Chapter 195 – Challenge
The main problem with entering the Paragon List was that Siu knew he realistically couldn't choose anyone high enough on the list. He himself questioned it once, wondering if he was even ready for it so soon, but both Nokoh and Seloryn answered with a confident yes. The latter even explained that most disciples could easily get into the bottom ten ranks; it all depended on their mentality. Did they believe they could do it? That was most of what determined their success. And, of course, the effort they put in afterward to maintain their ranks.
"It's true," Ruben agreed when hearing Seloryn speak about it, "Joren could also get onto the list, too."
"For a while." He shrugged, shaking his head. "Maybe at the 100th position, but would be wiped off after by someone else."
"True," Seloryn agreed without offending Joren. "That spot changes names almost yearly. Nokoh, how long have you been there?"
"A year and two months," He answered after a bit of thinking. "I defended it once throughout that time, though, from an unranked challenge. My affinity is rare enough that it made them think twice before issuing the challenge."
"Meaning," Siu looked at them with a shrug, "If I take number 100th, I will be constantly challenged?"
"Most likely." They all nodded. "And if you copy a regular affinity, that will only increase the rate." Quillian continued, joining the discourse, "And we will be unable to predict what type of disciple challenges you. Because you can't refuse, you won't be able to keep up the charade for long... Not good... So, go for someone higher."
It was his biggest hurdle yet because the more he fought, the harder it would become to hide the fact that something strange was going on with him. Of course, there was the basic idea of only fighting a certain type and copying that certain affinity in his matches... but then, there was an idea offered by Vael to make Siu masquerade as someone with a rare, dual affinity. Or choose someone unique, but then again... for that, he would have to go against someone high on the list, or... against Nokoh.
Naturally, he and Ruben were already off the list of potential targets... And honestly... the whole thing felt more like a headache that Seloryn was weirdly adamant about. On the one hand, Siu acknowledged all the benefits the attention brought them, be it the alliance or the offer from the Burning Banner, but on the other hand, it also put them in the crosshairs of nasty rumors. For now, they weren't a big issue, but... Who knew what it would spiral into?
“Kal Torrent is suitable in terms of affinity.” Quillian suddenly spoke up, making Siu look at him, trying to decipher if the old man was joking or not. "You aren't allied with them yet."
"..." Instead of answering, he just took a deep breath, shaking his head. "We all know which position I am going for." He said in the end, not wanting to drag it out any further.
"If you go for her," Nokoh spoke up at once, “She'll go for Marly, so be extra careful.”
"Eh...?" Marly froze on the spot, immediately gulping down whatever was in her mouth, looking around nervously.
“If she comes with me,” Siu muttered, tapping a finger on the desk. "But this time, I would do this alone."
"Salen, eh?" Joren asked, realizing who they were talking about. "Not a bad choice. She has water affinity, which is good, and you have been sparring enough with Ruben to have a good feel for how it works."
"Yeah. He is... becoming..." Ruben muttered, eyeing Siu, chewing on his lip a little. "Annoying to face. Still need to work on his spells, though... but those damned fighting styles..."
"That I also noticed," Seloryn added, now also looking at Siu, before glancing at Quillian for confirmation. "Siu is more of an internal user, isn't he?"
"A what?" Siu asked, now looking at Quillian as well.
"Seems like it." The old man agreed. "I have been watching his attempts at utilizing spells without any outside input, letting his natural style blossom."
"Master is not a flower. Is he?" Arya asked suddenly, raising a hand, feeling just as confused as Siu, making Ruben snort, while Quillian quickly began explaining.
"Every cultivator has a natural preference, things that come to them more easily. Some are like Ruben or Seloryn; their spells are external projections of their essence and will. Then there is Nokoh, or you, Siu. Salen is also in this category," He added, pointing at them one by one. "Your spells are more internal than external. There is a natural leaning of every cultivator in this regard, like being right- or left-handed. This does not mean you can't use the other type of spells; it just means your mind and focus automatically defaults to internally projected spells. If you look back on all of your training and previous fights, you can see it, too."
"..." Siu couldn't really say much, but the more he thought, the more he realized that whenever he copied someone, indeed, he used the new affinity on himself. Resonating his own body to cancel out Seloryn's spells, or making his punches create resonance in others... Like the metal body of that bounty hunter... Titus. "I see..."
"I was the same, too," Quillian said with a smile suddenly, making Siu look back at him in a hurry. "I was explosive in temper in my youth, and at first, I used it to increase my speed and destructive prowess. Then I developed my way of fighting with long-range spells. That's why I say, do not think too much about it. Focus on what comes naturally at first; then you can explore the rest. It is not as binding as it may seem at first."
"Mhm," Siu nodded, smiling before he looked toward Nokoh. “Tell me everything from your fight. I will need to know all before I challenge her.”
In the end, they spent more than an hour analyzing everything about the fight, every detail Nokoh and Cho'Wa could recall, especially about Salen's fighting style and the way she wielded her double-ended scythe.
"Wild Dog..." Siu said suddenly.
"Excuse me?" Nokoh asked, while even Cho'Wa raised his head, making Siu shake his own, smiling.
"The style." He said at once, "I can recognize steps... Since the start, I have been studying the Hollow Song's original forms, and, bar one, I have learned them all. I don't dare call myself professional with any of them, but I can see the pattern. Whatever style she uses has its basis set in the Wild Dog Form. I know how to bait her into action and counter her, if what I see is correct."
"That's why you are so annoying to fight against, huh?" Joren asked in a joking voice, but Seloryn and Ruben nodded seriously, agreeing with the sentiment.
"More than that..." Siu muttered to himself, rubbing his chin. "If I can take control of the rhythm, I may pull through without revealing my affinity..."
"You want to beat the 100th, without spells?" Ruben asked, leaning forward, raising a brow. "Just by technique?"
"If I use it internally," Siu answered with a growing, confident smile, "They won't be able to tell, no? I want to limit my future, headache-inducing challenges to the minimum. So if they can't tell what my affinity is, that should do it for a while. They will have to spend money on brokers to get some info about me, giving me ample time to further my cultivation and be ready."
"And we can feed them false information through Toban." Ruben nodded, snapping his fingers, liking the idea.
"Don't get cocky, though," Seloryn warned him, looking directly into Siu's eyes. "We are still talking about the Paragon List here."
"He can do it." Quillian raised his voice suddenly. "Elder Thane did right in teaching him all the forms. They are the basis of our sect, after all, and it's almost as if tailored to Siu. Even if he didn't know back then, as Elder Thane couldn't know how unique Siu's affinity is, it gave him the perfect tool from the start. He can adapt, switch, merge the forms, and flow between them... Learning that skill is why he has been so quick in picking up on his own affinity's main strength. Learning that was exactly what he needed. Sometimes," He looked at Siu, smiling a little, "I almost believe in fate."
...
....
......
Salen, since her defeat, was in the worst mood that she probably ever experienced. The medicinal bath had repaired almost everything Nokoh had done to her, but it couldn't fix the emotional damage. Especially being saved by the formation inside, and the shame of looking terrified before all those spectators... There was no way to heal that with any kind of potion or ointment.
Every time she closed her eyes, she remembered his eyes and the feeling of his hands on her head, ready to crush it like a watermelon. It interfered with her meditation almost every time, even now, when she sat alone in her quarters, trying to quiet down her own thoughts.
Yet, instead of that, they began wandering in her mind, imagining her cutting off that damned wolf's legs and making Nokoh watch. Maybe she could work out exactly how much of his smoke he could force through the animal before... A pulse ran through her silver sash.
Salen's thoughts suddenly stopped, and she opened her eyes, trying to decide if she just imagined it, or if it really happened. But then the message spread through her awareness, revealing the answer.
[PARAGON CHALLENGE RECEIVED]
Her expression went blank at once, her left eye twitching, the white around her iris filling with blood as a vein popped from the sudden rush of
fury.
“No... NO!”
[CURRENT RANK: 100]
Someone was already coming for the last thing she had left?! She should have guessed it... the damn sharks are smelling blood in the water, huh?! Then she would show them blood! They think they can take her name off the List?! THE LIST?! Some unranked little shit had seen her fall from Ninety-Eight, and decided she was easy prey? Oh, she will make them regret this.
“Who... the fuck... are you?” She rasped, trying not to go into a raging tantrum, and her sash answered as if hearing her question.
[CHALLENGER: SIU]
“Who the fuck are you?!”
Within minutes, she was out of her room, the name revolving inside her mind, over and over again, but she couldn't recall anybody with that name. She had experimented on many others, but... Who would remember their names anyway?! In the end, it took her an hour to find a broker who had an answer for her.
“Siu?” he repeated carefully, counting Salen's CC. “Well, this is cheap because most people already know it. He is the noname leader of the Spirit Wardens. Don't ask where to find him; nobody knows, because he probably lives in their imaginary headquarters, if that even exists. Maybe it is also a fake name. Who would name their son just Siu?”
Salen barely even listened to the rest of the explanation, because she was already grinning like a savage animal, making even the broker reel back for a moment.
“The Wardens?”
“Yes.” He answered, furrowing his brows, thinking that the woman before him had a stroke or something.
“Nokoh's group?”
“Who? Ah, wait... Yes...?”
“Oh, that's perfect.”
The broker leaned away even more, not even wanting to be near her strangely deformed expression, deciding it was time to just... leave. Salen barely noticed him scurrying away, as her mind was already locked onto the facts. Beginning to head home, she raised one hand to her mouth, suppressing a maniacal laugh. As she did so, she began setting up the challenge she had no way to refute anyway... not that she would.
[CONFIRM CHALLENGE DATE: TOMORROW MORNING. FLOATING ARENA XVII.]
Her grin became almost painful on her face as she acknowledged everything in her mind. Let him scramble and let his little Wardens panic. She won't give them another week to prepare, oh no. They will fight, and if she could, she would fight the boy now. But that would be a rush. She needed to calm down; even she realized that. So that's why she scheduled it that way. After she meditated throughout the night, she would then head down to the same arena and make sure the challenger needed more than just a medicine bath after she was done with him.
[PARAGON CHALLENGE ACCEPTED]
[DEFENDER: SALEN MOR — RANK 100]
[CHALLENGER: SIU — UNRANKED]
Even though she was a bit surprised he accepted it this quickly... However, then again, her wicked smile returned at once.
“Let's see how much screaming your people can tolerate!”