Grimoire of Cultivation

Chapter 54: Flames of Retribution

Before the group could register his presence, Darius attacked. In a seamless, swift motion, he swept the legs out from under the fire knight. As the knight's body tilted, lifting off the ground, Darius continued the momentum of his attack, spinning to bring his leg arcing up into the knight's descending waist. The force was overwhelming and instant; the knight vanishing from view into the dark canopy above with a startled cry that quickly faded.

Panic erupted among the remaining knights and dwarves. The abruptness of Darius’s intervention left them momentarily stunned, their faces a mix of shock and disbelief.

The tortured dwarf gasped for air, sudden relief overwhelming him as he slumped forward.

Amidst the bewildered group, Darius stood firm, his aura darkening, a dark fog of killing intent rolling from him.

He didn't glance back as he spoke, his voice cold and commanding, "Stay where you are. I don't need your help."

The knights closest to him, recovered from their initial shock, springing into action. The tier 2 knights, wielding powers of earth and water, charged at Darius, their manaforged gauntlets glowing faintly.

With graceful ease, Darius sidestepped the earth knight’s clumsy punch, grabbed his wrist, and twisted sharply. There was a sharp snap as the knight collapsed, howling in agony. Spinning swiftly, Darius struck the water knight’s temple, sending him sprawling unconscious. Darius then drove his heel into the earth knight's screaming throat, crushing it instantly.

Turning back to the water knight, he delivered a precise stomp to the skull, ensuring a fatal blow with a sickening crunch.

As the knight’s life ended, the glow from the dwarves runes faded from a fierce glow to a dim flicker, then dissapearing completely.

'He must have imprinted the rune.' Darius turned, facing the remaining knights.

"What the fuck is this kid?!" The iron knights, weilders of wind and fire, sparked their manaforged sabatons and gauntlets to life. A sword of swirling air formed in the wind knight’s grasp, slicing through the atmosphere with a hiss. Beside him, the fire knight cracked a whip of dancing flames, casting eerie shadows around them. They closed in, their elemental weapons gleaming with deadly intent.

Darius weaved through a razor-sharp gust, instantly closing the gap on the wind knight. His fists blurred, darting out in rapid, precise jabs, each punch denting the knight’s chestplate sharply. As the metal buckled under the force, blood burst from the knight's mouth, spattering the ground.

From out of nowhere, a fiery lash aimed for his head—Darius, without turning intercepted the fire knight’s flaming whip bare handed, his refined skin hissing against the intense heat. With a deft twist, he wrenched the weapon from the knight’s grasp and flung it into the darkness.

'Darius mentioned he's around thirty Cauldrons of Force now. A second-tier bronze knight averages five CoF, while a third-tier iron knight wields twenty-five. I thought five Cauldrons wasn't much... but he's not even trying.' Haku observed Darius intently, not daring to blink.

Casually, yet with remarkable speed, Darius closed the distance as the fire knight lunged, flames curling from his gauntlet. Darius shifted slightly—a blur against the backdrop of dense trees. He dodged a fist aimed at his head, the fire slicing through the air, igniting a nearby branch. Each movement Darius made was fluid, almost leisurely, as he weaved through the barrage of fiery attacks, his expression one of bored indifference.

With a swift step forward, Darius's arm shot out, catching the fire knight’s shoulder. He twisted sharply; a crisp snap echoed as the knight’s momentum halted, his arm dangling helplessly. Darius released him with a kick, sending him flying backward into the base of a tree with a heavy thud.

"Gale of Swords!" Behind him, the wind knight, now recovered, launched a series of desperate wind blades towards Darius. Unfazed, Darius advanced, his steps confident and unhurried. He deflected each gust with a simple gesture, the impacts muted thumps as he redirected the energy effortlessly.

In one fluid motion, he charged, reaching out and seizing the wind knight by the throat, lifting him off the ground.

With a decisive snap, Darius ended the struggle, the wind knight’s body falling to the ground. As he turned to see the fire knight, one arm dangling useless with his aura drawn to it, the other clutching a dagger at the female dwarf’s neck, while nearby, the two male dwarves laid unconscious.

"Stay back! I don't know who sent you, but if she dies, you'll get nothing!" The knight's voice cracked with desperation, the panic clear even beneath his helm.

Darius remained still, his gaze shifting from indifferent to icy as he stared down the knight.

A soft, mocking chuckle filtered through the knight’s helm. "Figured that wouldn't work on a monster like you, worth a shot. Might as well fuck you over before i die." In a final, decisive motion, he slit the dwarf’s throat. Her eyes widened in shock, her gaze locking with the dwarf Kahn as she collapsed.

Abruptly, the forest dimmed, shadows deepening as Darius's killing intent exploded. A physical pressure descended, snapping limbs and warping branches, suffocating the air with an oppressive force. Everything froze, ensnared by the invisible grip. High in the tree, Haku clung on, barely maintaining his perch amidst the crushing intent that now dominated the scene.

The knight collapsed to his knees, his laughter echoing through the trees, tinged with a chilling note of madness. His cackle rose above the rustling leaves filling the air.

Standing across from him, Darius's hair whipped around his face, driven by the force of his silent, seething rage. No mana swirled around him, no colors painted his aura—just a raw, unyielding desire to kill.

He took a step forward, his voice low and ominous, "Don't laugh." Memories flashed through his mind, the haunting echo of Ramman’s laughter as he had once chased him, a sound that had etched itself into his mind.

Yet the knight screamed back, laughter still lacing his voice in a grotesque last-ditch effort of defiance. "You failed! You could have saved her, but you chose to toy with us, you child!"

A memory surged through Darius's mind, his father Jarek's voice thundering, "She is gone!" The words hit him like a physical blow, making him flinch. His breathing quickened, each inhale sharper than the last, as he took another step forward. Around his feet, small arcs of purple lightning began to coil, creeping up his body like tendrils of coiling vipers.

The knight's laughter continued, unbridled and crazed, cutting through the tense air. Suddenly, a guttural scream tore through the chaos, ripping from Kahn's throat, a sound so laden with anguish it seemed to shake the leaves around them.

As if in response to the raw emotions of the dwarfs despair, Darius's mind was assaulted by another flash—the horrific image of his father's body being violently torn away, swallowed by a raging vortex of swirling wind mana.

Darius's aura exploded, an invisible force blasting the ground clear around him, halting mere inches from the fallen dwarf and silencing the knight.

The woods fell deathly still as the knight toppled backward, his hand catching him in a clumsy scramble, his flaming aura surging towards his shattered shoulder.

Darius stood immovable, his face twisted into a demonic mask. Purple lightning mana crackled violently, flashing around him, igniting the dark woods. Tears began to trail down his cheeks, but strangely, before they could streak far, they dissolved into ethereal blue mist. This blue mist began to rise from his tear-streaked eyes, ascending into the canopy in two glowing columns.

Amid the arcs of purple lightning, a profound stillness took hold—Darius’s mana froze.

Rage. Unyielding, tempered rage. This had been Darius's constant companion every day since his parents' death, his hatred for the world smoldering beneath the surface.

Initially, he perceived this confrontation as an outlet, a chance to vent some pent-up fury. Yet, the outcome stirred not relief but a deeper, more pointed rage.

'It's all your fault.'

This turmoil wasn't spurred by failure; the death of the dwarf woman was inconsequential to him. It merely served as a pitiful reminder that the true target of his wrath, the root of all his losses, was not the world—it was himself.

'I hate you.'

His inadequacies had drawn the fatal attention of Ramman and Rainslif. His actions, however indirect, had led to his parents' demise.

Darius had always known the grim truth—that he was the true architect of his own misfortune. Yet, he clung to his quest for revenge like a shield, a diversion from facing the full weight of his responsibility. It was easier to chase vengeance than to confront the painful reality of his own failings.

'I...'

In this suspended moment, the purple arcs of Darius's aura halted, rigid as a spider's web. From the base, a creeping blue mist began its ascent, weaving through the arcs. Gradually, the violent purple transformed into a deep, soothing blue—the same color that once danced around his father's aura, a reflection of his mother Amara's.

A sharp roar of electricity shattered the silence, marking the transformation of Darius's lightning aura to a vivid blue. He slowly drew his elbow back, aligning his open palm toward the fallen knight.

The stillness broke, his aura resumed its wild dance, the blue lightning cracked intensely, converging into a focused storm upon his palm.

The forest's eerie silence amplified the knight's terror. To him, Darius was an nightmare. His cold black eyes, unwavering and empty, pierced the knight with an intensity that froze his blood.

To the knight's eyes, the air around Darius stirred violently, whipping his hair and swirling forest debris in a silent vortex. Yet, no trace of mana was visible; he stood still, a menacing statue that defied his understandings.

The swift brutality previously unleashed, combined with the current surreal calm, pushed the knight's mind toward the edge. His hands shook, breaths sharpened, and sweat drenched his back as he faced not just a formidable foe but an unfathomable force—a brutality hidden behind the facade of a child.

"STAY AWAY!" The knight scrambled back, his voice breaking into manic sobs. "DON'T! PLEASE—SOMEONE HELP ME!"

Darius's response came in a chilling, childlike tone, his words betraying his youth as he stared coldly at the knight. "You deserve to die."

Those words cut through the knight's screams, freezing him in a silent terror, his eyes glazing over. The final vision before his sight was snuffed out—a god of death, a towering, hateful entity that shattered his mind completely.

"Echoing Thunder Palm."

Darius thrust his hand forward, and blue lightning erupted, crackling into the shape of a giant palm that echoed forward and vanished. In the same instant, a flash of light, and an explosive force smashed down upon the knight. The ground beneath him detonated in a furious burst of dirt, blood, and violent electric sparks visible even to the dwarves and Haku.

Smoke billowed, cloaking the aftermath. With a casual wave of his hand, Darius cleared the scene, revealing a fractured, smoldering body embedded in the earth, surrounded by a crisply defined imprint of a giant palm, the ground compressed and crackling with residual lightning energy.

From up in the trees, Haku froze, eyes wide, his breath catching as he watched. 'What's happening to him? Why do i want to run?'

Gathering his resolve, Haku took a deep breath, leapt silently from his perch, and landed with a soft thud. His gaze fixed unwaveringly on Darius as he edged closer, whispering through his thoughts, 'Big brother, are you okay?'

Darius remained unmoved, his back to Haku as the quiet thoughts of his younger brother reached him.

Approaching cautiously, Haku noted the measured rise and fall of Darius’s shoulders. 'Everything’s fine, stay hidden while I finish this,' came the steady response.

'Finish this?'

'The female is dead. Indirectly, it falls on me—some will surely see it that way once these two return to their kin.'

Realization struck the beast. 'Do you have to? Won't this affect our karma?'

Exhaling deeply, Darius turned toward where Haku was concealed. His gaze, azure and weary, betrayed his fatigue. 'It's my karma, not yours. You stayed out of it.'

Darius was poised to move when a feminine voice interrupted, "Excuse me?"

Both Haku and Darius started, surprised to find the trio of dwarves on their feet—the zinc and female dwarf supporting the iron dwarf between them.

Quickly assessing the situation, "Quite the useful ability," Darius noted, his shock evident as his gaze zeroed in on the red-haired woman's throat, which, to his surprise, bore no signs of injury. His analytical mind began to spin, "Must have some limitations, given those cars and the condition of your companion."

"Do not address her casually, long-limb."

Darius's eyebrow arched at the remark, irritation swiftly replacing his initial fascination.

"That is enough, Tauren. The long-limb is our savior; formalities are not necessary with him."

'Long-limb,' Darius mused, stepping slowly towards the trio, his expression composed.

"Please forgive my ore-son; all sons of Gaia guard their mothers fiercely, a side-effect of this unfortunately, is they are quite dense sometimes. I am Duelean. May I ask your name?" Her voice held a commanding steadiness, the mark of a stoic, natural leader, though she occasionally cast concerned glances at the barely conscious Kahn.

"This term 'long-limb'—it's meant to be derogatory among your people, correct? Similar to how humans use 'clod,' as in a clod of dirt?" Darius stopped just short of the trio, his youthful eyes piercing the two dwarves even as a smile played across his lips.

Gulping, yet maintaining eye contact, Duelean replied firmly, "We meant no offense. It's a reactionary term among my kin when addressing humans."

"Just so we're clear—I understand the difficulties your people face, but I will not tolerate disrespect when I've shown none," Darius's tone was eerily calm, the smile that had softened his expression gradually disappearing.

"As for my name... call me Feng. Now, lay your man down before he succumbs to his injuries."

"Sir?" Tauren stepped forward, interposing himself between Darius and the others.

"Do you think I intervened just to harm you? Your mother was right about your density. Now, lay him down if you expect my help."

Tauren's face flushed a deep shade of red as he drew a sharp breath to retort.

"Help lay him down, Tauren. He won't last much longer; I thank you, Feng."

Duelean's timely intervention quieted Tauren's impending outburst. Reluctantly, he assisted in lowering Kahn to the ground, his expression a mix of frustration and concern as he settled the injured dwarf.

Darius placed his hand on Kahn's head, water mana pulsing gently and evenly from his palm. "So, is it an innate ability, your healing?"

Her expression anxious, Duelean watched as Kahn's features relaxed, his wounds mysteriously mending. Distracted, she replied, "Yes... all Mothers are born with Gaia's blessing..."

"Ore-Mother."

Tauren's warning snapped Duelean back to attention. She cleared her throat, addressing Darius more formally, "I apologize, Feng, but I must ask. How are you accomplishing this? Your human, yet manifest no visible aura."

"Just like you, my secrets are my own," Darius remarked with a slight smile, his tone lightly teasing. "That should do it; you should be able to walk now." Standing back, he gave a satisfied nod.

Kahn, his dark skin marked with traces of recent pain, slowly got to his feet, rubbing his face and laughing, "Still ugly!"

"If you have energy to joke, you have energy to stand and show some respect to our savior," Duelean admonished gently, her eyes glistening as she helped Kahn to his feet, her smile broad and filled with relief.

As the two embraced, touching noses in their traditional greeting, Darius and Tauren discreetly stepped back, giving them space for the moment.

"Awww."

The unexpected sound snapped the dwarves to alertness, their faces turning sharply, searching for the source of the sudden, unfamiliar voice.

Duelean’s eyes darted toward Darius, seeking clues from his reaction. As her posture eased slightly, suspicion tinged her voice, "Friend of yours?"

Darius, unchanged in stance but now with his hand covering his face, his features flushed with visible embarrassment, simply nodded. "Yes," he sighed, shaking his head slightly. "Come out."

"Sorry, Big Brother," rumbled a deep, remorseful voice, drawing all eyes toward its source. The expressions of the dwarves shifted uniformly to ones of shock and disbelief as a massive, three-meter-tall beast materialized from thin air. Cloaked in black fur and blue flames, the creature dominated the space, its presence imposing and unmistakable.

Darius slapped his forehead, exasperated, and shouted, "Shift back! Are you trying to piss me off?!"

"Sorry!" came the quick reply as his mane of blue flames receded and compressed, shrinking him back to his original ember-fox form.

As Haku shifted back, the tension eased. After a few tense minutes of awkward introductions and vague explanations, casual conversation and eventually laughter filled the air, blending with the sounds of the twilight forest.

----

Darius sat cross-legged at the edge of the hatchery, blue lightning mana crackling around him in a quiet storm. Opening his eyes, a smile crept across his face as he whispered to the charged air, "My aura changed because of my emotions, because of my influence... something ethereal affected something real. It's my will." The realization shimmered around him like the sparks of his own lightning, "My will is the system!"