(1 hour later)
Beneath the dim glow of the single lantern in the center of the main room, an uneasy silence clung to the air as Joon and his prospect housemates settled in for another tense evening. Shadows danced along the walls of the hanok, casting everyone in a spectral light. It was Torin, unable to sit still under the heavy quiet, who smirked mischievously and reached for a pillow beside him.
Torin, tapping his legs, thought, 'Ahhh it's too quiet in here!'
With a gleeful chuckle, Torin hurled the pillow directly at Caelan, who was meticulously arranging his belongings. The pillow smacked Caelan squarely in the back of the head. The feathers momentarily fluffed into the air as he turned sharply, his eyes blazing with irritation. "Really?" Caelan growled, eyes narrowing. "You're dead."
Without missing a beat, Caelan grabbed his own pillow and swung it fiercely towards Torin. However, his aim was skewed by his anger, and the pillow flew past Torin and struck Joon instead, who had been observing the exchange with detached curiosity.
Joon smirked, "So you want this then."
Joon's eyes flickered briefly, a spark of playfulness amid his usual stoicism. He swung his pillow back at Caelan with precision and a surprising amount of force. Caught off-guard, Caelan stumbled backward, knocking into a small table.
Caelan scoffed with his face red, "I'm n-not joking around! Die!"
Torin clapped his hands in delight and dove into a pile of pillows, dragging them out and laughing maniacally. "This is war!" he exclaimed before launching an assault, flinging pillows in all directions. One flew at Zephyr, who was quietly reading in the corner, and another sailed at Elara, who dodged with reflexive grace, her eyes widening slightly in surprise.
Zephyr sighed, "Of course this happens."
Elara said, "Hey, psycho! You can't just drag us into this!"
Torin chuckled, "Yes I can!"
Elara, though cool and composed, couldn't help but be drawn into the fray. She snatched a pillow and, with calculated speed, vaulted towards Torin. Swinging the pillow with both hands, she struck him squarely in the chest, sending him tumbling back.
Zephyr, meanwhile, stood up silently, brushing his hair from his face. His actions were fluid, almost peaceful, as he methodically began to engage, quoting softly, "In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity." The pillow in his hands seemed to glide through the air, hitting targets with an almost poetic precision.
The room erupted into a battlefield of feathers as pillow after pillow was launched through the space. Caelan, fueled by competitive fury, attempted a complex spin attack aimed at Joon, his pillow slashing through the air like a blade.
'Tch! Almost had him!' Caelan thought. 'He's fast, I have to take that into account!'
Joon, on the other hand, displayed a surprising agility, ducking under Caelan's swing. He lunged forward, using the momentum to launch his pillow from below, catching Caelan right under the chin in an upward strike that left him disoriented.
'Caelan has power behind his attacks, as long as I don't get hit with full force…'
As Caelan reeled back, Joon performed a back flip, evading a sneak attack from Torin, landing deftly and immediately going on the offensive, his movements sharp and calculated. Each pillow strike was timed with an assassin's accuracy, making it hard for the others to keep up.
"Is this what you call strategy?" Joon taunted lightly, a rare smirk playing on his lips as he parried a double assault from Zephyr and Elara, his back against Elara's as they navigated around each other, partners in chaos for a fleeting moment.
Elara responded with a quick spin, her pillow meeting Zephyr's with a soft thump, her eyes focused and alert. "Strategy is surviving your madness," she retorted, the corner of her mouth twitching upward.
"Oh? You're one with the proverbs as well.."
"After listening to you murmur to yourself all day, you just pick it up."
"Hmph. Intriguing."
Meanwhile, Torin, not deterred by being knocked down multiple times, kept the energy high, laughing and encouraging more chaos. "Come on, you assassin wannabes, show me some moves!" he yelled, diving towards a fresh stack of pillows.
The fight continued with relentless energy, feathers floating like snow in the lantern light, each prospect showcasing their unique styles. Caelan, with aggressive and powerful sweeps; Joon, with his precise and acrobatic maneuvers; Elara, with agile and tactical strikes; Zephyr, with his serene yet effective hits; and Torin, wild and unpredictable.
Amidst the chaos of soaring pillows and feathered tempests, Joon noticed Caelan recovering from the flurry of attacks, his eyes sharp and calculating.
Joom said to Caelan, "Hey.."
Caelan responded, "Those bastards are in the way of me taking your head off. I say we team up and get rid of them so I can kill you fair and square."
"I was about to say the same thing."
With a shared understanding, Joon and Caelan split apart, flanking the room. Torin, still laughing maniacally, hurled a pillow at Elara, who dodged elegantly. Seizing the opportunity, Joon leapt forward, executing a roll that brought him up behind Elara. In a smooth, continuous motion, he snatched a pillow from the floor and swung it in a wide arc, catching Elara off guard, hitting her in the face.
"Damn you, Joon!" Elara scoffed as she fell.
Simultaneously, Caelan engaged Zephyr, who had been a quiet but difficult target. Caelan moved silently, a stark contrast to his usual bluster, and used a feint to misdirect Zephyr's attention. As Zephyr turned to parry an anticipated blow from the right, Caelan switched directions fluidly and delivered a hard thud to Zephyr's side with his pillow, effectively catching him in a moment of confusion.
'They're teaming?! Impossible!' Zephyr thought.
As Elara and Zephyr stumbled back, surprised by the sudden coordinated assault, Torin was caught by an unexpected low sweep from Joon, causing him to trip and fall back amidst a heap of cushions. The room spun into momentary disarray, with feathers fluttering like curious butterflies caught in an updraft.
Regrouping swiftly at the center, Joon and Caelan faced each other, the last two standing in this unexpected tournament of pillows. The lantern light flickered as though reflecting the tension between them, casting long, dramatic shadows across the floor.
Joon smiled, "You got what you wanted."
Caelan grinned, "I sure did."
The atmosphere thickened, each of them panting slightly, eyes locked in mutual recognition of the other's prowess. They circled slowly, each step measured, the soft padding of their feet almost silent against the wooden floor. Caelan made the first move, a sweeping arc aimed at Joon's head. Joon ducked, countering with a low thrust towards Caelan's mid-section, which Caelan sidestepped.
'He dodged it?' Joon thinks as he jumped back.
Caelan thought, 'What's his strategy? Attacking the body only? No..he usually attacks the face as he did with Elara…I can't let those hits land!'
Their movements became a dance, pillows slicing through the air, each block and parry a testament to their skill and precision. Joon flipped backwards, avoiding a descending blow, and landed with his pillow held defensively. Caelan used the momentum from his swing to spin into another attack, this one more aggressive.
Both of their pillows crashed against each other, and the entire hanok shook.
The duel drew out, neither able to land a decisive blow, their actions growing more intense. They were mirrors of each other, each attack met with an equally swift counterattack, their breaths heavy in the silent room.
Finally, with a simultaneous strike, their pillows met in the middle, stopping each other's movements completely. Locked in this stalemate, they stood chest heaving, each waiting for the other to make a move, neither willing to yield.
"I win." Joon said.
Caelan scoffed, "No! I won!"
As the tension released, they stepped back, pillows lowering. The standoff ended in a draw, much to the fascination and slight disbelief of their fellow prospects who now sat or lay sprawled across the floor, watching the duel unfold.
Torin smiled, "Awesome.."
Zephyr nodded, "You Two are evenly matched.."
Elara said to Joon, "I would've just curb stomped him if I were you, Joon."
Caelan said to Elara, "Damn you!"
Exhausted, everyone dropped their pillows, a sense of finality sweeping over them as the adrenaline faded. They looked around at each other, seeing perhaps for the first time not just rivals but the faces of future comrades, each sharing a part in this odd, feather-filled battle of the night.
Panting and lined with a fine layer of sweat mixed with feathers, they all lay back, the tension broken. Though the competitive edge remained, for those fleeting moments, Torin's laughter echoed in the hanok, a rare sound of unity among the sect's most promising prospects. As the lantern continued to burn low, offering dim light, the scene closed on a group of young assassins, momentarily free from the shadows of their training.
Joon whispered to himself, "I had fun.."
(Morning time)
The dull echo of a door being forcefully kicked open echoed through Hanok A7, abruptly halting the soft snoring and disturbed murmurs of dreams. Jiho, a middle-aged Blood Sect member known for his peculiar mix of strict demeanor and hidden goofiness, stepped in, the early morning light casting a long shadow behind him. His face was expressionless, but his eyes had a faint twinkle of amusement.
'I'll make them take me serious, I'll act like cardboard, like Vaelle. All serious, and prospects respected her. Let's see if I can do the same.'
"Rise and shine, prospects!" Jiho announced, his voice devoid of emotions but somehow carrying a depth that demanded attention. "Time for morning routines outside. Let's invigorate your bodies and minds with qi-enhanced exercises!"
'Fuck, was that too loud? Too cheery?' Jiho thought to himself.
Groans of protest filled the room as the group reluctantly untangled themselves from their beds. Dressed in their black and red shinobi-like outfits, they looked a motley crew of half-awake assassins. Caelan mumbled a string of curses under his breath, eyeing the door through which they were to exit. "Great, what's next? Cooking with qi?" he grumbled sarcastically.
Caelan scoffed, "Why so early…? I don't even know what time it is, there's no sunlight!"
Torin smiled, "I love earlier adventures!"
Zephyr nodded, "I..need more sleep:"
Joon followed, his expression unreadable.
'I hate this too. It feels way too early for this.'
Elara stretched silently, her gaze fixed on the day ahead with a stoic determinism. Zephyr nodded as if reciting some ancient wisdom about the virtues of early starts, while Torin, bizarrely cheerful, chirped, "Who needs sleep when we have qi to play with?"
Caelan said to Torin, "Stop being so happy!"
"I can't help it! Haha!"
Outside, Jiho lined them up and started the routine. "Focus your qi," he instructed coolly, demonstrating a set of qi-infused push-ups. "Use it to enhance your body's natural capabilities. Remember, control is key." His voice was steady, but if one looked closely, the corners of his lips twitched slightly as he watched them struggle to keep up.
'Remain serious, Jiho.'
As they continued with laps around the facility, Jiho emphasized how to channel qi to improve stamina. "Visualize the qi as a source of energy fueling each step, each breath. It's not just about raw power; it's about endurance, precision."
'Yeah, that's something Vaelle would say.'
After they returned, breathing hard yet noticeably more awake, Jiho revealed the next part of the morning's activities. "Now," he said, leading them toward a long table filled with an array of ingredients – some clearly edible, others ominously resembling toxins. "The Blood Sect values subtlety as much as strength. Today, you'll prepare meals. But here's the twist – incorporate these poisons using your qi to enhance their potency."
Caelan frowned, "You were really not kidding about cooking with qi, huh?" His tone was dry, but a hint of intrigue colored his words. Elara glanced at the ingredients curiously, her mind already analyzing the possibilities.
Torin looked excitedly at the poisonous concoctions and commented, "Who knew breakfast could be so deadly?" He laughed softly, shaking his head in amusement.
Zephyr, meanwhile, quoted an old proverb about the art of poison. "'The silent killer, like the shadow of a ghost,'" he murmured, his interest clearly piqued by this exercise.
Elara cracked her knuckles, "Sounds easy. You think so too, Joon?"
Joon replied, "I'm scared. I feel like he's gonna make us eat this."
"Oh my goodness."
Jiho thought, 'That brat is too curious. I hate it.'
Jiho watched them with an emotionless facade as he continued to explain. "When enhancing toxins with qi, focus deeply. It's not about quantity but the quality and integration of qi into the substance. Make it seamless, undetectable."
As they hesitantly began selecting their ingredients, Jiho continued, "Consider how each poison affects the body. Your qi can accelerate or disguise this effect. It's a dance of death, artfully choreographed."
While they mixed and matched, Jiho stood aside, his face impassive, though an occasional silent chuckle escaped him as he observed their tentative attempts to create the deadliest dishes.
'For some reason, I want to ask them what they think about me, and if they say I'm a serious guy who doesn't mess around, then I've completed my mission of being feared and respected.'
Jiho cleared his throat, "Don't just stir; visualize the qi weaving through the concoction," Jiho instructed, providing a detailed explanation of how to bind the qi with different compounds, enhancing or mitigating their effects based on intent.
Caelan, begrudgingly impressed, muttered, "This is so easy. Give me something challenging."
Elara responded, "I'm almost finished, and you're still working. Slow."
"Tch, shut it fool."
At that moment, Jiho was silently shocked, looking at Joon.
Torin pointed at Joon, "Whoa! Joon's good!"
Joon's demeanor was cool, focused, almost unnaturally composed compared to his peers' overt struggles. The stark difference in his approach drew the occasional glance, particularly from Jiho, whose eyes betrayed a flicker of keen interest despite his maintained veneer of impassivity.
'Can I use the system to help me?'
Joon's hands moved with precision over his selected vials of toxins and natural ingredients, his every motion fluid and assured. A slight, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of Joon's mouth as he read the advice flashing before his eyes, his fingers deftly selecting a dark, viscous liquid from the array before him.
[System]: Select Nightshade extract. Known for its lethal properties. Recommended due to compatibility with demonic qi — enhances toxicity by 40% without altering visible characteristics or taste.
Joon followed the instructions, his hands steady as he poured the exact measurement of Nightshade, his demonic qi swirling subtly around his fingers, unseen by the others. The qi seemed to pulse with a dark life of its own, seeping into the poison, turning it from a mere toxin into something far more perilous and potent.
[System]: Stir counterclockwise precisely six times. Counterclockwise motion aligns with the intrinsic nature of demonic qi, promoting deeper integration.
He complied, each stir measured and exact, the mixture beginning to emit a faint, hardly noticeable vapor that danced lightly above the surface. Joon's focus was complete, his brow furrowed in concentration as he continued under the system's guidance.
[System]: Addition of Belladonna advised. Enhances sensory deception properties, masks bitter undertones of Nightshade with minimal qi adjustment needed.
Carefully, Joon sprinkled in the powdered Belladonna, his movements so practiced and precise that they seemed almost ritualistic. He watched as the powder dissolved seamlessly into the mixture, the overall hue darkening a shade, becoming an innocuous-looking, yet deadly concoction.
[System]: Final step: Channel personal qi signature into the mixture for 30 seconds. Maintain direct contact to solidify bonding process.
Placing his fingertips lightly on the surface of the container, Joon closed his eyes, allowing his demonic qi to flow freely. The air around him thickened subtly, the energy dark and powerful, yet entirely contained within the vessel he manipulated. As the seconds passed, the mixture's surface shimmered with a spectral glow, evidencing the successful integration.
[System]: Toxin preparation complete. Estimated lethality increased by 70%. Untraceable by standard detection methods.
Jiho thought, 'The demonic qi he has is heavy, but he's doing this so easily. He's a natural. How..? When I first learned this, it took me awhile.'
Caelan scoffed, "How dare Joon beat me..he's weak!"
Joon said to Caelan, "Sorry you're just slow."
"I'm gonna burn us all alive."
Elara grabbed Joon's arm, "That's amazing…you're a natural at this!"
Joon blushed, "It's nothing really."
'It is something. I'm kind of cheating.'
Torin, ever the enthusiast, was almost theatrical in his approach, dramatically mixing ingredients as if performing a ritual. "Behold, the feast of fiends!" he declared, earning an eye roll from Zephyr.
Torin pouted, "Aw. You don't like it?"
"It's neat."
As the morning wore on, the sounds of Mina's, Kai's, and Hyun's training filtered through from a nearby training ground; the clashing of steel underscored their absence but reminded everyone of the various paths their training could take.
Mina scoffed, "Haha! When's the combat gonna start?!"
Hyun, laying on the ground, said, "They woke us up…too early."
Kai said, "Someone please put me in a new group! I wanna join Joon's group!"
Jihu concluded the session with a final, deep dive into the theory of qi manipulation. His voice never faltered from its steady, emotionless tone, but the flickers of humor in his eyes hinted at the duality of his true nature.
"Remember, the power of qi lies not just in its strength but in its application. Master that, and you master the art of surprise and subtlety," he said, his lesson ringing with the gravity of their deadly craft.
As they cleaned up, their bodies tired but minds racing with new knowledge, Torin couldn't help but quip, "I guess this means we're cooks and killers now, huh?" His joke, though macabre, broke the tension, allowing a faint, collective exhale among the prospects.
After the culinary concoctions were completed, Jiho's straight face barely flickered as he delivered his next instruction, still maintaining that emotionless mask. "Now, each of you must eat your creations. This will also serve as training in resilience and adaptation—important if you ever face being poisoned yourselves."
Everyone froze in surprise.
Caelan's face carved a look of disbelief. "You want us to eat this? Seriously?" His voice was tinged with both incredulity and irritation as he glanced at the menacing mixtures before them.
Elara, typically quiet, chimed in with firm resistance, her brow furrowed in concern. "Hell no. Nope. I don't care."
Jiho's lips twitched slightly, the only hint of amusement in his otherwise blank expression. "No antidotes. You will use your qi to overcome the effects. And here's an incentive—complete this, and I'll consider you ready for your first real mission."
'Hm. They'll probably think I'm intense and malicious after making them eat this. My plan is working.'
Everyone looked at each other.
Joon's eyes got big, and he, Elara, Zephyr, Caelan, and Torin said in sync at the same time, "We get to go outside?!"
Jiho nodded, "Yes. The Head has your first mission assigned for this group alongside another group."
Joon asked, "Excuse me, but aren't we still in training? Didn't they say they would train us for four years?"
"You're still in training. These are small targets you will take care of, and by the end of the four years, your main target is a target in which the Blood Sect, has been hunting for a while. That's not an issue, right brat?"
Joon smiled, "Of course not!"
Joon thought, 'There's a main target. Who is it? Who could it possibly be? If I ask around more, or ask the right questions, I can get some answers, but I know they won't just give it up, so acting happy and supposedly siding with the blood sect and The Head might get me somewhere.'
Elara looked down, almost getting emotional, "We get to go outside…"
Caelan was quiet now as many thoughts rushed into his head.
Torin, whose adventurous spirit usually welcomed challenges, hesitated before rallying, his voice filled with a mix of enthusiasm and dread. "A mission, huh? Alright, I suppose it's all part of the job
Zephyr, ever the philosophical one, added, "In the old tales, heroes often faced trials by poison. I suppose this is our narrative then." Despite his attempt at humor, his worried glance at the dishes didn't go unnoticed.
Joon remained silent, his features unreadable as always. His demonic qi gave him an advantage; he inherently knew that the poison wouldn't affect him like the others, since the system informed him of it. However, watching the hesitance in his fellow trainees, he kept his knowledge and advantage to himself, merely observing. He drank the poison first.
Elara remarked, "Joon.."
With a collective sigh bordering on resignation, following what Joon has done the group reluctantly began ingesting the dangerous dishes they had prepared. The atmosphere was tense, each participant bracing themselves for the effects to kick in.
As they finished their portions, Jiho instructed with clinical detachment, "Now, channel your qi. Focus on neutralizing the toxins as they assimilate into your systems."
One by one, the prospects closed their eyes, trying to summon their internal energies to combat the invasive poisons. Caelan's face was the first to twist in discomfort, sweat beading on his forehead as he concentrated fiercely.
"Damn...it's not working," he cursed through gritted teeth, his body starting to rebel against the toxin he had ingested.
Elara was next, doubling over slightly as she clutched her stomach, her control slipping as the poison worked its way through her system.
"Ugh…that doesn't feel good."
Torin, despite his usual cheer, turned a shade paler, swearing under his breath as he struggled to stand straight. "This was a bad, bad idea!" he gasped out, the realization hitting him hard.
Zephyr, attempting to maintain his stoic demeanor, nonetheless started coughing violently, his efforts to suppress the poison's effects proving futile.
"My stomach…"
Jiho watched, still as a statue, his instructional side giving way to a hint of concern as he saw their struggles. But he remained silent, a test of their endurance and ability in play.
Then, almost collectively, a sudden urgency overtook them. Caelan bolted first, "Bathroom! Now!" he yelled as he sprinted toward the Hanok, his earlier composure completely abandoned. "I gotta shit!"
Torin was hot on his heels, shouting, "Move it, slowpoke!" as he shoved past Zephyr, who also picked up his pace, cough still racking his body.
"No shoving..!"
Elara, usually graceful and composed, dashed with a desperation that matched her companions, her face flushed from both effort and the toxin. "Don't get in my way!"
Joon merely watched, the only one unaffected, his demonic qi silently neutralizing the poison without any visible effort. He couldn't help a slight smirk as his comrades tripped over each other in their frantic race to the bathroom.
Joon laughed, chuckling to himself.
The scene turned comical as they reached the Hanok, each fighting for a spot, their training forgotten in the face of bodily revolt. Shouts and pleas mixed with the sound of urgent footsteps thudding across the wooden floors.
"Out of the way!" Torin bellowed, as he tried to overtake Caelan, who was just inches from the door.
"Mercy, God, mercy!" Zephyr exclaimed dramatically, adding a layer of theater to the desperate situation.
The air was filled with grunts, gasps, and rapid movements as each tried to get to the bathroom before the others. Their mastered techniques and learned poise were abandoned, replaced by racing hearts and frantic rushes to relieve themselves.
It was just Joon and Jiho, and Jiho asked, "So the demonic qi protects you from curses and poison?"
"Yeah..how did you.."
"I've been with this sect for years. I know and seen things. You have a gift alongside a curse."
"What do you want?" Joon smiled.
'He's starting a conversation with me, like he's been waiting for us to be alone. He obviously wants to talk to me about something.'
Jiho put his hand on Joon's shoulder, grinning, "You're serious, huh? Devouring the blood deity got you're all banged up—."
"No it hasn't." Joon kept smiling.
"I'm not your enemy, okay? I'm technically harmless."
"Sure sure." Joon's smile is still shown.
"The Head has charged me with training your demonic qi. He has shown me ways to do it, so you can develop your body so you can use the abilities of the blood deity Xiahou Anara. And I'll also incorporate my own regimens there."
"So you know too, huh?"
'Seems the Head has let everyone know what happened yesterday. And about the training of my demonic qi, it wouldn't hurt to have an extra training regimen. But when I'm not near this guy, I'll allow the system to train me.'
Joon stuck his hand out, smiling, "I look forward to being trained with you."
Jiho thought, 'This kid..he's obviously faking that smile. Vaelle…no wonder you found this kid similar to your son, and no wonder you were so fond of him. Those are the eyes of someone on a mission.'
Jiho shook Joon's head, and Joon felt a wave of power surge upon him, making Joon think, 'This guy is strong! I can barely stand!'
They let go, and Jiho said, "Good grip you got there. Now then, when your crew comes back, you'll be ready for your first assassination mission."