Zarthos posts
Posts: 274
Files: 366
117 - The Depths of Corruption
First- Previous- NextA sickly middle-aged man sporting long black-trimmed green robes walked down a hall. A thin mist of water vapour condensed on his skin, only to be pulverized by the qi emanating from his flesh, contrary to his weakened demeanour.The hall was made of intricately carved hard stone, depicting an art style long out of date from a forgotten era. Maybe a few of the remaining living immortals might have lived through these ages; however, they were nowhere to be seen.The hall branched into countless adjacent rooms; some were used a...
116 - Setbacks and Regrets
First- Previous- NextQin Yun looked at the envoy with interest, only to be ignored. The man pressed a single palm onto the shimmering blue barrier, only to be repelled slightly. He sighed and began walking away, uninterested in the crowd that gathered and the three elders looking toward him as if seeking instructions. Even Zou Lan seemed taken aback by the man's disinterest. She had expected something more from him, yet the realization that the old Guardian might still be alive seemed enough for him.While Qin Yun might regret this, he could...
035 - The Whims of Fate
“Does this happen often?” Ning Shan said as they travelled further within a bleak corridor, only a dim light covering them from the level above.The bustling mercantile street had been replaced with peace and quiet, almost as if they had entered another world entirely, despite the fact that they weren't alone. Other hunters, dressed in full battle gear, were coming and going alongside them, some showing battle scars or even carrying the gear of their dead comrades. Of course, no corpses were to be seen, yet their expressions as they remo...
115 - To Improvise a Scheme
First- Previous- NextThe rubble of a destroyed stone house shifted slightly as a soft breeze floated over it, only for an explosion to occur soon after. The explosion propelled stone and wood upwards, resulting in thick sand clouds that lingered for a moment before being blown away, revealing the old elder looking slightly worse for wear.His dark red robes were slightly frayed at the hem, and dust covered his long white beard, but he was otherwise unscathed. Still, the look in his eyes alone prompted the crowd to take a few steps back, unwillin...
034 - To Step into the Abyss
Ning Shan's journey toward the nearest elevator was uneventful. Nathan regretted having to leave abruptly, yet he had no choice. Some matters required his attention, and he couldn't afford to stay any longer now that his location was known to the broader world.There were no teary-eyed goodbyes, however. Nathan merely invited Ning Shan to join him on the 20th level, even promising to hire him as his personal bodyguard, something Ning Shan promptly declined. The offer simply didn’t align with his own goals. He had no wish to be restrict...
114 - Stepping into Darkness
First- Previous- NextSilence hung over the world as if time stood still. None of the countless individuals within the crowd dared to move as sweat poured down their backs and dread took root in their hearts. They could feel countless sharp objects pressed all over their skins, causing interminable goose bumps as if endless ants were crawling upon them.Down an inconspicuous road near the exterior wall was a small dilapidated building that had now been razed. Its razing revealed a downward staircase made of smooth stone reaching into the bowels o...
033 - Conspiracy Brewing In the Dark
High above the ninth level was a large room close to the outside world. On one wall was an array of monitors, showing countless video feeds of the various levels of the Cradle. Facing them was a single chair with a young woman seated upon it.Her hair was as red as a flame reaching the crux of her back. Her features were youthful, barely in her early twenties, yet appearances were misleading. She wore a tight bodysuit that accentuated the curves of her body, with the emblem of the city prominently visible near her heart. In her hand was a small ...
113 - Preaching to the Choir
First- Previous- NextDespite the storm raging on either side, the sky over the Frontier was clear. No cloud was in sight, only a warm breeze rustling over the dunes. Zou Lan looked above nervously, awaiting something that never came, as did some elders.An air of tension hung above the plaza where a large portion of the populace had gathered. They had no idea why they did so. Still, Qin Yun's revelation had left them pensive, yet its true meaning eluded them. Only Zou Lan had an inkling of what he meant by this, yet it was vague even for her...
112 - Playing With Fire
First- Previous- NextAlmost all the Moonlight Sword Palace's disciples gathered in a secluded area of the city where an inauspicious small building resided. They numbered more than fifty. Yet compared to the number of active agents of the other sect, they were almost negligible. Too many had died in the recent conflict while others hid within their fortified base.The building was one of the numerous entrances to the underground tunnel leading to the formation's core. The tunnels were spread throughout the city, guarded by each sect, yet...
032 - Forced Resolution
The woman with a child in her arms clung to Nathan's sleeve. She expressed her gratitude with tears in her eyes, only for Nathan to do his best to clumsily try and calm her down. By his side, his wife looked at her man with a gentle smile, looking pleased at the crowd's reception.Most were surprised to learn of his identity, looking upon him with reverence. Even Sera looked taken aback yet chose not to approach him. Instead, she sneakily made her way toward Ning Shan, who was silently observing the spectacle from the edge of the lobby, ...
111 - The Eve of a Festival
First- Previous- NextZou Lan remained silent, observing the intricate token in her hand. Despite her aloof outward appearance, her thoughts seemed lost in a maelstrom, swirling without resolution. No matter the angle she approached this problem, no path seemed to lead to the resolution she hoped for. She was caught in an impasse with no way out. Still, she knew passivity wasn't an answer."Does the Alliance's interest lie only in the Forgotten One's survival?" she asked.Her gaze rested on the young man seated near the end of ...
031 - Revelation
The four drones buzzed slightly as they hovered midair. The crowd held their breaths; some even chose to look away. While most were rugged individuals, having spent most of their lives on the ninth level, they knew better than to pick a fight with the government. If given a choice, they would rather be thrown into the depths than be taken away by the yellow light.For generations, stories of what happened when the yellow light shined on you spread among the populace—countless rumours and hearsay, yet the truth of it always out of reach, as non...
030 - A Welcomed Intervention
“I can’t wait to get out of here,” the man Ning Shan was newly acquainted with said as his wife clung to his arm. He seemed much more relaxed than the other resident, almost as if he was intimately familiar with the hovering yellow drones—something that couldn’t help but draw Ning Shan’s interest.Still, it was now his turn.He took a few steps forward, standing between the drones, only to notice Sera looking like a nervous wreck. She hesitantly held the side of her clothes while her hood was draped over her face, obscuring her featur...
029 - The Price of Defiance
A silent uproar rose from the crowd, yet none dared to offer any objections—none except for a single fool. A rugged woman with a large tattoo spanning half her face tried to hold her companion back, yet the fool took a few steps toward the assembled drones, striking away her hold.The man was large; his shoulders easily doubled Ning Shan's width. His muscles easily bulged out of his clothes, preventing his vest from fully closing up and exposing his hairy chest. His arms were covered in what seemed like tribal tattoos, yet what caught Ning...
110 - The Alliance's Token
First- Previous- Next“Vice Patriarch of the Soaring Dragon Sect?" Zou Lan mumbled, her eyes narrowed as she calmed herself.Something didn't feel right. That man was merely in the Nascent Soul realm, while she knew the leaders of the four Immortal Beasts Sects were easily late-stage Soul Formation masters, if not even stronger. His being given this title at his realm spoke volumes of his potential."What is a Core Disciple of the Immortal Beasts Alliance doing here?" she asked, doing her best not to betray her doubts.She remaine...
109 - Waking the Dragon
First- Previous- Next“How long is your mistress intending to make us wait?" an old man said, his expression grim as he looked at the young woman serving him another cupful of tea.Despite the veiled threat and the pressure emitted from the old man, the young woman remained calm—at least on the surface—as she waited, head slightly lowered. Yet her small hands slightly clutched at her uniform where her blade should have been. She chose not to say anything even as she was probed, for it was not her place to say."Have you lost all semb...
028 - Concealed Stratagems
Looking out of a nearby window, Ning Shan saw small floating objects swiftly closing in. Not unlike birds, their approach was silent, cutting through the darkness without difficulty, yet he couldn't find any evidence of wings. If anything, they resembled the combat drone he encountered a day prior, yet they were much smaller in size.They were spherical, and, unlike the combat drone, they possessed multiple eye-like apparatus that glowed a dull yellow. Within the darkness of the Cradle, they resembled miniature dull suns, yet they travelled ...
108 - Meeting in a Ruined Garden
First- Previous- Next“I must say, I didn't expect things to end this way," Zou Lan sighed as she stood in a devastated garden.The luscious greens that used to cover the ground of the Moonlight Sword Palace's mansion within the Frontier had all been lost to the encroaching desert sand. The formation that used to retain the moisture within the atmosphere had been ravaged by the deluge of sand until it ceased to function, prompting the scarce few water ponds to quickly evaporate until nothing remained. She couldn't help but show ...
027 - A Breakthrough's Aftermath
Sera was bewildered by the sight before her. Never had she seen the concentration of red dust so high as to be visible to the naked eye. The only instances she could remember were when strong Dustborns were slain, and the red dust within their bodies spilled into the atmosphere. It only lasted for a moment before completely disappearing. Obviously, such a thing had never happened within the confines of the Cradle.Ning Shan was immobile in the middle of this thick cloud while this deadly substance swirled around him like a galaxy. Yet none of th...
107 - Confrontation at World's End
First- Previous- Next“What do you have to say for yourself?”The ethereal image of a man stood within a devastated world disconnected from the main one as if the two dimensions had been ripped apart. Only a small unstable rift joined them together, threatening to break apart at any moment.Before him were three living husks. Their eyes were either sealed shut or became a dull grey, and their skins had almost completely dried up. Yet their seemingly fragile bodies still emitted an almost overpowering presence, and the man could barely conceive...
106 - Birth of the New Guardian
First- Previous- NextA flash of blue light spread within the underground chamber, bathing the world in its embrace. The disciples had no choice but to once again cover their eyes, unable to witness the subsequent events. Only Zou Lan and Qin Yun remained able to see what was happening.A look of pain appeared on Xu Weizhe's face as the blue flame swirling within the globe rushed through his palm. It sought to enter his body and take root within his core, charring all of his qi channels in the process.Zou Lan struggled to watch, clenching her...
026 - To Bathe in Dust
“Sir! I’ve done as you asked.”Marquez sat within his team's compound on the tenth level. Before him was a large metallic table with many similar chairs spanning its circumference. In the centre was a dimly glowing orb that projected a small hologram onto the air itself. It was a rendition of a small Charles Baxter quietly sitting at his own desk, perusing the various reports strewn on it. He barely raised his head as he addressed Marquez."Good. I'll have my secretary do something about your team. You'll be on standby '...
025 - Welcome to a New Home
The doors opened, revealing a mystical sight that Ning Shan had never once witnessed. At least, that was what he foolishly expected, yet he was sadly disappointed by the grim reality.The streets of the ninth level weren’t unlike those of the cities of his previous world, except that the populace was scarce, and those he could see weren’t what he was expecting.From the corner of distant alleys, Ning Shan noticed ladies with barely a cloth on their shoulders, beckoning patrons with too heavy a wallet in the hopes of lightening their loads. Th...
105 - A Cultivator's Worth
First- Previous- NextBlood flowed from nonexistent wounds yet dissipated into ashes as soon as it came into contact with the blue flame, but even the ashes vanished until nothing remained. Still, Qin Yun looked unconcerned, too absorbed in the creation of the orb in his hand.It seemed akin to a world in and of itself, possessing both its own boundary separating it from their own, but also its own mysteries. In fact, not even Qin Yun could delve deep into his own creation, as he had only supplied the sword intent, and the world itself had done t...
024 - A Goal to Strive For
“What the hell just happened?" Sera frantically said, still shaken from having countless muzzles pointed in her general direction. "Ever since I met you, it's been nothing but hazards on my life!"She couldn't help but hold her arms, still shivering at the thought of what might have happened to them should they have failed the second scan. After all, the border guards were known for how draconian they could be toward those who posed a threat to the Cradle's security. The government had no qualms about making such people...
104 - Birth of a Pseudo Sword Domain
First- Previous- NextHer gaze was one of steel as she pushed his hand aside. The sharpness of her domain permeated the room, prompting everyone else to stop any movements for fear of being struck with its naked edge. Even Xu Weizhe was taken aback by the suddenness of her actions. Still, Qin Yun showed no indication of getting involved."Do you even know what you are asking me?" she said, her voice cold yet laced with a subtle pain. Her eyes were full of fury, yet Xu Weizhe clearly knew the source of her ire; he couldn't help but sig...
023 - Where Everything Began
Armed soldiers spilled out of the entryway as if floodgates had opened, only to leave the group stunned. They all turned toward Ning Shan in unison, only to see him shrug. Of course, he had no idea why they would seek to arrest him, seeing as this was the first time he ever set foot in this place, yet he also knew he was the most likely culprit. After all, he was the one different from the rest. Still, he remained calm and waited for the opportune moment, knowing it would come sooner or later."Put your hands in the air!" one of them bar...
103 - An Impossible Choice
First- Previous- Next“I hope you’ll forgive me for my state of undress,” Qin Yun said as he turned to see a beautiful woman in a white dress emerge from the nearby corridor, a frown marring her exquisite features. While his clothes had long been evaporated by the raging power of the dragon vein, at least the blue flames were opaque enough to hide what needed hiding.Silence reigned as Zou Lan scrutinized her surroundings, noticing the lingering scent of death and decay that remained in this enclosed underground chamber.“What happened to ...
022 - A Lighthouse in the Darkness
“Sir! Are you sure this is wise? We know next to nothing about him.”Charles Baxter stood in his office. Before him was a large glass pane that provided an unobstructed view of the world outside. His office consisted of a spacious room with many different seating arrangements and a rare mahogany desk that had survived through untold ages, only to be preserved to this day, making it a priceless artifact of a bygone era.While its surface was marred with countless scars and defects, it told the story of its voyage through time. On the floor wer...
102 - A Bittersweet Victory
First- Previous- NextZou Lan hovered over the battlefield, her feet softly resting on her sword. She watched the outsiders' troops slowly recede into the distance, out of sight. Only the sound of rustling sand remained as it fell to the ground from the flickering formation.All others were still crushed under the pressure her blade emitted, unable to make a sound. Her might was indiscriminate, assaulting every living being within her domain's range equally. Only then did the slaughter finally stop, and the city could recover a semblance ...
