Chapter 8 : Dying Light

Up above watching, the same Blood sect members and leaders stood, alongside Vaelle and Krakus.

Vaelle groaned to him, "You bastard.."

"What's the issue?" Krakus grinned.

"You gave them a qi-rune weapon."

"Right after you patched them up. I told you, didn't I? The exams are being orchestrated by the emotions and situations between the prospects. Majority of prospects believe Joon is a hindrance to their ultimate goal, so I gave them a little push."

"You—."

"I already asked the Head for permission. The one who comes out on top is the one who is the strongest amongst all of them, not just mentally, but physically as well. We are raising assassins, not babies. You're going too soft on them now. You used to be cold hearted and a brutal rogue. What happened to you?"

"…I don't have to answer you. What I deal with it's my situation alone."

"You can't be THAT mad at me. You should've seen this coming. I'm Kyung-Hu's greatest customer. The qi-runes weapon forging is my specialty."

"I didn't think you'd go so far. But I won't stop this. If the Head allows it, then so be it. I won't intervene."

"You're scared of him, aren't ya?"

"….No."

'In the sprawling tapestry of realms where the threads of spiritual and martial prowess weave into the very fabric of existence, arcane lore whispers the tale of Kyung-Hu—the God of Qi and Harmony. With a visage half-shrouded in mystery and eyes deep as the primordial cosmos, Kyung-Hu presides over the trembling boundary where spiritual energy condenses into tangible might. Eons past, the spirits wielded qi—pure life energy—in raw, unbridled forms, their devastating conflicts ravaging both heaven and earth. Observing the chaos, Kyung-Hu contemplated deeply beneath the Zephyr Peaks, meditating for a millennium before rising with a resolute breath that stilled the heavens. He proposed the binding of qi into intricate runes, weaving divine scripts to channel the wild energy of the cosmos into a harmonious force. Kyung-Hu, in his divine wisdom, initiated the Rune Conclave, a gathering of deities each ruling a facet of existence—fire, water, wind, earth, and beyond. Each deity infused a fragment of their essence into runes, crystals born from Kyung-Hu's own divine qi crystallized at zenith moons. The result: Qi runes, each a compact reservoir of elemental power, capable of turning a mere blade into a conduit of divine fury. The arduous craft of embedding these runes onto weapons is both a sacred art and a rigorous science. It begins with the spiritual communion between the weaponsmith and Kyung-Hu, often facilitated by a meditative ritual lasting several nights, under the silver glow of a zenith moon. The smith, typically a martial ascetic trained in both forge and temple, calls upon Kyung-Hu to bless the weapon with the divine essence captured within the runes. Upon the deity's descent, a chosen rune—its glyph shimmering with potential—is gently laid upon the weapon. The air thickens, the cosmos tunes in, and the essence of the rune melds into the metal, wood, or even bone of the weapon. As each rune finds its place, the weapon not only gains elemental properties but also, often, consciousness, whispering its wants and needs to its wielder. Kyung-Hu's system of divine balance extends through what is known as the Hundred Affinites—a celestial legion of lesser deities each governing subtle variations of the primary elemental forces. From Elysia of the Gentle Breeze to Thuron the Mountain Crusher, each Affinite offers a specialized qi rune, catering to nuanced battle techniques or existential needs. An adept armed with a weapon bearing the Fire Spiral Rune of Pyralis might summon walls of flame or ignite the very air, whereas a staff imbued with the Whisper Rune from Elysia could silence steps or calm raging. In the hands of mortals, weapons embedded with qi runes do not merely increase the lethality or protective capabilities but also enhance the wielder's connection to the divine essence. A warrior attuned to their weapon's rune might find their own qi enriched, gaining abilities that resonate with their weapon's elemental nature—akin to spiritual symbiosis. However, the use of qi runes is governed by a strict set of heavenly decrees laid out by Kyung-Hu, designed to maintain balance and prevent abuse. Misuse of a rune-imbued weapon can lead to it being reclaimed by the heavens, and in the worst cases, a reprimand directly from Kyung-Hu or the affronted Affinite—oftentimes a fate more devastating than any mortal conflict. Thus, in a world where the line between divine and mortal is etched with the script of runes, the lore of Kyung-Hu and his Qi runes serves as both a testament to the gods' reach into mortal realms and a reminder of the harmony that governs all things. As the sects clash and warriors rise, the silent whispers of Kyung-Hu echo in the marrow of the world, a ceaseless melody of balance and power.'

Back down below,  As the smoke and embers danced around the forest clearing, Jae, draped in a cloak shadow-dark, emerged with a gruesome horde of prospect goons. Dark auras mingled with the faint light as they approached Caelan. With a disdainful sneer, Caelan's body blazed in response, his palms igniting fervently. Without a word, he charged, moving like a comet through the undergrowth. Within moments, through a flurry of fiery fists, Caelan annihilated the goons, their bodies hitting the ground in scorched heaps, while Jae watched, his eyes narrowing.

"Easy." Caelan scoffed.

Jae tilted his head, "Good, they were getting annoying. I only let them tag along so they can feel like they have a purpose, I hoped they would last a little longer."

"That's cruel. But I don't care."

Unfazed by the loss of his underlings, Jae drew his qi-rune twin daggers, their edges glowing ominously with dark energies. With a fluid motion, he attacked, blending shadow-laced slashes with acrobatic martial arts. Caelan countered effectively, his fiery wraps deflecting each silent, deadly swipe. Daggers met fire in a shower of sparks and shadow.

'Qi-rune weapons…I have to be careful. That's like fighting with a small essence of a deities power, which is still powerful.'

In a sudden strategic retreat, Jae plunged his dagger into his own shadow on the ground. As he drew it back, his body was cloaked in a rippling armor of darkness, increasing his strength and speed. Now evenly matched, their battle turned brutal. Caelan swung with spiked flame fists; each blow Jae blocked cast eerie shadows into the surrounding forest.

"Seems like this just got intense." Jae scoffed.

"Don't care. Yawn."

Jae thought with rage, 'He's not taking this seriously?! Does he think I'm some kind of joke?'

Caelan grinned, "By the look on your face, you're probably thinking if I think you're a joke or not or if I'm taking you seriously. You are a joke. It's best if you just let yourself get mauled by the demon roosters."

"Don't look down on me…don't!"

Among the myriad of qi-runes cultivated under the vigilant gaze of Kyung-Hu and his pantheon, the Shadow Daggers qi-runed weaponry holds a particularly enigmatic and perilous prestige in the lore of martial artisans. Forged in the veiled depths of the Nightfall Sanctum—a hidden temple where moonlight seldom breaches and shadows commune—the shadow daggers are imbued with one of the rarest runes: the _Whisper of Obscura_. This rune harnesses the essence of the deity Umbriel, the Affinite of Darkness and Secrecy. Scriptures carved onto these lethal blades are not mere adornments but sacred texts that bind the shadows themselves to the wielder's will. They read: "In the breath of silence, under the cloak of the unseen, bind the darkness to thy will, let the shadows become your armor and fear your ally." These words, etched with the ink of a squid found only in the deepest abyss of the Spirit Ocean, glow dimly with a spectral light, visible only to those attuned to the dark.

With blood running down his eye, Jae repeated, "In the breathe of silence, under the cloak of the unseen, bind the darkness to thy will, let the shadows become my armor and fear my ally.."

Jae remembered himself as he when he was 7 years old, shunned by the Goken sect for not being born with any affinites or martial arts prowess, shunned and kicked around every turn, the sect leaders decided to finally dispose of him, seemingly killing him with a sword to his back, and dumping him in a river. Until he saw the Blood Sect members surrounding him, reaching a hand out towards him, saying: "Join us if it's real power you seek. For she does not refuse anyone who comes to her."

Back to the fight, Leaping high, Caelan spun and summoned a fire vortex around him. Jae, using his enhanced agility, mirrored his movements and soared up, their weapons clashing mid-air. The collision sent them spiraling in opposite directions, landing with ground-shattering force that uprooted trees and rocked the forest floor. Back on the ground, Caelan stomped fiercely, creating a ring of flame pillars that encircled them. Jae, swift as a specter, danced through the flames, his dark armor absorbing the heat, each movement a blend of elegance and deadliness, aiming relentless strikes towards Caelan's defenses.

'Tch! The flames are hot..close range combat is suicidal, but I can do it if it's not for a long time. He specializes in close range, as do I; this dagger is resonating with me perfectly as I'm a 6th gate qi cultivator.'

***6th Gate: Gate of Resonance - At this advanced level, Qi users can resonate with the natural energies of the world or qi rune weapons in perfect harmony, allowing them to perform feats that defy ordinary physical limits.**

Caelan, sensing the escalating threat, intensified his flaming armor. His long, fiery hair blazed with such intensity that touching him became perilous. Jae adjusted his tactics, using his daggers to manipulate the surrounding shadows to cool the air, countering the stifling heat. The forest echoed with the symphony of clashing steel and crackling flames. Caelan executed a series of explosive punches, each one a mini-inferno, while Jae's daggers carved intricate runes in the air, redirecting the attacks with precision. A whirlwind of motion, Jae spun, his twin daggers extending the shadows they cast into slashing arcs. Caelan, enveloped in flames, met each arc with a burst of fire. The forest floor was scarred with burns and shadows, the battle a mesmerizing, deadly dance.

Increasing the tempo, Caelan unleashed a rapid barrage of fiery martial strikes. Jae countered with blinding speed, his shadow armor flickering with each near miss. Blood was drawn – a cut across Caelan's cheek, a burn on Jae's arm – each wound fueling their fury. Catching a moment, Caelan landed a solid blow on Jae's chest, sending him crashing into a tree. The ground erupted with flame pillars as Jae hit the earth, but he rolled away, minimizing the burn, his face set in a grim line of resilience. Gritting his teeth, Jae stabbed his dagger into the earth, drawing forth a surge of shadow that swelled around him like a storm. Caelan, surprised, faltered momentarily, feeling the chilling aura of darkness that now emanated from Jae.

Meeting in the center of the clearing, the combatants exploded into action. Caelan's flaming punches and Jae's shadow-infused strikes met with such force that the air around them seemed to tear, a visual rip in the atmosphere manifesting their clash of elements. Blood flew as each found marks on the other's body. Caelan's fist grazed Jae's side, searing flesh, while Jae's dagger found a gap in Caelan's armor, slicing deep. Pain was sharp and immediate, drawing roars from both warriors.

Caelan scoffed with a grin, "Ehhhh..you're really something aren't ya? I might need to start taking you seriously."

Jae exclaimed, "You grew up with so much power, I never had that…what drives you to be so arrogant?! I grew up with nothing!"

Caelan, once a part of the Baihu sect that mastered in flames, remembering his own past in which he was abandoned by his own sect. Days before Master Liang and Shen Wei traveled to the Hangyang sect where Joon was from, Caelan was locked in a flaming cage of blue fumes. The flames slowly burned his skin. Many people were hurt because of his actions, as he always beat down people who badmouthed him or his brother. As their parents were killed by demons, Caelan had always been sensitive about family topics, and he was getting stronger daily at an intense pace, and under the nose of Shen Wei, Master Liang and the sect leaders saw him as a growing threat that needed to be dealt with. But in the cage, as Caelan was crying tears of blood, the Blood Sect members were surrounding it, sticking their hand out to them, saying, "Join us, for redemption." Caelan scoffed at them, "I want revenge…I want the demons who took my parents dead…I want Master Liang and the entire sect dead!" Then the sect members responded, "Redemption is the aftermath of revenge."

Caelan then said to Jae, "I know my worth…and I know my strength…I know where I stand, and my goals I know where I stand with them. Every prospect here, every kid our age here has something to fight for, we're being trained to be killer assassins, and we're allowing it for a reason."

There were other prospects around them, watching as they said:

"Caelan…"

"He actually has a backstory…?"

Jae said to Caelan, "I'm weak…I'm a failure, and the only way I can redeem myself is by accepting the blessing of the blood affinity by the Blood Sect. And the ones in my way…are you and Joon!"

Weariness began to set in, their movements lagging but no less dangerous. Caelan's armor flickered; Jae's shadow seemed to stretch thin. They stood, briefly, eyes locked, understanding the other's determination and despair amidst the devastation. With a mutual, silent agreement, the fighters charged for one last assault. Fire roared against shadow in a spectacular finale, each striking a potential end. As their forces collided, the resultant explosion of light and dark energies enveloped the clearing, leaving the outcome hung in the air, forest breathless in suspense. With battered bodies and spirits fueled by nothing but raw survival instinct, Jae and Caelan gathered their remaining strength for one final, decisive clash. Their eyes locked, conveying mutual agreements and the unwavering resolve of warriors who knew this moment could be their last.

Jae, his shadow armor flickering like the dying light of dusk, channeled every ounce of his dark energy into his qi-rune twin daggers, their edges now a deeper black than the shadows surrounding them. Caelan, his flaming aura pulsing like the heartbeat of a dying sun, prepared for the ultimate strike, his entire being an inferno of wrath and defiance. They sprang forward with a shout, closing the gap with the ferocity of storms colliding. Jae swung his daggers with lethal precision, aiming for vital points, while Caelan, his body a torch, summoned his last reserves of energy to intensify the flames enveloping him.

The collision was cataclysmic. As their fists and blades met, the force unleashed was so immense that the very forest floor beneath them buckled and tore apart, creating a crater rimmed with splintered trees and torn earth. The air cracked with the sound of breaking reality, a maelstrom of fire and shadow swirling violently around them.

In that apocalyptic moment, between the chaos of clashing powers, Caelan found his opening—the brief, fatal gap in Jae's guard. With a guttural roar, he drove his spiked flame fist forward with all his might. The blow connected squarely with Jae's chest, piercing through the shadow armor—which shattered like glass upon impact—and into the flesh beneath. The impact was brutal and final. Flames erupted magnificently around Caelan's fist as it sank through Jae, engulfing both warriors in a dome of fire. Jae's eyes went wide with shock and pain, a gasp escaping his lips before being drowned out by the roar of the flames.

He coughed up blood, saying, "Happy?"

Caelan sighed, "You knew this would happen, and yet, you still fought me."

"I was tired of it….I wanted to win…but near the end of the fight..after hearing what you said, I can't compete with that. I just wasn't born with gifts. If anything…get my revenge for me."

"…Mm."

As the fire receded, Jae collapsed, the light in his eyes fading as his body hit the scorched earth, a lifeless heap in the ruins of the shattered forest. Caelan stood over him, his chest heaving with exhaustion, his own wounds searing with pain. The fire around him died down to embers, illuminating his solemn face with a flickering, somber light.

The other prospects said:

"Caelan killed Jae.."

"What were they fighting about?"

"I heard it was about Joon at first."

"There was some talk about some of them wanting to kill Joon."

Caelan said, "Alright, show over."

'Joon…where are you really?'