by Aaron Oster
Roy started. He hadn’t even though of that. Beasts would be just as likely, if not more so than Martial Artists, to take the Cores and use them for themselves. He thanked his friend for the good idea, then set about digging a large enough hole. It didn’t take long with his newly regained strength. Within ten minutes, he’d covered them back up, layering deadfall over the area to make it appear as part of the forest. He did leave himself a small mark for himself, so he could find the spot when he returned.
“You ready for this?” he asked, rising and turning to face the gate.
“Um. I guess. It’ll be nice to advance, but as I said, it won’t really make much difference.”
Roy simply rolled his eyes, then stepped forward, through the gate.
***
“Are you prepared to join the clan now?”
Aika glared at Itachi Joan from her prone position on the ground. She’d just finished with another session with the clan ‘persuader’ and was covered in cuts and bruises. Though the pain didn’t bother her much, she still resented being kept in here like a dog. The sheer helplessness of her situation angered her like nothing else had, and she didn’t hold it back.
“I don’t know why you even keep trying,” she hissed, blood flecking across the floor from a split lip. “I wouldn’t join a clan of honorless dogs like you if you threatened to kill me!”
The corner of Joan’s mouth twitched ever so slightly, but other than that, she did not react.
“Is that so?”
Her cold voice no longer bothered Aika. She’d grown used to the woman’s intimidation tactics by now and knew that she was all talk. She’d threatened, cajoled, and tempted her in every way she knew how. But not once had the woman made a move to inflict injury to her personally. She always left that task up to her underlings, which made Aika believe that this woman thought herself above such menial labor.
Thus, she had no fear reprisal, no matter how rude Joan was. The woman had too much pride, and since Aika could not yet physically hurt her, she would trample on that pride until the day she broke out of here.
Not getting a reaction, Joan’s lips finally turned down in a frown.
“I see that your time here has not done anything to sway you,” she finally said, folding one leg neatly over the other. “You are disrespectful to your betters and show no signs of remorse for your actions. I have been left with no other option. Tomorrow, you will be executed.
“I did not have the requisite permissions to do so myself, not to someone who might be of use to the clan. So, I sent a letter to the main branch and received approval to carry out your execution as I see fit. I came today to offer you one last chance. But as you clearly stated, you would rather die.”
Joan’s lips twisted up in an ugly smile, seeing the horror in Aika’s eyes.
“Though I won’t carry out the penalty myself, it will still give me great pleasure to see your lifeless body hanging from a noose after your Core is shattered. Until then, I suggest you’d enjoy what little remains of your pathetic life!”
The woman rose then and, without looking back, exited the cell, slamming the door behind her.
Aika stared after the woman for a few long moments, the true horror of what they had planned for her finally sinking in. The destruction of a Martial Artist’s Core was not only the worst thing that could happen to someone like her but was tantamount to the greatest insult an enemy could inflict.
Not even the Beast clan would go so far as to shatter her Core if she was captured. They would simply behead her and mount it on a stake. It would dishonor the body, but the spirit would still be free. Shattering a Martial Artist’s Core would shatter their spirit, ensuring that they would never reach the afterlife.
It was also horrible, degrading, and humiliating end to any Martial Artist. It was tantamount to stripping her naked and marching her through the camp for all to see. Only a hundred times worse. She lay there for several long minutes, her mind and body frozen in horror at the end that awaited her.
She firmed her resolve and pushed it aside. If they were going to kill her tomorrow, then she had to escape today. She was close to a breakthrough and she knew it. She was on the cusp of finding her Qi. All she needed was a little more time. Pushing herself up into a sitting position and ignoring her injuries, Aika closed her eyes and concentrated.
All of her efforts and cultivation had pushed her ever closer to 2nd Dan, but that wasn’t what she’d been aiming for. Light Essence flooded into her body, cycling through her channels and being purified before entering her Core. From there, she worked to compress it down as far as she could, then pulled in more Essence.
Light Essence behaved strangely at the best of times. It was a tricky Path to be on and one with many applications. She was trying to do something her grandfather had once mentioned offhandedly about Qi needing a lot of pressure to form. Obviously, she knew there was more to it than that, but this was a start.
She’d been compressing her Essence for days, trying to turn the gaseous energy to liquid. That was the true form of Qi and why it was so much more powerful than Essence. While Essence was light and disparate, Qi was heavy and concentrated. This allowed the Martial Artists to utilize far more if it at once.
When using Essence techniques, a good portion of it was always wasted. A Martial Artist could work to refine their control over time and grow less wasteful, but there was a limit to how far that would go.
Qi was far more mailable and, as a liquid, had less room to escape. It would also take longer to evaporate into the air than Essence due to not being a gas.
Aika continued her cycling technique, pulling in more and more Essence, then placing it under pressure with the force of her will. She knew something was missing. She still needed that single vital element to set off the reaction that would solidify her Essence into Qi. But she had no idea what it could be.
Maybe she needed more clarity on her Path? Or perhaps a better understanding of the Essence itself?
She sat there for hours, long into the night, knowing that her time was growing short. Her body was surrounded by a cloud of Light Essence, flashes of color dancing through it as she worked to save herself.
Essence always behaved according to its nature. That was one of the first lessons she’d been taught as a child and one she’d tried to impart to Roy as he grew impatient. No matter how hard a Fire Artist tried, they could not cause something to freeze. In principle, the cold was simply a lack of heat, which was an aspect of Fire. With that logic, a Fire Artist should be able to remove said heat.
But it was against Fire’s nature to remove heat, and so, it was impossible. Likewise, it was impossible for water to create heat. Water wanted to stay in liquid form and, thus, would refuse to freeze or turn to steam.
When a Martial Artist reached Green-Belt and gained the ability to form Qi, the bonds on that rule lessened somewhat. This gave them the ability to branch out, if only slightly, from their chosen Path, like an Earth Artist using lava or a Wind Artist using lightning. But these were merely offshoots of a Path, not a direct contradiction.
When a Martial Artist reached Red, things became different. Chakra gave the Martial Artist the power to bend their Path to their will. This gave them the ability to forge their own completely unique Path. Even going against the nature of one’s Path was possible then, which was what truly set those Artists apart.
What Aika was looking for now wasn’t a unique Path or way to fight her Essence. She had long ago decided on the Path she would follow and knew that to get there, she would need a deeper understanding of Light Essence.
How did light behave? How could it behave differently once out of gaseous form? What would it do if made solid?
The sky in the distance had begun to take on a rosy tint when she finally struck upon the answer she’d been looking for. And, for the first time in a month, a smile curled the corners of her beaten lips as a single, shining white drop formed at the center of her Core.
21
The familiar sight of the long golden bridge greeted Roy as he stepped through the Torii gate and into his trial. Blackness closed in on all sides, but he didn’t mind in the slightest. It gave him something to concentrate on, a goal straight ahead, with no distractions clouding his vision.
The last time he’d stepped through the gate, he’d felt confident but unsure. Now, he strode purposefully down the glowing path, heading for the stage at the center.
“What’s your plan for defeating all the golems, with most of your Essence gone?”
Roy had thought about this while he’d been walking through the forest, and he was pretty sure he’d come up with the correct answer.
“The only thing I really can do in a situation like that. I’ll need to use a Terrain technique. I’ve thought it over and it seems like the only viable solution.”
“But…You don’t have any Terrain techniques. In fact, the one time you tried using one, you almost blew yourself up.”
Roy’s cheeks flushed in embarrassment as he remembered that particular screw-up. He pushed the memory away. He wouldn’t be attempting the same thing now.
“It’s different this time. Last time I was trying to get rid of an unstable Physical technique. This time, I’ll be attempting to use the ambient Essence to form one instead of relying on my Core.”
“Again. You’ve never done it before. What makes you so confident that you’ll be able to figure it out when you’ve had so much trouble with other techniques in the past?”
“I…”
Roy trailed off, thinking. How was he so sure he’d succeed? He’d concluded that it had to be a Terrain technique simply from the circumstances. Most of his Essence would be removed at the start of the test, and the ambient Essence was so thick that he could practically breathe it in.
In addition, there were multiple opponents. And seeing as learning a Full-area technique would be way out of most Yellow-Belts’ ability to perform, he had to conclude that the Terrain technique would be the way to go. That was not to mention that a Terrain technique used the environment’s Essence rather than his own, so having no Essence wouldn’t be an issue.
But just because he knew what needed to be done, didn’t mean he’d be able to perform it correctly. Why, then, was he so certain he’d succeed?
“I’m not one hundred percent sure that I’ll pass,” he finally admitted. “I know my limitations and what I can accomplish. And, if worst comes to worst, I’ll improvise. While using a Terrain technique may be the best way to win, it can’t be the only way. This test was designed for Yellow-Belts advancing to Orange, and while I may once have thought that was nearing the pinnacle of power, it’s nowhere close.
“One would have to assume that there were plenty of Yellow-Belts who were unable to perform Terrain techniques as of yet, so there has to be another way around this.”
“Really? And what might that be?” Geon asked.
Roy shrugged.
“Beats me. Guess we’ll just have to find out!”
“Great,” Geon deadpanned. “Just bet our futures and run in without a plan. It’s not like we don’t have another try if you die horribly.”
“Thanks for your vote of confidence,” Roy replied with a grin. “I’ve missed having you around.”
The Dungeon Core didn’t answer, which was just fine by him. He could see the path widening up ahead, which meant he was approaching the fighting stage where he’d been so horribly defeated the last time. Though he knew it wouldn’t be an easy challenge, he was confident that this time, the outcome would be different.
The Essence in the air was thickening, and he could feel a connection to it that he’d previously been lacking. He was confident that he’d be able to use a Terrain technique, but he wouldn’t attempt to do so at the beginning of the battle.
They would begin pretty spread out, so he would first need to lure all of the golems into a single spot for maximum effectiveness. Though it was true that a Terrain technique relied mostly on the environment, it would take something from him as well. The book on techniques had made it clear not to attempt using it unless his Core was at least half full.
Roy figured that was for Martial Artists who hadn’t pushed their Cores as far as he had. In his estimation, he had, at the very least, five to six times the Essence capacity of any 3rd Dan Yellow-Belt in the Shah clan. Even then, he suspected it was even greater than that. He’d packed his Core full of Essence, the glowing golden sphere in his chest continually soaking it up while the constraints of testing kept him from advancing.
He had to wonder why all the Elders in the Shah clan didn’t have massive reserves, seeing as they were stuck at Orange. But – he reminded himself – there was only one elder who was at 4th Dan Orange, and she was quite old. He would need to ask someone who was more knowledgeable than he was once he had the chance.
Taking a few deep breaths and settling into his cycling rhythm, Roy approached the pedestal at the center of the stage. The same gemstone sat there, waiting for him and pulsing with Power Essence. A brief scan of his Spirit Sense told him that it contained just as much, if not more, Essence than the last time he’d come.
The heavy presence of Power bore down on him as well, making Roy break out into a cold sweat. He knew he’d disappointed the manifestation of his Path the last time he’d been here. He only hoped he wouldn’t do so again. Power was proud, and it would not approve of another failure.
For a moment, as he stood staring at the glowing gem, Roy felt doubt overshadow him. Could he really succeed where he’d failed previously? He remembered well the power of those golems. They’d beaten him without him being able to take a single one down. And he’d be fighting at less than peak condition.
Then, he remembered when he’d discovered back in the woods. His ideal. A reason to fight other than gaining strength. His resolve firmed as he realized that he wasn’t just fighting for himself. He was fighting for all those oppressed by those more powerful than them. If he couldn’t fight for himself, then he could at least fight for them.
Mind made up, Roy reached out and placed his hand on the glowing gem. He staggered back a moment later, trying to maintain his cycling technique through the massive drain on his Core. Golems then began to rise around the perimeter, twelve in all, just like the last time. But unlike the last time, Roy waited.
Even as the pedestal shot into the air with a loud boom, signaling the start of the test, Roy did not move. The golems began lumbering forward, closing in on him from all sides.
“Um, Roy. Don’t mean to bother you or anything. But are you planning on doing anything?”
Roy ignored the slightly panicky Dungeon Core, staying focused on the task at hand. Essence cycled through his body in slow, powerful bursts as he prepared to use a technique. He would have to time it just right for maximum effect. The gemstone had removed just about eighty percent of his Essence once again, limiting his options. He only had so much to burn on techniques before attempting the Terrain technique.
If he guessed right, it would take roughly five percent of his total Essence to form one properly, and, seeing as he didn’t want to take any chances, he would need to leave enough for two attempts. That meant that he currently only had access to ten percent of his total Essence. He calculated how much time and how many techniques that would give him and only once he was absolutely sure, did he make his move.
The golems had closed more than half the distance to him by now and were raising their arms, most likely to fire off those beams of Power Essence that had finished him off the last time. They were also, apparently, not stupid, as they’d staggered themselves so as not to hit each other with the blasts.
That didn’t matter to him. He had his plan, and now it was time to put it into action. He knew that unlike his last test, he would not be allowed to advance to Orange-Belt until he won the fight. He made his first move.
There was a sonic boom as he used his Shockwave technique, flashing between two beams of light and coming
up behind one of the golems. Roy was not surprised at how in control he felt of the technique. He understood himself better than he had before, and by extension, he had a deeper understanding of his Path. He now knew where he’d been lacking, and that insight made it easier not to doubt in his abilities.
He cut the technique off as soon as he’d escaped the enclosing ring, then used the momentum to spin in place, lashing out with a powerful kick from the Unaru Kuma. Power Essence exploded out from the bottom of his foot as it connected with the golem’s lower back. Another boom echoed in the empty space as a bubble of force expanded and ruptured in the span of half a second.
The effect on the golem was devastating. The blast not only tore it in two at the point of impact but also sent a storm of Essence-coated shrapnel exploding outward. Unfortunately, none of the others were close enough to be hit, but the stones remained where they’d fallen, crackling and sparking with Power.
“Okay. I admit I’m impressed,” Geon grudgingly said as Roy darted left, heading for another golem.
The constructs, taken by surprise at his rapid movement, were slow to react, and he was able to land a devastating punch on the golem’s right hip, cracking the limb and unbalancing it enough to make it fall.
He spun in place, throwing his arms up in a block just as a beam of condensed golden energy slammed into him. He gritted his teeth as he felt the Power Essence searing his arms but fought through the pain, ejecting Essence of his own to lessen in damage to him. He only wished he knew how to use an Armorer technique to block out the blasts.
But as he used his Movement technique to flank and attack another golem, he knew it was probably a good thing. His Essence was severely limited in this test, and if he had an Armorer technique, he might be tempted to use it. That would waste precious Essence that he did not have, which was why he was going for a powerful offense. After all, if the golems were busy defending, they would have no chance to attack.
