Second Realm

by Michael Chatfield

  Tears fell down her face. She knew that she had done wrong when she saw that Young Master Jole wasn’t just happy with hurting the other man but intended for his guards to kill him.

  It was only through the man’s hidden skills that he was able to fight off the young master’s attacks.

  He announced that he was an alchemist without fear. A real alchemist! The idea that she strived for! Yet now all of that was dashed as she was left with nothing.

  The old man let out a roar, turning and moving to the door.

  Delilah coughed out blood from her lips.

  When she was back in her town, she hadn’t had the greatest life, but she had been loved by her brothers, sisters, mother, and father. When she set off, she remembered their smiling faces and her sense of excitement to see the world.

  With time, her view of the world had dimmed and she cared less about the people she met, wondering what they were looking to get out of her.

  Although she felt pity for herself, her biggest regret was the way that the man had looked at her when he realized that it was she who had started the fight between him and Young Master Jole.

  That more than anything broke her heart—the sadness, the distrust, and pain in his eyes at being betrayed.

  She gathered herself together. Grabbing a storage ring close by, she ran for the door.

  “Get back here, girl! I’m not done with you!” Her Master yelled at her as she barged through the door to her Master’s home.

  She rushed out into the streets. Her injuries weren’t simple but if she slowed, she knew that her Master would catch up to her.

  She balled her fists together and ran out into the city.

  ***

  “Grandfather, what do we do now?” Fairy Luo asked.

  They had all been settled down into new homes. Her aunt had taken them in with a smile, happy to see them all again.

  Her grandfather had gone off with her husband and the leader of the Gu family to talk privately. That had been a number of hours ago and he had only returned now.

  “Now we watch as what was the Luo family tears itself apart. I have announced that I am no longer the clan leader for the Luo family. We took as many valuables as we could and passed the deeds over to the Gu family for different businesses that we own. Right now they are looking to establish their control over these different businesses. The Luo family were prepared to fight over who the new clan leader was. Effectively, to them, I have died and they will need to find a new clan leader. In our absence, they will turn on one another to try to gain a higher position within the family.” Her grandfather shook his head, looking much older.

  “I didn’t know that the family had been broken apart this much. After the death of your father, I cared little about running the family, leaving it up to my sons and the people of the Luo family without checking on what they were doing. A number of things were carried out without my knowledge, destabilizing the family and weakening it from the inside.”

  “What will happen when they elect a new clan leader? Won’t they come after us?” Chiang Luo asked.

  “They won’t be able to. As they fight against one another, the other four powers will eye them, creating their own deals or fighting to take control of the family’s assets. The Luo family’s descent will be bloody and terrible,” her grandfather said. His voice and eyes were hard but she could tell that he was hurting inside.

  These people were meant to be his family but they had plotted against him, his daughter-in-law, and his granddaughter. They had subverted him for their own selfish gains, placing themselves above the family and weakening it completely.

  He had no mercy to show toward them. But it was hard to think of them as the monsters they had become, compared to the children he had held when they had been born, the young boys and girls he had instructed, greeted and watch grow up.

  Chiang Luo reached out her hand, touching her grandfather’s.

  He smiled, looking at her and patting her hand. “More than anything, I am grateful to you and that strange man you brought.”

  Chiang Luo’s expression changed as she thought of that man. He was older than her but when seeing her beauty, he was unaffected by it as none of the countless others were.

  He had rescued her from an awkward situation with Hong and had helped her to heal her grandfather, even with all of the obstacles in his path. If he was like the haughty alchemists and healers that she had heard of in the past, then she doubted that he would have helped her.

  She gritted her teeth and headed for the Blue Lotus.

  The only people she knew were those who desired something from her.

  She didn’t know what would happen and she was beyond caring. Her mind was spinning and this was the only plan that she could come up with.

  She ran off into the night, a fierce determination in her eyes. She would make this right with him.

  Chapter: Accepting a Student and Paying a Favor

  Erik, seeing the time, quickly put away his different items and rushed to the Blue Lotus as fast as possible.

  I nearly forgot all about dinner that Hiao Xen invited me to! Erik was mentally kicking himself as he picked up his pace.

  The light was dimming and night was coming when he entered the Blue Lotus.

  “Is Manager Xen in?” he asked one of the guards.

  “He’s in his office, Master West.”

  Erik felt a bit relieved but he continued up to Hiao Xen’s office. He brushed off his clothes and tried to clean up his appearance quickly before he got to the man’s door.

  The guards opened the doors to show Hiao Xen finishing up work on his desk.

  He stood as Erik came in and went to meet him.

  “Master West, sorry. I was just working on a few final things,” Hiao Xen said.

  “No worries. I am sorry for being late.” Erik waved off Hiao Xen’s concern.

  “To be honest, I have something I want to ask Master West if he could help me with,” Hiao Xen said apologetically.

  “What might you need my help with?” Erik smiled.

  Hiao Xen scratched his head awkwardly. “This is…about my son,” Hiao Xen finally said.

  Erik tilted his head, looking at Hiao Xen with greater interest.

  “He, well, he was a prodigy, he was sought out by a number of sects to train with masters. I held back nothing looking to nurture him with the greatest medicines that I could acquire. Then suddenly his acupoints started to close and his mana stagnated, his mana gates became clogged. Many said he would recover quickly,” Hiao Xen let out a soft sigh. “He didn’t. Now, when he tries to pull Mana into his body, he falls into great pain.

  “Even as I have tried to stop him, he continued to try to pull Mana in. He wants nothing more than to be a hero who challenges the Ten Realms to ascend to the peak.

  “I have spent countless items trying to heal his affliction but nothing has worked.” Xen shook his head in sorrow.

  Erik smiled slightly, seeing Hiao Xen’s clear love for his son, wishing to relieve his symptoms and pursue his dreams. He thought it would be a request for potions or other items. If it had been, then he would have happily made Hiao Xen a few items, but for this kind of request, Erik would give his all.

  “So, you want me to take a look at him and see if I can help him to get past his affliction?” Erik asked.

  Hiao Xen gritted his teeth together, his eyes fixed on the ground. “Yes. You can ask any price from me.”

  Erik patted Hiao Xen. “Seeing a father’s love for his son as strong as yours, there is no payment needed,” Erik said in a comforting tone.

  Hiao Xen looked upward in shock, not believing his eyes as he looked at Erik’s smiling face.

  Erik laughed at the man’s speechlessness. “Come, I’ll have a look at him before dinner. I will be leaving soon. Hopefully I can help him deal with some of the symptoms,” Erik said. “I make no guarantees that I can heal him but I’ll do my best.”


  “Master West.” Hiao Xen made to bow.

  “Don’t worry about it. You’ve helped me out greatly.” Erik smiled, stopping Hiao Xen from bowing.

  “Very well, Master West.” Hiao Xen smiled. “If you want, we can head to my home now?”

  “Certainly,” Erik said. “Let’s see if we can help your boy out.”

  Hiao Xen nodded. He wasn’t sure that Erik would be able to heal his son, but he had hope.

  Hiao Xen led Erik out of his office. A patrol of guards followed them as they swiftly departed the Blue Lotus.

  The people of the Blue Lotus didn’t stay in the actual building but had a compound where there were homes for all the people who worked for the Blue Lotus. One could buy a home in the city, but few did with the well-maintained homes that the Blue Lotus provided.

  They were crossing the open area around the Blue Lotus when a woman rushed up to the group.

  The guards moved to intercept as Erik looked over in interest.

  The woman dropped to her knees before the guards. There was blood on her clothes and her appearance was ragged.

  “Lord Alchemist, I beg your forgiveness. What I did was wrong and I brought down problems upon you that I shouldn’t have!” the woman said into the ground.

  Erik frowned. The voice was familiar, as were the clothes. Erik moved forward. The guards moved to either side but watched the woman in case she made any moves.

  Erik squatted down in front of her. “Lift your head up. The ground is much more boring to talk to.”

  The woman looked up, slowly, not wanting to meet his eyes.

  Erik’s eyes thinned as he saw the blood on her lip. His eyes shone as he looked through her body, seeing the damage internally. She had a cracked rib and her internal organs were badly bruised from what looked like a kick.

  Someone much stronger hit her. “Who kicked you?” Erik asked, his eyes returning to normal.

  She didn’t say anything for a bit. Her body shook as her hands clenched into fists. “My Master,” she said, her voice low and cold.

  Where some might feel shivers down their spine, a cold smile appeared on Erik’s face as he lifted her chin and looked into her eyes, finding the rage within.

  His smile widened further. He had trained people across the world, turning them from teenagers, mothers, and fathers into soldiers, into medics—people who could use that same anger as motivation. Erik was no stranger to that anger, those who thought society had given up on them and looked for something greater than them, something that gave them purpose.

  So when he saw that rage, he felt a sense of companionship. Beneath the medic, a part of him lived for the fight, the part of him that grinned while shooting, that felt alive in battle, that accepted the pain to defeat his enemies.

  Seeing those eyes, he felt closer to her. He felt the rage simmering beneath, hidden from all.

  “Why did you come to me?” Erik asked.

  “My actions were wrong and petty. I came to try to redeem myself.”

  Erik released her chin and looked at her. “What did he teach you?”

  She looked to the side in disgust, her lip curling upward. “He said he would teach me all he knew of Alchemy and took me from my family. When we got to the city, his promises were nothing more than lies as he pushed for me to join him in bed with the promise of learning.”

  Erik didn’t say anything. Although this might have shocked people back home, in the places he had gone, so-called social norms and laws were things that could only be upheld in certain areas.

  “This is all I can offer as compensation for my actions.” She bowed her head and held up a storage ring for Erik.

  Erik looked at the woman in front of him for some time and closed her hand around the storage ring.

  She looked up in confusion.

  “Do you wish to learn?” Erik asked.

  “Yes,” she said, holding Erik’s eyes.

  “If you are confronted with two great enemies, to pit them against one another is right. If I learn that you have harmed an innocent, then I will hunt you down.” Erik knew the strength of Alchemy; if she went around without a care, then with her poisons alone it would be possible to kill an entire town in a Second or First Realm city.

  “I will not betray your teachings and if I use your teachings to purposefully kill the innocent, then might the Ten Realms strike me down,” she said solemnly.

  Light filtered down on her; a screen appeared in front of Erik.

  ==========

  An Oath of the Ten Realms

  ==========

  An Oath of the Ten Realms is unbreakable. Delilah Ryan has made an oath to you. If she fails to uphold this oath, then she will be cut down by Tribulation Thunder.

  ==========

  Erik nodded. This oath was much better than having to promise to descend once again or search her out to uphold her promise.

  “Good.” Erik pulled out an Alchemy book he had received from Old Man Hei. He now understood how lucky he was to reach a city that had a true alchemist in it, instead of just the apothecaries that seemed to dominate the majority of cities.

  “Do you mind if she follows us?” Erik turned to Hiao Xen.

  “She is welcome to join,” Hiao Xen said.

  “Master.” Delilah started to bow before the book, her eyes filled with water.

  “None of that. I’m not your Master, merely your teacher. I can show you the basics but it is up to you to see how far you can step down the path of the alchemist.” Erik pulled her to her feet and firmly placed the book in her hands. He cast Focused Heal at the same time, removing the bruising from her body.

  “Now, start reading. I want you to know the basics of Alchemy before we leave.” Erik turned and moved to join Hiao Xen again. “Sorry for the holdup. Let’s go see your son.”

  “It is no worries.” Hiao Xen smiled.

  “Thank you, nonetheless,” Erik said with an easy laugh.

  They headed through the city. There were different groups moving through the night. When seeing the Blue Lotus guards, they were quick to move aside.

  “Seems that the disturbances with the Luo clan have stirred up the city.” Hiao Xen frowned.

  Erik grunted in agreement. There were a number of people with weapons walking away and the streets were unnaturally empty.

  The identity of the Blue Lotus protected them as they reached the area where the people of the Blue Lotus resided. The Blue Lotus building held business, while the separate residential area held the people who worked for the Blue Lotus, creating their own large compound.

  Chapter: Kick-starting a Mana System

  Hiao Xen led them through the different homes until they reached a larger residence. He dismissed the guards, who went off toward their homes.

  A butler came out to greet them.

  “Old Shen, bring out my son to meet with Master West,” Hiao Xen said to the butler.

  “Certainly, Master Xen.” The butler moved off to find Hiao Xen’s son.

  “I will need to examine him in private, if that is okay?” Erik asked.

  “Certainly. Any items you might need will be provided,” Hiao Xen said.

  “I will have to make my assessment first then I will be able to treat him.”

  Hiao Xen nodded in understanding.

  A younger-looking version of Hiao Xen stepped out to greet everyone. He was well built and he had an easy smile on his face.

  “Master West, this is my son, Qiang Xen.” Hiao Xen turned from Erik to his son. “Qiang, Master West is a powerful alchemist I have invited to dinner.”

  “Thank you for visiting, Master West.” Qiang’s facial expression fell before he hid it deep.

  Erik didn’t need to be a mind reader to know that Qiang had little faith that Erik would be able to heal him. “Let’s see if I can do anything to help you,” Erik said.

  “We have a room over here that you can use to examine Qiang.” Hiao Xen g
uided them to a side room.

  Erik and Qiang stepped inside. Erik looked to Delilah, who was looking around in awe.

  “Read the book!” Erik chastised.

  “Yes, Ma—Teacher!” she said, catching herself.

  “I will find her a place to read in peace. Old Shen will remain at the door. If you need anything, he will get it,” Hiao Xen promised. He looked to Qiang, his face filled with care, before shutting the door behind him.

  Erik turned to see Qiang in the middle of the room.

  “I am sorry about this. I have come to accept my problem but my father isn’t able to come to terms with it,” Qiang said with an apologetic expression.

  “You’re lucky to have a father like that. Can I see your hand please?” Erik asked.

  Qiang held out his hand and Erik grabbed his wrist, casting Simple Organic Scan. The spell might be simple but Erik had used it so many times that it only took him a few moments to look through Qiang’s body.

  “So, why were you trying to pull Mana into your body just this morning if you thought that it would never work?” Erik asked.

  Qiang’s face froze like a deer in the headlights. “How do you know that?”

  “’Cause I can see it.” Erik tapped the side of his head as he checked Qiang over using his Simple Organic Scan.

  Medically he looked to be fine.

  The Mana he’s absorbed has all been packed together. Where there should be clear channels, the Mana is filled with impurities. If it was just one affinity Mana or another it would be fine, but with them all together, they’ve started to make it hard to nearly impossible for him to circulate his Mana. It’s like debris in a river channel, building up pressure inside and outside of his body and making the Mana move in odd routes. As more came in, they became stagnant as well and only increased the blockages in his Mana channels.