Apocalypse Cultivation 2, ch 30

Once Jake was outside the challenge portal, his hackles rose immediately.  He shouldn’t have been gone from the Web Burrows for very long at all, but he remembered in a flash how he’d felt weird about the vast caverns he’d unearthed.

And the worst, most deadly demon beasts in the Web Burrows were always in the large caverns.

Jake thought he heard something in the darkness and didn’t stick around to find out what it was.  He was really not wanting another fight to the death, especially one he would likely lose.  Even with potential escape close at hand, it seemed stupid to tempt fate.  He didn’t hesitate as he quickly made his way into the little tunnel he’d dug and got the hell out.

Once he was back in the larger tunnel, he looked back at the long tunnel he’d dug, thinking about all the work he put into it.  He was tempted to blow up the tunnel, and had just decided not to when he realized that he might not even be able to.

He was back in the Web Burrows, where nobody used their energy properly and all means of storage and inventory were blocked.  After trying to open his storage ring, he confirmed that it was still locked up tight.  Luckily, he’d had some time to think through this problem and had a theory that he could test now.

First, Jake held his hand out and mentally called for Blooming Honor.  He wasn’t entirely surprised when it materialized in his hand just like it always had before.  After all, Lady Brima might be powerful and was no doubt responsible for the suppression in the Web Burrows, but Morrigan was a god.  Jake shook his head as he reflected again on what an insanely overpowered sword Bloom was.  And no matter how powerful he might get, the sword would never be lacking.

Even though Jake was going to be paying thousands of years for everything he’d gotten from the Morrigan, he was truly starting to feel like he’d gotten the better end of the deal.

Now he needed to test his second theory.  Jake concentrated and manifested Veil Piercing Phoenix Eyes.  Using the experience he’d gotten opening the portal out of the World of Illusions, he actually managed to make some headway.  He grinned.

The situation was sort of like shoving a finger into a closing zipper and keeping a hole open.  With some extra effort, he could get the hole open a little more, but trying to get anything out would be too difficult and complicated.  However, he could put things…in.

Bloom disappeared as Jake put it back into his inventory.  “Success!” he hissed.  Then he summoned the sword again for good measure before putting it away.  Jake’s cultivation level still wasn’t the highest in the Web Burrows, but that hadn’t been the only thing that mattered in the first place.  With all the other tools and weapons Jake had to work with now, he was in an exponentially better position of strength now, and even better positioned to leave.

Now that Jake knew he could put things in his inventory, he was going to visit everywhere he had anything stashed away, but especially all the monster cores he’d gathered.

And now that he could call Bloom at any time, not to mention his growing mastery of the mysterious Phoenix Dao techniques, the Web Burrows had just become significantly less dangerous for him.

Jake grinned.

***

A couple hours later, Jake had basically taken care of almost everything he needed to before leaving the Web Burrows.  It was finally time.

He had literally spent weeks on a random errand he’d finished more out of curiosity than anything.  Jake was reminded of the JRPG video games he’d played as a teen where he’s spent more time on the side quests than the actual story.  He laughed.  Unfortunately, he knew he was still way, way underleveled for the rest of the Murim.  There was also no real way he could beat Lady Brima.

Maybe he could distract her, though.  At least enough to escape.

While he’d been collecting his monster cores, he’d experimented a bit more with his storage ring.  Now he knew that he likely could remove items from it, but if he did, it’d create a chain reaction that emptied almost everything of that type, and it’d only work with something he had a lot of.

He wasn’t sure how he could use that information but it was always good to know what his resources and limitations were.

Jake sighed and leaned against the tunnel wall, deep in thought.  He could probably go the long way around to the exit, but it’d take forever.  But his conscience was eating at him now.  He didn’t exactly consider Slim a friend, but the man, or creature, whatever the hell Slim was had helped him a lot over the years.

He also wanted to try helping Nag Geru to escape.  There were other good people in the Web Burrows, but these were the two he owed the most to.

The problem was he had no idea where either of them were, but it was most likely they were in or around Jailtown.  Jake really didn’t want to go to Jailtown.  After his last run in with Han Ten, the odds of an altercation, or even violence, was pretty high.

Is it worth it? Jake asked himself.  Instead of thinking about the now, Jake thought about how he might feel about the situation thirty years from now.  Would he regret it if he hadn’t acted now to do what was right, repay others’ decency and kindness?

“Shit,” said Jake with quiet conviction.  Before his trip back to Earth, he might have passed on any heroics.  He was a lot stronger now, though.  And even though he wasn’t spoiling for a fight, the idea of cleaning up some loose ends wasn’t entirely a bad one.  One thing Jake had learned during his time in the Murim world, even just in the Web Burrows, was that enemies always came back eventually to do enemy-things.

He stopped thinking so hard when he realized that he’d already made up his mind.  Looking for a fight was dumb, especially in a place like the Murim world.  But Jake wouldn’t run from them, either, though.

“Back to Jailtown we go,” he muttered.

He stood and flexed his hands.  The mysterious, artificial hand’s claw was stronger, sharper.  Both of the claws that he maintained on the pinky fingers of both hands were optimal length, though.  All of his heavy use of Lunar Dao Polishing back on Earth and prevented either of them from breaking.

Jake realized that he was procrastinating.  “Alright, let’s go.”

He threw his shoulders back and walked unhurriedly through the familiar darkness.  Jake was heading back to what passed for civilization in the Web Burrows, deep underground.

***

Somewhat surprisingly, there was no immediate drama or danger when Jake first walked into Jailtown.  The only clue that something was up was how few people actually even looked at Jake.  Most of them kept their eyes down.

Some of the Peyate from the Stinging Earth Guild were standing around the center of the central hub and didn’t seemed cowed, but almost everyone else in sight did.  There were no Enlightened Jail Army members to be seen.

Fucking orthodox cowards, thought Jake.  Talk a big game about justice and law but when push comes to shove, they won’t risk their own skin.

After years and years, Jake had definitely formed opinions and predictions about each gang.

He walked with a purpose, heading directly to  Nag Geru.  The Outcast area seemed empty at first, but Jake realized a lot of the people who lived in this area had head further back, away from the hub.  Hiding.

Some of the outcasts didn’t have regular mining parties and could not safely navigate the Web Burrows themselves.  They obviously didn’t want to be here, but they didn’t have a choice but to linger.  Jake felt bad for them.  He couldn’t save them all, though.  Besides, just being most of the Outcasts were powerless didn’t make them good people.  If they had power of their own, some of them would likely still stab Jake in the back.

He found Nag Geru at his normal spot, looking the same as ever.  The mysterious, mustachioed man was balancing rocks on to of each other.  Jake glanced hereby where Slim usually slept, but there was no sign of him.

“Nag Geru.”  Jake bowed and held his fist in his other palm.

“Are you here to trade again, young Jake?”

“No, I would like to repay your decency with some of my own.”

“Oh?  This is a different vehicle of interaction.  One laced with intrigue and emotion.  How surprising!”

Jake smiled politely and squatted down himself to get closer to the other man.  He quietly said, “I plan to try escaping the Web Burrows.  Today.  As soon as I leave Jailtown.  After I find Slim, I would like you to come with me.  If it all goes how I hope, you won’t even have to do anything, just follow me out.”

Nag Geru raised his eyebrows.  “That sounds like quite the plan. Perhaps I would even find it interesting to follow you.  But I think you should probably deal with the situation out there, first.”  He pointed towards the central hub of Jailtown.

Jake felt resignation in his heart as he turned.  He didnt’ think about questioning Nag Geru’s claim, not least of which because he’d been mostly expecting it.

In the central area, Han Ten stood with ten of his best lackeys.  One of them was holding a restraint for Slim.  The bizarre looking man had obviously been worked over.  There was swelling and blood all over his face.  He looked up briefly at Jake and tried to mouth a message but one of the thugs hit him in the side of the head.

Jake was actually surprised by the level fo cold fury that crapped around his heart.  Han Ten was grinning, obviously expecting an emotional outburst.  Jake just shook his head and said, “Han Ten, you dumb bastard.  You have really chosen to fuck with the wrong person today.”

The bestial man didn’t miss a beat.  “Oh have I?”  He asked.  “It seems to me that I have your friend.  And what’s more, I have since learned that you have never shown any signs of having a Reforged Body other than your…unique appearance.  On top of that, you do not even have your carved sword on you.  So perhaps from now on the discussion should be what you are going to do to free your friend and walk away from this with your life.”

“You know,” said Jake conversationally.  “What I really hate about pieces of trash like you is that you are such bullies, always so far in the wrong, but I know in your mind you think you are some sort of magnificent leader or something.  Newsflash, asshole.  You are a big fish in a very small pond.  And I recall threatening you before.  Remember?  It made your fur all poofy and you said I was now an enemy of your gang.

“Also, I’m not dumb enough to give you want you want.

“See, I know that if you have your way, none of this ends well for me at all.  And since I am already an enemy, this is nothing to lose.  So what it all comes down to is that you are an arrogant moron and you have made assumptions about me.  Like I said, you have finally fucked with the wrong person.”

Han Ten just stared at him, no doubt aware of all the eyes watching from the shadows.  He shook his head.  “Too bad for you, Jake.  You probably think that the Outcasts will back you up, but they never do.  And none of the other groups want you.  All that big talk, but you are on your own.  Don’t blame me if I go rough on you.  Get him.”

The Han Ten gang thugs surged forward, Han Wen among them.  This time, Jake was not even all that concerned, and he couldn’t find a shred of mercy in his heart.

Jake called Blooming Honor into his hand, and the first gang member, a goat-looking man, got comically wide eyes as the divine saber cut through the shaft of his mace, through his shoulder, and deep into his ribcage.

There was an explosion of gore as Jake kicked the dying asshole off of his weapon.  Some of the onlookers gasped, giving away their positions, but nobody spared them a glance.  Blood dripped from Jakes sword, pat-pat-patting on the stone floor.

He grinned and met Han Ten’s eyes.  “That didn’t go how you were expecting, did it?”

“Boss.  He’s got a sword!  A real one!”  Han Wen pointed with a shaking finger.

“Whoever kills him gets to keep the weapon,” said Han Ten to his remaining followes.  That seemed to have been the right move for the brutal leader to make, but Jake didn’t care.  Even when most of the rest of the Han Ten group came came out of their tunnel, he just felt resigned.

There was a part of him that enjoyed how badly he was going to hurt these assholes, too, though.  He couldn’t deny it.  And Jake had learned a long time ago that lying to himself was usually a great way to never move forward in life or in cultivation.

Han Wan, the demonic-looking asshole who’d attacked Jake earlier that day rushed in with blazing claws.  Jake saw through every attack, and simply brought Blooming Honor in at a savage angle that the other man couldn’t evade.  He tried to hold up a hand, even used all of his cultivation base that he could at the last moment.  Nonoe it helped.  Bloom cut him down throug the top of the head past the nose.

Jake danced among them, passively using Veil Piercing Phoenix eyes to help actually see behind him.  The usage of the ability came to naturally as he fought, surrounded.

Six Shadows attacked from his blind spot at one point, and Jake didn’t even bother to dodge.  He blocked the strike from a homemade spear that he had no way of seeing.  To Six Shadows’ credit, he didn’t waste time acting surprised, he darted in with his free hand, some sort of bladed fist weapon on it.

Jake kicked out behind him, putting all of his natural monster and cultivator strength into it.  Even without powering his strike, the kick was no joke.  He didn’t give the other man time to recover, Jake followed him to the ground and delivered two savage chops in quick succession.

Three more would-be aggressors fell, one with his arm and head cut off. A particularly nasty woman with sharpened teeth who'd been rumored to have actually eaten a disappeared miner stared in surprise at the vorpal saber through her chest before Jake jerked it out and met Han Ten’s  glare again.

"Where did you get that sword?" Asked the gang leader.

Jake told the truth.  "I've had it the entire time."

The big, furry man scoffed and Jake had complicated feelings.  He really had told the truth but he didn't blame Han Ten for not believing him.  The fact Jake now knew he really could have summoned the sword at any time, making his life easier, was annoying to think about.

"So where did your wooden sword go?  You were so proud of it.  It was hard to imagine anyone having the patience to really form that root into such  blade."

Jake answered honestly again.  "It turned into a tree in my new house."

"I can see we are getting nowhere here. So be it."  The big man surged forward, killing intent beating the air so thickly, the energy so evil, Jake could almost imagine a skeletal hand squeezing his heart.

The attack heading for Jake looked like shimmering energy claws.  He intuitively knew that his life was in great danger.  Jake might have a sturdier cultivation base and body than he should–especially at his level, but Han Ten was a real Reforged Body practitioner.  The difference was like night and day.

And it seemed Han Ten had found a piece of a great dao as well.

Jake reflexively flash stepped back.  It was the only thing that saved him.  Han Ten’s attack contained destructive energy so condensed it tore great furrows in the Web Burrows wall.  Its range wasn’t far, but its damage potential was incredible.

Conophta’s attacks back on earth might have been big and flashy and powerful, like a hammer, but this attack was more like a needle tipped dagger.

Jake narrowed his eyes as Han Ten grinned.  Then the shaggy man changed.  Like all Reforged Body cultivators, he had a transformation of some kind.  Not surprisingly, the brutal man shimmered and turned into a large lion with glowing array patterns on his flanks.

For most in the Web Burrows, that would have been the end.  Han Ten’s strength far surpassed what any of the other prisoners could muster through the prison’s suppression.

Jake was a monster now, though.  A real one.  He felt his life was in real, mortal danger, and he responded the way he’d learned how ever since getting fucked over by Ahriman.

He’d been fighting the Han Ten Gang before in self defense and as much to dispose of vermin than anything else.  This was different.

Han Ten leapt at Jake, terrible destructive energy on his paws.  Jake used a trick he’d learned in his very first challenge portal as a zombie.  He began to fall, dropping his sword as he did, and flash stepped forward, barely under his enemy’s leap.  Then he turned and with an explosion of power from his legs, tackled the giant, golden-furred lion directly into a wall.

Jake fought savagely, biting and tearing.  Han Ten’s technique had faded with hsi surprise and bone-rattling collision with the wall, but his form was still a giant lion.

The two of them rolled around on the ground, Jake throwing elbows, savagely raking with his pinky claws, and spitting out mouthfuls of blood and fur as he ground his teeth into muscle and bone.  Bloodlust rose from his heart, and his cultivation base roared without any real outlet for all the power.

“I. was. Minding. My. Own. Fucking. Business. You. Psychotic. Asshole.”  Every grunted word was punctuated by a jab of his fingers empowered with Phoenix Piercing Talon.  The man-turned-lion tried to get his jaws on the back of Jake’s neck, but the Midnight Cloak moved as fast as Jake could think, and he instructed the garment to protect his vulnerable areas as the rolled around the bloody ground.

Jake threw a right hook at Han Ten’s head, but the blow landed on the lion’s muzzle.  This gave him enough leeway to rain down bows on the big cat’s body, cutting with his claws, and completely get behind his enemy as they continued their vicious ground fighting.  Han Ten kept trying to disembowel Jake or take his throat, but Jake used the Midnight Cloak to like a third hand.

The two of them clashed in an absolutely merciless melee of claws and fangs.  Cultivators often fought with flashy techniques or hidden powers.  However, this fight was a brutal brawl to the death.

Finally Han Ten got a solid hit in, kicking hard.  Jake sailed backwards into one of the pillars by the central fountain.  The golem guard passively looked down and went back to aggressively not giving a shit what was going on.

Jake had a momentary flash of confusion when he wondered why the guards weren’t doing anything, then realized one of the occasional, “rules free recess” notices must have been announced.  Normally this just resulted in the groups turtling up in their caves, posting guards and waiting it out.  But this time, it was different.  No wonder Han Ten has been brazen enough to come after him in the middle of Jailtown.

The bloody ground was slick, and Jake almost slipped as he got up.  It still cost him his balance, and almost cost him his life.  He kicked out to the side, flash stepping to avoid a rake of energy-infused talons.

All of his attacks on Han Ten were having an effect, though.  The lion was slower than before to turn, and Jake took advantage of it. He flash stepped forward, summoning Bloom as he did and brought the glittering blade down on the top of Han Ten’s skull.

The man’s lion transformation had been astonishingly tough and resilient, but Bloom still cut his skull like a watermelon.

He stared down at his enemy for a second, then spit on the corpse.  “Fuck you, Simba.”  Jake stumbled over to where Slim was still being held.  The two Han Ten Group members holding him had been too surprised

When Jake’s senses picked up movement, he turned.  The guards on duty to Jailtown were at the entrance, staring at Jake with absolute astonishment.  Jake glanced down at himself, noting that he was covered in blood again.  He’d been covered in blood and worse for days, adding stains on top of stains.  If not for the Midnight Cloak and the surprising number of times he got soaked, he could only imagine how he’d smell.

The two Han Ten Group members raised their hands, backing away from Slim and gibbering something.  Jake met his friend’s eyes.  “These guys hit you?” he asked.

“Yes.”

Jake didn’t miss a beat.  He cut them down, didn’t even bother listening to what they had to say.  As the two would-be jailers died on the ground, he asked, “Slim, do you remember what you’ve been telling me all these years about the Murim world, about revenge oaths, blood debts, and enemies holding grudges?”

“Yes.”  Slim was obviously in pain, exhausted.  He sat down on the bloody ground, near a wall, resting his back against it.  One of his eyes was swollen shut and half his face was a mass of bruises. “Leaving enemies alive almost always comes back to bite people in the ass.”

“Well, I’ve listened.  I’ve paid attention.”  He walked to the tunnel the Han Ten Group had been living in for years, where the remaining members had run into before.  They were no doubt all in there, preparing to defend their prison home.

And it wouldn’t matter at all.  The cat was out of the bag.  Jake had shown all of his cards and he was going to leave this place anyway.  There was no more holding back.  Being at the peak of the Gold stage of Body Refinement plus all of his other abilities and advantages were significant, but Jake also had Blooming Honor.  It was like taking a fighter jet to a hang glider fight.

Nobody was going to stop him.

All of the other gangs were staying in their own tunnels.  The prisoner guards weren’t getting involved, and most importantly, the golems weren’t even pretending to give a shit about what was going on.

“Han Ten Group, you guys really fucked with the wrong person.”  Jake shouted.  He shook his head, making the blood on his horns sprinkle the ground behind him.  “And I am in a really bad mood.”

He moved forward with a purpose.  Jake wasn’t going to leave Jailtown until every last follower of Han Ten was dead.

The entire time screams echoed through Jailtown, nobody in the other groups came out to help or to stop him.  Jake wasn’t surprised when Tuomasi, one of the most powerful cultivators in the Web Burrows, and one of the biggest bullies, was the last to die as he cowered behind his fellows.