I took one step.
Then another.
The world spun.
A heavy feeling crushed me. My eyes got blurry. Breathing became hard—like something was choking me. My knees gave out. I fell.
Damn it.
Voices echoed in the dark.
"Theo!"
"Theodore, stay awake!"
Kevin? Edmund? Their voices were shaking. But they felt far away. My eyes closed. My arms felt cold. My thoughts faded.
Darkness took me.
---
The first thing I noticed was the smell—old wood, dust. It was thick in the air. It tasted dry and bitter.
My body hurt all over. Pain throbbed through my arms and legs.
I opened my eyes slowly.
I was in a dark room.
Old shelves covered with cobwebs. The walls cracked. A little moonlight came through the broken ceiling. I knew this place.
Our "hideout".
An old shop. Broken. Left behind. A good place for people like us—nobodies.
I tried to move.
Pain shot through my body.
I gasped.
Slow breath.
My fingers pressed into the dirt. My nails dug in.
Damn it. I pushed this weak body too far.
How pathetic.
Still… I used the Beggar Sect technique. I didn't think it was possible.
That technique was made for people who were almost dead. People with nothing left. But this body—it survived. It worked. That was a surprise. But also… a warning.
I heard movement.
I looked to the side.
Kevin and Edmund were there, watching me.
Kevin looked angry and worried. His hands were tight fists. Edmund looked nervous. He kept moving like he didn't know what to do.
They were worried.
Fools.
Something warm stirred in my chest. A feeling. I pushed it away.
These are Theodore's feelings. Not mine.
I don't have time for feelings.
I sat up a little. My arms shook, but I ignored it. I looked at them again—closely this time.
Edmund was big. Strong arms. Thick shoulders. He looked like someone who could fight. But his stance was weak. Untrained. A waste. If he wants to follow me, he needs to change. I'll teach him Shaolin techniques. Strong. Tough. He'll become like a wall.
Kevin was different.
He was slim. Not made for fighting. But his eyes—sharp. He was watching me. Studying me. Smart. He thinks fast. He'll survive by using his brain. Jaegal clan techniques will fit him.
Hmm. Not useless after all.
Still weak—but with promise.
Kevin spoke. "Theo… those guys… they work for someone named Garrick. He runs part of the slums. He collects money. Small-time guy."
His voice was calm. But I saw his fingers move. He was thinking already.
Garrick. Not important.
Kevin looked at Edmund, then back at me. "What do we do?"
I leaned back. "Give me a few days."
Kevin frowned. "Huh?"
"I'll take care of it."
My voice was flat. Firm.
Kevin wanted to speak again. "But—"
"I'll handle it," I said again. Harder.
I looked at Edmund. "Both of you… keep watch. For a few hours. Don't disturb me."
I turned away.
They whispered behind me. Of course they were confused. I didn't have the luxury to care right now.
I closed my eyes. Time to start.
This body is weak. It's a cage. It holds me down.
I slowed my breathing. Focused.
This body's energy paths were dirty. Blocked. Useless. Well, nothing I can't work out.
A normal method wouldn't fix it.
I needed something stronger.
Something painful.
Heh. Once I was the pride of the Righteous Alliance.
Now look at me.
A joke.
But it doesn't matter.
Power is what matters.
And I will get it.
Even if it kills me.
One mistake—and my heart will burst. But I don't care.
I guided my breath again.
I mixed a dark technique from the Demonic Sect with my breathing. A basic technique for the heirs of the Demonic Sect.
They joined—
Then came pain.
Like fire in my veins. My muscles froze. Heat spread through me. My teeth bit my tongue.
Blood filled my mouth.
I didn't stop.
Pain is nothing new to me.
It is my friend.
Time passed.
Minutes? Hours? I didn't know.
My mind faded. But I held on.
I had one goal—cleanse the body.
Then… finally—
Relief.
I let out a breath. It smelled like rot.
I opened my eyes. It was already dawn. I guess it took a lot of time.
The ground was black. My sweat, the murky fluids from my body, the weakness—it had all come out.
Step one—done.
I heard something.
Breathing.
I looked over.
Kevin and Edmund were sleeping. Curled near the shelves. Their chests rising and falling.
They watched over me.
Fools.
My lips moved. Almost a smile. I didn't understand why.
I stood up slowly. My body felt stronger.
Not perfect.
But better.
And now—
It was time to meet this Garrick.
I stood up to find some water to wash myself. My memories led me to the well beside the house.
Not clean water but manageable. I just needed all these dirt gone, as quickly as possible.
I took a quick bath but I wasn't as clean as I'd hoped. It wasn't like this when I had my body cleanse. Well, I guess I didn't do it like this. I could feel it, almost all the impurities were gone. It was magical. Back when I had my cleanse, only about 50 percent of the impurities could be removed. I had to find elixirs around Murim to get the perfect state. Hah. Those were tiring times.
Oh. I know a technique that could help. He'd probably flip on his grave if he found out I was using their secret arts for this. The Mount Hua secret art; Plum Blossoms Heart Sutra. A technique only passed down to the next sect leader.
With little tweaks and I was already smelling like plum blossoms. I wouldn't cultivate the technique outrightly. I'd just stick to my cultivation technique.
When I came back in, Kevin was already awake. Edmund remained asleep, snoring. The ox of a boy.
"Hmmm..." He reacted, catching a whiff of the scent in the air. He looked at me with eyes that seemed to be poking daggers at me.
"Where did you get a nice perfume like that?" he asked, walking closer. He looked at me funnily. "Did you sell yourself to some noble?" he added, smiling.
He seems to have forgotten what happened yesterday.
"I'll tell you about it later," I replied. "Now, about that Garrick guy..." I added, moving to get some clothes from where we'd stashed them.
"Ah. Yes," he responded like he'd been struck with lightning. "I've thought of it. And the only solution is for us to run from this area. Find a new base and start again," he responded, pacing a bit unconsciously.
So he's thought of it. As expected, the Jaegal family techniques would suit his brilliant mind.
Right, the most reasonable thing for us to do in a situation like this is to run away. Until today.
"We're not running," I replied.
"Huh?" He turned to me, confused. "So what do we do? Wait for some of his lackeys to kill us?" he added.
"I'm going to meet this Garrick person and give him a fat piece of my mind," I replied.
Pffttt... He burst out laughing.
I turned to him. "What's funny?" I asked.
"Well, if you go and meet him, he's definitely getting a fat piece of your heart. All of it, even. Bet some demonic worshippers will pay quite a hefty sum for your hearts," he replied, laughing.
Demonic worshippers? What are th—
Before I could think of the question, the memories from Theodore answered it. There seems to be demons in this world. Creatures different from humans. Hmm, how fascinating.
"You can do whatever you want, but we'll be gone by then. As a friend, I advise you to come with us. Then we can all survive," he added as he walked towards Edmund.
"Hey," I said loudly at him.
He startled a bit, then looked at me.
"Trust me. I've got a plan."
I looked at him.
He seemed to have analyzed me in that moment.
He sat on the floor and looked at me firmly.
Took a deep breath and asked, "So what's the plan?"
Now we're talking.