Book 1:Chapter 30: Mysterious place

Backtracking the day passed by uneventful and night came, but the humid and tranquility of the night isn't enough to calm their thought.

Inside a sealed cave staring at the lit fire burning the crisp skin of the boar. Both staring at the fire silently.

"How long will it take for us to get to that spot you're talking about Mingyun?" I asked to break the silence.

"If we take a different root far from the town we can get there pretty much tomorrow." Mingyun replied looking somewhat unsettled.

"Is there something bugging your mind? Mind telling me? Sure enough we'll be going through thick and thin." I asked while cutting a piece of boar meat and passed a big chunk to Mingyun.

While hesitating he breathe out a sigh of relief.

"It's about someone close to me. I'm an orphan yes, but I met a girl whom I grew up with. She's at the Xan city we pretty much done adventures together wanting to surprise her at his birthday, I joined this expedition with a group called Green Viper guild. But like you see, my results as you know till now. I'm too weak, I find it unfair. I find it pathetic I'm weak, yet I know it's my fault. I always blame the world for being unfair, yet I'm not training. I'm useless even more so when I remember what happened earlier." While looking up the ceiling of the cave tears started flowing from both of his eyes.

I just stared at him letting him continue and vent out.

"I find it laughable wanting to rob you, I always want success but not hard work. I want result but not practice, Shortcuts. Even if you didn't finish us soon enough without you, I realized I'll just die with regrets." While silently crying.

I just stared at Mingyun and sigh, while I know the world's not fair. That's just how it is.

"If that's the case why don't you work your asses off? You have lofty goals, you envision big success but you don't even want to walk a mile but want to reach 10 kilometer?" I said at him while feeling pity but for some reason I'm irritated by the fact that he knew, but instead of having time to work he just blame.

"Y-YOU! You don't know how hard it is! You don't know how we feel because you're stron.."

I glowed with blue light around me but not that noticeable since the moon is shining brightly [ Emperor's Wisdom ] Activated.

PAH!

He flew out at the entrance at the cave face swollen after I slap him.

"Now venting at me, that won't help you. You have the time to blame why don't just train?"

He snapped our from his dazed state but soon puff in anger, before he can stand up I step on his face releasing my aura rendering him immobilized.

"Angry? You don't have that luxury, want to fight? Be strong, want success? Train. You don't blame and compare yourself to others, you don't know how much hard work they're putting. I'm pitying you earlier because I can understand the powerlessness. I've felt that, actually even now I felt that. I'm still weak I'm not that strong, you're an orphan? We're the same but I work my ass off to survive and find my origin. Yet you? Having time to complain and blame but doesn't want to train."

I said nonchalantly but deep inside I'm shaking.

It's also a reminder for myself I'm not strong enough, I'm not pushing myself, I can see pathetic self at this moment in him. It makes me angry at him at the same time myself.

I lifted up my foot and took a deep breath.

"Resolve is good, but without hard work doesn't give success. Focus on the process not the goal. Your dream is only your direction not your situation."

I said that also as a reminder to myself. I don't know where did I get this line but somehow it dawn on me, and I carve it in my heart.

Mingyun now calmed down deep inside the flames of anger from being stepped on still lingers, for a man being stepped on hurt their ego straight up to the soul. But what can he do?

"You mad at me that I stepped on you right? If I'm the weak one and you're the one stepping on me, I will be angry. But that's a luxury. Be strong now you're following me, so I'll overlook your impertinence this time. Have the resolve, make the move I'll help you along the way. I never view myself as something special, but compared to you I feel like I'm normal."

For some reason that pull a thorn or untie a knot at my heart, I don't know why, how, but this made me smile I extended my hand. waiting for him to take it with a genuine smile.

Mingyun stood there dazed but now rather feeling angry realization dawned on him.

'He's right I knew this all along, but I'm afraid of failure, I want to pioneer my path but I'm afraid to fail. And afraid to be ostracized'

This time he look at Regal with a new light, not a strong pretty boy youth. But a genuine man that have unlimited potential.

At first he just follow him to survive or even profit, but this time he genuinely feel that if he didn't follow this man he'll live a life of mediocrity.

'I want to grow and also curious on where you will lead me in the future.'

Mingyun calmed reached up and bowed almost hitting the floor at the long bow.

"The future we'll pioneer is unsure, but that what's makes it interesting right? If you already knew what will happen it's not life anymore."

Mingyun was still on a dazed but felt warm.

He knew what to do, he knew that in this world nothing will go your way unless you're a creature blessed by heaven. I only needed companion that will understand and go with me in this journey.

Mingyun knelt at one knee with a bow gave me a salute, a genuine respectful salute.

"Rise, no need for this both of our future are unsure but always remember that I will never abandon you." I said then look at the moon.

*

After the night's incident we were more genuine this time, we talk about life of one another, I also dragged him with the training regimen this morning. He breath like a dead dog but nonetheless he felt happy taking the first step, I feel it too.

---

"We're almost there young master, it's a big cavern and around 20 meters underground. Be careful the monster there spits acid and they're fast despite their size." Mingyun said.

I nodded but seeing him hesitate about something.

"Speak, what is it that bugging you now? You're not gonna cry again right?" Grinning at Mingyun.

Mingyun was stunned at first then pointed his finger at me angrily.

"Y-YOU- Forget it, I'm asking if you allow me to fight alongside you and help you. At least that I'm not leeching, because even my tracking skills isn't even needed with you here" He said embarrassed.

"Hahahaha sure but just don't die on there's someone still waiting for you remember?" I laugh the. continue to walk.

---

-BEWARE OF CURSE! IF YOU'RE NOT STRONG GO BACK OR YOU'LL DIE!-

Is what written on a wooden sign, the ink used is red or maybe blood. The wooden sign looks like it handled the vicissitudes of time in the intersection of two valley.

Surrounded by dense thick fog that made it impossible to see through from the outside. Even my perception doesn't work here. That made me uncomfortable, without it my sense are normal which made me uneasy and weak.

"Is it like this last time? Even my perception doesn't work in this place. I can only see and sense normally." I explained.

Mingyun confirmed that it's the same as last time, but he was surprised that the perception doesn't work.

"Since that's the case young master let me scout at least my scouting skill will help you this time."

Mingyun said asking for permission.

I hesitated but nonetheless nodded.

"Be careful if you found an anomaly go back and notify me immediately, I got the feeling that there's more to this valley."

With that he nodded and cautiously walk towards the fog while his existence vanish.

'It felt like he vanish is this a different dimension? What's there inside.' I'm curious my thoughts chaotic the eerily silent valley tortured my mind, while every tick of time it's been a while since he's gone ahead but still not coming back.'

Did perhaps something gone awry?

While I'm getting anxious to go I look left and right confirming nothing is there, I summoned the Scythe of the Calamity.

Then gone to the mist myself. While I felt like something lifting me and made my stomach churn, but last only a second before a new world view open before me.

There's hills everywhere thick lush green can be seen, towering trees, a pond so beautiful that it looks like a paradise that sttettch until the eyes can see. If the heaven is true this isn't an exaggeration to say that this is comparable to heaven even tho I didn't see it myself.

But something's nagging me I don't know why, the Scythe of Calamity shone blood red and a thick aura permeated the air. And shot straight through my eye.

I felt something inside me boil, I imagine it as the blood in my heart and eyes but like something opening I don't know why.

After a few second I opened my eyes which shocked me. It sends shiver to my spine that made me almost vomit at the sight.

[ Calm Influx ] - Activated.

A passive state that will automatically activate when facing unprecedented crisis or sudden turn of event, it will calm the mind to thoroughly analyze the situation.

-Ranking up requirements *Int 5000, Perception 5000*=Rank 2

A smooth sensation wash over me, the shiver chaotic thoughts driven away by the wind. My mind clearer than ever I look around again calmly.

'The calm influx activated by itself man this felt good and weird at the same time' This is a battlefield.

I saw everywhere is endless red and black soil, the hill that I saw earlier was composed of corpse so ghastly it will make you shiver. Torn flesh, Mutilated flesh, limb, dried heart and big skeletons of unknown kinds. Some are humongous bigger than mountain some so small, and cracks all around like a broken glass is the perfect description of the dried soil.

The pond that the epitome of beauty, clarity and purity now consist of pool of blood. In fact some sort of liquid all around it that I don't know where it came from that made the pond black and red in color.

Everywhere as the can see mutilated flesh, some decayed that almost look like a soil. Also everywhere are broken weapon shattered fragments.

While scanning around I saw some tracks and foot prints that looks fresh.

'This may be the track of Mingyun.'

Following the track I saw up ahead is a patch of land with a circular monolith around 8 gigantic monolith that made a circular space.

Each monolith so humongous I can't even measure how tall they are. I can't see the top of the monolith that just made my neck hurt from looking up.

SCRKZAAAA

Suddenly a weird ghastly cry from my east.

I ran fast and saw Mingyun fighting for his life, while the creature which made me dazed hut quickly recover.

If I we're to describe it hideous isn't even enough.

It's like a worm build of flesh with so many limns around it. Some limb looks like a limb of human, other tiger paw, mantis limb and so on. It's sideway is full of blinking eyeball in synchro. It's mouth when open wide can easily swallow two man alive, covered with black hair inconsistent in sizes but covers only some of it's hideous flesh. It's measurement when it's stand only around 6 meter tall seems like it's body that heavy it can't fully stand. It's length around 20 feet.

And not just one, but looks like a battalion. While I saw Mingyun running around I dashed towards him.

Where the battle begin.