Act 1: Phoenix Rises From Ashes

 Ignoble, thin Orion Stormblade exited the orphanage, holding a pickaxe on which his misery and hardship lay crossed. The Sun had just risen, spreading its orange-purple light across the sky and creating a picturesque scene. Yet Orion spent only a moment to appreciate its beauty, before preparing himself for the day that awaited him. He was 17 this year, though he didn't look the part. He was skinny and short, scrawny and stunted. On his head was a mop of messy hair that covered a curious scar located on his forehead, shaped like a lightning bolt. He didn't know how he got the scar, but it had always been on his forehead. ' I hate my life,' Orion sighed as he made his way towards the mines. As far as he could remember, his life was misfortune after misfortune. The first misfortune occurred when he was not even two years old. One night, someone had murdered his father. His mother fought the intruder off, but both his mother and the assailant disappeared, with no bodies ever being found. No one even knew who the assailant was - making it a complete dead-end case. It was followed immediately by the second misfortune. After that night, he was dropped off at an orphanage. Specifically, Zenith Orphanage, located in the poorest areas of Crystal Mine City. Crystal Mine City was a small city built around a number of eponymous Qi Crystal mines. Living in the city were a few thousand people whose livelihoods depended on mining and selling the Qi Crystals produced. Over time, these people had formed a number of loose organizations, one of which was Zenith Orphanage. In reality, calling Zenith Orphanage an orphanage would be stretching its definition. True, it did offer orphans a place to live and food to eat. But it also employed them - shelter and meals were provided at a cost of 20 Qi Crystals a day. An orphan who didn't meet the quota was an orphan who went hungry. It was the perfect reflection of the cruel nature of the world. Nonetheless, Zenith Orphanage was a necessary organization in Crystal Mine City. Orphans were all too common here, and without it, they would all starve to death. And as for the third, fourth, and next few thousand misfortunes, Orion had long lost count. As far as he was concerned, every day spent in the wretched mines was one of them. After a short walk, Orion reached the entrance of the mines and stepped inside. It was a gloomy cave, which stretched deep and far into the ground. Even though the lighting provided by the torches was poor, Orion navigated it like the back of his hand. Some twists and turns later, he reached the area he had left last night. It was a high-risk area, as the workers had not yet reinforced this section of the cavern with the wooden supports. As a result, few people wished to mine here due to the danger of a cave-in. But mining in this area also had its benefits. With fewer people here, there was less competition over the Qi Crystals. In a lawless area like Crystal Mine City, it was common for disputes to occur and fights to break out. Especially orphans, who had no support, were a frequent target of the miners from other organizations. It hadn't always been like this. Orion could still recall the times of relative peace, back when making a living hadn't been as difficult. For the most part, people would mind their own business, and leave Orion and the other orphans alone. It had all changed a few years ago. For the past few decades in Crystal Mine City, the largest organization was BlackRock's Drill Company. After the head of BlackRock's passed away, a man named Garret Flint became the new head. Under his rule, BlackRock's aggressively grew in size, forcing the other mining organizations to disband and join BlackRock's through various underhanded means. In a few years, BlackRock's grew to control nearly 80% of the mining business of Crystal Mine City. As for the other 20%, they were comprised of small groups like Zenith Orphanage, which were too trivial to enter Garret Flint's notice. However, that didn't mean Zenith Orphanage didn't feel its effects. Before Garret Flint assumed command, there had been a balance of power between the large mining organizations. At that time, Crystal Mine City could be considered a somewhat lawful area, with rules set in place to maintain a sense of fairness. For example, certain mines belonged to certain groups, which was vital for the orphans of Zenith Orphanage, as it ensured they had a place to work. But after Garret became in charge, and the large mining organizations all merged into BlackRock's, the rules of BlackRock's became the rules of Crystal Mine City. Furthermore, Garret imposed strict quotas upon his workers, some as high as 50 Qi Crystals a day. And mining was only one way to get Qi Crystals - it was easier to just steal them from someone weaker. Such as an orphan. Just last week, a group of workers from BlackRock's Drill Company had robbed hundreds of Qi Crystals from some orphans returning from the mines. The orphans had no power to resist, and the matron of Zenith Orphanage, a horrid woman named Ms. Cole, didn't care for their excuses. Needless to say, it was best for an orphan to keep a low profile. Hence, Orion worked in the most deserted areas of the mines. Lifting his pickaxe above his head, Orion swung it at the cavern wall, starting the day's work. The process of mining Qi Crystals, in theory, was very simple. One swung his pickaxe at the cavern wall to dislodge large boulders, and then broke the boulders apart to find Qi Crystals. Qi Crystals were translucent rocks, which contained dense amounts of Qi packed inside. They ranged in size, some the size of a pebble, others the size of a fist. They emitted a soft silvery light, making them easily identifiable from ordinary rocks. However, the actual mining process was more complicated. There was no way to tell if a rock contained a Qi Crystal without smashing it apart. There were cases of small rocks that contained dozens of tightly packed Qi Crystals, there were also cases of massive boulders that didn't contain a single Qi Crystal. Therefore, the mining process always involved an element of luck. Around half an hour later, Orion managed to knock out a large boulder, which crashed to the ground with a loud BANG. Wiping the sweat off his face, he began attacking it. Clang! Clang! Clang! With practiced strokes, the boulder split down the middle, revealing two silver objects inside. ' Two Qi Crystals, not bad,' Orion thought, before swinging his pickaxe to break up the two halves. But to his disappointment, no other Qi Crystals were found amongst the ruins. Setting the two aside, he began loading the smashed bits of rock into one of the nearby wheelbarrows. At the end of the day, they would be carted out of the mines. With his years of experience in the mines, he was usually able to complete his quota a bit after noon, which was when he would eat his first meal of the day. At this point, most of the orphans would waste the rest of the day away, finding ways of amusing themselves in Crystal Mine City. But Orion was different. When Orion completed his quota and ate his fill, he returned to the mines. Qi Crystals were valuable mainly because they were the standard currency in the Scarlet Phoenix Empire. There were thousands of small cities like Crystal Mine City that produced the raw materials to supply the empire's entire economy. However, Qi Crystals had another use. They could be used for cultivation. Cultivation was the process of understanding and using magical force. In this world, cultivation and strength were everything. The strong ruled, and the weak were ruled. That was the way of life since ancient times. It was everyone's dream to become a strong cultivator, but reality was cruel. Especially in a backwater place like Crystal Mine City, most people had long given up on such thoughts. Yet, Orion was not one of those people. He wanted nothing more than to leave this wretched orphanage, leave these cursed mines, leave the forsaken Crystal Mine City, and head into the wider world. Most of all, he longed to find his mother. 15 years ago, he was dropped off at Zenith Orphanage with only two things on his body. One was a note, which said his name was Orion Stormblade, his father was murdered, and that his mother was missing, presumed dead. There was no other information on the note - it didn't even mention their names. The second item was a necklace, which he had worn for his entire life. It was a simple loop of string, with a small decoration hanging off it. The decoration was made of red metal, and shaped into a bird with its wings outstretched, resembling a scarlet flame. Other than those items, and the clothes on his body, there was nothing else. No one had seen who dropped him off, and the note was unsigned. Orion's background was a complete and utter mystery. The note had said his mother was missing, not that she was dead. So, Orion had held onto the hope that she was alive, and convinced himself that his mother was out there somewhere. However, he knew his parents weren't from Crystal Mine City, as no one here was surnamed Stormblade. Therefore, if he wanted to resolve the mystery of his parents, he had to travel elsewhere. He didn't care if he had to question everyone in the empire to find his mother. Even if his quest was ultimately a waste of time, it at least gave him a purpose, and it was better than working in the mines for a lifetime. But, in order to realize those dreams, he had to cultivate. With his measly strength, he could barely maintain a livelihood in Crystal Mine City. And Crystal Mine City was one of the weakest locations in the Scarlet Phoenix Empire, which was a massive empire filled with strong cultivators. Clang! Clang! Clang! Another rock was split apart, this time revealing four glittering Qi Crystals. Orion set those aside and once again began attacking the wall. A few hours later, his pile of Qi Crystals had doubled in size. By midday, he was thoroughly exhausted. But in front of him were 20 sparkling Qi Crystals. Wiping the sweat off his head, he cleaned the broken rock bits around him and gathered the Qi Crystals into his sack. He swung it over his shoulder and headed towards the cave entrance. He was in a good mood, as he had completed his daily quota earlier than expected. After his meal he'd return to mining and - His good mood vanished the moment he saw the people loitering outside the cave. They were a group of five teenagers, around Orion's age. In the middle was Barty Flint, the son of Garret Flint. Surrounding him was his gang of bullies, Gordon, Malcolm, Piers, and Dennis. Barty's gang frequently robbed Qi Crystals from the orphans. The orphans were their favorite target, as most didn't even dare to fight back. Offending Barty was the same as offending Garret, and no one, especially not the orphans, dared to offend Garret. And out of the orphans, Orion was their favorite target. "Hehe, Doggy Stormblade. Good harvest today?" Barty smirked as he saw Orion head out the cave. "Good afternoon," Orion responded politely. But inside, he cursed his bad luck. "You know why we're here, don't you?" "If you want Qi Crystals, there are plenty in the mines. With the five of you, I'm sure you could get some in no time." "But why should we do that?" Piers sneered. "We can just take yours." The rest of the gang loudly laughed. "Don't you feel ashamed of yourselves?" Orion tried, in a last-ditch effort to save his crystals. "You are all at the 4th level of the Body Tempering Realm, and Barty, you are at the 5th. I'm only at the 2nd level. Besides, you took all my crystals three days ago." "Haha, ashamed?" Barty guffawed. "Why would we feel ashamed? And so what if we took your crystals three days ago? You should thank us for not taking them yesterday." "Right, right," Malcolm chimed in. "The winner is the king, the loser is the bandit. Just hand over the crystals, and we'll spare you a beating." "I'm not handing them over," Orion snapped. He had worked hard all morning to get these crystals, how could he just give them away? "We gave you a chance, but it's a pity you didn't take it. We'll be taking them by force!" Barty leapt forward and threw a punch. Orion raised his arm to block it. Fights between cultivators were affected by a great number of factors, but generally, a lower-level cultivator couldn't defeat a higher-level cultivator. It was rare to find a cultivator who could; those who could perform such feats were referred to as geniuses. But Orion was no genius. He couldn't even beat other cultivators at the 2nd level, much less fight against those a level above. How could he beat Barty, who was at the 5th level? Each level of the Body Tempering Realm allowed the cultivator exert a few dozen kilograms of strength. Someone at Barty's level could lift small boulders, if Barty bothered to work in the mines, he could mine Qi Crystals far faster than Orion could. Besides, Orion was already exhausted from mining. As such, Orion's arm was swatted aside like paper, and the rest of Barty's punch landed solidly on his chest. The force was enough to send him tumbling backwards. He landed on his side, panting for breath as the wind was knocked out of him. ' The gap between the 2nd and 5th level is too large,' Orion cursed as he struggled to get back up. Just as Orion got back on his feet, Barty reappeared in his vision. Wham! Another fist landed on his chest. Orion felt like a rock had been smashed into his body, and once again tumbled onto the ground. Gritting his teeth, he got up again, only to be struck right in the stomach. Immediately, he was back down on the ground. The pummeling continued, the cycle repeating itself over and over. Barty would hit him, Orion would fall to the ground with a fresh injury, and the moment he got up, he'd be sent back down. Cursing his life, Orion struggled back onto his feet. He turned his head, searching for where Barty had vanished to, and then - Barty's foot landed right in the center of his back, sending him crashing right into the ground. He tasted the bitter dirt and dry grass. "Haha hahahahaha!" Barty's gang laughed and jeered, throwing clumps of dirt at Orion's prone body. Mustering all of his remaining strength, Orion got back up. What happened next was completely unexpected. Just as he got into a standing position, Orion was struck by a spasm of pain and lost his balance. In a desperate attempt to reclaim it, he wildly stuck his legs out. Meanwhile Barty, not expecting Orion to fall, overshot and tripped over his outstretched leg. The result was that both Orion and Barty landed in a heap, faces in the dirt. There was dead silence. Orion scrambled to his feet, backing up as quickly as he could. "STORMBLADE!" "I-I-I didn't mean to -" "I'LL KILL YOU!" Enraged, Barty leapt up and shot towards Orion, releasing all the strength in his body. ' I'm screwed,' Orion thought in terror. He now realized that Barty was just toying with him earlier. The punch coming his way was like an unavoidable rock aimed at his head. A fist landed on his nose, caving his face in, and painting it with blood. Another landed on his stomach. Thankfully, he had not eaten yet. The combined force of the two hits propelled his body ten meters away, and he sailed through the air like a ragdoll. Landing on his back, he opened his eyes just in time to see the bottom of a shoe - STOMP! He screamed as his already throbbing nose was broken even more, and then screamed again when the next foot landed on his chest. Over and over, Barty kicked him, like how a child might kick a ball, until he was panting on the grass and coughing up blood. The grass beneath him was stained red. There was a loud CRACK as Barty stomped on his right thigh, and another CRACK as Barty stomped on his left thigh. "That's what you get," Barty spat on his face. "Serves you right. Spiritless Orphan, my father will hear about how you injured me." Barty kicked him a few more times, breaking a few more bones until he was satisfied, and Orion slipped into unconsciousness as the pain became too much to bear. Orion awoke on a familiar mattress, staring up at a familiar ceiling. He was back in the orphanage, laying on his bed. His entire body felt sore, like he had been beaten within an inch of his life - oh right, that's exactly what had happened. Needless to say, the Qi Crystals he had painstakingly mined all morning were all gone. Groaning, he turned his head, seeing a plate of food on the table near his bed. Forcing himself into a sitting position, he tried to eat. Orion may not have been very strong, but he was rather clever. He knew that as an orphan, he had no background or influence to support him. If his Qi Crystals were robbed one day, he'd have no way of retaliating or getting them back. Instead of dooming himself to starve, he planned ahead. Zenith Orphanage had a credit system, where orphans could submit extra crystals for a future date. Over the years, he had submitted many extra Qi Crystals for this very situation. And although Ms. Cole was a stingy and uncaring woman, at the very least she was fair. She kept track of each orphan's contributions and credit, and fairly handed out food and shelter. So, Orion knew he was not in danger of starving, and there was no immediate rush to return to the mines. He could take his time recovering. Perhaps a few days off would be good for him. However, he quickly discovered that his injuries were much worse than he thought. On his right hand, only his thumb and forefinger would respond. On his left hand, not a single finger did. And with the tremors racing through his body, he couldn't even hold onto a spoon. He gave up on the cutlery, and just shoved his mouth into the food. When he finished the bread and vegetables, he laid back down in bed, and checked the injuries on his body. His legs were broken, and were strapped against some crude crutches. If he was lucky, he'd be able to walk in about a week. His chest and legs were a mass of bruises, and a quick glance in a mirror showed his nose was crooked. There were at least 10 broken bones in each of his hands. Gingerly, he tried to set his nose back in place. "Fuck!" he swore. The moment he touched it, he felt like someone stabbed his face. He decided to let it be. But his body injuries weren't the most pressing concern on his mind. Rather, he was more worried about Barty's father, Garret Flint. Garret Flint was famous in Crystal Mine City, and was mainly known for three things - his size, his love for his son, and his ruthlessness. He had spoiled Barty, rather impressive considering the scarce resources and widespread poverty in Crystal Mine City. He was also the sort of man who would take revenge for the slightest grievance. Those who crossed his path, or went against BlackRock's, were mercilessly stamped out. That was how he had forced his way into the top position in the city. But, Orion hoped, perhaps Garret wouldn't do anything to him. Barty had already beaten him to such a pathetic state, perhaps his father would feel that he was already punished enough. And though he had tripped Barty, it was a very light injury. Sighing, he laid in his bed, mulling over his pathetic life. His entire life, he had been Barty's favorite bullying target. Not a single week could go by without Barty harassing him in some way. However, there was nothing he could do, and he had no support. The other orphans knew to avoid Orion, or else Barty and his gang would bully them by association. Ms. Cole didn't care as long as Orion brought Qi Crystals back - and even if she did, she wouldn't go against Garret Flint. A man like Garret Flint had a hundred ways of getting revenge in Crystal Mine City. Ultimately, Orion supposed, it was all due to cultivation. Cultivation was divided into a number of realms, the first being the Body Tempering Realm. In this realm, cultivators focused on strengthening their body by opening their meridians. The human body contained nine meridians, which were passageways in which Qi flowed. Meridians were closed from birth, but by absorbing Qi and pushing it through the meridians, they could be opened. Each open meridian corresponded to a level in the Body Tempering Realm. When one opened the first meridian, they were at the 1st level of the Body Tempering Realm and officially started cultivation. When one opened all nine meridians, they were at the 9th level. Orion had opened his first two meridians, by saving Qi Crystals over many years and refining the Qi inside. Barty had opened five, probably through all the resources his parents had given him. As for Garret Flint, Orion had no idea what his cultivation was. However, the rumor was that he had reached the 7th or 8th level of the Body Tempering Realm. That was frightening to think about - with that strength, Garret could move about unhindered. Each level of cultivation came with increased strength. And with strength came power and status. Due to cultivation, the weak were at the mercy of the strong. The strong set the rules, the rules favored the strong, in fact, it would be better to say that rules only applied to the weak. If Garret wanted Orion dead, he wouldn't even be able to resist. His thoughts drifted back to the fight from earlier. He had been utterly crushed, without a single chance of fighting back against Barty. The 2nd level of the Body Tempering Realm was just far too weak. He hated that feeling of powerlessness, he hated it, he hated it, he hated it, he hated it, he longed for the day he could punch that arrogant smirk right off Barty's face, and repay everything Barty had done to him a hundred times over. Fantasies of beating each member of Barty's gang to death ran through his mind every day, but he knew that would never happen. Just thinking of Barty filled him with shame and hate, yet… Even if he could beat Barty, he couldn't beat his father. And as long as he couldn't beat Garret Flint, he didn't dare to do anything to Barty. Perhaps he'd never achieve Garret Flint's level of cultivation in his entire lifetime, and he was destined to live under Barty's shadow forever. Just as Orion's thoughts grew darker and darker, the door opened, and in walked Ms. Cole. "You have visitors," she said, not even sparing a glance at his injuries. Taking the empty plate, she walked out. And in came the three people Orion hated the most. First to enter was Barty, who gave Orion a mocking grin when he saw his injuries. Next was his mother, Thalia Flint. She was a skinny and tall woman, with a disproportionately long neck. Her face was perpetually stuck in a sneering expression, like there was something smelly under her nose. After Thalia Flint came her husband. Garret Flint was the largest man Orion had ever seen. In a poor place like Crystal Mine City, it was difficult to get fat. Nearly everyone was thin and underfed. On average, three people died of starvation every month. Yet, Garret Flint had managed it. He was so large he barely fit through the door, with a thick mustache and heavy scowl on his face. Seeing that expression, Orion knew there was no chance of being let off. Laying immobilized on his bed, Orion could do nothing as Garret walked closer. He was well aware that he was powerless to even move. In the worst case, his life would be over in the next five seconds. "So, you're the brat that injured my son?" he finally asked. His voice was gruff, and wheezing, like just speaking was a massive effort. How he was able to reach his level of cultivation, Orion had no idea. Generally, cultivators were all in good physical shape. "It was an accident," Orion said back, trying to hide his nervousness. "An accident? You accidentally called my wife a whore, and my son a bastard? You accidentally kicked him in the crotch and knocked him onto the ground?" "What?" Orion asked, bewildered at the questions. What was he - And then he saw Barty, who gave him a nasty smile back. He was standing near the back of the room, so his parents didn't see his face. But it was in plain view of Orion. Everything was immediately clear. "I didn't say or do any of that," Orion responded quickly. "I just accidentally tripped him." "LIES!" Thalia screeched. It was the first time Orion had heard her talk, and he almost leapt off his bed in fright. Her voice was shrill, like nails on a chalkboard, making his body shudder. "Brat, you have guts to lie to our face! How dare you hurt my son?" "I'm not -" SLAP! The slap came without warning. It felt like a hammer had hit his cheek, knocking half of his teeth lose. If it had been any harder, he would be toothless. Tears welled out of his eyes from the pain, and his face turned red as he started to cry. On the other side of the room, Barty had a look of schadenfreude on his face. "The punishment for those who insult me has always been death. But you're just an orphan, no different from a stray dog. I can't be bothered to deal with you, except you hurt my son. So, you will be punished." "This time tomorrow, I'll hang your body outside BlackRock's as an example." Hearing that, Orion felt like his heart had stopped. Only one body was hung outside BlackRock's at a time. Whoever was unlucky enough to offend Garret last was killed, and his body was hung as a warning. It could hang for weeks, or even months, until it was just a skeleton with some strips of rotting flesh left. Eventually, it would be replaced by the next unlucky person. Without a doubt, it was one of the worst punishments imaginable. "B-but," he stammered, "I-I-I didn't -" "You what?" Garret sneered. "You think you have a choice?" ' No,' Orion thought bitterly. In Crystal Mine City, Garret's words were the law. "Don't even think about running. Try, and I'll beat you like the dog you are." With that, the three of them left the room, but not before Barty shot him one last smirk. It was nighttime now, a few hours after Garret Flint had given him his death sentence. Since then, Orion hadn't moved from his position on his bed. The reason wasn't just because his injuries hadn't healed - it was because he was still numb from shock. He was going to die! His entire life, he had worked his fingers off to carve out a living. He was an orphan, with nothing to his name. Step by step, day by day, he managed to achieve a semi-stable life in the volatile Crystal Mine City. Just earlier he had dreamed about leaving this city, and traveling the empire to find his mother. Yet it had taken only minutes for his life to be over. ' WHY?' he wanted to roar into the sky. What did he do to deserve this? Out of all the people in the world, why did his parents have to be killed? Out of all the orphanages in the empire, why was he sent to this hellhole? Out of all the orphans in the orphanage, why did Barty target him? Why? WHY? What had he done wrong? Thinking back on his entire life, he could not recall a single instance where he had made a mistake. Was it his fault his parents were attacked? Of course not, he was still a baby. Had he provoked the Flints in some way? Not that he could recall. Should he have handed his Qi Crystals over? Perhaps. But if he had, wouldn't Barty return the next day and continue snatching his crystals away? If he at least put up a fight, he hoped Barty would feel it was too much effort to bother Orion, and would go target someone else. How could he imagine that Barty would concoct such a vicious lie? All he could feel was regret. If he had the opportunity to redo the day, he would have handed his crystals over without a second thought or complaint. Better yet, he wouldn't even get out of bed. He'd tell Ms. Cole he was feeling sick and spend the day indoors, and cash in some of his credit. Even when thinking about his entire life, all he could feel was 17 years of regret. He had tried to live righteously, a very difficult task in Crystal Mine City. When other orphans didn't reach their quota, Orion would lend them crystals so they could eat. He shared his food, and never bullied the younger ones like other orphans would. Perhaps he was biased, but out of all the people in Crystal Mine City, Orion felt like he was the kindest, most humane one. Yet, why was such a thing happening to him? What had he done to deserve this? Where was the justice in the world? Orion had no doubt Barty thought his life was worthless, and would treat his death like a massive joke. He would probably gloat about it for weeks with his friends, laughing at how he had gotten Doggy Stormblade killed. And to Garret Flint, killing an orphan was no different from stepping on an ant. Orion also knew that Garret was only killing him to send the rest of a city a message - that his son was not to be touched. It was a way to establish his prestige. And of course, giving Orion a day to live was just to let him suffer a bit longer. Understanding all of this made Orion incomparably angry. However, he kept his calm. The scariest people were not the ones who gave into their emotions, and acted on their anger. Rather, the scariest people were the ones who stayed quiet, and directed their anger for a different purpose. All night long, Orion wracked his brain to find a way out of his mess. All sorts of thoughts ran through his mind. Could he negotiate with Garret? It was worth a try, but realistically, there was no way. He had nothing to offer, and BlackRock's didn't need a weak boy like him. Could he beg? Also worth a try, but also unlikely to succeed. Of course, there was also the option of running. But his legs were broken, and he couldn't even get out of bed. Even if he could, he had no chance of escaping from Garret Flint. Tossing and turning all night, all sorts of thoughts flew through his head. Yet, none of them were able to get him out of his predicament. Before he knew it, exhaustion overtook him and he fell sound asleep. The Sun was high in the sky when Orion woke up. The events of the previous day, from mining Qi Crystals, to being beaten, and ending in his death sentence, had exhausted him to the bone. When also considering his injury, it was no wonder he had slept for twelve straight hours. Experimentally, he tried to lift his legs. He managed about an inch before a streak of pain shot through them, and had no choice but to put them back down. ' I won't even be able to get out of bed today,' he thought gloomily. Was he really destined to die? Just as he was debating if he should try crawling away, the door opened and Ms. Cole came in, holding a plate of food. She set it down by Orion's bed, and turned to leave. "Is that for me?" Orion couldn't help but blurt out. He had gotten to know Ms. Cole's character very well over the years. She was stingy, and especially meticulous when it came to money. If there was an opportunity for her to avoid spending it, she would. As such, he had assumed she wouldn't bother feeding him today - he was going to be dead anyways. She stopped, and turned back around to look at Orion. "Is there anyone else in the room?" "Well, no, but… thank you," he finally said. He had never expected such kindness from the normally uncaring woman. "Since you still have credit, you can eat," she said, then left the room. Orion couldn't help but feel grateful. In the darkest, worst moment of his life, one of the people he had hated the most had been kind to him. It had caused his entire perception of Ms. Cole, entire years of resentment, to vanish in just a moment. Perhaps it was because he knew he was going to die. On his deathbed, he couldn't even muster angry thoughts. All he felt was hopelessness. When he finished eating, he settled back down in bed. With nothing to do until Garret showed up, he let his mind reminisce. Growing up in the orphanage… Mining Qi Crystals… Getting robbed and beaten every week… Trying to cultivate… The desire to find his mother… Flashes of his life flew through his mind, and as they did, he realized just how pathetic his life was. The Scarlet Phoenix Empire was a huge land, with millions of people. And of those millions, Orion felt that he was the worst off. Who else was an orphan who slaved in the mines for scraps of food? Who else had the horrible luck to be targeted by the Flints? Who else was doomed to die over a teenager's lies? It was just so… unfair, but Orion had long grown used to that. In the cultivation world, there was no such thing as fairness. It had always been the Law of the Jungle, with the strong making the rules. And Garret Flint made the rules of Crystal Mine City. Orion laid in bed the whole day, just staring out the window. The Sun inched towards the horizon, each setting inch representing an inch closer to his doom. Any moment now, Garret Flint would barge through his door. It was an agonizing torture, to know you were about to die, but to be unable to move or resist. Minute by minute, hour by hour, the time trickled by. Ms. Cole came back in to hand him some dinner, which he gratefully ate, and then tried once again to lift his legs. They refused to respond. By this point, the Sun had nearly set. Just as he weighed the pros and cons of trying to crawl out of Crystal Mine City, his door opened with a loud bang. In strode Garret and Barty Flint. "Well?" the former asked, his face expressionless. "Have you prepared yourself?" "Your son lied to you" Orion replied in a defeated tone. After thinking all day, the best plan he could come up with was this. He didn't expect Garret to believe him, and perhaps he'd be slapped again for the trouble. But he had nothing to lose. "Yesterday, your son and his friends ambushed me outside the mines. He attacked me first, and I only defended myself. I never said anything about you or your wife, and I only tripped him by accident." There was a long pause, as the two of them stared into each other's eyes. Two cruel, beady eyes looked into two defiant green ones. Even if Orion was going to die, he at least wanted the truth to get out. "I know," Garret responded. All the arguments Orion had planned out in his mind collapsed. "Y-you know?" "Of course. I know you're a coward. You wouldn't have the balls to touch my son even if you had 100 times the courage." Orion felt a spark of hope rise in his chest. "So, does that mean -" "What, you think I'm going to let you off?" All the newfound hope was snuffed like a blanket over a torch. "But -" "Accident or not, you still tripped and injured my son. That alone gives me the right to punish you. And if I can use your death to send a message that my son is not to be touched, then why shouldn't I? It will spare me trouble in the future." Despicable. Absolutely despicable. Suddenly, Orion realized that his previous understanding of Garret Flint was too naïve. Garret was a far, far uglier man than he had realized. "Drag him," Garret ordered his son. Barty was only too happy to comply. Barty roughly grabbed his arms and yanked him out of bed. He landed on the ground, sending a fresh wave of pain through his body. He cried out, only to receive a kick in the chest. Powerlessly, he was dragged like a sack of flour behind Barty, out of his room, and down the hall of the orphanage. He saw the other orphans peek out their rooms, wondering what the commotion was, only to quickly duck back inside after seeing the Flints. Eventually they reached the front door, and exited the orphanage. Outside was a crowd of people who had gathered around. "Hehe, Doggy Stormblade, look around. The entire city knows you're next on Blackrock's Hangman." It seemed like there were dozens of people crowded in the streets, all of them craning their necks to get a good look at the unfortunate orphan. And thus started the most humiliating journey of Orion's life. Blackrocks was located at one side of Crystal Mine City, while Zenith Orphanage was located on the other side. Garret walked down the main road, followed by his son, who dragged Orion behind him. He took care to walk through the bumps and rocks on the road, all to inflict a bit more pain on Orion. As they walked, the crowd followed. Seeing the large crowd, more and more people came over to view the spectacle, eventually joining the crowd themselves. It wasn't long until the crowd doubled, then tripled in size. In just a few minutes, there were hundreds of people following a close distance behind Orion. Orion could see plenty of people whispering to each other. Though he couldn't hear their conversations, there was no doubt they were about him. "Look son, that man is Garret Flint. Never offend him, or else you'll end up like that boy," one mother whispered to her child. "What did he do?" another person whispered. "I heard that he insulted Thalia Flint, and sneak attacked Barty." "What an idiot, doesn't he know who the Flints are?" "No, no, my friend saw what happened with his own eyes," another person whispered. "The boy was coming out of the mines, but Barty tried to take his crystals. They had a fight, and the boy accidentally tripped Barty. Barty beat him into that state, then reported to his father. The stuff about injuring Barty is all a lie." "What a pity," other people sighed when they heard the story. "Help me," Orion moaned into the audience. But everyone just looked away, pretending to not see or hear him. All he got was a kick in the ribs from Barty, and a taunting smile. In Crystal Mine City, no one dared to oppose Garret Flint. In everyone's mind, of course their own lives were more important than that of a stranger. Orion was just an orphan, not just that, he was the only Spiritless person in the city. People died in Crystal Mine City all the time, whether it be from starvation, or illness, or exhaustion, or from being framed. In the end, it was all the same. His death would just be one of many, and life would simply continue on. The walk was only for a few minutes, but to Orion, it felt like hours. He stared at the darkening sky, and the setting sun. If he saw the heartless eyes of the crowd, he'd go berserk with rage. ' I'll remember you,' he vowed in his heart. ' Garret Flint, Barty Flint, each and every one of you in the crowd. If there's an afterlife, if there's reincarnation, I'll engrave your faces in my memory and get my revenge.' Perhaps in the back of his mind, he realized he was being delusional. There was no afterlife, there was no if, his life would simply be gone in a couple minutes and he would become little more than a warning to the rest of Crystal Mine City. His body would hang on the Blackrocks Hangman, his flesh would rot, he'd be eaten by birds and flies until he was just bones, and then the next unfortunate person would replace him. At least death by hanging was quick, he supposed. The dragging abruptly stopped, and Orion turned his head around. He was there. Blackrocks was a large, imposing building. It was made of grey and black stone, giving it a somber and dreary feel. Or perhaps that feeling came from the execution platform outside the front entrance. The platform was made of wood, and a few feet tall. A horizontal beam was suspended above, with a noose hanging off it. A trapdoor in the platform was located directly under the rope. The victim stood above the trapdoor, the noose went over his neck, and then the trapdoor was opened by means of a lever. Gravity did the rest. Orion was carried over and dragged up the short flight of stairs. He struggled the entire way, but it was useless. With Garret's meaty hands grasping him, not to mention his broken pair of legs, there was no way for him to escape. He stood on the platform, though it was more accurate to say he was leaning against one of Garret's henchmen, while Garret himself grabbed the rope. "Well boy, any last words?" The noose tightened over his neck. What was he supposed to say? Proclaim his innocence? What was the point? Garret already knew he was framed, and so did anyone else who had half a brain. Did anyone actually believe he was stupid enough to provoke the Flints? Maybe beg? But again, what was the point? At the very least he'd die a real man. ' That's right,' Orion thought. 'I'll go out like a real man.' He took one last look around him. The setting sun cast its final pale rays of light on the city. Around the gallows was a crowd of about 300 people. Some looked uneasy that a boy was about to die. Others were indifferent. A few even had looks of anticipation. After all, one didn't get to see a hanging every day. "I do have some last words," Orion said. He spoke loudly and slowly, enunciating each word. Strangely, he felt an absolute lack of fear in his heart. "Garret Flint, Barty Flint, Thalia Flint…" He stared right into Garret and Barty's eyes, getting a good look at their pudgy faces, letting the words hang in the air. "… go fuck yourselves." Garret snorted, then pulled on the lever. The trapdoor opened, and Orion felt his body go weightless. He was suspended in the air for the briefest of moments, and then he began to fall. And then… There was a searing pain on his chest, like he had been burned. The necklace around his neck, no, it was the metal decoration hanging off of it, had heated up, the metal bird turning into a wisp of fire. There was a bright flash of light, a hook behind his navel, and then Orion Stormblade was gone, leaving behind an empty noose in front of a stunned crowd.