Everything happened too fast.
One second, I was lying on the ground in pain. 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 stared at me more sharply. His eyes narrowed.
"What are you—" I tried to speak, but my voice barely came out.
"Why?" said Hartono.
"I will show you something."
Elder Bejo Bejan stared deeply into my eyes. I lay there, staring at the darkening sky. I gasped for breath.
Then, Bejo Bejan stood up and drew his sword.
"I will show you something."
SLASH! SLASH!
Two cross slashes—fast. Precise. They hit my chest directly.
My blood spurts out; the wound is deep. It was a wide, gaping cross shape. I could feel my flesh and bones splitting.
The pain was indescribable. It was as if my body was being split open.
"Bejo, what do you mean?!" Hartono shouted.
I couldn't speak or move. I could only feel the blood flowing out of my body. My 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 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, pointing at my chest. "The wound is starting to close."
What?
The wound on my chest, which had been gaping wide, was indeed starting to close. Only one thing confused me: How could Elder Bejo Bejan know about my body's condition?
The flesh was merging back together. But the process was painful. It was more painful than when I was wounded.
"His body regeneration," Hartono murmured. "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 wouldn't listen.
As the darkness swallowed me, I felt something inside me move.
It wasn't me.
Inside the void
When I opened my eyes, I was no longer at the summit of Mount Bromo. Only emptiness.
My body was paralyzed, held in place by black chains.
From the darkness, that figure appeared: It was a handsome man with long hair. He was smiling widely.
"Who are you really?" I asked.
He didn't answer, just put his finger to his mouth and signaled for me to be quiet.
He raised his hand, and the darkness in front of us cracked like broken glass and a window appeared.
There, I saw my body.
It was standing and moving. But its eyes were empty.
Back at Mount Bromo Summit,
Hartono took a step back when he saw Karman rise.
The child's body rose slowly. His wound had closed almost perfectly. But what made him shiver was his gaze.
"Bejo, what's happening?" Hartono asked.
"His body is taking over," answered Bejo Bejan as he sheathed his sword. "He lost consciousness, but his survival instincts took over."
Suddenly, Karman—or rather, his body—moved.
Whoosh!
His fist shot toward Hartono.
Hartono parried with his hand. CRACK! The force of the punch pushed Hartono back a few steps.
"Strong..." murmured Hartono, while holding his hand. "While holding his hand."
Karman attacked again with punches, kicks, and elbows.
His movements were random, with no apparent pattern. Yet, they were very efficient. Every punch and kick was on target. There were no wasted movements.
Hartono avoided attack after attack and 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 and parried the kick.
BOOM!
A small explosion occurred. Surprisingly, Hartono's qi seemed to disperse. It 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 brutally. There was no pause.
Hartono was beginning to feel overwhelmed. He didn't dare use too much qi, as it would just scatter uselessly.
But Karman's movements got faster. More vicious.
Hartono was cornered.
Meanwhile, Bejo Bejan stood there calmly, watching the fight.
"Hartono," he said. "Fight him. Use all your abilities. Without qi."
"What?! Are you crazy?!"
"Do it!"
Hartono growled as he released his qi flow and started fighting with pure technique.
But Karman was still too fast. Too efficient.
Every one of Hartono's attacks could be anticipated, and every gap could be utilized.
"How is this possible?" Hartono was shocked. "His technique far surpasses that of the man who killed Master."
CRACK!
A solid punch hit Hartono's chest, throwing him back and causing him to fall to the ground.
Karman walked closer. He raised his hand, ready to deliver the final blow.
But Bejo Bejan moved.
In a flash, he appeared in front of Karman, his hand holding something.
A rice ball.
"Sorry, young man," he said.
He broke through Karman's defense and shoved the rice ball directly into his mouth.
Karman jolted and his body stopped moving.
He chewed and swallowed.
Then, his eyes blinked once.
His body fell asleep like a tired child.
Bejo Bejan caught him before he touched the ground.
"Hartono," he said, 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 slowly got up and looked at Karman's sleeping body.
"This child... who is he really?"
Bejo Bejan smiled faintly. "The child I saved from the Blood Cult. I didn't expect him to have this much potential."
"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're the only one who can grasp pure fighting techniques 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 let out a long sigh.
"All right, I will teach him. But in my own way."
"That's what I hope."
Azure Cloud Sect Finance Division — The Next Day
Even though only five people were inside, the finance division meeting room felt cramped. Piles of notebooks and scrolls were scattered on the long wooden table. All their faces looked tired.
"Sect Leader," said the head treasurer, Mr. Gunawan, opening a large ledger. "Our financial condition is critical."
Sect Leader Budi Suharjo sat at the end of the table with his hands folded. His face was calm, but his eyes were sharp.
"How critical?"
"Our operational funds will only last three more months. Income from new students is insufficient 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, we can reduce the number of students and instructors. Second, we can borrow money from the Sect Alliance at a high interest rate. Third..."
He fell silent.
"Third, what?"
"Sell part of the sect's land."
Silence.
Everyone in the room knew what selling heritage land entailed: surrendering assets passed down through generations. These assets were symbols of the sect's honor.
"No," said Budi Suharjo firmly. "That land will not be sold."
"But Sect Leader..."
His voice was cold. "What if we follow the traditions of our sect like in the old days? We can borrow money from the Alliance."
Mr. Gunawan bowed his head. "But it's too risky. Didn't we lose many geniuses doing this before?"
"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 in four months is our last chance. If we fail again... Azure Cloud will drop to the twentieth rank. And when that happens..."
He didn't continue, but everyone knew.
The twenty-first rank meant that a sect was declared dissolved.