As we walk along the dirt road that seems to be rarely traveled, I try kicking some rocks into the air. I’m trying to do what I was able to do back on Earth, getting things airborne with just my feet. Believe it or not, this is actually a form of training. Instead of strength training, this is training my control. I used to be able to get a small pebble on top of my head with just my feet, although that was only on a rare few occasions that I could manage that. Rucia doesn’t ask why I’m so focused on the pebbles instead of the scenery; I’ll have to thank her for that. I’d prefer for her not to interrupt my concen- “Hey Ardven?” Ah…

“Ardven?” Rucia moves in front of me and asks.

“Yes, yes, what is it?” I reply.

“I know I might sound nosy, but where did you learn the cultivation method you gave me?”

An unexpected question. But I got this. “A good friend of mine was accepted into a cultivation sect at an early age. When we got older, he repaid a debt he had with me by giving me some cultivation methods. Funny thing was, it was assumed I had no talent for cultivation. Surprising how things turned out. I finally start cultivating and I have great speed compared to the average Outer Disciple there. Hahaha.”

Of course, that is obviously false. The last part is somewhat true. One of the sects that had been wiped out in the past few years did indeed match the description that I made of the sect. So, I have some truth to the lie, though just enough to make it believable.

“Really? It doesn’t seem like something a friend would give you so easily. And they missed such talent as yours? Hardly believable.” Rucia says accusatively. “Furthermore, you have cooking skills that are worthy of the heavens themselves. I refuse to believe that your story is a simple as it seems.”

What is she, a detective? “No, no, no. It’s not what you think it is. I truly just had a friend with good talent that owed me a debt. I know it sounded like he did a lot, but he felt guilty because I got really injured when saving him, so he gave me lots of good things. And I already told you about my cooking, I’m self-taught.”

“That’s impossible. There’s no way such amazing cooking techniques can be perfected in… How old are you?”

“Huh? I’m 19, why?”

“Really? You look younger than that.”

I DO?! What? That’s not right! I made sure that I look 19, I’m sure of it. It feels weird to pretend to be younger, so why would I do that? Don’t tell me I fucked up!

“I mean, I don’t know what everyone else looks like, I only met my grandmother, so I can’t tell. It just doesn’t seem like your 19.”

“Oh...”

Thank god! Even though I know that no one would be able to know, I would feel guilty for pretending to be younger than I really am. Although I’m not actually 19, I died then, so I feel the same age, considering I don’t have a body. Speaking of which, “how old are you Rucia?”

“Me? I’m 19, same as you.”

“WHAT?!”

WHAT?! NO WAY!!

“Hm? Is that weird?”

“You said I don’t look my age, but you certainly don’t. I mean, you look so much younger than any 19 year old I’ve seen. Well, except for cultivators, but those guys are exceptions.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah, now if you’ll excuse me, I have some training to do.”

“Training?”

“Concentration and control training. Watch if you’re confused.”

I find a nearby pebble and point it out for Rucia. I the kick it in a way that will, hopefully, land on my head. While doing that, I move my qi in a way that will make the pebble turn my way in just a little bit. My qi moved the pebble’s trajectory by at most a few degrees. The pebble flies according to my will and somehow lands on my head. Huh.

“Huh.” I think aloud.

“Wow!” Rucia exclaims. I can feel the admiration from over here. “How did you do that? Please tell me!”

This is tough. “Um… Well, it takes a lot of practice, so it’s really hard. For now try getting a pebble high into the air. Kinda like this...”

I kick a pebble so that it curves into a splendid arc and lands on the cobblestone wall on the side of the road. Ah. I’ve seen that before. It literally has the exact same stack of stones I put up when I was bored two nights ago. We just camped here! How did we make a circle?! I turn to look at Rucia. I see her staring at the rock stack with a confused expression, just like I am. System, I require an answer to this phenomenon.

{After you and Rucia started traveling again yesterday, you mistakenly chose the way back because you two forgot the natural landmarks that differentiated between the two directions. In a layman’s terms, you both have a bad sense of direction.}

… Why am I not surprised? Of course. Bad sense of direction is an understatement. At least, for me, I’m not too sure about Rucia. Just when the sun was getting low too. Damn, I guess we’ll have to sleep here again. I let out a sigh and knock down the stack of rocks. Rucia asks what I’m doing, but I just ignore her for now. I then take the rocks and move them to the side of the dirt road. I arrange them in the shape of an arrow, pointing towards the direction we came from. Our true destination.

“C’mon, let’s get to the cave we were at last time. I’m getting tired and we should wake up early to make up for lost time.” I say to the dumbfounded Rucia.

“Ah! Right!” Rucia says quickly and runs to me.

“Not that we’ll ever make up for this lost time...”

“What was that?”

“Nothing, let’s go. I wanna sleep.”

As we reach the cave, we do the usual procedures. Making the place safe, setting up our sleeping bags (Made by yours truly) and lighting the only lantern, and other such things. Rucia goes to sleep first, saying things about how ‘a woman needs her beauty sleep.’ Aren’t you also not supposed to ask a woman her age? I think you should learn that kind of thing- actually no. Screw not being rude. I’m not saying I prefer male dominant culture, but I certainly don’t support female dominated culture, so I won’t adhere to that one.

Argh. Whatever, just drop that stuff me. I should finish up the little details. I grabs some small sticks and throw them into the fire we lit. We have a lantern as well, but that doesn’t give us heat. Good thing we turned that off when we lit the fire. I sigh and sit down on my sleeping bag. Instead of sleeping, I decide to cultivate. I’ve been neglecting that part of my life recently. I settle down into the lotus position and move my qi according to my Nameless Cultivation Method.

{About 5 hours later…}- System.

I decide that I’m done cultivating for now and finish the last circulation before opening my eyes. The scene before me is rather impressive, something right out of an anime or manga. Three people in black clothing are digging through the backpack that Rucia had brought. The other one that I had borrowed from her remained untouched. I feel offended, going through hers but not mine? Fools. I’ll make you pay.

What? Beat them up from stealing from up? Of course, why wouldn’t I? I just need to make sure they know very well that discrimination is wrong. I quietly stand up and walk behind the nearest discriminator. I hook my arm around their and throw him to the ground. They let out a grunt of surprise as I knock the wind out of him. The other two turn around, but are unable to react as I stomp him in the throat. There. He isn’t dead, but he is certainly unable to breathe for a while. One of the two who backed up charges at me. Admirable courage, but its a foolish mistake. I sidestep while turning my body, sending a kick at his feet, tripping him. However, he uses his momentum to flip and land on his feet. Damn, he’s good. But not better than me, I think.

The last discriminator comes at me as well, except he pulls a dagger out of a hidden pocket. He slashes at me, using it like a sword. I easily dodge it but bending backward. I continue to bend backwards, using the speed I have to do a back flip and kick him in the chin. He falls backwards and his last comrade takes out his weapon...s. The last discriminator is carrying some rather cool kunai knives. Alright, now I’m serious. I. Want. Those. Knives. So its a little childish, but I always liked the look of those things. I even practiced throwing them a little when I was in high school.

This time, I take the initiative to charge. He throws some of his knives, but I just tilt my body to the right to avoid them all. He’s an amateur… First of all, he can barely even throw those things correctly, second, he doesn’t even throw them in a different direction, just straight forward. Seems he can’t be considered a professional. I grab Severance’s handle, which I still have strapped on, and pull it out. I bring Severance closer to my chest and perform a sweep at the abdomen. Unless he’s super flexible, he can’t dodge it.

… Or not. He jumped back and accidentally stepped on the still sleeping Rucia. Well, not on her, just on her bag and slipped. He grazed her, but didn’t touch her. He let out a sound of pain. Rucia’s response to which was, “Urgh… 5 more minutes...”

“…”

“...”

Both me and the discriminator are shocked. I mean, heavy sleepers are one thing, but Rucia is in a world of her own. Being the first one to recover, most likely because of the life or death situation, the discriminator throws a kunai at me. I jerk to the side, but the kunai still grazes my cheek. Shit. My Pride!

Pride: FUCK! WHY IS ALWAYS THE DICK?!?!

I’m better than him overall, but he still managed to graze me. Sure, the situation is a factor, but being hit by an adversary that I am much better than is still disgraceful. He throws another kunai, which I take on instead of dodging. He looks surprised. Using qi to improve my body, I grab the kunai and flip it around so I can throw it. The discriminator’s face turns pale (I assume that, because I can’t see his face.). With my improved strength, I throw the kunai at an extremely fast speed. He doesn’t even have time to react as the kunai goes straight through his head and bounces off the wall, partially broken. Aw… And I really like kunai knives too…

My anger cools and I collect their bodies. I throw them into one pile and dig out a big enough grave for all three of them. After I finish that, I find a suitable stone for a grave marker. I carve their epitaph into the gravestone. It said, ‘here lies three assholes who tried to steal from me.’ Simple enough for people to understand that the person who buried them didn’t know them. Well, they probably deserved an unmarked grave somewhere in Nowhere, Space, but, I digress. Finishing this train of though, I take my leave.

When I arrive at the cave where me and Rucia were sleeping, I notice someone at the entrance. Weird, were we expecting someone…?

Oh shit.

It must be one of the discriminators’ buddies. That means… I must finish the job. Ruthless, coldhearted, call me whatever you want, I need to make sure that guy doesn’t chase us in the short run. As I try to be stealthy, I, by the mysterious workings of fate, happen to just step on that random stick that screws over every heavy-footed sneaker ever. Fuck sticks. Fuck them to the ninth circle of hell. As I curse out the race of sticks, the big frame of the discriminators’ friend turns around and faces me. Jesus Christ, he has muscles! He’s fucking stacked! You know those stupid cartoon characters that have insane muscles, yeah, he makes them look like scrawny bitches. How the fuck do you get that much muscle?

“Who are you?” The muscle man asks.

His voice perfectly matches his body. Deep, gravely, and rough. Well, I’ve been found, no point in hiding. I put two kunais in both my sleeves as an insurance. I try to take on a friendly tone as I ask, “I could ask the same of you. Who are you and why are you here?”

I can literally feel the narrowing of Muscle’s eyes. “So my subordinates haven’t come here yet?”

“Yeah, okay, be all direct about it. Gives me proof that I should kill you.” As I say those lines, I release the kunai in one of my sleeves, making it look as though I threw one from each hand, even though they both came from the same one. Muscle simply waves his arm and the kunais bounce off of his arm. Oh. Seems I underestimated him. He takes out his own sword and comes at me. Shit, he’s fast! That speed… he must be a cultivator. I jump out of the way, just barely avoiding his strike.

Damn, I’m outmatched. If he had the same physical strength as me, I would be more confident, but unfortunately, there are no ifs in reality. Even though I’m physically weaker than him, he doesn’t fight like that against me. He attacks viciously and quickly, leaving me only time to just barely dodge. I can’t fight back, he’s just too strong! Dammit! I dodge a chop from Muscle, but he somehow produces another sword and stabs to my position. I’m cornered! I can’t escape! I’m doomed!

No! I reach for the handle of Severance, but it wasn’t there. What?! Oh no! I had left it back in the cave because I thought I wouldn’t need it. Damn you past me! I circulate my qi and try to drive it into my feet. As a desperate last attempt, I expel the qi in my feet, intending to use it as a propelling force to escape. It works and I’m free from Muscle’s second sword. Unfortunately, the first sword gets me and scrapes across my abdomen. Fuck! Damn that hurts! I quickly back away and move towards the cave. Muscle seems surprised, but he doesn’t let this chance escape. He comes after me, dual wielding his murder blades. Murder blades? They’re swords though… FUCKING HELL! FOCUS!

At the cave is Severance. I snatch it up and turn around to face Muscle. But he wasn’t there. I don’t relax, but instead jump out of the cave. Cliché, cliché, you cannot escape the cliché. Muscle was behind me, and cut the air where I once was. Thank god I left there! Now, with my sword, I feel much more confident. Muscle charges me once more, but I deflect his first strike with the handle of my sword. His second sword comes from below, but I backstep away. The broken part of the sword is filled with a light as I activate it’s special function. With a full sword, I charge Muscle, who is certainly surprised. He attacks with both swords at the same time, a fatal mistake. He slashes downward in an X shape, which I slide under. Because Muscle is tall, I can fully slide under him. I twist around and get to my knees. I thrust my sword at his exposed back.

*Shlick*

Stabbed right through him. I get to my feet and swing Severance, which is still in his body, up. It cuts cleanly through his body, partially cleaving him in two. His slightly bisected corpse falls to the ground, the life already gone from his eyes. I step back and clutch my wound. Damn… It still hurts. I need to heal before I break into Beyond Mortal Realm, or else black impurities might get into the wound. Ew. Gross. I look quickly in the cave at Rucia. She’s still sleeping.

Not only do we have a bad sense of direction, we also have a bad sense of danger...