The skies were darkly gray... it was about to rain heavily.
The faintest lightsource passes through the window of Xiahou Dun's 1 person bedroom.
He opened his right, and now yellowish eye, for his left eye is long gone covered by an eyepatch -- stabbed by a deranged bully years ago.
Xiahou Dun used an ounce of his strength to lift himself away from his bed. Each second, feels like he's constantly losing energy to move. When he finally stood, he was about to fall. He felt the gravity pushing him down.
It's always been like this ever since he was diagnosed with stage III cancer. Fatigue is constant, each waking time was a battle, each second was one step closer to death.
The cold air reached to his small apartment.
It was 14th of December at 2020 N.E.(New Era) In 6:00AM.
And he's hungry.
His stomach growls, he don't want to hear that sound. "Here we go again". He don't want to be hungry, anymore.
He took few steps, each step was forceful, when his body is dying without any medicine. When sleep no longer comforts him.
Until he could reach the doorknob, twist it open and swung the door.
He headed to the kitchen. It was dark, darker than his bedroom. He haven't paid the electricity bills, ever since his parents died killed by an anomalous entity. Still, he had no job, rejected by many. And the worst came in -- he had a stage III bile duct cancer. He never wanted to die actually. In his past, years ago, he want to become a cultivator but the thought on dying in the battlefield is too much, making him decide to keep living as a mortal anyways. And only for him to die by cancer in the most pathetic manner -- to die alone by himself. Cultivators never had this kind of issue, they don't get sick in the way the mortals do, they don't get cancer, nor diabetes, nor ckd(chronic kidney disease).
He opened the refrigerator, it wasn't turned on. He grabbed a peanut butter, almost empty. He closed the fridge. The peanut butter will be his only breakfast this time, and the last.
He twist opens the peanut butter jar, the very last of its contents, barely fits his index finger. And he ate it anyways -- a pathetic last resort to satiate his hunger. Still not enough, but its better than nothing. Why ate it when he's about to die anyways?
Just lie down and no one cares about you.
You are alone.
And die alone!
Those words don't usually came in to the minds of the many, but it will when their inner demons within them further develops into a heart demon -- an advanced version of inner demon, may manifest as either a chronic self destructive or murderous intrusive thoughts, that mostly interrupts your thinking. Having a heart demon as a non cultivator is dangerous, as the moment a person with heart demon within them ever dies their heart demon will took over their body -- turning their body into something monstrous, abominable, full of hate and murderous intent.
His grip loosens on the jar, until he drops it. He walked away. He's too tired to pick the plastic jar. Too tired to care about it.
Regret came into his mind. Only if he became a cultivator in that time, he'll surely be able to save his parents and kill that anomalous entity.
He stops midwalk.
A scream came from him. A forceful scream. It dropped him to his knees. His scream made the fatigue stronger. The moment where he remembered deciding not to become a cultivator is too much for him -- a regret that mocks his pitiful existence.
But this time.
He won't ever lose!
As he slowly rose up, he bolted towards the door.
He's heading to the same sect he wanted to join -- azure flame sect, a sect known for making your fire-based attack more powerful to the point it makes your fire glows blue.
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He ran alone on the cold foggy road. Lacking a bonnet to cover his head against the cold, not wearing any jacket. The cold air made him shivered.
Just his pure rage of regret that accompanies him. He hated himself for that decision he did in his past. He want to redeem himself now.
He want to become a cultivator. His thoughts screamed in his mind: "I'd rather die in the battle, rather than to succumb to my illnesses!"
A tiny droplet of water falls down from sky. At first, it was a few of them, and within the following, the rain starts.
Dun's breathing increased. His heart pumps faster than it could.
He slipped and fall, gets up as fast as he could. His very first enemy in the endless journey of cultivation, was himself -- his dying flesh, his rotting vessel that holds him back. The feeling of rage and regret compelled him to move forward.
His vision gets darker and darker. The noise within him becomes quieter.
His body becomes more numb each second.
He doesn't know whether he's still running anymore, or just hallucinating of himself running.
The last thing he saw was a torch burning in blue fire at the gate. Everything went pitchblack after.
Then he felt nothing. Everything went silent.
____________________________________________________________________
At few hours, Dun opened his eyes.
He saw an unfamiliar ceiling. He's in the infirmary. An old man in a robe stepped in. He had a pair of loong horns, each had the same jade color.
The old man stepped further, locking his eyes unto him. He spoke in a worried tone, as if seeing his student did a reckless lifethreatening mistake: "Young man! My students found your unconscious body near at the gate! What really happened to you?"
Dun interrupted, his voice is urgent: "I had stage 3 cancer, sir. All of this won't happen to me if I decided to become a cultivator years ago! But now, I want to know if I can use martial essence or not. I want to become a cultivator this time for real"
The old man rosed his eyebrow. "Sure thing young man, if that was your purpose of your sudden visit to our azure flame sect. Checking of martial essence aptitude is free, but joining the sect requires a fee"
"Just go check it sir."- said Dun.
The old man, without any further word, move his right hand until it touches Dun's forehead. Within a few seconds, the old man said with a subtle glee: "It's a good news, you indeed have one." And then, followed by sudden laughter of Dun. A laughter too sudden, not a genuine laughter. The old man slightly backed off. Xiahou Dun knew about this -- once he learn how to control or use his martial essence, all of his ailments within him will be gone forever. Martial essence -- a kind of energy found within humans, animals, insects, plants, monstrous beasts, anomalous entities. The humans were able to fully utilizes it -- making them able to use telekinetic abilities, gain superhuman feats, able to fly by levitation.
The old man asks him: "And now you had martial essence, would you wish to join this sect young man?"
"I'll cultivate by myself."- Answered Dun, knowing the fact he had no money.
The old man's eyes narrowed. He knew about the dangers of not cultivating properly. Lethal accidents are common. First timer cultivators needs to follow a set of procedures carefully -- one wrong move and you either die, lose all of your martial essence, or become crippled for life.
"T-That's madness! Cultivating without any proper procedures is dangerous. It will also get you killed!"
Dun answer with a smirk: "It's better to die in that way, rather than dying from cancer"
Dun used an ounce of his strength, the old man stopped him from doing so -- he gently pushed Dun back to his bed. "You need to take a rest young man."
"But sir, I don't have money"- answered Dun, barely holding his temper.
"Please!"- said the old man, insisted.
Dun had no choice but to comply. He took this moment to meditate by closing his eyes, meditating to see if increases his martial essence.
The old man has left the room.
Within minutes. Nothing noticeable happened.
Another minutes has past.
Still, nothing happened. He though the old man might lying to him. But since the old man wasn't here, he can finally get up from that bed without someone stopping him.
Just gave up.
You'll never make any differences.
His heart demons were active again.
He won't let them stop him.
Ever.
_____________________________________________________________________
Xiahou Dun was now in the other room by himself alone full of cultivation instruction manuals placed in bookshelves -- each explains the cultivation procedures, warnings on cultivating improperly, the 9 realms where Novice being the first and Dominant being the 9th and last level. Xiahou Dun is now a Novice realmer -- a first stage of a cultivator where they learn how to use their martial essence at first.
He want to steal all of the manuals by himself but he didn't, knowing he will be caught. But he can take this moment to read some of the manuals.
He pick one of the manuals.
The manual he read, teaches the fastest way to increase one's martial essence. One of the methods is to consume a pill called "initiation core pill" -- a small oval shaped biscuit. They were made from either animal meat, insects, humans or fruits, as long as it has a high contents of martial essence in it. It also teaches how to make one. As long as the sect have one, this option will be the easiest.
Another method was called the "warpower method", surviving an attack from a specific weapon that should kill you -- however, you can only use the same specific weapon that should kill you. The method only gives you a slight increase on your martial essence.
Dun closed the manual, done reading it.
He began searching for storage rooms for initiation core pills, while making sure not to get caught by passing students in azure silk robes.
Until he saw a room full of exact pills he was looking for. "Finally. This is the moment." The pills are placed on the tables, neatly arranged as if were reserved for someone else. He picked one, no time for delay, he took a bite, it was tasteless. He finishes the initiation core pill.
And then.
He felt something else. It was like a strong vibration within him, happened in a split second, as if he was struck by a mallet. It wasn't painful, but surely overwhelming -- as it suddenly increases his martial essence within him. And finally, his constant fatigue was all gone! "It worked!"
His struggles where not in vain after all. But then, a pain of regret came to him. He should have done this decision a long ago -- if he did, his parents will be still alive.
"Mom, dad, I'm sorry."
He clenched his fist.
He wanted to scream in this moment. A scream of victory, a scream of regret, pain, sorrow, madness.
He punched himself for being a coward in that time. He punched his face again, again and again.
"I'm such a fool! I'm a coward! Damn it!"
He stops.
It doesn't matter anymore. It's futile to dwell to the past -- for working forward is a must.
He chuckled, a faint chuckle. A painful chuckle, with a self hatred. He laughed at himself. He whispered to himself: "Xiahou Dun, a broke loner, his parents are dead. He's a stupid fool who finally decides to become a cultivator after its too late"
In a sudden, a massive sound of explosion erupted to the air. The world turned white in Xiahou Dun's eye.
_____________________________________________________________________
The azure flames sect is now in ruins.
The sect members lay down under the debris, most lay down in their own pool of blood, others moaned in pain.
A cultivator with a two pairs of missile launchers behind at him, connected by mechanical limbs that looks like been attached to his back like subtle cybernetics, stood motionless midair. He had long white uncombed messy hair reaching to his ankles. His bangs covers most of his face and his neck, reaching down to his foot. Only his right eye exposed.
The mechanical limbs turn and move, drawing the missile launchers near closer to his shoulders.
The man hovered down swiftly heading to the old man who is lying on the ground, using a weak ounce of his strength to push his body upward but he failed. One of the cultivator's missile launchers, shifted gear by gear and transformed into a mechanical sword. The mechanical limbs connecting to the cultivator's back and the newly transformed mechanical sword swung down, the sharp tip of the sword split the old man's head.
Dun opened his eyes. He was now lying down on the ground. His ears ringing. His mind were messy. All he saw was debris scattered around the field, initiation core pills on the ground scattered, flames burning the debris and wooden parts.
The cultivator walked deliberately to Dun's vicinity. His eyes scanned to the initiation core pills scattered around. He saw Dun lying down, he's too busy to give his attention to Dun, thinking he would succumb to hus injuries anyways.
"Tch, they still doing it"- said he, annoyed. He continued: "letting the mortals have a chance to become cultivators"
He grabbed all of the initation core pills by himself, storing all of them in his pocket dimension storage.
Dun groaned faintly. He used his hands to crawl. His strength was not enough, making him stuck in his place. His eye lids became heavy.
The cultivator's mechanical sword transformed back into a missile launcher, then the 4 missile launchers transformed into jet thrusters -- all of them looks like a scabbard for a broadsword.
The flames from the thrusters bursts forth as the cultivator left away -- leaving the ruins in flames.
The other cultivators, most succumb to their injuries. One of them uttered a final scream. And after that, only a sound of crackling fires fills the soundlessness of the silence.