Chapter 4 Monster

After eating dinner, Mercury went back to his own room while an attendant took Clover to her own room.

“Now that I am no longer distracted, lets see what that slave trader is doing.” {Mercury}

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Mark was frustrated that as soon he got to the capital, he got called to another mission. Luckily, some snot nosed kid, probably experiencing seeing a half-naked woman for the first time, probably spent the most money ever for a non-cultivator slave ever.

But none of that matters anymore, only the mission.

As he was running though the forest, he suddenly stopped and looked around, his divine sense as far out as it could go, his weapon half-drawn.

“Show yourself.” {Mark}

But he was met with only the noises of the forest.

“Shit. I am going to have to make some detours.” {Mark}

“Oh, I had no idea this guy could sense me watching him. This is going to be fun.” {Mercury}

Yes, Mercury was watching Mark though the blood that Mark had “acquired” though the fly.

As Mark was making seemingly random turns through the forest, Mercury was experiencing life as a real cultivator.

“This is awesome. The power of this body is unlike anything I could do on my own. I can see the Qi in the air now. This can probably help me learn to see it on my own. I can also feel how his divine sense is working. While I would like to get his full memories, I do not want to scramble his brains just yet.” {Mercury}

Mark arrived at a clearing with three other men: a bigger muscley man, a skinny man, and an older man. Know being able to sense cultivation bases from Marks body, Mercury could tell that the muscley man and the skinny man were weaker than Mark but only by a little, but the older man was much stronger than Mark.

“You’re late.” {Older Man}

“Boss I think someone is following me, but I cannot sense them at all.” {Mark}

“What!? How could you let this happen!?” {Boss}

“If we got exposed because of you, you will be the first one I cut up.” {Skinny Man}

The muscley man said nothing but gave Mark a hard stare.

The three quickly sent out their divine sense into the surrounding area.

“I do not sense anyone.” {Skinny Man}

“…” {Muscley Man}

“I do not sense anyone either. If there was anyone who could escape my divine sense they would have attacked by now. I will still use my isolation artifact just to be safe.” {Boss}

The boss revealed a pendant and quickly a dome appeared around the group. Not even the sounds of the forest could be heard.

“Now, why did you think someone was following you?” {Boss}

“I don’t know. I just suddenly felt that someone was watching me. Even now I still feel it.” {Mark}

The muscle man stared at the Boss then to Mark then back to the Boss.

“I know that it is risky, but this mission is time sensitive, and everyone here is required. But this one will be worth it. It will be enough for each of you to get what you need to survive your Tribulations.”

Everyone jumped at those words.

“Really Boss, you aren’t shitting us, are you?” {Skinny Man}

The muscle man just smiled.

“This is unexpected. What is the catch?” {Mark}

“They are a disciple of a Grand Elder of the Sacred Light Sect. Every other team sent was killed so the payment went up. Now rules are rules if anyone does not want this job, speak up.” {Boss}

“…” {Mark}

“…” {Skinny Man}

The muscle man did not speak.

“Ok the target is Grand Elder Starlight’s disciple, Pristine. She will leave the Metal Light Sect for a mission soon and we will need to intercept her.” {Boss}

When Mark heard this, despite not caring about her at all, Mark’s heart stopped for a second.

“What is wrong with today? Why did I feel that?” {Mark}

“You didn’t. I did.” {Mercury}

“What!? Who said that!?” {Mark}

“What are you r******d? Boss was talking.” {Skinny Man}

The muscle man glared at Mark while preparing for a fight.

“What did you hear!? What did they say!?” {Boss}

Mark could not respond as he started convulsing and grabbing his head.

Deep in Marks soul space, Marks Nascent Soul was fricking out.

(“What is going on!? Why can’t I control my body?”) {Mark}

(“That would be me.”) {Mercury}

Mark’s Nascent Soul turned around to find his soul space covered in dark red blood with a mouth sprouting from the blood.

(“WHAT ARE YOU!? HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE!?”) {Mark}

(“Well, to be honest, I am not entirely sure myself, but I know that if I want to control you, I need to take over everything. Including your Nascent Soul.”) {Mercury}

(“WAIT. We can talk about this. Whatever you want I can help you get it, money, women, techniques, slaves. Anything.”) {Mark}

The mouth seemed to pause before grinning wide, before flooding the soul space and binding Mark’s Nascent Soul with tentacles of blood.

(“Now watch.”) {Mercury, no The Monster}

Marks body stopped convulsing and he stood back up, but it was not him. His normal eyes were now black with scarlet red irises, with his teeth sharpened to razor sharp fangs.

‘Mark’ looked around at everyone before opening his mouth and poking his teeth with his finger.

“Seriously, why is it always fangs? Anyway, your friend is not in control anymore and if you want him back you will tell me ” {Monster}

A dark beam shot from the Boss’s finger and pierced Mark’s heart, and Mark’s body fell to the ground.

“Be ready for when Mark’s Nascent Soul comes out. We need to capture it and find out what in Darkness’s Glorious Name is going on.” {Boss}

Back in the soul space, the blood monster frowned and turned to Mark.

“Wow, you really have some shitty friends, uh.” {Monster}

“You fool, this is what we do. We would kill each other at moments notice if it would mean our own survival. Now that my body is dead, this space will break soon, and I will be freed.” {Mark}

The monster simply smiled back.

“Who said you were dead?” {Monster}

‘Mark’ stood back up, much to everyone’s surprise.

“Was that supposed to hurt? Because it didn’t.” {Monster, with a smile}

The muscle man quickly rushed in with a large two headed hammer appearing in his hands. The hammer glowed yellow as he swung it down on ‘Mark’. ‘Mark’ raised one arm and blocked the hammer with the force cracking the ground under him.

‘Mark’ looked up at the muscle man, before quickly kicking him and sending the muscle man flying.

‘Mark’ quickly turned around grabbing the wrists of the skinny man who attacked with two daggers. While still holding the skinny man, ‘Mark’ opened his arms pulling the skinny man closer, before head butting and disorienting him.

‘Mark’ let go of one wrist and swung the skinny man around revealing the skinny man’s back. But just before ‘Mark’ could attack, the muscle man charged at ‘Mark’.

‘Mark’ jumped back while throwing the skinny man at him. The muscle man caught the skinny man before jumping back himself.

The skinny man quickly recovered and stood back up on his own.

“You know, I wanted to cut up Mark’s pretty face since all the way back. SO, IT WOULD BE NICE IF YOU LET ME CUT IT UP!” {Skinny Man}

Before ‘Mark’ could attack the two again, the Boss finished his hand signals and threw his hands to the ground.

“Dark Prison.” {Boss}

Shadows quickly grew from his hands and covered ‘Mark’ in dark chains leaving only his head exposed.

‘Mark’ even with his superb strength was unable to break them.

“You will not be able to beat me while using Mark’s body. So why don’t you tell us what you are and what you want.” {Boss}

“…” {Monster}

The skinny man walked over to ‘Mark’ getting right up in his face.

“What, not good enough to talk to us any more now that you are tra” {Skinny Man}

‘Mark’ vomited blood all over the skinny man’s face.

“AH, WHAT THE F*CK, THE F*CK IS WORNG WITH YOU! I WILL KILL YOU!” {Skinny Man}

“HA HA HA HA.” {Monster}

“WHAT IS SO FUNNY!?” {Skinny Man}

“HA, it just that I did find a way to escape.” {Monster}

“What? Impossible. You cannot escape with just your pre-tribulation strength.” {Boss}

‘Mark’ simply looked the Boss in the eyes and grinned.

The Boss’s ,the muscle man’s, and Mark’s hearts dropped.

“The f*ck he mean.” {Skinny Man}

‘Marks’ aura rose as he looked up to the sky, and yelled out for all to hear, “I CALL UPON THE HEAVENS AND CREATION TO BRING ABOUT THE TRIBULATION OF THE ELEMENTS!!”

“…”

“F*CK, RUUUUUN!!!!” {Skinny Man}

The sky darkened as storm clouds formed over them.

The muscle man and skinny man tried to run but were stopped by the isolation barrier.

The Boss seeing this let go of his Dark Prison technique and pulled out his isolation pendant before crushing it in his hands. Shattering the barrier.

The muscle man and skinny man quickly ran away, but before the Boss could, he was grabbed and held from behind by ‘Mark’.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING, WE WILL BOTH DIE! DIDN’T YOU WANT INFOMATON FROM ME!” {Boss}

“I know that you are only one of many middleman, sooner or later the actual person I want will come out!” {Monster}

In the soul space Mark could only watch on as this all happened.

(“Why, why do you want to do this!?”) {Mark}

The monster looked at him and grinned.

(“How does it feel, to have your body taken from you? To Have your body controlled by another? Your very life at another’s will?”) {Monster}

(“What are you TALKING ABOUT!?”) {Mark}

(“Like. A. Slave.”) {Monster}

(“Now let’s see how your tribulation turns out.”) {Monster}

‘Mark’ leaned back holding the Boss to the sky as the Clouds fully darkened and the time for tribulation was nigh.

“I CALL FORTH THE TRIBLUATION OF FIRE!” {Monster}

“NOOOOOOO!!” {Boss}

(“NOOOOO!!”) {Mark}

A bolt of red lightning fell and struck the Boss and ‘Mark’. The energy flowed through them both strengthening them but also damaging them.

When it was all over the Boss and ‘Mark’ were covered in burn marks.

“I… I’M ALIVE! AND I SURVIVED ANOTHER TRIBULATION! THE HEAVENS ARE GOOD TO ME!” {Boss}

“Are they?” {Monster}

“WHAT YOU ARE STILL ALIVE!?” {Boss}

“More than just that. That was some weak sauce, so let’s spice this up a little bit!” {Monster}

“What?” {Boss}

“I CALL FORTH THE TRIBLUATION OF WATER, OF EARTH, OF METAL, OF WOOD! GIVE ME THEM ALL!!” {Monster}

“NOOOOOO!!!!!” {Boss}

Four bolts of lightning quickly fell at the same time, one of blue, one of yellow, one of gray, and one of orange.

By the end of it there were only two burnt and completely destroyed bodies, however one slowly got up and healed.

“HA, that was quite fun. I should do that more often.” {Monster}

(“Are you still alive Mark?”) {Monster}

In the soul space, the monster looked over at Mark’s cracking but very much alive Nascent Soul.

“Really, all that and you are still alive. I guess that this is all that shitty Tribulation is good for then.” {Monster}

The clouds stopped rolling and the wind died as all things went silent for a second. Just one second.

“Did I say that outload?” {Monster}

The storm unleashed its fury on ‘Mark’ using each and every possible Qi. The Qi of Light, the Qi of Darkness, the Qi of Lightning, the Qi of Wind, the Qi of Space, the Qi of Time, and the very Qi of Creation itself fell.

The storm itself seemed like it wanted to stay and keep sending down bolts, but it had run out of energy and faded away.

A body slowly rose from the rubble of all the strikes.

“Note to self: DO NOT INSULT THE HEAVENS… at least out loud.” {Mercury}

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The muscle man and the skinny man never stopped running until the storm faded.

Both of the men were out of breath and exhausted when they stopped.

“What the f*ck was that!? Why were there so many?” {Skinny Man}

The muscle man just looked back at the skinny man when a thought crossed his mind.

“When did he wipe off the blood?” {Muscle Man}

The skinny man’s dagger instantly struck the muscle man’s neck.

The two looked in each other’s eyes as the life drained from the muscle man’s eyes.

“What I. When did I?” {Skinny Man}

The skinny man then cut open the muscle man and pulled out his weaken Nascent Soul before crushing it. The muscle man’s body crumbled into dust.

“NO! WHAT IS GOING ON!” {Skinny Man}

That was the last thing he said before dropping dead, Nascent Soul destroyed by a sneak attack from the monster in his soul space.

His body started shifting and morphing before turning into a crow. Which promptly swallowed the skinny man’s and muscle man’s storage rings. Before flying back to ‘Mark’.

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Thank you for reading