Before the End

On a world that once represented Earth was now desolate and eerie, once populous cities now resembled graveyards. Monsters roamed the once peaceful forests and rural villages, obviously abandoned, and ransacked. Yet there was one man who looked upon it all with cold eyes, scene like memories passed by as if he was stuck in the past. His soulless black eyes simply swept past the country he once lived in. He would occasionally pause if he saw a lone survivor knowing it wouldn't be too long till they either died in the new world, or were captured by the knew world order that had destroyed the planet once known as Earth.

His name was Gu Erin, or Erin Gu, yet he was always more attached to his Chinese heritage, as he spent most of his youth in China with his mother as his father worked in America. Gu Erin shook his head pushing away the useless memories of a life long forgotten. Its been two years since Heaven's Mercy had ended, and yet two years was all it took for outside forces to tear apart everything society had built. Modern weaponry was useless and nuclear warfare was only effective in mutating even stronger monsters that even the invading forces struggled with.

This was only further proven by what Gu Erin was wearing, although it wasn't anything impressive to what he had worn within Heaven's Mercy it was still the best humanity could make before its inevitable fall. It was a medium armor that focused more on mobility and flexibility rather than taking hits, yet it protected his vital spots well enough. The blade he gripped with both hands was an estoc, a uncommon blade to wield, yet it fit him perfectly and it had brought him through countless life and death crisis. It was a long and thin blade that could be used one handed or with two, although some might have problems with the weight of the blade before Heaven's Mercy it was easily wieldable with the changes it brought to the world.

Gu Erin smiled thinking of Heaven's Mercy, "if only we knew." He murmured to the wind, as if he had a careful listener, but all he got in return was a dreadful silence.

The silence was overwhelming, the type of silence philosophers would spend their entire life to find. However, the near deafening silence would be broken by the most bone chilling sound of battling mutated beasts. More often than not it was over territory, though every now and then it would be accompanied by the scream of a human.

Yet all of this silence was broken immediately as the sky seemed to break as humanoid figures started to fill the sky. All of them armored or cloaked in material that far outshined his own. They all looked down upon Gu Erin as if they were the imperial judge looking upon the guilty. Yet it took everything Gu Erin had to hold himself back from rushing at the figures.

"All in good time." He thought to himself.

Gu Erin didn't blame the figures for having arrogant smiles or vicious smirks on their faces, he already knew that there was only one end to this battle, and that would be his death. Gu Erin had long ago steeled himself against his end. He was the last cultivator of Earth, the last champion as they called him. He was one of the strongest, and had fought against the invading force countless of times. However, every time the two sides clashed it was always the invading force who won. Their resources far outstripped their own, not only that but their combat skills were leagues better than the common defender.

Although we learned that their personnel were limited by the energy needed to open the time space tunnel to our world, it was far to late to do anything about it as they were already intrenched. All they needed to do was wait as they slowly accumulated their strength as they repelled the indigenous resistance. All negotiations were unsuccessful and would more often than not result in the delegates being tortured for entertainment, if they were lucky they would be given a quick death.

Society was already on the brink of collapse with the mutated beasts attacking cities all over the world. Villages were long abandoned and food shortages quickly followed. Riots and crime broke out everywhere as law broke down. So when the true invasion began it was equivalent to knocking down a house of cards. The invaders either killed, raped, or enslaved the people as they made way for their own people to come to Earth.

Gu Erin had already seen signs of colonization, and he had returned the favor of the invaders by killing all the adults. He would not stoop to their level and kill the children as well, Heaven's knows he wanted to, but he refused to cross lines he had drawn for himself.

"Ah isn't it my old friend little Erin." A voice came from above.

Gu Erin snapped out of his reverie as his eyes immediately went to the owner of the voice. Simply seeing his face shook his Dao heart. Gu Erin's eyes no longer looked human as they turned completely black, matching his hair as a soundless wind blew across the area. The figures in the sky shifted uncomfortably at the now erratic aura of Gu Erin.

"Perhaps you shouldn't have come…" Another murmured throwing a quick glance at the speaker.

The speaker that angered Gu Erin was none other than one of the many who purposely put blades in the back of their trusting friends and allies to join the winnings side. Some more willing than others, and the one before Gu Erin didn't just stop at his friends, he continued on to help slaughter, enslave, and rape his own people. A complete scum, and otherwise known as Zed Tailer. Zed was also one of the strongest champions of Earth yet he immediately betrayed the resistance, taking out an entire army of cultivators by himself.

However, despite being faced with such a strong opponent Gu Erin didn't cower in fear or have to rearrange his plans. He had learned that the faction who invaded Earth only sent their talented youth and a few soldiers to gain experience. Their geniuses and prodigies would easily slaughter hundreds of Earth cultivators before breaking a sweat.

However, by the time the sky finally calmed down hundreds, no perhaps thousands of these prodigies and traitors filled the sky. All for little old him?

Gu Erin smiled, then he started laughing. "Ahahaha, ha, ahahahha!" He kept laughing manically, his aura increasing steadily. Growing to the point where the once confident and arrogant invaders started to frown as serious looks came upon their faces.

Gu Erin took his stance, his blade gripped in both hands as he faced his opponents, his aura locking down the Qi in the area preventing their escape. He took in a breath that soon turned blazing hot making his body burn up. Pale blue flames erupted on his estoc, as bolts of lightning danced around him as if he was a superconductor. The wind howled as the sky darkened as Gu Erin unleashed his cultivation, the sheer amount of Qi causing natural phenomenon as the elements answered his call. Concepts seemed to break the void as the profound laws of the world were bent to his will.

Finally Gu Erin let out his breath, it came out as steam, he then looked to the sky full of enemies, and he answered their presence with a crazed smile.