Legend of the Divine Archer

Scar's gaze darkened, and for a moment, the tension in the air thickened as the weight of old memories seemed to press down on him. He took a deep breath before responding, his voice carrying the sorrow of loss and the bitterness of betrayal.

"To defend against the spread of the corruption," Scar began, his tone grave, "Sacha and I fought side by side for years. We knew the corruption was advancing, but we didn't expect it to strike so swiftly or so brutally."

Scar paused, his wings twitching as if recalling the battles they had fought.

"Fourteen years ago, the blood core gave birth to another stem cell, one of the rarest events in the vein's history. It was a moment of hope for us—signs of rebirth, signs of life returning."

Yan Jin listened closely, sensing the emotion behind Scar's words.

"But not long after," Scar continued, "a group of masked individuals invaded the vein. They came from nowhere, their intent unclear, but their presence was unmistakably sinister. They wielded strange powers, and their every move seemed to poison the very air around them. The corruption followed in their wake, spreading faster than it ever had before.

They were like shadows that tainted everything they touched."

Scar's voice grew tight with emotion. "Sacha and I fought them off as best as we could. With his help, we managed to protect the newly-born stem cell. It was a hard-fought battle, but we succeeded. Or at least, we thought we had."

Yan Jin could sense that the story was about to take a darker turn, and his heart tightened in his chest.

"Sacha," Scar said softly, almost as if the name itself pained him to say, "wasn't the same after that battle. He had been exposed to too much of the corruption, far more than anyone could endure. It twisted him, broke something inside him. Slowly, he fell prey to it. The once noble and fierce defender of the Garuda's will… was now consumed by the very thing he fought against."

Yan Jin's throat tightened as he imagined the toll the corruption must have taken on Sacha.

"He became a conscious corrupted entity, but not on our side," Scar continued, his voice heavy with sorrow. "He drifted to the camp of the corrupted, his mind slowly eroded by the darkness that now claimed him. Over time, I started losing territory, unable to hold back the relentless attacks of the corrupted plasma cells."

Scar's eyes flickered with a mixture of anger and regret. "Now, I am barely holding on. I can only defend this small cave and the clearing—the last sanctuary—against the constant onslaught of the corruption. That is all that remains."

A silence fell between them, the weight of Scar's words hanging in the air like a heavy fog. Yan Jin could feel the depth of Scar's pain, not just for Sacha, but for the hopelessness of their situation. They had once been protectors, defenders of the Garuda's legacy. Now, they were fighting a losing battle against a force that sought to consume everything.

Yan Jin clenched his fists, a sense of determination welling up within him. "There has to be a way," he said softly, though his voice carried the weight of resolve. "Lets get you to fly again."

Scar's gaze remained locked on Yan Jin, his eyes reflecting a complex blend of hope and resignation. "I've fought for a hundred years," Scar said quietly, his voice carrying the weight of centuries of struggle. "I've seen the corruption take everything from us. But if there is a way… maybe it lies with you. But you are too weak."

Yan Jin remained silent for a moment, the gravity of Scar's words settling over him. "I know," he replied finally, his voice steady. "That's why I am participating in the trial."

Scar's expression grew more somber. "The only place you can find red blood cells is the Core room. Even if you became a perfect celestial in one go, I doubt that it would be enough to protect everybody." He paused, the bitter edge in his voice sharpening. "Because there is still the power of the corruption. There is no way to remove it without destroying the core. The consequences would be dire.

Either way, we are fucked—you, me, and all the humans in Pine City."

Scar's monologue droned on, but Yan Jin's focus was elsewhere. He reached out toward the stem cell, its faint, pulsating glow beckoning him. "What are you doing?" Scar asked sharply, noticing Yan Jin's movement.

"Shut up. I'm thinking," Yan Jin replied, his voice firm despite the chaotic thoughts racing through his mind.

As Yan Jin's fingers made contact with the stem cell, a surge of energy shot through him. The warmth from the cell intensified, enveloping him in a cocoon of radiant light. His vision blurred, and he felt himself being pulled into a profound, cosmic experience.

Suddenly, he was immersed in a breathtaking vision. The universe unfolded around him, an expanse of swirling galaxies and nebulae. Stars ignited and died in a dazzling display of celestial drama. Planets collided with cataclysmic force, their impacts creating ripples that resonated through the fabric of space. The cosmic dance of creation and destruction was magnificent and terrifying.

In the midst of this astral spectacle, Yan Jin saw beings of pure energy—astral entities—moving gracefully through the void, their forms shifting and shimmering with an otherworldly grace. Their movements seemed to influence the cosmos, weaving threads of stardust and cosmic dust into intricate patterns.

Amidst the swirling chaos, the vision focused on a pair of deep blue eyes—eyes that seemed to control the very fabric of the universe. They were profound, their gaze holding the weight of the cosmos, as if they were the eyes of the universe itself. The eyes were both a source of immense power and a challenge.

They conveyed a desire for the blood core, a longing intertwined with a demand for something more.

A voice, resonant and enigmatic, echoed through the vision, its tone both commanding and poetic:

"Threads of stars and bone,

Blood hums where gods fear to tread—

Echoes of the void.

Primordial dusk,

Veins of cosmic dust entwine—

Timeless echoes bleed."

The message was cryptic, yet it was clear in its intent. The eyes watched Yan Jin with an almost sentient curiosity, as if testing him. They wanted to see him struggle, to face the odds, and to prove himself worthy of their recognition. The desire for the blood core was palpable, but it was also a challenge, a trial that demanded a demonstration of worth.

Yan Jin's grip on the stem cell loosened, and the vision began to fade. His mind, still reeling from the cosmic spectacle, struggled to find grounding. Scar's eyes, full of skepticism and urgency, locked onto him. "Are you crazy? Why do you like to do life-threatening things? Do you have a death wish or something?"

Yan Jin sank down onto the cool, pulsating floor of the cave, his body aching and his mind drained. "I keep running the scenarios in my head. There's no way we can win with the cards we've been dealt," he said, his voice weary but resolute.

"This is what I was telling you," Scar said, frustration evident in his tone. His irritation got the better of him, and he slammed his fist into the wall of the cave. The impact was explosive, sending chunks of stone flying and causing the wall to crumble under the force.

The chaotic fallout from Scar's rage created a moment of silence, and in that silence, Yan Jin experienced a sudden epiphany. The realization was profound and freeing: if the game was rigged, if victory was unattainable, then playing by the rules was futile.

He sized up Scar, his expression intense and resolute. "We don't have to win," Yan Jin said, his voice calm but imbued with a newfound determination.

Scar, taken aback, narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Yan Jin's lips curled into a snarky, almost defiant smile. "We don't have to win. If we are certain to lose, then let's make sure we all lose."

He stood up, his aura shifting dramatically. The energy around him felt heavier, more commanding. It was as though an invisible crown of dominance had descended upon him, emphasizing his newfound authority and resolve. Scar could feel the weight of Yan Jin's presence, a palpable force that demanded attention.

"Do you trust me?" Yan Jin asked, his eyes locked with Scar's. The question was both a challenge and an invitation, and the aura of an emperor seemed to envelop him.

Scar hesitated, staring at Yan Jin with a mix of disbelief and reluctant respect. "What do you plan to do?" he asked cautiously.

"Destroy the game," Yan Jin declared, his voice unwavering.

Scar's eyes widened, the gravity of Yan Jin's words sinking in. "Destroy the game?" he repeated, as if trying to grasp the full implications of the statement.

"Yes," Yan Jin confirmed, his tone resolute. "If we cannot win by conventional means, then we'll change the rules. We'll disrupt the system and ensure that no one benefits from this farce."

Scar's expression shifted from frustration to contemplation. The idea was radical and dangerous, but it was also a glimmer of hope in a seemingly hopeless situation. For the first time, Scar saw the potential in Yan Jin's audacious plan, the possibility of turning the tide in a game that had been rigged against them.

"What's the plan?" Scar asked, his voice steadying as he considered the implications of Yan Jin's proposal.

Yan Jin's gaze was unwavering, his mind already racing with the logistics of his plan.