The Jade Shadows Must Die [Cultivation LitRPG]

Just like the previous fade, this one launched itself at him like an arrow. Had he not seen Kiro fight, he doubted he'd have been able to dodge. Even with his forewarning, he barely managed to throw himself to the side. As he did, he swung out with his staff. Though it was an off-balance attack, against a slower target it might have done some damage, but the prowler was so fast he misjudged the angle, landing a glancing blow to the creature's leg as it sailed past. It was enough to send the fade spinning, but it twisted in the air, landing gracefully on its dagger-like legs as though that had been its plan all along. It spun and snarled at him.

He'd survived the attack he'd known was coming. From here, it was all improvisation. His mind was churning with possible approaches. The only ambush predators he had any experience with were the wild cats that lurked the Lantern District streets, feeding on dredgerats and alleyhawks and whatever they could scavenge. Every time he'd seen them hunt, their strength lay in their offence. Quick kills and overwhelming force. The few times he'd seen one put on the defensive, however, the fight suddenly became much more even. He had to take away its advantages and seize the initiative.

Lacking other ideas, and with the creature seemingly preparing to leap again at any moment, Rix followed his instincts and rushed forward. Rather than try for anything flashy, he chose the fastest attack he knew, gripping the staff at its base towards one end and thrusting for the fade's head as though wielding a spear. While it didn't have a stabbing point, people often underestimated how much force could be delivered with such an attack.

But, of course, the attack didn't land.

The creature ducked, then lashed out with one razor-sharp foot, forcing Rix to dance backwards; then it arched its back and reared up, letting loose a guttural hiss. Its weight was now balanced on its four back legs, while its two front limbs were raised like swords at Rix's chest height. Somehow, the posture made it look even more terrifying. Rix sent out another flurry of quick thrusts, but each was met with a dodge or a block.

It's like fighting a heavens-damned dual-wielding Martial Soul.

Still, he found himself grinning. He'd forced the fade to play his game. Now, he needed to take advantage.

He switched to a central grip and reached for his mana, shaping it into the pattern for [Wind Blade]. The moment it took effect, he lashed out, aiming to decapitate his opponent with a single blow. But the fade's speed was up to the task. It threw one of its front two limbs out to block the attack…

…and the [Wind Blade] that hadn't been there last time sheared straight through its thigh, sending the leg clattering to the ground. There was a gout of black blood, and another hiss, and Rix felt a surge of elation. He'd done it. He'd taken first blood.

It almost cost him his life.

The creature's unhurt front limb shot out, aiming to skewer his chest. Time seemed to slow, and he half expected the Quartermaster to leap to his aid and kill the creature as she had before. He didn't even have time to consider using Energy Surge. Instead, it was all he could do to hurl himself sideways. It was an ungainly movement driven by nothing more than adrenaline. Thankfully, it was enough. Rather than impale him outright, the creature instead struck a glancing blow to one arm. Rix's mantle surged to life, turning what was likely a deep wound into a shallow cut. Still, the impact sent him spinning, slamming him hip-first into the ground and driving the wind from his lungs.

His body hurt. His blood roared. His vision blurred. But there was no time for recovery. Something in his street-honed reflexes screamed danger, and he rolled to the side, the creature's leg driving into the sand where his head lay just a moment before. He'd kept [Wind Blade] running, and operating on nothing more than instinct, he lashed out again with the technique to where he expected the fade's legs to be. He was rewarded with another hiss as he felt something give beneath his attack.

He allowed the momentum to carry him into a crouch, then he spun, to find his opponent back down low to the ground. He'd succeeded in shearing off another of its legs, one of the back ones this time. It took an ungainly step towards him, as if testing the extent of its injuries. Though each of the remaining limbs still posed a lethal threat, the creature looked uncertain. Off balance. Rix felt a rush of something in his chest, a deep-set thrill that seemed to thrum through every part of him. He'd been in fights before, had his life threatened by blade or boot countless times in the city streets, but this was something different. Something primal and powerful. In that moment, he felt meant for this, the joy of the fight. Committing everything he had, everything he was, to outlast an opponent.

He was injured, but the fadeborn was worse. He was winning.

Now he had to end it.

As warm blood ran down his arm, he lunged forward, his conjured blade slicing the air. This time, rather than try for a kill shot, he aimed for the remaining legs, swinging out in a sweeping motion. Maybe it was the singular focus Rix felt in that moment. More likely it was the creature's wounds. Whatever the reason, the fade attempted to scuttle backwards, but it was a beat too slow. Rix's blade arced under its body, cleanly severing its two middle legs with a single blow.

With only two limbs remaining, the fade collapsed onto the ground. Rix didn't hesitate. He allowed his strike to carry him out of range of the monster's snapping jaws, then let [Wind Blade] wink out as he switched his grip to hold the staff by one end. [Force Hammer] had been too unwieldy for this battle, but now the creature was crippled.

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It was at his mercy.

Summoning his powerful finisher, he raised the staff above his head. The fade flailed helplessly, attempting to drag itself through the sand to him. Even now, grievously injured, it only seemed to have a single instinct.

Rix brought the staff down on its skull, and the fade's entire torso exploded in a surge of smoking black viscera that splattered throughout the room. He felt something flow into him, like a wave of heat beneath his skin, but his body was too flush with adrenaline to really process the sensation.

He sucked in a shuddering breath.

He'd done it. He'd faced a fadeborn and lived to tell the tale.

"Not bad," said Luna. "I guess when you can't find an armless opponent, you just have to make one yourself."

Rix couldn't help but laugh. The joke broke something in him, and it spilled out of him almost hysterically. He felt much of the tension drain from his body.

The Quartermaster gave a satisfied nod. "You fought smartly. You went on the offensive when you needed to, and you realised the best strategy was disabling it. A well-earned victory."

Rix allowed himself a moment to soak in the praise. He figured it would be hard to come by in Spiritlock. "Does that mean I pass?"

"It does. Congratulations. Your prize is the right to fight more of them, over and over and in greater numbers for the rest of your life."

Right now that felt impossible. As thrilled as he felt, his body was exhausted, his arm ached, and his robes were covered in a mixture of his own blood and that of the fade. The notion of doing that multiple times in a day, let alone in quick succession, was mind boggling. But this was what he wanted. The right to test himself and push beyond his limits. Nothing worthwhile came easily.

"You also may have noticed that you earned your first essence."

Rix blinked and summoned his System display. There was a new line below the section that explained his tier.

[Essence: 10%]

"Essence is condensed mana," the woman explained. "The fadeborn are a lot like us. They consume mana in their own special way, imbuing their bodies with it. When we kill them, it's released and the System allows us to process it and forge it into ourselves to improve our Path. It's how all Martial Souls grow in strength."

"So when I hit one hundred percent, I can rank up from Low Whisper to Mid Whisper?" Rix asked.

She gave a firm nod. "That's right. The higher you climb, the more essence you need, and the more requirements you have to meet, but for now, things for you are simple. Kill fadeborn, get essence."

"Sounds like a plan," said Rix.

"Essence is critical to your Path," she continued. "Weapons and techniques are what Martial Souls wield, but essence is what builds us. It's how you increase your attributes. Every time you forge, you'll need to mentally assign the essence to the attributes you want. Just picture it in your mind, and the System will read your intentions."

He still found that vaguely discomforting. If the System could read his intentions, it was effectively reading his mind.

"And you should start considering how you want to divide your points when the time comes." She raised a finger in warning. "Some new Martial Souls think it's a smart idea to go all in on one thing. Being a one-trick pony is great, until you meet something that counters the only thing you're good at. Then you're a dead pony."

He had some idea how he wanted his Path to go, but he'd wait to actually experience the Fractured Realm before making any firm decisions.

The older woman looked to Luna. "Lucky last. Ready?"

Luna hefted her katana — her real katana, which she'd summoned at some point. "Born ready."

As she traded places with Rix, he couldn't resist throwing up his best impression of Kiro's sneer. "Seems like thirty percent of us have already passed. That's unfortunate for you."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," she replied with a grin. "It's no fun if the odds are in my favour."

As she strode into place, Rix couldn't help but think she looked the most relaxed of the three of them. There wasn't much in her body or carriage that suggested she was a warrior, but there was an easy comfort in the way she held her weapon that said she was confident in its use.

There was another pulse of mana, another agonising pause, and then a third fadeborn emerged from the hatch. With the initial shock having dissipated, and his own adrenaline fading, Rix was able to watch this fight with more detachment than before. Unlike the other fades, this one didn't launch immediately for Luna, instead pacing slowly from left to right as if exploring alternate angles of attack. Eventually though, it flew forward like its brethren. Luna seemed even more prepared than Rix had been. Rather than throw herself to the side, she dropped into a crouch and raised her blade straight upward. The fade sailed over her, but it didn't land gracefully on its legs and spin to re-engage like Rix's had. Instead, it struck the ground on its stomach a few feet from the wall of the cage. It gave a single twitch, then was still. It took Rix a moment to work out what had happened. It wasn't until he glanced at Luna and saw her covered in the creature's tar-like blood that it clicked.

She'd let the creature gut itself on her blade, killing it without even striking a blow or using a hint of mana.

It was as clever as it was impressive. Rix studied the girl with renewed interest. The fact that she was here doing the trial meant she was a mortal before arriving, yet she was clearly someone with poise and training. How had someone like that wound up without a System Seed of her own?

The Quartermaster's applause broke Rix from his reverie. "Excellent. Excellent! That is how you learn from observation. You took everything you'd seen and came up with the easiest path to victory. That sort of thinking is what separates the Martial Souls who sputter out from those in the Chronicles. The faster you dispatch your enemies in the Fractured Realm, the faster you can find new ones."

Luna grinned. "Kind of disappointing, honestly. Was hoping it would put up more of a fight."

"You'll get plenty of fights where you're going," the Quartermaster replied. "Congratulations both of you. Tomorrow you'll be able to report to the Divemaster for your first shift."

It was a little disappointing that she didn't have much to do with the divers. Rix felt like the woman could be a potential ally, but there was little he could do.

At that moment, Rix heard a distant bell ring out. He looked quizzically at the Quartermaster. She lost some of her exuberance.

"That's the sign for the most glorious waste of time in this place. Like I said, it's heartstone day, and you have five minutes to be back in your cells."

Rix drew a deep breath. Apparently, the day's trials weren't done.