Moving East (1)

Season 1

006

Time is on my side. I need to get stronger to dismantle his plans.

The reason I'm heading east towards the mountains is simple. In my past life, one of the elders of the Alliance told me classified information when he was drunk.

He was a martial master of 8 stars and he let me in on the details of an operation that happened long before the war began. 

If time matches up correctly, that operation should still be going.

The place where I'm heading is the mountains which is home to the founding group that pioneered Aura. The Celestial Heavens.

That is my next destination, a branch sect in the mountainside. 

--

At the breaking of dawn, I emerged from my refuge inside the cave. After a night of cultivation and some sleep, my body felt as if it had been refreshed.

I brushed the exit open slightly to peek my eye through and the sun shone directly into my eye.

"Ah- son of a bitch!"

I rubbed my eyes and made my way out of the cave. I stretched my body, it wasn't a very good place to spend the night.

The brisk morning breeze was cold and invigorating. It acts like a natural caffeine jolt to kickstart my day. 

I looked around my surroundings.

The dense forest with its tangled pathways and towering trees shrouded the eastern direction. I don't think I'll have to worry about any of the Empire's men coming after me once I get deeper into the forest. 

I'd been chased by my pursuers into the edge of the forest right before the density of the trees increased and the area became more clustered.

They were edging me.

However, once you're deep into the forest, if you lose your sense of direction or don't know where you're going, you're likely going to end up lost.

Slowly, you will wither off in this forest dealing with misters and misses thirst and starvation. If you eat the wrong thing you'll make it even worse for yourself.

Supposedly, this forest was much more grand than it is now, but due to the construction of the prison, its surrounding trees have all been cut down.

Even if we exclude the prison, the ancient building that rests below the prison was also built as a part of the forest. Over a long period, people naturally slowly but surely cleared a large open field.

However, in my previous life, I just followed the majority of other escapees and we headed to find a ship to bring us out of the Northern continent. It worked but by the time we found a way out, we lost a chunk of our men.

Thus, I have no experience traveling through this forest. Starting now, I have no idea what will be coming.

"Well, let's see-"

I gathered my aura and walked up toward two trees that rested side-by-side, both with thick trunks.

I used the branches as support for my limbs and quickly climbed up the tree like a monkey. Ever so often, I'd be jumping between trees when a branch was too high to reach.

I reached the top of a tree.

"Quite cloudy."

Despite the minor obstructions from the weather, I could faintly see the mountain peaks over the horizon. Some even pierce through the clouds and extend further up to the skies.

"All I need to do is head eastward."

To the mountains.

I jumped back down making use of the tree trunks once again. I oriented myself towards the eastern mountains. 

Certainly, traversing this forest won't be a straight path, but rather an intricate pathway much like how the pieces of a chessboard travel down.

Starting my long run to the eastern mountains, the forest became something like my canvas, and I was the artist.

I moved around swiftly and with the fluidity of a dancer. Jumping from branch to branch and gliding across the forest floor.

For things like these, you have to let your instincts take over.

Every rustle of leaves, each chirping bird, and the distant roar of a waterfall somewhere became my guideposts. I trusted nature to lead the way.

The training and experience I received in my past life had ingrained in me an acute awareness of my surroundings. Similar to a symbiotic relationship but between a warrior and the terrain.

--

As the sun climbed higher in the sky, I persisted.

How long have I been going at it?

I let the wind brush past my face to give me a cool breeze, freeing me temporarily from the drench of sweat. My stamina, without a doubt, is not what it used to be. My body struggles to distribute oxygen and utilize its muscles properly, even if I have the perfect form in mind.

Fatigue naturally got to me. It's not like I didn't take breaks. Every hour or so, I'd sit down and rest for ten minutes. 

That somewhat annoyed me.

"Tsk- having to rest even from just running a little. This body is pathetic."

My anger sprouted from the realization of how pathetically weak I was. 

The first real fight I had in this life would likely be the knight captain. 

As the echoes of the duel with him resonated in my mind, I slowed down my advance and paced myself to allow myself to contemplate the clash that had transpired.

There's always something to learn. You never know when you can reach enlightenment. Knowledge is power after all.

Being enlightened for a martial master signifies many things, but it's always something beneficial for the martial artist.

**Murim is a word that means the "Martial Arts World." Not to be mistaken for a separate world, it is essentially a unique society exclusively for martial artists and other groups. The Murim are integrated with society, those who don't care for their aura, martial arts, or having anything to do with a sect, would likely not encounter anyone from the Murim. Since the dawn of humanity and the existence of aura, there has always been an unspoken rule that Murim affairs belong and STAY within the Murim. The world does not interfere or meddle with the matters of the Murim unless they wish for war. Existing governments and other factions do not intrude on business related to Murim.**

While the knight captain was skilled, he was lacking in many ways. The only thing he had was an aura level of 5 stars. Despite that achievement, he didn't even apply proper technique and utilize it effectively.

In most cases, technique is greater than power.

He still lost to someone like me, a teenager with a body framed like a stick bug who barely hit 2 stars during the battle. 

Under the might of the Murim techniques I learned (collected) through my previous life, I emerged victorious. 

But despite winning, it wasn't a victory to gloat about. I was lucky.

Instead, this became a realization for me. 

There is a fundamental difference in training martial artists from Murim and knights of traditional orders or specific governments.

The similarities between them are only the very root and core of how your aura works. After that, it starts branching outward.

1) Both sides are given training in aura from the very beginning

2) Both are taught how to sense and circulate aura

And that's it. Once they can grasp the aura of their own volition the parallels between them end.

If you could make a comparison between the knights and warriors that don't belong to the Murim and martial artists that do belong, it would be the difference between mass-factory-produced food versus homemade food.

One is always consistent with its method of creation and ingredients used in the process.

1) Knight Orders are given streamlined training

2) Knights generally gain raw power and strength quicker than those in the Murim

3) Martial Arts are much simpler to master and easier to train

While the other can freely adjust and alter the process and ingredients however they want to whatever they want.

1) Martial Artists place priority on utilizing inner strength (the strength that naturally dwells in your very body)

2) Everyone's foundations and core must be stable and perfected before advancing to more elaborate practices

3) The standards of aura focus, control, circulation, and techniques is much higher

4) Manifesting complex techniques necessitates precise movements

Martial Artists put more emphasis on stable foundations before garnering more strength. However, this process might take more time, making the development period of a martial master much longer.

As opposed to that, knights are trained considerably quicker and value the fastest route to completing their training.

Of course, it is very different because governments and cities require manpower much more urgently than Murim affairs. Their training is intentionally simplistic.

This is simply a difference between quality and quantity.

The flow of energy in a person from Murim and a knight is very distinct. Novices and ordinary people wouldn't be able to distinguish the discrepancies.

"But for someone like me..."

Someone with a lot of combat experience or a martial master would be able to tell.

The way that martial artists draw their aura and move it around their bodies is like a powerful and calm river that flows rapidly. 

Knights, summon as much aura as they can all over their bodies. They evoke their aura with sheer force and brutality, much like a waterfall. However, this just means their aura contains immediate and instantaneous explosive power.

The knight captain I faced must have been newly promoted. Their aura usage was lackluster and he depended on pure power rather than technique. 

"It was uneven and static."

It seemed to me that the Empire lacked practical means to teach their soldiers about adequate aura utilization without sacrificing a large amount of training time. 

The Empire's knights in my past life were known to be ferocious and adhere to strict disciplines that were centered around brute force. 

Despite quickly giving their soldiers strength, they also take away a lot of their untapped potential. Their shift in focus on fast growth ultimately neglected a solid foundation and control.

"Don't learn more than what you can handle."

Although it's saddening that many knights could have been much stronger than they are, all of this is none of my concern.

"To be honest, I don't care about how they train their knights."

At this point, there is no war. However, the fact that the Northern Empire was already pushing out and implementing faster training to produce a large quantity of knights is frightening. 

If the spark of war began once again, the Empire would already have amassed a large amount of formidable soldiers into their armies. Nobody would have predicted that either. While they steadily increase their power and work on their forces, everyone remains ignorant.

But most importantly, the one truly with room for growth is me. I, too, have much to learn and achieve. In my previous life, I just settled on the bare minimum. Whatever it takes to survive and live another day.

The conclusion to that?

My death.

"Fuck..."

I'm witness to the gap between my current abilities and the level of prowess I aspire to attain. The duel between the knight captain and I made me aware of how weak I am.

I used my shortcomings as a catalyst for my determination. Embracing the truth rather than rejecting it to allow it to settle in my mind and ignite the flame of perseverance. 

Despite the unspoken rule of no interference between Murim and government affairs, you can still seek wisdom and be taught a lesson from either side.

The discipline of government teachings is very insightful. The position of authority and power as an official working with the government is nothing to scoff at.

The mystical arts and techniques of the Murim are profound and seemingly illogical. It would be a great achievement to make sense of something senseless.

I never belonged to any sect or specific group in the past. I was nothing more than a mercenary. 

It's a little cringy but I hope to reach a high realm of martial prowess. The path and journey to that point would be arduous but I set my sights on it. I won't give up that easily.

I doubt many people get a second chance at life like this.

I always avoided the government and any matters related to royalty or nobles. 

"Authority and power only ever yielded bad results for me."

However...only after losing everything and ultimately dying from the war in my previous life did I realize that...even if I didn't want it. That very same power and authority used to do harm and be responsible for throwing the world in flames is what I eventually need to protect and cherish the things I hold dear to me.

Having these thoughts and talking to myself out of boredom, a few hours have already passed and the mountains still stood as tall as ever. I've gotten closer as the highest peaks were now visible without having to climb a tree to see them.

Every so often, I'd sit down to rest and circulate my energies. I primarily focused on my aura as I find myself to be around physical and laborious situations more so than magic.

This over most of the day, brought my aura from the early levels of 2 stars to a more stabilized middle-point between 2 stars and 3 stars.

Maybe if I had a chance to use my aura in another fight where it could threaten my life, it could exponentially increase my aura prowess again.

That night, I lived off of berries, nuts, and mushrooms. Thanks to the foraging I've done in my past life while constantly on the run from the Empire, I was able to determine which foods were edible.

I didn't manage to find a small cave like the first time but I ended up finding a soft bush where it was capable of blocking some of the cold from the midnight wind. I spent most of my time circulating my aura to stay warm.

The next day, as I ventured through the wooden expanse, the normally clustered and dense forest gradually loosened up and revealed a small clearing, adorned with an unusual air of tranquility.

"There is nothing tranquil that can be associated with the lands in the North."

There must be something up. I slowed down and paced myself. 

Amidst this unusual serenity, an even more unusual sight greeted my eyes. 

I bent down to a get closer inspection of...this pathway.

"These markings...they were done by humans."

There it was.

A conspicuously well-maintained and broad pathway. It seemed to have been crafted wide enough for carriages to pass through. I did not know of this pathway in the past. 

"It's likely that it's just another transport route for merchants."

It's not that important but if I were to follow this path, I'm sure it would lead me to a place where people gather. Perhaps a town or village, maybe even a large city.

This presumed trade route that the Northerners made distracted me from hearing the distant and sudden echoes of tumult.

I closed my eyes, squatted down, and focused on listening. I honed in on those sounds.

I caught onto more audio clues as to what may be going on.

"The sounds of something...wooden being struck- no, pierced."

Some merchants being raided by bandits??

I don't assume there would be bandits in this forest.

"This close to the prison too?"

I heard the sounds of horses running. They made sounds that came from panic. Intermingled with cries and screams were the distinct sounds of...

"Clashing metal."

Someone was fighting. Now the presumed context changes. It seems a third party is facing off against another party traveling with a carriage.

These sounds alone painted a scenario that is likely similar to the aforementioned.

The tension in the air whispered to me of strife and conflict. This is great for me.

I wouldn't say this was a sense of duty. It was more like my curiosity got to me and I simply followed to sounds. Being as swift and silent as the wind, the forest canopy overhead embraced me as I closed in on the source of the commotion.

I was approaching the edge of the clearing. I hid where the shroud of trees concealed me the best. 

I muttered to myself, "I was thinking of going in naked."

You know? The surprise factor. They'll be like, oh my god, then I'll catch them by surprise. Nobody told me I couldn't play dirty. If anything, I'm just thinking strategically.

Jokes aside, I still have SOME honor and pride as someone who has been connected to the Murim. 

Speaking of Murim, as I spectated the scene, I saw figures of humans and a large wooden carriage, that was substantially damaged as it lost both its front wheels. There, I began to see with my own eyes, what unfurled a tableau of turmoil.

"Quite the perilous scene."

Several knights were protecting the carriage. I have no idea what's inside the carriage but it's either a precious object or an important person.

On the opposite side from the knights, a group of assailants, presumably assassins of some kind, based on their black and gray monochromatic uniforms.

I know for a fact that these guys are from the Murim. The way they conduct themselves and even the way they stand. I've seen it enough to differentiate a knight and a martial artist from Murim.

They by no means came with good intentions, their hearts could only ever be malevolent. 

The knights guarding the carriage were part of the Northern Empire seeing how they all wore armor. Though, they didn't bear the insignia of the Empire. 

Knight apprentices?? They shouldn't be allowed to take on any missions...Unless there's at least one official knight in their party.

The clash of swords and desperate screams of the people within the carriage filled the air. So I guess there were people inside. 

As far as I remember, there wasn't anything worthy to take note of during the same year that the Yujora Kingdom fell. This particular event shouldn't be THAT important. Probably.

Moving on, now the choice is mine to take.

"Which side should I take?"

Regardless of which I decide to support, I'll be able to walk out with some extra gear. If I kill the assassins, the knights will have no problem giving me a dead person's belongings. The knights do not need any of the assassins' items. 

If I were to kill the knights, then I'd be able to get another sword, some armor, and better clothes. Perhaps, I might even be able to get my hands on whatever is inside the carriage.

I made up my mind.

Without a second thought, I assumed an offensive stance, ready to intervene immediately. I'm not fighting for righteousness, I'm fighting for myself.

With a determined heart and steady breaths, I slowly inched my way closer and closer to the unfolding conflict. 

I wasn't highly trained in stealth or assassination techniques, but I was aware to make each one of my movements deliberate, a resonance with the grace and precision that matches the techniques from the Murim. 

I'm confident that with a fully recovered body, I can take on an aura user of at least 6 stars. I unsheathed my sword and got ready.

The forest will now bear witness to the start of my journey and a new history to be carved in this life of mine. This will be one of many battles I fight.