Like the bleak landscape, Xing Lei wandered in a dull and depressive pall. The land claimed to be of undead was not such, in truth all he encountered were alive but like himself were aimless wanderers that did little but move around the gray landscape. He found no cities or houses, mostly crude huts barely strapped together by the apathetic residents, who rarely even bothered returning to the same hut.
The others only took slight notice of his presence, other than to recognize that another had joined the walking lifeless, they did not bother with him. Some, on occasion would rage against themselves before the familiar pall fell across their shoulders once more. Wether it was the mad kings doing, or just a trait of the dismal land, such didn't matter. What did was the life sucking aura that seemed to drain all vitality from the body, it did not hurt but instead undermined ones confidence, to Xing Lei it was like facing his first heart demon so long ago.
At the time he had been weak, a runt in his family, only a grand lucky fortune had saved him from a life of obscurity, yet here in this dull land there were no fortunes to consume. No lucky stroke of karma to erase ones troubles. Just a dull gray haze that urged one to trudge forward and dwell upon life's misfortunes and failures. Xing Lei thought to cultivate, to use that boost of karmic merit to escape the aura but even as he reached for his ring an icy hand clutched his wrist, the old man shook his shaggy head, "To rely on your crutch will not grant you your hearts desire, strive against yourself little kobold, beat your faults back with your own will... or do not, my home welcomes every resident equally."
Snarling against the dreary urge to surrender, Xing Lei whirled to confront the old man, yet like a specter the Mad King vanished, dispersing like smoke in the wind, that same pleased smile on his wrinkled face. Xing Lei glared yelling out against his elusive, his rage building feeling the invasive urge to just give up. This wasn't right! He'd suffered setbacks, his cultivation had stagnated, but the road forward was still there and this jester king was not going to beat him. A being who reincarnated years before himself just meant he was the underdog, he would claw his way up and drag his enemies into hell with his own two hands.
The Mad King's chuckle had Xing Lei turning again, this time the old man reclined over the shoulders of a well built figure, his broad muscles told a tale of great dedication to strength yet here he was trudging like any other. When the Mad King alighted atop his shoulders, the man shivered and flinched yet refused to shake off the old man who rode his broad back like a common beast of burden. The old guy yawned tapping the strong mans bald head and the man started to run, rushing after, Xing Lei looked for his chance to strike at this bastard.
The old man reclined, paying Xing Lei no more mind than he would a dog chasing alongside his horse, exhaling he smiled and looked around, "You bear great resentment for me little kobold, was I the one who forced you to walk blindly into my domain? Am I the one forcing you to ignore what you should do? Is it true that I am restricting your ability to fight for your beliefs?"
The old man cocked his head watching Xing Lei run, every now and then he'd pull on one of the running mans ears and the great brute would turn accordingly, just as Xing Lei was about to catch up, the kobold suddenly finding himself leaping at an after image rather than the mounted mad man. Cursing Lei would run on again, chasing in the wake of the Mad King. As the day waned on the grey orb of the muted sun high above slowly crawled towards the distant horizon, the brute was wheezing, foam filled spittle drooled from his jaw as the chase slowed down then stopped.
Xing Lei watched the man dismount, slapping the brutes ass to send him running again away from the duo. As the Mad King walked up to the tired Xing Lei he extended a hand covered in blood and gore dropping a grisly package at the kobolds feet. Xing Lei glanced beyond the Mad King, A bloody hole appearing on the brutes back moments before the hulk of a man tripped and fell, dead before he even realized his body was missing something rather vital. The shock in Xing Lei's gaze was mocked by the Mad King, "You care for my mount? A mere beast of no consequence, he will be replaced by his ilk in due course, I find your judgement odd little kobold. After all did you not rip a heart out of thousands of beasts of burden recently? True to existences like myself they are of no more important than an ant but yet you who walks beside them daily so casually condemned them to death."
Shrugging the Mad King vanished again his whisper stabbing through the kobold as surely as a blade...
"Hypocrite."
Days past before Xing Lei saw the Mad King again, Lei had finally settled into his own little lean to and produced a barrel and materials to resume his tempering, the fiery concoction was chewing at his body like a hive of hornets when the old man casually appeared beside the suffering kobold, a keen eye studying the solution, "Ah you are one of those, that explains why you so easily forsake your fellow man even while not accepting your inhuman current existence. Do they understand the coldness of your heart little kobold? You have shared some of it, but not the truth of relations of your universe correct? Is it fear of being left that keeps you from telling them or do you honestly care so little for mate, lover and friend?"
Tsking the old man circled the barrel letting the one inside eye him in silence. The Mad King laughter using a finger to stir the murky gray water, "Who knew kobold soup was the thing to make you strong, all chefs should learn this recipe I think! Human soup, elf soup, god soup. A buffet of intense strength so easily produced by cooking a being in a barrel of water sprinkled with blood, bone and weed."
Stewing in his bath Xing Lei bore the jeering in silence, he truly could say nothing, to speak would undermine his efforts so he tried to block out the raving old man yet still he prattled on, casually leaning on the edge of the barrel, "Finally some dedication, do so young padawan! Reach for the stars as the next great stewing reptile!" Laughing the man vanished leaving Xing Lei to his tempering, the reptilian eyes glowing softly in silence.
Days turned into weeks and Xing Lei slowly grew his power, his most recent breakthrough to rank five saw another chase scene, the kobolds short legs pumping wildly as an old man receiving a piggy back ride from a young woman lead him all over the gray terrain. Much like the hulk, the young woman did not survive which made Xing Leis rage surge. The Mad King sneered, "A mere lech, so worked up that I snuffed a flower that you are ready to show off your indignation. But did you know she was a poison wielder? Thousands died under her concoctions, do you still feel rage that one who so casually slew young and old alike is so easily erased despite her looks?"
Laughing, always that maddening laughter haunted Xing Lei, the longer he stayed the longer he felt the oppressive atmosphere wearing at his soul. Each day he tempered his body, enduring the Mad Kings assault on his beliefs. Each day Xing Lei chased the old man to the point of exhaustion. Each day another mute, trudging soul was extinguished. A steady ritual was established of the Mad King teasing and taunting the kobold and the kobold striving to consolidate his foundation to eventually catch the insane monarch, for he truly realized the Mad King was exactly such, while he knew many things, even secret things, his way of presenting knowledge was as a courtly jester, a jeering crowd mocking his life and then challenging him to a race or to a battle of wits while cheating throughout.
Sighing he stretched he felt his newly rebuilt muscles throbbing with power, the fifth rank of body tempering had taken him the better part of two months but the enhancement of his body felt great, almost like he could catch the demented king this time.
"Its pointless little kobold."
Turning Xing Lei wondered how the old man had gotten so close behind himself but shrugged away the frustration. The old guy was constantly trying to surprise or scare him this whole popping out of nowhere was nothing new. "What is pointless?"
"Trying to 'deal' with me, others had the same thought, far stronger too. I'm still here the clown king ruling over the lifeless husks of would be heroes and wanna be villains. See I found myself here, cast out from my world, I had gifts others did not but at a price. The retention of your old power has it's own price too you know, always does. Anyways I digress. I conquered this little shit hole, used my powers to make myself an omnipitent god-king, lived the high life, wine, women, booze. Then he came, another just like me and showed me the punchline."
The mad king grinned wide, his demented smile taking in like some hyenas feral maw, "These powers aren't boons. We're mere pawns for higher power amusement, they are children throwing stones at windows just to hear them break, thus is why we are here. To cause havoc and chaos. Some, of course, adapt. He was one who worked with this world to shackle us power holders, to bring us in line whenever we threatened to see this world burn under our own hubris."
Xing Lei's head cocked slightly at the mad mans rant, his eyes narrowing, "So that's it."
The mad king stopped mid rant, those milky white eyes shifting to regard the kobold, "What's it? Come now little kobold, share with the class."
Xing Lei smirked turning from the man and walked away, the mad king frowned, those eyes narrowing on the small back that was leaving him behind rather than chasing. With a blink the aged man walked beside Xing Lei, his head cocked, "Oh you'd ignore your host? For shame! When you reincarnated you truly lost all your old civility didn't you? Hmph, see that I don't take you as my next mount, ignorant child." Raising his hand ready to snap his fingers Xing Lei suddenly stopped.
The mad king grinned mirthlessly, "See be a good child and uncle mad hatter will spare you-"
The spiel was cut off as Xing Lei suddenly kicked to the side, his foot connecting solidly with the old mans ribs sending the milky eyed tormentor rolling in the bleak dust. Clutching his side and spitting out a mouthful of blood the mad king snarled and rushed back at Xing Lei... yet unlike before the kobold simply backhanded the man sending the man tumbling back. The mad king roared his rage as he flipped back up on his feet, his features shifting. Milky eyes becoming a vibrant gold, the aged look smoothing as the old man became a teenager in resplendent clothes, blood dripped from the corner of his lips, a vibrant green against ivory flesh.
"So, the little kobold refuses my hosting?"
Xing Lei chuckled looking at the mad king, "Oh be silent, not flapping your lips for awhile won't make anyone think you're mute. What idiot let his heart demon run free to take over this formation?"
The mad king frowned, "How did a stupid little-"
"How did I figure out you're not really a person? Your little act of toying with the other prisoners before killing them, they knew with this worlds abilities they can't hurt you. But I'm different, I'm a cultivator, killing heart demons is something we do at the turn of a hand... just got to remember to not fall into their pacing. You almost had me, but this little farce is over."
The mad king giggled and then roared with laughter, his now golden eyes flared as they stared down Xing Lei, "I'll be waiting little kobold, figure out one of my secrets you may have, but guard the exit I do and I'll be sure your heart decorates my wall...cause if you think you've already won... I truly have."
Laughing harder the figure began to blow away, more smoke on an imaginary wind leaving Xing Lei smiling for once in a fair while. The battle against the mad king would happen but for now he'd have some peace to focus on his cultivation. Looking around the bleak landscape he began planning what to do next, while cultivating was in order he then had to leave, but back to the occupied human country?
Returning to his little hut Xing Lei broke out the materials for the next rank, major accomplishment would mean an even better set of odds when confronting the mad king, on their own heart demons could normally be dealt with easy enough by strong will and conviction, but one that escaped its owner and had been feeding on those trapped here? That would prove... troublesome.