*label inventory *choice *if ((inventory_page = 0) or (inventory_page = 1)) #Equipment. *label equipment Your stored [b]equipment[/b]: *gosub_scene cslib_menu build_array_filter "equipment" "name" true "conditions" "equipment_check" *temp n cslib_ret *if n = 0 *goto inventory *if n > 0 *temp usable equipment[n]["usage"] *temp droppable equipment[n]["droppable"] *temp description "equipment_${n}" *temp first_letter usable#1 *gosub_scene descriptions {description} *choice *selectable_if (not (first_letter = "_")) #Equip item. *gosub {usable} *goto equipment *selectable_if (droppable) #Drop item. Are you sure you want to drop this item? It cannot be recovered. *choice #Yes *if mc_equipped_robe = n You must first unequip the item. *page_break Fine! *goto equipment You've successfully dropped the item. *set equipment[n] 0 *page_break Hooray! *goto equipment #No *goto equipment #Go back. *goto inventory *if ((inventory_page = 0) or (inventory_page = 2)) #Books *label books Your stored [b]books[/b]: *gosub_scene cslib_menu build_array_filter "books" "name" true "conditions" "trait_check_statpage" *temp n cslib_ret *if n > 0 *temp usable books[n]["usage"] *temp usagepath "books_usage"&usable *temp droppable books[n]["droppable"] *temp description "book_${n}" *temp first_letter usable#1 *gosub_scene descriptions {description} *choice *selectable_if (not (first_letter = "_")) #Read it. *gosub {usable} *goto books *selectable_if (droppable) #Drop it. Are you sure you want to drop this book? It cannot be recovered. *choice #Yes You've successfully dropped the book. *set books[n] false *page_break Hooray! *goto books #No *goto books #Go back. *goto books *else *goto inventory *if ((inventory_page = 0) or (inventory_page = 3)) #Quest Items. under construction *goto inventory *if ((inventory_page = 0) or (inventory_page = 4)) #Miscellaneous. *label misc Your stored [b]miscellaneous items[/b]: *gosub_scene cslib_menu build_array_filter "inv" "name" true "conditions" "inv_check" *temp n cslib_ret *if n > 0 *temp usable inv[n]["usage"] *temp droppable inv[n]["droppable"] *temp description "item_${n}" *temp first_letter usable#1 *if n = 5 *if inv_5_name != "Incandescent Golden Apple" *gosub_scene cslib_string find history "basic_plant_knowledge|" *if cslib_ret > 0 *set inv_5_name "Incandescent Golden Apple" *line_break [b]With your newfound knowledge about plants, you recognize this strange apple to be Incandescent Golden Apple.[/b] *gosub_scene descriptions {description} *if n = 2 *gosub_scene subroutines randomize 1 3 3 "r_v" *choice *selectable_if (not (first_letter = "_")) #Use item. *gosub {usable} *goto misc *selectable_if (droppable) #Drop item. Are you sure you want to drop this item? It cannot be recovered. *choice #Yes You've successfully dropped the item. *set inv[n] -1 *page_break Hooray! *goto equipment #No *goto equipment #Go back. *goto inventory *else *goto inventory #Exit your spatial ring. *set inventory_page 0 *return *label robe_fathers_gift *if mc_equipped_robe != 1 You equip the robe. [b]Constitution[/b] +1. *gosub_scene subroutines equip_item "con" 1 *set mc_equipped_robe 1 [i]Father's love[/i] activated. *else This item is already equipped. Choose another item of a similar type if you want to replace it. *page_break Return *return *label book_godtale [i]Yang Chen, 6069 ME.[/i] It is said, long before the Noble Houses and Celestial Empire, there were no kings and lords in the world. There were no slaves and no servants, only the men and the women who were free and equal. One day, however, in the city of Manyong — which now serves as both the realm's capital and Tang's ancestral seat — a man appeared. Giant in stature, strong beyond the mortal limits, and with abilities that transcended understanding he swept through Manyong like an avalanche. On the day now known as Martial Rebirth, he conquered the city with brute force alone. Without an army, without plots, he forced hundreds of thousands to submit. He slaughtered those who opposed him, enslaved those who didn't, and gathered reverence from people who worshiped his overwhelming power. After that, Tang Wei annexed the whole world, established his calendar, and started a new era — the era of Martial Arts. The latter one he did by spreading the source of his power throughout the Empire. He took nine wives, which bore him nine children. A son, who inherited the Celestial Throne, and eight daughters, who he married off to his most trusted generals. The Nine Children, although weaker than the invincible First Emperor, were heads and shoulders above mortal men. All of them could practice the teachings Tang Wei had left behind, gaining powers of supernatural nature. Therefore, the Nine Children became the Great Noble Clans, their nobility proved without a shadow of a doubt by their Divine Blood. *page_break Put Down The Book *return *label book_civilwar [i]Yang Chen, 6132 ME.[/i] East has always been rowdy. Before Tang Wei, it was a land of the freest spirits. Unable to survive through plowing of the land — their climate far too harsh — they resorted to trading and diplomacy. Eastmen were the ones who invented money and the concept of selling goods for, otherwise, useless gold. They founded dozens of city-states that competed with each other, their rivalry sparking the fire of progress. Tang Wei put an end to their independence. He destroyed their cities and took away their liberty — but he could not crush their desire for freedom, that flowed in their veins the same way Divine Blood flowed in his. After Tang Wei mysteriously disappeared, the following monarchs were forced to make concessions in order to keep the East in check. A long distance from the capital, separated from the mainland by a turbulent sea, the East year after year gained more and more autonomy until the tipping point was reached. In 2854 ME — of Martial Era — a new Celestial Emperor was crowned in Mayong, a celebratory event throughout the whole realm. The Tangs as usual hosted a tourney to honor their supreme ancestor. Granted a ceremonial audience with the emperor, the champion of then, Song Jiu, struck the newly appointed ruler with ruthless abandon. He, a peak Shangtian, an expert almost without match, struck a sixteen-year-old child without holding back. The ill-fated emperor died instantly, not giving his cohort of guards even a chance to react. Using the confusion to his advantage, Song Jiu escaped. While an unprecedented provocation, the Celestial Empire could still recover: it was not so weak to crumble after a single assassination. Thing is, it was not a [i]single[/i] hit: at the same time Song Jiu murdered the Emperor, the Zhong, and the Zhao clans launched a coordinated assault on all suitable heirs of the Tang lineage. Every single one was killed. The realm thrown into a dynastic crisis, Song, Zhong, and Zhao declared independence, creating Three Kingdoms in the East. Clans of Wu, He, and Liu wanted to abide by their example, fracturing the Empire into pieces. After three thousand years, the Celestial Throne almost became a heavenly ruin. The key word, however, is almost. Yang and Su, two strongest families after the Tangs, quelled the growing rebellion in the cradle. Not only they possessed superior martial might — Wu, He and Liu might still have tried their luck — but also an undeniable legitimacy: they sheltered the last Tang heir, a baby who hasn't lived long enough to witness a full moon. Mainland might have been pacified, but the East was not — and would not be. Instead, the Three Kingdoms dragged the unstable Empire into a war that, at the point of me writing this, spans for more than three thousand years. *page_break Put Down The Book *return *label book_martialarts_1 [i]Yang Chen, 6200 ME.[/i] Where do Martial Arts come from and why do they work? Both are good, valid questions — but a better one would be [i]what[/i] are Martial Arts? First of all, there is a vital distinction to make — between Martial Arts and Martial Techniques or Skills. Martial Arts are collections of moves, gathered together in a single scripture. Most powerful of Martial Arts are called 'transformations', allowing their practitioners to temporarily discard weak human flesh. Martial Techniques are singular abilities, meant for individual use. Such skills have no levels of comprehension, only the initial learning requirement. As for the origin of these martial wonders? In truth, no one knows. Scholars with a mind far greater and imagination far more vivid than mine spend millennia pondering upon this question, unable to reach a consensus. However, we are not completely clueless and as a Xiantian who both practiced and studied Martial Skills for over three hundred years, I believe myself competent enough to clarify some details. Despite a few blinded by the glory of their clan historians saying otherwise, martial arts did not exist before Tang Wei. Simple and plain as that: there is just no reasonable evidence to argue the opposite. All the Martial Techniques we have are derived from the First Emperor. In some shape or form, they are either a variation of his sacred texts or a parody of the abilities he showed during his conquest. As of now, we cannot produce new Martial Techniques by ourselves. We have to either rely on manuals left behind by our predecessors or hope for an enlightenment. Enlightenment by itself is a topic broad enough to warrant its own book, so I'll glance it over. All you need to know is that you have a higher chance of stumbling upon an undiscovered ruin and finding a rare, never seen before Martial Art, than experiencing Enlightenment yourself. Except, of course, during a martial advancement. The manuals themselves are manuscripts, written on special paper with special ink. The paper is made of ancient, at least ten-thousand-year-old Knarch-trees, while only the He and the Zhao clans can produce the Dao Ink according to a secret recipe. Manuals contain two parts: a training regiment that practitioners must follow and a short poem. It's exactly the poem that gives Martial Techniques their magical nature and creates trouble for us, the academics. Cyphered behind symbols no one can read, yet everybody can, with various degrees of success, understand, the poem connects ordinary mortals with the inner workings of the cosmos. [i]One with the Heaven, Transcend Mortality[/i]. *page_break Put Down The Book *return *label book_threerebirths_1 [i]Yang Chen, 6088 ME.[/i] The path of Martial Arts is hard. Less than one in ten thousand practitioners reach Xiantian, not to mention advancing further. The least I, as someone who considers himself a benefactor of the youth, can do is clear your doubts on how to progress on this thorny, difficult road. The ranks Martial Artists are addressed by is the amount of rebirths they have undergone. Saying that someone has experienced their second rebirth is the same as considering that person a Xiantian-level expert. Houtian is the first, and the easiest, rebirth a budding Martial Artist must trigger. Houtian means 'post-natal' and this translation hides the essence of the first martial level. Mortal bodies have limits, placed on us by the Heavens to balance our intellectually superior species in the world of beasts and plants. These limits vary from man to man, with some being stronger and some faster, but it is an undeniable fact that, at some point, humans hit a peak they cannot surpass: no matter how hard they train or what supplements they take. Before the appearance of Tang Wei the Invincible, humans had no choice but watch as even that little amount of physical prowess dwindles and their bodies, gradually, die with old age. The First Emperor, however, changed everything. We still have no idea who he is or where he came from, but his blood will forever remain the greatest treasure of our civilization. Those lucky enough to possess it in their veins can call upon the power of this divine blood to reform their body. From nothing but a beating heart, the magical blood will construct a new vessel of flesh, devoid of the constraints that ordinary mortals face. Moreover, this new body will be able to access the power of Inner Energy, but that's a topic for another time. Of course, 'calling upon' the divine blood is easier said — or, in this case, written — than done. The blood requires excitement, an extreme amount of extreme emotions on top of the peak-possible physical condition. Even then, the success is not guaranteed. These days, there are plenty of alchemical concoctions that allow for an easier breakthrough, including the famous 'Houtian Pill', but their results vary and can never match the natural ascension. Each martial level consists of stages. Those stages are Early, Middle, Late and Peak. The progression between is fairly easy, much easier than achieving another rebirth at the very least. It requires accumulation and hard-work: the Martial Artist must train to the maximum, grasp as many Martial Arts as they can and wait for an enlightenment to descend upon them. *page_break Put Down The Book *return *label book_martialarts_2 [i]Yang Chen, 6205 ME.[/i] In the previous volume, we've covered what are Martial Arts and where do they come from. In this one, we'll focus on their classifications and the process comprehending them. Firstly, Houtian, Xiantian and Shangtian all have their own Martial Arts. Usually it's evolved, enhanced version of the techniques they used in the previous stages. Houtian can't practice Arts of higher level without risking death and lower-level techniques hold no use to Shangtian: it's important to choose skills that correspond to your own rank. Secondly, Arts are divided into Low, Middle, High and Top grades. The Grade of the Art determines both its power and the difficulty of its comprehension. There are also 'Transcendent' Arts, but those are so rare that most of you won't ever come in contact with one. Suffice to say, their might is absolutely devastating. Thirdly, there are various degrees of your familiarity with the martial art: Initial Success, which is when you become able to utilize the Art for the first time; Small Success after you comprehend 50% of the knowledge stored inside; Large Success — for an almost complete understanding and Perfection when you can recite the Art in your own mind. Your Martial Art Mastery affects many things: not only the damage you do with it, not just the chance of it being interrupted, but also, in many cases, unlocking new, enhanced version of the techniques present in the Art. Lastly, you should consider the nature of the skill you plan to learn. Although it's true that a weapon is only as evil as its wielder, some Arts are absolutely despicable and their activation in public will harm your reputation. *page_break Put Down The Book *return *label book_clansummary [i]Yang Chen, 6315 ME.[/i] As every literate Martial Artist should know, Tang Wei had left behind nine descendants that, in turn, founded their own Clans. In this book, I won't talk about the clans of Song, Zhong and Zhao as they are traitors that committed an unforgivable sin — murdered an Emperor — and follow the absurd ideas of equality between Martial Artists and commoners. *label clan_reading *choice #Read about Tang Clan. Tang Clan needs no introduction. Descendants of Tang Wei's only son, they carry the purest blood, enjoy the most resources and demand the ultimate respect. Tangs rule over the Celestial Empire, with an Emperor chosen by the Great Clans whenever the old one enters the Samsara. However, despite their sturdy foundation, the imperial clan is as weak as it ever was: their most profitable Danger Zone, one that made them rich beyond belief with the infinite supply of Dao Paper, has run dry. Their spendings, however, haven't — with every year, their reserves of gold shrink and no one knows how to stop the drainage without losing face. In addition, their young has been more than disappointing: in the past thousand years, only the Celestial Sword Mistress has reached Shangtian — leaving the clan with the least amount of top-level experts it ever had, only two. Of course, as long as the Dragon Taming Emperor, the current patriarch, still breathes, no one will dare to raise their head in rebellion — but Tang Yichen is old and no one knows when the Heavens would decide to take him back. The Tang Clan does not specialize in any kind of Martial Skills, its members are as versatile as they can be. Tangs are known to be arrogant, not placing other nobles in their eyes. Headquarters of the Tang Clan are in Manyong, the capital city of the whole empire. *goto clan_reading #Read about Yang Clan. Although it's impossible to be objective about my own clan, I'll try to be as unbiased as possible. The Yangs, for thousands of years, have been the most loyal monarchists. They supported the crown in all its endeavors, crushed rebellions and destroyed its enemies. Generations of the Yang Clan are connected to the imperial clan through marriage and it's leader has almost always been the Emperor's right hand. However, history is but a story of the past: the current situation is polar opposite to what it used to be. Yang Bai, the clan's matriarch, is an ambitious woman that has never hidden her desire for power and sovereignty. Although the relationship between the two most powerful clans hasn't yet become hostile, it is certainly tense. Yang Clan has three Shangtian-level experts. It's members specialize in fighting without a weapon, believing their bodies to be the most appropriate tool for combat: different from the clan of Wu, though, that focuses more on techniques, the Yangs have developed unparalleled body training methods that grant them strength and speed beyond their peers. Yangs are known to be domineering and tyrannical, preferring battles to solve their conflicts. #Read about Su Clan. The Su Clan is considered to be the third strongest overall, yet they have never strove for power. They don't take part in political scheming, they don't fight for new Danger Zones — all they do is practice the way of the spear. To do anything other than eat, sleep and train is a sin: one punishable by expulsion from the clan. Such approach breeds the most skillful spearmen under the Heavens, yet is marred by cons: Su Clan, due to their severe obsession with the pointy metal stick and unsociability, struggles to make allies, it's members are unambitious and, not to mention, their numbers are pathetically low. After all, our scholars still haven't figured out a way for a man to have a child with his weapon. Members of Su Clan are known to be reclusive and withdrawn. The Su Clan has two Shangtians. #Read about Wu Clan. Once a clan that aimed to rival the Yangs, the Wu are now on the verge of a complete collapse. There are already talks of removing their status as 'great nobility', halted only by the love Tang Yichen holds for customs and traditions. Such a bleak, desolate situation is the product of a decline that lasted for millenia. The Wu were the leaders in Three Kingdoms War and got hit the hardest as a result of the rebellion's failure. They have been experiencing a talent drought, broken only by Wu Chao, but he, too, couldn't meet the expectations. Their Danger Zones are all but exhausted and they wield no strength to fight for new ones. Add to that, the predatory He Clan eying their rotting body like a hungry vulture. I believe, that unless a heavenly miracle occurs, the Wu Clan will be dissolved in the next hundred years. #Read about He Clan. Shameless. Lying. Deceiving. Any of the above words are suitable to describe He Clan, but I prefer to utilize them in tandem for a better representation of their despicability. Take any scheme, any nefarious plot in the Celestial Empire and investigate its roots: I guarantee you, someone with the surname of He would turn out to have played a part in it. They are serpents, vile and slithery and with their patriarch advancing to Shangtian, they have transformed from harmless snakes into venomous, dangerous vipers. Currently, the He Clan expands its territory, bullying minor nobles and starting to encroach on the domains of Wu and Liu. After my long life, I'm certain there are not many axioms in the Martial World: but one of them, without a doubt, is [i]'never trust a He.'[/i] He Clan has only one Shangtian, but He Bojing is young and brims with vitality, not fighting the inevitable fight against his age like most others of his level. #Read about Liu Clan. Liu is the clan of 'purists'. A ridiculous philosophy of rejecting the boons of alchemy, believing potions and pills to taint the body. Although this notion has a degree of truth in it — going overboard with alchemy absorption is often harmful both in the moment and in your potential development — not utilizing its advantages in the slightest seems wasteful at best and idiotic at worst. However, Liu are known for their conservatism and are unlikely to change. They are the ones most respectful of tradition, most hostile against the recent trend of commoners desiring freedom and the most admiring of the First Emperor. Their refusal to tap into alchemical prowess results in them trailing behind other clans and with only a single Shangtian that has been seriously injured, they barely stay afloat. *page_break Put Down The Book *return *label book_dangerzones [i]Yang Chen, 6290 ME.[/i] If you have both time and opportunity to read this book, I assume you own an item of spatial holding — or, at least, you've encountered one. Tell me, what do you really know about the inconspicuous ring on your finger? Not a lot, I'd wager, since I don't know either and only one us is a world-renowned scholar. Spatial Rings, or other equipment we so casually use as storage, come from the First Emperor: he brought to us the original items and the recipe to make more. To this day, we still haven't deciphered it, able to only blindly follow the written instructions. All we can say is that spatial rings act as instant gateways to another point in space: one infinitely removed from us, yet so remarkably close. Danger Zones work on the same principle — a gateway to another place — only instead of items, these rifts transport people. Teleport them to a location unaccessible otherwise. Usually such rifts have a certain purpose, a goal for the teleported people to accomplish and without doing so, the road home is forever barred. Rifts are unimaginably rich with all kinds of resources and serve as a backbone of martial civilization. They spawn at random times in random places, often causing construction of new cities or destruction of old ones. There are, however, a few things to keep in mind about these miracles: — all of them pose lethal danger to their challengers *line_break — all of them have restrictions on who can enter: from the most common, like age, to the color of one's eyes and existence of facial hair. *line_break — all of them, even the most long-lasting ones, eventually run dry after countless challenges: the Tang Clan is the most recent victim of such an exhaustion. *page_break Put Down The Book *return *label book_affinitytalent [i]Yang Chen, 6228 ME.[/i] We often talk about heavenly geniuses — yet what constitutes a once in a generation prodigy? What differentiates a common Martial Artist from a potential Shangtian? There are many factors. Background, bodily talent, comprehensive talent, special gifts — but all of that is secondary to the main measurement of potential Blood. In every one of us, there is a tiny bit of the divine essence flowing in our veins. How much of it exists inside our bodies, how [i]pure[/i] our blood is, determines our Affinity. Affinity affects many things: ease of advancement through martial levels, power of Martial Skills, chances of enlightenment. On average, a normal Martial Artist possesses 20% to 30% of Affinity. 50% to 70% is considered talented, 70% to 90% is the realm of geniuses. Hoping for anything above that number is an unrealistic expectation, since such figures do not appear twice even in a thousand years. *page_break Put Down The Book *return *label book_martialrules [i]Clan of Tang, 326 ME.[/i] As our society is full of temperamental practitioners who tend to act with arrogance and stubbornness — an inevitable consequence due to pursuing a brutal life of battle — a set of rules and norms is required to establish a common system of morality. Although these rules are suggestive and failure to comply will not be persecuted, those practitioners who refuse to follow them must be looked at with suspicion, distrust and contempt. [i]1. The most foundational law of the Martial World is [i]strength[/i]. Strength can come in many forms, but those who are weak should not open their mouths to complain about the actions of the strong: if they do, they should not expect pity for their punishment. [i]2. Strength births [i]respect[/i]. Any Martial Artist must be treated by others accordingly and must treat others the same way. Show deference to the strong, be polite and friendly toward equals, be a leader for the weak. Unless a life-death grudge exists between two parties, there is no reason to be rude even to your enemies. [i]3. Mortals should be protected, but only as a whole, to preserve our foundation: their individual lives matter not by themselves, and the interests of a Martial Artist should always be prioritized. [i]4. Martial Artist must always follow the will of their clan and parents: refusing to do so means to bring shame upon the ancestors. [i]5. Martial Artist must be straightforward. Lying means accepting weakness, inability to to solve the problem in an honest way. [i]6. Martial Artist must show mercy to his peers: the number of talented individuals is too small for them to kill each other as well. Unless a life-death grudge exist, murder is not acceptable. [i]7. Martial Artist must always pursue perfection. Always struggle to achieve more. Vices akin to drinking and whoring are deemed sinful. *return *label book_basicalchemy *gosub_scene cslib_string find history "basic_alchemy_knowledge|" *if cslib_ret = 0 *set history&"basic_alchemy_knowledge|" [i]He Wong, 4456 ME.[/i] Alchemy, as a concept, has been around since before the Living God has graced the world with his presence. Even in ancient times, people have tried mixing various elements together in hopes to produce miraculous results but, admittedly, they didn't have much success until Tang Wei distributed a book with techniques, knowledge and recipes of basic concoctions. After that, the development of Alchemy exploded: every year, new concoctions are developed, new pills are made and new elixirs are brewed. What is alchemy and how does it work? Alchemy, despite what you believe, is not a simple 'pour X of Y into Z' — it's a real art that takes hundreds of years to perfect. Alchemists are divided into categories depending on their capabilities (Bronze, Silver, Gold and Jade Grade of Houtian, Xiantian and Shangtian Rank) and have their own concoction techniques that are similar in use and comprehension to Martial Skills. Pills and elixirs they produce are similarly divided into Ranks and Quality (Low, Medium, High, Top and almost mythical Transcendent). Every Pill and Elixir below Transcendent-Grade leaves 'impurities' after its usage, which lead the Martial Artist to build up a tolerance towards their effects. Moreover, having impurities inside their blood makes training of Martial Artists inefficient, inefficient even. For those who dabble in alchemy to boost their prowess, it's extremely important to keep their impurities level below 80% — and, whatever you do, never let it reach a hundred. There is no limit to what alchemy can do. It is by right often called 'the enemy of Heavens', as alchemy often breaks the natural shackles the Heavens impose on both humans and beasts alike. Alchemy can improve talent, heal, poison and even induce various supernatural abilities. It's only limited by the recipes, resources and skills of the practicing alchemist. *return *label book_physiques [i]He Wong, 4502 ME.[/i] All humans consist of the same flesh, blood and skin. For some, however, those elements differ. Blessed — or cursed — with mutated bodies, these individuals, while still human, possess certain unique features that make them stand out from the normal men. Such mutations are called 'physiques'. Like many other phenomena of the Martial World, Physiques have no clear explanation. They appear much more often in half-breeds of humans and Spirits and carry characteristics unique to their Spirit parent. Such physiques are easy so spot, since they change their bearer's appearance, sometimes even drastically. But physiques can appear in normal, human children as well. Perhaps it's the recessive blood of the Spirits somewhere in the person's heritage, perhaps it's the wish of the Heavens. Such physiques are visually indistinguishable from normal ones and can grant all matters of abilities. Many examples of them can be found in history: Silver Ox Physique, that makes a mortal as strong a bull; Snake Blood Physique, that turns the blood of its host into incurable, lethal poison; Sacred Yin Physique, that allows a person to grow stronger and advance their martial stage through sexual coupling. *return *label book_breakouts [i]Yang Chen, 6150.[/i] There are many theories on what a 'Devil' is, ranging from considering them evil existences from beyond our realm to thinking them nothing more than a mental illness. The truth, I believe, lies somewhere in the middle. There is no doubt, that the origin of the Devil State is supernatural: there is no other way to explain the physical changes it brings otherwise. However, fearing some wicked fiends eager to take over our minds is absurd as well. From what my research has shown, Devil State triggers after a Martial Artist loses control. Now, such a loss can occur due to a variety of reasons: trauma, loss, grief, or, the most common for a Breakout to occur, when a human gives in to his most violent, darkest desires. It's exactly the latest cause — and the fact that Beasts, unlike sentient Spirits, can't have Breakouts — that forces me to think that Devil State is tied, at least partially, to our humanity and consciousness. When the link between our mind and our body shatters as a result of intense emotions, the Devil, which I theorize is present inside each and every one of us from birth, gets loose. Once let out, once the Devil tastes freedom, there is no going back. Nine of ten Martial Artists surrender to the Devil during its first breakout. And those who manage to push it back and regain control, will be forced wage war over the sovereignty of their own body for the rest of their lives. Each living moment will be a struggle, a contest of wills, and one wrong choice could spiral everything into chaos. There are, however, benefits to the Devil State. When transformed, the Martial Artists gains an extreme burst of strength and speed. They become untiring and nigh-unkillable, their amount of Inner Energy increasing multiple fold. They also lose their reason, left with one, simple goal: destroy. Destroy everything, kill everything. But where there is will, there is a way. In the past thousands of years, multiple techniques have been developed to both keep the benefits of the transformation and, at least, a semblance of the sound mind. My Yang Clan has been at the front of this research and, while the results are nowhere perfect and are wrought with dangers, the success we achieved cannot be understated. *return *label pill_reachhoutian *if mc_level >= 1 "You already have reached Early Houtian or above. This pill has no use for you." *return *else *gosub_scene cslib_string find alchemy_history "houtian_pill_${date}" *if cslib_ret > 0 "You have already consumed Houtian Pill today. Try again another time." *page_break Return *return You swallow the pill and patiently wait for the results. *set r_v 3 *if r_v = 3 Your whole body trembles. Your blood boils. It bursts, destroying your inner homeostasis. Your organs explode, one by one: your lungs, your liver, your kidneys. Your skin peels. Your eyeballs melt into a liquid and spill out from their sockets. Hair falls, leaving you bald on every inch. [i]Something[/i] keeps you alive. The rejection of death, the non-acceptance of the natural order of things fuels your raging blood even more. Soon, your bones grind into dust, your muscles atrophy and you become nothing but a pool of fluid meat. Except for your heart. For your heart that beats stronger and louder than ever. Its thumps radiate [i]divinity[/i]. *gosub_scene cslib_string find history "prologue_tourney_poisoned|" *if cslib_ret > 0 Yet, you also notice a strange, black spot on it: you are not sure what it is or why it's there, but you are certain that it's nothing good. Dark, chaotic clouds form in the sunny summer sky. The world itself pauses. Halts. The clouds judge you... And find you worthy. Golden lightning strikes down. Electricity enters you, bringing the sensation of unprecedented warmth and comfort alongside it. With coruscating sparks, your body reforms: new organs are formed, new bones are built, and new skin is grown. You are born for the second time. [b]Congratulations! You've reached Early-Houtian.[/b] *set mc_level 1 *set mc_stamina_total ((((mc_str + mc_agi) + (mc_con + mc_vit))/2)) *if mc_stamina_total = 0 *set mc_stamina_total 1 *set mc_stamina mc_stamina_total *gosub_scene subroutines increase_atr_multiple "str" (mc_str/3) false *gosub_scene subroutines increase_atr_multiple "agi" (mc_agi/3) false *gosub_scene subroutines increase_atr_multiple "con" (mc_con/3) false *gosub_scene subroutines increase_atr_multiple "vit" (mc_vit/3) false *gosub_scene subroutines increase_atr_multiple "per" (mc_per/3) false *gosub_scene subroutines increase_atr_multiple "int" (mc_int/3) false *gosub_scene subroutines increase_atr_multiple "chr" (mc_chr/3) false *set mc_health mc_health_total [b]You have unlocked Inner Energy. Your total Inner Energy Capacity is based on the arithmetic mean of your Strength, Agility, Constitution and Vitality. It will continue to grow as you advance in Martial Stages. *else Sadly, apart from the warmth that spread throughout your body, there's no other effect. The pill has failed and you'll need to try again, on another day. *set alchemy_history alchemy_history&"houtian_pill_${date}|" *page_break Return *return *label incandescent_apple *if inv_5_name != "Incandescent Golden Apple" Hesitantly, you put the strange apple in your mouth and swallow it in a couple of bites. *else You put the apple in your mouth and swallow it in a couple of bites. *set inv_5 0 Instead of a normal juice — that you've obviously come to except from apples — the fluid leaking out of the fruit is so warm, so hot, it almost burns your throat. However, the burning isn't uncomfortable either: unexpected, yes, but as the juice travels throughout your body, you begin to feel better than you have ever felt before. Full of energy. Full of power. For a second, even, you feel yourself comprehend something incomprehensible, something that resides beyond the earth… The feeling disappears — but the strength is has left you doesn't. *gosub_scene subroutines increase_atr "str" false *gosub_scene subroutines increase_atr "con" false *gosub_scene subroutines increase_atr "agi" false *gosub_scene subroutines increase_atr "vit" false *gosub_scene subroutines increase_atr "per" false *page_break Return *return *label oldman_gift *set inv_11 0 Feeling curious, you take out the pouch from your spatial ring and open it — only to be met with an explosion of fart-smelling gas that clogs up your nose and almost makes you vomit in disgust. If that wasn't enough, the [/i]poisonous[/i] transforms into the smoke-made copy of the old man, who laughs at you with unhidden mockery and glee. "Punk, you got punked!" — the old man says, his voice high-pitched and hurtful for your ears — "Thanks for the gold! Hahahahaha!" *if mc_gold <= 100 But soon, the laughter stops, and you hear a confused 'Eh?' ring out from the smoke. "Punk! Why do you not have any money? Worthless! Trash! I'll get back at you for this, you and I can't live under the same sky!" *set mc_gold 0 *else Thanks for the gold? What does he mean? With a bad feeling forming in your gut, you check out your ring — only to find that all of your gold is gone. *set mc_gold 0 Damnable old man! Let him burn in hell! *if (mc_defensive_2_mastery = 1) You swing to throw the pouch away, when you sense it emanate a feeling of extreme familiarity. Feeling of endlessness, of infinity and of omnipresence — feeling of the ever-present Void. [b]Your Void Step evolves to Small Success.[/b] *set mc_defensive_2_mastery 2 *page_break Return *return *label enlightenment_pill *if mc_level >= 2 You have already outgrown the effect of this pill. *return *set inv_12 -1 You take out the wondrous pill from your spatial ring and swallow it. At first, there is no effect, no magical reaction from your body. You even begin to wonder, if Mei Mei has sent you the wrong pill by mistake… When, suddenly, your whole perception of the world changes. *label mh_advancement The colors become brighter. The sounds more distinct. But, what's even more important, you feel a [i]connection[/i]. Connection to something ethereal, something that lies beyond the material plane. It's fleeting however, gone just as you become aware of it. But even that ephemeral moment of enlightenment is enough to force the dormant blood inside of you into a state of uproar. It rages, refusing to be contained by your flimsy flesh — so, your body is forced to adapt. Your skin grows firmer. Muscles stronger. Eyes sharper. And the amount of Inner Energy flowing inside of you increases multiple fold… [b]You have advanced to Middle-Houtian. The limits for your attributes have been heightened. You can now use more advanced and more powerful versions of your Martial Skills.[/b] *set mc_level 2 *set mc_stamina_total ((((mc_str + mc_agi) + (mc_con + mc_vit))/2)) *set mc_stamina mc_stamina_total *gosub_scene subroutines increase_atr_multiple "str" (mc_str/2) false *gosub_scene subroutines increase_atr_multiple "agi" (mc_agi/2) false *gosub_scene subroutines increase_atr_multiple "con" (mc_con/2) false *gosub_scene subroutines increase_atr_multiple "vit" (mc_vit/2) false *gosub_scene subroutines increase_atr_multiple "per" (mc_per/2) false *gosub_scene subroutines increase_atr_multiple "int" (mc_int/2) false *gosub_scene subroutines increase_atr_multiple "chr" (mc_chr/2) false *set mc_health mc_health_total *temp i 1 *label heal_loop *if (injuries[i]) *set injuries[i] false *set injuries[i]["healing"] 0 *set i+1 *if i <= injuries_count *goto heal_loop *page_break *return *label quicktest *bug TEST