Chapter 34 – The Trait
Einver walked forward with steady, confident steps, after bidding farewell to the old man Mai Na and his daughter Mai Ko. His face still carried traces of a calm smile, as if his heart lingered with a shade of longing. Yet that serenity did not last long.
For as soon as he had taken a few more steps along the road, his entire body shuddered. A dark sensation slithered into his spirit, whispering of a storming fury, mingled with an insatiable thirst for blood. He felt as though those shadowy threads of energy reached for him directly, wrapping around his body, intent on tearing him apart.
Einver spun around with lightning speed, his gleaming eyes scanning the surroundings in agitation, searching for the source of that menace. But despite the sharpness of his combat senses, he could not pinpoint where that murderous intent came from.
True, his spiritual perception was strong, yet not strong enough to expose someone hiding well amidst the crowd. Worse still, he stood in the middle of a broad, bustling road, packed with people—laughter, the cries of merchants, the shuffle of hurried footsteps filled the air, every sound overlapping until it muddled in his head, blurring his ability to distinguish.
He exhaled slowly, thinking as his vigilant eyes swept across every corner:
"This killing intent is powerful… perhaps not the fiercest I've felt, but it is soaked in suffocating darkness. Luckily, it's aimed at me alone, not at the old man and his daughter. Could this person be a tracker, someone sent by the princess to spy on me and see where I go? But… why so much rage? This aura wants to tear me limb from limb… maybe…"
Einver cut off his stream of thoughts, drew in a deep breath as if casting away the specter of tension, then carried on his path with unhurried steps, as though nothing had happened.
Time slipped by quickly, and night descended in silence, drawing its veil over the world, leaving the sky adorned with the glow of the moon.
Elsewhere, within a dark chamber where only a thin thread of moonlight seeped through a high window, a breathtakingly beautiful girl sat on a chair facing the window, gazing in silence at the moon. Her black eyes shimmered in the gloom, like twin stars adrift in a sea of darkness. She seemed tranquil, yet her features bore the weight of grave secrets.
At that moment, a shadow detached itself from the corner of the room, gliding lightly until it stopped behind the princess, kneeling low in deep respect. She did not turn to look at him, keeping her gaze fixed upon the moon, her lips curving in a faint, enigmatic smile.
Her voice, calm and resonant, broke the silence:
"Tell me… what are the latest reports? What has your brother learned about Einver? And what have you discovered yourself?"
Mo Bi hesitated for a long while. His heart writhed in agony, tears slipping down in silence. Only after mustering his remaining strength did he speak:
"My lady… my brother, Mo Ba… he was killed today… by three people."
The princess's eyes trembled, struck by the weight of the revelation. She tore her gaze from the moon, staring at him in shock.
"What?! Who would dare… who even has the power to kill Mo Ba? Was he not already in the Upper Division of the Earthly Realm? Was he not about to step into the Celestial Realm soon?"
Mo Bi swallowed hard, his voice hushed and sorrowful:
"Yes, my lady… had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would have sworn it was a lie."
The princess sank into a storm of tangled thoughts, staring off as though reaching for a thread to untangle the mystery. Then, sharply, she demanded:
"Who did this?! Who was strong enough to kill him? And why did you not intervene to protect your brother when he was slain? Was the killer that much stronger than you both?"
Mo Bi bowed lower still, his voice trembling:
"It was… Einver. My brother Mo Ba was slain by Einver's hand."
The words struck the princess like icy water, shocking her to the core. Her lips quivered before she stammered in disbelief:
"Impossible… Einver? How could that be?! I can't accept it… Einver is just a beginner in the martial world! He has only just broken into the First Division of the Earthly Realm. He possesses no remarkable martial techniques, just a fledgling in this vast world… how could he possibly kill a master of the Upper Division, who was only a step away from ascending to the Celestial Realm? How do you explain this?"
Mo Bi hesitated, breathing slowly before replying in sorrow:
"My brother was not killed by Einver alone… he had the aid of the old man Mai Na and his daughter Mai Ko."
The princess exhaled sharply at the mention of their names, her tone turning cold:
"That old man… so he still lives? Hmph. If the two of them joined forces, then yes, that is plausible. And let us not forget—Mai Na knows much about you, about the origin of your power and your weaknesses. I did not expect him to have survived."
She closed her eyes briefly in thought, then whispered:
"But… why now? He remained silent for three full years. Why rise suddenly? And why kill your brother? Something is missing."
Mo Bi seized the chance, speaking quickly:
"I have a convincing reason… Do you remember Mai Tu, my lady?"
She frowned, searching her memory before shaking her head:
"And who is Mai Tu?"
Mo Bi choked down his grief and explained:
"Mai Tu was the man you selected during your last trials… to strengthen your power. He is Mai Na's son, and Mai Ko's elder brother. After joining the army and rising in rank, he was summoned by you, and his fate… was the same as all the others. He never returned to his family. That is what ignited the old man's fury and resentment. I am certain of it."
The princess fell silent, then a faint smile touched her lips.
"Ah… now I remember. Mai Tu, the brave youth. Yes, he was his son… and that does make sense."
She sighed, continuing softly:
"Very well… what have you learned about Einver?"
Mo Bi answered:
"My lady, all I know is that he appeared near the Village of the Little Moon. He was hosted by the old man Moon Fai. After two or three days, he left the village and made his way toward our city. I know nothing of his origins or where he came from."
The princess shut her eyes briefly and then said:
"Good… listen closely, Mo Bi."
"Yes, my lady. What are your orders?"
He leaned closer, bowing low, attentive even to her breath. After several minutes of whispered commands, a wicked smile spread across his face, and his deep voice filled the chamber like a sinister murmur:
"As you command."
In the blink of an eye, the shadows swallowed him once more, leaving the princess alone with the moonlight.
She whispered to herself, her voice tinged with sorrow and cunning:
"Ah, Einver… you are indeed brave and kind. But boys like you… when they watch someone dear or innocent be harmed before them, they are left with only two paths: either they beg for mercy and sacrifice themselves, or the cruelty shatters them, turning their hearts dark, unbound by their old beliefs…
And even if you resist… you are still but a mere beginner in the First Division of the Earthly Realm. I command more than a hundred masters in the Upper Division, over four hundred soldiers of the First Division, and fifty soldiers in the First Division of the Celestial Realm. If I want you… you will be mine without fail. Very soon, I will draw out your life force to magnify my own strength."
Her eyes slid toward the corner of the chamber as she whispered:
"Don't you agree… Xin Ka?"
From the shadows emerged a short, slightly stooped man, his white hair tied back, his features severe. He stepped forward, gently laying his hand on the princess's shoulder with a smile.
"Yes… my beautiful darling."
At his touch, the light faded from her eyes, as though she had become a puppet under his sway. He withdrew his hand and said coldly:
"Once you drain the magical essence of two more people, you will ascend into the Upper Division of the Celestial Realm. Then we will seize the villages… then the cities… then the world itself."
A sinister grin curled his lips as he lifted his gaze to the moon above.
"My plans will not go to waste… at last, after such a long wait, my dreams shall be realized. With Sun Mi and her Trait, and with my Trait as well… we will rule this world. As for Sun Ko… his Trait has weakened, he is no longer of use. But still… in the right moment, everyone has their purpose."
---
In the city garden, Einver sat beneath a towering tree. He closed his eyes briefly, trying to steady himself. Then he slipped into his spiritual world, opened his spatial ring, and drew out Mo Ba's corpse. He searched it carefully, finding some coins and a spatial pendant around his neck. As he turned the body, his gaze caught something unusual clinging to Mo Ba's back—the coin he had thrown earlier, glowing with an uncanny brilliance.
He picked it up, and its light dimmed until it vanished. He stored it within his ring, added the pendant, and dug a small grave. Lowering the body inside, he covered it quietly with earth. For a moment, he sat before the grave of his foe, then raised his head, his gaze wandering. His spiritual sea stretched vast and boundless, a private world unlike any other.
When he returned from within, he opened his eyes and looked at the street, where the crowd had thinned with the fall of night. He was about to rise and head back to the palace when he froze, stunned.
Directly before him, a radiant blue window emerged, gleaming with clear words:
|Congratulations, the System has been unlocked|
His heart pounded wildly as he glanced around. Yet no one else reacted—people merely smiled at him politely or walked past without a glance. He realized then that the window was visible only to him. New words appeared:
|Do you accept the System? Yes or No?|
Einver stared at it, pondering:
"Is this my Trait?! But… didn't the old man Mai Na say that once a person reaches the First Division of the Earthly Realm, they receive a Trait? A gift of power, a unique ability… yet I have never heard of anything called a System. What is this?"
He extended his hand and pressed "Yes," but his finger slid right through the window without effect.
"Perhaps it needs a verbal command…"
He said aloud:
"Yes!"
At his voice, the words vanished, replaced by another window:
|Personal Window – Would you like to analyze your body's statistics?|
"Yes."
Moments later, the window filled with precise details:
|Name: Einver
Age: 18
Physical Strength: 10
Magical Power: 8
Martial Realm: Earthly Realm – First Division
Martial Techniques: All Martial Arts of the Mortal World, none of the Spiritual Martial Arts of the Earthly Realm
Weapons: Sword, Bow
Titles: ?????|
Einver was astonished at the accuracy. He thought to himself:
"Physical strength 10… excellent. But my magical power is weak, only 8… perhaps because I awakened my spiritual sea just today. Why list only sword and bow as my weapons?! I'm skilled with the spear and whip as well!"
Then realization struck him:
"Perhaps because I've only wielded sword and bow since arriving in this world. Fine… I'll need to find other weapons and learn their arts. But what about the Titles? Why are none shown?"
A small word appeared at the edge of the window:
|Next|
He said: "Next."
A new window opened:
|Inventory – Capacity: 100|
He smiled in amazement.
"Perfect, I have my own inventory! No more need for a spatial item… I could even return this ring to the old man."
But at the bottom of the window, there was another "Next" button—this one bound by red chains in the shape of an X.
"So… it will open later."
As he pondered, he whispered:
"But then… what is my Trait? Why hasn't it appeared yet? Is the System itself my Trait?!"
No sooner had he spoken than a new window appeared before him:
|Your Trait: Trait Cancellation.
You may nullify the Trait of any person by a touch of your hand, or through any weapon you wield. When invoked, your weapon shines with a brilliant white light. If the weapon pierces the enemy's body by your will, their Trait is nullified for one full minute. The weapon will remain bound within their body for that minute, halting their ability completely, and then will fall away by itself.
If you touch them directly, their Trait remains canceled for as long as your hand maintains contact.
Under your grasp, the enemy's Trait will be erased entirely.|
Einver gasped, recalling the coin that had clung to Mo Ba's body, shining with that same strange light.
"So… my Trait is Trait Cancellation! Damn it… isn't that too weak?! What if I throw a coin imbued with my Trait… and the enemy dodges? Useless. They're far too fast in the higher realms. And the condition of touch… impossible! If I faced someone like Sun Ko, surrounded by lightning… I'd be struck down before I could touch him. And if their Trait is fire or something external… I'd be burned alive! No… I have to learn to use this wisely."
He thought hard for a long moment, his brow furrowed, before muttering inwardly:
"But if my Trait is Cancellation… then what in the world is the System?!"
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