What a tale. That's what I muttered after Hund finished.
"This KI... it seems like a philosophical technique?" I asked.
But no reply came.
Hund Hennessy—he seemed unable to speak. His body reeked of lifelessness, the skin on his face relaxed, tears sliding down his cheeks. The story he had just told clearly took an emotional toll on him.
This KI... if I master it, I will be able to retrieve the Virellium from the World Tree.
It's getting late.
I rested my head against a stool, closed my eyes, and let my mind rhyme with the night. And there it was—sleep. It came.
When I woke up, I didn't see Hennessy on his chair.
I heard a noise—like grass being blown by a heavy breeze. I looked through the window and saw him. Hennessy. He was levitating.
He was using KI.
I rushed outside to take a proper look. Only one thought filled my mind:
So this is KI. That's how it looks up close.
Hennessy… he looks free. Satisfied. Unanchored by burden.
I asked him to teach me, to train me in the way of KI. But before anything, he said:
"You have to let go of your hatred. As a non-godblood, you hate godbloods. You hate them. You hate me."
"Yes, I do hate them. But it's not my fault. They made me hate them. They built walls to divide us. Kidnap our children. Use them for target practice. Execute us for fabricated reasons. Spout made-up preachings. Call us the Devil's descendants," I replied.
"I never asked for your name. So impolite of me," he said.
I replied, "Godot. For I bear no last name. I believe non-godbloods have no right to carry family names while we suffer under subjugation."
After I said those words, Hennessy said something that pierced deeper than I expected:
"Such strong words. But what if I told you—you hate your own people? The non-godbloods. You hate how your kind can't control mana, how weak they are, how willing they are to be subjugated. You need that Virellium. You wish to use it to make your people stronger."
"I want to teach you KI. I want to be like Master Fēng Yuán. I want to embrace all—godblood or non-godblood."
So that's his conviction… he seeks penance. He wishes to truly sever his anchors to the surface, I thought to myself.
"Godot, you must not hate. Learn to tolerate. Embrace KI. Learn KI. Be more like Fēng Yuán. Don't let the surface anchor you. Outgrow your hatred. Find a new reason to fight—protect those you love. Keep the promises you made to those you cared about."
Those words—
They made me reflect. A realization dawned upon me:
Martha… I see now. I don't fight for the demise of godbloods. I fight to fulfill my promise to Martha—to care for Arios, to love Arios, to tend to him. That's why I fight.
"I know why I fight," I barked.
"I fight for her. To keep my promise to her. I fight for him. To protect him. To show him love. I fight for us—to protect my kind, to ensure we suffer no more."
"Good," Hennessy said.
"Your training has already begun. If you recall the four tenets of faith from the tale I told you, the first tenet said: Be weightless in spirit. You must let go of hatred. It anchors you."
"It's a journey I am willing to embark on. An emotional hurdle I am willing to cross. For I am ready to do anything to keep my promise to her," I said.
I continued:
"Before, I believed the only path to salvation for non-godbloods was to fight—to kill as many godbloods as we can. If we don't fight, even an ant could be king over us. But now I see… I've been fighting the wrong battles. I need to fight for those I care about."
"Your training won't be as swift as in the tale. It will take months. You will learn all four tenets of faith. Embrace the Wind Way. Embrace Fēng Dào," Hennessy said.
"I accept Fēng Dào. I am ready to train all night, all day, all week, all month—to keep my promise to her," I replied.
---
Days bled into weeks. Weeks into months.
I trained until my muscles tore and healed again.
I recited ancient scriptures until my voice cracked.
I learned patience from failure, focus from pain, and control from mistakes.
All four tenets I mastered, just as in the tale:
Tenet One: Be Weightless in Spirit.
Tenet Two: Be Still to Hear.
Tenet Three: Be as Water on the Wind.
Tenet Four: Respect the Edge.
I became an Edgewalker.
My body relaxed—less dense than air.
I floated.
I could smell better.
I harbored no hate for godbloods.
I became one with the wind.
"You have learned much these past months. You've been reborn. Your eyes reek of love—unlike the day we first met. Your body relaxed, not stiff. You've found inner peace," said Hennessy.
As I prepared to head to the mining site at the Edge, I saw the sword—the manament I took from the Mage-Knight I killed years ago. I refused to pick it up. That weapon was born of hatred. I am reborn. I need not cling to past glory.
"Take, take the device," said Hennessy.
He handed me the mana-measuring device I once saw in his shop—the day we first met.
"Why?" I asked.
"See it as a gift. A reminder of our friendship. A way to gauge your opponent. Being free of hatred doesn't mean you cannot defend yourself from those who threaten your life," he said.
I accepted the device and took flight.
I soared the sky.
Ostina—a kingdom of natural diversity.
From rocky lands, to green grasslands, flower gardens, tropical fronts, and high mountains.
But as I neared the Edge, balance in the air became difficult. Still, I prevailed and pressed forward.
When I arrived, I saw how they mined Virellium.
And the sight was terrifying.
Godbloods and non-godbloods alike—chained to a massive metal boulder. So massive, only a Titan could've dragged it here. The weight kept it from slipping off the Edge. But judging by the surroundings, sometimes it did—crushing whoever stood in its way.
Blood stained the ground. Nature herself wept.
The miners looked lifeless, dread in their eyes.
But the most horrific thing—
They were being served the flesh of their dead comrades.
They ate it. Consumed it.
Basked in blood.
Ground bone with teeth.
This… this was the behavior of godbloods, showing their true nature in places unreachable by normal men.
Yet still… I hated them not.
I spotted a barrow of Virellium, guarded by two Mage-Knights.
Using the device Hennessy gave me—I gauged them. Grade 4.
I was swift.
Rather than fight, I used KI.
I used my mind.
On air I moved.
Swiftly, I took the Virellium and flew back to Hennessy.
---
"Thank you."
Those were my final words to Hennessy as I departed for Kinisha—to design the new Augmentors, to fulfill my promise to Martha, to ensure Arios could defend himself.
I felt accomplished.
I felt whole.