The hand that was resting on my cheek was replaced with a fresh coat of liquid. Red droplets dripping from my face onto the tiled floor. Joining with the crimson sea that washed along what used to be a vast sterile bathroom. I couldn't feel it anymore. Her hand was no longer there to wipe these crimson tears...
And in my hand, if that even was a hand... The contorted remains of what once must have been a woman. In my confusion my hand jerked back, the overbearing weight and strength of it completely destroyed what remained of her body.
My ears were ringing. Was I making any noise? I could feel my mouth opening and closing, yet always remaining slightly ajar. But for the life of me, I could not hear a single scream. Just the ever present red world that was painted before me. As much as I didn't want to look at this sight, I couldn't tear my eyes away from it.
I killed her.
Bile rose from the depths of my stomach, burning my windpipe and throat. A large amount of red viscous fluid as well as meat of some kind expelled all over the pretty tiles of the bathroom. My mind, my consciousness was leaving me. I collapsed into that putrid puddle of my own remains and lost my bearings.
What was that...? At the last moment, what was she trying to say?
My face was reflected in the blood scattered around the room.
Impossibly brutish and ugly. Was I in denial all this time? This must've been what I really looked like, some monster made of meat, not a human.
Revolting.
That was my last thought, before my consciousness was reaped.
---
The Baron's Bloody Goblet was almost central when considering the region it inhabited. This vast land that was unanimously decided as the Baron's territory was often referred to as the Scarlet Valley.
The constant bubbling of the molten blood in the Baron's Bloody Goblet caused the evaporation of a great amount of blood over time. This caused the sky to darken and create clouds of crimson smoke and vapor. It was often that a crimson rain crossed the rolling fields and mountains, dyeing the world in a scarlet luster. A sight that the Baron often admired.
This village was no different, it too would be covered in the bloody rain.
"Grandfather, come quick!"
"Now, now. There's no need to rush, whether we run or walk we will arrive all the same."
"Yes, but the day has finally arrived!"
"Indeed. Oh, how the years have flown by, I remember when you were but a wee tyke still latched onto your mother."
"I'm a big boy now!"
"Well, all the big boys that I know are patient."
"...I guess we should walk, I wouldn't want to rush you Grandfather." The boy slightly brushed his nose, whistling or at least attempting to, in a nonchalant fashion.
"How kind." He dotingly matted his grandson's hair. Both walking through the town until they finally arrived.
"The Chamber of Elements!" His grandson yipped happily.
"Have you already thought about what you're going to choose?"
"Hmm. I don't know... Which is the best one?"
"That's hard to say. Everything is good for something different. It depends what you want from the future."
"What I want from the future? How am I supposed to know that?"
"That is a bit easier to answer. The words of a wise old man come to mind; 'If you must eat, then eat plenty. If you must grow, grow strong.'"
"Who said that?"
"Me."
"Eh? You can't call yourself wise, even I know that!"
"On the contrary my boy. Those who are can do what they want. If the Bloody Baron were to call himself strong, would you question it?"
"...No." The boy slightly backed away at the mere thought of it. Stories of the Bloody Baron had often been told to bad children to make sure they wouldn't misbehave. The amount of vegetables he was forced to eat and chores he was made to do in fear of these myths was somewhat laughable.
"This is the same. Wisdom comes with age. I have lived enough years to know that those words ring true no matter who you are."
"Then, is it impossible for a young person to be wise?" The young boy's eyes wandered up as he begun to ponder.
"That's my grandson for you... Not necessarily. Here's a question for you; how do you replace a lack of experience?"
"That's easy! Ask Grandfather."
"Yes, we learn from history. Wise young boys rely on those that walked the path before him and use that knowledge to their advantage."
"I see... Then another question. Grandfather; is it impossible to be strong without eating a lot?"
"To live is to eat. To grow stronger than anyone else you must live and eat even more voraciously than any other. That is the way and will of the world. Therefore, yes. It is impossible."
"Hmm... Perhaps, I should choose something common? Earth, or maybe fire?"
"Having something be common isn't all it's cracked up to be. It might be easy to come across, but that just means it isn't as valuable as others."
"Rubies or Jade?"
"It also can't be so valuable that it's hard to encounter, or you'll never progress as a cultivator."
"This is hard... Wait, what about the Baron?"
"Blood certainly is common. That is precisely what makes the Baron such a figure of legend. Do you think if his pathway was easy he would be so feared and discussed today?"
"I guess not..."
"Of course you could always just leave it up to instinct."
"What if I choose something bad..."
"Trust in yourself. Better to choose something you want than something you don't."
"...Understood."
"It's about time you get going, the others will already be waiting inside."
"Ah! That's because you made us walk!"
"Hohoho, good luck."
Grandfather can be such a pain sometimes, he thought to himself.
Bursting through the entrance doors, the boy entered into a large open space. Around ten children the same age as him were stood there with an older gentleman at the head of the group.
"Yu, late again."
"Apologies instructor, I really did try-"
"Save your excuses, you can thank the heavens that we didn't start without you. I have half a mind to delay your soul tuning to the next harvest."
"No! Please. I promise it won't happen again!"
"See that it doesn't. Yana, repeat what you were saying for the tardy back here."
"Yes, instructor. The first meal of a cultivator is important as it dictates the element we will have control over for the rest of our ascension, the soul tuning we are about to partake in is one such event. Certain elements can't be digested by the normal human constitution therefore we use these specialized parasites to gain control over those aspects early on in life."
The diet was catered to the specific cultivator. However, that didn't mean that they could just eat the element itself. In the early stages of cultivation a human could hardly absorb the essence of steel or other such elements. That was why we used organisms that already inherited some of that element to attune with. This room was filled with a limited variety of such creatures.
"Indeed. You have come to the age required and have the good fortune to participate as cultivators. From here you take your first steps from mere mortals to something more. It's up to you to decide what that is. Yana, as the best seed you have your choice of the floor. Make your decision."
"I had already decided on this from the start." She grabbed a small, blue-streaked beetle.
The Lightning Popper Beetle, harnessed sparks to make violent escapes when approached by predators. Attuning with one would allow the user to generate small electrical current and begin to harvest small amounts of charge, until they grown into a suitable shell that could conduct greater sums of electricity.
"The aspect of lightning, I must say it suits you. Good choice for someone that relies so much on close-combat. I trust I don't need to remind you... But for the rest of you louts, listen up! When soul attuning, you must eat the parasite alive. It doesn't matter if it struggles or uses its aspect inside you. To eat is to live. To eat is to win. Do not lose to an insect. That is all."
The next student in line went and picked their choice from the litter, each and every one of the students went in sequence until the last. A few had grabbed Bombardier Fire Ants.
The Bombardier fire ant, they blew a flammable gas out of their specialized nozzles and ignited it by clacking their carapace covered front limbs. The result was miniature napalm that could roast small predators. Attuning with it allowed the cultivator to generate small embers, little more than a candle stick if one were to be generous. However, it did allow the human constitution to accept greater temperatures without sickness or injury. The bearable temperatures increased as the user progressed in their cultivation and devoured different flames.
Yu, due to his tardiness had been given the least possible options.
"Perhaps this will teach you not to be late in the future, young man."
"...I'm sorry." Even with these limited options, or rather because the options were limited further than before he was even more unsure of what to pick.
He thought to himself; What did Grandfather say? Use intuition? What if it ends horribly? But, I have to pick something...
The meagre choices being what they were, the boy finally settled on his decision and joined the rest of his class. Each and every one of the students held a separate cage that was made with the specific parasite in mind. Fire-proof casing for the Bombardier Fire Ants. Non-conducive material for the Lightning Popper Beetle. Etc. Etc.
"We've been over the steps a thousand times... But for the last time, because I'm sure there's one or two idiots here." He looked quickly at Yu.
"You are to eat the parasite. Alive. During this time you will remain in solitary for three days. You will not eat another bite, you will not indulge in any hobbies or activities. You will not even see light for those days. You will focus on the sensation of the aspect and element within your entire body. Until you become aware of the soul itself. When the time comes that you have attuned, you will already be aware of what it means to be a cultivator. There should be no questions. Dismissed."
Yu looked at his parasite once more, worriedly. Thinking; Did I really make the right choice?