Chapter 949: The Monsters that we are…
*Bing-Bong*
For the sake of dramatic revelations for later, the “Infusion” process of Gao Dau, Gao Kan, Gao Su and Prince Alain will be-
|Hold up.|
Huh? What’s going on?
|It appears we have received approval to include some scenes.|
Really?
|Yup. We just have to make them more focused on the circumstances of the transformation. Allusions based on backstory and procedure, no final transformation shot.|
What does that mean?
It means, something like this.
*Bing-Bong*
________________________________________
Elder Mind Rewind
In better days for the Fallen Clan, Elder Gao Dau was a force to be reckon with.
In those better days, the Fallen had been led by the father of the current matriarch, and the number of elders counted at least seven or so Aether Grandmasters or stronger.
While they weren’t yet ready to take on their fated enemies in a direct conflict, they were strong enough to deter a lot of other fools that had tried to claim the bounty on their heads for years on end.
In fact, Gao Dau was once known as the Hunter of Hunters, due to all of the bounty hunters he’d turn into prey.
But alas, the good times couldn’t last.
In a series of unfortunate events, shortly after the Patriarch had gotten injured due to a battle with the Zhen Clan, the golden age of the Fallen had come to an end.
Not because of resources becoming scarce, mind you. But because the pillars of their organization began dropping like mayflies swarming a pot of insecticide.
In total, three of the clan’s elders were no longer able to support the clan.
One of the elders got taken out by some upstart scion after some nonsense of kidnapping his girlfriend.
Another got overpowered by one go the monsters that lurked in the deep waters of the [Abyssal Lands].
As for the last…well…
“Huh…I can’t seem to recall…”
“Elder Gao Dau…there was no third.”
“Oh…right…right…”
He was slowly losing his mind.
Normally, when one progresses their cultivation, their lifespan, youth and health has a tendency to experience qualitative leaps.
But sometime, rarely, a cultivator can get injured in such a way that a part of them begins to exhibit signs of aging that would normally only affect lower cultivators.
Gao Dau, unfortunately, got the worst possible one to age: his mind.
Nobody knows how it happened or when it did, but Gao Dau’s memories began fading one day, little by little, bit by bit, to the point that remembering his own name became an issue and he went from a viciously powerful warrior to…a senile old man with a body racked by age, and years of personal neglect. After all, it’s hard to care for a body you can’t remember how to care for.
The weird part was that nobody could identify why or when this increased forgetfulness occurred. It just sorta…happened one day.
Ever since it happened though, Gao Dau had spent his days cooped up in his room.
Many of the Fallen, including himself, assumed he’d just…die one day of old age. Not the worst way to go, but a bit boring for an aether warrior.
But now…maybe that wasn’t going to be the case anymore.
…
[A broken mind, is like a broken vase. All the pieces are there, it just needs something to hold it all together…]
…
Gao Dau never had a third eye before…he liked the feel of it though.
________________________________________
*Bing-Bong*
Oh…I get it now.
*Bing-Bong*
________________________________________
Growing out of the younger’s shadow.
“Gao Kan, why aren’t you practicing more?”
I just did ten more sets than usual.
“Gao Kan, why are you still single?”
Because I don’t have time to find someone.
“Gao Kan, how come you’re not as good as your younger brother? Shouldn’t you be leading by example since you’re the eldest?”
Well, what can I say? I’m not a heaven blessed genius like Xiao Ku.
Gao Kan’s story wasn’t exactly unique.
Picture this: a family with a pedigree of producing prestigious warriors, gives birth to a son.
That son goes on to earn some accolades and by most current records, he manages to break most, if not all of them. He then becomes the pride and joy of the family.
A couple years ago by, and all of a sudden a new sibling is born, another son.
Initially, the relationship between the brothers was cordial and expected. The youngest followed the lead of the eldest and admired him.
A shadow to his own grand stature.
That is…until the younger of the two brothers suddenly became a lot more talented.
After becoming a proper cultivator, his brother proved to be faster, stronger, smarter and way more charismatic in every single way.
Where as before, the younger was in the eldest’s shadow, now it seemed the elder was in the younger’s shadow.
It may seem petty, banal even, to let the performance of a younger sibling affect one’s own…but that is precisely what happened.
The weight of the world, the weight of his family’s words began to crush down on him like ton after ton after ton being added to his back, to the point that he didn’t want to move or anything other than what could be esys or pleasurable.
Why bother working so hard and practicing when some other, more talented motherfucker, is going to surpass you?
It was spineless behavior to be sure…but it was better than getting hurt.
And if he did nothing but maintain this status, he would’ve just lived and died a lazy, hedonistic slob.
But perhaps…all he needed was a stronger spine.
…
[If other tries to keep you down, stand back up. It doesn’t matter how heavy everything is, just stand tall even if you’re wrong. Then again…everyone needs a little support…]
…
Gao Kan was told he had to correct his posture more often as of late…won’t have to worry about that anymore.
________________________________________
Loud…
It’s a fact of life that in every single, large organization, there is often a guy who is just…there.
Perhaps they live a rich social life outside of work, perhaps they’re just introverted as all hell, or maybe they just don’t like their co-workers. Either way, the impression that these kind of people leave in the minds of their employing organization tends to be non-existent.
This normally isn’t a bad thing, since it gives the person in question unprecedented freedom when it comes to coming, going and seeking employment elsewhere.
If nobody remembers you existing, would it really be a problem if you left?
Now, this sort of thinking is detrimental in one of two instances.
The first is if the person in question happens to actually like their organization and job.
The second is if the person in question can’t leave no matter what.
Like Gao Su and the Fallen.
“…”
Gao Su had always been quiet, he never made waves and even his cultivation progress was painfully average for his age.
He could’ve easily lived a quiet, normal life with little to no hardships if he continued on this current path.
But he didn’t want that.
He was a young, peak Aether Acolyte, who wanted to go on insane adventures, who wanted to plunge the depths of turbulent ruins, who wanted to wield treasures that could level mountains and hold beauties that could overthrow kingdoms with a smile by his side.
The only problem was that he really didn’t know how, or rather he couldn’t do so due to how average he was.
But sometimes, even an average Joe can stand out of they’re loud enough.
…
[To be heard is to be seen, and to be defeaning is to be blinding. Perhaps may not be able to see your worth, perhaps they only think of you existing in the vaguest of senses. But I will make sure that at the very least, your voice will be the last thing they all hear…]
…
Gao Su was never to sing or wax poetry…but if people love to hear honeyed words so much, he might as well go and give them what they want.
________________________________________
Wait a minute… weren’t there four of these guys? What happened to the prince?
|Oh, his chapter section is a little longer.|
Seriously? Why?
|Parallels are a bitch.|
Huh?
|I don’t know why either, but we gotta leave a build-up, so…|
*Bing-Bong*
________________________________________
‘Oh…what the fuck did I agree to?!,’ Alain mentally cursed himself as he watched the one named Gao Su undergo this absurd procedure.
Initially, when he saw how that poor slave girl from that hateful land of spiders transform into a crystal monster, a part of him assumed he’d probably look the same.
If anything, he’d probably look better given his innate Luxarii aether.
But alas, that wasn’t the case.
The others that had came with him, members of the Fallen Clan, all had been a bit quicker than him in terms of volunteering, but that was fine by him.
He had a a feeling that this weird box of Buzza’s was much deeper than it appeared, and he wanted to know if for certain the others would transform the same way.
They didn’t.
Every single last transformation left an impression that would haunt for him years.
And now…
[Princeling, it’s time.]
“Great…”
It was his turn.
