Martha's heart rattled like a machine gun, pumping her mind full of Spirit Qi, slowing the world down. She stared at the massive Guided Arrow as if it were a guillotine. "Not today!"
Showcasing her immense experience, she summoned [Wind Dance], which controlled air, kicking up a dust storm that hid her from Guided Arrow's sight.
Then she jumped after summoning [Wind Blades] and controlling them with the Wind Dance technique, shredding the tree's limbs above them.
Everything happened in a split second.
WHOOOOOSH!
CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRACK-CRAAACCKKkkKKkkKk! BOOM, Boom, BOOOM, BOOM, BOOM!
"That cunt!" Sage yelled, jumping out of the way of falling debris. While she could see through the dirt, her vision was muddled by the dozen wind blades and variable falling leaves.
Moreover, she couldn't lock onto the woman because she had to dodge, distracting her vision.
"Where'd she--" The redhead's eyes widened in horror when she saw the cultivator wielding a fixed bolt of Qi 20 feet away, "No--GAHHhHHhhHHhH!"
The non-guided arrow blew off the redhead's shoulder, sending blood all over the place.
Martha sighed a breath of relief that Kaze was right and his Soul Contract could differentiate from a fight-or-flight response and bloodlust. She was worried she might have died.
"Sage!" Kylie yelled, running through the forest, "Jake, Veronica, take care of Martha. I'll do first aid on Sage!"
"You got it." Veronica said coldly, glancing at the redhead with annoyance, "Make sure she gets her fragile ego put together. Punishment or not, we're preparing for a life-or-death attack--this training isn't for her."
Kylie looked at Kaze's regent, but he also shook his head.
"Kylie, if healing Sage is a punishment, then she's not worth training." Jake said somberly, "We can't have someone throwing a fit on a battlefield."
Sage's eyes trembled, hearing him chastise her and then run into the distance.
"While they sound cold, I'll also choose Kaze over you without hesitation after all you've done." Kylie warned, waving her hand over Sage's stub, stopping the bleeding, "No regret, Sage."
"You're all acting like I committed a heinous crime or traumatized someone." The redhead replied bitterly, "Mandy was thrilled for the opportunity I gave her--Kaze stole that from her."
"You're so delusional it makes me sick." The brunette scoffed, standing up, "Your actions could trigger a panic that people need to fulfill twisted requests to get ahead.
You're threatening everyone's lives, Sage. It's about impact, not law--perception, not reality."
"I"m not threatening everyone." Sage scoffed, "Otherwise, I wouldn't be alive after poking his weakness. You all need me; I don't need anyone's mercy... wait, what--AGhHHhhHHhHH!"
Kylie squatted, grabbed the woman's healing shoulder, and squeezed, making it rupture again. Blood exploded into the ground, making the redhead scream in agony.
"You [just] threatened everyone's life for your ego." She said coldly, "So you know what--fine. We'll see if you can survive without anyone's mercy.
I hope you find out sooner than later that Kaze doesn't [need] you--because I'm done protecting you."
Sage groaned on the ground, trying to use Minor Healing on herself past the pain.
"You know, Kaze is also a selfish narcissist." Kylie said, standing, "But while you're busy hurting people for twisted pleasure, he's helping everyone. That's what I love about him.
Being a narcissist doesn't make you good or bad--you do that. You have no excuses."
The brunette ran after Veronica and Jake, following the sound of explosions in the distance.
a??a"�a"?a"�a??a"�a"?a"�a??
-
At Lainwright Military Base, a similar scene was playing out.
Thud! "GahhhHHhHH!"
Thud, thud... thud! "AGHhHHh!"
Thud! "Gah!"
Thud! "FUCK!"
The Immortals ran around a battlefield of thousands, decking Lainwright soldiers with bare fists.
Dozens of Guided Arrows chased after them but resulted in friendly fire more often than they touched the Immortal Skye elites. So people were a lot more
"My soldiers have had a sky-grade technique for a couple of days!" The Ice General roared, "The cultivators coming here have had such a technique for decades or centuries.
If you can't win a game of [tag] against my people with Guided Arrows when they're barehanded, you will all die instantly!"
"General, please have mercy!" A running man screamed, "We can't shoot arrows at them when they're near our people! Can't you give us a short break like the civilians?"
The family member volunteers were drinking water and watching the match after getting [tagged] out. They were also in a rough place but weren't left to heal themselves on the battlefield.
"If you expect mercy from me as a soldier, you will not get it." Evalyn declared boldly, "Your very survival could trigger a panic in Immortal Skye. Our people will think that we're allowing past enemies to get near their family members--after your brethren killed some.
So until you prove yourself worthy of vouching for, don't cry for help because you won't get it."
More groans harmonized, being reminded of it daily.
"Then why train us!?" A male soldier yelled viciously, "If we're enemies, why would you give us power!? I'll tell you why--you need us to fight this war!
I'm sick of hearing you abuse us daily because some people followed their orders when you're currently training us for suicide missions! You're no different than General Peyton!"
Evalyn's image blurred, and the man found himself struggling to breathe, feet above the ground. "You're alive because you're valuable, yes--but we don't [need] you.
That might be a bluff, of course. Do you want to call me on it?"
The man gasped for breath as she squeezed his trachea. His face turned red and blood vessels burst in his eyes. "N-No...."
She mercilessly threw him onto the ground, snapping everyone out of their hazes.
"You went to war against us." The Ice General said chillingly, "And you lost.
Despite that, you're a well-fed Earth Realm cultivator that I'm personally training.
Consider what General Peyton would have done to us. If you're not grateful to be playing [tag] after that thought process--we don't need [you].
Now get back to work, Immortals! Beat some common sense into these ungrateful losers."
The Immortals immediately met her call and charged forward, fists clenched.
Thud! "AGHhHHh!"
Thud! "Agh! Run!"
Sandra walked up to Evalyn after the game of tag continued. "Even for the military, this is pretty extreme. These people were uninvolved; they will hate you if you continue this."
"Will you save them when the Immortals and ex-military who lost family members show up and learn Lainwright soldiers killed their families?" The Ice General asked.
The brunette's ponytail swayed as she shook her head. "No, mam."
"Exactly." Evalyn replied frigidly, "If I don't carve Lainwright's sin onto their hearts, their indignation will spark fights and turn our Immortals into murderers.
They're innocent--that's why they can assimilate fine over time. I'm ensuring they get that far."
Sandra looked at the blonde with reverence in her eyes. She didn't know how her general had the strength to let people hate her for the benefit of others, but she admired it. "Understood."
a??a"�a"?a"�a??a"�a"?a"�a??
-
"As you know, one hundred people got vouchers to technique classes." Kaze smiled mysteriously, "Who wants to join them?"
An explosion of pleas and primal cries rang out, hearing an opportunity present itself. Once the roster of techniques got posted, people were even more motivated.
"Well, I'm here to present you with another opportunity." Kaze smiled wickedly, sparking cheers, "Today, we're playing a voluntary game.
Fifty people who distinguish themselves will get vouchers. However, everyone who plays will get 10 RP, and anyone who makes it to the end of the game without giving up will get 50 RP."
Whispers spread through the crowd like wildfire, creating a wave of excitement and anxiety.
"The game is called [Pain Ball]." Kaze smiled wickedly, motioning for ex-military to open crates in the center of the training field.
Everyone's eyes widened in shock when they saw what was inside--guns.
Real, military-issued guns.
"The game is simple--shoot each other with these." He smiled strangely, triggering panic, "Special forces soldiers will play as Sky Plane cultivators--you will act as Immortal Skye elites.
We have numbers; they have experience. Once everyone in a team yields or the time runs out, the game will come to an end."
"A-Are those real guns!?" A blonde stuttered in shock.
"It depends on what your definition of a gun is." Kaze smiled, walking up to the crate and pulling out a 9-mm pistol. He checked the chamber, turned off the safety, and chambered a round, "If you're talking about a tool that shoots a projectile, yes.
If you're talking about a lethal weapon that will kill people--no.
Does anyone who trusts me wish to earn 20 RP and kudos for a demonstration?"
"Look no further, Emperor Scrawn!" Larkin, wearing a white muscle shirt, yelled with his hand held high like a four-year-old, "Whatever you--"
Kaze lifted his pistol at blinding speed. Bang-bang-bang!
Everyone cranked their neck in the direction of the jester with the fluidity of rusty cogs. In their minds, they just witnessed their leader brutally murder their hype man!
Guns kill people--Larkin was people!
"GuuHHhhHAHWD DAMN, Emperor Scrawn...." Larkin groaned, standing up while rubbing his shoulder, "Where'd you learn to shoot so good? You could've chosen three locations....
Yo... The fucks wrong with ya'll?"
He turned around in a circle to find thousands of people staring at him in shock.
"What?" The lanky brown-haired man grinned as he realized what had happened. "Did you think some pussy ass bullets would take me down?"
The area exploded in cheers and applause when the hype man pulled his shirt back, showcasing a gnarly-looking bruise after getting pelted by three bullets.
"I'm a muthafucking Immortal!" Larkin roared, squatting down in the crab dance, "The fuck do you think that word means? Until a random training exercise?
Get the fuck out of here. You best not get shocked about some mortal shit, or I'll pull out the clamps on your bitch asses!"
Laughter and excitement rang out as he shuffled around, clamping his hands at random people.
The emperor shook his head, glad he had saved such a valuable asset to his new empire. "As you can see, these toys won't kill you unless it hits you in the eye. That's why people wear these, yes?"
Kaze pulled out a paintball mask, triggering chuckles through the crowd. However, it wasn't a joke--he proved that the next moment by pointing the barrel at the glass. "As you can see--"
Bang-bang-bang!
"--they're more indestructible than you are." He smiled arrogantly, enjoying his people's faces after they watched three bullets bounce off the glass without leaving a scratch, "Now that you know you can survive modern weaponry, who wants to play?"
The Immortals cheered awkwardly, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Despite the pride they felt knowing they could survive bullets--they didn't believe that shit! Guns killed people--and they were people!
Larkin Downs was a crab god candidate and a fool; he didn't count. And even if he did--he didn't.
Because guns.
It was going to be a long afternoon.
Read 𝓁at𝙚st chapters at (f)re𝒆we(b)novel.com Only