A WAVE OF familiarity and nostalgia hit as I approached the Eastern Gate of Jurin Province. The wooden lean-to, that was constructed more like a barn with no walls, was already brimming with off-world cultivators eager to get their hands on the exotic advancent components found out in the wild. The familiar white and green uniforms of the handlers darted in between them. They were the trained scouts who guided the cultivators through the unfamiliar terrain and ensured they ca ho before the Bloodmoon rose and turned the already deadly monsters into literal demons.
Although it’d only been a week since I myself was a full-ti handler, the growth I’d made since then both socially and economically truly made the place feel like a trip to yester year. Still, once a handler always a handler, and the familiar surrounds stirred an eagerness in to get out into the wilderness and start hunting monsters.
The familiar faces of Rhen and Rho, two twins I had shown the ropes to a few months ago, greeted with smiles as I entered the camp. Both stopped what they were doing to give deep bows of respect.
“Master Chun!” Rho said. “Welco. Are you heading out today yourself for an excursion?”
It was still odd hearing myself referred to as a ‘master’. In my mind I hadn’t mastered anything as yet, especially not my Berserker path, but I supposed being a Sect founder, especially in a native Terran’s eyes, had earned the title.
I returned their bows. “Yes, actually. Although I was looking to talk to Lee first. There may be a certain cultivator looking for a private tour with—”
“She’s already here, bro.”
The familiar and jovial voice ca from behind , and I spun to see the tall red-haired kid that was Lee. We went back as handlers, starting as initiates together. Since taking over as supervisor, the handler station had grown considerably under Lee’s easy-going style of managent. The handlers were happy which made the clients happy and even the Imperial Guard and Enforcers posted for customs duty enjoyed the playful interactions and conversations with Lee.
I shook his hand Terran style. “She is? I guess I don’t need to explain any further?”
Lee gave a wink and a smile. “Say less, bro. Your secret rendezvous with hot silver lady is all taken care off. Ren and Rho here will take her out officially and you can use your old handler pass to go solo. You can all et up by the old train station for the handoff.”
I felt privileged as hell to have a friend like this who would risk even the empire’s wrath in breaking the rules for . “You guys are the best,” I said. “Drinks are on after work.”
“You know it!” Lee said, giving a bro hug. “Okay, twins, go do your thing.”
Ren and Rho gave a final bow, before disappearing into the crowd of bustling handlers and cultivators. I strained my eyes to catch a glimpse of her, the Lady Silver Light, my Fia. I didn’t see her, but I did see Ren and Rho departing with a cultivator dressed in the sa black robes and veil as one of her Silver Shadows.
Smart girl, I thought.
Her getting caught out in the wild with a Terran like would cause her family drama I couldn’t begin to comprehend. But I’d caused her family drama already. beating up Hein and breaking his sword had far more impact than I thought it would.
Cultivators were quite particular when it ca to family heirlooms, it seed.
“Give them ten minutes before you head out,” Lee said, clapping on the shoulder. “I got to get back to work. You have fun out there.”
Lee gave another wink and I could only laugh with him.
Then sothing else occurred to .
“Hey Lee,” I said. “One more thing.”
“Sup?”
I couldn’t tell him about the lost enclave of Terrans in the bunker, but I did need his help to get supplies to them.
“I need to bring a bunch of stuff through the gate. Early. Like before the Imperial Guard and Enforcers arrive.”
“Yeah? What kind of stuff?”
“Like a wagon full of provisions. Tools. That kind of stuff.”
“Ah,” he said, nodding. “No problem. Just be here around five o’clock with it all, I’ll make sure the coast is clear. By the ti you haul it to the edge of the barrier outside, the sun should be up.”
Good ‘ole Lee. No questions asked. Chill as ever.
I loved the guy.
“Thanks, Lee, I don’t know what we’d do without you.”
* * *
I couldn’t wait to see Silver Light again, up close and in private.
But I couldn’t waste an opportunity to advance either.
I had a date set with her in more ways than one.
And the one that mattered the most required to be three Tiers stronger than I was right now. Stopping at the crest of a wooded hill, I envisioned the cultivation manual within my mind’s eye and flipped through the pages to find the table that governed Core Realm advancent.
Core Formation
1st
Core Formation
2nd
Core Body Refinent
3rd
Core ntal Refinent
4th
Core Density Refinent
5th
Inner Soul Detection
6th
Inner Soul Focus
7th
Inner Soul Refinent
8th
Inner Soul Projection
9th
Secondary Soul Germination
Berserker cultivation was different than Qi Cultivation in many ways, but it still followed the sa broad rules for progression. I had already achieved 1st Tier by forming my solid Frenzy core, but to advance further I would need to look into the Shuras of the Frenzied Fla’s texts to see what was required to advance to the 2nd Tier and beyond.
Those steps hopefully wouldn’t be much different than what I was already used to, having already achieved Stage V in all aspects of Body and ntal Refinent during my foundation training.
But what would be required to achieve the 5th Tier of Core Realm advancent—Inner Soul Detection?
This was the first step towards advancing to the Sacred Soul Realm.
It boggled my mind for a minute that I was even considering such a thing. I’d been just a mortal a few months ago, but already I was trying to figure out how to get halfway to being a Sacred Soul Realm cultivator?
I laughed.
I would be OP as shit if I could achieve Sacred Soul Realm.
Maybe even strong enough to start my rebellion in earnest.
That made hunger for power even more than being able to face Fia.
But before any of that I needed to see what was involved in my basic core refinent first. Summoning a bit of Frenzy, I drew on my clarity of mind to recall the passages imprinted on Threja’s sword.
I had only glimpsed them before and retrieving those scant images was going to take so effort. I dove deep into my mind’s eyes, searching my mories for that brief image of the massive blades covered in tiny characters. I found the text but the characters were blurry, the image but a fuzzy mory.
I focused harder, channeling more Frenzy.
Co on, I thought. Rember what you saw.
I felt sothing open up inside of , like I was breaking through to a new level of thought and understanding and then suddenly they were there, hovering before in the vision of my mind’s eye—the two pages of information I had managed to cram inside my head while I was back at the bunker out in the wild.
This would be the key to my next stages of advancent.
Body Refinent Category
Stages
Description
Muscle Strengthening
VI to X
Increases your passive casual strength and your ability to do damage through Frenzy-infused techniques. At 6th stage you will be able to bend steel. At 8th stage you will have the strength of fifty n. At 10th stage you are able to break steel. Train by infusing Frenzy with strenuous exercise or exertion.
Reflex Sharpening
VI to X
Increases the swiftness at which your body moves and reacts. At 6th stage you can run as fast as a skiff. At 8th stage you can execute two techniques in the space of one. At 10th stage you can move without moving. Train by infusing Frenzy into quick attacks and actions which test your speed and coordination.
Body Hardening
VI to X
Increases the durability and hardness of your skin and bones. At 6th stage your body can resist a piercing spear. At 8th stage your body has beco as strong as steel. At 10th stage your body has beco as strong as hardened alloy, impervious to extre heat and cold. Train by using Frenzy to nd your broken skin and bones.
Internal Strengthening
VI to X
Increases the body’s ability to withstand prolonged exertion, toxins and the strain of high-level Frenzy-infused techniques. At 6th stage you can consu moderate toxins without ill effects. At 8th stage you can execute three or more techniques at once without ill effects. At 10th stage your body can withstand strong toxins without ill effects and four or more techniques without ill effects. Train by using Frenzy to mitigate the effects of toxins and by performing techniques that use high bursts of Frenzy.
I was right. The thods for cultivating through the various stages of Body Refinent remained the sa for Stages VI through X as they were for I to V. The difference however, was in the effects. And by the descriptions I could understand now why I was detecting as an almost 2nd-Tier Core Realm cultivator already. I’d fought both Hong Feng and that strange alien god monster after my ascension to Core Realm and the stress of those battles had caused to grow so.
But if those were the kinds of battles it took to grow at this stage then I needed to go looking for so major challenges indeed. It was a reminder that the potency of my Berserker path ca at a price. Qi cultivators could just ditate for years or even decades to gain the Qi they needed for advancent. Or they could spend big bucks on spirit stones or elixirs to cheat and accelerate their growth.
But ?
I had to face death and extre combat to generate the kind of Frenzy and stress my body needed to advance. I was actually looking forward to it. But if that was the kind of thing that I would need for my Body Refinent to progress, what would it take for my mind?
I took a peek at that section next.
ntal Refinent Category
Stages
Description
ntal Capacity
VI to X
Increases your ability to store, retain and recall information. At 6th stage, you gain the ability to detect information within the spiritual realm. At 8th stage you are able to comprehend information within the spiritual realm. At 10th stage you can transcribe and convey information within the spiritual realm. Train by seeking increasing revelations of Insight into the hidden and spiritual realms.
ntal Quickness
VI to X
Increases the swiftness at which you can recall and correlate information you have retained. At 6th stage you are able to see within your own consciousness. At 8th stage you can split your thoughts within your own mind. At 10th stage you can project your thoughts outside your own body. Train by ditating and recalling information.
Now this is sothing different, I thought.
My ntal Capacity and ntal Quickness from Stages I to V was just about morization and thinking quick on your feet, but now my ntal advancent seed to be heading into the spiritual realm. I didn’t know what that ant exactly, but it made sense that I’d need to go in that direction to eventually detect my inner soul for 5th Tier of Core Realm and beyond. And perhaps I’d had so kind of advancent to the 6th Stage of ntal Capacity already considering my encounter with the King of the Moon or my exposure to the Bloodmoon even.
Those certainly felt like otherworldly encounters to .
The idea of treading into such territory heightened my curiosity and made eager to progress. I needed to get back to the bunker to study the Shuras on Threja’s sword in earnest. There had to be new techniques for to learn. New points of philosophy to guide along my path.
But even with that, what could I do to advance my ntal refinent in the spiritual realm? Spend ti under the influence of the Bloodmoon? Find that nasty Ix-oh-whatever-face creature and kill it?
I was getting so juiced up on the possibilities of facing so much certain death that I would have loved nothing more than to wait till nightfall and see what I would find out in the wild.
Or what would co to find perhaps?
But all that had to wait.
I had real-world issues to resolve first, and one of them was waiting for at an abandoned train station a couple miles away. Closing my mind’s eyes, I took off in a Frenzy-driven sprint through the wilderness and prepared to et with the Lady Silver Light.
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