Arc 13: Chapter 13
“… I hope that you never encounter the Throne, if it is still out there. That thing was insane, and in another’s hand, the tool would be able to destroy the world.”
“Nonsense, that thing is gone… I’m sure. Besides, I’ve got my own little cheat, as… annoying as it is, sometimes. Thank you for all of your contributions… and please, make sure to restrain that seventh realm bitch as long as you can,” Bianca asked, double-checking the items she had acquired.
She ensured that her earrings were fixed in place, the hairpin inserted into her hair, and all the other treasures that were placed within the spatial storage. They just floated there, exactly in the spots that she had put them in at first, as though time was literally frozen for them.
Her organisational skills needed some work, but she did at least sort them into the categories Jonathan had proposed, with jade slips and manuals to one side, weapons to another, armour to yet another, consumables at the last, and then the more unique elements getting their own pile in the middle. She’d have to go through it all once more to get a good idea of where everything was, but at least this provided her with a decent foundation from which to begin sorting it all out later on.
It was quite the haul, and had this happened without all the conflict surrounding them, things would’ve been much easier. They could’ve enjoyed the treasure, she could’ve found some excuses to fuck Song Ming and the others – not that most required too much convincing at this point, aside from maybe Long Shiyi – and everything would be just fantastic.
Instead, she had to bear in mind the fact that there was a monster outside, an Oblivion Halo expert that could crush her in an instant if she actually committed to it. There was zero chance that she’d leave them alone now that they had managed to escape once, so it would be necessary to flee as quickly as possible.
“Although you’re a guy, I didn’t hate meeting you. I appreciate your help.”
“And I… am glad to have met you, here, at the end of my life. We may not be of the same Orbis, we may not be of the same social stratum… but I am glad nonetheless. If you ever return to your version of the world… please, see if I exist there. If I do… tell me what this version of myself had experienced. Even if I treat you as insane…”
“Why do you wish for this? Out of curiosity.”
“… I may be lost here, but through that other self, perhaps I can somehow break free, at least in spirit. Perhaps I can see Antania once again…”
It sounded completely insane, and she didn’t believe for a second that this would actually work. Most likely, the Jonathan of her Orbis would just think her a lunatic, and listen to nothing. If he was as wealthy in her world as he was in his, he’d probably assume that she just wanted to get into his pants, which…
Yeah, it was best to avoid thinking of it, as she was on the brink of throwing up from the briefest mention of it in her mind, and it wouldn’t do that during an emotional moment.
Still, after getting so much free stuff, she wasn’t about to complain, and so she just nodded.
“Well… you can depart, Bianca. Return to the world beyond…”
A gateway opened up within the void, as Jonathan looked away, looking nervous about the eventual demise he would face once this little spatial realm collapsed. It seemed like it would be a rather anticlimactic death… but there wasn’t much choice in the matter.
Even if Bianca knew how to save him, she didn’t really care to do so, unless she could swap him around to being something more appealing, like changing the skin on some chat bot.
That would be a rather weird thing to do to a seemingly living, breathing person… but it would be better than having to keep a man around.
She didn’t say anything to him as she approached the gateway, though she did glance back to see how he was doing. He was still standing there, though he lifted his gaze once more, staring out into the distance, seeming to be pondering something. Perhaps he was simply preparing to meet his end, perhaps he was going over all the events that had led him to this moment…
But whatever it was, he disappeared from sight the moment that she crossed the threshold.
“Your tribulation will strike the moment you leave. In this realm, the heavens cannot see you, cannot challenge you.”
“… Thank you for your gifts, Dragon of Song. I will pledge to-”
“There is no need, inheritor. Your deeds are most important than any words – as long as you hunt all the otherworldly monstrosities you find, then I will not regret my choice.”
“Alright, then… thank you, teacher.”
“The other side of this realm seems to be loath to let go, so perhaps you or another soul may be restrained for longer than I may wish. Be careful, inheritor.”
“I will not be defeated by an otherworldly demon in the same realm!”
“But you are not yet in the same realm, mortal. The tribulation may not last long, but it would be enough time for the demon to attack, if she so chooses,” Jun said, almost seeming to scoff at her, “Be not overconfident, human. It will only lead to your demise, as it did for many of my children.”
Lei Kai Lian looked down, embarrassed, but soon gathered her courage once more. While she was being overly eager, she did still believe that the moment that she was in the fourth realm, Bianca would crumble and fall, and she would finally be able to avenge Hua Jun…
Before that, though, the tribulation. The fourth realm required her to overcome a lightning tribulation, but then she would be faced by the Display of Excellence. She had enough experience in her Crystal archetype to overcome it, but ideally, to have the highest chances of ascending to higher realms in the future, she would try to end up in the top parts of the Heavenly Gallery – at least, to go as high as someone in her realm could.
She had already been contemplating what insights she could submit to the Gallery, and thus she was decently prepared… though all the new knowledge from the Dragon of Song, her Crystal Heart, and the various skills connected to it, gave her pause.
Suddenly, a lot of what she had thought to be certain and obvious felt uncertain, distant, akin to a mirage in the northern sands.
Still, she couldn’t just doubt herself forever. From now until the end of her tribulation, she didn’t expect much more than a few minutes, and so, as she stepped outside, she was already trying to sort out everything she knew. Everything that aligned with her current understanding of the archetype was put to one side, everything that didn’t had to either be bent into shape, or discarded.
The final result would have to be a single whole that could be submitted to the Gallery, to elevate her standing as high as possible, and so unifying everything around her newly acquired Crystal Heart was obvious.
At the same time, she couldn’t simply rely on it, or submit the things that Jun had shared with her. It was vital to have the insights be her own, or else the Display of Excellence would reject it.
On the outside, she found herself amidst trees, not exactly where they had stumbled across Bianca, but also definitely not far. The otherworldly demon herself wasn’t in sight, and she unfortunately couldn’t seek her out, as the skies above began to turn dark, storm clouds gathering overhead. They were already brimming with lightning, rumbling thunder disrupting the calm of the mountain.
Bianca emerged, and found her companions – she couldn’t call them all fuckpets just yet, but eventually… – standing by not far from her, looking appropriately perplexed.
“What just happened? Where were we?” Long Shiyi asked, “You actually found it, Mistress?”
“Yes, I did. Now, run!”
The others were still barely cognizant of their surroundings, but hearing Bianca’s command, they were roused into action, beginning to run, though before long, they heard thunder rumbling overhead again.
“Is that the seventh realm bitch again?” Xue Yaling asked, “Does she love calling down lightning on people?”
“Actually… I ended up in a spatial realm with Jonathan- uh, I mean, Su Guo, and he informed me that there is another part to the realm where the Crystal Terror lingered.”
“You think it could be the dragon?”
“No, it wouldn’t be Jun. I did spot a woman using the Crystal archetype, and if Jun decided to leave behind her technique… that might be the woman breaking through using Jun’s insights,” Long Shiyi explained, “A shame that it had to be a member of a faction that apparently hates you, Mistress.”
“Yeah, yeah, it is… though the seventh realm expert should be restrained, so at least we don’t need to worry about her for a moment. If her tribulation lasts as long as mine did, then that woman shouldn’t be a problem either.”
“So, do you just intend to flee, Mistress?” the dragon asked.
“We have no reason to stay and fight a war that we won’t win!” Bianca replied, “However, if we make it back home, we can easily grow stronger thanks to all the things Su Guo had given me.”
“He just handed out treasures to you? Where are you carrying them, up your ass?” Xue Yaling scoffed, just before her eyes caught the faint glint of the golden earrings, “Wait, don’t tell me…”
“I got some spatial treasures to store it all!”
“Lucky bitch…”
“What was that?”
“Congratulations, Sect Mistress!” the kitsune said with the most fake tone imaginable.
It was obvious that she was rather jealous, though not as much as Bianca would’ve liked – seeing the kitsune pout was always fun, especially if she could surprise her with something to the point that she broke her composure.
She recalled the time she had somehow compelled Huang Su to her side, and the kitsune had looked at her like she had done something impossible… which, in a sense, was true, since her supposed domination of Huang Su had been an act until recently. Even now, it wasn’t complete, but at least she had made good progress towards it.
Regardless, she couldn’t spare the time to be pondering all that, as she was all too aware that Jonathan had specifically stated that he would try to keep the seventh realm expect at bay. That didn’t mean he would succeed, and if he did, not for long.
Therefore, the vital thing to do was escaping the area as soon as possible.
“Huang Su, would you be able to-”
“No, Mistress. It was already difficult to carry our smaller group, with Long Shiyi it becomes a step too far. The most I could do was push us along for a hundredth of the usual distance,” the ‘false phoenix’ answered before Bianca could even finish.
She wasn’t too disappointed, as she had somewhat expected it.
“I would say, though… if that is a tribulation, as it appears to be, then the seventh realm expert might want to wait for the tribulation to pass, or to be able to disperse it if the one undergoing it fails for whatever reason,” Long Shiyi remarked.
“But what if she decided that we’re worth killing off first? It’s not like it would take her that much effort to beat a bunch of people beneath the seventh realm.”
“She is one of the Judges of the Righteous Court, so that is less unlikely than I would like…” Huang Su said, “No matter what, just do not look back!”
That tempted Bianca to do exactly that, but she restrained herself from the temptation and just ran, through the trees and past the rocks, under the blood-red sky, lit primarily by a setting sun.
A man with short, black hair, grey eyes, sat at a dining table, wiping his lips with a handkerchief. He wiped away the red staining them casually, while looking over the table in front of him. Ther were numerous items arrayed on plates in front of him – bones, perfectly cut chunks of meat, even eyes and other organs laid out in some complex arrangement that only he understood.
“The quality of these materials has declined, compared to what I remember… too much fat and stagnation, not enough ambition and bravery…” he remarked, shaking his head, “Shang Yu, you really should’ve raised them better.”
“P-Please, let me go… I won’t say a thing to the sects, I promise!”
“Shang Yu, really, I am just giving you a professional assessment. In my prime, such advice would’ve been worth countless high grade materials, plenty of wealth and treasure… and here I am, giving them to you for free.”
He looked at the man with a faint smile on his face, glancing around the table at the other chairs. All of them were occupied by bodies, with parts missing. Some were missing their heads, others had large parts of the chest removed, and some were missing limbs – and everything that had been taken from them now lay on the table, still raw and bloody.
“P-Please…”
“Your whining is annoying me. Quiet,” he narrowed his eyes, and the room suddenly filled with a white mist, seeming to emerge from nowhere, but at the same time, it flowed outwards from behind him.
It was thick and heavy, and seemed to be filled with faces… strange shapes that shifted and undulated with the rolling mists, and whispers, countless whispers, chanting and muttering, and horrific screaming! The other man at the table felt like it was threatening to swallow him whole, enveloping him, grasping onto him, as though countless hands were trying to pull him under the water, to swallow him whole!
And then, there were hands. A dozen figures condensed from the mist, grasping onto him, their faces… they could hardly be called that. Each one was contorted, horrific, inhuman, all filled with endless malice and ill will, and they were glaring at him, their clawed fingers digging into his flesh, drawing blood.
He felt cold, and even the lifeforce seeping from his wounds seemed frigid, almost freezing cold. It felt as though the frost enveloped him, every part of him draining of life… and then, he saw the short-haired man reach out.
Behind him, a massive throne, ethereal and true, there and not, brimming with energy, seeming to stand out amidst all else as an object that did not belong, yet dominated.
“Take on new form, waste of flesh,” the man before him spoke, and suddenly the world was distorted, and his consciousness was torn away from him.
The man reached out and picked up a peculiar blade, with handle of bone and blade of grey mist, testing its weight in his hand before swinging casually. However, that alone was enough to split the table in half, breaking plates and bowls and leaving flesh to drop to the floor.
“Even in death, you are pitiful… but your flesh shall be used well. There are debts owed to me that I must reclaim…”
He exited the home, but the mist did not clear. It swallowed the small abode, almost crushing it, before it did, and suddenly the home vanished, consumed by the mist, gulping it down into an unseen void.
“It is time for me to return. My empire was once ascendant… and I shall make it so again.”
As he walked away, the mist only kept growing, strange dark pustules emerging from within the mist, odd figures rising from shadow, nightmares given form by the Throne of Armaments and his own broken mind, that had once had a part to purify it, to shape it towards greater goals.
However, Jonathan was no more.
Only Su Guo remained.