The room was small and spartao the point of ay. Every surface meticulously ed, with what little decoration that adorhe walls the only thing that stood out. In the rear of the room a twin bed pressed up against the wall to provide additional space. The dining table folded up o it. The kitette had been cleared of anything that might be knocked off, everything stored ly ihe few ets provided with the residehe television had been built into the wall, affixed in a way that made it difficult to add peripherals.
She sat in the ter of the room on a padded mat, her legs crossed ius position. Her eyes closed, her lips pressed tightly together. Her bck hair hung around her face as it tilted down towards her cupped hands, right beh her bellybutton. She wore only a pair of military fatigue pants and a tank top, she’d eschewed jewelry, embrag a life of simplicity. Not a dollop of makeup on her fwless faear as a droplet of sweat slid dowemple to her .
She felt the ambient energy in the air, the strahereal presehat reminded her of static electricity. She could se, grasp it, pull on it, and subsume it into her body. It felt dank, though, sickly. The air of the city was not ducive to what she was doing with it. Even so, she had nowhere else. She took a deep breath and allowed the energy to enter her body, exhaling as it circuted through her limbs and into that spot just beh her navel. She felt the pressure build at a spot in her arm, a faint moment of pain, then she exhaled and what felt like a clog opened up to allow the flow to move even more easily.
She tilted her head and her eyes opened a crack. She looked at the door across the room and quietly rose to her feet, crossing the distan a matter of seds. She stood at the door for a heartbeat, her expression unreadable, eyes fixed on the smooth white surface. Something rustled oher side and she gripped the handle, pulling it down and stepping back to let the door open. Oher side, a trio of men blinked, startled, and looked up at her as she stared down at them. They were all wearing military uniforms.
They hurriedly snapped into quick salutes, the man at the front, slightly older thahers, introduced himself; “First Lieutenant Wu g greets the Lieutenant el!” He said quickly, “This is Sed Lieutenant Liu and Officer Cadet Gongsun.” He said, gesturing to the men to his left and right respectively.
She eyed the First Lieutenant for a moment before returning the salute, “Lieutenant el Lian hua greets her rades,” She stepped aside, “Please enter,” She turned on her heel and walked from the door, “I haven’t made tea,” She clipped.
The three men looked at one another before hurrying inside as she walked to the solitary wardrobe set against the wall o her bed, she ope and pulled out her military uniform, the two stars and bars set on the shoulders. She set it on her bed before pulling the hing out of the et. A sword in a bck cquer sheath, a gold set into the sheath would allow it to be strapped to her waist. She set it on the bed as well and gnced back at them. They shifted uneasily for a moment, “Hurry up,” She ordered, turning back to her bed, “I’d like to hear my orders a ged.”
They looked uneasy for a moment before the First Lieutenant cleared his throat and saluted again, “Lieutenant el Lian hua, you are hereby ordered by the People’s Liberation Army to assume the role of a Hero for lorious nation. You will retain your rank, but will be assigned as a warrior to fight against the monster sce that has risen from Pandora’s Fsh.”
She froze, her shoulders tensing for a moment before she rexed and turo face them. She thought back to the mandatory testing that took pce across the nation just a day before and the rea to the golden-e glow of the sphere that she’d touched. The testers had been visibly excited. They hadn’t bothered with the physical fitness examination after they found out about her military background. She gnced between their faces for a moment before nodding, “I accept this assig.”
The First Lieutenant swallowed, she wondered if he was afraid of her, he cleared his throat and stepped forward with an envelope and ha to her. She took it and ope. Inside was aification card marking her as a Mythic-Tier Hero and giving her a ame. She gnced up at them, “Bck Lotus,” She mused thoughtfully before pulling out her wallet and slipping the card inside. She checked the letter that came with the card, it came with additional orders as to what state guild she would be assigo and where she would have to move. She gnced around her quarters, there wasn’t really anything worth moving.
“I’ll get packed, wait outside,” She ordered. They didn’t hesitate, they quickly scurried out the door and shut it behind them. She let out a lonely sigh and sat down on the bed, looking the dot ain and pressing her head against the paper. “Damn it…” She thought about the small unity she’d grown to know in the area, the kindly woma door whht food over now and then. The kids who would greet her as she left on her m runs. The many smiling faces she was leaving behind without a word.
She hung her head a out a breath before snatg up the remote and turning the TV on as she started to get dressed.
“Russian-born Ameriational, Sonya ovna, who’s speech at the Ameri gress instigated the Hero Movement, was briefly captured by hostile light-touched calling themselves ‘vilins’. She was ter found safe auro her work. Miss ovna has tributed signifit munitions resources to the party’s efforts to suppress the motacks across the try. The President issued a statement wishing her well and ning the unwful use of light-touched abilities,” The woman on the s said.
hua gowards the s and paused, a woman made out of snow stood tered on the s, her eyes were the most vibrant pink she’d ever seen. She looked delicate but also… Strong, hua thought, I feel her spirit just looking at her.
Her eyes lingered on the s until it ged to footage of the President speaking at a podium, she caught herself and turned away, listening again as she got ged.
“The advent of the Pandora ittee has led to the first round of friendly talks with the Ameris in decades, while there are things that may never ge and never be fotten, this new era marks a turning point that we look forward on. It enrages me that someone would dare y hands on the person who heralded this new era. If ever Miss ovna is seeking sanctuary, reat nation will provide her a home,” He said, “And to the vilins that dare stand in the way of our nation’s peace. We will bring you to a proper justice.”
She reached for her sword aated, “She was… really pretty,” She murmured before shaking her head and clearihroat, snatg up her sword and strapping it onto her hip. She ran her fihrough her hair and turned on her heel, grabbing a backpack out of her wardrobe and going around the room, plug up what few valuables aos she wao keep. After that, she made her way to the door befng back at the lonely room, she let out a sigh and threw the door open, stepping outside.
–
hua sat in the back seat of the car, silent, as it pulled out onto the street. The cadet drove while the sed lieutenant sat o him. The first lieutenant sat to her left, trying to look as calm as possible despite stantly gng over at the sword in her p. She kept her eyes closed but was still aware of his fidgeting, growing tired of it she opened an eye and gnced his way, she opened her mouth to speak when a sudden crash drew her attention away. A sh out and she peered out the window.
Her eyes narrowed, “Lurker,” She said and pulled the lo the door.
“el!” The lieutenant gasped, “What are you doing?”
“I’ll be right back,” She said ftly and pushed the door open.
“But we are under orders to get you to your new-”
She held up a hand to shut him up as she drew her sword from the sheath, ahead of her, lumbering out of an alley, was one of the massive lumberis that could somehow disappear at a moments notice during the night. The Lurker’s enormous shoulders tensed as it swept a car aside, bearing its teeth aing out a terrible growl. A mao the ground and tried to scramble away from it just as a pair of hounds darted out from beh the beast, their tongues svering as they leaped at the fallen man.
Petals exploded in the air, pink blossoms that drifted across the street. The two hounds nded oher side of the man and took a few steps before falling to ly chopped pieces, inky blood p out of their corpses. The ma out a shriek and scrambled to his feet, running away. The lurker looked down at its dead minions and then she air. Behihe cadet spoke, “Do you… smell that?”
“Plum blossoms?” The sed lieutenant murmured.
hua strode around the stopped cars, her eyes fixed on the monster. Its gaze lingered on her for a moment before its lips pulled ba a terrible snarl. She narrowed her eyes and began to step in an irregur pattern, her footsteps being louder even in the noisy space. The sound echoed, the creature whipped its head left and right in fusion, trying to figure out where the noise was ing from. She let out a breath and a faint mist slipped from her lips, she pulled her on up parallel with the ground and stepped twice.
There was a fsh of movement, then suddenly she was in the alley behind the beast. Illusory petals falling around her as she looked back at the car she’d stepped out of through the hole she’d left behind through the Lurker. It colpsed in an instant, its remains twitg only once befoing permaly still. She flicked her bde to get the blood off of it aur to her scabbard, letting out a steadying breath and closing her eyes.
She pressed her hands together ahe st flickering remnants of the energy that the creature seemed to be posed of. It leaked out into the air. She breathed deep a it enter her body, cyg through her before entering that spot beh her navel. After abs it, she simply walked around the body, gng only o the few civilians who were watg her with awe and wonder. She o them before returning to the vehicle and slipping bato her seat.
“Carry on, cadet,” She ordered the young man in the driver’s seat who jumped and immediately set the vehicle bato gear as traffic resumed.
“Amazing…” The sed lieutenant breathed, uo take his eyes off of her as he turned around in his seat, throwing de aside, “Straight out of a ic book.”
She set her on on her p and huffed out a breath, “It was nothing, I have heard that there are far stronger and stranger creatures in Dharan. The Lurkers and Hounds that were the advance force of these monsters are childspy now.”
The First and Sed lieutenant exged looks, the First Lieutenant cleared his throat, “If… if I may ask, what is your ability? It was hard to tell. Swordsmanship, perhaps?” He asked.
The Sed Lieutenant tensed, “Sir!”
She peered at the First Lieutenant for a moment befng at the Officer Cadet. Acc to the orders iter, the nature of her ability was a state secret that could only be discussed among those of officer rank and even then, specific details were only to be covered with those of around her own rank and higher. She he nervous excitement on the Sed Lieutenant’s fad couldn’t help but crack a small smile. It couldn’t hurt, she supposed.
“My ability is called Lord of Jianghu,” She said.
The Cadet coughed and the two higher ranking officers bli her, “You know its name? I thought that was hard to learn,” The First Lieutenant asked while the Sed Lieutenant seemed to be having some sort of excitement itack.
hua shrugged, “My ability provides a certain level of introspective awareness,” She said simply befng at the Sed Lieutenant, “Is… he okay?”
The First Lieutenant sighed, “He reads a lot of martial arts novels.”
“You’re a cultivator? A real live cultivator? That means you get stronger, right? You have to meditate and cycle and uh…” The Sed Lieutenant started to babble, waving his hands.
She raised her hand to her lips and offered a small titter of a ugh, the three me silent and turned a little red in the face. She ighe rea she got from them and gave the excited man a smile, “Yes, that’s pretty much how it works.”
“Th-then that was the plum blossom teique!” He said excitedly, “How did you learn it, though? That stuff is only in books.”
She shrugged, “The teiques just e to me.”
He stared at her in awe and she settled bato her seat as the First Lieutenant gave him a scolding look. She closed her eyes and took another breath, trating on her core and the energy inside. She overheard one of them hush the other and she imagihey were trying to give her a little privacy. She appreciated it, but it wasn’t necessary. She wouldn’t be doing this for long, her mind was too filled with what was ing iure.
Ahead of hua was a life of violence, monsters, and bloodshed. She sighed and opened her eyes, pulling the orders out of her pocket again and looking them over one more time. Her fiensed a little as her eyes drifted over the lihat had shakehe most. Just a few words that ged her life forever.
Lieutenant el, Lian hua, Mythic-Tier, Bck Lotus, you are hereby assigo the iional strike forder the direct ht of our nation’s branch of the Pandora ittee, effective immediately.
I wonder if I’ll get to see America…
TheBroker
Vilin-Tier
AL,Muffin7685,Will,RedFaux,Murigi,Octaeon,Kevihe_fourthPilr42,Sam Kebble,Tom Riddle,Lexus Gwinner,Almire,Ozzie Corbitt,Tristan Roy,Jojo,Jeanea Carlson,David,Xearo the Person,AstraAllie,I like books,Ash Cozey,Roger Loupy,GuGuy,vicky,Dyn S,Zackary Klocker,Jinoma,Barry Pritchard,That Cat,DarkWolf013anmoll,Lumex,Fraxx,Tim Dreher,Cloud Wolf,Jason Bryant,iain sheil,Krazo,Hiep Nguyen,jimi robert-jones,ImNotYouItsMe,Matthew,Diego Avendano-Morionberry,Trojan H2,TUSF,Onyxdragon666,Jacob,Azazel E,Aha Aho,Tan,tato goog,Robert,Neodym61,Joshua Marcel Johnson,top bard,Philipp Schmalz,R.u.s.t.y,Havocado,kedjek,Kiara Angst,Kleinkünstler,Liam,L,Edward Bettley-Smith,Daisulic,LilBootyVertt,Matthew,Brian Barrett,Horizon Gaming,Pam Cakes28,Brimlebo,Eribardo,hibaut Hebert-Hee,OdeToAKite,Timecrafter,Endoles,Miyuki Irie (Realtime6),???? ????,SirToyJet,Anthony Van Orman,Dabwiso Mazumdar,Gerald,Billy Jay Pagsuyoin,Lazy MiheUnbroken,Janis Nasis,Tyler Kimball,Aine,Ismélio Cori,Cody Swab,Samuel,Victoria,BeeRusty,mbe9,Fra - Pig Lord,Harrison Brown,Robert,TrueMrwolfe,MeanOldMathMan,Ragedrop,Grotvision,Edward Ravenbear,Benjamin Powell,EnigmaEmmy,Kamerad Kait,Nait02,Sam RusICK CALIXTO COSTA SILVA,Curdin,Christian Winther,Dallin Bckburn,Bruce Creager,RegurRept,Shwa,fosfor,VeryBadBunny,Alessi Helmijolbin,Han363,Noldere,Cullen Langford,BIGLARGEFISH,Tomfoolry,Arthur Meyer,Benjamin Dixon,ASupremeTab,Apache27,Selena Giraud,Marcus Pehan,swwu,K. William Kassen,Joshua. M,Ulsar,Rasmus Sj?kobb,Gnabster,scott kostuik,RottenTangerine,Ken Williams,Akasha kruznik,Messe,MrAcerulez,Seth Thyme,John Zupke,itisaparty,Caerwyn White,Simca,Paratus,Some BS Deity,AvaArisu,Adam Curtaz,Drekin,Ga?tan 'Nimitz' Vansteene,Oakenbear,Devlon Stapleton,Adrian,Tristan Howard,Shatteredneon,Pius Isaksson,Cassie,masterowogway,p,Husinay,ghost 21,Zimmy,Aaron Nagy,Haly404,Ronnie Rivers,Kathleen Jagers,Busky,Athena Alexandria,Kaywye,Kooooomakimi,David D,Tea Bot,Milo,M. Gunnarsson,S. Nutter,David,Arroril,Joseph,Haettun,Hollowlce,Matt M,SpinRift,Filip Nowicki,Astral Huntsman,Oxylus,OminusWind,Skrubstar,Mod3rn Py3r,TerrorSpirit,IJustWannaRead,Erkki Parkkuineian Danielzik,Traikkel Poulsen,........,Gemiae,Kittora,KeyLimeChild,Extra7,Enaz the great,Ant1h3ld,magub,AnonymousPtypus,Davvy chappie,kbgb,Mistythread,Jonny,Ovl,Dsunier,Me,Gavin Turlock,it's me,Rayaface,Igloo15,Dustin panga,jeff,DuskDeadman,Dakota,CrazyWatermelon,Allen,Erik,TurmRIC,JP Koenig,Llosa,Ryo5678,VorpalKitsune,Shoda,Baris Baykan,Jordon Wong,Joshua Derpinghaus,RayvenRay,Michael Laswell,Frederik,BirdsofPrey,Dougs Norton,mohd hisyam,tien,anitai,Jonas,Cody,Aaron Obialero,Thransk,Luis fuentes,Olof Dahlstr?m,SFow,Abdiaziz Ali,anonymous,BoadBoad,StrikebackXIII,TCO,Grosbilljunior,Tooshar,ERRATIersen,Thorsten,Grant M,Metal(Liz)ard,Cody Bloxham,Nick Warner,Justin Drake,Dragon98765,OBS,Jake Pellegrini,Mustafa Said,The Architect,Zarapor,RekoOne,James Clifton,Bffey,Itbeme12321,Sister Carmil,Jayem,Paledius !,Alpenmann,ObsidianShiv,Kkkers,mh,Keith Kindall,Hugo,Seeker,Darklink,RackOfLife,Akyu,Almighty Nubs,DobbyIII,Poke,TihsIsMe,Nichos Stone,Ifeanyichukwu Emeagwali,Grimizen,dotAlice,CHoobler,Taylor Wilson,Darastrix,Andrew Eliason,TheFoud3er12,xIron Gamerx,Zach Duhon,Falxie,QuakDoktor,Floyd Ziegler,Zerovoid,Table Top,Tehd11,Atoll,Jortless,Isley,Parice
Schemer-TierKriden,Trojan H2,FumiXi,Julia Lockett,Reuben Edwards
[colpse]
