It wasn't the time to speak with the old man just yet. Dusting myself off, I rose to my feet and extended my hand.
While I was now at stage two of the martial realm, I wasn't publicly a martial artist. Extending my hand presented myself as a merchant more than anything.
This must have intrigued Old Man Karu as he tilted his head slightly and grasped my hand with overwhelming strength and a sinister smirk.
"Congratulations, Kid." he chuckled, "Your diligence is truly one of a kind. And this reward is merely the start. The future holds much more for you. May you seize it and prosper. "
"Thank you, Old Man." I tittered, rubbing my head.
I sat Old Man Karu in the seat that would be beside my parents.
He then shooed me away and I returned to my duties. Not long after, the guests had settled and the ceremony began.
To see Annalisa walking down the aisle in crimson and gold made me chastise myself for ever letting go in the first place. But, why cry over spilled milk, especially if it's been cleaned up?
Even now, life was all the more pleasant because she stayed. The moment her veil was removed, my heart almost burst from my chest in elation. Then I spied the slight blush high on her cheeks, and realized, just maybe, she wanted this too.
The high priest of Caliam, the primary deity of Hellfiend City, began the nuptials. The nuptial ceremony began and ended with a kiss and our left arms bound to each other.
After the ceremony concluded, the party began as the manor remained lively until the break of dawn. When the people were finally leaving, Annalisa and I sat beside each other on the edge of our marriage bed.
"Truly a pleasure of the mortal world. Something worth experiencing." She muttered under her breath, almost no different from a sigh.
With the changes that the Nine Turn Sow Thistle brought to my body and achieving the second stage of the martial realm, Annalisa's words were easily caught by my ears.
"You speak as if you'll leave this world," I said, secretly anxious.
I knew why people practiced martial arts. Immortality. I believed immortality was a pipe dream. Still, I would be lying if I said I didn't have a newfound hope for it after my experience with Andivor Creek.
Annalisa inhaled sharply. I placed my hand on her thigh to calm her.
"Maybe I'll leave this world as well. After all, old man Karu has now recognized me." I told her.
Suddenly she laughed.
"What?" I asked with a frown.
"Are you a fool or just ignorant?" She asked, " With your… nevermind,"
Annalisa sighed then straightened her posture as the chamber door opened.
"They're here," she said.
I look towards the silk curtain that separates the room into an inner and outer section. The outer section was occupied by both families and the inner section was for us newlyweds. While it wasn't a strict tradition, it was one kept alive thanks to distrusting alliances through marriage.
As my mother didn't trust the Ubars and the Ubars thought little of me, my mother wanted to make sure the consummation of the marriage was an indisputable fact, ratifying the marriage, and keeping both sides honest and tied.
With an audience, it was a very awkward beginning. Still, I managed to talk her through it. My nerves were tempered and fortified. And the thoughts of the consequences of our failure was a future I don't want to see.
When the first intercourse was made, the families departed and we found ourselves to do as our hearts pleased. The awkward begging melted away like spring's gentle push to winter. Then onto the blossom of spring and the glory of midsummer's might.
Sometime later, I lay on my back, reminiscing and celebrating a newfound pleasure that rivaled the making of money. And I loved to make to make money.
With a soft chuckle to myself, I look over to take one last look at the peaceful Annalisa and move to join her when I am shocked and frozen.
I then cringed and sat straight up. I would probably look mad to a spy as I stared at nothing and grasped at air. But in my eyes, it was another unexplainable phenomenon.
—————————————-
[choose your level]
[Easy
Moderate
Hard ]
I've been staring at that prompt for three hours. At first, I thought I was losing my mind. Then I believed it must be some demon. But maybe, it's simply heaven's will or another trick of Andivor Creek.
'Hard' I thought.
It was an active thought. The prompt vanished soon after. I sighed in relief. It was finally gone.
[Family System initiating…]
'Fuck, it's back… What…Family System.' I was frantic, trying not to wake Annalisa. The last thing I needed was to explain myself to her.
[Due to the unusual level selection, Host has entered the lower one percent. Welcome to the Against the Tides of Heaven scenario.]
[Against the Tides of Heaven achievement. Host has been rewarded with the True Misery Body.]
[Against the Tides of Heaven achievement. Host's cultivation has been separated from System]
[Raising the standard… Resetting parameters.]
[Congratulations! You have married a woman with tier 7 cultivation talent and an innate Vermilion bloodline. Reward: 5 years of insight]
[Congratulations! First Marriage Achievement. Reward:10 years of insight and a Mystery Box.]
[Congratulations! First Consummation Achievement. Reward: Drought of Returning.]
' What the fuck is happening?' I was slack-jawed.
At a complete loss of words.
In my head, something is talking to me. And I could talk to it. What the hell is cultivating talent and insight? It all seemed like foolishness. Yet all seemed so…. Profound.
Then it changed again. Before my eyes appeared more ethereal words.
Name: Darius II Thorne
Title: Heir to Earldom Thorne, Son of Kent, Heir to Marquisdom of Protus
Talent: Tier 9
Physique: True Misery Body(Dormant)
Realm: Second stage Martial Realm
Techniques: Sun and Moon Hands, Flesh and Bone Arts.
Family members: 2
Family Fortune: 25
I rose from the bed impulsively as I realized what I was reading. The entire board was a surprise to me. Recording the size of my family, fortune, techniques, martial level, and talents…
I looked over at the sleeping Annalisa and crept out of the bed. Pulling my robe on, When I was met with the presence of a young woman. A silent beauty in both presence and appearance.
"My lord, how can I assist you?" she asked.
But I couldn't answer as words above her head read: Vernia Finch – Talent 6, Little Yin Fire Body.
The system chimed.
[Eligible match discovered.]
[Due to the host's selection, each wife must be superior to the last to progress the family. Otherwise, no reward will be given.]
I cleared my throat audibly. The thought of multiple wives was a common one. What had shaken me was the standard of wife required by this system. If it was to be believed, nothing would come of building a family in Hellfiend City.
While Annalisa was a genius in the city, this little chambermaid was a daughter of heaven. And it's likely, that I won't find anyone else like the two here.
Shaking my head. I refocused.
"No need." I replied, "You can go to your room."
The Little maid hung her head. And I scoffed.
"You aren't needed tonight. If the family asks, simply tell them that the Miss and I are both sound asleep."
"I-is there something wrong with this humble one?" she stammered, "The lord is obviously energetic…It's my duty."
"Enough. Out." I ordered.
A soft titter came from behind.
"My husband is insatiable…" said Annalisa, "Just take her. That's why she was purchased."
"I understand, Annalisa. However, I do not need her tonight. I just want to go for a walk." I assured her.
"Mmm, I guess that's best. Vernia, go away."
"Yes, mistress." she quickly replied and scurried away.
As Vernia touched the door handle, a muffled pop emitted and the door burst into chips and Vernia was blown back. Stepping forward, I snatched her from the air then a shiver rocketed up my spine as a metallic shine blinded me.
Ting!
The blade rang as Annalisa appeared before me. I exhaled, relieved that I hadn't died.
"Get her out of here," said Annalisa.
"He…"
"I know," she interrupted, "He's a 12th stage grandmaster."
Looking to the edge of the room, my mind moved relentlessly. After all that had happened, watching Annalisa die was not an option.
Before I had come to this conclusion, the masked assailant had moved and the symphony of blades had begun.
Dropping Vernia, I rushed to the side of the room and stomped on the floor. Pulling my things out, I looked at Annalisa and found her barely holding on. It was only thanks to a golden shield revolving around her that she hadn't perished.
I moved…
"Darius, stop!" she shouted.
A mistake at that moment of distraction allowed a palm through her defenses. The golden shield moved and took half the blow but Annalisa crashed into the bed with a great shatter.
Pushing off the floor, lept into the air. The masked assailant sneered. As they approached, I threw two smoke bombs and naturally they slashed forth.
As the bombs exploded on contact, a cloud of poison appeared. The assailant retreated and I landed in the same place I had leapt from. I never intended to fight, I merely needed him to lower his guard.
Now that poison had struck and the man stumbled back, I pushed forth, with the little skill I had, I used the flesh and bone art, striking with palm and fist. Desperately trying to take advantage.
It was a pipe dream that was made apparent as the man began to block, parry, then counter. The poison wasn't taking hold fast enough. Soon, every blow pelted my body and I was beaten back gruesomely. This was more than an assassination. This was a grudge. This man wanted to torture me.
Boom!
Annalisa's shield hit the man and took the blow.
"Guuh!" blood spilled from his mask and it was finally time.
A secondary explosion erupted from the other side of the mansion. Annalisa and I shared a look of understanding.
No one was coming for us.
"Hhahah" the man began to laugh maniacally, his eyes fierce and crazed, bloodshot from poisoning.
"Even if I go, I'll take you little bastards with me!" his head tilted, fell back and his aura went silent. His chest then stopped moving as if he cut his breathing.
To stop the breath was to stop the circulation…
"This…" I gasped, "Annalisa move!"
She shot forth and her shield punched out. I rose to my feet and my body flexed, under the control of the flesh and bone art, I reset my joints and numbed my pain as best I could with my level of mastery.
I then joined Annalisa as we danced around each other to fight the zombified man. But soon every hit we took was like a volcanic chamber erupting.
Finally, it happened, A fist hit Annalisa and her ribs cracked. She tumbled through the bedroom wall and the man on the edge of death faced me.
Even if I waited, This man had somehow staved off the poison with some sort of death technique. It would be useless to stall. Listening for help, I could only hear war through the Thorne manor.
I could only wonder if they were here for the Ubars or had the Kents come for the Nemean armor. Then there was a worse option, the fools had bought the Yin Plasma Bead from auction.
Shaking my head free of useless thoughts, I reset my form and sharpened my gaze.
"The little lion is ready…A kent to the end." he mocked me with disdain.
Together, we rushed forward for one last blow.
Pahh!
Every muscle in my body rippled, joints popped, organs wiggled, and bones vibrated. I saw stars and moons. I then felt death grab me around the waist like a lover.
_____________________________
My eyes fluttered open and my body was stiff. The slightest attempt to move was like a night of torture in an instant.
Looking around, I could barely make out the room as my vision blurred. Then the lights went out again.
When I opened my eyes again, the pain had somewhat subsided and my vision was only half of its normal state. I could see just enough to see Vernia moving about the room, the haze of Annalisa in a bed next to me, and my parents arguing with the Ubars.
Thinking about the rumors I had spread, I had to make sure they weren't mistaken. Clenching my jaw, I managed one word before blacking out again.