respond with a technique or to dodge.
Luckily for him, another member of his team managed to come to his aid in time.
He appeared nearby and formed a barrier, blocking Kai’s attack. A moment later, the first dorgan finally finished creating a technique and counterattacked with a burst of flame.
But Kai easily dodged the attack by teleporting to the side.
Having appeared in another spot, he again felt danger. He formed an ice wall nearby, stopping an arrow that came from a distant hill.
“So there are three of you,” Kai concluded. Two dorgans were already rushing at him. “You won’t make it...”
He turned into snow again.
The archer, unfortunately, didn’t have time to react as the man appeared next to him. He felt a strong hand grab his hair, and next thing he knew, a deadly sharp blade was at his throat.
Three seconds later, the other two dorgans came running to the hill.
“Surrender or I’ll kill him,” Kai said. His eyes were cold.
“Do you think we’re stupid enough to think that a pathetic mortal can pierce the Energy Cover of
an initial-level Exorcist?” one of them snarled, but he wasn’t about to attack.
Kai said nothing and pressed the blade against the archer’s throat, making it bleed. He was an Exorcist, but his protection left much to be desired.
“That doesn’t change much,” said the dorgan who looked like a fox. “Even if you kill him, we’ll tear you apart in the end. Or do you think you can keep up with two Exorcists?”
“You seem to have forgotten how our little fight from a moment ago went,” Kai said coldly, and the Field fell on all three dorgans, reducing their strength and speed, making it harder for them to use Forces and energy. In addition, particles of the Cold Void scattered everywhere, ready to attack at any moment. “You can’t win.”
Impressive, but that won’t be enough to defeat us, the fox-like dorgan thought, not knowing that Kai had used only a part of his power. Still, it’s likely that I’d be the only survivor. I can’t let that happen. It’d be better to leave this mortal alone.
However, his friend had a different opinion. The wolf-like cultivator, whom Kai had attacked first, considered this fight to be a challenge. He rushed forward, not giving a damn about anything.
Kai sighed as his other hand shone with a bright light. I thought we’re competitors, not enemies. I haven’t planned on killing you, but it looks like there’s no other way out.
His sword flashed through the air. The archer fell to the snow, his throat slit open.
“Aaaargh!!!” The approaching dorgan howled and launched several fire techniques at Kai.
The attacks, enhanced by his Forces, were powerful, but they weren’t something that could stop Kai. He just teleported again. A second sword finally appeared in his left hand, and crimson snow began to fall from the sky.
***
The fight lasted several minutes and forced Kai to give his best. For the first time, he had a chance to confront two talented mid-level Exorcists at once. Fortunately, thanks to the Cold Void, incredible regeneration, and the recently acquired Field, he was able to kill both opponents.
“I’ll consider this as another test,” he said, pulling the blade out of his opponent’s skull.
After that, he collected ten Coins from the corpses, as well as three Spatial Rings. Having finished looting, he determined the right direction and continued on his way. Within three and a half hours, he was at his destination.
I saw a mark, but there’s no one here. Kai looked around after climbing a mile up the hill. We agreed to use the search technique every ten hours. There are forty-six minutes left until the next signal. I hope whoever was here isn’t far away.
Having dug a hole in the rock with the help of Yin particles, Kai hid in the man-made cave. The night was approaching, and a blizzard seemed to be around the corner, too.
He was immersed in meditation but he opened his eyes at the right moment. Raising his left palm, he infused the mark with energy and activated the signal again. Instantly, an image of his immediate surroundings appeared in his head. Treasures were shown as red dots, places that someone recently searched were yellow, and team members were green. He now saw four green dots. Three were more than a few hundred miles away, and only one was relatively close.
Almost twenty-one miles to the west.
A blizzard started at the Aive mountain range. The wind was sharp and fast, and the heavy snow reduced visibility to zero, forcing most of the participants to hide, creating temporary shelters. Although there were talented Exorcists among them, even they couldn’t predict how long the blizzard would last. They could hold back strong winds and tons of snow with their barriers, but, sooner or later, their energy would run out, and they’d have to face the raging elements.
However, this wasn’t the most terrible thing. Everyone knew that flocks of Spirits of Cold lived in blizzards like these.
Well, everyone except for the person who headed for the exit of his makeshift cave, which he had closed with an ice wall.
***
A powerful explosion drowned out the wild howl of the growing storm. To get out of his shelter, Kai had to use the Space Destroying Sweep, since several tons of snow had managed to block his exit while he was meditating.
Any other Exorcist would have to activate some kind of defensive technique, but Kai didn’t need that. He was like a fish in water. The Cold Void had already become a part of him, so a blizzard no longer posed any danger. He was fully in his element.
The snow parted in front of him, and the wind couldn’t go against his Field of Superiority.
Using his aura, Kai easily navigated through the blizzard without fear of getting lost.
At first, everything went smoothly. Kai continued to move west, but he soon had to stop. A group of creatures entered his aura range, making him hide it even though he understood that he had been noticed.
“Don’t move,” Rune’Tan ordered. “I’ll hide you, just like when you meditated near the Shadow.”
Soon enough, Kai finally saw them.
About fifteen twenty-foot-tall ice creatures calmly moved across the mountains, not paying attention to anything around them. They were the Spirits of Cold.
“They can’t see me?” Kai asked.
“No.”
“Tell me, is this kind of Spirit right for me?”
“What?” Rune’Tan was surprised. “No. You use the concept of the Cold Void, but you’re not on the Path of Cold. Although they’re close, they’re still different Forces. Moreover, the concepts are already very strong and can’t form Spirits. So you can’t even tame such a...” He stopped.
The group of Spirits finally showed themselves completely, and now both Kai and Rune’Tan could see the sixty-foot-tall giant among them.
A Senior Elemental of Cold.
This creature looked like several huge ice boulders with massive arms. It was the only Spirit in the group that had some kind of eyes.
It turned its head to the left, looking directly at Kai.
Two icy gazes met. Time seemed to stop.
Kai was preparing to flee when he suddenly heard a voice.
“Broootheeer,” the blizzard itself roared in a chilling voice. Everything froze for a second, and then the Spirits of Cold continued on their way.
“Bloody Heavens!” Rune’Tan swore when the Elemental and his entourage left. “We got lucky, boy. I didn’t expect to see guys of his level here.”
“Why didn’t he attack when he saw me?” Kai asked.
“I don’t know. But I assume that it was because of the Cold Void in your soul.”
Lost in thought, Kai just nodded and kept running.
Finding the entrance to the cave where one of the green dots was located wasn’t an easy task, but, half an hour later, he did it. Breaking in, he fell into an underground tunnel.
It was completely dark. Kai could easily navigate through it, relying on other senses, as well as energy vision, but he decided to play it safe. The snow-white ball of Yang Concentration that appeared next to him illuminated the cave.
“So, one of my teammates is still here. But since I don’t see anyone, I’d have to use the search. We discussed this,” Kai muttered, after which he activated the mark on his hand for the third time. “Good. They’re here. Not far below me. Also... There’s a very bright treasure dot a little deeper. This is definitely not a Coin...”
Kai began to descend.
***
Immobilized and already coming to terms with his fate, an elf was hanging in the air. He kept his mind empty, wanting to spend his last hours alone. However, something was constantly sucking ki out of his body, causing severe pain. He was strong enough to suppress this feeling with willpower, but that wouldn’t last forever.
Suddenly he saw a spark of light in the tunnel and heard footsteps.
“So, it’s you, Ailenx.” He heard a familiar voice.
“Don’t come near!” He shouted, recognizing Kai. “This is an anomaly! You’ll get stuck like me.”
Kai didn’t even consider heeding his
warning, which somewhat angered the elf.
“Are you deaf? You can’t help me anymore! Don’t even think of approaching or you’ll die just like those idiot aristocrats who came here before me. Unfortunately, I noticed the corpses too late...”
Kai looked around, finally seeing the bodies of two elves and one sylph, which were for some reason stuck to the ceiling.
I didn’t see them right away either.
“And you’ve already given up?” Kai asked.
“Are you kidding me?!” Ailenx couldn’t believe the impudence. “Do you even know what this is?! These mountains are the site of a battlefield of an ancient war! Holy Lords and Divine Stage cultivators fought here! And these anomalies are the remnants of their techniques! When a cultivator dies, their will disappears from our world, so their ki becomes neutral and their Forces evaporate. But if they were a strong enough master and created a technique before their death, then it’d take a very long time for it to disappear completely. It seems that a spatial barrier once stood here, but when its creator died, it first became a natural array or anomaly, and then it began to distort. As I see it, there are some dangerous areas scattered along this tunnel. Getting in is easy, but getting out is almost impossible. At least for Exorcists. It sucks the ki out of all living beings, like a parasite.”
“Why are you up in the air?”
“That’s what’s bothering you?!” Ailenx exclaimed. He couldn’t believe that he, a cultivator who had already accepted death, could be so easily enraged by some human. “How should I know? I was on the ground a few hours ago, and then I was slowly lifted up. That’s all.”
“Do you want to get back down?”
The elf almost choked.
“Yes,” he answered briefly, not expecting much.
“Okay,” Kai replied.
A second later, Ailenx suddenly fell. It was so unexpected that he didn’t manage to land on his feet.
“What... What did you do?! How did you free me?!” he blurted out.
