Rebirth System: Blood and Ash

The long night had begun. The two men had dived deep into the numerous folders and started to go through each member of the King’s council—who they were and how they thought, even their backgrounds.

Aric noticed something with each new piece of information: he received a system notification.

[Lord Orin info updated]

"So, Lord Orin... he is quite the person," the old man grabbed a folder. "He’s stern and principled, and believes in law and order above all else. He has the King’s respect but often clashes with him over matters of right and wrong."

As Hitoki explained, Aric could see the panel update in real-time with the council member’s information.

Hours stretched through the night, and one by one, they went through each member of the council until they had covered every single person. Aric now had information on the council members—their personalities, their relationships with the King, their backgrounds, and even some of their well-kept secrets.

This information armed the prince with the ability to approach the council with a set method to pull the necessary strings he needed.

[17 character profiles updated]

They had finished, and by the time they did, morning was only a few hours away. The old man left the study, while Aric leaned back on the chair behind the desk, trying to catch whatever bit of rest he could get.

However, after what felt like just a few minutes since he closed his eyes, the sun began its ascent once more, and the rays of light slowly snuck through the tall window of the study.

They met Aric’s eyes, causing his face to twitch before he raised his arm, blocking off the light from assaulting his pupils. He took his legs off the desk in front of him as he turned away from the window with a yawn.

He glanced at the desk. The files that had been sprawled across it only last night had now been taken—not even a single paper left. Hitoki was very cautious with his information; he had given Aric all he needed to know, and it was up to him to remember. Luckily for the prince, the system had already compiled and arranged the info for him.

"Sigh, everything seems to be going well for now, but soon, I’ll need to show some force."

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Aric summoned the skill panel.

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Skills

Muscle Burst (Basic - Upgradable)

Ki Fists (Basic)

Ki Barrier (Basic - Upgradable) {Not learned}

Breakthrough (Basic) {Not learned}

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"And I’m currently incapable of doing that," Aric sighed as he glanced at the screen.

His skills were at the basic level, no match against any of his current adversaries. His cultivation was enough to bully low-ranked cultivators and the average person, but if he were to clash with anyone slightly skilled, it would prove problematic.

Aric still had the Martial God foundation, which meant he had more potential than almost every other cultivator. But that was all it was—potential. If he failed to utilize what he was given, he would still end up weak.

He still remembered the guide’s words:

*"The rewarded technique is built on the principle of balance between destruction and creation, chaos and order. It harmonizes the body’s physical strength with the soul’s spiritual power, creating a union that surpasses mortal limitations. To begin, you must learn to embrace both the raw, destructive power of the universe and the gentle, nurturing force of life, achieving a perfect equilibrium."*

There was something more to it than just cultivation.

Aric closed his eyes and began his attempt at meditation. The sounds of chirping birds in the distance offered a soothing background as he felt Ki begin to flow through his body. It then interacted with energy outside of himself, ultimately merging with it and streaming into him.

That, in itself, was the simple yet profound act of cultivation.

Aric remained in this meditative posture for an hour more. He could feel his Ki becoming more pure within his body; however, the progress felt way too slow. If he wanted to give his full time and effort into taking Byzeth, he would have to make cultivation secondary until that was accomplished, as it took far too much time and effort.

Regardless, he still needed to be stronger than he currently was, and the only way to achieve that was by obtaining better skills.

And as earlier noted, there was nothing one would want to purchase that could not be found in Byzeth, especially at the auction. Perhaps there, along with the mana crystals, he could acquire some high-ranking martial techniques and kill two birds with one stone.

Aric stood and exited the study. The auction would begin at midnight, so they would need to leave for the capital before evening to get there in time.

Stepping into the main room, he saw Lerai and Alan lying on the rug, knocked out cold from fatigue. Aric assumed they had probably been working all night. Deciding to allow them more time to rest, he went upstairs to inform Serina instead.

However, as Aric moved through the hallway and reached the mage’s room, he felt something—his chest tightened, and though he wasn’t fully aware, sweat began to form on his skin.

He stopped at her door, his hand gripping the cold handle.

"Serina?" he called out as he knocked but got no response. However, strange noises were coming from within, as though someone else was in the room.

"Serina, are you alright?" he called again, hesitant to barge in to avoid a situation like last time. But as he received no response from the mage again, he realized it might be his only choice.

Aric pushed open the door, swinging it wide as he stepped into the room.

His eyes widened at the sight before him. In the middle of the room was Serina, floating a few inches from the ground, and above her was a large purple magic circle, from which light seemed to stream towards her.

The entire room crackled with arcane energy and an aura of slight evil, making it hard to breathe.

"Hey… are you okay?" Aric asked, taking another step forward toward the mage.

Perhaps then, and only then, as he took that action, did he realize how much of a mistake it was.

"I… am dead?" Aric whispered under his breath as he felt his body cut into a thousand pieces.