《Rogue Cultivator (Progression, LitRPG, Dark Comedy)》 Chapter 1: Zane the Idiot The elderly shopkeeper watched as Zane ran up and down the street, dodging the various gangsters he owed money to. So far three different pairs of gang enforcers had joined the fray, each attempting to catch Zane and extract their pound of flesh before the others could. By the time the fourth pair of enforcers entered the picture, it was becoming clear that there would not be enough of the handsome young man to go around. Nobody was lucky enough to evade four different gangs at once. Not even Zane, who many on the street lovingly referred to as ¡°God¡¯s favorite idiot¡±. He didn''t even have the decency to be a proper degenerate. Instead of gambling or womanizing, his most recent trouble had come from what he thought was a case of unopened vintage Pokemon cards. The idiot had borrowed money from all four gangs to finance the purchase, not bothering to properly read the listing before he put in his bid. ¡°They''re just as good!¡± Zane shouted as he dodged an attempt to tackle him. ¡°I''ll get you your money by the end of the day! I''ve got a plan!¡± ¡°Nobody cares about Digimon!¡± The gangster shouted, panting for breath and bracing himself against a market stall. ¡°Give it up, you can''t run forever!¡± ¡°Yes I can!¡± Zane replied, ducking under another enforcer''s attempt to grab him while he was distracted. He winked at the shopkeeper, who was livestreaming the whole encounter from her shop¡¯s cameras. The elderly shopkeeper checked the feed and banned a few of the more racist commenters in the chat. Zane had set it up for her with the promise that if things didn''t work out as planned, she could keep the money, and his laptop. Or whoever¡¯s laptop it really was. The shopkeeper wasn''t even sure what a livestream was. But apparently one could make a decent amount of money from them. Livestreaming was how Zane paid his bills, when he actually paid his bills. She wondered if they might be interested in watching her knit. Usually Zane''s get rich quick schemes had a fatal flaw. But as the money continued to roll in, even she had to admit that he was probably onto something. They were already up to five thousand viewers and the chat was going wild. Donations were pouring in so fast that Zane would be able to pay off the gangsters with money to spare, if he could stay alive for long enough. Once donations crossed the threshold, she switched off the sign above the door. That was Zane''s signal to come in. The enforcers wouldn''t dare set foot in her shop, not when six of her grandchildren were high ranking police officers. Zane smiled as he saw the signal, winking at the camera. But instead of running to safety like they had planned, he stayed outside, dodging between cars and market stalls. Taunting the enforcers and cracking jokes. ¡°Oh no,¡± the elderly shopkeeper said as the fatal flaw in the young man''s plan revealed itself. Zane was physically incapable of stopping while he was ahead. He always pushed his limits, trying to fly closer and closer to the sun. Then, just as it seemed all was lost, a miracle happened. The enforcers slowed down and finally gave up. They were tired of chasing Zane, and truth be told, their hearts weren''t really in it. Zane was a good kid, even if he pushed his luck sometimes. Zane triumphantly took a bow. ¡°And that, gentlemen, is the end of our show. Don''t worry, I''m a man of my word. I¡¯ll have you all paid off as soon as the money hits my account.¡± Then, the young man turned around and walked towards the safety of the shop, waving to the camera. Too bad Zane was so busy showing off that he forgot to look both ways before he crossed the street. The elderly shopkeeper winced as a passing truck turned Zane into roadkill. She looked down at what was now her laptop and killed the camera feed. Donations continued to flow in as people argued in the chat about whether Zane had really died or it was all a hoax. The elderly shopkeeper wasn''t sure exactly what they were saying because she didn''t speak Millennial, but one theory seemed particularly interesting. She decided to look it up. ¡°Dear Google, who is Truck-Kun?¡± *** When Zane opened his eyes he was standing in a red carpeted hallway with no windows or clocks. Off in the distance he could hear dull murmuring voices and a clicking sound like someone was spinning a prize wheel. He patted himself down, looking for any signs of injury. As far as Zane could tell, he was completely unharmed. I must be dreaming, he thought. That truck probably knocked me into a coma and I''m in a hospital bed somewhere, hallucinating all of this. The sound of tiny bells pulled Zane back to reality, or at least, the closest thing he could find to it. Slowly he turned around to see a woman dressed in gold and purple robes. She was a head taller than him (which was saying something because Zane was nearly six feet tall) and wearing a white porcelain fox mask that covered the upper half of her face. Her amethyst eyes glinted with mischief. ¡°Did you lose something?¡± the woman asked pleasantly, ¡°I saw you looking through your pockets.¡± Zane put on a winning smile and extended his hand. He had found that if he acted confident (and coasted by on his good looks) everything had a way of working out. ¡°Oh, it was nothing important. I''m Zane, by the way.¡± She laughed at the informality of the gesture, but accepted it. ¡°I am Lady Foxglove, Goddess of Fate, Chance, and Mischief. Welcome to the afterlife, Zane.¡± ¡°Afterlife?¡± the young man asked, his throat growing dry as he processed her words. He couldn''t be dead, not yet. There was still so much that he wanted to do. This was probably just a dream. It had to be a dream. ¡°Oh yes, and might I say that it is wonderful to have you here. So few mortals ever show any real fire, or passion. They play it safe, and by the time they''re ready to move on they''re so wrinkly and boring.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. She smiled, showing perfectly white teeth with slightly elongated canines. ¡°But not you, Zane. You burned so bright that you barely made it to twenty-five. You took big risks, and now it''s time for your reward.¡± Zane¡¯s downward emotional spiral came to a screeching halt. ¡°Reward? What kind of a reward?¡± ¡°Oh, Zane. Come with me and I''ll show you.¡± Foxglove took him by the arm and walked towards a door that he could swear hadn''t been there a second before. ¡°It all starts with a choice, you can walk down the hall to the spirit realm, or you can¡­¡± Zane reached out with his free hand and opened the door. Inside was a lush smoking lounge with a giant golden machine in the center of the room and leather couches against the walls. The goddess gave him a look of surprise and appreciation. ¡°Oooh! You are a fun one! Come on in.¡± Zane wasn''t sure what to make of Foxglove¡¯s enthusiasm. He figured that was as much proof as anything that this was a dream. Most people got mad at him for being so impulsive. They said he had an attention deficit, or something along those lines. But Zane usually had stopped listening by that point. ¡°What does that thing do?¡± he asked, pointing to the machine. It had a giant wheel in the center and a lever on the side. Inscribed on the wheel were pictures of dragons and other beasts, including a very familiar fox mask. The goddess leaned against the machine, rapping her knuckles on the side to wake it up. ¡°This is the wheel of fate, give it a spin and claim your reward. Some are good and some are bad. But none of them are boring.¡± She giggled mischievously, covering her mouth with a hand. Zane didn''t have to be told twice. He grabbed the lever and pulled as hard as he could. There was a ¡°crack!¡± as the ancient wood snapped off in his hand and the wheel began to spin. Foxglove laughed, not the slightest bit upset by the damage Zane had done to the machine. ¡°Around and around it goes! Where it stops, nobody knows!¡± With a whirr of machinery the wheel continued to accelerate, filling the room with the smell of burning axle grease. ¡°Is it supposed to do that?¡± He shouted over the roar. ¡°Nope!¡± she replied happily, having the time of her life, ¡°I think you broke it!¡± Zane decided that if the goddess he was hallucinating didn''t seem bothered by it, he shouldn''t be either. After all, he was probably going to wake up on a hospital bed soon with some very angry gangsters looming over him. He might as well enjoy himself while he was here. Eventually there was a screeching sound of metal grinding against metal as the ancient device came to a halt. The indicator was stuck between the pictures of a scowling red dragon and a grinning blue cat. Foxglove reached into the tray at the bottom and opened her hand to reveal two pills. ¡°Jackpot! You got a two for one! Here, take these while I prepare the ceremony.¡± Zane accepted the pills and popped them into his mouth, swallowing one after the other. They reminded him a bit of the Flintstone vitamins his mother used to give him as a child. Nothing seemed to happen, but they did make him thirsty. Foxglove produced a brown clay bottle and a bundle of incense from somewhere inside her robes. She handed the bottle to him and went to work lighting the incense, humming as she went. Gratefully Zane pulled out the cork and chugged the sickly sweet beverage. It was slightly carbonated and tasted like someone had mixed every soda known to man with a pint of cough syrup. But Zane was so thirsty that he didn''t care. Once she was done with her preparations the goddess smoothed down her purple robes and grinned. ¡°Ah yes, now comes the time to make a choice. Two paths, two pills, and a third option as well. Both contain sacred blessings and,¡± Foxglove stopped short. ¡°Zane, did you consume both pills?¡± He looked at her with surprise. ¡°Was I not supposed to? You told me to take them.¡± The goddess cocked her head to the side. ¡°I meant, take these and hold onto them while I prepare the ceremony. But, I suppose that''s on me. I''ll try to be more careful with my wording in the future.¡± ¡°What happens now?¡± Zane asked as wisps of gray smoke began to escape from his ears. The young man felt incredibly warm. But he didn''t think it was appropriate for him to strip naked in front of a woman, much less a goddess. Off in the distance he could hear shouting and raised voices. Someone in the casino had either won big, or lost everything. Foxglove reached over and took the clay bottle from Zane. She noted that it was also empty and gave him a look of begrudging respect. ¡°Well, Zane. You just accepted the blessings of three different gods at once without bothering to perform the proper ceremonies.¡± The shouting was getting louder and his skin felt like it was on fire. ¡°Um¡­ I don''t know what any of that means.¡± Foxglove shook her head. ¡°I''m so sorry, I forgot you were an outsider. Normally I don''t get to greet new souls, but you were too special to pass up.¡± She gave Zane a peck on the cheek and stepped back, putting the broken machine between them. He could feel warmth spreading from where her lips brushed against his skin. It was different from the fire already growing inside of him. Zane took a second to analyze this new sensation. It wasn''t completely unpleasant. In fact, it reminded him of when he used to talk to his sister''s friend on long car trips. He shook off the strange feeling. ¡°Well, it was nice to meet you, Lady Foxglove. I hope we meet again.¡± ¡°We probably won''t.¡± She replied from behind the machine. ¡°Anything is possible, but I''d be very surprised if we did.¡± ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Zane asked, confused at the mixed signals he was getting. First Foxglove had given him a kiss, then she ran away and hid. ¡°Why don''t you think we''ll meet again? Is it because I''m a human and you''re a goddess?¡± Foxglove peeked her head out from behind the machine. ¡°Broadly speaking, yes. But the main reason we will probably never meet again, is that you''re about to explode.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Zane said as he processed this new information, ¡°That is a good reason.¡± *** Zane woke up in darkness, which was pretty normal because he wasn''t great at paying his utility bills on time. He yawned, wondering how much of the day had been a dream. The lady in the mask had definitely been something his imagination cooked up. Though, he wouldn''t have been mad to find out she was real. ¡°What a weird dream,¡± Zane said as sat up. ¡°Yeah, what was it about?¡± a voice next to him asked. Zane froze, realizing that he wasn''t alone and also, judging by the stone floor beneath him, he wasn''t in his apartment either. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Who wants to know?¡± the voice asked. ¡°I want to know.¡± ¡°Oh. In that case, it''s me, Kiel. Let me get some light going, it''s dark as a cave in here.¡± The voice chuckled at its own joke and began to chant. A few seconds later the room was flooded with bright white light. Zane shrieked in surprise as he saw a red scaled lizard man half his height appear in front of him. Kiel pointed at the naked human that had somehow invaded his warren. ¡°Uh, are you lost or something pal?¡± ¡°No, just dreaming,¡± Zane assured him, ¡°I''ll wake up any moment and be right out of your hair.¡± ¡°Oh, in that case, let me help ya.¡± The kobold walked over and grabbed a spear from the wall. He tested the tip with his finger and nodded. ¡°Yeah, this should do the trick.¡± Kiel whipped the spear around and stabbed it into Zane''s chest. The young man looked down at it with shock and surprise as he died. A few seconds later his body disappeared, leaving no trace that he had even existed. ¡°Huh,¡± Kiel said as he watched the human vanish, ¡°You don''t see that every day.¡± Chapter 2: You鈥檙e a Lizard, Harry Once again, Zane woke up in darkness. But this time he kept any observations about the world or his dreams to himself. He sat and listened for a while, making sure he was alone before trying to sit up. The last thing Zane remembered was being skewered like a kebab by an angry lizard man. He had played enough video games to recognize a kobold when he saw one. But that didn''t answer his question as to why he was in a cave with them in the first place. He knew he wasn''t dreaming. Being stabbed with a spear and the resulting pain had made it abundantly clear that he wasn''t asleep, or in a coma. A long forgotten meme surfaced in Zane''s mind and he scowled in the darkness. Truck-Kun, you sneaky bastard. He didn''t know if it was the truck¡¯s fault or this was what normally happened when people died. But Zane decided to destroy the next Isuzu cargo hauler he saw, just to be safe. Zane decided that his first order of business was to get out of the warren and survey his surroundings. Apparently there was some kind of respawn mechanic. But dying still hurt, so he decided to try and do as little of it as possible. Slowly he got up and crept forward until he felt a wall. Zane''s fingers brushed against the stone and he frowned. There were large foot high symbols carved into it. Strangely enough, he could read them. According to his fingertips, this was ¡°Awakening Room One¡±. Zane pondered what that meant as he continued to walk along the wall until he discovered an exit. He figured they might be like respawn points. Though why he was appearing in a kobold warren instead of some random human village was a mystery. Eventually Zane came across a dimly lit room with a familiar kobold sitting cross-legged on the floor by the entrance. He was wearing a loose fitting red robe and muttering something to himself. In his right hand was a long black string of prayer beads. Kiel cracked one eye open, revealing an evil yellow iris with a slitted black pupil. ¡°Well, well well. If it isn''t the human.¡± ¡°Are you going to stab me again?¡± Zane asked, acutely aware that he was both naked and unarmed. Though, strangely enough, he wasn''t particularly afraid. Dying three times in a row had done wonders for his self confidence. ¡°Because, I''m pretty sure I''ll just come back. Apparently that''s how things work here.¡± The kobold stood up and shook his legs to get the feeling back in them. Kiel was pretty sure he knew what was going on, even if he wasn''t completely sure he believed it. ¡°Sorry about that, I was just a little surprised to respawn next to a human. Dying always makes me edgy, that''s why I''m in here meditating. The body heals, but the mind isn''t always so lucky.¡± ¡°I feel that,¡± Zane replied, ¡°So, are you going to tell me where I am?¡± ¡°In a moment. First, I thought we could do some introductions. Hi, I''m Kiel. I am a sorcerer, and fire is kind of my thing.¡± The kobold gave a short formal bow. ¡°Now, it''s your turn.¡± ¡°My name is Zane. I''m human, and I don''t know what any of that means, because I''m not from here.¡± he said, returning the bow. The whole exchange felt like a surreal version of an aikido class. ¡°Ah, you''re whatchamacallit¡­ an outsider.¡± Kiel nodded. ¡°I figured as much. The legends tell of a white chariot that brings you people to our world. So, I gotta ask. Are the legends true?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, yes. One second I was back home, the next I was in some weird casino with a lady in a fox mask. I think she said she was a goddess, but that could have all been an act.¡± Zane shrugged. ¡°I spun a wheel, ate some vitamins, drank some soda, and now I''m here.¡± Kiel¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°You met a goddess? Which one?¡± ¡°Lady Foxglove.¡± ¡°Oh, wow. And how many of those ''vitamins'' did you take?¡± ¡°There was a red one and a blue one. I think the soda was special too, but it wasn''t very good.¡± Zane looked around, ¡°Where is everyone?¡± ¡°Yeah, we''ll get to that in a minute.¡± Kiel held up his hands. ¡°But first, do me one little tiny favor. Actually, it''s more of a favor to yourself than it is to me.¡± ¡°Sure, what kind of favor?¡± Zane asked. The kobold walked up to him. ¡°Never, and I mean never, tell anyone that you consumed three sacred blessings. Actually, you should probably leave the whole part out about meeting the goddess too.¡± ¡°Oh, why?¡± Kiel leaned in close. ¡°Because, if you do, someone''s going to try and cut you open to get them back.¡± ¡°Gotcha.¡± Zane nodded. ¡°My lips are sealed.¡± ¡°Good. Good.¡± The kobold bobbed his head agreeably. ¡°Now, let''s get you some clothes and then we can talk a little bit about your situation.¡± ¡°My situation?¡± Zane cocked an eyebrow. ¡°What exactly is my situation?¡± Kiel shifted awkwardly. ¡°It might be best if you see for yourself.¡± *** Zane sat awkwardly on the ground with the largest blanket they could find wrapped around him like a robe. ¡°Ok, kiddo. Now, I want you to take a few deep breaths and try to access the Mesh. It isn''t easy the first time. But once you learn how, it becomes a lot quicker. You start by looking inside yourself and finding a point of energy, it should be right between your eyes. That''s your spiritual core. Your spiritual core is what connects you to the Mesh. You have two other cores, but they aren''t important right now.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Zane figured the Mesh was a kind of interface from how Kiel had described it. He had gained the vaguest idea of what was going on from his time spent with books and video games. The fear and uncertainty of being magically transported to a new world was tempered by the fact that Zane had finally managed to escape his student loan debt. The young man counted that as a win. Unfortunately, sitting still for long periods of time wasn''t exactly Zane''s thing. His mind kept wandering. The young man had so many questions, like why did he have three cores instead of one? Did this place run on magic or did they call it something else? And most importantly, would there be snacks? ¡°Is there a quicker way to do this?¡± Zane asked, ¡°I keep getting bored and thinking about food. I could really go for some fried rice right now.¡± The kobold shook his head. ¡°Zane, you''ve been sitting for less than five minutes.¡± ¡°Which, quite frankly, is probably a record. The teachers at school used to throw chalk at me for talking too much.¡± ¡°Did it help?¡± Kiel asked, searching around for a rock. It wasn''t a very orthodox method, but he was willing to try. ¡°No, I just got distracted and started drawing on the walls.¡± Zane took a deep breath. ¡°Alright, attempt number nine hundred and seventeen.¡± The kobold rolled his eyes. He was pretty sure Zane had something incredibly wrong with his brain. Or maybe that was just how young humans acted. Either way, it was annoying. Zane continued trying to access the Mesh. When he talked, Kiel threw rocks at him until he stopped. What felt like hours later, he got his first glimpses of the Mesh. It appeared to him as a series of pie charts. Everything was neatly labeled, but he had no idea what most of it meant. He could guess what essence was, since the shimmering green circle was completely full. Experience was self explanatory, and frustratingly empty. A white circle, marked Purity, was at exactly the halfway mark. And the last one, Divinity, was completely empty. Below the charts he saw some text.
Name: Zane Level: 0 Tier: 0 Race: Kobold Class: Chef Abilities: None Divine Blessings: Dragon¡¯s Courage, Cat¡¯s Confidence, Fox¡¯s Charm
None of the blessings had any text to explain what they were or how they worked. But Zane had a much more pressing question. ¡°Kiel, why does the Mesh say I''m a kobold?¡± ¡°I have absolutely no idea. But it would explain why you were able to respawn in our warren. Humans usually don''t do that, you know.¡± Zane blinked away the Mesh. ¡°Wait, what?¡± ¡°Yeah, we don''t tell people about it. But when some kobolds die, they return to their warren to be reborn. It doesn''t work that way for everyone, most kobolds are as mortal as everyone else. We call them ¡®the dragon¡¯s chosen¡¯.¡± Kiel explained. ¡°Why do some kobolds get to respawn when nobody else does?¡± Zane asked. ¡°Nobody knows, kiddo. Legend has it there was a kobold that asked a favor from the great Red Celestial Dragon. But that could just be made up.¡± Kiel shrugged. ¡°It is what it is, but I''m certainly not complaining. Come on, get up.¡± Zane did as he was told. ¡°Alright, what now?¡± The kobold grabbed two spears from the wall. He tossed the bigger one to Zane. ¡°Now, we fight until you level up.¡± ¡°Shouldn''t we be using practice weapons?¡± Zane asked. Kiel looked at him with confusion. ¡°Why? Are you afraid of dying or something?¡± *** Three deaths later Zane finally heard the chime that meant he had managed to level up. But Kiel wasn''t satisfied. The kobold kept putting him through the paces. ¡°Your form is sloppy. It''s a spear, not a club.¡± ¡°And I''m a chef, not a soldier.¡± Zane clapped back. ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± Kiel asked as he attacked Zane''s ankles. He liked going for the ankles. Zane brought the tip of his own spear down to block. ¡°I don''t think I get any support from the Mesh when I fight with a spear.¡± ¡°Neither do I. And yet, despite your size and reach advantage, I''m still winning.¡± Kiel brought the point home by stabbing his spear up into his opponent¡¯s chin. He followed through and went for the kill, knowing that Zane would respawn the next morning. As the young man¡¯s body faded away, Kiel let out a sigh of frustration. Before they rejoined the rest of the warren, Zane needed to be able to defend himself. The God Hand mountains were cruel to idiots. Zane also needed to level up high enough that when he next used the Mesh, the essence he had collected wouldn''t go to waste. Kiel had avoided telling his student about leveling up because he knew Zane wouldn''t be able to help himself. As soon as the human learned that essence could be exchanged for abilities, he would blow it all on the first upgrade he saw. And just like that, with nothing else to spend it on, the remaining essence would be wasted. That was the problem with essence. Once you tapped into your reserves it started dissipating. That was why it needed to be saved up and spent all at once. Usually that wasn''t a problem, most people leveled up long before they filled their essence meter. But Zane''s stunt at the Divine Palace meant he currently had an overabundance of essence to play with. Kiel sat down to meditate. He hadn''t eaten since he respawned and only his magical techniques were keeping him from wasting away. The kobold reached for his prayer beads. If the kid didn''t improve soon, he was going to ditch the spear and start using his teeth. *** The next morning, Zane wasn''t alone in the Awakening Room. Someone was moving around in the dark. ¡°Good morning,¡± he said. ¡°And a good morning to you too!¡± Replied an oddly cheerful kobold. ¡°Golly, I just can''t wait to get back out there. I''ll bet the sun is shining and the birds are singing. Just another beautiful day in the most beautiful place in the universe.¡± Zane took that all in for a moment. ¡°Wow, you really have a sunny outlook on life.¡± ¡°I sure do, friend.¡± The mysterious stranger let out a happy sigh. ¡°Just think about how lucky we are, to do the things we do, and live where we do. Doesn''t it make you feel fortunate?¡± ¡°I suppose?¡± The young man wasn''t sure, he hadn''t been outside yet. ¡°Well, it''s been really nice chatting with you. But, I''ve got a mountain to climb and humans to kill. Ta ta for now.¡± Then there was the sound of feet on stone as the kobold left, followed shortly after by the sound of a face hitting a wooden door and the door losing. Once Zane was completely sure the happy human murdering kobold had left, he crept up to where Kiel was meditating. There were wood splinters everywhere from where happy killmore had destroyed a second door. ¡°Psst! Is he gone?¡± Zane called out. Kiel nodded and stood up. ¡°Yes, he has already left.¡± ¡°Good!¡± Zane walked over to the wall and grabbed a spear. ¡°Now, let''s train. Because if there are more of whatever that was, I need all the help I can get!¡± Chapter 3: All You Need Is Kiel It was amazing how much the fear of getting torn apart by the world¡¯s happiest murderhobo could motivate a person. Zane attacked his training like it was the only thing keeping him alive. He also began to ask questions. Happy Killmore, as Zane had dubbed the frighteningly cheerful kobold, had mentioned a mountain. When he asked about it, Kiel explained that the warren lay at the base of a mountain range. The God Hand mountains consisted of five peaks wrapped in mystic fog. At the top of each peak was a temple that could grant a boon to worthy individuals. Kiel went into great detail about how the fog affected lower level cultivators, getting more and more deadly the higher they climbed. But Zane wasn''t really listening. The young man had locked onto the possibility of a divine reward. If his mentor made such a big deal about the three he had received already, five more would probably bestow almost godlike power. Eventually Kiel realized that Zane wasn''t listening anymore, and went back to beating him with a stick. They trained intensely over the next few days, the same series of events unfolding again and again. Until finally something changed. The young man had begun to recognize patterns in the way Kiel moved. The kobold sorcerer had the bad habit of shifting his left foot back before he committed to a full power attack. The next time they fought, he waited for the kobold¡¯s foot to move. Then Zane smacked Kiel¡¯s spear to the side and tried to exploit the opening he had made. Instead of skewering his opponent, he watched in surprise as the kobold disappeared in a puff of black smoke. Before he could turn around, Kiel¡¯s was already on him. ¡°Sorry, kiddo,¡± the kobold said as he thrust his spear into Zane''s back and out through his chest. ¡°It was a pretty good move, but I saw it coming from a mile away.¡± *** The biggest change came when Zane started ignoring the pain and fighting on, even though he knew his body was done for. He hated losing, and the fear of death was nothing compared to how much he hated being beaten again and again. Each time Zane thought he had Kiel on the ropes, the kobold pulled some new trick out of his sleeve. Once, after he was disarmed, Kiel whipped off his belt and used it to break Zane''s neck. That had been an unwelcome surprise. One second Zane thought he had the upper hand, the next moment Kiel had ducked between his legs and wrapped the belt around his throat. After that, all the kobold had to do was kick out Zane¡¯s knee and lean forward. Chimes indicating level ups kept going off, but Zane didn''t care. He had to beat Kiel. Other kobolds showed up from time to time, Zane would wait for them to leave and go right back to training. ¡°How do you do it?¡± Zane asked after Kiel pulled off a particularly nasty trick. The kobold had shoved the butt of his spear into the ground and thrown Zane onto it. ¡°How are you that good with a spear?¡± ¡°Practice, patience, speed, and precision.¡± Responded the kobold. ¡°And I''ve died more times than you''ve had hot meals. Each thing I''m doing to you, someone else did to me first.¡± ¡°You fight dirty,¡± Zane said as he picked up his spear. ¡°No, kiddo. I fight to win.¡± The kobold adjusted his stance. ¡°And I''m training you to fight without the Mesh so you have a strong foundation to build off of when you go climb the mountain. Because I know you will try to climb the mountain. Letting you win teaches you nothing.¡± Zane chewed on his teacher''s words and found that as bitter as they were, what Kiel said was true. ¡°Alright, so go all out. Stop holding back.¡± ¡°Kiddo, are you sure that''s what you want? There''s not much to learn from being vaporized either.¡± ¡°Yeah, there''s no point in beating you if you''re holding back.¡± Zane knew he was about to get his ass kicked, but that wasn''t the problem. The problem was that Kiel had magic and he didn''t. The kobold sorcerer set his spear aside and adopted an open pose, drawing magic from his core and letting it settle around him like a mantle. ¡°Let''s see what you got, kiddo.¡± *** Zane knew he was in for a rough time when he thought he had gotten a lucky shot in, only to watch his spear shatter against an invisible barrier. The head snapped off and the shaft exploded into splinters. The kobold did not wait for Zane to get another one. Instead, he attacked. Kiel didn''t move, he flowed like smoke, entering and exiting Zane''s space effortlessly. Punches seemed to never find him. When Zane kicked, Kiel became incorporeal and let the blow pass through. Then, he responded with a punch like a sledgehammer. Zane stumbled back, trying to breathe as he recovered from the blow to his solar plexus. The world was spinning, and Kiel kept on coming. The young man fell to the ground, and when he did, something caught his eye. He gripped the piece of metal in his left hand and tried to get up, knowing the kobold wouldn''t let him. Zane had also learned that the sorcerer couldn''t shield and attack at the same time. So when Kiel went to deliver the killing blow, Zane responded with an attack of his own. He watched dumbly as the tip of his broken spear plunged into Kiel¡¯s chest. The kobold smiled proudly as he continued to beat the snot out of his pupil. Kiel was dying, but he wasn''t done fighting yet. The next morning, Zane called out into the dark. ¡°Hey Kiel, how''s it going?¡± ¡°Never better, kiddo.¡± The kobold stood up and summoned a light. He had kept Zane in the dark about certain aspects of the Mesh for his own good. But it was finally time for his student to advance. ¡°Come on, let''s connect to the Mesh and see what new abilities you have available for purchase,¡± he said. ¡°Abilities?¡± Zane asked, ¡°I can buy new abilities?¡± Kiel nodded. ¡°Yeah, of course you can. What did you think all that essence was for, bragging rights?¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. *** Zane centered himself, connected to his core, and opened the Mesh. Nothing had changed, except his level was now expressed as a fraction. He had claimed zero of seven possible levels. Kiel had explained that levels needed to be claimed for them to activate, but smart people saved up their essence first. That way they could gain the maximum benefit by purchasing powerful abilities and upgrades. Few people could manipulate or gather essence like true cultivators did. But there were those who tried to game the system by having others gather resources for them. They went on guided safaris to hunt spirit beasts and hired chefs like Zane to prepare their kills. It was possible for a person to level up without ever collecting or spending essence. However, that person would never be as strong as someone who actively engaged in cultivation or gamed the system by going on canned hunts. Claiming levels had benefits, especially when you went up a tier. But slow and steady seemed to be the most optimal path. The tier system was confusing to Zane. Everyone started at tier zero and advanced to tier one when they accepted their first level. This made sense to him. After that the tier bumps came at levels five, ten, fifteen, and twenty. This also was something he could get behind and was easy to remember. But after that, it jumped to ten levels between tier bumps instead of five. Then fifteen levels, then twenty. By the time Kiel had seen the glazed expression on his student''s face and stopped talking, Zane¡¯s mind had already shut down to protect itself. The young man accepted his first level and was given some options for new abilities to purchase. They were broken down by category. Some came from him being considered a kobold, which was still a mystery in and of itself. Others seemed linked to his class or the divine blessings he had been granted. But a few were grayed out as well. It seemed they required certain amounts of Divinity and Purity for him to claim. Though, the Purity one was interesting. Because as someone smack dab in the middle of the pie chart, he was being denied for being both too pure, and not pure enough. Rather than take it at face value, and speedrun to either side of the spectrum. Zane took a second to see if there were any skills he qualified for because of his neutrality. Sure enough, there were a few. Zane took a deep breath. He could only buy one ability per level. So, he needed to make every purchase count. He started with the most expensive abilities and worked his way down, discarding the trash tier consolation prize ones on general principle. He didn''t need to waste his time on ¡°color changing scales¡±. Zane didn''t even have scales.
Kobold¡¯s Regeneration: Draw on the power of your lower core to heal major wounds. Minor wounds heal on their own. Cost 10 essence Fox¡¯s Swiftness: Draw on the power of your lower core to move faster. Reflexes are boosted. Cost 10 essence Dragon¡¯s Toughness: Draw on the power of your lower core to resist damage. Become more durable. Cost 10 essence Cat¡¯s Grace: Draw on the power of your lower core to become more agile. Reduce fall damage. Cost 10 essence Chef''s Tools: Draw on the power of your lower core to summon the necessities of your profession. Proficiency in food preparation is boosted. Cost 10 essence
The green pie chart labeled essence was sectioned out into thirty slices. There were other, cheaper options that only cost five essence. But they lacked the secondary buffs to go with the active ones. Besides, Zane wanted to keep things simple. He didn''t feel like trying to weigh the pros and cons of different abilities when he didn''t even know what the outside world was like. Regeneration sounded amazing, but he was already functionally immortal. The same went for Toughness. If he died, Zane would return to the warren completely healed by the next morning. That left Swiftness, Grace, and Tools. The first two were no-brainers if he was going for a sort of glass cannon build. The third was iffy. He liked the idea of being able to cook. And if he was dying a lot, it made sense to be able to summon basic equipment from nothing. But was it better than two cheaper skills? In the end, Zane¡¯s impatience and his desire to become as strong as possible per level, won. He accepted Swiftness, Grace, and Tools, bringing his level up to three and advancing from tier zero to one. As soon as he spent the first chunk of essence, it was like breaking a seal. The essence began to leak out, forcing him to spend the rest of it immediately, or lose it forever. He locked in the third ability just in time and took a deep breath, dismissing the Mesh. Kiel was looking at him expectantly. ¡°Alright kiddo, show me what you got.¡± Zane grinned and vaulted forward, using his Cat¡¯s Grace and Fox¡¯s Swiftness. Unfortunately, his legs were still asleep. So instead of gracefully moving from sitting to standing, he ended up stumbling and crashing into the ground. The kobold looked down at his student and shook his head. ¡°Got anything else?¡± Zane concentrated, drawing on the nexus of energy near his navel. Kiel had told him that was where his lower core was. Eventually a metal spatula appeared in his hand. The kobold laughed and began to summon a small fireball. ¡°Kiddo, if that''s what you spent your essence on, I hope you kept the receipt.¡± *** A few days later, Zane prepared to meet the rest of the warren. The blankets he had been wearing as makeshift clothes wouldn''t do. He needed something better. Luckily, his new abilities could help with that. The young man focused, drawing energy from his lower core to summon a uniform. The red fabric snaked around him, forming a robe. A stylized representation of a grinning kobold embroidered across the back in gold thread, along with some black accents, gave the garment a semblance of elegance. To Zane''s surprise, it also came with boots, underwear, and a carved wooden mask. The boots were split toed, Jika-tabi style. The Japanese footwear threw Zane off for a second before he remembered that this wasn¡¯t a xianxia land like he had first assumed. Everything here was mixed and hybridized. Eastern influences still dominated. But some more western elements were visible as well. They were subtle hints, a cavalry saber on the weapons wall, some hurricane style oil lanterns. The small clues added up to create something much different than the world he had been expecting. This place was a melting pot, and Zane suspected his fellow outsiders were to blame. He picked up the mask and turned it over. On the other side was the face of a dragon, the same red dragon he had seen when he spun the wheel of fate. Like the one Lady Foxglove wore, it left his jaw and mouth uncovered. Zane donned the mask. It stuck to his face like it had been glued on. He gave his head a shake, trying to see how well the adhesive would hold. It stayed attached until he willed it to come off. Kiel had explained that masks were a way to show one''s class and affiliations. His mask would mark him as a follower of the celestial dragon, and an obvious non-combatant. Warriors wore much simpler masks to prevent a weapon from catching on the carvings. The young man sighed, he would have picked something more exciting for his class. Maybe a sorcerer, like Kiel. Or perhaps an archer, so he could go Skyrim on the various beasts that stalked the mountain. Stealth archery builds were overpowered as hell. Instead, he was stuck with what the System had chosen for him. He was a chef, not a warrior or wizard. At least he could respawn when something inevitably killed him. His upgraded abilities proved to be helpful, but they weren''t exactly game changers. Kiel still kicked his ass with alarming regularity. He was faster, but he still wasn''t the fastest. ¡°Zane, are you ready to go?¡± asked Kiel. ¡°Yeah, but I''m not looking forward to it.¡± Zane admitted, ¡°Are you sure you can''t convince the other kobolds to leave me alone?¡± The sorcerer shook his head. ¡°They won''t believe me until they see it with their own eyes. And after that, some will still try and challenge you. Do me a favor and try not to kill them.¡± Zane frowned. ¡°But why? Won''t they come back?¡± ¡°No. Only kobolds who are chosen by the great celestial dragon are able to respawn. That''s another reason why they won''t be happy to see you.¡± Kiel shook his head, ¡°You took a blessing meant for one of them, and that''s something I fear you will pay for many times over.¡± ¡°Nothing is more expensive than a free blessing.¡± Zane muttered, wondering if he had done himself more harm than good by taking all three. But that was in the past, he couldn''t change it anymore than he could return back home. Kiel looked him over. ¡°Come on, let''s go meet the rest of the family.¡± Chapter 4: Live, Die, Repeat Zane was on his third respawn and increasingly at risk of losing his patience. The first time he went to introduce himself to the rest of the warren they had run him through with spears. The second time they had done it again to confirm Kiel¡¯s story that Zane could indeed resurrect. And the third had apparently been just for fun. Kobolds had a lot of pent up aggression towards humans. Finding one they could kill without consequences must have seemed like Christmas to the angry lizard men. This time, he was done playing nice. Instead of coming out right after he respawned, Zane decided to wait for a bit. He wanted to throw them off their game, break up the routine they had settled into. With a spear in one hand and a sword strapped to his hip, Zane went to meet the mob that was waiting for him. They had piled up around the exit, but thankfully a few had gotten bored and returned home. ¡°Surprise, motherfuckers!¡± Zane called out as he charged into the receiving room. A chorus of yips and barks greeted him. He wasted no time smacking the shit out of the closest kobold with the side of his spear. Once the first lizard man was down, he thrust backwards at the one who was trying to sneak up behind him. The butt of his wooden spear slammed into the unlucky kobold''s solar plexus and laid him out on the hard packed ground of the cave. Technically he was fighting with a handicap. Kiel had warned him against killing anyone. After all, few kobolds could resurrect like he could. But that wouldn''t stop him from being as nasty and petty as possible. A kobold warrior screeched out a high note as Zane''s spear smacked him in the family jewels. Another got a boot in his ass and was propelled into his fellow warrior. They fell in a mass of tangled limbs and curses. Zane was strong and his abilities gave him an edge, but he still died. There were too many attackers for him to hold off alone. That was how it always went as sheer numbers overpowered youthful enthusiasm. Eventually he fell into a routine. Wake up, attempt to meditate, give up and start training instead, fight, die, repeat. Kiel had moved on after saying something cryptic about Zane needing to train and get stronger, so the young man was forced to figure things out on his own. His attempts to run past the defenders had ended in disaster as they cornered him and went in for the kill. The young man considered his options. He was gaining experience and had level ups available, but he didn''t have enough essence for any meaningful upgrades. Accepting the levels without any essence to spend would stunt his growth. He knew that there were ways to absorb and distill essence from the world around him. Kiel called that meditation based cultivation. As Zane contemplated the teachings of his master, he found himself wondering something vaguely heretical. Essence was a natural resource. It was all around him, like the air he breathed. If that was true, there was no reason he had to be sitting still to absorb it. There were probably bonuses to efficiency if someone was absolutely focused on the process. But he didn''t need perfect conversion. He only needed enough to let him buy some new abilities. Kiel had been very vague on how the process worked. He said it was like breathing. You pulled in essence from the world around you, condensed it down and pressed it into your essence core, then repeated the process until you reached saturation. In low essence areas like the warren, there was only so much that could be absorbed before the process stalled. He couldn''t hang out forever and fill his essence for free. But maybe there would be enough for him to get something good when he leveled up. Zane started a series of experiments. He could vaguely sense the essence in the air. It looked like rainbow colored lightning bugs floating on the air currents. When he tried to grab them with his hands, they danced out of reach. Some fragments of essence stuck to his skin, but he didn''t seem to get any benefit from them. When he sucked them into his lungs they were captured, but not absorbed. He could sense the unprocessed essence floating around inside of him. Zane knew this was the part where his teacher would meditate and condense the glowing sparks down to something useful. That was the tricky bit, sitting still long enough for his body to absorb it. Whenever he tried, his mind would wander and release its hold on the wild essence. But eventually, inspiration struck him. One of Zane¡¯s many jobs had involved working in an industrial kitchen. He wasn''t great at science or math, they required more concentration than he was usually capable of. But he was good with his hands and could follow a recipe. One of the problems with large refrigerators was that water condensed on the cold side of the heat exchanger. Eventually it would ice up and need to be defrosted. If he could somehow replicate that effect, perhaps he could condense down the wild essence. Zane could cause minor fluctuations in temperature by harnessing energy from his lower core. But accidentally freezing his lungs sounded unpleasant, so he started outside his body. He paced back and forth, attempting to make a super chilled sphere of air. It took most of his energy, but he managed to make something cold enough to give him frostbite if he touched it. Unfortunately, it had no effect on the wild essence. Still, Zane felt like he was onto something. He did his morning exercises and pondered the problem. It took too long for him to absorb the essence normally. He got distracted and released his grip on it too soon. Wait¡­ my grip? He reached out towards a random floating bit of essence and commanded it to move. It did as it was told and darted towards him. A smile crossed Zane''s lips as he gathered more essence. But it quickly turned to a frown. There was a sort of equilibrium. As soon as the concentration of essence in his lungs reached a certain point, he couldn''t cram any more in there. It felt like trying to spit water back up a garden hose. There was too much pressure. And like before, his attempts to absorb the essence failed miserably. It took him a week to figure out how to apply the two concepts together. Zane found that he could use energy from his lower core to cool the essence in his lungs before he condensed it down. This seemed to make the whole process much quicker. Soon, he was rewarded with his first trickle of distilled essence. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. Zane grinned. Now that he knew where to start, he could continue to refine his technique. Soon he would have enough essence to buy the abilities he needed to defeat the kobolds. And then, he would be free. *** Zane punched the wall with frustration. His ability to condense essence from the world around him had stalled out. He needed ten points worth to buy the better upgrades, but he was hitting a wall at five. That was enough to buy something, but not the really good abilities that he wanted. The problem seemed to boil down to pressure. He couldn''t overcome the resistance from what was already inside him, no matter how hard he tried to force it. His cooling trick had helped, but it could only do so much. The young man tried to diagnose the problem. His assumption was that essence was like air. It could only be compressed so much before the pump stalled out or the container exploded. Zane considered this for a moment. Could he somehow increase the size of whatever was holding the essence inside of him? he wondered. That would certainly lower the overall pressure and let him cram more inside. Zane turned his gaze inward as he went through the steps of his weapons training. He could sense eight distinct nexuses of energy within him. The three strongest ones were near his head, heart, and navel. Kiel had said they were his cores. The other five were in his hands, feet, and genitals, those were called something else he couldn¡¯t remember. The novels he had read in the before times spoke of qi and cores, meridians and channels. Essence was obviously the local equivalent of qi. But how someone could have more than one ¡°core¡± was a mystery to Zane. The young man wondered if it was a linguistic quirk. He wasn''t well versed in medicine or religion (or much of anything for that matter), but perhaps some kind of cultural cross pollination was occurring. Maybe what they referred to as cores were more like chakras? Or perhaps they would undergo a transformation as he progressed? It was hard to tell. Essence seemed to be concentrated in the nexus near Zane¡¯s heart, his essence core, or whatever it was. He could feel it pulsing with flickering white light. Zane realized that if he controlled his breathing, he could slow down or speed up the strange rhythmic pulsing. The ball of essence contracted and expanded with each breath. It was incredibly dangerous and stupid for a novice like Zane to try modifying his essence core. But he was functionally immortal and lacked the self control to stop himself. Needless to say, his first attempt did not go well. As Zane tried to stretch and expand the core in his chest, cracks began to form. A few seconds later the core detonated. *** Normally, Zane was perfectly rested when he respawned. But today he felt like absolute dog shit. His chest was bruised and his head was spinning. The young man forced himself to stand up and wobbled his way over to the practice room. Apparently messing with his essence core had lingering consequences. Sluggishly Zane began to refill his essence core. It went quickly at first. His theory about pressure was vindicated as the resistance slowly increased. But to his surprise, he was able to force an additional point of essence into it before he needed to stop. The young man sighed, then started working to expand his essence core again. Eventually he exploded, but at least this time it was intentional. *** Zane didn''t know how many times he had woken up in the dark. He had lost track long ago. Sometimes the kobolds killed him, other times it was his own fault. But the results were the same, an endless loop of training and fighting that ended in darkness. Occasionally other kobolds appeared in the awakening chamber with him. They filled Zane in on what was going on in the world then wished him luck with his cultivation before they departed. Apparently his existence was a kind of open secret among the kobolds. His mood might have suffered if he hadn''t continued making improvements. His essence core had expanded to hold ten points worth before he couldn''t cram anymore inside, enough to finally buy the upgrades he wanted. But that too hit a snag. Once the essence was spent, it was gone forever. His refinement of the wild essence slowed down dramatically with each purchase as the ambient levels dropped. Finally, he pulled the last of it from the air and looked around dumbly at the empty chamber. The rainbow fireflies of wild essence were gone, all used up. Thankfully, it had been enough. Zane sat down and interfaced with the Mesh. He had started his journey with nothing, then advanced to level three with Kiel¡¯s help. Levels four and five had been easy, and he had gotten a significant boost as he went up to tier two. He had just reached level ten. That put him solidly in the third tier. Initially, the lack of essence had held him back. But now he was starting to have trouble leveling. Apparently smacking around kobolds until they killed him wasn''t a good way to grind experience. Interestingly enough, whenever he advanced to a new tier it allowed him to double dip on abilities. He could purchase them again to get an even bigger boost. Zane inspected his stats.
Name: Zane Level: 10 Tier: 3 Race: Kobold Class: Chef Abilities: Cat¡¯s Grace x2, Fox¡¯s Swiftness x3, Chef¡¯s Tools x2, Kobold¡¯s Regeneration, Trickster''s Mind, Sorcery Initiate, Divine Blessings: Dragon¡¯s Courage, Cat¡¯s Confidence, Fox¡¯s Charm
Zane had gained the opportunity to purchase more new abilities at tier two. Trickster''s Mind allowed him to draw on his lower core to seem more convincing, while calling his attention to important details he might have otherwise missed. Sorcery Initiate gave him access to some basic spells like Light, Shield, and Shadow Jump. But Fox¡¯s Swiftness was the real icing on the cake. He finished his morning exercises and selected a spear from the wall. The kobolds outside replenished them each time he was defeated. He had tried talking to them, but they shied away as if someone had told them not to. That seemed odd to Zane. The kobolds who occasionally respawned in the cave with him were pleasant enough. They knew who he was and even occasionally agreed to pass on messages for him. They apparently never did, because his requests for Kiel to let him out or call off the other kobolds had fallen on deaf ears. He took a deep breath and started to draw on his core to reinforce the spear. Then he stopped and set the weapon aside. Zane was tired of fighting with a spear. He used his Chef''s Tools ability and concentrated on summoning something else. Something new. With each new tier his ability to summon objects related to his class had improved. The small paring knife he had started out with had turned into a full sized chef knife at tier two. This time, two long knives materialized in his hands. Zane looked at the long thin blades in amazement. They were each as long as his arm with white wooden handles and a faint rainbow shimmer. His class told him that these were called Sakimaru Takohiki, a variant of the knives used to prepare octopus. Zane gave them an experimental twirl and swore as he accidentally sliced his own ear. He sighed and put them away while he waited for the wound to heal. Reluctantly, he grabbed the spear and prepared to meet the Kobolds. There was no point in bringing a weapon he didn''t know how to use. Then again, Zane thought as he looked at the spear, There''s no reason I can''t make improvements. He replaced the spearhead with one of the long magic knives and bound it into place. There was no doubt in his mind that the magical weapon was superior to the mundane metal it had replaced. He grinned. It was time to try out his new toy. Chapter 5: Murderhobos The students waited for their teacher to arrive. Nobody knew how Kiel had convinced Zane to train with them, but they were incredibly thankful for the opportunity. Most of the great dragon¡¯s chosen were too busy to waste their time training regular kobolds. They were out exploring the mountain or seeking their fortune. Having one stay so close to the warren was practically unheard of. Though they wondered why Kiel had forbidden them from talking to the human. Occasionally Zane tried to test them, but the students knew the rules. Alarm bells rang in the distance, shaking the kobolds from their daze of complacency. ¡°The warren is under attack!¡± shouted a young kobold as he turned the corner, ¡°Humans are raiding the outer village!¡± Senior student Lonny gathered the others and prepared to repel the invaders. He briefly considered opening Zane''s door and asking for assistance, but decided against it. He didn''t want to be rude. *** Zane charged out to meet his foes and did a double take. There was nobody there to greet him. Sheepishly he lowered his spear. ¡°Hello?¡± he called out, ¡°Is anyone home?¡± ¡°They''re all outside fighting raiders,¡± said a small kobold Zane hadn''t noticed, ¡°Class is canceled for today.¡± The human felt his eye twitch. ¡°Class?¡± ¡°Yeah. You''re Zane, right? You teach the defense against humans class.¡± The young kobold bowed respectfully. ¡°I was hoping to take it this year, but I''m still too small.¡± Zane''s eye twitched again. ¡°This year? What do you mean ¡®this year¡¯? How long have I been in this stupid cave?¡± The kobold looked around uneasily, ¡°Well, my dad took your class when he was younger. So, ten years. Maybe more?¡± That couldn''t be right, could it? Zane¡¯s mind struggled with this new information. At first it seemed impossible. He could believe that it had been a few months, maybe a year at most. But a full decade? Then a realization struck him. Time was relative. His days might only be minutes long, depending on what kind of trouble he was getting into. How many months had he wasted trying to expand his essence core? How many years had he been sparring with these young kobolds? ¡°Bring me to Kiel right now,¡± Zane demanded, ¡°That bastard has some explaining to do.¡± ¡°I can''t. The raiders killed him with a sneak attack. You''ll have to wait until tomorrow.¡± Zane sighed. Why couldn''t things just be easy for once? *** All seven hells were breaking loose in the outer warren. A group of raiders had targeted the kobold settlement and were doing their best to burn it down. That was the problem with living at the base of the mountain, too many murderhobos trying to grind experience. Most of the warren was sheltered underground. But the wooden buildings they used to trade with passing merchants were quite flammable and exposed. ¡°For glory!¡± Shouted a man on a horse as he tried to spear a fleeing kobold. Just as he was about to close the distance a metal cable snapped taut, decapitating the raider. The tide of battle was turning as the attackers stumbled into traps or were impaled on pikes. But more and more kobolds continued to fall in defense of their home. Zane emerged from the warren, saw what was going on, and immediately returned to safety. Then he remembered he was basically unkillable and went back outside to get a better look. One of the raiders spotted his red robes and charged at him like a bull. Zane effortlessly batted the man¡¯s spear aside. He responded with a blow to the solar plexus, taking the raider out of the fight. As if summoned by magic, three more men appeared. They wore black robes and wielded short, straight swords. Zane couldn''t help but laugh. ¡°Are you assholes supposed to be ninjas?¡± he asked. This seemed to piss off their leader. The man was tall, almost as tall as Zane. ¡°No, we are disciples of the honorable Rock Mountain Mollusk Sect. And we are going to make you regret the day you were born, interloper.¡± Zane didn''t wait to be attacked. He drew energy from his lower core, and struck. *** Nam Lesgoon didn''t have time to react. One second Zane was standing in front of him, the next he was gone. There was the sound of wood and metal breaking the sound barrier, then the two men to either side of him collapsed. He looked down to see a spear point tickling the underside of his chin. The blade had a rainbow sheen, the color of essence. ¡°Oh shit,¡± Nam swore as he realized that somehow they had drawn the ire of a rogue cultivator, one capable of manifesting magical weapons, ¡°A thousand apologies, young master.¡± His knees shook as the man leaned in to get a better look at him. Off in the distance the other raiders were starting to retreat. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Zane asked. ¡°It''s nothing personal. We were employed to help provide security for Lord Grasa¡¯s son as he leveled up. You know, stop him from getting himself in trouble.¡± Nam was sweating as he spoke. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Zane looked back at the retreating force and spotted a young man with a red helm riding at the front of the group. He smacked the cultivator into unconsciousness with the shaft of his spear. ¡°You stay here, I''ll be right back.¡± *** Sin Grasa, youngest son of Lord Bajade Grasa, was on top of the world. The raid had netted him two whole levels! He couldn''t wait to tell his father all about it. Shouts of shock and surprise shook him from his reverie. A red blur was coming up from behind, bashing riders out of the saddle as it passed. ¡°Rogue cultivator!¡± warned one of the men before he was unceremoniously punted off his horse. Sin watched the man sail through the air like a ball. Fortunately for the young lordling, Zane wasn''t able to catch up before he ran out of energy. Sin whooped and made rude gestures at the rogue cultivator as he rode away. ¡°Eat my dust, chicken fucker!¡± Zane paused, seemed to reach a decision, then took a running start and hurled his spear at Sin. The weapon sailed through the air, pierced through the young lordling''s back, and knocked him off his horse. The survivors made no attempt to retrieve Sin¡¯s body. It wasn¡¯t worth dying for. Zane walked over to the young lord to retrieve his spear. He looked down at the dead man with a curious sense of detachment. What had been a living breathing person a minute ago was now a piece of slowly decaying meat. The young man had expected to feel something. But there was no guilt or shame. All Zane felt was the satisfaction of a job well done. That and a slight sense of pride at getting to show off his skills. Skills he had worked so hard to earn. Ah fuck, he thought as realization dawned on him, I think I kind of enjoyed that. A chime sounded in Zane''s head to indicate that he had gained a level. The young man twirled his spear absent-mindedly as he planned his next moves. Off in the distance the surviving raiders groaned. They were pretty beat up, but still alive. Zane reached a decision and began to walk towards them. It would be a shame to waste all that experience, he thought, Why should the kobolds get all of it? *** After looting the bodies and securing a horse, Zane set off towards the mountains. He didn''t feel like talking to Kiel, or risking getting put back in his cage. Questions could wait until the next time he died, which hopefully wouldn''t be for a good long while. As he rode, Zane pondered over his good fortune. Horses were usually worth a lot of money, and his pockets were full of the local currency. He picked up the pace as his stomach started to rumble. It felt like he hadn''t eaten in years. Zane laughed when the realization hit him. It had probably been over ten years since the last time he ate. This was just the first time he had lived long enough to get hungry. The young man had fantasized about food, sure. But he hadn¡¯t needed to eat. How bizarre, Zane thought, My perception of time is all screwed up. The young man tried to wrap his head around the idea of subjective versus objective timekeeping. On average he had spent around an hour between respawns. That meant ten years to everyone else felt like less than six months for him. No wonder Zane hadn''t noticed. He had probably clocked more hours than that on Skyrim. Zane wondered if this kind of thing would happen to him more often now that he was a cultivator. While he was training or absorbing essence he tended to lose track of time. Combining that with the time-loss from the respawn mechanic was a recipe for disaster. Would he end up like the ancient elves in fantasy games? They lived for incredibly long and were so detached from the human condition that they failed to notice the people around them dying of old age. He definitely didn''t like the sound of that. Despite his recent homicidal outburst, Zane enjoyed being around people. He liked talking to them and hearing about their lives. The possibility of becoming a cold, dead, humorless creature was horrifying to him. He thought about the cores he had harvested from the cultivators. Despite what Kiel had said about there being three cores, only the essence core seemed worth harvesting. His class had made it easy, almost too easy, to cut into the men and retrieve their cores. There hadn''t been much blood, so precise were his motions. Zane knew that the meat of spirit beasts could be eaten to fill one¡¯s essence. In theory, cultivator flesh would have the same effect. Though he wasn¡¯t ready just yet to stoop to cannibalism. That sounded like going full murderhobo, and you never went full murderhobo. Speaking of which, he would probably have to find a way to put his class to good use, besides butchering fellow cultivators. The young man also knew from his talks with Kiel that adventurers ascending the mountain would sometimes hire people like him to prepare their meals and carry supplies. The cooking part made sense. Butchering spirit beasts and harvesting cores was a delicate procedure. Though, he wondered why they would bother having people do work that was more suited to pack animals. He could see a wide road made of golden yellow bricks that started at the base of the mountain range. It wasn''t exactly rough terrain, and surely horses could move more quickly than people. So, why did they need sherpas? It didn''t make any sense to him. Though, Zane had to admit, he had spent the last decade living in a cave. And he wasn''t originally from here either. There was probably something he was missing. Something obvious. Zane tried to puzzle his way through it as he rode. The raiders had horses. In fact, he was riding one right now. So, why had Kiel told him that people would pay him to carry their stuff up the mountain? Had his teacher lied, or merely been misinformed? The young man frowned as he thought of the raiders. They had called him a rogue cultivator. He wasn''t sure if that was in reference to the fact he was unaffiliated with a sect, or because he had been kicking their asses. But he found it suspicious that they had been so quick to label him as a rogue. Kiel hadn¡¯t explained any of that to him. Most of what Zane knew about sects and cultivators was from stuff he read before he got hit by that truck. The kobold had sent him out into the world without giving him the sects talk, or explaining the ins and outs of cultivation. No, Zane realized, Kiel hadn¡¯t sent him out in the world. He had kept him trapped in a cave for over a decade. Strangely enough, Zane couldn¡¯t bring himself to be mad at Kiel for that. He was still processing the betrayal, if it had indeed been a betrayal. He didn¡¯t know how to feel about it yet. The kobold had found a way to help Zane level up while providing a benefit to his people. It wasn''t the nicest thing to do. Yet, it had worked as intended. Zane had sliced through those other cultivators like butter. Now he was on his way up the mountain with a horse underneath him and gold in his pockets. Could he be mad at the kobold now that he had seen the results? Before he could get too far into the philosophical weeds, Zane spotted a city in the distance. He picked up the pace, eager to get a hot meal and see what life was like outside the warren. For the first time in years, the young man had no idea what to expect, or where he would be tomorrow. It was an incredibly liberating feeling. He had finally broken free from the endless repetition of death and darkness down in the warren. The city, and the mountains above it beckoned. They called to Zane¡¯s soul in a way he couldn¡¯t quite describe. It felt good to be free again, to be alive again instead of merely existing. The rest of my life starts now, Zane thought to himself as he rode towards the city, And I¡¯m going to make sure it¡¯s a good one. Chapter 6: Hero鈥檚 Step Hero¡¯s Step was off the main road and surrounded by thick stone walls thirty feet high. Zane guessed it might hold ten to twenty thousand people. In a rare display of common sense, the young man had switched out his red robe and dragon mask. It was fairly simple for a tier three chef to manifest a uniform in the color and pattern of his choosing. He decided on green for now, in deference to the fine spring weather. It was the middle of the day, so the main gates were wide open. Zane joined the line of merchants and travelers waiting to be admitted. The young man did his best to listen for any important gossip or news, but it wasn''t like he had context for any of it. Apparently harvests were bad down in the lowlands and farmers were mad because rents had kept going up despite their situation. That sounded pretty typical to him. There was also some mention of a bandit attacking caravans, spirit beasts making nuisances of themselves, and cultivators being dicks to just about everyone. ¡°Not that a fine tradesman like you would ever want to mix with that lot,¡± said a trader from the seat at the front of their wagon. They sounded like a smoker and every inch of their skin was covered by heavy clothing. The mask that hid their face was engraved with golden coins and wagon wheels. ¡°Cultivators and adventurers are nothing but trouble for honest folk like us,¡± they continued. Zane sighed. ¡°I suspect I won''t have much choice in the matter.¡± ¡°How so?¡± the trader asked. ¡°My class allows me to prepare food rich in essence. Cultivators and adventurers are probably the only ones with access to the raw materials I need,¡± he explained. ¡°Ah, that''s unfortunate.¡± The trader seemed to reach a decision. ¡°Tell me, have you already secured employment?¡± ¡°No, I figured I would get the lay of the land first.¡± Zane had money in his pockets, it wasn''t like he was in a hurry to get a day job. ¡°Well, one of my clients asked me to keep an eye out for a replacement chef. Their previous one got eaten by a spirit beast.¡± the trader sighed, ¡°Most people can''t survive this high up the mountain, so it''s not like they have a lot of options to choose from.¡± ¡°I''ll check them out. But I''m not sure if I''ll be staying long,¡± Zane said, deciding to keep his options open but not miss out on a possible opportunity. ¡°Much obliged.¡± The trader rubbed their gloved hands together and blew on them. They seemed to have trouble keeping warm despite the pleasant weather. ¡°I''m Pinky, by the way, purveyor of fine foods and luxury goods.¡± ¡°I''m Zane,¡± the young man replied, looking the trader over, ¡°I can''t help but notice you seem to be freezing your ass off. Are you sick or something?¡± ¡°Ha ha. Very funny,¡± Pinky said miserably, ¡°It''s the fog, smart ass. I''m not high level enough to ignore it.¡± Zane frowned. It seemed like a pleasant day to him. The only fog he could see was maybe a tenth of the way up the mountain. ¡°Did you want me to summon a hot water bottle for you or something?¡± Now it was the merchant¡¯s turn to frown. ¡°Summon?¡± ¡°Yeah, I''m a Chef. My class lets me summon stuff related to my trade.¡± Zane concentrated until a teapot appeared. It had the same black and green theme as his robes. He filled it from one of the water bottles that the raiders had ¡°donated¡± and used energy from his lower core to bring the water to a boil. ¡°I don''t have any tea, but at least the water is warm.¡± Pinky gratefully accepted the gift with their gloved hands. ¡°That feels divine. Thank you.¡± The young man shook his head and looked around at the other people in line. Most of them seemed equally cold and miserable. An idea began to form in Zane''s mind. ¡°Hey. Pinky,¡± he said, ¡°How would you like to make some money?¡± *** It didn''t take much for the idea of ¡°Tea To-Go¡± to take off. Zane could summon cups, there was plenty of water, and Pinky even had a decent selection of different teas to choose from. Anything Zane summoned disappeared after about an hour unless he kept putting energy into it. That meant his cups were more or less disposable. Pinky would hold their place while Zane sold hot tea to the half frozen people waiting in line. He still didn''t understand why everyone was so cold. The weather was nice, practically balmy. Sure, there was a breeze. But it wasn''t enough to justify everyone bundling up like they were ascending Everest. Eventually they got to the gate. The guards gave off medieval mall-cop vibes with an extra side of corruption. Zane watched in amusement as the bigger one held out his hand for a bribe. The young man didn''t mind paying off public officials, but he wanted to make sure he was at least getting a good deal. Zane handed the guard a cup of hot tea and waited to see what would happen. The man looked at the beverage then back at Zane. ¡°What the fuck is this?¡± ¡°That¡¯s tea,¡± Zane said helpfully, ¡°A fruity little blend from the lowlands.¡± ¡°Are you fucking with me?¡± the guard asked. ¡°Nope,¡± Zane lied, ¡°It''s cold as hell out here and I thought you might want to warm up.¡± For a second the guard seemed like he would throw the cup on the ground. Instead he took a sip, nodded appreciatively, then waved Zane inside. The guard didn''t ask where the young man was going or why. He didn''t care. Zane was surprised how well that had worked out for him. Usually people tried to kick his ass. He wondered if the fact that he was half a head taller than everyone was giving them pause. The ten years he spent training in the warren had definitely left him a lot more heavily muscled than when he arrived. As he walked through the main market, Zane couldn''t help but notice that almost everyone inside the city walls was shivering as well. They were bundled up like it was the depth of winter instead of a sunny afternoon. When he asked Pinky about it the trader had explained it was because of the fog. Zane frowned. He didn''t see any fog. There was a greater amount of essence in the air than he was used to, but no fog to speak of. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Come on,¡± Pinky said, ¡°The restaurant is this way.¡± As they traveled through the city Zane noticed a strange mish-mash of different architectural styles. The various cultural influences seemed to be fusing together. Medieval gargoyles guarded houses with rice paper windows while Japanese torii gates decorated western gardens. Zane even saw a street vendor selling Mexican tacos. He wandered over to get a closer look. They were indeed tacos, complete with corn tortillas. It cost him a silver coin to get three of them, which seemed expensive. But Zane had no frame of reference. His class identified the meat as ¡°rock chicken¡±, a kind of spirit beast. The tacos were hot and spicy. Zane moaned happily as he ate for the first time in a decade. Pinky looked at him with envy. ¡°You must really love food.¡± ¡°I am a chef,¡± Zane replied, summoning a towel to wipe his face off. He dismissed it, watching as the sauce and grease it had absorbed floated in the air for a second before gravity took over. Apparently anything his towels absorbed didn''t leave with them when they disappeared. Zane was sure he would find a way to abuse that someday. But he wasn''t quite there yet. The trader had been watching the way Zane seemed to effortlessly summon items and was beginning to get suspicious. ¡°Hey, what level are you anyway?¡± ¡°Ten,¡± Zane replied. ¡°You''re level ten?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± the young man confirmed with a shrug, ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Pinky almost said something, but stopped and took a deep breath instead. The trader took a few seconds to compose themselves, then spoke. ¡°How in the seven hells did you level all the way up to ten?¡± Zane shrugged again. ¡°The usual way, hard work and elbow grease. It took me a little over a decade.¡± The trader gave Zane a look of begrudging respect. ¡°Well, I guess you earned it,¡± they grumbled. *** As Zane looked at the sign above the restaurant, he couldn''t help but wonder if fate (or some other unknown force) was screwing with him. The Cat, Dragon, and Fox was an establishment that had obviously seen better days. But it was the name that gave him pause. He looked at Pinky. ¡°How long ago did the chef go missing?¡± The trader was almost vibrating with rage. ¡°Fucking magic mountain bullshit,¡± they swore. Zane cocked an eyebrow at them, ¡°Say what now?¡± Pinky gestured at the dilapidated building helplessly, ¡°When I left, this place was a palace. Now it''s a fucking ruin!¡± The young man still didn''t get it. The building looked like it had been abandoned for a long time. Years, at least. ¡°How long were you gone?¡± ¡°Subjectively? Maybe a month. Objectively? Who knows.¡± Pinky shrugged, ¡°I''m guessing the owner went out of business years ago.¡± That was when Zane understood. ¡°Oh shit. The same thing happened to me too.¡± The young man wasn''t sure how similar their situations were, but he was trying to be sympathetic and understanding. Zane thought about the possibilities of time distortion, and how that might work. ¡°Does time here ever reverse?¡± he asked. ¡°No,¡± Pinky said with a pause, ¡°Why would it do that?¡± ¡°Just asking,¡± Zane replied, ¡°I''m trying to figure out the rules of this place.¡± Before Pinky could dig into that particular riddle, three men showed up that looked like trouble. They were wearing black martial arts robes and the casual swagger of someone who thought they were better than everyone else. ¡°Hey, country bumpkins!¡± called out the leader of the cultivators, ¡°I can sense you have some cores. Why don''t you give them over before you get hurt?¡± Zane sighed, ¡°Pinky, you might want to close your eyes.¡± *** Fa-king Maran was feeling pretty good about himself as he approached the trader and their companion. Two people without combat classes would be no match for three cultivators of their level. He had ascended to the second tier just that week and was itching to try out his new skills. The young man in green hopped off his horse and started walking towards them. He didn''t seem to be armed, but the way he walked said otherwise. Something shimmered in the man¡¯s hand, then he disappeared. The next thing Fa-king knew, there was a sound like thunder, then he was falling. The cultivator felt the ground rise up to smack him in the face, then darkness claimed him. The two remaining cultivators watched the corpse of their leader topple forward. The young man in green looked at them with vague curiosity. ¡°What year is it?¡± he asked. The question caught the men off guard. ¡°Um, it''s the year of the dragon¡­ five thousand and fifteen,¡± one of them managed to stutter out. The man blurred again, decapitating the two cultivators. ¡°Thank you for clearing that up,¡± he said. *** Pinky had watched cultivators fight in tournaments. But none of them could move as fast as Zane. Granted, high level cultivators usually didn''t bother with small regional tournaments. ¡°What the fuck are you doing?¡± the trader stuttered as they watched the chef cut into the corpses. Zane continued extracting the cultivators¡¯ essence cores and looting their bodies. ¡°Waste not, want not,¡± the chef said pleasantly as he wiped his bloody hands off on their robes. He tossed a peach pit sized core up in the air and caught it. They reminded Zane of marbles, or maybe dice. He didn''t know how to extract the essence from cores yet, but he seemed to get experience from harvesting them. He looked into the dark orb, wondering if they came in different colors or sizes. So far he had only seen shades of black and gray. ¡°You killed them,¡± Pinky said as they looked at the carnage spread across the empty street, ¡°I mean, they were asshole cultivators. And they were trying to rob us, but that''s still pretty extreme.¡± Zane shrugged. "It is what it is," he said. The trader regained their composure and let out a sigh. ¡°Let''s at least hide the bodies before someone shows up.¡± The chef liked Pinky, they were practical. Zane pointed at the empty restaurant. ¡°Why don''t we stash them in there?¡± *** The Cat, Dragon, and Fox restaurant looked better on the inside, but not by much. Zane moved the bodies and cleaned up the street as Pinky stood watch. When he was done, they met up for a little chat. ¡°I can''t believe I just helped you hide three bodies.¡± The trader said with a shake of their head, ¡°I promised myself I was done with all that crap. It¡¯s been weeks since I saw a dead body. Weeks!¡± ¡°Well, the family that slays together, stays together,¡± Zane joked. Pinky let out an oddly musical laugh. ¡°Don''t you take anything seriously?¡± they asked. ¡°No, not really.¡± Zane looked at the work he had ahead of him. ¡°My first instinct is to cut them up and flush them down the drain. But I don''t know if this place has a decent sewer system.¡± ¡°It doesn''t,¡± the trader replied. ¡°Well, shit.¡± The chef weighed his options. ¡°What about pig farms or dog kennels?¡± ¡°There aren''t any. The fog kills them,¡± Pinky said, suddenly realizing why Zane didn''t seem to know anything about the mountain. ¡°You''re an outsider, aren''t you?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Zane confirmed, ¡°Truck-Kun got my ass good.¡± ¡°Oh that explains so much,¡± Pinky said as they practically collapsed into a chair, ¡°Look, I''m not sure how things work where you come from. But normally, people don''t go around killing each other. At least, I try not to.¡± Zane sighed. He didn''t feel like getting a lecture right now. ¡°Look, they were asshole cultivators. The world is better off without them.¡± Pinky took a deep breath then counted to ten before they spoke. ¡°Zane, you''re an asshole cultivator. Worse yet, you¡¯re a rogue. That means you¡¯re someone who doesn¡¯t want to follow the rules of the sects, someone who will do anything to advance their cultivation. Sect members will kill you on sight if they find out.¡± Zane slapped his forehead as he began to understand. ¡°Oh my god, thank you for clearing that up! That makes so much sense!¡± He had wondered what the difference was, and now he knew. The trader sighed as they began to remove their mask. ¡°You really are an idiot.¡± Chapter 7: Cultivator Kibble The trader removed their mask. Instead of the chain smoking middle aged man Zane had been expecting, he found himself face to face with what looked to be a woman in her mid twenties. She was very pretty, with high cheekbones and finger length bubblegum pink hair. The multiple layers of heavy clothing she wore made it hard to guess what her figure might be like, but judging by her face, Zane assumed she would be a knockout. Pinky was actually a kitsune, but she had decided against revealing that fact to the rogue cultivator for now. There was no way of knowing how he would react to the news, so she kept her ears and tail safely hidden. Besides, there was a non-zero chance one of them would end up killing the other. Which was a shame, because her new diet had been going so well. The kitsune had sworn off eating people, or draining them of their essence. It made her progress up the mountain slower, and it was hard to resist temptation sometimes. But at least she didn¡¯t have to deal with angry locals going fox hunting. That always sucked. As Pinky looked at Zane¡¯s beautiful face and vacant expression, she knew that the rogue cultivator would be trouble. He was just her type, in a lot of ways. But her friends down in the lowlands had talked her into swearing off sleeping with, or consuming, attractive idiots. She was on a cleanse. ¡°So, why were you pretending to be an old man?¡± Zane asked as the surprise finally wore off. Pinky explained that she disguised herself as a man while traveling because it was much safer, and she tended to get better prices. ¡°You can never be too careful,¡± she said. The young man was still confused. ¡°But what about the voice?¡± ¡°Oh, that''s a class ability.¡± the kitsune lied, her voice softening as she spoke. It was still a little husky, but in a good way. ¡°Neat trick,¡± Zane told her, realizing that Pinky was the first woman he had talked to in ten years. As they transitioned back to arguing about what to do with the bodies, Zane got an idea. It had taken him a while to understand how the fog worked. Apparently it affected people differently depending on their level, and it got worse the higher up you went. That was why people needed to hire sherpas to carry their stuff up the mountain. Most pack animals weren¡¯t strong enough to survive the thicker fog. ¡°We should feed them to the horses,¡± Zane said as the three neurons in a trench coat that he called a brain reached a decision. Pinky got a look of confusion across her face, but gestured for Zane to continue. Zane explained his reasoning. ¡°Ok, so the fog messes with anything that''s too low level to survive at a given altitude. If we feed the horses a bunch of cultivator meat, they''ll get strong enough to go higher.¡± Zane waited for Pinky to tell him his plan was stupid. Instead, she seemed to think about it. ¡°Well, that could work¡­ we would probably need more cores though.¡± The chef reached into his money pouch. ¡°By an amazing coincidence, I have plenty to go around.¡± Pinky¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°Zane, where did you get those?¡± ¡°Don''t worry, they''re from people who were raiding the village where I was staying.¡± Zane assured her. ¡°Right¡­¡± Pinky looked at the small fortune worth of human cores and felt a pang of hunger as she imagined how much essence they contained. There was a black market for them, because of course there was. But it would be easier to dispose of the cores by feeding them to the horses. At the very least, that would get them away from her. She stopped and glared at Zane. ¡°What''s in your mouth?¡± ¡°Nothing,¡± the chef lied as he sucked on one of the cores like a cough drop. Pinky sighed and counted to ten in her head before she spoke. ¡°Zane, please refrain from cannibalism while in my presence.¡± Zane shook his head. ¡°It''s not cannibalism. Technically, I''m a kobold.¡± Pinky''s eyes narrowed once more. She hadn¡¯t been expecting that. ¡°Maybe you should explain things from the beginning.¡± *** As Zane told his origin story, Pinky got increasingly flustered. Once he got to the part about the young lordling with the red helm she asked a few clarifying questions. After Zane answered them, the kitsune started swearing. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°You killed Lord Grasa''s son?¡± Pinky shouted. ¡°In fairness, he did call me a ¡®chicken fucker¡¯ as he was riding away,¡± Zane said huffily. ¡°That''s no excuse to kill him!¡± Pinky resisted the urge to punch a hole in the wall. ¡°Lord Grasa is going to have his cultivators hunt you down like a dog.¡± ¡°Probably not.¡± ¡°Oh? And why is that?¡± the kitsune asked. Zane shrugged, ¡°I tend to get away with stuff. Don''t ask me why. I just do.¡± ¡°Well, you did get a blessing from a trickster goddess, and you are decently attractive¡­¡± Pinky frowned again, remembering she was supposed to be on a cleanse. ¡°I thought you said your master told you not to tell anyone about the god stuff?¡± ¡°Well, I was trapped in a cave for ten years. It''s not like I''ve talked to many people since I got out.¡± Pinky''s face started to soften, then she realized Zane was using his himbo trickster magic on her. The kitsune growled with annoyance. She could see why he was so good at getting away with stuff. *** They stashed the cart and horses in the storage area behind the restaurant. Then, Zane dragged the bodies over to a makeshift feeding trough and got to work. His class told him that it was important to go between the bones instead of trying to cut through them. Between that, and a freakishly sharp knife, he processed the corpses in record time. Then there was the question of how to get the horses to eat the evidence. Zane called on his culinary skills for answers. Unfortunately, knowledge on how to tempt a herbivore with cultivator meat wasn''t part of his class. He had a feeling that the hardest part would be getting them started. Zane had seen enough horror movies to know that after the horses got a taste of the essence infused meat, it would be impossible to get them to stop. The young man briefly wondered if he was creating abominations that would terrorize the lands for years to come. Then Zane remembered that he was immortal. Besides, it would be really cool to have a badass horse. Even if it did eat people. He mixed some finely minced meat with grain and put it in the makeshift feeding trough. ¡°Eat up!¡± he said cheerfully. *** Daisy the draft horse didn¡¯t like the fog. It threatened to steal the warmth from her bones. She felt like she was walking through thin icy water, losing her life one step at a time. But she was a good horse, so she did as Mistress Pinky told her. The other animals felt it too. The higher they went up the mountain, the thicker and more oppressive the fog became. Only one person seemed to be unaffected, the one they called Zane. He walked as if it were a beautiful day. He smiled and laughed. Daisy looked at the offering before her. She knew what it was. The dogs talked of meat. They told her she was made of it, and they would enjoy gnawing on her bones when she became too old to pull the cart. They did not know that she had tasted such things for herself, and that they were good. Horses were supposed to eat grass and grain, not consume living creatures. But Daisy had given in to hunger before. Birds used to raise their young in the rafters of her stable. One day a chick fell from the nest, and as Daisy looked at the curious broken thing, the hunger had risen. Her body had called out for things Daisy couldn''t name as she looked at the helpless bird. It felt like someone else was controlling her body as the horse took the chick in her mouth, as she bit down. Now Daisy could feel the same hunger rising inside of her. She needed something, and Zane had offered it to her. The others looked at the death scented grain, not daring to consume it. They silently judged Daisy as she approached the bloody trough. But they too had been weakened by the fog. That hateful oppression had stolen the warmth from their bodies and the light from their eyes. They could not stop her. The horse did not understand sin. But as she consumed the flesh of the cultivators, Daisy knew she was damned. Yet she continued to eat, to devour what had been offered. And as she swallowed each precious morsel, the fog began to retreat. Daisy let out a sigh of relief as she swallowed the last of the meat laced grain. She could feel warmth spreading out from her heart, chasing away the chill that had taken up residence in her bones. The horse could even see a single ray of sunshine sneaking in through the skylight. She looked up at it curiously. The sky outside was blue. But when she told the others of her discovery, all they saw was the gray oppression of the fog. They refused to eat. They said it was wrong. They called her an abomination, a wolf in the shape of a horse. One even lashed out at her with a hoof. But the blow was weak. Weak like them. Daisy had hoped to save them from the fog. But it was clear to her now that not all wished to be saved. That not all could be saved. In that moment, a line formed in Daisy''s mind. On one side were those who ate. They consumed and got strong. The creatures on the other side were prey. They existed to feed the strong. Daisy took her rightful place at the bloody trough, and began to eat. When she was finished, Daisy felt different. Her mind was sharper. Her muscles were stronger. And for the first time since she came to the mountain, Daisy felt safe and warm. There was light all around them, Daisy realized. She fixed her eyes on the strange rainbow flecks that floated in the air. They seemed to be some sort of energy, like fragments of sunlight. Daisy looked inside herself for the first time. She could see the rainbow sparkle of essence radiating from her chest. The meat had bestowed this great gift upon her. She needed to consume more of it. She needed more blessings. Her eye landed on the other horses. They too had the faintest of sparks. But it was flickering and fading. Their light was being smothered by the fog. Daisy knew what needed to be done. The others had made their decision when they failed to eat. Now, they themselves would be consumed. Surely that would be a better end than slowly dying to the fog. ¡°Don''t worry,¡± Daisy whispered as she approached, ¡°Your light will live on, in me.¡± Chapter 8: The Monsters We Make Zane continued going about his day, oblivious to the monster he had created. Pinky was trying to find new buyers for her wares, but nobody was willing to meet her prices. They told her to try some of the hotels and spas higher up the mountain. Few merchants were capable of resisting the fog, so those that could were able to charge higher prices for their goods. Meanwhile, as Zane sat and listened, he noticed something. He understood now that the fog was some kind of barrier that prevented people from accessing areas of the mountain that were beyond their level. But some people seemed to be coping better than others. He gestured at a man who was wearing flowing white silk robes. He didn''t give off the same aura as the cultivators. As far as Zane could tell, he was a regular human. ¡°Hey, Pinky. What do you make of this guy? Why is he doing great when everyone else is freezing their asses off?¡± Pinky looked at the rich merchant. ¡°He can probably afford enough sacred herbs to fight off the fog. Or he''s a core junkie.¡± ¡°Core junkie?¡± Zane wrinkled his nose at the words. ¡°What''s a core junkie?¡± She explained to him how some people would heat up cores to release the essence inside. They would inhale the smoke to fight off the effect of the fog. ¡°But it''s toxic as fuck. The impurities in the core get absorbed too,¡± the kitsune finished. ¡°Huh, I wonder if there is a way to filter that out.¡± Zane thought about the cores in his bag. He hadn''t taken the time to try extracting the essence stored within them. Sucking on a core like a cough drop had given him some benefit. But it wasn''t a significant boost. Zane was worried about how much the fog affected Pinky. If he couldn''t find a way to level her up quickly, he might have to leave her behind. He felt like the cores were the answer to his problem. But the mention of impurities had given him pause. The chef would need to run some experiments. Ideally, far away from Pinky. ¡°Is there a glassblower in town?¡± Zane asked. ¡°Yeah, at least, there used to be. But they¡¯re a bit¡­ weird.¡± The young man''s eyes lit up. He could work with weird. *** Hiccup¡¯s Glassworks was a squat stone building on the bad side of town. Insane bottles and tubes that boggled the mind sat proudly on displays. The squat wrinkled man looked at Zane''s drawing and laughed. ¡°That looks suspiciously like a bong.¡± Zane felt his ears grow hot. ¡°I mean, you''re not wrong. I''m not trying to get high though.¡± He explained his theory about how it might be safer to pass the smoke from the cores through water to filter out any impurities. ¡°You don''t look like a core junkie,¡± the old glassblower mused, ¡°I''m no expert, but it could work. Heating cores to extract the essence within is probably the easiest way to get a jolt. I''d be careful though, sometimes cores can explode if abused.¡± Zane thought about terpenes and extraction temperatures. ¡°Does the amount of heat change what comes out? Like, if I heated them at a lower temperature, could I get fewer impurities?¡± ¡°That, I don''t know. The core junkies heat the cores as hot as possible to extract all the essence they can. But, I don''t think they care much about their health.¡± A half hour later Zane had put down a deposit on some custom glassware and moved onto his next stop, the apothecary. An unhappy menagerie of stuffed and preserved animals leered down at him from the shelves. ¡°May I help you, young cultivator?¡± asked a tall lithe woman from her seat at the back of the shop. Her white mask was adorned with paintings of flowers and alchemical symbols. She was pretty enough in her green silk robes, but something about her seemed off. It was like looking at a porcelain doll made to slightly the wrong proportions. Her limbs were a touch too long, her teeth too white. The Apothecary lurched towards him as if she were a puppet on strings. Zane froze, trying to quell the sense of unease he felt. ¡°I¡¯m looking for information on herbs that remove impurities,¡± he said. ¡°Impurities?¡± the apothecary craned her head to get a better look at him, ¡°What would a beautiful boy like you know about impurities?¡± ¡°Nothing, that''s why I''m getting more information.¡± Zane stood his ground. ¡°Hmmm¡­ I suppose that''s fair.¡± The woman, or whatever she was, stood still as she pondered his request. ¡°Impurities are a byproduct of incorrect or incomplete conversion of essence. It gunks up the channels in your body and clogs your cores. If left unchecked, it can crystallize and become permanent.¡± ¡°Do I have impurities?¡± Zane asked. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Probably. Everyone does.¡± The apothecary turned and grabbed a bottle of pills off the shelf. ¡°These should purge any minor accumulations you may have built up. They bind with the corruption and make it much easier for your body to expel it.¡± Zane paid the creature and all but ran out of the shop. He wasn''t sure if he trusted her, but the green pills felt benign to his senses. They probably wouldn''t do anything too bad. He hoped. *** Pinky was becoming increasingly unhappy. It had been twelve years since she last came to the town, courtesy of the time-loss. And people were not pleased with her. They kept talking about breach of contract and late fees. Her warehouse and the goods inside were long gone. All she had left was her cart and the tarnished remains of her reputation. Pinky would have to start pretending to be her own daughter or something, if only to get a fresh start. She did manage to gain some useful information about the restaurant. The building was up for sale suspiciously cheap. When she told Zane about it, he nodded his head as if the information confirmed some theory of his. He looked at the old restaurant with a critical eye. ¡°I wonder if it''s fate.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Zane sighed, ¡°I have three blessings and I''m a chef. The old chef disappeared around the time I arrived. That hardly seems like coincidence.¡± ¡°No, that sounds exactly like coincidence.¡± Pinky stroked her chin. ¡°But I can''t help wondering what a level ten chef could accomplish with a restaurant of their own. High level chefs make the best food.¡± The certainty of her words gave Zane pause. He hadn''t actually used his class for its intended purpose yet. There was no guarantee he was any good at cooking. Of course, there was one way to help improve his chances. Zane accessed the Mesh and pulled up his stats. The young man had a little over four essence stored and one level left to be claimed. If he spent some time distilling essence, he could probably afford to buy another upgrade to his Chef¡¯s Tools. That would boost his skills significantly. Then again, an upgrade to his agility might make more sense. Zane wasn''t sure if combat or utility abilities were more important. There seemed to be a synergy between the two. Whenever he upgraded his chef abilities, he got access to better weapons. In the end it was Pinky who influenced his final decision. She looked so miserable, sitting there shivering next to him. If the chef could find a way to make food rich in essence, he could jumpstart her progress. Zane looked up at the sky. It would be dark soon. ¡°Come on, let''s get some ingredients before the shops close so I can cook us a proper dinner. We can camp out in the restaurant tonight while we figure things out. I doubt anyone will care.¡± Pinky seemed to brighten up at the prospect of food. ¡°What are you going to make?¡± Zane shrugged, ¡°I dunno, what do you want?¡± The woman shrugged back. ¡°I''ll have whatever you want to make. I''m not picky.¡± The chef shook his head and started walking towards the market. He let out a chuckle. Apparently some things were universal. *** The restaurant was in shambles, but it hadn''t taken much for them to clear out a space in the kitchen. One unforeseen benefit of the fog was it killed the rats and mice that would have otherwise made a playground out of the abandoned building. Zane was still unsure if surviving the fog was more related to level or how much essence someone had. But, Pinky seemed to exist in a different reality than he did. When he asked her to describe what she saw, the kitsune talked about gray skies and bitter cold. The chef knew that as he traveled further up the mountain he would get to feel the effects of the fog for himself. Zane shuddered at the thought. He decided to start with a bit of tea and fruit to warm them up. Some of the produce in the market had contained slight hints of essence. He was curious to find out how that affected the food. The nice thing about the chef class was that Zane never had to do dishes. He could dismiss his cutting boards and knives when he was done with them. Pinky watched in fascination as the young man worked. Each cut was precise with no wasted movement. His knife glided through the soft flesh of a peach. He drizzled the slices with olive oil, followed by sea salt, and lime zest. Pinky wasn''t so sure about the recipe, but all her doubts melted away as she took her first bite. ¡°Woah.¡± ¡°I''m glad you like it. Savory and sweet is a good combination to prepare the palate,¡± Zane said as he poured her more tea, ¡°For our next course I''ll be making garlic and lime marinated rock chicken skewers, served with a side of wild rice.¡± He drew on energy from his lower core to heat up the cast iron grill. The smell the rock chicken made as it cooked was divine. Pinky¡¯s mouth watered as he handed her the next plate. It was easily the best food she had ever eaten. ¡°Zane, this is good. Like, really good.¡± The chef looked at her blankly. ¡°I mean, I would hope so. My class gave me the recipe based on what was available and I followed it.¡± Pinky groaned in frustration. ¡°What I''m saying is, if you opened a restaurant there would be a line around the block.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Zane bowed his head, acknowledging the compliment and completely missing Pinky''s point. ¡°I tried my best.¡± The kitsune looked at the young man and sighed. ¡°Zane, I''m trying to say that I want to open a restaurant with you.¡± Zane wasn¡¯t strictly opposed to the idea. Working in the restaurant would be a good way to get a feel for the city. But he wasn¡¯t about to say yes the first time she asked. ¡°I don''t know if I''m ready to make any big commitments. Going into business together after one day is a little bit fast, don''t you think?¡± Pinky glared at the chef. ¡°Didn''t you just ask me to let you feed some bodies to my horses?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. But that''s different,¡± Zane said. ¡°How? How is it different?¡± Pinky demanded, ¡°I''ve been putting an awful lot of trust in the idea that you aren''t a psychopath. And you don''t want to go into business with me because it''s ¡®too soon¡¯?¡± Zane frowned. ¡°Actually, now that you mention it, when''s the last time you checked on the horses?¡± They walked over to the makeshift stables to find that all three horses were gone. As was any trace of the cultivators Zane had butchered. He ran his finger along the bottom of the improvised trough. It came up completely clean and free of blood. ¡°Huh,¡± he said, ¡°I guess it must have worked.¡± Chapter 9: Daisy Goes for a Walk Daisy the devourer had eaten so much, yet she remained unfulfilled. The gnawing void inside called out for more of the strange rainbow light. She felt as if she were on the edge of a breakthrough, of becoming more. The horse walked through the city streets in search of essence. Just as she was about to give up and return to the restaurant, Daisy heard voices. ¡°I''m telling you, there''s a spirit beast on the loose,¡± a man in a black robe told his companion as he walked past her, ¡°I can feel its aura.¡± Daisy licked her lips. The man was full of that wonderfully tasty rainbow light. She could smell it radiating from his core like a gateway to summer. The man stopped and turned to look at her, somehow sensing her gaze. Daisy slowly drew back her lips to show multiple rows of razor sharp teeth. ¡°Hello,¡± she said softly, ¡°The light inside you burns quite brightly.¡± Gona Di had not been expecting to come across a spirit beast masquerading as a common horse. He told his companion to run and prepared for battle. It felt strong, but he was stronger. ¡°Your reign of terror ends tonight, foul creature. No horse, not even a spirit beast such as yourself, can hope to defeat a disciple of the Rock Mountain Mollusk Sect.¡± He gracefully transitioned into a martial arts pose, his right leg ready to deliver a lethal kick. Daisy the devourer turned away, then lashed out with a kick of her own that crushed the man¡¯s rib cage. He made pitiful wheezing sounds as she went in for the kill. ¡°You fool! You mistake me for a mere horse?¡± Daisy asked as she approached the dying cultivator, ¡°I''m your worst nightmare!¡± *** Pinky was not happy to find out her horses were missing. Between that and the loss of her warehouse, the kitsune was starting to think she was cursed. Zane was more concerned with the terrors he might have unleashed. In theory they were now someone else''s problem. But he wouldn''t rule out them returning home for snacks. ¡°We should probably bar the doors and not go outside until the morning,¡± he said. Pinky nodded. ¡°Yeah, that''s a good plan.¡± They made sure the restaurant was locked down and took the extra precaution of wedging furniture in front of the doors. Then Zane realized the walls were made of thin wood. There was no point bracing the door if the corrupted horses could come through the walls. He sighed, ¡°Why couldn''t we have picked a building made of stone?¡± Pinky pointed to the stairs. ¡°Let''s try and get the high ground. That way if anything breaks in from below, we will hear it first.¡± The chef couldn''t see anything wrong with that plan. He walked upstairs to see what they were working with. Zane broke the paper seal on a door marked ¡°Employees Only¡± and opened it. He frowned as the entire building began to shake. Well, that isn''t good, Zane thought. *** The restaurant awakened to find it had visitors. Miracle of miracles, one was even a chef. It turned its attention to Zane, waiting for a command. The young man wasn''t sure if he would ever get used to the feeling of having a building paying attention to him. A blue eye appeared in the middle of the door and looked at him expectantly. Zane slowly backed down the stairs. He had zero intention of sticking around to find out what all that was about. ¡°Pinky, would you be so kind as to help me open the front door?¡± The Kitsune didn''t need much convincing. They pulled the furniture out of the way and ran out into the night. Zane had half been expecting the restaurant to try and stop them from leaving. He turned to face Pinky. ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± She looked at the building critically. ¡°Well, I''m no expert on real estate. But, I think we just found out why the building is so cheap.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. A whinny from a nearby alley caught their undivided attention. A familiar brown and white horse stepped out from the shadows. She had grown since the last time they saw her. ¡°What a wonderful night to go out for a stroll,¡± Daisy said. The chef regarded his creation. She pulsed with essence, more essence than would have come from eating three coreless bodies. The horse had been busy. But was she dangerous to him? Before Zane could do something drastic, Daisy resolved the situation for him by kneeling. He breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Good horse. Good girl.¡± Daisy stood up to her full height. ¡°Do not mistake me for some beast of burden, Awakener. Your lesson has made me much more than the base clay you sought to shape with light and blood.¡± ¡°Are you going to attack me, or Pinky?¡± Zane asked, deciding to get his main question out of the way. ¡°Nay,¡± the horse shook her mane, ¡°You are the ones who knew me before I was enlightened. You are my pack. One does not eat members of their own pack.¡± ¡°I think you mean ¡®herd¡¯,¡± Zane corrected. ¡°No. I''m probably sure she doesn''t,¡± Pinky pointed at the horse''s teeth, ¡°Those hooves look nasty too.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Daisy practically pranced with pride, ¡°My teeth are sharp and my hooves are twice as deadly. Do I not look beautiful, Awakener?¡± Zane put a core in the palm of his hand and held it out like a sugar cube. He wanted to find out if this thing was evil or just a megalomaniac like all other cultivators seemed to be. ¡°Oh yes, Master! Thank you for this gift of light and energy.¡± Daisy leaned in close and opened her mouth, letting small tendrils of shadow creep out towards the core. They wrapped around it like the tentacles of an anemone. The horse swallowed her treat and let out a happy whinny. The chef took his hand back, surprised he wasn''t missing a finger. He supposed that was as good a proof as any that Daisy wasn''t going to try and eat them. Now, if only he could say the same for the restaurant, he thought. *** They had left Daisy to ¡°guard¡± the restaurant while they found a hotel. Zane had a vague hope in the back of his mind that the two problems would cancel each other out. He wasn''t entirely comfortable around the awakened horse yet. Despite her recent misfortune, Pinky was feeling pretty good as she watched Zane pay for their rooms. The fog had receded away, and even though it was night, the world was a little warmer than before. She chalked it up to Zane''s cooking. Somehow the young man''s class allowed him to amplify the wild essence in his ingredients. Pinky checked her stats and saw that she had a full two points worth of essence available. The kitsune almost spent them right then and there, but she paused. If essence was what kept the fog at bay, what would happen if she went back to zero? Pinky shuddered at the thought as she followed Zane down the hall to their accommodations. He opened the door to reveal a room with two beds. She looked at him with curiosity. One bed would have meant he was trying to sleep with her. Separate rooms would have indicated he wasn''t interested. But what did two beds in the same room mean? Pinky glanced at Zane. He was good looking, no doubt about it. But she was on a self assigned cleanse. The kitsune had decided to take a break from her bad habits. That meant no more screwing around, and absolutely no sleeping with fuckboys. The chef produced a bottle of plum wine from his pack and summoned two glasses. ¡°Join me for a drink before we crash?¡± The kitsune shrugged. One glass of wine before bed couldn''t hurt. *** As things progressed, one glass turned to two. Then Zane opened another bottle, which had contained some kind of hard liquor made from apples. In the spirit of making bad decisions, Pinky had suggested they finish it. Things got hazy after that. They woke up the next morning fully clothed, but with pounding hangovers. Pinky looked around for some water. ¡°Oh my god, I''m going to fucking die.¡± ¡°No you''re not,¡± Zane rasped as he took a sip from his water skin before handing it over to Pinky, ¡°Dying hurts less.¡± The chef thought about the pills he had gotten from the apothecary. They were supposed to eliminate toxins. Maybe they would work for his hangover? Zane took a double dose and washed them down with some water. ¡°I hope this place has invented frozen mimosas and bacon sandwiches. Because I fucking need one of each right now.¡± ¡°What are those?¡± Pinky asked. ¡°Medicine, from the apothecary,¡± Zane explained. She made a grasping motion so he tossed her the bottle. Pinky caught it and poured out two pills. She swallowed them and winced. ¡°I feel fucking rough. How long did they say this was going to take to kick in?¡± Zane wasn''t sure. He had stopped listening after the apothecary started talking about ¡°purging the body''s impurities¡±. ¡°I dunno. Should be pretty quick though. She said to make sure I was laying down before I took them.¡± Pinky panicked as smoke started flowing out her mouth. ¡°Zane, what exactly did you just give me?¡± The young man began to sweat. He knew from his experience in the celestial casino that smoke was bad. People weren¡¯t supposed to smoke, smoking killed. They had commercials about it and everything. ¡°Ok, I don¡¯t want you to worry,¡± Zane said, trying to keep his voice calm, ¡°But I think you might be about to explode.¡± Chapter 10: Do You Do Brunch? After a few very tense seconds of waiting to die, Pinky thought to read the label on the pill bottle. What had followed was a lot of cursing and screaming as they tried to get to the bathrooms in time. Once, his little sister had baked some laxative laced brownies for her enemies. Zane, being an idiot with zero self control, had ignored her note and eaten the whole tray. Then he finished off a pint of vanilla ice cream, and went out jogging. On the way to go run, he had stopped by Taco Bell and eaten half a dozen tacos. What happened that day was nothing compared to what Zane was going through now. The young man could feel his insides and his outsides trying to switch places as the double dose of cleansing pills worked their magic. Some of the accumulated impurities were flowing out of his pores in greasy streaks. The rest made use of much more traditional pathways. Zane didn''t know if it was possible to shit out your own bone marrow, but he knew he was close. From the next stall over, Pinky wasn''t doing much better. Her hair had gone white as the illusion coloring it dissipated. Thankfully, the transformation magic hiding her ears and tail held. She pounded her fist against the wall and tried not to call out for the sweet release of death. Instead, she settled for cursing Zane and his entire family tree. He was impressed by Pinky¡¯s knowledge of animal husbandry and foreign languages. She eventually settled on a growling guttural tongue that sounded like an Uruk-hai from Lord of the Rings singing death metal. Sometime later, the flow of foul waste from their bodies stopped. Zane stuffed his soiled robes into the trash. Pinky walked out to meet him in the hallway. She was also naked. Being naked was better than wearing those filthy rags. ¡°I need a bath, and possibly an exorcism.¡± Zane summoned an oversized wash tub and filled it with water from the cistern. The impurities were caked onto his skin and he knew getting them off would be a multi-step process. Zane should have been more excited at the prospect of helping a beautiful woman take a bath, but he was too tired to care and they were both covered in sludge. Pinky, on the other hand, was very much aware of Zane''s naked body. She looked dumbly at how his abdominal muscles terminated in a perfect ¡°V¡±. She let out a low whimper, her diet was getting harder and harder to stick to. ¡°It''s alright, I''m warming up the water and I''ll get you plenty of clean towels for after,¡± Zane said, completely oblivious to the thoughts going through Pinky''s mind, ¡°I''ll get a tub ready for myself next.¡± They sat and soaked in silence for a while. Everyone who heard their cries and curses earlier had decided to give the bathrooms a wide berth. Finally, Pinky looked over at Zane. ¡°Do you like women?¡± she asked. The young man tried not to sigh. He knew why she was asking. Everyone asked him, eventually. ¡°I''m not gay, I''m just really pretty. Do you like women?¡± Pinky frowned, ¡°Not particularly. I''ve always been more of an all you can eat sausage girl.¡± Zane smiled and turned to face her. ¡°Ok, follow up question since you just reminded me of something. Do you want to go get brunch after this?¡± The kitsune looked at Zane with confusion. She had expected him to hit on her, or suggest they share a tub together. ¡°Sure, Zane. Brunch sounds nice, whatever that is.¡± *** Brunch was not forthcoming, so they returned to the restaurant. Thankfully the building seemed to have quieted down. The young man tossed a core to Daisy as a bribe to not eat them. Then he started making waffles. Zane felt incredibly fortunate that his class let him heat and cool things at will. Once she had recovered from her unexpected cleanse, Pinky had gone back to pestering him about opening a restaurant. They had a location with plenty of foot traffic. Most importantly, nobody would give Zane a second glance if he pretended to be a simple chef. It was hiding in plain sight. Eventually, Zane allowed himself to be convinced. He was still curious about one thing though. ¡°Do you dye your hair?¡± ¡°Yeah, obviously. Pink isn''t exactly a natural shade,¡± the kitsune said, wondering if he was catching on to what she really was. ¡°Ah, that would make sense.¡± Zane resisted the urge to ask if the carpet matched the drapes. He knew from their clean up session that she preferred hardwood floors. They ate their breakfast in silence except for the occasional moan of pleasure as Pinky devoured her waffles. Zane was surprised to find out that he enjoyed cooking. He really enjoyed cooking. Once he started a recipe it was like he was unable to stop until it was finished. Eventually, someone banged on the kitchen window and demanded to know what smelled so good. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Pinky cocked a cotton candy colored eyebrow at him. ¡°It''s your call. Are we open for business, chef?¡± Zane agreed to open the restaurant, but he made the executive decision to only allow take-out. He wasn''t about to deal with seating areas or washing dishes. They fell into a rhythm after the first few guests. Pinky took the money and warned people that the containers would disappear after half an hour. They actually lasted for twice that, but he understood why she was playing it safe. An unexpected side effect of Zane''s decision was that when the customers went off into the city, the smell of his cooking drummed up even more business. They burned through their existing supplies quickly and had to take a break to restock. ¡°Well. At least they like your food,¡± Pinky said as they returned to find a line that stretched around the block. Everyone from the traders to the guards wanted to try some of Zane''s famous waffles. The fact that they were infused with essence probably had a lot to do with that. He considered his options. They could run away now, or ride the wave and see what happened. Zane turned to face his business partner. ¡°Pinky, let''s cook.¡± *** The trader ran down to the clerk''s office once they were done and purchased the restaurant. She wasn''t going to tempt fate by waiting. It would be too easy for a shrewd city official to notice their success and decide to raise the sale price. Plus, this way the dates of their grand opening and purchase would match. Nobody could accuse them of squatting in the building and come after them with their hands out. Meanwhile, Zane was dealing with the local guild. There was a mix of moods on display. Some were adamant that he pursue an apprenticeship before being allowed to call himself a chef. Others were happy to see someone with real talent arrive on what was a rather stagnant culinary scene. ¡°Enough of this!¡± called out a muscular chef with legs like tree trunks and the stomach to match. ¡°If Zane is so confident in his skills, he won''t hesitate to accept my challenge.¡± The young man bowed. ¡°I had hoped to avoid this, but I accept. Prepare yourself for defeat.¡± The muscular chef grinned. His summer quiche recipe was unbeatable. He couldn''t wait to see the newcomer¡¯s face when they realized who he was. A few seconds later he was laying on the ground, bruised and broken, but alive. One of the guild leaders ran over and whispered something in Zane''s ear. The young man slapped his forehead and went to lift the man up, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. You should have specified the kind of challenge.¡± The guild leaders argued amongst themselves. Zane had willingly misinterpreted the nature of a challenge in order to win. But he hadn''t technically broken any rules. The most senior member sighed. That was exactly the kind of thing a chef would do. ¡°Ok, Zane. I guess you can join the guild,¡± the old man said. Zane punched the air, accidentally creating little sonic booms in his excitement. ¡°Hell yeah!¡± *** The nice thing about only doing brunch was that Zane got to sleep in. Unfortunately, the restaurant itself didn''t believe in laziness. It woke him up every morning at the unholy hour of six. They had moved out of the hotel and taken up residence in the upper level of the restaurant. Converting the private dining room to a bedroom had been easy enough. Though, Zane wasn''t sure why the divider he put up kept collapsing. Eventually he got sick of repairing it. Pinky didn''t seem to mind the lack of privacy. She must have felt comfortable with him after their shared tribulations. In fact, sometimes she got confused and crawled in his bed by accident. Zane considered teasing her about it the next morning, but didn''t. He was worried she might decide to stop. It was nice to have her sharing his bed, even if she did get a bit grabby. I can''t believe someone so hot is this oblivious, Pinky thought as she slipped off her clothes and crawled into bed next to Zane. The kitsune had been doing everything she could to get him to make the first move, cleanse be damned. She sighed and tapped him on the shoulder. Desperate times called for desperate measures. ¡°Hey. Zane,¡± she called out, ¡°I just realized that I''ve been going about this all wrong.¡± He rolled over groggily. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Pinky tried to answer, but she lost her nerve. ¡°It''s nothing. Go back to sleep.¡± *** It didn''t take long for the first gangster to show up looking to charge them protection money. Zane was not impressed, but he was polite. ¡°Fine, I can see you''re serious so I''ll tell you what. Go around back, tap on the door three times and tell them you''re there to do a pickup. They''ll know what to do.¡± The man thanked him and strutted around back. He knocked on the door three times and said he was there for a pickup. The door opened, but he couldn''t see anyone inside the loading area. There was a rather fine horse though. He took a second to admire the creature before approaching. ¡°You''ll do nicely,¡± the gangster said as he looked around for a bit and bridle. Daisy didn''t reply. She had orders from the Awakener to play along. Hopefully they would take her to their base. Then, the real fun could begin. *** ¡°That''s one big fucking horse,¡± observed the boss. Daisy looked around the hideout. She was in an old warehouse near the outer wall of the city. The tunnel that traveled under that said wall was bustling with activity. She waited for them to close and bar the warehouse doors before she made her move. The horse slammed her hooves on the ground, sending out a shockwave that collapsed the smuggling tunnel. None of the vermin who dared to threaten the Awakener were much of a challenge. They fell under her mighty hooves and were consumed. She briefly lamented the loss of the morsels trapped in the tunnel. But Daisy¡¯s attention quickly moved on to bigger and better things. For starters, she was very curious what was in the crates. Chapter 11: The Cutest Little Void Stalker The criminals that sought to extort her master had not been cultivators, or of a particularly high level. Their bones had broken laughably easy, crunching between her teeth like dry grass. It had felt good to punish those who tried to prey upon her pack. Daisy wondered if she might be allowed to hunt them for sport. The Awakener had said they must be careful, and not draw attention to themselves lest powerful enemies come looking for them. But surely the city could spare a few petty criminals for her enjoyment. The men had made such delightful sounds as they became aware of their change in status from predator to prey. The looks of shock on their faces as Daisy tore through them had been almost as delicious as their marrow. She decided to seek out more of their kind the next time she made her nightly rounds. Daisy wasted no time smashing open crates and devouring anything that contained even the slightest bit of light. There were dried herbs, bits of preserved spirit beasts in jars, even some jerky. She chewed the dried meat and swallowed it, thanking the Awakener for entrusting her with this mission. The horse sniffed around for more treats. She followed a sweet, sticky scent until she came to a wall. With a powerful kick she sent a hoof through the wood, revealing a secret room. She wasn''t sure if they had been trying to hide their contraband from the guards, or each other, but it was all hers now. Daisy let out a chuckle as she raided the hidden stash. She smashed in the top of a barrel and gorged herself on golden peaches preserved in brandy. The plump fruits were sweet and syrupy, positively dripping with light. She didn''t stop eating until the barrel was empty. There were also bunches of herbs that Daisy munched her way through. They made her lips tingle, but she would not dishonor the Awakener by refusing to consume their light. For a brief moment, Daisy almost felt full. Or rather, not as hungry. The horse rocked side to side, enjoying the sensation of her body as it swayed. Daisy stumbled over to the last crate and bashed it open. She recoiled in disgust as its foul contents began to spill out. It was full of cores, but their light was tarnished, inedible. Daisy''s steps were unsteady as she went to find the Awakener and show him what she had found. As her body processed the brandy and strange tasting herbs, It got increasingly hard to walk in a straight line. The horse did her best to avoid arousing suspicion, but as she passed through the market, one of the city guards started walking over to her as if he wanted to see what was wrong. Instead of panicking, Daisy smiled at the man to let him know everything was fine. The guard must have been satisfied, because he abruptly turned around and started walking in the opposite direction. Wow! I''m good at this! Nobody suspects a thing, Daisy thought as she stumbled the rest of the way home. *** ¡°What exactly am I looking at?¡± Zane asked. The horse had been adamant that he come to the warehouse as quicky as possible, but for some reason had asked him to lead the way. "What has you so shaken up?" ¡°Cores,¡± replied Daisy as she swayed side to side, ¡°Hundreds of corrupted cores.¡± The gray marbles didn''t look corrupted or damaged to Zane. But his senses told him that each one was full of impurities, as well as an oily blackness that made the young man want to shudder. ¡°Huh, weird.¡± He tossed one to Daisy, but she made no move to consume it. ¡°They are not of the quality I desire,¡± she explained, ¡°These cores would make me sick and steal my light.¡± ¡°Good to know.¡± Zane tried to wrap his head around why someone would be creating corrupted cores. Or rather, refurbishing them. But he was drawing a blank. ¡°Where are they even getting the cores in the first place?¡± Daisy gave him the side eye as if to say, ¡°Why are you asking me? I''m a horse.¡± Zane decided not to hold the sass against her. It was obvious from how Daisy was acting that finding the corrupted cores had disturbed her. The young man grabbed a few of the cores for further testing and doused the rest with lamp oil. He piled up old trash and debris around the crate, setting anything of value aside. There was some decent loot, but he would have to wait until later to sort through it all. As Zane was wrapping oily rags around a candle to function as a makeshift fuse, he heard a soft mewing noise. The chef followed the source of the sound to a footlocker. Inside of which was a tiny black and white striped kitten and several dead mice. The juvenile feline was too young to eat solid food. Whoever was keeping it as a pet hadn''t understood that. Zane sighed and scooped up the kitten. He wasn''t sure how it had survived the fog, but Pinky had been complaining that she was getting lonely at night. He figured a kitten would be just the thing to cheer her up. *** The flames reached up into the sky like demonic fingers. Whatever had ignited inside the warehouse was burning with the heat of all seven hells. The fire brigade¡¯s attempts to extinguish the blaze just seemed to make it angry. Captain Cerdo watched as years of careful planning went up in smoke. Digging the tunnel and sourcing the cores had taken thousands of gold. Now, they were melting into slag before his very eyes. A guard came up to him and saluted. ¡°Sir, I''m honored you chose to come in person. It means the world to the boys to see the boss taking an interest.¡± ¡°The honor is mine,¡± Cerdo said wearily, ¡°Do we have any idea what happened or who was involved?¡± The guard shook his head. ¡°No, sir. The fog makes it hard for most people to see six feet in front of their own noses, much less across the street. I don''t suspect we''ll get anyone stepping forward. That warehouse was run by the Midas gang.¡± Cerdo waved dismissively. ¡°Very well. You may return to your duties.¡± The Captain stood there and watched as his carefully laid plan burned down to ashes. They wouldn''t be able to get enough cores in time for the festival unless he took drastic measures. Cerdo sighed. It was time for Plan B. *** ¡°Are you absolutely insane?¡± Pinky looked at the kitten like it would leap from Zane''s arms and tear her face off. ¡°I''d rather sleep with a porcupine!¡± ¡°Oh come on, it''s just a little kitten.¡± The young man''s face clouded over. ¡°I mean, it is just a kitten, right?¡± Pinky shook her head. ¡°Oh?¡± Zane looked at the half dead feline. It certainly looked like a regular kitten. ¡°Then what is it?¡± ¡°It''s a void stalker cub. They¡¯re vicious spirit beasts,¡± she explained. The young man¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Neat! What do you think we should name her? I was thinking something like ¡®noodles¡¯ or ¡®dumpling¡¯. She kinda looks like a dumpling.¡± Zane looked at the cat and smiled. ¡°Yeah, she''s just a cute little dumpling.¡± Pinky groaned. The cub was cute, but it would grow into a loathsome predator. Then again, she thought, Don''t we have a carnivorous horse? The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Zane had already started heating up some goat milk for the beast. He made sure the cub was warm before he started feeding it. ¡°Kittens can''t digest milk if they''re too cold,¡± he said. ¡°Since when do you know so much about cats?¡± Pinky asked, wondering who this nurturing young man was. ¡°My sister raises ¡®purebreds¡¯ to sell to the rich folk. She makes papers for them and everything,¡± Zane said with a touch of pride. Pinky sighed. ¡°Is there anyone in your family that isn''t some kind of petty criminal?¡± The young man seemed to think about it. ¡°I''ve got an uncle who works for the government. So, no. Not really.¡± She watched as Zane delicately dipped his finger in some sugar water and rubbed it across the cub¡¯s lips. It was amazing how something so small could grow to become one of the most terrifying creatures on the mountain. Dumpling licked her lips. Zane smiled and dipped the corner of a clean rag into the warm milk. He had tossed a few sacred herbs in to fortify it with essence. Once the kitten had its fill the young man relaxed. He tucked it into a crate with a towel and a few of the uncorrupted spirit cores. ¡°Sleep well and become strong, little Dumpling.¡± Zane pulled Pinky aside as if he didn''t want the sleeping cub to hear him. ¡°I wasn''t sure if she was too far gone to nurse. She''s probably dehydrated, and definitely malnourished. If Dumpling is anything like Daisy, being close to the cores should help her through the worst of it.¡± She looked at Zane with a critical eye. It was strange to see someone who had butchered people like they were nothing more than meat showing concern for a spirit beast. It felt unnatural. But it also gave her hope. If he could care for a void stalker, perhaps he would have a place in his heart for a kitsune? He noticed her gaze. ¡°I just like cats, ok? And I remembered how you were saying that you wanted someone to cuddle up with. So, I brought her home.¡± Pinky was touched by his thoughtfulness, but very frustrated and confused by the mixed messages Zane was sending. She crawled into his bed half naked on a regular basis, yet nothing ever seemed to happen between them. She knew he was interested in her. Pinky had seen how he looked at her body. Yet, he never made a single move. If she made a lewd suggestion, he ignored it. ¡°Zane, are you a virgin?¡± she asked. The young man blushed. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Oh. That explains so much,¡± Pinky said with visible relief, ¡°You know, I can fix that for you.¡± Zane thanked her for offering and went to go check on Dumpling. By the time his brain processed what Pinky had actually meant, she was already long gone. ¡°Ah, fuck,¡± Zane swore. *** ¡°Aaaah!¡± Pinky screamed in frustration as she ran down the street. She had heard stories of cultivators avoiding sex because it messed with their essence, but this was something else. Desperate times called for desperate measures. She headed down to the seamstress and put in a special order. If Zane''s brain was getting in the way of him relaxing enough for them to have a good time, she would have to find a way to turn it off. The seamstress looked at Pinky''s order with a mix of appreciation and amusement. ¡°What exactly is your class, if you don''t mind me asking?¡± Pinky glared at her. ¡°Do you have what I asked for, or not?¡± ¡°Oh, I''ve definitely got most of it on hand. Though, some things I may have to modify.¡± The seamstress looked Pinky up and down. ¡°I''m not sure it will fit you. Some of these measurements seem¡­ rather generous.¡± The woman groaned. ¡°Let me worry about that part. Just make sure it looks cute.¡± ¡°Fair enough. It''s your silver,¡± the seamstress said as she went to work. *** That night before they went up to the bedroom to sleep, Pinky and Zane had a very direct conversation. She had learned that direct was best when dealing with the young chef. ¡°Look, I am attracted to you. You seem attracted to me. Why haven''t you made a move?¡± Pinky asked, being as blunt as possible. Zane''s answer surprised her. ¡°Well, we work together. And I haven''t had many regular jobs, but I was told to never sleep with your coworkers.¡± ¡°Wait, really? So, you''re not ignoring me because of some random cultivator bullshit?¡± ¡°No, I think you''re probably one of the most beautiful women I''ve met. And I really like being around you. Working here in the restaurant with you is the best job I''ve ever had, and I''m afraid to screw it up.¡± Pinky couldn''t help but laugh. Zane was so sweet, but he was also completely missing one major detail. ¡°Ok, let me make a counterpoint. You are a cultivator on the run and I''m not actually a trader, I''m a courtesan. That¡¯s my class.¡± She let that sink in before continuing. ¡°I''m also a kitsune. If people found out what I am, they would skin me alive. What I''m saying is, a little workplace romance is the least of our problems.¡± Zane processed this, seeming to brighten up. ¡°So, it''s alright if we have sex, even though we''re coworkers?¡± ¡°Yes. Some might even say it''s expected, given our situation,¡± Pinky confirmed. She was happy they had finally gotten a chance to talk and clear things up. ¡°Awesome!¡± Zane said as he got up to go check on Dumpling again. Young kittens needed feeding every few hours. When he got back, Pinky was looking at him with a bemused expression and an open robe. She was wearing nothing but black lingerie beneath it. Finally, something clicked in Zane''s head. ¡°Oh,¡± he said brightly, ¡°You meant right now!¡± *** The next morning, even the restaurant didn''t dare trying to wake the two lovers. Things had come to their enthusiastic and natural conclusion several times that night. Zane rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and decided to resolve a mystery that had been bothering him. The young man prodded one of Pinky''s breasts. It was much more jiggly than he remembered. ¡°Excuse you,¡± the woman said as she raised her arms and stretched. ¡°Are these new?¡± Zane asked, he felt like he would have noticed them when they took that bath together. ¡°Nope, but they are bigger than normal.¡± Pinky laughed when she saw his look of confusion. ¡°It''s a weird synergy between being a kitsune and the courtesan class. Normally I don''t bother. But I thought last night should be special.¡± He frowned. ¡°So, what do you actually look like?¡± Pinky decided to show him. Besides the ears and the fox tail, she looked more or less the same. Her teeth were definitely sharper though. ¡°Huh,¡± Zane said as he processed this new information, ¡°Well, I''m going to go make us some breakfast. I''m starving.¡± Then the young man padded off to go cook. Pinky watched him go. It was a good thing for Zane that he was hot and made great food. Because if anyone else tried leaving after sex without even giving her a kiss, Pinky would have murdered them. *** The young man felt a bit tired, but otherwise good. Zane had been surprised to find out that sex was both more, and less, than he had imagined. Nothing much seemed to have changed. Cooking was satisfying as always. It still scratched that ¡°numbers go up¡± itch. In a rare bout of insightfulness, he wondered if it was the same for Pinky. Her class was courtesan, she probably got experience points for having sex. Maybe she even leveled up. When she came to join him he decided to just ask. Being direct seemed to work best for them. ¡°Pinky, I''ve got a question. I''m not sure if it''s rude to ask, but I''m curious. Did you?¡± She cut him off. ¡°Well, yes. Obviously. I''m not the kind of girl that fakes it.¡± ¡°Cool!¡± Zane said as he handed her a magically refreshing mimosa and an omelet. ¡°High five!¡± She accepted the food, and the high five. ¡°Any other questions?¡± ¡°Nope,¡± Zane shook his head, ¡°I''m just happy to hear you leveled up.¡± Pinky almost choked on her mimosa. ¡°I beg your pardon?¡± Now it was his turn to look confused. ¡°You told me that you leveled up last night.¡± The courtesan sighed. She definitely had her work cut out for her. But on the other hand, it was a chance to teach him correctly from the start. There were no bad habits for him to unlearn. He was a blank slate, with perfect abs. ¡°Zane. I think it might be best if we started at the beginning,¡± she said. *** Brunch barely got out on time that morning, but Pinky did manage to level up. Zane took the occasional break to care for Dumpling. The little spirit beast had stabilized and was slowly becoming more energetic. Dumpling, as the Awakener called her, was too young to speak. She had barely come to awareness. But the spirit beast did know some things. She knew that Zane was the Awakener. He had rescued her from the box that smelled of vermin and death. He had given her something that made her mind begin to clear. And with that clarity, came purpose. ¡°Become strong,¡± he had said. It was a command she would gladly follow until her last breath and beyond, if need be. The Awakener had even given her the cores of his slain enemies to consume. Dumpling took a deep breath, drawing in the essence wafting from the cores. She would become strong enough to destroy all who dared to defy the will of her Master. Zane watched the little spirit beast¡¯s paws twitch as she slept. ¡°I wonder what she''s dreaming about,¡± he said. Chapter 12: Medicinal Core Use Pinky both loved and hated the fact that Zane almost never asked questions. She had told him about her kitsune heritage and he hadn''t batted an eye. Which meant either he was the most laid back human she had ever met, or the young man had zero idea what kitsune were. The idea of a cultivator knowingly spending time with one of her kind was unheard of. Kitsune passively drained the essence of those around them. That, combined with their natural tendency to cause mischief, was usually enough to make them unwelcome wherever they went. The synergy between her class and heritage was a strong one. It also had some unexpected drawbacks. Namely, that if she indulged in too much intimate activity it could harm or kill her partner. But Zane was strong, he could take whatever she dished out. She went over to give him a peck on the cheek. He smiled and wrapped his arm around her. ¡°Whew! I don''t know about you, but I''m wiped out,¡± he said. Pinky rubbed his back with the palm of her hand. ¡°You put in good work today. Why don''t you go lay down so I can give you a massage? My class gives me some nice bonuses.¡± Zane grinned. ¡°Oh wow! That would be awesome! I can''t remember the last time I got a massage.¡± The courtesan grabbed a bottle of cooking oil and led Zane upstairs. There''s more than one way to grind experience, she thought. *** After working every single day for weeks on end, they decided to take a well deserved break from the restaurant. Unfortunately, Zane''s idea of relaxation was working on one of his many projects. Pinky watched as he set up a complicated piece of glassware. ¡°Do I want to know what that thing does?¡± she asked. It looked like the bastard offspring of a hookah and an alchemist¡¯s still. ¡°Probably not,¡± he replied, remembering how she had reacted to his attempted consumption of the cores he had extracted. Zane had a theory that it might be possible to extract the essence from cores while leaving most of the impurities behind. The young man was no scientist, but he knew his way around a chemistry lab. It was amazing the lengths a young idiot would go to in order to get a decent buzz going. His first test was simple. If he heated up a core, what would happen? As he suspected, the hotter the core got, the more impurities were released. The impurities looked like flecks of black oil. They coated the wild essence, stealing its shine. Zane was surprised to find out that he couldn''t use his cultivation techniques to separate the two substances. They were bonded together. He knew that there were pill furnaces that could separate and refine essence, but he had no idea how they worked. He tried heating the tainted essence directly, but it stubbornly resisted his attempts to purify it. So far he had learned that the best way to extract essence from a core was to use low heat. Higher temperatures would release too many impurities. His next experiment was to add one of the apothecary¡¯s pills to a pot of water and bring it to a boil. He tossed in one of the cores, and waited. The hot water worked its magic, releasing both regular and tainted essence from the core. essence wasn''t water soluble, it didn''t break down or dilute. Instead, it rose to the surface. To Zane''s absolute glee, the impurities stayed with the treated water, turning it a murky black. Somehow the herbs were acting as a catalyst, breaking down the tainted essence. He considered this to be an absolute success. The herbs were expensive, but he now had a quick and efficient way to extract essence from any cores he might find. Zane looked at his custom spirit bong. It was time to rip a fat one, for science. *** Pinky noticed a strange burnt smell in the air when she returned from grocery shopping. The cultivator was sitting cross-legged on the floor with a pleasant look on his face. Dumpling wore an equally pleased expression, her little kitten face turned up in a smile. She wrinkled her nose and sneezed, causing Zane to snap out of his trance. He looked at the spirit bong as if he were seeing it for the first time. ¡°Woah, this thing sure packs a punch!¡± This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Dumpling tried to get up, wobbled a few times, then fell back asleep. She purred contentedly in Zane''s lap. ¡°I think I finally have enough essence to buy the upgrades I want,¡± he declared. The young man would have bought the new abilities sooner, but ever since he came to the city he had been hemorrhaging essence. He would go to sleep with six points worth and wake up with five. After his extended session with the cores, he was finally ready. Zane connected to the Mesh and went over his options. The cultivator stared at a new option he hadn''t seen before. Death Siphon: Extract essence from creatures that you kill. Draw on your core to do damage to a creature''s core directly. Cost: 10 essence Points Rend: Do extra cutting damage with all attacks. Draw on your core to increase damage even further. Cost: 10 essence Points At first he was confused as to why he was getting new abilities to spend his essence on. Then Zane saw his Purity meter, it had dropped considerably. His original intention had been to buy another upgrade to his Chef Tools ability, or to possibly boost his agility. But those two new abilities were pretty sweet. Death Siphon would allow him to top up his essence during a fight, letting him keep moving and killing almost indefinitely. Rend would allow him to increase his damage, but he wasn¡¯t sure how useful it would be to him. He had been one-shotting everyone he came up against. But the way it was phrased made him wonder if there might be something more to the ability. Rend added extra cutting damage to all attacks. His punches and kicks would become lethal weapons. But it was made somewhat redundant by his ability to summon knives from thin air. In the end, he chose Death Siphon. Zane didn''t need it right now. But it was one of those abilities that could mean the difference between life and death in a real fight. Dumpling woke up and made a selection of her own. Zane had helped the spirit beast level up by making her chase a feather tied to a string. Then he had blown vapor in her face that was rich with essence. Truly the Awakener was wise beyond his years. She selected her first ability, and felt the power settle around her like a mantle. Dumpling would Rend the unbelievers and anyone else who dared threaten her Master. The little spirit beast flexed, causing needle sharp claws to extend. Dumpling purred with pleasure, she could hunt with big sister Daisy now. *** Lord Bajade Grasa listened as his servants reported that, yet again, their attempts to locate his son''s killer had failed. It wasn''t their fault though, not that he would tell them that. His sorcerers were telling him one thing, while eye witness accounts directly contradicted them. The sorcerers said that Sin had been killed by a kobold. His surviving men said it had been a young man in red wearing a dragon mask. The only conclusion Lord Grasa could reach was that his son¡¯s death had not been by chance. Someone was using magic to deliberately obfuscate what had happened. That meant he had powerful enemies seeking his family¡¯s doom. A representative of the Rock Mountain Mollusk sect shifted uneasily in her chair as she gave her report. Lily wasn''t happy with the recent turn of events either. ¡°Of the three groups of disciples we sent up the mountain to investigate, two have disappeared.¡± ¡°So what? People are always vanishing in the God Hand mountains. Send more,¡± Lord Grasa demanded. ¡°With all due respect, my lord. The costs we have accumulated far outweigh any payments we have received as part of our contract.¡± The lord sighed. Lily was asking for more money. ¡°Very well. I will allow some additional funds to be extended to you. But, should your sect fail to locate the killer, I''ll expect full repayment.¡± The cultivator stiffened. ¡°That''s not how things are done.¡± ¡°Yes, I am aware of how things are usually done. You cultivators get your way while us lower leveled individuals bow and scrape. And I''m very sure you would like things to continue as they have been.¡± He smiled like a mountain cat. ¡°But I am also aware of the shift in power that has been occuring. That''s the reason your sect has been engaging in mercenary work.¡± She froze, examining the lord to try and figure out how much he actually knew. It was true, over the last few generations the number of truly powerful new cultivators had decreased. And with the natural attrition brought on by fights and mishaps while ascending, the sects were somewhat diminished. ¡°Is there a point to your words? Or were you simply making a bold and unfounded statement?¡± she asked. ¡°I was merely pointing out that cultivation isn''t what it used to be. As the gap between common adventurers and cultivators grows more narrow, I find myself wondering if your kind has much of a future at all.¡± The lord shrugged his wide shoulders. ¡°Now, with this so-called rogue cultivator cutting through your junior disciples like winter wheat, that can''t be good for your sect''s reputation. I expect you would want to make an example out of him.¡± Lily gritted her teeth. He was right. The loss of a client as well as two groups of disciples had stung. The other sects were already making jokes about their perceived shortcomings. Lord Grasa let her simmer for a moment. There was a reason why he had been able to tame the Tyr Lowlands. He was adaptable, not stuck up and rigid like the others. If he could not get vengeance for his youngest son, Lord Grasa would settle for destroying the sect that had failed to protect him. The woman stilled the roiling emotions inside of her. The sect would not send anyone truly capable after the rogue cultivator, no matter how she pleaded her case. Instead, they would continue to throw useless junior disciples at the problem. Lily locked her purple eyes on the lord. ¡°Release the funds, and I will go personally to track down and destroy the perpetrator.¡± ¡°And the sect will agree to reimburse me, should you fail?¡± Lord Grasa pressed. ¡°Of course,¡± the cultivator assured him. Chapter 13: The Problem with Sects As the cultivator prepared to ascend the mountain, she reflected on the trouble her lie would eventually cause. The Rock Mountain Mollusk sect would refuse to reimburse Lord Grasa, which would probably lead to one destroying the other. Lily was fine with that. She had no intention of sticking around, or returning the money. In fact, Lily wasn''t all that sure if she wanted to return to the lowlands at all. There was precious little room for advancement at the sect. Like many others, her sect had become increasingly stratified. At the top were old monsters that could kill with a single blow, while the bottom was filled with people like her. Lily had considered herself lucky to get all the way to the third tier before her progress stalled out. The other disciples rarely made it past the second tier. Granted, that was probably by design. The sects operated like a funnel. Low level members were expected to gather cultivation resources while those higher up processed and doled out those resources to their chosen disciples. The elders also led personalized instruction and handled any big decisions about the sect''s future. At first, Lily had been amazed at the progress she made. Cultivation and training had come easy to her. But lately, she had become increasingly disillusioned with the whole enterprise. The math simply did not add up. Lily had spent over a decade with the sect, harvesting cores and sacred herbs. Yet, when she tallied up the amount of essence she had spent on her own advancement, it was but a fraction of what she had gathered. There were talks of secret techniques that could draw and refine essence from the very air, but those were only given to the most loyal of disciples. She had managed to glean a few ideas on how it worked from clandestine trips to the inner sanctum. The cultivator had tried to mirror what she saw them doing, but the results were less than spectacular. Still, it was better than nothing. Lady Foxglove giggled with amusement as Lily started on her journey. The goddess had watched her career with great interest, giving a helpful nudge from time to time when she felt like it. It was amazing how close the young woman had come to realizing the truth without ever fully grasping it. Simply put, the lowlands sects had lost their way. Their gradual decline had evolved into an avalanche, which unchecked, would bring about the destruction of all cultivators. No, that wasn''t quite right, Lady Foxglove mused. The old power structures were breaking down, but there would still be cultivators. They just wouldn''t enjoy the lofty positions of absolute power their ancestors had. The crumbling sects would drag everyone down with them, sealing away any chance of mortals ascending to the heavens. At least, that was the plan. Not her plan, to be sure. The goddess of mischief wasn''t the planning type. She liked to throw things at the wall and see what stuck. It was more fun that way. The other gods had made meticulous preparations for the coming winter festival in Hero¡¯s Step. And they definitely had a plan, maybe even a good one. But she had something so much better, a stick to poke between the spokes of fate''s wheel, a rock to jam the carefully oiled gears of progress. Lady Foxglove had a boy with the blessings of three different gods. He would be an absolutely beautiful instrument of chaos. Zane would be the loose screw that brought down the mighty structure the others were constructing. The uneven paving stone that toppled kingdoms. The goddess giggled as she thought about the events that were about to unfold. The kobold had delayed things by keeping Zane cooped up, but the boy was free to do as he wished now, and much more powerful as a result. This was going to be so much fun! the goddess thought as she rubbed her hands together in anticipation. I can hardly wait! *** Zane wasn''t sure he liked where the conversation was going. They had purchased the restaurant for a song, the ingredients he used were fairly cheap, and it wasn''t like they had any employees that needed paying. Yet, Pinky was adamant that they needed to make more money. ¡°I don''t get it,¡± Zane said as he scratched his head, ¡°We''re doing great the way we are. One meal per day, plenty of time to relax after. It''s a pretty sweet gig.¡± The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Yes, but what about the future?¡± She asked. ¡°What about it?¡± Zane was normally all about taking big risks, but he really liked this gig. It was amazing how good cooking felt. It was like everything else melted away. He could zone out for hours, grinding experience towards his next level. Pinky groaned. Kitsune were very family oriented. It wasn''t unusual to have multiple generations living in the same den. And, while she wanted kits of her own someday, that wasn''t why she was so driven. Her mother lived high up on the mountain. She had only migrated down to give birth to Pinky and her siblings. Newborns couldn''t resist the fog, so spending time in the lowlands had been an unpleasant necessity. When they were able to fend for themselves, mother had heeded the mountain¡¯s call and returned home. The fog was keeping Pinky away from her family. It was an opaque barrier that stood between her and the reunion she hoped for. The stronger she became and the more essence she gathered, the further it receded. Hero¡¯s Step had looked like a gloomy cloud bank when she first arrived. Now, only a few weeks later, she could feel the sunshine on her skin again. With each new level and bit of essence, she could see the fog retreat further up the mountain. Soon, if she was lucky, it would reveal her home. The kitsune was smart enough not to tell Zane any of that. She couldn''t imagine that hanging out with her family would be a big draw for him. And the idea of her sisters trying to get their claws into the rogue cultivator made her want to bite someone. Zane had asked why they needed to make more money. But it wasn''t about money. The money was a way to get the resources they needed to advance. It wasn''t the end goal. Pinky got a ton of experience by serving food and interacting with customers. The kitsune¡¯s other activities with her favorite cultivator were also helping her catch up. But she wanted to advance even faster. That meant doing more than just brunch. At the very least, they could do some catering. Finally, she realized exactly what she needed to say. It was direct, it was honest, and she was putting it in terms Zane could understand. She reached out and put her arms around him. ¡°It would make me very happy if the business did well, and I would like to be able to go further up the mountain.¡± Zane smiled at the woman in his arms. If it would make her happy, he didn''t mind putting in the extra effort. ¡°Sounds good to me, but if I could make a suggestion¡­¡± She listened as Zane talked. Pinky rolled the idea around in her head, then nodded. He wanted to start going out in search of better ingredients. That would save them money, and improve the quality of their food. Maybe they could even have special themed dinners if he found something truly special. ¡°Just come back to me in one piece,¡± she said. Zane leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. ¡°Don''t worry, I''ll be home before you know it.¡± *** The mayor of Hero¡¯s Step looked at all the people scurrying around below and sighed. It pained him to see so many of them wrapped up against the fog¡¯s cold. He knew it was sucking the life out of them. Yet, they persisted. As a former cultivator, Jeffries was immune to the effects of the fog at this altitude. Of course, if he were to venture higher, he would quickly start feeling the effects. The man shuddered at the thought of cold gray walls surrounding him, once again reminded of the people below who braved the chill on a daily basis. He had to respect that level of willpower. They wrapped themselves up and went about their day. If they couldn''t hack it, they left. But some, like the core junkies, turned to desperate means in order to escape the fog. The core junkies were a problem he didn''t know how to solve. There was nothing keeping them here. All they had to do to be free of the icy chill was return to the lowlands. Then again, he supposed they might not have anything worth going back to. Maybe they even preferred the idea of dying on the mountain. He frowned at the thought, but not at the strangeness of it. There was something about this place that called to anyone with even the slightest spark of cultivation. Jeffries understood the drive to climb. Sometimes he even fell victim to it. After days that were particularly rough, the mayor often found himself fantasizing about leaving everything behind and seeing how far he could ascend. But he knew that his place was here, in Hero¡¯s Step. The Mayor had spent a great deal of time with the sects before he came to the mountain. What little he had learned about cultivation paled in comparison to the lessons they had taught him about organizational politics. Namely, what not to do. The nice thing about running a city in the God Hand mountains was that there was little to no oversight. There were no kings or emperors to treat his treasury like their own personal piggy bank. Technically, all the adjoining kingdoms claimed the mountain as their sole property. But it was hard to enforce that claim when whole armies could be lost to the fog and spirit beasts. If someone showed talking about taxes or tithes, Jeffries couldn''t be held accountable for their inevitable disappearance. He thought about his most recent problem. No, problem wasn''t the right word. Complication was much more apt. A young chef had started shaking things up by serving essence infused dishes. Most people didn''t know the food was special, only that they felt better after they ate it. Normally this would have been a cause for joy. Consuming essence would help them fight the effects of the fog, and it was definitely healthier for them than smoking cores. But Jeffries had been around long enough to know that there was no such thing as a free brunch. And definitely not an essence infused one. Zane was selling his food for significantly less than it was worth. That meant he was either an idiot that didn''t know any better, or it was part of a larger scheme. The Mayor called in his secretary. ¡°Tell Captain Cerdo that I''d like him to take a closer look at the Cat, Dragon, and Fox restaurant. I''d like to know what sort of people are running it.¡± Chapter 14: A Glorious Purpose Cerdo didn''t waste any time before following the Mayor¡¯s orders. The Captain of the guard wanted to keep Jeff happy and oblivious to his extracurricular activities. That meant doing his actual job to the best of his abilities. Brunch had already been served so the restaurant patio was pretty much abandoned. A few stragglers hung around, pleasant expressions stretched across their faces. At first everything seemed normal, but then he spotted the problem. Nobody was bundled up. Cerdo was at a high enough level to ignore the fog, but he found it unlikely that these people were capable of such things. One waved politely at him, as if wondering why he was here. Cerdo wandered around to the back. There was a large sliding door that led to a cargo area or a stable. He gave it a knock. Nobody answered, but a few seconds later the door slid open. Cautiously the Captain stepped inside. Besides the largest draft horse he had ever seen, the stable was empty. He sniffed the air. It didn''t smell right. Something was missing. The horse clopped her way over to him, no doubt looking for some kind of treat. Cerdo didn''t have anything he thought would be appealing to a horse. But from the way the beast of burden¡¯s nostrils flared, he wondered if he might be wrong. There was also the question of who had opened the door for him. The sound of a throat clearing interrupted his train of thought. Credo looked over to see a young man in a green robe holding a kitten in the crook of his arm. ¡°Hello, who might you be?¡± Zane asked, gesturing for the horse to leave his guest alone. Cerdo watched as the horse stalked off to a convenient corner. ¡°I''m Captain Cerdo of the city guard. I take it this is your restaurant?¡± ¡°No, this is my stable. The restaurant is in front,¡± the young man said as he stepped forward to get a better look at the captain. It had been a long time since Cerdo had felt like he was in danger. But he recognized the sensation instantly. Cold sweat trickled down the backs of his arms and he became incredibly conscious of his own breathing. He couldn¡¯t put a finger on what was triggering the response, but for a second it almost overwhelmed him. The Captain managed to press forward through the fear. ¡°I was hoping to ask some questions and see if you had seen anything suspicious lately.¡± ¡°No, I can''t say that I have.¡± The young man stroked his kitten thoughtfully. Then he sniffed the air and frowned. ¡°Have you been playing with fire, Captain? You smell like smoke.¡± Cerdo felt his mind go into overdrive. Did this chef somehow know about his involvement with the Midas gang? ¡°There was an incident in a warehouse,¡± the Captain replied, sweat beading up under his armor, ¡°The whole structure was lost.¡± ¡°How terrible,¡± the young man said, circling around the Captain, ¡°I hope nobody was seriously injured.¡± ¡°Nope. The place was empty when it burned,¡± Credo said with a smile that lasted all of three seconds until he looked down at the kitten in the chef¡¯s arms. The distinctive black and white swirls of a void stalker made him stop cold. The young man continued to stroke his pet abomination as if nothing was wrong. ¡°Is there a problem, Captain?¡± ¡°No. I just realized there is somewhere else I have to be,¡± Cerdo lied, stepping back towards the doorway. The Captain should have been paying more attention to where he was walking, because his foot caught on the raised sill, sending him tumbling backwards. The young man tried not to laugh as Cerdo stumbled, almost caught himself, then toppled over anyway. The Captain barely had time to realize what had happened before his head hit the ground and everything went black. Zane¡¯s smile faltered as he realized that Cerdo wasn¡¯t moving. Well, that¡¯s not good, he thought to himself. *** ¡°What did you do?¡± Pinky demanded as she saw Zane with a city guard slung over his shoulder. ¡°Nothing,¡± he replied, ¡°Captain Cerdo here is one clumsy son of a bitch. I hope people don''t sue restaurants here. That would suck.¡± ¡°So what are we going to do with him?¡± She went to check the man''s breathing. He was alive, but definitely unconscious. Daisy gave the guard a sniff. ¡°I say we harvest his light. It is wasted on one so clumsy.¡± Zane was inclined to agree. He could feel the essence in Cerdo¡¯s core and free experience was nothing to scoff at. But the man hadn''t done anything to harm him. The guard¡¯s only crime was being a bit too nosey, which could have been for any number of reasons. More than likely he had been sniffing around for a bribe or some free food. That was pretty typical police behavior where Zane was from. He decided to leave the decision in fate''s hands. ¡°I say we let him rest. If he wakes up, we escort him back to whatever passes for a guard barracks. If he dies, we save some money on horse food.¡± The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Pinky wasn''t too keen on the idea, but she also didn''t like the thought of bringing someone to the guards that might die later. They would inevitably get blamed for the Captain¡¯s death. ¡°Fine,¡± she said, ¡°But swear to me that this was an accident.¡± ¡°I cross my heart and hope to die,¡± Zane promised, ¡°The dude is just clumsy.¡± At first, the kitsune wasn''t entirely sure she believed him. Then she remembered who she was talking to. Zane would have carved up the guard in a heartbeat. Knocking the man out first was unnecessary work. The twisted logic of the situation made her pause. She knew Zane hadn''t hurt the man, because he was still alive. Pinky shrugged. That was good enough for her. *** Cerdo woke up to something warm and furry purring on his chest. The Captain¡¯s head was pounding and his vision was blurry, so he didn''t immediately recognize the void stalker. But when he did, his scream alerted everyone in the restaurant. Dumpling purred even louder as she dug her claws into his breastplate. The void stalker opened one eye and peered at the guard. Normally, this would not have been cause for alarm. Kittens usually opened their eyes within two weeks of being born. The only difference was that this eye was in the middle of her forehead. He stared transfixed as the black void like the dead space between stars locked onto him. It had no iris or pupil, only alternating bands of shadow and deeper darkness. Two more equally frightening eyes opened to either side of it. They were a vivid yellow banded with red. Dumpling spoke, her words boring directly into his brain without bothering to filter through his ears. Each syllable crashed down on his mind with the force of a sledgehammer. ¡°YOU EXIST, BECAUSE WE ALLOW IT. YOUR HEART BEATS, BECAUSE WE DO NOT BOTHER TO STOP IT,¡± she purred. Cerdo could barely breathe from the pressure on his chest. His steel breastplate was crumpling as if the kitten weighed a thousand pounds. ¡°YOU CANNOT CONTEMPLATE THE POWER AND GLORY THAT IS THE AWAKENER,¡± Dumpling continued, her whiskers twitching, ¡°HIS VICTORY IS INEVITABLE. ALL WILL BE CONSUMED.¡± The void stalker walked forward, each dainty step leaving a paw print embedded in his armor. She moved with the crushing weight and inevitably of gravity itself. Cerdo had done some bad things. He wasn''t sure if there was a place where bad people went when they died, or a lower form of reincarnation reserved for people like him. But he was almost certainly about to find out. His lungs were on fire, but he had to do something. He had to try and bargain with this creature. ¡°What do you want?¡± Cerdo asked, his heart pounding in his chest. The kitten looked at him with all three eyes. ¡°I WANT TO SEE A WORLD WHERE ALL BOW BEFORE THE AWAKENER. I WANT TO CONSUME THE CORES OF THE FAITHFUL AND CRACK THEIR BONES TO LIBERATE THE GOODNESS TRAPPED WITHIN. ALL THIS AND MORE I WILL BRING TO PASS.¡± Dumpling purred at the thought of their total victory. Then, she once again grew serious. ¡°AS FOR YOU, WORTHLESS ONE. I HAVE A DIFFERENT PURPOSE IN MIND.¡± *** Pinky and Zane watched from the kitchen as the guard captain stroked Dumpling. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be attempting not to move. No doubt he was worried about accidentally disturbing the kitten. When they heard Cerdo¡¯s yelp of surprise they had expected the worst. Yet there he was, serenely stroking the spirit beast curled up on his chest. ¡°He must be a cat person,¡± Zane observed. ¡°Do you think he knows it''s a void stalker?¡± Pinky asked. ¡°Nah, you said they were pretty rare. He probably just thinks she''s a pretty little kitty. Which is good, because I''ve been meaning to socialize Dumpling more.¡± She looked at the duo. ¡°Do you think we should go over and check to see if he''s alright?¡± The chef shook his head. ¡°Nah, let him rest and pet the cat for a while. The poor guy is probably pretty embarrassed after what happened. Besides, I read somewhere that a cat¡¯s purr has healing properties. It''s something to do with the vibration.¡± ¡°Huh, weird.¡± Pinky decided to defer to Zane on this one. The chef had actually spoken to the unlucky guard before he fell. Zane probably had a better understanding of how the Captain would react to the situation than she did. They decided to let Captain Cerdo tell them when he was ready to go home. An hour later, he was still laying on the floor, gently stroking Dumpling as if she were made of the most delicate porcelain. ¡°Wow,¡± Pinky said, ¡°I guess he really does like cats.¡± ¡°Called it,¡± Zane replied smugly. *** The next morning Cerdo made his report to the Mayor. The Captain had nothing but good things to say, mostly because he had no desire to die. Whatever this awakener was, he would be sure to stay out of its way. He also couldn''t shake the feeling that the chef knew about his involvement with the warehouse and what was inside. Cerdo wasn''t sure if Zane was the awakener, or if that honor belonged to another. But it didn''t matter. He wasn''t coming near that restaurant ever again. The blaze had set his plans back, but he would make arrangements to secure more cores. They would be back on track in time for the winter festival. ¡°Anything else to report?¡± the Mayor pressed. Cerdo tried to come up with something that would satisfy his boss without being cause for alarm. There was one thing that had seemed strange to him, besides the homicidal spirit beasts masquerading as harmless animals. ¡°It was very clean, sir.¡± Mayor Jeff looked his subordinate up and down. He wondered if a bribe was responsible for Cerdo''s lack of ability to find anything. The man was wearing a shiny new breastplate instead of his old battered one, and armor wasn''t cheap. ¡°Captain, what happened to the armor you were wearing yesterday? This set seems new,¡± the Mayor asked. Cerdo tried not to swear. Jeff was as observant as ever. ¡°I wanted to replace it in time for the festival, but couldn''t resist trying it on early. The old one was scratched and dented. It wasn''t something that I felt proud of wearing on such a special day.¡± ¡°Fair enough. Carry on, Captain,¡± the Mayor said, dismissing him with the wave of a hand. Cerdo exited the office with his heart beating a mile a minute. His first instinct was to run. But leaving the city now would set off too many alarms. People would come looking for him, maybe even start asking questions about his recent activities. More importantly, he couldn''t let his plan fail. Not when it was so close to completion. The Captain mustered his resolve and forced himself to walk at a normal pace. There were still tasks that needed to be finished. But once they were done, he would be riding away from the city as fast as his horse could carry him. Chapter 15: Knock Knock After brunch was served, Zane kissed Pinky goodbye and set off in his first attempt to gather resources. The chef had been very deliberate in what he chose to bring. Anything he couldn''t afford to lose, including Pinky, was left back at the restaurant. The only exception was the brass storage bracelet he had scavenged off one of the fallen cultivators. That had been wrapped in leather he purchased from the market and sewn into Daisy¡¯s halter. If someone didn''t know what to look for, the brass bracelet would seem like a random embellishment. Daisy could access and store items as well. Though, if she came across something (or someone) containing essence, the spirit beast usually ate it right then and there. Zane was pretty sure that Daisy hadn''t been entirely honest with him about what she found in the warehouse. There had been a few busted up crates that he suspected had once contained cores or other essence rich resources. On a whim, Zane decided to take a loop around the city. Hero¡¯s Step was mostly made up of warehouses, with precious little space dedicated to housing or entertainment. He supposed that made sense, nobody lived here if they could avoid it. The fog is acting as a sort of filter, Zane realized, But it''s doing more than keeping people out. People who were too low level to handle the fog stayed at the base of the mountain. Those who were able to ascend higher, did so. Higher up was where the better money and experience were. If you were a cultivator, why bother staying in a place like Hero¡¯s Step? It was relatively easy to advance past it with some dedicated training. Even Pinky had already gotten to the point where the fog hardly bothered her. Granted, most people would eventually reach their individual plateaus and stay there. Zane suspected that as they ascended the mountain there would be certain levels and altitudes where people tended to accumulate. Hero¡¯s Step had the rotten luck of being stuck between two such places. ¡°Too poor to paint, too proud to whitewash,¡± Zane said as he departed the city. He watched the other groups of resource hunters disperse over the countryside. Anything at their current elevation or lower would probably be pretty well picked over. The chef reached a decision. It would be much more dangerous, but the chance of finding something worth his time went up astronomically. ¡°Daisy,¡± he commanded, ¡°Take me to the edge of the fog.¡± *** As Lily rode along the wall that separated the God Hand mountains from the lowlands, she felt a bit hollow. The woman had decided that, no matter how things went, she would not be returning. There was nothing for her at the sect, and Lily was tired of scrambling for the resources required to advance her cultivation. Besides, she had seen the records. Each year fewer and fewer cultivators were born. Meanwhile, the sect members had to range farther than ever to bring back the required amount of sacred herbs. The lowlands were quickly becoming devoid of essence. Within a few generations, the last traces of it would be gone. That was the main reason why she was headed to the mountains. Lily was trying to outrun the collapse of the sects. She understood human nature well enough to know that if she had discovered what was going on, others would too. It was much better to beat the rush and grab what she could before the locusts descended. With any luck, Lily would be high enough up the mountain by then to avoid the worst of it. Once again, she looked at the massive gray walls that separated the two worlds. The project had taken generations to complete. But eventually, the mountain had been sealed away. The reasons behind the wall¡¯s construction were mostly economical. If the lords could control who entered and exited, they could tax them or charge an entrance fee. Of course, it also helped keep spirit beasts from ravaging the countryside. Lily supposed that was as worthy a reason as any for the wall to exist. She nodded to one of the figures patrolling the wall above her. They nodded back to show they were paying attention. Between the spirit beasts and smugglers, it paid to keep a watchful eye. When she got to the gate, Lily showed them the scroll from Lord Grasa. They hemmed and hawed over its authenticity, but let her through. The cultivator could have probably sped things up with a bribe, but she didn''t see the point. For the first time in her life, Lily had nothing but time. She was operating on her own schedule. There were no more essence quotas to be filled, or junior disciples to discipline. She was free. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Lily took a deep breath of the essence infused mountain air. She was already beginning to feel a lot better about her decision. *** Since she wasn''t stupid, Lily had taken certain precautions. Her robes were reversible. The black of her sect was on one side, while dark blue fabric with a pattern of white flowers graced the other. She also switched out her horse at the first possible opportunity. The essence infused brand on it would be a dead giveaway to any cultivator she came across. The man she sold it to must have recognized that, because he only gave her meat prices for the beast. When she accepted, a knowing look had passed between them. Lily couldn¡¯t have been the first cultivator he met that was attempting to make a clean break from their sect. The leather masked man gestured at the mountain. ¡°You hear the call, don''t you?¡± Lily stiffened up, then forced herself to relax. There was no point in hiding where she was headed. Ditching the horse was to make her harder to identify when she got there. A pure black stallion was hard to miss. She took a deep breath of the clean mountain air. ¡°I suppose I do. Something about here just seems right.¡± The horse trader nodded sagely. ¡°Yeah, it''s what separates the cultivators from us everyday folk. We see the fog on that mountain, we shudder. You guys take it as a challenge.¡± Lily supposed there was more than a little bit of truth in that statement. Anyone could level up and advance. They could get stronger through hard work and determination. But without collecting and spending essence, they would never be as strong as a cultivator. Her sect said that essence was what separated cultivators from the more base citizenry. But she wasn''t so sure about that. The lines had become increasingly blurry as cultivators grew weaker. She knew that the ability to sense and manipulate essence was usually the bare minimum required to call oneself a cultivator. But her sect had allowed plenty of members to join that couldn''t even do that. ¡°Sorry,¡± Lily said as she realized that an awkward silence had formed, ¡°Thank you for your time, and your discretion.¡± The man gave her a bow. ¡°No problem. It always makes me so sad seeing you young folks go off and climb the mountain. I figure the least I can do is trade fairly with ya.¡± She frowned. ¡°Why does it make you sad? We''re pursuing our dreams and getting stronger. Isn''t that something everyone should wish for?¡± He shook his head. ¡°Of those that go up, few come back alive. That mountain is a harsh mistress, no doubt about it.¡± Lily chewed on his words. Perhaps she would only go a little ways up the mountain for now. She could start slow, maybe stick around Hero¡¯s Step for a while. There was no reason to rush into things prematurely and get herself killed. Yes, that sounded right to Lily. The cultivator would go slow and enjoy herself. After all, she had the rest of her life to reach the summit. A more leisurely pace would be a good thing, she decided. The sect wouldn''t send anyone worth worrying about after her, at least not immediately. She thanked the man for his input. Lily looked up at the fog covered peaks. I''ve got all the time in the world. *** Zane''s class allowed him to identify plants and animals, but it didn''t tell him where to find them. The chef connected to the Mesh and scrolled through the list of lower cost upgrades he had previously ignored. Fox¡¯s Nose: Track or Locate objects and creatures by smell. Sniff out essence rich resources. Cost: 5 essence points He had an extra level that could be claimed and enough essence to purchase the ability. But Zane hesitated. He had been saving up to buy another upgrade to his Chef¡¯s Tools. The young man decided to hold off and see what he could find with his current abilities. Then, half an hour later, he said the hell with it and purchased the ability. Instantly his nose was filled with the smells of the forest. He was also acutely aware of Daisy and her particularly unique scent. It didn''t smell bad, per se. But it was definitely all wrong. It was like someone had crossed the grassy hay of a herbivore with the rankness of a predator. She smelled like danger and death. Zane gave himself a questioning sniff. His nose identified him as a kobold. But he smelled like any other human that had spent the last few hours riding a horse. Antiperspirant hadn''t been invented here yet, and he stank. Something else was tickling his nose too. It was sweet and vegetal. He looked down at the grass below them with his senses. It was faintly glowing with essence. After he pointed it out to her, Daisy attacked the grass with a predatory fury. The horse''s teeth were no longer suited to grazing, but she wouldn''t let that stop her. Daisy consumed the grass, roots and all. The young man took an opportunity to stretch his legs while she was grazing. Zane wondered if the species of grass was naturally magical, or there was something in the environment that was affecting it. Then his mind wandered for a bit as he tried to figure out the difference between essence and magic. Zane could do some magic, courtesy of the Sorcerer Initiate ability he had purchased and almost never used. He could also draw on his lower core to heat or cool non-living things. Was the energy he used for those abilities magic, or essence? Or was it something else entirely? The rogue cultivator had no idea how anything here worked, and thanks to his rogue cultivator status, probably no easy way of learning. Zane wished he would stumble across a wise old hermit with nothing better to do than teach him the inner workings of the universe. But so far none had come out of the woods offering reasonably priced enlightenment. Zane looked down at the freshly cleared earth that had once been a patch of grass. There was a coffin shaped piece of flat, dull metal beneath it. Daisy experimentally knocked on it with a hoof. After a few seconds of hesitation, something knocked back. Chapter 16: Zane鈥檚 new technique Zane had seen plenty of horror movies. He knew never to split the group, that sounds in the dark of the night were probably ax murderers, and all mysterious metal coffins were definitely more trouble than they were worth. Especially the ones with something moving around inside of them. Daisy was unaware of any such tropes. She wanted to eat whatever was inside the strangely shaped metal box. It reeked of light in a way that made her salivate. She started nibbling along the metal seam like a can opener. To her disappointment, what she found inside was also made of metal. Daisy stomped off in a huff, shaking the ground as she went. A pair of skeletal metal hands grasped the sides of the coffin as the occupant slowly pulled themselves into a seated position. The chef wasn''t quite sure what to make of it. He watched as the steampunk skeleton checked itself over for damage. There was a mix of different metals, as well as a fair bit of wiring that looked awfully like veins and arteries. The skull was definitely humanoid. It looked at him, but made no move to attack. Finally, the skeleton spoke. ¡°Whose dick do I have to suck around here to get a quart of oil?¡± it asked. There were many things Zane had expected to find that day. Foul mouthed knockoff terminators wasn''t one of them. He sighed. ¡°Are you a friendly robot, or are you an abomination that, now awakened, will try and take over the world.¡± ¡°Baby, for a pint of oil, I''ll be whoever you want.¡± the skeleton said with a leer. Someone had seen fit to give it eyebrows. It waggled them at him in a way that was incredibly lewd. Zane shook his head. ¡°Come on, Groucho. Let''s get back to the restaurant so I can fix whatever is wrong with you.¡± Groucho frowned. ¡°There''s nothing wrong with me. Besides a lack of lubrication and stimulation, I''m operating as intended.¡± ¡°What kind of class do you have?¡± Zane asked. He could use a builder bot. Though his money was on some kind of extremely deviant sex toy. ¡°I''m a bard,¡± Groucho replied with a touch of pride in his mechanical voice. ¡°Figures,¡± Zane said as he hopped up on his horse. ¡°You can come back with us, but if you go all murderbot, I''ll put your ball bearings in a vise.¡± The skeleton shuddered. ¡°Fine, I''ll resist the urge to kill. For now.¡± The young man decided to take what he could get. ¡°That works for me. Now, let''s get moving. I want to get home before dark.¡± Groucho saluted and started to march forward. He wasn''t sure what to make of Zane. The chef didn''t seem particularly threatened by him, yet Zane had hinted that he knew what Groucho¡¯s true purpose was. The killbot continued to walk forward on squeaky knees. I really need to do something about that, he thought. It was really hard to sneak up on someone and steal their skin when your knees creaked. *** They got halfway home before trouble reared its ugly head. Two cultivators in black robes were walking down the road towards them. Zane felt his nose twitch, usually they traveled in groups of three. He didn''t wait to be challenged, vaulting off his horse and running towards them at lightning speed instead. The unexpected movement saved his life as an arrow passed through where he had just been. The cultivators were shouting, but he ignored them. Zane identified where the arrow had come from, and made a detour. With a burst of speed he drew on his lower core, and closed on the bowman. ¡°Oh shit!¡± called out the cultivator as a meat cleaver flew at him and embedded in his chest. He looked down at the weapon dumbly before it vanished, leaving a bleeding hole behind. A rush of essence told the chef that his quarry was finished. Zane knew a bit about how to use a bow from his life before, but hadn''t practiced in years. He plucked the weapon from the dead man¡¯s unresisting hands, nocked an arrow, and took aim. His attack went comically wide. The two remaining cultivators charged at him in an attempt to close the distance. He continued to nock arrows and shoot at the approaching cultivators. It seemed like a waste, but Zane didn''t care if he actually hit them. One of the cultivators dodged an arrow only to feel a cleaver thud into his chest. As he fell, he watched his companion experience Zane¡¯s new technique. A cleaver covered in slick black shadows streaked towards his friend. The cultivator threw up a shield, but it wasn''t enough to stop the blade. It chewed through his feeble attempts at defense and went right for his essence core. There was a crack like sundered stone, then the man exploded. Zane nodded to himself in appreciation as the cultivator became a crater. Using Death Siphon to attack an enemy¡¯s core directly was incredibly effective. It cost him a decent amount of energy, and he missed out on absorbing any essence. But you couldn''t argue with the results. He tossed the bowman''s corpse into the road for Daisy to eat and rejoined his companions. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. The metal skeleton¡¯s jaw was hanging open with shock. Groucho had never seen such a powerful dark technique. To sunder an enemy¡¯s core with a single blow was the stuff of legends. The killbot got down on both knees and bowed before his new dark lord. Zane watched in amusement as the skeleton touched his forehead to the ground, and stayed there. He waited, the seconds dragging out uncomfortably. ¡°You can get up now,¡± Zane said. ¡°I''d love to,¡± Groucho informed him, ¡°But I think my knees are stuck.¡± *** Lily felt an ethereal shock wave ripple through the mountain. To her advanced senses it was like an earthquake spreading outward from the site of great destruction. ¡°A dark technique¡­¡± she whispered, eyes locked on a spot further up the mountain. Whatever had just happened, Lily was incredibly happy to not be involved. In fact, she made a beeline for Hero¡¯s Step. The cultivator had intended to explore the hills above the city. But if something was using dark techniques, she shuddered at the thought of being on the receiving end of such a thing. No, it was much better to stay in the city. Maybe she could even get a bite to eat. *** Zane wasn''t sure how the city guards would handle a six foot tall metal skeleton, so he decided not to risk it. Groucho went inside the storage bracelet, and they passed through the checkpoint without a hitch. The chef grabbed some fresh vegetables and meat for dinner. He wasn''t sure if finding Groucho qualified as a win. Zane expected he would need to pound the robot into scrap metal when it inevitably malfunctioned and started killing people. The way it had looked at the corpses with such longing made Zane feel slightly uneasy. But, he could understand the idea of a machine wanting to become flesh and blood. If that was indeed what was happening. Pinky¡¯s reaction to Groucho surprised Zane. Her eyes went wide as she poked and prodded the killbot. ¡°Woah, this thing is old. Like, thousands of years old. We lost the technology to make them sometime around the Pato Dynasty.¡± ¡°I wasn''t aware you were into robots,¡± Zane said. ¡°It''s not that impressive. Everyone knows about the fall of the Pato Dynasty,¡± Pinky replied as she scrubbed at a brass plate welded to the back of Groucho¡¯s skull, ¡°Yep, this is a genuine pre-conquest shrine guardian. I''m amazed it didn''t try and attack you.¡± ¡°I thought about it,¡± Groucho admitted, ¡°But then I saw the Master sunder a cultivator¡¯s core with a single strike. Something like that has a way of dissuading a person from violent behavior.¡± Pinky looked at Zane with a raised eyebrow. He filled her in on the details of his brief encounter with the cultivators. She didn''t blame Zane for making the first move. They had tried to ambush him, after all. She turned her attention back to Groucho. Shrine guardians in working condition were incredibly rare. Most of them were locked in guard routines and attacked anyone they came across. But not this one. ¡°Why were you sealed in that casket?¡± Pinky asked. ¡°Um, well¡­¡± the killbot shifted uncomfortably, ¡°I was an attempt by the creator to make constructs that seemed more human.¡± ¡°And?¡± Pinky pressed. Groucho¡¯s shoulders slouched. ¡°It worked. But the creator thought I was annoying, so he put me on time out.¡± Zane could sympathize. He was pretty sure his teachers would have locked him in a box, if they could get away with it. ¡°Well, I''m sure we can find a place for you here, assuming you behave and don''t cause too much trouble. Can you use a knife?¡± Rainbow blades made of pure essence appeared at the tips of Groucho''s fingers, then disappeared. The killbot looked at his hands with disappointment. ¡°It''s alright,¡± Pinky assured him, ¡°At your age, there are bound to be some ¡®functional¡¯ issues.¡± Groucho looked about ready to murder someone. (But not with his claws, because they weren''t working.) ¡°Actually,¡± Zane said as he went to grab the bottle of cleansing pills, ¡°I might have something for that.¡± *** They made the executive decision to put Groucho out in the stables before they gave him the pill. Zane also summoned a few appropriately sized tubs and filled them with warm water. The killbot had a mouth and something that could pass for a stomach. In theory he could eat things besides the metal discs that his body used to repair itself. Groucho looked at the green tablet questioningly. ¡°What exactly is going to happen if I take this?¡± ¡°Well,¡± Zane said, ¡°At first you''ll feel terrible, then you''ll feel a whole lot better.¡± Groucho took the pill and swallowed it. ¡°If you meatbags can handle it, I can handle it,¡± he boasted, ¡°After all, how bad can it be?¡± *** ¡°Groucho sure swears a lot,¡± Zane remarked as he cooked dinner. The food was almost done, now it had to simmer. Pinky sidled over to him. ¡°I''ve been meaning to ask, what kind of name is ¡®Groucho¡¯?¡± ¡°Oh, he was a famous old comedian back where I''m from,¡± Zane waggled his eyebrows, ¡°I used to watch his movies for free online because they were out of copyright.¡± The chef stopped and sniffed the air. His new nose was telling him all kinds of interesting things. For starters, Pinky had bathed herself in rose water before he came home. ¡°You smell delicious,¡± Zane said as he lifted her up onto the counter top, ¡°Good enough to eat.¡± Pinky gave him a mischievous look as she opened her robes. ¡°That was my intention.¡± Zane was torn. He had planned to serve dinner in a certain order, with strict timing, to maximize the enjoyment of every dish. He sighed and removed the simmering pot from the stove so it wouldn''t burn. The kitsune smiled at Zane''s idiosyncrasies. He was always so poised. The chef never seemed to lose control, even when he was killing people. She both loved, and hated that about him. It was too easy to assume that he didn''t care about anything. But Zane had stopped what he was doing and made time for her. That meant he cared, even if he didn''t always express it in the ways she liked. Pinky leaned forward to kiss him on the forehead. She knew he cared, and that was enough for her. Chapter 17: Monsters and Fiends As Lily sat down at the noodle shop, she noticed a curious lack of other cultivators. Normally such a place would be filled with boisterous laughter and the occasional fight. But instead, it was fairly calm. She ordered some soup and took a seat with her back towards the wall. The hostess was cheerful, giddy even. This was the longest they had gone without a cultivator destroying the place. ¡°Hey, why is it so quiet?¡± Lily asked, ¡°Normally noodle shops are, well¡­ noodle shops.¡± ¡°Nobody knows,¡± the hostess replied, ¡°A couple of weeks ago, the troublemakers started vanishing. Not that I''m complaining.¡± Lily thought about the dark technique she had felt earlier that day. If someone (or something) was picking off cultivators, it might be prudent to keep a low profile. She repressed a shudder at the thought of such power being focused on her. ¡°Are you alright, miss?¡± the hostess asked. ¡°I''m fine. I just wonder if there might be something preying on the cultivators,¡± Lily said. The hostess smirked. ¡°I certainly hope there is. It would serve them right to be on the receiving end for once.¡± ¡°Maybe you''re right,¡± Lily said with a sigh, ¡°I just hope that, whatever it is, it doesn''t go after regular people next.¡± The hostess looked like she was going to say something smart, but her face fell. Lily knew the woman had been about to say that the cultivators would protect them. But if they were gone, who would stand up to such beasts? She dismissed the hostess. ¡°You may go now.¡± The woman bowed deeply and departed, leaving Lily to her thoughts. It wasn''t lost on her that the disappearances had started around the same time Lord Grasa''s son was killed. She had heard legends of shape changing spirit beasts. That would certainly explain the difference between eyewitness statements and what the sorcerers¡¯ magic had revealed. Chances were, something very nasty had made its den nearby. It wasn''t uncommon for powerful creatures to wander down the mountain from time to time. Nobody knew why it happened, but the devastation they caused could wreck entire cities. Lily decided to check in with whoever was in charge the next morning. Her desire to keep a low profile had lost out to her sense of self preservation and decency. If something was hunting cultivators, that put her in danger. Lily finished the soup and headed back to her hotel. It was going to be a busy day tomorrow. *** Daisy stalked the night streets in search of light to consume. Her chosen prey were becoming few and far between. The horse had started varying her diet with muggers and other petty criminals, but they didn''t have what she craved. Though, they were fun to play with. A rustling from an alley caught her attention. She smelled the corruption and filth of a core junkie mixed with elemental ash as a creature shambled towards her. Almost casually, Daisy picked up her pace to get some distance between them. The emaciated figure took a few steps, then gave up. She examined it with all her senses from a safe distance. There was a throbbing core of corrupted essence inside of what had once been a human. Daisy didn''t like the idea of sharing her prey with a creature such as this. She gathered the shadows around her and sent a lance of pure darkness at the emaciated figure. To her shock, it absorbed the energy instead of taking damage. The core inside of it began to shine with an eerie red light that made Daisy¡¯s skin crawl. The horse slowly started to back away. Whatever this was, she didn''t want to face it alone. *** The core fiend lived its hollow existence one breath of essence at a time. It had smelled something earlier, but the food had retreated. It continued to wander the streets aimlessly in search of sustenance. Eventually chance brought a female cultivator across its path. The woman smelled like essence. She smelled like food. Without a sound, the core fiend stalked after her. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Lily was almost back to the hotel when she sensed the corrupted creature following her. The cultivator dashed forward and leaped into the air to get some space between herself and the attacker. She barely managed to get clear as grasping hands lunged after her. The creature hadn''t made a sound. There was no defiant roar or ear splitting shriek. Only predatory silence. The cultivator drew a thin double edged sword from her hip and slashed down with it as she landed. Metal hit bone, and failed to penetrate. She winced as her blade chipped, sending tiny fragments of metal flying through the air. The creature showed no skill or finesse as it advanced. Her blows bounced off its essence enhanced bones like hail as she blocked and countered. But nothing she did seemed to affect the creature. Finally she lost her footing, creating an opening that the creature exploited. Red hot pain stitched across her ribs as the core fiend tore into her with its claws. She could feel the corruption spreading through her body, shutting down her abilities. Lily tried to run, but her legs gave out. All she could do was raise her chipped and damaged sword defiantly as the creature advanced. Then, something strange happened. It lost interest in her. She watched through the haze of pain as a figure in a red robe appeared behind the core fiend. They wore a red dragon mask and held a spear with a glittering rainbow blade. It was the rogue cultivator her sect was looking for. An overpowering aura of essence radiated through the plaza, then the core fiend started to come apart. At first she thought it was crumbling under the force of the man''s presence. Then she realized it was being cut to pieces. The figure in red¡¯s spear moved too quickly to see as it glided between bones, severing joints and limbs. A wave of essence escaped from the core fiend as it died, essence that the figure in red absorbed. Lily called out to the rogue cultivator for help as they turned and walked away. The figure either didn''t hear, or chose to ignore her. They were singularly focused on the extermination of the core fiends. What an asshole, she thought as the darkness claimed her. *** Lily woke up to the smell of frying bacon. A woman with finger length pink hair was looking at her with a mix of distrust and concern. The cultivator reached for her weapon, but it was gone. Her clothes were also missing, and only a white robe preserved her modesty. She looked down at the place where the fiend had cut into her side. The wound was still there, but it showed no signs of corruption. Neat stitches held the wound closed. ¡°I take it this is your handiwork?¡± Lily asked the woman. Pinky shook her head. ¡°No, Zane was the one who found you and did the stitching. I held pressure when it was needed and washed the wound afterwards. You were in pretty rough shape.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Lily said as she looked around and tried to get her bearings, ¡°Where am I?¡± ¡°You''re in our restaurant, on the south side of the city. It was late and we couldn''t find any healers, so we did the best we could.¡± Pinky poured a cup of juice for her guest. Lily greedily drank down the sacred herb infused strawberry juice. She felt a wave of essence flow through her body, replenishing her reserves. The cultivator looked at her empty mug. She wanted more, but such treasures were surely precious. To ask would be rude. Pinky refilled the mug. ¡°Drink up. You need fluids to replace the blood you lost.¡± The cultivator wanted to protest. But she knew her body needed it. Lily drank down the second mug, but refused a third. She had already intruded on their hospitality enough. A man appeared with a bowl of bacon and egg fried rice. ¡°I wasn''t sure if you preferred sticks or forks, so I brought both.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Lily said before she tore into the meal. It was similarly infused with essence, more than she usually saw in an entire year back home. ¡°Are you cultivators?¡± she asked. Zane shrugged noncommittally. ¡°I prefer to think of myself as a chef, first and foremost.¡± ¡°And I''m a business woman,¡± Pinky looked the woman over as she spoke, ¡°What brings you to the mountains?¡± Lily wasn''t sure what to tell them. She felt that her hosts deserved the truth, but knowledge of who she was might put them in danger. Either from her sect, or the rogue cultivator in red. She decided to be vague, but honest. ¡°I ran away from my sect, and I decided to stay here for a bit while I got acclimated to the mountain.¡± Zane frowned, ¡°That would be the rocky mountain oyster sect?¡± The woman almost corrected him, then she realized Zane had gotten it wrong on purpose. He wanted to see her reaction. She figured there was no harm in confirming what he already seemed to know. ¡°Yes, I left early to beat the rush.¡± Zane seemed to get a kick out of that. ¡°Well, we''re not big on sects around here. But, I figure what''s past is past. After brunch either Pinky or I will walk you back to your hotel.¡± ¡°What do I owe you?¡± Lily asked. She was almost afraid to hear the number, but her honor dictated that all debts be paid. Zane totalled up the cost in his head. ¡°We usually charge a silver per cup for the juice, fried rice is another silver, call it four silver in total.¡± Lily blinked at him in surprise. ¡°You only charge four silver, for all of this?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Zane said as he scratched his head, ¡°Do you think we should charge more?¡± Chapter 18: Meet the Family Mayor Jeffries was not happy. He had seen the remains of the core fiend for himself. They were nasty pieces of work, and uniquely suited to killing cultivators. ¡°Please tell me you know how it got into the city.¡± Cerdo shifted uncomfortably. ¡°We don''t know for sure, but we found an old smuggling tunnel in the warehouse that burned down. Perhaps it crawled in through that?¡± The Mayor let out a grunt of frustration. People were always poking holes in the walls or tunneling under them to earn a profit. Then things like this happened and suddenly everyone was reminded why the city needed walls in the first place Core fiends were cultivators who consumed too much essence without stopping to purge their impurities. Eventually the toxins built up and corrupted them. It was a rare occurrence, but not unheard of. ¡°Please tell me that you dealt with the tunnel already.¡± Jeffries gave his subordinate a searching look. ¡°Of course, sir.¡± Cerdo confirmed, leaving out the part about how the tunnel had already collapsed when they ¡°discovered¡± it. ¡°And I hope this is the last of them,¡± Jeffries said with a shudder. ¡°Me too sir, me too.¡± ¡°And what of the rogue cultivator in red who destroyed the beast? Do we have any idea who they might be?¡± Jeffries asked. ¡°Unfortunately, no. But a few weeks ago some members of the Rock Mountain Mollusk sect came through asking about a rogue cultivator. They were looking for a man in red robes wearing a dragon mask who ¡®moved like lightning¡¯ and killed mercilessly.¡± Cerdo was reasonably certain the cultivators had found their target, and paid the price for it. ¡°The sect members claimed that the rogue cultivator slew Lord Grasa''s son while he was on safari,¡± he said. ¡°Oh hells,¡± Jeffries swore. This was just what he needed, lords from the lowlands bringing their troubles to his city. They thought the mountain was their personal hunting preserve. ¡°Don''t they know this place is dangerous?¡± ¡°I suspect they do now,¡± Cerdo observed dryly. He didn''t like the lowland lords. They tried to game the system and had no respect for the natural order. They were almost as bad as the sects. Jeffries decided against informing Lord Grasa that his rogue cultivator had surfaced. It wasn''t worth the inevitable collateral damage. ¡°And what of the woman the fiend attacked?¡± he asked. Cerdo decided to tread delicately. Witnesses said Zane had shown up and carried her off. The Captain gave it even odds that she was in a void stalker¡¯s stomach by now. ¡°She is recuperating with the young chef you had me investigate,¡± he said. ¡°Oh? Is he a healer of some kind?¡± Jeffries asked with a raised eyebrow, ¡°That was not in your report.¡± ¡°I can only report what was observed,¡± Cerdo replied stiffly, ¡°She was last seen with them. There have been no sightings since.¡± ¡°In that case, please make sure the young lady in question is alright.¡± Jeffries had noted how his subordinate grew stiff whenever the chef was mentioned. He suspected there was more to young Zane than met the eye. The Captain knew his behavior was suspicious. Avoiding interactions with the chef would only cause his boss¡¯s curiosity to grow. Cerdo decided to roll the dice and see what happened. ¡°I hesitate to bother the chef, I suspect he may be a hidden master.¡± That seemed to get Jeffries¡¯ attention. ¡°Truly?¡± He''s certainly a hidden monster, Cerdo thought. ¡°Zane is pleasant, but he gives the impression of one with great power and poise.¡± A flash of inspiration came to the Captain as he spoke. ¡°I apologize for keeping this information from you, but I did not want to risk the secret spreading. We all know what happened in Crater City.¡± Jeffries grew pale. ¡°Yes, of course. Let''s keep this between us. But let me know when the young lady resurfaces. She may have information on our mysterious rogue cultivator.¡± Captain Cerdo felt a wave of relief. He wouldn''t have to visit the chef again. ¡°Yes, sir. I will keep you informed on any future developments.¡± *** Lily wasn''t sure what to make of the couple. They had been incredibly generous to someone who was a total stranger. But the way they kept looking at her and talking in hushed voices made the cultivator wonder if they were plotting something. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Finally, Pinky pulled her aside and asked a series of questions about the sect and Lily¡¯s plans for the future. The cultivator answered honestly, ¡°I had hoped to gather resources and then move on. Why do you ask?¡± The pink haired woman looked at Lily as if sizing her up. She seemed to be trying to decide something. Finally, Pinky spoke. ¡°Well, it''s no secret that we dislike the sects. Both Zane and I have our own reasons for that animosity.¡± ¡°And I am a former member,¡± Lily pointed out. ¡°Yes, and a cultivator,¡± Pinky shifted uncomfortably on her cushion as she spoke, ¡°But you seem nice enough, and we find ourselves in need of extra hands to expand the business. Would you be open to working with us?¡± ¡°You want to hire me?¡± Lily asked, surprised at the offer, ¡°Doing what? I don''t know how to cook, or do much else for that matter. I''ve spent most of my adult life with the sect.¡± ¡°True, but you do know how to gather cultivation resources.¡± A sour expression crossed the woman¡¯s face. ¡°Let me show you what Zane brought back the last time he went out foraging.¡± Pinky brought the cultivator to a back room and opened the door. Lily peeked inside and gasped. There was a shiny brass and steel skeleton meticulously labeling glass containers. Groucho raised an eyebrow as he looked up from his work. ¡°Who¡¯s the chick?¡± Lily pulled the door shut and had a minor panic attack. Pinky watched with sympathy as the woman stuttered out nonsense. ¡°That''s a temple guardian, and you have it labeling jars?¡± the cultivator asked accusingly when she finally managed to get ahold of herself, ¡°How the fuck did that happen?¡± ¡°Zane found him,¡± Pinky replied, as if that were enough explanation, ¡°His name is Groucho.¡± Lily tried not to scream in frustration. ¡°That''s a treasure from before the conquest, a wonder the world hasn''t seen in millennia. And you have it tucked away in a room making labels?¡± Pinky laughed, ¡°Oh, it gets so much worse. Come on, let me introduce you to the rest of the family.¡± The cultivator wasn''t sure if there was anything that could top a tame temple guardian. But she followed her hostess out of pure morbid curiosity. They entered the stable to find an incredibly large brown and white draft horse. A kitten was curled up asleep on its back. The horse looked at her with curiosity. Then it gave a wolfish smile, revealing rows of sharp white teeth. ¡°Hello. How was your rest?¡± the creature asked as it released the technique that masked its essence signature. Lily felt all the color drain from her face. That was a spirit beast, and a powerful one at that. Pure malevolent hunger radiated from the creature. ¡°I am much better, thank you,¡± she said with a bow. What was going on here? ¡°Good, good,¡± Daisy inclined her head to the cultivator before giving a questioning look to Pinky. The woman shrugged. ¡°This is Lily. She''s on the run from the Rock Mountain Mollusks. Zane and I thought she might be able to help us gather resources.¡± The horse seemed to like that news. She clopped her hooves on the stone floor with excitement. ¡°Yes! This is most excellent! Having a fellow disciple to help me gather light and help the Awakener ascend will be quite helpful.¡± Daisy craned her neck to look at the kitten. ¡°Isn''t that right, Dumpling?¡± The cat yawned and stretched before fixing its full attention on Lily. The woman watched in horror as Dumpling''s yellow eyes split down the center, they flowed and multiplied, dividing again until there were eight in total. ¡°HELLO LILY,¡± the void stalker said, ¡°WE ARE PLEASED TO SEE THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO SERVE THE AWAKENER. WELCOME.¡± Lily barely managed to stutter out a thank you before she fainted. Pinky caught her and lowered the unconscious woman to the ground. The kitsune looked at Daisy. ¡°Honestly, that went better than I thought it would,¡± she said. The horse cracked her neck from side to side. ¡°I cannot help but wonder what you thought to gain from revealing us to her. I would be happy to have someone to help gather resources, but her reaction to Dumpling concerns me.¡± Pinky sighed, ¡°Lily saw Zane fight, and she''s a former member of the sect that is hunting him. I can''t imagine it would take much for her to connect the dots. I''d prefer to have her on our side, rather than working against us.¡± ¡°But why leave her alive? Why heal her if she poses such a risk?¡± Daisy asked, ¡°Why not kill her and be done with it? Why recruit her at all?¡± Dumpling yawned, showing teeth that were much too long to fit in her mouth. ¡°WE ARE BUT A SMALL GROUP. ALLIES AND ALLIANCES WILL BE A VITAL PART OF OUR SUCCESS MOVING FORWARD. LILY IS A BUILDING BLOCK, A BRICK UPON WHICH THE FOUNDATION OF OUR GREATNESS WILL STAND.¡± ¡°I still think we should eat her,¡± Daisy said, ¡°She knows of us, and poses a risk to the Master.¡± Dumpling looked at the horse with annoyance. ¡°YOU CANNOT SIMPLY CONSUME ALL THAT LEARN OF OUR EXISTENCE.¡± Daisy met her gaze without blinking. ¡°You underestimate my hunger.¡± The standoff was broken when Zane entered the stable. ¡°I see our guest was overwhelmed by our hospitality,¡± he observed. Pinky filled him in on how the introductions had gone. ¡°I''m pretty sure she''s not going to play along when she wakes up. We might have to kill her.¡± The rogue cultivator shook his head. He wasn''t opposed to killing, or even murder. The truth was, he had saved Lily because she reminded him of his sister. It had been sentimental, and probably foolish, but he had saved her and now that decision needed to be seen through to its conclusion. His class had also warned him that to harm a guest would have karmic repercussions. This was a world of gods and magic. Breaking the laws of hospitality was a taboo worse than murder. Zane weighed his options and reached a decision. It felt strange to have finally found a line he wouldn''t cross, but it was a relief as well. It reminded him he was just a man trying to get by, not a monster. He scooped up Lily and gently placed her in the cart. Zane would take her outside the city then have a frank and honest conversation with the cultivator when she woke. It would be up to her what happened after that. Chapter 19: An Offer After a fitful sleep filled with troubled dreams, Lily woke up in a meadow. She was groggy and disoriented. At first, the cultivator thought that she had imagined the restaurant filled with monsters. Then Lily saw Zane standing next to a cart, gently brushing Daisy¡¯s mane. The spirit beast made appreciative noises as he worked. Finally, the rogue cultivator stopped and turned to face her. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asked. Lily looked around, they were alone. Next to her was a pack with her old clothes folded haphazardly on top of it. A new and undamaged sword replaced the one she had destroyed fighting the core fiend. The cultivator frowned. ¡°Are you setting me free?¡± ¡°Yes, if that''s what you want. But I thought it would be good for us to talk first.¡± The young man sat down across from her. He didn''t have any visible weapons, but she knew that meant little for her safety. The woman sighed. ¡°Alright, let''s talk. We can start with why I''m not horse food.¡± Daisy looked up at the mention of food, then went back to pointedly ignoring them. The horse had voiced her concerns to Zane during their journey. If the woman proved to be untrustworthy or attacked them, that was on him. The rogue cultivator took a deep breath. ¡°My name is Zane, and I''m what you people call an outsider. I''m sure you''ve probably figured it out already, but I''m the man in red who saved you last night.¡± He waved his hand and the robes he wore went from green to crimson. ¡°I knew it might cause trouble, but I decided to save you because you remind me of my little sister. I don''t fully understand it, but my class prohibits me from harming a guest or allowing them to come to harm. Unless of course you were to attack me or someone else. But that''s not why I brought you here.¡± Lily''s mind was racing. Outsiders were the stuff of legends. If it weren''t for what she had seen at the restaurant, she would have called him a liar or a lunatic. ¡°You haven''t told me what you want,¡± she pointed out. The young man laughed, ¡°I want what you want, what everyone else seems to want. I want to get stronger.¡± Zane''s voice was almost musical as he spoke. Then, his eyes darkened. ¡°This world brings out something in me that I don''t like. It rewards murder and violence. The Mesh encourages us to become monsters.¡± She wasn''t sure how to respond to that. Surely it was the same everywhere. ¡°But what''s your point?¡± Zane smiled. ¡°My point is, you probably don''t care about any of that. You''re a cultivator. You want to get stronger. And without a sect backing you up, you''re vulnerable.¡± He waited for the words to sink in before continuing. ¡°Daisy and the rest of them are frightening to you because you think they''re dangerous. Your first instinct is probably to run far away and never look back.¡± The cultivator nodded. ¡°The thought had crossed my mind.¡± ¡°Well, here is your opportunity,¡± the man in red pointed to her pack, ¡°You can leave now and I won''t stop you. Or, we can help each other.¡± ¡°Help each other?¡± Lily raised her eyebrow at the idea. ¡°You''re offering to share power with me? Aren''t you worried I''ll betray you?¡± ¡°No,¡± Zane said, continuing to follow his gut. The young man knew he was being reckless, but he had never been one to play it safe. ¡°I think that you''re in the same boat as me. You left the sect because you realized they were full of shit. Now you''re on your own, and don''t know who to trust.¡± ¡°So you''re saying we should trust each other?¡± Lily asked. ¡°Exactly,¡± the rogue cultivator beamed, ¡°If we work together, we can advance much quicker. Everyone wins.¡± She thought about the monsters Zane had under his control and the fanatical zeal they showed for him. ¡°What about your pets?¡± He shrugged. ¡°They want to get stronger too. What about them?¡± ¡°They''re like a cult,¡± Lily pointed out. She knew that this might be the thing that pushed them into a fight, but it needed to be addressed. ¡°They call you the ¡®Awakener¡¯. That''s a bit disturbing.¡± Daisy trotted over. ¡°I was frail and weak, trapped in a chilling fog. I would have died without him. Can you fault my devotion?¡± Lily wasn''t sure she could. ¡°Ok, but what about the void stalker? That thing is freaky.¡± ¡°It''s a cat. Cats are furry little psychopaths,¡± Zane replied dismissively, ¡°I found Dumpling starving to death in a crate. Some idiot had taken her from her mother before she was old enough to eat solid food.¡± He shifted uncomfortably as he spoke. ¡°Pinky told me it was crazy to keep her. But what was I going to do, let her die? I don''t always do the right thing, but rescuing a kitten just to let her starve to death is wrong.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Zane shook his head as he realized that his class might have affected the decision. He liked feeding people and taking care of them. Apparently that extended to spirit beasts as well. He decided to stop dicking around and get to the point. They could talk forever and not change a thing. It was time to shit or get off the pot. ¡°Look, all we want is to get stronger and climb the mountain. We will stay in Hero¡¯s Step until everyone is ready, then move on to the next town. Do you want to join us, or not?¡± Zane asked. Lily looked at her pack. She could leave. But what would she miss out on if she did? Zane could create food so rich in essence that it would propel her cultivation forward by decades. He was also an incredible fighter, and probably skilled in other things as well. She could learn much from him. The spirit beasts were dangerous, yes. But so were people. Was she any better off on her own? Wasn''t it better to have friends she knew she could rely on? Zane had saved her, knowing full well that it would cause him problems later. He could have done nothing and let the core fiend rip her apart, or left her to bleed to death in the street. Doing nothing was easy. It was the easiest thing in the world. ¡°Alright,¡± Lily said. Her stomach was unsettled by the risk she was taking, but it was her best chance of getting strong enough to climb the mountain. Besides, it wasn''t like she had anything better to do. ¡°I guess we''re going to see where this thing leads.¡± Zane smiled, relief showing on his handsome face. ¡°Welcome to the family.¡± It felt like a stupid thing to ask, and Lily knew she was tempting fate by bringing it up. But she had to know. ¡°Would you have killed me if I didn''t agree to join you?¡± The rogue cultivator shook his head. ¡°No. I''ve killed enough people since I got here. It was fun, at first. But the novelty is wearing off. Now it just feels like work. The experience points are nice though.¡± ¡°But I could expose you,¡± Lily pressed. ¡°I know that you won''t, because the last thing you want is to return to your old life.¡± Zane''s eyes bored into her for a few seconds before he stood up. ¡°I''m choosing to trust you. But I know you don''t trust me yet. So, here''s what I''m going to do.¡± The rogue cultivator pointed at his cart. ¡°I¡¯m going to head home now. You can join me on the cart, or walk back alone. It''s up to you,¡± Before she could answer, Zane¡¯s entire posture shifted. The rogue cultivator sniffed the air a few times, then smiled. ¡°Actually, that''s way too dramatic,¡± he said with a shake of his head, ¡°How about this? I just realized that while I''m out here I might as well gather up some cultivation resources and stuff for the restaurant. Would you be kind enough to help me? I''ll make us some really good food when we get back to the restaurant afterwards.¡± Lily blinked from the emotional whiplash. His disposition had gone from dark and serious to sunny almost immediately. She looked around. It was a nice day for resource gathering, and it couldn''t hurt to spend some time getting to know him before they returned to the city. ¡°Sure, why not?¡± ¡°Awesome,¡± Zane said with a smile, ¡°Follow me. I''ve got this really cool ability that lets me sniff out resources, and I think there are some mushrooms nearby.¡± He didn''t wait for her to respond. The rogue cultivator walked off towards the treeline without a care in the world, like their previous conversation had never happened. Zane wanted mushrooms, and he was going to go get them. Everything else was in the past. Lily looked over at Daisy. ¡°Is he always like this?¡± The spirit beast shook her head. ¡°No. He''s usually way worse.¡± *** After an incredibly productive day of gathering the mountain¡¯s bounty, they returned to the restaurant. Pinky smiled and gave Lily a hug. ¡°I''m glad you decided to join us.¡± The kitsune gave her a conspiratorial wink. ¡°I like Zane and the beasts, but I''m looking forward to having another woman around. Isn''t that right, dear?¡± The chef had already started planning out dinner and was ignoring everything else. He mumbled a vague affirmation to her question then went back to work. The two women retreated to a table in the back of the restaurant with a pitcher of freshly squeezed strawberry juice. ¡°How is your injury?¡± Pinky asked. Lily told her that it was healing nicely and showed no signs of infection. The cultivator looked at her host. ¡°So, what do you need me to do?¡± Pinky wasn''t exactly sure. She knew they needed help if they were going to do more than brunch, but hadn''t decided how best to utilize the cultivator¡¯s skills. ¡°We''re doing pretty good financially because the building was cheap. People love our brunch, but we''re figuring out our next steps.¡± The kitsune pulled out a sheet of paper with some drawings on it. There was a large cube with a skeleton standing inside of it. ¡°This is something called a vending machine. People put their money in the slot, and Groucho gives them a bottle of cold juice.¡± The idea of using a temple guardian to man a kiosk seemed sacrilegious, but Lily was quickly reaching her saturation point for surprises. The cultivator didn''t think anything could faze her after the day she had. Then an eye opened up on the wall next to her. A pale blue iris looked at her for a second, winked, then disappeared. Pinky laughed. ¡°Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you. The restaurant is alive. Zane thinks it might be some kind of mimic. He says we have a symbiotic relationship. Though, I wonder what it gets out of the deal.¡± Lily looked around. At first glance, everything seemed normal. Then she spotted little details that broke the illusion. The grain of the wood paneling on the walls was too uniform to be natural, and there were no scuffs or dents on the floorboards. ¡°Is there anything else I should be aware of?¡± Lily asked. Pinky decided against mentioning how the Mesh thought Zane was a kobold and that he was functionally immortal. She also neglected to mention his triple blessed status. But Pinky did have something else to show Lily, and was curious to see her reaction. The kitsune smiled wickedly then began to transform. A few seconds later, the cultivator was looking at a perfect copy of herself. Pinky giggled and changed back, sprouting ears and a tail in the process. Lily looked at her empty mug. ¡°I think I''m going to need something stronger than strawberry juice," she said. Chapter 20: General Trouble Against all reason, somehow Lily managed to integrate with Zane and his restaurant full of misfits without much fuss. He was happy to see things running so smoothly, and the former sect member turned out to be a veritable treasure trove of information. ¡°Wait, cultivators in the lowlands don''t absorb essence from their environment?¡± Zane asked, making sure he had heard correctly. ¡°No, only the most senior disciples are educated in such things.¡± Lily frowned as she remembered her own botched attempts. ¡°It is an incredibly advanced technique.¡± Zane''s mind was racing with the implications of what he had just learned. It took him about a week to refine ten points of essence. The chef could cultivate passively while doing other things, so he was always topping up his essence. He couldn''t imagine being totally dependent on sacred herbs and cores. That sounded insanely wasteful. It was like burning money to warm your house. The chef made absolutely sure he was understanding this correctly. ¡°You''re telling me that most people in your sect rely solely on consumables to advance their cultivation?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Lily said weakly, ¡°Don''t you?¡± Zane shook his head. ¡°No. I pretty much only pull from the environment around me.¡± ¡°Can you show me?¡± The former sect member asked eagerly. ¡°Yeah, sure. Just let me make some room.¡± Zane had been waffling back and forth on what to upgrade next, but he was pretty sure he knew which way he wanted to go. He accessed the Mesh, accepted his level up, and spent ten essence points on improving his Chef Tools. Whole cookbooks worth of information flooded his mind as the upgraded ability came online. Zane shook his head to clear it. ¡°Ok, let''s begin.¡± *** Captain Cerdo was feeling pretty good about himself. No more core fiends had shown up to rampage through the city, and the young lady that had been attacked seemed no worse for wear. That had made his boss happy. As the weeks counted down to the winter festival he felt a sense of dread mixed with excitement. Cerdo wasn''t looking forward to the destruction of the city, but he would be happy when his task was finally over. Hero¡¯s Step was an otherwise insignificant link in a great chain. People overlooked it, laughed at it, but not Cerdo. He understood exactly why the city was important. A long time ago, Captain Cerdo had been a disciple of the illustrious Jade Labyrinth sect. After their destruction, he had wandered aimlessly in search of purpose. Cerdo had eventually given up and joined the city guard, deciding to forget what had happened and start over. Then, one winter day as he looked out over the vast warehouses of Hero¡¯s Step, a plan had formed. The Captain was too weak to get revenge against those who had wronged him. They were much higher level than he would ever be. But he could still find other ways to hurt them. They had killed his fellow disciples, burned the writings of his elders, and then tried to cover it up afterwards. They had ganged up on the less powerful sects and pillaged them for resources, killing all who dared resist. Now, decades later, he was finally in a position to do something about it. Cerdo¡¯s scowl curled into a smile. He imagined the torrent of destruction that was about to be unleashed on the unsuspecting lowland sects. And it would all start here, in a little city nobody cared about. The Captain looked out over the warehouses. Soon, they would be full to bursting with cultivation resources waiting to be transported to the lowlands. Cerdo wished that he could start early, but his plan required perfect timing. He had to wait for the festival. Winters here could be brutally cold, and hungry spirit beasts roamed far in search of prey. Nobody besides cultivators stayed if they could avoid it. Even the merchants fled, their wagons filled with riches harvested from the mountains. He had often watched the lines of departing caravans with envy. The idea of spending winter in warmer climates had much appeal, but his duties always seemed to keep him trapped in the city. This year though, he would be happy to stay in the mountains. Cerdo would sit back and watch as his revenge finally came to fruition. He had already laid the groundwork and set certain contingencies in place. Should he die or be captured, his plan would continue on without him. Albeit, in a diminished capacity. He laughed and raised his glass as he looked out over the city. ¡°Here''s to the end of lowland cultivation.¡± *** The weather was getting colder and the days were already growing shorter. But they were months away from true winter. Pinky was looking forward to seeing the snow. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Trust a fox to love winter,¡± grumbled Zane in mock annoyance as they foraged for ingredients, ¡°Remind me again why you entered us in a cooking competition.¡± The kitsune kissed him on the neck affectionately. ¡°The winner gets a contract to cater the banquet at the Winter Festival. It''s a lot of money and will be good for our reputation. Besides, I like winning.¡± The rogue cultivator kissed her back and pointed up the mountain. ¡°Can you see the next town yet?¡± Pinky shook her head. Zane could see the city clinging to the side of the mountain, but all she saw was fog. The kitsune figured that with how hard they had been working she would be able to see it soon. With each level Pinky earned, the fog retreated higher up the mountain. It amazed her to think that just a few months ago she had barely been able to make it to Hero¡¯s Step. Now she was planning on traveling even higher. The kitsune would be one step closer to seeing her family again. ¡°What are you two lovebirds up to?¡± Called out Lily from her customary place on Daisy¡¯s back. The former sect disciple had a quiver of arrows and a war bow ready for action as she scanned the mountain for signs of danger. Zane wasn''t allowed to take watch duty because he was too easily distracted, and Pinky wasn''t great with ranged weapons. Though, the kitsune had a few nasty spells at her disposal, should the fighting come closer. ¡°Booyah!¡± Groucho¡¯s mechanical voice called out across the mountain, ¡°I think I finally found it!¡± Zane looked at Pinky, ¡°A silver coin says he hasn''t.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Nope, I''ve learned my lesson.¡± A few minutes later the sound of swearing told them that Groucho had not, in fact, found it. ¡°Keep trying, buddy!¡± Zane called out, ¡°You''ll find it eventually!¡± Ever since they dug him up, Groucho had been trying to find his creator¡¯s workshop. The construct planned to loot the place out of spite for what had happened to him. Apparently, time had not dulled the edge of his resentment. The creator had thrown Groucho away like garbage. Not only that, they had trapped him in a metal box for millennia. The construct figured he was allowed to take some small revenge. After all, he was designed to act human, and sometimes humans were petty. Lily looked up as something in the distance caught her attention. There was a powerful cultivator coming down the mountain with a group of traders. She watched the wagons as they descended, a churning in her gut said that danger was approaching. ¡°Hey, guys! I think we might want to move along sooner rather than later.¡± Lily called out as she spotted a familiar man wearing the black robes of her old sect. Zane appeared next to her. ¡°Why? What''s going on?¡± She pointed at the gigantic man in black. ¡°I''m pretty sure that''s General Badi, Lord Grasa''s second in command.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s a general, what''s he doing all the way out here?¡± Pinky asked as she came over to join them. ¡°Shouldn''t he be down in the lowlands?¡± Lily shook her head. ¡°I don''t know. I heard he was taking a break between wars to cultivate. But I assumed he would do it back at the sect.¡± ¡°Huh. I guess even senior sect members hire themselves out,¡± Zane said as he scratched his head, ¡°Good to know.¡± The former disciple bit her lip. Lily knew Badi, and he knew her. She would have to stay out of sight for the duration of his visit. There was no way of knowing how he would react to finding out she had left the sect. He might even kill her on the spot. Zane noticed the tension in Lily¡¯s body. ¡°Do you want to stay with us at the restaurant? Until he''s gone, I mean.¡± Pinky nodded. ¡°Yeah, we can clean out the storage room Groucho has been using. He doesn''t actually need to sleep.¡± ¡°The fuck I don''t!¡± called out the robot in question as he rejoined the group, ¡°I need my beauty rest.¡± Zane cocked an eyebrow at the construct. ¡°You just don''t want her to take your room because you''re afraid we''ll catch you jerking off again.¡± ¡°Those were ancient assembly manuals,¡± Groucho lied. ¡°Ooh, vintage porn!¡± Pinky high fived her partner. They shared a look like particularly smug parents who had finally managed to get one over on their teenage son. Lily was more surprised by the fact a construct could pleasure themselves, much less felt the desire to lie about it. ¡°I just think it''s wild that Groucho can¡­¡± she made a hand motion to get her point across. ¡°Of course he touches himself,¡± Zane said with a laugh, ¡°What do you think he did while he was stuck in that box for all those years, play sudoku?¡± *** General Eric Badi rejoined the caravan and sat down next to the driver. The brass and steel construct pulling their cart plodded along mindlessly. It had been built in the shape of a horse, because those who made it had wanted something that would be familiar to the peasants who used it. Thousands of years later it was still walking the same roads, traveling up and down the mountain in a dull loop of mindless servitude. The mechanical horse was one of the many wonders that people seemed to take for granted. Eric thought it was a shame he had needed to cut his expedition short. The creatures higher up gave great experience and were bursting with essence. On the bright side, he was looking forward to finally indulging his vices when they reached the city. ¡°Tell me, have any new eateries worth knowing opened up in the last few months?¡± The driver shook his head. ¡°I wouldn''t know, my lord. I never stay for long and they don''t pay me enough to spend it on fancy foods.¡± Eric was disappointed, and not just from the lack of recommendations. The driver was of a high enough level to resist the fog all the way up to Widow¡¯s Fall where they had picked him up. If the man were a cultivator and able to sense essence, he would have been stronger than most senior disciples. Instead, he was a lowly driver, complaining about his pay. As much as the General loved this mountain, it never ceased to amaze him how some things about it made so little sense. Some businesses on the mountain used magic to keep the fog out, rather than pay for higher level employees. But those enchantments were expensive and couldn''t be moved. He shook his head at the sheer waste of it. The man was at least level twenty and he couldn''t afford a decent meal. That didn''t sit right with Eric. ¡°Assuming that I was paying for both of us, where would you go in Hero''s Step for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?¡± he asked. The wiry driver seemed to think about it. ¡°Well, there is this one place, but they only serve brunch¡­¡± Chapter 21: Homecoming After they got back from foraging, Zane went into full focus mode planning their dinner. They had managed to pick a fair amount of lifeberries before they were interrupted and he had plans for the tart little fruits. The berries didn''t heal, despite what their name implied, but they did give a boost akin to caffeine. He was looking forward to seeing what effects a lifeberry jam might have, though he would need some volunteers to test it. Zane had been forbidden from trying his more exotic recipes out on the other restaurant staff. Lightning still shot out of Pinky¡¯s nose whenever she sneezed and Lily randomly turned purple from time to time. Improving his Chef Tools ability had dramatically increased both the magnitude and duration of effects from the food he cooked. Before he had been lucky to create food that had some minor restorative properties. Now, with the right ingredients, he could practically make health potions. Pinky had discreetly started selling some of his more interesting creations to some of the women in town. His stamina buffing chocolates were quite a hit with the ones who had older husbands. Though, he had gotten a knock on the door followed by an incredibly awkward conversation after someone ate a whole box by accident. The man had assumed they were just really good chocolates and his wife had been too embarrassed to correct him. Zane had made sure to put a warning on all his special confections after that. The rogue cultivator looked across the restaurant to where the ladies were sitting. He had been concerned that Pinky and Lily would have more friction between them. Women in his life were often getting upset at each other. Zane didn''t know why, but he knew to expect it and to stay well away from the eventual explosion. Lily was doing well in her studies despite the fact that he was an abysmal teacher. She had learned to extract essence from the world around her, though she maxed out at five points worth. When the former disciple asked why Zane was able to refine a full ten points before he needed to stop, his answer had confused her. ¡°It took a lot of time and a lot of exploding to get where I am now,¡± Zane said, ¡°Unless you can survive being reduced to ash, don''t mess with your cores.¡± She had heeded his words of wisdom, but wondered how someone could survive being reduced to ash. The rogue cultivator was powerful, but even he couldn''t survive being blown up. Could he? Pinky was doing well also. Business was booming and word of their culinary exploits was spreading. They even had a good amount of alone time, though sometimes she had to sit on Zane to stop him from talking. The kitsune was almost sad that they would be moving on soon. Progression tended to stagnate if people didn''t continue to climb the mountain and ¡°chase the fog¡± as it was called. She was tempted to try and open some kind of franchise, but high caliber chefs were rare. There was also a chance that the restaurant might eat whoever occupied it after them. Pinky wondered if there was some disclosure form she had to fill out before they sold the place. Because they definitely needed to sell the restaurant, sooner rather than later. The kitsune had recently noticed some peculiarities about the building that were making her concerned. For starters, their bedroom felt bigger than when they first moved in. Pinky also kept finding closets and cabinets she didn''t remember seeing before. The restaurant didn''t seem to have grown. So it was possible that the inside was becoming larger than the outside. If you stuck around after that kind of stuff started happening, you deserved whatever happened next. It wasn''t worth risking invasion by eldritch horrors for a little extra closet space. Pinky looked across the restaurant at Zane. The young man seemed to be making an effort to meet her needs and communicate, even if he was incredibly oblivious sometimes. He might even make a decent father someday. Usually kitsunes devoured their lovers after mating. It was much less messy than breaking up and ensured there would be no awkward run-ins later. It also had the added benefit of letting her keep all their stuff, instead of settling for half of it. Pinky resolved that if things ever went that far, she would try and curb her cravings. Though, it was incredibly tempting to give in and nibble on him, just a little bit. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. She was distracted from her daydreams about the future as the pressure cooker Zane was using exploded. There was a burst of light, followed by a loud bang, and the smell of ozone. Lily pointed at where the young chef had been. What was probably berry juice had splattered all over the walls and the top of the cooker was embedded in the ceiling. ¡°Is he dead?¡± Lily asked as she ran over to try and find the body, or rather, what might be left of it. She couldn''t find any trace of Zane. ¡°Where did he go?¡± Pinky sighed, she really hadn''t wanted to have the immortality conversation this soon. In fact, she had hoped to avoid it all together. The kitsune decided to shade the truth, for now. ¡°Don''t worry, he just popped off to visit his relatives. He''ll be back tomorrow,¡± she lied. Lily looked at the bombed out kitchen with obvious doubt in her eyes. The explosion had been incredibly violent. ¡°If you say so,¡± the former disciple replied. *** Zane woke up in darkness. His chef skills told him that a berry had probably plugged the outlet valve on the pressure cooker and turned it into a bomb. The irony of being killed by exploding lifeberries was not lost on him. He summoned a ball of light and looked around the awakening chamber. Thankfully it was unoccupied. He got dressed in his red robe and walked into the next room. To his surprise, Kiel was there. ¡°What the hell happened to you?¡± Zane asked. The kobold sorcerer opened one yellow eye then looked his former student up and down. ¡°I was enjoying some quiet cultivation in a place I thought nobody would disturb me. And to answer your actual question, kiddo, I got stabbed by a raider.¡± ¡°Would that be the same raiders that attacked two months ago?¡± The young man settled down on the ground across from Kiel. ¡°Yes. I had expected to meet you when I awoke, but unfortunately you had already gone.¡± The kobold rolled his head from shoulder to shoulder in an attempt to loosen up. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you managed to stay alive for so long. What finally got you?¡± Zane shook his head at how careless he had been. ¡°It was a clogged pressure cooker. I overfilled it and wasn''t paying enough attention to what I was doing. The last thing I remember is wondering why I didn''t hear any steam escaping, then BAM, I was here.¡± The chef did some rough calculations in his head. If he started running now it might be possible to get back to the restaurant in time to do a late brunch. He stood up to go. Kiel stood up too. ¡°The fact that you haven''t been back tells me you''re not testing your limits like you should be, kiddo. I''d be curious to see if you''ve advanced, or merely stagnated.¡± ¡°I really don''t have time for this,¡± Zane said as he put his hands in the air, ¡°I''ve got a restaurant to run, and I need to get back to it.¡± The kobold went over to the wall and grabbed a pair of spears. Kiel tossed one to his former student. ¡°Aren''t you itching to show me how much stronger you''ve gotten?¡± he asked. Zane felt himself rising to the bait. He dropped the spear and summoned a pair of shimmering blades. ¡°Yeah, I guess I am.¡± *** The young chef had every intention of kicking Kiel''s scaly ass and being back at the restaurant by brunch. Unfortunately, the kobold sorcerer also had plans for how the fight would go. Zane pulled power from his core, boosting his speed and agility. Kiel seemed to be moving in slow motion as Zane went in for the kill. Then the young man saw something impossible. The kobold looked him in the eye, and winked. The only thing that saved Zane from being skewered on Kiel''s spear was his ability to teleport. He stepped back, panting. ¡°How the fuck are you that fast?¡± The kobold sorcerer laughed and twirled his spear. ¡°I have magic, kiddo. Anything you can do, I can do better.¡± Zane gritted his teeth. He had expected to push past the kobold¡¯s defenses easily. It was also becoming apparent to him that Kiel had held back when they fought before. The young man didn''t enjoy being toyed with. It made him angry. He lowered his weapons and gave a curt bow, forcing down the rage he felt. ¡°I have places to be, and it''s obvious you have been having fun at my expense. I asked you once to fight me without holding back. You agreed, but apparently you didn''t respect me enough to actually do so.¡± Zane frowned, ¡°I''m also still a bit raw about you trapping me in here. I spent over ten years trying to fight my way out. That wasn''t cool. I didn''t even know how much time had passed.¡± Kiel shook his head. ¡°I explained it to you before, kiddo. You won''t learn much if I vaporize you two seconds into the fight. Now, let''s continue the lesson.¡± The young man shook his head and dismissed his weapons. ¡°I''m done for today. I''ve got things I need to do and people who count on me. If you want to keep me here, you''ll have to stab me in the back as I walk away.¡± The kobold gave a sarcastic bow and gestured towards the door. ¡°Have fun with your brunch,¡± he said. As Zane stepped out onto the warren, two things hit him at the same time. The first one was that he hadn''t mentioned anything about brunch to Kiel. Yet, somehow the kobold had known. The second thing that hit him was a spear. Chapter 22: Spiritual Duct Tape ¡°Time out!¡± Zane shouted as he removed the spear that was lodged in his shoulder. ¡°I''ve got places to be, and I can''t teach today. Class is canceled.¡± The assembled kobolds looked at him with disappointment, but they let him depart in peace. Zane used his regeneration ability to close the wound as he walked. Initially the young man had thought regeneration wasn''t worth purchasing. He had assumed a pure glass cannon build would be ideal. But the ability worked wonders for the bruises and fractures he accumulated whenever he fought. His body had toughened up as he leveled. But Zane was still relatively squishy. He weighed the pros and cons of improving his durability. It would also be possible to upgrade his regeneration again, which might give more bang for his buck. It would cost ten essence points no matter which he chose, and upgraded abilities stacked. Doubling up on regeneration might not prevent him from being instantly killed in an ambush, or if he met a truly superior opponent. But it would keep him going in a long drawn out fight. Zane connected to the Mesh, accepted the level he had been holding onto, and upgraded his Kobold Regeneration. The chef looked at his stats, only one more level till he went up to tier four. Hitting a new tier meant he could upgrade his speed again. Though, he might have to boost his agility to compensate as well. At the very least he knew what upgrades he was probably taking next. With barely any essence left in his core, Zane focused on refilling his reserves as he jogged. He pulled on essence from the world around him and condensed it down to something usable. That made him wonder if perhaps he might be missing something. He had two separate energy sources. One could be used for purchasing upgrades and another powered his abilities. But were they really separate? He stopped by the side of the road and looked inside himself. If Zane wanted to get back to the restaurant in time for brunch he would need to run at full tilt the entire way. Currently, that wasn''t an option. His core would run out of juice after a few minutes and he would be left with no way to defend himself if bandits or cultivators attacked him. Zane focused on the connection between his essence Core and Lower Core. A thin thread caught his attention. It thrummed along with the rhythm of his breathing. Essence condensed in his chest and trickled down to his gut along that pathway. At first he considered widening the connection. Then a mental image of all his stored essence flowing unrestricted into his lower core made him stop. Widening that channel might not be something he wanted to do. In an absolute best case scenario his Lower Core would eventually fill up, stopping the flow. If he was unlucky, essence would continue to leak out of him like a ruptured pipe until he ran dry. Perhaps there was a middle ground? Zane focused on pushing some Refined essence down that pathway to his lower core. His entire body shook as a wave of nausea hit him. It felt like a bowling ball was moving through his guts. The channel wasn''t big enough to carry the additional energy. He stopped and considered his other options. The thread was pulsing. It might be possible to boost output by increasing the frequency. But something told him that wasn''t a great idea for the longevity of the connection. He would have to reinforce the thread first or risk it burning out like a lightbulb during a power surge. The rogue cultivator tried to imagine small filaments wrapping around the connection like a sleeve. Zane wove them layer by layer along the fragile thread that linked his cores, shielding it. Then, he tried to increase the frequency. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Zane imagined energy pulsing up and down the channel like a bead on a string. He first matched the resonant frequency of the energy pulses, then attempted to speed them up. The thread inside of him glowed white hot, fused the protective outer jacket into a continuous tube, then disintegrated. He barely had time to swear as refined essence traveled along this new, unregulated channel. It filled his lower core to the point of bursting. Zane realized in a moment of blind panic that unless he found a way to bleed off the extra energy, he was going to explode again. The young man ran, dumping energy from his core to increase his speed. He marveled at how easy it was to keep up his accelerated pace. Then the pain hit. Zane stumbled and fell, looking dumbly at his unresponsive legs. They steamed in the cool morning air. His ability allowed him to move faster, but it did nothing to counter the heat building up in his muscles. He had literally cooked himself. Drawing on his core to regenerate fixed the damage, but not the problem. He had to keep burning off the excess energy by running and regenerating. Eventually Zane ran out of refined essence, and collapsed. The good news was he hadn''t severed the connection between his essence core and lower core. The bad news was that now they were directly connected. He went to work reinforcing the new tube that ran between them to lower the risk of future rupture. Then, the rogue cultivator worked his way through the problem. The lower core was his main concern. The soft, spongy mass was tiny compared to the larger, tougher, essence core. The vibrating thread that once stretched between the two had acted as both conduit and regulator. Now, there was a hollow tube that directly connected them. Potentially, he could reinforce the lower core with more spiritual duct tape, though that might reduce or change its function. It was impossible to tell. Restricting the tube that ran between them wouldn''t work. Without a regulator, essence would still expand until it reached equilibrium, bursting the lower core. The prospect of installing a valve was interesting, but something inside him was repulsed by the idea. Completely cutting off the flow of energy between his cores, even temporarily, felt like it might have vast and unforeseen consequences. In the end, Zane decided that reinforcement was his only real option. He would end up with what was essentially one large core (and probably a boatload of random side effects) but at least he would be able to cultivate without exploding (again). Never one to stop moving for long, Zane walked as he worked. The rogue cultivator pulled in enough essence from the outside to pressurize his cores, then he wrapped them in that same protective filament. Fearing possible weak points, he wove multiple layers over everything. Zane pulled in a few points of essence and waited to see what would happen. He didn''t explode, which was good. The young man laid down a final layer of reinforcement, reasoning that the added pressure in his cores might have deformed something. Then, he let out a sigh. There was a very real possibility that he had just damaged his ability to contain refined essence forever. If the reinforcement on his lower core didn''t hold, he would be unable to gather enough essence to purchase the upgrades he wanted. The rogue cultivator thought of the exploding pressure cooker that had sent him down this path. One small mistake had snowballed into a cockup cascade. Zane knew from his previous experiences that if his core did rupture, he would probably still respawn. The permanent damage he might suffer was what concerned him. Zane¡¯s changes to the structure of his essence core had stuck with him. He didn''t know if these would do the same. Either way, he decided to avoid dying again for as long as possible. At the very least, it would give his body and cores time to settle. The side effects of his ill-advised experiment were already manifesting themselves. Hotwiring his cores together had made Zane feel like he was constantly on the verge of exploding. There was more energy than ever in his lower core. Energy his body was itching to use. Zane alternated between sprinting and regenerating, making it back to the city later than he had liked. The rogue cultivator blasted past the guards without bothering to talk to them. They swore at the passing streak of red, but were unable to stop him. There was a line wrapped around the block when Zane arrived at the restaurant. A hand written sign declared that they were closed due to unforeseen circumstances. Yet, hopeful people still waited outside, eager for their food. Zane was about to dash inside when a hand the size of a frying pan wrapped around his throat. General Eric Badi, senior disciple of the Rock Mountain Mollusk sect, picked up the rogue cultivator and smiled. ¡°I wanted some breakfast,¡± said Eric, ¡°But I''ll settle for you.¡± Chapter 23: Some Very Special Chocolates Zane did not want to get in a fight. His cores had recently been repaired with the cultivator equivalent of duct tape and baling wire. Getting knocked around was not a good idea in his current state. He looked at the General from behind his mask. Forgetting to switch out of the red robes had cost Zane, but the situation was still salvageable. He knew one surefire way to make the man let go of his throat. ¡°Harder daddy! I''m almost there!¡± Zane called out, followed by a dramatic moan and a leg shake that would make a kitsune blush. The General released his grip, backing away in shock and embarrassment. Zane blew him a kiss as he landed, disappearing in a streak of red. The rogue cultivator could have teleported. But this way was much more fun. The crowd laughed at Eric until they saw the look on his face. ¡°That sneaky little bastard,¡± the General fumed. A woman patted his arm sympathetically. ¡°Don''t worry. If it''s not meant to be, you¡¯re probably better off without him.¡± Eric almost snapped at her, then he saw the earnest look on the woman¡¯s face. ¡°Thank you, but it''s not that kind of situation,¡± he told her. Then, as if by some divine reward for his restraint, the restaurant opened. ¡°Ah, thank the heavens,¡± Eric said as he got back in line. Perhaps his morning wouldn''t be totally ruined after all. *** Pinky watched as Zane zipped around the restaurant. He had switched to his green robes and was cooking brunch at record speed. It was by design that the window where she took orders and handed out food offered no view of the kitchen. They had decided it was probably safer to keep Zane and the customers separated. The menu was also simplified and offered no substitutions. There were three options. That was it. If someone wanted something else, they could go somewhere else. People still tried to guilt Pinky into making changes due to their ¡°dietary restrictions¡±. Some had legitimate concerns, and left when they found out she would not be able to accommodate them. But the vast majority caved. One such woman was picking up her order when Eric went to place his. ¡°It¡¯s really more of an intolerance,¡± she told Pinky. The kitsune gave her a look that said she was uninterested in such things and moved on to her next customer. ¡°What can I get started for you?¡± Eric took one last glimpse at the menu. ¡°I''ll have two of each, please.¡± ¡°Nice!¡± Pinky said as she took his money and handed over six tokens. She had never been one to let something as silly as a grudge get in the way of business. Besides, everyone wanted to strangle Zane sometimes. The General got into a second line for pickup. He wondered why they used tokens instead of paper receipts. Surely some enterprising soul would eventually try to make counterfeits. Then he looked at the ceramic disks with his senses. To his surprise, he found that they were essence constructs. The tokens felt real, but they would disappear in a few hours. The chef in charge probably put out new designs each day to dissuade people from making copies. When he got to the front of the pickup line, Eric dropped his tokens in the chute and was rewarded when a drawer slid out, revealing six color coded boxes. He gathered them up and promptly realized that there was nowhere for him to sit. The tables weren''t full, they simply did not exist. There was no restaurant provided eating area of any kind. Apparently when the menu said the food was available to go only, they meant that literally. The General pulled a small stool and table from his storage bracelet. Some cultivators liked the more flashy storage rings, but Eric thought that was a good way to lose a finger. He had seen rings get caught on things during fights and had no desire to replicate the experience. Eric said thanks again to the heavens then dug into his food with gusto. Waffles, crepes, and pancakes disappeared into his maw as the General made up for lost time. Everything was perfect. He almost thought he experienced a moment of enlightenment, but it turned out to be the essence that infused the food. Eric wasn''t sure what to make of that. He had absorbed a stunning amount of essence in a single meal, more than most cultivators saw in months. As his meal digested, the General let his senses brush over the building that housed the restaurant. At first, everything seemed completely normal. It was a boring, mundane restaurant without a single interesting quality. Then Eric realized what was missing. He couldn''t sense anyone inside the structure. Even the young woman taking orders was protected from his senses. In a way, it made sense. Whoever operated this establishment was a true master of their craft, perhaps even a hidden master of legend. They would not want interlopers attempting to steal their secrets. As the brunch rush died down and the restaurant closed up for the day, Eric felt the need to thank this hidden master for their hospitality. The food had been excellent and he felt invigorated. The General went over to a wood shuttered window and politely knocked. He could hear someone moving around inside, but they didn''t reply. ¡°I wished to thank you for such good food, oh master of the kitchen,¡± Eric said, ¡°General Eric Badi, senior disciple of the Rock Mountain Mollusk sect, gives you his most sincere thanks. I must admit, I devoured every bite like a glutton.¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. There was a rustling and one of the drawers on the side of the restaurant slid open. Inside was a box of chocolates. Eric thanked the master again as he claimed his prize. The General felt like all was right in the world. Sure, the rogue cultivator had escaped, but he would catch the man eventually. He smiled as the delicious confections melted in his mouth. They made him feel quite strange, but the sensation wasn''t unpleasant. Unfortunately, Eric did not think to read the warning on the underside of the box until it was empty. He felt his face start to go red.
Dragon Force Power Chocolate Do not eat if you have heart problems. Do not eat more than one chocolate per evening. If passions do not subside after four hours, call an apothecary.
*** They watched the General walk away with an increasingly awkward gait. ¡°That was mean,¡± said Zane, ¡°Funny, but mean.¡± The kitsune did her best to look innocent. ¡°He''s a good customer. I thought he deserved a little something extra.¡± Lily looked up from where she had been meditating. ¡°Is he gone?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± Zane confirmed, ¡°He is limping around to find the nearest brothel or ice bath as we speak.¡± ¡°Good.¡± The former disciple stood up and inspected Zane for any damage. ¡°How was your trip?¡± He laughed, ¡°Absolutely terrible. I got into an argument with my old teacher and one of my former students stabbed me with a spear.¡± Zane left out the part about performing roadside surgery on his core. Pinky must have known something was up because she kept looking at him funny. Lily on the other hand was eager to dissect this new information about Zane¡¯s past. ¡°Were you part of a sect?¡± The rogue cultivator shook his head, paused to think about something, then shook his head again. ¡°Not that I''m aware of.¡± ¡°You know that makes me want to ask even more questions, right?¡± Lily pointed out. Pinky grabbed Zanes arm and started dragging him towards their bedroom. ¡°Questions can wait. I¡¯ve got more pressing matters to deal with.¡± *** Pinky looked like she didn''t know if she wanted to tear Zane¡¯s head off or kiss him. ¡°What did you do?¡± the kitsune demanded. ¡°I have no idea what you''re talking about,¡± the young man lied, ¡°Why do you ask?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Pinky groaned in frustration, ¡°It''s just not fair!¡± ¡°Ok, now I''m really confused.¡± Zane looked at his partner. ¡°What''s going on?¡± The kitsune explained that Zane smelled like he had literally been marinated in essence. More importantly, any spirit beast or creature that consumed essence would be drawn to him like flies to honey. ¡°Oh hells,¡± the rogue cultivator said, ¡°Accidentally becoming a monster scent lure was not on my bingo card.¡± Pinky waited impatiently for an explanation. She tapped her foot and glared at him until he caved. ¡°Alright, my core got damaged and I had to make some repairs. I¡¯m better now, but I may be leaking a bit of essence.¡± Zane knew that was leaving out some bits, but he didn''t want to go into details. Pinky would probably be unhappy if he told her all the details. The kitsune groaned again and sprawled out on the bed. ¡°Alright, what''s done is done. Just know that if I succumb to my animal urges and start nibbling on you, it''s your fault.¡± ¡°I am willing to take full responsibility for my actions,¡± Zane said as he dismissed his robe and crawled into bed next to her. ** The next day General Eric Badi was summoned to the Mayor¡¯s office. He shifted awkwardly back and forth in his chair. ¡°You seem uncomfortable,¡± said Jeffries, ¡°I hope my request for a meeting did not disturb you.¡± ¡°I''m just a little sore from training,¡± lied Eric, ¡°Though I wonder why you wanted to speak with me. Is this a social call or something more official?¡± A frown crossed the Mayor''s face. ¡°It''s official business, I''m afraid. Reports of your activities higher up the mountain have filtered down to my ears. And I must say, I''m not happy.¡± Eric normally tried to get along with people, but his patience was running thin. ¡°Your opinion means less than nothing to me. If you have a problem, take it up with my sect. They will relay the information if they think it is important enough for me to hear it.¡± ¡°Ah, there''s that cultivator arrogance,¡± Jeffries tutted, ¡°Let me explain some things. You aren''t in the lowlands or some small town stuck to the side of the mountain. If you go on a rampage, there are plenty of people I can call on that are more than capable of putting you down.¡± The General stood up, ¡°I have no intention of repeating past mistakes. As a former cultivator, you must know that sometimes collateral damage is unavoidable when we fight.¡± ¡°Then I would ask you to fight someplace else,¡± Jeffries said as he stood up as well, ¡°I heard about your run in with the red cloaked rogue cultivator. I was pleased to hear that it didn''t end in violence.¡± Eric laughed. ¡°I wouldn''t worry about too much collateral damage if I fight that one. He is a weakling, easily overpowered.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± The Mayor produced a wooden box from a desk drawer and opened it. Inside was the blackened skull of a core fiend. ¡°He took this creature apart like it was nothing. He toyed with it, slicing off each limb before moving onto the head.¡± Jeffries closed the box. ¡°As far as cultivators go, he''s not a bad one. We get sightings of him from time to time, but he mostly keeps to himself.¡± ¡°Be that as it may, he killed Lord Grasa''s son and several of our junior disciples. Justice must be done,¡± the General said with a slight bow, ¡°Good day, Mayor Jeffries.¡± The Mayor watched Eric go. He wasn''t sure who would win if the two cultivators fought. But the damage would probably be catastrophic. Hero¡¯s Step had been much quieter since the red rogue showed up. Any monsters that found their way beyond the walls were brutally suppressed. Meanwhile, criminals who preyed on citizens at night had a way of disappearing. Officially, he had no idea who might be responsible. Unofficially, he was on team rogue. Jeffries let out a sigh. It was a shame good things couldn''t last forever. But such was life. He looked out the window. People below seemed happier, less gloom bitten, some were even wearing bright colors. Jeffries knew that he probably owed a decent amount of thanks to Zane and his fantastic brunches. The Mayor almost called out for his secretary to set a meeting, but he relented. It was not wise to draw hidden masters from their lairs. Zane was probably working on some amazing technique or new culinary delight, and Jeffries would hate to bother him. Chapter 24: Black Widow鈥檚 Kiss ¡°What is that?¡± Pinky asked as she pointed at the delicious smelling monstrosity. ¡°This is a bacon cheeseburger,¡± Zane replied, ¡°It''s my new idea for the restaurant. They¡¯re easy to prep and cook, so I was thinking we could serve them up in the evenings. ¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± the kitsune sniffed Zane¡¯s creation then took a bite, ¡°Oh, yeah! That''s nice!¡± After the food was gone Pinky got serious. ¡°So, when are you going to go after General Badi?¡± ¡°I can''t,¡± Zane said cryptically. ¡°Why not?¡± the kitsune asked. Zane had been planning on eliminating the General in an ambush, but he couldn''t do that now. Not after they had fed him. ¡°My class won''t let me harm a guest, not without provocation. I''d rather not face him head on if half of what Lily says is true. Plus, I''m not sure if I¡¯m combat ready yet. My core still feels¡­ weird.¡± Pinky swore. ¡°Ah fuck, I''m sorry.¡± ¡°It''s alright. I''ll lay low for a while. Hopefully he will move on soon.¡± Zane took her hand and kissed it. He was getting better at remembering to do those kinds of things. Pinky¡¯s expression softened, then soured. ¡°I completely forgot about the cooking competition. It starts next week!¡± Zane had never been one to pass up a good excuse. ¡°Oh, darn. I guess there''s always next year.¡± He hoped his disappointment had looked convincing. ¡°You¡¯re not getting out of it that easily,¡± Pinky said, ¡°The General is looking for a dangerous rogue cultivator in red, not a chef. You can still go, you just can''t use your super speed.¡± ¡°I see zero chance of that failing horribly,¡± Zane replied. Pinky¡¯s face fell. He was right. There was no way the rogue cultivator could keep his abilities hidden. He would eventually slip up, and the General would recognize him. The kitsune decided that it was time for her to take a more active role in things. If Zane couldn''t kill the cultivator, she would. All Pinky needed was a little help from her friends. *** ¡°WE WILL CRUSH HIS BONES TO POWDER FOR DARING TO TOUCH THE AWAKENER,¡± said Dumpling, ¡°PARENTS WILL USE STORIES OF HIS FATE TO TERRIFY THEIR CHILDREN.¡± The void stalker had more than doubled in size since they took her in. Now she looked like a small house cat. A very homicidal house cat. Daisy stamped her hooves. ¡°I will devour his core and drink his blood for this insult.¡± The horse looked at Lily expectantly. ¡°And I guess I''ll kick his ass,¡± the former disciple said weakly, ¡°Just so you know, Eric has to be at least level twenty. He won''t go down easy.¡± Pinky raised an eyebrow, ¡°What do you think our chances are?¡± ¡°I¡¯d give even odds, and someone will probably die. We would be much better off if Zane could join, but I understand why he can''t.¡± Lily shook her head, ¡°That code of his sure is inconvenient sometimes.¡± The kitsune needed to make a decision. Either they would have to skip the cooking competition, kill the General, or find a way to get him to leave town. She felt that guile might be their best way forward. ¡°I''ll think of something,¡± Pinky said, ¡°You three try to come up with a plan, and we''ll compare notes in the morning.¡± When the kitsune and human were gone, Dumpling turned to her fellow spirit beast. They shared a look that went on for a while. Finally, the void stalker spoke, ¡°MY PLAN IS TO KILL HIM THIS VERY NIGHT.¡± ¡°How remarkable,¡± Daisy replied, ¡°Mine too.¡± *** Pinky had been saving her essence for an upgrade. With the General hunting Zane, she figured it was time to make a decision. As a kitsune, she could purchase shape changing, trickster magic, and lifestealing abilities. The last one was a bit of a double edged sword. It would allow her to drain enemies of their vitality and essence, but it would also increase how much she passively pulled from those around her. Then, there was the new option that had appeared as a result of her rapidly declining purity meter. Black Widow¡¯s Kiss: Draw on the power of your lower core to create deadly poisons and add poison damage to your attacks. Become immune to your own poisons and resistant to those of other creatures. Cost: 10 Essence Points She knew that poison was a particularly effective way to slow down, or even kill, a cultivator. Slip something into their food or drink and by the time they noticed what was happening it would be too late. It would also stack with Pinky¡¯s life stealing abilities, if she understood the description correctly. The problem now was deciding if that was the path she wanted to take. The kitsune had made a valiant effort to avoid her more base instincts. At least, until Zane came along. Now she was contemplating taking an ability that would turn her into an assassin. Pinky found that she didn¡¯t mind the thought of being able to kill like the rogue cultivator did. It made her feel powerful, like she was contributing instead of merely being carried along behind the others. Pinky knew that by taking the Black Widow¡¯s Kiss ability she was opening a door that would not be easy to close. The kitsune would have access to deadly poisons whenever she wanted. That would make it hard to resist her urges to kill and devour. Yet, she found herself caring less and less about the morality of it. Practically speaking, Pinky was a predator. She was also a kitsune, not a human. And those were human considerations. She took the ability and felt a rush of knowledge flow through her. Pinky¡¯s heart fluttered as she thought about all the toxic plants they had come across while foraging. They had come so close to disaster without even knowing it. The kitsune took a deep breath, and began to formulate a plan for dealing with the General. If he was staying at an inn, chances were they served food and drink. It wouldn¡¯t be too hard for her to slip in and spike a bottle or perhaps leave something nasty in his bed. Maybe she could even do it tonight. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. *** One of Zane¡¯s favorite parts of the day was pressing and bottling the juice. It was a mindless way to grind experience and make money. First, the chef took their haul of berries from the market and washed them off. Then he ran them through a press, adding sugar or lime juice to adjust the taste, before dividing the juice into glass bottles. Zane pressed enough of his energy into the summoned bottles to keep them from disappearing before sunset, then went to work making ice. Coolers were nothing new, or particularly high tech. Straw and grass surrounding a wooden tub gave it enough insulation to stop the ice he made from melting too soon. Zane cooled the water in the tub until it froze solid and loaded it full of bottles. Groucho ambled over and took his seat near the window. Zane¡¯s original plan of making an enclosed vending machine had been hampered by the fact that constructs didn¡¯t do well in the cold, so the icebox was the closest he could get. The chef went around front, made sure the display hadn¡¯t been vandalized, then slid the sign over to show they were open for business. It was a simple system that replaced one of the street facing windows. Customers put money into the box, Groucho dropped a bottle of juice down the chute. If they wanted change, that was too bad. Occasionally someone would get the bright idea to try reaching up the chute. Zane wasn¡¯t sure what they expected to find, but Groucho was more than happy to trim off any offending fingers that intruded into his workspace. The construct seemed to enjoy killing and maiming, but didn¡¯t go out of his way to find trouble. Zane contrasted this with Daisy and Dumpling¡¯s nighttime activities which were much more violent, and frequent. So far the duo had managed to keep a low profile by sticking to cultivators and criminals, but he knew their good luck wouldn¡¯t hold out forever. Zane was conflicted about allowing them to continue. Inevitably Daisy would bite off more than even she could chew. But until that happened, she would continue to progress rapidly. Each time he told her to take him to the edge of the fog, she climbed higher and higher up the mountain. Soon, they would be ready to move onto the next big city. The rogue cultivator still hadn¡¯t entirely wrapped his head around the idea that he saw the world differently than his lower level companions. He could be walking through a sunny meadow without a care in the world, while Daisy stood at the edge of it, peering intensely into the thick fog. There was probably some philosophical wisdom to be gleaned from that, but Zane wouldn¡¯t be the one to find it. He had things to do. The General was a problem. Lily didn¡¯t feel comfortable with him nearby. Zane knew that if he didn¡¯t act soon, one of his companions would. The rogue cultivator¡¯s body was still stabilizing after the idiots and crafts project he had undertaken turned his cores into modern art. Zane giggled at the thought that after his roadside patch job his cores vaguely resembled an upside down avocado. Truly he had become a peak millennial, or whatever generation he was classified as. Zane wasn¡¯t good at keeping track of that stuff. His wandering mind was rudely pulled back to the present by the sound of a man screaming. The rogue cultivator looked over to see Groucho holding a tattooed arm. The owner was cursing and shouting outside the restaurant, evidently not happy to have paid so dearly for his attempt to get free drinks. ¡°Should I give him a free bottle?¡± Groucho asked, inspecting the severed appendage, ¡°I was just trying to scare him. I didn¡¯t realize he would come apart so easily.¡± Zane considered that for a second. ¡°No, I don¡¯t think free juice will cut it. I guess I should go out and introduce myself.¡± ¡°Be careful,¡± the construct warned, ¡°They¡¯re cultivators.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Zane asked as he took a peek out the window. Four men in blue robes were gathered around their wounded companion. His class told him that none had eaten his food. ¡°Do any of them feel particularly powerful?¡± ¡°Nah, I heard one complaining about the fog. Besides, if they come apart this easily they probably aren¡¯t very high level.¡± Groucho wiggled the man¡¯s severed arm for emphasis. Zane smiled wickedly. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re a bard. Do you think you can mimic my voice?¡± The killbot nodded. ¡°Yeah, why?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m going to need an alibi,¡± Zane said as he pulled some black robes and a short straight sword from his storage bracelet, ¡°I think it¡¯s time to stir up a little trouble for the General.¡± Groucho cackled evilly. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s delicious. Here, take this, compliments of a humble bard.¡± Zane gratefully accepted the mask that the construct summoned for him. The repeating pattern of black waves and spiral shells marked him as a member of the Rock Mountain Mollusk sect. ¡°Beautiful work, Groucho,¡± Zane said as he donned it. ¡°Thanks boss!¡± the killbot paused, ¡°Can I ask a favor?¡± ¡°You can ask,¡± Zane replied cautiously. He still hadn¡¯t gotten over his instinctual fear that the construct would eventually betray them. ¡°What do you need?¡± ¡°I would like it very much if you would leave one of them reasonably intact with no big holes or wounds.¡± Groucho rubbed a bony knuckle over his ribs for emphasis. ¡°I feel very underdressed, and would like to be able to go outside.¡± Zane breathed out a sigh of relief. He could do that. In fact, it would probably make his plans go along much smoother if Groucho could impersonate one of the other sect members. ¡°Yeah, I can probably manage. Would it be easier if I captured one of them alive and let you do the cutting?¡± Groucho looked at his boss with surprise. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re going to help me? Just like that?¡± ¡°Of course I¡¯ll help you,¡± Zane said with a smile as he took one last glance out the window and walked towards the back door, ¡°What are friends for?¡± The cultivators seemed to have stabilized their wounded companion and were preparing to attack the restaurant. There were four of them, four and a half if he counted the one who had been disarmed. Zane didn¡¯t know how well his abilities would work with his body in its current state. Even increasing his speed had started to become difficult to control. Sometimes it took a few seconds to kick in, worked so well he cooked himself, or didn¡¯t work at all. The young man knew he was in for a fight that might not go his way. He was outnumbered and had to content himself with the mundane sword in his hand. Zane¡¯s speed would also potentially give up the ruse, so he would have to save it for emergencies. There might even be one of the men who was higher level than he was. Zane gripped his stolen sword, feeling his heartbeat grow slow and steady as he pulled essence into him. Yes, he was outnumbered and his cores were held together by spiritual duct tape. If he died now, it might have long term consequences for his progress up the mountain. But that was what made it fun. He stepped out from the alley, throwing on the attitude of a hot shit disciple from a powerful sect. ¡°Hello, you sons of unclean whores!¡± Zane called out towards the cultivators in blue. ¡°Who dares insult members of the all powerful Crashing Wave Otter sect?¡± demanded a man with a gray beard poking out from under his blue and white mask, ¡°Speak now, so we may know whose corpse we will piss upon!¡± Zane couldn¡¯t help himself. He made sure to speak up so his voice would carry. ¡°My name is General Eric Badi. I represent a power much greater than your little puddle pissing group of weaklings. I am a proud member of the Rock Mountain Mollusk sect. And if watersports are what you¡¯re into, you should swing by the brothels.¡± The young man focussed himself as he prepared to say words that marked a point of no return. Once he spoke, it would be a fight to the death. He drew his sword and held it loosely by his side. ¡°Speaking of brothels, that reminds me. If I ask nicely, do you think your mothers will give me a discount? Or is that a family only kind of thing?¡± Zane asked with a mocking laugh, ¡°I¡¯d hate to overpay for trash.¡± The gray bearded sect member drew his sword and lunged, his face contorted into a snarl. Angry as he was, the cultivator moved with a confident grace that showed decades of dedication to the killing arts. He was both powerful and skilled, Zane realized. Only someone of a higher level could move that fast without a blessing. The rogue cultivator felt a brief flicker of fear. They were much more evenly matched than he had anticipated. With his body still recovering his powers were unpredictable at best. If he pushed himself too hard, there was a chance that Zane¡¯s own cores rupturing would kill him before the cultivator could. This would be a real fight after all. God, I missed this feeling! Zane thought as he swung his sword to block the oncoming blade, I feel so fucking alive! Chapter 25: Some Jobs Require A Sword Moz Kara¡¯s foe used a shorter single edged sword in a full sized sheath, an assassin¡¯s weapon. The hated Rock Mountain Mollusk sect were not subtle about their desires to take from other cultivators, or their willingness to serve as mercenaries, and the blades they wore reflected this. Their swords were two-handed and heavy, designed for cutting through armor. They were single edged, with a thick spine to deflect attacks. His Jian, on the other hand, was a thing of beauty. It only required one hand to wield and was considerably lighter. A master swordsman such as Moz could dance through the defenses of lesser cultivators with the graceful double edged blade. He did not know why this man in black had chosen to insult them. They had him outnumbered four to one (four and a half if Moz counted their wounded friend). Unless the cultivator was some kind of sword genius, he would be quickly cut down. But still, there was something that made the graybeard cautious. The man in black had introduced himself as General Eric Badi, a name he was familiar with. Rumor had it that the General was powerful enough to punch a hole in the side of a mountain. Moz had heard nothing about the General¡¯s sword skills, so he tempered his rage and started with a probing attack. Moz moved with a fluid grace acquired over decades of training. His jian flicked towards the man in black like a serpent¡¯s tongue. He could see it about to bite into flesh. Then, at the very last second, his opponent brought their blade up to block. He almost winced as his sword hit their heavier blade. The edge of Moz¡¯s weapon chipped as it vibrated in his hand from the impact. Each time he struck it was the same result, another block that damaged his blade. The graybeard quickly realized what was happening. They were trying to break his weapon, intentionally sacrificing their blade to destroy his. Moz took a step back. The man in black let out a snort of laughter. ¡°Very good,¡± he said, ¡°You are pretty fast, but I¡¯m faster.¡± Moz went on the defensive as the man in black attacked. The graybeard couldn¡¯t understand how a blade that heavy could move so quickly. Each blow threatened to slice Moz in half as the man attacked without care for his own weapon. All he could do was attempt to deflect the man in black¡¯s powerful strikes, trying not to wince as his blade continued to chip. He got in a few good slashes, but nothing that would stop the fight. ¡°You bastard!¡± Moz shouted as they separated, ¡°This sword has been in my family for generations!¡± The man in black laughed as he got back into a fighting stance. ¡°Don¡¯t get all bent out of shape, dude. It¡¯s just a sword. Besides, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to have much use for it after today.¡± Moz felt his blood run cold as he realized a very important detail about his opponent. The man in black was moving as if he were no longer wounded. The slashes on the General¡¯s legs and arms did nothing to hinder him. In fact, they were beginning to close up as if they never existed. ¡°What manner of dark technique is this?¡± Moz demanded, pointing at the rapidly healing wound, ¡°Are you some kind of demon?¡± The man in black didn¡¯t take his eyes off of Moz as he replied. His voice lowered to a whisper that only the graybeard could hear. ¡°What if I was? What if my entire sect were demon worshipers?¡± he asked with a cruel smile curling at the corners of his lips. ¡°I would destroy you and your entire sect,¡± Moz said without hesitation. ¡°Good to know!¡± the man in black replied as he threw his sword. Moz didn¡¯t need to dodge the blade. It wasn¡¯t aimed at him. Instead he watched with growing horror as the sword took on the oily black sheen of a dark technique. The wounded cultivator tried to block the blade coming towards him, but his missing arm made that impossible. There was a brief flicker of shock, followed by resignation, as the black sword plunged into the center of his chest. ¡°No!¡± screamed Moz as the dying man¡¯s core detonated. The other three sect members had no time to react. One second they were trying to help their fellow disciple, the next they were shredded by the blast wave. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The graybeard turned to face his enemy. He needed to get vengeance for his fellow disciples, but his legs weren¡¯t working. Moz¡¯s knees buckled as he fell forward, the knife in his back having severed his spinal column. Limp fingers dropped a sword that had been handed down from father to son for over a hundred years. The man in black knelt down beside him, not bothering to retrieve the blade he had stuck in the graybeard¡¯s back. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± he asked. ¡°Moz Kara,¡± replied the dying cultivator, ¡°My name is Moz¡­ Kara¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s any consolation, Moz,¡± the man in black said, ¡°I¡¯ve got a friend who is absolutely going to love wearing your skin.¡± *** Zane decided against watching Groucho work. Instead he sat by the cooler and sold bottles of juice to the guards who came to investigate. Daisy wanted to consume what was left of the cultivators outside on the street (and all over the walls), but had settled for the killbot¡¯s leftovers. The rogue cultivator said as little as possible to the city guards who tried to interview him. Captain Cerdo showed up a little later and told his people to stop bothering Zane. The young man thanked him and went back inside. As luck would have it, the explosion had covered up Groucho¡¯s disarming of the first cultivator. That was lucky, because Zane didn¡¯t feel like trying to make something up to explain why his juice machine ripped people¡¯s arms off. Somehow he didn¡¯t think that would go over well. Groucho strolled into the kitchen a few hours later wearing his new Moz Kara suit. He gave a twirl. ¡°What do you think?¡± Zane looked at the flesh clad killbot. ¡°I mean, you could probably pass for a person. But it¡¯s probably going to start rotting soon, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What? No, of course it isn¡¯t,¡± Groucho said, rubbing his fleshy outer covering to smooth out any wrinkles, ¡°This is living tissue. It even heals from small cuts and bruises.¡± ¡°Oh, good for you,¡± Zane said, quickly getting bored with the novelty of his friend¡¯s new look, ¡°But put some clothes on, I don¡¯t think the girls would like walking in on you all naked.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Asked the killbot, ¡°Technically I was more naked before. You could see my parts and everything.¡± Zane wasn¡¯t one for philosophical discussions. ¡°Just put some clothes on,¡± he said, ¡°And don¡¯t leave the restaurant until I tell you to. I need to go find out if Moz has other friends in town first.¡± Groucho turned and left in a huff, muttering something about how clothes were unnatural. The rogue cultivator stifled a laugh as he absentmindedly tossed Moz¡¯s essence core in the air. Some people are so weird, he thought. *** Pinky was completely unaware of the shenanigans going on in the restaurant. She had spent the last few hours trying to discreetly track down the General. The sun had nearly set by the time she found where he was staying. It was one of the nicer inns that catered to rich merchants and nobles. Nobody besides them could afford to stay there. The kitsune thought that was interesting. Either the General was incredibly well off, or someone was paying for his accommodations. Pinky watched him exit the building, but didn¡¯t follow. She was here to figure out which room was his, and hopefully find something she could poison. Following a powerful cultivator through the city streets at night was not part of the plan. Pinky changed her appearance to something beautiful, but generic, with straight black hair. Her green robes were well made, but showed no obvious indications of what she did for a living. The kitsune didn¡¯t bother wearing a mask, her whole being was a mask. She walked up to the counter and held out a small leather money pouch. It was tied tightly and double knotted to prevent theft. ¡°Hello, I have something I need to give to General Eric Badi,¡± she said with a bow. The balding man behind the counter bowed back to her, ¡°Of course, I would be more than happy to hold it for him.¡± The kitsune frowned. ¡°I would feel much better if I were able to give it to him personally. Would you please fetch him for me?¡± ¡°I would, but unfortunately he has gone out for a walk,¡± the balding man made apologetic noises, ¡°But if you leave it with me, I can give it to him when he returns.¡± Pinky shook her head. ¡°Unfortunately I can¡¯t do that. This is from a very important client, a very particular client. You might even know the one.¡± The man¡¯s face flushed. ¡°Ah, I believe I do. Well, you are more than welcome to wait here for him. I can have one of the girls bring over some tea,¡± he said weakly. The kitsune wasn¡¯t sure who he thought she worked for, but evidently the man was terrified of them. Pinky decided to use that to her advantage. ¡°How about this, you take me up to his room and I¡¯ll watch you put it under his pillow. That way I know he will find it, and no sticky fingers will have to get cut off for stealing from the wrong person.¡± ¡°Yes! Of course,¡± the balding man said as he reached back and took a key from the wall, ¡°That would be most agreeable. Follow me.¡± Chapter 26: Trouble In The No-Tell Hotel Pinky didn¡¯t actually care about the pouch. All the kitsune wanted to know was what room the General was staying in and to make sure it was unoccupied. She thanked the bald man and exited out the front. A few minutes later she had ducked in a back entrance and was on her way upstairs to the room. There was a loud party taking place down the hall, but she didn¡¯t see any guests or staff. The kitsune bypassed the latch on the door with a thin-bladed knife and ducked inside. The room was neatly arranged, with a bed, nightstand, bath, and a rack for the General¡¯s gear. She didn¡¯t bother retrieving the pouch. Inside were some hard candies she had purchased at the market, something that would probably be mistaken for a gift from the inn. The decision not to poison the candy had been a tough one. But Pinky couldn¡¯t be sure the cultivator would eat the sweets himself, instead of passing them along. She needed something personal, something only he would use. Her eyes went to a pouch that lightly smelled of essence over on the storage rack. The sweet herbal notes coming from the bag told the kitsune that it was some kind of tea. Pinky picked it up and tried to decide if it was a good candidate. On the one hand, it was definitely a personal item he would consume. On the other hand, tea was often shared and the hot water might lower the potency of her poisons. An empty waterskin caught Pinky¡¯s eye. She put down the herbal tea and inspected the vessel. This will do nicely, the kitsune thought. Pinky opened the waterskin and used her new ability to coat the inside with poison. It dripped from her fingernails like clear drops of morning dew. The kitsune didn¡¯t know how well the General would be able to resist the toxin, but she had a feeling that he wouldn¡¯t enjoy the experience. The only problem was that it might take a while for him to get around to using the waterskin. But that was a potential benefit as well. If he died somewhere on the road, it would be harder to trace back to them. She listened at the door for any signs of activity then exited the room. The party going on down the hall was getting even louder. Pinky could hear the sounds of furniture bumping against the thin walls and shouting. The kitsune almost walked right by the room in question, when a pleading voice caught her attention. ¡°Please, just let me go!¡± begged a woman from somewhere inside. ¡°I have to get back to work!¡± Pinky could guess what was going on from the sounds of drunken laughter, and it wasn¡¯t anything good. The kitsune straightened her back and knocked on the door. A few seconds later a very intoxicated caravan guard answered the door. His eyes seemed to have trouble focussing on her. Pinky could see a woman inside with her uniform half torn open. ¡°What do you want?¡± the man demanded. The kitsune responded by jabbing two poison dipped nails into his throat. The guard fell backwards into the room, convulsing as the poison fried his nervous system. Pinky covered her mouth, letting out a mock giggle as the man pissed himself and went still. ¡°Oops!¡± she said innocently before pointing at the serving woman, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go get the boss while I clean up in here. But do me a favor, wait ten minutes before you come back for the bodies.¡± The woman didn¡¯t need to be told twice. She ran out of the room like her hair was on fire. Pinky pointed a long sharp talon at the remaining guards, her form becoming more bestial as she walked towards them. ¡°So, you like hurting young women?¡± she asked through elongated teeth. A man wearing blue and gold silks got up from the cushion where he had been sitting to watch the show. Pinky figured that he was probably the merchant who paid the guards¡¯ salaries. ¡°Leave us, foul creature. Your point has been made,¡± he said. There was a hint of panic in his voice, though he tried to hide it. None of them were cultivators and this was obviously some kind of spirit beast. The other guards looked from Pinky to the dead man on the ground. It was obvious that they had no desire to mess with whatever could do that to a person so easily. Pinky cocked her head to the side and activated her Essence Drain ability, pairing it with Black Widow¡¯s Kiss. A thin white mist began to spread through the room. Within seconds the guards and their boss were twitching on the ground. ¡°You know,¡± the kitsune said softly as she knelt down next to the merchant, ¡°It has been a long time since I got to kill anyone. I forgot how much I missed it.¡± Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The kitsune draped her hand over the man¡¯s face, pulling the essence and vitality out of his body. Leaving corpses to be discovered was sloppy, but she felt the need to send a message. Pinky kept draining the merchant until nothing remained besides a dried out husk. ¡°There,¡± she said, ¡°Now I think I¡¯ve made my point.¡± *** General Eric Badi walked through the city with no particular goal in mind besides grabbing an evening snack and gathering his thoughts. Hero¡¯s Step was low enough on the mountain that common folk could temporarily resist the fog. That meant there was a pretty decent amount of variety when it came to food. Embarrassment over what happened with the chocolates had prevented him from returning to the restaurant for brunch. But Eric¡¯s stomach was waging a war against his ego, and winning. The General hadn¡¯t yet given up on pleasures of the flesh, and had no intention of doing so, despite the naggings of his elders. He liked food, probably more than he liked grinding levels. Cultivation had been easy for him, and his position within the sect had given him access to essence rich resources. That meant his rise within the sect had been relatively quick. But access to creature comforts had been more of a driving factor for Eric than any desire to advance his cultivation. Besides, the lowland sects were dying anyway. His mission to bring the Red Rogue to justice was proof of this. Things were dire indeed when some rogue cultivator could wipe the floor with so many junior disciples. Numbers alone should have made taking him down easy. But they had been unable to find and eliminate the target. And now Eric had been called on to do it for them. The General would have declined, but he had a personal stake in all this. Lily had gone out to destroy the Red Rogue, and disappeared. He knew that she was a smart one, not some mindless drone who believed their sect¡¯s rhetoric about growth at any cost. Eric wasn¡¯t sure if she had abandoned the sect rather than face disgrace for the death of Lord Grasa¡¯s son, or fallen to the Red Rogue¡¯s blade. Either way, the General knew what he needed to do if he wanted to find answers. He needed to find his fellow disciple, or the man who killed her. The Red Rogue made a habit of killing cultivators. Whether that was out of self-defense, or some darker motivation, remained to be seen. But hunting men was not dissimilar from tracking spirit beasts. A snowcat would bed down in a secure place not far from where their chosen prey congregated. The predator would reduce the distance they needed to travel for food in order to conserve energy and avoid detection. He knew men to behave the same. Eric¡¯s feet brought him to a noodle shop. Normally such places would be brimming with fights and other activity, instead the atmosphere was much more sedate. He jumped up onto a rooftop, and waited to see if anything interesting happened. The General could be patient, when the situation called for it. Besides, it was a wonderfully crisp night and he was in no particular rush. Sitting and thinking was probably as good a course of action as any. There was at least one other sect operating in the city and Eric was curious to see if the Red Rogue would go after them. The Crashing Wave Otter sect weren¡¯t exactly allies, but there was a history of collaboration between their two factions. He would come to their aid if the Red Rogue attacked. The General sat on the rooftop, waiting for something interesting to happen. He didn¡¯t see any other cultivators entering the noodle house. They were usually pretty easy to spot from their weapons and the emblems embroidered onto the backs of their robes. Some even wore masks, but not all. The younger generation had trouble manifesting them, so weak were their abilities. About an hour later, a man wearing black robes and a mask walked along the street below. Eric frowned, surprised to see a fellow disciple within the city walls. Could this be one of the missing cultivators? he wondered. The General turned his senses on the man in black, and immediately started sweating. They radiated essence like an elder preparing for combat. Eric watched the man pass, and breathed a sigh of relief once they were gone. He knew with absolute certainty that they were not from the Rock Mountain Mollusk sect, despite their costume. Eric sat and contemplated what he had observed. There were stories of powerful hidden sects higher up the mountain. But he had no idea why one of them might disguise themselves in the colors of his sect. Then, a realization hit him. His people were going missing, and those robes the man wore had to come from somewhere. The General swore under his breath as he jumped down onto the street. I have to warn the elders, Eric thought, It¡¯s not just the Red Rogue that¡¯s hunting us. There were any number of reasons a group of cultivators might decide to eliminate another, and he knew his sect were far from innocent. Revenge for their actions during the consolidation had been a long time coming. But knowing it was actually happening made a chill run down his spine. Old monsters lurked in these mountains, and he had no desire to become their next victim. The sound of hooves behind Eric made him stop and turn around. A massive draft horse towered above him, its hot breath steamed in the cool night air. Doors and windows slammed shut as others caught sight of the beast. Daisy smiled like a meat grinder. ¡°Hello, General,¡± she said softly, ¡°I was hoping I would run into you.¡± Chapter 27: Blood in the Streets The General didn¡¯t ask how the creature knew his name, or what they wanted. Instead, he attacked. Drawing power from his lower core, Eric lashed out at the beast with a punch that would have beheaded a normal human. Daisy dissolved into smoke and re-appeared in the street behind him. ¡°You¡¯ll have to be faster than that if you want to catch me,¡± she said with a laugh before dashing away. Eric ran after her, his feet pounding on the street as he tried to keep up. At level twenty he was fast, but it was hard to outrun a horse. She kept taunting him as they made their way through the nearly empty evening streets. ¡°You¡¯re too slow!¡± Daisy called out, ¡°Your friends were much better at this game!¡± He was nearly out of breath when they came to an old burned out warehouse halfway across the city. The roof was gone, only the stone walls remained, and those were crumbling. Cautiously, Eric looked inside to see the spirit beast waiting for him in the shadows. ¡°Come in, General!¡± she called out, shaking her head from side to side, ¡°Come in and play!¡± It was obviously a trap. Eric had no doubt in his mind that the creature had brought him to the warehouse for a reason. But he was also a senior disciple of the Rock Mountain Mollusk sect, and would not be easy prey. ¡°What manner of beast are you?¡± the General asked as he stepped inside, ¡°And what do you want with me?¡± Daisy threw her head back and laughed as she weaved between the remaining stone pillars. Each one she touched developed a sickly black sheen. ¡°I have come to pay you back for an insult, dear General. You dared to touch the Awakener.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the name,¡± Eric replied, trying to close the distance between them, ¡°Are they someone important?¡± The horse continued to circle around the pillars, keeping at least one between them at all times. ¡°Is the sun important?¡± she asked rhetorically, ¡°Is essence important?¡± The General knew that he was being brought into position for some kind of attack, but he couldn¡¯t see what it might be. His senses told him that the spirit beast wasn¡¯t charging up any ability. So what was going on? ¡°Are you the one who killed the members of my sect?¡± he asked, ¡°Are you the one who killed Lily?¡± There was a brief pause as the beast hesitated. ¡°What is she to you?¡± Daisy asked. ¡°She was my friend,¡± Eric replied, closing in to attack, ¡°I came to see what became of her.¡± Daisy flowed like smoke to a spot behind another pillar, keeping her distance. ¡°That is most unfortunate. She does not feel the same about you, General. Lily fears you will harm her for leaving the sect, though I can¡¯t imagine you will be a threat for much longer.¡± Eric froze, Lily was alive! ¡°Where is she?¡± Eric asked, his heart pounding in his chest, ¡°Where are you keeping her? Tell me, before I decide to beat the answers out of you!¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°She is a disciple of the Awakener now,¡± Daisy taunted, continuing to coat the pillars with that strange black ooze, ¡°But you are in no position to be making threats, General.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± Eric asked as he approached. It had taken time, but now he could almost reach out and touch the spirit beast. Daisy responded by kicking the pillar that separated them. The General grunted as a thousand pounds of stone hit his chest. He tried to roll the weight off of him, but the black ooze made it stick to him like glue. The spirit beast laughed as she danced around, toppling more stone pillars onto the cultivator. Eric strained against the weight crushing him, drawing on the power in his lower core. The stone stuck to his flesh, but he stood up anyway. ¡°It will take more than that to defeat me,¡± the man taunted as he smashed the pillars together, freeing his hands. The General let out a startled gasp as a void stalker shimmered into existence in front of him. ¡°YOU WILL BEG FOR DEATH BY THE TIME I AM DONE,¡± Dumpling promised as she reached a paw towards his chest, ¡°SISTER DAISY DOES NOT FIGHT ALONE.¡± There was an incredible sensation of pressure as gravity pulled Eric to his knees. He could barely lift his arms, and thousands of tiny cuts appeared across his skin. The void stalker floated just out of reach, taunting him. The General barely managed to grunt out a threat. ¡°I¡¯ll fucking kill you¡­¡± he said, drawing on his lower core to charge an ability. Eric hated the idea of using it within a city, but it was that or be crushed to death. Dumpling licked her paws as she waited for her technique to finish off the cultivator. Before long, he would suffocate under the weight of his own body. The extra cutting damage from her Rend ability was just a bonus. Daisy didn¡¯t feel like waiting. The horse walked over to the cultivator and raised a hoof. ¡°Goodnight, General,¡± Daisy said as she stomped down towards his skull. Before she could end him, Eric¡¯s technique went off, creating a shockwave that powdered stone and sent both spirit beasts flying back. He stood up, bleeding from every inch of exposed skin, but still alive. ¡°Now,¡± he growled as he approached the wounded beasts, ¡°Where the fuck is Lily?¡± *** Zane was about to go home when he heard the explosion. Stone rained down on the city as the walls of the warehouse were converted to shrapnel. The rogue cultivator ran, drawing on his faulty core for a speed boost. When it worked, he moved faster than ever before. But it had a tendency to stop and start randomly. As he saw the hulking figure of the General standing over his wounded pets, Zane no longer felt any obligation to preserve the man. He summoned a cleaver and threw it. Eric caught the weapon in mid air and turned to face his new opponent. ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡± he demanded, ¡°And why are you pretending to be a member of my sect?¡± Zane looked down at his black robes. He had forgotten that he was wearing them. ¡°Why are you blowing up parts of the city?¡± the young man asked, stalling for time. Daisy and Dumpling were crawling away from the General, painfully making their way back to the street. Zane walked over to put himself between them and the furious cultivator, repeating his question. ¡°Why are you trying to destroy this city?¡± Eric looked at the massive crack his ability had put in the outer wall. That hadn¡¯t been intentional, but the warehouse butted up against it and there was nothing he could do to reduce the blast radius. The General watched the two spirit beasts retreat. ¡°They attacked me, and have information I want.¡± ¡°Too bad,¡± Zane said, standing his ground, ¡°You can¡¯t go around blowing up the place just because you want something.¡± Eric wasn¡¯t sure if he could take this cultivator in a fight. They radiated essence and the General was already injured. But the spirit beasts had claimed to know about Lily, and this man might be with the group hunting his fellow disciples. ¡°Step aside,¡± he said, ¡°Or share their fate.¡± The rogue cultivator shook his head and drew his sword. ¡°I can¡¯t do that. If you want them, you¡¯ll have to go through me.¡± Zane had zero desire to fight a cultivator that could turn an entire warehouse into a crater, but he wasn¡¯t about to let them kill his friends. The two men stood still, each one waiting for the other to make a move. Finally, Eric gave a short bow. ¡°It seems that I must destroy you,¡± he said. ¡°No, you won¡¯t,¡± Zane replied as he started pulling essence into his faulty core, ¡°I might destroy myself, but you won¡¯t be the one that kills me.¡± The rogue cultivator removed his storage bracelet and threw it to Daisy. She caught it and continued her retreat, disappearing into the city. Eric could feel that something incredibly bad was about to happen. The man in black was pulling an incredible amount of essence into himself, but it was leaking out of him almost as fast. ¡°What are you doing?¡± he asked. Zane could feel the energy crackling through his body. So far his core was holding, but he could already feel the strain. ¡°I¡¯m just making sure that whatever happens, you don¡¯t leave this place alive,¡± the young man said pleasantly, as if he wasn¡¯t seconds away from exploding, ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t have hurt my friends.¡± Then, without warning, the rogue cultivator dumped every bit of essence in his core into one single attack. He accelerated towards the General like a comet, boosting his speed, agility, and regeneration all at once. Zane thrust his sword towards Eric, the blade coated black from his Death Siphon ability. ¡°Kamehameha, motherfucker!¡± he screamed. Chapter 28: A Crack In The Wall Very rarely could someone two whole tiers below their opponent hope to win in a fight. But Zane didn¡¯t need to win, he just wanted to make sure that the General lost. Either way, this would all be over quickly. His muscles burned as he launched himself towards the larger man. Eric had been expecting something nasty, but he had never seen someone move like Zane. And whatever technique the man in black was using, he wanted nothing to do with it. For the second time that night, the General called on his ability. A blast wave exploded out from him, kicking up dust in an expanding circle of destruction. What happened next was like something out of a nightmare. The General could swear he saw the man¡¯s skin peel off as he pushed through Eric¡¯s technique. Zane¡¯s sword disintegrated, but the man kept moving, a ghostly black blade clutched in fingers that had been worn down to bone. Despite the fact he was dead, the man refused to stop moving. The General pulled on the last of the energy in his lower core to send out a third blast. Then, everything went black as Zane¡¯s technique detonated. *** Sometime before dawn, Mayor Jeffries looked out at a smoking crater that had been a portion of the city wall. ¡°That fucking idiot!¡± he raged, ¡°What was he thinking?¡± Cerdo didn¡¯t know what to say. The man in question had been transported to a healer with a laundry list of fractures and burns. General Eric Badi wouldn¡¯t be answering their questions anytime soon, assuming he survived. The apothecary had said something about core damage from a dark technique. Jeffries continued to swear and point at the ruined wall. Guards were nervously holding their spears and forming a perimeter as stonemasons tried to seal the breach. Spirit beasts had been throwing themselves at the gap all night, drawn to the warehouses full of essence rich cultivation resources. ¡°How many creatures do you think got in? Ten? Twenty?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible to say,¡± the Captain admitted, ¡°But the men did well by defending the breach and notifying us as soon as they spotted it.¡± ¡°I suppose they did,¡± Jeffries sighed, ¡°Be sure to give each one of them a bonus and my thanks.¡± Cerdo looked at the gap in the wall. They could use timbers to temporarily seal it, but the stone would take months to replace. The irony wasn¡¯t lost on him that it would probably be finished right before the winter festival, just in time to be destroyed along with the rest of the city. The Mayor looked at his subordinate. ¡°Do you know what happened, or who he was fighting?¡± Cerdo shook his head. ¡°Eyewitness accounts are conflicted. Some say that there was one blast, others that there were two. The owner of a noodle house reported seeing the General chasing after a horse, but we don¡¯t know why.¡± ¡°See what you can find out,¡± Jeffries said as he summoned a spear from his storage ring, ¡°I¡¯m going to go join the guards in case there is another spirit beast attack.¡± The Captain watched him go join the men defending the wall. Mayor Jeffries was probably one of the best bosses he had ever worked for. Too bad I¡¯m going to have to kill him, Cerdo thought. *** Zane woke up in a garden with a familiar goddess sitting next to him. He sat up, looking inside his body to see how bad the damage was. The wad of duct tape he called a core seemed stable, but he wouldn¡¯t know if there was any permanent damage until he tried to cultivate. ¡°Hello to you too,¡± Lady Foxglove said, annoyance at being ignored creeping into her voice. ¡°Um, hi,¡± Zane replied, looking around the garden for any indication of where he was. There was a small stream and rows of flowers, but no landmarks he recognized. ¡°Where am I?¡± ¡°You¡¯re dead,¡± Lady Foxglove informed him, ¡°Your core exploded.¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Yeah, I hate it when that happens. Am I coming back?¡± Zane asked. The goddess picked a flower and twirled it between her fingers. ¡°Well, that¡¯s your decision. But if you don¡¯t, the other gods will probably destroy Hero¡¯s Step and kill everyone in it. Or at least, their agent will.¡± Zane didn¡¯t like the sound of that, Pinky and his other friends lived in Hero¡¯s Step. ¡°I think I¡¯ll go back then,¡± he said. Lady Foxglove sighed. ¡°You know, it¡¯s pretty hard to give you vital information if you don¡¯t ask any questions.¡± The young man processed this for a second. ¡°Ok. What should I ask?¡± The goddess facepalmed. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you, that¡¯s not how this works. I have to be discreet.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really good at that kind of stuff,¡± Zane admitted, ¡°Can you at least give me a clue?¡± Lady Foxglove looked at him incredulously. ¡°Generally when someone says that a city is going to be destroyed, most people ask how it is going to be destroyed, or by whom.¡± ¡°Ok, good to know.¡± Zane replied, looking around the garden to see if there was anything particularly tasty. He had spotted some flowers that were edible and wandered over to check them out. The goddess watched him go, shaking her head silently as the young man stuffed various plants into his mouth. He really is an idiot, she thought, But at least he¡¯s my idiot. *** Kiel was less than happy when he saw what Zane had done to his core. The kobold wasn¡¯t sure how the thing was holding together, much less functioning. ¡°Kiddo, you¡¯re a fucking mess,¡± he said. ¡°Thanks,¡± Zane replied as he walked past, ¡°Fuck you too.¡± Outside the awakening chambers he met his usual students. Zane wasn¡¯t ready to go home yet, so he decided to spar with them first. This time he had the uncharacteristic foresight to request that they keep things non-lethal. ¡°I¡¯ve got shit to do,¡± he explained. The young kobolds nodded in unison, they understood that one of the celestial dragon¡¯s chosen would have other responsibilities. Zane found that he didn¡¯t mind teaching, when his students weren¡¯t actively trying to kill him. If someone asked a question he didn¡¯t know an answer to he shrugged and told them to figure it out themselves. About an hour later the rogue cultivator said his goodbyes to the warren and started the journey home. He had things to think about, and that was not a feeling he was used to. Normally Zane just did whatever came into his head, but now he had responsibilities to other people. The young man didn¡¯t like having responsibilities. They tended to multiply when he wasn¡¯t looking. According to Lady Foxglove, the other gods were conspiring to destroy Hero¡¯s Step and kill everyone in it during the winter festival. That meant he had until then to get everyone ready and leave. The idea of doing something to prevent it didn¡¯t cross Zane¡¯s mind, though he wondered how the situation might be turned to his advantage. The young man continued to think as he walked. If the city was going to be destroyed, there was a good chance of stealing things that wouldn¡¯t be missed. If there were any big vaults filled with gold or warehouses full of cultivation resources, who would be the wiser if he plundered them the day before? Surely there was nothing wrong with stealing from dead people, or rather, people that were about to die. Lily would probably have some thoughts on the matter, so he decided to keep her in the dark about it, for now. The goddess hadn¡¯t told him who would be responsible, or how they were planning to do it (mostly because he hadn¡¯t thought to ask). But Zane figured the timing was all that really mattered. He looked up at the mountains, the fog might be a problem for some of his friends. They would need to gather more resources and train hard to get ready to leave by the deadline. Pinky had mentioned that there were shrines people could clear out to get rewards. He wondered if there were any nearby that they could tackle as a group. Or maybe they could go out hunting spirit beasts for experience. Either way, they would have their work cut out for them. Zane looked up from the road as a voice called out to him. A group of men with long unkempt beards were walking towards him. ¡°Are you bandits?¡± he called out, ¡°And if so, is there a reward on any of your heads?¡± The closest one came to a stop, visible concern showing on his scar covered face. ¡°Why would you say a thing like that?¡± he asked. The rogue cultivator summoned a knife and held it loosely at his side. ¡°Well, for one thing, it¡¯s a long walk back home. And I¡¯d rather not carry anything I don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± the bandit said, looking apprehensively at the magical knife and the man holding it, ¡°Well, perhaps it might be best if we parted ways.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± Zane replied as he continued to walk forward, ¡°Even if there isn¡¯t a bounty, I could still use the experience.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really not worth it,¡± the bandit said as he backed away, ¡°I mean, you probably wouldn¡¯t even level up.¡± ¡°True,¡± Zane admitted, ¡°But there are six of you, and that adds up. Also, none of you appear to have crossbows or ranged weapons. That means it¡¯s probably relatively low risk for me.¡± The bandit looked at his friends. They wanted nothing to do with the man in red and were already beginning to scatter. Zane laughed as he watched them try to escape. ¡°I guess it¡¯s really not your lucky day, is it?¡± he asked. The bandit sighed and pulled out his sword. ¡°I guess it really isn¡¯t,¡± he replied. Chapter 29: Grinding Experience Zane showed up at the restaurant around noon with a pocket full of gold and several snacks for his pets. He sat on the floor, absentmindedly stroking Dumpling as he waited for the cores to do their work. In hindsight, it was a good thing the bandits had tried to rob him. He had been spending more time cooking than killing lately and was running low on supplies. Dumpling burrowed deeper into his lap. It was the first time she had lost a fight and he could tell the spirit beast had been shaken by the experience. Daisy had gotten the worst of it though. She had been standing over the General when his attack went off. The horse crushed a core with her teeth and swallowed it. ¡°That cultivator was unpleasantly resilient,¡± she said. ¡°I know, right?¡± Zane agreed, ¡°And that area of effect attack he had was total bullshit. I¡¯ve got no idea how to counter that.¡± Dumpling purred in her master¡¯s arms as she tried to devise a strategy. ¡°PERHAPS WE CAN USE ITS DESTRUCTIVE NATURE TO OUR ADVANTAGE. THE TECHNIQUE COULD BE HARMFUL TO ALLIES, AS WELL AS ENEMIES.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± the young man replied, ¡°I can¡¯t imagine the General putting someone else¡¯s life above his, assuming he¡¯s still alive.¡± Lily stepped into the stables. ¡°General Badi is alive, barely,¡± she informed them. ¡°Good for him,¡± Zane said bitterly, ¡°Remind me to fix that later.¡± The woman frowned. ¡°I¡¯d rather if you didn¡¯t. I don¡¯t think I want him dead.¡± Daisy and Dumpling gave Lily a look of disbelief. The void stalker narrowed her many eyes at the former disciple. ¡°THAT IS INFORMATION WE COULD HAVE USED YESTERDAY.¡± Zane didn¡¯t want to admit it out loud, but he was not looking forward to fighting the General again. He could still remember how it had felt to have his skin peeled off by that shockwave attack. Only his regeneration had kept him from being killed by the first one. He repressed a shudder. ¡°I suppose we can see if he pulls through before we decide what to do with him,¡± Zane said, ¡°The General might choose to leave once he¡¯s healed.¡± ¡°POTENTIALLY,¡± Dumpling admitted, ¡°THOUGH IT SEEMS A WASTE. THINK OF THE EXPERIENCE WE COULD GAIN BY KILLING SOMEONE OF HIS LEVEL.¡± ¡°Not to mention his core,¡± Daisy added, licking her lips, ¡°It must be filled with such delicious light.¡± Lily gave the two spirit beasts a slightly queasy look. ¡°Well, I guess that settles that.¡± Zane shook his head. The young man wasn¡¯t great at reading social cues, but he could see that the conversation was making Lily uncomfortable. ¡°Look, if it bothers you that much, we can leave him alone for now. But if he comes after us again, I¡¯m going to put him in the ground.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Lily said as she made a hasty exit from the stables. The rogue cultivator turned to his disciples, ¡°Look, I don¡¯t get it either. But apparently they have some connection, and I care more about keeping our crew happy than killing some asshole cultivator.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Daisy said, ¡°But if he so much as looks at me funny, I¡¯m taking his core.¡± ¡°AND I WILL NOT HESITATE TO KILL HIM FOR DARING TO HARM MY FELLOW DISCIPLE,¡± Dumpling added. Zane smiled. Death threats were as good a proof as anything that his pets were on the mend. ¡°That¡¯s fair,¡± he said, ¡°Now, what shall we have for lunch?¡± *** The next day they reopened the restaurant for brunch, then went out to gather resources afterward. ¡°Who can see the next city?¡± Zane asked, pointing up the mountain. Groucho and Lily could, the others weren''t high enough level yet. ¡°I''m almost there, I think,¡± Pinky said with a groan as she stood in her tiptoes. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The kitsune had been very interested when Zane told her about Lady Foxglove¡¯s warning. Thankfully, Pinky didn''t seem particularly jealous of the goddess. Apparently she thought he was too oblivious to cheat, which was a first. Women were always fighting over Zane and accusing him of flirting, which got old quickly. If other women were attracted to him, that wasn''t his fault. There was nothing he could do about it. ¡°So, what''s the plan?¡± Groucho asked from underneath his wide brimmed straw hat. Pinky had solved his reluctance to wear clothes by informing him about the wonders of sun damage. Now the killbot wouldn''t go outside without every inch of his skin covered. ¡°You said we needed to focus on leveling up.¡± ¡°It''s simple,¡± Zane replied, ¡°Apparently my fucked up core is like a lure to any spirit beasts in the area. All we have to do is go about our business, gather supplies, and kill anything that attacks.¡± Groucho was cool with that. He liked killing. ¡°Better you than me,¡± he said, ¡°I¡¯m trying to avoid getting any holes in my new suit. That shit hurts.¡± Lily gave the killbot a look of morbid curiosity, ¡°Wait, you can feel pain? I mean, you can feel your skin?¡± ¡°Yeah, isn¡¯t magitech amazing?¡± Groucho pinched his cheek, ¡°It ages too, which kind of sucks. I don¡¯t know why my creator was so obsessed with the idea of making constructs that seemed human, but you have to admire the craftsmanship.¡± ¡°I still think it¡¯s creepy,¡± the former disciple said with a shudder, ¡°You¡¯re literally wearing someone else¡¯s skin.¡± ¡°Waste not, want not,¡± the killbot replied with a shrug, ¡°But yeah, something was definitely wrong with my creator. That dude was fucked-up in the head.¡± Zane nodded sagely. ¡°Making killer robots that can pass as human is always a dumb idea. Even I know that.¡± He paused as a shadow passed over the meadow. The rogue cultivator looked up to see a massive orange bird circling above him. It also appeared to be on fire, which was a new one for Zane. ¡°Hey guys!¡± he called out as the flaming bird started its descent, ¡°It looks like we have company!¡± Zane wasn¡¯t exactly sure how experience worked here. The young man probably should have asked about that before they started trying to fight random spirit beasts, or come up with a plan of attack, but it was too late for any of that now. He sprinted out into the center of the meadow to draw the creature away from his companions. The firebird had a wingspan twenty feet wide and its yellow talons crackled with electricity. He summoned a cleaver and waited for it to get within range. When it was only a few yards away he threw the weapon as hard as he could, and teleported out of the way. Zane watched as the spirit beast hit the ground with a sickening crunch. At first, he thought his cleaver had crippled a wing. Then he spotted a triumphant void stalker floating above her prey. The bird twitched as Dumpling¡¯s gravity attack destroyed its hollow bones. A few seconds later Daisy trotted over and crushed the spirit beast¡¯s skull with her hoof, extinguishing the flames that rippled along its body. ¡°Woah,¡± Zane said as he processed what had just happened, ¡°I kind of expected more of a fight.¡± Dumpling floated over to him, her tail lashing back and forth with amusement. ¡°I THINK BIRDS MIGHT BE MY NEW FAVORITE PREY,¡± she said, ¡°THEIR BONES MAKE SUCH SATISFYING NOISES WHEN THEY BREAK.¡± Zane wasted no time butchering the creature. He held onto the core and any cuts of meat that looked edible. Pinky claimed a few of the feathers because she thought they were pretty. The rest went to his pet spirit beasts. Watching Daisy eat was always a surreal experience. The horse barely chewed, instead preferring to swallow her prey whole whenever possible As the majestic bird vanished head first into her toothy maw, Dumpling started at the feet and worked her way up. They met somewhere in the middle, ripping the creature in half and sending orange feathers flying everywhere. Lily looked over at Zane. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever get used to that,¡± she said. ¡°Me neither,¡± agreed Pinky, ¡°It¡¯s like watching two starving dogs fight over a steak.¡± A chorus of angry shrieks rang out across the mountain before Zane could reply. He looked up and saw a flock of five more birds flying towards them. ¡±Ah fuck,¡± he said, ¡°Here comes the rest of them.¡± What followed next wasn¡¯t pretty. His original tactic of teleporting out of harm¡¯s way turned out to be much less effective than simply summoning a shield and letting the birds crash into it. The Sorcerer Initiate ability he bought back in the warren was finally coming in handy, though Zane was annoyed it only came with three spells. Light, Shadow Jump, and Shield were all good, but he would have given someone¡¯s left nut to be able to throw a fireball. Daisy and Dumpling continued to use their tried and true tactics. The void stalker immobilized the birds while her sister went in for the kill. Lily and Groucho held back because they didn¡¯t need the experience as badly, leaving Pinky as the odd one out. The kitsune didn¡¯t have any good ranged attacks and she couldn¡¯t use her poison abilities on anything her friends might eat. Daisy ended up using a hoof to pin one of the birds so that Pinky could get in close and drain it, but combat was obviously not her strong suit. ¡°Leveling up is going to take forever,¡± the kitsune said with a groan. ¡°Yeah, probably,¡± Zane agreed, ¡°Unless someone has a better idea of how to go about it.¡± Daisy slowly raised her hoof. ¡°I believe I might have a way.¡± Chapter 30: A Flawless Plan A group of twenty tents was camped out in the valley below. Men in brightly colored silks lay around drinking and laughing as cooks butchered spirit beasts for them to eat. ¡°What am I looking at?¡± Zane asked as he tried to make sense of the scene from their hiding spot in the treeline. They weren¡¯t merchants or cultivators. But most were very well dressed and the fog didn¡¯t seem to be bothering them. Dumpling drifted over to her master. ¡°I BELIEVE THIS TO BE WHAT THEY CALL A ¡®SAFARI¡¯,¡± she explained, ¡°WE HAVE WATCHED THEM HUNT SPIRIT BEASTS WITH THE HELP OF THEIR GUARDS. MOST DO NOT EVEN POSSESS A COMBAT CLASS.¡± ¡°Interesting,¡± Zane replied, remembering his run in with Lord Grasa¡¯s son, ¡°So the guards are the ones who are actually dangerous.¡± ¡°EXACTLY,¡± the void stalker said with a grin, ¡°REMOVE THEM AND THE OTHERS WILL BE EASY PREY.¡± Zane looked to the moral compass of their group, wondering how Lily would feel about killing a bunch of spoiled lowlanders. It was hard to get a read on her sometimes. The young man knew that she had killed more than her fair share of people in order to level up and advance her cultivation. But the woman could be very prudish when it came to outright murder. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked. Lily shrugged, ¡°I¡¯ve got no problem with killing trophy hunters. Back when I was with the sect we used to raid camps like these whenever we could get away with it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s oddly practical of you,¡± Pinky observed, ¡°I gave it even odds that you would try and talk us out of it.¡± The former disciple frowned. ¡°I¡¯ve got nothing but contempt for these assholes. It serves them right for trying to buy their way up the mountain,¡± she said with a shake of her head, ¡°Cultivation isn¡¯t a game. It¡¯s a sacred way of life given to us by the Mesh, a chance to reach the heavens themselves. I say we kill them all.¡± The kitsune nodded. She had her own reason for disliking the men in the tents below. They hunted her kind for sport. Wiping them out would be payback for all the fox tails hanging in lowland trophy rooms. ¡°So, how are we going to do this?¡± she asked. Whoever was in charge had chosen to put the camp at the bottom of a sheer cliff thirty feet tall. They had sentries posted above them, as well as at the mouth of the valley. Groucho pointed at the guards keeping watch from on top of the cliff. ¡°I think we should take those assholes out first, then the other schmucks watching the entrance to the valley,¡± he said, ¡°That way we can box them in.¡± Zane looked at the cliff. The tents were right up against it to cut down on the wind. ¡°Do you think we could cause a landslide, or drop rocks on them?¡± Dumpling¡¯s ears perked up. ¡°I BELIEVE I COULD ARRANGE THAT. I MIGHT EVEN BE ABLE TO TAKE OUT THE SENTRIES UP TOP AT THE SAME TIME.¡± ¡°Nice!¡± the young man said as he high fived his pet void stalker, ¡°That leaves the other ten guards to deal with.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve got the two at the mouth of the valley,¡± volunteered the killbot, ¡°They aren¡¯t cultivators and should be easy pickings.¡± Zane counted down on his fingers. ¡°Ok, that¡¯s eight guards left to deal with.¡± Lily tapped her bow. ¡°I can shoot arrows down into the camp and take out anyone who tries to run. If they get past me, Groucho can handle them. I think I can take out at least two when the party starts.¡± Daisy raised her hoof. ¡°Most likely they would think I was just a horse if I wandered into the camp. I could strike down two more.¡± A mischievous grin crossed Pinky¡¯s lips. ¡°And if I showed up looking for my horse a few minutes later, nobody would suspect me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not comfortable with you going alone,¡± Zane said, ¡°They might get handsy.¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. The kitsune shook her head. ¡°No, that¡¯s perfect. They¡¯ll want privacy and I can kill them before the others realize what¡¯s going on. Besides, I¡¯ll have Daisy with me.¡± The young man wasn¡¯t entirely happy with the idea of putting Pinky in danger, but that was her decision. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll go with Dumpling to deal with the sentries on the cliff and keep an eye on things,¡± he said, looking at the rich lowlanders drinking and partying below, ¡°If everything goes well, between the booze and the landslide, the stragglers should be easy enough to deal with.¡± Pinky nodded. ¡°Do you want to hit them now, or should we wait until evening?¡± Zane shook his head. He had never been good at waiting. ¡°Let¡¯s get this done and over with. We still need to travel back to the city after, and I¡¯ve got tomorrow¡¯s brunch to prep.¡± The young man¡¯s face brightened up. ¡°Plus, it will be easier to raid their tents for goodies when it¡¯s still daylight.¡± Daisy licked her lips. ¡°I wonder how much delicious light they have hidden in their wagons,¡± she said, ¡°No doubt they have collected trophies for the journey home. It would be a shame to let such treasures leave the mountain.¡± ¡°Not to mention gold,¡± Lily added as she looked up from counting her arrows, ¡°They usually have a decent amount of money on them, for expenses and resupply.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Pinky rubbed her hands together. ¡°I like gold.¡± ¡°I guess it¡¯s all decided then,¡± Zane said as he tried to think of anything they had missed, ¡°Daisy will go in first. Pinky will follow her a few minutes later. Dumpling, Lily, and I will take care of the sentries by the cliffs. Groucho hits the sentries at the mouth of the valley when we trigger the landslide. Then we kill the guards and deal with the rich assholes afterward.¡± ¡°We should probably have a signal to let Dumpling know when to trigger the landslide,¡± Lily pointed out, ¡°And there is the question of what to do with the cooks and other staff.¡± Zane¡¯s class rebelled at the idea of killing fellow members of the service industry. ¡°I say we let them go, but that means everyone is going to have to wear masks. I don¡¯t want any fallout from this following us home.¡± ¡°And the signal?¡± Lily asked, ¡°You kind of forgot about the signal.¡± The young man frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think we actually need one. Once Pinky gets there we wait five minutes, then start chucking rocks.¡± ¡°How about this,¡± the kitsune said, ¡°If I need her to start the party early, I¡¯ll use my magic to send up a flare.¡± ¡°Sure. I guess,¡± Zane replied with a shrug, ¡°But I don¡¯t see what could possibly go wrong.¡± *** ¡°Why is that horse wearing a mask?¡± Chuck the sentry asked as he walked up to get a better look at Daisy. ¡°I mean, it¡¯s like made of bone or something. Why would someone put a mask on a cart horse?¡± ¡°Who knows?¡± Replied the other man standing watch as he sipped from his bottle of liquor, ¡°It¡¯s the mountains. Weird shit happens here.¡± Chuck cautiously grabbed Daisy¡¯s reins, making sure to avoid getting anywhere near her dinner plate sized hooves. ¡°You are a beauty,¡± he told the massive cart horse as he patted her shoulder, ¡°Someone must be missing you.¡± For once, Daisy was conflicted. She very much wanted to eat Chuck, but she also liked being complimented. The spirit beast waited to see what he did next. The drunken sentry wandered over. ¡°That¡¯s a big fucking horse,¡± he said, ¡°It might be worth a lot.¡± ¡°Probably,¡± Chuck admitted, ¡°I wonder if it ran away from a caravan or something. She seems pretty tame.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s mine now,¡± the man said as he reached for Daisy¡¯s reins, ¡°Finders keepers, and all that.¡± Chuck scowled as he held them out of reach. ¡°The fuck it is, just because I¡¯m new doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t stand up for myself.¡± The older man put one hand on the pommel of his sword and reached for Chuck¡¯s shirt with the other. ¡°Look, young pup,¡± he said menacingly, ¡°A lot of bad things can happen in these mountains if you aren¡¯t careful. People have been known to just up and disappear. You go for a piss, and never come back.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Chuck said as he handed over the reins. ¡°But I¡¯m going back with you to claim my half.¡± ¡°Nope,¡± the drunk replied with a rotten smile as he started to walk back towards camp with his prize in tow, ¡°One of us has to stay and guard the valley.¡± ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ll sort this out with the boss tomorrow,¡± the younger guard said with annoyance tinging his voice. He watched them go for a bit before turning back to his duties. Once they were out of earshot, Daisy came to a stop. The drunk yanked on her reins and went to cuff her upside the ear. But before he could make contact, the draft horse lunged for his exposed throat. Sharp teeth tore into the drunk, ripping out his voice box before he could scream. ¡°A lot of bad things can happen in these mountains if you aren¡¯t careful,¡± Daisy said with a smile as she descended on her prey. Up on the cliff, the two sentries keeping watch over the valley winced in unison. ¡°Well fuck,¡± said the older one as he prepared to sound the alarm, ¡°You don¡¯t see that every day.¡± Chapter 31: Landslide Everything went to hell as the two men on top of the cliff banged a metal gong to warn the camp that something fucky was going on. Zane swore and darted towards them, with Dumpling holding onto his shoulder for dear life. He had gone with the black robes instead of his regular red, figuring that it might cause more trouble for his friends at the Rock Mountain Mollusk sect. Zane closed the distance quickly. Thankfully his core had mostly stabilized since the battle with General Badi. Apparently turning things on and off again worked for people too. He summoned a cleaver and threw it at the nearest guard. The plan had been to leave most of the killing for the members of his group that needed to level up. But he figured sentry removal was a priority. An arrow thunked into the head of the guard Zane had been aiming for. He dismissed his weapon and summoned another, just in time to have his kill stolen again as Dumpling triggered the landslide. ¡°Oh come on!¡± the young man shouted as he watched a section of the cliff break off in front of him, ¡°I had that guy!¡± Dumpling didn¡¯t reply as she jumped into the air, using her gravity powers to maximize the damage from the landslide. The tumbling chunks of rock accelerated and tumbled into the camp below, kicking up clouds of dust. A chorus of surprised shouts went out from those that were lucky enough not to be buried alive. Zane looked down at the destruction his pet had unleashed. Some of the bigger rocks had kept rolling for hundreds of yards, flattening everything in their wake. The surviving guards were trying to prepare a counter attack and pointing at him, but none seemed eager to run across the unstable ground. The young man laughed as he spotted Pinky sprinting towards the camp, trying to catch up to Daisy. Chuck, the man who had been standing guard duty at the mouth of the valley, was currently being chased by an irate killbot. Groucho wasn¡¯t happy the plan had gone to shit and was attempting to vent his frustrations out on the unfortunate sentry. Zane tore his gaze away and tried to focus on what was happening in the camp. He counted four remaining guards and over two dozen of the rich lowlanders. It was easy to tell them apart. The guards were dressed in muted browns and greens while their employers stuck out like brightly colored pinatas. As he watched the chaos unfold, the rogue cultivator found himself conflicted. He wanted to join in on the fun, but that wasn¡¯t the plan. Zane was there to help his companions level up. His job was to observe, and bail them out if they got in over their heads. Kill stealing would take away from their experience gain. But what if he didn¡¯t actually kill anyone? Zane wondered. The rogue cultivator dismissed his cleaver and summoned a teapot. It was time to get creative. *** ¡°My father will hear of this!¡± Trus Fun screamed at the remaining guards, not caring that he was getting in their way, ¡°Zero stars! Very bad customer service! You have ruined my vacation!¡± The rich young lowlander was halfway through a rant about the lackluster wine list when Zane¡¯s teapot smashed into his face. Dino, the guard in charge, gave a nod to the man up on the cliff that had just knocked out Trus Fun. It was hard to mount a counter-attack when people kept interrupting to demand refunds. Dino was about five seconds away from packing up and leaving. It felt like an insult to evolution to stand in the way of these idiots and their inevitable demise. He nocked an arrow and took aim, just in time for another spoiled brat to step in front of him. ¡°Oh for fuck¡¯s sake!¡± the guard called out, ¡°I¡¯m trying to save you idiots!¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to insult me!¡± huffed the man, ¡°I was just coming over to inform you that my tent is missing.¡± The guard lowered his bow as he saw the figure in black ready another teapot. ¡°That¡¯s probably because of the landslide,¡± he said, ¡°Everyone¡¯s tent is missing.¡± ¡°Well, what are you going to do about it?¡± demanded the man, ¡°I can¡¯t sleep on the ground.¡± Dino shook his head as another flying teapot removed the problem in front of him. It was time to make a decision. Apparently the attackers were so confident in the outcome of the battle that they had started throwing kitchenware. He watched a spatula impale one of his guests. The man in black had apparently moved onto the next course. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°Let¡¯s get the fuck out of here!¡± Dino called out to his men as a flying pot lid decapitated another rich brat trying to get his attention, ¡°I¡¯m done trying to keep these fuckers alive!¡± *** Away from the camp, Chuck was having a very confusing and horrible experience. The man attacking him kept calling out a mix of threats and complements. ¡°Give me your skin! I want to peel it off!¡± shouted Groucho as he chased after his quarry, ¡°I like your freckles! They¡¯re very flattering! Give them to me!¡± Chuck didn¡¯t know what to say to that, so he did the sensible thing and screamed incoherently while running for his life. He didn¡¯t know what was going on, or why, but he liked his skin right where it was and had zero intention of parting with it. They continued to run around in circles until Groucho¡¯s knee went out, ending the chase. The killbot cursed as his prey escaped out into the forest. ¡°I¡¯ll get you next time, you freckle fuck!¡± he called out after Chuck. Then Groucho got up and started limping over towards the main battle. He just hoped the fun wouldn¡¯t be over by the time he got there. *** Daisy was having the time of her life chasing down and squishing any of the rich idiots who tried to escape. Some of them even ran towards her, thinking they could ride away to safety. The sounds of surprise and outrage they made as she trampled them were something Daisy would treasure for as long as she lived. It was too good, seeing their smug expressions turn to panic as they realized fate had not decided to spare them. Dumpling was also enjoying herself. The void stalker was taking things slow as she waited for Pinky to catch up. She passed the time by flattening her prey one at a time. Some tried to defend themselves, but as luck would have it, most of their weapons had been in the tents. And it didn¡¯t help that the remaining guards had hightailed it towards the forest. ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late!¡± Pinky called out to Daisy as she ran towards the chaos. The kitsune felt a bit embarrassed that her friends had done all this so she could level up, only for things to pop off while she was so far away. Pinky set her sights on the main group of survivors and began to draw on her lower core. The kitsune ran into the group of entitled idiots as Black Widow¡¯s Kiss triggered, mixing with her Life Drain ability to create a lethal combo. The white mist spread out from her, knocking out anyone nearby. She had chosen a non-lethal poison, just in case Daisy got carried away and ate the wrong corpse. As Pinky watched them fall, she couldn¡¯t help but smile from behind her mask. It felt good to get even with the people that had hunted her kind for sport. The kitsune knew that these probably weren¡¯t the same ones that had killed her sisters, but they were the same kind of people. They came to the mountains to level up, gather essence, and collect a few trophies. They treated their safaris like vacations. Now, none of them would ever return home. They would disappear, a warning to others who thought they could buy their way up the mountain safely. The kitsune could feel her disguise slipping as she took her revenge. The more she gave in to her urges, the harder it was to maintain her human form. That was the reason she had given up hunting humans in the first place. Embracing the beast made it more difficult for her to hide, but right now she didn¡¯t care. Right now, she was having fun. Pinky giggled as the hunters continued to fall unconscious around her. They were all so focused on the other attackers that they didn¡¯t pay any attention to the person poisoning them. Before long, only a few stragglers remained. They stood back to back as Zane and the others advanced on them. She took up a position somewhere near the middle of the group and triggered her abilities. ¡°What do you want?¡± demanded a man in torn yellow robes as he swayed back and forth, nearly dead on his feet, ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Zane threw his head back and laughed. ¡°Guys, I¡¯m here for the same reason you are. We actually aren¡¯t all that different, when you get right down to it.¡± The man in yellow frowned, a puzzled expression crossing his plump face as he tried to remain standing. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± The rogue cultivator continued to buy time for Pinky¡¯s poisons to work their magic. ¡°I¡¯m here to level up, and help my friends climb the mountain,¡± Zane explained, ¡°It¡¯s nothing personal. You¡¯re just worth a lot of experience.¡± Pinky never got to hear the man¡¯s response, because he and his friends keeled over shortly after that. But she figured it wouldn¡¯t have been anything worth listening to. The kitsune looked around at the sleeping hunters. She couldn¡¯t decide if killing them in their sleep was cruel, or more mercy than they deserved. The rogue cultivator walked over and gave Pinky a peck on the cheek, then handed her a shimmering cleaver. ¡°Chop, chop!¡± he said, ¡°I want to get out of here before sundown.¡± ¡°Yes, Chef!¡± Pinky replied with a mock salute. Zane burst out laughing. He hadn¡¯t been expecting that. ¡°You¡¯re adorable. You know that, right?¡± he asked. ¡°Of course I¡¯m adorable,¡± the kitsune said as she dismissed the enchantment hiding her true form, ¡°Just look at these ears!¡± Chapter 32: The Revenant Eric¡¯s mind took him to dark places as he tried to regain consciousness. Men with faces burned down to bare bone haunted his dreams. Sometimes it was the man in black. Sometimes it was the cultivators his sect had defeated during the consolidation. They approached the General with grim determination, continuing to march towards him despite their injuries. And each time their dead hands touched him, Eric could feel something shatter inside his chest. He woke up in an unfamiliar room with his heart pounding. ¡°Revenants¡­¡± the General whispered as he finally understood the meaning behind his nightmares. The man in black had come to punish him for the crimes of his elders. ¡°Oh?¡± asked Mayor Jeffries from the chair where he had been reading, ¡°What about them?¡± Eric sat up and leaned against the headboard. His muscles burned, but the General didn¡¯t let his weakness betray him. He was no stranger to post combat recovery and took the pain in stride. ¡°I think the man I fought was a revenant. An old monster, come for revenge against my sect.¡± ¡°Ah, the great consolidation,¡± Jeffries said with a nod, ¡°That would make sense. Even so, revenants are rare.¡± The General looked around his surroundings. Normally he would have expected to wake up in an infirmary or a hotel, not what he took to be the Mayor¡¯s private residence. Besides the soreness, Eric couldn¡¯t access his lower core. He searched around for the suppression seal that was preventing him from using his abilities. As far as he couldn¡¯t tell, there wasn¡¯t one. ¡°Are you using some technique to keep me contained?¡± Eric asked as he continued to look for the paper seal or enchanted object preventing him accessing his core, ¡°I can barely sit up.¡± Jeffries¡¯ face fell. He wasn¡¯t sure how to break the bad news. ¡°We aren¡¯t suppressing you,¡± the Mayor said, ¡°According to the apothecary, your core was damaged in the fight. You can¡¯t hold or process essence anymore.¡± Eric¡¯s face went pale. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± Jeffries shook his head, ¡°Before the consolidation it was used as a punishment for those who betrayed their sect. I suppose this isn¡¯t something you want to hear, but it does lend credibility to your theory about the man you fought being a revenant. Very few can master such a dark technique.¡± The General sat and digested this information. He couldn¡¯t feel his core or activate any of his abilities. If what the Mayor said was true, that meant he would only be able to access the benefits awarded to him by his tier and level. Anything gained through spending or using essence would be forever lost to him. Eric took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. ¡°I take it that there isn¡¯t some easy fix for my condition.¡± ¡°No,¡± Jeffries replied with a shake of his head, ¡°Your core may heal over time, but I wouldn¡¯t count on it.¡± ¡°Then I guess I¡¯m fucked,¡± the General said, feeling the words become real as he spoke them, ¡°How long was I out?¡± ¡°Six days,¡± answered Jeffries, ¡°And there is another problem. The Crashing Wave Otter sect is asking for your head. They demanded I turn you over to them. That¡¯s why I moved you here instead of that hotel.¡± Eric frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I¡¯ve managed to insult them. But I¡¯m thankful to you for at least waiting until I was awake to make your decision.¡± The Mayor let out a sigh. ¡°You know, I was perfectly happy leaving all this cultivation bullshit behind me. Now I¡¯ve got the red rogue to deal with, whoever or whatever attacked you, and a pissed off sect that wants your head.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Eric said, ¡°I imagine that your peace was something hard won, and trouble from the lowlands is the last thing you would want.¡± If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Jeffries patted him on the arm. ¡°At first I was mad, then I saw what that thing did to your core and changed my tune. It could have just as easily attacked Captain Cerdo, or even myself. The way I choose to see it, we owe you.¡± The General wasn¡¯t sure what to make of that. On the one hand, he was happy they weren¡¯t throwing him to the wolves. On the other hand, Jeffries made him sound like a sacrificial lamb. Eric felt like a lightning rod that had served its purpose and been burned out in the process. Now he was what, a trophy? Some curiosity to be set on the shelf and forgotten? The Mayor noticed the sour expression on General Badi¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m pragmatic enough to recognize when someone else¡¯s misfortune benefits me, call it a side effect of working in local government. Would you rather I pretend to be some magnanimous, pompous, asshole?¡± ¡°No,¡± Eric replied, ¡°I¡¯m also someone who tries to see the world for how it is, rather than how I would like it to be. I appreciate your candor, even if it feels¡­¡± He paused, trying to find the word. ¡°It feels unfair, doesn¡¯t it?¡± the Mayor asked, his voice softening, ¡°Before today you probably couldn¡¯t imagine being anything else besides a cultivator.¡± The General shook his massive head, ¡°No, actually. I always wanted to be a farmer, or a restaurant critic. Either one would have been fine.¡± Jeffries looked at the almost muscle bound man in front of him with disbelief. ¡°I could see you as a farmer, but a food critic?¡± ¡°I like food, all kinds of food,¡± Eric said defensively as he checked his connection to the Mesh to find out what time it was. Thankfully his spirit core was still intact and functional. Only the lower two were damaged. ¡°And speaking of food, I¡¯m pretty hungry. I¡¯d like to go out and get some breakfast.¡± ¡°The Crashing Wave Otter sect is hunting for you,¡± Jeffries warned, ¡°They won¡¯t come into my residence, but if you step outside they will cut you to pieces.¡± Eric got out of bed and stood up. The General had to lean against the bedpost for support, but he managed to avoid falling down. ¡°Then I will critique their techniques and the quality of their blades,¡± Eric said with a shallow bow, the best he could give without tipping over, ¡°Thank you for your hospitality.¡± Jeffries watched the big man depart. He wasn¡¯t sure if Eric had a death wish, was hiding something, or was just stubborn. Either way, it would all end the same, with blood on his streets. ¡°Fuck it,¡± the Mayor said as he grabbed his coat, ¡°Wait up, I¡¯m coming with you.¡± The General paused, leaning against a doorframe for support. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be an asshole,¡± Jeffries replied as he took up a position next to the larger man, ¡°You¡¯re half-dead and weak as a kitten. I¡¯ve got a responsibility to make sure you stay safe, and frankly, breakfast sounds really good right now. I was so busy last night that I skipped dinner.¡± Eric looked at the Mayor, unsure what game the man was playing. ¡°I¡¯m not looking to get further into your debt.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Jeffries said as he squeezed past the General, ¡°Because you¡¯re buying.¡± The two men locked eyes for a moment, then Eric sighed. He knew when he was defeated. ¡°Fine, but I¡¯m picking the place. There is this shop that serves really good waffles, and if I¡¯m going to be cut to pieces by rival sect members, I would at least like to depart from this world with some shred of happiness.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Jeffries said as he adjusted his coat, ¡°Is it the Cat, Dragon, and Fox? I¡¯ve been meaning to try that place. Rumor has it that the one who runs it is a hidden master. He might even have some insight into your condition.¡± Eric froze, a pained expression crossing his face. ¡°Don¡¯t give me hope. My core is shattered, and more than likely if I make it down the mountain alive, my own sect will kill me for the experience. I just want to have some breakfast. I don¡¯t need miracle cures, or hidden masters. I just want some waffles before I get put out of my misery.¡± ¡°Fine. I won¡¯t talk to him if you don¡¯t want me to,¡± the Mayor lied, having decided that saving Eric was as worthy a cause as any. Though, in truth, he was letting himself be motivated by sentiment. Seeing the man laying comatose had awakened memories from when Jeffries was a young cultivator. The sects brainwashed their recruits into believing that serving was the greatest of honors, that it was the most important thing they would ever do in their lives. And it worked, until someone got hurt or was discarded. Then that pride turned on them, transforming into bitterness and hatred. Jeffries had left of his own accord, but he understood how Eric must be feeling right now. He had seen how it ended for other cultivators separated from their sects, or who feared they might be. No, he wasn¡¯t about to let that happen to Eric. It was sentimental, stupid, and probably doomed to failure. But he wasn¡¯t going to let the man waste what was left of his life. ¡°Come on,¡± the Mayor said as he led the way, ¡°I hear the crepes there are to die for.¡± Chapter 33: Everyone Wants A Piece Of Eric Eric¡¯s happiness about the prospect of food was dulled by the arrival of his fellow sect members. They had barely managed to leave the Mayor''s house before six men in black robes surrounded them. ¡°Former disciple Eric Badi,¡± said a rat-faced man as he approached with a scroll in hand, ¡°I am here to deliver a writ of excommunication. As of this moment, you are no longer a member of the Rock Mountain Mollusk Sect. We have already reclaimed our property from your lodgings, and request that you turn over any other items that might be in your possession.¡± The General accepted the scroll, reading it over with a growing sense of disgust for his former sect. They claimed that his inability to cultivate made him unsuitable for membership. In addition to that, they were seizing his assets and distributing them among the sect elders. ¡°You must turn over all sect property at once,¡± demanded the rat-faced man, ¡°If you do not, we will take it from you by force.¡± Before Eric could reply, Jeffries stepped between them. ¡°Hello, Disciple Raton,¡± he said pleasantly, ¡°Why are you attempting to rob one of my citizens? Do you hold the city of Hero¡¯s Step in such low regard that you would commit a crime right in front of its Mayor?¡± Raton blinked. ¡°What do you mean? He''s a member of the sect. We''re just asking him to return our property.¡± ¡°No,¡± Jeffries corrected him with a smile, ¡°He was a member of your sect until you handed him that scroll. Now he''s my guest, and a citizen of this city. Eric Badi has no obligation to turn over his personal property to you. And if you attempt to force the issue, I will consider it a personal insult.¡± Raton grimaced as he realized how much a simple mistake had cost him. Pissing off the Mayor was something he had not counted on. ¡°Fine, it doesn''t matter anyway. The Crashing Wave Otter sect will kill him before sunset,¡± he said, visibly fuming. ¡°Thank you for your grace and understanding,¡± Jeffries replied with a bow before he guided his companion past the angry sect members. Once they were clear of the group, Eric pulled him aside. ¡°You didn''t have to do that,¡± he said, ¡°I don''t want to cause trouble for you.¡± Jeffries patted him on the arm. ¡°Don''t worry about it. I like to remind the sects that they can''t throw their weight around my city like they do in the lowlands. Besides, I hate bullies.¡± Eric shook his head. ¡°You know none of this matters, right? I appreciate it, and I''m thankful. But I''m a dead man walking.¡± ¡°Let me worry about the Crashing Wave Otters,¡± Mayor Jeffries said, ¡°I''ve got a plan, but first we need some breakfast.¡± ¡°You have a plan?¡± Eric asked with a raised eyebrow, ¡°Just like that?¡± ¡°I don''t know if it will work. But it might have a way of persuading them to leave you alone,¡± he said with a sly grin, ¡°After all, what''s the point of being a politician if you can''t help your friends out every once in a while?¡± *** Back at the restaurant, things were going poorly. ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t change back?¡± Zane asked. Pinky growled and shook her head, sending two very fox-like ears flopping back and forth. ¡°It¡¯s getting harder and harder to maintain the transformation. I¡¯ve been having trouble hiding since we killed those assholes in the valley, and my illusions are a lot less convincing if I have two big ears and a tail sticking out of them.¡± ¡°Fuck,¡± Zane cursed, ¡°Lily, do you mind taking orders for now? Groucho can take tokens and hand out food.¡± The former sect member shrugged. ¡°Yeah, I can do that. I don¡¯t think anyone will recognize me if I wear a mask.¡± ¡°Good!¡± the rogue cultivator called out as he dashed off to start brunch. They were a bit behind schedule, but he was determined to catch up. Thankfully Zane had super speed and his core was almost completely recovered. Now all he had to do was remember to stop and regenerate every few seconds so he didn¡¯t accidentally cook himself. Moving at lightning speed had some strange consequences besides the risk of self-immolation. The kitchen was constantly filled with the sounds of whip-like pops as the tips of his tools broke the sound barrier. Knives in particular tended to warm up from all the friction, which was detrimental to the quality of the food. Zane found himself needing to constantly cool them down to avoid cooking the fruit he was trying to cut. Eventually he got the chance to slow down, then it became a much more manageable slog through the brunch rush. He watched as the last boxes of crepes, pancakes, and waffles were handed out to happy customers. That was a good feeling, it made his Chef class happy. Or possibly it was the Mesh providing some kind of positive reinforcement. He had no way of finding out, besides remembering to ask someone later, which was probably a lost cause. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll never know,¡± Zane said as he leaned against a table and took a deep breath. Then a familiar voice fluttered in through the open patio window. The young man grimaced as his class informed him that, once again, someone had decided to feed General Badi. Zane popped his head around the divider and gave Lily a look of extreme annoyance. ¡°Would you care to explain what you were thinking?¡± he demanded. ¡°I know I fucked up!¡± Lily replied as she ducked behind the divider, out of sight from the guests on the patio, ¡°But he wasn¡¯t the one who ordered. It was Mayor Jeffries.¡± The rogue cultivator rubbed his forehead. ¡°Ok, now that¡¯s two problems. I don¡¯t want the Mayor snooping around or asking for a tour of the restaurant while Pinky is in full fox mode.¡± As if hearing Zane¡¯s words, Jeffries came up to the window and gently cleared his throat. Lily returned to her station and waited for him to speak. ¡°If I might ask a favor of you, young lady,¡± the Mayor said with a curt bow, ¡°But I would very much like to talk to the master of this restaurant, once he is finished with his duties. I have a friend who has been injured, and would like Master Zane¡¯s expert opinion on the matter. ¡± Zane summoned a green fox mask to match his robes, and stepped out where the man could see him. ¡°I politely decline,¡± he replied. Jeffries looked at him with a critical eye. ¡°I would owe you a favor,¡± he pointed out. The rogue cultivator shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t need favors, thank you.¡± ¡°Well, then what do you need?¡± the Mayor asked, ¡°I¡¯m sure I have something that might interest you.¡± Zane hesitated. The second General Badi heard his voice, he was cooked. But still, there might be a way. ¡°Fine, but I will not speak to your friend. And it will cost you one hundred cores.¡± Lily visibly flinched. That was an insane request, borderline insulting. But the Mayor simply nodded. ¡°One hundred cores, if you can restore his ability to cultivate. He has fallen victim to a dark technique. And ten if you cannot, for your time.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Zane said as he stepped towards the door, ¡°I¡¯m no apothecary, but I¡¯ll take a look.¡± *** General Badi knew what was happening as soon as he saw Jeffries walk up to the order window a second time. ¡°Damn him to the many hells¡­¡± Eric whispered. He didn¡¯t want this, and there was no point in getting his hopes up. What was done was done. A tall cultivator in a green robe wearing a fox mask exited the restaurant. Eric wished he could use his abilities to get a sense of the man, but they were long since gone. The hidden master walked towards the portable table and chair that the General had summoned from his storage bracelet. Wordlessly he pointed at a section of the menu, the part that said food was ¡°to-go¡± only. ¡°I am sorry,¡± Eric said, bowing his head, ¡°I did not mean to insult you, or your wonderful restaurant.¡± The man in green waved his hand dismissively and grabbed General Badi by the chin. Eric tolerated his touch, but wondered why it was necessary. After a moment, the man released him and pulled Jeffries aside. The two of them talked for a few minutes, Jeffries¡¯ face wavering between surprise and hope. The regular morning crowd had already dispersed, leaving the three of them alone on the patio. Something about that felt wrong to Eric. Usually people stuck around to enjoy their food and chat. He craned his neck to see what might have driven them off, and spotted a dozen men in blue robes. The members of the Crashing Wave Otter sect approached from all sides, surrounding the restaurant to ensure that their prey did not escape. He let out a snort of laughter. In a way, things had worked out like the thought they would. One last good meal, some decent conversation, then a quick death. The weather was even crisp, but not cold, exactly the way he liked it. Eric got up from his chair and walked out into the street. ¡°I¡¯m not running,¡± he said, ¡°If you want me, here I am.¡± The men in blue robes circled around him. Even in his prime he would have had trouble taking out so many. With a busted core, he stood no chance. Just as Eric began to make peace with his impending doom, the man in green took up a position beside him. They squared off with the closest attacker without saying a word. ¡°Who is this then?¡± Asked a bearded cultivator as he took a step back, ¡°Did you hire a bodyguard?¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t your fight,¡± Eric told the man in green, ignoring his attackers, ¡°I¡¯m a dead man anyway.¡± The man didn¡¯t respond, at least, not with words. A kitchen knife appeared in either hand, each thin blade was nearly three feet long. The General felt a strange sense of deja vu as he saw yet another cultivator using kitchen cutlery as weapons. ¡°Have we met before?¡± Eric asked. The man in black had thrown a cleaver at him, and the two men were of similar heights. ¡°You seem familiar.¡± Zane sighed as he looked down at the weapons that had given him away. ¡°Ah fuck,¡± he said, ¡°And I was doing so well too.¡± The General looked at the man (or possibly creature) that had maimed him. ¡°Just so you know, I hate you,¡± he told Zane before turning to face the men in blue. The angry sect members had backed off and were waiting for them to make the first move. ¡°I mean, I really, really, really hate you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really care,¡± Zane informed him, ¡°My class would throw a fit if I let a customer get killed outside my restaurant. And your friend the Mayor is paying me to fix you, so don¡¯t die before I get a chance to collect.¡± As if to start off the festivities, a man in blue collapsed with a wet gurgling sound. A black fletched arrow was sticking through the side of his neck. The rogue cultivator grinned beneath his mask as he turned to face the General. ¡°Oh, and Lily sends her love, she¡¯s the only reason I didn¡¯t kill you. Maybe think about that while I save your life.¡± Then, before Eric could reply, Zane was gone. Chapter 34: Like Smoke and Lightning Eric had been in the process of doing some calculations when things kicked off. It was him, Lily, and the man in green against eleven disciples from the Crashing Wave Otter sect (twelve if you counted the one choking to death on Lily''s arrow). He didn''t like those odds. Those were the kind of odds that people talked about at your funeral. They would need to fight as a team and whittle the enemy numbers down, or else risk being enveloped. Zane had no such concerns. The young man was used to being outnumbered twenty to one from his training in the warrens. He ran at the closest cultivator, easily dodging their attempts to fend him off with their spear. Then he separated their head from their neck with a swipe of his blade, and moved on to his next target. The rogue cultivator wasn''t sure which of the men in blue was the most powerful. But if the bulk of their forces died this easily, he wasn''t too worried. From what he had seen thus far, most of the sects didn''t have enough high level disciples to waste them on resource gathering, or petty feuds. If he were more heroic, Zane would have sought out the strongest among them for a duel. Instead of bothering with all that pageantry, the rogue cultivator proceeded to cut down the enemy as quickly as possible. They were armed with a mix of spears and swords, but Zane was too fast for their weapons to be of much use against him. On the rare occasion when one was about to land a blow, he teleported out of the way. His mentor Kiel had moved like smoke, shifting gracefully into an incorporeal state to avoid being hit. Zane was more like lightning, erratically jumping from place to place as he fought. By the time his enemies managed to close in on him, he was already gone. Most of the blue robed cultivators had never fought someone who outclassed them this much, and it showed. They were incapable of adapting to his attacks, or thinking tactically. Zane had expected them to attack Eric, or Lily. That would have forced him to stop mopping up the small fry and focus on protecting his allies. Instead, they went after Zane while Lily continued to rain down arrows from on top of the restaurant. With each kill, the rogue cultivator could feel a rush of essence as his Death Siphon ability kicked in. The only thing stopping him from running full speed continuously was the fact that it would cook him alive. Zane took a moment to regenerate and survey the carnage. After less than a minute of fighting, six headless corpses lay in the street. Three more had been killed by Lily''s arrows, and Eric had managed to bash one''s skull in with his fists while they were distracted. Zane approached the remaining two disciples. The spears they carried were of much higher quality than those of their fallen companions. ¡°So, you two must be the ones in charge,¡± he said mockingly, ¡°I have to tell you, I''m not impressed.¡± The two men looked at him with disgust. ¡°We tried to engage you in combat,¡± replied the taller one as he approached, ¡°But you ran from us like a coward.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Zane said with a shrug, ¡°You should have asked me to slow down and wait for you. Who knows, maybe if you moved a bit quicker your friends would still be alive.¡± The smaller one scowled. His face and throat were covered with a network of thin scars. ¡°I''m going to enjoy killing you,¡± he told Zane. ¡°Likewise!¡± replied the rogue cultivator, happy to have finally found someone who might be worth fighting, ¡°I¡¯d ask your names, but I really don''t give a shit. Now, let¡¯s get this show on the road. I''ve got things to do.¡± ¡°Oh? Do you now?¡± asked the short man, ¡°Because I''ve been watching you fight, and I realized something.¡± ¡°And what is it that you realized?¡± Zane looked around as he spoke, keeping an eye on the tall one who was trying to flank him. Normally that would have been a good tactic. But in order to get behind Zane, the tall one was exposing his own back to Lily''s arrows. ¡°Is it that I killed your guys incredibly easily?¡± Zane asked, trying to keep the men distracted, ¡°Because I definitely noticed that. Actually, I think everyone did.¡± ¡°No,¡± replied the short man as he advanced, ¡°I realized that you were burning through your energy very quickly with all those teleports. And if I''m not mistaken, you''re probably almost completely drained.¡± The rogue cultivator did his best to look surprised. Of course, the short man with the scars was absolutely wrong. Each kill had helped refill Zane''s essence core, meaning that he had more energy than when he started. Emboldened by his opponent''s lack of a response, the short man continued. ¡°Good luck taking on a pair of level nine cultivators without any of your abilities.¡± Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! This time Zane didn''t have to fake his surprise. He couldn''t believe they were both a whole Tier below him. If these were supposed to be the heavy hitters, no wonder the others had fallen so easily. Were the lowland sects really that weak? he wondered. The slap of a bowstring, followed by the sound of Lily''s arrow embedding itself between the tall one''s shoulder blades, brought him back to the task at hand. He had someone in front of him that needed killing. Zane threw both of his knives, watching as they embedded in the short man¡¯s chest. The cultivator looked down dumbly at the dark stains spreading across his blue robes. ¡°Oh fuck,¡± the short man whispered as he realized Zane had killed him, ¡°Oh fuck...¡± *** After the fighting was done, it didn''t take long for Zane to piece together what had really happened, or who was to blame. Jeffries had known that if the Crashing Wave Otters attacked one of Zane''s patrons, he would be forced to defend them. The young man would have been more angry about this if he hadn''t been the reason they were after Eric in the first place. But he was still unhappy about being used. More importantly, now the General knew that Zane was the Red Rogue. After the battle, Jeffries had gone off to file some paperwork, leaving Zane and Eric to deal with the dead cultivators. Once the bodies were stacked in the stables(much to Daisy''s delight), the two men had gone into Zane''s restaurant to discuss what would happen next. Eric was angry at Zane for destroying his core, as well as getting him excommunicated from his sect. But he also acknowledged that there was a life debt owed for saving him from the Crashing Wave Otter sect. Zane was unhappy because Eric could reveal he was the Red Rogue, potentially destroying everything he had worked for. It was hard to run a restaurant when lowland lords and sects were trying to kill you. The former cultivator had also hurt Daisy, which was something Zane was not inclined to forgive. Lily had made herself scarce and was upstairs with Pinky. The rogue cultivator took this as an indication that she was leaving the decision of how to handle Eric up to him. Zane looked at the large man across the table and took a sip from his cup of berry juice. ¡°Well, I''m honestly not sure what to do with you.¡± ¡°I feel the same way,¡± Eric admitted, ¡°Part of me wants to beat you to death for what you did to my core. The rest of me is more¡­ pragmatic.¡± ¡°Go on,¡± Zane said. The former cultivator took a deep breath and let it out. ¡°I was looking for the Red Rogue because I thought you might have killed Lily. Now I''m finding out that she''s alive, and you were trying to protect her from me.¡± ¡°She was worried you would drag her back to the sect,¡± Zane explained, ¡°And to be honest, I can''t blame her. You guys are like a cult, or something.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Eric with a wince, ¡°I can''t fault her there.¡± The former cultivator looked at Zane for a few seconds. Then, he frowned and set his glass down. ¡°What the fuck are you, anyway?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zane asked as he leaned back in his chair. ¡°Well, you aren''t human. At least, not anymore,¡± Eric explained,¡°You have way too much energy, and I''m pretty sure I killed you the last time we fought. But here you are, sitting there like nothing happened.¡± ¡°You''ll have to take that one up with the Mesh. I just do the best I can with what I have,¡± the rogue cultivator said with a shrug, ¡°But let me ask you a question. What do you want?¡± Eric frowned again. ¡°I''m not sure I know what you mean.¡± ¡°Of course you don''t. You''ve had a cult brainwashing you for most of your life,¡± Zane said with a sigh, ¡°Ok, let me rephrase it. If I could fix your core, would you want me to?¡± The former cultivator nodded. ¡°Of course I would.¡± ¡°Ok, and if I fixed your core, what would you do with your life?¡± Zane asked. Eric found that he didn''t have a good answer for that. He had daydreamed about becoming a farmer or a food critic, but only if he were no longer able to cultivate. If his core was restored, that would change everything. No, that''s not right, he realized. The former cultivator paused his train of thought. He was looking at things from the wrong angle. If he regained his powers, Eric would probably go back to climbing the mountain. The only difference was that he wouldn''t be a member of the Rock Mountain Mollusk sect anymore. He would be free. ¡°If you could fix my core, I''d go do whatever I wanted to,¡± Eric finally said, ¡°I¡¯d climb the mountain, eat good food, and keep getting stronger.¡± Zane didn''t actually give a shit what the man did with his life, so long as it didn''t cause more problems for him or his friends. He was mostly trying to find a way to make Lily happy that wouldn''t blow up in his face. ¡°Alright,¡± the rogue cultivator said, ¡°If you promise to behave, I may be able to help repair your core.¡± ¡°Just like that?¡± Eric asked, wondering what the catch was. ¡°Yeah,¡± Zane replied, ¡°Killing you would cause more problems than it solved, and Lily would probably never forgive me. So, I''ll help fix what was broken, and hopefully I won''t live to regret it.¡± The former cultivator took a deep breath then bowed his head. ¡°I promise on my honor that if you help me with this, I will be your ally. Your friends will be my friends, your enemies will be my enemies.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Zane said as he stood up, ¡°Let''s go introduce you to the rest of the family.¡± Chapter 35: Legend of the Jade Fox Sal, the senior disciple in charge of the resource gathering for the Crashing Wave Otter sect, was not happy. He had sent a dozen cultivators to deal with Eric Badi, and none had returned. So far the only reliable information about what had happened was coming from Mayor Jeffries. According to him, the disciples had picked a fight with the man who was treating Eric¡¯s injuries. Unfortunately for all involved, except perhaps Eric, the man turned out to be a hidden master known as the Jade Fox. Apparently this Jade Fox character had sliced Sal¡¯s men into ribbons for daring to attack someone under his care. Sal rubbed his temples then reached for some papers to write on. He was going to have to cancel the vendetta against Eric Badi. If he was under the care of a hidden master, there was no point in sending more disciples to their deaths. He hesitated as inspiration struck him. Sal had been focusing on what went wrong, ignoring the massive opportunity that had just fallen into his lap. With Eric Badi now powerless, and no longer a member of the Rock Mountain Mollusk sect, his position with Lord Grasa was now up for grabs. Rumor had it that tensions had been rising between the lord and the sect elders. If Sal could drive a wedge between them, it would greatly diminish the sect¡¯s power and influence in the lowlands. The senior disciple began to hum happily as he wrote out the letter. *** Zane was pleased to see that the newest member of their crew had managed to integrate without killing anyone, or being turned into kibble. He had mostly been worried about Daisy and Dumpling, but those fears turned out to be unfounded. Since Eric had lost his powers, the spirit beasts no longer considered him to be a threat. And like any good cultists, the psychotic duo welcomed anyone who was willing to serve their master. The former cultivator had been skittish at first, but he quickly fell into a routine. There were so many wonders and weird things going on in Zane''s restaurant that it was easy to get overwhelmed to the point of becoming numb. Zane found that he didn''t actually dislike Eric. The man was noble, decently level headed, and loved food. The rogue cultivator still held a bit of a grudge against him for hurting Daisy and Dumpling. But even Zane had to admit that had been done in self defense. Eric seemed to believe that the spirit beasts had attacked him to protect Lily, which was only partially true. Mostly they had tried to kill him because he had committed the crime of putting hands on the Awakener. The rogue cultivator was unsure about Eric''s loyalty. On the one hand, Zane was his only chance at having his powers restored. On the other hand, it wasn''t too far-fetched to imagine that he would hold a grudge after what had happened. Granted, beating the crap out of one another was fairly common among cultivators. It wasn''t unheard of for stronger disciples to ¡°share pointers¡± with the less powerful members, sometimes with fatal results. Violence, and even murder, were common ways for cultivators to get ahead, or acquire resources. The first time he killed someone, Zane had worried that something was broken inside of him. His lack of reaction, combined with his eagerness to acquire more experience, had felt surreal. He knew that most people would have collapsed into tears, or at least had nightmares. But Zane slept like a baby. When he fought, it was as natural as breathing. Killing was simply the fight coming to its natural conclusion. He didn''t shy away from it, or draw any particular joy from it. Violence was a means to an end, no more, no less. Though Zane had to admit, he enjoyed fighting against a superior opponent. Pushing his limits made him feel alive. Racing along the razor thin line between failure and success got his blood pumping in ways that nothing else could. Most of the higher level cultivators seemed to feel the same way. Climbing the mountain was how they progressed and challenged themselves. The peaks, and the temples within them, called to the cultivators like beacons. The rogue cultivator thought that the urge to progress would be enough to keep Eric in check, but there was another factor to consider. Zane had associated with all kinds of unsavory people when he was growing up. Some of that could be blamed on his underprivileged upbringing, but the vast majority was because of his poor judgment. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Zane could remember a former pimp who had explained once about how he kept his ¡°herd¡± in check. When the gray-haired pimp was in a good mood, he liked to share his various trade secrets. Horrible as they were, Zane had listened. The rogue cultivator wasn''t actually stupid. He was impulsive, inattentive, and had questionable morals. But he was smarter than he let on. If someone was going to give him information for free, he would shut up and learn from them. (Assuming it was interesting enough to hold his attention.) The old pimp had explained that in addition to having a second in command who kept an eye on things, he employed a tactic of harming then healing. He would beat a worker for misbehaving, then draw them a bath and treat their wounds. In the end they were so grateful for the help that they forgot he was the one responsible for their misery. The idea of it made Zane¡¯s skin crawl. Hurting someone then healing them to win their loyalty was evil. But he couldn''t help but see how it applied to his situation with Eric. If he found a way to fix the man¡¯s core, there was a strong chance that he would remain loyal. Of course, that would require doing something nearly impossible. Restoring a broken core to full function was a task that even sect elders would have a hard time with. Granted, he had already done some work on his own core. Albeit, with sometimes lethal results. The way Zane saw it there were three options. He could attempt to fix the problem, teach Eric how to patch things up on his own, or seek guidance from someone more competent. Either way, the rogue cultivator had decided to wait at least a week before starting. He wanted to see how the former cultivator settled in before attempting to give his powers back. Besides, it was nice having someone else around that enjoyed food as much as he did. Eric seemed to have a bottomless desire for knowledge, especially when Zane mentioned that he was an outsider. The prospect of tasting recipes from another world had sparked intense interest from the large man. Unfortunately, Eric also had the annoying habit of asking questions that Zane didn''t want to answer. He wanted to know everything about the rogue cultivator, and wasn''t deterred by Zane''s usual technique of deflecting or playing dumb. The sect elders were equally tight fisted when it came to giving out answers, so the former cultivator was used to having to dig for information. Lily was less blatant, but had done some digging of her own. She knew that Zane had some connection with the gods, and that he probably couldn''t die. But she also lacked specifics. The former disciple was doing fairly well as their primary order taker while Pinky was out of commission. The kitsune was slowly regaining control over her transformations, but it was still unpredictable. Sometimes her tail would randomly appear, or her teeth would elongate and grow mid conversation. Stress or agitation seemed to trigger it, which was why they were keeping her far away from any customers. Zane was just as likely to set her off, but for entirely different reasons. Pinky had gone somewhat feral after her killing spree at the camp. The kitsune¡¯s animalistic nature was gnawing at her humanity, telling her it was time to drop the facade and return home. Or rather, to do what it took to become strong enough to complete the journey. Since the mountain fog made it impossible for low level creatures to survive, spirit beasts often came down to lower altitudes in the spring to give birth. Then, when their young were strong enough to resist the fog, they returned. Some creatures were able to construct special dens that kept the fog out, or take over ruined temples that served a similar purpose. They didn''t need to descend to the foot of the mountain to raise their young. Kitsunes, on the other hand, were more like cuckoo birds. They replaced the offspring of a spirit beast or human with one of their pups. Then, once the pup was old enough, they devoured their host family and returned home. Pinky felt a mix of ancestral memory and animal instinct driving her, telling her to do whatever it took to return home. Killing always made it worse. But in time it would diminish, becoming less of an overpowering urge and more of a nagging desire. Unfortunately, Zane smelled like candy to her on account of his altered core. She wanted to devour him, draining the young man of his essence to fuel her journey up the mountain. Pinky had kept her animalistic urges in check thus far, but it was far from easy. The kitsune wasn''t so far gone that she couldn''t tell who her friends were. Pinky also knew that consuming Zane, or someone else in his stead, would push her down a path that she didn''t want. Ironically, her ancestral memory was part of why she refused to give in. It had warned her of the consequences. As with all things, there had to be a balance between the two extremes. Giving in fully to her bestial nature would make the kitsune stronger in the short term, but she would never be able to advance past it. Likewise, playing human would slow her advancement, but keep her mind intact. Pinky knew that the ideal path lay somewhere in the middle. She needed to be strong, but smart. To kill when needed, and be merciful when it wasn''t. A soft knock on the door announced Zane''s presence, shaking Pinky from her introspection. He had a tray with some juice and assorted snacks. ¡°I thought you might be hungry,¡± the young man said. Pinky smiled, pulling him in close for a kiss. ¡°You''re so sweet.¡± Zane returned her smile. ¡°I do what I can. Are you feeling any better?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± Pinky said as she dragged her man into bed, ¡°I think I am.¡± Chapter 36: The Weakness of Weapons Eric kept waiting for the shoe to drop. Everything about the restaurant and its inhabitants was so beyond the scope of his understanding that he felt overwhelmed. The sect had taught him that all spirit beasts were mindless creatures, only able to imitate human intelligence in order to hunt or avoid detection. But what he saw here seriously put that into doubt. Daisy and Dumpling were obviously smart enough, if a bit bloodthirsty. They could carry on a conversation, express their motivations, and plan for the future. Mindless beasts weren¡¯t able to do those kinds of things. He was unsure if the sect had lied to him, or Zane¡¯s influence had somehow altered the creatures. But it definitely made Eric reconsider certain parts of his world view. The former cultivator was still somewhat uneasy around Pinky. Kitsunes were known to be master manipulators, but she didn¡¯t seem interested in seducing Eric and draining him of his essence. Mostly she told him to get back to work, or to stop asking so many questions. Of all the restaurant¡¯s monstrous inhabitants, she was certainly the most normal. That wasn¡¯t hard when the other two humanoids were a skin stealing ancient construct and an unkillable man from another world. He didn¡¯t count Lily among the monsters because she was human, like him. He saw her as his last remaining connection to home, the one thing worth keeping from his old life. Unfortunately, things between them were somewhat strained. Back when they were both members of the sect, they had been close friends. But now it was like a huge rift had opened up between them. Eric wasn¡¯t sure if she was mad at him for coming after her, or if it was something else. Either way, she would barely speak to him. Each day after brunch was finished the former cultivator went to the stables to train, trying to burn off his rising frustrations. Zane had promised that he would begin the process of healing Eric¡¯s core in a few weeks. The young man had said something about a body and mind needing time to stabilize. But that was just an excuse. Eric knew that Zane was testing him. The rogue cultivator would be stupid to return his powers without getting to know him first, if it was even possible. And despite how he acted, the young man was not nearly as foolish as he pretended to be. He was also incredibly powerful for his level, having somehow gotten access to abilities usually reserved for those favored by the gods. Sparing against Zane was like trying to punch a shadow, or catch lightning barehanded. Fighting him without the help of any abilities was impossible, yet the young man insisted that they have at least one match per day. After Zane had thoroughly beat the snot out of his patient, he gave Eric a restorative smoothie and some words of encouragement. After the first week was up, Eric vented his frustrations to Mayor Jeffries as he unpacked their food. They had a standing lunch appointment because the Mayor tended to forget to eat otherwise. Preparations for the upcoming winter festival were taking up more time than expected and he was getting run a bit ragged. Jeffries opened a blue box of take-out and inhaled deeply through his nose. ¡°Ah, lovely. What have you brought for me today?¡± Eric brightened up as the conversation switched to his favorite subject. ¡°For the side we have what Zane calls a ¡®Thai salad¡¯, it consists of thinly sliced carrots and jicama with chili flakes and ginger. The dressing is made up of rice wine vinegar sweetened with sugar.¡± He pointed a thick finger to the main course. ¡°The skewers are rock chicken glazed with honey and grilled to perfection, served in a spicy peanut sauce. I did the grilling, but Zane handled the sauces. He felt that making two batches would be wasteful.¡± The Mayor took a bite, a look of intense pleasure and satisfaction washed over his face. ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s exactly what I needed. Thank you for bringing me lunch.¡± ¡°Thank you for helping me avoid getting killed,¡± Eric replied, ¡°I still can¡¯t believe the sects are leaving me alone.¡± ¡°What can I say? Sometimes even an old schemer like me gets things right every once in a while,¡± Jeffries replied before tearing into his meal. Eric felt his mood grow dark. ¡°I think the food might be a way of distracting me. I don¡¯t know if Zane can actually heal my core.¡± The Mayor stopped eating and patted his friend on the shoulder. ¡°Well, he¡¯s the best option, given your lack of sect backing or political power. But if he can¡¯t make any progress, you can always leave to try something else.¡± The former cultivator weighed his options. ¡°I suppose that¡¯s true, though actually I wanted to ask your advice on something a bit more personal.¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Oh?¡± Jeffries asked with a raised eyebrow, ¡°And what might that be?¡± A pained expression crossed Eric¡¯s face. ¡°Lily, the other former disciple. I think she¡¯s mad at me for something, but won¡¯t tell me what.¡± ¡°And were you two intimately involved, or just friends?¡± ¡°Just friends,¡± the former cultivator replied, ¡°Neither of us were interested in the other, but letting people assume we were together kept unwanted attention away.¡± ¡°Are you sure she feels the same way?¡± the Mayor pressed, ¡°People aren¡¯t always upfront about their romantic intentions. Sometimes they are too afraid of rejection to be completely honest.¡± Eric laughed. ¡°I¡¯m completely sure that she has zero interest in me as anything more than a friend.¡± He hesitated before saying the next part, but figured that since he wasn¡¯t a sect disciple anymore, there was no point in keeping the secret. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m not interested in her either. She¡¯s not exactly my type.¡± ¡°Well then,¡± Jeffries said with an impish grin as he raised his cup, ¡°Here¡¯s to hoping that you find someone more to your liking.¡± The former cultivator raised his own cup to return the gesture. ¡°I¡¯ll drink to that.¡± *** By the end of the second week, Eric was beginning to get frustrated again. After each of their sparring sessions Zane would inspect him, then hand over the healing juice. Finally, he snapped. ¡°What¡¯s the point of all this?¡± the former cultivator asked, ¡°Surely you aren¡¯t learning much from kicking the crap out of me.¡± Zane paused at the outburst. ¡°Actually, that¡¯s not true. Even with your core damaged, you¡¯re still a formidable fighter. And the fact that your Monk class allows you to fight without weapons means you are the best person around to teach me hand to hand combat. I don¡¯t have a combat class, so I have to learn everything the hard way.¡± Eric wiped away the blood and sweat covering his forehead. ¡°But what¡¯s the point if it doesn¡¯t help me?¡± The rogue cultivator considered his next words carefully. ¡°Tell me, have you ever looked at your own cores?¡± ¡°No,¡± Eric admitted, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well, if you did you would find that your essence core is linked to your lower core by a thin thread. That thread regulates the flow of energy from your essence core and allows your lower core to fuel your abilities.¡± Zane drew an imaginary line in the air with a fingertip before continuing. ¡°Your thread is still intact, it¡¯s only the essence core that is damaged. So if I can repair that, then everything else will start working again.¡± The big man frowned. ¡°But can you actually do it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± replied Zane, ¡°I¡¯ve actually already started the process. And this training is important, but I can¡¯t tell you why until it¡¯s finished.¡± Eric sighed. ¡°You¡¯re asking me to trust you. I¡¯m sure you can see why that might be hard for me.¡± ¡°I get it,¡± the rogue cultivator admitted, ¡°But I can tell you that we are making progress towards fixing your core. It¡¯s just a delicate process.¡± ¡°So you are going to continue to kick the crap out of me and I have to just believe that it¡¯s helping?¡± Eric asked. ¡°Exactly!¡± Zane replied, ¡°Isn¡¯t medicine fun?¡± *** The truth was that Zane had discovered a way to repair Eric¡¯s core. His Death Siphon ability had fractured the crystalline sphere, but not destroyed it entirely. Unfortunately, Eric¡¯s body had resisted the rogue cultivator¡¯s earlier attempts to patch it up with spiritual duct tape. Zane figured it was like organ rejection. Since the strands of thread were not native to the former cultivator¡¯s body, it tried to destroy them. However, weakening Eric¡¯s body through combat and exertion seemed to slow the process down. Zane didn¡¯t explain what was going on because he was worried that Eric would subconsciously fight the healing process. Nobody wanted someone else mucking about with their core, even if they were trying to help. He was definitely making progress. Essence still leaked out of Eric¡¯s core, but the cracks were starting to heal. Each time they fought, Zane would wrap Eric''s core, then give him some essence rich juice to drink. At first the essence had escaped almost instantly. But as the days went on, it departed much more slowly. Zane''s working theory was that essence was crystalizing on his spiritual duct tape, sealing the gaps a little at a time. Eventually it would reach a point where Eric didn''t need his help at all. Of course, had the spiritual duct tape failed to work, there was another thing Zane could have tried. He had a theory that a cracked core could temporarily be repaired using impurities as glue. The toxins that the pills purged were sticky and thick. Someone who was desperate enough could probably use the impurities like roofing tar to seal any small gaps in their core. Thankfully, it hadn''t come to that. Eric seemed to be improving, even if progress was fairly slow. If Zane wanted to speed things up, he would need to find a way to either put more essence into Eric, or to keep it from escaping his damaged core. Ideally, both. That would require a concentrated source of essence and a way to contain it. Zane''s eyes went to his spirit bong, a plan forming in his mind. This was going to be so much fun! Chapter 37: Hot Boxing The elderly glassblower looked at Zane with equal parts fascination and horror. ¡°You want to put someone in an airtight glass chamber, attach that device to one end of it, then put a mouthpiece on the other?¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Zane nodded, ¡°I want them to be swimming in essence infused smoke.¡± The old man scratched his head. ¡°But why? Wouldn''t it make more sense to strap a mask to their face, rather than fill the whole chamber?¡± ¡°They have a damaged core. I need to increase the ambient essence around them to prevent it from leaking out.¡± The rogue cultivator paused. ¡°Actually, if we can get the concentration high enough, he might be able to do his own repairs.¡± ¡°You know that''s insane, right?¡± The glassblower asked, ¡°You can''t just repair a broken core.¡± ¡°Actually, you can. It just takes way more essence than most people would be willing to spend,¡± Zane informed him, ¡°At least this way multiple people will benefit from the process.¡± The glassblower let out a sigh. ¡°Fine, it''s your money. It''ll take about a week to finish, and I expect payment in advance.¡± ¡°Half now, and the other half upon completion,¡± Zane countered. The old man grumbled a bit, but accepted his terms. Then they haggled over price, and eventually shook hands. Zane''s next stop was the apothecary. They were still on their weird puppet-on-a-string bullshit, but didn''t ask any questions when he requested a large amount of cleansing pills. The rogue cultivator watched the apothecary bob around their shop like a marionette while they completed his order. He still wasn''t exactly sure what was pulling their strings, or if the robed figure he was talking to was even alive. But at least they were efficient. Zane thanked the potential eldritch horror puppeting the apothecary as he paid for his order. Assuming there were no delays, he would have the means to fix Eric''s core in about a week. Of course, there was the question of which cores to use. They had a decent amount of human cores from their raid on the camp, along with the spirit beast cores he had also found. While the idea of consuming human cores might seem repulsive to someone like Eric, it made sense to use cores that were similar to the one they were trying to repair. Eventually Zane pulled Lily aside to ask her opinion. ¡°What do you think? Should we stick with spirit beast cores? Or is it better to use human ones and not tell him?¡± The former disciple pondered the dilemma. She was still mad at Eric for trying to hunt her down. ¡°Use the human cores,¡± Lily said, ¡°I''d rather not waste the good ones on him.¡± Zane flashed her a thumbs up and went back to work. He could have asked her what was wrong, or why things were so tense between the two former disciples. But that was drama he didn''t want to be involved in. Lily had convinced them not to kill Eric. Any issues that came from that were her problem, as far as Zane was concerned. He had his hands full with Pinky, who alternated between ferocious and a much more pleasant kind of ferocious. Zane wasn''t sure exactly what was going on there, but it definitely was fun. The rogue cultivator watched Lily go as he continued to prepare for tomorrow¡¯s brunch. He had a reason for wanting Eric¡¯s core fixed sooner, rather than later. Groucho had found the entrance to a hidden temple, one that didn''t look like it had been touched for centuries. Temples weren''t exactly rare. Followers of the various deities usually posted out in front of them to charge admission, and hopefully gain a few converts. But a forgotten temple was something else entirely. According to Groucho, sometimes the gods fought. And when that happened, there was a chance that one of them would die or be exiled. If the temple belonged to a fallen god, it would be theirs to plunder. Even if the temple was linked to an existing deity, there would be rewards for restoring it. Either way, it was worth investigating. But Zane wasn''t about to go in without his team at full strength. That meant fixing Eric''s core as soon as possible, before someone else discovered the ruins. Lady Foxglove had warned him that doom was coming for the city. Zane needed to level up his people and get out of town before the winter festival. Killing more rich idiots wasn''t an option, not unless he wanted to see Pinky turn into a monster. That left hunting spirit beasts and clearing temples. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Zane sighed. The cooking competition was coming up soon and he needed to make a decision. The prize was a contract to cater the festivities at the winter festival. If he won, they could take the advance and leave before the destruction started. Assuming the goddess was right about the timing, that was a solid plan with relatively low risk. But what was much more interesting to him was the possibility of robbing the city blind before it was destroyed. There were warehouses along the outer walls filled with all manner of precious goods. Everything from cultivation resources to rare spices, his for the taking. If they timed it right, the city would be destroyed after they left, removing any evidence of the thefts with it. Zane had also taken the liberty of finding out which merchants had stockpiles of precious jewels. He reasoned that if things went to shit, the merchants would try to take everything of value with them. Zane didn''t have to break into their vaults, which would doubtlessly be trapped and warded. All he needed to do was rob the merchants as they fled. Pinky had approved of his plan, but they had left the others in the dark. Daisy, Dumpling, and Groucho would go along with whatever Zane told them. Only Eric and Lily were potential problems. There was no way of knowing how they would handle the knowledge that Hero''s Step was about to be destroyed. Killing rich idiots on safari was one thing. Standing by and watching a city burn was something else entirely. It would also require Zane to explain how he got the information, and his connection to the goddess. If Eric ran to his new friend the Mayor, things could get complicated. That was the other reason why Zane had decided to keep them in the dark for as long as possible. There was a chance they might try and be heroes. Something which would not only disrupt Zane''s plans, but also draw unwanted attention to them. The young man was all for being a menace and pissing people off, but he drew the line at annoying someone who could destroy an entire city. That sounded dangerous. No, he would keep his plan secret until the last moment. Things were much safer that way. Zane let out a sigh. The upcoming winter festival was only a few months away. The rogue cultivator needed to get everyone ready to leave, but there were no guarantees he could get everyone leveled up in time. Pinky was the biggest problem. She couldn''t exactly go out and kill cultivators like the others did. At least, not without becoming a mindless beast. That was why Zane needed to clear the temple. According to Kiel, completing the various puzzles and challenges in a temple would give a ton of experience. Better yet, the rewards scaled depending on how well you did and how long it had been since someone last completed the challenge. Zane was hoping that it would be enough of a boost to get Pinky back on track. The kitsune was lagging behind the others, and he didn''t know if she would be ready to leave in time for the winter festival. If worst came to worst, they could descend the mountain instead of climbing. But Zane felt like that was asking to get trampled by the thousands of other people fleeing the city. He figured that higher up the mountain would be safer, or at least, much less crowded. He finished his prep work and wiped down the counter top with a summoned rag. Zane wasn''t sure what the future would bring, but he knew that it needed to be approached one step at a time. And the first step was fixing Eric''s core. The rogue cultivator let out a chuckle. He couldn''t wait to see the expression on Eric''s face when the former cultivator saw what Zane had made for him. *** ¡°You want me to get inside that? Are you insane?¡± Eric asked as he took in what looked to be a man sized killing jar. ¡°Probably,¡± Zane replied, ¡°But it will help you fix your core a lot faster.¡± The former cultivator looked at the giant glass container skeptically. ¡°How does it work?¡± Zane pointed at an inlet near the base. ¡°We draw in purified essence from the cores through there. Where you''re sitting will become saturated with high levels of essence. I''m hoping that there will be enough essence that some of it will flow into your lower core. ¡°If that happens, I can walk you through the steps to finish patching up your essence core. Even if it doesn''t, there should be enough ambient essence to help promote healing,¡± the rogue cultivator explained. ¡°Ah,¡± Eric said as he processed the information, ¡°It''s a bit like making rock sugar. The supersaturated solution precipitates out and forms crystals. If my essence core is used as a seed, they''ll grow there first.¡± ¡°Exactly,¡± Zane replied, realizing that Eric had explained things much more clearly than he ever could, ¡°Now go take a leak and get ready. Once we start the process, we can''t let you out until it''s finished, and I don''t have enough cores to do this twice.¡± While Eric went off to relieve himself, Lily wandered over to talk to Zane. In addition to the necessary materials, he had also prepared a massive spread. There was everything from fried jalapeno poppers to deviled eggs. ¡°What''s all this for?¡± Lily asked as she poured herself a glass of juice. Zane smiled. ¡°Let''s just say that if everything goes right, everyone is going to be incredibly hungry afterward.¡± The former disciple blinked uncertainly. ¡°What''s that supposed to mean?¡± Dumpling floated over to answer. ¡°PURIFIED CORE VAPOR CAN GREATLY INCREASE ONE''S APPETITE.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± Lily said, ¡°I thought Eric was the only one getting into the device.¡± ¡°He is,¡± Zane confirmed as he walked over to reveal a mouthpiece set into the top of the glass jar, ¡°But who do you think is going to fill it for him?¡± Chapter 38: Up In Smoke Eric was nervous as he sat on the ground and the glass jar was lowered down over him. His view through the glass was distorted, making the people outside appear warped and twisted. ¡°Remember,¡± Zane said through a hole in the top, ¡°Once we start, there''s no stopping. We don''t have enough cores for a second try.¡± The former general nodded. He was no stranger to discomfort, but doubt was preying on his mind. If it was so easy to restore a fractured core, why hadn''t anyone else done it? All cultivators knew that once your core was destroyed, there was no coming back. Assuming you didn''t die instantly when your core exploded, it still shattered your cultivation. It removed all ability to control or use Essence. Eric has lost decades of progress when his core was damaged. Everything he sacrificed, all his years of grinding Essence to buy new abilities, had been rendered pointless by one attack. And now the same person who had broke him was offering a cure. The basic idea made sense. Essence Cores were made of crystalized Essence, and saturating the area around him with Essence would give it the necessary materials to self-repair. Zane¡¯s use of medicinal herbs to purify the cores meant there would be a relatively safe source of Essence. But Eric still felt like they were missing something. He heard the sound of glass rubbing together as Zane put the mouth piece in place, sealing him inside. There was a metal marble to act as a valve, preventing air from escaping between hits. From now on, only Essence enriched vapor would enter the device. The distorted figures outside continued to work. Eric watched as they sealed the bottom of the jar with beeswax to prevent any leaks. Zane rigged his spirit bong to a port near the bottom and gave a thumbs up. Eric took a deep breath, watching as small bubbles formed in the long glass tube. When he exhaled, there was a faint clicking noise from the one way valve above him. The air inside the jar felt a bit more humid, but there wasn''t much else that had changed. Zane gave him another thumbs up and took a hit from the mouth piece on top of the jar. Eric¡¯s ears almost popped from the sudden drop in air pressure as the rogue cultivator took a massive rip. ¡°I don''t think it''s affecting me,¡± Eric called out, realizing that the glass was muffling his words. He could hear muffled sounds of coughing and laughter outside as Pinky took a hit. The kitsune planted a kiss on the side of his jar and waved before heading to the snack table. He wasn''t sure what to make of that. Pinky had always seemed so cold and distant. Perhaps she was warming up to him? Either way, she seemed to have started a trend. Lily took a hit of her own and kissed the glass. Eric felt a pang in his chest as his friend walked away. This was the most attention Lily had shown him since he joined Zane¡¯s group of misfits. Most days she barely talked to him. He wondered why that was. They had been like siblings once, two decent people looking out for each other in a sect of asshole cultivators. Now they felt more like an old divorced couple, uncomfortable and awkward. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Eric closed his eyes and tried to focus on his breathing. They had been friends before and could be friends again, he just needed to fix his core first. Everything would be better once he fixed his core. But what if it didn''t work? What if they were wrong and it didn''t fix him? What if Zane was pulling a prank on him? What if it was a trap? He tried to slow his thoughts, but they kept coming. Every doubt and worry was magnified, echoing back at him from inside his glass prison. *** ¡°The smoke isn''t thick enough,¡± Zane said with a shake of his head. He could feel the ambient Essence inside the jar increasing with each hit, but it wasn''t enough. They needed to work faster. Luckily, Zane had prepared for such a contingency. ¡°Daisy! You''re up!¡± he called out. Daisy trotted into the restaurant, her hooves covered in rags to protect the wooden floors. The Essence rich vapor inside the jar was drawing her in like a moth to a flame. ¡°How wonderful! How beautiful! It''s so full of light!¡± the horse said as she got ready to take a hit. ¡°Now, I don''t want you getting too crazy,¡± Zane warned, ¡°Just one good pull, then back to the stables.¡± ¡°Oh yes, Master.¡± Daisy nodded furiously. She had recently started calling Zane her Master instead of the Awakener, no doubt due to Eric¡¯s influence. ¡°I will do as you command.¡± ¡°Good. Now, let me load up some fresh cores so you can take your shot.¡± Zane made a point of double checking all the connections after he replaced the spent cores. The last thing he wanted was an air leak. ¡°Ok, Daisy,¡± he said with a thumbs up, ¡°Let her rip!¡± *** For a second Eric felt like he had been shot out into space. There was an intense sensation of suction from above, followed by a rush of thick white vapor. The air was so rich with Essence that it sparkled like a rainbow. He could feel it now. There was a lightness in his head and a gentle softening of the world around him. His worries melted away like spun sugar being kissed by soft summer rain. Everything was fine. He was fine. In fact, Eric wondered why he had ever been worried in the first place. He waved at Lily, who responded playfully by eating two deviled eggs in one bite. She rubbed her stomach to emphasize how good the food was. ¡°Oh wow,¡± Eric said as he looked out at the table covered in food, ¡°I¡¯d kill for some of that right now.¡± ¡°Good,¡± whispered a raspy voice from somewhere inside the jar, ¡°Perhaps you might be willing to make a deal?¡± Eric froze. ¡°Who said that?¡± ¡°I did,¡± rasped the voice, ¡°It was so nice of you to prepare this shrine for me. I haven''t felt Essence this pure in ages. And to think, you even used human cores. That shows true dedication!¡± The former cultivator began to sweat. There was either a demon or a god in there with him. Both were equally dangerous. ¡°That''s us,¡± he lied, ¡°We are very dedicated.¡± ¡°And a shrine made of glass, how modern!¡± the voice continued, ¡°You must be very special to your cult for them to have gone to all this effort. Are you their leader?¡± Eric blinked a few times. ¡°Maybe? Who¡¯s asking?¡± ¡°The Great Shadow Coyote,¡± replied the god trapped in the jar with him. ¡°In that case,¡± Eric said, ¡°Definitely not.¡± Chapter 39: The God Box The white vapor inside the glass jar sparkled pleasantly. It was so thick that Zane could barely see through it. He laughed at the thought of Eric trapped inside the jar, stoned out of his mind. Pinky sauntered over and put her arms around his neck. ¡°This was a fun idea.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± Zane said, ¡°Everyone seems to be having a good time.¡± The kitsune yawned, showing sharp white teeth. ¡°Yeah. Even Lily is loosening up.¡± She pointed at the former disciple, who was curled up on the floor with Dumpling. The Void Stalker accepted the praise and fumbling pets with dignity. ¡°YES, HUMAN. ADORE ME. BASK IN MY GLORY.¡± ¡°Sure thing, miss pretty kitty,¡± Lily murmured. Pinky laughed. ¡°I think we should cut her off.¡± ¡°Agreed. A few more hits and she would be seeing god.¡± Zane checked the density of Essence in Eric''s jar. It was a bit low, almost as if they had a leak. Zane decided to ignore the possible leak, for now. ¡°Alright, let''s load up some fresh cores and keep going. I don''t want to be stuck here all night.¡± *** ¡°... anyways, that''s how I managed to skin them alive, and still get them to repaint my temple!¡± said the god, cackling with laughter. Eric fought to hold down his breakfast. ¡°Oh. I would never have thought to do it that way. You must be very smart.¡± ¡°Smart?¡± asked the god mockingly, ¡°I''m the great Shadow Coyote! I''m one the cleverest gods around! Even Lady Foxglove fears a battle of the wits with me.¡± The former cultivator nodded, happy to say whatever was required to keep his skin intact. He had long since lost track of what was going on or why there was a god in the jar with him. Nothing made sense anymore. His head and core felt like they were filled with happy static. Eric giggled as he felt the vibration from Daisy¡¯s heavy steps. Daisy was cool. Horses were cool. Eric couldn''t wait to pet her mane when he got out of the jar. The Shadow Coyote continued to blabber on mindlessly from somewhere above him. ¡°Yes, and that''s the source of true power! That''s the way you ascend!¡± ¡°Oh wow,¡± Eric said, instantly forgetting the divine knowledge that had been bestowed upon him, ¡°That''s neat!¡± *** Zane did a quick equipment check. There were no leaks, but somehow the ambient Essence inside the jar was dropping. He hoped that meant Eric''s core was using the Essence to repair itself.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Unfortunately, he was running out of willing participants. Pinky was down for the count, laying on the carpet as Lily stroked her ears. Zane took a second to admire the scene before getting back to work. He had six cores left and his knees were already starting to wobble. ¡°Daisy,¡± he said, ¡°I know I''m probably going to regret this¡­ but do you want another hit?¡± The walking nightmare could barely contain her excitement as she approached the jar. ¡°Oh yes! I want more! This light is so pure! It tastes of life and happiness!¡± Zane loaded in three fresh cores and gave her a thumbs up. ¡°Alright, let her rip!¡± *** Shadow Coyote was in the middle of a lecture about how to game the system when he felt the air shift. He looked up to see a dark shadow standing above him, their features distorted by the glass. ¡°Huh,¡± he said, ¡°What¡¯s with the horse? Is it a sacrifice to my glory?¡± Eric nodded, his brain trying to get into gear as he realized what was about to happen. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s Daisy. She is the Master¡¯s favorite steed. We reserve only the best for you, oh great one.¡± ¡°Fantastic!¡± said the god approvingly, ¡°It¡¯s nice to be treated with respect for once. Half of my shrines are falling into disrepair and the other ones are barely used. I can¡¯t remember the last time I saw such a magnificent creature. I wonder what her insides look like.¡± The former cultivator braced himself against the walls of the jar as he felt the pressure start to drop. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he told the god, ¡°I have a feeling you¡¯ll get to see for yourself, very soon.¡± *** The Great Shadow Coyote felt himself being absorbed, sucked into the hungry void that was Daisy. The trickster god could feel his power being leached away, but he wasn''t going to give up without a fight. There was a human in the jar with him, and their damaged core called out to him, a pocket of safety in the storm. He crawled inside and sealed it shut behind him, waiting out the attack. The body was strong, but not strong enough to resist as the god took over control. He could hear Eric¡¯s mind howling with anger, but soon it went quiet. Coyote opened his new eyes and surveyed the room from inside his glass prison. Then, with a pulse of Essence, he shattered the walls that held him. ¡°Fools!¡± screamed Coyote as he stood up to his full height, black smoke curling from his nose and mouth. ¡°You think you can consume me? That you can trick me?¡± Zane looked at the former cultivator with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Say what now?¡± ¡°You tried to feed me to that beast!¡± Coyote pointed an accusing finger at Daisy, who was propped up against the wall with a dazed expression on her face. She seemed to be having a good time, but it was hard to tell. ¡°Look, I know some people get a little bit paranoid,¡± Zane said, ¡°But nobody is trying to hurt you, Eric.¡± ¡°I''m not Eric!¡± screamed the god, clenching his fists, ¡°I am the Great Shadow Coyote, and you are about to die for your insolence!¡± ¡°No thanks,¡± replied Zane, ¡°I have a big day tomorrow.¡± Coyote stopped and scratched his head. The young man standing in front of him showed no signs of fear. That was vexing, most cultivators would have been trembling at the mere mention of his name. ¡°Why aren''t you afraid of me?¡± ¡°Should I be?¡± Zane asked as the others stumbled their way to safety. They were getting away from the inevitable battle that was about to unfold. ¡°Yes!¡± shouted Coyote. ¡°Oh, right on!¡± The Rogue Cultivator dropped into a fighting stance. ¡°Let¡¯s get on with it then, I don''t have all day.¡± The next thing Zane knew, he was traveling backwards at great speed. He crashed through the wall of the restaurant, hit the street so hard that he bounced, then came to a stop against a cart. Zane¡¯s left arm was bent at an odd angle and his ribs were shattered. Everything either hurt, or was slowly going numb. He hadn''t seen the blow coming, but he certainly had felt it. ¡°OK,¡± Zane said as his regeneration kicked in and he stood up, his bones popping back into place, ¡°Now I''m pissed.¡± Chapter 40: Coyote Coyote stepped out of the hole in the side of the restaurant. The black smoke flowing out of his nose and mouth cascaded down the front of his open robes as he talked. ¡°Ah, you''re still alive. How surprising.¡± Zane responded by summoning a knife and teleporting behind Coyote, burying the blade up to the hilt in their shoulder. He dodged out of the way as the god possessing Eric tried to take him out with a wild swing. The blade stuck in the big man¡¯s shoulder wasn''t immediately fatal. But it did slow him down and restrict his range of movement. This gave Zane enough of an edge to counteract Coyote¡¯s superior speed and strength. Zane didn''t know if Eric was still in there. But the Mayor had promised him a hundred cores for healing Eric, so he was trying to keep things non-lethal. What followed was a knock down, drag out fight. The rogue cultivator couldn''t strike a killing blow, but neither could Coyote. The god might hit Zane hard enough to send him flying, but the young man had more than enough essence to heal himself from anything that wasn''t immediately lethal. ¡°How are you still alive?!¡± howled Coyote as Zane got up for the tenth time. The young man snapped his jaw back into place and grinned. ¡°That one felt a little weak. Are you getting tired?¡± Coyote felt his steps falter. His divine Essence had been slowly leaking out as they fought, making him weaker with each passing minute. Soon his host would run dry. ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked. Zane shrugged and summoned another knife. ¡°I''ll let you know when I figure that out.¡± Coyote shook his head. This was not how things were supposed to go. He decided to take a different approach. ¡°Your friend¡¯s body can''t take much more of this.¡± ¡°No, he''s pretty strong. I think he''ll be fine,¡± Zane replied, ¡°The last time we fought I cracked his core. If he survived that, I''m sure he can get over a few little cuts.¡± The god froze, panic settling in. ¡°You know a dark technique?¡± ¡°Yep, at least that''s what they tell me. Usually people explode when I use it, but Eric was fine. Or, mostly fine,¡± Zane shifted awkwardly, ¡°What I''m saying is that he eventually got over it.¡± ¡°Ah, in that case¡­ let''s call this one a draw.¡± Coyote made a short bow and departed, leaving his host behind in a bloody heap. Zane watched the black smoke rise into the air and disappear. ¡°Huh,¡± he said, ¡°I wonder what that was all about.¡± He walked over to Eric and nudged the big man with his foot. ¡°Are you alive?¡± Eric groaned and whispered something the rogue cultivator couldn''t hear. Zane leaned in close to listen, and felt a hand grab him by the throat. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Gotcha,¡± whispered Coyote with a wicked smile as thick black smoke began to pour out of his mouth, surrounding Zane. ¡°Now, let''s see what that body of yours is capable of.¡± *** Zane could feel the hostile spirit trying to take him over. The corruption crept in through his nostrils, seeking out his Essence core. As it took root, black veins started to appear along his arms. ¡°Shit!¡± Zane swore as he ran towards the main gate. He needed to get as far away from the restaurant as possible, not just to keep his friends safe, but to protect himself from them. He knew that if Coyote took him over it would attack them. And Zane wasn''t sure who would win that fight. Dumpling¡¯s gravity powers combined with Daisy''s sticky ooze were natural counters to his super speed. After he was bogged down and immobilized it would be easy for Lily to fill him full of arrows while Pinky drained his Essence. They would probably feel bad about it afterward, but he would be too dead to care. As Zane ran, drawing power from his lower core to boost his speed, he tried to think of a plan. He had no idea what Coyote was, or how to get it out of him. But the black veins were slowly advancing across his body like rotten tree roots, and he wasn''t looking forward to finding out what would happen next. If he was extremely lucky, the possession would be temporary. He might even be able to escape it by dying and respawning. But the rogue cultivator wasn''t willing to bet his life on it. It was just as likely that Coyote would still be in control when he woke up in the warren. Zane tried to rack his brain for a solution. Kiel might have an answer, but by the time he got to the warren and explained things it would already be too late. Coyote might even try to take over Kiel, which was definitely not a battle Zane wanted to fight in his current state. The city gates passed by in a blur as Zane continued to put distance between himself and his companions. He hadn''t thought of a solution yet, but at least he had managed to get outside of the city. In a rare instance of forward planning, Zane dismissed his green robes. That meant he was naked, but at least nobody would recognize him. The last thing he wanted was to come back from Coyote¡¯s rampage and get thrown in jail. He liked working at the restaurant, and it would suck to have to start over again. The rogue cultivator came to a fork in the road and decided to head up the mountain towards the fog. Zane didn''t know if it would have any effect on the creature trying to possess him, but he figured it couldn''t hurt. At the very least there would be fewer people who might recognize him. As Zane used his regeneration to stop the heat from his muscles from cooking him alive, the rogue cultivator noticed something strange. His fight with Eric had left him almost depleted. In fact, he had been on the verge of falling over. Zane hadn''t stopped to cultivate, or eaten something that might replenish his reserves. And yet, despite running away from the city at full speed, he somehow still had Essence to spare. That was when a realization hit him. Coyote had seemed to gradually weaken as they fought. It could have been a trick to lure him in, but what if it wasn''t? What if the creature had been running out of energy? The rogue cultivator looked inside himself and saw the ugly black smoke filling his core. If the being was made of Essence, or at least something similar, his core might be able to use it to power his abilities. Zane teleported, keeping a close eye on the black smoke inside of him. It might have been his imagination, but it almost seemed to flicker. He teleported again, and this time the black smoke definitely thinned a bit. ¡°Alright,¡± Zane said as he turned to look up at the foggy mountain above him, ¡°Time to play Superman.¡± Chapter 41: Rise and Fall Chapter 41: Rise and Fall The Great Shadow Coyote was amused. Somehow Zane had managed to avoid being taken over, but his resistance wouldn''t last for long. Once Coyote got his claws into a new body, their fate was inevitable. Zane was a particularly fine host. His core¡¯s capacity for containing Essence was unheard of from someone who hadn¡¯t reached the fourth tier yet. Most vessels Coyote found himself occupying were barely capable of containing his great and powerful spirit. It leaked out of them with every breath. But not Zane. Coyote pulled up the young man¡¯s stats to find the reason behind this minor miracle.
Name: Zane Level: 19 Tier: 3 Race: Kobold Class: Chef Abilities: Cat¡¯s Grace x3, Fox¡¯s Swiftness x3, Chef¡¯s Tools x3, Kobold¡¯s Regeneration x2, Trickster''s Mind x2, Sorcery Initiate x2, Death Siphon x2, Fox¡¯s Nose x2 Divine Blessings: Dragon¡¯s Courage, Cat¡¯s Confidence, Fox¡¯s Charm Divinity: Low Essence: Full Purity: Extremely Low
What he found made no sense. Zane was obviously a human, and a powerful one at that. Yet the Mesh had him categorized as a lowly kobold. Then there was the matter of the blessings. Finding a host with a divine blessing was rare, and at higher tiers someone might acquire more as they completed challenges and visited temples. But three? His abilities were also incredible. The Essence required to purchase so many advanced abilities would have bankrupted most noble houses. Either Zane had found a way to get his hands on a stockpile of incredibly potent sacred herbs, or something fucky was going on. Who are you, Zane? Coyote wondered as he watched the young man run. It was a pointless exercise, to be sure. None could escape a god hollowing them out from the inside. Much less a powerful and wise god such as the Great Shadow Coyote. Even if Zane made it to the fog, which was no doubt his goal, the battle would hardly be won. Coyote felt a sense of being watched as Zane turned his perceptions inward. Then, the young man teleported, ran some more, then teleported again. What was he up to? *** The city of Overlook was smaller than Hero¡¯s Step, but anyone living there would happily tell you that size didn¡¯t matter. This statement was usually met with strange looks, coughing fits, or outright laughter. But the citizens of Overlook didn¡¯t pay the outsiders any mind. Their city was higher up on the mountain, and therefore, better than anything below it. If the fog served as a barrier to prevent lower leveled people from climbing the mountain, then it was self-evident that those who could live at higher altitudes were innately superior. Of course, there were other cities even higher up the mountain, but the citizens of Overlook tried to ignore them. The people there were stuck up, and looked down on their neighbors. (Which was another reason why Overlook was the best.)If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Wen Digo, the Mayor of Overlook, was enjoying his tea on the balcony when he heard the sound of shouting somewhere below him. He peered over to the railing to see what was going on. A crowd had formed, hooting and hollering as they pointed at something off in the distance. Overlook was built into the side of the mountain and commanded an excellent view of the world below (yet another reason why he was so happy to live there). But today that view was being spoiled by a pink spot off in the distance. It was a naked man, jumping through the air. Wen was a bureaucrat, not a cultivator. But he was familiar enough with their antics to have great disdain for them. They were always trying some insane trick to boost their cultivation, or challenging one another to see who could eat the most rocks. Sure, he would take their money, but only out of pity. ¡°That¡¯s not going to end well,¡± Wen said as he went back to sipping his tea. *** Zane¡¯s core felt like it was on fire. He had never used so much Essence at once and could feel the heat building in his chest. But the young man could sense the black smoke inside of him weakening with every jump, so he continued. Each bit of Essence spent was another injury for the creature trying to take him over. I just hope it¡¯s enough, Zane thought as he fought through the pain and continued to climb. The young man was dimly aware of the cold mountain air that threatened to freeze him as he ascended. Being naked was not ideal for his current situation. Though, he wondered if the cold might be preventing his core from boiling him alive. Progress was slow. The further he teleported, the longer it took him to charge the next one. If he tried to jump too far, he would actually lose altitude instead of gaining it. But his goal was in sight, the wall of fog above him was almost within reach. Of course, Zane had no idea what would happen when he actually got there. Zane knew that there was a link between Essence and the fog. From how it affected his companions, he suspected that it leached Essence away from anyone who was too low level to fight it off. And if the thing that had taken up residence in his core was made of Essence, (a fact that he could be reasonably sure of considering that he was currently using it to power his abilities), the fog might hurt it. As he continued to teleport towards the wall of white, the pain in his chest increased. Zane tried to heal himself between jumps, but it was impossible. He could either draw on his core to power his teleport or regenerate, but not both. Zane gritted his teeth and fought through the pain. He didn¡¯t know how much time he had left before the thing took him over, or if it would still be inside of him when he respawned. But it didn¡¯t matter. He would keep going, even if it killed him. He needed to reach the fog. His mind started to get hazy from the pain and cold as he continued to ascend. Zane knew that his body was falling apart under the strain of burning so much Essence. In a way, it reminded him of running. Zane had always been good at running. Growing up in the slums had taught him many lessons. The first of which was to always hold onto what was yours. There was never enough to go around, and any little treasures he might find would be taken by the other boys, if he let them. Running had been his way of escaping them. They might have been bigger, or older, but he could outrun them all. And Zane loved every minute of it. He loved running. He loved the chase. No matter how much his legs ached or his lungs threatened to burst, Zane kept going. He continued to push himself, leaving nothing in the tank for later. That was the secret to his success. That was why he won. Zane could almost taste the fog now, and the finish line was within sight. It didn¡¯t matter that his blood was being boiled from the heat of his overworked core. It didn¡¯t matter that his fingers were going numb from the cold. It didn¡¯t matter that the next teleport might kill him. Nothing mattered except the finish line. He gathered energy from his crumbling core, and ascended. Chapter 42: A Noise to Shake the Heavens Zane''s core exploded like a thunderclap, dumping his unwanted passenger into the fog. The fog seemed to consume Zane, and he vanished. Huh, thought Coyote, That''s not supposed to happen. *** Zane woke up in an unfamiliar garden. Everything hurt, but the grinning goddess looking down at him meant that he was probably not permanently dead. ¡°Surprise!¡± shouted Lady Foxglove, paying no mind to Zane¡¯s death induced hangover. He clutched at his head in pain. ¡°Ugh, can you be a bit quieter? I think I broke something, like, in my head.¡± Lady Foxglove sat down beside him on the grass. ¡°Oh, don''t worry about that. It''s just the stress from ascending to the next tier. Number four is a big one, you get all kinds of extra senses and new abilities.¡± ¡°Yay¡­¡± Zane said weakly as he got up into a sitting position. ¡°Wait, new tier?¡± ¡°Yes! By defeating that nasty lesser god you had a breakthrough in your cultivation. Oh, I just wish I could have seen the look on his face when you exploded.¡± She paused. ¡°Actually, you seem to do that a lot.¡± ¡°Exploding is what I do, apparently.¡± Zane pulled up his Mesh interface. Sure enough, he was level twenty now. ¡°But why didn''t it wait for me to claim the level? Usually I have to do it manually.¡± ¡°I may have had a hand in that,¡± Lady Foxglove explained, pleased with herself for helping Zane get one over on her rival. ¡°Normally, dying in the fog would have prevented you from respawning. But the level up, combined with your new blessing, gave you just enough power to stay together.¡± ¡°New blessing?¡± Zane checked his interface again. Sure enough, there was a new blessing on his character sheet. ¡°Coyote¡¯s Trickery? What does that do?¡± The goddess shrugged. ¡°I have no idea. But a blessing is a blessing. Knowing him, it might be useless. That flea bitten canine likes to take as much as he can, and give nothing in return.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Zane checked out his available abilities to see if there was anything new. At first he was confused that many of the usual options were grayed out, then he saw his Purity level. ¡°Say, if someone were to have almost no Purity left, what would happen to them?¡± Lady Foxglove peered over his shoulder as if trying to get a peek at his stats. ¡°Oh my, you''ve been very naughty. If you were a human the Mesh would have turned you into a core fiend by now.¡± ¡°OK, so¡­ what happens to kobolds?¡± Zane asked. ¡°Nobody knows,¡± the goddess said with a shrug, ¡°Maybe ask your friend Kiel the next time you see him. Which will be soon, by the way. So if you have any pressing questions, now would be the time to ask them.¡± Zane looked at the black veins stretching down his arms. Apparently they were a symptom of the corruption, and not a temporary change brought on from possession. Which made sense, considering that Eric hadn''t exhibited any physical changes when Coyote took his body for a spin. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°How can I lower my corruption level? Or increase my purity, I mean.¡± ¡°That''s easy,¡± Lady Foxglove patted him on the shoulder, ¡°You just have to avoid violence, drugs, pleasures of the flesh, and do good deeds.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Zane replied, ¡°So you''re saying that I''m fucked.¡± The goddess nodded solemnly. ¡°Yes, yes you are.¡± *** Before Zane left, they had a very convoluted and less than enlightening conversation about the upcoming destruction of Hero¡¯s Step. He figured that robbing a bunch of people then leaving them to die would not be good for his corruption problem. Lady Foxglove couldn''t give many details, because that would be interfering with another god. But she did give him some advice. ¡°Helping your friends get stronger is very noble. But a cultivator, even a rogue one, must always think of their own progress first. If you hold back instead of reaching your true potential, your friends will suffer,¡± the goddess said with a sad smile, ¡°You have great trials ahead, and if you don''t fight to get stronger, you will not be able to protect them.¡± ¡°I think I understand,¡± Zane replied with a frown, ¡°But I thought I was doing the right thing, for once.¡± ¡°In a way, you were,¡± Lady Foxglove acknowledged, ¡°But as a cultivator with four blessings, you are a lightning rod for fate and mischief.¡± She paused, as if trying to make a decision. ¡°Do me a favor, when you go to visit the abandoned temple, go alone. I can''t say why, but you will be happy that you did.¡± Zane could feel his body fading away. Apparently it was time for him to respawn. ¡°Alright,¡± he said, ¡°Thanks for all your help.¡± ¡°My door is always open,¡± Lady Foxglove replied with a bow, ¡°Feel free to pop in whenever you like.¡± She mimed a firework exploding with her hands. Zane chuckled at the pun. It wasn''t that funny, but he was in an odd mood. It had been a long time since he had felt truly afraid, and the feeling had awakened something in him. He would solo the temple, and get stronger. For the sake of himself, as well as his friends. Alright, Zane thought, Time to grind some XP. *** The warren was dark, as always. Zane lay there on the stone floor, wondering what new abilities he had unlocked. He pulled up his Mesh interface and scrolled through them, thankful that Lady Foxglove had replenished his Essence. Predator¡¯s Gaze: Cost 10 Essence Illusions and camouflage do nothing to hide your prey from you. See things as they really are. When active, looking into your eyes may cause creatures to freeze in terror. Shadow Affinity Cost: 10 Essence Greatly increase the efficiency and potency of all shadow related powers. Allows passive Essence accumulation when not in bright light. Consume Corruption Cost: 10 Essence Your core has been corrupted, and you hunger for more. Sense impurities in others, and consume it to power your abilities. Diminishes the negative effects of low Purity. The last one seemed like a double edged sword to Zane. He didn''t know what side effects to expect from his low Purity. But diminishing them before he grew horns or a tail was very appealing. The bit about hungering for corruption gave him pause though. Then again, if he could power his abilities by consuming corruption, he might be able to purify his core. Which would hopefully raise his Purity. The prospect of asking Kiel for advice was tempting, but Zane didn''t trust the kobold. There was no point in asking questions if he couldn''t rely on Kiel to tell him the truth. Zane went with his gut, and purchased the ability. A chill that he hadn''t noticed before began to slowly recede up his arms. He took that as a good sign and stood up. There was no sense in laying around when there was work to be done. Zane had monsters to fight, a temple to solo, and most importantly, brunch to cook. Chapter 43: Tier Four Lady Foxglove had told Zane that ascending to tier four was a big change, but she might have undersold it. Eric had mentioned something called ¡°the tyranny of rank¡±. The former general had explained that each new tier was a giant leap forward in overall power. And Zane could definitely feel it. His body felt stronger, and his reflexes were even sharper than before. He could also sense the levels of others and how strong their cores were. Which he figured would prove useful when judging the strength of potential enemies. Zane slipped out of the warren and started running back to Hero¡¯s Step. Thanks to his new tier, he made it up the mountain in record time. The guards barely had time to notice him as he teleported past them. He had expected to see a giant hole in the side of the restaurant, but everything was back to normal. Zane patted the wall affectionately. ¡°Good boy.¡± The restaurant gave a rumble of acknowledgement and opened the door to let him inside. There were some perks to working in a building that was probably a mimic, though it did sometimes make him uneasy. At least it hadn''t tried to eat anyone, yet. With no time to waste, the young man started getting the kitchen ready for brunch. They were running low on some ingredients, but he could always send Lily or Pinky to the market later. That was the nice thing about having a few extra bodies around. Zane zipped around the kitchen, cutting fruit and staging his ingredients. A few minutes later, Pinky walked in. She looked from Zane to the neat bowls of fruit. ¡°Well, it would have been nice of you to come up and tell me you were alright,¡± the kitsune said, annoyance coloring her voice, ¡°But at least we know you aren''t being mind controlled.¡± Pinky turned her head and called up the stairs, ¡°Hey guys, it''s safe to come out. Zane is fine, and brunch service starts in an hour.¡± The young man ran over to give her a peck on the cheek before getting back to work. It really was shaping up to be a lovely day. *** Eric woke up later that evening. Everything hurt and he was covered in bandages, but he could feel his regeneration working hard to heal him back to full health.. Lily sat next to his bedside with a sword across her knees. She watched him sit up, prepared to cut his head off if he made any aggressive movements. ¡°What happened?¡± he asked. ¡°You don''t want to know,¡± Lily replied, ¡°Let''s just say that we found out the hard way why nobody fixes broken cores.¡± Eric tried to remember, but something was blocking his recollection. It felt like his mind was filled with tar. The last thing he could remember was sitting down to start the experiment. ¡°Did I hurt someone?¡± ¡°You tried to, but we stopped you.¡± Lily looked away. ¡°After Daisy consumed part of the creature it tried to possess you. Then you broke out and tried to kill Zane. He managed to put you down, but it wasn''t easy. I think he might have fought it some more afterward, but he''s fine.¡± ¡°Fuck,¡± Eric swore, looking down at his hands. The idea of something taking him over, of using him to hurt his friends, made him feel like throwing up. ¡°I''m so sorry, for everything.¡± ¡°You''re sorry?¡± Lily asked, shaking her head, ¡°This is all my fault. If I hadn''t run away from the sect you wouldn''t have tried to find me. You wouldn''t have gotten hurt. Now you''re apologizing?¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Eric doubled down. ¡°I''m sorry for making you worry.¡± Lily let out a little laugh. ¡°At least now I know that it''s really you. You always were terrible at talking to women.¡± ¡°To be fair, I haven''t had much practice,¡± pointed out Eric, ¡°But I really am sorry. When the elders sent me a message that you were missing I dropped everything to come and find you. I was worried that you were either dead, or on the run.¡± Lily put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Get some rest, Eric. I''ve¡­ got some thinking to do.¡± *** Eric dressed himself and went downstairs to the restaurant. His cultivation had been restored, but he wasn''t sure if it was worth the cost. As usual, Zane was in the kitchen preparing food for the next morning. ¡°Hey,¡± the rogue cultivator said, ¡°Dinner is almost ready.¡± The former general frowned as he looked around the restaurant. It was as if nothing had happened. There was no broken furniture, or other signs of a battle. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for attacking you. You and the others were just trying to help,¡± he said. Zane frowned. ¡°Oh, that? No biggie. I just knocked some sense into you and that was that. No harm, no foul.¡± ¡°My cultivation is back,¡± Eric said, wondering how Zane could be so calm after his betrayal. ¡°If you want, I''ll collect my things and be on my way.¡± The rogue cultivator gave Eric a puzzled look. ¡°Why would I kick you out? Actually, I was looking forward to seeing how well you do in the kitchen now that your powers are back.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Eric shifted awkwardly, ¡°Alright.¡± *** Zane didn''t get it. He thought Eric would have been over the moon after having his powers restored. Instead he was acting embarrassed and awkward. Sure, there had been some hiccups along the way. Summoning that thing had been a surprise, but nobody actually died. Besides, he still needed Eric¡¯s help in the kitchen. The young man shook his head. People were so weird sometimes. *** Jeffries listened to Captain Cerdo¡¯s report with growing disbelief. He hadn''t expected Zane to be able to restore his friend¡¯s cultivation. At best, he had thought that the restaurant would be a safe place for Eric to lay low. But a full restoration? That was unheard of. The Mayor pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°You''re telling me that Eric threw Zane through the side of a building, which is now suspiciously free of damage. Then they brawled in the streets, Zane beat Eric half to death, and this morning the restaurant opened up like nothing had happened?¡± ¡°Well, yes,¡± Cerdo replied with a shrug, ¡°I mean, they are cultivators.¡± ¡°But you are absolutely sure that Eric has regained his cultivation? And that it was really him?¡± Jeffries pressed. ¡°He is somewhat distinctive,¡± Cerdo replied, ¡°The man is built like a stack of bricks. If my people say they saw him fighting, then I believe them.¡± Mayor Jeffries sat back in his chair and took a deep breath. He could already imagine the trouble that this revelation would cause. ¡°You do know what this means, right? If Zane can really restore people''s cultivation?¡± As a former cultivator, Captain Cerdo was very aware of what would happen if word got out. People would flood in hoping for miracles and when the sects caught wind of it, all seven hells would break loose. The last thing he wanted was a bunch of powerful cultivators poking around when his plan was so close to completion. Cerdo stroked his chin. ¡°Well, who is to say that Eric¡¯s cultivation was really broken? What if we tell them that the Rock Mountain Mollusk sect made a mistake?¡± ¡°That will definitely piss them off,¡± Jeffries pointed out, ¡°They won''t like being made to look incompetent.¡± ¡°Then that''s two reasons to deny that his cultivation was broken. If it makes them look bad, the other sects will spread the story for us,¡± Cerdo said, ¡°Unless, of course, you want to deal with the aftermath of high level cultivators swarming the city. It''s bad enough during the winter festival.¡± ¡°Good point,¡± the Mayor agreed, ¡°We don''t want to end up like Crater City.¡± ¡°So, it''s decided. Eric was merely injured and Zane nursed him back to health. End of story.¡± Jeffries nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. It was really nice to work with someone so competent. He would have to arrange a raise for captain Cerdo, after the festival. Chapter 44: Aura Blast The next few days were boring, except for the sparring sessions with Eric. Neither cultivator was trying to kill the other, but it would have been hard for an outside observer to tell. They both had regeneration, so there was no need to hold back. The forest clearing where they fought had been flattened into a fighting ring by Eric''s blast attack. Which begged the question of why Coyote hadn''t used it during their fight. ¡°There is limited information on possession, because that falls under the category of dark techniques,¡± the former general explained, ¡°But I have a theory.¡± Zane gestured for Eric to continue as he munched on his sandwich. The bread was serviceable, but far from perfect. Thus far Zane hadn''t managed to recreate the airy white bread from his childhood, but the rogue cultivator remained optimistic. Apparently baking was in its own difficulty tier as far as his skills were concerned. Which made sense. They said that cooking was art, baking was science, and pastry was a dark art practiced by only the most delusional or insane. He powered through a second ham and cheese sandwich as the big man talked. ¡°I¡¯m hesitant to say that the sects are always right, or truthful,¡± Eric continued, ¡°But they teach us that cultivation is sacred. They say that the abilities we earn are ours, a gift from the Mesh for the Essence we spend to purchase them.¡± ¡°What do they think the Mesh is?¡± Zane asked, ¡°Because in my world, we don''t have one.¡± The big man chewed his sandwich thoughtfully. ¡°There are conflicting ideologies. The Temple of the Mesh believes it''s a god, but the gods themselves seem to disagree. It also doesn''t give blessings or talk back, so I''m inclined to believe it''s a natural force. You know, like gravity or Essence.¡± ¡°But who made it?¡± ¡°Nobody knows.¡± Eric shrugged. ¡°The gods don''t claim responsibility for creating it, and as far as I know it has always been present. Even the oldest scrolls in the hidden archives mention techniques for using it, so it might have existed before civilization did.¡± ¡°Spooky,¡± Zane said as he finished his third sandwich and wiped his hands on a summoned napkin, ¡°Enough philosophy for today. Are you ready to get punched in the face some more?¡± The big man scowled. ¡°Sparring is a sacred way to improve one''s skills. It shows a cultivator¡¯s mastery and growth.¡± ¡°I respectfully disagree,¡± Zane replied, ¡°Want to fight about it?¡± Eric put down his sandwich. ¡°Yes.¡± *** ¡°Witness my overwhelming Aura Blast!¡± called out Eric as he pulled in energy from his lower core. ¡°No thanks!¡± replied Zane from the edge of the forest, ¡°What''s the point in saying what you''re doing before you do it? Doesn''t that give your enemy a chance to counter?¡± The big man grunted with frustration. ¡°I''m showing off! You''re supposed to dazzle and overwhelm your opponent in a sparring match.¡± ¡°Points for style, I guess,¡± the rogue cultivator replied while he readied a technique of his own, ¡°Behold! My unbeatable attack, Crouching Cookware, Hidden Saucepan!¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it There was a clang of metal, followed by an indignant grunt, as Eric caught a face full of flying metal. ¡°I think that was a wok, not a saucepan.¡± ¡°See! That means it''s a good technique. I''m sneaky, like a ninja!¡± Zane continued to summon random cooking implements and throw them at his target. ¡°Ninjas are honorless assassins that take down more powerful cultivators using trickery.¡± The big man caught a flying spatula and threw it back at Zane. The rogue cultivator dodged it easily, continuing the stalemate. Eric was a fearsome close up fighter who liked to grapple and punch. The former general had carefully selected his abilities to shore up any gaps in his defense, much to Zane¡¯s frustration. When Zane threw a knife at him, Eric caught it. If the rogue cultivator tried to get in close, Eric had a blast attack to push him back. Meanwhile, Zane was a slippery son of a bitch that could easily dodge the big man¡¯s attacks. Zane also had near limitless amounts of Essence to fuel his abilities. In the end, it became a war of attrition. With neither side able to make a decisive win, time was on Zane¡¯s side. He could draw in Essence from the world around him and use it immediately, instead of waiting for his lower core to refill. Eric simply did not have enough reserves to compete. But that was boring, and Zane¡¯s ever shortening attention span drove him to try a new tactic. He had no idea if it would work, but at the very least it would be more interesting than playing dodgeball for the next half hour. After he ascended to tier four, Zane had started noticing a strange black gunk when he looked at other people''s cores. The tar-like substance called out to him, begging to be claimed and consumed. Zane suspected that it was corruption, another name for the mystical impurities that built up as a byproduct of cultivation. His own core was corrupted as well, but Zane was planning on taking care of that as soon as he got his hands on more cleansing pills. But in the meantime¡­ The rogue cultivator reached out his hand, activated his Consume Corruption ability, and concentrated on the black substance coating Eric¡¯s core. At first, nothing happened. Then there was a feeling as if he had established a connection with the sludge. The corruption had no intelligence of its own, no real desires to speak of. It simply existed, changing those that it contaminated. But there wasn''t any malicious intent. In a way, it reminded him of Essence. Zane tried to draw in the corruption the same way he cultivated Essence, grabbing it with his will and pulling it towards his core. The black sludge rippled, but stayed put. He was too far away to affect it. Eric watched with suspicion as Zane approached him. The rogue cultivator was inside the effective radius of his Aura Blast, but Zane would still have time to teleport away if he triggered it. Eric decided to let his opponent get a little bit closer, just to be sure. Then, there was a feeling of something moving near his core. It didn''t hurt, but it was unpleasant. He could sense Zane drawing something out of him. Acting on gut instinct, he triggered his Aura Blast. As predicted, the rogue cultivator saw it coming and teleported away, breaking the connection. For a brief moment, Eric felt a sense of accomplishment. He had managed to counter whatever dark technique Zane was trying to use. But his happiness was short lived, and the big man quickly doubled over in pain. Eric felt like his insides were trying to escape, and whatever Zane had done to him was progressing rapidly. He could feel it building inside of him, growing until¡­ The big man turned pale and sprinted off into the woods. A few moments later, his screams echoed across the mountainside, followed by silence. The rogue cultivator watched as Eric limped back into the clearing, obviously worse for wear. He had a pained expression on his face and was missing both socks. The big man looked like someone had wrung him out like a sponge. Eric pointed an accusing finger at Zane. ¡°Never do that again!¡± Zane was about to ask what happened, when his improved senses detected an unmistakable odor. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. ¡°Did you just-¡± The former general cut him off. ¡°We must never speak of this to anyone! I want you to promise, on your honor, that you will never tell another living soul of what happened here today.¡± ¡°But-¡± ¡°No buts!¡± shouted Eric, ¡°Nobody. Can. Ever. Know.¡± Chapter 45: A Confrontation Pinky howled like a banshee when she heard of Eric¡¯s misfortune. Even Lily couldn¡¯t hide her amusement. The usually stoic woman was doubled over in silent laughter as her friend looked on in embarrassment. ¡°Oh Zane,¡± the kitsune cackled, ¡°That is truly a dark technique. Cultivators will surely grow to fear you.¡± ¡°And plumbers,¡± added Groucho, getting in on the fun. As a construct with no biological processes he found the situation particularly amusing. ¡°Imagine how much you can save on cleansing pills!¡± Eric fumed as they walked back to the city, both literally and figuratively. ¡°I''m going to go take care of something,¡± he said, before hurrying off towards the nearest bathhouse. Zane watched him go. He felt bad for embarrassing his friend, which was an unfamiliar feeling. But in all fairness, the side effects of his new technique had been a complete surprise. As far as he could figure, the toxins left behind from his unsuccessful attempt to consume Eric''s corruption had triggered a response similar to food poisoning. Eric¡¯s body had simply tried to expel the corruption before it could reattach to his core. Pinky saw the look on Zane¡¯s face and took his hand in her¡¯s. ¡°It''s going to be fine. We all know that it was an accident, and he knows that too.¡± ¡°I still feel bad about it,¡± the rogue cultivator replied. ¡°You should,¡± Lily said, ¡°What you did was incredibly stupid. Trying out an unknown technique on your friends is a recipe for disaster. Countless cultivators have accidentally killed their sparring partners, that''s why we have a rule against it.¡± Before Zane could reply to defend himself, he noticed something strange. The streets near their restaurant were usually bustling with activity long into the evening, but today it was like a ghost town. The vendors had closed shop early. Even the urchins and beggars were nowhere to be seen. The rogue cultivator felt his muscles tense. ¡°Something''s not right,¡± he said. Lily strung her bow and took to the rooftops, while Zane and the others continued along the empty streets. Daisy and Dumpling were back at the restaurant, and Eric was at the bathhouse, which left him with Groucho and Pinky. They fell into a loose triangle formation with Zane at the front. Neither were particularly good fighters, but he hoped things wouldn''t come to that. Lady Foxglove¡¯s warning rang in Zane¡¯s ears as they made their way back to the restaurant. As they rounded the corner, Zane caught sight of men in armor and cultivators in blue robes standing in front of the restaurant. He recognized a few of the city guards from brunch, but the rest were outsiders. Captain Cerdo stood next to a tall man in a black robe. The stranger was richly dressed, with thick gold chains hanging down from his neck and fists full of jewelry. The captain wore a sour expression as he waved Zane forward. ¡°Good evening, Master Zane.¡± Cerdo gave a polite bow. ¡°It is my pleasure to introduce you to Lord Bajade Grasa, who has seen fit to visit us in preparation for the winter festival.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Even with his limited understanding of social cues, the rogue cultivator could see that Cerdo wasn''t happy about something. The captain gritted his teeth when he spoke, as if the words disgusted him. Zane bowed back. ¡°Tell him that we''re closed. Brunch will be served tomorrow at the regular time, though I would advise him to come early. Food sells out quickly.¡± Lord Grasa¡¯s facade of amused benevolence evaporated. This wasn''t how he had expected things to go. ¡°That was insulting,¡± he said, ¡°Perhaps you might want to choose your next words more carefully, cultivator.¡± ¡°Nah,¡± replied Zane, ¡°You and your shithead friends decided to show up on my doorstep unannounced. And judging by the good captain¡¯s expression, he probably warned you not to. ¡°Worse yet, you brought cultivators from a sect that tried to harm the people under my protection. Perhaps you are the one who should have considered your actions more carefully, Lord Grasa.¡± The rogue cultivator bowed again to captain Cerdo. ¡°You and your men are dismissed. Have a nice rest of your evening.¡± Lord Grasa watched in shock as the guards started to leave. ¡°Surely you aren''t going to let some nobody order you around. He''s barely on his fourth tier!¡± Cerdo paused. ¡°Respectfully, your grace, I''d suggest you shut up before Zane feeds you to one of his pets. They call them ¡®hidden masters¡¯ for a reason.¡± Then he left without another word. The disciples of the Crashing Wave Otter sect shifted uncomfortably as the guards left. One of them looked at Groucho with a puzzled expression. ¡°Don''t I know you?¡± he asked. ¡°No,¡± replied the construct. ¡°Enough of this nonsense,¡± growled Grasa, ¡°I am here to request your assistance in a private matter of great importance-¡± Zane cut him off. ¡°No. Now, kindly fuck off. I have things to do.¡± The lowland lord looked like he was about to have a fit. ¡°Do you know who I am? I could make your life a living hell.¡± ¡°Possibly,¡± the young man admitted, ¡°But you would have to make it home alive first.¡± ¡°Is that a threat?¡± Lord Grasa asked. Zane walked forward until they were face to face. He removed his mask and looked Grasa directly in the eyes. ¡°Was yours?¡± The evening air went chill as the two men faced off. Neither one blinked. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought,¡± Zane said, ¡°Now, Lord Grasa, I challenge you to a duel here and now. Accept it, or get the fuck off my property.¡± ¡°Actually,¡± interjected one of the bodyguards, ¡°As an unaffiliated cultivator, You lack the standing to challenge someone so high above your station. The proper way would be to challenge me first.¡± ¡°As you wish,¡± Zane gave the man a short bow, ¡°And after I kill you, who else would be next?¡± Big man with an ax raised his hand. ¡°That honor would fall to me. As an elite-¡± Lord Grasa didn''t even see Zane move. There was a gurgling sound, followed by two distinct thuds as the guards were decapitated. The young man dismissed a shimmering knife with a wave of his hand and turned to face Lord Grasa. ¡°It seems that all necessary protocols have been observed. Now, accept the challenge or fuck off. What happens next is up to you.¡± ¡°This isn''t over,¡± warned Lord Grasa, ¡°I will destroy you for this-¡± Zane cut him off, literally and figuratively. A long thin knife was buried to the hilt in the man¡¯s throat, the tip neatly wedged between his vertebrae, severing the spinal column. ¡°It is now,¡± the rogue cultivator said as he watched the lord collapse. He turned to face the dozen cultivators surrounding him. The man they had been hired to protect was dead, and they seemed unsure of what to do. Zane decided to make the decision for them. It was better to make them all disappear, rather than leave loose ends. He walked past the dead lord and opened the door to the restaurant. ¡°Daisy! Dumpling!¡± the rogue cultivator called out, ¡°It¡¯s feeding time!¡± Chapter 46: Feeding Time The members of the Crashing Wave Otter sect watched in horror as Daisy clopped her way towards them. The massive draft horse was wrapped in layers of shadow that seemed to stick to the ground as she walked. ¡°I come bearing good news,¡± said the spirit beast, showing rows of teeth that had no place in a herbivore¡¯s mouth, ¡°Your bodies will be consumed, in honor of my master. But your light will live on, in me.¡± ¡°What the fuck are you?¡± sputtered one of the disciples as he backed away. Zane and the others had already moved to block the exits. Daisy continued to walk towards the cluster of cultivators in blue. She towered over them like an executioner. ¡°I am death, little one. And since my awakening, I have sampled many of your kind.¡± The spirit beast slowly inhaled through her nostrils, taking in their fear. ¡°You came with greedy hands, hoping to grub some trinkets from the dirt. But now the time has come to repay the mountain for its bounty.¡± She lowered her head to speak directly in the man''s ear. ¡°Rejoice,¡± whispered Daisy, ¡°The rise of the Awakener is inevitable, and your death will fuel his ascension. Rejoice¡­ and then be still.¡± One of the cultivators tried to slash at her with a sword, but a feeling of overwhelming pressure brought him to his knees. The weapon fell from his hands, too heavy for him to hold. ¡°DO NOT TRY TO FIGHT THE INEVITABLE,¡± said Dumpling as she expanded the radius of her attack to encompass the rest of the group. They fell to the ground as the rapidly increasing gravity threatened to mash them into paste. ¡°YOU ARE NOT STRONG,¡± the spirit beast purred, her tiny footsteps breaking the cobblestones as she walked, ¡°YOU ARE NOT NOBLE, OR POWERFUL. AND IF YOU WERE LUCKY, YOUR LIVES WOULD HAVE LED YOU ELSEWHERE. ¡°EMBRACE YOUR TRUE PURPOSE, AND REJOICE.¡± *** Zane watched with detachment as his pets ate their dinner. He felt nothing for the cultivators that had come to threaten his home, or the man that led them. Forcing Lord Grasa into a confrontation and then killing him had been a deliberate choice. Zane knew that the man had come to investigate the death of his son, or ask for help in doing so. Conflict between them had been inevitable, the result of actions taken when Zane first escaped the warren. A more noble person might have waited to see how things played out, but Zane had no desire to wake up one night with a knife at his throat. It was better to remove an enemy early on, rather than play nice and hope for the best. He looked down at the dead lord, a plan beginning to form in his mind. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Hey Groucho,¡± the rogue cultivator said, ¡°I need you to do me a favor¡­¡± *** The next day, Mayor Jeffries found himself wrestling with a dilemma. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely certain that your people saw Lord Grasa leaving the city?¡± Captain Cerdo nodded. ¡°According to the men on gate duty, he departed with two of his guards and headed further up the mountain. That was the last anyone saw of him.¡± ¡°And when was this?¡± Jeffries asked. ¡°Perhaps an hour after I left him at master Zane¡¯s restaurant, maybe less. The gate guards said that Lord Grasa was in a hurry.¡± The Mayor rubbed his temples. He could feel a Zane induced headache coming on. ¡°What about the cultivators he had with him?¡± ¡°Guards spotted men in blue jumping over the walls later in the evening, after the gates were closed,¡± Cerdo replied, ¡°They didn''t think much of it at the time. Cultivators are always leaving the city at odd hours.¡± Jeffries let out a groan. He could smell a rat, but all the evidence pointed to Lord Grasa leaving the city of his own free will. ¡°Did he at least say why he was visiting master Zane?¡± ¡°No,¡± Cerdo replied with a frown, ¡°He was incredibly rude. Lord Grasa demanded that I drop everything and escort him to the restaurant. Then he made me wait there until Zane showed up.¡± ¡°And what happened after that?¡± Jeffries pressed. The Captain decided to give an answer that was technically correct, if misleading. ¡°I was dismissed before I could see or hear anything important. But when I left, Lord Grasa was alive and well.¡± Cerdo chose not to share any assumptions about what might have happened after his departure. To him, Lord Grasa was just another corrupt lowland ruler, a pig that deserved to be slaughtered. If his death had occurred ahead of schedule, so be it. The Mayor shook his head. ¡°None of this makes any sense. Lord Grasa had dozens of meetings scheduled. Important meetings. I can''t imagine why he would run off like that and miss them.¡± ¡°I can,¡± replied Captain Cerdo, ¡°We know that Lord Grasa was trying to track down the Red Rogue for killing his son. It''s entirely possible that he received some time sensitive information and moved to act on it.¡± Jeffries wasn''t sure he bought that particular explanation, but it did make sense. Besides, if he decided to treat Lord Grasa¡¯s sudden departure as foul play, there was only one suspect. And the Mayor had no desire to piss off Zane. The Jade Fox, or whoever he really was, had worked literal miracles. That spoke to a certain level of power, which visibly conflicted with Zane¡¯s apparent age. Chances were that Zane really was a hidden master. And a wise man left hidden masters alone. Still, something about the whole situation bothered Jeffries. ¡°Do you really think that Lord Grasa dropped everything and rode off in search of revenge?¡± he asked. The Captain¡¯s face grew dark. ¡°I can''t imagine what it would be like to lose a son. But if someone killed the people that I loved, no force in this world or the next could stop me from getting revenge.¡± Jeffries felt a chill run down his spine. He was dimly aware of Cerdo''s past, even though the man had taken steps to hide it. ¡°I guess you''re right,¡± the Mayor said, ¡°Either way, I''ve still got work to finish before the Winter Festival. Thank you for being so diligent in your duties, Captain. You are dismissed.¡± Cerdo nodded and stood up. ¡°Good luck with the festival planning, sir. I hope it''s one to remember.¡± Jeffries smiled. Cerdo really was one of the good ones. Chapter 47: The Plan Eric returned the next afternoon, which left Zane with the task of explaining what happened. The former general¡¯s reaction surprised him. ¡°Good work,¡± Eric said, ¡°Bajade was a prick, and the lowlands are better off without him.¡± ¡°You''re not mad?¡± ¡°No.¡± The big man shook his head. ¡°There''s a reason why I spent as much time as I could on the mountain. When Bajade wasn''t squeezing money out of the local farmers and burning villages, he was plotting to overthrow the Emperor.¡± Zane filed this information away for later, and promptly forgot about it. ¡°Do you think his people will come after us?¡± Eric shrugged. ¡°Who knows? It''s hard to march an army up the mountain. Most of the rank and file soldiers are too low level to resist the fog. But his heir may send assassins, if they suspect us. Good job on covering your tracks, by the way.¡± The rogue cultivator beamed. ¡°Oh, that was easy.¡± ¡°It won''t deter a determined investigator though,¡± Eric warned, ¡°One of our neighbors probably saw or heard something. So, we should plan to move on, sooner rather than later.¡± ¡°Ah,¡± Zane said, ¡°That might be a bit of a problem.¡± The young man shifted awkwardly, unsure of how much he should say. He hadn''t told Eric about his connection to the gods, or his blessings. Kiel had warned Zane about what might happen if someone found out. The kobold had told him that other cultivators might try to take the blessings for themselves. ¡°You''re making a face,¡± Eric said, ¡°What aren''t you telling me?¡± Zane sighed. ¡°I have it on good authority that someone is going to try to destroy Hero¡¯s Step during the Winter Festival.¡± The big man paused to absorb this new information. ¡°Alright, do you know who is behind it or how they are planning to do it?¡± ¡°No,¡± Zane frowned, ¡°They weren''t allowed to go into details, on account of some pact or agreement. Sorry.¡± Eric¡¯s massive brow furrowed. ¡°I see. So, I suppose the next question is, why do you care?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± the young man asked. ¡°Look, Zane. I like you. But you also have the moral fiber of a water slime,¡± Eric said, ¡°I''m honestly surprised that you aren''t fleeing town, or trying to find some way to turn things to your advantage.¡± ¡°I''m hurt,¡± Zane replied innocently, ¡°Why is it so hard to believe that I want to help people?¡± Eric didn''t buy that for an instant. ¡°You just killed three people and fed the rest to your pets.¡± ¡°Fair point,¡± the rogue cultivator said, ¡°But even you have to admit, they had it coming.¡± ¡°What''s the real reason why you want to stop this?¡± Eric asked. ¡°Honestly, I don''t know,¡± Zane replied, ¡°My friend seems to think that it''s important, otherwise she wouldn''t have told me. But she didn''t tell me why it was important.¡± ¡°Look, I know that I''m not a good person.¡± The rogue cultivator gritted his teeth. ¡°Even the Mesh says that I''ve got extremely low Purity. But something is telling me that we need to stop this. So, I''m going with my gut.¡± ¡°Fair enough.¡± Eric shrugged. ¡°I can respect that. But I want to know who your friend is. Perhaps we know one another.¡± Zane laughed. ¡°I highly doubt that. She''s a bit higher up in rank than either of us.¡± ¡°Do you at least have a plan?¡± the big man asked. ¡°Yep,¡± Zane replied, ¡°I''m going to solo a temple, get stronger, then wait to see what happens. I might also win that cooking competition Pinky keeps going on about.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Eric rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°That''s a terrible plan, Zane.¡± The rogue cultivator shrugged. ¡°If you have a better one, feel free to chime in at any time.¡± The big man stood up. ¡°I''m going to go warn Mayor Jeffries. You, go do whatever it is you were going to do. I''ll let you know if we find any leads.¡± Zane smiled. ¡°Perfect! Isn''t it great when a plan comes together?¡± Eric glared at him, but said nothing. Once he was gone the rogue cultivator let out a sigh. ¡°Well, I thought it was a good plan.¡± ¡°What plan?¡± Pinky asked as she poked her head over the upstairs balcony. Zane was pretty oblivious at the best of times, but even he would have noticed a whole new floor. He frowned and pointed. ¡°When did we get that?¡± The kitsune shrugged and loosened her robe. ¡°Apparently the restaurant decided to make some changes while we were gone. Want to come with me and check out the new bathroom?¡± Yes, Zane thought as he walked upstairs to meet her. He could use a good distraction from all those troubling moral questions. I definitely do. *** The restaurant had grown to incorporate a whole third floor, despite appearing the same from the outside. Zane attributed the change to magical fantasy world bullishit, and decided against trying to understand it. Besides, there was a naked kitsune in the bathtub, and that was his current priority. Sometime later he lay in the oversized tub, gently massaging Pinky¡¯s feet. Despite the hot water, Zane couldn''t help but feel slightly chilly. It was as if his blood itself was becoming colder. He used some Essence to reheat the water, and got splashed in the face for his trouble. ¡°Hey! Enough of that!¡± Pinky protested, ¡°You''re not making fox soup!¡± The rogue cultivator relented. ¡°Sorry about that. I was just trying to warm up.¡± Pinky gave him a searching look. ¡°Ok, now I know that something is wrong. You never apologize.¡± Zane sighed. There was no point in trying to hide his corruption from the one person who regularly saw him naked. ¡°The Mesh says that I have low purity, and Lady Foxglove told me that if I was a human, I would have already turned into a core fiend by now.¡± ¡°Right, I was going to ask about that.¡± The kitsune wrinkled her nose. ¡°Ever since you had a run-in with that thing your Essence has smelled off. It''s like¡­¡± She struggled to find the words. ¡°Food that has been left in the sun for too long.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± the young man said, ¡°You can smell corruption?¡± ¡°Can''t you?¡± Pinky asked. Zane processed this new information. It made sense that a creature who fed on Essence would be able to smell corruption. He pointed to the black veins running down his arms. ¡°What do you make of these?¡± ¡°Well, it''s bad, obviously.¡± The kitsune came in close to get a better look. ¡°But they haven''t been spreading, at least, not as far as I can tell.¡± The young man slapped his forehead. ¡°You already noticed them, didn''t you?¡± ¡°Yes, Zane.¡± Pinky nodded. ¡°You tend to notice when your boyfriend comes home covered in weird black veins.¡± ¡°Well, why didn''t you say anything?¡± The kitsune sighed. ¡°You really haven''t dated much, have you?¡± ¡°I fail to see what that has to do with anything,¡± Zane replied, wondering what strange physical transformations had to do with his romantic history. Pinky shook her head. ¡°Did your goddess friend tell you how to get rid of them?¡± ¡°She said that I had to abstain from violence, earthly pleasures, and sex.¡± ¡°So you''re pretty much screwed then,¡± the kitsune said. ¡°Yep, pretty much.¡± Zane threw his hands up in mock surrender. ¡°I either have to become a monk, or do some hero shit to increase my purity level. Neither of which are particularly my style.¡± ¡°Can you eliminate the corruption with some cleansing pills?¡± The young man made a face. ¡°I''ve been meaning to try that. Actually, I purchased a new ability when I leveled up that might be able to help.¡± Pinky got out of the tub and dried herself off. ¡°Hey!¡± Zane called out, ¡°Where are you going?¡± The kitsune went into their bedroom and returned with a bottle of cleansing pills. ¡°Look, I get that you''re¡­ easily distracted,¡± she said, ¡°But corruption isn''t something that just goes away on its own. So, take the pills, sort yourself out, and then I''ll give you a massage afterward.¡± Zane eyed the glass bottle. He had the feeling that cleansing so much corruption in one go would be incredibly unpleasant. ¡°I''ll take care of it tomorrow,¡± he lied. Pinky wasn''t buying it. ¡°Nope. You''ll take care of your corruption now, before you die or turn into something weird. I refuse to share my bed with a core fiend.¡± ¡°Fine. Fine¡­¡± Zane held out his hand for the pills. Once Pinky was gone he swallowed them and braced himself for the inevitable. At least the restaurant had seen fit to provide him with a fairly modern toilet. This is certainly going to suck, he thought. Chapter 48: Cleansing Zane didn''t know if it was possible to shit out your own bone marrow, but he was reasonably sure that his body was trying. The jump to the fourth tier, combined with his borderline lethal level of corruption, made the cleaning process particularly unpleasant. Worse yet, his new senses made it possible to see the toxins flowing out of his body. It was disgustingly fascinating, watching the black tar flowing through what Zane figured were probably his meridians. He had heard Kiel talk about them, but wasn''t exactly sure what function they served. So far as he could understand, Meridians were like arteries that Essence could be channeled through. Though Zane didn''t know why they were so important. He fueled his abilities by drawing on what had been his lower core. In the sticky post cleansing haze, Zane wondered if it might be a good idea for him to seek out information on how cultivation actually worked. He had been bullishiting his way through things pretty well thus far, which was his normal mode of operating. But eventually his luck would run out. As Zane soaked in the tub, he became aware of what was really bothering him. The young man had always considered himself to be a bit of a scoundrel, but not actually a scumbag. Back on Earth he had never stolen from the elderly, or used violence in any of his cons. But things had changed after he died. Zane had killed people, and now the Mesh was telling him that he had low Purity, which basically meant that he was a bad person. Zane had slowly come to terms with the fact that he was kind of an asshole, and he was not enjoying the experience. You couldn''t argue with a status sheet, or try to talk your way around it. The numbers didn''t lie. Perhaps I can find a way to steal someone else''s conscience? the young man wondered, before dismissing the idea entirely. He definitely didn''t want one of those, they might try to tell him what to do. Zane drained the tub and watched as the toxic black sludge flowed away. Morality had never been something he paid much attention to. But now it was directly tied to his survival, and he didn''t like it. The rogue cultivator checked his status and saw that his Purity had improved slightly. The black veins running down his arms, however, had not receded. Zane found himself wondering if they were permanent. Lady Foxglove had mentioned that he might evolve into something if his corruption continued to progress. Kiel was the logical person to ask, but Zane had trouble trusting the kobold after all that had happened. Something about the whole situation bothered him. Deep in his subconscious, Zane had started to notice little inconsistencies. Like how Kiel was a fearsome fighter, yet had fallen while fighting off Sin Grasa and his raiding party. Killing the men had been easy, and it should have been childsplay for Kiel too. But the kobold had apparently died fighting them off, which made no sense. How could someone so strong fall to weaklings like them? Zane refilled the bath and continued to sulk while he soaked. Soloing the temple was his next logical step. It would make him stronger, which was always a good thing. But what after that? He had no idea who was trying to destroy the city, or why. What could motivate a person to cause that kind of destruction? And why were the gods involved? The rogue cultivator decided to work the problem in reverse. If the city was destroyed, what would happen next? A major trade hub would be lost, but there was nothing stopping people from building a new one. And people would die, but they were mostly low level workers, easily replaced. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Perhaps it''s something ritualistic? he pondered, Maybe someone is plotting to sacrifice the city to a dark god in return for power? That certainly fit with the whole fantasy vibe. Cultists were always trying to bring about the end of the world in video games. He figured that it was just as likely as anything else. But what if the motivation was simpler than that? Greed was another possibility. After all, his first instinct had been to rob the city blind when he found out that it was going to be destroyed. His thoughts went to the smugglers and their counterfeit cores. Could the two things be related? The young man shook his head. No, probably not. Smugglers profited from maintaining the status quo. Without a city to sneak contraband into, they were out of a job. Then again, something might have used them to get a weapon into the city. Zane decided to ask Eric if bombs were a thing here. As a former general, he would probably know all about magical nukes, or whatever fantasy bullshit they had here. At the very least it was something worth investigating. But that could wait until tomorrow. Right now, Zane was having a nice bath. He was comfortable, and fully willing to let his future self deal with future problems. The big problems could wait another day, they would still be there tomorrow. *** The Happy Bun Noodle Shop was busier than ever. Now that cultivators had stopped getting in fights and wrecking the place, the atmosphere had become much more relaxed. They were even considering expanding the menu. Unfortunately, the Mayor was not in a good mood. He listened with rising dread as Eric filled him in on the situation. ¡°So, let me get this straight,¡± he said, ¡°Zane told you that he got a warning from a friend. But they couldn''t tell him who was planning to do it, or why.¡± ¡°That''s the long and the short of it,¡± Eric admitted, ¡°But for what it''s worth, I believe him.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± The Mayor pushed his bowl away. ¡°This whole situation stinks. But I''m not stupid enough to ignore warnings from hidden masters. I''ll put my best man on it.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± the big man said, ¡°I hope that I haven''t ruined your appetite.¡± ¡°I''ll be fine.¡± Jeffries waved his hand dismissively. ¡°There''s always some crisis or another interrupting my dinner. How are you doing?¡± Eric paused to think before he spoke. His first instinct was to say that he was fine. But Jeffries was a friend, and he didn''t want to lie to him. ¡°I''m still coming to terms with everything that happened. I never thought that I''d get my cultivation back, much less so soon. So, there''s a lot for me to think about.¡± ¡°Well, if you ever need anyone to talk to, you know where to find me.¡± Jeffries reclaimed his bowl and slurped up a mouthful of steaming hot noodles. ¡°Have you thought about what you might do, now that you''re healed?¡± ¡°Zane plans to move further up the mountain. I''m thinking about going with him.¡± The Mayor winced. ¡°Ah, well¡­ that would certainly be a blow to the community. Some of the lower level citizens rely on his food to fight the effects of the fog.¡± ¡°I see,¡± said Eric, ¡°Surely there are alternatives?¡± ¡°None that are cost effective,¡± replied Jeffries, ¡°Essence helps fight the fog, and most people can''t afford sacred herbs.¡± The big man took a moment to mull this new information over. ¡°Honestly, I hadn''t considered that. I just assumed that the people here were at a high enough level that the fog didn''t bother them.¡± ¡°Oh, I wish that were the case.¡± Jeffries shook his head. ¡°People come up from the lowlands every day looking for work. Companies hire them because it''s cheaper than paying for higher level contractors. Some make it back home safely with a pouch full of coins, others stay on the mountain.¡± The Mayor let out a sigh. ¡°Don''t worry too much about it, Eric. It''s not your problem, and I don''t want to try to guilt trip you into staying.¡± He winced. ¡°It would be hypocritical of me to keep you from trying to climb the mountain, after I spent so many years doing the same. Just know that you always have a home here in Hero¡¯s Step, if you want it.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Eric said, ¡°The offer means a lot to me. You''ve been nothing but helpful since I came here, even when you had no reason to be.¡± ¡°Oh bullshit,¡± laughed Jeffries, ¡°It''s all part of my cunning plan. I''m still a politician, you know. We''re great at sounding sincere.¡± The big man let out a chuckle of his own. ¡°Perhaps. Or maybe you''re a decent person doing a dirty job. Only time will tell.¡± ¡°I''ll drink to that,¡± Jeffries raised his glass of Soju, ¡°To dirty jobs!¡± Eric mirrored the gesture. ¡°And the good men who do them.¡± Chapter 49: Temple Run Winter was in full effect, turning the mountain into a frozen wonderland of twisted trees and snow drifts. Only the yellow road was unaffected. Any snow that touched it melted away instantly, clearing a path for travelers. The rogue cultivator looked back at the road. They had been digging through snow and ice for what felt like hours, slowly working their way to the temple entrance. ¡°Are you sure this is the place?¡± he asked. ¡°Reasonably sure,¡± Groucho replied, shoving a boulder out of the way to reveal an opening. ¡°The stonework matches what I remember.¡± ¡°But it''s not the place where you were created?¡± ¡°Definitely not.¡± Groucho replied. This was a ruin, his temple had been much nicer. Zane took in the unadorned gray stone. It didn''t look like much of a temple to him, but who was he to judge? Besides, it was fucking cold out on the mountain. Only his recent level up had prevented the howling wind from freezing him solid. ¡°Alright, I''m going in. Any last minute advice? ¡°Don''t die,¡± said the construct. ¡°That''s not particularly helpful.¡± ¡°Oh, so I''m supposed to be helping. You should have said that sooner.¡± Groucho stroked his chin, trying to think what would be important to a flesh bag like Zane. ¡°Alright, temples are usually laid out like a circular maze, with the main shrine in the center,¡± he said, ¡°Some of the bigger ones have multiple levels. But you won''t know until you''re inside. Judging by how long this one has been left abandoned, it''s probably pretty deadly. But that usually means there''s a big prize for whoever clears it.¡± ¡°Big risk, big prize. Got it.¡± The Rogue Cultivator nodded. ¡°You might run into constructs and spirit beasts, so be careful,¡± Groucho warned, ¡°Temple guardians are meant to be avoided, not defeated. The gods usually get mad if you kill one. They''re a bitch to replace.¡± Zane peered into the opening. Only the faint golden glow coming from deep inside hinted at the structure¡¯s purpose. ¡°Do you have any idea which god the temple is dedicated to?¡± Grouch shook his head. ¡°None. Temples are always changing hands. It''s entirely possible one of the newer deities took it over from the original owner.¡± ¡°Great. With my luck it will be that asshole Coyote.¡± ¡°Possibly. But he can''t deny you the prize if you finish. Those are the rules.¡± The construct let out a yawn. ¡°Are you going in or not?¡± ¡°Alright then, here goes nothing,¡± Zane said as he passed the threshold. A moment later there was the sound of grinding stone, then the entrance closed behind him. ¡°Right,¡± said Groucho as golden wards sprang to life, illuminating the forgotten temple, ¡°I forgot about that bit.¡± *** Zane made his way deeper into the temple. The unadorned gray stone was suspiciously uniform, like it had been cut by machines instead of chiseled by hand. That, combined with the golden light emanating from nowhere in particular, gave the place an almost sterile aesthetic.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. It felt like walking down an abandoned subway tunnel, or playing an early access video game where the devs hadn''t gotten around to filling in the fine details yet. There was no litter, dust, or any signs of animal life. It was just blank. As the gray corridor began gradually sloping downward, Zane felt a sense of growing unease. This wasn''t a place built for people. It was too sterile and dead for that. Every aspect of the tunnel had been laid out with cold mechanical precision, and he hated it. Eventually, Zane came to an archway. He stepped through it, and once again stones ground into place behind him to block the exit. ¡°That''s fucking ominous,¡± the rogue cultivator said as he took in his surroundings. The gray stone walls of the maze were as dull and boring as ever. His first instinct was to cheat by climbing over them, but there were no gaps between the walls and the ceiling. His second idea was to tunnel through the walls, but that sounded boring, and he wasn''t sure if it would actually be quicker than just running through the maze. Zane summoned a cleaver and whacked the wall a few times. Sparks flew from each strike, eventually leaving a small chip in the uniform gray stone. To his complete lack of surprise, the damage disappeared a few seconds later as the stone regrew. ¡°Figures,¡± the rogue cultivator said as he made his way into the maze. Zane decided to turn right at the junction, which sealed itself behind him. The rogue cultivator wasn''t sure if the one-way nature of the maze was a blessing or a curse, but he had a sneaking suspicion that whoever designed it hadn''t been playing fair. It would be all too easy for someone to take a wrong turn and get sealed away in a dead end corridor. The archways were also completely uniform, with no clues as to which direction was the right one. He gritted his teeth and continued. Sometime later, the floor fell out from under him, revealing a spike pit. Zane teleported away from danger, only to find a second pit. He barely managed to avoid the second trap by jumping forward while his teleport recharged, which landed him over a third pit. ¡°What an asshole,¡± Zane said as he fell towards the spikes. *** He woke up on a cool stone floor, surrounded by diffuse golden light. Zane rubbed his face and groaned. Somehow he was still in the maze. The rogue cultivator got up and stretched, easing the tension from his muscles. Zane didn''t know how the maze had reset his spawn point, but that didn''t matter. There were only a few days left before the cooking competition, and Pinky would be pissed if he missed it. Zane started making his way through the maze, keeping an eye out for any variations in the floor that might reveal another spike trap. As he had suspected, there were none, which led him to revise his strategy. Instead of leaping forward when the next trap triggered, he teleported back to solid ground. Zane waited for a second trap to trigger, but nothing happened. He let out a sigh of relief and went to work. Summoning a heavy cast iron pan and throwing it at the floor didn''t trigger the pit traps. The loud clang as the pan hit stone also told him that the builders weren''t using illusions to conceal the pits, which was a mixed blessing. It meant he couldn''t poke the floor with a stick to reveal the traps. But on the plus side, once the trap was sprung, he could still avoid it if he was quick enough. Zane peered down into the pit. It was a ten foot fall, directly onto rows of metal spikes, with other smaller spikes set between them. Good luck avoiding those, he thought. The pit itself stretched from wall to wall, and was slightly wider at the bottom, with steeply sloped sides to prevent someone from grabbing onto the walls on their way down. There was, however, one minor flaw. The stones that made up the floor were uniform squares, each exactly one foot wide. The pit was ten feet by eight feet, with sides that angled away from the opening. That meant there was a two foot wide strip of safe ground between it and the next pit. The rogue cultivator grinned and took a running leap, prepared to teleport back to safety if he was wrong. Zane touched down safely on the two foot wide strip. He decided to press his luck and jump to the next one, which if the trap makers followed the same pattern, would be eight squares away. Zane¡¯s feet landed on the floor, and when it didn''t fall out from underneath him, he let out a shout of triumph. ¡°Fuck yeah! Take that, you OCD asshole!¡± Chapter 50: Ten by Ten Zane¡¯s progress sped up tremendously after his little discovery. It seemed that the person responsible for designing the maze had created a set of rules, and rigidly stuck by them. There were never any traps within ten feet of an archway, and the spike pits were always the same dimensions. It would have been easy for them to rig a flame trap to toast anyone who tried to jump between the pits. But they didn''t, because that would have broken the rules. And they very much liked their little rules. As the rogue cultivator hopped down the corridor, traveling from safe spot to safe spot, he found himself beginning to understand the design language of the maze. The architect had laid it out on a grid, with each trap taking up a ten foot square. The long rows of pits were designed to ensure that anyone who came across them ran out of luck or Essence before they could reach the end of the corridor. The flame traps on the ceiling were there to prevent people from bypassing the pits. Meanwhile, the spinning blades set into the walls sliced and diced anyone who was too busy looking down to avoid them. But they were all set into that same ten by ten grid, so Zane merrily hopped his way through the maze, avoiding all of them. He had expected to run into spirit beasts, but apparently the traps had taken care of them. Which was both stupid, and brilliant. Brilliant because nobody could use an ability to pretend to be a spirit beast, and thus bypass the traps. But also stupid because the lack of enemies made it relatively easy for Zane to count the squares and hop from safe spot to safe spot. The only variation came when he passed through an archway and it didn''t close behind him. Zane stopped to examine the corridor. It looked identical to all the others. But something about his budding understanding of the architect¡¯s mind stopped him from moving forward. It''s probably a dead end, or some new kind of trap, he thought, Why else would they leave an exit open? He turned around and went the other direction, continuing to avoid traps as he went. Eventually boredom set in, which almost led to a few resets as his mind wandered. But he was able to heal up and continue. When he stopped to meditate and refill his core, Zane made another discovery. As he went deeper and deeper into the maze, the Essence in the air was getting thicker. The next time he came to a junction, Zane meditated for a moment, then went towards the higher concentration of Essence. ¡°This would have been something useful to know back at the beginning, Groucho,¡± Zane grumbled as he walked. Eventually he came to a wide open chamber that reminded him of an arena. In the middle of the room was a brass dome, which he figured was probably the shrine. Fucking finally! the rogue cultivator thought as he passed through the archway. But he didn''t leave the safety of the entrance. If the architect had stuck to his own rules, there would be no traps on the ten by ten section of tiles near the archway. Zane examined the chamber. It was round, with a thirty foot high ceiling and a series of grooves cut into the floor. They expanded out from the dome in the center at regular intervals and looked to be about ten feet deep. The grooves had sides that were sloped inward like a bowl, and were twenty feet wide from crest to crest. If the arena followed the same pattern as the maze, there would be flame traps on the ceiling, and pit traps on the floor waiting to impale him. He took a step to the side, then teleported back to safety as the ground beneath him fell away. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Yep,¡± Zane said as he looked down into the spike pit, ¡°You might be an asshole, but at least you''re consistent.¡± He turned to face the brass dome. It was ten feet tall, and surrounded by a wall of black spikes. They were ten feet tall, and came straight out of the ground. He couldn''t see an entrance from where he was standing, but figured that it was probably on the far side of the dome. Zane teleported to the thin strip of level ground between the grooves on the floor, and jumped up into the air as soon as he landed. But nothing happened. He tapped the wall of the groove with his foot. It was slick except for a series of regularly spaced holes, but once again, nothing happened. He peered inside the nearest hole and saw the evil black point of a metal spike. ¡°Interesting,¡± Zane said as he stepped down into the groove, taking care not to walk over any of the hidden spikes. He walked towards the dome, fully expecting a trap to trigger at any moment. Could they be broken? the rogue cultivator wondered as he made his way to the center of the room, And wasn''t there supposed to be a Guardian? He got his answer as a low hum filled the room and the brass dome started to spin. Then, as the hum reached its peak, the spikes surrounding the dome retracted. ¡°Ah,¡± said Zane as a twenty foot wide metal ball came hurtling towards him, ¡°I think I found the guardian.¡± *** It took him a few deaths to figure out the rules of the game. What he had taken to be a dome was really a metal construct. It rolled around the grooves in the floor at breakneck speed, trying to crush him. Whenever it moved to a new groove, spikes shot out of the floor to either side of it. If he tried to jump over the spikes, flame traps in the ceiling triggered, roasting is sorry ass. But apparently he was allowed to jump over the construct, because it deactivated the traps below and above the groove it was currently in. Zane watched the spinning ball of death whirl around the room from his little patch of safety near the entrance. The depression where it had originally sat was now filled with a forest of spikes. Any attacks he made against the construct were deflected by its armor, which healed almost instantly. It also crushed anything he threw in its path. ¡°I hope you know that this is some world class bullshit!¡± he shouted to the unknown architect that had designed the room. Zane didn''t know if they could hear him, but it felt good to vent his frustration. Groucho had said that the constructs were meant to be avoided, not defeated. But Zane couldn''t see anything that looked like an exit. He was also running out of time. Each death cost him another day, and he couldn''t miss the cooking competition. Not unless he wanted to risk disappointing Pinky. Zane decided to take a new approach. He tried to think like an asshole. To his surprise, it came quite naturally. If I was the architect, what would be the absolute shittiest, most unfair way I could rig this thing, while technically allowing someone a chance to succeed? His eyes went to the spinning ball of death as it rocketed around the chamber, unable to reach his little patch of safe ground. If I was a real bastard, I''d put the exit underneath the guardian, so that nobody could sneak past it. Zane looked at the forest of spikes that rose from the center of the room. According to the rules as he understood them, the spikes would only retract if the guardian went back to its original position. If Zane timed things right, and was incredibly lucky, it might be possible to jump onto the spikes as the guardian was returning. In an ideal world they would then retract, revealing the exit before the guardian crushed him. Of course, if he tried to leap or teleport over the spikes, there were still flame traps to deal with. And the spikes were too densely packed for him to squeeze between them. ¡°You truly are a magnificent bastard,¡± Zane told the unknown architect as he prepared to make a run towards the exit. Chapter 51: Pain and Prizes The first part was easy. Zane teleported past the guardian and drew power from his lower core to boost his speed as he ran towards the center of the room. The guardian chased after him, walls of spikes rising from the grooves to either side of it. Zane narrowly managed to keep ahead of the spikes, but immediately realized the flaw in his plan. The spinning bronze ball was chasing him, and if he wanted it to return to the center of the room, he had to be in the center of the room. Unfortunately, that area was full of spikes. ¡°This is gonna suck!¡± Zane screamed as he teleported, appearing just above the spikes that blocked the exit. With danger above and below him, Zane made a split second decision to protect what was most important to him, and summoned a heavy griddle beneath his feet. There was no way he was letting those spikes anywhere near his manly bits. Then the flame traps in the ceiling triggered, and everything became pain. Zane summoned an oven mitt and a pot lid to act as an improvised shield, but it wasn''t enough. Only his regeneration kept him from being burned away to nothing by the jets of superheated flame. The next thing he knew, the spikes retracted, and he was falling. Zane¡¯s eyeballs grew back just in time to see the guardian slamming back into place over the exit. If I was a real asshole, the rogue cultivator thought as he tumbled through the darkness, I''d put one last trap by the exit to fuck over anyone who made it through. They would think they were safe, then WHAM, game over. Zane started teleporting straight upwards to bleed off speed. It was impossible to tell how fast he was going, but the wind whipping past him had started to slow. Eventually he hit the ground, and crumpled into a heap. ¡°I¡­ fucking¡­ hate¡­ you¡­.¡± the young man grunted as he drew on his core to repair the damage. Bones snapped back into place with sickening sounds, and after a few minutes of absolute agony, Zane was able to stand up again. He found himself in a familiar corridor, filled with dim golden light. It was a perfect replica of the entrance, except for one minor detail. He took a step forward, then leaped backwards as the floor fell away to reveal a pit trap. ¡°You''re not going to get me that easily, asshole,¡± Zane said, ¡°I know how you think, and I''m not stupid enough to be lulled into a false sense of security.¡± ¡°What a shame,¡± replied a disembodied voice, ¡°I put a lot of thought into that trap.¡± Zane pulled power from his core and sprinted down the corridor, jumping from safe space to safe space. He barely managed to leap through the archway before an explosion collapsed it behind him. He stood up and dusted himself off. The room was pitch black, and silent as a tomb. After taking a few minutes to cultivate and replenish his core, Zane summoned a light, revealing the architect¡¯s final surprise.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Congratulations!¡± shouted a short man in a tweed robe with leather patches on the elbows. He was holding a clipboard, and wore the blameless expression of an engineer who was really looking forward to talking about his latest war crime. ¡°You are the first one to successfully make it through my temple,¡± said the architect as he approached Zane, ¡°I really thought I had you there, but you saw through my cunning ruse and avoided the final trap.¡± Zane looked down at the clipboard the architect was trying to press into his hands. ¡°What''s this supposed to be?¡± he asked. ¡°It''s an exit survey,¡± replied the architect, ¡°I need you to fill that out so I can improve my design.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Zane asked as he summoned a kitchen knife behind his back. ¡°Oh, I''m Archibald Zemersmith. But you can call me Archie.¡± The short man stretched out his hand in greeting. The young man shook it, and used his free hand to bury a knife up to the hilt in Archie¡¯s chest. The architect looked down with horror at the magic blade piercing his heart. ¡°Fuck you, Archie,¡± Zane said, ¡°And fuck your exit survey.¡± *** After the architect died, a chime rang in Zane''s head. Apparently murdering Archie had given him enough points to level up. Instead of claiming the level then and there, Zane went to work stealing anything that wasn''t nailed down. He had left his storage bracelet at home. But luckily, Archie had seen fit to provide him with a necklace that fulfilled the same purpose. ¡°Thanks, buddy,¡± Zane said as he stripped the architect¡¯s corpse. He had found a few rings that looked magical, and a pouch full of gold. ¡°This almost makes up for all the times you killed me with those bullshit traps of yours.¡± The room was sparsely decorated. But the shelves were filled with all kinds of random arcane junk, which the young man dutifully crammed into his new storage necklace. When he had finished taking anything of value (including Archie''s corpse), Zane moved on to the next area. He found a small kitchenette, a dining room, and a bedroom. With the use of a convenient spatula, Zane flipped over Archie¡¯s pillow to reveal a scroll labeled Traps Monthly. ¡°Oh you sad little man,¡± Zane said as he summoned a pair of thick rubber gloves and started stripping the room. Everything besides the furniture and the linens went into his necklace. When he was finally done looting, the young man decided that it was time to address his next problem. ¡°Alright,¡± Zane said as he searched for any signs of an exit, ¡°Now, how the hell do I get out of here?¡± *** After a few hours of searching through Archie''s notes, Zane found a map that led him to a secret exit. He climbed up an ungodly amount of stairs and departed from the temple, vowing to never put himself through that bullshit again. Groucho had long since gotten bored and returned home, which was probably for the best. Zane worked out his frustrations on the hungry spirit beasts that tried to attack him as he trudged through the snow. By the time Zane made his way back to Hero''s Step, his storage necklace was completely full of monster parts and cores. He exchanged a few polite words with the gate guards as they let him through. With a happy sigh, Zane walked through the door of his restaurant and collapsed into a chair. His Essence reserves were overflowing, but he was exhausted to his core. Working in the relative safety of the restaurant meant that he hadn''t died in a while. And it was amazing how getting crushed to death or burned alive could affect a person if you were no longer used to it. ¡°What a fucking week,¡± Zane said as he tried to will himself to get up and make some food. ¡°Tell me about it,¡± said Kiel. Chapter 52: Kiel Joy ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Zane growled as his former teacher appeared next to him. The kobold set two steaming hot bowls of soup down on the table, then took a seat. ¡°Can''t I just pay a visit to an old friend?¡± Zane''s eyes narrowed. ¡°I don''t know, can you?¡± ¡°Don''t tell me you''re still sore about the-¡± ¡°Decade I spent stuck down in the warren, dying again and again?¡± The young man balled his hands into fists. ¡°You lied to me, asshole.¡± ¡°That''s fair,¡± Kiel admitted, raising his hands in mock surrender, ¡°I saw an opportunity, and I took it. But that wasn''t fair to you, and I''m sorry.¡± Zane silently glared across the table at kobold. ¡°Are you at least going to eat your food before it gets cold?¡± Kiel asked. ¡°I don''t know,¡± the young man replied, ¡°My class has this weird restriction where if I eat with someone, I''m not allowed to kill them.¡± ¡°You can''t kill me, kiddo. I''ll just come back.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± said Zane with a shrug, ¡°Or maybe I''ll stick you in a temple with no exit and let you bash your head against the walls for the rest of eternity.¡± The kobold froze, then recovered and started drinking his soup. Gotcha, Zane thought as he watched Kiel shift uncomfortably, It''s not so fun when someone¡¯s talking about trapping you, is it? But eventually hunger won out over anger, and the young man took a sip of his soup. It was annoyingly delicious. Everything from the saltiness of chicken broth, to how the vegetables were sliced, was absolutely perfect. ¡°When the hell did you learn to cook?¡± Zane asked. Kiel laughed. ¡°Kiddo, I''ve worked on so many safaris that I know this mountain like the back of my hand. And most of them were spent cooking, which beats the shit out of hauling. You can trust me on that.¡± ¡°Where are the others?¡± ¡°They went to gather ingredients for the competition,¡± the kobold said with a shake of his head, ¡°That big guy, Eric, was preparing to go in your place if you didn''t show up in time. But Pinky said you would be back. I guess she was right.¡± Kiel¡¯s expression grew strained. ¡°Look, kiddo, there''s something we have to talk about. And I know we''re not exactly on good terms, but I would be a pretty shitty mentor if I didn''t at least give you a heads up.¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. The young man sat back and crossed his arms. ¡°Oh, I can''t wait to hear this.¡± ¡°You may regret that statement when I tell you,¡± Kiel said, ¡°It''s about what we are. As the dragon¡¯s chosen, each time we die we''re reborn. And that means we don''t age, but that cute little kitsune of yours will. Do you see what I''m getting at?¡± Zane frowned. ¡°You''re saying that I''ll outlive her.¡± ¡°Not just her, but your children and grandchildren as well. I figured I''d warn you before you decide to settle down and start a family.¡± Kiel shifted uncomfortably in his chair. ¡°I wouldn''t wish that kind of pain on anyone.¡± ¡°I might not live long enough for that to be a problem.¡± Zane rolled up his sleeves to show the black veins running down his arms. ¡°Apparently I''m suffering from low purity.¡± ¡°Son of an egg breaker¡­¡± Kiel swore, ¡°What in the seven hells happened to you?¡± ¡°I killed a bunch of people, then got possessed by a god. But I think it''s mostly from killing other cultivators.¡± The young man shrugged. ¡°Lady Foxglove told me that if I was a human I''d have already turned into a core fiend. Apparently being classified as a kobold has its advantages.¡± ¡°Hah!¡± Kiel let out a bitter laugh. ¡°Kiddo, if this corruption progresses any further you''re gonna wish you turned into a core fiend.¡± When Kiel saw the blank look on Zane''s face, he elaborated. ¡°There''s a little bit of dragon blood in every kobold. Let your purity get too low, and it can lead to what we call draconic corruption. Normally it''s fatal, but the chosen are strong enough to live through it.¡± ¡°So you''re telling me that I''m going to become a dragon?¡± the young man asked, ¡°How is that a bad thing?¡± ¡°No, not a dragon,¡± the kobold clarified, ¡°You will become like a dragon. All the worst qualities of our ancestors will become present in you. And trust me, it isn''t pretty.¡± Zane tried to process this new information, and failed. ¡°I still can''t wrap my head around it, sorry.¡± Kiel let out a sigh. ¡°Alright, let me put things in simpler terms. If you allow the corruption to progress, and if you don''t seek out the shrine of the great celestial dragon, you will murder everyone you love and become a cannibalistic fire breathing asshole.¡± Zane blinked. ¡°What does the shrine of the celestial dragon have to do with any of this?¡± ¡°It''s a shrine. They can cleanse you and raise your purity,¡± the kobold explained. ¡°Can any shrine do that?¡± Zane asked, thinking about the temple he had just cleared. ¡°No. Draconic corruption is surprisingly resilient. Otherwise your friend Lady Foxglove would have already taken care of it.¡± ¡°That makes sense,¡± Zane said with a sigh. Why did things always have to be so fucking difficult? Kiel rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°Kiddo, this is the part where you ask me how to find the shrine.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Zane said, ¡°How do I find the shrine?¡± The kobold grinned. ¡°It¡¯s super easy. All you have to do is climb to the top of the mountain.¡± ¡°So you''re saying that I''m fucked,¡± Zane said bitterly, before cracking a grin of his own. He knew the situation wasn''t supposed to be funny, but he couldn''t help laughing at the absurdity of it. He was going to suffer a fate worse than death, and there was nothing he could do about it. Zane embraced the feeling, and laughed until he cried. Why the fuck couldn''t anything be easy for once? ¡°Yeah, kiddo,¡± Kiel said as he patted his former student on the shoulder, ¡°I know exactly how you feel.¡± Chapter 53: Essential Cooking Zane had never suffered from a long term illness, or lived with a permanent disability (besides a case of terminal stupidity). He had no frame of reference for dealing with the draconic corruption slowly warping his body. So, he didn''t. The young man dried his eyes and stood up. ¡°Well, it''s been nice chatting with you, but I''ve got a competition to win.¡± He went over to the kitchen and started retrieving monster parts from his necklace. Zane laid them out on the counter and took stock. A cow-like creature caught his eye, and he felt a plan beginning to form. But it would require spending some Essence. Zane needed to upgrade his cooking ability, but when he did, his unspent Essence would start leaking out. Once Zane purchased the ability, he would only have a few seconds to infuse as much Essence as possible into the meat. After that, he would need to cultivate to replenish his core. It was wasteful, decadent, and exactly the kind of thing the judges would love. But he would need to time things perfectly to achieve maximum potency. From his experiments down in the warren, Zane had figured out that Essence acted a lot like a gas. Unless something was working to contain it, Essence would expand and diffuse until it reached equilibrium. When he cooked, Essence flowed out from his core and infused the food. If his core was almost empty, only a little bit of Essence would find its way into the dish. If his core was full, it would infuse the food until the ¡°pressure¡± equalized. Therefore, the amount of Essence he could infuse into the meat was limited by how full his core was. However, he could only partially fill up his core by cultivating normally. Eventually the pressure would overwhelm his ability to cram Essence into it. The higher concentration of Essence in the temple had allowed Zane to fill his core. And his Death Siphon ability had kept it topped off on the way home. But now it was time to say goodbye to his ill gotten gains, and cook. Zane had waffled back and forth over buying the upgraded ability first, versus infusing the meat then buying it. But an upgraded ability always gave dramatically better results, and he needed every possible edge in the upcoming competition. The young man summoned his Mesh interface, then dismissed it. He looked down at the meat and cocked his head to the side. If corruption was similar to Essence, then it would be logical to conclude that removing corruption from the meat would free up space. At the very least it would possibly improve the flavor. In a rare moment of forward thinking, Zane decided to test the theory. He took a piece of meat, minced it with his knife to ensure that everything was uniform, seasoned it, then separated the resulting mixture into two equal piles. Zane took a deep breath, then used his Consume Corruption ability on one of the piles. At such close range it was easy to detect the toxins. They looked like tiny flecks of black oil hidden in the meat. He raised his hand, and started drawing the corruption towards him. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. A slender black tendril emerged from the meat he was working on and stretched towards his hand. Before it could reach him, Zane summoned a glass jar and captured it, screwing the lid on tight for good measure. The rogue cultivator kept his ability active as he inspected the captured corruption. The pea sized drop of black fluid ran up the side of the jar closest to his hand, drawn to him like metal shavings to a magnet. Zane dismissed the ability, and watched it fall into a shapeless puddle. ¡°Interesting,¡± he said, ¡°Very interesting.¡± Zane summoned a new knife, then took the two piles of minced meat and divided them again, making a point of starting with the ¡°clean¡± meat to avoid contamination. He infused half of the meat with Essence, then fired up the grill. ¡°Hey Kiel!¡± the young man called out as the meat cooked, ¡°Come and be my guinea pig for a moment.¡± The kobold scowled. ¡°I''m a lizard, not a pig.¡± ¡°Tomato, potato,¡± Zane said as he plated up the patties, ¡°Tell me which one tastes best.¡± Kiel took a bite of each, chewed thoughtfully, then nodded. ¡°The ones infused with Essence have a lot more flavor. But it''s hard to tell if the one you cleansed of corruption tastes better or not. It definitely has a bit more Essence in it, so that''s probably the way to go.¡± Zane frowned and looked at the plates. ¡°How did you¡­¡± The kobold let out a chuckle. ¡°Kiddo, I''m a cultivator, and a damn good one too. Did you really think I wouldn''t notice you screwing around with an ability that manipulated corruption?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Kiel sighed. ¡°Look, I''ve seen that ability before. I even knew a kobold who had it. I''m guessing that you thought it might be a way to cleanse yourself of corruption.¡± ¡°Maybe I did,¡± Zane said, ¡°What of it?¡± ¡°Purity and corruption are linked, but they aren''t the same,¡± Kiel explained, ¡°Purity is more about the kind of person you are, while corruption has to do with the physical state of your core and body.¡± Zane let out a groan. ¡°So you''re saying that I fucked up.¡± ¡°No, I''m not saying that at all,¡± the kobold clarified, ¡°Consume Corruption is a powerful ability. It''s a great counter to all kinds of poisons and dark techniques. If you level it up, you will eventually be able to control corruption and mold it to your will.¡± Kiel held out his hand and summoned a golden wand. ¡°My abilities as a sorcerer let me use Essence to create objects, but it''s limited. I can only summon things from a certain catalog, so to speak.¡± He dismissed the wand and made a fist. The kobold didn''t sweat, but his face was set in a look of intense concentration. Kiel opened his hand to reveal a pearl of pure Essence. It shimmered like a tiny nascent core. ¡°If you learn to control Essence or corruption directly, you won''t be limited by your catalog,¡± Kiel said. Zane took the pearl and held it up to the light. ¡°Huh, it kinda reminds me of Dippin¡¯ Dots.¡± The kobold frowned. ¡°What are ¡®dipping dots¡¯?¡± ¡°It''s a kind of fancy ice cream from back home,¡± the young man said, ¡°I haven''t had any since I was a kid, but they were really good.¡± ¡°Figures,¡± grumbled the kobold as took the pearl back, ¡°I show you a miracle of cultivation and all you can think of is food.¡± ¡°In my defense, I am a chef,¡± Zane said. ¡°Bah!¡± Kiel threw up his hands in surrender and stalked off, leaving the rogue cultivator alone in the kitchen. Alright, Zane thought to himself, No more distractions. It¡¯s time to get down to business. Chapter 54: Archie Archibald Zemersmith watched with fascination as Zane worked. Safely housed in the soul gem inside his necklace, he could observe everything without risking being seen. Archie found the fact that a humble chef had managed to find their way through his temple most perplexing. Zane didn''t even have a combat class, or a particularly high level. But he had still managed to do the impossible. Over the years, thousands of other cultivators had been impaled on spikes, or ground to paste by his guardian. They had all failed to reach the finish line, but not this one. No, Zane was special. He could come back from the dead, which made him a perfect host. The necklace that housed Archie¡¯s spirit was a pinky sized cylinder of matte gray steel with a hole at the top to run a cord through. The utilitarian piece of jewelry would have been hard to tell from any other junk that a street peddler might sell. But it was definitely one of a kind. The diamonds that held the enchantments were completely encased in a small cylinder of magically hardened steel, protected from any stray sword swings or firebolts. Rigorous testing had shown that it would take the full force of several high level cultivators to even scratch the surface. And most importantly, the bottom doubled as a socket wrench. In addition to housing his spirit, Archie¡¯s necklace had enchantments to resist detection, prevent theft, store items, and shield the wearer from mental manipulation. However, it could not protect Zane from Archie. Body snatching was a popular method for extending one''s lifespan. Though its practice was almost universally banned, Archie had been doing it for centuries, and had no intention of stopping. Besides, the young man owed him one for destroying his previous host. Zane remained oblivious as the dead wizard went to work. Archie started by binding the necklace to its new owner. That would prevent the young man from selling or discarding it before the process was complete. Next, Archie stretched out a tendril of his consciousness towards the young man''s core like a taproot. Once it made contact, he started to align his spirit with Zane''s, blending their Essence together. Brute forcing his way in was quicker, but potential hosts tended to notice a sudden influx of foreign Essence. No, slow and steady was the way to go. Archie had learned that the hard way. Just as the dead wizard was about to finish merging with his new host, he felt an intense sensation of pressure pushing down on him. His senses were blocked off from the outside world, and he was plunged into darkness. What in the seven hells just happened? Archie wondered as his spirit drifted aimlessly in the void. Then, a chill started to creep up his non-existent spine. He was not alone. There was something in the dark with him. The dead wizard tried to return to his soul gem, but the connection had been severed. Archie started to panic as a low chuckle reverberated through the void. ¡°Sorry, my friend,¡± said a voice, ¡°This one is already taken.¡± Archie was quickly consumed by the hungry spirit. Though it was a mere echo of the god that had spawned it, the spirit effortlessly removed Archie from the soul gem and core without alerting its host. Then, it went back to sleep. *** Meanwhile, across the city, chef Cara Bazura was about ready to tear his hair out. But he didn''t, because it had been quite expensive. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Ever since Zane came to the city, his business had been in a state of decline. Wealthy patrons were sleeping in and sending their servants out to fetch brunch, instead of paying for his overpriced breakfasts. Worse yet, the absence of cultivators had led to a resurgence of noodle shops and other small dinner venues. People had a wealth of dining options, now that the risks of being caught up in a brawl and killed were practically nil. ¡°Do we have any idea what Zane is up to?¡± the chef asked. ¡°No, boss,¡± replied a stocky man in an apron. His name was Lug, and he liked cooking, but it hadn''t been his first choice. When his old gang collapsed he had gone looking for work, and ended up in the restaurant business. There were a fair amount of similarities to his old occupation, and a lot of familiar faces, so he had settled in just fine. Cara groaned. He needed to win this competition. With the current state of his business, only the catering contract for the winter festival would be enough to keep him from going under. ¡°I thought you sent people to spy on him.¡± ¡°Yes, boss. I sent some guys from the neighborhood.¡± ¡°So, what have they seen?¡± Cara asked. Lug shifted uncomfortably. ¡°Uh¡­ nothing, boss. They haven''t come back yet. Actually, I''m starting to get a bit worried.¡± The chef sighed. ¡°Look, Lug. This competition is important. I need that contract to keep this business afloat, to pay your salaries.¡± ¡°Yes, boss. I understand. Do you want me to send more guys?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot,¡± said Cara, ¡°Of course I want you to send more people! We need to know what Zane is planning to cook for the competition so we can beat him.¡± ¡°Yes, boss.¡± Lug nodded. ¡°I understand. I''ll take care of this myself to make sure it gets done properly.¡± Cara watched Lug leave and let out another groan of frustration once he was gone. ¡°What a fucking idiot,¡± the chef swore, ¡°I''m surrounded by fucking idiots.¡± *** A few hours later the former gangster turned line cook came back with bad news. He knocked on Cara¡¯s office door, then entered with his head held low. ¡°Um, boss. I couldn''t get into the restaurant, and I couldn''t find any of the guys I sent either.¡± Lug anxiously fidgeted with the strings of his apron. ¡°It''s like they vanished or something.¡± ¡°So? What do I care about some thugs?¡± Cara snarled, ¡°Zane probably paid them off, and now he knows we were trying to spy on him! Good job, Lug.¡± ¡°Sorry, boss.¡± The chef felt his mind going into overdrive. He was pretty good in the kitchen, but he couldn''t leave things up to chance. There was too much at stake. ¡°Alright, new plan,¡± said Cara, ¡°How do you feel about arson?¡± Burning down a building was definitely risky, but he needed the money. And Lug knew that he could kiss his job goodbye if he said no to Cara. ¡°I''m not opposed to it, if the price is right.¡± The former thug rubbed his fingers together to get the message across. Cara groaned and retrieved some money from the safe. Finances were going to be tight this month, but he figured that burning out the competition was a worthwhile investment. Once Zane was gone, the catering contract would more than pay for any shortfall. Besides, he could always dock his workers¡¯ pay. ¡°Are you happy now, you fucking mercenary?¡± asked Cara. ¡°Yes, boss,¡± replied Lug as he pocketed the coins. ¡°Good. Now, get your ass over there and burn down that restaurant,¡± said the chef, ¡°The competition is tomorrow and I can''t be distracted by any more of this foolishness.¡± ¡°Right, boss. I''m on it.¡± Lug gave a thumbs up and ran off before Cara could find another reason to get mad at him. The chef softly pounded his head against the desk once the man was gone. Everything will be fine, he thought. One little fire, and all my troubles will go away. Cara paused as a realization struck him. Once the restaurant burned down, he would still need to deal with Lug. The thug would probably want some payoff to keep quiet, which was a recurring expense that he hadn''t budgeted for. ¡°Damn it,¡± the chef swore as he started formulating a plan to eliminate Lug once the deed was done. ¡°Why does everyone have to be so greedy?¡± Chapter 55: Horses Cant Climb Ladders Lug watched from across the street as the restaurant staff returned. Their horse had been hitched to a cart, which was full of food for the competition. The former thug felt his breath freeze in his chest as the draft horse turned its head his way. But its gaze didn''t linger on him for long. Feeling silly about his reaction, Lug forced himself to take a breath. Imagine! A guy like me being afraid of a horse! He rubbed his hands together to fight the evening chill and checked for any witnesses. The streets were empty, so he figured that now was as good a time as any. The sooner he burned the place down, the sooner he could go home. Lug reached into his bag and grabbed a bottle of lamp oil. He had already tied a greasy rag around the neck of the bottle with some twine to act as a source of ignition. The thug struggled with his flint and steel, but eventually managed to ignite a little square of char cloth. He held the smouldering char cloth to the greasy rag and blew on it. A few breaths later, he was rewarded with a flickering yellow flame. The roof of the restaurant was covered in snow, so he decided to aim for an upstairs window. Downstairs would have been easier, but Lug didn''t want to accidentally kill anyone. He figured that the staff would probably all run out once the upper floors caught fire. He lobbed the incendiary and watched it arc through the air. It hit the upstairs window, and bounced off harmlessly. Lug swore as the bottle of oil rolled and came to a stop at the edge of the rooftop. Somehow, against all odds, it had been extinguished by the snow. Lug went over and tried to grab it, but he couldn''t quite reach. He looked around for something to stand on, and spotted a wooden ladder built into the side of the building. That''ll do nicely, he thought, happy to see that his streak of bad luck was finally ending. I''ll grab the bottle, light it, burn this place down, and then go home for some nice warm soup. He climbed up to the roof with happy thoughts of soup and crackling fires multiplying in his thick skull. But when he looked for the bottle of oil, it was gone. He peered over the edge to check the ground below, but it wasn''t there either. Huh, Lug thought as he scratched his head, Where in the seven hells did it go? A snort from below caught his attention, and the former thug looked down to see a draft horse staring up at him. Lug was no expert on animals, but he didn''t like how the beast was licking its lips. It looked¡­ hungry. The horse looked over at the ladder, then back at him. It''s a good thing horses can''t climb ladders, he thought, before dismissing such a silly idea. It was just a horse, not a rampaging spirit beast. Lug decided that his best course of action was to climb in through the window, light something on fire, and get out of there before he froze solid. Things hadn''t gone to plan, but he needed to adapt. The only way forward was through.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Imagine, me being afraid of a horse,¡± Lug said with a shake of his head as he turned towards the window. Daisy watched him go. ¡°Yes,¡± she said softly, ¡°Imagine that.¡± Zane stepped out of a shadow and patted her on the shoulder. ¡°Good job spotting him, and thank you for letting me know instead of just dealing with it yourself.¡± There was a cry of surprise from upstairs, followed by a loud thud. ¡°Come on,¡± the young man laughed, ¡°Let''s go rescue our new friend before Dumpling turns him into pat¨¦.¡± ¡°In that case, maybe we should wait,¡± said Daisy, ¡°I¡¯d kill for some good pat¨¦.¡± *** Cara had almost given up and gone home by the time Lug returned. The former thug looked like hell, and was carrying a large wicker basket. Lug fixed a pair of bloodshot eyes on Cara. ¡°Uh. Hi, boss.¡± ¡°What is it? Have you done what I asked?¡± the chef asked, preparing to fly into a well deserved rage at the incompetence of his underling. ¡°No, boss.¡± Lug set the basket down and slowly started backing away. ¡°I''m really sorry about this. But Zane said it was me or you. And I chose you.¡± Before Cara could respond, he felt an incredible weight start pressing down on his body. His head slammed against the desk, almost knocking him unconscious. ¡°HELLO, CHEF CARA BAZURA,¡± said a voice like gravestones crumbling, ¡°I HEAR THAT YOU HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING SOME ANXIETY OVER THE OUTCOME OF TOMORROW''S COMPETITION.¡± Dumpling hopped out of her basket and landed on the floor with enough force to split the wood. Cara could hardly breathe, much less talk. He was forced to watch in silent horror as Dumpling approached. Each of the void stalker¡¯s footsteps was like the crack of doom, and the pressure around him slowly increased as she got closer. Finally, the desk collapsed, bringing them face to face. Eight sets of yellow eyes watched pitilessly as Cara was crushed beneath the weight of his own skin. Once Dumpling heard the chef¡¯s heart stop beating, she stored his body in her collar and turned to look at Lug. ¡°WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE, MR LUG?¡± she asked. The former thug looked down at the floor. ¡°Well, boss. You didn''t say that I could leave.¡± ¡°BOSS? YOU CALL A CREATURE LIKE ME BOSS?¡± Dumpling threw her head back and laughed. ¡°OH, I LIKE THE SOUND OF THAT! HOW RESPECTFUL YOU ARE, MR. LUG.¡± Lug stood up a bit straighter. ¡°I always try to be respectful, boss.¡± The void stalker closed her eyes and smiled. ¡°YES. I''M BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE AWAKENER SPARED YOU. HE IS TRULY A BEING OF GREAT WISDOM AND INTELLIGENCE.¡± ¡°He is?¡± blurted out the former thug, before realizing his mistake and correcting himself. ¡°I mean, yes! He is! The Awakener is wise and powerful!¡± Dumpling let out a low chuckle and hopped back into her basket. ¡°COME ALONG, MR. LUG. THERE IS STILL WORK TO DO.¡± ¡°Yes, boss!¡± Lug picked up the basket and let out a sigh of relief. The former thug didn''t know what was going on, or why he was still alive. But he wasn''t going to worry about little things like that. He had work to do. Existential crises could wait. ¡°Where to, boss?¡± Lug asked. ¡°BACK TO THE RESTAURANT, IF YOU PLEASE,¡± Dumpling replied with a yawn, ¡°I AM GROWING WEARY AND WISH TO RETIRE FOR THE NIGHT, MR. LUG.¡± Mr. Lug, he thought, Now, that''s a name I can get used to! That''s a respectable name! ¡°Yes, boss!¡± Mr. Lug said as he made his way out the door, taking great care not to bump or jostle his new employer. ¡°Whatever you say!¡± Chapter 56: Shocking Language ¡°I can hardly approve this course of action,¡± grumbled Eric as they walked to the guild hall. ¡°Can it, grumpy butt,¡± replied Zane, ¡°We both gathered ingredients for our dishes, that means we both compete.¡± ¡°But I''m not a chef,¡± the big man protested. ¡°No, you aren''t. At least, not yet,¡± said Zane, ¡°But you''re getting really good at working in the kitchen, and you seem to have a real passion for it.¡± Eric frowned. ¡°That was almost insightful. What''s the real reason?¡± The rogue cultivator grinned. ¡°If you win on your own, I can make you take care of all the catering for the winter festival.¡± ¡°And there it is.¡± The big man shook his head. ¡°Fine, I''ll compete and do my best, for the honor of our restaurant.¡± ¡°Yeesh,¡± Zane made a gagging noise, ¡°I forgot how uptight you cultivators can be. Relax, dude. It''s just a cook-off, not some sacred tournament.¡± Eric glared at him. ¡°I believe in doing my best, no matter what. That''s why I climbed to the rank of senior disciple.¡± ¡°My guy,¡± the young man said with a laugh, ¡°You''re like seven feet tall and built like a brick shit house. Who could have stopped you?¡± ¡°I suppose you may have a point,¡± Eric admitted with a frown. Zane patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Actually, no. I take that back. It was a shitty thing to say. You probably worked your ass off to get where you were.¡± The big man stopped in his tracks. ¡°Who are you? And what have you done with Zane?¡± The rogue cultivator flipped him off. ¡°Fuck you. I¡¯m trying to become a better person so I don''t die of corruption. I hear it''s painful.¡± ¡°Now that, I can believe.¡± Eric resumed walking toward the guild hall. ¡°You know, if you are willing, I have some mental exercises that you can practice to strengthen your mind and purify your soul.¡± ¡°Do they require more than two minutes worth of concentration?¡± Zane asked. ¡°Ah,¡± the big man hung his head, ¡°In that case, it may be best if we find another way to increase your purity. Have you considered taking a vow of celibacy?¡± ¡°Eric, I''m dating a kitsune with a courtesan class,¡± Zane said, ¡°Exactly how long do you think that vow would last?¡± ¡°Not very long,¡± Eric admitted, ¡°And the loss of purity from breaking a vow would probably be worse than never taking it at all. How about murder? Could you give that up?¡± ¡°No can do.¡± The rogue cultivator shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve got a glass cannon build with zero defense besides my regeneration. If someone threatens me, I''ve got to move quickly before they take me out. That''s not conducive to letting the other guy make the first move. ¡°Also, not to sound horrible, but I like being able to just kill people who try to fuck with me,¡± Zane said, ¡°It''s one of the best things about coming here. If someone is being an asshole, I can stab them. It''s pretty great, actually.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°I''m relatively sure you lost purity by saying those words.¡± Eric snapped his fingers. ¡°What about foul language?¡± Zane paused to think. ¡°Hmmm¡­ possibly. But I''m also a chef, which means it''s practically a class skill. So, maybe not.¡± ¡°Well, you have to do something,¡± Eric said. The rogue cultivator let out a sigh. ¡°Fine. I''ll try not to swear, and see how it goes. But I''m making zero promises.¡± ¡°Good,¡± the big man said, ¡°Trying to improve yourself is a sign of positive spiritual growth.¡± Zane bit his tongue. ¡°Mmmhmmm, it sure is. That''s me, Mr. Positive Spiritual Growth.¡± ¡°You already hate it, don''t you?¡± asked Eric. The rogue cultivator made a point of not answering. This freaking sucks, he thought, I wish there was a way to make this easier. It''s only been a few minutes, and I already want to swear. As if in response, Zane felt a slight tingling sensation from his new necklace. ¡°What the fuck was that?¡± he asked. The answer came in the form of a sudden jolt of electricity. The young man convulsed and writhed on the ground. ¡°Fuck me, that hurt!¡± he said. Another jolt rocked his body. Once Zane could breathe again, he looked down at the necklace in horror. ¡°Oh no, you have gotta be kidding me.¡± ¡°What''s wrong?¡± Eric asked. ¡°My freaking necklace just shocked the¡­ sugar¡­ out of me.¡± Zane almost swore, but managed to pull it back at the last second. ¡°Here, hold onto it for me, will you? I want to try something.¡± The big man took the necklace and shrugged. ¡°Nothing seems to be happening.¡± ¡°Try swearing,¡± Zane said. Eric¡¯s brow furrowed in confusion. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just do it. The thing seems to react to foul language.¡± ¡°Um¡­ fuck?¡± Eric said, so delicately that it almost came out like a question. ¡°Nothing seems to be happening.¡± ¡°I think you have to really say it like you mean it,¡± the young man explained. ¡°I don''t want to,¡± the big man said, ¡°Especially not if this thing is going to shock me.¡± ¡°Oh for fuck¡¯s sake-¡± Zane didn''t get to finish his sentence before the necklace teleported back to him and delivered a particularly nasty jolt. The rogue cultivator could smell ozone, and was pretty sure he had cracked a tooth while he was flopping around. He looked at the necklace accusingly. ¡°You think this is funny, don''t you?¡± It tingled a bit, but didn''t shock him. ¡°Fine,¡± he said, ¡°But I''m going to get rid of you the first chance that I get.¡± The hungry spirit laughed. I''d like to see you try. *** Despite what Zane may have thought, the spirit hadn''t been acting entirely out of malice when it triggered the anti-theft enchantment. Sure, it was funny watching him get zapped, but there was a real purpose behind it. The hungry spirit knew it couldn''t take over Zane''s body without risking being burned for fuel. Archie would have found that out the hard way if he hadn¡¯t been eaten first. That meant the spirit had to make sure Zane didn''t die from corruption and take it with him. Which, of course, brought up another troubling question. Am I¡­ the good guy? the spirit wondered, Because I''m the closest thing this asshole has to a conscience, and I''m trying to prevent him from dying. So, yeah, that kinda makes me the good guy. The spirit perked up. Yeah! I''m the good guy! Now I just need a name. What about¡­ Archie? Archie reveled in its own private joke. It had eaten that annoying wizard¡¯s soul, and now it had stolen his name. I hope you''re a quick learner, Zane, the spirit thought, Because I''m going to help you mend your ways, even if it means zapping the shit out of you. Right on cue, the young man let a curse slip past his lips, and Archie triggered the anti-theft enchantment. It giggled. Being the good guy was fun! Chapter 57: The Long Dark Soju Time of the Soul After the contest was over, the assorted spirit beasts and cultivators returned to the restaurant to celebrate. Zane''s rock chicken skewers had been well received by the judges, but Eric won them over with his hamburgers. Zane couldn''t help feeling hollow as he watched the big man receive the catering contract. Eric was so happy, probably the happiest they had ever seen him. He had gone into the contest expecting nothing, and came out on top. Drinks were poured. More hamburgers were prepared, then eaten. Everyone was having a great time, except for Zane. Once things had died down, he slipped out onto the front patio with a bottle of soju. The young man watched as snow fell silently on the street. Zane thought it was strange that his cultivation enhanced body was resistant to the cold, but he couldn''t escape the chill radiating from his bones. He sat, and drank, then drank some more. Eventually the bottle ran dry, but he stayed out there on the cold patio. There wasn''t much point in going back inside. Instead he sat there, watching winter blanket the city in a carpet of dead white snow. The opening of the front door announced a visitor, and Zane looked up to see Groucho standing over him. ¡°You can''t have my skin,¡± the young man said, ¡°I''m still using it.¡± ¡°I wouldn''t want it anyway,¡± replied the killbot as he handed Zane a bottle of plum wine, ¡°It''s got those squiggly black lines all over it.¡± Zane watched the construct slowly lowered himself into a sitting position. The cold was doing his joints no favors. Groucho smiled. ¡°Well, you never did tell me how your trip to the temple went. Which god was it dedicated to?¡± The young man took a sip of his plum wine and shrugged. ¡°I have no idea. When I got to the end there was just some asshole with a clipboard.¡± A shock went through Zane, but between the booze and the cold, he barely felt it. Groucho frowned. ¡°Did he have a name?¡± ¡°Archibald Zemersmith,¡± the rogue cultivator replied as he fished out his new necklace. ¡°Tell me, does this thing look familiar?¡± The killbot shook his head. ¡°It doesn''t look like anything to me,¡± Groucho said with a look of confusion on his face, ¡°At least, I don''t think so. Are you sure there wasn''t a god at the shrine?¡± ¡°Nope. Just some lonely little man with a fondness for traps.¡± Zane studied Groucho for a moment before he continued, ¡°You know, I''ve been thinking. Your creator scrambled your brains up pretty good. Would you even recognize him if you saw him again?¡± Groucho shivered. ¡°That¡¯s a chilling thought.¡± ¡°It gets worse,¡± Zane warned, ¡°See, I was thinking about it, and what if Archie¡¯s lair wasn''t a temple? What if it was designed to kill anyone who came inside? What if he was using it to passively gain experience from all those traps of his?¡± The killbot took a deep breath that he didn''t really need. ¡°What are you getting at, Zane?¡± The rogue cultivator took a sip of his plum wine. ¡°What if you brought me there, not because you wanted to, but because you were programmed to?¡± Zane set the bottle aside. ¡°Think about it for a minute. Archie needed people to come to his fake temple, and it isn''t like the gods were guiding people to it. So, what if he made someone to show them the way?¡± ¡°It''s possible,¡± admitted the killbot, ¡°I don''t like it, but it''s possible.¡± He turned to face Zane. ¡°Are you going to kill me?¡± ¡°Nah,¡± the young man shook his head, ¡°You can''t control what you were programmed to do. Besides, I still need someone to run the vending machine.¡± Groucho stared at him for a few seconds before turning away. ¡°You''re awfully pragmatic, for a human.¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Zane shrugged. ¡°Maybe I''m not a human. Not on the inside, at least.¡± He took another pull from the bottle. It was sickly sweet, but he drank it anyway. ¡°Maybe my life before this one was a dream, or a fantasy I made up. Maybe I''m really a kobold. Who fucking knows?¡± He winced as the necklace shocked him again. ¡°It doesn''t really matter anyway. I''m a dead man walking.¡± ¡°That''s a shame,¡± said Groucho, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips, ¡°I was just starting to like you.¡± ¡°Well, maybe it''s all for the best,¡± Zane said before he chugged down the rest of the bottle. ¡°It''s not like this world is short on murderous psychopaths.¡± ¡°Is that really how you see yourself?¡± the killbot asked. ¡°Nah.¡± Zane shook his head. ¡°I''m just doing my best to survive, the same as everybody else.¡± They sat in silence for a while, watching the snow fall. Groucho looked over at Zane, studying his face. ¡°I know what you did for Eric.¡± The young man turned to meet his gaze. ¡°And what was that?¡± ¡°You gave him the good meat,¡± replied Groucho, ¡°The ingredients he used were filled with Essence. Yours weren''t.¡± ¡°Don''t read too much into it,¡± Zane said, ¡°I didn''t feel like fulfilling the catering contract. If Eric won, I could make him do all the work.¡± Groucho raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that right?¡± ¡°Why do you care?¡± Zane asked. The killbot chose his next words carefully. ¡°I¡¯m not really a person, so take this with a grain of salt. But I think this world is better off with you in it, than without you. So, maybe don''t give up just yet.¡± ¡°I''m not giving up.¡± ¡°Oh really?¡± Groucho asked. ¡°Because it looks to me like you''re preparing your exit strategy. Eric takes over the restaurant, Pinky gets to run it. and you, what? Walk off into the snow?¡± ¡°It''s probably safer for everyone involved if I leave before things get worse.¡± Zane pulled up his sleeve to show the creeping black veins. ¡°I''ve been told that draconic corruption isn''t a fun way to go. I''ll turn on them eventually, and I don''t want that.¡± The young man shook his head. ¡°I may be a selfish prick, but I''m not that selfish.¡± ¡°Don''t worry,¡± Groucho assured him, ¡°If things get bad, I''ll put you down myself.¡± Zane laughed. ¡°I don''t think that leg of yours will be able to keep up. But, thanks for offering.¡± ¡°Anytime,¡± replied the construct, ¡°Now, if you''re done feeling sorry for yourself, there''s a very tipsy kitsune inside that needs you to carry her to bed.¡± Right on cue, the sound of breaking glass came from inside the restaurant. Zane dusted the snow off his legs and got up. He paused before going back inside. Groucho was still sitting on the patio. ¡°Your legs are frozen in place, aren''t they?¡± Zane asked. Groucho gave a slow nod. ¡°And I''m guessing you need my help, but are too proud to ask.¡± The construct nodded again. ¡°Well, good luck with that,¡± Zane said as he walked inside, leaving Groucho sitting alone on the patio. The killbot gritted his teeth, then forced himself to relax. Besides the stiffness in his joints, the cold didn''t really bother him. And it was a beautiful winter night. A few moments later, Zane came back to help him up. ¡°Don''t worry,¡± the young man said, ¡°I may be an asshole, but I''m not that much of an asshole.¡± Groucho watched in glee as Zane''s necklace delivered a double helping of negative reinforcement, sending the young man into a full body spasm. The killbot grinned as he helped Zane back up. ¡°Having a little trouble with your new necklace?¡± Zane leaned forward until the necklace was touching both of them. ¡°Hey Groucho, why don''t you go fuck yourself?¡± *** From inside the restaurant Pinky¡¯s ears perked up. She didn''t know what was going on outside, but there sure was a lot of swearing. Zane stumbled in through the door a few minutes later and gave her a thumbs up. A bruise on his face healed as she watched. ¡°Groucho and I had a little argument,¡± he explained, ¡°He eventually came around to my way of thinking.¡± The killbot in question swore as he entered the building. Groucho twisted his head back to a more natural position and shuddered. ¡°Never do that again!¡± Pinky giggled and looked up at Zane. Her cheeks were pink from the booze. ¡°Were you being naughty?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± The young man looked down as an inquisitive hand reached inside the front of his robe. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°I think I should be a little naughty too,¡± giggled the kitsune.