"Amitabha…" A typical greeting of a monk, but Lurker isn't convinced. What kind of monk sneaks and watches the slaughter of weaklings whom he could have saved?
"Who are you?" With a probing question, Lurker used his Spiritual Sense as subtly as possible to get an estimate of the sudden arrival's cultivation.
To Lurker's surprise, he can't detect any cultivation at all. Not even a trace of qi! Even ghosts have qi, so the monk is quite a bizarre puzzle to Lurker. If it was a stealth technique, that would be understandable, but reason tells him that it is impossible to be able to extremely hides one's qi to the point of appearing qi-less.
"I said," Lurker felt unnerved for a moment. "Who are you?"
"…"
The monk's silence made Lurker more unnerved. He can only think that the monk must be an evil monk cultivator. But for a second thought, that might not be the case either. lurker makes a daring move as he removes his restraints over the control of his own qi.
Lurker decided to be more provocative as he openly used his Spiritual Sense to the maximum.
"What is this!?" He utters in surprise.
"…" No matter what emotion Lurker would display, the monk will only have one answer... that is silence.
"You… you are so weak." Despite this lack of reaction, Lurker cannot help himself but verbalize what he is seeing through his Spiritual Sense.
"Not even a Dantian, and the qi is just faintly stronger than a mortal. There wasn't any concealing technique. This is odd... Are you even human?" Lurker is losing his sanity thus the paranoia, Lurker reckoned. Although he took it into consideration that the monk must be hiding his cultivation, Lurker decided to be just done with it.
"The way you look at me, I don't like it." With his palm over his forehead, Lurker made a nasty smile as he makes the qi in his surroundings boil with his increasing bloodlust. From the gaps in his fingers, an eerie glow could be observed from Lurker's eyes.
The monk's eyes remained apathetic throughout the conversation, if they really had any, the monk's greeting of 'Amitabha' hardly counts as one. But that doesn't stop Lurker to talk more.
"You monk, I'll makes sure to show you a good time."
From his fists to his elbows, deadly claws and hardened scales surfaced. Lurker's human flat teeth turned into the familiar jaws of a crocodile. Just below his waist, a scaly tail swung left and right, flexing its fatality.
"I had a good warm-up with the rabbit. I'll have you as my main course then."
GREAT SNAPPING JAWS!
Lurker instantaneously arrived, his jaws made of pure qi tinted with deep jade, snapped at the monk's head. But Lurker only bites at empty air, as the monk slightly leaned backward with his fist increasingly inching closer at Lurker's chin.
*BANG!
It was a smooth and deadly jab.
Lurker felt faint for a moment, his weight being lifted in the air. Like skipping stones, Lurker bounced off several times in the creek's shallow water.
It was only one punch, but Lurker felt as if he has already died once.
'Where is that strength coming from? I can barely feel any qi from that punch.' Lurker thought to himself as he groggily stands up.
The monk just stood there, watching him gather his thoughts. "A.re.. you… mock.ing me?" Lurker plainly displays his disgust as apparently, the monk doesn't even see him as a worthy enemy.
Once more, Lurker hurled himself with qi empowering his limbs. For now, he decided not to use any techniques as he punches and rushes his enemy. The confidence that Lurker is building since his breakthrough is slowly getting chipped away bit by bit.
Lurker felt uncomfortable as he fights. It is only now that he realized that he's not yet used to his new form. He would love to return to his full beastly form, but he can't as his cultivation has not stabilized yet.
What's so good about humanization? Aside from extending the beast's life span tenfold, it also improves their talent, potential, luck, and gifts.
The only downside of humanization is that the beast needs time to acclimate itself to its new form, something which Lurker is currently experiencing. At a rapid pace, Lurker is trying to acclimate to his new form. As obvious as it was, that would be a too insurmountable task, especially with the threat that the monk brings.
DENSE JADE ARMOR!
Lurker then wielded his qi to become his skin as he fights with all he got. He will endure this, and rise beyond what he is currently capable of. He will surpass himself! Only through that way will he find a way out of his current predicament.
…
In the cave abode, I relaxedly play my game like it was meant to be.
Back left, counter, square, circle, evade… square, square, triangle… Hmmm… looks like this method of control is way better than the cursor mouse, especially in intensive battles like this.
Using the analog stick in my game controller, I made the mindless monk swiftly position himself as I systematically destroy the opponent… In my hand is the only Game Controller that ever exists in this cultivation world. This is something I heavily invested my thoughts into.
After some deliberation, I decided to create two modes of control. The Single-Player mode which I am using as if I am playing Tekken or NSFB… the typical fighting game I know. And then, there is Multiplayer mode, which is still in the process of development.
The single-player mode would be dedicated to fighting against experts. Meanwhile, Multiplayer would be my all-purpose mode which specializes in decimating small fries and doing progressive quests.
My Mindless Monk versus poor croc. The monk's specs are superb, so fighting experts like this croc who is not yet in his element is manageable. I was kindly saying 'not in his element', but frankly, croc just returned from his noobie phase. It is like unlocking a new character in a fighting game, and you'd have to master the said character from the beginning all over again like the other prior characters.
With my input, the Game Controller, destroying enemy experts would just be a matter of skills.
Anyways, no matter how I see it, the croc definitely is a noob.
Suddenly, croc suddenly stops moving. Maybe his exhaustion is finally catching up to him.
WOW! A CHANCE! COME HERE, Im'ma destroy you! Taste my ultimate…circle, circle, square!
…
Dragon Bones, Kirin's Eyes, Songful Pearl, Phoenix Ash, Stardust, Ether Steel, and Shadow Fog… These are the compositions that the Mindless Monk is made off… Each of these treasures hides great power.
With old Fu Shi's knowledge of the ancient arts, he was able to draw these powers. The new Fu Shi might be lacking in cultivation, but he has the system, his quintessence, and lastly on top of old Fu Shi's memories are— a motherlode of inspiration from his past life.
"SURGING SEVEN SINS!"
Lurker's nose is bloody with several broken bones all over his body. Hearing the monk speak for the second time since their encounter, Lurker felt a deathly chill stab his heart.
'Is this it?' Fear gripped his heart.
"PRIDE!" the monk said, as an avatar of a bloody dragon manifest and exuding its Dragon Might. Lurker crashed into his knees, making splashes of water everywhere. The creek shook as birds fly aimlessly in the skies.
"ENVY!" the monk continued, as the avatar of a corrupted Kirin gazed unto Lurker, while the sky turns dark with the rumbling of crimson lightning and shrill thunder. Lurker felt his blood vessels constrict, depriving him of his control over his qi.
"GLUTTONY!" Lurker felt his throat getting parched, as his voice was eaten away. A pearly black orb extracted itself from Lurker's throat. It held ominous energy that is slowly devouring Lurker's courage, leaving him in a state of despair.
"GREED!" Softly spoken words that Lurker dreaded… were once more heard. His eardrums heatedly bled as flames burst from his seven orifices. Phoenix Flames surrounded him with clinging voracity, fed by the very life force that sustained Lurker until now.
"WRATH!" Though he can't hear anymore, Lurker can still see. Mouthed in the monk's lips, Lurker learned of the word 'wrath' as hatred-fuelled light engulf him. Engraved into his eyes is the Mindless Monk remaining as apathetic as he was since the beginning.
Since the beginning, Lurker doesn't even stand a chance.
At this point, there is only a sliver of life left in him. 'Surging Seven Sins, right? So among seven forms, I will die under the fifth… That isn't so bad. But honestly, I am already on my last legs after the second.'
Surrendering himself to the embrace of death, his consciousness slowly crumbled into inexistence.
"Wait," a gentle voice beckoned him. "Just wait." It said.
Just right before Lurker fade into the void, something held him tight, stopping his soul's decay. It was another soul, and between them is a robust bridge where their thoughts connect.
"I was angry at you for killing my subordinates, so I sent the monk to kill you."
"???"
"Now, you have two choices. Submit to me or die."
It was… a very cultivation-ish development, something that you would see in the cultivation world in a regular basis. But in Lurker's case, it has quite a twist.
Confused, Lurker asked. "I am already dead… Aren't I?"