Path of the Berserker

I sat in the darkness with my two best friends.

Blue Struggler me and my alter ego, Mr. Demon.

Neither of them were receptive to my attempts at mediation to combine their souls.

Within the spiritual confines of my own mind, I tried everything within my mental powers to merge the two halves of my spirit, but to no avail. I was missing something clearly. Knowledge perhaps. I traced through the scripts of the Foundation Manual within a window of my mind’s eye and focused on the latter stages of Qi cultivation when it came to the Core Realm.

I was definitely bordering on the 9th Tier now.

Secondary Soul Germination.

Everything else before that I seemed to have mastered.

I had even broken through on my next tier of [Death Mastery] having achieved [Fear no Death], so that certainly wasn’t an impediment to my ascension anymore.

The blockage had to be one of knowledge for sure.

I just didn’t know what I needed to do.

I searched the texts of the manual again for any clues I might have missed.

There was really only one paragraph that spoke to the Secondary Soul germination.

“Within the later stages of solid core formation, a practitioner will begin to sense a secondary consciousness within their Dantian. This stage is known as the germination of one’s sacred soul. Through further cultivation of Qi, the soul is nourished through a gestation period. The sacred soul is the truest reflection of one’s inner self. Whether a god or a demon, a sacred soul reveals the identity and history of one’s journey. Therefore, caution must be taken in how one accumulates power after this stage is achieved.”

It was the same passage I’d read a thousand times over. Nothing new here. But this was as much as the manual could tell me about the Sacred Soul Realm.

Clearly, I’d nearly outgrown the book.

But I hadn’t had much luck sourcing a replacement either.

A manual on Sacred Soul Realm cultivation was something more coveted than even scrolls of martial techniques or styles. I wasn’t even sure they even existed, to be honest. At least there were none in Jurin, not even in the imperial city library. Sacred Soul realm cultivation was on the same Tier as the Warden and Princess. Mu Lin had explained that even to gain access to a manual you had to have already broken through to the Sacred Soul realm first.

And even that wasn’t guaranteed.

For Qi cultivators it was a step few dared to even attempt.

A failed breakthrough could lead to death or being crippled for life.

Much like how Fia’s mom was now.

Which was why most cultivators settled to be High Tier Core Realm and progressed no further. Mu Lin had the chances were of a successful breakthrough was one in ten, the odds for success greater if you held a strong bloodline.

Which made my upcoming duel with the Warden all the more challenging.

She had already made the breakthrough and her true powers were likely on a scale I hadn’t fully experienced yet. But I needed to get as strong as her, or as strong as Threja even if I wanted to be go toe to toe with those god-like beings that attacked the earth.

And once I went full rebellion, they such as shit would come looking.

Just the though of that stirred my Flame and my eagerness to ascend.

But to do get even close to that, I needed to master this final step of the Core Realm first.

The germination of my Secondary Soul.

That’s where I was now stuck.

Beyond that, I needed a new counterpart when it came to my Berserker Path as well. The shuras from Threja’s sword—or Venja, were imprinted in my memory, but for any stage beyond that I possessed no guide. Still, there were techniques I was yet to master there as well, like [Furnace of the Frenzied Flame].

I supposed considering that I was good for now.

I decided to go over all the high tier Berserker techniques in my arsenal and read them as they appeared in my mind’s eye.

[Spectral Body] – the form of one’s soul is forever being molded, but for it to take true shape, it must first develop a body. Use this technique to both envision and inhabit a spectral body within thy own Core. Tread thou carefully however, for the refection of one’s true inner self is forged not by will, but the history of one’s thoughts and deeds.

[Spectral Armor] – once developed, this armor can embody the strength of one’s soul and protect one’s spectral body in the spiritual realm.

[Spectral Weapon] – the extension of one’s will in spiritual form, use it to inflict damage within the spiritual realm.

[Spectral Domain] – expand the interior of one’s Frenzied Core to create an inner world to be inhabited by one’s spectral body.

[Spectral Form] – an advanced manifestation technique, to summon thy Spectral Body into the physical realm.

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[Furnace of the Frenzied Flame] – manifest your Spectral Domain, Body and Flame into the physical world. When in this state, a Berserker is at once most powerful and most vulnerable, for any who witness such a manifestation will know immediately thy true nature by the revelation of thy Flame. Do so to inspire the unkindled and newly kindled alike, but if an enemy of the Flame doth witness such power, be certain to ensure their demise.

I had mastered everything besides the last three; [Spectral Domain], [Spectral Form] and [Furnace of the Frenzied Flame]. Clearly [Spectral Form] and [Furnace of the Frenzied Flame] relied on [Spectral Body] and [Spectral Domain] respectively. Perhaps I needed to focus on my [Spectral Domain] since I hadn’t really done much about that.

As I looked about me and my two other selves, we were still sitting in a pitch-black void.

I wasn’t sure how to even create a domain.

But maybe that was my next step.

Clearing my mind I tried to manifest my surroundings.

I didn’t know what to think of at first.

I thought about Fia and I’s private lakeside beach. A clear sky above. A gentle wind blowing across the water’s surface. It was definitely a place I held dear to my heart. When I opened my spiritual eyes again there was a glowing sphere hovering before me in the darkness. Within it was a snow-globe like visage of the exact image I had imagined.

Holy cow… was it that easy?

Or perhaps I had just gotten skilled at my spiritual manipulation.

Cautiously I reached out to touch the globe and in an instant my environment changed. Gone was the darkness and instead was perfect reflection of what was inside the sphere. Blue sky, the lake. The Struggler and Demon glanced about a the new surrounds, the Struggler looking much happier than the Demon and gave me a thumbs up.

But I still couldn’t feel anything myself though.

In my disembodied form it was all just visual to me.

I focused my consciousness towards the Struggler and like being teleported back home, I suddenly found myself there on the sandy beach, the lake stretching out before me, the wind in my face. I did a spiritual double take. It was like I was actually there. So much so I almost felt the need to look out for roaming spirit beasts.

Was this real?

I suppose it was as real as anything I experienced within my own mind.

And that included my training with Venja.

That turned out to be real.

So this had to be real too, well…to me at least.

I enjoyed a few more minutes of bliss, wading into the warm pristine water of the lake.

After being confined in prison cells for over a month being outside like this, viewing the brilliant sun high above was a treat that soothed my soul. After some time, I finally willed myself to leave. The beach disappeared and shrunk back down into its orb form again. I wondered just how many of these orbs I could make. Or what limitations they had. I wondered also if this could be a way to push the Demon and the Struggler to the next level somehow.

I certainly couldn’t do that by giving them a peaceful beach to hang out in, that was for sure, but maybe there was some other environment I could forge that would be more conducive.

I though some more and recalled the dark sky riddled with yellow flames that Threja had summoned when she used [Furnace of the Frenzied Flame]. Perhaps my [Spectral Domain] would need to be similar if I truly wanted the Demon and Struggler to grow and combine.

Gathering my thoughts, I focused on the most oppressive environment I could think of that would promote growth and struggle. In my mind’s eye I glimpsed the Hell Plane surface of the moon with its purple skies and deep red shale.

When I opened my spiritual eyes again a second orb had formed and when I touched it, I was indeed transported to that hellish place. But unlike the actual plane there was no oppressive Dark Frenzy to contend with. The Demon looked please, the Struggler non-plussed.

It was as if I had set the scenery but there was no umph to it.

Not true power, just a recreation.

But Threja’s inner world certainly held power.

I wondered what I would need to do to add that to this place?

Perhaps I needed to connect to the true spiritual realm somehow.

Like going online with a single player game to tap into multiplayer.

I laughed at my own musing.

No one in this new world would understand an analogy like that.

Except maybe for Kelsey.

Okay enough of this, I thought and relinquishing the orb settled back into soothing darkness again with my two selves looking back at me. I needed to focus on what I was missing.

Looking back through the Foundation Manual, I searched for further insights that might help. Within that single paragraph that referenced a Secondary Soul, there was only once sentence that spoke on how to actually achieve it.

Through further cultivation of Qi, the soul is nourished through a gestation period.

That was it.

But a gestation period?

Do I have to wait nine months?

I laughed at my own joke.

I already had a nine-month deadline I couldn’t miss.

But what did further cultivation of Qi actually mean?

Did I just need a heck of a lot more Frenzy?

Both the Struggler and Demon simply shrugged at me.

“Thanks fellas, a lot of use you both are,” I mumbled with chagrin.

“Who are you talking to?”

I opened my eyes in the real world to find myself still seated in lotus position on my cot and facing Blue Rose. She was leaning on a cane, her right leg bandaged in a splint. I was in my new room within the prison, a cell with only one roommate now that I was a White Robe.

But that roommate wasn’t Blue Rose.

“What are you doing here?”

“It’s nearly time for our first lesson and I didn’t see you,” she said. “I came to find you.”

“What?” I had no idea how long I’d been meditating for, but clearly it’d been far too long. “Shit!”

I jumped out of my cot and grabbed my axe and glaive.

I had no idea what our first lesson as White Robes would entail but I wanted to be prepared. I looked back at Blue Rose while she hobbled behind me. For her to come and get me like this was a change of character indeed.

“Thanks, Blue Rose,” I said. “I owe you one.”

“Don’t think that this is charity. We would all be punished if we didn’t all show up on time.”

I chuckled. “Good to know you’re still you.”

She didn’t respond but kept hobbling along rather swiftly through the corridors of the prison, keeping up with my pace. We’d been granted a day off to recover from the White Robe exam and while I had used it to focus on my internal training, Blue Rose had clearly been using it to heal.

“Looks like the leg’s coming along nicely,” I said. “Do you want me to carry you again?”

“Just keep moving.”

I cultivated the small bit of irritation I’d caused within her and refocused my mind on the new task at hand. I desperately wanted to unlock the secrets of my own progression, to combine the Struggler and Demon and break through to the Sacred Soul Realm, but I had progress to make within the Tribute system as well. And now was my time to find out exactly what I needed to do to get to Black Robe and beyond.

I fell into ranks finding a place next to my new roommate, Tu’lok.

He was Sullied, as big as Jakra but with a full head of white hair that was tied in a top knot and a short beard to match. Blue Rose shuffled in next to me and then after a few moments Chief Instructor Yora appeared with a dozen Black Robes I hadn’t seen before.

They formed a line before the entire contingent which I gauged was about five hundred of us. Yora then took center stage and began addressing the assembly.

“White Robes,” she said. “A new induction has been added to your ranks. These people will be distributed evenly amongst your ten platoons. The Black Robe before you are entering into their final stages for qualifications to become Legionnaires. As such they will act as your platoon commanders. For those of you who have been White Robes for some time, this is nothing new. For those who are, your assignments shall be split between harvesting monster cores from the wild and processing said cores into pills and elixirs in the alchemy lab. For core refinement, you will attend classes and gain access to the library to study. For core harvesting you will be led by your Black Robe commanders to compete with other platoons for the most cores harvested. Each week will be a tally with cultivation rewards disbursed based on performance.”

She paused as if waiting for questions, but no one dared say anything.

“The remainder of your time will be spent in martial training, particularly in the use of the Phalanx Glaive for those who choose that path. The requirements for entry into the next rank will be a combat assessment equivalent to Gold Bracket ranking. You will be required to win a tournament match against a suitably experienced Black Robe opponent.”

I ran over the new duties in my head.

“So kill monsters, fight each other and cook up drugs? Sounds a heck of a lot better than shoveling pig shit,” I whispered to Blur Rose and she let out a surprised snort of laughter.

My new roomie, Tu’lok gave us both a piercing glare.

He didn’t say anything but his look said it all: Shut the hell up.

I suppressed an inner grin at that, but was even more amazed that I had actually managed to make Blue Rose laugh.

Yora dismissed the assembly and the Black Robes at the front began forming us into smaller units. A kid that looked barely out of his teens came to a halt before our platoon. He was pale skinned with blue hair, eyes the same deep blue color. He carried himself with the air of a young master, someone used to getting respect no matter where he went and sure enough when he opened his mouth, his aristocratic tones and pronunciation placed him in the upper echelons of society.

“This One is Jei Su Long,” he said in his high-pitched voice. “This One will be your commander for the next two weeks. This One demands obedience and competence. Failure at either and you will find yourself dead under my command. Understood?”

No one said anything to the rhetorical question.

Then suddenly the kid shouted again. “I said ‘understood?’ Reply with ‘Yes Commander’ if you understand!”

“Yes, Commander!” the entire platoon shouted, but I barely said anything.

Was this kid for real? I thought, but thankfully I had the sense to not say it out loud this time.

“First three rows, core harvesting,” he shouted. “Next two rows Martial Training. Last row, core refinement!”

I smiled at that.

I was grouped with the drug making crew, which was just fine for me.

I could get a good workout anytime fighting monsters and sparring, but what I needed now more than ever was knowledge. And while I had no infinity for cooking up meth in a lab, it would at least give me access to the library, something that I’d been craving to do for the last two days.

Jei Su Long disbursed the other Tributes to their stations and then approached us in the last line. “Where are the new inductees?”

Blue Rose and I raised our hands.

Jei Su Long looked at Blue Rose and scoffed. “An injury from the exam?”

Blue Rose cleared her throat. “Yes, commander.”

“Fitting. It is why new inductees are always given refinement rotation first. Brown Robe weaklings barely scraping through.”

I sensed the anger spike within Blue Rose, but she kept her mouth shut and her poker face intact. Jei Su Long then looked at me.

“You however look fit for duty, surprisingly,” he said. “Report to harvesting troop with the others.”

Shit… I really wanted access to that library.

I cycle my Frenzy with [Struggler’s Resolve]. “I am still injured a bit, commander. Internally. I wouldn’t mind getting my refinement duties out of the way while I’m healing so I can be fully fit to do my best in harvesting.”

Jei Su Long’s eyes grew wide with anger. “You dare speak!?”

“Only to say—”

I didn’t get another word out before Jei Su Long threw a punch straight into my ribcage. It was a pulled punch, and I could barely feel it. A few seconds of confusion passed and then suddenly I remembered to wince.

Jei Su Long scoffed. “A pathetic charade. You are not injured. Why do you seek to not fight? Are you a coward then? Answer me!”

The Demon began to rile up at the challenge.

I was just about to answer him with something I’d probably regret when Blue Rose spoke ahead of me.

“He is, commander,” Blue Rose said. “I was injured saving him. He would be much better off refining cores than harvesting them.”

I glanced at Blue Rose and saw the faintest smirk on her lips.

That damn bitch.

I wasn’t sure if she was trying to help me out, or just getting me back, or maybe a bit of both. Either way I now had to eat humble pie and paint myself a chickenshit in front of this young master to get what I wanted.

“It’s true,” I said. “Please allow me to stay and study, commander.”

Jei Su Long glared at me. “As big as a damn sullied and as spinless as a slug.”

He spit on the ground and then looked to Tu’lok who had stood wordlessly beside us the entire time.

“You’ve been here a while, haven’t you?”

“Yes commander,” he said.

“Take these two to the alchemy lab,” Jei Su Long said with a scowl. “Before their weakness makes me retch.”