Chen wasn't sure what happened. The last thing he remembered, he had just left Mitsu in tears. The emotional devastation he had inflicted on her had left him feeling mighty pleased with himself. Then, oblivion. He wasn't sure if he had left the Heavenly Emporium or returned during the war. He wasn't sure if he had fought bravely to protect the peons of this world or if he had hid like a coward. It was all a haze. He had quashed his Father's influence over him for what he thought was the last time. That was years ago. The wicked presence that had haunted him all of his life was nary a whisper these days. Chen owed this to his more aggressive outlook on life. It was harder for him to be directed like a pawn when he had a mind and agenda of his own. However, this peace was not destined to last forever.
While in a wonderland of dreams and hallucinations, Chen saw images of his home. A hellish world that could only be described as "the Jūkyo". The world was overgrown with a decrepit and fungal looking fauna. There were corpses strewn about. The bodies were of the bare-arsed natives of the planet. They had committed no crime except being unfortunate enough to be his father's neighbors. A hazy poisonous dust had settled around him and everywhere he looked were beasts of unspeakable character. Chen was aware that what he was seeing was not Earth. It was a nuclear winter wasteland of another world, but he felt the unmistakable urge to bring this hellscape to Kishin. The longer he wandered, the worse the urge became.
When Chen finally snapped to his senses, he was standing on the ruins of a once great city. Chen's clothes were dirty and soaked with a slick oily substance. Was it from this world or from the next? Chen knew who had done this. He knew who had called his mind to his place of birth.
What does he want with me? the child contemplated as he started to walk through the wreckage of the city. After asking around, he managed to elicit responses from others. He did not want to seem ignorant so he phrased his questions carefully. Apparently, the Society had attacked the Heavenly Emporium, killed scores of civilians, kidnapped Okane and unleashed an artificial Bijuu known as the Indaina Kujira. It sounded like quite the ruckus but even more disturbing than the conflict was that Chen could not recall what he had been doing during it. It was like he had been robbed of his own memories and given a gap in return. It made him angry. He balled his hands into fists and continued to march across the death soaked city.
So many shinobi helping others. They were clearing debris and healing the wounded. Pathetic... Normally the altruism of others would only irritate him, but for some reason now it made him seethe with rage. Chen looked up and around him. That was when it dawned on him.
Not with me....Everyone else.
It was at that moment that a pool of dark liquid caught his attention. It was the oily substance that was said to have been ejected by the Indaina Kujira. A voice told him to go near it. He resisted. It commanded louder and more urgently. It used his rage against him. His desire to be stronger. His desire to dominate the weak and enforce his will above the so-called heroes of the shinobi tradition. It used the humiliation of his loss to Ashitaka Senju and his fear of the Others. Chen found himself now staring at the pool of black liquid.
Touch it.
Chen kneeled down and stuck a finger in the substance. Chen's eyes immediately went black and his soul was thrown into a grinder. Millions of memories assaulted him. Scenes from lives not lived flooded his brain and information about obscure subjects overthrew his mind. He could feel his father's presence now. Whereas before it was a distant phenomenon and a nuisance that he detested, it was now familiar. It was like a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Chen's mind was now sealed to Ethereum and with this seal came power. There was so much to see and now Chen could see it all. Chen began to violently shake and convulse as his mind was throttled with agendas and images. The only thing keeping him sane was Ethereum's loving embrace. It was like squeezing the hand of a loved one while on a rollercoaster. When the ride ceased, Chen found himself looking down at his hands. They were shaking. Were they his hands? Had they ever been his hands? Maybe not....but I'll use them anyways. I'll use all of them to claim this world. To take it.
The alien backed away from the dark liquid pool. He started a brisk walk which transitioned into a panicked run.
"I know what I have to do now"
[Ethereum Acquired]
[Chenxit from the Wreckage of the Heavenly Emporium to Iwa]
Wreckage of Heavenly Emporium -> Kaizoku Sea (72hrs) -> Hot Springs (12 hours) -> Fire Country (48 hours) -> Grass (12 hours) -> Iwa) Total Travel Time: 144 Hours
While in a wonderland of dreams and hallucinations, Chen saw images of his home. A hellish world that could only be described as "the Jūkyo". The world was overgrown with a decrepit and fungal looking fauna. There were corpses strewn about. The bodies were of the bare-arsed natives of the planet. They had committed no crime except being unfortunate enough to be his father's neighbors. A hazy poisonous dust had settled around him and everywhere he looked were beasts of unspeakable character. Chen was aware that what he was seeing was not Earth. It was a nuclear winter wasteland of another world, but he felt the unmistakable urge to bring this hellscape to Kishin. The longer he wandered, the worse the urge became.
When Chen finally snapped to his senses, he was standing on the ruins of a once great city. Chen's clothes were dirty and soaked with a slick oily substance. Was it from this world or from the next? Chen knew who had done this. He knew who had called his mind to his place of birth.
What does he want with me? the child contemplated as he started to walk through the wreckage of the city. After asking around, he managed to elicit responses from others. He did not want to seem ignorant so he phrased his questions carefully. Apparently, the Society had attacked the Heavenly Emporium, killed scores of civilians, kidnapped Okane and unleashed an artificial Bijuu known as the Indaina Kujira. It sounded like quite the ruckus but even more disturbing than the conflict was that Chen could not recall what he had been doing during it. It was like he had been robbed of his own memories and given a gap in return. It made him angry. He balled his hands into fists and continued to march across the death soaked city.
So many shinobi helping others. They were clearing debris and healing the wounded. Pathetic... Normally the altruism of others would only irritate him, but for some reason now it made him seethe with rage. Chen looked up and around him. That was when it dawned on him.
Not with me....Everyone else.
It was at that moment that a pool of dark liquid caught his attention. It was the oily substance that was said to have been ejected by the Indaina Kujira. A voice told him to go near it. He resisted. It commanded louder and more urgently. It used his rage against him. His desire to be stronger. His desire to dominate the weak and enforce his will above the so-called heroes of the shinobi tradition. It used the humiliation of his loss to Ashitaka Senju and his fear of the Others. Chen found himself now staring at the pool of black liquid.
Touch it.
Chen kneeled down and stuck a finger in the substance. Chen's eyes immediately went black and his soul was thrown into a grinder. Millions of memories assaulted him. Scenes from lives not lived flooded his brain and information about obscure subjects overthrew his mind. He could feel his father's presence now. Whereas before it was a distant phenomenon and a nuisance that he detested, it was now familiar. It was like a reassuring hand on his shoulder. Chen's mind was now sealed to Ethereum and with this seal came power. There was so much to see and now Chen could see it all. Chen began to violently shake and convulse as his mind was throttled with agendas and images. The only thing keeping him sane was Ethereum's loving embrace. It was like squeezing the hand of a loved one while on a rollercoaster. When the ride ceased, Chen found himself looking down at his hands. They were shaking. Were they his hands? Had they ever been his hands? Maybe not....but I'll use them anyways. I'll use all of them to claim this world. To take it.
The alien backed away from the dark liquid pool. He started a brisk walk which transitioned into a panicked run.
"I know what I have to do now"
[Ethereum Acquired]
[Chenxit from the Wreckage of the Heavenly Emporium to Iwa]
Wreckage of Heavenly Emporium -> Kaizoku Sea (72hrs) -> Hot Springs (12 hours) -> Fire Country (48 hours) -> Grass (12 hours) -> Iwa) Total Travel Time: 144 Hours
