Death of the Vehement Dragon Broski

Fighting my exhaustion, I rip off the Jianchi's jaw. After a final strike, I drop its body on the battlefield littered with corpses.

I've already lost count of how many swords are sticking out of me… but it's fine, my muscles can take it.

The horde has finally been destroyed. Only a few of those monsters remain.

It seems like a monk from the temple also managed to make it this far. At least I'm not alone.

I march forward without looking behind me. I can't afford to get emotional on the battlefield, the ones lying there behind me would be disappointed if I did. Hundreds of thousands of half-consumed corpses slumber there. First lost as our allies then killed again as enemy jiangshi…

I hate everything. Why did it come to this? What's the point of fancy titles if none of us survive? Now that I think about it, the nickname Vehement Dragon Broski is the dumbest nickname ever.

A memory of me celebrating becoming an official martial artist with a title with my sect flashed through my mind before I purged it. No tears. Not here.

I rip out one of the many swords stuck in my body, and alongside the monk, I rush towards the leader of the jiangshi hordes. If we stop the Immortal Sovereign Demonic Priestess here, her multiple hordes of jiangshi assaulting murim will scurry back into their graves.

It's the final countdown. Or it was… what am I now?

These memories are so painful, but a small part of me is still proud to have been able to participate in the greatest fight in all murim history…

We fought, and we fought, and we fought. With all of Murim at stake, this fight was a breathtaking sight. The most advanced and powerful techniques, unleashed in tandem with perfect mastery and timing. This was by far the most intense and brilliant fight my muscles had ever witnessed.

Through our fight, we began to understand each other on an intimate level. Though I had mostly known the monk as one of the key figures of the Shaolin, I now knew almost all his fighting habits. As our fight continued and the sun began to rise our synchrony increased; it felt like we were elevating each other and rising to a new level. The impacts of our attacks shook the very ground we stood on as we fought in the sunrise.

Though I hate to say it, the same was true of the Priestess who we tried so desperately to defeat. Her fighting style was very dismissive and rash, she was the impatient type.

We could never sympathise with her, however, we came to understand her to an extent. A mellow sadness and a clear vengeful goal dominated her mind. Perhaps it was because of the overwhelming amount of Qi that we were using… such high-level techniques channeled our emotions into every blow. We learned more than a lifetime of friendship would allow.

It would be more accurate to call our fight an arms race. Weirdly enough we kept one-upping each other, to the point where if you didn't surpass the last attack you used, you would fall behind and get punished for it. Every move was a genuine representation of our skills. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that this fight was the sum of our existence.

As our attacks connected the earth quacked, causing the mountains of bodies to collapse. This progressively reduced our fighting space since techniques are most efficiently used on stable ground. The fight became more and more difficult as we struggled to find ground to stand on.

"Don't try to stop me! You'll only die meaninglessly!" shouted the Priestess.

"You know we can't do that!" I shouted. The monk and I were beginning to gain the upper hand.

"Even if I die I will come back with 7 more demons!"

"Then I will come back with 8 Buddhas!" shouted the monk.

The glare in our eyes grew and finally, the 3 of us let out our rage.

The insane influx of Qi chased the clouds away. Our battle only progressively got more intense.

A weird sensation dominated the 3 of us, even though we were over-exerting our bodies, all of our attacks came naturally and slowly became more powerful. As if there was a hidden force tying the 3 of us together.

However, even if there was more to the story and her revenge was justified, her actions weren't. Multiple hordes of Jiangshi were attacking murim during our fight. We could not forget who we were fighting to protect. She had to be stopped. We had to stop her!

Our fight continued as the sun went up in the sky. Our monk known for his iron body died as he had lived, standing proudly. With the breath of life escaping him he stood there acting as his own memorial statue. Refusing to fall.

For the first time, I stopped and looked at the hellscape around me. The rivers of blood and the tainted sky seemed like a distorted parody of nature. I saw the leader of the Gym Group Sect who had taught me himself lying there with his body half melted by the jianshi general of poison. They had taken each other out. It was an honourable way to die... and yet… I couldn't accept it.

What was all this for? Why am I standing in these murky red puddles? I blocked out the tears. I couldn't see my elder brother amongst the bodies… but I knew he lay there, somewhere… cold and dead.

As a warrior, you go into battle knowing you could die. When your allies die you need to get used to using them as shields to survive. But even then… Knowing that you must be strong and not let their deaths be in vain… At some point, you can't help but start to crumble when you realise you're the last one left.

When you realise you're all alone.

So much was on the line and we thought we had prepared enough. The 9 great sects had gathered to create the greatest military alliance, featuring the greatest warriors in the Murim world. But who gives a shit! They're all dead anyway.

Fuck! I had a family! I was happy! I don't care what revenge plot you had planned! WHY DID YOU TAKE EVERYTHING FROM ME?

I yelled so loudly that the wounds in my body opened up again. One of the swords slid out of me as I collapsed.

I grabbed, I bit, I punched, I kicked. I wept. Nothing mattered anymore. I wanted to kill her.

…

I don't exactly remember how we ended, I just know that we did. It didn't really matter who won or who drew the last breath. There were no such thoughts of winning or losing in our last moments. There was only a perfect synchrony of rage. I hated her and she seemed to have an equal amount of hatred for me.

We slowly ripped each other apart piece by piece. The dead incarnation of Buddha stood there as a witness. Watching us regress into beasts.

We reached a point where we both despised and admired each other. When you're drowned so deep in your emotions, things begin to get blurry.

The battlefield littered with rotting corpses made it seem like we'd already fallen into the lowest layer of hell, and our shattered bodies blended in with the carcasses around us.

Eventually, we both released Qi shockwaves which sent the bodies around us flying. The most bloody ground insisting on dragging us below, we continued our pathetic fight, in an arena made of bodies.

With the last of our Qi gone we scratched and grabbed at each other, often in sync. From arms to shoulders, to necks and faces. We weakly fought like children. When we ended up grabbing each other's hands we would immediately clash our heads together.

There wasn't really any hope left anywhere. Our exposed wounds stung as we rolled through the puddles of blood and chunks. The pain itself was the only thing left reminding us that we were indeed still alive.

We died as unsatisfied manifestations of loathing. I may be remembering wrong but at some point, I believe we cried together. Bizarrely… I… well it wasn't an important moment anyway… Ahem.

This war was a loss for everyone. Maybe the monk also felt this way when he died. The vague memory of the Priestess sobbing left a rancid taste in my mouth that no one wanted this war in the first place. What actually happened? Why would someone like her do anything like this?

Here they are. The repressed emotions have completely caved in. I'm so pathetic. How did my master feel in his last moments? I wonder, when the acid dripped down his side and all he could do was rip apart the enemy general before his own body splashed onto the ground, did he have any regrets? Did he feel like I do now!?

I never felt the satisfaction of a 'final blow' on the priestess or an honourable duel you find in stories. What did I expect? War is filthy. But for now, or at least for a little while until the next human is dumb enough to start another, the war is over.

As expected, the only thing I can feel is regret. How pitiful it is to be human.

This was how I, the greatest warrior of the Gym Group Sect and strongest in all Murim, died.

For reference, death feels like shit. The world isn't pitch black or full of light because I have no body to sense colours with. Everything is simply nothing. It's so peaceful…

I can't help but think about my life up until now.

From my parents who abandoned me when I was young, to my real family at the Gym Group sect.

I remember… I was so angry at my parents back then. I wanted them to regret abandoning me, so I worked my way up to the top and became one of the few to reach the cultivation realm of "Absolute Unit".

I remember all those times I got told off by my older brother for getting into fights. He acted like how I assumed a real brother would act. Like family. When I showed enough potential I caught the eye of the sect master, who taught me himself. He was the closest thing I ever had to a father…

But I was still insecure about being abandoned… and I made up for it with my training. Sort of like slapping a plaster on a broken arm. I thought strength would solve my insecurity.

I was so worried about being worthless that I took the people around me for granted.

Why didn't I realise it back then? That I had everything I'd ever wanted.

I can imagine my older brother making fun of me now for foolishly regretting my entire life… Yes, brother. I regret it all. I should have listened to you and appreciated the people around me while they were still there.

I wish I could say I should have worked harder and that everything could have been solved if I had been stronger… But I know that's not it. I know deep down that killing the Priestess even with no casualties would not have been 'the good ending'.

There was something, I know it. There was a story behind this war that even I the most powerful person in the army didn't know about. The last thing I saw before I died… I thought it was the Priestess' face as we lay on the ground… There was something. I saw something. What was it? I can't remember! GAH! Damn it!

Tch. I can't stop thinking of the crying face of the Priestess… God damn it. Why was she so… Hmmmmm… Despite her horrific actions, she was so human in her last moments… and so full of regret. It's just… It's just not right!

"Sigh. I really am worthless." I said with tears dripping down my face.

"Damn right you are!"

WACK!

I jolt back to my senses.

"Oh, sorry sleeping beauty, did I wake you up?" I could only see blurs but I could tell that it was the voice of a kid...

Smack!

I attempted to see his face but my watery eyes couldn't get a clear image. Each hit echoed in my brain. It wasn't too bad though, for a moment it stopped me from thinking. I wanted everything to stop.

"Where's the money, Lebowski? Everyone else's done their fair share of work today. Yet here I find you lazing about!" he grabbed me before throwing me back onto the ground again.

Smack!

"Are you going to give me an answer? If you can't give me a reason I'll just keep beating you!"

Wack!

Damn it. I got used to the pain. It's not stopping me from thinking anymore. What's the point in being alive? Why am I still here?

"Why am I still alive!?" I shout before grabbing his cane with my body and ugly crying all over it.

"L-let go!" The teenager starts to kick me to try free his cane.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! Why am I still here!!!?? I should have just died!"

The boy scratched his head, not sure what to do.

I continued to cry while clinging to the cane like a dumbass. It wasn't pretty.

At some point, the teen must have gotten tired and left me there with his cane, because he wasn't around when I eventually calmed down.

"Shit. What the fuck." I sniffle, wiping my face with my sleeves. "So I'm still alive… Yeah but why though?" Like what is the actual point in me still being alive? The war is already over and everyone I know is dead! Aren't I just a shadow of war now? Some old war veteran you find lying on the side of the street begging for money?

… I'm only just now noticing after looking around, but the world around me's gotten really big. Actually, yeah, another good question… where the fuck am I?

Did a bunch of giants find me on the battlefield and save me? What a nice… murder shack they have?? I'm not even exaggerating, this may be oversized but it's 100% a super sketchy small wooden shack.

Wait… something doesn't feel right… Am I still numb from the battle? My body feels different. Unless… No way…

I start patting down my body and feeling myself up.

"They're not there! My muscles! What! Impossible! My pride and joy!"

I fondle every part of my body hoping to find even a crumb of my former glorious body… But… IT'S NOT THERE!

"No way… If it's like this, life simply isn't worth living… I've completely lost everything… even my own muscles! No, please! Not my muscles! I'll pray to whatever god if I need to! Please just don't take away my muscl-"

"Ahem" said a scruffy kid standing at the door of the murder shack.

We stare at each other blankly for a few minutes. He cleared his throat a couple more times and seemed to be trying to use body language to signal me to follow him.

"Whatchu lookin' at?" I say defensively.

The kid didn't talk much but from our brief conversation, I learned that I'm a new member of a group of misfits and thieves called the 'Embers'. Sort of like a gang or a group of bandits but instead it's just really a group of bastard kids and orphans who're only able to survive by sticking together.

He led me to a place where I could wash myself up.

I sit down at the edge of a small body of water and clean my bruised face. The silent kid sat down as well and washed his hands.

I look at my reflection in the pond and a dumb snot-nosed brat with brown eyes and hair stared back at me. I tried jumping about and getting used to the massive difference in body size, but all it really did was create a concerned expression on the other kid's face.

Listen, man, going from a giant Absolute Unit level body that towers over everyone to a short skinny brat body is really hard to deal with! Not having my muscles is really suffocating for me, ok?!

"Hey, why didn't you work today?" Asked the silent kid.

"Because I couldn't." How am I supposed to know? I just got here! This is probably just a last-minute dream my dying brain came up with anyway, so who gives a shit?

Now that I'm thinking more clearly there's no way I could have survived those wounds. No matter how miraculous a doctor is, they can't bring me back if half my body is lying about in chunks. I even clearly remember the priestess ripping out a handful of my flesh and tossing it into a pile of bodies! I mean I did the same to hear immediately after but that's beside the point. Most of my body is missing, including my heart. There's no way I could realistically be saved.

Welp, I guess I should enjoy this bizarrely realistic dream my brain has made up for me. Few… for a second there I thought I was actually alive! How uncomfortable would that be?

"You should probably take work more seriously if you want to survive. You won't get anything to eat if you act like that."

This kid… He's very tight-lipped, but when he talks there's no trace of his introverted-ness… So he's the cool silent type huh.

"Why would I care about surviving if death comes for us all anyway."

I'm only answering honestly. It's just how I feel. Considering it's just a matter of time before I die anyway asking me about living and stuff like that is a bit useless.

The kid stayed silent and stared at me for a while. We both scratched our heads.

"Well if you want to die that much go ahead. Just don't bother the people trying to live while you're at it." He said bluntly while getting ready to leave.

Damn what a cold-hearted reaction. Keke, this kid is probably already used to death.

He's already leaving though… We can't have that, I have more questions to ask! If this is my dream then the Gym Group Sect should be somewhere around here.

"Hey, before you go, at least tell me where I can find the gym group sect."

He paused and stared at me with a 'wtf?' expression.

"Can you at least give me in which direction it is?"

He stared at me silently for a bit longer before saying "I'm sorry but I've never heard of the Gym Group sect before."

"What?"

??????

"You know The Gym Group Sect, the top of the 9 great sects."

"Sorry I don't remember a sect with that name in the 9 great sects.." he said in a deadpan voice.

"It's one of the most famous sects of all time! How do you not know it?"

"No it's not." interrupted a bold kid sitting on a rock eating bread. Somehow all the kids here are able to sneak up on me. How the hell do they manage to pull it off?

The baldy seemed to be enjoying the drama. "Man, you've really lost it. I know all the prominent sects and it doesn't take an expert to know that none of the 9 great sects have the name you mentioned. You really are just making stuff up at this point."

"It's one of the 9 great sects who lead the fight against the Immortal Sovereign Demonic Priestess!" I insisted.

The Beggar chuckled at me "Yeah I guess if you go back a hundred years ago, but that's just fairy tale shit for rich kids. I'm sure the magic bakery sect was also part of the top 9 back then as well. Never mess with their Immortal Practitioner Muffin Man!" he chuckled while shoving another piece of bread in his mouth.

"Wait a hundred years ago? What do you mean?"

"Why do you ask weird-ass questions? The fight against the Demonic Priestess happened 100 years ago that's why."

"Oh right yeah." What the hell is up with this weird ass setting? A hundred years ago? What!?

"Man, the boss must have hit you really hard. Whatever let's go get some food before your stupidity becomes contagious," said the bald boy getting off his rock.