I WAKE UP.

I open my eyes, heaving a labored breath as I sit up. Looking down at my bloodstained hands, I try to recall what happened. I had been… attacked? By the only five Springs in the world, no less.

An odd feeling courses through me; a harsh shiver runs over my body, like an earthquake toppling shaky houses and farms. My hands tremble, my lips quiver, and finally I let out a maniac laugh. “I… survived! I survived a battle against immortals!”

I roll around in the bright, green grass, hugging myself with the mad sense of self satisfaction of knowing I escaped certain death. Sure, it was by pure chance that a hole had been ripped in the world itself. Yet, I know I contributed to creating that rift in space; the accumulation of Qi— the tempest that had been our battle— could only have happened because I fought back!

My lips curl up into a smile and my eyes flutter shut; I lie there, simply happy to be alive. I do not bother taking in my surroundings or my environment. Wherever I am, I am aware it is not where I want to be. Immortality had been within my grasp before being torn away like a plum from its branch.

The wind gently massaging against my face does not soothe my soul. Neither does my wounded pride mend from the soft chirping of birds, singing their healing songs in the distance as they soar through the air above the treetops in the azure sky.

I had lost. But I live. So, I take a moment to accept reality, and appreciate the fact that a worse outcome did not befall me. Then my eyes snap open and I sit up. “Wait, azure sky?”

Blinking, I see that the dome overhead really is blue. It is not the pale green sight I am used to seeing. My satin wraps stained in blood rustle as a gust of air passes over me, and the realization that this is not the Middle Realm finally settles in.

“Where exactly am I?” I ask the question to no one in particular. I am almost certain that this is not an illusion. The School of Phantasm can do many things, but creating a false world is far beyond even the capabilities of a Spring. The Forsaken Palace is a deliberate creation, but its scale cannot compare to what I am currently experiencing.

An entirely different world lies before me. No Heavens hangs above, watching over me as I stand myself up. No jade sky illuminates the world, painting a shadow of myself on the ground. Instead, I see two bright objects— circular, like a child’s ball— moving towards the horizon.

They move at different paces: one runs like a boy, too eager to attend the Ripening Festival, and the other walks like a girl, careful not to ruin her clothes on the day of her first ascension. And just like the aura each of these objects exude, one of them shines a dim blue to her slow pace, while the other glows a brilliant red like his fiery excitement.

Together, a purple glare is cast upon the world. It paints the color of a peach into this portrait, bringing it to life before my eyes.

I rub at them, trying to see if it is my brain playing tricks on me. I have enchanted myself to at least be resistant to mind altering effects, but I cannot be sure. Not when facing such an alien sight.

When I try to take in my surroundings again, I know this is not the Middle Realm. I know this is not one of the Seven Heavens. And I know I am no longer in Jhisie.

I feel my legs shake, but this time it is not from a crazed excitement. The rush of adrenaline is gone, leaving behind only confusion and exhaustion in its place. Trying to calm myself, I begin gently meditating and cycling my core.

This is not my world. I breathe in deeply and reach for the Dao— only to find nothing. There is no Qi near me. I cannot find any of the Essences flitting about. I cannot even connect my core to the Heavens, because they are not here. I am somehow in another world.

Realizing that my Qi is running dangerously low, I quickly dig into my novacloth pouch for ginsoul pills. I stare at the pile of rainbow-colored capsules lying in my hand— barely over a dozen. I put it back into my small bag and tie it shut.

I wrestle through my belongings; I am certain I have something less potent than them somewhere. Unfortunately, I have never been one to keep my things organized!

“Stupid bag of holding,” I murmur under my breath as I empty its contents on the forest floor. “No, no, no. I do not need roots of rebirth, or serene seeds, or— ah, there you are.”

I hold up a small glass bottle in the shape of a diamond; I swish the liquid inside before uncorking it. A pungent stench wafts to my nose, and I grimace. No matter how many times I drink the tea of recovery, I still feel like vomiting when I smell it.

Bracing myself, I down the drink with a single gulp. The taste lingers on my tongue for a mere moment before I burn it away and begin cycling Qi at a reinvigorated rate. My core is almost full again— it is not linked to any of the Heavens, but it is enough for now. I stuff everything back into the bag of holding.

“Now then, let’s take a look around.” I widen my stance and leap up into the air. I find myself far above the canopy of trees, hovering there just long enough to get a view of the area. The forest expands for as far as I can see, with a range of mountains cutting it off at one side. A slight glint catches my vision— a river stretching out to the horizon.

I land lightly back on the ground and start in that direction. Surely if I follow it, I will find civilization, right? That is what I tell myself as I walk along the rushing waters, feeling the occasional droplets splash onto my face. I raise my sleeve to wipe it away only to see the dry blood sullying my clothing.

Ignoring the odd looking fish hopping out of the stream, I sigh and expend some Qi as an orange glow comes over me. The blood turns to water, and with a flick of the finger, my wraps dry up. Do not want to scare off anyone who sees me with my appearance.

Propriety is one of the most important things to upkeep, even in a foreign land. I continue walking as the two balls in the sky resume their travels, until the red ball disappears and leaves only the blue behind. The world grows darker, but not enough to blot out my vision— not like when the Heavens grow dim as their waning light shines upon the land.

I pass by a thick copse casting a light shade over the water, and I notice a flicker— a movement amongst the trees. A massy creature lumbers forth. It almost looks like a boar, except it stands at three times my height. It has a thin layer of vibrant, orange fur coating it, and two tusks hooking upwards from its cheeks.

It fixes on me with a pair of keen eyes. Intelligence, the blue irises seems to say. So, I raise my hands and press a fist against a palm.

“Greetings, Sacred Beast of power,” I say as I give a small bow. “I am a lost traveler searching for others of my kind. If you could provide me with any directions—”

The Sacred Beast charges me. I narrow my eyes and easily avoid its attack. It spins around, beating one of its hooves against the ground as it lets out a heavy huff.

“I have offered you no offense.” I draw a leg back and hold out an arm. “I am warning you, if you try to strike me again, I will retaliate.”

It ignores me. Maybe it really is an animal, I think as it reaches me. I take one step to the side and drive a fist against the side of its head. Its neck snaps back and I follow up with a second strike, one infused with power.

There is a brief flash of blue light as I pull my hand back. The fake Sacred Beast is sent flying and crashes through a small thicket. I watch its body twitch— then turn limp. “Weak,” I remark, cycling Qi. “And foolish. To think I had to waste my precious energy on fighting you.”

Not bothering to scavenge the creature’s corpse, I resolve myself to simply avoid future contact with them. I do not wish to participate in unnecessary fights. A few more of those large boars show themselves to me later on, but I ensure I do not get detected.

Time passes, and exhaustion sets in; at my current state, I am unable to meditate to stay awake. Then I realize that night has not fallen. The blue ball moves sluggishly through the sky, so much so that I do not believe it will set before I succumb to sleep.

“Might as well rest now,” I speak to the void. I stray away from the river and find a good spot to rest. I have seen very few animals around. Yet, I still climb a tree and lie myself on a sturdy branch. Then I close my eyes and let the shadows encroaching on my eyes take me.

***

I jerk awake in a cold sweat. I squint as the light of day flashes down at me. I am not sure how long it has been since I went to sleep, all I know is that the blue ball remains crawling through the sky alone.

I am not usually one to dream. Not since my visit to the Seventh Heaven. However, when I went to sleep, I found myself caught in a nightmare. Words echoed, repeating themselves over and over again. Ingraining themselves into my head.

“You have proven yourself… lacking.”

A serpent’s tail wrapped around me, its coils too rigid for me to break free despite my struggling. I saw the face of Long looming over me, his eyes shone red. The Spirit Jade caught in his mouth as I uttered a cry. With a snap of his jaw, I watched my dreams shatter.

That is how my nightmare had ended. That is the reality of my situation. I shake my head and push myself off the tree. If he thinks I am lacking, then I will just have to prove myself next time around. I managed to escape alive, after all. That means I can just try again.

A thought crosses my mind and I pause. How did I even escape? Last thing I remember is seeing the hole in space. But only a blank memory remains between when I entered the hole and when I woke up.

I frown as only one thing comes to mind. Something that felt very unnatural. Words, but not just any words, words that were telling you information.

I try to recollect what it said exactly, and suddenly I find myself staring at a screen.

 

Tian
Race: Ren
Class: Lost Soul Level 1
Feats:
- Void Walk

 

It looks like it is made from an illusion; it is formless, floating just above my right hand. I try to shake it away, but it stays. I try to rub it against a tree, but it passes through like nothing is there. I try and poke it with my other hand— and it is now hovering over my left hand.

I take a step back and raise a brow. “This is… interesting,” I speak, both confused and amused. I carefully set my bag down as I study this screen. “Is this related to those words I heard before I woke up?”

Focusing on the screen, I try to make it go away with my mind alone. It disappears and a soft chuckle leaves my lips.

“Alright, so this is not just an illusion then. Apparently, I am a Level 1 Lost Soul. And it says I have a Feat, Void Walk.” I open my palms and shrug. “Does this mean I can walk through the void now?” There is no answer, not that I thought one would come— but with the oddities of having a screen attached to my hands, I kind of hoped for it.

Maybe I just have to think about it, like with the screen, I suggest to myself. I am dubious, yet I adopt a wide stance anyway. I may as well try.

I focus on the Feat I have. Void Walk, Void Walk, Void Walk, I mentally repeat its name. Nothing seems to happen. I try to think about why I have the Feat. Is it because I survived the void? That is what I was told.

I think of what I did. The act of entering the rift in space. ThenI see cracks forming all around me. A piece of the world opens up into a hole, revealing nothing on the other side. I stare as the thought crosses my mind one last time.

Void Walk.

I am swallowed into the void. Just like the first time, except this time it pulls me through. A ghost-like sensation courses through me. Almost like it is familiar. I am tugged and ripped and repaired all at the same time. My vision vanishes and yet I can still see. I tumble through nothing, until I see another hole open up.

This time, it is the reverse of a hole in space. It is a hole that opens up to the world. And it is the hole I fall through, landing flat on my back and facing the sky. “W-what just happened?” I sit up, expecting to see myself in a completely different world again. Instead, I see a river and some trees.

Standing up, I survey my surroundings. The sky is still a light purple, and the blue ball is still there. My belongings are in a different spot— or wait, I am in a different spot. Where I had been standing under the canopy of trees, I am now standing in a small clearing far off in the distance.

“Interesting,” I say and start forward. “I am not sure what just happened, but it is interesting—”

My inane commentary to myself is cut off as a black object crashes from the sky. It lands a dozen paces ahead of me, leaving a small crater on the ground. I take sight of this strange being— it looks like it is dressed entirely in metal. As if someone has dipped themselves in molten iron, before letting it cool and coat their skin.

It stands taller than me by almost half my height; it is far shorter than the fake Sacred Beast from before, but it is larger than me by every single metric. What looks like its head spins to face me, glaring a red light from a horizontal slit as it seemingly studies my person.

“My apologies, but—”

“OTHERWORLDER HAS BEEN FOUND,” the metal being says. I do not usually take too kindly to being interrupted, however something about its echoing and tinny voice where every word is equally enunciated catches me by surprise and stops a verbal riposte. “BEGINNING EXTERMINATION PROCESS.”

Its words take a moment to settle in, like a really bad meal I am forced to swallow. However, I am an experienced fighter, so I quickly recover and ready myself—

The metal being extends an arm and a blade made entirely of heat comes into existence from its hand. I blink.

“What is that? Where am I?!”

It launches itself at me, boosted by fire jetting out of its back. I duck under the glowing sword— it does not give off any Qi. I can sense energy flowing through it, but not Qi.

I slam an open palm straight into the abdomen of the metal being. It ignores the attack and slices down at me. Redirecting the swing, I grab onto its arm and focus on it. An orange light shimmers, running through the metal being— and nothing happens.

“What are you made of?” My eyes snap up to it in disbelief. It ignores the question and buries a knee into my chest. A violet aura flickers as I am sent through a grove.

I pick myself up, panting but glaring at the strange being. Not a scratch is visible on my clothes. Not a mark on my body. However, I can feel my core dwindling. My waning strength barely pushes me to take on a fighting form.

I need to get to my belongings, I think as I cast a glance at the bag lying behind my opponent. Before I can make a move for it, the strange being raises its other arm and its hand recedes to reveal a black hole. A beam of energy blasts out at me, covering the distance between us in an instant.

I cannot react in time due to the exhaustion impairing my movements, and brace myself for the attack. A splash of violet vanishes as the beam cuts straight to my raised forearms; they shine blue and absorb the heat, but I can still feel my skin burning up.

It eventually stops, and I pull down my arms like they are curtains to face the strange being. It holds up its sword, and I dash ahead. My feet rapidly carry me towards it, kicking up lumps of dirt and blades of grass as I make the mad charge.

I reach it and raise a fist, wisps of flames gathering around my knuckles like cinder. “Liufan Sacred Technique: The Wrath of the Heavens!” The strange being slashes down at me, and I slide under the attack. The fire dissipates, doing absolutely nothing. Nothing but drawing a strike from the strange being.

Grinning, I continue past it and reach my bag. It spins around but is too slow to do anything but watch as I crunch on a ginsoul pill. It finally lashes out, its glowing sword shearing me in half as I let out a blood curdling scream.

It looks at my corpse, satisfied. Then it turns around, only to see me standing before it with a wild smile spread across my face. Power flows through my body and fire, water, earth, metal, and wood hovers around me. The five elements crash into the strange being, exploding into a fiery light.

The smoke clears up, revealing entire chunks of its body missing. Chinks are gone from its armor, showing strange colors underneath as sparks of electricity flash briefly.

It stumbles forward and mechanically raises its left hand. A glow shines down the barrel of the strange arm weapon. But I know what is coming. I kick at its arm right as the beam of light shoots out.

Its elbow snaps up, and the blast strikes its own head. The red glow in its strange eyes flickers, before turning dark. It collapses, lying on the ground as nothing more than a heap of junk. Broken. But not completely destroyed.

Good, I think walking back to my bag and sling it over my shoulder. I hold my novacloth pouch up, eyeing its contents. There are only thirteen ginsoul pills left. A waste of resources, but at least I will be able to harvest this thing, whatever it is, for its parts.

Walking up to its corpse, I pause as words once again sound itself in my mind.

 

For defeating an Esh, you are awarded a level in your Class!
- Lost Soul Level 1 advances to Lost Soul Level 2.

 

Tian
Race: Ren
Class: Lost Soul Level 2
Feats:
- Void Walk
- Ray of Esh