The news announcement blared on the screen, the anchor's voice somber. "Through the combined efforts, the city survived the rat surge safely. However, casualties are huge. War God Luo Xin was sacrificed. The military disclosed that Luo Xin used himself as a bait to stop the rat beast surge, giving his life to save countless civilians."
The scene cut to footage of Luo Xin's final stand, his saber flashing in the fading light, the beasts closing in. The anchor's voice continued, "Luo Xin's sacrifice will not be forgotten. The city mourns the loss of a hero."
The scene shifted.
Kia stood alone in a dimly lit alley, the rain pounding down around him like a thousand tiny drums. He swiped his Ice and Snow Saber through the air, the blade hissing with fury. "Humans are facing constant threats, and warriors like me are the only hope," he growled, his voice lost in the downpour. "If only I could become stronger..."
His anger boiled over, and he slashed at the air again, his movements wild and uncontrolled. The saber's song was a cry of frustration.
And then, he faltered. Kia's shoulders sagged, and he fell to his knees on the wet concrete. "I can't master the second level," he whispered, the words like ash in his mouth.
But as he knelt there, the rain washing over him, he remembered Luo Xin's words, his movements, his calm. "I was too busy striking hard... I forgot that balance and feeling will affect your progress."
Kia's breathing slowed. He sheathed his saber and closed his eyes, letting the rain wash over him. The sounds of the city faded, and he recalled Luo Xin's final moments - the stillness in the midst of chaos, the precision of his strikes.
A drop of water fell from a rooftop, splashing onto Kia's forehead. He opened his eyes, a spark igniting within him. "Balance," he whispered. "Feeling."
Kia stood, his movements fluid now, his saber at the ready. He began to practice, his strokes gentle, his focus inward. The rain parted around him, as if he were a stone in a river.
In the distance, a clock tower loomed, its face glowing like a ghostly eye. Midnight was near.
As Kia balanced himself, his breathing slowed, and the world around him began to freeze. The air crystallized, and the rain turned to ice shards, suspended in mid-air. His aura turned biting, his strike precise, as he pointed his saber up. Swush. The ice weather could be seen from far, a chilling display of his growing power.
Kia's eyes narrowed. "So this is it," he whispered, his voice barely audible over the silence. As he held his saber aloft, the chilling aura surrounding him was visible, a shroud of frost that seemed to draw the light out of the air.
The scene shifted.
Zhuo Ming stood in a dimly lit, smoke-filled room, speaking with a mysterious figure cloaked in shadows. The air was thick with the scent of incense and danger.
The mysterious figure spoke, its voice low and gravelly. "Concentrate in a specific area... you can't beat him. He has mastered the second form. The Ice and Snow Saber's true power is awakening."
Zhuo Ming's expression was unreadable, but his eyes gleamed with intensity. "The more we leave him, the more he grows."
The mysterious figure nodded, its hood bobbing in the dim light. "We can't let that happen. We need to get rid of him... sooner."
Zhuo Ming's smile was a thin line. "Don't worry. I will handle it."
The mysterious figure vanished into the shadows, leaving Zhuo Ming alone. He lit a cigarette, the ember glowing like a malevolent eye in the darkness.
As he exhaled, the smoke seemed to swirl, taking on a life of its own.