Cultivation is Creation

The initiate’s eyes flashed blood red as he shot forward, his foot leaving a spiderweb of cracks in the ground. The way he moved, the tension in his muscles, the look of barely controlled fear in his eyes – everything about him screamed that he was fighting for his life.

Just like last time, the Skybound didn’t know the difference between a spar and a death match.

I waited until the last possible moment, when his fist was less than an inch from my face. I could feel the displacement of air, see the red energy crackling around his knuckles. That’s when I activated Blink Step.

The world blurred briefly as I vanished, reappearing instantly at his side. His punch continued through the air, slamming into the wall behind where I'd been standing. The defensive formations flared to life as they absorbed and dispersed the impact.

Even through the magical barrier, I could feel the raw power behind his strike.

Not giving him time to recover, I channeled energy into the Titan's Crest on my left hand. The interlocking triangles burned with power as I struck at his exposed left side. The hit landed clean, and I felt the satisfying impact of enhanced strength meeting flesh and bone.

The force sent him tumbling across the floor, though he managed to turn it into a somewhat controlled roll before coming to a stop.

"Master," Azure observed as our opponent climbed back to his feet, "his control over runic energy suggests mid-rank 1 Skybound capabilities."

I gave a slight nod, keeping my eyes on the disciple. "If he has a trump card, his power probably reaches late rank 1." I glanced briefly at Elder Molric, who was watching with that unsettling gleam in his eyes. "Which is when I can turn to the elder and ask for some plant assistance. He should give me the vine."

My eyes narrowed. So he had the Blink Step rune too, or something similar. The displacement of air was subtly different though, suggesting a variation in the–

"Left!" Azure's warning came just in time.

I didn't hesitate, spinning into a back kick that met his incoming punch halfway. The impact sent vibrations up my leg – he'd enhanced the strike with some kind of strength rune. We separated, him sliding back several steps but otherwise unharmed.

He disappeared again, but this time Azure's warning came from an unexpected direction.

"Above!"

I activated Blink Step instantly, vanishing just as his heel crashed into the spot where I'd been standing. The floor actually cratered under the impact, defensive formations lighting up like a festival lantern as they struggled to contain the force.

A frown crossed my face as I assessed the situation. My Fundamental Rune hadn't absorbed much of the red sun's energy yet. I was speed-running things compared to last time, which meant combat practice was happening much earlier in the timeline. My pathetically low energy reserves couldn't compare to a proper mid-to-late rank Skybound.

The initiate wasn't giving me time to strategize. He charged in again, this time activating what looked like some kind of acceleration rune on his legs.

I barely managed to dodge the first few strikes of his combination. His fists blurred as he pressed the advantage, forcing me to constantly give ground. When I tried to counter with my own enhanced punch, he simply flowed around it like water.

"Impact Rune," Azure noted as another of the initiate's strikes cratered the wall beside my head. "Common among rank 1 practitioners. Converts momentum into explosive force on contact."

That explained the enhanced damage. I'd need to be more careful – a direct hit from that could do serious harm to this mortal body.

He came at me again, this time activating what looked like some kind of sensory enhancement rune around his eyes. The pattern helped track high-speed movement, if I remembered the manual correctly. Not good – it would make Blink Step less effective.

I activated the Aegis Mark on my back, the hexagonal shield pattern burning to life just in time to absorb a particularly vicious combination. The barrier held, but I felt my energy reserves dip dangerously. These exchanges were costing me too much power.

"Your left leg is open!" Azure warned as the initiate's kick slipped past my guard.

I managed to partially deflect it with my forearm, but the impact still sent me stumbling. Before I could recover, he was already closing in, another rune activating on his right arm. This one I didn't recognize – the pattern looked like interlinked chains that wrapped around his entire forearm.

"Chain Impact Rune," Azure supplied quickly. "Compounds the force of consecutive strikes."

Wonderful. Just what I needed – an opponent who could hit even harder.

The fight escalated as the initiate pressed his advantage. He Blink Stepped behind me, and I barely managed to turn in time to see his Chain-enhanced fist heading for my face.

I tried to dodge, jerking my head to the side, but he'd predicted the movement. The way his eyes tracked me suggested his sensory enhancement rune was letting him read my micro-expressions. His knuckles grazed my cheek, the Impact Rune converted the simple strike into an explosion of kinetic force that snapped my head to the side.

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I tasted blood and my vision blurred momentarily from the impact as I stumbled back.

"Focus, Master," Azure cautioned as I regained my footing, my boots scraping against the floor as I forced myself steady.

I spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground, watching it sizzle against the defensive formations. "Just getting warmed up."

The Skybound disappeared again, but this time I was ready. As he Blink Stepped to my left, I activated my own Blink Step, appearing above him. The Titan's Crest flared as I drove my heel down toward his shoulder.

He managed to get his forearm up in time, partially blocking the strike. The impact created a visible shockwave that rippled through the air. Even blocked, the enhanced strike had enough force to send him skidding across the floor, his boots leaving deep grooves in the surface as he tried to maintain his balance.

My victory was short-lived. Before I could land, he'd already recovered and Blink Stepped directly beneath me. His Chain-enhanced uppercut caught me square in the ribs. Even with the Aegis Mark absorbing most of the impact, I felt something crack. The force sent me flying toward the ceiling.

Gritting my teeth through the pain, I twisted in mid-air and kicked off the surface, the defensive formations rippling like disturbed water where my foot connected. The borrowed force launched me back down like an arrow, my body cutting through the air.

The initiate’s eyes widened, clearly not expecting me to recover so quickly. My Titan's Crest-enhanced punch caught him in the jaw, sending him sprawling.

We both regained our feet at the same time, breathing heavily. Blood trickled from a split in his lip, while my ribs screamed in protest with every breath. The Aegis Mark flickered worryingly as it tried to maintain its protective field, my energy reserves dropping dangerously low.

It looked like I wouldn’t be able to rely on my Fundamental Rune for much longer…

The disciple’s Chain Rune began pulsing again as he prepared another assault. The linked patterns now covered his entire arm, suggesting he was about to unleash something even more powerful.

"Show Tomas why they call you Bane!" Elder Molric suddenly shouted, his voice full of too much enthusiasm.

My eyes widened. Bane? That didn't sound promising at all.

"Master," Azure commented thoughtfully, "the elder seems to know the initiates he selects as your opponents. These matchups may not be as random as they appear."

Before I could process that concerning observation, Bane did something that made me think this world might actually be more dramatic than the cultivation realm – he ripped off his robe and threw it to the ground with a smirk.

"That seems a bit extreme," I muttered, but then I saw why he'd done it. There was an enormous rune carved into his chest, far more complex than any of the basic enhancement patterns we'd been using.

Elder Molric's smile widened. "Ah yes, the Rune of Arkos!"

What does it do? I wondered, studying the intricate pattern. The design was unlike anything in the manual – all sharp angles and jagged lines that hurt to look at directly.

"We'll find out soon enough," Azure replied grimly.

As if on cue, Bane screamed. The sound was pure agony, but he made no move to stop as the rune on his chest began to pulse with bloody light. His muscles bulged grotesquely, bones cracking and reforming as his entire body transformed. In seconds, he had nearly doubled in size, becoming a hulking figure of rippling muscle and protruding veins.

I had plenty of opportunities to attack during the transformation. It wasn't quick or subtle, but this was perfect. If I played this right, I could get exactly what I needed from the elder.

I made a show of looking around the empty room, as though searching for something.

"Boy, you should always come prepared,” the elder laughed as he pulled a vine from his robes and tossed it to me.

I caught it with a smile, immediately recognizing my old friend from the previous timeline. The vine curled around my arm with that same affectionate motion I remembered. I settled into a ready stance, grateful that at least one part of my plan had worked out. Now I just had to survive whatever came next.

"Let's show Bane what we can do," I whispered to it, feeling it tighten slightly in response.

The transformed initiate towered over me now, his muscles literally glowing with crimson energy as the Rune of Arkos pulsed like a second heart.

The transformation had changed more than just his size – his eyes now burned like miniature red suns, and his skin had taken on a metallic sheen that probably meant enhanced durability.

Bane took one earth-shaking step forward, the ground cracked beneath his feet, and his voice had dropped to an inhuman growl.

"This," I muttered to Azure, "might have been what Elder Molric meant by 'accidents.'"

"His energy signature has completely changed. The transformation seems to have temporarily elevated him to Late Rank 1,” Azure replied.

Elder Molric's delighted cackling echoed through the chamber as he settled in to watch the show.

"Ready?" I whispered to the vine.

The vine's response was to weave itself into a familiar combat formation, its tip hovering like a serpent ready to strike.

The real fight was about to begin.

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