Broken Core [LitRPG • Cultivation • Post Apocalyptic • Romance]

Luna walked behind the human, her heart pounding in her chest. Red lights were pulsing overhead with each step and her dantian was still drained. Even though he had suppressed his aura, he still radiated power. It was stifling and she found it hard to talk to him.

Slowly they walked through the tunnel, coming across holes to the outside world and decayed Forsaken. Their smell was atrocious, but he didn't seem bothered in the slightest. He simply stepped over them and continued to a square room.

"There's nothing we can use in here," he stated.

Scanning the space, she frowned. Metal chests that were corroded and pitted stood out in the space. Burnt divots in the floor spoke of acid damage and she could only think back on the Forsaken they passed.

Glancing at the human, she found his unruly gray hair and beard to be confident. Nothing seemed to faze him as he judged the darkness. Even her senses couldn't pick up anything beyond rot, death, and his own body odor. He didn't smell like a human. He was something beyond flesh and blood. Something that scared her, but also drew her in. The water he had given her revitalized something in her that made her want to beg for more.

"Stay close," he said. "I haven't gone beyond this room yet. I don't sense anything in front of us."

Stepping closer to his back, she reached out and grabbed one of his feathers. The metal like feathers cut into her hand, making her wince and pull away.

"Careful," he said softly. "My armor is not something you are used to. I'll make you a set."

"I don't wear armor," she whispered, not wanting to draw attention to the Forsaken.

He only nodded. "Then a chest wrap and shorts. Something that can transform with you. Don't transform for at least a week."

Growling, she frowned at him. "I know."

Walking off, he waved for her to follow. The low light was detrimental to her vision as she continued to sniff the air, but whatever he was, distorted the scents. She could practically see the air warping around him as he relaxed his grip on his aura.

The tunnel continued for hundreds of feet before coming to a branch. Holding up his hand, he stopped her and looked down each section. Brows furrowed, he gestured for her to step up next to him.

"What do you smell?" he asked.

Sniffing the air, she frowned. "I smell you and death."

Suddenly the aura was pulled into his body and her senses cleared.

"What about now?"

Glancing down each path, she sniffed the air. Brows furrowing, she settled on the left path. "There doesn't seem to be anything down this one. But the right smells like Forsaken."

Grinning, he turned right and started walking.

"Where are you going?" she hissed.

"To get more meat," he said as if he was taking a stroll through a park.

Rubbing her arms, she kept following. Holes to the surface allowed brief streams of light to shine through before she heard something shifting in the tunnel. Her ears twitched and her tail fell between her legs as he suddenly summoned a sword of flickering energy. The pure white weapon didn't shine, nor distort the air until he released the grip on his aura. The world shuddered around her as she struggled to breathe.

The Forsaken started coming towards them when he raised his hand. "You're mine," he growled.

A giant snake slithered into view before it suddenly started thrashing in rage. Its mouth opened wide, its fangs dripping with venom. When it suddenly lunged and bit into James, she screamed.

Laughing, the man slashed through its head, cutting deep into its body before some sort of energy escaped the snake and sank into him. Ripping out the fangs, James shook off the injury as she rushed forward and patted his chest.

"You're bleeding out!" she shouted.

Frowning, he glanced down at his chest and her hands. "Yeah…that happens…"

Pressing her hands against the wounds, she watched as the black, rotting skin started to heal and seal before her eyes. With a deep breath, he sighed and dismissed his sword.

"I should probably cut this thing open so you can eat." Pulling a knife from his thigh, he walked past her.

"You just healed in seconds…" she murmured.

"That happens as well," he said with a shrug. "The meat won't last long, so eat your fill now before we continue."

Shivering, she watched the man cut open the snake and harvest a chunk of raw meat. Carrying it over to her, he plopped it into her hands.

"You need your strength."

Glancing at his chest and then the meat, she gulped. "What are you…"

Frowning with his brows scrunched he said, "I'm human."

"No, you aren't!" she screamed.

"Rude!" Huffing, he started pushing the snake against the wall as if it weighed nothing. "Eat your meat. We have more ground to cover."

Nibbling the meat, she continued to watch him carefully. He led the way with confidence as the red lights continued to pulse. It wasn't until after her first few nibbles that she felt ravenous. In seconds she was devouring the snake.

Minutes passed in silence as he led her further down the tunnels. When they came to the first door, he turned to her and smiled.

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"Finally found something!"

Shrinking back, she watched as he happily pushed the door open. Stepping inside, she watched him look back and forth before flipping a switch. Bright white lights blared to life before he waved her to join him.

Falling in behind him, her eyes widened as she found them in some sort of important room. Skeletons were resting against desks with paper reports and machines still open. Glass jars and even more machines and tools rested on tables with more skeletons in white coats.

"Scientists," he stated. "Stayed until the end…"

Pretending to know what he was talking about, she walked over to a desk and looked at the papers. They were in a language she didn't know and when he joined her, he smiled.

Picking one up, he looked it over. "Seems to be a report on the efficiency of cultivation against the Forsaken."

"You can read this?" she asked.

"Of course. Mother taught me."

Who the hell are you? Why would your mother know this language?

She kept the questions to herself, but he seemed to notice.

"Mother taught me many things before she passed. But she was secretive about even more." Picking up another report, he read it. "They were researching the first cultivators against the Forsaken. The beginning of the Great War."

"What did they learn?" she asked.

Shaking his head, he set the reports down. "Not much. Cultivation was still new back then. We may have won in the end, but we also lost. The Forsaken still dominate the world and we live on the move or secluded in cities. We never trade with others."

Frowning, she walked further into the room. "I've never been to a city. What's it like?"

"Overwhelming," he said simply. "Lots of people from all walks of life. I've met demi-humans, even if there weren't many. You won't look out of place."

Frowning, she whirled on him. "What makes you think I'm going to a city with you?"

Raising his brows, he honestly looked confused. "Sorry…I shouldn't have assumed."

Now it was her turn to frown. "You scare me," she admitted. "More than the Forsaken."

Pushing a skeleton out of a chair, he sat. "I don't want that. You don't deserve to live in fear. If you want me to find you another shelter, I will. I'll only come by to escort you out of the wasteland and to bring you food."

She noticed he was sad, nearly broken. How long has he been alone? He clearly doesn't hate demi-humans. Making up her mind, she said, "I'll stick around, but I do need to cultivate. The wind blows stronger in the wastelands. Can you protect me?"

"Of course," he said with a smile. "But I do need to hunt each day. You're not the only one that has to grow stronger. The area around my shelter is free of Forsaken. They don't dare approach my home."

Shrinking back, she eyed him. "Being around you, I can see why."

Head dropping, he got up. "Let's go back. I'll leave you to meditate."

Falling in behind him, she felt how gloomy he was as they retraced their steps. It didn't take longer than an hour to return to the shelter and for him to walk to the door.

"The roof is the best place to catch the wind. If you get tired, use my bedroll and get some sleep. There's plenty of water for you."

Pushing open the door, he stepped out before she called out to him. "You don't have to leave!"

Turning back to her, he shrugged. "I'd rather you be comfortable than afraid. I'll be back with breakfast."

"What about the night flares?"

"They can't hurt me."

Leaving her with more questions than answers, he turned and left. Before she could call out to him again, he sped away, his steps faster than even her wolf form.

James ventured back to the residential district one last time. He was going to move on tomorrow, but didn't want Luna to worry if he came back bloody and with ruined armor. He didn't know what he would face if he went towards the factories, and she seemed scared of his ability to heal.

What am I supposed to do if she keeps fearing me? Should I find a new shelter for her anyways? It'll be hard to travel with her if she can't be around me.

Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. He didn't feel like hunting now that he was out. He wanted to learn more about the Fenrir, but he also wanted to give her space. Everything was confusing.

Glancing back at the shelter, he shook his head. I'll give her a few hours of peace before heading back. I'll have to bring back more meat for her. She looks half starved.

Focusing on the apartments around him, he started hunting. If he was lucky, he would come across another minotaur, but that wasn't likely. He didn't want to settle for the humanoid monsters. Even he was scared of eating them.

His search turned to hours as he scoured the area. Monsters were defeated and added to his soul, bringing him that much closer to tackling the world. It wasn't likely that he could reach his old sect anytime soon, and with that, he wanted to reach the first city he could and learn where he was exactly.

With the day passing, he headed back. The sun would set before long, and he had a chunk of mystery meat for his guest. His soul was brimming with power that he quickly pulled in, suppressing it so she would be comfortable.

When he arrived, he found her sitting on the roof, her legs crossed as the Qi in the air flowed around her. A tight spiral absorbed the energy, filling her dantian before cycling through her body. He could see it all and knew she was close to creating her core.

Her soul was back to full strength, even if she needed to put meat on her bones. She was as still as a rock as he jumped onto the roof and sat across from her. Closing his eyes, he started drawing his soul inward, preparing for the day he ran into other people.

"When did you get here?" She suddenly gasped.

Popping one eye open, he smiled. "I brought you dinner." Handing over the meat, he closed his eye again.

"Thanks…" she said softly. A moment later, the sound of her tearing into meat filled the air. "This wouldn't be bad cooked."

"I haven't had cooked meat in ages," he said equally as soft.

He could practically hear her frown as she talked. "How long have you been here?"

"Two months?" he guessed. "It's hard to keep track. It might be less or more than that by a week or two."

"And you've demolished the Forsaken population. What exactly are you absorbing from them?"

He listened to her scoot closer. "I'm not ready to tell you that. You're already scared of me."

She didn't argue as her knees pushed against his. "You saved me. I never thought I would see the day a human saved one of my kind."

"I'm not human, remember. Your own words."

Scoffing, she sighed. "Give me a few days. And thank you for the food. I'm afraid I'll need to rely on you a bit more as I gather my strength."

Nodding, he opened his eyes and met her piercing glacial blue ones. "I'm moving my hunting to a new zone tomorrow. You're free to come with if you want. The food will be fresher."

"I'll pass," she said with a weak chuckle. "I need to refill my dantian before I join you. I also need to form my core while here. This place is rich with Qi."

"Take your time. I need to grow stronger. Much stronger."

Frowning, she leaned back. "You're already far stronger than anyone I've met before. I've even seen core cultivators before. They would be scared of you."

Now it was his turn to frown. Looking at his soul, he wasn't sure how to react to that. Was his judgment about his strength wrong the entire time? Should he be comparing himself to normal cultivators? He needed to test himself more. Thankfully, he had Luna.

A warm breeze blew through the area, making them both turn to the setting sun. With a sigh, Luna stood and held out her hand to him. "Will you keep me safe tonight?"

Taking her hand, he nodded. "I will. You can take the sleeping mat. I'm used to the hard ground."

Raising her brow, she didn't argue. Instead, she hopped down and went back inside, her palm print working for the door. That was another thing he couldn't answer.

Following behind, he tossed her a bottle of water before moving to his pile of leather. He had to patch his armor before bed, and he promised to make her something.

"What are you doing?" she asked as she crouched with him.

"Fixing my armor," he answered simply. "I'll make you something afterwards. Go lay down."

Yawning, she tried to shake her head. Raising his brow, he pointed to the bed. Yawning a second time, she gave in. The air was growing warmer as she sprawled out on the mat and pulled the blanket over herself.

"Goodnight, James," she said softly.

"Goodnight, Luna. I'll make sure you are safe."

"Thank you…" Rolling over, she turned her back to him, but he could make out her tail wagging in happiness as she started to drift off.

I really need to find that tub. She's a mess.