Chapter 384

Chapter 384

Hiding a bloody stump behind my back, I lean out the half-opened door to find the entire room of Experts turned towards me with questioning gazes. While I dont specifically know who all these beardies and halfies are, theyre important enough to have their tea poured by a Legate which means it should probably greet everyone politely so they dont take offence, but aint nobody got time for that. Pretending I dont notice their stares, I make eye contact with Taduk, whos standing between the seated Guan Suo and dainty-mannered half-bull. Teacher, your aid is required.

I wonder... Did the Legate pour Taduks cup of tea? Probably not seeing how my teacher doesnt even warrant a seat. Psh. Experts. If any of them ever need Healing, Taduk should turn them away at the door, but he wont. As he rushes over with teacup in hand, I notice the heavy bags beneath his eyes and the enervated slump of his shoulders, drained by his efforts to save the Monk yet still soldiering on without question. Once hes through the door, I shut it behind him and scurry to keep up with my speedy teacher, grabbing his wrist with my remaining hand and Sending, Hang on. I think I have a way to save him.

...What happened to your hand?

Flushing with embarrassment, I explain, The Monk passed out and I couldnt get free. Its fine, Ill reattach it later. Assuming I can finagle it out of Makalahas grip. Malapaka? Im never gonna get it right, so Im gonna call him the Monk, at least until I meet another monk. I have some Heavenly Energy saved up, not a lot, but more than nothing. Would that help?

Doubtful. After glancing over the trapped and dismembered hand, Taduk takes my stump and inspects it. Even with a limitless flood of Heavenly Energy, I cant Heal faster than the substance replicates. Forget about reattaching your hand, its already been compromised. Though I see no black gunk on the severed extremity, I trust Taduks judgment and thank the Heavens I was feeling too magnanimous to cut the Monks hand off instead. His brow furrowed in worry, Taduk pulls me away from the Monk and mutters, Its even more insidious than Id thought. Was the substance hiding its full capabilities earlier or has it reached a point of critical mass?

Teacher, focus please. As much as Id like to know if the scary black goop is sentient, theres more important things to worry about, like keeping the Monk alive. If Heavenly Energy isnt enough, then maybe I can cleanse the gunk with Water-Chi, assuming its made from Demon Ichor like I hypothesized. With no time to explain, I Send, Is it safe to touch him?

Though I can see hes curious, Taduk knows time is of the essence and doesnt ask questions. Safer not to, but if you must, then be ready to amputate your hand at a moments notice. With an apologetic shrug, he adds, Id do it for you, but I dont carry a blade.

Right, unlike that sadist Tokta, who loves cutting people apart so much he has a surgical knife as a Spiritual Weapon, my teacher is a Medical Saint, a man who refuses to harm even his most hated nemesis, a Bicorn Bunny. Understood. Ill be careful. Unfortunately, I have yet to learn how to control my Water-Chi after it leaves my body, so Im gonna hafta touch the goop infected Monk to cleanse him. Reaching out with my only remaining hand, I recoil as an important fact crosses my mind. Erm, I cant amputate my infected hand without a second hand to hold my sword.

Yes, good point. Pondering the question for a half second, Taduks tired eyes light up and he Sends, Use your foot. Problem solved.

After kicking off my boots and remembering to roll up my pants, I lean against Taduk for balance and hover my bare foot above the Monks stomach, where the concentration of gunk is highest. I really dont want to lop my foot off too. Just because I do it often doesnt make it any less unpleasant. Growing appendages is the worst, since the pain of raw, exposed nerves firing on all cylinders cant be dulled until they acclimate and settle down, but its a pain Im more than willing to accept if it keeps the Monk alive. Swallowing my fear and trepidation, I close my eyes and prepare for the task at hand, unsure if Im up to snuff.

Honestly? Probably not. For starters, Water-Chi feels and behaves differently from normal Chi, but its hard to place exactly how. Denser, perhaps, with more inertia. The difference isnt massive, but regular Chi flows easily with a thought, as does Water-Chi, but the latter feels like it has more resistance as it moves through my body, or it has more weight to its passing, but it might be my overactive imagination at work. What isnt my imagination is how Water-Chi resists or ignores my commands. It wont adhere to the surface of my sword and form a whirling, razor-sharp edge through Honing, nor will it infuse my muscles with vigor and potency through Reinforcement. In similar fashion, I cant use Water-Chi to Amplify, Lighten, Deflect, or any of the other plethora of uses I have for regular Chi. In fact, thus far, Ive only found one use for Water-Chi which wouldnt be considered a party trick, and thats cleansing the dormant Spectres lurking about my Natal Palace.

Which brings me to the second reason I dont think I can do this. While I might be able to cleanse the Demonic Goop from the Monks body, I have no way to control it while carrying out the task. Once the Water-Chi leaves my body, it reverts into Heavenly Energy and mundane water, which means if I want to save the Monk, then I need to figure out how to control Chi externally, and fast.

No amount of positive mental attitude will make this better. The Monks probably doomed, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Wait Maybe I dont have to use Chi externally. Back in Sanshu, Blobby hid in my Spiritual Body and used me as a delivery system to get into Yo Lings Natal Palace. Could I do the same with my Water-Chi and the Monk? Pulling my foot back, I ask Taduk where the lowest area of Demon Gunk concentration is and laugh despite how serious the situation is when I hear the answer. Shifting aside, I mutter a silent apology and plop my bare foot on the Monks bald head, praying hell understand the urgent need after I save his life.

Dont worry, its totally clean. I took a bath before the party, with soap and everything.

Reach for Balance and fall forward into the Void. The curtain parts and I find myself in an unfamiliar plane. The sun shines overhead and a massive statue sits cross-legged before me, each toe wider than I am tall and its face shrouded in shadow, a lean, muscular sculpted defender. Clothed in bright yellow monk robes, the statues hands are folded in quiet contemplation while a loud, resonating baritone chants rhythmically in the background, a sound which is both soothing and ominous at the same time. Aside from the statue, theres little else of note. The floor is packed dirt and the landscape bare and empty aside from two visible pillars off in the distance, and I assume there are at least two more on the other side of the statue, holding back the writhing darkness of the void.Follow current novels at novelhall.com)

Wait a second... Writhing?

No matter how hard I strain my eyes, Im unable to confirm my horrified suspicions and I dont know if I should be annoyed or thankful. Instead of uselessly staring at the nothingness, I set out to find the Monk. Heading right because one direction is as good as the other, I run as quickly as my Spiritual legs can carry me, reminding myself the whole time I dont need to breathe so theres no way Im out of breath. Feet thumping against the packed dirt as the wind rustles through my hair, a quick glance at the statue tells me Im not actually going anywhere, still standing dead centre between its toes. Maybe I am moving and the statue is bigger than I thought, so it feels like Im not moving at all. Then again, whos to say the Monk is even in here? I remember noting that my Brother persona disappeared every time I went to sleep, but Im not sure if I should draw lessons from my schizophrenic episodes.

Still futilely running in place, because why not, I yell, Hello? Dammit... whats his name again? Right, Mahakala. Say it just like that. Ma. Ha. Ka. La. Its easy. Four syllables is nothing, who cares how similar they are? It shouldnt be a problem for a big-brained hero like you. Dont think about screwing up, say it with confidence and youre good. Maha-ph-shll? I mumble, wincing at my abject failure. Its me, Falling Rain. Im here to save you, but I need your help.

The booming chanting drowns out my voice, so loud I can barely hear myself yell much less expect anyone else to hear me. That said, this isnt the real world and physics need not apply, so shouting probably isnt the way to go about it. Thinking back on my encounter with Pong-Pong, I try to remember exactly what I did to catch his attention. I was standing on his shell without knowing it was a shell, wondering why the water was back in my Natal Palace. Then I thought fuck it, and sat down to meditate and... Pong Pong sensed and found me.

Wheres my Heavenly Energy? Why are the Spectres dissipating into nothingness? I was banking on the Heavenly Energy to keep the Monk alive, help Mom get back on her feet, and maybe give myself ten or twenty centimetres if theres still some left over. Why isnt it working like before?

It gets worse. I didnt consider that Blobby is an endless font of Heavenly Water whereas my Water-Chi is both finite and consumed in the cleansing process. The maddened apparitions hardly seem to notice as more surge forwards into the space left by their dissolved comrades, and Im forced to retreat before the darkness engulfs me. Taking shelter by the Monk, I massage my forehead and try to come up with another solution. Okay, I say, thinking out loud. That didnt go as expected. You ran out of Water-Chi, because Blobby is a butt and left on sabbatical. Also, theres something wrong with these Spectres. Usually, you kill a few Spectres and the rest go running, but this time, these ones dont give a flying fuck. So aside from being weird, creepy, and contorty, these Spectres have no sense of self-preservation. Now I know. Dont know how it helps, but you know. So what next? Eyeing the unsavoury horde, I wince and say, Devour them? I could always cleanse them later after I bind more water or find Blobby. Oh, I could get Pong-Pong to do it!

No Brother SanDukkha. Engulfing me with his massive hands, the Monk gently lifts me to eye level and treats me to a glimpse of his face. Its younger and thinner, one suited for the body it sits on, handsome but not to excess, with an honest smile and carefree gaze. You are truly a child of many mysteries, he says, studying my Spiritual Body with a keen eye. How did you make your way into my Natal Palace?

Its something I do. Mostly involuntarily, but I meant to do it this time. Waving away his questions, I continue, Theres no time for this. I came up with another way to save you, but -

Do not devour these apparitions, Brother SanDukkha. They are not the Spectres youve faced before.

Thanks, I realized. No, but -

Heedless to the time sensitive nature of our plight, the Monk continues These are the itinerant souls I spoke of, and it seems the Enemy has found a way to weaponize them. They are Anathema to matter and life itself, driven to consume everything in their path until nothing remains.

...Then why does it need sunlight to work? My question gives the Monk pause and affords me the opportunity to keep speaking. Whatever, well figure it out later. Right now, you need to send me away. I can still save you, but I need to go get something first. How do I hide Pong Pongs presence from all the Experts outside the door? One problem at a time. Hurry, we dont have time to spare.

Unfazed by the urgency in my tone, the Monk continues to lecture me. Brother SanDukkha, this too must reach the Abbots ear. What I warned of was nihility in a spiritual sense, but this weapon, this Demon Gunk as youve termed it, this will bring nothingness on a more tangible scale.

Got it, will tell him, but first, send me out so I can SAVE YOUR LIFE!

Smiling at my desperate pleas, the Monk shakes his head and refuses to do as I ask. Waste not your efforts. My time is at an end, for even should Mahakala survive, he lacks the resolve to continue. Pride was my downfall, and to believe myself capable of mending my ways would be to make the same mistake again.

No! You cant quit, not now. You can tell the Abbot yourself, and you can help right the Balance or whatever you think youre doing. Dont give up, the world needs you.

I need him... Who else can I talk to about Baledagh?

With a contented sigh, the Monk leans back to stare at the sky, peering past the impenetrable cloud of Spectres at something I cant see. Perhaps it is selfish to leave this mess to you and others, and for this, you have my heartfelt apologies, but Mahakala is not strong enough to see this through. The Heavens call to me Brother SanDukkha, but your trials have yet to end. Looking at me once more, the Monk smiles and says, Mourn not for my passing, for death is merely a new beginning, a chance to start anew.

Mourn you? Youll be lucky if I dont curse you! Stay and fight, you coward!

Then Mahakala can only beg your forgiveness. Though still smiling, the Monk is hurt by my condemnation and a single tear drips down his cheek. Do not let your disdain affect your decision. The Abbot must be warned. One last matter, Brother SanDukkha: Never reveal this ability to the Legate or any member of the Imperial Clan, else they will stop at nothing to control or destroy you.

And with this ominous last warning, the Monk sends me away, and I open my eyes back in reality, my foot still resting atop his fat bald head while I lean against Taduks chest. Blinking tears out of my eyes, I right myself and Send, I couldnt save him, but Pong-Pong can. We need to go get him quickly, there isnt much time.

Rain my boy, Taduk whispers, patting my head. Im sorry, but hes gone. Clearing his throat as I stare at the Monks corpse in disbelief, he adds, I know youre in shock, but you need to lop off your foot first else youll soon join him.

And to think... this morning, I thought things were looking up.

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