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

The next morning, James sat around a fire, watching Jamie heat their breakfast. The tripod and pot were steaming with oatmeal and berries, while Mender scanned Luna's body.

"Your body is definitely on the body cultivation path," he stated.

Luna nodded. "Hard to believe isn't it? I never had formal teaching on how to step onto that path, and yet, thanks to James, I now have a body that most cultivators couldn't hope to hurt."

Letting her go, Mender sat back. "And you're saying that you are soul cultivators? What is the soul exactly?"

James took over the explanation. "The soul is the life force that all living beings contain. Mine was extinguished and rebuilt when I started on this path. For Luna, I had to smother hers and leave an ember behind. It's the fire of life."

Jamie pulled the pot off the flame. "How did you even discover this method?"

Shoulder's slumping, James closed his eyes and leaned against the wall.

"Hey," Jamie said softly. "I'm sorry for asking."

Opening his eyes, he tapped his head against the wall. "My mother experimented on me as a child. I didn't understand it at the time. Her teaching me ancient languages and writing. Lessons on geographic locations and the world at large. All of it was normal to me. When in fact, she was preparing me for the day my core would be destroyed."

Mender nodded along to the story. "Why was your core destroyed? You aren't a bad person."

"I don't know?" he admitted. "I wish I did, but one day I was being dragged out of my bed by those stronger than me. I fought back with everything I had, and even managed to kill one of my attackers, but they shattered my ribs and legs.

"I was dragged before the elder that I thought was my friend. He was once on the same party with my father and was there when he died. The elder took me in, cared for me, helped me grow. Even now, I can still feel his Aether crushing my core, shredding it beyond repair before I collapsed."

"James," Luna whispered.

Waving them off, he said, "it's fine. I'm over it."

"No, you aren't," Jamie said adamantly.

Rubbing his eyes, James pointed out the pot. "You two should eat before we leave. Warm oatmeal is the best oatmeal."

"Want a bowl?" Jamie asked.

Frowning, he shook his head. "No. I can't eat unless my body truly needs the food. Which isn't very often."

"I'll take one!" Luna chirped. "I've never had oatmeal!"

Mender gestured to the Fenrir. "Why can she eat?"

Glancing at her, James crossed his arms. "Yeah. Why can you eat and drink?"

Shrugging, Luna took the offered bowl. "Because I'm better than you."

Snorting a laugh, Jamie passed a bowl to her brother. Mender rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry for asking."

Tossing his wife a bottle of water, James sighed. "We have a long way to go today. Without Nebra, we are going to have to stick together. Apart from Luna. She's a freak and will kill everything around us."

"I am not!" Luna growled.

"Oh yeah?" Smiling wickedly, James added, "how about that time on the night of the full moon, when you claimed you were in heat?"

"Fenrir go into heat?" Jamie asked innocently.

Luna scowled at him. "But it wasn't me that initiated that night. You pleaded and begged to please me. I can still picture my—"

"Enough!" Mender threw up his hands, nearly spilling his bowl. "If you start talking about sex, Jamie is going to salivate."

"I will not!" the girl protested.

"Oh? And what book did I catch you reading the other night?"

James turned to her with wide eyes. "Jamie! Erotica? Really?"

Glowering, she flipped him off.

"Did it have demi-humans in it?" Luna teased. "I know you watch my tail."

Blushing a bright red, Jamie grabbed her bowl and marched deeper into the cave, keeping her back to them. Mender snickered at his sister before eating.

"We probably shouldn't pick on her so much," Luna said between bites.

Just before they finished eating, Jaime came back over with a smirk. "Do you remember that one time, Luna ran through the city naked?"

Choking on her food, Luna looked up with wide eyes. "What?"

"Don't you remember? Or were you too drunk?" Jamie taunted.

Mender snorted a laugh. "That was a night to remember."

Growling, Luna handed the bowl back over. "We said we would never talk about that again!"

Getting up, James stretched out his body. "Just like how we aren't supposed to talk about you asking that cat to join our fun."

Face falling blank, Luna marched up to him and poked his chest. "I knew you paid more attention to her than me."

"I treated you equally while Jamie watched."

"I did not!" Jamie snapped. "Maybe a little…"

All eyes turned to the demure girl. Mender was the first to sigh. "What is happening right now?"

James gestured to the front of the cave. "You were just telling us about the time you got drunk and woke up in the manure pit."

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Throwing up his hands, Mender stormed out. "I'm done! You're all insane!"

Laughing with the girls, James joined Mender as he started heading east. The cave they had found was at the base of a cliff, and they needed to find a way up, or around to reach the city.

"I'm going up," Mender stated. "I need to get away from you three."

"We aren't that bad," Jamie tried to reason. "It's not our fault you get drunk and dance away."

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Mender shot his sister a glare. Turning away, he started climbing the cliff, ascending faster than James was ready for. Jumping onto the cliff after him, James powered his way up while the girls followed. Just before they got to the top, they noticed the vultures brushing the tops of the trees.

Jame took the lead as he pulled himself over the edge. A lone vulture was waiting for him, and bowed as he recovered his feet. Bowing as well, James asked, "have we left you enough food?"

Nodding, the vulture turned toward the forest and used its wing to point.

"Something strong is out there?" he asked.

Nodding again, the vulture took to the air to rejoin the others.

Luna stepped up to his side, worry on her face. "I don't like this."

Shrugging, he started walking as Mender and Jamie joined them. "You'll kill it."

"I will?" Luna questioned.

"Yup. You need to grow stronger."

Letting out a slow breath, Luna kept pace with him as he entered the forest. Together, they spread out their senses, and it was only a second later that he felt the ping of a massive soul brushing against him.

"Oh! It's big!" he cheered.

"James…" Luna groaned. "Will I even be able to kill it?"

"Should be able to," he answered. "Let's go."

Taking the lead, he guided all four of them into the dense forest. Slowly, the trees started to look rotted as their leaves were black and their bark looked melted. Pine needles littered the ground, alongside branches and mushrooms sprawling over the dead wood.

"I don't like this," Luna muttered.

"Umm…" Jamie whispered. "This isn't right."

James kept his soul against the monster as he led them over. "It won't hurt you two. I won't let it."

"What about me?" Luna asked.

"I'll protect you too, but I need you to fight as best you can." James didn't relent. "You want to stand with me, right?"

Growling, she nodded. "Lead me to it, James!"

Keeping his laughter to himself, he waved for them to follow. They only had to walk another mile into the dead forest before they found their first signs of ancient civilization. What could only have been a town at one point was now no more than shambles and rotting bricks.

A few craggily walls still stood, while mushrooms and some sort of parasitic worm flowed over them. The soul he was searching for was in the middle of the town, hidden in plain sight as they approached.

Luna stiffened next to him. "I'm fighting that?"

"What is it?" Mender asked.

All they could see was a lump of flesh that had no discernible form. What Luna was likely feeling were the tendrils of soul that spanned the underground network, like roots of a tree.

Luna closed her eyes for a moment as she felt the roots of the Forsaken crawl under the ground. "Are you sure you can keep them safe?"

"Yup," James said confidently.

Turning her attention to the blob of flesh, she dropped into her wolf form and started to grow. Soon her Soul Form radiated flames over the area as she latched onto the monster. And then the fight kicked off.

Spears of flesh ripped from the ground, stabbing towards her as she raced for the main body. Leaping to the side, she slid across the ground as a dozen roots crashed down where she had just stood.

Claws digging up dirt, she raced forward once again, her hunger consuming her mind as she pulled on the powerful soul of the monster. The strand of flames widened as she growled.

Lost in the soul energy, she was pierced in the side by a root and slammed into the ground. Something started wiggling inside her as she felt her blood flow into the root.

A second later, it was cut off and she found James standing next to her with his sword. "Try not to get stabbed."

Snarling at him, she nipped at his arm before racing back towards the Forsaken. Her Regeneration and reserve were already pushing out the parasite and healing the damage.

Before she could reach the body, a barrier of roots broke from the ground and created a dome over the Forsaken. Slashing with her claws, she used Soul Rend and ripped a chunk of its energy from its body.

The roots slammed down at her, hoping to crush her in one go. Dancing back, she swiped with her regular claws, severing several of the roots before watching them crawl across the ground as they sought her out.

Disgusting!

With no time to worry about the others, she focused on the Forsaken. Its body was weakening as she siphoned its soul. The massive amount of energy under the ground was being pulled into the main body as less roots were active around the area.

Racing back in, she leapt over the severed limbs and slashed through more roots. She alternated between regular slashes and Soul Rend, destroying what she could. Black blood coated her body as she was cut into and shredded as her hunger grew.

She was lost in the fight. Nothing mattered other than devouring the soul she was attached to. She dodged, weaved, slashed, and bit her way to the main body. She could taste the blood flowing over her tongue and dripping from her teeth as she ripped into the monster.

Minutes passed before suddenly, she felt full. The soul was hers. It was all hers.

"Change back."

A familiar voice reached her. Growling, she scanned the area, settling on a raging inferno of a soul. Her mouth started to water as she stepped towards it. She knew she shouldn't, but hunger drove her forward.

"Do I have to knock you out again?" the voice asked.

Blinking, she stepped back and shook her head. This isn't right…

"Luna. Come back to me."

I'm here…I'm still here.

Dragging her head against the ground, she fought to pull her soul back into her body. A primal part of her mind wanted her to devour everything around. The massive soul, and the two little ones it was protecting.

I can't! No!

Rearing back her head, she howled into the sky before tearing at her Soul Form. Slowly, the flames receded and she shrank back down.

I did it, James…

She was exhausted. Her body was shaking with pain as her reserves were low, but not yet out. And when gentle hands picked her up, she knew it was her husband.

James carried her over to the Forsaken and pressed her mouth to the monster. She didn't have to hesitate to start eating. Her teeth ripped and tore into the monster, devouring its flesh. James poured water into her mouth between bites, refilling her within minutes.

Panting, she started changing back to her human form. "I did it," she mumbled.

"You did," James said. Tenderness and approval in his tone.

Her eyes started to tear up as he rubbed her ears. All she wanted was for him to accept her, and he did a little more each day.

In the city of Settling Stone, a lone woman, shrouded in a cloak, wove her way through the inhabitants of the demi-human district. Her pocket threatened to jangle with her earnings as she slipped her hand into another pocket, adding a few bronze to her purse.

A satisfied smile adorned her lips as her cat ears twitched in the rising sun. It had been a productive morning, and she was ready to eat with an old friend.

Stepping into the inn and bar, she found Mason polishing glassware while waiting for the day to start.

"Hey!" she called out as she lowered her hood.

"Amber. Did you collect from everyone?" the moose asked.

Nodding, she sat down at the bar and slid a gold coin over to her friend. "I'll still need my room reserved for me. Oh, and breakfast."

"Coming right up." Slipping the coin into his pocket, Mason disappeared into the back. The man's wife would be cooking, and her food was always the best.

I still have a number of stops to make today. The brothels will need to be taxed, and my dealers will need to be supplied. I also need to check in on the warehouses and growing lots.

Mason returned a moment later, breaking her thoughts. "The missus wanted me to thank you for staying here."

"Of course, Mason," Amber said. "You've always been welcoming to me."

"And you always protect me."

Smiling, she picked up her fork and dived into her pancakes. A rich syrup was drizzled over top of them, and her stomach rumbled in approval.

"I wish something exciting would happen around here," Amber thought out loud.

Barking a laugh, Mason set down a glass of cider for her. "The day you find something exciting, will be the day you leave this life behind. I can't believe you killed the last dozen men interested in you."

"I only blew one of them up this time," she muttered.

Rolling his eyes, Mason walked away to check his taps and kegs. Left with her thoughts again, she turned her mind towards the Matron.

Was she going to be right about what was coming? Seldom did she get things wrong. And seldom are they so ominous. The city is going to change. And it's going to happen soon.