Resistance
1237 Words
Klaun hurried back to the town, realizing that his supplies were running low, and thus decided to embark on a shopping trip first.
In the following days, he would be unable to venture outside; the inexplicable dark spots on his body instilled an ominous feeling.
It was one thing to encounter others, but should he run into the priest, the situation would turn dire.
He pulled his sleeves down, trying to cover his arms as much as possible, and made his way to the mill.
After purchasing rice and flour, he headed to the butcher on Squirrel Street.
Gazing at the tightly shut door, he reluctantly opted to buy eggs from a neighbor instead: “I’ll take twenty pounds of eggs.”
His voice was hoarse, reminiscent of a knife scraping against a rusty metal sheet, startling even himself.
“Sure thing,” the egg seller replied, undeterred by the discomfort of his customer's voice. “Eggs are 2 silver coins and 50 copper per pound, totaling 50 silver coins.”
Clearing his throat, Klauen produced a gold shield from his inner pocket and quietly inquired, “Why isn’t the butcher next door open today?”
“Don’t you know?”
The vendor, taking the gold shield and scratching his balding head nervously, replied, “The evil spirit has been causing trouble for four or five days. Eight people, not one survived.”
Klaun narrowed his eyes, asking, “Do you remember the specific day?”
The vendor, perplexed by the oddly unpleasant customer, racked his brain, “Uh, it should be the 24th. Yes, that’s right; the 25th is Sunday, when Kid doesn’t open for business. I reported it to the patrol in the afternoon.”
‘The 24th? That’s the morning my condition worsened.’
Klaun became increasingly convinced that the malevolent spirit terrorizing the town was also the occupant of his own body.
“Sir, here’s your change, along with your eggs!”
Klaun forced a smile, choosing not to correct the vendor's ambiguous wording. He took the coins and eggs, slung the supplies over his shoulder, and left in haste.
Upon returning home, Klaun quickly rinsed rice and set it to boil.
After the fire was lit, he chopped the remaining cured meat into large squares, intending to stew it all today.
Once the rice was cooked, he added the meat and some dried vegetables like long beans and r****h tops.
Before long, a delicious meal was ready.
After savoring a bowl of rice with the stewed meat and feeling about eighty percent full, he set down his bowl and spoon to begin visualizing the Golden Light Incantation.
Seated cross-legged on the floor, he formed the Golden Light seal with his hands and swiftly entered a meditative state.
As he reached the final stage of visualization, imagining the golden light radiating from his dantian, that maddening, fearful voice returned.
The peculiar transformation within his body occurred again, but this time Klauen sensed it was slightly less severe than before.
After about ten minutes, he returned to normal.
Wiping the sweat from his back, Klaun removed his shirt, revealing a not particularly robust chest.
He stepped into the backyard, served himself another bowl of rice, and devoured a large plate of stewed meat.
The brief episode of bodily transformation drained a significant amount of his energy and strength.
Once he finished his meal, he licked the plate clean.
After washing his face, Klaun sat cross-legged on the floor again, gritting his teeth as he muttered, “Evil spirit, I will end you!”
He formed the Golden Light seal once more, embarking on a new round of visualization.
Thus, as day turned to night, Klauen had completed twenty-one sessions of the Golden Light Incantation and devoured the full pot of rice and stewed meat he had prepared that morning.
After a brief rest, Klauen prepared another pot of rice and fried half a pot of eggs.
The time between 5 PM and 7 PM, referred to as the You hour, lacked any timing instruments in his home, so Klaun could only estimate that he could visualize the moonlight around five times.
To be cautious, he decided to engage in only three sessions under the moonlight.
Entering his bedroom, he drew back the thick curtains, allowing the moonlight to flood the room.
Klaun sat cross-legged, forming the Moonlight seal with his hands resting on his knees, and closed his eyes.
He envisioned a silver full moon rising before him, casting its tranquil light over his body for a moment before the silver moon descended into his forehead.
Just as he completed this step, a sudden icy sensation surged in his mind.
Before Klaun could marvel at the immediate clarity the moonlight brought, this chilling feeling erupted, swiftly spreading throughout his body.
He sensed something invading him, encasing his consciousness in a thin veil.
His body involuntarily stood up, and in a state of panic, he found himself standing in front of the dressing mirror.
The moonlight illuminated his figure, and Klaun beheld his own eyes transformed into golden vertical pupils, a dark tendril of flesh shooting forth from his face.
The reflection in the mirror grinned eerily, revealing a set of pristine white teeth.
Then he watched as his right hand slowly raised, the index and middle fingers curling in towards his face.
Klaun suddenly realized that the creature controlling his body intended for him to gouge out his own eyes.
In a surge of terror, his mental fortitude sharpened.
The membrane surrounding his consciousness seemed to tear, and Klauen felt himself regain some control over his body.
Specifically, he reclaimed partial control over the left side of his body.
With a mighty effort, he seized his right hand just as it was about to reach his eye, pushing it away with all his strength while trying to tilt his head backward.
An unsettling scene unfolded in the room: a man stood before the mirror, his right hand attempting to reach for his face, while his left hand pushed back with all its might.
This was a battle of wills—winner takes all, loser is finished.
Klaun didn’t know how he managed to hold on, but when a distant rooster crowed, the sensation of his body being controlled by a foreign entity receded like a tide.
His body collapsed to the ground, convulsing, his mouth agape as he gasped for air.
In that moment, he had never before appreciated the simple joy of being able to breathe freely.
He felt utterly drained, both physically and mentally.
Summoning his remaining strength, Klauen resisted the urge to sleep.
Once the spasms subsided somewhat, he struggled to rise.
He fetched a basin of water and doused himself.
While drawing water, Klauen caught sight of his reflection, his complexion darkened, dotted with numerous coin-sized black spots.
The cold shower was invigorating; he gathered his thoughts, ate a generous serving of cold rice and scrambled eggs, then began visualizing the Golden Light Incantation once more.
The creature could manifest at night; if it returned tonight, he doubted he would be able to withstand it.
Thus, he needed to utilize the daylight to its fullest, engaging in prolonged sessions of the Golden Light Incantation to weaken his enemy.
This was his hope for survival; if he couldn’t inflict enough damage during the day, he might never see the sun rise again.
- Writer
