Chapter 43: The Relic's Hunger
The chamber shook as hunters stepped from the shadows, their cloaks dragging across the stone floor, eyes glowing faintly in the emerald light. Adrian's chest tightened, scars burning, pendant pulsing harder than ever.
Leah's golden aura flared instantly, sharp and fierce. She moved like lightning, striking the first hunter before he could advance. Elias followed, calm and precise, his movements carrying the weight of discipline.
Adrian rose slowly, chest heaving, pendant glowing brighter. He clenched his fists, whispering to himself. "Control. Discipline. Survival."
The hunters struck hard. Their blows carried the weight of shadows, their movements sharp and unyielding. Adrian staggered, ribs aching, but his newfound strength steadied him. He struck back, emerald light flooding his fists, forcing one hunter to stumble.
But the pendant pulsed harder, frantic, demanding. Adrian gasped, chest burning, scars aching. He felt the energy surge wildly, threatening to spill out, to draw more hunters.
Elias's voice cut through the chaos. "Anchor it! Use the technique!"
Adrian clenched his fists, forcing Qi into precise channels. Pain exploded across his body, scars burning sharper, but he endured. He anchored the energy, binding it to his core. The glow steadied, no longer wild, no longer frantic.
But something was different.
The pendant didn't just calm. It flared brighter, flooding the chamber with emerald light. Adrian gasped, clutching his chest. He felt the scars burn sharper, but instead of weakening, he felt stronger. The relic wasn't just feeding on his pain — it was transforming it.
Leah noticed immediately. "Adrian! Your aura — it's changing!"
Emerald light wrapped around him, sharper, steadier, almost alive. The hunters hissed, recoiling. Adrian's strikes carried new weight, sharper than before, fueled not just by Qi but by scars themselves.
Elias's eyes widened. "The relic is feeding. It's turning your scars into strength."
Adrian gasped, chest burning, but he didn't falter. He struck again, emerald light blazing, forcing a hunter to collapse against the stone. The pendant pulsed harder, hungrier, demanding more.
Leah fought beside him, golden aura blazing. Elias held the line, his strikes precise. Together, they clashed against the hunters, the chamber shaking with every blow.
But Adrian felt it — the relic's hunger. Every scar burned sharper, every strike demanded more. He whispered to himself, voice hoarse. "If this is the cost, I'll pay it."
The pendant flared brighter, flooding the chamber with emerald light. The hunters staggered, their cloaks burning in the glow. One hissed, retreating into the shadows. Another snarled, aura flickering. "You're changing," it spat. "But change draws eyes. And more will come."
Then they vanished, leaving silence heavy in the chamber.
Adrian collapsed onto the floor, chest heaving, body trembling. Leah knelt beside him, sweat dripping down her face. Elias stood nearby, arms crossed, eyes sharp.
"You anchored it," Elias said quietly. "But the relic didn't just stabilize. It fed. It grew. That's dangerous."
Adrian wiped blood from his mouth, pendant glowing faintly against his chest. He clenched his fists, whispering to himself. "Then I'll rise. I'll uncover the truth. And I'll survive. Scars or not."
Leah's gaze softened. "You're not alone. If the relic binds us, then we carry it together."
The pendant pulsed again, brighter than before.
And Adrian Reyes knew the path ahead wasn't just about cultivation or history. It was about hunger — the relic feeding on scars, transforming pain into strength, binding him tighter to its legacy.