by Yuri Ajin
The battle was nearing its end, as were their ki reserves.
Kai suddenly retreated, doing the same aura-changing trick as before so Greenrow couldn’t follow him, which would buy him enough time to prepare his most powerful attack.
Space Destruction Sweep cut the air in the shape of a black crescent, reaching Kai’s opponents who were standing close to each other. Sensing danger, the two forgot about their fight for a moment in order to respond to the attack.
Eria retracted the tentacles into his robes, and then, jumping back, turned his open palms at Kai and Greenrow. Dark spheres formed above his pale skin, growing rapidly until they became the size of his hands.
“Final Burial!” he shouted, throwing the spheres at his enemies with a sharp wave of his hands.
Realizing that he couldn’t get away from the attack in time, Greenrow turned his armor into a shield that floated in front of him. The sword and spear also soared up, and then all three artifacts burst into flames.
“Awakening of the Flame!” he exclaimed, activating the technique he had recently created.
The three artifacts glowed and then exploded with power. The shield’s energy formed a thick barrier around Greenrow, and the spear and sword flew in the direction of his opponents.
The three techniques collided and shook the city to its foundation.
Chapter 27
THE BATTLE OF THREE, PART III
Silence fell upon the city, covering it like a thick blanket. And then a flash lit up the sky, the light of which was so strong and bright that it could be seen even in the neighboring city.
Once the dust settled down, it revealed a huge crater in the middle of the battlefield. All that remained of the district were three small patches of the ground, on which the three fighters now stood.
Only slightly wounded, Kai observed his opponents from behind his crumbling sphere of ice. Greenrow, encased in the intact yellow dome, was breathing heavily. Maintaining this technique had cost him a lot of strength and ki. Unlike the two, Eria had nothing other than his unusual robe to protect him. It was currently working on restoring his left leg, which was missing from the knee down.
The result of the attack was a draw, which suited none of them since they had practically no strength left to fight. Greenrow continued to breathe heavily even after he removed his shield. Kai swayed slightly as his connection with the Spirit weakened. Eria didn’t look tired, as he was an undead, but the dark robe had become less dense and had holes in it.
The three stood frozen, contemplating their next move.
If this continues, I may lose. Things couldn’t be worse. How long will Kai’s Spirit last? And what about Eria? Is it possible that the two of them have more energy left? Greenrow thought. I didn’t want to do this, but it seems that there’s no other choice. I hope they won’t notice...
The ice around Kai disappeared. He concentrated, intending to squeeze the last drop of ki out of both himself and the Spirit. As soon as he was almost ready to rush into battle again, there was a sudden flash of ki, and he saw a spear flying in his direction. The only thing that he managed to do was to raise his swords and fill his hands with ki. However, the spear once again pierced through his body.
Greenrow rushed to Eria.
Oh, he’s not dead yet, he thought, as he could still sense Kai’s aura. Whatever, I’ll kill this dog first!
The weakened Eria had just begun to form a shield when Greenrow appeared halfway to him, sword in hand. He was about to sacrifice another part of his body in order to counterattack, but a wave of ki that escaped from Greenrow’s shield forced him to freeze for a moment. The sword pierced his head, but it didn’t kill him. The symbols on the blade flashed, and a powerful stream of flame burst out of it, incinerating Eria’s head, and then, as the weapon lowered, the rest of his body.
Looking to his left, Greenrow rushed toward Kai, intending to finally put an end to this battle.
Power swirled through his body. Once again, the System’s rules were violated, and restrictions removed for him. He now had as much ki as he did before coming to Earth, which gave him a colossal advantage in battle.
Looking around, he found his spear but no sign of Kai. Using his flames, he quickly released his weapon from the ice and dirt. And then he sharply turned his head to the right and disappeared.
Having gotten rid of the spear, Kai poured almost all of his remaining ki into the Regeneration Gate to heal his nearly severed shoulder. The connection with the Spirit was severed, leaving him weaker than before.
Actively absorbing prana, he repeatedly activated the Offset Step, trying to get as far as possible. But even with this speed of recovery he still lacked the necessary amount of ki to attack.
He was about to switch to the Fast and Weightless Steps, when he got interrupted by Greenrow’s sudden appearance.
Swinging sharply, he sent Kai flying. The latter didn’t have time to defend himself and almost dropped his blades. In order not to lose them, he returned them to his Ring. Greenrow kicked him in the stomach, and he vomited blood as he was nailed to the ground.
“This is it, Kai,” Greenrow said, stepping over a pile of debris. “You were an interesting adversary, too ba—”
He felt a sudden movement behind his back. Turning around, he saw Kai, bloody and beaten, but with an incredible amount of power seeping out of him. He seemed to have become stronger than he had ever been.
“Sword Storm!” he shouted, unleashing a bright beam of light from his blades.
For him, this was to be the decisive attack. He put everything he had into it, including soul energy, the amount of which depended on the cultivator’s talent and life span. The moment was perfect as Greenrow was so close to him, and he didn’t have an opportunity to dodge or to defend himself.
It was pointless to hold back at this point. Rune’Tan had already seen a future in which Kai would definitely have died if he hadn’t used his soul energy so fifty years of his life was a small price to pay for victory. That was why the old man suggested to use it now.
To make sure that Kai would win, Rune’Tan boosted the attack with one of his spirit techniques. Kai’s attack was meant to kill Greenrow and to damage his soul and prevent him from defending himself. However, only a part of the energy was put into the attack. The rest was intended to strengthen Kai’s body in case Greenrow somehow managed to fight back.
The technique’s effect was almost over, when an unbearable weight of a very powerful aura fell on Kai, forcing him to his knees. This heaviness wasn’t physical, but mental. For a moment, he even thought that some kind of an ancient beast had awakened nearby.
But it was Greenrow, whose blue eye seemed to become a star shining in the night.
He was badly injured, with broken bones and torn skin. Probably even internal bleeding. But he was alive. And the worst thing was that his soul was intact.
“Impossible!” Rune’Tan exclaimed, amazed. “How did he manage to defend himself against such an attack?!”
Kai tried to get up. But no matter how much he fought the pressure of Greenrow’s condensed aura, he couldn’t overcome it. If he rose to his feet, he’d spend the rest of the soul energy.
“This is the end! Just give up already!” Greenrow shouted as he walked toward him. He was weak, but still able to fight. “I’m not afraid of spirit attacks! You were doomed from the start! Accept your death with dignity!”
These words sounded an alarm in Kai’s head, penetrating deep into his soul. Looking at the approaching Greenrow, he slowly sank into despair. He felt lightheaded, and his thoughts were clouded. It felt like time was slowing down. The beating of his heart gradually drowned out Rune’Tan’s voice.
He was unable to create any technique due to the pressure. He couldn’t move or get any more soul energy since his Shell was at its limit. He couldn’t use the already existing soul energy either. He couldn’t do anything.
He closed his eyes.
Attention!
Calculat
ions complete.
The minimum strength threshold has been reached.
Taking appropriate measures...
Invoking bloodline of the Nine-Headed Heavenly Hydra...
[Yin-Yang Ghost Tattoo] evolution unlocked. Progress: 50%
...
Attention! An attempt to master one of the Forces of the Higher Paths has been made.
Higher Paths cannot be comprehended by non-cultivators or masters.
Replacement in progress...
Congratulations! You have mastered the concept of Yin. Your understanding has reached the initial level of the first layer.
...
Attention! An attempt to master one of the Forces of the Higher Paths has been made.
The Higher Paths cannot be comprehended by non-cultivators or masters.
Replacement in progress...
Congratulations! You have mastered the concept of Yang! Your understanding has reached the initial level of the first layer.
...
The [Yin Yang Ghost Tattoo] trait grants you the following 4 abilities:
[Yang Concentration] Concept: Yang. Progress: 100%
[Primordial Flare] Concept: Yang. Progress: 100%
[Yin Concentration] Concept: Yin. Progress: 100%
[Touch of Nothingness] Concept: Yin. Progress: 100%
Kai would’ve continued to wallow in misery if this hadn’t happened. The System message helped him see the faint light at the end of the tunnel, and filled his heart and mind with determination.
When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was his own hands. He was immediately struck by the large tattoo that spread from his fingers all the way up to his shoulders. His right hand was covered with a pattern of lines that emitted the purest white light. There was a similar pattern on his left hand, but it was so black that it looked like sunlight couldn’t penetrate through it.
Putting his life at risk, Greenrow summoned his spear and shield from the Ring and made a dash in order to finish Kai off. Too focused on him, Kai didn’t immediately notice when a glowing sphere appeared next to him. Yang Concentration looked like a miniature sun and was similar to the Light and Fire but was neither the one nor the other. In a fraction of a moment, he poured all the unspent soul energy into the sphere.
“Primordial Flare,” he whispered, staring at the tip of the spear that was about to pierce through his eyeball.
Like a solar prominence, the immense power of the Yang Concentration rushed forward in a huge stream, incinerating everything in its path, expanding with every foot, until it eventually reached the upper layers of the atmosphere, where it finally went out.
There were no houses left around, no road, no Kai’s Royal-rank swords or clothes. Only his Ring was lucky to survive, albeit it had a couple of cracks on its worn-out surface.
Sitting on a small, relatively whole piece of road in the center of a lake of asphalt and dirt, the naked Kai looked in front of him. There, less than five feet away from him was the lower part of Greenrow’s burnt body.
Kai couldn’t imagine how strong Greenrow’s shield must’ve been if it had managed to save his legs and half of his torso. Too bad that he hadn’t managed to lift it all the way up.
Attention!
You have killed [Greenrow Yoni].
Item obtained: [Crystal of Knowledge: Eternal Pursuit Technique]
Additional items unavailable.
Your modifier: alien
...
Attention! Inconsistency found.
Strength needed for [Yin Yang Ghost Tattoo] is unavailable.
Action in progress...
Unable to remove [Yin Yang Ghost Tattoo].
Searching for alternatives...
Solution found.
Development progress for [Yin-Yang Ghost Tattoo] has been lowered.
Feature unlocked: [Yin Yang Ghost Tattoo]
Progress: 1%
The following abilities have been blocked:
[Primordial Flare] Concept: Yang. Progress: Locked
[Touch of Nothingness] Concept: Yin. Progress: Locked
Requirements: [Yin-Yang Ghost Tattoo] progress: 50%
Glancing over the lines that appeared before his eyes, Kai sighed in frustration.
“I get it,” he said with a sad smile. I won’t be able to use this even at the maximum of my current strength. I’d have to use soul energy in order to activate it again. It’s more effective, sure, but it’s not really good for me.
“Are you okay?” Rune’Tan asked.
“Not really.” Kai chuckled. “But I’ll recover soon.”
Having retrieved a new set of clothes from his Ring and gotten dressed, he took the radio that he had received from the RLA. He was about to go to the city center to find Elize and the rest of his group when he felt someone’s gaze on him. And then he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Turning abruptly, he almost dropped the radio when he saw the lower part of Greenrow walking toward him.
He froze in shock. His first thought was that Greenrow had somehow joined Eria and became an undead, but then he remembered that the System itself had notified him that he had killed the young Yoni.
But before he had time to do anything, a symphony of loud voices came out of nowhere, merging into one.
“System Order: Object Restoration!”
A cluster of unfamiliar but powerful Forces appeared around the remains of Greenrow’s body and began to restore it. The burnt skin was smooth and pale once again. Bones followed by nerves, muscle, and skin, emerged from the gaping hole to form Greenrow’s torso, arms, neck and head. Even his hair, clothes, and Ring were restored. Only the remnants of the shield and spear remained on the ground.
Thin lips stretched into a mocking smile and the rainbow-colored eyes shone with renewed vigor.
Kai suddenly went numb, bound by the space around him.
Greenrow’s smile grew into a grin. Retrieving a sword from his Ring, he moved to take a step forward but froze as well. The light in his bright eyes faded for a moment.
“Let me go!” he growled, trying to break free of the invisible chains. Gathering all his will and energy, he tried to take just one step, but failed “I said, let go!” he shouted to someone unknown. “This is my life! You can’t interfere! I won’t allow you! Stop this! Release me!”
“You are weak! Your will has weakened! Restrain yourself!” the unknown voices echoed. “You almost destroyed the Shell! We cannot trust you anymore! You shall return to where you were!”
“No! You can’t!” Greenrow resisted and somehow managed to move his legs. “I have to get the soul!” He pointed at Kai. “Then I’ll be an Elementalist in a few years! Don’t you understand?! You can’t stop me now! Not now!!!”
“Request denied!” the voices said again. Despite Greenrow’s attempts to free himself, they pinned him to the ground. “This creature acquired a new quality and power. It may be useful for us in the future. Leave it alone.”
Greenrow was about to say something when the space behind him shuddered and a large portal opened right in the air, releasing an energy wave that would’ve toppled Kai if he hadn’t been frozen in place. And when the dark green disc finally opened completely, the energy that escaped from it began to suck Greenrow in.
However, he wasn’t about to go down without a fight.
Holding on to the ground with his hands and feet, he resisted as best he could, but this only slowed down the inevitable.
“I said, LET ME GO!” Greenrow exploded with power, which made it seem as if the air itself shuddered. Kai even felt the urge to obey him for a second.
The portal stopped pulling him in and began to shrink. The presence of the invisible voices disappeared. Kai and Greenrow were able to move again.
A grin instantly appeared on Greenrow’s face, but his joy didn’t last long.
“Stop resisting!” The voices appeared again, this time sounding a bit angry. “You must pay for your salvation!”
“Nooooo!” Greenrow yelled,
and then shuddered. In an instant, he was no longer an initial-level Exorcist, but a mere cultivator at the Source Creation level.
Just like Kai.
Greenrow could no longer resist the power of the voices. After a couple of seconds, he was pulled into the portal, and his aura disappeared.
Kai held his breath. He could feel the gazes of the invisible owners of the mysterious voices on him as the emerald light grew fainter. It wasn’t until the passage was fully closed that he was released from their shackles.
It was all over.
Kai fell to the ground.
“What just happened?” he asked with a lot of surprise in his voice.
“No idea,” Rune’Tan answered, equally confused. “I can only say that that was definitely a pocket portal.”
“Like the Gates?!”
“Precisely.”
“Those voices said they’d bring Greenrow back to where he had come from,” Kai recalled. “Could that have been a portal to Saha?!” he asked, alarmed, realizing that he might have missed his chance.
“Not in a million years!” the old man answered sharply. “You’d have to be a fool to believe that there’s an amount of energy like that anywhere on Saha!”
“I see…” Kai sighed with relief and then began to rise. “Good, good... That’s good to hear... Anyway, I think it’s high time we finish this operation, and then think carefully about everything that happened today...”
Chapter 28
ICE RAGE
Kai headed toward the city center. His body had already healed, but his Source was only a quarter full. Thanks to his energy-controlling ability, he was able to restore ki extremely quickly, but it, too, had a limit. He couldn’t manipulate energy forever, as it put a strain on his mind and soul, making him tired.
