Everything happened too fast.
One second I was still lying on the ground,feeling pain all over my body. The next second, Elder Bejo Bejan was standing in front of me.
I tried to lift my head,but my body was too sore.
Elder Bejo Bejan was silent for a moment.Then he stared at me more sharply. His eyes narrowed.
"What are you...." I tried to speak, but my voice almost didn't come out.
"Why?"said Hartono.
"I will show you something."
Elder Bejo Bejan stared at me deeply.I lay there, staring at the darkening sky. Gasping for breath.
Then Bejo Bejan stood up,drawing his sword.
"I will show you something."
SLASH!SLASH!
Two cross slashes.Fast. Precise. Directly hitting my chest.
My blood spurted out.The wound was deep, very deep. A wide gaping cross shape. I could feel my flesh and bones split.
The pain...indescribable. Like my body was being split alive.
"BEJO!WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!" Hartono shouted.
I couldn't speak.Couldn't move. Could only feel the blood flowing out of my body. Vision started to blur.
as usual...
I didn't die immediately.
With a wound like this,a normal person would die instantly. But my body... was still moving. My heart was still beating, very fast.
Then came the hunger.
Not ordinary hunger. It was as if every cell in my body was screaming for something.
"Look,"said Bejo Bejan while pointing at my chest. "The wound... is starting to close."
What?
True.The wound on my chest which was previously gaping wide, was starting to close. Slowly. only one thing I was confused about. how could elder bejo bejan know about my body's condition.
Flesh merging back together. But the process was painful. More painful than when I was wounded.
"His body...regeneration," murmured Hartono. "How is it possible?"
"I was the one who saved this child,"answered Bejo Bejan. "At the Blood Cult. during the raid with the red eagle squad."
My consciousness began to fade.
I tried to hold on.
"No...I must not... faint..."
But my body didn't listen.
And as the darkness swallowed me,I felt something inside me move.
Something that wasn't me.
Inside the Void
When I opened my eyes,I was no longer at Mount Bromo Summit. Only emptiness.
my body couldn't move.Black chains wrapped around my body, holding me in place.
From the darkness,that figure appeared. A handsome man with long hair. His face was smiling widely.
"You...who are you really?" I asked.
he didn't answer.just put his finger to his mouth while signaling to be quiet.
He raised his hand.The darkness in front of us cracked like broken glass, and a window appeared.
There,I saw my body.
Standing and moving. But its eyes were empty.
Back at Mount Bromo Summit
Hartono stepped back as he saw Karman rise.
The child's body stood up slowly. His wound had closed almost perfectly. But what made him shiver was his gaze.
"Bejo...what's happening?" asked Hartono.
"His body is taking over,"answered Bejo Bejan while sheathing his sword. "He lost consciousness, but his instincts took over to survive."
Karman, or his body, suddenly moved.
WHOOSH!
His fist shot towards Hartono.
Hartono parried with his hand.CRACK! The force of the punch pushed him back a few steps.
"Strong..."murmured Hartono. "while holding his hand"
Karman attacked again.punches, kicks, elbows..
His movements were random, like they had no pattern. But at the same time, very efficient. Every punch, every kick, all were on target. No wasted movements.
Hartono avoided attack after attack.He started to struggle.
"These movements..."he murmured. "Similar to that man... but... ?"
Karman jumped,his foot aimed at Hartono's face.
Hartono channeled qi into his hand,parrying the kick.
BOOM!
A small explosion occurred. But what was surprising is Hartono's qi seemed to disperse. Disappeared just like that upon contact with Karman's body.
"My qi...disappeared?" Hartono stared wide-eyed.
Bejo Bejan,who was watching from the side, nodded slowly. "As I suspected. His body neutralizes qi. Just like when he hit the measuring stone yesterday."
Karman attacked again.This time more brutal. No pause.
Hartono began to be overwhelmed.He didn't dare use too much qi because it would just scatter uselessly.
But Karman's movements got faster. More vicious.
Hartono was cornered.
But Bejo Bejan just stood there, watching the fight calmly.
"Hartono,"he said. "Fight him. Use all your abilities. Without qi."
"What?!Are you crazy?!"
"Do it!"
Hartono growled.He released his qi flow and started fighting with pure technique.
But still.Karman was too fast. Too efficient.
Every attack from Hartono could be anticipated.Every gap could be utilized.
"How is it possible..."Hartono was shocked. "His technique... far surpasses the man who killed Master..."
CRACK!
A solid punch hit Hartono's chest.He was thrown back, falling to the ground.
Karman walked closer. His hand raised, ready to deliver the final blow.
But Bejo Bejan moved.
He appeared in front of Karman in a flash,his hand holding something.
A rice ball.
"Sorry,young man," he said.
Then he broke through Karman's defense and shoved the rice directly into his mouth.
Karman jolted.His body stopped moving.
He chewed.Swallowed.
Then his eyes blinked once.
And his body fell asleep like a tired child.
Bejo Bejan caught him before he touched the ground.
"Hartono,"he said while looking at Hartono who was still lying down. "Do you still remember well?"
"of course,one of the most agile in red eagle."
"he was overwhelmed..."
"what??"
Hartono got up slowly,looking at Karman's sleeping body.
"This child...who is he really?"
Bejo Bejan smiled faintly."The child I saved from the Blood Cult. The child I didn't expect to have potential like this."
"Why did you recommend him to join our sect?"
"Because I want you to train him,Hartono. You are the best person for that."
Hartono fell silent."Why me?"
"Because you are the only one who can understand pure fighting technique without relying on qi.And this child..." Bejo Bejan looked at Karman's face. "He is an unpolished gem. A gem that can restore Azure Cloud's glory."
Hartono stared at Karman for a long time.Then he let out a long sigh.
"Alright.I will teach him. But in my own way."
"That's what I hope."
Azure Cloud Sect Finance Division- The Next Day
The finance division meeting room felt cramped even though only five people were inside.On the long wooden table, piles of notebooks and scrolls were scattered. All their faces looked tired.
"Sect Leader,"said the Head Treasurer, Mr. Gunawan, while opening a large ledger. "Our financial condition... is very critical."
Sect Leader Budi Suharjo sat at the end of the table,his hands folded. His face was calm, but his eyes were sharp.
"How critical?"
"Our operational funds are only enough for the next three months.Income from new students is not enough to cover building maintenance costs, instructor salaries, and potion ingredient purchases."
One of the finance staff added."The annual tournament will also be held in four months. If we don't win or at least make it to the top ten, sponsors will withdraw their funds."
Budi Suharjo tapped the table with his finger."What options do we have?"
"There are three options,Sect Leader." Mr. Gunawan took a breath. "First, reduce the number of students and instructors. Second, borrow money from the Sect Alliance with high interest. Third..."
He fell silent.
"Third what?"
"Sell part of the sect's heritage land."
Silence.
Everyone in that room knew what selling heritage land meant.It meant surrendering assets passed down through generations. Assets that were the symbol of the sect's honor.
"No,"said Budi Suharjo firmly. "That land will not be sold."
"But Sect Leader..."
"I said no."His voice was cold. "How about we do our sect's habits like in the old days?. And we will borrow money from the Alliance."
Mr.Gunawan bowed his head. "But, it's too risky. didn't we lose many geniuses when doing this?"
"you just be quiet and accept the large amount of money. The sect's envoy is my responsibility"
"I understand."
"But remember,"Budi Suharjo stood up. "The tournament four months from now is our last chance. If we fail again... Azure Cloud will drop to twentieth rank. And when that happens..."
He didn't continue.But everyone knew.
Twentieth rank was the last rank before a sect was declared dissolved.