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

Luna sat on the edge of the cliff; her eyes closed as she pulled in the ambient Qi. Her dantian swirled as it sucked up the air attuned Qi, converting it to energy and filling her reserves. Some of it was pushed to grow her foundation in hopes to bring her to the next stage. Those in her village were mostly mortal, but the few like her were beyond the Qi refinement stage. Ren was nearly out of the foundation stage, but she was right behind him.

Before she could savor the open air too much, her ears twitched as someone approached. She could hear the shifting of their sword on their hip and the steady slide of metal as the sword was pulled partially out of its scabbard. The only thing missing was the man's spear tapping the ground as he walked.

"Why have you come here?" she asked, her eyes opening.

"I heard I'm replacing you after you brought back a paltry sum of food," Ren stated.

Suppressing her anger, she looked towards the cloudless sky and the crossing sun. It would be setting in a few hours, bringing with it the heat of the night that tore apart the world.

"You've angered the elder," Ren said.

"That's nothing new," she said with a snort. "I anger him by simply being alive."

"I know." The sound of his sword being fully removed from its scabbard made her heart stop.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her nerves betraying her.

She was still sitting as Ren walked closer, his bare feet shifting the dirt and stone of the cliff. Glancing over the edge of the cliff, she judged the fall to be too far. But if she was lucky, she could ride the branches of the trees below to the ground.

"This isn't personal," Ren said. "But your dreams of adventure and your unwillingness to fall into your role has endangered our survival."

Frowning, she asked, "Is that what you believe? Has the village truly corrupted you that much?"

"It's not corruption. The truth has always been hard for you to swallow." Stepping closer, she listened to the fabric of his clothes shift as he raised his arm.

"I see…" Closing her eyes, she threw herself forward as the sword descended. Air rushed past her as the forest grew ever closer. For a brief moment, she could hear Ren yelling from above.

Opening her arms and legs, she pushed Qi into her surroundings, slowing her descent as much as she could. Her dantian ached as she exerted more than it could handle. But she was rewarded as she was guided towards the trees before touching down.

Leaves and branches broke around her, slamming into her stomach and chest as she bounced around. Lashing out, she dug her claws into the wood to slow herself further only to connect with the ground a second later.

Pain shot through her body as the wind was knocked from her lungs. Clutching her chest, she gasped for a breath as she looked up and watched leaves rain down around her. Branches littered the ground from her fall.

I have to move! Get up, Luna!

Struggling to her feet, she tried to breathe when she heard the horn from the village. The hunt was on, and she had no choice but to flee. Dropping onto all fours, she transformed into her wolf form and shook out her fur. She was one of the blessed. The rare breed of Fenrir that could shapeshift.

With her breathing returned to her, she sprinted away. The world blurred around her as she used Qi to power her muscles. Even Ren wouldn't be able to catch her in this form. No one could match her unless they had their solid core. Something that none in her village had.

James didn't know whether he should step back or fight. The bats were starting to twitch as the rebar in his hand shifted in his grip. A few flakes of rust drifted to the ground, making the decision for him.

Opening their wings, they snapped their black eyeless heads towards him and opened their mouths. Black saliva dripped to the ground where it sizzled, and they shrieked.

Throwing out his hand, he latched onto six of them, draining their white flames. They were smaller than the hounds and drained faster as he turned and sprinted away.

Flapping wings followed him as the hall struggled to light his passage. Darkness claimed him as he felt the first claws tear into his back. Screaming in pain, he felt fresh blood spread down his body. Spinning, he lashed out with his rebar, crunching a bat and throwing it into the wall. He had a moment to watch its white flame snuff out as the others reached him.

Swinging wildly, he did his best to keep them at a distance and when the ones he was siphoning died, he latched onto more. By then, his arms were shredded messes of muscle and tissue, and his chest was being carved into. Bites littered his shoulders and legs as he kicked and floundered.

What felt like minutes of agony were only seconds as he fought back. Blood spurted from a severed artery in his shoulder as he felt his strength leave him. With one last burst of soul energy, he felt the last of the bats flow into him and he collapsed. His world turned dark as his breathing slowed. The blood flowing from his body lessened and he was taken away.

Luna continued to sprint for all she was worth. The forest blurred past as the sun began to set. Ren and the others wouldn't be able to hunt her for long as she passed the river that flowed to the south. Racing along its shore, she searched for anywhere she could rest for the night. The only things she was coming across were rotted buildings and boulders that wouldn't protect her.

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Dammit! What do I do now?

A warm breeze was already starting with the dimming light. Her people had special mobile buildings they used for the nights. Without them, she was vulnerable to death, just like anyone else caught out at night.

Eyes scanning the world, she started to panic when she finally settled onto a collapsed stone building. Rubble was strewn around, but she could make out a small hole that she could crawl into.

Scrambling, her claws dug into the earth as she pulled a few stones out of the way and climbed in. The space was barely big enough for her and she would have to back out when the night ended, but she was safe. The warm wind wasn't touching her as she calmed her breathing. Focusing on her dantian, she started pulling on the air around her. She needed to replenish her reserves even if she couldn't grow her dantian.

James jolted awake and gasped for air. The soft pulse of red light over him was met with the acrid scent of death all around. Coppery blood clung to his tongue and his skin was sticky as the messages started coming in.

Reserves have been depleted. Body restored to functional state. Regeneration taking over.

Souls absorbed: Soul Strength: 0.83

Regeneration: Level 7/10

New skill: Corrosion Resistance: Level 2/10

New skill: Piercing Resistance: Level 1/10

How am I alive? I felt my heart stall at the end…

Rereading the messages, he found the first to be disturbing. He also felt like his stomach was trying to eat him alive.

Sustenance needed. Suitable food source all around. Suitable water alternative all around.

The sudden message made him sit up. Out of the two dozen bats, most of their corpses were in a pile all around him. A few of them were further down the hall, their heads smashed open.

Grabbing the nearest bat, he grimaced and tore into its chest with his teeth. Ripping a hairy chunk of flesh off the beast, he swallowed as quickly as he could. Blood slowly leaked from the wound, and he started drinking.

I'm going to be sick…why does it have to be hairy?

Going in for a second bite and drink, he paused as his stomach processed the food. Touching his chest, he found that his shirt was nothing more than scraps. His pants had been corroded, revealing far more of his body than he was comfortable with.

His stomach growled at him again and he dove back into the bat. Chunk after chunk, he ate until he felt full.

Body resources full. Time until reserves are full: Three hours and fifty-nine minutes.

He had another four hours to wait before he could safely die again. With a small chuckle, he got to his feet and found his rebar to be melted down to stubs. Leaving it behind, he walked back to the square room that he had fled.

His boots were falling apart when he arrived. With a calming breath, he watched the room light up with a pulsing red glow. The floor was melted in spots, but he was happy to find sealed metal containers made from the same stuff the door to the facility was.

Walking over, he flipped their latches and opened one. Resting inside were emergency supplies used by the ancients. Packs of food, a few knives, bedding, water bottles, and what looked like a tent. It wasn't much, but he could survive off it for a few days at least.

Pulling out one of the knives, he tested its edge and found it to be plenty sharp. Strapping it to his thigh, he started searching more of the crates. Nearly all of them were empty or had been corroded and destroyed by the bats. With a grimace, he turned back towards the tunnel he had come from. A few of the crates had gas burners and he knew he could crudely make leather if he harvested the bats. It wouldn't protect him from the hounds or other bats, but it would cover him from the elements.

Settling his thoughts, he returned to the bats. He brought one of the sealed chests with him to help make the brine. He had plenty of water bottles to mix with the brains. Starting with those, he bashed open the bats' heads and pulled out their brains and added them to the chest. Pouring in water, he blanched as he used his hands to smoosh and mix it all together.

With that resting, he started skinning the bats. It was long, grueling work and the only thing keeping him company was the pulsing light overhead. When he judged he had enough hides to make crude clothing, he started scraping the flesh from their underside.

Hours passed as he added finished hides to the brine and let them soak. Once he had them done, he laid down and closed his eyes. A message was waiting for him.

New skill: Crude Tanning: Level 1/10

With a small chuckle, he felt new knowledge fill him. Glancing at the chest, he understood that he could have added different reagents to help the process that he didn't have access to. With nothing to do for it, he closed his eyes again and fell asleep.

What felt like seconds, his exhaustion passed as he woke. The brine was starting to stink, and he grabbed the first of the hides and started the burner. The open flame heated the space around him, and he started baking the hide. It truly was the crudest way he could make leather.

He could feel hours passing by the time he got through every piece. Using his knife, he cut two of the leather pieces into strips and started punching holes through the remaining pieces. Stitching them together, he created a shirt and leggings. His boots were the most haphazard pieces as he slipped everything on. It had taken most of the morning, or night, he wasn't sure, to finish the gear.

New skill: Crude Leatherwork: Level 1/10

New skill: Crude Armor Crafting: Level 1/10

He ignored the information given to him as it was so miniscule that it didn't help. Putting his knife away, he found his stomach still felt full as he agreed that exploring the tunnels without further preparation was stupid. On the surface, he could hunt lone hounds and get more Soul Strength for the kills. They also didn't melt him.

Retrieving one last chest of supplies, he stuffed it with as much food and water as he could and carried it back to the building he entered from. Hounds were spread around the building, eating their brethren as the sun shone in the morning.

Setting down his chest, he caused all of the hounds to turn to him as they started to growl. With a sigh, he raised his hand and latched onto six of them. The other four started tearing at each other and the six that he was siphoning. The siphoned monsters tore at the building, failing to reach him.

Pulling out the sleeping equipment, he set it up while the souls entered his body. Leaving the food and water in the chest, he felt the first soul wink out before another. Getting up, he latched onto another two before watching them all start to fall. When the last spark of soul entered him, he felt his ember grow in size and flames lifted off it, filling his body with warmth.

Souls absorbed. Soul Strength: 1.07

It appears that the big gains are gone.

The shifting in his body continued as another message appeared.

Soul Strength has reached a new threshold. Full integration of soul established. New Soul Skill: Soul Strike.

Blinking in surprise, he felt his soul settle as the ember turned into a small ball of fire that sent flickering sparks into his body. He was now fully in the beginning of what cultivators would be reaching after a year of study. With a laugh, he realized he reached it in a little more than a day.

Knowledge of the skill settled into his soul, and he found that he could now strike the very soul of his target with a burst of power that would absorb a large chunk of energy while hurting them. It wasn't very strong yet, but as his soul grew, it would hit harder and possibly kill targets instantly.

With a smile, he finished settling his supplies before walking to the door. With a simple press of the button, he watched it swing open as he prepared to explore more of the city. He was on the hunt to build his soul. He would need to kill nearly a hundred more hounds to reach the next level of his soul.