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

He didn't have to go far before running into his next Forsaken. The hound was walking around on all fours, sniffing the ground as it crossed the street. With his next step, its ear twitched and it snapped its attention to him.

Growling, the beast stood up on its back legs and rushed down the street. James latched onto its soul and started siphoning before raising his rebar. The hound screeched in pain as its soul was pulled from its body in a stream of white flames.

Smirking, James stepped to the side as the beast reached him. Claws tried to swipe him, and he used his rebar to guide the attack away, knocking the monster off balance. Backing up, he kept his distance as the soul flowed into his body. Dodging each attack, he listened to the monster roar in pain before it simply collapsed, its soul was now his.

Soul absorbed: Soul Strength: 0.25

The ember grew slightly, sending more sparks into his body. Strength suffused his muscles as he rolled his shoulders, adjusting to the new power. It wasn't much and he was barely stronger than a mortal, but he was stronger. If he kept on his current path, he'd be able to kill the hounds instead of only dodging them, ending the fights even quicker.

Leaving the body where it lay, he started down the road again. Scanning the streets and buildings as he passed by, he listened to the claws scratching stone. After hours of being in the city, he was growing sensitive to the sound. He could tell that the hounds were in a few buildings down different streets, but after three blocks, he didn't find any on his direct path.

Relaxing slightly, he continued to search the buildings and streets. The ease of his pace was astonishing as he found another hole in the street, showing him a glimpse of the tunnels beneath the city. Excitement filled him as he panned his gaze over the buildings around him. He had wandered out of the major buildings and into an area that had a large park to his left with what looked like a maintenance building near its edge. Understanding what that might mean struck him.

Can it be that simple?

Gripping his rebar tightly in his hand, he started walking towards the structure. His steps were light as he approached the park. The dead trees swayed in the breeze; their bark burnt from the nightly wind. It was just after noon when he checked the sky. His brows were furrowed as he scanned the park. Metal playground equipment was beyond rusted in the very center. Swings were hanging by one chain, twirling in the light breeze as they creaked and groaned. Benches had collapsed around the outside of the small playground, reminding him that parents used to sit and watch their kids play.

This city used to be filled with thousands if not tens of thousands of people. All of it was abandoned when the war started. If only we were strong enough at the time to prevent this loss.

Shaking his head, he arrived at the maintenance building and found its metal door was rust free and sealed tight. A small hand scanner was next to it and to his surprise, a small light was blinking every few seconds near its base.

Does it still have power? How is that possible?

Rubbing his chin, he reached out and pressed his hand to the panel. Just like the ones in the mortal cities, a small light passed over the surface of the panel, scanning his hand. With a click and hiss of release, the door swung open.

The sound of the door opening was loud enough that all of the hounds around the area stopped moving. Wincing, he judged the door to be nearly a foot thick, leading to a large open room with stairs that descended into the city.

When the tapping of claws became rapid and hurried towards him, he quickly stepped into the building. A button was on the wall near the door, and he quickly pressed it, shutting the door. To his dismay, slitted windows surrounded the building, letting in the light and brightening the space.

Can they fit through?

Swallowing hard, he heard howls as the monsters broke into the clearing of the park. One of the hounds slammed against the metal door, scratching and tearing as it tried to reach him.

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Lifting his rebar, he backed away from the door and scanned the windows. They were low enough that he could see out of them and his eyes widened as more than a dozen hounds were swarming the building. Their snarls dripped with saliva as they started attacking one another. The scent of blood filled the air as several of them reached through the window to slash at him. He quickly learned they couldn't reach him.

When the first white flame winked out, his eyes widened.

Why am I just standing here?

Screaming at himself for his stupidity, he held out his hand and latched onto all of the hounds that he could see. Six streams of souls flowed into him. They bent around the edges of the building as the creatures moved, flowing through the window. Those six charged the building, working together to reach him. Stone was torn into, but it quickly became apparent that the building was far tougher than those around.

The other hounds continued to tear each other apart, and he quickly moved closer to the windows and tried to latch onto more. When he felt a sharp pain in his soul, he stopped.

I can only latch onto six at a time…

The restriction saddened him as he watched more white flames snuff out. The six he was siphoning waned as one of their flames was suddenly cut off as blood spurted into the air. The sudden burst of soul struck him hard, making his ember flare and sparks flooded his body.

So, that's what happens when they are killed while I siphon. I get a burst if I don't drain them myself.

Reaching out, he latched onto another, keeping his number at six. Those he was connected to turned as a group and started cutting down the other hounds. Slowly, they too started to collapse, allowing him to connect with more. After five minutes, the park was still and covered in bodies.

Souls absorbed. Soul Strength: 0.7

He had absorbed nine souls from the fight and his ember was shifting in his body. It was growing from the size of his pinky nail into the size of a marble. Flames began flickering off its surface as sparks drifted through his body.

Flexing his arm, he could feel his muscles were harder, stronger, and had more endurance. His skin was tougher and more durable, reminding him of his time in Aether refinement. He was still in the early stages by comparison, but he knew he could put up a fight with many of the young boys that were just starting out.

Leaving the bodies outside, he turned to the stairs. The building seemed to be an excellent shelter for his purposes in the city. Hopefully the tunnels were just as tough as he felt something click in his body.

Reserves full.

He had forgotten that the food he ate was filling his soul. His stomach felt partially empty, but not enough that he needed to eat right away. Even his thirst was held at bay as he walked to the stairs. Darkness greeted him as he peered into the depths of the city.

How am I supposed to explore this place?

Resting his hand on the side of the wall, he started descending. When he was no more than a few steps in, the stairwell filled with a soft glow from lights in the ceiling. They were only bright enough that he could faintly make out the shapes of the steps as his eyes strained to see.

This place has power. How?

The answer evaded him as he reached the bottom. The hall he was in was lined with pipes on the sides and ceiling. Lights flickered to life, pulsing in a warning red. Those further down the hall were still out, hiding how far the tunnel extended.

Glancing over his shoulder, he found the stairwell dark once again. With his rebar in hand, he started walking. The lights shifted above him, keeping his small space lit as he explored the depths of the city. After a hundred feet, the hall branched to the north and south, presenting him with a decision.

Do I continue to the north, or head back south?

He didn't know if either was good or bad. What he did know was that he never knew a place like this existed. The few times he had been in an ancient city was to train with the new recruits on how to fight the Forsaken in case they ever needed to defend their city.

The mortals below the sect supplied materials and food to the sect. In exchange, the sect protected them from the wilds and attacks. It was a fair trade and one that had worked for hundreds of years. That wasn't his problem anymore.

Glancing down each hall, he decided to head south. He knew the street was above him and he could hear Forsaken scratch at the asphalt as he controlled his breathing and his steps.

Within minutes, he came to the first hole to the surface that let sunlight into the thin hall. A chunk of asphalt and reinforced stone was crumbled on the ground that he had to step over carefully to not alert those above him.

The pulsing red lights kept him company as he continued. He stopped judging the distance in the dark and only counted the minutes until he reached the hole he had created. With a frown, he peered into the darkness, he didn't know how far the tunnel extended, but he was beginning to hear scratching in the distance. It was hard to tell if it was above him or in front of him.

Shifting his bent rebar, he continued. Sweat was beading on his brow as his nerves felt like they were on a razor. Every step seemed to echo as the pulsing light was distorting his sense of space.

Minutes passed before the hall suddenly opened up into a large room and he froze. The room pulsed red, revealing two dozen Forsaken hanging from the ceiling. What looked like bats fluttered their wings in their sleep.

Oh shit…