Core-disciple Kang lowers his guard, speaking loud enough for me to hear even though we stood with quite the distance between us.
My rage was now brimming.
How dare he use the only thing I have left of my parents?
His end will be painful.
The fact that he has the technique could only mean that he, through some despicable means, stole it.
And was that the only one he obtained?
I am also holding back only because I'm curious as to which method he used, in order to stop others from doing the same.
Unfortunately for him. My mastery of the old elemental laws meant that I can easily circumvent his, especially if someone else with lesser mastery tries using it against me.
The cause of his downfall this time will be stealing from me and trying to master the technique to boot.
A fool's errand.
The crowd of disciples and elders of the sects murmured. Obviously curious as to what was happening with my body.
Random disciple A : "Era is a female?"
Random disciple B : "No you idiot, it's some sort of profound illusory technique."
Random disciple A : "Such an illusory technique exists within the iron region?"
Random disciple B : "Of course~ My eyes have never failed me!"
Random disciple C : "…"
Random disciple D : "Are those two idiots at it again?"
I glance at the sect master and even though he seems to be calmly observing the match, I know him well enough to know that he's upset. The vein above his brow always betrays his calm composure.
Then just by chance I glanced at the person beside him. The former FlameMonarch's proxy, Jiya.
She seemed to be watching me intently.
Forget the match.
This woman's porcelain-perfect pale white skin and sharp silver irises cast an odd contrast in comparison to the Dragonborn surrounding her.
Since strength dragons are almost all dark skinned and blue eyed. Even lady shia'k with her legendary beauty and shocking emerald colored eyes against her dark skin, fails in comparison to this woman's glow.
But,
I can't fathom why she's so curious about me, nor why she seems to be sizing me up.
Either way, she doesn't have the authority to interfere, so no matter what, this match will come to an end.
I returned my gaze to my smug opponent.
Why does he seem so confident?
Does he think that I dare not kill?
Even though I can't use the blood mark boost. My skills in martial arts aren't to be underestimated.
And Now that his secret is mine to exploit I only have to bypass his defenses.
His strength and martial art prowess are nothing to scoff at, true. But I doubt he'll be able to recover from what I plan to do.
For now however….
"What do you mean by what you said?" I asked all the while ready in case he decided to spontaneously attack.
My anger showing.
"Simple, the sect master gave me an opportunity and I took it." He replied. "Although I must say, It was hard to cultivate the technique , I honestly only began to see improvements after sparring with you."
"It resonates with me because it, belongs to me." I replied in fierce monotone.
"Oh, I know." He huffed. "I also know you plan on defeating me by using your abilities to control my instance of the technique."
He laughs a little before "do you think that you're the only one who understands the ancient tongue?"
He stepped forward. "But do you dare try it in that state?"
He's right, the backlash from overusing the bloodmark boost had taken effect, my whole body was now numb because of the intense pain. But how did he know? And about the state of my body too.
Regardless. My resolve is made.
The time for weighing options is already passed.
I moved forward. Closing the gap till we were both in the each other's attack range.
What the hell??
My body!!
I can't move!
I thought I had already grasped and gotten used to the -weight- , my body without the blood mark boost had.
But somehow, This felt different.
Damnit!! I've been tricked!
-This is!!-
-Bloodline suppression!-
This pressure coupled with my already weakened state almost completely paralyzes me.
I want to move but my body simply refuses to obey.
"Hmph!!" Core disciple Kang grunts.
He'd punched me hard. And it winded me.
I couldn't feel the pain but the fact that there was now blood in my mouth made me aware of how bad the damage was.
Getting hit from the full power of a core disciple…
Was I kidding myself?
Why did I think that I could defeat him?
I had always been one of the few Dragon born with a weak constitution. The Strength-dragon were naturally stronger than me and so I always trained harder than others.
But now… even after everything.
All the injustice.
Is this it?
My last moment?
It was getting hard to breathe and blood pooled in my mouth.
Is this it?
"See? Too weak." Kang mused "As a female you should've just lived like one, offering your ying essence to one of our male disciples."
"At least then, as one who births children into our clan. Your existence would have had meaning."
Another punch forces me to cough spraying red mist everywhere.
My legs no longer has the strength to keep me standing and as I lean against him I can feel that my ponytail had come undone.
My long hair now dances with the wind.
Through blurry eyes I could see the disciples cheering.
Laughing at me…
Worthless Era.
Even the Sect Master also wears a smirk on his face.
As the darkness creeps in on me from all sides and my last breath escapes, the thought that comes to mind is.
-He… smiles…-
-but I'm dying?-
-how can he smile when I'm..-
-Oh… right.-
My,
DEATH…
brings him,
SATISFACTION.
I see…
If I just sleep… it will all go away….
"Giving up?" A voice asked.
The whisper seemed to have come from close by, But I am too tired to think about it.
I'm just so tired.
So weary of it all.
I mean, why was even born?
Maybe I should just rest?
Yeah… I should…
"Hey!" The voice hissed again. "Don't be in such a hurry. Come give this old god a few words."
I was instantly transported elsewhere and it takes me a while to realize that I had been brought to my own inner world.
This felt like a violation on so many levels.
Who could have the ability to do something like this?
Forcefully taking me into my own domain.
It's bigger than the last time I had checked. Easily stretching over a mile.
Black ink flowed over my feet like the warm water water from a small brook.
Darkness loomed and all was dark except for the immediate area illuminated by a singular light source. The wind blows, violently whipping my hair.
Despite being brought here I can still see the life and death platform and the sect master's smile. Only that everything outside my inner world seems to have paused.
The one who brought me here… he wears an unsettling smile.
He was dressed strangely and seemed to wear a iron suit of some kind.
His short, gray and black hair was also cut strangely. In a manner I've never before seen.
And in his hand was….
My chest suddenly felt empty. I could only press my hand against it after seeing what the man held.
In his hand is my core. The dark red orb pulses weakly. The colorful rings slowly spinning and gradually loosing momentum.
My breathing gets increasingly strenuous and my body simultaneously heavier until, with his other hand over my core the air between his palms shimmers.
My core slowly gets brighter and my energy returns.
"The bad news is, It got damaged and damaged means a slow and painful death."
The man offered.
I looked him dead in the eyes with the most threatening stare I could muster.
The man, with raised eyebrows and an amused smile easily sees through me.
Calling my bluff.
"Oh please." He replied while shaking his head "Era, if there's one thing you should never try it's tricking a human."
He looked away slightly before. "Though I guess not all humans are sharp-witted but for someone as old as I..." he let his words trail off before slowly returning his attention to me.
"Don't worry, the good news is: its fixable. However it all depends on how badly you want me to help." the strange man chuckled.
I peered outward at the Sect-master's smile.
"Maybe dying right now isn't such a bad idea..." I whispered "Living is just so tiring."
"Era. Have you forgotten your parents? Don't you want to find them?"
"I haven't forgotten, but even if you saved me right now. With my body the way it is, what will I even be able to do? The odds are just always against me and I'm tired of it."
"Patience Era, this life saving grace also comes additional benefits."
He seemed serious.
With a snap. My core was back and the empty sensation vanished.
"I may be able to grant you power, but keeping it, using it even, will all depend on you."
Was I really ready for something like this?
I looked him over.
I really wanted to ask, -why me?- What did I do to deserve such an incredible opportunity?
But what came out instead was.
"What price will I have to pay?"
He chuckles darkly while fading into creeping shadows. "Just remember my name…" His voice echoes as it becomes but a faint whisper.
"Your name?"
-What's your name?-
Suddenly I was no longer in my inner world.
My strength slowly returned and as it did, the forces around me slowly lit up. Everything moved normally as if they had never been paused.
Life glowed.
Red.
Was i the only one able to see this?
All the disciples blood essence glowed a bright red but they seemed oblivious to it.
The sect master and Jiya's blood essence was brighter, even more so as the entire left side of the area was illuminated entirely by the blinding power of their blood essence.
I could even feel the waves of energy that the sparse trees around the platform released.
This was life…
And it was everywhere!
Then…
The energy from the one I am resting against is also extremely rich.
Slowly I lift my hand to his cheek.
Something about it seems familiar.
Comfortable even.
This blood essence.
Kang-dae chul looks down and into my eyes. As I bashfully try to avoid his.
I had him in my embrace now.
An onlooker probably would have thought that we were incredibly close, couples even.
My hand on his cheek and other arm around his waist.
Then with bated breath I slowly exhale.
This sensation was new to me. My whole body tingled.
I had never experienced anything similar and I almost lost myself in it.
This new sensation brought with it a pleasure that spread its tendrils to every corner of my body.
Every crevice.
Every peak.
so yeah, between my thighs... a warm wetness made itself apparent.
And as i threw my head back in this same pleasure and finally letting go of the former and now deceased core disciple, i could feel that my nipples were hard and sensitive.
It was all I could do to hug myself. Relishing the feeling of absorbing Kang-Dae Chul's blood essence.
I heard him fall to the floor.
But as I looked up at the clouds trying to steady my breathing. I could feel that he no longer glowed.
He had no energy left, no blood essence.
No life.
But in the absence of his life something stirred within and around me.
An ominous presence.
A dark energy.
I could feel it creeping from my finger tips to my shoulders then down and over my body. breasts, torso, waist, thighs, knees, feet and even my toes.
Completely enveloped in the dark energy I can only relish the crisp air and euphoria it brings.
Then seeping into my Inner-world,
dripping unto my core and mixing with the dark red and slowly coloring it vanta black a massive surge of power exploded inside me.
The boundless energy feels so good that i just had to have more.
I quickly reach towards the disciples closest to the platform in order to absorb their blood essence.
but before i can, two ridiculously strong forces interfere.
Their energy glows incredibly bright.
They had entered into the platform.
Sect Master Shi-Feng and former Proxy Jiya!
-These two?-
Their energies are so rich and tempting that i momentarily salivate.
"Hou deviation!" Jiya states angrily before "I've never seen one this bad! We must stop her quickly. Because if she turns into an angel. We're all doomed!"
"Agreed!" The Sect Master responds.
"Hmph!" They both huffed in unison before their energies explode intensifying sevenfold!
-Blood essence can be used like this?-
"I want to do that too!" I gushed happily, still riding the wave of euphoria. Turning the blood essence I absorbed earlier and rotating it with my core as the center.
My power slowly rises, doubling! Then tripling and even quadrupling!
Countless tendrils of dark energy flash across the life and death platform like cascading lightning.
I giggle.
Then laugh.
I couldn't stop laughing.
Is this even real?
I struggled to gain power for 21 years and now… just by taking Kang-Dae chul's blood essence. I've gained such an immense power!
- To the mysterious stranger who appeared in my inner world.-
I thank you.
I'll forever remember your name.
Master Numinous.