Journal Entry
Day 5 of Exile.
The Voidscar Wastes aren't a place you wander into lightly. The air itself feels wrong—like it's alive and watching. The whispers have grown sharper, clearer, though I still can't make out the words. But the Rift calls, and I'm close enough now to feel its pull. My instincts tell me I'm on the edge of something significant.
Yesterday's encounter showed me the cost of Void Qi. It takes as much as it gives, sometimes more. But if that's the price, so be it. Power doesn't come freely, and I'm not here for half-measures.
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Present Action: First-Person Narration
The landscape around me had shifted with unnerving subtlety. Where the forest once stood thick and green, the trees now grew twisted and gray, their branches reaching like claws into the overcast sky. The ground was cracked and barren, littered with strange blackened rocks that pulsed faintly when I stepped near them.
The Rift's influence was undeniable here, and it made the air heavier with every breath.
'The Voidscar Wastes,' I thought, pausing to survey my surroundings. This is where it truly begins.
The whispers were louder now. They rose and fell in waves, no longer random but rhythmic, almost like a chant.
I clenched my fists and pressed forward.
---
The ruins appeared just past midday, nestled in a shallow valley surrounded by jagged hills. They weren't much at first—just broken stone pillars and scattered debris. But as I descended, the true structure came into view: a sunken temple, its entrance marked by an archway covered in intricate carvings.
The carvings caught my eye immediately. They depicted figures reaching toward a spiraling void, their forms twisted and elongated. At the center of the archway was a single, jagged symbol—a mark I recognized from the fragments I'd studied in the sect's library.
'A Void Shard must be here,' I thought, my pulse quickening.
---
The temple's interior was dim, lit only by the faint glow of the strange symbols etched into the walls. Each step I took echoed ominously, the sound swallowed quickly by the oppressive air.
The whispers were deafening now, filling my ears with a cacophony of unintelligible voices. But even through the noise, I could feel it—a presence. A power that made my skin tingle and my Qi stir uneasily.
At the center of the chamber, I found it.
The Void Shard rested atop a crumbling pedestal, a fragment of dark crystal that pulsed with faint violet light. The energy it radiated was overwhelming, filling the room like a living thing.
I approached cautiously, my breathing shallow.
---
Unlocking New Power
When I reached the pedestal, the whispers fell silent. The sudden quiet was almost worse than the noise, pressing down on me like a physical weight.
I extended a hand toward the shard, and the moment my fingers brushed its surface, a surge of energy shot through me.
It was like a floodgate opening.
My Qi roared to life, coursing through my meridians with a force that made me stagger. My body felt like it was being pulled in every direction at once, my dantian expanding and contracting violently as it struggled to contain the influx of power.
The pain was excruciating, but I didn't let go. Instead, I gritted my teeth and focused, guiding the energy inward, forcing it to stabilize.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the storm subsided. My Qi settled into a rhythm, deeper and more powerful than before.
Breakthrough.
'I've reached the Foundation Realm, Peak Layer,' I realized, my breathing ragged.
But it wasn't just the breakthrough. The energy left behind an imprint—a blueprint for something new.
I closed my eyes, letting the sensation guide me. My mind instinctively worked through the technique, understanding it as if it had always been there.
'If I channel the energy this way…'
The air around me shifted, shimmering faintly as a ripple spread outward. I tested it, stepping forward—and the world blurred. I reappeared a dozen feet away, the ripple trailing behind me like a shadow.
A grin spread across my face. "Voidstep wasn't the end," I muttered. "It was the beginning."
I extended my hand, letting the Void Qi flow outward. It coalesced into a sharp edge, invisible yet tangible. With a single swing, I slashed through a nearby pillar, the cut clean and precise.
"I'll call this Spatial Severance," I said, testing the name aloud.
---
The Spectral Guardians
My moment of triumph was short-lived. The air grew colder, and the faint glow of the shard darkened ominously. I turned, instincts flaring, just as the chamber began to tremble.
From the shadows, they emerged.
Spectral forms—three of them—drifting toward me with unnatural grace. Their translucent bodies pulsed with the same violet light as the shard, and their hollow eyes fixed on me with predatory intent.
'Guardians,' I realized. 'Of course it wouldn't be this easy.'
I steadied myself, my dagger in one hand and Void Qi surging in the other.
The first specter struck with startling speed, its clawed hand slicing through the air. I sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the attack, and retaliated with a Void-powered slash. The blade met resistance, tearing through the creature's form and leaving it writhing in pain.
But it wasn't enough.
The second specter attacked from behind, its claws grazing my side before I could react. Pain shot through me, and I stumbled, the world spinning as my Void Qi flared uncontrollably.
I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to focus.
'Think, Caldrin,' I told myself. 'You have the power. Use it.'
---
The First Test of Power
The whispers returned, louder than before, and I let them guide me.
When the third specter lunged, I moved—not away, but forward. My body blurred as I activated Voidstep, reappearing behind the creature in an instant. Before it could react, I swung with Spatial Severance, the slash cutting cleanly through its form and dissipating it into mist.
The other two hesitated, their forms flickering uncertainly. I didn't give them a chance to recover.
Extending my hand, I poured Void Qi outward, the energy coalescing into a jagged spear. The weight felt right, natural, as if it had always been mine.
"Void Spear," I said, testing the name.
With a sharp thrust, I hurled the spear at the nearest specter, impaling it. The creature let out a shriek before dissolving into nothingness.
The last specter charged, its form flickering wildly, but I was ready. I raised my hand, channeling the last of my energy into a barrier. The creature struck the shield head-on, its form shattering like glass.
---
The chamber fell silent once more, the oppressive weight lifting as the specters vanished.
I stood there for a moment, breathing hard, my head pounding from the exertion. My Qi reserves were dangerously low, and the strain of using multiple techniques in quick succession left my body trembling.
But I'd won.
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Journal Entry (That Night)
The first shard is mine, and with it, my first real taste of the Void's power. Voidstep, Spatial Severance, Void Spear… each technique feels like an extension of myself, as if the Void is teaching me directly.
But the price was high. My Qi reserves are drained, and the headache lingers like a warning. If I push too far, I won't survive the next battle.
Still, I can't stop now. The Rift is calling, and I've only just begun to answer.