Chapter 834 (Patreon)

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A single attack to turn the tides, a single strike to end this war.

That’s what I was going for, but it turns out I’m not that guy.

The Eternal Emperor is just better. There. I said it. The bitter admission steals away my courage and resolve as I crash into the desert sands below, an impact which might well have killed me if not for Pong Pong’s protective sphere of flowing water. Even then, my limp frame slides a fair distance before coming to a gradual stop, the agony so complete I can barely form a coherent thought except to lament my miserable state. The Energy of the Heavens flows through me to mend what ails me, but with my chest caved in, lungs punctured by broken ribs, and upper spine shattered into literal pieces, it’ll be a minute before I’m ready for the next round. Maybe even longer than since I failed to factor in my new and improved physique, one which will take significantly more effort and energy to Heal despite offering no added advantage against my formidable foe. My tough skin, dense muscles, and sturdy bones might as well be made of wet paper for all the good it did me, though in hindsight, I suppose I might well have died if I’d taken this attack before Ascending to Divinity.

Whoop-de-doo. I can survive a single punch, a haphazard, impromptu counter delivered carelessly without a proper follow through. In contrast, I spent several seconds putting everything I had into a single Chi bullet which I unleashed with the barrel literally in the Eternal Emperor’s face, but he took it like a champ and put an early end to any offensive momentum I might’ve built up. Pretty sure that’s all she wrote now, because not only do I know he’s better and faster at Healing than I am, but now that I think about it, he probably doesn’t even need his body to be in full fighting condition before he can get back up and end my existence. You know, on account of how he’s puppeting a meat suit rather than walking around in his own skin, which is just totally unfair.

I mean c’mon. I’ve powered up like three times today and I’m still out of my league. Not because I’m weak, but far from it, in fact, because as far as I can tell, I think I’d probably put up a decent enough fight against any Demonic Divinities even without relying on Pong Pong or Cleansing. I’m not saying I can cut them down like chaff, because far from it, but I’m confident I could keep myself safe while fighting your standard feral Demonic Divinity, with enough attention to spare to keep it from nuking me to oblivion. Again, this is without Cleansing, and with it, I could end every Demonic Divinity here in Shi Bei in a matter of seconds. Buddy has already shown what he can do, but he’s a dumb dog acting on pure instinct, meaning he is approaching this in the stupidest and most inefficient way possible. Rather than seek to isolate the Demonic Divinities in ones and twos, I would instead work with my allies to corral them all in one group so I can get in real close, Manifest my Natal Palace, and drag them all down into the depths of my Natal Sea in one fell swoop. Once there, their corporeal bodies will promptly be dissolved into goop while their Spiritual bits are rendered into usable Heavenly Energy for me to squander as I please, ending the Demonic Divinity threat and freeing up my allies to resume battle against the non-Demonic Divinities still lurking about.

I’d love to know how I measure up against a regular Divinity too, but in spite of my… not better, but more complete Ascension, I doubt I’d fare too well against the Enemy Divinities here in Shi Bei. While Demonic Divinities are formidable, they’re largely feral and stupid to boot, so even if they are stronger and less restrained, once you remove the risk of incidental nukes, a regular Divinity makes for a far more dangerous threat. Only the desire to minimize the risk to their lives has kept the Defiled Divinities from joining hands with the Demonic Divinities to slaughter the remaining Imperial Divinities of Shi Bei, an outcome which might well have already come to pass if not for the latest addition of the Empire’s newest Divinities.

Who I helped Ascend, so technically, I should get at least half the credit for their efforts.

First and foremost is the formidable Shooting Star Nian Zu, with his meticulously groomed beard in impeccable condition despite enduring a siege for the better part of two weeks and fighting for the last several hours without rest. The same can’t be said of his signature and now battle-worn gold and black armour or fluttering cloak embroidered with the Situ crest, both of which have seen better days, yet this does nothing to lessen the imposing presence of the highest-ranking Officer on this battlefield. The first time I met him, I likened him to a hero straight out of a kid’s book, a robust, aged gentleman who exuded power from every fibre of his being. His presence alone demanded obedience and threatened violence without have to so much as move a muscle in threat, yet when he finally spoke, it was accompanied by booming laughter and a warm expression, and his subsequent words and actions told me he was a man of principle I could trust without having to utter those actual words.

And today, he proves it yet again, not just to me, but to every soldier in Shi Bei as he hurls the Shooting Star clean through the head of an unsuspecting Defiled Divinity and injures four others standing nearby with the resulting explosion.

The hostilities between Divinities came to a crashing halt so that they could all watch my Ascension, but Nian Zu is a grizzled veteran who knows it is always best to strike first, strike hard, and show no mercy. As a Martial Warrior and Peak Expert, this foes feared this signature move of his, one powerful enough to flatten a palatial manor even when he was still mortal. As a Divinity, Nian Zu’s offensive capability has improved by leaps and bounds, but his pride, honour, and adherence to the treaty keeps him from unleashing hell upon the mortal Half-Demons threatening the lives of his soldiers in Shi Bei. The frustration radiates off him in dark, malignant waves as he charges shield-first at the Demonic Divinities he only just scattered with his mace, leading the attack with a heroic bellow of rage and fury both as he himself becomes the Shooting Star. The air shakes, the sand explodes, and the fabric of reality itself threatens to unravel and implode as he descends upon the desert below as violence incarnate. As the dust settles, I spot his target hurtling away through the air thanks to its quick reaction, but even then, the Northern Colonel General forced the Demonic Divinity to leave its two legs behind.

This marks two and half Demonic Divinities he’s killed since the battle began, which doesn’t seem like much until I remember that they’ve only been around for a new minutes at most. Nian Zu himself has only been a Divinity for a few minutes longer than that, and his achievements are all the more impressive when compared to most other Imperial Divinities. Not necessarily the ones who Ascended alongside him, but rather those supposedly formidable Ancestral Beasts who acted all high and mighty in Nan Ping. The Ancestral Bull Niu Mowang makes for an impressive sight in his full suit of Runic plate armour, but even though the hostilities have only just resumed, he’s already being battered around by two Demonic Divinities who’ve surrounded him. While the Imperials are outnumbered by the Demons in the battle of Divinities, Niu Mowang only has his own lacking combat sense to blame for his lamentable plight. Despite falling far short in terms of skill, timing, and preparation, the Ancestral Bull tried to emulate Nian Zu’s actions and landed himself in a hot mess, one the Weasel Divinity Fu Zhu Li is fighting to help extricate him from.

Which just goes to reinforce everything I said about Fung being a more suitable main character than me, because he even has a Divinity for a manservant.

I always knew there was more to Fu Zhu Li than meet’s the eye, especially after he admitted that even Guard Leader couldn’t stop him from killing me if he pleased, but despite his agile and spirited movements on the battlefield, his prowess in actual combat leaves much to be desired. This isn’t to say he’s weak, because far from it, but rather that he could be using his formidable speed and strength in a much more effective manner if he spent a few hours every day practicing the Forms. Even though his movements are fluid, natural, and graceful as can be, it’s clear that it’s been a long time since Fu Zhu Li has been in a fight. A moment of hesitation here, a hair too slow to react there, there’s a general sense of indecision and unfamiliarity emanating off him as he fights with twin daggers that I suspect aren’t even Spiritual Weapons, but just regular steel Plated in Domain.

The same general lack of skill and familiarity can be seen in many other Imperial Divinities as well, like Mama Gam dancing around three Demonic Divinities and has yet to utilize her Blessing of Earth, or Matchali and Da Hui, the Ancestral Tiger and Ancestral Grizzly from the Saint’s Tribulation’s Mountains who throw slow, powerful haymakers or telegraphed, sweeping kicks and wonder why they’re unable to hit the Bristleboar Divinity, whose bulky, rotund frame is more agile than it appears. In hindsight, I shouldn’t be so surprised since most Divinities lack the opportunity to test their strength and hone their skills, as opposed to the newly Ascended Nian Zu who dedicated most of his century of life immersed in bloody conflict, be it against Clan, Society, rival, or Defiled.

Of course, there are exceptions, like the golden-furred WuKong, Argat and Jochi’s father who fights like a Warrior born with a dazzling smile etched across his handsome, round face. Though he’s only killed one Demonic Divinity so far, he’s also under more pressure than Nian Zu as Mataram YuKon has the Monkey Divinity set in his sights. The traitorous Divinity makes his move as WuKong is mid-way through what would be a killing thrust delivered towards a helpless Demonic Divinity, if not for the fact that it was all a feint meant to bait his cunning opponent in. Staff meets spear with a resounding clash, and they exchanges moves faster than I can follow, Mataram YuKon exhibiting consummate skill while WuKong counters with unrivalled familiarity. There’s a manufactured deadliness to the Mataram founder’s movements, for in becoming One with the Weapon, he has himself become the spear, yet it stands in stark contrast to WuKong’s approach to the same step. Rather than become the staff, the staff has become a part of him as he twirls and flings it about, no different from his limbs or tail. As he backpedals away from YuKon’s offensive, WuKong pushes the butt against the sand like a paddle to hasten his retreat, only to jams it down to stop him in place and spin about to avoid an otherwise unavoidable thrust. Placing both feet against the planted staff, he uses his weapon as a springboard to propel him to one side before utilizing the same motion to fling a wall of sand at his foe before delivering a blind, yet accurate thrust through it. Even though Mataram YuKon is wholly capable of matching these movements, he’s never seen anyone fight like this in an actual life-and-death match, which means that he is slow to react to his opponent’s unpredictable style and takes the thrust head-on without raising a defense. Alas, his Runic armour is enough to ward off the lion’s share of the blow, and he uses the momentum to beat a hasty retreat while the Demonic Divinity keeps WuKong from chasing after.

The Old Wolf would be equally impressive, if not for the significant handicap Buddy entails. Powerful as my doggo might be, he doesn’t know how to pick his moments which means the Old Wolf has his hands full keeping my sweet puppy safe as he dives headlong into the fray in pursuit of his delectable Demonic treats. As for the remaining established Divinities, few stand out enough to notice, though the ones still fighting are heads and shoulders above the cowards who’ve already booked it, like Gang Shu and the stupid Ancestral Rhino with all his talk of righteousness and justice. As such, even though she has only recently Ascended and was grievously wounded by Zhen Shi shortly after, the Sword Empress Jeong Hyo Lynn has become a core fixture of the Imperial defenders, one even more significant than Nian Zu. While the Colonel General boasts of unmatched offensive prowess, Jeong Hyo Lynn fights in a more defensive style as she flits from one encounter to the next to lend aid to her beleaguered allies. Her trio of swords form a scintillating storm of steel and sand as they descend upon Demonic and Defiled Divinity alike, parrying, Deflecting, or outright blocking what could potentially be killing blows while setting her ally up for success.

A tactic chosen out of necessity rather than effectiveness, but she’s made the most of what she has available, and I can understand why her offensive strength is so lacking compared to Nian Zu. It all has to do with Intent, in that Jeong Hyo Lynn relies too much on her sword to convey it, for in her eyes, the sharpness and violence inherent in the weapon itself is enough to reap lives with little more than a flick of the wrist. While that would have sufficed against mortal foes, her opponents are Divinities now and made of sterner stuff, so she’ll need to come up with a real killing move if she wants to contribute to the tally of dead Enemy Divinities.

Then again, she might not have to because Akanai has her covered and then some, an unstoppable force on the battlefield as she runs rampant through the Enemy forces despite having three Demons and two Ancestral Beasts dedicated to keeping her in check. For all their efforts to keep the pressure on her, my Grand-Mentor and Mother-in-Law needs only a single moment to break free, and once that moment is over and done with, an Enemy Divinity will either be wounded or killed. Her Ground-Shrinking Strike is just too fast for the Enemy to keep up with her, enabling her to charge to and fro about the battlefield to pick off vulnerable targets who thought themselves safe to retreat or commit to the attack. None have killed more Divinities than Akanai, not even Buddy, as she’s killed seven so far and looks to add an eighth as she swings her ax-lance like a baseball bat at her oncoming assailant. A Defiled Ancestral Beast with twin horns protruding from the base of his forehead, which identify him as Yan’s sire, Surkithyr. His rugged, porcelain features are twisted with hate and make the taint all the more obvious, his skin no longer flawless and his face slightly asymmetrical unlike those of his Imperial counterparts. While still a handsome and downright beautiful man on all accounts, there’s an ugly cast to it all that sours the overall effect, a subtle droop of a cheek here and a slight curve of the eyelid there that sticks out like a sore thumb.

And as Akanai’s pole-ax hurtles towards his midsection, Surkithyr’s disproportional eyes widen in surprise and despair as he comes to terms with what is likely his impending death.

Alas, the odds are too stacked against her as the other Defiled Divinity interferes, a once-human Chieftain covered in the hides of his foes and wielding a massive bone club in both hands. Primitive and crude though his appearance might be, his skills are nothing to sneeze at, honed over a lifetime of conflict bloodier than I could even imagine that has shaped him into the consummate Warrior than he is today. Between him, Surkithyr, and the three Demonic Divinities, Akanai has no choice but to retreat before their frenzied assault and seek allies to help extricate her from her plight.

The others are all busy with their own fights, but Akanai’s dilemma does not go unnoticed, for despite the bitter fighting on the Walls of Shi Bei, Husolt has never once shifted his attention away from his beloved wife. Four hundred plus years they’ve been together, and he loves her now more than ever, with a burning passion and adoring devotion that few will every truly know. The heights of his love are only matched by the depths of his self-loathing, coupled with several unhealthy extra portions of rage, anger, and hatred in general. Despite accompanying her out of the mountains and standing at her side every step along the way, he is longer capable of supporting his beloved wife, and for this, he clearly blames himself. It’s not the fact that he’s weaker that bothers him so, because he’s proud of her strength, skill, and ambition. He’s always known she was meant for greatness, knew it right form the start, because she’d always been the more talented and devoted one, while he kept up by virtue of sheer necessity with more than a little luck and guidance to help him along.

Except now, he can’t even stand behind her, much less beside her, because not only is he incapable of providing any assistance, his presence would prove a hindrance to Akanai’s actions and a weakness for her enemies to exploit. All he can do is watch in impotent rage as the love of his life struggles against foes too strong for him to face, and he hates himself for being too weak to lend a hand when she needs it the most. If only he’d learned to master his emotions, to set his rage and hatred aside, a trial and tribulation he’s contended with for more than fifty years now, and still has yet to wholly overcome. For these five decades, not only has his wife supported him from the side, never once losing faith that he would recover in time, but she’s also shouldered the fate of the People and the Saint’s Tribulations Mountains both all by her lonesome. Even though he was always there to help if she needed him, she never once faltered or wavered without his support, proving once and for all that he’d only ever been holding her back, the same way he held her back in Central.

If not for him urging her to swallow her grievances and play it safe in Central, their enemies would never have been so bold as make an attempt to capture her in broad daylight, leaving her no choice but to slaughter her assailants. Were this a private feud, there still would have been room for both sides to step back, but with so many witnesses to the incident, their enemies had no choice but to react with aggression in an attempt to regain lost face. Husolt’s soft-minded ways led to three young talents dying early in Central, and his wife taking grievous injury to boot, so every time he saw the scar over his left eye, he saw the faces of the dead and the bloodied features of his wife, which ignited his rage anew.

And so when Akanai Ascended to Divinity and left Husolt so far behind, he wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. On the one hand, his incompetence could no longer bring her any harm, but she was also left without support and understanding. Proud as he was of her accomplishments, he could not find it in himself to look past his self-hatred and just be happy for how far she’d come. All he could do was think back about the times when her would-be admirers said she was a flower planted in bear shit and lament at the waste, a hurtful statement he could not deny, for she had always been too good for him.

Much as I want to help my Father-in-Law with his inner turmoil, I dare not offer any advice, because in spite of my new and improved perspective of Balance, I don’t understand it well enough to convey in words or emotions. That’s why my severed Natal Soul is helpless to help Husolt, and the same can be said for the one assigned to Huushal, who similarly hates himself for being too weak to save his uncle Kalil during the fighting around Sanshu. That hatred has built up a pyre of anger which blazes with full force as he rides through the Half-Demon cavalry, a paltry few riders who number a few hundred in total yet are holding back the combined might of tens of thousands of Imperial riders seeking to support the defenders of Shi Bei. Huushal doesn’t really care about all that, doesn’t care about the big picture or winning the war, because he has his sights set on the man who killed his Uncle Kalil, and come hell or highwater, my friend means to fight him. The anger consumes his every thought as he charges headlong towards the mounted Half-Demon, unknowingly flanked by his wives and mother, Yesui, Yosai, and Ghurda. The three of them fight with frantic desperation in their efforts to keep up, yet Huushal doesn’t even notice their presence, or the fact that they’ve saved him from otherwise certain death three times now as he fixates on his foe at the expense of all else. The Spectres continue to spur him on, new ones and old that he never got around to fully divesting himself of, and even though my Natal Soul is in there with them, his voice of reason is drowned out by the Spectres spurring Huushal onwards towards self-destruction.

Oddly enough, Huu’s nemesis is similarly conflicted as he fights with axe in hand. Vithar is his name, a Chieftain lost in the throes of delight amidst all this battle and bloodshed, yet there’s a sense of disorientation emanating from deep within, one my Natal Soul picked up on and tried to bolster. At first, Vithar’s transformation filled him with pride and elation as he fought to his heart’s content, but now he’s trying to remember why he’s still here, fighting in a war he no longer believes in. Despite their reputation of war-loving savages, the Defiled are only driven to fight so often because usually they have no other choice. There are limited resources to be had in the ruined wastes outside the Empire’s borders, so without enough to go around, conflict becomes a necessity. This is doubly true when the bodies of allies and enemies alike provide sustenance to the survivors, yet Vithar is one of a select few Defiled who yearn for something more. Where I see the arid deserts of the Western Provinces as a death trap, Vithar sees it as paradise compared to the frozen tundra of the north, a utopia in which he and his fellow tribesman can grow fat and happy without struggling to survive every damn day of their lives. Yet as he looks around this most glorious battlefield encased in Demonic Armour of his own creation, he sees none of his tribesmen fighting at his side, which elicits and profound yearning and sentiment I would’ve never expected from a murderous Defiled Chieftain covered in the blood of my allies.

There’s a woman on his mind, one he loves as much as he knows how to, and a child they were meant to raise together, one he looked forward to teaching without having to worry too much about the price of failure. There is no more reason to fight, no objective to accomplish here in Shi Bei or comrade to save, so Vithar wonders why he is still fighting with nothing to gain. Then Huu’s sabre is upon him, and he has no time for distraction anymore, because even though the Defiled Chieftain is far stronger than my friend, he is not strong enough to kill Huushal out of hand, much less disregard Yesui, Yosai, or Ghurda close behind. To make matters worse, his instincts are blunted and his actions unsure, because in his confusion, the voice of the Demonic Spirit inhabiting his armour and directing his thoughts has grown quiet and subdued, while Vithar has yet to obtain new Spectres to spur him to hatred and bloodshed.

Each of these issues from Husolt, Huushal, and Vithar, they all stem from a lack of Balance, yet the Balance they need is unique to themselves, or at the very least, completely different from mine. Where I often find myself at the whims of my compassion and empathy, their issue is largely with rage and anger, so while we might have some overlap between us, there is no cure all solution I can provide to help them through this. My particular brand of Balance is just something I stumbled across in a moment of Insight, an ineffable feeling and sensation that just seems right, but how can I be sure it would help someone else, which means these troubled individuals are all shit out of luck.

There are many others who share similar issues with Balance, too many for me to list out, though there are a few who deserve an honourable mention. Mao Jianghong for example, whose burning hatred for the Empire is dwindling fast as the Demonic Spirit within his armour forces him to relive the memories of the worst day in his life, all in a ham-fisted attempt to elicit more rage. Killing the goose that lays the golden eggs as it were, so eager to squeeze out more emotion that the Demonic Spirit doesn’t notice how Jianghong has become numb to it all, and therefore more clear-minded and able to think. Then there’s the man who sired me, except his problem isn’t a lack of Balance, but rather that his Balance is so extreme that he oscillates from one end of the emotional spectrum to the other without so much as blinking an eye. Ankhbayar is so proud of Gerel, so pleased to see his cherished son has grown into a capable man, and he wishes his wife was here to see it. That’s why he’s so eager to kill Gerel, so that he can be reunited with his mother who misses him so, so much that no other child could replace him in her heart no matter how much they tried.

As for my brother, Gerel is similarly struggling with Balance as he watches his father fight his father-figure, my Dad Baatar whose second-wind is soon fading as exhaustion sinks in once more. If he were stronger, Gerel could help shoulder the burden, but he’s seen enough to know that trying to step in now might well cause both his and Dad’s death. All my brother can do is support Dad from the side and hate himself for being weak, while Naaran does the same while nursing his wounds cursing his age, incompetence, lack of dedication, and thousand other things. This more than anything proves that I was born into the world, rather than transmigrated, because now I see that gloom and self-loathing runs in our blood, though Ankhbayar seems deluded enough to have avoided this particular pitfall, or he makes up for it in other ways.

And here I am, a fresh True Divinity (I think), broken and helpless to act, unable to even share my perspective for fear of leading these troubled friends down the wrong Path.

Even if there is no wrong Path, there are some mistakes you can’t come back from, so between the bitter fighting and the permeating air of desperation, I am unwilling to take this risk. My Balance is too poorly defined to share, too uncertain and unproven to be of any use, so all I can do is swallow my pride and scour my mind for a solution I am unable to find.

Of course, it’s not all doom and gloom in Shi Bei, as there are plenty of success stories to bolster morale, like Tenjin’s acceptance of himself and the freedom he personally desires. A different from the freedom I pursue, but a freedom all the same, and one he feels has been denied him because of the Path he took in life. The Firebirds he crafts represents the carefree skies he yearns for, where he can put away the heavy burdens of expectations laid upon him, and he has finally come to see this. What’s more, he senses a camaraderie with his firebirds he never felt before, and unbeknownst to him, if he should put time and effort enough into his hopes and dreams, then perhaps one day he will create a Spiritual entity with a soul of its own, and maybe even a body and mind if he is able to find the Path to True Divinity himself.

Grandpa Du feels younger than he ever has before as he trades blows with the traitor Mao Jianghong. Which honestly works against him, because if Grandpa Du eased up a little, then his opponent might just defeat himself, but the pressure placed upon him is too much for him to give in wholly to his thoughts. Grandpa Du doesn’t care however, because he’s here to kick ass and take names, and he’s aiming to add Mao Jianghong to his list before what he believes is his last wind plays out. The good news is that Grandpa Du is not, in fact, on the brink of death and using up the last of his strength in one final burst. No, he’s feeling younger and stronger thanks to a collaborative effort between my Natal Soul and Buddy. See, in his infinite doggy wisdom, which I sometimes confuse for stupidity, Buddy has already figured out the secrets to life force while I still have yet to come up with the right questions to ask. Thus, with so much to spare, he is more than happy to share some with the wrinkly human who doles out treats every hour like it’s Halloween, an expression I put together for Buddy’s burning excitement to introduce himself to someone he’s already decided to love.

Though she still grieves for her fallen brother, Ryo Da’in finds comfort in the happiness her little sister has found on the battlefield, and has committed to finding her own happiness no matter the cost, one she will bear on her own shoulders if she is able to, or die trying. Though she has yet to work out all the details, her willingness to follow her heart has enabled her to become One with the Self and One with the Sword as the Sword Princess shows the Enemy why she was considered the undisputed Number One Talent of her Generation. Whereas Fung is on the cusp of forming Sword Intent, Da’in’s Domain erupts with it, Materializing a whole armoury of radiant swords in the skies the same way her father did in the Central Citadel, and using them to rain death down upon her foes and keep her little sister and her lover safe.

The sight fills Kyung with warm pride and eager yearning, one he embraces as he Cloud-Steps over to Da’in’s side, cutting down a Half-Demon intent on mutually assured destruction to bring down the new Sword Queen. Their eyes meet for all of a moment before they both turn away out of embarrassment, but neither one retreats as they fight side by side, for both are finally willing to risk it all for love.

There are countless stories like this, and many more that end in tragedy as Imperials and Defiled alike die in droves on the walls of Shi Bei. Unlike the match between the Eternal Emperor and myself, the battle below is still anybody’s game, so I’m putting my last ditch efforts to use where they might actually make a different. I know this sounds like I’ve given up and called it quits, but I haven’t. I’ve only acknowledge the fact that I have no way of defeating my monstrous foe, which means I’m probably gonna die and become the newest prisoner in his court of souls. That being said, the battle for Shi Bei can still be won, so long as my opponent adheres to the Treaty and leaves the mortals to their own struggles. A part of me hopes he’ll be content with his victory and leave my loved ones alone, a small, quiet, stupid part that the rest of me envies, because I know the Eternal Emperor is a petty, small-minded, vengeful asshole who will delight in tormenting me because I dared to challenge him.

So yea. I’m not ready to give up just yet, and I will struggle to the last breath, but given the limited window of opportunity left to me here in Shi Bei, I don’t have time to indulge in feel-good moments. I need to punch out as many problems as I can before the Eternal Emperor stands up again, which will be long before I am ready to do the same. I haven’t exactly been just twiddling my thumbs all this time, as I’ve been Healing as quickly as Panacea will allow, but this is nowhere near quickly enough given the speed at which my foe’s face knits itself together. That’s the difference between guided direction and just letting the body take care of itself, but given my lack of practice with Healing, any attempt I make to speed things along will almost certainly end in tumorous disaster. To make matters worse, Taddy and Hua Lie haven’t been standing around either, and have in fact been trying to end the Eternal Emperor’s reign once and for all, but despite missing a good three-quarters of his face, the rest of him seems more than capable of avoiding their attacks, while simultaneously Concealing himself to hide for a moment or two before being discovered yet again.

Seriously, why won’t the Emperor just die? He’s been around forever and done nothing worthwhile with his life, so I don’t see how he hasn’t just shrivelled up and died out of sheer shame.

Short of another miraculous bout of Balance heralding yet another Ascension for me to partake in, I’m pretty much screwed, so I’ve focused entirely on managing my army of Natal Souls and working to solve the problems they bring to me. Alas, they are me, which means any problem they can’t find a solution for is also beyond my abilities to solve, meaning that I’m just running circles around inside my head trying to go beyond my meagre limits. The limited omniscience of my Ascension has long since faded and gone, yet I fear even if I were able to find it again, the Heavens won’t have a solution in store for me, because in their eyes, the Eternal Emperor’s status quo is an acceptable form of Balance, a slow and suffocating Balance that makes light of humanity’s nigh endless potential, but a Balance all the same.

As if to punctuate the accuracy of the statement, the Eternal Emperor arrives before my still mangled body and picks me up by the throat, forcing me to look him in his disfigured face which has still yet to wholly Heal. Honestly, doesn’t look half-bad for a guy who took a bullet to the face, with most of the meat and bones all back where they belong, though still missing some chunks here and there. A lot of skin too, which makes his eyes look all the creepier, almost protruding out from the sockets and kept in place by veins and nerves alone. “Your futile struggle will now end,” the half-healed Eternal Emperor declares, his upper row of teeth and gums exposed due to a lack of nose and skin.

Using this time wisely to check on Taddy and Hua Lie, I find them being kept at bay by two Demonic Divinities, except I can tell my Teacher is only holding back so he can buy time to prepare a more powerful attack. Hoping to distract the Eternal Emperor, I scour my scrambled brain for a witty retort, but after pushing through the searing agony and the flood of information being sent back by my Natal Souls, the best I can come up with is, “Oh good. I was getting real sweaty lying in the sand.”

“The courage of youth and ignorance,” comes the Eternal Emperor’s predictable reply, so happy to gloat and preen whenever he has the upper hand. “But this Sovereign shall soon teach you the true meaning of regret.” Casting an arm out to gesture at the battle below, he offers me a smug, ghastly grin so full of teeth and bones. “How does it feel to know all your efforts have only served to doom them all? Though it is almost certain you have no intentions of seizing a new host of inhabit, this Sovereign will not risk having to contest against your Natal Souls after another century has passed. The seeds you have planted will not be allowed to flourish, your hopes dashed and your isolation complete, for everyone you know and love will die before your eyes, their lives sacrificed as the first of many devoted to this Sovereign’s progress, but not before they suffer through agonies beyond your feeble imagination.” As he looms over me for full effect, patches of skin crop up and radiate outwards in no discernable pattern, showing that even his half-hearted Healing is beyond anything I can match. “Oh? Nothing to say, worm? No clever gibe or insolent retort to pass along in your moment of defeat? Come now, this Sovereign expected more from a foe so troublesome to defeat.”

“…You thought I was troublesome?” Psh. Yea right. “I troubled you. Me. Trouble you. Wow.” Shaking my head in honest disbelief, I chuckle beneath my breath while coming to terms with this simple, yet honest truth, one delivered straight from the horse’s mouth. The Eternal Emperor, who has been around for Mother knows how long and has strength beyond anything I can match, found me troublesome to defeat. I mean, I lost in the end, but that’s still a dub in my books. Seeing his confusion, I offer him a genuine smile that I couldn’t keep off my face if I tried. “You asked me how I feel? Honestly, relieved now. I did my best and got some good shots in, which is really all anyone can ask for.” Gesturing at the Warriors below, I reiterate the truth the Eternal Emperor only just admitted, but from a different perspective. “More importantly, I showed you and the world the potential humanity has to offer, which is a truth you can try to erase, but even if everyone here in Shi Bei doesn’t live through the day, the ideas and possibilities I’ve introduced will still persist.”

Judging from his gaze, it’s clear the Eternal Emperor thinks I’m referring to crossbows, Spiritual Rifles, and Runic Cannons, but I’m talking about so much more. Paper money, fair wages, better working standards, compound interest, glass, concrete, the list goes on and on, but even if we take away the inventions themselves, there’s still the idea of advancing by way of technological progress. Maybe most people won’t realize it, but I’ve shown them a bit of how I see the world, atop the shoulders of giants who came before me, one the Cao-Cao’s, Liu Xuande’s, Diyako’s, and other geniuses of the Empire can use to shape the future before them, one that will no doubt deviate from the Eternal Emperor’s vision. Then there’s the fact that Liang Wu Di no doubt intends to use the wealth of the Liang Family to pump out Runic Cannons en masse, else why would the Liang Baldy be lurking in the wings watching the Tyrant OuYang Yuhuan like a hawk?

It’s not much, but it’s something, so even though my efforts will end in ultimate defeat, it’s possible I’ve planted the seeds of eventual victory, ones which will flower into trials and tribulations even the Eternal Emperor cannot overcome. I am but a man, but no man is an island, both in the army and in collective human race. I alone would never have been enough to turn the tiller of progress, but with enough like-minded individuals and a series of bloody, hard-fought revolutions, then maybe, just maybe we have a chance after all.

Speaking of which… that gives me an idea, a wild one that has almost no chance of succeeding, but what else do I have to lose? While my foe is still busy trying to puzzle out the meaning of my words, I task a few Natal Souls with saying goodbye to my loved ones whenever it is convenient, while bidding Pong Pong a fond farewell. “Thanks little guy,” I Send, even though I can’t pinpoint his exact location, but even if the message doesn’t make it to him, I’m hoping my Aura of emotions makes it through. “You should go now. There’s nothing left for you here. Sorry I couldn’t provide you with the safe home I promised. I love you, and goodbye.”

There is no reply, nor am I expecting one as I ready myself for my last stand. It’s a long shot, but when the bases are loaded with two outs in the ninth, it doesn’t matter how many times you’ve struck out or fouled before. All you can do is swing for the fences and hope for the best, so here goes nothing.