Chun didn't remember leaving the arena. Nor did he remember closing his eyes. He simply opened them to the ceiling of a room lit by several lamps.
He was in a rather soft bed. His body still felt sore all over, his muscles stiff. His gi had been removed, leaving him in his underwear. Several bullet wound scars were scattered across his torso. He wasn't sure how long had passed since he passed out, but his body seemed to have healed wonderfully. Though he didn't doubt the tournament had medical equipment on hand.
On that note, he looked to his side to see a table with several small boxes on it. One of which had the symbol for ‘medicine’.
“Good to see you're awake.” A familiar voice sounded from around Chun.
He quickly looked around the room to see Kanta and Julian. Kanta was sitting in a chair, one leg crossed over the other. On her lap was a small box filled with rice and what Chun assumed to be chicken. She seemed to be enjoying a meal.
Julian stood behind her chair at attention like a soldier.
“You healed miraculously quickly.” Kanta said as she put a piece of the chicken into her mouth.
Chun wanted to make some remarks about his "Efficient Biology” and “Overwhelming Vitality” modifiers working well together. But that would open the door to far more questions he would rather not answer, preferring forever.
“I heal quickly.” Chun stated. At that thought, he opened his status to see how much he'd healed.
Name: Chun Hyang
Age: 24
Vitality: 31/50
Internal Energy: 0/25
External Energy: 0/0
Martial Stage: 1
Martial Tier: 1
Physical Attributes:
Strength: 6 (35%)
Speed: 8 (33%)
Endurance: 8 (33%)
Durability: 7 (12%)
Mystical Attributes:
Mental Strength: 7
Internal Energy Control: 3
External Energy Control: 1
Social Attributes:
Appearance: 4 (7)
Charisma: 2
Presence: 1
He had nearly completely healed. He wasn't sure how much his “Overwhelming Vitality” had increased his vitality by, but if he had to guess, a normal martial artist would have died several times over from his wounds.
His stats had also gone back to normal now that his various buffs had timed-out.
“That's a bit of an understatement.” Kanta stated. “I would call it superhuman, even. While various medicines we'd given you certainly helped the healing process. I wouldn't have called any of the damage you took ‘lethal’, for you at least. To anyone else they would be bedridden for many weeks at least.” She explained. She looked Chun up and down as if trying to discern if he was even truly human.
“I heal quickly, like I said.” Chun stated again. He sat up, his muscles groaning slightly in protest. “So… I won the tournament?"
The woman nodded. “You did, and the host of it would like to meet with you. A tradition. But I told them I wanted you to rest first. Not particularly because I don't want them to speak with you while you're injured, but because I want to ask you some questions myself.”
Chun nodded along, but he really didn't like where this conversation was going. When he'd first chosen all the modifiers he had for himself (or rather his past life did) he hadn't expected explaining himself to be an issue. Then again, he was rather blinded by the fantasy of being strong for once. His past life had truly been naive to what he was getting into. Next time he went back to that strange room, he would need to talk with himself… Ethan… or would he talk to Chun? No, Chun was himself? But he was also Ethan right?
The injured man shoved the thoughts away before they gave him a headache.
“Firstly, you're talented, we can all see that. But you're something more than talented. That strange ability you have, where your skin turns red. That isn't a martial technique, none that I have heard of, at least. I saw no fluctuations in your internal energy when you used it. Secondly, you don't seem to have used an excessive amount of elixirs or similar alchemical items to become as strong as you are now. I can sense it in your internal energy, how refined it is. Those who have consumed an abundance of elixirs and pills show it in their internal energy; it has a certain flow to it. You lack such a thing. So you are naturally strong, durable, and quick. And likely have quite the amount of endurance seeing as you rarely seemed very winded after the matches. Lastly,” Kanta leaned forward slightly and propped her elbow on the arm of the chair, setting her chin on her palm. She looked the martial artist up and down as if trying to put her final thoughts into words. “You're an anomaly.”
Chun just raised a brow. He understood why she thought this. Hell, she was right. Chun doubted anyone in this world's history had been born with all the things he had. A few, likely, but not everything. Not an awakened bloodline of Beast, Spirit, and Demon all at once. Not a prodigy with a broken limiter. Not one with overwhelming vitality and efficient biology. And that was just to name a few.
It hadn't come without a trade off, though. The world- at least part of it- was worse off for it. Even parts of himself, like his appetite, sexual sensitivity, and dark urge, to name a few, were all things he'd sacrificed to get the power he had. He sure as hell would call himself an anomaly.
“What of it?” Chun asked.
“People will want to recruit you, or kill you. Likely both at some point. Even if what you have shown today is everything you have, I doubt that will be the case a year from now. You're merely a first stage martial artist who could go toe-to-toe with even a weak sixth stage. That is a miraculous feat for anyone, especially one without any treasures to their name.” Kanta stood from her chair- handing her bento box to Julian- and stepped to the foot of the bed as she leaned over it. “I would like a revision to our deal.”
“What is there to revise? I already proved myself in this tournament by winning the damn thing. Don't go back on your promise to give me equipment.” Chun said, his brow contorting in annoyance.
“Of course not. You've earned far more today than some weapons and armor.” Kanta waved her hand as if dismissing the possibility entirely. “My offer is simple: I protect you from anything and everything that would wish to end your life within the foreseeable future. And you act as my… attack dog, I suppose is a good word for it. For the most part you can run around and do as you see fit. I will give you resources to grow where I can spare them. But on occasion, when I need someone dealt with. You will be the one I will call. That does not come without compensation of course. But you are still at my call if I have need of you.”
“Why would I willingly become your dog? I understand you have quite the amount of resources as one of the large merchant companies here. But what makes you different from the others. Why wouldn’t I just go to someone like The Pearl Wave Company? Or one of the gangs in the area.” Chun asked, crossing his arms.
He saw Kanta’s eyes sharpen at him. She thought for a few seconds before a faint smile appeared on her face. A finger went to the collar of a tunic that lay beneath her robes. Though, calling it a tunic wasn't quite accurate. It was more akin to a primitive version of a sports bra with no shoulder straps. Kanta pulled her finger down to cause her bust to break free from its prison of cloth.
The woman crawled up on the bed and began to close the distance between herself and Chun. “Because I know the weakness that body of yours has.” She said, her voice suddenly taking on a sultry tone.
Chun didn't know if his Aura of Lust was having an effect on the woman again, or if this truly was her best idea to persuade him. Regardless, his eyes were instantly drawn to her cleavage and the faintest hint of her areola on the sides of her robes.
“You love my body.” Kanta stated, now looming over Chun. Her hand went to his cock that was slowly growing hard beneath his underwear. “You can have it whenever you like, when you serve me. All you'd need to do is ask.” She then grabbed and moved a hand from Chun’s pelvis to one of his hands before placing it against one of her boobs.
Chun gently squeezed the woman’s chest in reaction to touching the soft flesh. He felt the woman’s lust rise as she let out a gentle moan. That one noise made Chun’s mind think of all the things he could do with the woman. All the things she could do to him. He could feel the heat growing in his chest every second as he looked at the woman’s body.
The offer was tempting. Very tempting. For the first time he cursed the modifier of his increased libido, it had been considered a ‘detriment’ after all.
With no small amount of willpower, he pulled his hand away from the woman's chest and forced his eyes into hers with as much ferocity as he could muster. “A tempting offer. But give me time to decide first.”
Kanta raised a brow and sat up, propping herself above Chun on her knees. The domineering figure of the woman made a small part of Chun’s mind regret not taking the offer of her body as soon as she'd given it. “How long do you require?”
“One week.” The martial artist said. “But that does not mean I haven't earned the prize of our last deal. You owe me equipment.”
Kanta pursed her lips, but ultimately sighed and removed herself from the bed and readjusted her bra(?). “You have one week, then. If you do not decide by then, I will consider all deals off.” She stated with more bile than Chun had heard from her.
She tapped the ring on her finger as Chun’s white apothecary robes appeared in her hands. She then tossed them onto the bed. “Now get dressed, you have a host to meet.”
***
An hour later, Chun sat in a room far more extravagant than he'd expected of anything beneath the Sapphire Port.
The room was well lit with lanterns throughout the room. In the center of the room, where Chun sat, was a large table made from dark wood lined with gold. On the walls of the room were several paintings depicting flying islands in a sea of clouds and canyons that fell into a web of crystal spires. Chun wouldn't be surprised if such landscapes actually existed in this world.
The only entrance to the room lay behind Chun where a total of four guards- two on either side of the door- flanked the door. He couldn't tell their exact power, but it was at least comparable to Sariah.
Speaking of the woman, she had entered a few minutes after Chun. Rather than her armor, she now wore a rather bland set of white clothes. Pants with a white tunic. Though the clothes themselves seemed a size too small for the woman. The pants stopped an inch above her ankles and the tunic hugged all parts of her muscular frame, as well as her rather ample chest.
Chun hadn't quite noticed how large it was during their fight. Their overall size was only slightly smaller than Kanta’s but due to Sariah being well over a foot taller than the merchant, they were rather average-looking on her broad chest.
Sariah hadn't healed quite as well as Chun had, though that was to be expected. Parts of her skin were raw with second degree burns. Her nose was bruised and looked like it had previously been broken and snapped into place. All things considered through, he was surprised she was still alive. Chun had been afraid he’d killed the woman.
“Why are you here?” Chun had asked the woman once she'd entered the room.
“The host of the tournament called me here as well once I recovered enough. I assume it is because I made it to the semifinals, master.” She added the last part a half-second after she'd finished the sentence.
Chun was about to tell her it wasn't necessary, but then he remembered that the woman had nearly killed him, and that she had literally agreed to be his servant. Making him her 'master’ of sorts. He made a note to be more specific on their deal later.
Eventually, the door opened a third time and a man walked in. He was rather round, not athletic like Chun had seen of everyone else. He wore fine purple and black robes that did nothing to hide his gut. He was clean shaven and his eyes were as violet as his attire. His ears, oddly, had their lobes stretch down the side of his face. A flicker of memory from Chun's past life made him realize he looked oddly similar to depictions of the Laughing Buddah. Though this man’s smile wasn't half as jolly as it had been.
He had several expensive looking rings on both his hands, each one Chun could tell was enchanted in some way. One or more were likely storage rings.
Chun recognized the man, however. Not as the host of the tournament but as the mayor of the Sapphire Ports.
“Mayor Jeong?” Chun’s eyes widened. He'd only ever seen the man once before when he'd made a speech in the town square after some tragic accident where a trade ship went up in flames due to mishandling of gunpowder. But he had kept up with the goings on of the port via the news and gossip. Mayor Jeong was supposedly the best mayor the Sapphire Port has had in decades.
“The exact one, yes.” The mayor said with a smile as he walked around the table to sit on the other end facing the two martial artists. He opened his arms to gesture to the two of them. “Good to see some new faces as the winners of this tournament. Mr. Hyang, our champion. And, I suppose his new servant, the semifinalist, Sariah.”
“Why have you called us here?” Sariah asked, crossing her arms over her chest. It appeared she'd been somewhat unwilling to meet with the man.
“Your rewards of course.” Jeong scoffed as if it were obvious. “It's only natural that the winners get a prize.” He looked at Chun. “Though you being a sponsor to a company, will only get a portion of your true prize. But I assure you, you will not come out of this empty handed.
Jeong’s smile felt forced. Like a businessman who knew how to put on a front for customers. Likely, ones that could kill him if they truly wanted to despite the repercussions that would have.
“And what might they be? The Rose Treasury Pavilion hadn't quite said what I would be getting out of this.” Chun stated.
“Well firstly,” the man tapped one of his storage rings as a small envelope with the Port’s seal pressed in wax on it appeared on the table. The mayor then slid it to Chun. “A total of 800 Imperial Coins, though some of that will go to your sponsor, leaving you with roughly 150 to 200, depending on how nice the Rose Treasury Pavilion is feeling.”
He tapped the ring again and slid a similar envelope to Sariah. “And to the semifinalist, 100 Imperial Coins.”
Chun took the envelope he had been given and looked it over.
“Do not open it yet, I suggest only doing so once you're at a bank, and likely with an extra storage ring.” The mayor added.
“And secondly,” the Mayor said as he stood. “Please follow me.”
Chun and Sariah looked at each other before standing and following the mayor to one of the walls housing a painting of floating islands.
Mayor Jeong pressed something on the frame of the painting, making the entire thing slide to the left, revealing a door with no visible handle. However there was a small slot in its center for something.
The mayor then pressed the signet of one of his rings to the door’s slot and turned. A faint click echoed through the room before the door slid open.
Before them now was what Chun could only describe as a treasury.
Clear cases warded with mystical runes lined the walls and several tables throughout the room. Each case held various items, from weapons, to armor, to jewelry and everything in between.
Chun’s senses told him that each item held quite the amount of internal energy, roughly comparable to a Fifth Stage Martial Artist.
“You can each have your pick of items here. Mr. Hyang, you can choose three. Though one of your choosing will be going to the Rose Treasury Pavilion as their sponsor. And Ms. Sariah, you can choose a single item.” The mayor said as he stepped aside for the two to enter.
Chun walked around the room eyeing each item. There was a small plaque at the base of each case that read the item’s name. Unfortunately he couldn't touch the items to see their true description. So he would have to take the plaques as truth.
He came to a case holding a small black box. It was opened to reveal a sphere no more than a centimeter in diameter. It had a purple tint to it and pulsed with internal energy. Below the case, the plaque read ‘Ten Toxins Pill’.
Seeing his interest, the mayor walked over. “That pill is rather useful for martial artists who wish to mix poisons into their art. Assuming you can counteract its effects at least. It is rather potent.”
Chun thought about it for a moment but walked past the item. For the most part, he could eventually make one himself if he had the right ingredients. His end goal was to be able to make his own alchemical pills for his growth. He just needed ingredients to do so, but he wouldn't find them in this treasury.
That didn't mean other items didn't peak his interest, however.
He came to a sword whose plaque read ‘Lightning Chasing Blade’. It was a jian with a yellow tassel hanging from its pommel. The sheath it was within was a dark blue color with yellow lightning bolts running down it.
“That blade is a rather strong one.” Mayor Jeong stated as he returned to Chun’s side. “Crafted by a skilled smith and enchanter in the Emerald Port. It was gifted to one of my personal guards upon my inauguration as mayor. Unfortunately the guard is dead now- may his soul find peace with his forefathers- but I kept the sword in my treasury.”
“Did they control lightning?” Chun asked.
“On the contrary,” the mayor pointed to the blade. “The blade controls it. It has quite the amount of lightning energy coursing through it, the wood element I believe. It is a powerful blade, but if Ken does not possess an affinity for the wood element it may cause a backlash when bonding with the blade.”
Chun thought for a moment. He did need a weapon. And this wasn't a bad option. With his “Elementalism” art, he technically had an affinity for all elements. But he wasn't very proficient in any just yet. The only one he'd used most was fire during the tournament. Regardless, he did like the idea of a lightning sword.
“Can I hold it?” The martial artist asked.
Mayor Jeong held his smile and reached towards the case. “For but a moment, unless you choose to keep it.” As his hand touched the case. It went though it as if the case itself wasn't there. He grabbed the sheath of the blade and offered it to Chun.
Chun grabbed the sheath with one hand and the handle of the sword with his other. As he did, he felt a light shock shoot up his arm. It stung, but wasn't particularly painful and only lasted an instant. He then poured part of his internal energy into the item to identify it.
Lightning Chasing Blade
A blade forged from a sturdy conductive metal with the wood element implemented during its forging. Increases the speed of the user based on their Internal Energy Control.
Chun nodded as he unsheathed the blade partially to look at its material. The blade was dark grey like a stormcloud and had a web of gold lightning trailing down it.
He sheathed the blade and looked towards the mayor. “I'll take this one as my first prize.”
Mayor Jeong nodded as Chun continued looking throughout the room. He wasn't quite sure exactly what he needed. Some more alchemy supplies would be nice, but this vault had none of that. There were some nice looking armors, but Chun didn't want to be weighed down by a heavy breastplate, even if it boosted his defenses. He had always liked more agile combat anyway.
Eventually, he came to a single golden ring within another case. Its plaque read ‘Storage Ring (Spirit Grade)’.
Chun had been thinking of acquiring a storage ring as one of his first mystical items, though it hadn't occurred to him he may find one here. Though one thing did intrigue him.
“What does ‘Spirit Grade’ mean here?” Chun asked, pointing to the plaque.
The mayor raised a brow in confusion for a moment but quickly took on his kind demeanor once again. “I see you haven't met many skilled enchanters in your short time. But I shall enlighten you. Treasures and mystical items, such as these,” he gestured around the room. “Come in grades depending on their power, complexity, and overall value. The lowest of these grades is Mortal Grade. This grade of item can be bought at most specialized shops throughout the ports if you have enough imperial coins on you to buy them. They aren't that hard to find if you know where to look. Spirit Grade treasures are a step beyond that. There are few in each port who can properly make them and require a rather skilled craftsman and enchanter to make. Practically every item in this room is of the Spirit Grade, including that sword.” The mayor gestured to Chun’s new weapon.
“Are there grades beyond Spirit?” The martial artist asked.
“Oh certainly,” the mayor smiled. “Beyond the Spirit Grade is the Sovereign Grade. This is very rarely seen in the ports but the capital is known to house many enchanters who can make such items. At least so I have heard. Beyond even that, though, is the Imperial Grade. I know little about this grade, in all honesty. It is said that the head enchanter of the Royal family is one of the few people who can even make them. Though with all that has happened there, I am unsure if that knowledge has been lost.” The faintest hint of a gloomy shadow appeared over Jeong’s face, but he quickly returned to his smile. “Unfortunelty, Spirit Grade items are all I have access to, even as the Mayor of the Sapphire Port.”
“Can I see the ring?” Chun asked as he gestured to the treasure.
“Of course,” the mayor stated as he took out the ring and handed it to the young man.
Once again his internal energy went to the ring as he identified it.
Storage Ring
A storage ring of excellent quality that can hold up to 10 cubic meters of inanimate items. Touching the ring allows the wearer to store or extract items at will.
Space Used: 0%
A storage ring was an undoubtedly useful tool. He recalled his chest of belongings he had in his quarters back in the living districts of the Sapphire Port. He had worried more than once that his wealth would get stolen, but with this ring that wouldn't be an issue. This ring could hold everything in that chest without even being at half capacity.
“This ring shall be my second item.” Chun stated, slipping the item on to his finger. As he did his internal energy seemed to latch onto the ring. As he did, he had an innate sense of the space within the storage ring. It was empty for now, but it was still useful.
Looking around the room again, he now needed to think of an item for Kanta. This final item would be going to the Rose Treasury Pavilion rather than himself.
A minute of looking around later, he finally came on an item that he thinks Ms. Kanta could use it. Though he did wonder why the mayor had such an item on his vault.
It was a long red ribbon that was tied into a bow at two separate points roughly a third the way through its length. It didn't look particularly interesting other than the stream of internal energy that coursed through it. The plaque under the case read ‘Temptors Ribbons’.
“What is this?” Chun asked, pointing to the ribbons.
“Oh, one of the more interesting items in my vault. This isn't used for combat, so I don't know what use you may get from it.”
“Can I?” Chun gestured to the ribbons, not needing to explain himself more.
A moment later the ribbons were in his hands, and a moment after that, information flooded his mind.
Temptors Ribbons
A set of semi-alive ribbons that, when wrapped around the body, will come alive to touch, grope, and otherwise pleasure the individual. The wearer cannot control the ribbons unless they are bonded to the ribbons. The one bonded to the ribbons can activate or deactivate the ribbons using a command word of their choosing.
Chun tried not to let a humorous smirk appear on his face as he read the information in his mind’s eye. With a tap of his storage ring, the ribbons vanished into its space. “This will be a good gift, thank you.”
Mayor Jeong’s forced smile seemed to grow tighter as he nodded. “It was a pleasure to do business with you, Mr. Hyang.”