A/N:
" " : Dialogue,
' ' : Thought,
"Italicized text" : Telepathy,
"Bold text": Shadows,
[ ] : System,
| | : Artificial Intelligence.
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Location: Earth, Asia, China, Guizhou Province, Ten Rings Headquarters
August 1, 2006
Omniscient POV
Xu Wenwu had experienced a great amount of what life had to offer. He had lived for centuries, conquered entire kingdoms, facilitated the downfall of others, and cemented a hidden empire through the power of the Ten Rings which he named his army after. In all his years, he had never come across someone who acted so brazenly.
"Hey, Wenwu. Sorry if I'm interrupting anything here, but we need to talk." A dark-skinned boy with violet eyes said to him, nonchalantly ignoring all of his soldiers who had their weapons in hand.
…
*Fifteen minutes ago*
Ashwani stood at the base of the mountain that served as the base for the headquarters of the Ten Rings, dressed in the same ensemble as yesterday, then began ascending as the windbreaker he was wearing was in fact, the Abyss Cloak. He didn't bother concealing himself, seeing as the only people that traverse this mountain were a part of the Ten Rings, and if the conversation he intended to have with Wenwu didn't go south, they'd be seeing him frequently.
He flew all the way to the compound's main entrance, but he had moved too fast for any of the soldiers that were positioned ahead of the entrance to see, meaning that even though he didn't actively conceal his presence, he still went by mostly unnoticed, a least, until he landed at the gates. His abrupt appearance immediately put the soldiers stationed at the gates on alert.
"Hello. No need to be so on guard. I'm only here to meet Wenwu and talk." He told the soldiers with his hands raised, but that only made them more suspicious of him. "I'm not going to harm anyone, I just want to talk to him. Trust me, it's important." He said, but saw no change in the soldiers' stances. "*Sigh* Oh, well." He said, and vanished from the soldiers' sights as a blur.
"I guess I'll just find him myself." They heard his voice come from behind them and turned, seeing him jump down from the top of the gate into the compound. They quickly opened the gate and rushed into the compound, with one of them going to sound the alarm. Ashwani looked at them with a playful smile and ran further into the compound.
The alert drew more of the Ten Rings' soldiers from deep in the compound, and as they moved to attend to the alarm, they came across Ashwani. He sighed as he kept running forward, then jumped forward. He easily went over 6 metres high and 15 metres forward in a single bound, but that didn't stop the soldiers from throwing shuriken and knives at him.
Even as the small storm of steel flew at him, Ashwani remained unbothered, given that everything he was wearing was hundreds of times more durable, even as fabric. The soldiers watched as the thrown weapons impacted him and fell to the ground dead, then saw him bend his knees as if to jump. They thought that he would drop to the ground and they pulled out swords, ready to dogpile attacks on him the instant he got down.
However, right as gravity began to pull Ashwani down, a purple Eldritch magic circle formed right beneath his feet, and he jumped of it, moving through the air like a bullet. He uses all his sight skills in tandem with his nanomachines to look out for biological energy signatures that are higher than normal humans. Given Ling Yi's heritage as a native of Talo, and the effects of the Ten Rings on Xu Wenwu's body, they possess far more life energy than a regular person, even having more than some high-ranking members of the Hand.
He soon locked on to four energy signatures, which he took to be Xu Wenwu and his family, and began heading towards them, with everyone seeing his movement as nothing but a black and purple blur. Understanding that they couldn't catch up to him immediately, the soldiers chased after him, planning to strike when he eventually stops running, but very quickly came to find that he had gone much further than his earlier jump had made them think he would go.
Ashwani very quickly moved from the area, leaving the soldiers to trail behind him. He knew that showing aggression was only going to be counterproductive to what he hoped to accomplish with Wenwu, so he simply refrained from attacking the soldiers while keeping himself in their line of sight, all the while heading towards Wenwu.
Eventually, he reached a house that seemed almost oxymoronic to the rest of the environment. Plants and small lifeforms teemed with life, and the place had a thin mist of chi around it, that was visible only to Ashwani due to the enhancements to his sight. It contrasted the rest of the Ten Rings compound, which had a heavy, almost gray atmosphere about it. He walked up to the front door and knocked on it.
…
*Present*
All of the Ten Rings' soldiers had amassed behind Ashwani with their weapons at the ready, but they stayed their hand, as they were in the presence of their master and didn't dare to show any disrespect. "文武,亲爱的.谁在那儿?(Wenwu, dear. Who's there?)" A female voice called from inside the house in Mandarin. "别担心,只要陪着孩子们就行.(Don't worry, just stay with the kids.)" Wenwu responded calmly, then walked outside and shut the door behind him.
"Who the hell are you, and what do you want?" He said, his voice retaining calm, but now possessing a clear edge. "Calm down, Wenwu. I don't have any hostility towards you. Like I've said, I just wanna talk." Ashwani said with a smile, almost dismissive of the hostility being directed at him.
"Talk about what exactly?" Wenwu asked, and Ashwani looked at him, his violet eyes seemingly glowing. "The future, Wenwu. The future of humanity across the entire universe." Ashwani said, and for the first time since he came to China, released the concealment over his power that he regularly keeps active.
His Darkforce pervaded into the environment around them, and everyone, without question, felt a sudden chill and sense of lethargy. "You said that you had no hostility towards us… so what is this supposed to be?" Wenwu asked as he quickly took a fighting stance. "It's nothing. Just a little demonstration for you to understand that I'm being serious." Ashwani responded, then drew his power back under concealment.
"Now… shall we?" He said. Wenwu narrowed his eyes, still suspicious of him, but agreed, and moved away to the training area of the compound. Ashwani followed him, not minding that the soldiers were trailing behind, even as he was now going to negotiate with one of Earth's most prolific conquerors.
…
Location: Earth, North America, USA, New York, Adirondack Mountains
In the 8 days that had passed since Ashwani and the Brotherhood's visit to the mountains, SHIELD had set up an outpost with a considerable number of scientists and agents to study the crater left by Ashwani. The powerful burst of Darkforce he released when he gouged out Trask's facility had caught their attention, and ever since they got here, they had been able to unanimously come to the conclusion that a mutant with Darkforce powers was responsible for the Darkforce they had detected, with only a few of their agents and scientists having an idea as to who it was.
Just like when they went to check the Bourne family residence, they eventually found that the place was free of Darkforce and its corruption, which made them increase the importance that they placed on any future 'outbursts' of Darkforce, as they felt that someone who was capable of essentially erasing 3 miles of mountain without leaving any traces of their presence was someone that they absolutely had to keep an eye out for, especially if they were a mutant.
In the distance, out of the patrol range and surveillance of the SHIELD outpost, a man removed a pair of binoculars from his face, which now held a grimace. Behind him were multiple men who were dressed the same as he was – in a large, hooded robe with a cross that reached all the way down to its hem, with metal gauntlets that fully covered their arms all the way to their hands and ended in pauldrons on their shoulders.
He took out a walkie-talkie while still keeping an eye on the SHIELD outpost. "Father Stryker, it is as we feared. Brother Trask is no longer with us." He spoke into the walkie. "I see. That is… unfortunate." General, or rather, Reverent William Stryker – as he was called now, given that he had been honorably discharged a few years ago – responded from the other side of the comm line. "What details regarding his death have you been able to find?" He asked the man.
"It's very likely one of the mutants that did it. The place where his lab was has been… essentially erased. It looks like someone carved it out of the land itself." The man said with a tinge of fear in his voice. "Looks like? Are you not at the location itself?" William asked. "SHIELD has put up an outpost there, so we're observing them from a distance." The man replied.
"I see. Then do well to remember what you have seen, all of you. What you see is clear proof that those mutants aren't human, but spawn of the Devil, and they must be eradicated." Stryker said with vitriol, stoking the flames of hatred within each of the men. "Of course, Father Stryker. But if you don't mind me asking, how would we face them now that Trask is gone?" The man asked.
"Trask perhaps had the brightest mind amongst us, Latcham. But I knew that he alone wouldn't be enough for us to eradicate the mutants, so I've made some allies whose minds are as bright as his was. We may have lost some soldiers, but we will not be stopped… not by this… not by them." William said, then cut off the connection. And so, the Purifiers left the Adirondacks with a new fire in them to purge the world of mutants.
…
Location: Earth, North America, USA, New York, North Salem, Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
More than a month had passed since Ashwani's visit, and since then, quite a few changes have taken place in the X-Mansion. Firstly, there was Charles' recovery of full functionality of his lower half. Then there was the change in the combat lessons, where they now taught the students how and when to use lethal force. Logan had also begun experiencing his own changes ever since Ashwani replaced his adamantium grafting.
Memories of his days before the Weapon X programme became more vivid, causing his already burning hatred for Victor Creed to grow, as the memories of the loved ones he hadn't remembered he'd lost to his senseless violence continued to emerge in his mind. He had told Charles and the other staff about Stryker's involvement with the programme and warned them about him possibly moving to abduct or kill more metahumans, themselves included.
While they all knew that William Stryker was definitely a metahuman hater, what with his highly controversial yet popular televangelism, they didn't know much of his past involvements with metahumans. So hearing that he was so deeply involved in what was very much an experiment that not only exploited their kind, but also led to Logan getting his skeleton grafted with adamantium, shook them more than just a little bit.
If he had done that all those years ago while under military supervision, they could only imagine what he was doing now that such supervision was no longer on him. And so, for the first time in a while, Charles used Cerebro to specifically look for a person and read their mind. When he eventually infiltrated William Stryker's mind, he felt a potent disgust with the man, as he served as living proof of the sheer evil that some humans could perform.
He saw metahumans young and old, male and female, get lynched, burned alive, vivisected and subjected to torturous experiments by William's hand and orders. He chose to pull his mind back a bit, so he could see the minds of the people around William, and like before, he also felt disgusted.
Many of the people that surrounded William and listened to his teachings were also metahuman haters, but Charles felt greater disgust towards them than he did William, as he noticed that many of them who had their children awaken the X-gene gave up said children to be killed, all in the name of purging demon spawn from the Earth.
He already knew that humanity had its ugly side, but seeing this just gave him a fresh reminder of the level of evil some humans could do. He considered wiping or fully altering their minds, but then realized that doing so wouldn't change their fate, as Ashwani definitely knew of their deeds, and would give them retribution in due time.
Withdrawing his mind back to his body, Charles took off Cerebro's helmet with a tired sigh. While he had already resolved himself to put his efforts towards helping his fellow metahumans, this just made him feel even more strongly that he should do whatever he could to make sure that at the very least, he would get them away from the clutches of people like this.
…
Location: Earth, Asia, China, Guizhou Province, Ten Rings Headquarters
August 11, 2006
Ashwani POV
My negotiations with Wenwu went through pretty smoothly, at least if you ask me. He was a bit averse to me staying here, which I don't really blame him for. After all, ever since he married Ying Li, he has been trying to cut himself off from his life as a conqueror, so when I told him that he'd have to prepare for the consequences of that life, he wasn't exactly happy to hear that.
When I offered to help train Shang and Xialing, he got just a little physical. Of course, I didn't want him to break his hands striking me, so I simply deflected his blows with the martial arts that Ta Lo's Guardians used, which he very quickly recognized. Seeing someone of my skin color using those martial arts definitely threw him for a loop, but he didn't show it on his face and instead asked if I was here to take Ying Li back to Ta Lo.
I quickly shut down that assumption before it could sprout any bullshit problems. I knew that I was bringing him news and a proposal that'll cause him to return to arms, but I'd rather he didn't have misplaced hostility. Having Wenwu go on a war path isn't exactly conducive to my plans, especially when it's one heading for Ta Lo.
I simply told him that someone amongst those he spared held a grudge and would eventually come by to harm his family, and it was best if they could all protect themselves. Taking my advice with skepticism, he asked me what the source of my information was, and I simply showed him my Eldritch magic, giving him the image of being one of the Masters of the Mystic Arts, which I technically am, but details.
I told him that it was to avoid an unpleasant future for the rest of the world and asked him if he would let me stay on the mountain to offer a safety net, in the case that he and his men are caught off guard. Just like Yao, he accepted with the condition that he would surveil me, not that it would really do much.
And so, I've been training Shang and Xialing in Ta Lo's martial arts alongside Ying Li, while also helping with their education on the side. She was also surprised to see me masterfully using their martial arts and the abilities that as far as she remembers, were only usable by the Guardian of Ta Lo, due to their connection to the Great Protector. I was really just using a combo of my chi and Ruler's Authority to simulate them, which wasn't too hard to do ever since I made Storm Slash.
Unlike Wenwu, she felt the difference between the power that the Great Protector gave and my mimicry of said powers, as she was once Ta Lo's guardian, and was impressed by how well I had been able to imitate it. But when you've got the full memories of all Guardians before her, this really doesn't seem impressive. I mean, I can utilize the Iron Fist's capabilities as well as most, if not all of Kun-Lun's martial arts very easily, even without the chi of a dragon in me, so in comparison, this really feels like small beans.
Now, I'll be honest, these two kids are really talented. Xialing is picking up on the actual combat part of martial arts pretty quickly, while Shang is picking up on chi faster than she is, although he can't really feel it yet. Then again, these are alternate versions of the boy who eventually becomes the best martial artist in the universe, and the culmination of most of his sisters in one, so it is somewhat expected. It's also a bit of a relief that I won't have to deal with the Five Weapons Society.
But right now, that's not much of a concern to me, as I've been trying to use a skill that Sung Jin-Woo developed long after he truly became the Shadow Monarch, one that many people overlooked – magic. Specifically, the magic of the Demonic Specters, which is the basis on which the levelling system was built. Kandiaru wasn't called an Archmage for nothing, what with him only being behind Yogumunt himself in sheer magic prowess.
My goal in doing this is pretty simple – increasing the rewards I get from my daily quest, before eventually doing the hidden quest and getting the Blessed Random Box, which goes for about five million Gold a piece in the system shop. If I'm successful, I should hopefully be able to surpass Jin-Woo as of Rakan's attack in pure stats by the end of the year. As for level, it seems that the system has accounted for that, as I'm currently holding onto two Instance Dungeon keys, both A Rank.
It's very likely that it's compensating for the lack of Gates and dungeons by giving me more Instance Dungeon keys from the Random Boxes. And I would much rather have this than have Gates and dungeons start appearing randomly around the world. This planet already has enough problems, so there's no need to add Magic Beasts to the mix. But that's all for the future, one that I can only make certain if I first succeed with this.
Bringing up the system panel, I let out a breath as I focus, then put my hands into it. The panel flickers and stutters, almost like a computer's screen when its software is being corrupted, but I continued delving into it. As my mana slips further into the system, I notice something flare into activity from the deepest recesses of my being, and purple circuit-like patterns move from my arms into the system panel.
Although I had never truly seen it before now, I knew what this was. It was the force that made Shiro terrifying on a cosmic scale in her universe, giving her the ability to interfere with the very source code of living beings including herself. This was Error. It started off as a part of the System in her universe, but after enough time and acclimation, Shiro claimed it as a part of her and her nanomachines. I guess that also spilled over as part of my wishes, since this was the first time I had even felt it activate.
The patterns soon covered the entire system panel, and the instant it did, my sight went dark. Where once I saw the interior of my base, I now saw an endless abyss of black. The very next instant, however, a flood of numbers and symbols filled my sight, with the blackness as a backdrop. I suddenly couldn't feel my body, only the sheer magical weight of the system and the unbridled influx of information were present in my senses.
For the first time since the day I awakened in this universe, my mind was actually being overwhelmed. I could sense different parts of the system and even started to see how they functioned, but I treated all that as noise, lessening the burden on my mind as I searched for the Daily Quest feature. I soon found it and began moving to increase the rewards, but as I did, I noticed the stability of the magic that governed that part of the system shift just a bit.
Not wanting to find out what would happen if the system suddenly lost any stability in one of its features, I then increased the task volume so that it would match the rewards, and the stability was restored. Despite how calmly I am describing the process, it took a hellish amount of effort – like swimming against a current of water that is flowing in the opposite direction with the pressure of a water jet cutter.
After I completed that, I felt my consciousness begin to slip. I was going to withdraw, but my eyes caught something else, something that I knew if I changed, would give a notable bump to my strength. So, pushing through the pressure on my mind, I moved and made the change just an instant before I fully lost consciousness.
…
Some time passes and I eventually wake up, with most of my body feeling drained and weakened, and my head pounding in pain. "Urgh. How long was I out?" I said, trying to move my body with great difficulty. |30 minutes.| ELITE responded coolly with a pause. |You were bleeding out of all orifices of your face during the time you were conscious. When you lost consciousness, I implemented Genetic Disposal Protocol.| She said, giving me a little relief, despite my aching body.
I pulled up the system and used today's Status Recovery, giving myself a pick-me-up. Now free of the mental and physical fatigue, I moved to the Status page, and a smile made its way onto my face as I saw that the last bit of change I had tried applying to the system had been fully implemented.
[Status]
[Name: Ashwani Chukwuemeka Bourne
Level: 48
Fatigue: 0
Job: Shadow Monarch
Title(s): Wolf Slayer, Demon Hunter, The One Who Overcame Adversity
HP: 43,150
MP: 104,260
Strength: 165
Vitality: 165
Agility: 165
Intelligence: 165
Perception: 165
Remaining Points: 57]
The Title bar now had all title effects activated at once, and since they were technically a part of Jin-Woo's abilities, they also passed down to me, with only Demon Hunter's effects changing from the effect it gave him. Since I already possessed the Black Heart, not from Jin-Woo but rather from Ashborne, the effect essentially became Wolf Slayer but for Demons, enhancing my stats and damage against demons by 40%.
But while that was an OP boost all on its own, it wasn't what I had initially done this for. I shifted the panel to show the Daily Quest, and I felt my smile widen unconsciously. While the titles would allow me to essentially become a walking WMD in battle, this would make my growth something that even Sung Jin-Woo or Sung Suho would have struggled to match.
[Quest Info]
[Daily Quest – The Preparation to Become Powerful.
Goals:
Push-ups: 0/1000
Sit-ups: 0/1000
Squats: 0/1000
Run: 0/100km
Caution: If the Daily Quest remains incomplete, penalties will be given accordingly.
Rewards:
Status Recovery +10 Stat Points 5 Random Boxes.]
After reading through the updated Daily Quest, I began uncontrollably laughing out of sheer enthusiasm. 10 Stat Points per day was the equivalent of leveling up twice. Add the 5 Random Boxes, and my chances of getting Instance Dungeon keys had increased by a large margin, even with the compensation. With this, I could be sure that when the end of the year comes, I can finally begin making big moves to change this Earth for the better.
Chapter End.
Word Count: 4,075
Thanks for reading!