Path of the Berserker

They had been crying non-stop for the last few minutes, but now they knelt together, offering prayers in silence. I gave them their privacy as a family, keeping my distance, but in my mind, I could still see Kou Ren making that final choice to save his family. He knew I was only able to carry three of them to safety. And he had made the tough choice of sacrificing himself so that they could escape. He had not only spared their lives but also spared them of the impossible choice of sacrificing one of their own.

He was a good man, Kou Ren.

Honest, caring and thoughtful until the end.

I hadn’t known him for very long, but in that one instance he had taught me what the love a father had for his family truly meant. A thing I was destined to become myself one day.

One day soon perhaps.

“Rest in peace, Kou Ren,” I whispered my own prayer for him. “I will keep my promise to you.” I then looked at his family again. “As best I can.”

* * *

We finally got back underway, travelling the distance between the flaming beacon towers that marked the edge of the barrier and the former prison that was Du Gok Bhong. In the crimson shade of the moonlight, it looked every bit a tower of despair and oppression. Standing at least a hundred feet tall, bare walls dotted with the tiny, slotted windows of prison cells. An ominous monument perhaps indicative of the hardships we would face.

But as I carried Su Ren on my back, I could only imagine the hardship she was already facing. To lose her husband like that. She hadn’t said a word since and neither had Chu Ren or Lo Ren. My heart ached for them, a new burden added the to core of my Dao.

Their only crime was misfortune.

And the empire had punished them harshly for it.

Sending them to a hell hole like this to surely die.

I added a new purpose of conviction to my promise to Kou Ren.

I’d do my best to defy the heavens in his stead, to show the empire that they were wrong, that the Ren family would not face demise. That got my Flame and Frenzy pumping.

They wouldn’t die on my watch.

The terrain began to shift and change, moving from rocky ground to lush grass. Trees emerged in the form of orchards. Within one of them we found some kind of citrus fruit growing that resembled lemons. We raided the trees with abandon. The fruit was bitter and tart, perhaps not yet ripe, but we tore through them anyway, just to quench our thirst.

Slightly refreshed, we fought the gravity and our fatigue to pass by several fields growing crops before coming to the outer courtyard of the academy itself. We headed towards an ornate gate that allowed access through a fifteen-foot-high wall that made up the perimeter of the courtyard. A couple of figures in dark robes stood just outside the gate, illuminated by a set of dull Qi lights hanging from its top.

When we got closer, I saw it was the Chief Instructor Yora standing there with the same two men she had shown up with before on the skiff. The man in white robes and the other in brown. She raised her brows with interest as we approached and wore a little smile on her lips.

“The last to arrive,” she said. “It always interests me who serves to be the weakest of the pack.” She looked me up and down and then to Su Ren on my back. “Did you carry her all that way?”

“He carried all three of us,” Chu Ren said. “And did much more. He killed five of those Takrid beasts all by himself.”

She squinted at me now, perhaps trying to discern my Qi. I cycled my frenzy and flavored it with my [Devil’s Shadow] technique to ensure she could sense it. Her eyes then widened. “I see. It is no wonder. You are High Tier Core Realm. Whatever did you do to end up ranked with these mortals?”

The casual insult seems to fly right past the Ren brothers and their mother. Perhaps they were used to being referred to as such. I cycled my Frenzy and tapped into [Struggler’s Resolve].

“I killed a man.”

“Is that all?” she said.

“It was murder. I executed him.”

“A crime of passion?”

“Of justice.”

She scoffed. “Isn’t that what they all say.”

“The man was a pedophile,” Su Ren said from over my shoulder.

“Oh?”

“It’s true, Honorable Chief Instructor,” Chu Ren said bowing his head. “The Iron Bull stopped him when he escaped the prison ship. Killed him for his sins. He was known as ‘little finger’. From the stories told of him, it was well deserved.”

“Never heard of him,” Yora said and then looked to me. “So, Iron Bull is your name?”

“It is,” I said.

She squinted at me again, perhaps testing my Qi once more. “We will see how far you progress here, Iron Bull. I can tell you do not come from a heavy world. Even now your muscles tense under the strain. But even weak worlders like yourself can advance here, if you train hard enough.”

Weak worlders?

That was a new one.

“I notice you already carry a Phalanx Glaive,” she said, craning her neck to look over my shoulder. “Curious. Do you even know how to use it?”

“Somewhat,” I said.

“Who taught you?”

I shrugged. “I’ve had several masters. But the greatest of which, was perhaps the sword itself.”

She smiled, pleased or perhaps amused by my response, even though I was truthfully referring to Venja. I once again wished I could have brought her along for my journey instead of the lifeless hunk of Corrupted Steel strapped to my back.

Chief Instructor Yora then turned to the man in white robes next to her.

“This is Adept Tribute Yun Jen,” she said. “He is master of the first year Tributes. He will be your instructor and overseer.”

Yun Jen was tall and thin with a mustache and close-cropped hair. His gray eyes studied each of us intently, but he didn’t say anything. Eventually he just gave us all a nod and we bowed in return.

“Next to him is De Fan,” Chief Instructor Yora said. “He is your upperclassmen and will see to your needs.”

We all bowed to him as well.

“Congratulations to each of you on passing your first assignment. You are part of the thirty-six Tributes who passed the trial out of over nine hundred. You have earned the brown robes of Freshmen Tributes. Feel honored.”

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De Fan then handed a set of robes to each of us.

“As I said earlier, you have now earned the honor of assembly with the High Marshal tomorrow morning. After that Adept Tribute Yun Jen will begin your training. For now, De Fan will show you to your barracks and the mess hall. I am certain after that crossing you are in dire need of rest and refreshment.”

“Thank you, honorable Chief Instructor,” Lo Ren said bowing. “We are indeed.”

“But first you might want to take them to baths, De Fan,” she said crinkling her nose at us. “I would not want to offend others trying to dine in the mess hall smelling like you do. You all reek of Takrids.”

“Another gift of blessing from the Iron Bull, Chief Instructor,” Su Ren said from my back. “He used the glands of those insects to protect us from them. To mask us so they wouldn’t attack us. It saved us more than once.”

“I see. Intuitive.”

It was actually more like experience, but I wasn’t going to correct her.

Not that I wanted to dwell on the point anyway.

That scent was also the reason Ken Rou died.

“De Fan,” Yora said. “Take the woman to the female barracks.”

“Wait please, Chief Instructor,” Chu Ren said. “This is our mother, and she is injured. Please permit us to take care of her.”

“Your mother?”

“I can vouch for that,” I said with [Struggler’s Resolve]. “They were imprisoned as a family. I was on the transport with them.”

Yora lifted Su Ren’s head from my shoulder by the chin, a gesture that reminded me of the Lady Silver Tear when she did the same to my sister that night so long ago.

She frowned, looking displeased, or disgusted even.

“Fine,” she said. “You may share a separate barracks with her. After you all bathe.”

“The Iron Bull as well,” Chu Ren said. “He is family also.”

“What?” she said, clearly seeing no family resemblance.

“In spirit perhaps,” I said.

She huffed out a scoff. “It matters not. De Fan see to it.”

The man De Fan bowed. “I will, Chief Instructor.”

She then turned to walk away but then paused, looking over her shoulder.

“And I warn you, do not be late for the assembly.”

* * *

De Fan was a somewhat stocky man with olive skin, Polynesian looking if I could prescribe an ethnicity to him. His dark eyes were warm and lively and he smiled often as he pointed out various aspects of the academy to us as we approached the main building that was Du Gok Bhong.

“Here is where we assemble,” De Fan said, as we based through a large cobblestone courtyard that was about the size of the arena back home. “Practice tournaments are held here as well. But you would not be expected to participate in those as Freshmen Tributes.”

“Where do you come from?” Chu Ren asked.

“A place called Winhu,” he said. “Quite far from here. Like your worlds too, I suppose.”

“How long have you been here?”

“This will be my third year at the academy,” he said.

“And you are still only a brown robe?” Lo Ren asked.

He laughed. “I have not accumulated the internal strength to pass the advancement exam. But it is not as bad as it sounds. I get some prestige as a seasoned freshmen by aiding newcomers like yourselves. Plus, I do not mind the duties at all. Not after three years.”

“What are the duties?” I asked.

He smiled. “I would not want to pre-emp Adept Tribute Yun Jen’s presentation to you tomorrow. But hopefully you will enjoy what he has prepared.”

De Fan then pointed out other buildings of interest that were erected around the courtyard. There were classrooms and a large library, as well as special rooms for meditation and cultivation. I could care less about the cultivation, but the library had my interest piqued.

“Are we free to use the library?” I asked.

“Not as brown robes. Whites and up. We have no use for such knowledge that is there. Not yet anyway.”

“What kind of knowledge?” Chu Ren asked.

“Advanced cultivation techniques and the archives of course.”

“What archives?” I asked.

“They are accounts of every tour that has ever been embarked upon since the inception of the academy. It comprises our total knowledge of what we glimpse from the Hell Worlds. But I get ahead of myself. That won’t be important to you at all unless you qualify as a Legionnaire. And you are all a long way from that.”

He smiled good naturedly but inside my Flame flickered.

I’ll be getting there a lot sooner than you think, buddy.

We finally went inside the main building and found the place was abuzz with activity. Tributes in robes of all colors moved swiftly about the halls. We followed De Fan’s example and bowed to all of them. Even to brown robes did nothing but stare as they passed by—some with curiosity and others with glares of disdain.

The contempt from our upperclassmen was palpable, but whether it was from the color of our gray robes or the crusted goop and smell on them, I couldn’t tell. When we finally reached the bathhouses, it was like a small piece of heaven.

Bamboo stalls separated the men and women, but they were further divided by class and rank. We were forced to use the standing stalls that allowed for only a quick shower with cold water instead of the heated baths that the upperclassmen had access to, but even that was refreshing enough.

Once cleaned, we changed into the new brown robes that De Fan had given us and he then handed each of us a small pack that contained a spare uniform, writing implements and extra underclothes. He then fetched someone to bandage Su Ren’s ankles, and after she was able to stand more comfortably, he finally led us all to the mess hall.

My stomach instantly rumbled at the smell of food. As we entered, the warm din of conversation and laughter greeted us. A huge space that looked as if it could house a thousand people was packed to the brim with Tributes, all of them wolfing down huge bowls of rice, noodles and soup. It wasn’t high restaurant quality, but it looked a damn slight better than the boiled tofu and rice slop we were forced to eat on the Xin Zha.

We entered the queue for the food which was at least a hundred Tributes long. It took forever, but the line finally moved. After ten grueling minutes we neared the front and got close enough to actually see the cooking woks and the brown-robed chefs tending to them.

A group of three Tributes in black robes suddenly pushed their way in front of De Fan.

“Shit-robes to the back!” one of them shouted and then a group of white robes who were behind us, pushed their way past us as well.

“Yeah! Shit-robes to the back!”

“To the back!” More people pushed past.

My Flame stirred, but the Struggler kept him at bay. Starting a brawl right now probably wouldn’t be the best idea, even though my hunger was damn near demanding it.

De Fan looked back at us, smiling apologetically. “One of the draw backs of being a third year Freshmen.”

It took us another ten minutes to get back to the front of the line to be served. By that time the crowd had thinned some and when we finally sat down to one of the tables, we were starving. With heaping bowls of noodles and soup in hand, I drank and ate like never before, my appetite ravenous.

I finished far too quickly and wanted seconds, but no way was I waiting in that line again. Su Ren must have noticed and quickly gave me one of her bowls of noodles.

“Eat,” she said. “You need to regain your strength.”

“So do you,” I said pushing it back to her.

She pushed it back. “My strength is nothing here. And besides, this heaviness is wearing on me. Even when doing nothing. I have not much appetite. I just need to rest.”

“Let’s go then, mother,” Chu Ren said.

I polished off the extra noodles quickly.

We were just about to leave the table for De Fan to show us to the barracks when voice came from behind me.

“So, I see you made it.”

I looked over my shoulder to see a petite woman with short blonde hair staring up at me. I didn’t recognize her at first, but then I recalled her to be the same woman who had warned me that I’d be dead if I stayed to help everyone. She hadn’t been exactly wrong, but I couldn’t help but feel somewhat vindicated with the Ren family standing by my side.

I squared up on her with [Struggler’s Resolve]. “Is that you being impressed or surprised? Or perhaps relieved?”

She blinked, startled by the assertion and opened her mouth to protest.

I chuckled. “Take it easy, it was just a joke. But yeah…we made it. Despite the odds.”

She looked past me to Chu Ren and Lo Ren, along with their mother. Her mouth curled in a frown. “Odds indeed. Your luck is exceptional. Let’s hope it doesn’t run out.”

She tried to play if off coolly, but her soul betrayed her with a hint of lemonade.

“What’s your name?”

“Blue Rose,” she said.

I noted she was decked out in brown robes as we were and looked already well settled in, perhaps having been here for hours. Just behind her I spotted more people in brown robes that I recognized from out in the desert, including that asshole that was pissing me off. Luckily he looked too busy stuffing his face to notice us.

“I wouldn’t think someone as strong looking as you would have such a soft and delicate name,” Su Ren said, giving her a smile.

“Doesn’t have the same connotation where I’m from,” Blue Rose said. “More the opposite.” She then looked directly at me. “You have strength. You should stick with people who have the same.”

With that she simply walked off, leaving us all perplexed.

“What the hell was that?” Chu Ren said.

“I dunno,” I said.

Just a weird bitch, I guess, I wanted to say, but kept it inside for Su Ren’s sake.

“Shall we?” De Fan said and ushering us away, he finally led us to the barracks.

* * *

The sleeping quarters were perhaps much better than what I had expected coming from the prison ship. It was clear they were still jail cells, but they had removed the bars from the door and chopped out walls to make the cells bigger. Each block could fit four, which worked out perfectly for me and my newly adopted family.

Lo Ren fell asleep immediately, but it took a while longer for Su Ren and Chu Ren to do the same. In the darkness I could hear the both of them softly weeping, perhaps reflecting on all they had lost today.

I reflected as well.

I still couldn’t believe all that had happened already, and I hadn’t even been here a full day. The heavy gravity, the strength of the monster, the Bloodmoon. And those were just the things I could get used to. Who knew what wild cards the other cultivators would bring to the table here. That woman Blue Rose no exception.

The weight of the world pressed down upon me, even in my cot, like a metaphor for what lay ahead. But as I finally began to unwind, my body relaxed slightly, even though tensing every now and then with a pulse of Frenzy.

I wanted nothing more than to let the sweet call of sleep wash away my weariness and pains. But there was something I needed to do. Something I had put off even while aboard the Xin Zha.

Reaching for my pack I pulled out a pen and paper and began writing Fia.

I told her my decision.

My resolution to her plight.

I would succeed no matter what.

And our child would be born with my name.

I then began to tell her about my adventures thus far.

I got as far as meeting Jakra, before I quickly fell asleep.