ã€ŠOverpoweredã€‹


 Power Hungry: Chapter 1

    A clear blue sky shone down on Halo City, the capital of the southern continent. It was a day in paradise, like every other since the Halo Cult had been created. Birds circled in the skies above, their eyes gazing down at the gleaming city of blue below them. Children ran about the translucent blue ground, laughing as they tumbled through market stalls and siehnti stairways.

    The bridges were bustling, as always. Each over thirty meters wide and however long they had to be. Farmers entering with their produce, and exiting with their earnings. Cultivators, their blue robes rippling in the light wind. Street peddlers advertising their wares. Officers patrolling their designated areas. The tarpaulins dangled below the complex grid of bridges, collecting the power emanating from below.

    The power stations, one each for the eight buildings surrounding it. Lush plants, the largest in the world, grew in the spacious verges which ringed every bridge and tower, nurtured by the small aqueducts next to them. The cultivation temples and libraries, the barracks and refineries, the arenas and agoras. This was the largest city in Land, the pinnacle of human achievement, created entirely out of the siehnti left from the War of Bloodlines and two millennia of accumulated blessings. All balanced above the yawning abyss of the Hellhole, the great blessing and curse of the southern continent.

    Created during the cataclysmic War of the Bloodlines, the Hellhole had allowed devils and their demon hordes to cross over. They ravaged the southern continent for a thousand years until he vanquished them like the Ancients did the primordials. Now, the chasm enriched the entire southern continent with its power emissions, a monstrous feat given the continent was over eight hundred billion square kilometers.

    He stood there, seven kilometers above the ground at the top of the highest tower in the city, looking down at the gaping darkness of the abyss. He had tan skin and brown eyes which seemed to drink in the light, a stark contrast to his translucent blue armor, which glittered with the light. On his mind was not the blue sky or the blue city, but the black darkness of Hell.

    ¡°Letting the Harbinger¡¯s descendants in Eden live on was a mistake.¡± He spoke. The sunlight diffracting through his armor danced across the ground as he turned around. Behind him sat three women and two men. Like him, they were all youthful in appearance, the result of millennia of unhindered cultivation even after achieving immortality.

    One of them, a woman with rich caramel skin and a completely unblemished face, shook her head in disagreement. ¡°The Harbinger was human, and so are his descendants. You were not wrong to spare them.¡±

    ¡°He is far beyond human now. And his intent is clear: to reestablish that hellish kingdom of demons, the Garden.¡± The man spat the last word out with clear disgust.

    A bald youth chortled. ¡°No greater euphemism has ever been made, true.¡±

    ¡°No single person has ever done greater damage to Land than the Harbinger, not even the bloodlines. Summoning was the darkest art ever made, yet it is not dark enough for him. Did you read the transmission from this morning? He had the audacity to-¡±

    ¡°We need only journey to the western continent again.¡± The caramel-skinned woman stood up from the glittering ground. ¡°It will be the fifth time this millennium, but we cannot delay when it comes to that man. Already, Land has lost two continents to the nothingness. If the western continent follows¡­¡±

    A dark-skinned man raised a hand to cut her off. ¡°We cannot. The Harbinger himself cannot enter Land. His descendants are human, and their devils hide as he did when we first sought to destroy him. Let us approach it in a more indirect manner. Otherwise, the Pantheon will use our actions as leverage against us in future negotiations.¡±

    ¡°The Pantheon has amassed too much power.¡± The man spoke. ¡°And our knowledge of their affairs in the central continent remains as scant as ever, despite all your efforts. If they continue their impious actions towards us, I will have to take action, no matter if they are man and not monster.¡±

    The dark-skinned man frowned. ¡°Bahamut... ¡±

    ¡°Enough discussion. We will go with your proposal.¡± The man nodded at a woman, who wore on her head a translucent, jelly-like helmet with faint, red lines glowing under its surface. ¡°Adela, contact Eden¡¯s neighboring countries and the Pantheon. They will help us¡­ no. We will help them with their territorial disputes. As far as everyone is concerned, it will just be another war in the Warring States.¡±

    <hr />

    Three years later, in a forest clearing on the western edge of the western continent.

    ¡°Again!¡± Vinoh shouted, swiping his wooden sword across towards him. He tried to dodge, but the wooden sword sped up and struck him between the legs, sending him sprawling into the ground.

    Solera was thirteen years old. He had tan skin, with prominent cheekbones, short black hair and brown eyes. Normally, he gave off a taciturn and reserved air, but right now, there was only indignance.

    He got up, rubbing some dust out of his eye. ¡°Dammit, Dad, I saw that swing.¡± He complained.

    Vinoh shrugged. ¡°You gotta be ready for anything, son. Sundan bulls do this all the time.¡±

    ¡°What, swing swords at me?¡± Solera snorted, getting back into position.

    ¡°No, they bait you with- HAH!¡± Vinoh suddenly swung the wooden sword, thwacking him on the shoulder.

    Solera gingerly rubbed his shoulder, cursing in his mind. It was definitely bruised.

    Vinoh was laughing. ¡°All right, that¡¯s enough for today. Let¡¯s head back now.¡± He turned around, walking through the fields towards home. All sorts of produce was grown here, to be exported all over Eden and perhaps even further beyond. Solera wouldn¡¯t know; all he did was train.

    ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll show you how to properly camouflage in the field. Let you heal up on those wounds some.¡± Vinoh hobbled back, his wooden leg testing the muddy ground for grip with each step.

    Solera sighed to himself. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he had a break from all this training. Day in, day out, all he did was train. Yet Eden hadn¡¯t had a war in two centuries! He couldn¡¯t help but think that it was all a big waste of time. Sure, they were one of the thirteen Warring States, but that was just the name! If it had been peaceful for two centuries already, surely there was time for him to enjoy some of the finer things in life.

    The fields grew plants three meters high. Passing through them was like wading through water. This particular field, filled with corn stalks, was particularly tough.

    ¡°This harvest is going to be good.¡± Vinoh commented as he pushed away some plants. ¡°The Channeler last month did real well to Channel so much Power into the fertilizer. The plants are already this tall! By the time they¡¯re ripe, they¡¯ll be ten meters, or higher!¡±

    Solera looked at the plants with disinterest. He had seen them too many times to care. The field abruptly gave way to an open clearing. A couple hundred meters away was a forest of majestic trees, each easily seventy meters tall. He could see a child running down a branch that had grown into a staircase, laughing as she chased her little brother.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    This forest of trees was the Grove, Solera¡¯s home! He had never been outside its borders. Thus, the idea of stone cities and paved roads seemed utterly alien to him, even though he knew it was the norm.

    ¡°Hi, Solera! How are you today?¡± A girl pulling water up from a well was looking at Solera with a bright smile on her face. This was Pinot, a freckled girl with smiling green eyes, soft lips, and wavy brown hair that reached down to her shoulders. Apparently, she was very popular. Solera thought this made sense; after all, she was very cute, even though she was ten years old, three years younger than him.

    Solera just laughed awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m doing okay.¡±

    Solera had never known what to say when anyone other than Vinoh talked to him. Since he was always training, he rarely spent time with the other kids from the Grove, so he had no idea what effect his words would have. Thus, he preferred to remain quiet. This went well with his naturally shy expression, and as a result, he was seen as ¡°that silent kid¡± that nobody talked to.

    Pinot nodded cheerily before turning back to her task of drawing water from the well. Solera looked away, searching for the winged men he had seen in the morning when he was going out to train. Surely, they were important people, so they must be at the town hall.

    The town hall was located at the center of the small forest, a kilometer away from the outside perimeter. It was the largest tree of all. Actually, it towered over the rest, like a mother standing next to her baby. It was five hundred meters tall, and had existed for over two thousand years, back when Eden had been part of a great empire known as the Garden.

    He couldn¡¯t see any winged men looking out through the thousands of alcoves carved into the town hall. In truth, he didn¡¯t expect to see anything. The town hall was just too large; they were probably inside.

    ¡°Hmm, think we¡¯ll have some nice rice and Eden reindeer meat tonight.¡± Vinoh rubbed his hands in anticipation as he went up the branch-staircase towards the tree Solera called home. Vinoh ascended to the top of the staircase, but when he was about to enter the opening into the house, he stopped still.

    Solera bumped into his back, recoiling in surprise. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s going on?¡± He said, peeking around Vinoh.

    Standing in a concave formation around the dining table were two men and one woman, dressed in armor with a hue of whitish-yellow that reminded Solera of sunlight. At their head, sitting in a chair at the dining table, was a man who looked to be around thirty years old, with short blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

    He wore a hard expression that looked as if it was chiseled from marble. Encasing his body was a brilliant suit of armor that emitted light so radiant, Solera found it difficult to look at. The faint outline of maple leaves could be seen etched into the armor. They had a faint green hue, but it was almost completely covered by the bright sunlight emitting from his armor. Along with his seated pose, this man¡¯s expression and armor gave him a regal air that commanded respect from anyone who looked upon him.

    ¡°... It¡¯s been a long time since I gave that armor to you, Reginald.¡± Vinoh spoke, entering the house. ¡°I literally paid an arm and a leg for it, and you actually pay me back by barging into my home and making yourself comfortable in my chair?¡±

    Reginald looked at Vinoh, not saying a word. Behind him, the woman smiled and waved.

    ¡°And you, Chianti! That night you ran away, I gave my goggles to an eleven-year old girl. Now, it¡¯s been seven years already! Seems like Reginald has taken care of you well. Still looking for that love of your life?¡±

    ¡°Still got your goggles, pops, but the rest is a negative. Never even met the boss until a year ago!¡± Chianti pulled out some ratty goggles, smiling cheekily. Her brown hair was tied into a ponytail that hung down to her breasts. A scar that started near her eyes ran down her face, splitting her lips apart. Despite this scar, Solera found her incredibly pretty. Even with the armor on, she clearly had a lithe form. And her almond eyes and small nose¡­ Solera couldn¡¯t help but stare.

    Vinoh guffawed, pulling out a pack of meat and throwing it onto the kitchen counter. ¡°Keep trying, Chianti. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find the one you¡¯ve been looking for someday. Anyway, I don¡¯t know these other two by your side. Why don¡¯t you introduce us over a nice dinner?¡±

    ¡°No need.¡± The regal-looking man, Reginald, spoke. He had a deep, gravitone voice that could probably be heard from a kilometer away. The voice of a leader. ¡°Dinner will be at the town hall with the Grove Tender.¡±

    Vinoh frowned, picking the meat back up and tossing it back into the ice box. ¡°What¡¯s going on, prince?¡±

    ¡°Father has died.¡± Reginald said calmly. ¡°They¡¯re all finally making their move. It¡¯s beginning.¡±

    Vinoh pulled up a chair and sat down, his eyes narrowed. ¡°Surely you are not asking any more from me?¡±

    ¡°Not from you.¡± Reginald folded his hands together. ¡°From your son.¡± Solera blinked, startled.

    ¡°No.¡± Vinoh said bluntly. ¡°Haven¡¯t I done enough? That damned journey to the Wastelands to retrieve your ancestral armor, you know what happened there! Leave us be, prince, no, king. I want nothing more to do with this.¡±

    Reginald gazed off into space for a bit before speaking again. ¡°Not the Wastelands. The Motherland of our Garden, Vinoh. Don¡¯t you want to see it returned to its former glory? Have you forgotten what you said to me that day, before you set off?¡±

    ¡°Fuck off!¡± Vinoh shouted angrily. ¡°Fuck your glory, fuck your dream! I was on my way to immortality, Reginald! Instead, I lost everything. I can¡¯t even get limb regrowth treatments for this arm and this leg because of that fucking miasma. All I have is my son, and you want to take him away too.¡±

    Solera listened, shocked. He had never seen his father this angry. He had no idea what they were talking about! What was going on?

    Reginald held up his hands, waiting until Vinoh was done with his tirade.

    ¡°Vinoh, your son has been trained by you ever since he was a toddler! I need people like him working for me. Otherwise, this entire country will be reduced to ashes within three decades, and you and your son along with it. You know who we¡¯re up against. There¡¯s nobody on our side but us, Vinoh.¡±

    Vinoh smashed the counter. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous! It would be much better for Solera and me to relocate to the Verdant Empire.¡±

    Reginald shook his head. ¡°Vinoh, I¡¯m not going to be throwing your son into battle. He¡¯s still just a child who needs to be educated. You¡¯ve had him for ten years, you can¡¯t possibly have much left to teach him. Let me cultivate your son into someone who can surpass you at your peak.¡±

    Vinoh glared at Reginald. ¡°No fighting, just learning?¡±

    Reginald nodded. ¡°You have my word.¡±

    Vinoh clenched and unclenched his fists several times, his eyelids twitching. Finally, he sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s talk this over at the town hall.¡±

 Chapter 2

    ¡°You know, your dad is a badass! He even killed a dragon one time!¡± Chianti waved her fork in the air as she talked in an animated fashion.

    Solera blinked in surprise. Vinoh had bragged about killing a dragon numerous times, but he had never believed it. How could a cripple like him possibly have done such a thing?

    ¡°That¡¯s cool.¡± Solera said, shyly looking at Chianti. His gaze was fixed onto her scar, which moved as she chatted.

    ¡°You don¡¯t say!¡± Chianti guffawed. ¡°I wonder how it is, getting trained by someone like your father for so long. I only ever got pointers from him, but those pointers saved my life a bunch of times already.¡±

    ¡°You fought?¡± Solera asked curiously. Then, he blushed. Of course she fought. Where else would that scar come from? ¡°I mean, where did you fight?¡±

    Chianti leaned back in her chair, putting both her feet on the table. ¡°Uh¡­ I think when I joined Reginald¡¯s Bright Star mercenaries, we were fighting for Camelot against the Bloodsand Dominion. You should see their capital city, it¡¯s amazing! After that, we started moving east. Ran guard duty for Pantheon merchants moving around Threeclaw Mountain and Spirit Woods for a while. Then, we fought for the Opportunity Kingdom against the Pantheon. Halfway through the campaign, we went over to Zircon, which wanted to protect its zircon mines from a sudden attack by the Chen clan. I heard the zircon mines are quite pretty, but I still never got to see them. After that, we helped the Chen clan attack Opportunity. Then, we fought for Sundan against the Pantheon. There¡¯s more, but I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get bored by it.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­¡± Solera felt this was an impressive array of battles. ¡°You guarded the Pantheon, then fought against them, then attacked the kingdom you were working for, then went back to fighting the Pantheon?¡±

    ¡°Geopolitics is some complicated bullshit, kiddo.¡± Chianti looked amused. ¡°We¡¯ve fought for everyone and against everyone, as long as we got paid. None of them knew our mercenary troop was actually led by the prince of Eden until a little while ago!¡±

    Chianti was about to say some more, but she stopped when a diminutive woman strode into the town hall, ten children trailing behind her. This woman looked to be in her early thirties, with short green hair that resembled grass and unnerving yellow eyes.

    But this appearance was very deceiving! This was the Grove Tender, a descended spirit from Sky who had lived for over two thousand years! The world had only existed for seven thousand years - to have lived through two thousand of them was a feat perhaps not more than a hundred people in history could have managed.

    The Grove Tender, as her name suggested, led the Grove. She took care of the day-to-day matters and decided which crops to grow every season; if Solera had not known who she was, he never would¡¯ve expected the tender, fragile-looking woman to be someone with a cultivation that reached immortality.

    Reginald had been talking with Vinoh this entire time, but now he rose, nodding to her.

    ¡°Grove Tender. Along with Teri, who is eight hundred years your junior, you two are the pillars of our Garden.¡± Reginald raised a wooden cup to her, smiling. Though he did so in a polite smile, Solera found the smile to be cold and emotionless.

    The Grove Tender bowed. ¡°Our foundation is the royal family, which carries the lineage of Gardner. Besides, Leera has been much more useful than me in the last six centuries, ever since she was born.¡±

    Reginald sighed. ¡°Leera is reaching the end of her longevity. Soon, she will ascend. You and Teri are the only ones left from the time of our Garden.¡±

    The Grove Tender led the children to a table, seating them down. ¡°Enough about the Garden, Reginald. You should stop dwelling on a past you¡¯ve never witnessed. Here, these are the children you wanted.¡±

    Solera only barely knew the children present. There was Pinot, who was excitedly whispering to another girl. The tall, lanky boy standing off to the side was Merlot, who had become a devout follower of the Halo Cult after witnessing a blessing occur during his travels with his father, the head merchant of the Grove. Solera knew a few other names, but Pinot and Merlot were the only two he had ever talked with.

    Reginald smiled emotionlessly again. ¡°Children, I know you¡¯re all wondering why you are here today. Let me answer this question for you. You are all here because of your parents, each of whom are heroes of Eden!¡±

    A hubbub emerged from the crowd of children, who all seemed shocked. Solera knew that Carignan, a short boy with brown hair covering his eyes, was an orphan. He had an extremely confused expression on his face.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Each of your parents were warriors of great renown. Ten years ago, they journeyed to the northern continent, the ravaged homeland of our Garden, and retrieved this set of armor, Luster, for me! Some of your parents died on that trip. Others, crippled. Each and every single one of them will be forever remembered in history. I, Reginald, do not forget a favor!¡± Reginald said, some passion finally leaking into his voice.

    ¡°The Northern Continent? The Wastelands?¡± Merlot asked, his eyes round. Solera could understand his confusion. The northern continent was an area infested with Spirits, irradiated with miasma, with only the barest of plant and animal life! Two thousand years ago, a great calamity had occurred, causing the utter destruction of the entire continent, which had been united under a single flourishing empire.

    ¡°Not the Wastelands. Our homeland!¡± Reginald¡¯s voice boomed out. ¡°Today, I have come to start repaying that favor. You talented children will be taken to Fortress Hickory to be trained by the finest minds in all of Eden!¡±

    He sat back down, waving his hands. Some imps flew in, carrying platters of food to serve to the children. Solera turned his gaze away from Reginald, who had begun talking again with Vinoh, to look at Chianti.

    ¡°The boss is sooo cheesy.¡± Chianti smirked, haphazardly twirling the last of her spaghetti into a ball before slurping it up. ¡°But Fortress Hickory is a nice place. I think out of all the places I¡¯ve been to, only Excalibur was more badass.¡±

    Solera had heard about Fortress Hickory. It lay a hundred kilometers away from Eden¡¯s eastern border with the United Duchies, nestled within Eden¡¯s endless forests. In that forest, one tree dwarfed the rest with its size. This tree was no tree, but rather a fortress! Fortress Hickory was one of the four wonders of Eden, the other three being the Grove, the Bamboo Tower, and the capital city, Eden.

    ¡°That¡¯s cool.¡± Solera said. He didn¡¯t know what else to say.

    ¡°Yeah, everything¡¯s cool with you.¡± Chianti laughed, getting up. ¡°I gotta go now, buddy. Got some work to do tonight.¡±

    After she left, Solera sat there, frustratedly thinking to himself. What else was he supposed to say?

    The other kids were sitting at a faraway table, eagerly talking about their new lives at Fortress Hickory. Solera thought about joining them, but decided against it. He didn¡¯t want to make a fool out of himself again.

    Reginald stood up. ¡°It was good to see all of you, but I must go.¡± Bright white wings sprouted from his back, causing the children to gasp in amazement.

    The Grove Tender frowned. ¡°You¡¯re not going to stay the night? We prepared a bed for you.¡±

    Reginald shook his head, motioning for the two white-armored men to follow him. ¡°The earth may sleep, the plants may sleep, and men may sleep, but the sun can never rest.¡± He strode out of the room, taking off into the air with his two subordinates flanking him. He gave off a radiant light as he left, as if a small sun was rising into the sky. Even after he was gone, a hazy trail of what Solera thought looked like sunlight was left behind in his wake.

    Yes, Reginald was definitely very cheesy.

    The Grove Tender stood up, clapping her hands to get the attention of the children.

    ¡°Children, what¡¯s in a name?¡± She sighed, her gaze flitting from one child to another. ¡°Merlot. Carignan. Guinness. When each of you were born, you were given your names by me, with the assistance of a Name Codex passed down by the Ancients! Of the billions of people on our planet, your names are unique! Nobody else has your names. Your name will only appear on the Codex again when you have died!

    This Name Codex is one special to the Grove! Your names signify your heritage of the Grove! From the moment each of you were born, when I bestowed a name upon you, it was destined that you would be from the Grove, of the Grove, with all its history and might behind you! It is in your blood to be great; it is in your names to do great.

    Tomorrow, you will embark on a long journey away from home. The journey will be difficult and strenuous, but you must persevere! Even though you may want to give up, remember that loyalty is the most valuable virtue. You are all saplings from the Grove! Carry on the torch that bears our reputation. You are all given the tools and the privileges to become figures of great renown. From here, it is up to each and every one of you to to achieve greatness, keeping in mind your roots and the Grove¡¯s honor!¡±

 Chapter 3

    The Grove Tender finished her speech with an impassioned look in her eyes.

    ¡°Come now, children. It¡¯s time to go home, pack, and get a good night¡¯s rest. You¡¯ll all be leaving in the morning.¡±

    Vinoh walked over to Solera as the kids filed out. Patting Solera¡¯s shoulder, Vinoh spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Solera. Tomorrow is going to be an eventful day.¡±

    Solera got up and followed Vinoh out, his mind a bit overwhelmed by the sudden occurrences that had happened today. Out of the blue, he was actually being carted off to some military base for training?

    ¡°This all seems so sudden.¡± Solera said, shaking his head.

    Vinoh chortled. ¡°Many things in life are.¡± They were outside the town hall now. It was dark out, but the dual light of the full moon and the blue halo shone in the night sky, illuminating the path back to home.

    When they rounded the corner of a large tree, Solera could hear some snorts from behind. He spun around, startled. It was a giant ox, three meters tall. Along with the imps that had served them dinner, this ox was an animal that had been possessed by a Sky Spirit. The hulking animal had a plow tied behind it; clearly, it was plowing the soil earlier that day. Solera could see deep ruts carved into the ground where the plow had traveled. The trail led all the way to the faraway fields outside the residential forest.

    Vinoh shook his head, sighing. ¡°Ah, you need some help taking that plow off, yes?¡±

    The ox nodded its head, snorting as it did so. Despite its massive girth, it was actually a gentle creature. Most of the monsters in the Grove were amiable beings; Solera knew that the other children frequently played with them.

    ¡°Here, let me get that for you.¡± Vinoh walked behind the ox and unhitched the plow. The ox grunted, pleased that it had been freed from this burden, and trotted off to the Den, where the monsters lived.

    Vinoh and Solera resumed their walk. ¡°Solera,¡± Vinoh began to speak, ¡°You¡¯re going to see many things in the world outside. Right now, your worldview is very limited, even though I¡¯ve tried my best to teach you about it. But I¡¯m just a warrior, and a crippled one at that.¡±

    Solera nodded, not sure where Vinoh was going with this conversation.

    ¡°There are many wondrous things outside, but there are also many horrible things!¡± Vinoh sighed. ¡°Outside of the Grove, never place yourself at the mercy of a monster, like what I just did when I went behind the ox. Monsters are solely summoned to be controlled. As a result, their souls are constantly tormented by the will of their summoners. You may come to regard monsters as selfish, depraved beings, but remember this ox, and all the other monsters in the Grove. At their core, they are no different from humans. Some are good, some are bad, but many will have their minds warped by the forced servitude imposed on them by Summoners.¡±

    Solera frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t monsters Sky Spirits? They¡¯re completely different from humans!¡±

    Vinoh shook his head. ¡°Yes, but no, son. All Sky Spirits are, or were once human. When we die, our souls pass into the Sky, fragmenting into billions of tiny Sky Spirits. When experts Ascend, their souls also pass into the Sky. Only, their souls do not fragment. At their core, Spirits and humans, they are one and the same. The Grove Tender herself is a Sky Spirit, you know.¡±

    Solera was shocked. ¡°I didn¡¯t know any of that.¡±

    Vinoh smiled. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the reason why I told you.¡±

    Solera rolled his eyes.

    ¡°But I digress.¡± Vinoh help up his hands. ¡°Solera, you¡¯ll be going to Fortress Hickory tomorrow to learn from the experts. Fine iron like you should be tempered into steel. Otherwise, it would be an immense waste. We¡¯ll have to put that camouflage lesson I was talking about on hold.¡±

    Solera shook his head, a look of frustrated confusion on his face. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, dad. The entire dinner, people were telling me about how great you were! How can anyone over there teach me better than you can?¡±

    Solera¡¯s feelings towards training were lukewarm at best, but he didn¡¯t want to leave his familiar home and venture into the great unknown. Why did he have to leave?

    Vinoh rested his intact hand on Solera¡¯s shoulder comfortingly. ¡°Son, just because I was the best fighter, doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m the best teacher. Over at Fortress Hickory, they have incredible channeling and controlling experts. You know I¡¯m just a martial cultivator! I never knew too much about channeling, let alone controlling or summoning. Your growth will be infinitely faster over there, and you¡¯ll be safe. Fortress Hickory is the strongest military base in all of Eden, and is located right next to the eastern border with the United Duchies. We¡¯ve never warred once with them in the eight hundred years since the Duchies were founded! Nothing will happen to you, nothing.¡±

    This last part seemed to be more for Vinoh himself, rather than for Solera.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Besides,¡± Vinoh said as he thought up another reason. ¡°There are a lot more places you¡¯ll be able to go to. I¡¯m too weak to take you to train in Spirit Woods, but Eden can send teachers to go there with you. Not only that, you might even be able to visit the Tornado Towers of the Tornado Sect! That place is the holy grail for cultivators like us, but there are barriers to entry that Eden can deal with, but I can¡¯t.¡±

    Solera nodded. Vinoh talked a lot about Spirit Woods and the Tornado Tower. By this time, they had returned home. Vinoh rubbed Solera¡¯s hair as they entered the living room.

    ¡°You can go sleep now, son. Let me handle the packing.¡±

    Solera shook his head. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight. Besides, you might mess it all up.¡±

    ¡°All right, whatever you say.¡± Vinoh said, smirking. ¡°You choose the clothes you¡¯ll be bringing.¡±

    A few minutes later, Solera brought out a small hill of clothing. He saw Vinoh struggling to open up an expandable backpack.

    ¡°Here, give me that.¡± Solera took the small, three centimeter long square package and channeled some power into it. Immediately, the square expanded and unfolded itself, forming into the shape of a backpack.

    ¡°Here¡¯s an expandable tent, sleeping bag and pillow.¡± Vinoh said, tossing some more thin squares to Solera. ¡°Actually, leave out all that crap you gathered, I¡¯ll get some expandable clothing for you tomorrow. It¡¯ll be much easier to carry, you¡¯re going to be going across almost the entire country, anyway.¡±

    Solera blinked. ¡°Isn¡¯t that expensive?¡± Expandables were products made from either tar or some special plants, and generally required a bit more work to manufacture than normal backpacks and tents. Especially for clothing, which came in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and colors.

    Vinoh laughed. ¡°What the hell, I¡¯m Vinoh. You think I care about money? Our king pays for everything!¡±

    Solera grinned as he reduced the expandable backpack back into a small square, stowing all of the expandable items into his pocket.

    ¡°Talking about money, here¡¯s some for you.¡± Vinoh fumbled around a cupboard, producing three small cards, each ten centimeters long and four centimeters wide. Two were red, while the third was blue. Solera reached out to grab them, but Vinoh moved them out of his reach, smirking.

    ¡°Tell me again, Solera, how many Iotas are in a card color.¡±

    Solera groaned. He wasn¡¯t sure if he remembered too well. ¡°Red cards have around zero Iotas, orange cards have around one hundred, yellow cards have around ten thousand, green cards have around one million, blue cards have around one hundred million, and violet cards cap out at ten billion.¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡± Vinoh cheerily nodded. ¡°Now tell me how much an Iota is worth.¡±

    Solera scratched his head. He never handled money, so he didn¡¯t actually know.

    ¡°The answer is, not very much! But one hundred million Iotas is an astonishing sum! You could buy a house, a farm, and even a halfway decent wife with this blue card right here.¡± Vinoh waved the cards around.

    ¡°Unless the food is infused with Power, the price of a meal shouldn¡¯t exceed twenty thousand Iotas, the price to stay at an inn shouldn¡¯t exceed eighty thousand Iotas. An average sword should cost around eight hundred thousand Iotas! Any more, and you¡¯re either buying a rare treasure or you¡¯re being cheated. It¡¯s probably the latter. Uh, these are just general rules of thumb. The value of an Iota does change, depending on the local economy, but that¡¯s too complicated. Here you go.¡± Vinoh passed the three cards to Solera.

    ¡°If you show that blue card in public, you¡¯re going to get your throat slit! Remember, that¡¯s a wife, with some money left over for a house and farm!¡± Vinoh sternly jabbed a finger at Solera. ¡°Move Iotas over to one of those red cards. Keep it at a yellow-green color, and you should be fine. I trust you won¡¯t be so stupid as to walk around flaunting that blue card.¡±

    Solera nodded. He could do the math; a hundred million Iotas was enough meals to serve an entire family food for three years! People would kill for much less than that.

    ¡°Your toiletries are in this expandable bag. Here¡¯s a water pouch, I¡¯ll pack some food into this expandable. That should be all, get a good night¡¯s sleep, Solera! Tomorrow¡¯s a big day!¡±

    Solera went back into his room, collapsing onto his bed. He tried to savor it; tonight was going to be the last time he would be here for a long time. Yet, an hour passed, and he was still awake. Thoughts flooded his mind, preventing him from falling asleep. What was Fortress Hickory like? Would he find friends he would get along with? How long would he be away from home?

 Chapter 4

    Solera woke up to the sounds of imps fluttering around, delivering breakfast to all the people in the Grove. He wasn¡¯t sure when he had fallen asleep, but at some point his consciousness had drifted away.

    An imp had left a platter of eggs and bread on the nightstand under the window. From his bed, Solera reached over and grabbed it. After finishing his breakfast, Solera walked into the living room, where Vinoh was sitting. He looked up from the book he was reading and smiled at Solera.

    ¡°Hurry up, you have thirty minutes before it¡¯s time to leave. Your new expandable clothing is on the shelf in the bathroom. Also, I have one last thing to give you before you go.¡± Vinoh rubbed a small green rock between his fingers. Solera had seen it many times before, sitting on a cupboard, but he had never paid it any mind. He figured it was some kind of keepsake.

    Solera nodded and entered the bathroom. The imps had filled the bathtub with hot water, as they did everyday. After twenty minutes, he emerged, channeling some power into a square. With a crisp, unfurling sound, the expandable billowed into a shirt.

    Vinoh opened the backpack, tossing in Solera¡¯s toiletries and water pouch. After Solera put on his shirt, he stuffed the cards into the pocket of his pants and began strapping on his boots.

    ¡°You forgot all your other clothes.¡± Vinoh snorted, going into the bathroom to retrieve the rest of the expandable clothing. These were tossed into the backpack as well.

    ¡°You wanted to give me something, right?¡± Solera said, tying his shoelaces.

    ¡°Oh, right! Damn, this is the most important thing.¡± Vinoh hobbled back, snatching up the green stone. He had threaded a cord through an opening in the rock, making it a rather shabby-looking necklace.

    ¡°Solera, this is a power crystal!¡± Vinoh said, handing it to Solera. ¡°Vast quantities of power is stored inside it. When you find yourself in a dire, life-threatening situation, you can channel power into it, just like you do with expandables, to unleash all of the stored power in one strike!¡±

    Solera stared at the power crystal in his hands, fascinated. Inside the rock, he could see a tiny green oak leaf. ¡°I can only use this once?¡±

    ¡°Yes, power crystals are one-use items.¡± Vinoh said, shaking his head. ¡°Still, they¡¯re very valuable! If they were cheaper, then everyone would have them! A power crystal is worth around five million Iotas! That¡¯s why you should only use it when your life is on the line.¡±

    Solera put the necklace on, tucking it under his shirt. The crystal was cold at first, but quickly heated up as it was warmed by Solera¡¯s body.

    Vinoh laughed. ¡°Normally, you would keep it hidden until you are in the battlefield, but this power crystal looks very different from the ones sold by Zircon and the Pantheon! It¡¯s made out of amber, not a gem, and even has a leaf in it. Only with close inspection would you be able to figure out that it¡¯s a power crystal. I found this trinket in Old Eden, on that trip to the Wastelands.¡± Vinoh¡¯s eyes glazed over as he recalled decade-old memories.

    Solera hugged Vinoh. He never knew much about the Wastelands trip Vinoh had taken just after Solera had been born, but he knew it was a painful experience for his father. In an attempt to comfort Vinoh, Solera tried to change the subject.

    ¡°Dad, let¡¯s go to the town hall now.¡± Solera separated from Vinoh and put on the backpack. Despite the sheer amount of things inside, it didn¡¯t weigh very much at all. Expandables were both compact and lightweight, very convenient for travelers.

    Vinoh looked up, shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯re a man now, Solera. Having me chaperone you there would be pathetic. You must go on your own.¡±

    Solera frowned. ¡°Then, this is the last time I¡¯m going to see you?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, you¡¯ll come back every once in a while.¡± Vinoh made shooing motions. ¡°Go, go! I¡¯ve had enough of you anyway.¡±

    Solera thought he saw tears in his father¡¯s eyes, but Vinoh had turned around. His emotions in turmoil, Solera turned around and exited.

    Solera dragged each of his steps on the way to the town hall, but it seemed like he had arrived in the blink of an eye. Most of the other children were already there, along with their parents. He stood awkwardly next to a big oaf and his mother. Though Solera had frequently seen them, he had never met these two.

    The boy was staring off into space, a blank look in his eyes. His mother was a short, mousy woman with curly brownish-orange hair. As Solera was looking around the room, he inadvertently made eye contact with her.

    ¡°Hi, how do you do?¡± The woman smiled weakly, extending a hand out to Solera. ¡°This is my son, Guinness. Guinness, come over here.¡± Guinness ambled over, giving Solera a bright smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m Solera.¡± Solera said, shaking her hand.

    The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Vinoh¡¯s son, the one who¡¯s always training.¡± The woman tittered nervously. ¡°My son Guinness is a bit dim, but I beg you to take care of him. I¡¯m afraid that with his temperament, he might get bullied and be lonely away from home.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ okay.¡± Solera looked Guinness over. He was burly, with messy brown hair, chubby face, and a big nose. Even when Solera looked straight at Guinness, Guinness just stared blankly at the ground, as if he was thinking nothing at all.

    Guinness¡¯s mother seemed to be quite relieved, and she turned away, humming to herself. Solera saw Pinot walk in. She was fluffing her hair and complaining about not having enough room to bring all her clothing. Behind her was her father, who was carrying two trunks that were so crammed, Solera felt they could burst at any moment.

    After a few more minutes, Chianti walked in, smiling to all the children. ¡°Is everyone here?¡± She counted them all, before nodding to herself. ¡°All right then, it¡¯s time to go!¡± The giant hoof of a reindeer appeared behind the town hall doors.

    Solera blinked in surprise as he saw it. This reindeer was huge! Just what kind of a Spirit possessed this animal?

    The children waved, hugged, kissed, and cried their parents goodbye, before following Chianti outside to the reindeer. A swarm of imps hovered in the air outside, their wings flapping. The imps were used to carry the luggage up to a large carriage on the back of the reindeer. One of them, a chitinous creature with spindly arms and bulbous eyes, motioned for Solera¡¯s backpack, but he shook his head. Solera thought these imps were definitely possessed flies. Other bugs wouldn¡¯t have that sort of bulbous eyeballs.

    Solera took a seat in the back, next to Guinness.

    ¡°Lunch!¡¯ Guinness called out to his mother from the top of the reindeer, his stomach rumbling.

    ¡°It¡¯s in your backpack!¡± The mother squeaked, her voice barely reaching them.

    ¡°Backpack? Where?¡± Guinness shouted.

    ¡°Behind you, on your back!¡±

    Guinness whirled around, his backpack smashing Solera off his seat. ¡°Where?¡±

    Groaning, Solera got up and retrieved a sandwich from Guinness¡¯s backpack, handing it over to him. The reindeer began to gallop away, but Solera thought he heard a ¡°thank you¡± drifting faintly with the wind.

    Solera turned around, watching the bottom part of the town hall disappear behind the other trees. Suddenly, the reindeer stopped, lifting a hind leg up. Solera paled as he heard something indescribable plop onto the ground. The reindeer began running again, but Solera took care to not look behind another time.

    Within two minutes, they were out of the forest and running in the road dividing two fields. Solera could see people tending to the plants. Several dirt golems shambled through the crops, spraying water out of their bodies. As they passed another field of grain, Solera could see a cluster of imps on the rich soil, working to eliminate pests and weeds.

    Solera sniffed the air, his face blanching as he smelled the remnants of the reindeer¡¯s dump earlier.

    ¡°Guinness, I¡¯m moving to the front!¡± He shouted to Guinness, who didn¡¯t seem to understand. Still, he wordlessly followed Solera to the front. They sat down next to Chianti, who had a whole row to herself.

    ¡°Hey, Solera.¡± Chianti said cheerily. ¡°How¡¯s your day going?¡±

    Solera shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t know.¡± The day had just started. How could he evaluate his day right now?

    Chianti laughed. ¡°Yeah, some days are pretty iffy.¡±

    ¡°Are you a cultivator or what?¡± Solera blurted out. He had been curious ever since he had found out Chianti was an ex-mercenary.

    Chianti nodded. ¡°Yup, I was never good at memorizing mantras or controlling. I didn¡¯t have any summoning aptitude, either.¡±

    ¡°But women have bad physiques for cultivating.¡± Solera said, confused. Most women were channelers, because being a warrior was very physical. For them, cultivating was a much more arduous task, requiring twice the work for half the gain.

    ¡°Well, what can I do about that. I wasn¡¯t born a man.¡± Chianti sighed. ¡°Maybe if I studied for another seven years instead of running away to become a mercenary, I¡¯d be a Channeler.¡±

    Solera scratched his head. ¡°Um, okay. But why did you run away?¡±

    Chianti blinked, staring painfully into the distance. After a moment, a grin appeared on her face.

    ¡°My parents were marrying me off to this ugly kid, and I wasn¡¯t having any of that!¡±

 Chapter 5

    Solera tried to continue on the conversation for sometime, but naturally it fizzled out. He sighed, gazing outside the carriage. They were outside of the Grove now, so the fields had been replaced with endless forests. The reindeer was running next to the royal highway. The highway was paved with cobblestone, but on each side of the highway would be eight meters of grassy dirt for animals such as the reindeer to run on. Every several kilometers, Solera would see a small village in the distance, with houses constructed from dead wooden logs.

    Occasionally, he could see messenger imps and birds flying through the skies. These birds were part of Eden¡¯s royal transportation service. Officials usually used them, but adventurers and merchants could also pay to ride atop them, if they were in a hurry. Of course, some of these birds could also be the monsters of a summoner!

    Behind him, he could hear Pinot chatting to her friends.

    ¡°I like sunshine, and I also like moonshine too, but the Halo shine is the prettiest. I like it more than sunshine and moonshine,¡± she was saying.

    Solera looked up at the Halo, a light blue ring hovering in the sky. The sun, the moon, and the stars changed their position, but the Halo never did. It hovered over the north pole, glimmering with bright light.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Merlot said from two rows back. ¡°The Halo is the castle of the Siehnti Ents, who were left behind by the Ancients to protect us! If you liked the sun or the moon more, that would be horrible!¡±

    ¡°Not this again!¡± Pinot huffed. ¡°You¡¯re always talking about your Halo stuff!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not even right.¡± Another girl, Cassady, sniffed. ¡°What¡¯s the Halo protecting us from?¡±

    Solera rolled his eyes. He was the very definition of not social, yet he had heard this argument a million times between over a million people. People really liked to argue over religion and mythology.

    ¡°The Titans, the Immortals, the Locusts, the Psychals, the Makers and their Drones-¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not right.¡± Cassady said. ¡°The Ancients killed them all, and then made this land. How can your Siehntients protect us from something the Ancients already beat?¡±

    As the argument raged on, Solera turned back to Chianti. ¡°Hey, do you believe in the Halo?¡±

    Chianti glanced up at the Halo, before smirking at Solera. ¡°Well, it¡¯s right there. How can I not believe in that?¡±

    Solera was flustered. ¡°Well, I mean-¡±

    ¡°Not really.¡± Chianti shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t believe in the Ancients, either. But Halo Blessings are very real. One Blessing landed in Sundan, causing a huge battle to break out between experts from the Bloodsand Dominion, Sundan, the Pantheon, and the Chen Clan. Even the bandit leader of the Threeclaw Mountains gave it a shot.¡± She laughed. ¡°I was on duty in Spirit Woods back then, so I couldn¡¯t personally watch, obviously. In the end, an expert from the Pantheon got it.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Solera was not sure what else to say.

    ¡°The Blessing was a small rod of some sort. Nobody can figure out how to use it still.¡± Chianti laughed. ¡°A lot of people died trying to get it, too. Last I heard, it was given to the king of Opportunity as a wedding gift.¡±

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    They lapsed back into silence. After a while, Solera got tired of gazing at the endless landscape of trees and dozed off. When he woke up, the sun had nearly finished setting. A pungent odor filled his nose.

    Solera looked at his surroundings and blinked. The environment was no longer the deciduous trees near the Grove, but rather a lush jungle, teeming with chittering animals and tropical plants. The air around them was hotter, as well. The reindeer was running through black mud, which had splattered all over its legs.

    Covering his nose, Solera turned to Chianti, who was reading a book. ¡°Is this Peat city?¡±

    Not looking up from her book, Chianti nodded. ¡°Yup. Stinks, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Solera said, grimacing.

    ¡°They bury dead bodies from all over the continent here.¡± Chianti said. ¡°The bodies turn into power-infused tar, which can be used to make a lot of things. The expandables you¡¯re using are made out of tar.¡± She laughed. ¡°I wonder if any of that used to be alive.¡±

    Solera looked at his backpack with wide eyes. It had an inky green color, and was smooth to the touch. How could it possibly be made from dead bodies?

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a big marketplace here. I needed to go shopping, so this is a pretty great time for me.¡± Chianti smiled.

    Solera nodded, sinking back into thoughtful silence. Peat city was the closest city to the Grove, a mere six hundred kilometers away! Every season, the Grove would sell its highest quality produce in Peat city¡¯s vast marketplace to merchants who would pay high prices for foods with denser concentrations of power, for resale to adventurers going on expeditions into Spirit Woods. It was supposedly a huge source of revenue; Solera had heard of Peat city many times. Only, he had not expected it to smell so bad. Why would people do business in such a dump?

    Another hour passed, and Peat city finally came into view. A short wall appeared, no more than thirty meters tall. Behind it, Solera could see marble buildings, sanded by the wind and dirtied by the dust. There were no fancy high-rises or gleaming towers, only these old-fashioned stone structures. Peat city had existed for a very long time, and it showed in its architecture. The city gate, five meters tall, wasn¡¯t even able to take the reindeer in.

    The children dismounted, taking their baggage along with them. Chianti stretched for several minutes as they waited. After twenty minutes, a troupe of soldiers came to take them into the city. They walked down the streets, passing block after block of orderly stone houses, each only two stories tall.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be staying the night here at this villa, guys.¡± Chianti announced to the children in front of a gated courtyard. ¡°This is a military outpost, so you all better behave!¡±

    Inside the walls were three long, four-story buildings forming a U shape around the entrance. The middle of the courtyard was barren. Clearly, it was used as a training ground for troops.

    ¡°Your rooms are in the West Wing,¡± Chianti said after consulting with an official. ¡°There¡¯s still some time before the sun sets, so if you guys wanna go shopping with me, be back here in the courtyard in fifteen minutes!¡±

 Chapter 6

    Simply to get more opportunities to try talking to Chianti, Solera tagged along. The marketplace was over a hundred hectares (1 hectare = 100m x 100m) large, and was packed with people. The outer ring of the marketplace was filled with market stalls set up by traveling merchants, while the inner ring was made up of the buildings of the local stores.

    Solera blanched as he saw a stall, which dangled monster heads on chains. ¡°High-quality heads from the Bamboo Tower! Quality guaranteed!¡± The vendor called out to Solera when he caught his gaze, smiling a gummy smile.

    ¡°Summoning dust, 500k Iotas a gram, you won¡¯t find a deal like that anywhere else!¡± A youthful boy shouted. Standing next to him was a bored looking, muscular man with short black hair. His eyes coolly swept the crowd as the boy did his advertising for him.

    ¡°Vigor talismans, 5 million Iotas per, you can see the specs right here!¡± A bodacious woman called out. Beside her was a massive dirt golem, seven meters tall. Dirt continuously sprinkled off its body, but more earth would rise up to the top to replace what had fallen.

    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m more interested in your specs, babe.¡± A man with a hooked nose catcalled her as he passed by.

    ¡°Hey, watch yourself.¡± A nearby guard barked to the man, his fingers threateningly tapping the sword at his side. Smiling, the girl blew a kiss to the guard, who just rolled his eyes.

    Solera turned as he heard shouts from behind. ¡°Thief!¡± A vendor standing next to a barrel of fragrant plants yelled hoarsely. ¡°Catch her!¡±

    Every few meters, there would be a guard, so the moment the vendor shouted, a clump formed around a diminutive woman. After a small scuffle, some herbs were returned to the vendor, while several guards from elsewhere came to drag the woman away.

    ¡°The guards here seem really diligent.¡± Solera remarked to Chianti, who was watching alongside him.

    ¡°The big selling point of Peat city¡¯s marketplace is its security and its stability of prices. The marketplace charges high tax rates, but it¡¯s still popular because of the service it provides.¡± Chianti replied crisply. ¡°A good reputation can make a lot of money.¡±

    Solera looked at a stall selling swords with interest. Chianti moved on, humming to herself. She was rather easygoing, and had simply told the children to meet back at the front of the marketplace in three hours. Until then, they could go off on their own.

    ¡°Hey, friend.¡± The vendor, a burly man sitting on a stool, said as he patted the head of a little girl whom Solera assumed to be his daughter. ¡°If you like anything, feel free to say so, and I¡¯ll tell you all about it. You can trust Jonah¡¯s wurd about swurds, heh.¡±

    Solera looked around with interest. He had handled Vinoh¡¯s sword many times during his trainings, but these all looked to be of inferior quality. Not that Solera was an expert.

    ¡°Might I suggest this Camelot steel longsword?¡± The merchant, Jonah, tapped a finger on a silver longsword that gleamed in the light of the setting sun. ¡°Fine texture, excellent smithing. Inlaid with the blood vessel of a griffin, which are renowned the world over as one of the most stable Channeling vessels you can get. I don¡¯t ask for much, one million Iotas and it¡¯s yours.¡±

    Solera looked at it and shook his head. It was too brittle.

    Jonah looked at Solera again, a thoughtful look in his eyes. ¡°This Pantheonic sword, made by the Gallic clan, then? Made in the faraway central continent, if it found its way here, then its quality is guaranteed.¡±

    Solera looked at it. The metal looked fairly sturdy and lightweight. A bulge ran down the middle of the blade, where the blood vessel was inlaid. He didn¡¯t like that very much, but he picked it up anyway.

    ¡°Wyvern vessel, can channel power out in sudden bursts, like the flapping of its wings.¡± Jonah said pleasantly as Solera twirled it around.

    Solera put it back in the rack, shaking his head again. ¡°Not for my height.¡± The sword¡¯s grip and length was more fit for a taller man.

    ¡°You¡¯ll grow into it.¡± Jonah said cheerily. Solera didn¡¯t respond to this, because he didn¡¯t know how. ¡°Oh, very well then. You can keep looking, you seem to know what you want.¡±

    Chianti walked over, carrying a jar of some ointment.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Solera asked curiously.

    ¡°Some mud for my butt.¡± Chianti said very straightforwardly. ¡°I¡¯ve been having stomach problems because of some shit I ate on the way here. What if I have an accident and my future husband sees? He¡¯ll just pass me by, and I¡¯ll die unhappy.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Solera turned back to the swords.

    ¡°Damn, you can¡¯t take a joke.¡± Chianti snickered. ¡°It¡¯s actually to remove loose skin off my face and feet. If I stuffed mud up down there, I¡¯d deserve the consequences. Whatcha looking for?¡±

    ¡°Sword.¡± Solera said, sighing. None of these swords looked too great to him.

    ¡°Yeah, I can see that much.¡± Chianti rolled her eyes as she squatted down to take a look for herself. ¡°These swords are actually pretty good, except for that Camelot steel longsword over there. Seems like the apprentice smith screwed it up.¡±

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Solera eyed Jonah with some distaste. Jonah put his hands up apologetically. ¡°Hey, I was just trying to figure out my potential customer. Food is expensive for a man like me, with a girl and a woman to feed.¡±

    ¡°This one is reliable.¡± Chianti grabbed a jet black sword, presenting the dull red hilt to Solera. ¡°Standard issue Bloodsand sword for its troops, vessel is a scorpion poison gland. Not fancy at all, doesn¡¯t have those fine wavy patterns you can see on this Verdant sword, because it¡¯s mass produced for its troops. But don¡¯t let that fool you, the metal is very durable and light, a composite alloy made from bloodiron and refined sand and zircon. If the balance is just right for you, then you should get it.¡±

    Solera had at first been turned away by this sword by its lack of flourish, but now he looked at it again. Grabbing it, he found that it really was exceedingly light, and had an excellent balance. Chianti took out her own sword, which turned out to also be a Bloodsand sword, and swung down on Solera¡¯s hard. A forceful clang sounded out, but the sword only had a small scratch on it.

    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll buy it.¡± Chianti told Jonah. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Jonah.¡± Jonah said, pleased. ¡°I¡¯m thinking one -¡±

    ¡°200k Iotas. This stuff is mass produced and you probably got it from military surplus.¡± Chianti sniffed.

    Jonah blanched. ¡°Can a man eat food, woman? I journeyed over twenty thousand kilometers from the Bloodsand Dominion to here, surely you can¡¯t ignore transport costs. Besides, you scratched my blade, you had better pay your fair share for it. 1.1 million.¡±

    ¡°Hey, c¡¯mon. Swords like these are a dime a dozen. If I buy it, then you don¡¯t need to worry about if its scratched or not, right? Taking that into consideration, you should consider lowering the price. 300k.¡± Chianti said, smiling.

    Solera watched her haggle with disbelief. He didn¡¯t know the price could be lowered like this!

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one who was just explaining how great this sword is?¡± Jonah said, a pained look on his face. ¡°A good sword is a good sword, doesn¡¯t matter how many copies there are. Here, 900k.¡±

    ¡°900k Iotas could get my boy here a sword from the Archsmith at Fortress Hickory. This sword and that one, let¡¯s not even begin comparing the differences. 375k.¡± Chianti said, drumming her fingers on the stall table impatiently. ¡°Better hurry up before I lose interest. There are a thousand weapon shops here. That building over there sells cheap for guaranteed quality, as you should know.¡±

    ¡°Fine, fine, you shrew!¡± Jonah said, wiping his brow sadly. ¡°700k, that¡¯s the lowest I¡¯m going.¡±

    ¡°Too high!¡± Chianti reracked the sword. ¡°500k, or no deal.¡± Pulling on Solera¡¯s hand, she turned to leave.

    ¡°Goodbye to you!¡± Jonah sniffed. ¡°Selling at 500k would be at such a loss, my grandmother would roll over in the grave and beat me with her husband¡¯s bones. Boy, can you take pity on me, Jonah, and just shell out a few more Iotas? I haven¡¯t been able to buy a lollipop for my girl for so long, it really tugs at my heart.¡±

    Chianti began walking, dragging Solera as she did. ¡°I have other things to buy. Jonah, you¡¯re just too ruthless, targeting my ignorant little brother with your pity plays!¡±

    When they had gone five meters, Solera could hear Jonah¡¯s desperate cry. ¡°All right, all right, I¡¯ll sell to you at a loss. Let¡¯s meet at the middle, 600k!¡±

    Chianti spun around with a smile. ¡°Sounds like we¡¯ve got a deal!¡± She took out a greenish-blue card, smiling at Jonah.

    Solera took his yellow-green card out, preparing to pay. Chianti slapped his hand away. ¡°Hey, I got you covered.¡±

    Solera shook his head. ¡°But it¡¯s my sword!¡±

    ¡°Heh, I owe your dad a lot. Consider it repayment.¡± Chianti said, grabbing Solera by the shoulder and moving him away from Jonah with a force disproportionate to her size. ¡°By the way, I do have something to return to you later.¡±

    She took out a greenish-blue card from her pocket, waving it at Jonah.

    Jonah groaned as he saw the card. ¡°You cunning girl, that card clearly has over thirty million Iotas. How can a rich lass like you be haggling with a beggar like me? Perhaps bump the price up a little, do a favor for me?¡±

    ¡°Hey, we agreed on 600k. Don¡¯t go back on your word.¡± Chianti snorted, slapping her card onto Jonah¡¯s red card. After channeling power into it, her card slowly turned more green, while Jonah¡¯s card shot from red to orange to yellow, then slowly taking on light hues of green.

    ¡°Hmm, only off by 300 or so Iotas.¡± Chianti smiled as she took away her card from Jonah¡¯s. ¡°You could buy a cheap lollipop with that if you bargained as hard as me, haha!¡±

    Jonah rolled his eyes as he presented the sheath to Solera. ¡°Don¡¯t learn too much from this woman, my boy. She¡¯ll drive us all into the ground, and then you¡¯ll have nobody to buy from!¡±

 Chapter 7

    Solera took the sword, nodding. They resumed walking through the crowded marketplace. Solera saw many interesting things, but he didn¡¯t buy anything else. He wasn¡¯t sure if he needed wings or jackknives or battery talismans or anything else being sold here.

    Chianti chewed on a piece of the giant lamb skewer she had just bought. ¡°Hey, hold my stuff. This stuff tastes pretty good.¡± She handed the jar of ointment, a bottle of alcohol, some power-sealing bandages, a book, and a pair of gloves to Solera. Holding both ends of the skewer with each hand, she began ravishing the meat, smearing oil all over her face.

    They were walking to one of the buildings in the center of the marketplace to buy ectoplasm, a product Chianti was about to explain before she had smelled the aroma of roasted lamb.

    Solera looked at a display of flying needles as they walked past. Back home, he had never been particularly good at using them. Maybe he could ask Chianti to help him. But then, wouldn¡¯t he be showing her how inept he was?

    ¡°Yum yum.¡± Chianti tossed the skewer into a nearby trash can. As she wiped her mouth with her sleeve, she looked at Solera. ¡°Whatcha thinking about, buddy?¡±

    Solera blinked, startled. ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh. Anyway, there¡¯s going to be a long line at the ectoplasm station.¡± Chianti said, patting Solera on the shoulder. ¡°If you stick with me, there won¡¯t be any time left for more shopping.¡±

    Solera shrugged. ¡°There¡¯s still two hours. Besides, I don¡¯t really want anything here.¡±

    ¡°Kay.¡± Chianti pointed at a clump of people fifty meters away, and then a building half a kilometer away. ¡°Well, the line starts here. You can leave any time you want.¡±

    Solera stared at the line, his eyes bugging. ¡°Why are there so many people?¡±

    Chianti grinned. ¡°Ectoplasm is the biggest commodity in Peat City. You soak powerful things in it, like people¡¯s heads or monster organs. The ectoplasm, which is made from the tar in Peat City¡¯s tar pits, can then be baked to become a powder that¡¯s used in pill production. Everybody wants ectoplasm for wars or expeditions to Spirit Woods and the Wastelands, but Peat City is the only place they can get it. Obviously, there¡¯s a lotta people here.¡±

    Solera blinked. No wonder ectoplasm was such a hot item; it actually stored power from dead bodies! That would be incredibly valuable if someone slayed a dragon or anything powerful, really.

    Time flowed by, with Solera just standing silently next to Chianti.

    ¡°So, what kind of training did you usually do with Vinoh?¡± Chianti asked after twenty minutes had passed.

    Solera scratched his head, thinking for a moment. ¡°Lots of sparring with swords and with hands, body training, terrain training, lots of fighting scenarios, pros and cons of weapons, balance -¡±

    ¡°Oh, so just combat.¡± Chianti nodded her head. ¡°Heh, Vinoh never taught you about battlefield strategy?¡±

    Solera shook his head.

    ¡°Kinda expected that, he never did have any leadership roles on the battlefield.¡± Chianti stroked her chin thoughtfully. ¡°You¡¯ll learn a lot of that at Hickory. How about channeling and controlling?¡±

    ¡°I studied a few mantras.¡± Solera said. ¡°But never controlled anything.¡±

    Chianti raised an eyebrow. ¡°Feh, your father could¡¯ve done a much better job. What a narrow curriculum.¡±

    Despite how much he liked Chianti, Solera felt a twinge of annoyance. ¡°He did a good job!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, nobody¡¯s denying he¡¯s not good at what he teaches.¡± Chianti said. ¡°It¡¯s what he doesn¡¯t teach, that¡¯s what¡¯s important. How can you have never tried controlling? Go to that store over there and buy a ball kit right now. A helmet should cost around four hundred thousand, the balls should be fifty thousand. We¡¯re going to Fortress Hickory by bird tomorrow, but it should still take around a month¡¯s travel. You can practice it then.¡±

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Solera blinked. ¡°But I have no idea how to control.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll teach you. Leave my stuff here.¡± Chianti waved her hand in a dismissive manner, while Solera walked off.

    Thirty minutes later, Solera returned, his backpack a bit fuller than before. His face wore an unhappy expression.

    ¡°I paid 800k for it.¡± Solera mumbled to Chianti, who began laughing. ¡°No worries, haggling is a skill you develop over time.¡±

    They were near the front of the line now. After another twenty minutes, Chianti produced an expandable tube from her pocket. The man grabbed a hose protruding from the pungent vat next to him and twisted the nozzle. After a few seconds, he turned it off again.

    ¡°72.5k Iotas, please.¡± He said pleasantly.

    Solera¡¯s eyes bugged. A single tube of ectoplasm was worth that much? At the adjacent vat, some men were piling bags of ectoplasm onto a cart! That had to be at least ten million Iotas right there. This building was filled with vats of bubbling ectoplasm; the amount of money it was raking in had to be in the billions everyday. Even Solera knew how ridiculous this was.

    ¡°Who owns this place?¡± Solera asked as they walked out. With this kind of facility, that person would definitely be well-known.

    Chianti eyed Solera with a smirk. ¡°Our very own Prince Reginald, of course. This entire marketplace is his.¡±

    Solera¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°He must be crazy rich!¡±

    Chianti nodded. ¡°Yup. Before we returned to Eeden two months ago, our mercenaries were raking it in as well. Not only that, he has a lot of other business operations as well. I¡¯m not sure how he keeps it all working, especially when he was on the other side of the continent. Oh, but a lot of the revenue from the ectoplasm does go to the creators who make it, so Reginald only takes in around thirty percent, I¡¯d say. Still, that¡¯s a lot of money.¡±

    ¡°What does he do with all of it?¡± Solera said, astonished. If Eden had this many Iotas, how had the entire Western Continent not reduced it to a steaming pile of rubble yet?

    ¡°No idea.¡± Chianti said. ¡°Maybe he just keeps it somewhere. He likes his ancestor, the Gardener a lot, though. The Gardener was an unparalleled creator, among other things. He invented the cards over two thousand years ago. So maybe Reginald just collects them.¡± She laughed as she said that last sentence.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s about time to get back.¡± Chianti said as she crammed all her items into Solera¡¯s backpack. ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯re riding on one of the Bamboo Tower¡¯s Giant Eagles! It¡¯ll be an interesting experience for you. Also, some kids from this city will be joining us. Hopefully, you¡¯ll all get along.¡±

    It took twenty minutes to push through the crowds until they got out. Chianti and Solera sat on the ground outside the marketplace, waiting as the other kids filtered in.

    ¡°All right, guys!¡± Chianti clapped her hands. ¡°Let¡¯s go back now. Get some nice rest tonight, we¡¯ll be heading out tomorrow on a Bamboo Eagle!¡±

    Solera went back to his room. On the bunk above him was Guinness, snoring away. Seeing this, Solera went outside to examine the control helmet and balls he had bought. Under the light of the Halo, Solera fiddled around with the helmet. There was no way he was going to embarrass himself in front of Chianti!

 Chapter 8

    Groaning, Solera got out of his bed to open the pounding door. Behind him, Guinness continued sleeping like a baby.

    The door swung open to reveal Chianti.

    ¡°Up? All right, cool.¡± She turned away and began walking to the next room.

    Somewhat annoyed, Solera closed the door. He had stayed up until midnight trying to figure out the control kit, but he had no idea how it worked. As a result, he was both low on sleep and frustrated.

    After waking Guinness up, Solera went to the common bathroom on the first floor to clean his teeth. In a room on the other side of the building, breakfast was being served. Solera looked down at the food, cringing to himself. It looked no different from the black mud on the ground. Reluctantly, he began to spoon some into his plate. Vinoh had drilled into him that complaining was unproductive and useless, and that food could be cut off at anytime, so it was best to take what one could get.

    A soldier walked over, snickering. He was holding a bagel in one hand and a piece of meat in the other.

    ¡°It¡¯s over there, bro.¡± The soldier laughed again, pointing at a door. ¡°You actually fell for that, tha¡¯s pretty funny.¡±

    His face beet red, Solera set the plate on the table and grabbed a new one. Opening the door, he found a table filled with sumptuous foods. Around it were more tables, where soldiers sat eating. He took a biscuit and some meat cubes, sitting by himself in the corner.

    Solera shoveled down his food as quickly as he could. He didn¡¯t like being surrounded by all these strangers very much. When he walked outside into the courtyard, he saw Chianti and several other kids.

    ¡°Get your stuff, it¡¯s nearly time to go.¡± Chianti called out to Solera, a sunny smile on her face. In a few minutes, Solera and Guinness were back in the courtyard, sitting off to the side. The other children babbled incessantly, but the two of them stayed quiet.

    The courtyard doors opened, and another ten or so children Solera had never seen before were led in by an officer.

    ¡°Heyyy, here¡¯s the Peat City kids.¡± Chianti said cheerily. She walked up and greeted the official, before taking the children and sitting them down next to Solera¡¯s group.

    ¡°All right, guys!¡± Chianti clapped her hands. ¡°The Bamboo Eagle should be arriving soon. Until then, let¡¯s have some introductions!¡±

    She patted the head of the kid next to her cheerily. ¡°Name, age, and something you like. Go!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Cesar.¡± The kid mumbled, blushing. ¡°I¡¯m six years old, and I like my mommy.¡±

    Everyone started laughing, except for Solera, Guinness, and a tall Peat City teenager. Solera vaguely knew Cesar; he was from the Grove. Solera frequently saw him playing with the monsters.

    ¡°Stop laughing.¡± Chianti¡¯s face turned ice cold, and the courtyard instantly quieted down, cowed by her sudden change in attitude. ¡°If you think that¡¯s funny, keep it to yourself. Next.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Ada.¡± The girl next to Cesar said. ¡°I¡¯m nine, and I like plants.¡±

    ¡°Hi, everybody!¡± Pinot waved at everyone, a happy smile on her face. ¡°I¡¯m Pinot. I¡¯m ten years old, and I like haloshine!¡±

    ¡°Verdeca, nine years old, I like plants and haloshine too.¡± The girl sitting next to Pinot spoke.

    ¡°I¡¯m Merlot, I¡¯m thirteen, and I like, no, I love the Halo.¡± Merlot nodded matter-of-factly.

    ¡°We get it.¡± Pinot said sullenly.

    ¡°Well, they don¡¯t.¡± Merlot glared at Pinot.

    ¡°Next.¡± Chianti said, rolling her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m Cassady.¡± Cassady said. ¡°I¡¯m fourteen years old, and I like creating talismans!¡±

    ¡°Solera, thirteen, training.¡± Solera mumbled.

    Guinness stared off into space, not paying any attention as to what was going on.

    ¡°He¡¯s Guinness, eleven, food.¡± Solera spoke after a few seconds of awkward silence.

    Chianti looked up as the ninth person began introducing himself. Gusts of wind swept across the courtyard as a shadow blocked out the sun. Solera looked up, squinting his eyes.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    A large bird was descending from the skies. No, to say it was large would do it injustice; it was gigantic! Its wingspan was around ninety meters, almost the size of the courtyard itself. Cages hung off the sides of its feathered body, with ladders leading up to a sizable house on its back.

    Solera stared at the bird, his eyes goggling. How could a monster be that big?

    Chianti grinned. ¡°All right, our transport¡¯s here! Just say your names, and then split into groups of four people each. They¡¯ll be your roommates for at least the rest of the trip!¡±

    ¡°Orion.¡± ¡°Koshu.¡±

    The Peat City kids began to speak, but Solera didn¡¯t look at them. He realized the cages on the sides of the bird were toilets. Any waste would simply drop off the bird and onto the ground below¡­ Solera wondered what would happen if it landed onto somebody¡¯s head.

    ¡°Neko.¡± ¡°Savi.¡± ¡°KD.¡± ¡°Jezzno.¡± The last people finished introducing themselves.

    ¡°Okay, like I said, get into groups of four, we¡¯re going to start boarding the Bamboo Eagle.¡± Chianti rose up from the ground. Pinot instantly grabbed Cassady, Verdeca, and Ada, while Cesar tugged on Merlot¡¯s shoulder. Merlot was talking to Orion and Koshu. Solera and Guinness just stood there.

    ¡°Qiao, get over here.¡± The tall boy said calmly. He turned and nodded to Solera.

    Solera blinked, nodding back. This tall boy had an arrogant, cold expression on his pale face. He seemed to be angry or frustrated about something, but Solera couldn¡¯t put his finger on why he thought that.

    ¡°I¡¯m Chip. Sixteen years old.¡± He said, shaking Solera¡¯s hand. ¡°This is Qiao, ten years old.¡± Qiao was a frail boy with light yellow skin. He looked to be of eastern descent. ¡°You two seem to need a group.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Solera muttered, dragging Guinness with him.

    ¡°Get along, guys! Yall are going to be friends for a very long time!¡± Chianti said, handing out a paper to each group of four as they boarded the eagle. ¡°Here are some icebreakers you guys might want to try.¡±

    Chip took the paper, climbing up the ladder onto the eagle¡¯s back. ¡°This room¡¯s ours.¡± He said, pointing at a secluded room that grew out of the side of the house. Inside were two bunk beds, each with two bunks. Chip tossed his backpack onto one of the lower beds, crumpling up the paper with the icebreakers as he did so.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be creating now, so I¡¯ll need some quiet.¡± Chip looked at them with his cold eyes.

    ¡°... Go take that bunk, Guinness.¡± Solera pointed at the other lower bed, tossing his backpack onto the top bunk. Qiao took the bunk above Chip wordlessly.

    Chip took out a blank talisman, smoothing the paper over as he sat down at the one table in the room. Solera looked the talisman over curiously. All equipment, such as wings, golems, and gauntlets, required talismans to properly focus the power being channeled through them, but talismans for wings, golems, and gauntlets were each completely different! Solera wondered what kind of talisman Chip was going to create.

    Chip set the paper down on the table and pressed his hand down on it, closing his eyes. As he channeled power through his arms and out of his hands, parts of the paper began to rise up, turning into green lines on the paper¡¯s surface. They snaked their way across the talisman, forming a beautiful circuit pattern that covered the entire paper.

    Chip opened his eyes and looked down at the paper for a long time. Finally, he nodded to himself.

    ¡°Satisfactory. Qiao, the transistors.¡± He extended his hands. Qiao scrambled out of his bunk, rummaging through his backpack. Some small plants were handed to Chip, who began inserting them into slots formed by the lines. Solera watched, a curious expression on his face. He had never seen the creating process occur before, so watching it was a very interesting process to him.

    Chip continued to demand strange components, and Qiao continued to meekly hand them over. After another hour, Chip held up the finished product, a small, ten centimeter by ten centimeter paper, coated in a clear film.

    ¡°The laminating process is done.¡± Chip murmured, holding the talisman up to the window¡¯s light. ¡°Satisfactory.¡± He tossed the finished talisman into his backpack as Qiao handed him another paper.

 Chapter 9

    Solera looked away from the creating process to look through his backpack. He had just remembered about the control lessons Chianti would give him. He still didn¡¯t know how to make the helmet work!

    ¡°Hold up for a second, Chip.¡± Solera took out the control kit, lifting it up for Chip to see. ¡°Can you help me with something?¡±

    Chip rolled his sleeve back down, shrugging. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to make this thing work.¡± Solera got off his bunk and took out the helmet. It was made of a translucent and soft, doughy substance. If Solera squeezed it between his fingers, it would squish.

    Chip took the helmet and pushed it onto his head. The helmet stretched, changing shape to fit the form of Chip¡¯s skull. Chip concentrated as he channeled power out of his head.

    The helmet immediately lit up with dark red lines. Solera squinted and saw that these dark red lines were actually from the lines formed on a talisman embedded into the bottom of the helmet.

    The red lines disappeared, and Chip pulled it off. ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡±

    Solera frowned. ¡°I can¡¯t get these balls to move.¡± He took a ball out and handed it to Chip.

    Chip grabbed the ball, giving it a short glance before raising an eyebrow. His gaze swept over Solera with some disdain.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t insert the talisman into the helmet.¡± Chip said as he pulled on a tab on the ball. From the ball, a talisman popped out, which Chip inserted into a slot in the helmet.

    Solera groaned in embarrassment. He understood now how stupid of a question he had been asking. He was lucky to have asked Chip and not Chianti!

    ¡°Thanks very much.¡± Solera mumbled, taking the helmet and ball back.

    ¡°You can try it¡­ outside.¡± Chip waved his hand dismissively and sat back down on his chair. He unrolled his sleeve, staring at Solera. Solera stared back, confused.

    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for? If you¡¯re going out, then go.¡± A twinge of impatience could be heard in Chip¡¯s voice. Nodding, Solera hurried out of the room.

    Solera looked around as he closed the door. He was inside a corridor which led to the common room, where he could practice. The common room had several sofas and a table, but was otherwise empty. There was a staircase which led up to the second floor, and a door that led to the cages on the side of the Bamboo Eagle.

    As Solera put on the helmet, the door opened. Pinot quietly slipped in, tying her pantstrings as she did. When she saw Solera, her face turned beet red and she immediately ran down the hall, slamming shut the door to her room.

    Solera didn¡¯t know how to react to that, so he continued to put on his helmet. His eyes narrowing, he began to channel power out of his head and into the helmet. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the glowing red circuit appeared in his helmet. Solera recoiled back, slamming into the sofa. Inside his mind, he felt something new! It was hard to describe, but it was like he had gained another muscle he could freely manipulate.

    This muscle was the ball in his hands.

    Solera set it down on the ground and concentrated. This was because Solera had no idea how to control this new muscle; he was like a baby who could not yet walk. As a result, the ball rolled around every which way. Although it was under his control, he could not control it.

    After a few minutes, Solera flopped back into the sofa, sighing. The ball¡¯s mechanics were completely foreign to him. If he could not even figure out how to control a single rolling ball, how would he ever compare to experts, who could control hundreds of flying explosives or five golems?

    Solera picked up the ball, rolling it across the ground. Then, an idea popped into his mind. He held the ball in place and tried moving it again, to see which way it would go. After a few minutes, he grinned and let go of the ball, which began to travel in a straight line.

    If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    He had isolated a single signal to send to the ball. This signal had the ball roll in a specific manner! Before, Solera had been sending a jumble of messages, which had made the ball roll around haphazardly. While sending that first signal, Solera began to send another one; the ball turned, rolling in circles.

    Excitedly, Solera began to isolate the other signals, to see what they did. There were infinitely many signals, each of which would make the ball go in a slightly different direction. Isolated, each signal would cause the ball to go in a straight line, but when they were combined, the ball could turn, skid, and even spin!

    Solera realized that maneuvering a ball was incredibly complex, and completely different from walking! As he was on the floor, trying to get the ball to roll up his body and onto his back, Chianti walked in.

    Seeing his prostrate body on the floor, she raised an eyebrow. ¡°Whatcha doing, Solera?¡± She asked, holding back a smirk.

    ¡°Practicing.¡± Solera mumbled, holding up the ball for her to see. Did she really have to come in at that particular moment?

    ¡°Cool, let me see.¡± Chianti squatted down next to Solera, placing the ball back onto the floor. Solera made the ball go in a circle around her and then between her legs, before instantly reversing direction and rolling back to him, where it began to spin.

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s very impressive.¡± Chianti nodded cheerily. ¡°Try using two balls next time.¡±

    Solera blanched. It took him all of his concentration to do that! Two balls? Forget even making them go in a straight line, Solera probably wouldn¡¯t even be able to move both at the same time.

    ¡°Not right now, though.¡± Chianti smiled as she looked into Solera¡¯s eyes, making his heart palpitate. ¡°It¡¯s time for lunch. Wanna help me knock on people¡¯s doors?¡±

    Nodding, Solera got up and walked down the corridor, while Chianti went to the second floor. The kids filtered into the common room, taking seats on the sofas and the floor. When Solera knocked on Pinot¡¯s door, she answered the door, but immediately slammed it shut. A few seconds later, Cassady opened the door, nodding as Solera explained that it was lunchtime.

    Solera scratched his head, completely confused as to why Pinot was acting in that manner. Girls were just too confusing. The last room he knocked on was his own. After telling Chip and Qiao, he tossed the helmet and ball onto his bunk and dragged Guinness into the common room.

    Chianti was standing there, a smile on her face. ¡°It¡¯s lunch time, guys! But guess what? There¡¯s no food, because I can¡¯t be arsed to make food for all of you!¡±

    After the kids stopped groaning and yelling, she continued. ¡°You guys are going to make the food yourselves!¡± She pointed at the trays behind her. ¡°There¡¯s bread, there¡¯s ham, and there¡¯s cheese, I want no leftovers. Enjoy!¡±

    Chip was the first one to the table. He ripped open the expandable packaging of the trays, and grabbed several pieces of bread. After making four sandwiches, he turned around and handed each of Solera and his roommates one.

    ¡°All right, let¡¯s go.¡± Chip said, striding off back to the room. Solera stared at his back, puzzled. Why was this guy in such a hurry?

    When Solera and Guinness entered the room, Chip no longer had any of his sandwich in his hand.

    ¡°You done?¡± He asked Solera, struggling to keep the food in his mouth with one hand while gesturing towards the helmet and ball with the other.

    ¡°...Yeah.¡± Solera muttered. He hadn¡¯t noticed it before, but his mind was exhausted.

    ¡°Cool.¡± Chip turned to the talisman and began arranging components onto it again, completely ignoring Solera and Guinness.

    Solera finished his sandwich as he put the helmet and ball back into the kit, which in turn he put into his backpack. Collapsing on the bed, he immediately fell asleep.

 Chapter 10

    ¡°Hey, wake up.¡± Something weakly prodded Solera¡¯s shoulder. He stirred, getting drool all over his cheek.

    ¡°Wake up, wake up.¡± The meek voice said again. Solera opened his eyes to see Qiao, who was standing on his toes to poke Solera awake.

    ¡°It¡¯s dinner time.¡± Qiao mumbled, before walking back to his bunk. Groaning, Solera got up and looked around. Chip was packing things into his backpack, while Guinness was sitting on his bunk, staring into space.

    ¡°Where are we eating?¡± Solera asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He doubted Chianti had packed too much food onto the bird.

    ¡°We¡¯re staying at a transport hub for the night.¡± Chip said curtly. ¡°The bird needs to sleep.¡± He nodded to Qiao, who was loading talismans into his backpack.

    Solera climbed down from his bunk to put on his boots.

    ¡°Come on, Guinness. Let¡¯s go.¡± Solera said to Guinness, who looked up at him, puzzled. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Solera repeated, standing up and tugging on Guinness¡¯s shirt. Chip and Qiao walked out, with Solera and Guinness trailing after him.

    Children were filing out of the common room onto the back of the bird, talking energetically with one another. In contrast, Chip, Qiao, Solera, and Guinness were completely silent. Solera could notice the intimidated expression of a Peat city kid when he looked at them.

    Solera sighed. What a queer situation he was in. Chip was quiet because he didn¡¯t like noise. Qiao was quiet because he was too meek to speak. Guinness was quiet because he had nothing to say. And he was quiet because he didn¡¯t know how to talk. But perhaps this was for the best, as Solera was sure he would¡¯ve been the outlier in any one of those talkative groups in front of him.

    ¡°What¡¯s up, Solera?¡± Chianti patted his shoulder as he passed through the door. ¡°You try two balls yet?¡±

    Flustered, Solera shook his head. Chianti laughed. ¡°Well, don¡¯t. It was a joke, you¡¯re not supposed to know how to do it right off the bat. Come see me tomorrow morning and I¡¯ll teach you a little bit about controlling.¡±

    Solera stepped onto the eagle¡¯s back and smoothly slid down its wing.

    ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s hecka cool!¡± A boy shouted behind him. Blinking, Solera turned around to see a small group of kids standing next to a rope that hung off the eagle¡¯s side.

    ¡°Oops.¡± Solera mumbled, scratching his head. He hadn¡¯t seen that rope, and had thought sliding down the Bamboo eagle¡¯s wing was the obvious thing to do.

    ¡°Show me how to do it!¡± Another kid excitedly walked up. ¡°I need to get girls!¡±

    Solera was amused. In his opinion, this boy in front of him knew much more about that subject than he did. He was deliberating on what to say when Chianti also slid down the eagle¡¯s wing. The boy looked at Solera, then back at Chianti. With a weak smile on his face, he turned around and ran over to Chianti.

    Chip snickered as he saw this. ¡°Dumbass.¡± He muttered, shaking his head in amusement.

    Chianti clapped her hands. ¡°Well, I hope you¡¯re all settled down now. If you guys have any problems, come talk to me during dinner, which, by the way, is in that building.¡± She pointed at a fairly large building in the small village they had disembarked at.

    Solera looked around the village. They had landed at the village¡¯s transport station, which housed eagles and other transport monsters. Across from it was a large inn, apparently the place where they would both eat and spend the night. The village streets were fairly empty, with only a few people walking around here and there.

    Solera ate the dinner in silence. Next to him was Guinness, who scarfed down the food like a ravenous pig. Several people had started conversations with him, but after a while they all turned around and chatted with another table. Solera could see Chip talking with some merchant on the other side of the restaurant, although he wasn¡¯t sure what they were talking about. When he and Guinness finished eating, Chianti gave him their room number.

    Qiao was already in the room, snoring away. Seeing this, Guinness flopped onto the bed as well and began sleeping. Solera stood at the door, scratching his head. He had just slept!

    Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

    After a few moments of thought, Solera sat down and began to meditate. His mind calmed, entering a tranquil state where he was not paying attention to anything, but could sense everything around him.

    The tiny trickle of power pouring into him from the rift in his head turned into a drizzle which nourished his inner Lake and the soul within. Through copious amounts of meditation, the amount of power that flowed into someone at any given moment would slowly increase. The long-term benefits of meditation were huge, but Vinoh had always looked down on it.

    ¡°There are so many better things you could be doing other than nothing.¡± Vinoh had said, rolling his eyes. ¡°Practicing your swordplay or strengthening your channels and muscles will take you much farther. Besides, if you need power so much, you can get it just by eating the food here! Don¡¯t worry about meditation until much later, son.¡±

    Vinoh¡¯s words had some truth to them. The benefits from meditation were far too low compared to training. The effectiveness of high-quality food which had been saturated by power would far overshadow power gained from meditation, and would even directly help in a person¡¯s cultivation. Thus, Solera only meditated when he had nothing better to do.

    Of course, he could go do some training exercises, or practice controlling some more, but it was nighttime. He wasn¡¯t really feeling it. Time trickled by as power trickled in. In the wee hours of the morning, the door opened, startling Solera out of his meditation. Chip had walked in, a tired expression on his face. He was holding a bag which he set on the ground.

    Even though the noise Chip had made when he had entered wasn¡¯t loud, Guinness woke up. After a moment, he slapped himself and took out a toothbrush, stumbling into the bathroom.

    Chip looked at Guinness, then at Solera, who was sitting in the corner. After a moment of internal deliberation, he collapsed on the bed and started sleeping as well.

    As for Solera, he waited until Guinness climbed into bed before meditating again. Like this, the entire night passed. A few hours later, Chianti began banging on the doors, telling the children to wake up. Chip woke up, swearing under his breath. After checking his bag, he grabbed his toothbrush from his backpack and headed into the bathroom.

    After breakfast, they all boarded the Bamboo eagle again. Solera went to Chianti¡¯s room with his helmet and balls. She opened the door, a faintly glowing helmet encasing her skull in its squishy material.

    ¡°Heh, Solera.¡± She smirked, inviting him in. ¡°The reason you can¡¯t viably control more than one ball is because quantity, in control, is all about mind splitting. I don¡¯t know how to teach mind splitting, so I really can¡¯t help you with that. So when I suggested that, I was just pranking you.¡±

    Solera nodded dumbly.

    ¡°Man, my jokes are never funny when I explain them.¡± Chianti grumbled, closing the door behind her. ¡°By the way, do you even know if you¡¯ve split your mind?¡±

    After a short test run, it was clear that Solera had never ¡°split his mind.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine.¡± Chianti shrugged. ¡°Nothing¡¯s stopping you from honing your individual control skills.¡±

    She took out her own ball, setting it on the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s play a game! The goal is to smash the opposing player¡¯s ball into the opposing player. Anything goes, as long as the only thing you do is control the ball.¡±

    Several hours passed as Solera continuously lost every game. In the end, his brain was too tired, and he could only stumble back into his room, dizzy and disoriented. After manipulating the ball for so long, he had half forgotten how to walk.

    Inside the room, Chip had taken out a mortar and pestle, and was grinding some material into fine powder. Solera stared, befuddled.

    ¡°You¡­ you know how to create pills, too?¡± Solera asked, rubbing his eyelids. Surely, the sleepiness was getting to him.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Chip said, an annoyed look on his face. ¡°But I¡¯d rather be creating explosives. Damn this bird¡¯s turbulence.¡±

    Solera didn¡¯t know what to say to that, so he collapsed onto Guinness¡¯s bunk and fell asleep.

 Chapter 11

    The days passed uneventfully. The journey was long, because Eden was a vast country; The Grove was situated in the northwest corner of Eden, a hundred kilometers away from the ocean and the Verdant Empire. Fortress Hickory lay near the eastern border with the United Duchies, on the other side of the country. The distance was approximately twenty thousand kilometers.

    During the day, they would be on the bird; during the night, they would be at an inn. Solera found himself meditating more than he ever had before at night, while every day he would play some control games with Chianti and sleep as Chip worked nonstop at the table.

    ¡°Why do we fly during the day, instead of at night?¡± Solera asked as he maneuvered his ball to smash a cup over.

    Chianti answered without batting an eyelid. ¡°The eagle needs to locate beacons to figure out its position. Obviously, that can¡¯t be done at night. Only the military birds with Truesight goggles can fly around at night by locating power signatures given off by beacons that are otherwise invisible.¡±

    Solera frowned. He was making conversation to distract Chianti from the game, but it seemed she was totally unaffected by his attempts.

    ¡°Oh, right. Talking about Truesight goggles, I have a pair here.¡± Her eyes glued to the game, she leaned back and pulled something out of her bag. It was a ratty set of goggles with protected rims that would prevent any dirt from getting inside.

    Chianti¡¯s ball smashed a cup into Solera¡¯s, sending his ball shooting into his shin.

    ¡°Heh, you actually thought you could distract me?¡± Chianti smirked, tossing the pair of goggles to him. ¡°I¡¯ve split my mind one time, so it has no effect on me. You were just hurting yourself.¡±

    Pouting, Solera put on the goggles. The moment he channeled power into it, the brown walls around him were bleached of color, turning into translucent shades of gray. Behind the walls, Solera could see vague, indistinct blobs of color. Chianti herself had become much more colorful as well. Actually, he could see her form very-

    ¡°Hey, quit it, you horny kid.¡± Chianti slapped the goggles off Solera¡¯s face. ¡°This is military equipment, not some toy.¡±

    Shrugging, Solera handed it back to her, but was rebuffed. ¡°Your daddy gave these goggles to me when I ran away.¡± Chianti said, stroking the Truesight goggles lovingly. ¡°Saved my life a bunch of times. Now, I¡¯m returning it.¡±

    Solera looked down at the Truesight goggles.

    ¡°It detects power signatures.¡± Chianti explained. ¡°Power signatures are very difficult to hide, so these are quite excellent. Actually, Truesight goggles are very valuable. Only a few creators serving Eden¡¯s royal family know how to make them.¡±

    Solera turned the goggles over several times, before handing them back again. ¡°I¡¯m going to school, you¡¯re a mercenary, Chianti. I think, I think you should need them more.¡± He said, a bit flustered.

    Chianti smugly took out another, shiny new pair of goggles. Unlike Solera¡¯s, which was a dirty green color, this one was radiant gold. ¡°Nah, Reginald gave every distinguished mercenary one of these. Don¡¯t you know? I¡¯m a distinguished person, which means I¡¯m kind of a big deal!¡±

    Nodding, Solera shoved the goggles into his pocket. Free things were good things, he had no more reservations. The thought of wearing something Chianti wore attracted him, actually.

    ¡°Cool, we should be able to see Fortress Hickory soon.¡± Grinning, Chianti stood up and walked out of her room.

    Solera followed her to the cages outside. Standing on the eagle¡¯s back, he could see an endless expanse of forest. But in the distance¡­

    A huge, leafless tree stood in the middle of several buildings. The tree had thousands of branches that twisted and turned, reaching high into the sky. At a glance, Solera estimated it was around four hundred meters tall.

    ¡°Bet you were expecting a hickory tree, huh?¡± Chianti asked, a smirk on her face. ¡°It¡¯s much more like an oak tree, but whatever. Some idiot must have named it.¡±

    She walked back inside and started banging on doors again.

    Solera stayed outside, watching Fortress Hickory draw closer and closer. The branches appeared to have been chopped in half and hollowed out, turning them into walkways that allowed guards to patrol atop them. The bird descended into a clearing between several buildings, allowing everyone to disembark.

    Several soldiers had come out to receive them, along with a strange, half-naked old man with tattoos all over his face. He was so skinny that Solera could see his bones, yet he had a large potbelly. He definitely did not look like a soldier.

    ¡°Hello, Captain Selim.¡± Chianti coolly shook his hand, but Solera could see a faint trace of disdain in her eyes. ¡°I have brought my batch of students, from the Grove and from Peat City.¡±

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Selim guffawed, his spittle flying all over Chianti¡¯s face. ¡°You took the longest to arrive, everyone else has already settled down!¡±

    ¡°I had the farthest to travel.¡± Chianti said bluntly.

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes, that¡¯s true. You must be weary, my girl.¡± Selim stroked his long beard, a wide leer on his face. ¡°We should have dinner tonight.¡±

    Chianti bowed her head. ¡°We both know I need to go to Leera¡¯s. I¡¯ll have to decline, I¡¯m late already.¡±

    Selim let out a long sigh. ¡°Nobody will eat dinner with me. Is it because of my looks? It¡¯s definitely not because of my personality, hmph¡­¡± Shaking his head, he beckoned the children to come over.

    ¡°Hello, kids!¡± He smiled, showing them his yellow teeth. Some of them were cracked, as if his face had been punched too hard. ¡°I¡¯m Captain Selim, and I manage Fortress Hickory! You kids had better listen to me, or else you¡¯re all going to have some problems. I hate it when people don¡¯t listen to me¡­¡±

    He looked up at a branch above them, an annoyed look on his face. ¡°Shut up! Shut up!¡±

    Pinot followed his gaze upwards and screamed, backing straight into Solera and clutching onto him tightly.

    Above them was a large mosquito, around ten meters tall. Its legs were perhaps as thick as Solera¡¯s, and its stinger glinted in the light.

    ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Selim coughed. ¡°I¡¯ve had to summon some new things today. This mosquito is quite disobedient. I¡¯ll send him packing off to the southern border as soon as I can.¡±

    Chianti frowned. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Selim was confused for a moment. ¡°Oh, right. Breaking news, my girl. The Tornado and Thundercloud Sect have ended their two-century feud to attack Eden!¡±

    He said it so casually that the impact didn¡¯t hit them for a few seconds.

    ¡°What?¡± Chianti¡¯s eyes bugged. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Selim shrugged. ¡°Not my problem, anyway. I¡¯m just the warden of this fortress.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± Chianti said, shaking her head confusedly. ¡°No sense whatsoever. I¡¯m going to go to Leera¡¯s now, see what¡¯s going on.¡± She walked past Selim into a stable next to Fortress Hickory.

    ¡°All right, Fayvitt, you go show these kids around the fortress. I have a bath to take.¡± Selim said, picking his nose. The mosquito floated down, allowing Selim to latch onto its leg and ascend into the branches above.

    Fayvitt, a woman with long hair and a hooked nose, stepped forward. Her bored eyes swept over the crowd before she turned around.

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    As Fayvitt explained each building with a dull, flat voice, Solera slipped into the stable. Chianti was walking around, looking at the available reindeer. Unlike the reindeer that had taken them to Peat City, these reindeer were only around the size of a horse.

    ¡°Chianti!¡± Solera whispered as loudly as he could.

    Chianti turned around, her lustrous hair swishing like waves on an ocean. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Are you really leaving?¡± Solera asked unhappily. He had thought that Chianti would stay at Fortress Hickory, although now that he thought about it, she had never said anything to that effect. It was probably just his wishful thinking.

    ¡°Awwwww.¡± Chianti hugged Solera. ¡°You cute kid. I¡¯ll only be thirty kilometers away, at the border with the United Duchies. If you go on a high enough branch, you might even be able to see me!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t want you to go.¡± Solera mumbled. Then, his face turned red. What was he saying?

    ¡°Haha, this guy¡­¡± Chianti was at a loss for words. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine, Solera. Selim is an inept ass who only became a captain because of his family, but he¡¯s harmless. There are many interesting people at Fortress Hickory. Go back to the group, buddy. If they get onto the lift without you, the officers won¡¯t be very happy.¡±

    Solera reluctantly let go after a few seconds. ¡°Okay,¡± he mumbled. ¡°I¡¯m going to become a strong warrior who can fight with you!¡±

    Chianti chuckled, patting Solera on his head and sending him on his way.

 Chapter 12

    CRASH!

    Dirt sprayed all over the clearing as the two Vigors clashed. The dirt golems broke apart with every strike, but more dirt would simply be extracted from the ground, replenishing the both of them.

    Solera stared darkly at the fight, sweat pouring down his forehead. He was running out of power and mental strength much faster than his opponent, one of the soldiers on base. If he didn¡¯t end this quickly, he would lose the match!

    An attachment grew out of his golem, made of mud and rock. It was supposed to be a sword, but it more closely resembled a club. Solera¡¯s Vigor stabbed it into the other Vigor¡¯s torso, sending mud and dirt spewing out of the opponent¡¯s golem in all directions. The moment the sword-club had penetrated the enemy Vigor, Solera reformed it into many small strands of rock that took root inside the enemy Vigor, probing for the control talisman that powered the golem.

    The opponent, Burtie, smiled. ¡°Ah, so close, but too far.¡± Completely ignoring the carnage his Vigor was being subjected to, Burtie had the golem raise its arms high into the air. Several thick rocks emerged from the top of the arm, forming a stone fist that would strike with much more force than mud ever could.

    Solera gritted his teeth as he tried to have his Vigor redirect more of its mud into the enemy Vigor, but it was too late. The fists smashed down, blowing away half of the Vigor¡¯s body. The mass of mud that had made up Solera¡¯s Vigor crumbled into a heap on the ground, cut off from the control talisman¡¯s signal.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Burtie frowned. ¡°You actually moved your talisman into my own Vigor? Bold move!¡±

    Indeed, Solera had inserted his own talisman into Burtie¡¯s Vigor. The control talismans channeled power into the mud, allowing the controller to manipulate the mud as they pleased. This Vigor was simply a heap of mud shaped into the general form of a hulking man with no head and an exaggerated torso.

    Thus, by moving the talisman into the other golem, Solera was trying to wrest away Burtie¡¯s control of the mud, while also destroying his Vigor from the inside out. The writhing mud and stone tentacles that made up what was left of Solera¡¯s Vigor sliced their way through the insides of Burtie¡¯s golem, desperately searching for the control talisman. If he came into contact with it, then he would win the fight.

    Burtie¡¯s Vigor jammed its arms into where the stomach would be, slashing straight through the branches of mud that made up Solera¡¯s Vigor and extracting a dirty paper.

    ¡°Nice try, kid.¡± Burtie grinned. His Vigor grew a head, from which a sphere of rock protruded. ¡°But I encased my talisman with this shield. Unless you could break through that, you weren¡¯t going to win.¡±

    Solera stared at the sphere unhappily. He had actually seen that sphere multiple times, but had never been able to break it. Burtie had been hiding the talisman in plain sight the whole time!

    Burtie walked up and clapped Solera on the shoulder. ¡°You just need some more practice, son. If you can get Chip to make some more pills for me, we can do this again.¡±

    Burtie¡¯s Vigor crumbled into a pile of mud and stone as he stopped channeling power into his helmet. As Burtie went to retrieve the control talisman, Solera took off his helmet, taking out the signal talisman from his helmet. He handed it back to Burtie and trudged off to breakfast.

    It had been a few days since they had arrived at Fortress Hickory. Though everyone complained about the long hours and grueling training, Solera didn¡¯t really mind. Actually, he found that the lectures were quite relaxing, compared to Vinoh¡¯s nonstop sparring.

    Solera grabbed some food and sat down next to Chip, who was spooning broth into his mouth. The day they had arrived, Chip had unloaded all the talismans he had made over the course of the last month onto the armory. They had all been traded away with soldiers for contribution points, the military¡¯s currency. Solera wasn¡¯t sure what contribution points were used for, but Chip seemed to want them quite badly.

    ¡°You guys only want drugs.¡± Chip grumbled. ¡°All my crumble talismans and high jump talismans, but you want drugs.¡±

    Ignoring the small talk, she put a one hundred CP (contribution points) note on the table. ¡°I have the money, Chip.¡±

    Chip nodded, rolling a capsule of pills to her. ¡°This is the last batch I made. Next time, I¡¯ll be working at the workshop in an official capacity.¡±

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    The girl rolled her eyes, popping out a pill. ¡°So Selim found out that fast, huh? How much is he taxing?¡±

    Chip shrugged. ¡°Your military provides the materials and I make the pills. It¡¯s a symbiotic relationship.¡±

    Solera looked at them blankly. He never really understood what Chip was doing. Working day and night and cutting business deals instead of going to skipping class, what were his goals?

    ¡°Cool.¡± The girl washed the pill down with Solera¡¯s water and left.

    Solera stared at his empty glass, confused. That was his water!

    Chip stood up, pocketing the contribution points. ¡°I¡¯m going back to the room.¡± He said bluntly as he walked away. Solera watched him leave, frowning. Chip was supposed to go to class after breakfast.

    Solera suddenly thought of something. Putting on the Truesight goggles, he looked at the food curiously. While the table had turned into a colorless gray, the food was varying shades of orange and yellow. Although the food here tasted disgusting, it was saturated with a fair amount of power, which was excellent for cultivation.

    This meant it was over ten times the price of unsaturated food. Solera had never eaten such things in his life. After all, he had lived in the Grove, which existed to export power-infused food. Naturally, his food would be of a higher quality.

    After breakfast was a class in one of the rooms in the fortress, which used a lift to ferry people up and down the tree. There was no opening on the ground floor; rather, the entrance to the fortress was forty meters above ground level. Solera stared at the jet black tree as they ascended.

    This tree was actually not made out of wood, but rather Siehnti, the most powerful material in the world! It was said that the Ancients could make Siehnti from anything; tar, sand, magma, even wood. The technique, however, had been lost long ago. As a result, the remaining Siehnti swords and armor were beyond value.

    Yet this gargantuan fortress was actually made entirely of Siehnti! How many hundreds of thousands of swords could it make? It was no wonder Fortress Hickory was one of the wonders of Eden.

    During their tour, Fayvitt had taken out an axe and hacked several times at the fortress. Not even a scratch had appeared on the tree, but the axe had cracked into two. This fortress was ridiculous, to tell the truth.

    Solera was ten minutes early to the class, which was held atop a particularly large branch. There were very few children there, and they were from other cities in Eden, like the capital. They had their own friend groups, so Solera had not spoken to them a single time since he had arrived. He sat down on the ground, leaning against the curving wall of the branch.

    Pinot walked in with Cassady, waving to some boy whom they had not journeyed with. After glancing at Solera, she sat down next to another group of girls. She hadn¡¯t spoken to Solera ever since that random incident on the Bamboo eagle.

    Solera held his spare card, channeling power into it out of boredom. After a while, the yellow card took on a miniscule hue of green as more Iotas were created from the power being channeled into the card.

    Like meditating, creating Iotas was a slow, arduous process. It was definitely not worth the effort with so many Iotas in circulation already, but the thought of creating money out of otherwise unused power was very attractive, so people frequently did it in their spare time. The practice also helped to strengthen the channels, so many aspiring channelers chose to channel with cards.

    After a minute, Solera stopped channeling power for fear of falling asleep from exhaustion and stared up at the ceiling as kids around him babbled on and on. He had spent the whole morning controlling, and now had exhausted the power stored in his Lake, which meant he would be drowsy for the next hour.

    At some point, a short, plump man walked onto the branch. This was Lieutenant Ming, a long-winded intellectual who enjoyed embellishing his points.

    ¡°Ahem.¡± He coughed, causing the hubbub to die down. ¡°Class is in session, everyone. Today, we¡¯re going to talk about Sky.¡±

 Chapter 13

    ¡°We all know there is Land, and there is Sky. Spirits are beings descended from Sky. When you die, your soul gets shattered, and its pieces are sent to Sky as well. But what is Sky, really? Where is Sky?¡±

    Ming pointed upwards with a finger. ¡°Before any of you smartypants give me cheek, it¡¯s not that one up there.¡±

    The raised hands instantly lowered. Nobody responded to Ming¡¯s question.

    Shrugging, Ming continued. ¡°We, as humans are the only beings able to access the power within Sky. As humans, we are the only beings who are able to Ascend into Sky! Sky is another realm, an ocean made completely out of power. It is boundless and endless. Without limit.¡±

    Ming seemed excited now. ¡°Sky is the land of the powerful! Those who Ascend become commoners, those who die become dust. The gods that the Bloodsand Dominion, the southerners, and the easterners worship, they are all monstrous Sky spirits with the power to create their own worlds within Sky!¡±

    ¡°Whoaaaa¡± A child near Ming gasped. ¡°Can we summon Bloodsand?¡±

    Ming looked at the kid, and began laughing. ¡°Bloodsand is a Sky god with the power to create worlds. How can such a being be summoned into Land? No vessel exists that would be powerful enough to support a Sky god. Forget about the vessel, the entire planet would be destroyed by his descent!¡±

    Next to the kid was Merlot, who was rolling his eyes. ¡°Rory, please. Summoning a Sky god would be like stuffing fifty planets into a single body. Can that be possible?¡±

    Ming smiled. ¡°Merlot is correct. Those reindeer you see, Selim¡¯s mosquito, those are puny spirits, perhaps the size of my hand at most.¡±

    He held up his hand for them to see. ¡°A Sky god can be the size of the Sun!¡±

    The students were impressed. This was Ming¡¯s third lecture, and the only interesting one. Yesterday, he was talking about some arcane things like circuits and signal transmitters. Nobody could understand him, although Solera figured Chip probably knew those subjects like the back of his hand.

    ¡°So we know that Sky is made out of power. What are Sky spirits made of?¡± Ming asked another question. ¡°Merlot, tell us the answer.¡±

    ¡°Power, obviously!¡± Merlot enthusiastically pushed his glasses up. On the other side of the room, Pinot was rolling her eyes.

    ¡°Yes. Land is made out of mud and water, so all animals are made out of mud and water.¡± Ming smiled. ¡°Similarly, Sky is made out of power, so spirits are made out of power. As humans, our bodies are of Land, and our souls are of Sky. We are the only beings made of both mud and power!¡±

    For the next hour, Ming continued to repeat how special humans were. It turned out that this third lecture was not interesting after the first few minutes.

    ¡°... possessed animals can¡¯t reproduce like humans can. Thus, they cannot be considered to be the same.¡± Ming looked at the sky. ¡°Well, class time is over. You may all go, I hope this lecture was educational for all of you.¡±

    Solera had been dozing off, but he snapped back awake. Now, it was time for training with Captain Peng. Solera¡¯s nap had refreshed his brain, and he was in top condition. Excitedly, he took the lift down to ground level.

    Captain Peng was a short, bald man whose body positively bulged with muscles. He had tattoos all over his arms, and had a sword at his side at all times. Peng was seventy years old, and had served as a mercenary for over fifty years. It was said that he actually rejected promotions so that he could stay in the heat of the battle.

    He was a maniac.

    ¡°Another twenty laps!¡± Peng roared at the panting kids, who had cinderblocks tied to each leg. ¡°The lucky winner gets a private sparring session with me!¡±

    He walked up to a staggering child and kicked her down. ¡°You damn wimp! Pick up the pace!¡±

    When the girl began crying, Peng took out a handkerchief and began wiping his forehead. ¡°These entitled brats, I really can¡¯t handle them. Why can¡¯t all you losers be more grateful about this great opportunity? Being coached by me is something people would kill for!¡±

    ¡°The body is the foundation! You can cultivate all you want, it means nothing if you don¡¯t have the muscle to back it up!¡± Peng roared, flexing his muscles. ¡°Look at Solera here! He¡¯s the only one among you lot who¡¯s worth half a shit!¡±

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Solera instantly felt the hateful gazes of the other thirty children in the class on his back. Shuddering, he slowed down his pace.

    ¡°Hey, Solera, tell me about your roommate, this Chip guy!¡± Peng yelled, waving the attendance paper as he did one-armed push-ups on the ground. ¡°What kind of slacker is he? He never shows up!¡±

    Solera thought about Chip toiling away in their room. ¡®Slacker¡¯ was the last word he would assign to that guy. Though, to be fair, Solera had not even known Chip was in this class with him until Peng had pointed it out.

    Peng¡¯s training clearly was not taken too well by Solera¡¯s peers, but it wasn¡¯t much to him. After all, he had been doing things like this his entire life. As a result, even with these 10 kilogram cinderblocks carving lines in the dirt behind him, he was able to complete all twenty laps within three hours.

    ¡°Very good, my boy!¡± Peng beamed at Solera. ¡°You¡¯re the only one here with any future prospects, let me tell you. All these other kids are too soft! What they need is some nice, real battle experience. When they see their friends torn apart by scorpions or mauled by bears, that¡¯s when they can get some real motivation.¡±

    Solera tried to laugh, but no sound came out.

    ¡°Well, I, Peng, am a man of my word!¡± Peng pumped his chest several times. ¡°Let¡¯s spar!¡±

    Solera lifted up his fists, cautiously looking at Peng. Peng faked several jabs before performing a forceful uppercut that Solera only barely blocked.

    All the wind was blown out of Solera as he blocked the uppercut. He flew back three meters before smashing onto the ground. He rolled back onto his feet smoothly, but his face was pale.

    Peng was too strong! He had been training and cultivating for seventy entire years, and his body was still in top condition. It seemed he was well on his way to immortality. If he had to Ascend, it would only be after a few centuries. How could Solera, a boy who had only trained for thirteen years, contend with such a foe?

    ¡°You took my blow! Very good!¡± Peng roared, pouncing forward like a savage tiger. His hands reached out to grab Solera¡¯s waist, but Solera was able to slip past his grasp. Solera threw a punch at Peng¡¯s temple, but instantly, Peng¡¯s leg swept out and knocked Solera onto the ground.

    A look of shock was on Solera¡¯s face as he toppled over. How the hell did Peng reorient himself so quickly? Solera just couldn¡¯t visualize how Peng had instantly stopped his charge to kick out with his leg.

    A shadow descended from above Solera. It was Peng, doing a fucking downwards elbow strike as he fell towards Solera! If Solera was hit by that, then forget about recovering from the injury, he would have a hole blown straight through him and his bones would turn into powder.

    Solera desperately tried to roll over, but he was too slow. Peng landed right on top of Solera, his elbow smashing into the ground next to Solera¡¯s neck. Despite their close proximity, Peng and Solera did not come into contact at all. It was at this moment that Solera realized how outclassed he was.

    Peng righted himself by forcefully slapping the ground. He offered a hand to Solera. ¡°Excellent skills, my boy! I almost smashed your face in because of that last roll you did. That wouldn¡¯t have been too good, heheh.¡±

    Solera groaned. If he had just been a bit faster with his dodge, then he actually would¡¯ve been injured by Peng. Rather than showing his skill, the fact that Peng was compensating for Solera¡¯s inability to dodge emphasized the gulf in ability between the two of them.

    As Peng pulled Solera up, a soldier came running over.

    ¡°Everyone get in the fortress, now!¡± He shouted, a worried look on his face.

    Peng frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the problem? There isn¡¯t¡­¡± His voice trailed off as he looked at a distant patch of sky.

    Solera could see that far away, there were plumes of smoke rising into the sky. Approaching them from those distant plumes was a dark, black cloud.

 Chapter 14

    Peering closely, Solera could see this cloud was made up of numerous dark figures. His eyes widened.

    Those were men in wings approaching them!

    ¡°What the hell¡­¡± Peng growled. ¡°Why is the United Duchies¡¯ Airborne division here?¡±

    Abruptly, he turned back to all the children. ¡°EVERYONE ON THE LIFT, NOW!¡±

    The lift was packed to the brim. The cables creaked as the pulley hoisted them up. Everywhere he looked, Solera could see worried or confused faces. Even the soldiers were fidgeting.

    The lift dropped them off at the top of the trunk, where all the main branches sprouted from the tree. Channelers stood by next to the heavy cannons mounted atop many of the branches, and several giant mosquitoes hovered in the air, their wings buzzing.

    The ground vibrated as two Colossi, massive metal Golems, lumbered out. They were seven meters tall, and each had four arms, but no head. Red lines crisscrossed the Colossus in the places where it had been welded together, and a trench carved a ring above the four arms. This trench was the vision module, which allowed the Colossus¡¯s controller to see without physically being present.

    Solera and the others were quickly ushered into the Assembly Hall, a huge chamber below the main entrance. There was around a hundred children from various cities in Eden all seated in a corner. In the middle was a large table, where Selim and a group of four controllers sat, and next to it was a cache of control weaponry.

    The controllers¡¯ helmets covered their eyes, releasing a faint red glow. Selim was tapping his fingers nervously on the table.

    ¡°I really hope this is all just a big misunderstanding.¡± Selim fidgeted a little. ¡°I have a foot rub to get back to.¡±

    Guinness was sitting with Qiao and Chip, so Solera took a seat on the ground next to them. Chip had brought his bag from the room, and was rubbing a dark green medallion between his fingers. Seeing this, Solera paled.

    That was a Crumble disc, one of Chip¡¯s weapons! If power was channeled into that, there would surely be serious injuries for whomever came into contact with it. Solera scooted to the side, making sure to put Guinness in between him and Chip.

    Selim¡¯s face paled. Immediately after, several tremors ran through the fortress. The children were thrown into a panic, wondering what was going on.

    ¡°Lieutenant Fayvitt, take twenty men and reinforce the southern branch.¡± One of the controllers rasped, his face grim.

    ¡°Where are Leera¡¯s imps?¡± Selim asked nobody in particular. ¡°We¡¯re thirty kilometers away from the border. How did the Airborne get all the way here?¡±

    ¡°Enough, Selim.¡± Another controller spoke with a melodious voice. ¡°Manage your mosquitoes properly. One just got taken out by flamethrowers.¡±

    ¡°I know that.¡± Selim muttered, closing his eyes.

    Taken out by flamethrowers? Solera¡¯s face grew very ugly as he heard this. Were the United Duchies actually assaulting Eden? Ever since the founding of the two countries nearly two millennia ago, they had never gone to war, with all disputes between the two states peacefully resolved. Rather, they were strategic allies in many endeavors. This didn¡¯t make any sense to Solera at all.

    Another tremor ran through the fortress. A third controller took out a signal talisman from his helmet and tossed it onto the table.

    ¡°I need another explosive.¡± He ordered a soldier standing by, who hurriedly retrieved a strange object from the pile. Solera had seen controllers practicing with these devices before.

    The explosive was made up of three circular bands and a capsule in the center. The two innermost circular bands were thruster modules, which allowed the device to fly and change direction by pivoting one circular band around the axis that attached it to the next.

    Though both bands could thrust in any direction, the second band was used mainly to change height, while the first was used for forward and sideways movement.

    Along with pivoting around the axis, the innermost band could even rotate its axis around the second band to facilitate sideways movement. The third and the outermost circular band was fixed, and served as a chassis for the thruster modules.

    The box in the center was a vision module like the ones on the Colossus. It was also a very powerful explosive.

    The soldier ripped out the signal talisman and inserted it into the controller¡¯s helmet.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Take it to the western branch and release it into the air.¡± The controller said, causing the soldier to run out of the hall with the flying bomb.

    The minutes dragged by. The female controller constantly assigned reinforcements to each of the four main branches, so soldiers were constantly running out. But they never came back.

    Solera felt a tug on the back of his shirt. When he turned around, he found that it was Pinot, who was wearing a frightened expression.

    ¡°Solera, I¡¯m scared.¡± She mumbled, tugging on his sleeve.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Solera drew a blank. ¡°Okay?¡±

    ¡°You have to protect me.¡± Pinot pleaded, her round green eyes boring into Solera¡¯s.

    Solera scratched his head, his face red. ¡°I can try.¡±

    A relieved look on her face, Pinot took Solera¡¯s arm and held it closely to her. Despite the gravity of the situation, Solera felt pretty good. Like this, another ten minutes passed. Selim¡¯s face grew increasingly darker, and the amount of soldiers in the assembly hall continued to dwindle.

    Chip leaned over, his eyes cold. ¡°Solera.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Solera turned to look at Chip.

    ¡°If enemies come, we¡¯d be sitting ducks.¡± Chip said, his voice low. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here.¡±

    Solera frowned. He was thinking the same thoughts, but he had many misgivings. ¡°Where would we go? The enemies are right outside, this is the safest place.¡±

    ¡°Fuck no, it isn¡¯t.¡± Chip glanced at Selim. ¡°There¡¯s only one door into this hall. You know this place is made out of siehnti, we can¡¯t escape any other way. Don¡¯t be stupid with me right now, Solera.¡±

    Solera hesitated, but Chip pressed on. ¡°Look at that old man¡¯s face. He¡¯s panicking. Something is going very, very wrong outside, and we¡¯re being kept in the dark.¡±

    ¡°But if we go outside, we¡¯ll run into enemies.¡± Solera protested. ¡°It¡¯s not safe.¡±

    ¡°Nowhere is safe right now!¡± Chip hissed. ¡°If we stay inside and enemies make it here, we¡¯ll all be killed, down to the last person. If we go outside, we¡¯ll definitely be in danger as well. It¡¯s a gamble, Solera! I don¡¯t know about you, but I don¡¯t want to completely put my hands into the lives of others. I¡¯ll hide in a room or something, but whatever I do, I¡¯m getting out of here, and Qiao¡¯s going with me. Are you coming or not?¡±

    Solera looked up at the ceiling, grinding his teeth. If the men from the United Duchies made it here and they stayed in, there would be no avenue of escape. If the men from the United Duchies didn¡¯t make it here and they went out, then they would¡¯ve risked their lives for nothing. The decision hinged on whether or not the enemy would actually penetrate into the interior of the fortress.

    It was true that, judging from Selim¡¯s expressions, the situation was by no means good. Solera felt extreme reluctance, but he stood up, nodding to Chip.

    Chip glanced at Qiao, who also stood up.

    Solera patted Guinness¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Guinness, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Chip looked at the perspiring soldiers, then at the four controllers, then at Selim. Taking a deep breath, he began walking straight for the door. Solera, Qiao, Guinness, and Pinot trailed after him apprehensively. Chip wasn¡¯t even trying to hide his exit! Was nobody going to stop them?

    The entrance drew closer and closer. Twenty meters¡­ ten meters¡­ Solera glanced around, sweat trickling down his forehead. Nobody made a move to stop them, even though everyone clearly saw what they were doing. Solera had even made eye contact with a soldier for a split second.

    They had gone out the door without a single voice of protest. Solera breathed a sigh of relief, but it was immediately stifled when his gaze fell upon Chip¡¯s ugly expression.

    ¡°Nobody stopped us.¡± Chip muttered, kneading his eyebrows together. ¡°Not one person.¡±

    Solera was puzzled. Wasn¡¯t this a good thing?

    Chip turned to Solera, his mouth creating a hard line. ¡°We go to our rooms, get our weapons, and get out of here quickly. If the soldiers completely ignored our exit, then this situation is very, very dire!¡±

 Chapter 15

    The rooms were on the lower levels, below the assembly hall. When the four had arrived, they were able to choose roommates. Naturally, they had stuck together.

    Solera entered the room, tossing everything he could into his bag and retrieving the Bloodsand sword from under his bed. Chip handed Guinness a club and Pinot a gauntlet; she wanted to go to her room as well, but Chip vetoed that request.

    ¡°The only exits are on the upper levels.¡± Chip spoke as they walked back up the stairs. ¡°Pray they haven¡¯t made it that far.¡±

    Pinot huffed as they climbed up another flight of stairs, but they were otherwise quiet. Around the corner was a corridor that led to the staircase that would take them back to the assembly hall. There, they would take another side corridor up to the top of the trunk, where they would find a placeto tie a rope down to ground level without anyone noticing and escape.

    Solera wasn¡¯t sure where Chip had gotten a forty meter rope, but he had one in his bag.

    They rounded the corner, coming face to face with four black-armored figures with wings sprouting from their backs.

    Immediately, a dark green medallion slammed into the chest of the man in front. The Crumble disc dissolved into liquid that melted straight through his armor. The man fell down, screaming. Chip drew his sword, his expression ugly.

    At the same time, an Airborne with long sideburns pointed his gauntlet straight at Qiao. The gauntlet had three grooves above the wrists, each holding a silver dart. Qiao lifted his sword up to block, but it was too late. The darts thudded into his forehead and cheeks, one of them embedding itself right below his eye. He died instantly.

    Seeing this, Guinness howled. He barreled forward and swung his club wildly at the channeler. At the same time, Solera slashed out at a female channeler, forcing her to use the bayonet attached to her gauntlet to block his strike. A lightning bolt discharged from her gauntleted palm into the wall, sending out a loud thunderclap that made Solera¡¯s ears ring.

    Pinot backed away, trembling. She held up her gauntlet and channeled out a measly flamestream at a muscular Airborne wielding a sword. Completely unfazed, the swordsman swung down at Chip. Loud sounds of clashing metal rang out as Chip blocked the swordsman¡¯s lightning fast blows.

    Solera¡¯s shoulder slammed into the woman, sending her tumbling into the floor. She was a channeler, and was much weaker than Solera physically. Since Solera had reacted first and was able to take the offensive, she was put in a position she could not recover from.

    The woman lifted an arm up from the floor, shooting out a thick flamestream at Solera. As the torrent of flames doused him with fire, his sword stabbed straight into her brain. The flames instantly stopped, but he was still severely burned. If not for the adrenaline pumping through his veins, Solera would be writhing on the ground in agony.

    The Airborne fighting Guinness had been ducking and blocking in the few seconds it took for Solera to kill the woman, but he had finally recovered. A small lightning bolt shot into Guinness. His swing was interrupted and he fell on the ground, twitching uncontrollably. The Airborne stood over him, pointing the gauntlet at Guinness¡¯s head.

    ¡°AHHHHH!¡± Solera threw his sword at the Airborne, forcing him to dodge aside. The sword bounced off the wall, unable to even scratch the Siehnti corridor. As the man whirled back, Solera¡¯s body slammed into him with immense force.

    Solera¡¯s tackle sent them both onto the floor, next to the dissolving corpse of the man Chip had killed. Half of him had turned into a steaming puddle of goo. Fat sloughed off the blackened bones, which were crumbling apart. Despite its utter gruesomeness, Solera had no time to process the sight; one of his hands was forcing the man¡¯s gauntleted arm to the ground, while the other one was raking across the man¡¯s face.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Deep red lines appeared all over the man¡¯s head as Solera clawed. The man¡¯s free hand pounded Solera¡¯s back, breaking a rib with every punch. Solera moved his leg to pin down the gauntlet hand, gritting his teeth as he endured another strike. His left hand moved to the man¡¯s neck, holding it down as his right fist smashed into the man¡¯s cranium.

    A cracking sound rang out. The man¡¯s face caved in, and he instantly stopped moving. Solera withdrew his fist, his face pale. His punch had fractured the bones in his fingers.

    The man¡¯s eyes had burst out of their sockets. Blood and brain matter trickled everywhere. Seeing this, Solera vomited all over the corpse, adding his half-digested breakfast to the mix.

    Solera heard another roar, and looked up. Guinness was swinging at the last man, who easily dodged aside. The swordsman savagely kicked Guinness, sending him tumbling onto the floor next to Solera. Pinot moved behind Solera, trembling with fear.

    Solera¡¯s eyes scanned the corridor. Chip¡¯s sword lay on the side, but he himself was nowhere to be seen.

    He had run away, leaving them to die.

    Solera gasped, coughing out some blood as the swordsman calmly walked forward. He was about out of options; he had broken several ribs as well as his right hand, and burns covered his entire body. Was he going to die here?

    He felt two small hands on his back pushing him forward.

    ¡°No!¡± Pinot shrieked. ¡°Don¡¯t kill me, don¡¯t kill me.¡±

    She was sobbing and sniffling. ¡°Kill him instead, don¡¯t kill me, please¡­¡±

    Hearing this, Solera¡¯s blood ran cold. Pinot was holding him in place, making him unable to dodge the coming strike!

    ¡°Protect me, Solera. Don¡¯t let him kill me¡­¡± Pinot moaned.

    The man brandished his sword, a murderous look on his face. Solera stared death in the face, unwillingness in his eyes.

    As the sword stabbed at him, Solera twisted around. It went straight past him and into Pinot¡¯s chest. Her tear-stained eyes widened, and a rattling sound came out of her throat. Blood sprayed out of her mouth onto Solera¡¯s arms and pants.

    Solera stared blankly at her face as she went limp. Her dying expression was not adorable, but rather grotesque, filled with pain, terror, and shock.

    Solera was shaken back to his sense as the man began to pull his sword out. Yelling, he grabbed Pinot by the shoulders and stumbled towards the man. Disgusting squishing sounds were emitted from Pinot¡¯s body as Solera dragged her body all the way to the hilt of the man¡¯s sword.

    Guinness had gotten back up, and his fist smashed straight into the man¡¯s chest, causing him to drop the sword as he fell. Solera immediately wrenched the sword out of Pinot and stabbed down at the man, again and again and again. Yet he was using his off hand, so every time the man was able to twist around and deflect the blow with his armor.

    Guinness¡¯s fist went straight into the man¡¯s face, knocking him out cold. Solera pushed Guinness back and chopped down with the sword, beheading the final Airborne.

 Chapter 16

    The sword clattered onto the ground as Solera stood up, his hands trembling. In thirty seconds, perhaps a minute at most¡­ Qiao had died. Pinot had died. And he¡­ he had just brutally murdered three adults! Bending down, he vomited again. A sickly stench covered the entire corridor, a mix of bile and gore.

    Far away, he could hear sounds of screaming and swords clashing.

    Gasping, Solera stood back up. There was no time to think about anything other than what was right in front of him. With some difficulty, he retrieved his Bloodsand sword and sheathed it.

    Chip had deserted them, taking the rope with him. How would he and Guinness get away?

    After a moment of thought, he turned to look at the corpses of the four Airborne. Didn¡¯t they have wings?

    Solera coughed out some more blood as he limped to the nearest corpse. His power crystal jingled when he bent down. Solera flipped over the body of the man he had punched to death before realizing.

    He didn¡¯t use his power crystal!

    Solera¡¯s face grew ugly beyond measure. If he had died here without using the power crystal, then his soul would never rest in the afterlife.

    Working only with his uninjured hand, Solera unfastened the wings on the man¡¯s back and strapped them onto his own. Guinness got his own pair of wings from the female Airborne. Taking several deep breaths, Solera led the two of them up the flight of stairs.

    His power crystal was in his mouth, ready to be used at any time. The moment he channeled power through it, all the power inside the crystal would instantly flood into his body, allowing him to greatly increase his speed and strength for an instant.

    Nobody was on this flight of stairs, but Solera could hear many footsteps on the lower levels. The Airborne were doing a sweep of the entire fortress! Luckily, this meant Solera and Guinness were able to sneak through unnoticed.

    Acrid smoke poured out of the assembly hall. Seeing this, Solera blanched.

    What happened to all the other students? Merlot, Cassady, Cesar, even Neko from Peat city. Solera didn¡¯t want to know, but he needed to know.

    Three of the masked controllers lay in the center of the assembly hall. The charred and mutilated bodies of children lay everywhere. Next to where Solera had been sitting, he saw the burnt corpse of a lanky boy, his spectacles melting away on the ground. Merlot.

    Three charred bodies lay atop each other, their dresses blackened by smoke. Blood poured out from a single sword gash that had gone straight through all three. Ada. Verdeca. Savi, a girl from Peat city.

    Tears trickled down Solera¡¯s cheek. He had saved himself, but they hadn¡¯t. So many people here were unfamiliar to him¡­ but so many weren¡¯t! Not once in his life had he ever thought about the possibility of Merlot or Pinot or Cassady dying, but their remains were right in front of him. Their stench assaulted his nostrils. Pinot¡¯s death rattle replayed itself over and over and over in his mind.

    Guinness tugged on Solera¡¯s shoulder. Solera blinked, regaining control of himself. Footsteps were approaching from the staircases below! Guinness supported Solera as the two staggered into a side corridor which would lead to an auxiliary branch sprouting off of one of the four main branches.

    At the entrance to the auxiliary branch, there were three Airborne talking. The moment Solera and Guinness appeared into view, one of them shouted. All three lifted up their gauntlets, their faces cold.

    Solera¡¯s glowing green sword slashed straight through all three Airborne and carved a line in the wall, as if it was air. Their bodies thudded onto the ground, all cut in twain.

    The power crystal fell out of Solera¡¯s mouth as he lifted up his right hand, astonished. His whole body was encased in a verdant glow, and he felt a comfortable feeling coursing throughout the channels in his body. A sound like the skittering of cockroaches emitted from his ribs and his hand as the broken bones mended and the skin regrew.

    Green power leaked out of him like water from a sponge. Inside his head, his Lake roared as it overflowed. Solera¡¯s exhaustion instantly disappeared. Not only was he rejuvenated, he felt better than ever before.

    The power crystal, which had been a faint green, was now translucent. The leaf within it could be seen, glistening with the same lush green color that was pouring out of his body. The power crystal had been emptied, and could not be used again.

    Solera couldn¡¯t put his disbelief into words! Power crystals had never been known to heal the user; power was just power, it was up to the user to channel it! Besides, his sword had carved straight through the siehnti wall as if it hadn¡¯t even existed. No explosive device could budge Fortress Hickory, no blade had scratched Fortress Hickory. Even Chip¡¯s Crumble disc, which had melted through armor, had not been able to dissolve the floor by even a little bit.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    A loud explosion rumbled up above, shaking Solera out of his thoughts again. Solera and Guinness were in an open-air branch, albeit one tucked away from all the fighting. Still, they could see everything that was going on.

    Chasers shot through the air, one whizzing after the other through the maze of twisting branches. These chasers had the same disc shape as the flying bombs; only, instead of delivering an explosive, the outer rings were equipped with blades. They were used by controllers as homing swords, and had no vision modules.

    Lightning and flying darts whirled out from one of the few branches left to the soldiers of Eden. The cannon fired, emitting a beam that annihilated four Airborne that had not taken cover.

    Another Airborne flew up past the branch, chucking a small ball into the branch before taking cover behind another. Another explosion rang out. The cannon¡¯s muzzle blew apart, falling down the fortress.

    Instantly, the branch was swarmed with Airborne flying into the branch. Their combined efforts created an inferno that incinerated the Edenese soldiers within that branch.

    Solera immediately gave his wings an experimental flap. They seemed to be working fine. He motioned to Guinness as he prepared to jump off the branch. Guinness shook his head, his face pale.

    Solera¡¯s eyes bugged. Could it be that Guinness was afraid of heights?

    Guinness pointed to his wings. ¡°Don¡¯t know channel.¡±

    Solera groaned inwardly. How the hell could someone not know how to channel power? That was simply impossible! It was an inborn skill that even babies could do.

    Another explosion from another branch sent shrapnel raining down the fortress. Cursing, Solera grabbed Guinness by the shoulders and jumped off the branch, his wings flapping as forcefully as he could.

    Solera and Guinness smashed into the ground. The wings had slowed their fall, preventing anything more than bruises. Immediately, Solera dragged Guinness behind the nearest building.

    From here, Solera could see a bit more of what was going on. The exploded husk of a Colossus sent smoke wafting through the air above the branch it had been guarding. The other Colossus was completely unharmed, but lay prone on its branch, two arms dangling off the side. Its controller, Solera realized, had been killed.

    But where were the enemy controllers, who were clearly controlling the chasers flying through the air? After a bit of scanning, Solera found them on the other side of the fortress. A giant dirt dome, made of dirt shields carried by Airborne shieldbearers, hovered in the sky near the fortress. Through the cracks between the dirt shields, helmeted heads peered at the battle. The lack of vision modules on the chasers meant they had to look for themselves, but these Airborne had an eagle-eye view. Not having vision modules wasn¡¯t really a disadvantage.

    The burnt body of a mosquito smashed into the ground nearby, next to the bodies of numerous Airborne. Its stinger glinted with blood and something Solera didn¡¯t want to identify. A few more mosquitoes were swarming around one of the last branches. Captain Selim was still alive!

    Captain Peng¡¯s voice could be heard as well, shouting orders to the remaining soldiers. The chasers had formed a cloud around them, so Solera couldn¡¯t see clearly. As Solera watched, a line of chasers whirled through the sky, shooting towards the cloud, which split apart to let them pass.

    Loud, screeching sounds of metal tearing apart pierced Solera¡¯s eardrums as the chasers smashed into their target, again and again and again. The bottom of the chaser cloud broke apart as the shredded corpse of a huge grasshopper fell down to the ground.

    A flash lit up out of the corner of Solera¡¯s eyes. He turned to look at the dirt dome in midair, which had transformed into an explosion of flame.

    The building they were hiding behind shook as the shockwave hit them. Stone flew everywhere around Solera and Guinness, although the two of them were sheltered by the building.

    A dirt cloud formed in the air where the enemy controllers had been. Every single one of them had perished!

    The chasers toppled out of the sky, all at the same time. Clattering noises were emitted as they collided with the hard, siehnti branches and each other. A small hill formed on the ground as the chasers fell upon each other.

    Solera stared at the branches, his face hopeful again. The enemy controllers had died. Could it be possible that Eden could still win? Did he and Guinness still have to run?

 Chapter 17

    It seemed like they wouldn¡¯t. Like a swarm of locusts, the Airborne warriors disattached from the fortress, floating down to the ground. A giant pit formed as one Airborne after another slapped a talisman into the ground. The dirt shields formed by the talismans were wrenched out of the ground, and the Airborne battalion flew back into the air, their dirt dome protecting them from any possible strikes.

    A skinny man with a potbelly stood up, above the branch walls. He started cackling at the Airborne.

    ¡°Hah, you little fools!¡± Selim guffawed. ¡°From the very beginning, I-¡±

    An arm circled grabbed his robe and pulled him back down. Seeing this, Solera wanted to laugh. Then, the images of the three dead controllers, and Merlot¡¯s glasses swam back into his head.

    His blood boiled, and his eyes grew dim with anger. These Airborne had come out of nowhere to rain down hell upon them! Qiao had been mercilessly shot, Cassady had been speared in one strike along with Ada, Pinot had been stabbed!

    Solera¡¯s expression further darkened when he thought of Pinot. How could she backstab him like that? How could Chip desert them? Solera thought of Chip¡¯s cold, indifferent attitude, and cursed out loud. A part of him hoped Chip had died.

    Not only Chip. Every single Airborne here had to die. Solera stared at the pyramid of chasers, then at the scattered remains of the Airborne controllers on the far side of the fortress. Now that he had seen the deaths of so many kids he had known, the deaths of Airborne no longer seemed so horrible to him.

    Actually, Solera felt a cold sense of satisfaction when he looked at the pyramid of chasers. If every single Airborne here died as miserably as those controllers did, wouldn¡¯t that only be justice?

    Captain Peng stood up from the cover of the branch. Blood covered his face, but it didn¡¯t seem to be his.

    ¡°You United Duchies trash had better flee before reinforcements come!¡± He shouted, a tinge of fury in his voice. ¡°How many war crimes have you committed in the last hour? If each of you were burned alive, that would be considered a merciful death!¡±

    Selim popped up, a red palm print on his cheek. ¡°That¡¯s right! My mosq-¡±

    Captain Peng¡¯s slap sent Selim out of view again. ¡°A hundred and twenty four children, not a single one alive! The United Duchies and Eden has never warred since the founding of our two nations. We have done nothing to incite an attack of this magnitude and viciousness. What do you have to say for yourselves?¡±

    There was no response from the aerial dome. Cursing, Peng began walking towards a nearby cannon, but a torrent of lightning instantly destroyed it.

    Solera ground his teeth. He had been looking forward to seeing a cannon blasting into the dome, but clearly it was just wishful thinking.

    Guinness tapped his shoulder. Solera turned around to look at Guinness, his face softening. Of all the people he had known here at the fortress, Guinness was the only one who had stuck with him. Had Guinness not fought to the end with him, Solera would definitely have died.

    Guinness was a simple person, far better than Pinot and Chip.

    Another finger tapped Solera¡¯s shoulder. Clearing his mind, Solera turned his eyes to look in the direction Guinness was pointing. Solera¡¯s face instantly drained of color.

    From the east, yet another black cloud had appeared!

    Solera frantically looked around for an avenue of escape. Eden was westwards, but to flee that way meant crossing the clearing! If they tried that, they would surely be seen by the Airborne looking through the cracks in their dome.

    Solera eyed the approaching cloud again. The United Duchies border was thirty kilometers to the east. Between Fortress Hickory and there lay nothing but forest, and the military camp Chianti had gone to. Solera racked his brains in thought.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Could it be that the entire military camp had been destroyed? Up until now, Solera had only seen one plume of smoke rising in the distance, from before the Airborne had arrived. If the camp had been overrun, Fortress Hickory would have known of it easily; thirty kilometers was far, but not so far for an eyeball. But why did it take so long for Fortress Hickory to raise the alarm? The sky was sunny; they should¡¯ve seen the Airborne coming from a hundred kilometers away!

    Solera didn¡¯t know the answer to these questions. But, like Chip had said, it was a gamble. The Airborne were, as their name implied, an aerial unit. Solera guessed that they had somehow gotten past the border guards without attracting too much attention. What this meant was, there were no enemy ground troops!

    Solera¡¯s lips formed into a hard, determined line. Chip was a jilting piece of shit, but he was right back when he had convinced Solera to run.

    Solera could not put his life in the hands of others! He had to take it into his own hands!

    Casting two hateful looks to the hovering dome and the oncoming cloud, Solera led Guinness to quietly run from building to building. At the very last building, a dilapidated shack that served as a storage room, Solera and Guinness stopped to hide. The faint rustling of wings sounded from above their heads as the Airborne passed.

    After a few minutes, Solera cracked the door open. He could see the outline of a winged man hovering in front of the dome, a thousand Airborne at his back. He seemed to be speaking with Peng, or some other soldier from Eden.

    Without any hesitation, Solera swung the door open. He and Guinness broke out in a mad dash for the treeline a hundred meters away. Nobody was paying any attention to them, and a hundred meters was not a particularly lengthy distance, but each step felt like it took an eternity.

    After thirteen excruciating seconds, Solera slid under a bush. Four seconds later, Guinness joined him, his face red and his breathing uneven. Solera breathed a sigh of relief as he confirmed that nobody had seen them. Immediately, Solera dragged Guinness up and they began jogging further east. After perhaps a kilometer, they would start looping around back west, and just keep running.

    A faint whistling sound behind Solera turned into a distant howling sound. Turning around, he could see something shocking.

    A massive tornado had appeared in the air above Fortress Hickory. As he watched two more tornado funnels grew out of the first, slowly reaching for the fortress like tentacles.

    Solera grimly turned around and continued running. This battle was just too out of his league. He had no intention of throwing his life away here!

    Memories floated through his mind as he fled.

    Qiao, who never spoke and obediently followed. He had followed Chip and Solera to his death.

    Cesar, who ¡°liked his mom.¡± His mother had lost a son.

    Merlot, extolling the Halo that looked down indifferently from above. The Halo had not saved him.

    Even Pinot, waving to him cheerily as she drew water from a well. Whatever she had done, wasn¡¯t she, in the end, just a little child like Solera?

    Tears trickled down Solera¡¯s cheeks, and he made a vow to himself. One day, he would take revenge for everyone who could no longer do it for themselves!

    <hr />

    With this rewrite, I want to make Solera''s character consistent and 3D. Last time, he instantly started groping Chianti''s breasts with his face after escaping from the most traumatic experience of his life. Rereading that, I realized how that made absolutely no sense.

    Hopefully, this time it''ll be different :3

 Chapter 18

    Solera woke up, beading with sweat. The caved-in face of the channeler, the decapitated head of the swordsman, Merlot¡¯s burnt corpse instantly vanished from his sight, but the images remained in his mind.

    That hadn¡¯t happened, right? That had just been a horrible dream, right?

    Solera stared down at his blankets as a flood of memories poured into him.

    After running half a kilometer, a cloud of imps had appeared, flying towards Fortress Hickory at maximum speed. Right behind them were men on reindeer, worry on their faces. When one had come to assist him, Solera had realized how exhausted he was.

    Right then and there, he had blacked out.

    Now that he woke up, he was extremely confused. He had controlled a Vigor in the morning, listened to a lecture, run approximately twenty kilometers, and killed six people, but that shouldn¡¯t have caused him to black out without even knowing about it!

    As he sorted out his memories out, his eyes swept down to the rock hanging around his neck. Seeing it, his eyes widened as his thoughts were thrown into disarray again.

    The power crystal was a verdant shade of green again!

    Solera clearly remembered it turning translucent after being used. He couldn¡¯t see it clearly with the poor lighting, but it was definitely not translucent right now.

    Had it really been a dream? Solera¡¯s bloodshot eyes scanned the room in detail. In the other bed next to him, Guinness snored away.

    Fortress Hickory¡¯s bed was one bunk bed with four bunks. This bed was not his bed.

    Solera was completely baffled. The memories were so clear, but there were no wounds on his arms. His hand felt as good as new. His power crystal seemed to be unused. But he was in another room, whose walls were made out of dirt, instead of the black Siehnti that Fortress Hickory was shaped from. Had he been drugged and brought somewhere, without his knowing?

    There was one way to figure this all out.¡¯

    Solera stumbled out of the opening in the room into a dirt passageway. He was in an underground tunnel, lit by peat torches. Careful not to make any noise with his footsteps, Solera advanced down one side of the tunnel. After ten meters, he could hear faint voices drifting in from another passageway.

    His eyes squinting, Solera struggled to make out the words.

    ¡°... really is revolutionary. Nobody ever used wings en masse like Archibald does. We¡¯re lucky we¡¯re in the forests, otherwise-¡±

    ¡°Chianti!¡± Solera yelled, running into the room. Chianti turned her head from her seat on a sofa to look at Solera. Immediately, she got up and hugged him.

    ¡°My god, Solera, I¡¯m so sorry you had to go through that.¡± She stroked his head softly. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Solera. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re alive.¡±

    The dead bodies flashed through Solera¡¯s mind again, but he dispelled the images with a deep breath. He didn¡¯t want to look weak.

    ¡°Tell me, Solera.¡± Chianti dragged the both of them down onto the sofa, next to another female soldier. ¡°A soldier dropped you and Guinness off here, where I found you. Do you know if any other children survived?¡±

    Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    The image of the assembly hall rose up.

    ¡°No,¡± Solera muttered. He didn¡¯t want to think about it. ¡°Where are we?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in a base at the Eden-UD border.¡± Chianti patted Solera¡¯s head as she pulled them both up from the sofa. ¡°But enough of that, I have a pleasant surprise for you.¡±

    Confused, Solera followed her through the maze of tunnels into another room, where a boy sat meditating on his bed. Solera¡¯s eyes turned red, and his expression grew ugly.

    ¡°You pond scum, Chip!¡± Solera howled, rushing forward and delivering a vicious punch straight to Chip¡¯s stomach. Chip was sent reeling onto the bed, breaking out of his trance with a cough of blood.

    Climbing onto the bed, Solera delivered another two savage blows to Chip¡¯s torso before being dragged off by Chianti.

    ¡°He left us!¡± Solera shouted, struggling to break free from her grip. ¡°He left us to die!¡±

    ¡°Quit it, Solera!¡± Chianti roared as she rammed him against the wall. ¡°We have bigger problems to worry about!¡±

    Tears of rage streamed down Solera¡¯s cheeks. Three punches wasn¡¯t enough! Chip had to pay for what he did!

    Chip got up, coughing out some more blood.

    ¡°I put my life into my own hands, Solera.¡± He said, wiping the blood off his mouth. ¡°You all die and I live, or we all die, which one¡¯s better? Besides, killing myself by fighting alongside you, someone I barely know? To me, my life is worth more than that!¡±

    Solera¡¯s face had grown incredibly ugly to behold. But before he could retort, Chianti spoke.

    ¡°Fuck that, Chip!¡± Chianti snarled. ¡°This kind of attitude will get us all killed! Right now, we¡¯re behind enemy lines. The UD Airborne division controls Fortress Hickory! If we¡¯re not going to cooperate at all times, then it¡¯s best just to strip naked and surrender right now.¡±

    Chip folded his arms. ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with me? I¡¯m a creator, not a combatant. I don¡¯t want to fight.¡±

    ¡°Soldiers from the United Duchies are that way, and that way, and that way, and that way!¡± Chianti drew a circle around her head. ¡°If you want to surrender, go do it! But you saw how they violated the code of war. What do you think will happen to you if you surrender? Chip, now that we¡¯re in this position, we need every able-bodied person available to us. This is war, and we¡¯re surrounded by the opposing side!¡±

    Chianti glared at Chip. ¡°We all die and you maybe live, or we live and some of us die, which one¡¯s better, Chip?¡±

    Chip fell into a sullen silence as Chianti¡¯s gaze bored into him.

    ¡°Forget it.¡± Chianti muttered. She let go of Solera, but made sure to stay in between the two. ¡°Like I said, we have bigger fish to fry. Come with me, we need to test everyone¡¯s capabilities.¡±

 Chapter 19

    A bald man squatting on the ground carefully poked a needle into a hide of leather resting atop a tree stump. Inky black tattoos which appeared much like the diagrams Solera had seen on Chip¡¯s talismans covered his pale skin. He was impossibly muscular, and his every movement carried a sense of great force behind it.

    ¡°You can call me Skadi.¡± The man turned to face them, revealing pupils as black as the tattoos that covered every visible part of his body. Even his face and cheeks were crisscrossed with the strange symbols. Chip gazed at the man with extreme interest, but Solera was still too angry to pay any attention to the proceedings.

    ¡°Today, I will be measuring your cultivation levels and power purity.¡± Skadi spoke in a gravelly voice, walking up and down the line of people. ¡°This way, you free variables can be properly divided into appropriate groups for battle. If any of you wish to be assigned to a specific battalion, speak up now.¡±

    Solera snapped out of his thoughts in surprise. He, a child of merely thirteen years of age, was being assigned to a battalion? He looked at Chianti in confusion. Chianti smiled back and shook her head, indicating that Solera should not speak up.

    Obediently, Solera kept silent. So did everyone else.

    ¡°No objections, hm?¡± Skadi smiled, revealing sharpened teeth, covered in glistening fluid. ¡°Very well then. First person, step up.¡±

    A woman with long brunette hair stepped forward as Skadi motioned for a soldier to pick up a pencil and paper.

    ¡°Name?¡± Skadi asked as he grabbed her hand and placed it on top of the leather.

    ¡°Juna.¡± The woman spoke flatly.

    ¡°Juna, hm?¡± Skadi positioned the needle onto her arm. ¡°Age?¡±

    ¡°Eighteen.¡±

    ¡°Juna, you need to cut your hair, it¡¯s --very--¡± The needle poked into her arm, going a centimeter deep before Skadi pulled it back out. ¡°bad for combat.¡±

    Skadi casually wiped the blood off the needle, motioning for the next person to step up.

    ¡°You are class two.¡± Skadi said coolly. ¡°For your frame of reference, that leather is from a Sundan bull. Their toughness is around class one hundred. Not bad, I would say, for a civilian like you. Now, you. Name?¡±

    The cultivation test proceeded smoothly. Solera wondered how Skadi would be able to precisely judge the cultivation level. Was he actually able to put the same amount of force into each needle stab, for each person? Surely, this was only an approximate judgment!

    ¡°Name and age?¡±

    ¡°Chip, fifteen.¡±

    ¡°Class four, young lad. What the hell are you eating?¡± Skadi laughed, clapping Chip on the back.

    Chip shrugged. ¡°Just pills.¡±

    ¡°Heh, you must be rich, although I wouldn¡¯t actually know.¡± Skadi chortled, motioning for Solera to step forward.

    ¡°Solera, thirteen.¡± Solera muttered before Skadi could ask.

    ¡°Thirteen? What¡¯s a baby like you doing here?¡± Skadi smiled indifferently as he grabbed his hand and placed it onto the leather, before freezing up. The hand was lifted up again for Skadi to peer at.

    ¡°E-excuse me, sir?¡± Solera stammered.

    For an instant, Skadi¡¯s black pupils seemed to have a faint green glow in their center. But when Solera focused his gaze on them, it was gone.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Skadi seemed highly amused by something. The needle suddenly pierced into Solera¡¯s hand, seemingly without any resistance whatsoever. Solera stared at it withdrew, leaving nothing but a minute hole where it had pierced him.

    ¡°Class eleven.¡± Skadi said coolly. ¡°Make sure to get that down correctly, boy.¡± He waved a hand at the soldier recording all the information. ¡°Eleven, not one.¡±

    Solera returned to his place in line, perplexed by Skadi¡¯s inscrutable actions. After a minute, Skadi had finished determining everyone¡¯s cultivations. The majority of the soldiers were in their early twenties, and were class four or five. A few were class nine or ten. The older ones scored much higher, generally class fifteen to class twenty. One man in his sixties clocked in at class forty, which astonished everyone, including Skadi.

    Solera did not know his cultivation level until now, but he knew how the system worked. Every class was ten percent stronger than the previous one! The man was still very far off from the level of a Sundan bull, but he was leagues ahead of the other soldiers. The amount of effort and resources he must have expended on cultivating over the sixty years of his life must have been immense.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    This was because cultivation grew exponentially harder as one progressed. After all, it was the resistance the body had against a penetrating force, such as the needle! To halve the piercing power, one would have to double the amount of their cultivation. To reduce the piercing power from fifty percent, to twenty-five percent, one would have to quadruple. To go from twenty five percent to twelve and a half percent, one would have to cultivate eight times the amount!

    Increasing defense by ten percent, over and over again, became incredibly hard as one progressed. To have a cultivation of class forty was no small feat.

    ¡°You all now know your latent cultivation levels.¡± Skadi said smoothly. ¡°Remember that when you channel power into your body, your defense can explosively increase for a short amount of time. Most of you will be able to quintuple your cultivation, some more, some less. Never forget about this, it can save your life!¡±

    Skadi walked back to Juna. ¡°Juna, channel something out.¡± He spoke, grabbing her wrist and holding it out to the tree stump.

    ¡°What do I channel?¡± Juna asked, confused. ¡°Fire?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that would be fine.¡± Skadi said.

    A flamestream poured out of her hands. Skadi stared intently at Juna¡¯s wrists.

    ¡°You can stop now.¡± Skadi let go of her hands. ¡°Density is 142 Iotas, Juna. You may not be a cultivator, but you are certainly a channeler, hah.¡±

    Juna smiled. ¡°Farm work, sir.¡±

    ¡°Must be excruciating.¡± Skadi amiably waved the next person forward. ¡°Uh, unlike the cultivation classes, many people seem to be unfamiliar with power purity. Chianti, please.¡±

    Chianti dazzled Solera¡¯s eyes with her smile. ¡°Power purity is equivalent to its density, everyone. As you all know, the Iota is a unit of power, and power takes the forms of various plasmas once it is channeled out from your Lake. What the power purity does, is measure how many Iotas are condensed into a single, tiny thing, called a packet.¡±

    Chianti scratched her head. ¡°I¡¯m not too clear on the details myself, but basically the power purity measures how many Iotas can be squeezed into a single packet. The higher it is, the denser the power, and the more energetic the channeling attack. You all get the basic idea, right? Bigger is better.¡±

    She winked slyly at the crowd. ¡°I¡¯ll have you all know that I¡¯m an important person, with a purity of 329!¡±

    Skadi just snorted. ¡°This woman thinks she is some sort of hotshot. Bah, you are only qualified to be important if your purity is over five thousand!¡±

    ¡°How is that even possible?¡± Chianti demanded, a disbelieving expression on her face. ¡°I¡¯d like to find a single person with that kind of purity in all of Land!¡±

    ¡°Heh, they should be fairly uncommon in Land.¡± Skadi smiled. ¡°180, my man. Keep working on it.¡±

    Chip had a purity of 132. Most people were around that range, but Solera¡­

    His purity was a mere forty-six.

    Solera stared glumly at his wrists. Perhaps Vinoh should have had him practice channeling more. It was always about cultivation, exercise, swordplay. His cultivation wasn¡¯t even that high, compared to that class forty person.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t get too down.¡± Skadi called out to him. ¡°All it takes is practice!¡±

    After they were finished, they were released.

    ¡°Expect your battalion assignments within a few hours.¡± Skadi spoke, his friendly voice growing cold. ¡°In this crisis, everyone must work together, be they civilian, soldier, or even a child. These United Duchies soldiers are ruthless beyond measure. I¡¯m sure everyone has heard about what happened to Fortress Hickory.¡±

    Solera¡¯s gaze instantly darkened. Immediately, Chianti was by his side, patting his shoulder.

    ¡°Lighten up, kiddo.¡± Chianti sighed. ¡°You and Chip are going to stick with me and a few others. That way, I can best ensure your safeties. If Vinoh¡¯s son died on my watch, what would I say to him?¡±

 Chapter 20

    Chianti turned around and led Solera and Chip outside. The thick forest canopy nearly blotted out the sun, which was still rising in the sky. Leaves were fluttering with the wind. Solera thought the scene was too peaceful for a military camp.

    ¡°I¡¯m in a special unit.¡± Chianti explained as they walked. ¡°Since I¡¯m an ex-mercenary with battle experience under the Prince, we get to do the more important jobs. So far, that means nothing, but with the war¡­¡±

    She sighed unhappily. ¡°Fighting is dangerous business, you know. It¡¯s so, so easy to die. I don¡¯t think anyone who hasn¡¯t been on a battlefield truly understands the gravity of that. You can die by tripping over a small rock. Then, it doesn¡¯t matter what your cultivation is or who your enemy is, you¡¯re dead.¡±

    Solera blinked, looking at the rock around his neck. With it, three people had instantly been killed by him, a thirteen-year-old child. At least, he was pretty sure it had happened.

    The power crystal was a light green color, not translucent like it had been when he had used it, not bright green had it been originally. Solera examined it, astonished. Could it be that this power crystal could recharge? What kind of monstrous artifact was that?

    ¡°Hm? If it isn¡¯t Chianti!¡±

    Solera flinched, his hand flying to the nonexistent sword at his waist. A man in full camouflage had appeared in front of them.

    ¡°Heh, thought I¡¯d come out for some air.¡± Chianti smiled, then patted Chip and Solera. ¡°This is Solera, and this is Chip. We¡¯re going to be taking care of them until we can get them past Hickory to safety.¡±

    Chianti turned to Solera and Chip. ¡°This is Fischer. That bush is Macaw, and directly above us is Verreaux.¡±

    ¡°Looking pretty as always, Chianti!¡± The bush laughed and stood up. ¡°Don¡¯t know why a breath of fresh air like you needs fresh air.¡±

    Chianti rolled her eyes. ¡°You tell that to all the whores too, Macaw?¡±

    ¡°No, some of them are quite stale.¡± Macaw removed his helmet, extending a hand to Chip. Macaw was bald and had a weathered, aged face. Though age and appearance were not too related when one had cultivated sufficiently, Solera thought he looked to be around forty or fifty.

    ¡°Chip, huh? You look like a dumbass!¡± Macaw laughed as he shook Chip¡¯s hand. ¡°And you, Solera, you look like all your friends died!¡±

    Solera glared at him, causing Macaw to put both hands up. ¡°Just a joke, just a joke. I understand what you¡¯ve been through. Heck, if we were to have a competition, I would win! Making fun of horrible things always makes it easier, I think. Try it out, hm?¡±

    Fischer snorted. ¡°No, this man is just an idiot. Verreaux, show yourself to the kids.¡±

    A man with short brown hair fell down, landing nimbly on his feet. ¡°I¡¯m Verreaux. V-e-r-r-e-a-u-x, but you can just call me V.¡± He extended a gauntleted hand to them, before looking down and taking it off.

    ¡°These three have been buddies for a long, long time.¡± Chianti told Chip and Solera. ¡°Who knows what they do at night?¡±

    Macaw just laughed. ¡°You know everyone else always talks about what you do with us at night, right? It would be nice if it were true.¡±

    Chianti looked at Macaw, a devious look in her eye. ¡°You wanna name any names? I think you want to name some names, but I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    Macaw backed away, slamming his back against a tree. ¡°Nobody in particular, nobody. Everyone knows that would be the most un-Chianti thing to do, mark my words! I was just making things up.¡±

    Verreaux laughed and shook his head as Chianti began grilling Macaw for information. ¡°Sorry about us, guys. We¡¯re a weird bunch, but we¡¯ll take care of you two!¡± Verreaux patted Solera on the shoulder. ¡°Chianti can vouch for us. I remember fighting off some rapists back when she first joined us. Chianti, vouch for us right now!¡±

    Fischer began imitating Chianti¡¯s rich contralto voice. ¡°Fischer is the best! As for Macaw and Verreaux, they¡¯re babies who can¡¯t even-¡±

    Chianti pushed him, laughing. Despite himself, Solera cracked a smile. Chip, however, remained as expressionless as ever.

    ¡°Hey, does Chianti ever tell you about what an important person she is?¡± Macaw snickered. ¡°People love to stroke her ego, you know. Even I do it sometimes!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m very important!¡± Chianti sniffed disdainfully. ¡°I¡¯m the center of my world, and I deserve nothing but the best. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m saddled with you three pathetic deadbeats.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, me too. I¡¯ve been up-and-coming for thirty years!¡± Macaw snorted with laughter. ¡°I thought that time in the Southern continent would be my lucky break, but fortune was against me. And that time in¡­ hmm? It¡¯s that Skadi fellow.¡±

    Solera turned around to see Skadi approaching.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on, Skadi?¡± Chianti asked, a confused smile on her face.

    Skadi glanced at Chip and Solera before looking at Chianti. ¡°I have a mission for the independent squads, which means you guys.¡±

    Chianti frowned. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°There is a heavily guarded supply caravan behind enemy lines.¡± Skadi spoke bluntly. ¡°We need experts to find out what they are transporting. That means ex-mercenaries, several of Leera¡¯s monsters. Leave the kids out, they¡¯ll be dead weight. I¡¯ll assign them to one of the battalions.¡±

    ¡°No, you won¡¯t.¡± Chianti said bluntly. ¡°They¡¯ll be with us, but for something this dangerous, they can stay back. I won¡¯t have them thrown into some meat grinder battle. I doubt you would understand the importance of this, but Solera here is the son of Vinoh! Chip is also an important person, though I¡¯m not too clear on the details.¡±

    ¡°Important person, unimportant person, everyone here is a fly.¡± Skadi¡¯s voice grew cold, containing none of the friendliness Solera had seen him exhibit before. ¡°They must pull their own weight. You can decide where they go, but be ready by tonight.¡±

    He walked away, leaving the group drained of their former cheeriness.

    ¡°I never liked that guy.¡± Fischer spoke up after Skadi had disappeared. ¡°He just came out of nowhere two years ago, and instantly became one of Reginald¡¯s top aides. Who the hell is he, anyway?¡±

    ¡°Probably one of Reginald¡¯s connections from somewhere.¡± Verreaux grumbled. ¡°He¡¯s been around even more than we have, and he has deep connections everywhere.¡±

    ¡°Feh. Well, I¡¯m going to go relax with one of the escorts before we go.¡± Macaw sighed, walking away. ¡°See you all later.¡±

 Chapter 21

    ¡°I want to go!¡± Solera folded his arms, staring at Chianti. ¡°I want to do my part. Staying here as dead weight means I¡¯m useless.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be a dumbass.¡± Chianti glared at Solera. ¡°Did my point about war being dangerous fly straight over your head? Do you want to die that young?¡±

    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know how dangerous it is?¡± Solera fumed. ¡°I know how dangerous it is, and that¡¯s why I want to go! Besides, you became a mercenary when you were eleven!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I was a fucking idiot!¡± Chianti looked exasperated, but she also had a torn expression on her face. ¡°Skadi, that piece of shit. He patronizes everyone, but you can see his true colors in situations like these. He treats humans like trash. The things he did¡­¡±

    Solera shrugged indifferently. ¡°Skadi¡¯s right, I can¡¯t drag everyone down by eating their food and drinking their water like this. I¡¯ve been trained thoroughly, and I¡¯m going to fight someday, anyway. Why not now, when I¡¯m accompanied by strong people like you?¡±

    Chianti stared at him, unwillingness in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to talk to Skadi again. This is stupid, and you¡¯re treating your life stupidly. Some food, some water, who cares? Sky seems to be a pretty horrible place, judging from the spirits that come out of there. Don¡¯t send yourself there so soon.¡±

    She walked out of Solera¡¯s room, leaving him with Guinness, who had yet to wake up. Solera stared at him blankly. How did a kid like Guinness figure into all this? Solera had been trained all his life. With some luck, he had held his own against one Airborne soldier after another. But Guinness didn¡¯t even know how to channel!

    The time trickled by slowly, with Solera having no idea at all what to do. Training would get him tired both mentally and physically. Going into a battle tired was a very unwise thing to do. But was he supposed to just do nothing? It didn¡¯t feel right.

    After a while, Chianti came back, her face red from anger. ¡°Make sure you bring your truesight goggles. Make sure your sword is in proper shape and take a nap. And definitely, definitely do not let Guinness leave the room.¡±

    After tossing him a set of black clothing, she left in a huff.

    Solera obediently did as he was told. When he woke up, several hours had passed and it was probably still midday. Being inside the dimly lit tunnel complex, Solera didn¡¯t actually know for sure.

    ¡°Stay inside the bed, Guinness. Don¡¯t go into that corridor.¡± Solera told Guinness as he was donning his clothing. ¡°Not for the bathroom, not until tonight. Okay?¡±

    Guinness nodded. His gaze seemed different, not at all like the blank one from before. He obediently rolled under his covers. This way, anyone passing the room would not be able to easily tell that he was inside. Smiling relievedly, Solera went out.

    The tunnel complex was very large, with many soldiers moving around inside. He was detained several times by inquisitive troops, but they would let him go when he explained to them his situation. After a while, he was outside, where Chianti had introduced Fischer, Verreaux, and Macaw.

    He realized he did not actually know where to go. Hadn¡¯t Macaw said something about going to see an escort?

    Solera blanched at the thought. After a moment of deliberation, he sat down to meditate. Not even a minute passed when a finger tapped him on the head.

    Solera tumbled backwards in shock. It was Skadi, his eyes friendly again.

    ¡°Solera, is it?¡± Skadi laughed. ¡°I heard your father was once going to be a future Immortal.¡±

    Solera nodded, wary of Skadi. He couldn¡¯t fathom this person at all.

    ¡°Immortality is an astonishingly hard feat.¡± Skadi sighed. ¡°Perhaps only a thousand in this Land has achieved it over the entire seven thousand years it has existed, and most of them are in that backwards southern continent. For a future seed of the Garden to be nipped in the bud before flowering, it is a shame. But it is commonplace.¡±

    He leaned towards Solera, his tattoos glistening. Even his tongue had tattoos. ¡°You take care of yourself during this mission. Stick near your friends, they are dependable people. All great beings become great through struggle, but snuffing them out so early is counterproductive. You understand me?¡±

    Solera nodded. Skadi smiled brightly as his palm latched onto Solera, lifting him up high into the air.

    ¡°Too slow, boy.¡± Skadi dropped him back down after a few seconds of Solera struggling. ¡°Land is a very unpredictable place. Never let your guard down.¡±

    Solera looked up, his face a bit pale. Skadi¡¯s palm¡­ it had been too fast! Captain Peng¡¯s attacks had been too quick for Solera, but Skadi¡¯s speed had boggled belief. It seemed that there were powerhouses everywhere Solera had went.

    ¡°I¡¯m completely in over my head.¡± Solera muttered to himself self-deprecatingly.

    ¡°Haha!¡± Skadi laughed. ¡°The Sky is the limit, kid. Never stop training, never stop cultivating. The body is the core! Come with me, let¡¯s go have some food before we gather for the briefing.¡±

    Solera realized, astonished, that he had not eaten at all for over twenty-four hours! He was famished, but he had never noticed it until Skadi had talked about it.

    Long tables lined a vast underground cavern. They were covered with boxes with talisman etchings that kept the food inside fresh for a longer period of time. Several soldiers milled about, eating and talking. A mummy sat in a chair at the back of one of the tables.

    She appeared to be a woman, but Solera wasn¡¯t sure. Her skin was sagging so much that it seemed like it would flow off if she stood up. He scratched his head before looking away. He suspected this person was probably reaching the end of her lifespan.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Skadi.¡± A whisper rolled out of the mummy, so soft that Solera could have mistaken it for wind.

    Skadi looked up from his food inspections, raising an eyebrow amusedly. ¡°Can it wait until I¡¯m done, Leera? I¡¯m still getting used to all this food, haha, I¡¯ve been away too long.¡±

    Skadi bit into a drumstick, smearing oil all over his face. Rather than laughing at this, Solera only became more bemused.

    This guy¡­ he didn¡¯t make any sense at all! One moment he would be laughing in a friendly fashion, the next he would be hoisting someone up in the air. Warm and friendly, cold and callous. Likes chicken.

    ¡°Who¡¯s the boy?¡± The whisper came again. This Leera person sounded annoyed now.

    Solera started eating his food as well, when his eyes widened. He had heard this name before! Chianti had said, back when she was dropping them off at Fortress Hickory, that she was going to ¡°Leera¡¯s camp¡±!

    Solera looked back at the bag of flesh on the chair, only to find that a pair of sunken eyes was staring directly at him. He looked back down, highly unnerved. Could it be that this was a general of the army of Eden?

    ¡°Some kid, don¡¯t worry about him.¡± Skadi said dismissively, his eyes fixated on the drumstick.

    Solera was at a loss for words, so he just kept eating.

    ¡°He will be dead weight in this mission.¡± Leera¡¯s whisper stabbed like daggers now. ¡°He should leave.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Skadi smiled widely. ¡°He will do just fine, I think.¡±

    No more sounds came from Leera. Skadi continued to stuff himself with food. More and more soldiers filed in as the time passed. All of them were dressed in black uniforms, with goggles hanging around their necks.

    All of them carried the stench of blood. As Eden had not had war in two centuries, these people were undoubtedly once mercenaries!

    Macaw walked in, a cheery smile on his face. His cheeks were red from blood flow, and he seemed to be full of energy.

    ¡°Haha, you¡¯re looking lively, Macaw.¡± A man with short black hair and a hooked nose greeted him. ¡°Bit too lively, actually. Did you overexert yourself?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s been at it again!¡± A woman with a jet black leather gauntlet on her right hand laughed as she downed her drink. ¡°What an idiot, he¡¯ll be the first to die tonight.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve lived for a hundred years on the battlefield.¡± Macaw laughed as he ate a bread loaf. ¡°Will tonight be any different?¡±

    ¡°I suppose Leera will tell us soon.¡± Verreaux said as he turned out of the corridor into the cavern. ¡°Tell us when this sewage system gets an upgrade, that is. The UD guys will be smelling me from kilometers away, good lord.¡±

    ¡°Well, someone has on his body a weapon that can match Skadi¡¯s miasma.¡± Another mercenary guffawed. Skadi smiled amiably.

    Chianti and Fischer came in. Behind the two of them was Chip, who looked very unhappy to be here.

    ¡°Hey, what are these kids doing here?¡± One of the mercenaries, a man with a burn mark covering an entire arm, growled. ¡°I didn¡¯t think we had another Chianti distinguish herself lately.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Chianti glared at Skadi.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Calm down, everyone.¡± Skadi sighed. ¡°Do I have to repeat myself so much? It¡¯s almost like I didn¡¯t tell each of you this beforehand.¡±

    ¡°Uh, I¡¯m pretty sure you didn¡¯t.¡± Chianti didn¡¯t calm down at all.

    ¡°Yes, that was the joke.¡± Skadi sat down on a chair. ¡°Well, let¡¯s get started, Leera. We¡¯re all here now.¡±

    ¡°The target is a heavily guarded Xuanwu monster from the Eastern continent. Markings indicate that the guards are men of the Shatter clan of the United Duchies.¡± Leera¡¯s voice was no longer a whisper, but instead a hoarse rasp. ¡°My imps sighted them the other day, moving towards the Verdant River. I want to know what kind of transport mission warrants coming so close to my camp.¡±

    An imp unfurled a map across the table as she spoke and indicated the position of this transport.

    ¡°Take everything, kill everyone, destroy what you can¡¯t bring away. The rules of war will be ignored after Fortress Hickory.¡± Leera looked up, her sunken eyes flitting across the room. ¡°Survival is of the utmost priority, however. I want to know what these people are carrying.¡±

    Many mercenaries laughed. ¡°Not a problem, ma¡¯am. That¡¯ll be the least of your worries.¡±

    ¡°Skadi will discuss the details with you. I have to confer with my imps now.¡± Leera nodded at them before closing her eyes.

    Skadi burped. ¡°¡®Scuse me. We should head out now if we catch them, explain on the way. If you need a piss, do it now, hahaha. Fifteen minutes and we¡¯re gather in tunnel C.¡±

    As the mercenaries filed out, Skadi turned to grab Solera¡¯s shoulder, smiling widely.

    ¡°By the way, bring that large boy hiding in your room over to the meeting spot. It would be a shame if he were to miss out on this experience.¡±

 Chapter 22

    Early morning. The sun would be up in an hour or so. Solera squinted his bleary eyes, looking through his truesight goggles at the massive turtle approaching their ambush spot. It was around eight meters tall, with a shell from which dark spikes jutted out. Its head aimlessly looked around as it powered through the forest, breaking every branch that got caught inside its shell with violent groaning noises.

    This was a Xuanwu, a special breed of turtle whose body had been possessed by a spirit!

    UD soldiers ringed the Xuanwu, casually chatting with each other as they traversed the forests. Although they were only several kilometers away from what had once been the border between Eden and the United Duchies, they were completely at ease. A few scouts were detached from the main contingent, checking for any traps or wild monsters within a range of several hundred meters. They didn¡¯t look particularly concerned about an incoming attack, either.

    Solera rubbed his eyes, fighting away the drowsiness. The night before had been extremely hectic, with Skadi rushing them into position and then frantically preparing the ambush by using Vigors, the dirt golems, to create the tunnel they were hiding in. Dense foliage had been draped over the top of the hole, along with a shallow layer of dirt.

    The truesight goggles, which detected power emissions rather than light, allowed Solera and the mercenaries to look through the dirt at the enemy despite the cover they were in. It was only now that Solera realized just how advantageous this item was. There were over sixty enemy soldiers, along with the Xuanwu itself, whereas Solera¡¯s side had twenty mercenaries, along with Chip, Guinness, and Solera himself.

    Guinness and Chip didn¡¯t have truesight goggles. They had no idea what was going on, but the tension in the air was palpable. Guinness¡¯s eyes flitted around nervously, while Chip maintained his cool, calm demeanor. But Solera could tell that he was uneasy.

    While they crossed the border into UD territory last night, Chianti had given Chip a stern warning on desertion.

    ¡°Let me explain very clearly,¡± she had said. ¡°We can have an extended discussion on the morality of desertion some other time, but right now it is very simple. Desertion is a stupid idea here, don¡¯t even think about it.¡±

    When Chip frowned, she pressed on. ¡°This is a cohesive team operation behind enemy lines. One guy running at an inopportune moment will ruin it for the rest of us. Not only will we be more likely to fail and all die, the person who deserts is still trapped behind enemy lines with the enemy¡¯s alarm raised. So the deserted will probably die and the desertor will also probably die. Staying together as one will improve the chances for all.¡±

    ¡°Why am I even here, then?¡± Chip demanded. ¡°A skill-based operation like the one you make this out to be is definitely going to be go awry because of me, Solera, and Guinness, by your logic.¡±

    ¡°I have no idea.¡± Chianti became annoyed as she looked at Skadi, who was listening with a smile on his face. ¡°Just don¡¯t be an idiot. A unified team has the higher chance of surviving. The best choice an individual like you can make is to stick with the team. If we must flee, then we do it together. Understand?¡±

    ¡°¡­ What if my mobility is decreased after an injury?¡± Chip asked.

    Chianti shrugged. ¡°Then you¡¯re fucked.¡±

    ¡°All right, cool.¡± Chip nodded, and they had said no more.

    Rethinking that conversation now, Solera grew a bit nervous. Getting injured in a battle, wasn¡¯t that all too easy? At Fortress Hickory, Solera had broken several ribs and a hand. In an instant, an ankle could be twisted or a leg stabbed through. Yet this actually meant that he would be left behind by his teammates.

    Solera gripped his power crystal tightly. After some thought, he had no doubt that this power crystal was recharging its power. Compared to yesterday, its green color had grown even more deep. It didn¡¯t make any sense that a power crystal could recharge, but Solera had too much on his plate to worry about it. All that mattered was that it could save his life again.

    ¡°All right, do it.¡± Skadi said casually to a mercenary wearing a helmet. She nodded, sending a short burst of power flooding through the helmet.

    BOOM!

    Rumbles shook the ground as the explosives they had planted detonated directly under the Xuanwu. Several mercenaries slapped talismans onto the floor, creating Vigors out of the dirt they were standing on. The brush covering their hiding place was tossed away by one Vigor, and the group charged out, heading straight for the disoriented UD soldiers.

    Solera¡¯s foggy mind began to clear as he ran forward. He was able to keep up with the mercenaries, but Chip and Guinness were not. Only a few mercenaries were behind them; these were channelers, who were sniping the scouts who had not been affected by the explosions with flying darts, and a few controllers who were sitting back to control their Vigors.

    Right as the enemies recovered their bearings, another explosive detonated, killing around seven enemies and breaking a spike off of the howling Xuanwu. A Vigor launched itself into the midst of the enemy, sending mud and rock spraying everywhere.

    Skadi was the first to meet the soldiers. With a single slap, a man fell down, his head twisted in an unnatural angle. The area around the Xuanwu erupted into battle as the mercenaries attacked.

    Solera looked around, his brain fevered with excitement. This was his time to take revenge with his own hands!

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    A UD soldier struggled to his knees, blood running down the side of his face. Without hesitation, Solera swung his sword, sending the man falling back down, his neck sliced halfway through. It was too easy.

    The Xuanwu¡¯s head swung around, clamping down on a mercenary. Solera could hear muffled screams as she was lifted into the air. His blood ran cold as gruesome chewing and snapping sounds were emitted from the Xuanwu¡¯s mouth. This¡­ wasn¡¯t this too savage?

    This monster had to die!

    Solera howled, rushing forward to attack another soldier. The soldier was assisting one of his comrades in a duel, but quickly backed away when he saw Solera rushing in. A spear thrust gored Solera in the side as he charged in to stab the bloodsand sword at the man. The sword sunk into the soldier¡¯s shoulder, causing him to gasp in pain.

    A fist lashed out into Solera¡¯s face, sending him reeling back. His nose was broken, and he could taste blood in his mouth. Only the surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins kept him from blacking out. He backed away, wrenching the sword out of the man¡¯s arm and grabbing onto the spear with his free hand.

    Before Solera could deliver the killing stab, the man let go of the spear and tackled him to the ground. They thrashed about on the ground, each of them struggling to immobilize the other and regain balance. The man rolled over on top, his expression vicious as his left hand reached down to choke Solera¡¯s throat.

    Solera¡¯s hand gripped the man¡¯s injured shoulder, squeezing it as hard as he could. The man screamed, but his hold did not loosen. His legs were crushing Solera¡¯s body. Solera struggled to pick up his sword, but the man¡¯s feet were holding it down onto the ground. He let go of the sword to deliver one hook after another to the man¡¯s chest.

    The corpse of a dead UD soldier fell down next to two of them, her sword clattering onto the ground. Seeing the pile of mush that had formerly been the top of her head, Solera paled in fright. He hadn¡¯t even known she had been there!

    The hand around Solera¡¯s throat wrenched his thoughts away from that matter as it twisted in an effort to break Solera¡¯s neck. Power coursed through Solera¡¯s body as he channeled, strengthening his cultivation by over four times for as long as he could maintain it. The man strained, but he could not budge Solera¡¯s neck while his defense was activated.

    The force around Solera¡¯s neck also multiplied as the soldier began to channel power as well. Solera reached for his power crystal, but it was definitely too late.

    A sword tip sprouted from the man¡¯s forehead. The force around Solera¡¯s neck instantly disappeared as the soldier¡¯s corpse collapsed onto Solera¡¯s body. Chip looked calmly down at Solera, before turning away to join another fight.

    Solera struggled to his feet, his face pale. Without Chip¡¯s help, he definitely would have died. In the split second before Solera¡¯s neck was snapped, Chip had saved him. If the people were swapped around, would Solera have done the same?

    A great plume of flame shot out from the Xuanwu¡¯s gaping maw, engulfing Skadi in an inferno of flame. Through the lens of the truesight goggles, Solera could see that Skadi was channeling power all over his body! Power blasted out of Skadi¡¯s feet as he leaped four meters into the air in front of the Xuanwu¡¯s head.

    A tattoo on Skadi¡¯s palm emitted a brilliant glow as he smashed down upon the Xuanwu¡¯s forehead, which caved in from the force. The Xuanwu hissed as its head was blasted onto the ground from the force of Skadi¡¯s strike.

    ¡°Get down!¡± Chianti screamed, tackling Guinness to the ground. Seeing this, Solera immediately dropped to the floor as well.

    THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!

    The spikes on the Xuanwu¡¯s shell shot out like lightning. Many disappeared into the sky, but a few shot out into the surrounding areas. This dying attack of the Xuanwu was fearsome beyond measure, sending trees crashing onto the ground as the spikes blasted straight through the trunks. Next to Solera, a Vigor dissolved into dirt, its talisman destroyed by a stray spike.

    Solera worriedly looked up from the ground to see Fischer collapsing, a giant hole in his torso. Several others had also been killed by the Xuanwu¡¯s dying barrage, including the last UD soldiers.

    Skadi was nowhere to be seen. Solera looked around, bewildered. Corpses lay everywhere, mutilated by weapons, impaled by spikes, and crushed by Vigors. Solera couldn¡¯t bear the sight of the dead mercenaries. Several minutes ago, they had been living, breathing humans!

    ¡°Fischer¡­¡± Verreaux and Macaw stood over their friend¡¯s corpse, their faces grave. For a long while, they were silent.

    A bush rustled, and Skadi strode out, tossing a spike onto the ground. His torso had a deep gash, several centimeters deep, but he looked otherwise unfazed. Solera stared at the gash in utter shock.

    Did this guy actually block a spike from point blank range?

    Ignoring the astonished gazes everywhere, Skadi¡¯s eyes flitted over the ravaged battleground onto the mercenaries mourning their fallen comrades.

    ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t want to be that guy, but¡­¡± Skadi scratched his head. ¡°we have to get this work done. Let¡¯s see what this turtle is carrying.¡±

 Chapter 23

    Skadi ignored the glares of the mourners as he traced a fingernail along the turtle¡¯s shell, which resembled a beehive now that the spikes were gone. His fingertips glowed as he pressed down into one of the holes in the shell where a spike had been. Solera couldn¡¯t see it clearly through the truesight goggles, but he thought he saw smoke rising from the shell where Skadi was touching it.

    Two Vigors lumbered over to the Xuanwu¡¯s corpse. One grabbed one side, while the second took the other. They were about to start ripping the shell apart when Skadi lifted a hand.

    ¡°Hold up, let¡¯s just flip it over. It¡¯s a long way back, and I don¡¯t want you to overexert yourself and drain your Lake.¡± Skadi smiled at the controller, who nodded. He stopped channeling power into his helmet, causing the Vigors to crumble into dirt heaps, leaving only the talisman on the top.

    Meanwhile, Macaw, Verreaux, and Chianti were carrying Fischer¡¯s body to a makeshift grave created by a Vigor. Mercenaries were throwing the dead from both sides into the grave, after looting their corpses of cards and choice equipment. Of the twenty mercenaries, eight had died in the attack, five of which had been killed by the Xuanwu.

    ¡°Thirty years together, Fischer. Of the ten of us, it¡¯s just me and Macaw now.¡± Verreaux looked very troubled as they threw Fischer¡¯s body into the pit. ¡°I remember you wanted a vacation after this campaign was over. You always wanted a vacation, actually. We should have listened to you sooner. I guess I¡¯ll be taking a vacation on your behalf very, very soon.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be on your own then, Verreaux. I prefer using my money at the whorehouse, as you already know.¡± Macaw laughed bitterly. ¡°But maybe for Fischer¡¯s sake¡­ ah, Fischer, you were always the calm one. I didn¡¯t think you would die before me. I¡¯m sorry, friend, life has been so unfair. Killed by a damn turtle. That¡¯s not the right way to go at all.¡±

    Guinness looked forlornly at the mass grave. His mind seemed to be in turmoil as he gazed down at the corpses. Chianti went over to him, patting his shoulder and consoling him. She had Fischer¡¯s truesight goggles with her; Solera assumed it was going to be given to Guinness, now that Fischer wasn¡¯t around to use it.

    The sound of flesh splitting apart screeched out from where Skadi and a few mercenaries were.

    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Skadi smiled as he saw something. ¡°Hey, why are all of you still fussing over some bodies? Even though their souls have been fractured into trillions of pieces, all your friends are still alive and kicking in Sky. Don¡¯t worry about them!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, Skadi.¡± Verreaux glared at him. ¡°I¡¯m not in the mood for your crap.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Skadi raised up a hand placatingly. ¡°It¡¯s just that there are some interesting things inside here. I¡¯d expect you all to like them, it¡¯s a shipment inside a Xuanwu, after all.¡±

    He dragged a bag out of the Xuanwu¡¯s body. ¡°Haha, they actually grafted the shipment into the turtle. I thought this sort of thing was just a joke, but I guess I was wrong.¡±

    Skadi excitedly ripped open the bag and took a peek inside. His curious smile drooped, turning into a disgusted frown.

    ¡°Bah, just some weapons.¡± Skadi snorted, tossing the bag onto the ground. Several violet gauntlets made a loud clattering sound as they fell out.

    ¡°J-just some weapons?¡± A mercenary spluttered, grabbing one of the gauntlets and holding it up to the light. ¡°These are Shatter gauntlets from the Shatter sect! Do you know how much this is worth?¡±

    Skadi shrugged. ¡°Nope.¡±

    Solera walked over to pick one up for himself. The Shatter gauntlet was made out of a hide that seemed like leather but probably was not, and covered with metal plating that gleamed with a dark violet hue. One the wristguard was an insignia of a jagged scar. This was undoubtedly the markings of the Shatter sect. The soldiers they had killed also had badges with the Shatter insignia on them, but Solera had not paid too much attention as everything except power was translucent with the truesight goggles on.

    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s enough to go around.¡± A mercenary laughed, tossing a gauntlet to each mercenary. ¡°Shatter gauntlets are notorious on the battlefield, so coming across this shipment is like striking zircon! They could see for ten million Iotas each, maybe.¡±

    ¡°Feh, weapons.¡± Skadi shook his head, wiggling his fingers. ¡°The only reliable weapons are a part of you. They are one with you, and only you can depend on you, you know what I mean?¡±

    Solera raised an eyebrow as he heard this. If he could use one word to describe Skadi, it would be eccentric.

    ¡°Yes, only you can rely on yourself, but some exceptions can be made.¡± Skadi laughed, walking over to clap Solera on the shoulder. ¡°Are you appreciating that rock I threw, my boy?¡±

    Solera blinked in confusion. ¡°What rock?¡±

    ¡°The one that bashed through the head of the woman who was about to stab you, that rock.¡± Skadi raised an eyebrow. ¡°Oblivious kid, you didn¡¯t even realize I saved your life?¡±

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Solera stared at Skadi in shock. Only now did he remember the woman¡¯s corpse falling down next to him, during that desperate struggle between him and the spearman. He remembered his realization that she could have killed him!

    Seeing Solera¡¯s incoherence, Skadi laughed. ¡°Come on, now. I would not drag some young seedlings into battle and completely disregard them. That would be a completely irresponsible thing to do!¡±

    Hearing this, Solera could only chuckle.

    ¡°You¡¯re too overzealous, my boy.¡± Skadi smiled. ¡°Remember, only you can rely on yourself. Don¡¯t be so foolish next time, and charge one man after another. Even if you can win a one on one, battles are not one on one situations.¡±

    Solera looked down, ashamed. He recalled that the first lesson Skadi had given him when they had run into each other yesterday was to always be careful. Yet it turned out he had to be saved consecutively by Skadi and then Chip.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was being stupid.¡± Solera mumbled. From Skadi¡¯s tone, it seemed like Chip and even Guinness didn¡¯t need saving. Truly, Solera was the one who had made big mistakes without even realizing it. And had people not been watching out for him, he could very well have died.

    The gravity of what Chianti had said, that it was simply too easy to die in battle, began to sink in for Solera. To Fischer, perhaps this ambush was just another fight in a long list of battles. Yet he had met death here; one moment alive and healthy, the next speared to death by an impossibly fast projectile. The UD soldiers had been lounging about when explosives detonated under their feet and enemies came swarming out of nowhere to execute them all.

    If grown adults could die in an instant, then couldn¡¯t he, a thirteen-year old child, do so as well?

    ¡°Of course you were. Just get over it, and understand that you must survive with your own power.¡± Skadi looked around. ¡°So tell me, anyone, how much is this turtle shell worth? And those spikes?¡±

    A mercenary bent down to peer closely at a spike. ¡°This is extremely tough material, I¡¯d say. The shell might even make two hundred million Iotas. The spikes, perhaps each could go for a million or so.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that is a lot of money, right?¡± Skadi scrunched up his eyebrows in thought. ¡°Yes, yes it is. If I remember correctly, my meals cost an average of three hundred thousand Iotas each. That¡¯s a lot of meals. I suppose we¡¯ll have to destroy all of these, then.¡±

    Chianti blanched as she listened to Skadi. ¡°What the hell are you eating, to actually have meals cost that much? Xuanwu meat? And how do we destroy these things, anyway? They¡¯re expensive because they¡¯re tough!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the answers to your questions, Chianti.¡± Skadi shrugged. ¡°Figure it out, I guess.¡±

    He picked up a spike and, with some effort, snapped it in half.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s not do this.¡± Chianti eyed Skadi in disbelief. ¡°How about we hightail it out of here before several thousand UD soldiers surround us?¡±

    Skadi looked off into the distance, his eyes shining with something that looked like anticipation. ¡°Ah, too late for that.¡±

    Her face going pale, Chianti turned around. After squinting and rubbing her eyes for a bit, she put on her goggles. ¡°What the hell are you talking about, Skadi? I don¡¯t see anything.¡±

    Skadi didn¡¯t respond. He folded his arms calmly as he stared into the distance.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here already, we¡¯ve been here long enough.¡± Chianti urged nervously. All around her, the mercenaries stowed away their weapons and stuffed the cards they had looted into their bags.

    ¡°Well, you guys can leave, I guess.¡± Skadi laughed. ¡°They¡¯re a few kilometers away still. A little girl wearing a pink helmet, and a skinny grandfather with a very long beard. Ah, but their Vigors have already surrounded us.¡±

    Solera frantically searched the area. Everywhere he looked, he could only see translucent dirt and trees. What was Skadi talking about?

    And then he saw it.

    Small bumps of dirt and pebbles moving up and down as a faint talisman, dimly shining with power, moved through them, like waves on the ocean. One here, one there¡­

    ¡°Get ready, everyone!¡± Skadi shouted.

    All around them, Vigors burst out of the ground, sucking up the surrounding dirt and rock to form their bodies. Unlike all the previous Vigors Solera had seen, which had never exceeded three meters, these Vigors were around seven meters tall, as tall as the Colossi back in Fortress Hickory!

    One, two¡­ Solera¡¯s face grew grimmer and grimmer as he counted.

    Twenty Vigors!

 Chapter 24

    At once, every single Vigor raised up its two arms, merging them into a single fist that swung down to create earth-shattering booms. Solera tumbled aside as dirt rained into the air, fumbling for his goggles.

    Vigors were just dirt golems animated by their control talismans! If the talisman was destroyed, then the Vigor would naturally crumble apart. For a person unequipped with special gear such as truesight goggles, however, such a method was akin to looking for a needle in a haystack.

    But unfortunately for the controller of these Vigors, everyone here had truesight goggles, and could see straight through the translucent dirt to the talisman encased inside. Except for Skadi, who seemed to have his own substitute for the goggles.

    Dirt showered Solera¡¯s body as Skadi delivered an earth-shocking punch into a Vigor, snatching the talisman within and crumpling it up. The Vigor instantly became an inert pile of dirt.

    The shockwave of another Vigor punching the ground near Solera sent him flying next to the foot of another Vigor. This Vigor raised its palm high into the air as it prepared to smash Solera into oblivion.

    Solera shot into the air, his power crystal blazing with color as verdant power poured through his body. The Bloodsand sword stabbed into the Vigor¡¯s body, piercing through the dirt into the rock core that surrounded the control talisman. It too, was penetrated.

    Solera slid down the mud of the disintegrating Vigor, panting from the exertion. He whipped his head around as he ripped the talisman impaled onto his sword.

    A woman had scaled the back of a Vigor, stabbing her sword deep into the Vigor¡¯s arm, where the talisman was concealed. As it crumbled apart, a second Vigor leaped onto her. After a short moment, the resulting pile of earth reformed into the shape of a bulky limbed torso. As for the mercenary, her body was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°Bah!¡± Skadi shouted, ripping out the talisman of another Vigor and crumpling it up into a ball. ¡°COME HERE AND FIGHT ME YOURSELF, OLD MAN! DON¡¯T LET THE KID DO YOUR DIRTY WORK!¡±

    His voice shook the ground, nearly splitting Solera¡¯s ears with its volume. With a vigorous throw, the talisman disappeared into the distance.

    The ten or so Vigors that remained halted their attacks. After a few moments, the wheezing voice of an old man washed over them.

    ¡°Give me a few minutes, friend. I¡¯m not as young as I used to be, heheh¡­¡±

    Another four dirt columns shot into the air, forming new Vigors to replace the ones that had been destroyed. From the east, Solera could see another talisman moving through the ground at high speed towards them, like a shark fin shooting across the surface of the water.

    Skadi looked extremely unhappy. ¡°NORMAL GOLEMS CAN¡¯T MOVE ACROSS THE GROUND LIKE THAT, I¡¯M SURE THESE MUST BE EXPENSIVE! THE FASTER YOU COME, THE FASTER YOU CAN STOP LOSING MONEY!¡±

    This time, the only response that came was the Vigors raising their fists up to attack. Skadi leaped onto the top of one, grabbing several rocks out of it. A Vigor disintegrated as Skadi tossed a rock straight through its body into its talisman.

    Solera edged closer to Skadi as he tried not to trip from the shockwaves from each attack by a Vigor. He no longer could use this power crystal, which had become translucent again after he had depleted all the power within it. If he died after being saved by Skadi, then by Chip, then by the power crystal, then no matter how powerful the enemy was, he could only have himself to blame.

    Using a spear he had picked up from a fallen UD soldier, Macaw pole vaulted onto a Vigor¡¯s hips. He stabbed his sword deep into the Vigor, but it was stopped by the rock core surrounding the talisman. Cursing, he withdrew his sword for another try, sending mud spraying onto the ground below. Nearby, Verreaux channeled power into his sword and chopped off the arm the Vigor was about to use to smash Macaw into paste.

    The mud behind them churned as another Vigor formed, its hands already poised to hammer down at both Macaw and Verreaux. Yelling, Verreaux dove away, while Macaw screamed, stabbing his sword back into the Vigor he was clinging onto.

    Two giant slashes appeared on the arms of the Vigor behind Macaw, causing the tops of the arms to drop uselessly onto the ground. Chianti and Chip stood together, each wearing one of the purple gauntlets they had plundered from the Xuanwu.

    Earth shifted out of the ground into the Vigor as its arms reformed, while Macaw stabbed into the first Vigor a third time. Finally, the Vigor collapsed back into hunks of earth.

    Seeing this, Solera ran over to climb up the second Vigor to the talisman at the very top of its head. Chianti, Chip, Macaw, and Verreaux were working together, yet as a part of the team, he had been nearly getting killed all on his own again.

    Using the mud moving up the body of the golem to boost himself up, Solera found himself at the top of the Vigor within several seconds. Triumphantly, he lifted his sword up to stab down into the talisman.

    A small hill of flying mud appeared in the corner of his eye, heading straight towards him as his sword stabbed into the talisman within the Vigor. With a panicked yell, Solera let go of his sword and leaped off the Vigor¡¯s crumbling body.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    The mass slammed into his legs with the force of a mountain, sending a white hot pain shooting up his legs. Screaming, Solera crashed into the ground on top of his left arm. A cracking sound rang out as several ribs and the bones in his arm broke apart.

    The mud grew back into a towering Vigor, arms poised to finish him off. Solera scrabbed weakly with his right hand in an effort to drag his body away from the Vigor, but he already knew this motion was useless.

    He heard a roar behind him as two meaty arms hoisted him up by the shoulders and dragged him away from the Vigor. Mud splattered all over Solera¡¯s broken legs as the Vigor¡¯s fists thundered onto the ground.

    Solera shivered as spasms of pain wracked his body. Guinness set him down behind a copse of trees, a worried expression on his face. After patting Solera¡¯s shoulder, he turned around and lumbered back to Chianti.

    Solera gazed down at his power crystal as his body screamed in agony. The sounds of new Vigors bursting out of the ground, of the shouting and cascading mud, turned into a buzz of background noise. To Solera, there was only the pain, and the power crystal.

    Make the pain stop¡­

    With an immense amount of effort, Solera gripped onto the power crystal, sucking in the power constantly pouting into the crystal. The glow of power trickled into his arms, nourishing the entirety of his body.

    When he had used the power crystal at Fortress Hickory, his injuries had instantly healed. From that time, Solera had come to see the power crystal as his ultimate trump card. But now, its reserves were exhausted, and could no longer heal him. Still, the pain began to subside slowly.

    Solera lay there in a trance-like state as a small trickle of verdant power flowed into his body. He felt itchy all over his body as his skin crawled and his bones began to piece themselves together. Perhaps if he lay there for several days, it could fully heal.

    Despite the situation around him, or perhaps because of his state of mind, Solera found himself in wonder at the power crystal. Just what was this object, which could produce power from nowhere, and even have the power be of such a kind that it could heal these injuries? Vinoh had said he had found it in the Wastelands. It must have been an incredible place. Actually, shouldn¡¯t Vinoh have used this himself to regrow his limbs? But he couldn¡¯t have known about it until he used it, and he never did¡­

    ¡°Hahaha, only five of you died! Well done!¡± The wheezing laughter of an old man drifted down from above. Solera¡¯s listless eyes unconsciously drifted over to see two winged figures floating in the morning sky.

    One was an half-naked, emaciated elder whose white beard reached down to his shriveled belly. Solera could see the entirety of his ribcage, and his legs looked like it had been drained of all flesh. On his hands were huge cylindrical gauntlets that covered the entirety of his forearms with its golden metal. Like Leera, this man looked like he was reaching the end of his lifespan.

    The other was a little girl who could not have been over ten years of age. She was dressed in pink robes and wore a glowing pink helmet, from which countless knobs stuck out. Around her shoulders was a small purse, whose flap was opened. She looked completely disinterested in the battle, and instead sucked vigorously on the lollipop in her mouth.

    ¡°I want to know, tattooed man, are you an immortal?¡± The elder asked, smiling maniacally down at Skadi.

    Skadi grinned back. ¡°I might be!¡±

    ¡°Oh, my. I passed the threshold to immortality in the nick of time, but you look to be in your prime still. The name¡¯s Jeboro!¡± The elder laughed, descending onto the top of a Vigor and retracting his wings. ¡°Seems like Eden truly is full of unknown experts. I¡¯ve never heard of you!¡±

    ¡°You can call me Skadi.¡± Skadi cracked several knuckles. ¡°But this girl has been doing all the fighting this whole time. Surely, she needs a break.¡±

    Solera stared, wide-eyed, at the pink girl leisurely sucking her lollipop. Controlling twenty Vigors on her own¡­ how was that even humanly possible? The sheer amount of power needed to move the golems, and the concentration needed to control them¡­ The most he had ever seen was three, and he was in an army! How could this girl do such a thing?

    ¡°Her? Spoiled brat needs some experience.¡± Jeboro snorted, taking out another lollipop and giving it to the girl, who snatched it away as soon as it was presented. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡± Skadi shrugged. ¡°If my comrades die, they can only blame themselves for dying to some punk toddler. Sorry, guys, you¡¯re on your own.¡±

    ¡°Well said!¡± Jeboro wheezed with laughter. ¡°Let¡¯s fight!¡±

    Jeboro smashed his gauntlets down on a boulder sticking out from the Vigor he stood on as the girl fished out more talismans from her purse and tossed them down to the ground.

 Chapter 25

    Acrid smoke rose from the boulder Jeboro was gripping. Within an instant, it had turned a flaming red color, melting into lava. His hands sunk deep into the molten rock, draining the insanely hot lava into the cylinders around his arms.

    Ten talismans fell onto the ground, erupting into another ten massive Vigors. Now, there were more Vigors present than when they had been attacked. The girl reached into her purse and took out another seven cards to fan herself as she sucked on her lollipop.

    ¡°What the fuck¡­¡± Macaw mumbled. ¡°Is this real?¡±

    A glob of lava shot towards Skadi, who nimbly sidestepped it as he advanced towards Jeboro. Without missing a beat, the Vigors raised their feet to stomp downwards.

    Hidden in the bushes, Solera looked on with horror. How was anyone supposed to defeat this unending stream of Vigors? Even an immortal, one of only a thousand in the world, had come to take care of them! If Solera could move, he would still be unable to put up the slightest resistance against these monsters that defied reason.

    Chianti shot a pulse of power from her gauntlet as she dodged a Vigor strike. It moved slowly through the air towards the girl, who didn¡¯t react at all. Seeing this, Solera¡¯s eyes widened. Of course! If the golems could not be defeated, then it was best to go for the controller!

    As the glowing ball of power moved towards the girl, Skadi sent a palm towards Jeboro¡¯s face while he was still in the air. Jeboro met Skadi¡¯s palm with a forceful punch. The palm was stopped, but Skadi¡¯s body continued to move forward. His knee lashed out, going straight for Jeboro¡¯s chin. Jeboro did a strange contorting motion to dodge the strike, causing Skadi to change his kneeing attack to a frontal kick that sent Jeboro flying through the air.

    At that moment, the pulse made contact with the girl, sending a tremor running through her robes. The pulse¡¯s power spread throughout her robes with a crackling noise before dissipating in a bright flash of light.

    For a moment, the Vigors stopped moving and began to crumble apart. Yet not a single happy look could be seen on the faces of the mercenaries. Chip, for his part, had a shocked and nervous look in his eye.

    ¡°Insulator robes¡­¡± A mercenary breathed in disbelief.

    Chianti¡¯s lips had turned into a thin, hard line. ¡°Retreat! Everyone get out of here, now!¡±

    The girl¡¯s head snapped back up, her wings quickly flapping to break her fall. All at once, the hills of dirt formed back into Vigors. But many mercenaries had already begun to flee into the forest.

    ¡°You idiot girl!¡± Jeboro shrieked as he dusted off his robes. ¡°Can¡¯t you kill a couple people without getting shot? What do I give you those lollipops for?¡±

    Completely ignoring Jeboro¡¯s berating, the girl had her Vigors turn back into small piles of rock rolling across the ground to chase after the fleeing mercenaries.

    Solera watched the disappearing soldiers resignedly. As Chianti had said, the injured were ¡°fucked.¡± If the mercenaries were to drag him along, then they would only slow themselves down and get more of them killed as they escaped.

    This was the bitter reality. How could he blame them for leaving him behind?

    As he thought these forlorn thoughts, two huge legs appeared around him as Guinness lugged him up onto his back.

    ¡°Guinness¡­¡± Solera croaked in shock as Guinness carried him away. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ do this¡­¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Guinness grunted, panting heavily as he ran.

    You bumbling idiot! Solera screamed in his mind. You¡¯re killing yourself! She¡¯ll chase us down and turn us into bloodstains on the ground, Guinness. Leave me here, and save yourself. An idiot like me doesn¡¯t deserve to be rescued so many times. Don¡¯t be stupid, Guinness¡­

    But he didn¡¯t say anything. Because he didn¡¯t want to die!

    At that moment, Solera clung onto the tiny, minuscule hope that he and Guinness could get away alive. Even if it meant that he would drag Guinness down with him if they died. Because he wanted to live.

    Bitter, self-deprecating tears poured down Solera¡¯s cheeks. He could no longer blame Chip for fleeing. He could no longer blame Pinot for putting herself first. Because he was doing the same.

    In times of danger, a person¡¯s true nature is revealed. Solera was no different from Chip or Pinot. Like them, he clung stubbornly to his own life, even if it meant endangering the lives of another.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    A sizzling drop of lava landed on a nearby leaf, creating a burst of steam as the branch erupted into flame. From behind, Solera could hear Jeboro¡¯s shouting.

    ¡°Stay near me, Victoria! Don¡¯t go too far! If you died, I¡¯d be in huge trouble.¡±

    Solera registered this grimly as he bounced up and down Guinness¡¯s back. It seemed the little monster would not chase them, but it didn¡¯t mean he and Guinness were out of the danger zone. She had attacked them from kilometers away, somehow being able to see through the endless ocean of trees and even the Vigors themselves to coordinate the attacks of twenty golems, despite the Vigors not having any vision modules! Solera wouldn¡¯t be comfortable even if they fled for the next thirty minutes.

    Loud, crisp crackling sounds could be heard from behind them.

    ¡°AHHHHHHH!¡± Jeboro screamed, causing Guinness to stop and look back. Several hundred meters away, a raging inferno had engulfed Skadi and Jeboro, obscuring the two from view.

    ¡°Sun¡­¡± Guinness mumbled as he looked at the flames. After several moments, intense heat waves began to buffet them. A blur jumped out of the flames onto the shimmering ground several meters away, gasping.

    ¡°You¡­ you rat!¡± Jeboro howled at the center of the flames. ¡°My longevity! You just ruined it!¡±

    Like a monstrous dragon, Skadi strode out of the inferno. His entire body was radiating waves of power, at a volume Solera had not even thought was possible.

    ¡°Haha, the inventor of this technique called it Sublime Gold.¡± Skadi laughed. ¡°It uses sweat as a base to imbue power, and-¡±

    Jeboro threw something at Skadi¡¯s face, causing him to dodge aside.

    ¡°Wha¡­ what did you just throw at me?¡± Skadi¡¯s voice was full of disbelief. ¡°That¡¯s never, ever happened to me before!¡±

    ¡°Damn you, you bastard!¡± Jeboro hopped up and down in fury. ¡°I used my manhood every Saturday! How can you do this to me?¡±

    Another stream of lava shot out of his cylinders at Skadi, instantly resuming the fight. Not far away, Solera could see a Vigor threading its way towards them.

    ¡°Run, Guinness!¡± Solera yelled as loudly as his parched throat could muster. Guinness obliged, and they began to flee again.

    A small hill of mud flew through the air, crushing a tree to their left as it landed on the ground. Guinness smashed through a brush in an effort to flee before the Vigor could strike.

    ¡°Right, Guinness. To your right...¡± Solera hoarsely whispered, taking off his power crystal and pressing it into Guinness¡¯s neck, where many major channels were located.

    All at once, Guinness sped up, thundering away from the Vigor with newfound wind in his sails. Though Solera was the one channeling power into the crystal, allowing power to continually drain out of it, Guinness was able to absorb a good amount of it into himself, and borrow its power to flee faster.

    Several rocks smashed into Solera¡¯s back, sending them both tumbling onto the ground. Within three seconds, Guinness was back up and running again. Blood trickled down the gashes in Solera¡¯s back, but he wore a triumphant smile.

    They could make it! They could live!

    A talisman riding a small patch of rolling stones drifted past them. But before it could reform back into a Vigor, a flying dart pierced through the talisman.

    Chip, Macaw, Verreaux, and Chianti ran over from another side, panting with exhaustion. They had complicated expressions as they looked at Solera and Guinness.

    ¡°Nice one, Guinness.¡± Verreaux panted. ¡°You¡¯re a stand-up guy.¡±

    Chip looked at Solera briefly, before pointing into the distance. ¡°Shut up, we need to keep going.¡±

    Chianti glanced around for incoming Vigors, before nodding. ¡°Go.¡±

    They continued fleeing for their lives. The sounds of fighting grew dimmer and dimmer until it disappeared altogether.

 Chapter 26

    ¡°Let¡¯s be real, Macaw.¡± Verreaux sighed as they trudged through the woods. ¡°We¡¯re never going to get enough money in this line of work to cultivate our way to immortality. When this is all over, let¡¯s buy a house in the city and enjoy the rest of our lives instead of dying in these pointless battles like Fischer, Audubon, and everyone else.¡±

    ¡°I was never good at saving money for cultivation.¡± Macaw laughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°Too busy enjoying life with the ladies. This kind of lifestyle is good enough for me.¡±

    Verreaux pursed his lips. It was clear that he did not approve of Macaw¡¯s words.

    ¡°Well, actually, I kinda feel Verreaux.¡± Chianti said as she led them in a wide arc towards the border. ¡°After all this time, I still haven¡¯t found myself a proper husband. The whole time we were fighting that battle, I had an absolutely miserable feeling in my heart. How can I die to some kid when I¡¯m still a virgin?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s really an issue, then protecting you all those times was a complete waste of time.¡± Macaw shook his head in amusement. ¡°There¡¯s still a thousand young, handsome, and maybe even rich men at camp who would love to solve all your problems.¡±

    ¡°Well, none of them are the one for me.¡± Chianti sniffed, then turned around to prod Solera, who was still atop Guinness¡¯s back. ¡°You still need food?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that hungry right now.¡± Solera smiled.

    Several hours had passed, and the pain had dulled to the point where it was nearly imperceptible. But what had replaced it, strangely enough, were hunger pangs that would return every half hour. Already, Solera had devoured all the salted meat in his own bag, as well as a sandwich Chianti had packed and some crackers in Guinness¡¯s bag.

    Although he still could not walk, Solera could feel his bones mending at an astonishing rate. It was unlikely that he would have any permanent or long-lasting injury from the Vigor¡¯s strike.

    ¡°Hey, look at the Halo.¡± Verreaux pointed upwards, mild interest on his face. ¡°There¡¯s an aurora right now.¡±

    Solera looked up at the gleaming blue Halo suspended above the north pole. Flashes of glittering light danced around it like fish swimming around in a small pond. At a glance, he could see blue dots, the same color as the Halo, as well as swirling red ribbons and drifting black clouds. Solera found himself entranced by the light show.

    ¡°I¡¯m no astrologist like those Halo cult wackjobs, but there really is something mystical about it.¡± Verreaux remarked as he stared upwards. ¡°It¡¯s no wonder to me that more spiritual-minded people revere the Halo.¡±

    Macaw just laughed. ¡°What were the theories, again? The Siehntient choosing whether to Bless a very special person, or Curse us all with calamity, or nothing at all? Or long-gone Ancients doing battle with long-dead Primordials? Come on, now. It¡¯s just a chemical process innate to siehnti.¡±

    ¡°Well, like you, I¡¯m no scientist.¡± Verreaux grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m just saying that it¡¯s thought-provoking.¡±

    Solera found himself in agreement with Verreaux. Of all the heavenly bodies, the Halo was the only one that never changed its position in the night sky. It was not the glittering stars, nor the shapeshifting moon, nor the blazing sun. Solera never knew what exactly to believe about the Halo, but it was generally agreed upon that the Halo was above the moon and below the Sky.

    It was the Firmament which separated Land from Sky, a relic left behind by the Ancients, the Halo that stood at the peak of Land.

    No, it was a being called the Siehntient, created by the Ancients, to guard Land against the primordial demons. No, the Siehntient was not a guard of Land, but an angel of the Ancients, which would Bless chosen humans to rule over the lands, and Curse the lands that had sunken too deeply into depravity. No, the Siehntient was all of the Ancients themselves, merged into one being that watched over its creations.

    No, it was a ring made completely out of siehnti, one of the most mystical substances in the world, even more durable than Sky artifacts. All those flashing lights were the result of energy passing from the sun into the Halo.

    Like many other things pertaining to the Ancients, the theories regarding the Halo were endless. Which were right? Which were wrong? To Solera, their intricacies were impossible to comprehend. But when he looked at the rich lights flashing around the luminous Halo, only an incredible feeling of awe emerged. All the theories agreed that the Halo was created by the Ancients. How else could something be so subtly beautiful and ethereal?

    ¡°The Halo is something that unites us all. Anyone at anytime in any place in Land can look up and see it. Under the Halo, aren¡¯t we all one people? All our wars must be pointless squabbles in its eyes.¡± Verreaux sighed again.

    Macaw looked at Verreaux for a few seconds, then laughed. ¡°Our lives must be one very long shitshow to you, then. Fight to live and live to enjoy. Don¡¯t sweat the details, brother. If you think about it deeply enough, all life is pointless.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough.¡± Verreaux looked down. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and get over the border. With this light show, all the UD guys will be looking upwards instead of around.¡±

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Ten minutes later, a turquoise line shot away from the Halo, creating a blue-red line as it burned its way across the sky. Verreaux stopped jogging again to spectate.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned.¡± He scratched his head. ¡°That¡¯s the first Blessing in a decade. I wonder which country will obtain that siehnti deposit.¡±

    ¡°Probably the ocean.¡± Chianti laughed. ¡°There¡¯s another one.¡±

    One shooting star after another began to fall from the Halo towards Land. Some were red, some were black, and some were blue. The black streaks would burn away within seconds, while the red ones would disappear just before landing. The blue ones were the only lights that did not burn up, but rather fell all the way to Land.

    The blue comets, called Blessings, were siehnti deposits! When they landed, they would be at one of the hottest temperatures siehnti could ever be. Master smiths the world over would jump at the chance to create siehnti weapons and armor, but too often the siehnti would lose its heat before they reached it, rendering it completely useless for the purposes of forging.

    As for the red ribbons and the black clouds, or the purple lines that were not present today, nobody knew what they were. Any time they would fall, they would disappear without leaving behind any trace of what they were.

    Actually, it was said that a Curse would befall the continent upon which anything but a blue comet fell. The Floods of the eastern continent had occurred when a purple line descended, and the Calamity of the northern continent occurred at around the same time two red ribbons had fallen to Land. It was a good thing, then, that they would disappear before landing.

    Two intertwined lights, one blue, one red, shot towards their direction, causing them all to perk up and pay attention.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too excited, everyone.¡± Chianti squinted up at the lights. ¡°They¡¯re still over a hundred kilometers away from us. It could land anywhere in the Warring States or the Verdant Empire.¡±

    The two shot closer and closer, whirling around each other like a set of meridian balls. The red ribbon was burning away, sending blazing light shooting across the afternoon skies. After another thirty second, it had disappeared altogether, whereas the blue light curved away towards the United Duchies, falling several hundred kilometers away from their position.

    The faces of Chianti, Verreaux, and Macaw had all turned very ugly.

    ¡°That Blessing definitely landed near one of the Kubeh Duchy¡¯s major cities.¡± Chianti said, gritting her teeth. ¡°Their top experts are going to get siehnti weapons within the next year.¡±

    ¡°This is some bullshit.¡± Verreaux shook his head in disgust. ¡°Fuck it, let¡¯s get going.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡± Chip spoke up suddenly. Puzzled, Solera rotated his head to look at Chip. He seemed to be concentrating with all his effort on something in the distance.

    Chianti frowned. ¡°What is it, Chip?¡±

    Chip turned away, an agitated expression on his face. ¡°Can you guys¡­ trust me this one time?¡±

    Solera tilted his head to look curiously at Chip. This was a side he had never seen before. Just what had happened to make him lose his cool?

    ¡°Uh, depends on what you want, man.¡± Macaw spoke up. ¡°You¡¯ll have to tell us first.¡±

    Chip looked down at the ground, in deep thought. ¡°I want¡­¡±

    ¡°I want you guys to follow me over there, where the Curse landed.¡± Chip said, his calm demeanor returning to him. ¡°It¡¯s around twenty kilometers away, only a small detour.¡±

    ¡°All Curses disappear.¡± Chianti protested. ¡°You won¡¯t find anything.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I won¡¯t.¡± Chip nodded. ¡°But maybe I will.¡±

    ¡°This is still UD territory. Even if it¡¯s a Curse, some UD soldiers will go to check it out. You¡¯re treading on thin ice here.¡± Macaw warned.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I need you guys with me. Come with me, please.¡± Chip begged. ¡°This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I need to take it.¡±

    Solera looked at Chip in utter confusion. It was widely agreed that nothing came from a Curse. Yet from what Solera had seen, Chip seemed to know everything, from creating to advanced mathematics and herblore. Could it be that he also knew a secret about these Curses?

    Chianti sighed, shaking her head. ¡°You are a strange, strange guy, Chip. You should tell us your background sometime.¡±

    ¡°If this goes through, I will do so.¡± Chip said without hesitation.

    Chianti laughed. ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡±

 Chapter 27

    ¡°Look, they¡¯ll clear out in an hour or so.¡± Chianti waved her hands at the clump of UD soldiers combing through a section of forest half a kilometer away. ¡°I think we should wait until they¡¯re gone.¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Chip shook his head. ¡°Every second counts, we have to go now. Just remember, no matter what I do, play along.¡±

    He checked some tubes he had pulled out of his bag again before standing up. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go. Walk as arrogantly as you can. Solera and Guinness, just keep your heads down.¡±

    Solera jingled his handcuffs nervously as he looked at the UD soldiers. The handcuffs were unlocked, and the plan made some sense, but he still felt apprehensive. No matter how he looked at it, they were walking straight into a group of enemy soldiers!

    ¡°Halt!¡± A man shouted. ¡°Who goes-¡±

    ¡°ATTENTION!¡± Chip roared, derision in his voice. ¡°Who is the highest-ranking soldier here?¡±

    The man frowned. ¡°That would be me. My name is Lieutenant Joff, from the Vespi Duchy.¡±

    Lieutenant Joff was dressed in a flamboyant black armor that had talismanic etchings on it, much like Skadi¡¯s tattoos, and sported a well-groomed handlebar mustache. He looked a bit too ornate to be a soldier.

    ¡°Very nice armor, Lieutenant Joff! It is a pleasure to meet you.¡± Chip sneered. ¡°I am Elijah, scion of the Shatter clan, here to take a look at this Curse zone.¡±

    A trickle of sweat ran down Joff¡¯s cheek. Meekly, he began to speak.

    ¡°Pardon me, sir, but I am tasked with investigating this area for any signs of the Curse, and I am not allowed to let anyone interfere.¡±

    ¡°Well, I, Elijah, feel like interfering! Your superiors are my subordinates. What are they going to do about this?¡±

    Joff shifted around uncomfortably. He could clearly see the Shatter insignia upon the gauntlets Chip, Macaw, Chianti, and Verreaux were wearing. Given how only the most important members of the Shatter clan could wear these gauntlets, this was clearly a line-up of top experts guarding a young master! If he questioned them, if he offended them, they could kill him without any trouble or repercussion.

    ¡°Stand down.¡± Chip said bluntly. His eyes and his voice had turned even colder than normal.

    Joff had a pained look in his eyes. ¡°Sir, you know how Curse zones are. I cannot consciously put your health at risk.¡±

    Chip looked puzzled for a few moments, then smiled. ¡°Oh, radioactivity.¡±

    ¡°S-sorry?¡± Joff stammered.

    ¡°I, Elijah, am not afraid of some Curse!¡± Chip sniffed. ¡°Take me to where you think it landed, or, well, you know.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. Right away, sir.¡± Joff turned around, gesturing towards a nearby soldier. He had given up any ideas of dissuading Chip. He wasn¡¯t going to risk his position or his life over some desolate Curse zone.

    Solera gaped in shock. Who would¡¯ve thought Chip had it in him to do something like this? It seemed everyone was amused at this turn of events; he could see Macaw and Chianti holding back smirks and Verreaux maintaining a solemn poker face. Guinness was the only one to not react. As usual, he was staring off into space.

    ¡°Right here, sir. The tops of these trees are missing their leaves, so this is probably where the Curse would have landed, if it didn¡¯t burn into nothing.¡± The soldier leading them bowed before stepping back.

    ¡°Haha, good, very good!¡± Chip began laughing maniacally. It was a bubbly, giddy laughter, something Solera never would have expected from someone as icy as Chip. After three seconds, tears started to trickle down his face as he laughed. Solera shifted around uncomfortably as he watched. Chianti¡¯s eyebrow slowly began to raise.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Macaw coughed. ¡°Sorry, lieutenant, the young master has his fits sometimes. It¡¯s best to just indulge him.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Joff nodded vigorously, some color returning to his pale face. ¡°As long as the young master is all right.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Chip wiped a tear from his eye, motioning towards Macaw. ¡°Jora, please reward this man for his services.¡±

    ¡°...¡± His eyelid twitching in annoyance, Macaw took out a blue card and handed it to Joff.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, boy?¡± Chip laughed heartily as he took off his shirt.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± The soldier stared confusedly at the stripping Chip before snapping back to his senses. ¡°Jumpy, sir.¡±

    ¡°Jumpy, hm? Could¡¯ve sworn I¡¯ve met someone else with that name before, but we all know that¡¯s impossible.¡± Chip laughed again. ¡°Anyway, hold these for me, please.¡±

    He took out the expandable tubes from his bag and handed them to Jumpy. ¡°Jumpy, I heard plebeians like to play in the mud. Is this true?¡±

    Chip began to take off his pants, causing Chianti¡¯s eyebrow to shoot all the way up.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°I-I think so, sir.¡± Jumpy mumbled. ¡°Why do you ask?¡±

    ¡°Just making sure I¡¯m not crazy. I feel like giving it a try for myself.¡± Chip took a tube from Jumpy, untying it and releasing a pink liquid onto the mud below. He then began to take off his undergarments.

    ¡°Ah, young master¡­¡± Chianti spoke, a tinge of extreme annoyance in her voice. ¡°Did we really come here for this?¡±

    Solera could tell that she was speaking directly to Chip. Actually, Solera wanted to ask him this same question.

    ¡°No, of course we¡¯re not here to strip.¡± Chip laughed, stripping entirely naked. ¡°It¡¯ll just be me doing that.¡±

    He lied down and began to roll around, smearing mud all over his body.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t crazy at all, right? Plebeians do this all the time, right, Joff?¡± Chip laughed, standing back up and taking another tube from Jumpy. He doused this green liquid all over himself.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Lieutenant Joff was speechless.

    Macaw coughed again. ¡°Deepest apologies, lieutenant. Really, I, uh¡­ never expected something like this to happen.¡±

    Chip spat some blood out of his mouth onto the mud. Instantly, the mud started roiling about like boiling water.

    A soldier¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Blood magic!¡±

    ¡°Devil!¡± Another soldier shouted, drawing his sword.

    ¡°Good guess!¡± Chip laughed.

    The mud turned into an oily black liquid that shot into the air, solidifying into a metallic lance that went straight through the soldier¡¯s head.

    The first persons to react were Chianti and Verreaux. Their swords stabbed through the nearest soldiers as they were reaching for their weapons.

    ¡°I hope you know what you¡¯re doing here!¡± Verreaux snarled as he swiped at another soldier.

    Solera gaped in astonishment at Chip. The metallic black liquid flowed on the surface of his entire body. This was clearly blood magic, a lost demonic art!

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, guys. I¡¯m no devil.¡± Chip laughed, flicking his hand. The black stuff shot out from his arm, turning into a flurry of black spikes that impaled a whole group of soldiers.

    A slash appeared out of thin air, slicing a UD soldier in half. Next to him, the tree also began to topple over. The last soldier tried to run, but a flying dart sprouted in the back of his head, causing him to fall down, dead.

    Chianti whipped her head around, staring at Chip in astonishment. The black stuff shifted a bit, turning into a hooded black robe. Chip¡¯s eyes were closed, but Solera could see his eyeballs rolling around underneath his eyelids.

    The robe grew a belt, and then changed color several times. The hood melted away, turning into hair that merged seamlessly into a collar that simultaneously grew out of nowhere. Had Solera not just seen this transformation take place, he never would have believed it had happened.

    ¡°Chip, you better explain yourself.¡± Verreaux¡¯s mouth was a hard line. ¡°None of us are fans of the Halo cult, but when they say blood magic is only used by devils, they¡¯re not kidding.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense.¡± Chip had a dark look in his eyes. ¡°Blood magic is just a method to synchronize items with yourself. It¡¯s only forbidden because the Halo cult had disputes with the Blood clan.¡±

    ¡°But the Blood clan was a clan of¡­¡± Verreaux frowned. ¡°You have a point, Chip. The Halo cult does like to call its enemies devils. What is that strange thing you got, anyway?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an exosuit. Unlike most human technology, this does not use power. It uses blood to function.¡± Chip said calmly. ¡°If I had not found it within a day of the Curse, it would have dissolved into nothing. Even now, it is extremely weak, and needs to regenerate.¡±

    Chip chewed his lip for a moment, before kneeling down on the ground. ¡°I am indebted to you all for helping me obtain this. You are truly my comrades.¡±

    ¡°Cool.¡± Macaw came back from looting the corpses, waving the card he had given to Joff at Chip¡¯s face. ¡°If that¡¯s true, why did you make me give that guy my money? What kind of comrade are you?¡±

    ¡°Hey, come on. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen Chip not have his head stuck up his ass. How can you just ruin the moment like that?¡± Verreaux began laughing.

    ¡°... I realize you guys are joking.¡± Chip sighed.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t much, Chip. Just help me find a decent guy, and we¡¯re even.¡± Chianti smirked. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to camp. All the Duchies¡¯ hotshots are probably piling off to that Blessing to fight over the siehnti, so we should be able to escape without too big of a problem.¡±

 Chapter 28

    Solera smiled as he saw the shrubbery that covered an entrance to the tunnel complex. They had made it back safely!

    ¡°Knock knock!¡± Chianti called out.

    Immediately, a voice responded. ¡°Go to the briefing room, Leera is waiting for you.¡±

    ¡°Dang, so her imps did spot us after all.¡± Macaw groaned, taking out his card and exchanging some Iotas with the smirking Verreaux. ¡°I was so sure we were being stealthy.¡±

    ¡°Leera is a prodigy with her imps.¡± Verreaux said as they crawled into the tunnel. ¡°That¡¯s the only reason the United Duchies can¡¯t find this base. Any Airborne scouts within a thirty kilometer radius of base gets devoured.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t stop the Airborne from sneaking past us.¡± Macaw smiled. ¡°If she can¡¯t see an army fly over, she shouldn¡¯t see us decked out in black and being extra quiet.¡±

    ¡°It was a cloudy day. And who the fuck paid any attention to the United Duchies until two days ago?¡± Chianti said indignantly, giving Solera a quick glance. ¡°You know how stupid that joke was.¡±

    Macaw shrugged. ¡°My bad.¡±

    They walked the rest of the way in complete sentence. Solera limped along, using Guinness as support. His left leg had been injured less than the right, and was now fully healed. The parts of his body that had not been injured were actually feeling better than before. He would be completely uninjured after another few days.

    This power crystal was comparable to having a medic channeling a moderate amount of healforce at all times into Solera¡¯s body. The average medic could last a few hours at most at that rate, but Solera¡¯s power crystal simply did not stop as long as Solera channeled power into it.

    A power crystal whose power could automatically convert into healforce was completely unheard of! Vinoh had obtained this in the Wastelands, where the Garden once stood. It¡¯s leader, the Gardener, had created many wondrous artifacts that were now lost to the world. Perhaps this power crystal was one of them.

    Solera furrowed his brow. It was crystal clear that his father had a strange illness that no conventional medicine could cure. But wouldn¡¯t a steady stream of healforce be able to alleviate his disease?

    Solera felt some bitterness in his heart. Had his father known that this power crystal was not at all ordinary, then perhaps his Curse would have been healed long ago! Right now, what Solera needed above all was to return to the Grove and give his father back the crystal. Then, Vinoh¡¯s disease could be cured and he could start back on the path towards immortality!

    ¡°Chianti.¡± Leera¡¯s hoarse, rasping whisper drifted in from a side tunnel. Chianti swiveled her head, blinking in surprise, before walking into the room.

    Inside were around three others of the soldiers who had been sent to assault the Genbu. They all looked tired and worn-down. One had bloodstains all over her clothes.

    ¡°Another four. That makes eleven who have returned.¡± One of them said, frowning.

    Leera¡¯s eyes swept over their group. ¡°Did any of you-¡± She broke off her sentence with a hoarse cough. ¡°-see Skadi?¡±

    Chianti shook her head. ¡°Last time we saw him, he was fighting with that Immortal from the United Duchies.¡±

    ¡°He had the upper hand, though.¡± Verreaux spoke. ¡°From what I deduced, Skadi damaged that Immortal¡¯s cultivation enough to bring him back out of immortality. Even if Skadi didn¡¯t kill him, he shouldn¡¯t have died.¡±

    The other mercenaries nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Jeboro is eight hundred years old. When I was born, he was two hundred years old, but not very well-known.¡± Leera sighed. ¡°He must have just made immortality. Now that Skadi has damaged his cultivation, it will be hard for him to-¡± She coughed again. ¡°reach that point again.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you should take a rest.¡± Chianti said, frowning. ¡°You¡¯re nearing the end of your lifespan. Actually, you should Ascend.¡±

    Leera croaked with laughter. ¡°And leave Eden in its time of crisis? Once this war is concluded, surely. But until then, no. My duty is paramount, my loyalty over my life.¡±

    ¡°Leera, that battle just now must have been arduous.¡± One of the mercenaries said soothingly. ¡°Chianti is right. Take it easy for a few hours.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Leera sniffed. ¡°I¡¯ll stop harrassing them when their leaders come back from squabbling over the Blessing. Leave me alone, now. Tell me if any other ones come back, and look out for Skadi.¡±

    She closed her eyes as the mercenaries filed out. She was definitely looking through the eyes of her imps, fighting battles with the United Duchies. But to Solera, Leera looked like she was sleeping.

    Solera knew summoners never slept. Barring special circumstances, sleeping would allow a summoner¡¯s minions to wrest their souls free from the summoner¡¯s control. All summoners were eccentric; sleep deprivation, and drugs taken to alleviate its side effects were probably why.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    It was a good thing Solera was not a summoner. After eating and using the restroom, he collapsed onto his bed and instantly fell asleep.

    He didn¡¯t know how many hours had passed when he awoke. But when he did, he instantly gripped onto the power crystal, draining it of the power it had stored up while he had slept. Some popping sounds rang out from his right leg as its healing progress instantly shot forward. Solera gasped at the mix of pain and pleasure that resulted.

    ¡°Nice trinket.¡± Chip¡¯s voice washed over Solera, breaking him out of his trance. ¡°Can I see it?¡±

    Solera groaned, inwardly berating himself. How had he been so careless as to let Chip find out about his secret? He hadn¡¯t been thinking at all!

    ¡°Solera, can I see it?¡± Chip¡¯s head appeared above him. He had a mildly interested look in his eyes.

    Sighing, Solera handed the power crystal to Chip. Nothing he could do about it now. But what if Chip ratted him out? What if the power crystal was confiscated from him, and he couldn¡¯t return it to his father? Solera eyed Chip nervously, a cold fear covering his heart.

    Chip held it up to the torch, peering closely at it. The tiny amount of green power gathering inside the power crystal disappeared as Chip channeled, only to have a new dot of power reappear instantly.

    ¡°Very interesting.¡± Chip turned it over again. ¡°Like the Tornado Towers in the Tornado Sect and the World Tree that once stood in the northern continent, this can generate power on its own. It¡¯s less efficient and at a much smaller scale, of course, but¡­ wow.¡±

    ¡°...Huh?¡± Solera looked at Chip bemusedly.

    Chip handed the power crystal back to Solera, furrowing his eyebrows. ¡°Where did you get something like this? The Ancients never passed down any blueprints for a device like this.¡±

    Solera bit his lip. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Chip looked briefly at Solera. ¡°Well, it¡¯s incredible. The creator who made that was able to comprehend the inner workings of a creation of the Ancients, and then replicate it. If you were a creator, you would know how ridiculous that is.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Solera asked, puzzled. ¡°If you couldn¡¯t understand what you were making, then how could you make it?¡±

    Maybe if he could keep Chip talking about this, Chip wouldn¡¯t do anything shady.

    Chip shrugged casually, but Solera could see a tinge of excitement in his eyes. ¡°Creators can understand the function of the components they are creating.¡±

    He went to his table and grabbed a talisman. ¡°See this thing? It¡¯s a transistor. It condenses the power moving through it, allowing for more lethal attacks when the power gets converted into lightning or fire. And this is a resistor. If you channel too much power into a low-quality gauntlet, the resistor prevents the gauntlet from frying itself.¡±

    Solera nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± He didn¡¯t really see where this was going, but as long as Chip was happy, everything was fine.

    ¡°But how does a transistor do that? How does a resistor dissipate power?¡± Chip shook his head excitedly. ¡°Power does not interact with any matter until it is converted into energy, like fire or lightning. These transistors are made out of plant seeds, animal bits, whatever. If power doesn¡¯t interact with plant seeds, then how can these plant seeds affect the power? It doesn¡¯t make any sense, but if we follow the blueprints of the Ancients, it works out.¡±

    Chip, who was normally indifferent to everything, clearly cared quite a bit about this subject.

    ¡°Power comes in through rifts between Land and Sky. Nobody knows how rifts are created, but every human is born with one in the brain. This¡­ thing, that you have, it needs a rift to gather power. The rifts that summoners create when they summon spirits collapse on their own. How was this rift made, how was it stabilized? How did the creator of this thing figure it out?¡±

    Chip scratched his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It must be a bloodline that never revealed itself. That¡¯s the only explanation I can think about. Whoever you got it from, you should befriend them. And tell me as well, I deal in knowledge, and lots of good things could happen to all parties involved if you could introduce me.¡±

    Solera laughed awkwardly. He supposed he could send Chip off to the Wastelands to find the creator of this power crystal.

    Chip stared at Solera expectantly.

    ¡°Ah¡­ Uh¡­ I got it from my dad, who got it from the Wastelands.¡± Solera mumbled. There was no way Chip would believe him, but it was the truth.

    ¡°...¡± Chip sighed disappointedly. ¡°Well, you can tell me anytime.¡±

 Chapter 29

    Clap!

    ¡°Eighty-six!¡± Solera groaned, his face red from exertion. Clap! ¡°Eighty-seven!¡±

    Solera mustered up energy for the eighty-eighth push-up, but failed miserably.

    Solera laid on the ground, savoring the burn coursing through his arms. He hadn¡¯t done a serious training session since he had left the Grove. Actually, with his right leg still injured, this session couldn¡¯t count as one either.

    ¡°Okay, one hundred tumbles.¡± Solera mumbled. ¡°Last fifty with sword drawn. One! ... Two! ¡­ Three!¡±

    On the other side of the room, Chip thumbed through a manual, his right hand making strange motions as he read. In the bed next to him was Guinness, who was sleeping like a log.

    ¡°You¡¯re looking pretty healthy, Solera.¡± Macaw walked into the chamber, an easygoing smile on his face. ¡°How are your legs?¡±

    ¡°Pretty all right.¡± Solera stopped tumbling to look nervously at Macaw. He had downplayed the severity of his injury when they had escaped in an effort to make his future recovery seem more natural, but he couldn¡¯t shake the fear that his secret would be discovered and his power crystal confiscated. With Chip knowing about it now, his fears grew a bit more.

    ¡°Nice, nice. I remember having infinite regeneration when I was young.¡± Macaw slapped Solera¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Anyway, Skadi came back. You should come outside to take a look, he¡¯s setting up quite the show.¡±

    Chip closed the book, a frown on his face. Seeing this, Macaw raised a hand.

    ¡°Chianti talked to Leera. Skadi is not allowed to take you kids on missions anymore, no matter what he says.¡± Macaw scratched his head. ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t feel too relieved if I were you. The United Duchies are zeroing in on our location. It¡¯s a race to see whether Lord Uthman will arrive before the Duchies discovers where our base is.¡±

    Solera had heard of Lord Uthman. He was the governor of Klora, a city several hundred kilometers north of Fortress Hickory that had been conquered by Eden three hundred years ago.

    ¡°Wait a second!¡± Solera exclaimed. ¡°Will Klora even help us? They¡¯ve only been part of Eden for three hundred years!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an excellent, excellent question.¡± Macaw rubbed his forehead. ¡°It was Leera who led the campaign to conquer Klora that time. Several of Lord Uthman¡¯s relatives died in the fighting, so whether or not he and the Klora garrison will come is still up in the air.¡±

    Macaw slapped the snoring Guinness a few times. ¡°Basically, we¡¯re stuck between the Airborne centered at Fortress Hickory in the west and three United Duchies armies to the east, waiting for another force to help us break through the encirclement. Or maybe Skadi will pull some shit out of his ass, let¡¯s go see.¡±

    Guinness groggily climbed out of his bed. After looking around for a few moments, he grabbed his toothbrush and headed off into the corridor.

    ¡°What¡¯s Skadi doing, exactly?¡± Chip asked, an indifferent expression on his face.

    Macaw shrugged. ¡°Nobody knows. But he brought a King Tiger back from the United Duchies without them noticing. It¡¯s still alive, and tied up in a clearing outside.¡±

    A King Tiger? Solera¡¯s eyes widened in shock. King class monsters were over ten meters tall, and were always possessed by immensely powerful spirits. The only king class monster Solera had ever seen was the reindeer that had brought them to Peat city! Every single king-class monster was a treasure; how had Skadi captured a King Tiger without its summoner noticing?

    Chip flipped the book closed and got out of his chair. ¡°What could Skadi possibly do with a King Tiger? It already has a spirit possessing it. Is he going to dissect it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe he will have it roll around in mud to see what poor people do for fun.¡± Macaw snickered. ¡°What¡¯s your exosuit made out of, anyway? I¡¯ll keep your secret, but I do want to know more about it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Chip tugged on his hair several times. ¡°I just knew what it was and what it did. I don¡¯t know how it works.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too bad, then.¡± Macaw didn¡¯t press the issue, so they waited in silence for Guinness to come back from brushing his teeth. Solera could hear multiple groups of footsteps going through the corridor as they waited.

    ¡°Everyone off duty is going to see what Skadi is up to. He always does crazy things.¡± Macaw laughed. ¡°Immortals and summoners, they¡¯re always insane.¡±

    When Guinness came back, they went through the twisting passageways. After a quarter of an hour, they emerged onto the bottom of an unassuming hilltop covered with shrubbery and trees, one wave in an ocean of forest. Nearly a thousand other soldiers were gathered there, taking seats around the base of the hill. The sun was not out yet, but rays of its light could be seen peeking out from the eastern horizon.

    Solera could see small bunnies scampering through the bushes of the hill. A flock of birds flew overhead. At the top of the hill was the prone body of an enormous tiger. It was so large that even from this distance, Solera could see it breathing. Lining the hilltop were rows of caged animals. A glass box filled with a dark swarm of fleas stood next to the silhouette of a muscular man. Skadi.

    Chianti walked out from the throng, taking a seat next to them. Her eyes looked tired, as if she hadn¡¯t slept for hours.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Verreaux?¡± Macaw asked as he popped a cracker in his mouth.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t come. He¡¯s paying his respects to Fischer.¡± Chianti said, grabbing a cracker from Macaw.

    ¡°Ah, he was always the sentimental one.¡± Macaw shrugged. ¡°Everyone has their own ways of coping, I guess.¡±

    Chianti glared at him. ¡°You just go have sex with prostitutes, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Escorts, they¡¯re escorts.¡± Macaw waved his hand. ¡°They comfort me. Like a wife, but cheaper and more replaceable.¡±

    ¡°Shut your damn mouth, Macaw.¡± Chianti looked away, an irritated expression on her face.

    ¡°Whose animals are all those?¡± Solera asked, pointing at the cages in an attempt to change the subject.

    ¡°Leera¡¯s.¡± Macaw smiled. ¡°She lugged up her entire menagerie. This is quite interesting.¡±

    At that moment, Skadi stood up, lithely leaping onto the top of the King Tiger¡¯s body.

    ¡°Friends!¡± He raised both arms into the air to quiet everyone down. Within two seconds, the talking disappeared entirely.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you have all heard of the Gardener, the Sky God who ruled the northern continent. Our very own Eden can trace our roots back to Him.¡± Skadi smiled. ¡°Our royal family is descended from the Gardener! Although everyone is encouraged to worship him, it¡¯s not a particularly big deal whether or not you do. Actually, many of you do not care about the Gardener at all.¡±

    ¡°But the Gardener cares for His plants.¡± Skadi curled a hand into a fist. ¡°Prepare yourselves for the descent of a foot soldier from the Garden in Sky, the first of many!¡±

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    He picked up a barrel and flipped it upside down. Dust rained down onto the King Tiger¡¯s head. A soldier rolled another barrel over. It, too, was dumped onto the King Tiger¡¯s head.

    ¡°Th-that can¡¯t be summoning dust, can it?¡± A nearby soldier gasped. ¡°That¡¯s too much!¡±

    A third barrel of dust fell upon the King Tiger¡¯s body.

    ¡°General Leera shall do the honors of welcoming a new Throne into Land!¡± Skadi shouted as a reindeer pulled up alongside him, with Leera on its back.

    ¡°A new Throne!¡± The audience erupted into immense commotion. Solera, too, could not contain his excitement.

    Thrones were the highest class of spirit possible to summon! By definition, they were vastly powerful; the Grove Tender of Eden and the General of the Bloodsand Dominion were the most famous Thrones Solera knew about.

    Although a Throne¡¯s cultivation depended greatly on the vessel it possessed, their channeling capabilities were limitless! Every single Throne could fight on par with an Immortal. If they had a Throne on their side, wouldn¡¯t breaking out of their encirclement be made a thousand times easier?

    ¡°Hold it!¡± A man dressed in military uniform stepped out of the crowd. ¡°Summoning a Throne is an impossibly dangerous thing to do! What if Leera loses control? What about its Dominion? You¡¯re dealing with devils here!¡±

    ¡°Fool!¡± Skadi shouted. ¡°Leera does not need to control it, nor its Dominion. This is a spirit raised in Sky by the Gardener himself, sent to assist us! Why else did you think the Gardener left Land?¡±

    He slammed a palm into the mud, grunting from some unseen exertion. ¡°Proceed!¡±

    Leera raised a hand to the sky, fervently whispering. ¡°The Gardener is the Sun that guides, the light that nourishes. He is all-powerful, unstoppable. My subordinates, the only thing the Gardener wants is your loyalty. You are his Land, and he is your Sky!¡±

    A tendril of power drifted out of her hand, floating through the air until it made contact with the summoning dust.

    Blinding flashes of light shot out as space distorted wherever the dust had been. The dust had disappeared, vanished off the face of Land. In its place was a gaping hole filled with flashing green lights. Power leaked out of the borders into the corporeal world, forming a mist that began to envelop the entire hilltop. This was a rift into Sky!

    A wind rolled up the hill, sending leaves blowing every which way. One flew towards the rift, taking a path that made it seem as if it would pass straight through. Yet, at the point of contact, the leaf changed direction and floated along the rift¡¯s surface before disappearing out of view. At the edges of the rift, the border between Land and Sky, space did not exist. The leaf would never be able to touch Sky.

    Brilliant dots of light shot out of the rift, all either a rich green or dazzling yellow color. Hundreds of them, no, thousands of them bubbled out of the rift and flickered into the corporeal world like a luminous dust cloud. Scattered among the countless specks of light were larger ones, perhaps the size of a walnut or a fingernail. Solera knew these lights were spirits from Sky!

    The lights flooded everywhere, yet made sure to remain inside the fog of green power. They could only exist within that cloud, just like the leaf could only exist in Land. The grass swayed as another wind rolled over them. All at once, the tiny lights began to move in a coordinated fashion.

    Countless lights sunk into the ground, causing the grass to tremble. A flood of miniscule lights passed straight through the glass box of fleas. One flea after another dropped to the bottom of the box, forming a mass of twitching and writhing insects at the bottom of the box.

    A soldier walked up to the box with a sledgehammer and smashed it open. Hundreds of fleas rolled out of the box, their bodies making crackling noises as they violently expanded.

    Trees sprouted from the ground, using power as their only sustenance to grow. The rift hummed as power and spirits flooded out. Now, spirits as large as Solera¡¯s hand were shooting out, each accompanied by hundreds of smaller spirits. The cages rattled as the animals within pounded the bars. Larger spirits drifted into the cages, sending the animals reeling onto the floor. Several mercenaries walked past the cages, unlocking them one by one and tossing out the bodies.

    Clouds of imps appeared from the distance. They dipped down as they flew over the hilltop. One spirit after another flew into them, causing the imps to crash into the ground. Grass rose up from the ground, shrouding the countless twitching bodies from view.

    Every single soldier had their mouths wide open. Wasn¡¯t this only the prelude to a Throne¡¯s descent?

    The trees twisted as they grew, their branches intertwining with each other and merging seamlessly together to form a single entity, whose form constantly shifted as the wood shifted around, almost as if it was water.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this like Fortress Hickory?¡± Solera asked, his mind reeling from incredulity. From nothing, such a massive tree had been created! This was too fantastical, like something out of legend!

    An ear-splitting drone rang out. Suddenly, a vast horde of imps shot out of the meters-tall grass into the sky, followed by much larger versions of themselves. They looked grotesque, something in between insect and human, and were almost all as large as the average man.

    Gusts of wind flattened the tall grass as a King Eagle flew into the air to join them. The horns of several King Reindeer appeared as they emerged. Standing upright on their backs were a plethora of monsters, some furred, others shelled; Solera could not tell what they had been before. A ten-meter tall King Gorilla lumbered into view, standing in the center of the group of reindeer. A King Snapjaw appeared, its gleaming shell covered with more monsters. Hundreds¡­ thousands¡­

    A man emerged from the grass, a wide smile on his face. It was Skadi.

    ¡°Even a foot soldier from the Garden must have his servants in Land. It is almost time for his appearance!¡±

    The tree groaned as its growth slowed to a stop. Its branches trembled, before spreading out like the blooming of a flower. At the top of the tree was the standing silhouette of another giant, eight meters tall.

    Its feet were distinctly human, yet not. Its legs and torso were encased by a suit of glowing yellow armor, and its face was chiseled and ruthless. Only its large snout and whiskers told Solera that it had once been a King Tiger.

    The Throne raised a hand up to the sky. A small dot appeared in the center of its palm. As it grew, Solera could see that the dot was actually a battleaxe, shimmering with an otherworldly gleam.

    An eruption of light, accompanied by a loud bang, shot out from the battleaxe. This was a legendary Sky artifact, which could change size at will while it had not yet taken corporeal form!

    The battle axe smashed into the dirt in front of Skadi. Cursing, several soldiers withdrew their swords, only to freeze up as every single monster knelt onto the ground.

    After a moment, the Throne raised its head to look at Skadi.

    ¡°On behalf of the Gardener, we serve!¡±

 Chapter 30

    From a grassy hill, a fortress had been created. A cloud of flies became an army of imps. Imps became regular monsters. Regular wildlife had been turned into King monster, and a King had changed into a Throne. A force like this, which could shake the entire Warring States, had come out of nowhere. This was high-level summoning!

    Solera quavered a little bit as he looked at the demon army kneeling in front of them. If they wished to kill every single soldier from Eden here, they could probably do it. Was this the power of Sky?

    ¡°Welcome to Land, comrades.¡± Skadi¡¯s voice boomed out. ¡°You may rise.¡±

    The Throne rose, its feline-like eyes looking upwards. The moment it saw Skadi, it hurriedly knelt again.

    ¡°Lord Skadi. This one is ashamed.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha!¡± Skadi laughed. ¡°In Land, no matter what size we are, we are equals. Rise, soldier. It is time for you to choose a name.¡±

    ¡°A name¡­¡± The Throne looked excited. ¡°As the first soldier to Descend, my name will be the Vanguard!¡±

    ¡°Excellent. That goes for the rest of you.¡± Skadi¡¯s eyes swept over the rest of the monsters. ¡°As members of Land, all of you will get a name from the codex!¡±

    Without exception, every single monster eagerly roared. Solera watched on, a little confused. Did spirits not have names, even in Sky?

    ¡°Lord Skadi!¡± The Vanguard remained kneeling. ¡°Where are our enemies? We will crush their artifacts and drain them of their power until not even a single iota is left!¡±

    ¡°Patience, soldier!¡± Skadi laughed again. ¡°First, we must secure this fortress.¡±

    He turned around to face the human soldiers. ¡°Friends! Before, we were surrounded on all sides by the United Duchies, with nowhere to turn our backs! Now, with our compatriots from Sky here to assist, we will not be afraid. We will defend ourselves as well as our homeland behind us. Airborne to our west and tigers to our east? Let them come! We will kill them all!¡±

    Cheers rose from all around Solera. But when he looked around, he could see countless worried, nervous faces. It seemed that they were less at ease than they were before the Sky spirits had Descended.

    *****

    ¡°They¡¯re demons! Insidious, treacherous, and devious.¡± Verreaux paced around the room, a dark look on his face. ¡°It¡¯s clear that they are not under our control. At any moment, they could backstab us. Macaw, how can you be all right with this?¡±

    Macaw downed his alcohol. ¡°Didn¡¯t know those southerners got to you, too.¡±

    ¡°The Halo cult has nothing to do with this!¡± Verreaux snarled. ¡°You and I were raised in the Bamboo Tower. You know how spirits are! Sky warps their souls. Not a single one of them is sane.¡±

    ¡°Heh. You¡¯re right.¡± Macaw smirked. ¡°I hope we summon some more. The Halo cult might even send some immortals over.¡±

    ¡°Macaw, you¡­ does your hate run that deep?¡± Verreaux growled. ¡°You would ignore your own experience just for that? If the Halo cult said one plus one was two, would you also disagree?¡±

    ¡°Are spirits that bad?¡± Solera frowned. The spirits at the Grove, without exception, were docile creatures. Imps even served him breakfast and made his bed! He had never seriously considered the idea that spirits could be malicious.

    ¡°Yes, Solera.¡± Verreaux wiped his brow. ¡°The Bamboo Tower is where Eden¡¯s summoners are trained. Go there, and you will see. How many minds have been broken by the spirits they summoned? How many families have lost children to rogue monsters? Too many to count.¡±

    Solera didn¡¯t really know what to say to that.

    ¡°I have a problem as well.¡± Chianti spoke up after a moment. ¡°That King Tiger already had a spirit possessing it. How was the Throne able to seize control away from that spirit while undergoing its mutation?¡±

    ¡°Brute force.¡± Chip said calmly as he read his manual. ¡°Only a very large and very capable spirit could do it. Thrones are at the very least the size of a full-grown man, and this one had the control over itself to pull it off.¡±

    A spirit the size of a full-grown man? The spirits that had become imps were perhaps the size of a grain of sand at most! Solera marveled at the astonishing difference in power between them.

    ¡°Look, this is all beside the point.¡± Verreaux sighed. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to stay in the same fortress as that monster army. I don¡¯t trust Skadi, either. He is the definition of fishy.¡±

    ¡°Well, we take what we can get.¡± Macaw drank again. ¡°You heard the news, right? The Lynx has arrived from the other side of the Duchies along with her tigers. Which spirits do you prefer, theirs or ours?¡±

    Verreaux looked at Macaw for a while. ¡°Yours.¡± He grabbed the bottle out of Macaw¡¯s mouth and chugged it all.

    ¡°Uh¡­ let¡¯s go get our stuff, then.¡± Chianti scratched her head. ¡°Now that it¡¯s daylight, the United Duchies can probably see that massive tree from a hundred kilometers away.¡±

    The fortress was located at the center of the tunnel system. It was not as large as Fortress Hickory, but even if it wasn¡¯t at the top of a hill, it would still tower over the rest of the trees in the forest. The grass growing on the hill had turned into thick, tubular vines that seemed to be able to detect Solera¡¯s movement. A group of Vigors were forming the earth around the hill into a series of trenches and barricades. The King Eagle circled overhead, scanning the lands below.

    At the base of the fortress sat the King Gorilla and the King Snapjaw. The gorilla was dumping bags of fruit into its mouth, while the snapjaw grazed on stalks of wheat laid out in front of it.

    ¡°Where is all our food coming from?¡± Solera asked as he watched another hundred pounds of food drop into the gorilla¡¯s throat. If Skadi wanted to dig in for a siege with these monsters, they would be finished rather quickly.

    ¡°Look at the hill you¡¯re walking up.¡± Macaw chortled as he waved his hands at the grass surrounding them. ¡°During the summoning, the grass on this hill was mutated to grow food. As long as there¡¯s power in the dirt, anything that grows here will reap the benefits.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but grass doesn¡¯t grow fruit.¡± Solera said, slightly annoyed. He was from the Grove, he knew how farming worked. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of grass growing food.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to Macaw.¡± Chianti snickered as she pushed a wall of grass out of her way. ¡°He¡¯s drunk. I¡¯m assuming Skadi or whoever planted seeds all over this hill prior to the summoning.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not drunk!¡± Macaw shouted. ¡°If spirits went into the plants, then they can mutate it. Hell, they¡¯re listening to us right now!¡±

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    He tugged on a stalk of grass. Immediately, the stalk whipped out, landing a glancing blow onto Macaw¡¯s body.

    ¡°See? I¡¯m not drunk.¡± Macaw groaned, stumbling away. ¡°You¡¯re drunk. Not me.¡±

    ¡°... Fucking idiot.¡± Chianti started laughing. Solera couldn¡¯t help but smile at Macaw¡¯s antics as well.

    The Kings paid Solera¡¯s group no attention as they climbed up a vine hanging off a branch of the tree. It was as if they were too small to be noticed, like ants. Discomfited by the thought, he turned around and climbed up the rest of the vine.

    The interior of the fortress was much like Fortress Hickory. Even the stair layout was more or less the same, only on a smaller scale. He traced his finger along the wall. Back at Fortress Hickory, he had sliced straight through the wall after using the power crystal. Now that he had the chance to see the material again, he was doubly impressed.

    Seeing Solera touch the wall, Chianti scratched it a few times.

    ¡°You know, Hickory probably wasn¡¯t made out of siehnti after all. Sky stuff, more like.¡±

    Macaw took out his sword and swung at the wall a few times. ¡°Can¡¯t tell the difference. Nobody ever told me what Sky artifacts or siehnti looked like, so I wouldn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Oh, look, that¡¯s the mess hall.¡± Chianti started walking towards the room which had been the command center back at Fortress Hickory. Solera could see the humans were taking up one side, while the monsters occupied the other. Despite the sheer amount of people, nobody was talking.

    With only the sounds of chewing in the background, Solera grabbed some meat and rice before taking a seat in an open area near the border between the humans and the monsters. Several meters away, a cluster of imps were devouring a pile of drumsticks. Their sharp teeth tore straight through the meat and left marks on the bones, causing Solera to shudder.

    ¡°This silence is kinda weird.¡± Chianti muttered as she sat down next to Solera, who had already gone through more than half of his plate. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a mess hall like this.¡±

    Solera bit into a hunk of meat before shoveling rice into his mouth. ¡°Me nheether.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been talking a lot more.¡± Chianti smiled, lifting a hand into the air and waving at Guinness. ¡°That¡¯s a good thing.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Solera hadn¡¯t noticed it. ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Oh, not that again.¡± Chianti rolled her eyes as she speared some peas on her fork. ¡°Hey, you know how to maintain your sword, right? If it rusts, it-¡±

    A howl sounded from across the room, cutting her off. Solera turned to see an old man with short white hair and his bird familiar confronting one of the humanoid monsters. The bird¡¯s wing was torn, and bleeding. A group of nearby humans had stood up, their hands on their weapons.

    ¡°What¡­ is the problem?¡± The regular spoke slowly, with a nasal voice. It seemed to have trouble speaking, probably because it had originally been an imp. Furry hair covered its entire body, and its nose had a spiky horn-like appendage protruding from it. Solera guessed that it had been a bee before it was an imp.

    ¡°Fucking goblin, who do you think you are?¡± The white-haired man snarled. ¡°You want to devour Krel, and there¡¯s no problem?¡±

    The regular tilted its head, staring with its bulbous eyes at the white-haired man. ¡°It is not from the Gar-den. What is the prob-lem?¡±

    Solera could see Verreaux making his way towards the site of the altercation, a worried look in his eyes. The group of humans had grown to include around fifteen people, all staring down the regular.

    ¡°You¡­ you motherfucker. This is my familiar!¡± The white-haired man shouted. ¡°It¡¯s not yours to eat as you please, you savage!¡±

    Several regulars stood up to join the lone regular, one of them a two-meter tall monster that towered over everyone present.

    ¡°Watch your mou-th.¡± The regular growled. ¡°I don¡¯t like your¡­ attitude.¡±

    ¡°Let it go, Scarlet.¡± A soldier patted the white-haired man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°This filth cannibalize each other all the time. It¡¯s just a way of life for them.¡±

    ¡°I want repayment for my falcon!¡± Scarlet jabbed a finger at the regular. ¡°You think you can just bite into its wing and get off scot-free? This is Land, not some savage netherworld! You better fix this!¡±

    ¡°Land trash.¡± The two-meter monster drawled. ¡°Annoying like imps, but bigger.¡±

    The monsters around him sniggered. The imps chittered indignantly, but continued to watch the spectacle.

    ¡°Hear this, infant.¡± The two-meter monster stared straight into Scarlet¡¯s eyes. ¡°We are not your subordinates. We are not like other spirits. We are more powerful than you. Therefore, you are our subordinate.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Scarlet¡¯s face had turned the color of his namesake with anger. ¡°You, a spirit, would actually profess yourself to be my superior?¡±

    All the monsters began to laugh. After a few seconds, the two-meter monster recovered, and began to speak again.

    ¡°Even the imps have better sense than you. Do you-¡±

    ¡°Enough, everyone.¡± A rumbling voice reverberated through the entire mess hall. A blur came out of nowhere, stopping in the middle of the group of humans and monsters. It was Skadi, wearing his easygoing smile again.

    ¡°We¡¯re all on the same side here. You can already see the United Duchies outside, and you¡¯re still bickering over these trivial things.¡±

    Skadi chuckled. ¡°Well, they say the closest bonds are forged in battle. I¡¯m sure after we all kill some together, we¡¯ll be good friends. How about it?¡±

    Without hesitation, all the humanoid monsters knelt.

    ¡°As you command, Lord Skadi.¡± The two-meter monster said. ¡°Savard is ashamed to have disturbed you.¡± It glanced reproachfully at the regular that had started this dispute.

    ¡°No worries.¡± Skadi smiled, turning towards the humans.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Scarlet. I¡¯ll get Kres treated.¡± A soldier pulled Scarlet away, and the group disbanded.

    The mess hall returned to its quiet state. Solera finished his brunch as quickly as he could to escape the uncomfortable atmosphere.

 Chapter 31

    Unlike the branches at Fortress Hickory, which were hollowed out and open-topped, the branches of this tree were simply larger than normal. Solera sat on one of them, a thick green vine in his hands.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t know how to use this.¡± Solera grumbled to Guinness, who sat next to him and was similarly holding a vine. ¡°How far does it shoot when you squeeze it, anyway?¡±

    Guinness squeezed the vine, sending a spray of acid shooting into the air.

    ¡°Oh, pretty far.¡± Solera squinted his eyes, looking into the distance. The United Duchies armies had set up camp in the forest thirty kilometers away. Little wisps of smoke rose up from their campfires, and the occasional chaser flitted about through the air, bloodied from several skirmishes with the imps.

    Many of the soldiers were inside the tunnel system, preparing for a battle. Solera wanted to fight, but Chianti had forbidden it. As a compromise, he was all the way back at base, holding this acid-shooting vine. A regular had given him a very basic explanation of the vine, but that was all.

    An imp flew over from a nearby branch, landing next to Guinness. Chittering angrily, it took out a smooth rock and began scratching away at it. After a few seconds, it flipped it around for Guinness to see. Solera leaned over to see that the imp had written ¡°Dont shoot idiot.¡±

    ¡°... Sorry.¡± Solera said, inwardly holding back his laughter. ¡°My fault.¡±

    The imp socked him in the stomach before flying off.

    ¡°Infant.¡± The regular overseeing the imps on the adjacent branch looked over at Solera. ¡°How old?¡±

    ¡°Thirteen.¡± Solera answered hesitantly. Unlike many of the other regulars, this one was wearing a uniform, but it still looked quite fearsome with its sharp fangs and black fur.

    ¡°Not infant then.¡± The regular took out a snack and began to eat. ¡°I am four since become self aware.¡±

    Solera blinked in surprise. ¡°Only four?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The regular waved at the imps. ¡°They are thirty days mostly.¡±

    ¡°Four years¡­¡± Solera tried to process that information. Warriors like this regular could be made in four years in Sky?

    ¡°What is Sky like?¡± Solera asked curiously. He had heard so many things about it, but here was a person who had actually been there. ¡°It seems like a crazy place.¡±

    ¡°Crazy? No. Simple. Simple place.¡± The regular popped another cracker into its mouth. ¡°Sky made out of power. Spirits made out of power. You have more power, you are bigger. You are bigger, you are boss. Very truth- only truth in Sky.¡±

    ¡°How big are you, then?¡± Solera smiled. Size meant rank? What a strange concept!

    ¡°In Land, I am this big.¡± The regular pointed at itself.

    ¡°In Sky, this clone is this big.¡± It made a small ball with its hands.

    ¡°Big clone is this big.¡± It pointed at itself again. ¡°Close to this.¡±

    ¡°Clone?¡± Solera asked, confused. ¡°What¡¯s a clone?¡±

    The regular smiled. ¡°Clone is me. Mind split, make clone. Easy.¡±

    Solera scratched his head, astonished. At Fortress Hickory, he had learned that mind splitting was the process of dividing the soul into two pieces that could each think for themselves and perform different tasks. All controllers had split their mind at least once.

    ¡°Wait, that actually makes a lot of sense.¡± Solera muttered. Spirits were just souls! Dividing the soul would of course split the spirit into two.

    ¡°I have three clone.¡± The regular went on. ¡°When rift came, everyone near with clone must give one or more. Big hurry. But other clone get big reward because I go.¡±

    ¡°How strange.¡± Solera remarked. ¡°So even if you, uh, this body, dies, your clone lives?¡±

    The regular nodded. ¡°Never see clone again. But fine.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not simple.¡± Solera laughed. ¡°Making clones? That¡¯s crazy.¡± He found this regular to be very easy to get along with. It didn¡¯t look like it had any ill intent at all.

    ¡°Hey, how big is the Gardener?¡± Solera asked. ¡°He must be huge.¡±

    The regular grunted with amusement. ¡°Too big. Too big.¡±

    ¡°How big?¡± Solera pressed on.

    The regular looked around, scratching its head. ¡°Too big. Live inside Gardener. Like Land. Big.¡±

    Solera rolled his eyes. ¡°That¡¯s crazy. Eeden alone is twenty thousand kilometers across, and all of Land is somewhere between one and two mil-¡±

    A giant plume of erupting dust and smoke appeared thirty kilometers away, cutting Solera off. He covered his ears, motioning for Guinness to do the same. Several seconds later, a roaring boom hit them, causing the nearby imps to shriek in shocked displeasure.

    A flood of imps poured out from the site of the explosion, followed by a group of regulars. As the regulars had previously been imps, all of them naturally had wings. Flashes of power shot out from their ungauntleted hands, impressing Solera. It took great skill and power to channel without a gauntlet, yet they made it seem effortless.

    The sounds of explosions came in incessantly. Solera squinted closely, but couldn¡¯t see clearly through the trees. Sighing, he rummaged around his bag for his truesight goggles.

    The colorful world was bleached of color, turning into various shades of gray¡­ except it was much less gray than before. The entire hill Solera was atop was aglow with light. Dots of light ran through the vine he was holding. The branch he sat atop was no different. The grass below was no different, although it was less vibrant than the tree. It only became entirely gray several hundred meters away from the base of the hill.

    Solera¡¯s eyebrows raised up as he saw a cluster of huge worms carving through the dirt towards the enemy. Hordes of indistinct figures were rushing out of several tunnels, taking up positions in the forest outside and sending channeling attacks flying into the enemy camp. Vigors formed a shimmering wall that defended the tunnel mouths from return fire. Above, the horde of imps flew forward as the regulars behind them provided covering fire.

    ¡°Very¡­ not fierce, battle.¡± The regular commented. ¡°Weak shockwaves.¡±

    Solera eyed the regular skeptically, before returning back to observing the battle. The ground erupted as the worms shot out, devouring a group of enemy soldiers before tunneling back into the ground. A group of what appeared to be men riding tigers leaped onto the back of one worm, preventing it from escaping. Solera couldn¡¯t see clearly what they were doing, but they left the worm writhing on the ground after several seconds.

    Solera heard the imps behind him screeching, so he turned around. To the west, over thirty kilometers away from the fortress, Solera could see a horde of figures flying through the sky. He narrowed his eyes when he saw them.

    Airborne!

    The fortress stood between the Airborne and the battle, which was taking place in the east. If the Airborne wanted to help, they would first pass by Solera. A grim feeling of anticipation rose up in Solera¡¯s stomach as he gazed at the faraway figures. It was time for some payback.

    Solera completely ignored the battle taking place in the east as he watched the Airborne approach. Explosions rumbled out continuously, along with faint screams and shouts, but they were all relegated to background noise. The Airborne had killed so many children without hesitation. They would have killed him too, if they had the chance. Out of all the forces of the United Duchies, Solera despised them the most.

    If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    After an hour, the Airborne were five kilometers away. Lightning and lasers began to streak out from all over the fortress towards the Airborne flying in. The regular had his palm pointing towards them, and continuously shot blasts of a plasma that Solera didn¡¯t recognize towards them. Although the vast majority of attacks missed, individual Airborne started falling out of the sky into the trees below.

    One Airborne flew forward, vibrant colors of power shooting through his arms. A hazy wall formed, which dissipated any projectiles Solera could see when they ran into it. A high-pitched whistle started to ring in Solera¡¯s ears. Puzzled, he took off his goggles to see more clearly what was going on.

    A swirling vortex of wind had appeared between the Airborne and the fortress, with dust and leaves blowing around it. The channeling attacks shot into the wall and were quickly absorbed by the stray debris, while the flying darts they were shooting would be knocked astray. Behind the tornado, the Airborne descended onto the ground.

    Solera took off the Shatter gauntlet he had just put on, a frustrated frown on his face. The Airborne were still moving forward, but now they could use the trees as cover. The trees began to catch fire as the soldiers of Eden shot indiscriminately into the forest.

    A group of reindeer resting at the base of the tree trotted into a tunnel leading westwards. A group of monsters climbed onto the back of the King Snapjaw¡¯s shell as it lumbered off.

    A half hour passed. The Airborne were now only two kilometers away, allowing Solera to clearly see them. Many were using earthen shields to cover themselves from projectiles and a few other Airborne as they jogged through the forest.

    Solera pointed the end of the vine at them, a dark look in his face. A globule of acid blasted out of the vine at high speed as Solera squeezed. It splattered against one of the earthen shields, with no other effects. The vine puffed up as more acid was loaded into it. Solera shot again. It landed onto a tree several hundred meters away, sending smoke billowing into the air.

    The imps began to shoot from their vines as well. Acid shot everywhere, causing some Airborne to fall from the corrosive spray.

    A flying explosive streaked through the forest into a group of Airborne before detonating. Immediately, Solera shot a blast of acid into the explosion. Many of the nearby Airborne not killed by the blast were knocked away. The imps swiveled around, sending a barrage towards the fallen Airborne.

    Solera cursed as he waited for the vine to replenish itself. The Airborne were dying too slowly!

    Below him, the King Gorilla stood up and began to stretch. After a bolt of lightning smashed into its shoulder, it walked behind the fortress and continued stretching. Solera cursed the King Gorilla for its complete disinterest as he shot another globule of acid into the Airborne.

    A stampede of reindeer charged out of their hiding spot into the Airborne. One of them caught a man in its horns, tossing him up into the air. When he fell onto the ground, the reindeer trampled him to death. A woman was headbutted by a reindeer into a tree before her head was bashed in by its hoof.

    Bolts of light shot out, downing several reindeer. Another group was caught in an explosion, sending dismembered body parts and blood spraying everywhere. Vicious fights between the reindeer and the Airborne started all over the forest. Solera aimed carefully at an Airborne shooting lightning at the reindeer. The Airborne screamed as the acid ball splashed all over him. He scratched at his clothing, desperately trying to rid himself of the acid, before collapsing onto the ground.

    Smiling, Solera aimed at another cluster of Airborne backing away from an oncoming reindeer. The acid splashed four of them, sending half the group onto the ground.

    An imp fell down from the adjacent branch, a flying dart sticking out of its destroyed head. Lightning and wind blades smashed into the fortress, leaving small patches of black or scratches where they had struck. Frowning, Solera looked for the Airborne shooting at them.

    A flying explosive shot out of the forest towards them. Solera shoved Guinness off the branch, pushing himself off as he did.

    Solera smashed into the ground eight meters below, gasping from the impact. He had channeled power throughout his body as he fell, preventing him from breaking any bones, but it was still an eight-meter fall.

    A loud boom rumbled out above Solera¡¯s head. Liquid splattered onto his back. A second later, a part of the branch crashed into the ground several meters away, causing the ground to tremble.

    Solera stumbled up, his head ringing from the blast. ¡°God damn¡­¡± He cursed as he looked for Guinness. Part of an arm covered with black hair had landed near him. It had the tatters of an Eden army uniform on it.

    Solera looked around for the regular he had talked to, hoping that the arm didn¡¯t belong to him. He couldn¡¯t see the regular anywhere, only blood and body parts everywhere. Bitterly, Solera realized he had never learned the regular¡¯s name.

    Guinness was lying in a heap not far away. He seemed to be uninjured. Breathing a sigh of relief, Solera circled around the tree and climbed a vine back up.

    A giant dome-shaped shield of earth rose into the air several hundred meters away from the fortress. Behind it was a large group of Airborne, channeling attacks that smashed into the fortress. Seeing this, Solera dropped back down from the vine, taking a position behind the tree and taking his shatter gauntlet out of his belt.

    ¡°LEERA, COME OUT!¡± A nasal voice shouted from on high. Solera looked around the fortress at the dome. At its top hovered a gray-haired man dressed in black armor, with a gold trimming. He had emotionless black eyes that would unnerve anyone who looked into them, and a cold, arrogant expression that reminded Solera of Chip.

    ¡°I took Fortress Hickory, so you decided to make a shoddy knock-off, hm?¡± The man sneered.  ¡°Last time I saw you, you were a near-dead sack of skin. Impressive.¡±

    ¡°Get out, Archibald.¡± A whisper rolled out from nowhere. ¡°We were friends, once.¡±

    Archibald laughed acerbically. ¡°Yeah, the Lynx and I don¡¯t want to be here, truly. But the Council voted for war, so war it is. Leera, I¡¯ll be lenient if your troops surrender. I¡¯ll even let you Ascend with no hassle.¡±

    ¡°Your loyalty is admirable, Archibald.¡± Leera¡¯s whisper emerged again. ¡°But you are being manipulated.¡±

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Archibald¡¯s voice turned cold. ¡°Don¡¯t say I was merciless, then. Soldiers, pre-¡±

    The King Gorilla stepped out from the fortress, its muscles rippling as it threw. An immense boulder arced through the air towards the dome. It landed onto the top of the dome, bringing down half the entire dome with no resistance at all.

    The gorilla sprinted towards the dome as the boulder flew forward. The moment the boulder reached the ground, a plume of flame shot out of the gorilla¡¯s mouth. Tortured screams rang out as the Airborne were incinerated.

    Archibald had flown high into the air along with the surviving Airborne. The vortex of wind around them thickened until they could no longer be seen.

    ¡°VERY GOOD, LEERA!¡± Archibald¡¯s snarl rolled down from above. ¡°YOU WIN TODAY, BUT I¡¯LL BE BACK!¡±

    The hurricane cloud began to move away. On the ground, the Airborne turned tail and fled into the underbrush. The reindeer chased after them, but were peppered with a horde of covering fire from Airborne farther back.

    On the top of a nearby hill, a giant turtle appeared. On its back was a row of regulars, firing into the side of the retreating Airborne. Screams filled the forest as one Airborne after another was picked off. After some consideration, Solera climbed back onto the tree and grabbed a spare vine to shoot at the retreating Airborne.

    The massacre continued for ten minutes until the Airborne had finally escaped their range of fire. Solera wiped a trickle of blood off his cheek, a wide smile on his face. Against the Airborne, they had won a crushing victory!

 Chapter 32

    The imps were the first to return from the eastern battle. The gusts of wind created by thousands of flapping wings made Solera¡¯s hair blow about wildly. He would have to cut it later, he absentmindedly thought. It had grown much more quickly than usual recently.

    A group of imps landed next to Solera. They seemed to be squabbling over an object one of them was holding.

    It was a human head, the blood still dripping out from the rags of flesh that had been its neck.

    Solera immediately averted his gaze, his breath turning ragged. What the fuck was this? A head, a human head, was being used as a trophy! No, but the United Duchies soldiers are scum. They deserve this¡­

    Sweat trickled down Solera¡¯s forehead. That line of logic didn¡¯t go over well with him, even though it made perfect sense.

    A ripping sound leaked into Solera¡¯s ear, followed by chewing noises. Solera¡¯s face changed. Resisting the urge to barf, he grabbed onto a vine and dropped onto the ground.

    Another group of imps looked up from a rock covered with bloody detritus. One of them stuck its tongue out at Solera. Inside its mouth was an eyeball, the bundle of nerves attached to it chewed into mush. The eyeball swished around as the imp rolled its tongue to make a screeching noise. Its sharp teeth stabbed down into the eyeball, making it pop into a mist of blood that sprayed onto the imp¡¯s face.

    ¡°Ughhhhh¡­¡± Solera bent down, his vomit spraying all over the ground. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Another wave hit him as he stumbled away, and he hurled again. The meters tall grass obscured the macabre sight, but could not shroud the noises of imps devouring their grisly trophies. The remnants of his breakfast and bile covered the muddy ground, until the only thing he could regurgitate was saliva.

    The mud and bile below him bubbled and frothed, as if it was liquid, causing Solera to stare at it in blank confusion. It formed into a Vigor, clambering out of the mud. Behind it was the tunnel the Vigor had created along with some tired-looking soldiers. One of them squinted up at the tree, which was now covered with imps gorging on their spoils of war.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± He said, his eyes narrowing. The other soldiers looked over at the tree. Immediately, their expressions changed into disgust.

    A large group of soldiers gathered as more tunnels opened up. Any conversations they had died upon seeing the imps feasting on human remains. When Solera thought he finally had himself under control, he did a cursory scan of the crowd for Chianti. The stench of blood wafted into his nose, sending him into another fit as he stumbled towards the crowd.

    ¡°Disgusting savages!¡± One soldier, a short-haired woman, fired a lightning bolt over a branch on the fortress. ¡°Stop that right now!¡±

    The imps looked at her for a few moments before returning to their meals. The winged regulars began to return as well. Many were holding sticks which had speared four or five heads, some human and some not. Many of the heads had their eyeballs missing from their destroyed sockets, or even the entire face caved in. The dripping blood formed puddles staining the mud.

    The woman was visibly appalled. Just as she was about to shoot again, Skadi¡¯s guttural voice boomed out. He had arrived, yet again, to break up the brewing confrontation.

    ¡°Everyone, everyone.¡± Skadi placatingly raised up both arms in the air. ¡°Is there a problem here?¡±

    ¡°Damn right there is!¡± An old man¡¯s voice shouted out from within the crowd. It was the man from before, Scarlet. ¡°They are desecrating the dead!¡±

    Skadi looked at Scarlet, a pleasant smile on his face. ¡°Those dead are, without exception, our enemies who violated the rules of war.¡±

    Waving his hands off at the distance dismissively, Skadi shook his head as he waved his hands dismissively at the distance. ¡°Think about your fellow soldiers at Fortress Hickory. Think about our young students who were studying there. Do those people, massacred without any mercy, deserve worse than the men who killed them?¡±

    ¡°Most of these guys were drafted!¡± The short-haired woman who had shot at the imps yelled, an angry look on her face. ¡°They¡¯re just following orders, just like us! Eating them, is, is, is a travesty! It¡¯s pointless! This isn¡¯t the southern continent. We are civilized people!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re dead bodies. Who cares?¡± Another soldier, a young man with truesight goggles, spoke up. ¡°I mean, um, some of you are carrying dead tigers to eat. That¡¯s not any different.¡±

    ¡°One¡¯s a man and one¡¯s a tiger!¡± A man with a helmet snarled. ¡°Huge difference there!¡±

    ¡°But we all have souls.¡± The young man protested. ¡°In the end, it¡¯s all-¡±

    ¡°Enough, everyone.¡± Skadi said in a voice that was simultaneously calm and loud.

    ¡°The spirits that descend from Land do not have internal rifts like humans do. Where else will they obtain power, if not from the bodies of the dead? Letting them rot is a waste. Reminder, we are in a siege. If our friends from Sky do not eat the flesh of sinners, then they must eat your food. If you want them to stop, feed them yourselves.¡±

    Skadi turned around to the monsters. ¡°Be a little more discreet with your activities. Do keep in mind those in Land have very different values.¡±

    The monsters murmured assent.

    Skadi waved his hands dismissively. ¡°I speak for Leera here. Let this matter be at an end.¡±

    Scarlet¡¯s mouth had formed into a hard line, but he still nodded stiffly. ¡°As you say, Advisor. For Eden, I will let this go.¡± The woman nodded as well, although she didn¡¯t look too happy either. Just like that, the crowd began to disperse.

    Solera found Chianti standing with Verreaux and Macaw, a grimace on her face. Guinness had his eyes covered with his pudgy hands, and he was trembling. Even the unflappable Macaw looked shaken.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you had to see that, Solera.¡± Chianti said. ¡°Land is not a pleasant place outside of the Grove.¡±

    Solera wiped his face with his hand to regain his composure. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a big deal.¡± He muttered. This was what the real world was like. If he let this get to him, then his sanity would be gone within a year¡¯s time. He had to be strong!

    ¡°I¡¯ll be honest with you all.¡± Verreaux said in a low voice, glancing around to make sure nobody was nearby them as they went into a tunnel. ¡°Skadi is too strange. He appeared from out of nowhere two years ago as Reginald¡¯s advisor. I don¡¯t trust him at all.¡±

    ¡°Heh.¡± Despite his pallid expression, Macaw managed to chuckle. ¡°I thought it was obvious. He¡¯s definitely a Seraph from Sky who possessed a human body.¡±

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    Chianti¡¯s eyebrows knit together. Immediately, she checked their surroundings. ¡°What the fuck, Macaw! You don¡¯t just say things out loud like that where people can overhear you.¡±

    ¡°Hey, no biggie.¡± Some color was beginning to return to Macaw¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with Seraphs. They¡¯re just a step above Thrones, no big difference.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that the man leading Eden¡¯s most experienced army is not even from Eden, but is a Sky spirit?¡± Verreaux hissed. ¡°There will be upheaval if people learned about this! Wait-¡±

    Verreaux turned away, his eyes flickering in thought. After a moment, he silently led them through the tunnel system. He seemed to be working something out in his brain.

    ¡°Okay. Okay. From out of nowhere, Reginald had us go all the way back to Eden from Opportunity Kingdom.¡± Verreaux whispered to Chianti and Macaw when they entered an alcove.

    ¡°There were too many things fishy about that. We cut through the middle of Spirit Woods to return through the Verdant Empire! A month after we come back, three of our neighbors halt their own wars and to start one with us!¡± Sweat trickled down Verreaux¡¯s face.

    ¡°If Skadi is a Seraph, then couldn¡¯t Reginald have turned into one too? He must have been possessed by a spirit, somehow. Somebody must have been alerted, and our neighbors thus declare war on us! Chianti, Macaw, don¡¯t you know what this means? We¡¯re being manipulated by spirits to fight Eden¡¯s neighbors!¡±

    Hearing Verreaux connect the dots, Solera blanched in shock. If this was true, then the country he had pledged his allegiance to had had a change of rulers without anyone knowing! If the ruler of Eden had been possessed, then who were they fighting for?

    Macaw laughed. ¡°Nah, Reginald is still just as much of an uptight ass as he always was. You¡¯re thinking too hard, Verreaux.¡±

    Verreaux glared at Macaw. ¡°The king died a year ago, allowing Reginald to become the new king. Explain that!¡±

    ¡°Who cares?¡± Macaw shrugged. ¡°I get paid to fight, not to think. I don¡¯t see any problems even if this is true. Actually, having a Seraph as king would allow Eden to rise to the top of the Warring Kingdoms, even if we can¡¯t surpass the Verdant Empire or the Bloodsand Dominion. I always thought monarchies were stupid. If a new leader is better than the old one, then he should by all means be leading.¡±

    ¡°... Well, the fact remains that we are being besieged by the United Duchies, and the spirits are fighting with us.¡± Chianti said. ¡°We can discuss this further when this war is over. Right now, let¡¯s focus on the enemy in front of us.¡±

    She looked at Solera, her face stone cold. ¡°You and Guinness keep your mouths shut. Understand?¡±

    Solera nodded dumbly. He had never seen Chianti act this authoritatively before, even when she was bringing the kids from the Grove to Fortress Hickory.

    Solera returned to the room with Guinness, his mind whirling with thoughts. Chip was creating again, as if he hadn¡¯t left the fortress at all during the battle earlier, but Solera didn¡¯t even notice.

    All his life, Solera had been raised to be loyal. His father had ventured into the Wastelands because of a mission the late king had assigned him. When Solera had left for Fortress Hickory, the Grove Tender had reiterated the importance of loyalty. In the army, Chianti had talked about teamwork, which to Solera was the same thing.

    Loyalty was the value emphasized the most by Eden. Even Scarlet, with all his misgivings about spirits, had dropped his complaints when Skadi had ordered it. Yet if the country he was loyal to was now being ruled by a different man, then what did his loyalty mean? Did it even make a difference, as Macaw suggested? Or was he being manipulated?

    Solera thought long and hard, but could not find any answers. The days dragged by, turning into weeks and then a month. Faced with the siege, Solera¡¯s questions sank into the depths of his mind, until he had nearly forgotten all about them.

    Every day, numerous skirmishes would break out in the area around the fortress. The aerial battles were the most visible. Whenever they occurred, the skies would rain with corpses which would later be collected by the monsters for food. On the second week, the King Eagle was killed by a regiment of Airborne who had hidden in the stratosphere for an entire night. Its broken body had been cut up and dragged back by a horde of imps.

    Ground battles occurred daily, but it was mostly snipers firing at each other. It was the underground battles that were the most dangerous.

    The United Duchies had their own Vigors, and would make their own tunnels. Whenever the soldiers of Eden found a tunnel being used by the United Duchies, or vice versa, a battle would break out and the tunnel would likely be collapsed, killing anyone not shielded by the Vigor. When Solera peered closely at the forests, he could see the sinkholes and collapsed trees that had been caused by the underground fighting. All too often, only two out of ten soldiers would return.

    The goal was to create a tunnel to the other side¡¯s camp and execute a short assault before retreating and collapsing the tunnel behind them. So far, this had not happened.

    After a few days, it was clear that Solera was not going to be assigned any fighting roles. Skadi seemed to have lost all interest in the three children who had made it out of Fortress Hickory, so Solera had begun to experiment with the power crystal. He had realized, after some testing, that the verdant power would naturally seep into his body if he moved it through his channels. As a result, his cultivation had increased to an unprecedented rate, to the point where he was surreptitiously cutting his hair every day to avoid arousing suspicion.

    Yet some people had already commented on how much his appearance had changed. Verreaux had said that he looked more like a twenty year old than a teenaged boy. Solera had just laughed it off as awkwardly as he could. Chip, true to his word, kept his mouth shut, but he continued to pester Solera. He no longer seemed cold and aloof, but rather annoying.

    Reinforcements still had not arrived. The food stores were still abundant, though, from what Solera heard. Though battles occurred everyday, Solera did not participate. Being hemmed in by the United Duchies was actually quite boring. Even now, Chip was babbling to Solera.

    ¡°The requirement for immortality is merely to cultivate your body.¡± Chip was explaining after giving him a bottle of pills. ¡°Only the ones rich enough or lucky enough to get the resources can become immortal. As a creator, I -¡±

    Chip¡¯s eyes narrowed as he peered past Solera. ¡°Uh...¡±

    It was at that moment the shockwave hit them.

 Chapter 33

    Solera crawled to his feet, spitting dust out of his mouth. He could see that a hole had been blown out of a side of the fortress. The material that made up the tree lay on the ground like shards of glass, glistening in the light. Though this fortress was much less durable than Fortress Hickory, creating such an impact took incredible power.

    A tower of grass rose up into the sky, each blade thrusting forward in a bid to grab a man leaping into the air. A plume of flame ten meters tall emerged from his hand as he punched downwards. The grass shriveled away from the scorching flames. But from above, a branch of the tree suddenly twisted, smashing straight into the man¡¯s head. He toppled onto the ground and disappeared into the grass.

    A blur leaped out of the hole in the fortress, crashing into the ground in front of Solera. It was Skadi, smashing a woman¡¯s head into the mud. Astonishingly, she had not died from the impact, and was still conscious. With his right hand tightly gripping the woman¡¯s head, Skadi launched her into the air. Her body bounced off the side of the fortress and fell to the floor, where it lay motionless.

    An inferno appeared in the area where the man had fallen. He leaped back into view right as a tremor ran through the ground, with its epicenter somewhere on the other side of the base. A few meters away from Solera, the ground caved in as an underground tunnel collapsed. All over the base, trenches appeared as one tunnel after another caved in as a result of the earthquake.

    The Throne walked into view from the other side of the fortress, a destroyed corpse in its hands. It opened its mouth and bellowed at the flame channeler. Even though the Throne had its back turned to Solera, the roar was so loud that he had to clutch his ears for fear of becoming deaf. When he looked back, he saw a mound of dust where a building had once been. The man was nowhere to be seen.

    Solera couldn¡¯t help but tremble. Before, when Skadi had grabbed him by the throat, Solera had thought he was outclassed. Yet even that seemed like nothing before this god of death, who could create earthquakes and reduce buildings to dust with a mere shout.

    Except Solera was quite certain this Throne was weaker than Skadi! Sky spirits followed the most powerful, and they practically worshipped the man. But something was strange. How had they immediately known how powerful he was? Skadi had to be from Sky! The more Solera thought about it, the more sense it made. But just what were his intentions? Solera felt that if he knew why Skadi had descended, it would all make sense.

    The King Gorilla appeared, holding a struggling man in its clenched fist. It lumbered over to stand with the Throne, who tossed aside the corpse it was holding. A horde of imps instantly converged on the body, desperately snatching for a piece of it to devour. It seemed that the battle had ended just as quickly as it started.

    Solera ran over to a growing crowd that gathered around Skadi. He soon gave up trying to push his way to the center and instead shimmied up one of the vines on the branch to see what was going on.

    He could see another motionless body Skadi had dragged over, making three intact assailants, two men and a woman. All of them seemed to be incredibly powerful, yet they had been beaten with no visible effort by Skadi and the monsters. One man had a blue talismanic tattoo on his face, still glowing faintly with power. He stirred, mumbling as he regained his consciousness.

    ¡°Haha, good fight, mister!¡± Skadi laughed as he trussed the woman up with a cord a soldier had given him. ¡°What¡¯s your cultivation class, hm? Five hundred? Seven hundred?¡±

    The man spat at him.

    ¡°Right.¡± Skadi sighed as he slapped the woman awake. ¡°Look over there.¡±

    He pointed at the ravaged skeleton the imps had left behind. ¡°That was your friend. He died pretty nicely. Better than you will if you continue conducting yourself with an attitude like that.¡±

    Just as the man opened his mouth, Skadi¡¯s hand blurred. A flying dart stabbed through the bottom of the man¡¯s chin and up into his tongue. Blood sprayed out of his mouth, causing some regulars to greedily look on.

    Skadi stabbed a needle into the woman¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Six hundred seventy, hm¡­ okay.¡±

    He smiled as he turned back to the man. ¡°I hope you will not try biting your tongue again. It¡¯s bad manners.¡±

    Skadi stabbed the needle into him. ¡°Three hundred twenty two? Wow, you can barely even ascend. You must be a channeler.¡±

    Sure enough, a poison mist erupted from the man. A clear, ringing slap sent the man rolling out of the fog, a mangled scream emerging from his throat. Skadi walked out from the flames, his clothes melting away. But his body, covered from head to toe with its black tattoos, was completely unscathed.

    By now, the man with the tattoo had woken up. But unlike the other one, he didn¡¯t resist as Skadi stabbed the needle into him. Skadi stared at him for a moment in surprise, then stabbed it in again. He began laughing.

    Solera was unnerved. Skadi had a crazy gleam in his eye. Combined with his black tattoos and his filed teeth, he looked like a savage ghoul.

    ¡°Okay, you get Leera out here.¡± Skadi spoke to a nearby captain, who was holding a severed head by the hair. The captain saluted, before jumping onto a branch and again into the fortress, his body moving so quickly that Solera could only see a blur.

    Skadi had squatted down next to the channeler, staring him in the face.

    ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood today.¡± Skadi said as he rolled the man over. ¡°I won¡¯t even execute you for trying to assassinate my friend. You can get away. Doesn¡¯t that sound nice, hm?¡±

    When Skadi said it like that, it didn¡¯t sound too great at all. Solera waited for the catch.

    ¡°Yes, the only thing you need to do is¡­ ascend.¡± Skadi wrenched the dart out of the man¡¯s mouth. ¡°Your cultivation is permanently stunted, now, so you might as well. Right?¡±

    The channeler glared at him silently. Skadi¡¯s smile disappeared. He raised his palm up and chopped down on the channeler¡¯s foot. A tiny sliver of flesh fell over, like a slice of ham. Skadi raised his palm up again.

    ¡°You have one last chance to reconsider.¡± Skadi said, his voice turning cold. ¡°Otherwise, I will turn you into mud.¡±

    Even from this distance, Solera could see the fear in the channeler¡¯s eyes. Yet he continued to stay silent.

    The hand came down again. And again, and again. With each chop, a tiny part of the man¡¯s body was cut off. It was like the man was a vegetable on the chopping board, getting diced into bits and pieces. When Skadi finished with the feet, the man started to scream. But as if Skadi was deaf, he continued to chop.

    Solera turned away, his face completely devoid of color. What kind of cold-blooded torture was this? Didn¡¯t Skadi have any human decency? Even the events at Fortress Hickory had not prepared him for this. The man was begging for mercy now, saying he would ascend, he would ascend. But his screams continued.

    ¡°Enough!¡± A man shouted. Solera knew the voice; it was Verreaux. ¡°Just kill the man!¡±

    The screams still continued. Despite him nausea, Solera turned around again. He had to know what was happening. Verreaux and several others were being restrained by the King Gorilla and the Throne. A wall of regulars had formed around Skadi, while the human captain from before monitored the other two prisoners. The female was gasping for breath, as if she was hyperventilating. As for the tattooed man, he had his eyes shut.

    ¡°Please¡­ please¡­¡± The channeler gasped. Everything below his shoulders had turned into neatly chopped slices, pouring with blood. Even the bones were cut clean through. The moment Solera glanced at it, he turned away to vomit.

    Sick and depraved! Inhumane murder! Solera had never even known such an evil way to execute somebody existed. No human could do something like this so casually.

    But Skadi wasn¡¯t a human, he was a spirit! Solera remembered what Verreaux had said. This was what spirits did. Spirits were evil to the core. They didn¡¯t have the morals that humans did. Was he really fighting for such a person? Was he really on the side of good?

    Solera initially did not agree with Verreaux. But now, he understood Verreaux¡¯s fear of spirits. Like humans, there seemed to be good spirits and bad spirits. Unlike the docile creatures of the Grove, Skadi¡¯s spirits were excessively bloodthirsty, not to mention Skadi himself. And yet...

    Skadi was clearly a ruthless killer, but he was on Solera¡¯s side. And the Airborne were not much better. Besides, that channeler was the enemy. He was going to die anyway. Did it matter that he spent a few minutes in excruciating pain before going? Even as Solera thought this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel his reasoning was hollow. He was trying to rationalize, but he knew there was no excuse for Skadi¡¯s sadistic actions.

    The screams stopped. Utter silence fell on the camp. It was like everyone was too shocked to say anything.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    A woman screamed. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! I¡¯ll ascend! I¡¯ll ascend!¡±

    Skadi laughed, long and hard. It was his usual laugh, but it sent cold shivers running down Solera¡¯s spine. This time, his laugh sounded sinister.

    ¡°My friend Leera will be setting up the formation requiring you to ascend. Don¡¯t try killing her again, or, well, you know.¡± Skadi clapped his hands several times.

    Solera looked back at the clearing, careful to not focus on the heap of flesh in the center. Leera was channeling power into the air around the woman. But rather than dissipating into nothing, it hung in the air like dense fog. Solera frowned at the sight.

    This power had been ¡°imbued¡±! Power would typically collapse into states of corporeal energy such as lightning or wind when released outside the body, but not so when imbued. This was all Solera knew about the advanced channeling technique. A cultivator like him would probably never need to learn it.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you decided to give up your loyalty. The only thing a person should be loyal to is the Garden.¡± Skadi chortled. ¡°Alas, it is too late for you. The best I can promise is your ascension to a random place in Sky. I suggest that you join a god as quickly as you can. That¡¯s the best way to ensure your continued existence. Otherwise¡­ heh...¡±

    The woman said nothing. Solera suspected that she didn¡¯t want to say anything that might change Skadi¡¯s mind. Skadi was far too erratic. One moment, he was all smiles. The next, he was brutally murdering a helpless man. Perhaps he was insane. No, he was definitely insane.

    Leera finished drawing the formation. The fog began to stir, coiling about in a strange, bewildering pattern.

    ¡°Farewell, madam.¡± Skadi nodded to her. The fog continued to move, converging onto the woman and rolling into her head. A crackle sounded, and blinding light shot out in all directions.

    The light emerged from a small area in the woman¡¯s head. It was her rift, expanded to allow her soul entrance into Sky! Solera temporarily pushed the matter of Skadi to the back of his mind to spectate the ascension. Ascensions were rare events, and only occurred several times a year across all of Land. If Solera watched, perhaps he could gain something from the experience.

    Power flooded out of the rift that shined through the woman¡¯s head, rejuvenating the destroyed hilltop. The grass grew even higher and the fortress walls lit up with color. Tendrils of light spread throughout the woman¡¯s channels, outlining her entire body.

    And then the light was gone. In the area where the woman had been, there was only a pile of glittering multicolored dust. Summoning dust, created from ascension. Every grain a treasure.

    Solera¡¯s eyes had widened. In the heat of the moment, he had forgot to question why Skadi was even forcing someone to ascend! It was clearly for the summoning dust! But didn¡¯t this mean¡­

    ¡°Let me ascend.¡± The man with the tattoo spoke up. ¡°I won¡¯t cause you any further trouble.¡±

    Skadi ignored him, turning to look at Leera. ¡°Leera, it is time for you to ascend as well. The Gardener is waiting to receive you.¡±

    Instantly, there was uproar. ¡°Skadi, you dare threaten Leera into ascending?¡± A soldier shouted as he channeled power into his gauntlet. ¡°Treason!¡± Nearly all the soldiers had their weapons pointed at the regulars in between them and Skadi. In the instant before all hell was about to break loose, Leera¡¯s whisper pierced through.

    ¡°Stop, soldiers.¡±

    Leera bowed her head. Solera couldn¡¯t see clearly from his angle, but he was nearly certain that a tear was trickling down her cheek.

    ¡°It would be the highest honor to see the Gardener. It has been time for me for a while now.¡± She said, her voice cracking with emotion. Power billowed out from her mouth to coalesce around her head. Immediately, the power fog appeared again. ¡°Skadi is the new commander. Do not, under any circumstances, disobey him. Soldiers, I wish you the best of luck! I will be watching from Sky. Perhaps, soon, I will return as well!¡±

    Skadi outstretched his hand, pouring his own fog into Leera¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯ve synchronized the rift to the Gardener¡¯s position, Leera! Welcome to Sky, and enjoy your vacation. You¡¯ve earned it!¡±

    Again, blinding light shot out to envelop the entire hilltop. This time, the light shone with varying shades of green and yellow. Power poured into the vicinity; at this time, some grass strands had grown to fifteen meters. On his position on the fortress, Solera could bend down and touch them with his hand. The clearing disappeared from view, so he climbed up even higher.

    Another pile of summoning dust had been created. The two piles combined was even greater than the amount of summoning dust used during the first summoning. Skadi turned around to the tattooed man.

    ¡°Let me ascend, I¡¯m begging you.¡± Spittle sprayed from his mouth. Anguish and desperation colored his face, and tears streamed down his cheeks.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s not what the Gardener wants.¡± Skadi sprinkled some summoning dust onto the man¡¯s head. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Fuck you!¡± The man suddenly screamed, vigorously shaking his head in an effort to dislodge the summoning dust. ¡°You can¡¯t do this! I¡¯m the son of Duke Aloysius! If you do this, you¡¯ll pay! Father-¡±

    Skadi kicked an entire pile onto the man¡¯s face, sending dust flying everywhere. It was quickly followed by the next pile, and then a coil of green power. Blazing light shot out for the third time in as many minutes as the summoning dust disintegrated to form a rift into Sky.

    Solera gaped in shock. Skadi was using a human body for possession? But humans had their souls naturally fortified by their advanced brains, and were untold orders of magnitude more difficult to possess than soulless animals! Such an occurrence had only occurred in ancient history, so to Solera, it seemed impossible. At least, he had expected the process to require more than just loads of summoning dust. Even though the quantity of dust Skadi had used was worth enough to buy a small city, it just seemed too easy.

    But the truth was right in front of him. Currently, all the people present were witnessing the descent of another Seraph! Another Seraph who was ostensibly here to help, but could very well be a deranged sadist, just like Skadi!

    Like before, countless tiny spirits flooded out of the rift, pouring into the grass. Multiple spirits would fly into one beetle, causing it to roll over and curl its legs up. Bugs from who knew where grew out of the ground, turning into giant monsters equal in size to Solera. A tree began growing out of the ground where Skadi was. More and more spirits flooded out, saturating the entire hill and even going outside it. There simply wasn¡¯t enough to possess. By this time, the second tree had surpassed the first in size.

    A group of gargantuan spirits, balls of light five times as large as Solera, seeped out of the rift. They flew towards a group of regulars, who panicked and tried to flee. But compared to the spirits, they were too slow. All fell to the ground as the spirits chased them down.

    A single, blinding light emerged from all sides of the rift. It was a monochrome shade of golden, much like sunlight. It poured out of the rift, seemingly without end. This was undoubtedly the Seraph descending to Land!

    In the warped space below the rift, Solera could faintly see the man¡¯s body. The light from the spirit twisted like smoke, moving straight for the man¡¯s mouth.

    Solera rubbed his eyes, which had grown tired from the unending lights. He was certain that the United Duchies and everyone within a thousand kilometers could see the brilliant lights of the Seraph¡¯s descent. When his eyes opened again, the tattooed man¡¯s soul was already extinguished. The Seraph had formed a pool of power in the air that steadily drained into the man¡¯s gaping mouth.

    The man¡¯s body simply couldn¡¯t take in the power that composed the spirit quickly enough. His body was giving off a glowing aura, much like Solera did when he activated the power crystal. The spirit continued to enter him for several minutes, until finally the rift had closed. And with the rift closing, Solera was brought out of his trance-like fascination back to reality.

    All the humans had backed away from the scene of the summoning. Fear could be seen on their faces, as if the spirits that were descending were dangerous enemies. It made sense; on the surface, it looked like the army had received major reinforcements. But the reinforcements were monsters from Sky, with vastly differing moral compasses from the human army. If Skadi was anything to go by, it may not be a savior that was descending, but rather a devil that could turn on them at any given moment.

    On the most basic level, the spirits, as well as Skadi, were not from Land. How could they have the best interests of Eden in mind? Traditionally, spirits would only fight when forced to by their summoners. But these spirits had free will.

    When they looked at this army of spirits, Solera and many others felt fear rather than hope. But they were powerless to do anything. Someone as weak as Solera could only go with the flow.

 Chapter 34

    Deathly silence reigned as the last wisp of power flowed into the tattooed man¡¯s mouth. For several seconds, nothing happened. Then, the man¡¯s eyes flickered with life.

    ¡°Welcome to Land.¡± Skadi said crisply, just as he had previously. ¡°For your service, all of-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Umbra.¡± The tattooed man cut him off.

    Skadi looked at Umbra for a moment. A smirk appeared on his face. ¡°What a peculiar experience. This is nothing like Sky.¡±

    Umbra ignored Skadi to examine his surroundings. His eyes flickered over the crowd, resting for a short moment on Solera before moving on.

    ¡°You have not been informed of the latest plans.¡± Umbra spoke.

    Skadi nodded, turning to the human soldiers. ¡°Everyone, you are all dismissed for now. We will have a meeting in a few hours about what to do.¡±

    Solera joined Chianti and Guinness as they filed into the tunnels. Chianti had a dark look on her face, while Guinness was out of it, as usual.

    ¡°Only the Ancients know what a storm Skadi kicked up just now. The Halo cult will be sending immortals to kill us all the moment they find out about these summonings. And that¡¯s not even mentioning how mad the United Duchies will be. Nobody can hide what happened to the guy that¡¯s now calling himself Umbra. If he was actually the son of Duke Aloysius, then holy shit.¡± Chianti shook her head.

    ¡°The Halo cult.¡± Solera scratched his head. ¡°They¡¯re all the way in the southern continent, a million kilometers away. What would they do to us?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the Halo cult.¡± Chianti said grimly. ¡°They control the entire southern continent, and control the greatest amount of immortals in Land. They have five hundred and they get a new one every few years. If they want to send fifty of them, that would already outnumber our immortals five to one.¡±

    She gnashed her teeth in frustration. ¡°What¡¯s an extra Throne or two on our side going to do against that? Pissing off the Halo cult is a big, big mistake. But it¡¯s too late.¡±

    Solera had no response. Every immortal was an incredible force. He had seen firsthand how Skadi and that Jeboro from the United Duchies destroyed an entire section of forest in their fight, and how Skadi was completely unaffected by miasma that would have turned Solera into liquid. Five hundred Skadis¡­ too many! It was over half the immortals in all of Land! To Solera, organizations like the Halo cult and the Pantheon which controlled entire continents were just too big to wrap his head around.

    The Halo cult had declared holy war against spirits. By extension, it was also at war with summoners. But the western continent was too far away for them to exert their influence, and if they wanted to do something, then they would need the approval of the Pantheon, which controlled Land¡¯s only navy. Thus, the Halo cult didn¡¯t care about small time demons. But Thrones and Seraphs¡­ there was no way the Halo cult would remain idle.

    No matter how Solera looked at it, Eden was screwed. But he couldn¡¯t leave his own country! Behind him were countless innocents, and his crippled father, Vinoh. Vinoh had given up immortality for Eden; was Solera going to let his father¡¯s sacrifice be in vain?

    ¡°Well, with luck, the Pantheon won¡¯t let the southerners ship fifty immortals over to here.¡± Chianti shook her head. ¡°But I still don¡¯t trust these spirits. What if they use us for summoning? If one man gets turned to summoning dust, a captured King becomes a Throne. Two men makes a third a Seraph. Do that for every eligible body in this camp, and you got a force that can rival the Verdant Empire. The only thing stopping Skadi is his word. And spirits aren¡¯t trustworthy.¡±

    Solera scratched his head again. He remembered what that regular had said. Only truth in Sky. Spirits seemed to be overly straightforward, but everyone always cursed spirits for their deceit. He didn¡¯t really know what to believe.

    Chianti dropped them off at their room. Chip wasn¡¯t back yet; after Solera had blown the horn, Chip was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°You guys sit tight. I¡¯m going to talk to some others, see what we¡¯re going to do.¡± Chianti left in a hurry.

    Several hours later, Chianti was pounding the table with her fist.

    ¡°Fucking Skadi!¡± Chianti growled, her face red with anger. ¡°He¡¯s always stubborn about the littlest things! He refuses to have us vacate these shitty trees because of some nonreal tactical value they have!¡±

    Solera nodded as sympathetically as he could. In situations like these, it was the only thing he knew to do.

    ¡°Umbra said that the Klora garrison is a hundred kilometers away, preparing to siege Fortress Hickory. Fuck Umbra! How would he know what¡¯s going on over there? He just came from Sky! He said some bullshit, but he¡¯s full of it.¡± Chianti flopped onto Guinness¡¯s bed. ¡°How can you not care about these things, Guinness? Damn it all. Damn it damn it dammit dammit damn it. All.¡± Chianti began punching Guinness¡¯s pillow. A light blush came onto Solera¡¯s face as he watched.

    ¡°So, uh, what did you want Skadi to do?¡± Solera asked when Chianti finished venting her frustrations.

    Chianti rolled over onto her back and sighed. ¡°We¡¯re in a bad spot right now. The United Duchies are able to send a thousand soldiers past us everyday, mainly through a gap in our tunnel system near Fortress Hickory. They¡¯re fighting the Klora garrison right now while we sit on our asses. All of us wanted to go evacuate this spot to rejoin the Klora garrison, but Skadi is refusing.¡±

    ¡°Ten thousand every day!¡± Solera said in shock. ¡°That¡¯s more than everyone here!¡±

    ¡°Uh, no.¡± Chianti shook her head. ¡°We actually have around fifty thousand in this base. The tunnel system is very large, and has several hideouts going several hundred kilometers north of here. Those men are also sitting on their ass, waiting for the United Duchies to pass into Eden from the Verdant Empire.¡±

    Solera nodded slowly. The United Duchies were to Eden¡¯s southeast, but the Verdant Empire was to their east. If the United Duchies wanted to flank them, then they would have to pass into the Verdant Empire.

    ¡°Lord Azurejade was friends with the late king, though. He probably won¡¯t let the United Duchies in. Then again, we were on good terms with the United Duchies. Who knows?¡± Chianti shrugged. ¡°But the fact remains that all we are doing is slowing the United Duchies down. Within a month, half a UD army will be between us and Eden.¡±

    Chianti¡¯s misgivings were resolved the next day, and not in a good way. A messenger came out from the forward tunnel systems, bringing news that another four armies had arrived. Including the Airborne, the number of armies they were dealing with now was eight.

    ¡°This is well over half the United Duchies forces! What kind of offensive is this?¡± Verreaux gawked at the banners. ¡°Thats half a million people and tens of thousands of tigers, crammed into an area of several thousand square kilometers! Do they want to annex the entire country?¡±

    Chianti was already over her shock, a resigned expression on her face. ¡°We have no choice but to stay put now. If we let all these people through, Eden would stand no chance.¡±

    From then on, the fighting only intensified. Solera never saw any up close, but he saw the wounded soldiers being brought back to be treated; mawed by tigers, burned by fire, crushed by rocks. He heard about the pitched battles in the underground tunnels. He smelled the smoke of the forest being burned to ash by the United Duchies as they tried to root out the tunnels. All across the border, they were desperately trying to hold back the advancing enemy. Hundreds of kilometers to the north, the Klora garrison was doing battle with UD forces which had passed through their filter.

    Chianti, Verreaux, and Macaw were constantly away on combat missions. They were experienced mercenaries, and they always came back without severe injuries. Chip continued to make pills and explosives for the base. The army itself had enlisted him as a certified creator, whatever that meant. Solera didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. Chip¡¯s affairs were his own.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Solera felt useless. Most of his days were spent meditating and channeling the power crystal into his body for cultivation. He knew he was getting stronger, but he had no way to measure it, and he didn¡¯t want to bother any doctors for a mere cultivation check up. He was jealous of Chip; at least he was doing something. Although Chip seemed to be intent on keeping his strange oily black armor a secret; Solera was sure Chip would be extremely useful in the tunnels. He said nothing, though; he didn¡¯t want to lose his power crystal.

    After a week had passed with Solera agonizing over what to do, an idea popped into his mind. He could go enlist as a medical assistant! The doctors were always in a shortage of power, and though Solera was an atrocious channeler, he had the power crystal. It had healed his injuries at phenomenal speed, so it stood to reason that others would too.

    He was right. The moment he had offered his services, he had been whisked off to one of the many operating rooms. The doctor was a scruffy, brown-skinned man with a permanent frown, and his assistant was a short girl with blood all over her goggles. Upon learning that Solera could channel healing power, the doctor tasked Solera with pain relief.

    ¡°Insert the seed properly, damn fool!¡± The doctor shouted at the assistant as he sewed the man¡¯s stomach shut. Solera had his eyes shut tightly, telling himself he had made the right choice. He had no idea that a doctor¡¯s profession could be so¡­ ghastly. In the thirty minutes Solera had been there, they had performed just as many amputations.

    ¡°It¡¯s done, sir.¡± The assistant said. The sound of the tweezers clattering onto the metal tray ringed in Solera¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Good!¡± The doctor said as he burned the wound closed. ¡°Give it half a year, soldier, and your limbs will grow back. But sorry about the cultivation.¡±

    Solera felt it was safe to open his eyes. The soldier¡¯s face appeared into view. It was a young man, perhaps only a few years older than Solera. He had an arm and a foot crushed by a collapsing tunnel.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a lot to begin with.¡± The soldier cracked a smile. He nodded to Solera. ¡°You can stop now. Save your power for someone who needs it more.¡±

    Solera shrugged and let go of the boy¡¯s uninjured arm. Apparently he was being used as no more than pain relief; the doctors simply didn¡¯t have time to put each soldier to sleep for each operation, because there were too many. Solera had the power crystal wrapped around his palm so that he could draw power from it unobtrusively. So far, nobody seemed to even notice it; after all, it was just a translucent object with a leaf inside. It looked like a trinket someone could buy anywhere.

    ¡°Take it easy, kid.¡± The doctor said as he loaded the boy into a wheelchair. ¡°You¡¯ve earned it.¡±

    Fifteen seconds later, the next soldier was brought in. He had severe burns, and his face was disfigured, like molten cheese. Solera averted his gaze the moment his eyes fell on the soldier¡¯s face. The sight was too horrible.

    ¡°Too ugly for you, huh.¡± The soldier rasped. ¡°Fuck you.¡±

    Solera blinked in shock. As he struggled to find the words to say, the doctor laughed. ¡°Take it easy on the kid. It¡¯s his first day here.¡±

    ¡°First hour.¡± The assistant corrected as she prepared the tools for the next operation.

    ¡°It¡¯s only been an hour? Heavens.¡± The doctor sighed. ¡°Good kid, this boy is. One of the Fortress Hickory students who made it out alive.¡±

    ¡°Fortress Hickory student? No wonder he¡¯s such a pussy.¡± The soldier tried to laugh, but his throat only made some croaking noises. ¡°Who¡¯s your daddy? Maybe we all know him. He must have pulled a lot of strings to keep you out of the fighting.¡±

    Solera trembled in anger. He opened his mouth to retort when he made eye contact with the soldier. The soldier¡¯s eyes were listless and vacant, as if he wasn¡¯t actually looking at Solera. Perhaps he was seeing the fire which had nearly killed him.

    Solera closed his mouth. He grabbed onto the soldier¡¯s arm, which was also covered in burns, and channeled the verdant power of the power crystal out of his hand. Instantly, some light returned to the boy¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± The boy looked away from him. But Solera kept his eyes riveted onto his ravaged face. He wouldn¡¯t look away. He wouldn¡¯t close his eyes out of revulsion. It was an act of disservice to the wounded, and it had been his mistake to do so before. From then on, he no longer looked away from the wounded, no matter how horrible it appeared.

    Solera returned to his bed the next morning, too sleepy to say anything. His channels were screaming with pain, but he was satisfied. He had helped hundreds of people through their operations under four different doctors. Even the doctors¡¯ astonishment at his ability to endlessly channel without his Lake draining itself completely didn¡¯t feel as good as it did to help. He still remembered the young female controller who had been sheared nearly in half by a wind blade, asking him to tell her ¡°it¡¯s okay.¡±

    Yeah, Solera felt pretty good. He went back soon after he woke up that night.

    ¡°Me name Donuts.¡± The regular grunted as the doctor stitched his furry flesh up. ¡°Me chose it meself.¡±

    Solera laughed. Regulars always looked fearsome and monstrous until they opened their mouths. Most of them seemed to have trouble pronouncing words, and couldn¡¯t speak the language properly either. The regulars always amused him. It was the same with that first one he had spoken to.

    ¡°Me name not funny.¡± The regular glared at Solera. ¡°Me name sound good.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Solera apologized, immediately stopping his laugh. ¡°Is the name something special?¡±

    ¡°Me name?¡± The regular bristled with anger. ¡°Of course me name special! Name always special! If me have name, me is important! Otherwise, me is weakling! Not important!¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Solera blinked. He did remember when Skadi had allowed all the spirits to get a name. They had cheered as if it was something special. Perhaps he hadn¡¯t caught on to something until now.

    ¡°Me name Donuts! You better remember!¡± The regular grumbled as he walked out of the room.

    ¡°Monsters. Heavens, they¡¯re so crazy.¡± The doctor, the same one from when Solera had first started working, sighed as he dumped the sewing needle into the jar of bloodied water reserved for spirits. ¡°Donuts just sounds stupid, if you ask me.¡±

    Solera shrugged. He had never thought about it before, but names were very meaningful. Every single name on Land was unique to the person who had it. Names were chosen from various codexes, and only reappeared when the person died or ascended. He could see why the regular was proud of getting a name, when it didn¡¯t have one before.

    ¡°I don¡¯t actually know your name, doctor.¡± Solera said. He had just realized that the time had been so hectic, he had never learned either the names of any doctors or their assistants. If names were important, then wasn¡¯t not knowing their names also a disservice?

    ¡°Jogujo. Stupid name as well.¡± The doctor grumbled. ¡°But that¡¯s the name they picked, so what do you know.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Alda.¡± The assistant said as she brought in the next patient. ¡°It¡¯s a name from a northern codex, I think. There was no Namer where I was born, so my parents had to go with that codex I was born with.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Solera.¡± Solera said. ¡°It¡¯s a name from the Grove¡¯s codex.¡±

    ¡°Jogujo is a southern name, I think.¡± Jogujo shrugged as he looked over the patient¡¯s leg, which was only attached by a small sliver of flesh. ¡°Southern names and eastern names all sound stupid, if you ask me. Still better than Donuts, though.¡±

    ¡°Hey! Fix me already!¡± The soldier shouted, annoyed with their idle chitchat. ¡°Don¡¯t you all have a job to do?¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, heavens.¡± The doctor bent down to take a look at the soldier¡¯s legs. They started working again, but Solera found that despite the endless stream of wounded being brought in, the atmosphere was a lot lighter than before.

 Chapter 35

    Though it was early in the shift and Solera¡¯s mind had not yet grown tired from all the channeling, he still found it difficult to believe what was in front of him.

    The child was perhaps even younger than him, his face completely unrecognizable from the injuries the wind blade had inflicted upon him. Jogujo was frantically channeling healforce through the boy¡¯s channels, while Solera was supplementing him with his own healforce.

    ¡°Damn, this was one hell of an overcharge strike!¡± Jogujo snarled, not even using his usual ¡®heavens¡¯ to underline how horrible the injury was. ¡°The channeling wounds lately have really been vicious!¡±

    ¡°Overcharge?¡± Alda asked, confused, as she dribbled some special water down the child¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°It¡¯s a channeling attack which aims to overload a person¡¯s channels and destroy their soul.¡± Jogujo shook his head. ¡°Because the attack relies on the volume of power released, only advanced channelers with high power purity can do it, and usually only the- god damn! Get me another drainer, Alda.¡±

    He stuck another spiked ball into the child¡¯s arm. The drainers fizzled as they discharged the power they came into contact with. Jogujo had used it several times before, but only as a sedating device. He didn¡¯t think the drainer would be used like this.

    ¡°The Airborne usually takes all the advanced channelers. They have no reason to be underground.¡± Jogujo sat back, but his eyes never left the kid. ¡°Heavens, that¡¯s a lot of power. The kid might already be dead, I don¡¯t actually know.¡±

    ¡°Why¡­ Why was he fighting in the tunnels?¡± Solera blurted out, his face still filled with confusion. He was forbidden from fighting, so why was this boy in there?

    ¡°Who knows.¡± Alda scratched her head frustratedly. ¡°If it happened, then it happened.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± Jogujo sighed, ruffling his hair. ¡°Bring the next one in.¡±

    The rest of the shift blurred by. All Solera could think about was the child in the tunnels. When the shift ended, Solera didn¡¯t go back to his room. Instead, he went to Chianti¡¯s. Her room looked as if somebody had been channeling a tornado inside; dirty clothes were strewn all about the floor, and if Solera crumpled a paper for five minutes straight, it would still be less ruffled than her blankets, most of which hung off the bed onto the floor.

    But Solera¡¯s attention was focused on Chianti. She had been practicing her sword techniques in nothing but a pair of thick woolen undergarments. Solera could clearly see the sweat glistening on her skin.

    ¡°Oh, hey, Solera.¡± Chianti sheathed the sword and smiled at him.

    Solera stared at her, his hands clenching into fists as he tried to concentrate.

    ¡°Whatcha here for?¡± Chianti asked as she pulled out the sword again and did some fancy twirls with it.

    ¡°I¡­ I saw kid soldiers.¡± Solera said, his voice a bit more angry than he intended. ¡°You said I was too young to fight!¡±

    Chianti blinked. She set the sword back down and sat on the edge of the bed.

    ¡°Sit with me.¡± She said as she patted the side of the bed. ¡°What exactly are you trying to say?¡±

    Solera could smell a heavy scent rolling off of Chianti. It wasn¡¯t perfume, but it still smelled extremely intoxicating. He got back up and walked to the entrance of the room, grinding his teeth.

    ¡°Why am I not allowed to fight, but the kids are being forced to?¡± Solera said frustratedly. ¡°I mean, I get why I¡¯m not allowed to fight, but they can¡¯t fight and I can and they¡¯re fighting and I¡¯m not! That isn¡¯t¡­ that isn¡¯t right!¡±

    Solera wasn¡¯t too angry that he was barred from combat. He had seen Fortress Hickory. He still remembered his legs broken at the Genbu assault. What he found himself frustrated about was that other children were still being forced into fighting despite their seeming uselessness on the battlefield. If he was restricted from fighting, then shouldn¡¯t they also be?

    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Chianti frowned. ¡°Solera, you already know a little bit about what war is like. How can you not see I¡¯m doing you a favor?¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t get it.¡± Solera shook his head vigorously. ¡°I mean that they shouldn¡¯t be fighting! I¡¯m more capable than them! If children like me have to fight and one doesn¡¯t want to, then let me substitute that one out!¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± Chianti shook her head emphatically. ¡°Haven¡¯t you forgotten? You¡¯re the one who broke your legs when we went to hit the Genbu.¡±

    Solera could clearly see that his point was not going across. ¡°Other¡­ other kids are out there breaking legs too! I know I¡¯m more capable than them. I won¡¯t die in situations where they would. Let me substitute them out!¡±

    Chianti stared at Solera for a while. Finally, she sighed and patted the bed again.

    ¡°Solera, sit down.¡± This time, Solera could tell that it was an order, not a suggestion. He reluctantly sat next to her again.

    ¡°Let¡¯s be real. I don¡¯t know about any kid soldiers, but I know that there are kids being used as messengers and as tunnel caretakers... and as scouts. Our forces are stretched thin here. Someone has to be the scout. Someone¡¯s gotta be the messenger. Someone¡¯s gotta be all those things. And if it¡¯s a kid who has to do it, then that¡¯s just the way it is. I can¡¯t stop it from happening, even though I want to.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so why-¡± Solera was cut off by Chianti¡¯s finger.

    ¡°The kid cannot be you, Solera! It cannot be you, or Guinness, or Chip! Because of the difference in importance between you and them!¡±

    Solera was extremely confused. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Those kids are just farm boys from the neighboring villages. They aren¡¯t children from the Grove, or students at Fortress Hickory. The truth is, if you were taught at Fortress Hickory, then you were a part of our nation¡¯s next generation of experts. Children like you can¡¯t die. You¡¯re not allowed to.¡± Chianti shook her head. ¡°Before you get started, I also don¡¯t know what Skadi is doing. But that¡¯s the truth.¡±

    Solera stared at Chianti, appalled. ¡°So¡­ those kids aren¡¯t as important as I am? So they have to go out and die?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Chianti answered very bluntly.

    Solera gaped at her. How could she even say something so cold-hearted?

    ¡°Solera,¡± Chianti put an arm around him. ¡°the world is cruel and unfair. I can¡¯t change it. I can only change what I have the power to change. I¡¯m sorry it has to be this way. I¡¯m sorry I have to be the one to tell you this.¡±

    ¡°But you also have the power to make change. You can do something to help those children and everyone fighting. Help at the kitchen, or feed for the transport reindeer. Compost for the plants on the hill. There are a million ways to help without putting yourself into danger.¡±

    ¡°You want me to help by gardening?¡± Solera asked incredulously. How would that ever do anything?

    ¡°Well, the Garden wasn¡¯t called the Garden for nothing. These plants can-¡±

    ¡°Never mind.¡± Solera shook his head bitterly. ¡°I get it. You¡¯re right. Fine.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Solera.¡± Chianti repeated.

    The two lapsed into silence. Solera looked up at the ceiling, thinking about the boy¡¯s destroyed face. Chianti was right. The world really was an unfair place, and he couldn¡¯t change the fact that children would get into danger on the battlefield. But it was a stupid idea to think about substituting out any children. With the power crystal, he could save far more lives helping the doctors than on the battlefield.

    Chianti could only do what she had the power to do, and she had done her best to protect Solera all this time. As for Solera, he had the power to save lives. And that was what he was going to do.

 Chapter 36

    ¡°Quick, toss me a coag pill!¡± Jogujo shouted.

    Alda was rummaging through the toolbox, a frustrated look on her face. ¡°I can¡¯t! Solera, you do it.¡±

    Solera looked around frantically for the pill Jogujo wanted. They had travelled to this underground cavern just the night before, and had set up very hastily, so it was still extremely difficult to find anything.

    He saw it, the red box that contained blood coagulating pills. In his rush, Solera fumbled with it for several seconds before throwing a pill over Jogujo¡¯s head. Jogujo glared at him. His face red, Solera ran up and handed Jogujo another pill before gripping the regular¡¯s hand again.

    They had traveled away from the main camp to this cavern several kilometers east of Fortress Hickory in preparation for a large battle today.  Originally, Solera had thought the main camp was a mere thirty kilometers away from the fortress, but it turned out that was just the westernmost tunnel system, which is where they were currently.

    ¡°This place is a clusterfuck.¡± Alda grumbled as she came over with a scalpel borrowed from one of the many other doctors in the cavern. It was jam-packed with medic teams like Solera¡¯s and the wounded they were trying to save. Moans of agony filled the cavern, and every minute brought in a new wave of wounded.

    Over the course of the last hour, Solera¡¯s team had treated around twenty people. Already, Solera¡¯s Lake was nearly out of the healing power that he had drawn up from a whole night¡¯s worth of the power crystal¡¯s charge.

    Solera desperately wanted to know just how bad the fighting was out there, but there was no time and too many people to treat. Already, Alda was bringing in a new injured.

    Solera looked at the soldier, a white-haired man who had lost an arm. He recognized this man; it was Scarlet.

    ¡°Heavens, what happened to that arm?¡± Jogujo gasped in shock. Solera looked at what used to be Scarlet¡¯s arm. Jagged tears of flesh hung loosely off a snapped bone which ended right after where the forearm should have begun. Little lights of power shined out of the wound as Scarlet channelled power into the arm to curtail the blood flow.

    ¡°Tiger. We got ambushed in one of the basins near Hickory.¡± Scarlet said, his face grim. His eyes flickered past Solera. ¡°Wait. How long will this take? You just need to put in a seed and stitch it up, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Should take around four minutes.¡± Jogujo motioned to Alda, who began to forage through the pile of supplies for a regrowth seed.

    ¡°Let him go first, then.¡± Scarlet tilted his head towards Solera. After a moment of confusion, Solera turned around. Behind him was a regular whose stomach area had been savaged in a manner similar to Scarlet. Green blood and brown pus poured out of the wound. Lacerations ran all along the regular¡¯s limbs, and a trench had been carved down the middle of its body. Its eyes looked dim, as if it was about to faint.

    ¡°This¡­¡± Jogujo hesitated.

    ¡°His injury is more serious. He should be treated before me.¡± Scarlet said firmly as he struggled to get off the gurney. Solera listened in shock. Wasn¡¯t Scarlet one of the soldiers that were prejudiced against monsters? He remembered clearly that confrontation between the humans and regulars, shortly after the first summoning. This seemed totally out of character.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can save it. Its injury is too severe.¡± Jogujo shook his head. ¡°Any healforce pills we give it would take too long to work, and nobody can channel enough.¡±

    ¡°Hey, this is a life in front of you!¡± Scarlet shouted, his face turning the same shade of red it had been when he was arguing with the regulars. ¡°I fought in the basin with it! I had my doubts about these monsters, but they aren¡¯t bad at all! If you treat me instead of him because I¡¯m human and he¡¯s not, then you¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re a motherfucker!¡±

    Solera looked at the regular. It looked to be on the verge of death, and had an expression of resignation on its insect-like face. Solera¡¯s eyes flickered to the power crystal around his wrists. After a moment of hesitation, he made up his mind.

    Solera gripped the regular¡¯s arms and channeled all the remaining verdant power into it. Jogujo shielded his eyes from the brilliant green glow, a look of astonishment on his face.

    ¡°Solera¡­ how?¡± He gasped, setting his knife down onto the gurney. ¡°Converting that much power into healforce¡­ even I can¡¯t do that!¡±

    Beads of sweat poured down Solera¡¯s forehead. He stared into the regular¡¯s bulbous eyes. Some life seemed to have returned to them, although he didn¡¯t know enough to be sure. His channels screamed from the exertion of transmitting so much power, and in his head, a small throbbing pain emerged.

    The brilliant light emerging from the regular¡¯s wounds began to dim as the last of the verdant power in Solera¡¯s Lake drained away. He started to panic. What if he didn¡¯t have enough power to heal this regular? Could his channels even take the strain of pouring out so much power? He had never channeled so much before, how could he have done something so reckless?

    Solera let go of the regular and fell onto the ground. His knees were trembling, and pain shot coursed through all his channels. But what he looked at was not himself, but at the regular¡¯s injuries.

    ¡°Holy Sky.¡± Alda breathed, running towards the regular. ¡°It still needs some more treatment, but you brought it back from the verge of death, Solera. Everyone here just saw what you did.¡±

    Solera realized, with shock, that the cavern had, more or less, fallen silent. Every single person had seen the flashing lights of Solera¡¯s healing and stopped whatever they were doing. Even the countless masses of wounded had fallen silent.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Scarlet walked up to Solera and patted him on the shoulder with his stump, smattering Solera¡¯s face with a bit of his blood. ¡°Nice job. I¡¯m no medic, but even I can tell that was amazing. What kind of training did you do to be such a good channeler?¡±

    Solera tried to smile, but his everything hurt too much. The truth was that Solera was horrible at channeling. He had no idea how to convert power into healforce, and his actual power purity was not too high, either. It was all due to the power crystal, but he couldn¡¯t tell them that. What if they took it away? How would he be able to return the crystal to Vinoh and help his father cure himself of the Curse that afflicted him? His action had been too impulsive, but it had saved a life. Solera really didn¡¯t know what to do or how to feel about the situation.

    Scarlet¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Hey! He looks like he overexerted himself, someone give him a hand!¡± He waved his stump around at Solera to emphasize his point. He looked back at Solera, a smile on his face. ¡°You did good, alright? Saving someone like that, really good work!¡±

    Scarlet was about to say more, but Jogujo grabbed him and steered him back onto the gurney. Solera breathed a sigh of relief. It looked like he was saved from answering any uncomfortable questions. Alda came over to help him up.

    ¡°Take this power replenishing pill.¡± Alda inserted it into Solera¡¯s mouth along with a bit of water. ¡°You really overexerted your channels. That¡¯s incredibly dangerous, Solera. If your channels broke, you would¡¯ve died! Painfully,¡± she added as an afterthought.

    Solera kept his silence awkwardly. His channels were screaming with pain, but it wasn¡¯t that painful. She was probably overemphasizing the danger, like Chianti with battles.

    ¡°Hey! Hey you!¡± A voice on the other side of the cavern called out. Solera turned his head to look at the speaker. It was a woman, her finger pointing straight at Solera. ¡°Save me too! You can save me, right?¡±

    Solera stared in shock. Another man shouted out at him. Immediately, the cavern was filled with the yells of others too far gone to be treated. Solera could see the pain and desperation in their eyes. He could hear it in their pleas. He trembled.

    ¡°You save that monster, but you won¡¯t save me?¡± The woman screeched. ¡°Fuck you! I¡¯m dying, I¡¯m going to die!¡±

    ¡°Ughhh.¡± Alda groaned. She lifted Solera up and carried him into a chair. ¡°You¡¯re getting out of here. Who knows what might happen if you stay.¡±

    Solera didn¡¯t protest. He was still in shock that his action could cause such a reaction. Scarlet called out to him as he left, but Solera couldn¡¯t understand his words amidst the racket.

    ¡°I hate to say this.¡± Alda said she wheeled him out of the cavern. ¡°But you can¡¯t be impulsive about saving a person¡¯s life. As a medic, there are just too many. I know you used some kind of technique to convert your Lake into power that can be quickly converted into healforce. You have to be more stingy with it. I don¡¯t want to sound cold, but you can save more lives if you ration your power.¡±

    Solera said nothing, looking angrily off at the dark tunnel walls. He had just saved a life. Why was everyone being so negative? Was that what he deserved for his actions?

    Alda seemed to notice Solera¡¯s displeasure. She sighed, ruffling her hands through her hair. ¡°I want to make sure you know that above all, you did good. We need more medics like you here, truthfully speaking. I¡¯ll load you up on one of the reindeer to take you back to the main camp, where you can rest up.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Solera mumbled. After several more minutes of walking, Alda had taken Solera aboveground to one of the reindeer stations. He was quickly put onto a reindeer, which began galloping eastwards towards the main camp.

    The ride would be a long one. Solera sat atop the saddle as the trees and shrubbery flashed by, brooding to himself. He shouldn¡¯t have been angry there. If he was about to die, he also would have done almost anything for a chance to live. It was obvious that Solera was powerless by then, but maybe that wasn¡¯t so obvious to someone nearing death. And Alda was only giving advice on how better to spend his power. Really, it wasn¡¯t something to get so worked up about.

    More importantly, Solera knew he had to improve his channels if he wanted to continue as a medic. What good was all the healforce the power crystal provided if he didn¡¯t have channels strong enough to transmit it? Once he arrived back, he would have to find a good circulation mantra to practice with. Before, Solera had disdained spending time and effort on his channels in favor of training his sword skills, but those weren¡¯t of much use in his current situation. Also, people were going to think he was a good channeler or something. If he didn¡¯t know anything about it, they would suspect him and take his power crystal away and he would never be able to give it back to Vinoh and Vinoh would die. Yes, he would absolutely have to read up more on channeling when he got back.

    Solera began to doze off. Despite the unevenness of the terrain, the reindeer moved smoothly. Its rhythm actually helped him fall asleep. When he awoke, the two fortresses of the main camp could be seen only a few kilometers away. It was nearly dusk, which meant he had been on the reindeer for the entire day.

    He rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Surely he hadn¡¯t been that tired. Was it the channeling that had made him so drowsy? No, it was probably from draining all that power from his Lake. Whatever it was, the pain in his channels had subsided to a dull throb, something that could easily be ignored.

    The reindeer trotted up to the fortress a quarter of an hour later, allowing Solera to dismount. He spent several minutes stretching before climbing a rope up onto the fortress. He would go back to his room and sleep some more before taking a visit to the underground library for a circulation mantra.

    He stopped, then turned around and walked back to the branch. Nothing was stopping him from getting a circulation mantra right now, so why wait?

 Chapter 37

    The library was a small underground chamber several kilometers away from the main camp. Solera walked through the rows of shelves, without any idea about how to find what he was looking for.

    The library was overwhelming. All the books and scrolls gathered here could not be fully read even if Solera devoted a decade to the task, and this was probably not even a large collection. Channelers and summoners had to be very well-educated, but Solera was a cultivator. He had read things in the past for recreation, but had never devoted serious time or effort to it. Now that Solera could see the vast mountains of texts, the idea of learning about channeling seemed like a mammoth task.

    ¡°Need some help?¡± A voice sounded out from behind Solera, causing him to turn around. It was a young man with sculpted muscles and a confident smile, hardly the type of person Solera would have expected to see in a library.

    ¡°Uhh¡­ I¡¯m looking for stuff about channeling.¡± Solera smiled embarrassedly. ¡°Circulation mantras.¡±

    The man looked at him for several seconds, as if he was studying Solera. ¡°Looking to learn about channeling? Just the basics?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Solera nodded his head vigorously.

    ¡°Okay, follow me. I¡¯m Edric, by the way?¡± The young man introduced himself as if he was asking a question. After a moment, Solera realized that Edric was expecting him to say his own name. ¡°I¡¯m Solera.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Edric glanced back as he led Solera to a bookshelf in the corner. ¡°Which channels are you looking to strengthen? Or do you just want a full-body mantra?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

    ¡°Full body, then. This book is old, but it was written by Peng Xianting, a very renowned eastern channeler who was born in the third millennium and lived for five hundred and thirty years. It contains three centuries worth of her studies on channel circulation.¡± Edric flipped through several pages before handing the massive tome to Solera.

    ¡°The full-body circulation mantra she creates is in the seventh chapter. It¡¯s a standard circulation mantra, but we¡¯re not allowed to give out better ones willy-nilly.¡± Edric smiled apologetically. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Solera mumbled, staring at the huge book in his hands. Maybe he should stick to cultivating, after all. Actually, he hadn¡¯t controlled in a while. He had heard that control improved power purity, so maybe he would go practice that instead.

    ¡°If you¡¯re looking to improve your channels¡­ ah¡­ hm¡­¡± Edric ran his fingers along the books in one of the shelves. ¡°you should practice conversion mantras as well. They make channels more adaptable and sturdy to different kinds of power, while circulation mantras only improve the channel size and brute strength.¡±

    Solera nodded slowly. In channeling, there were two types of mantras: channeling mantras, which moved power through the body¡¯s channels, and conversion mantras, which converted power into earthly energy such as fire or lightning. Circulation mantras were a subset of channeling mantras which moved power around the body in a cycle, much like how the heart pumped blood throughout the body in cycles. They were used mainly for training, which is why Solera wanted one.

    ¡°Can you convert anything? Fire, lightning, wind? Lasers?¡± A small smile appeared on Edric¡¯s face as he asked the last question.

    Solera blinked out of his thoughts, flustered. ¡°Ah¡­ no. No, I can¡¯t. I mean, only healforce.¡± He stammered, realizing at the end that he had to keep up his charade.

    Edric blinked. ¡°Healforce? That¡¯s an advanced mantra. Unless there was a more basic one found that I haven¡¯t heard about¡­ hm¡­¡±

    Solera felt it was best to maintain his silence.

    ¡°Well, the three basic conversion mantras are in this book.¡± Edric handed Solera a small pamphlet. ¡°Wait, do you know the mantra alphabet?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Solera nodded. He had learned it when he was very young. Actually, now that he thought about it, it was the reason his child self had decided to focus on cultivating. That alphabet was too damn large!

    ¡°Alright. Well, if you need anything, I¡¯ll be here for the next, uh, four hours.¡± Edric nodded pleasantly at Solera and disappeared into the maze of bookshelves. Solera sat down and flipped open the large tome, and began to read.

    With the naked eye, anyone can see the superiority of man to all other living creatures of Land. We are the race chosen by the Ancients to-

    Solera¡¯s eyes began to glaze, so he quickly skipped to the next paragraph.

    It is the existence of a soul which separates man from beast, and the existence of a body which separates man from spirit. Man is the pinnacle of creation, a hybrid creature of Land and Sky which contains the best of both worlds. This collection of three centuries of my research focuses on the soul, without which channeling or any access to power would not be possible. In it, I-

    Solera turned several pages to the end of what he realized was the book¡¯s foreword.

    Without the above people, this book would never be possible. But without your generous donation, this book would even more so have never been written. Thank you so much for your support, and remember to take a gander at my other works, Power Diffusion Dynamics in Miasmas, Longevity Training: A Channeler¡¯s Perspective, and-

    Solera remembered Edric saying something about chapter seven, so he flipped through the pages to look for it. A sharp noise shot out as a page tore from his flipping, causing him freeze up in fear. He had just torn a book! These were extremely valuable!

    But after several seconds, nothing happened. He resumed flipping through the tome, but much more carefully this time. After half a minute, he was able to locate the chapter introduction.

    As we have covered, the soul is like a muscle which moves in eleven different dimensions. Mantras are specific contractions of the muscle which either send power into different sections of the channels or convert it into one of countless energies. Just like muscles, the soul improves by straining and exercising itself. Here, it would be better to broaden out the metaphor from a muscle to an entire body; the channels are the muscles within the muscle, and

    Solera laughed and started flipping again. ¡°Muscles within muscles,¡± he repeated to himself. The words had raised an old memory in his mind. ¡°I was so strong, even my muscles had muscles!¡± Vinoh flexed his singular arm to Solera to prove his point. Back then, he had not been as sickly as he was now, although he was by no means at tip-top shape. Solera¡¯s face fell as he thought about Vinoh¡¯s disease again. If his father died, he wasn¡¯t sure how he would react.

    After a few moments of brooding, Solera returned his attention to the text. The mantras were easily discernible; they had their own, strange alphabet which very much resembled the patterns Solera had seen on talismans in that the characters were boxy and conjoined to each other.

    The mantra was fairly simple, without any complicated symbols. Solera stared at it, memorizing the formation.

    Power flooded out from his Lake and into his channels. It circulated throughout his body before going back up through his neck and into his head, where the Lake was located. He could feel his channels thrumming with power, but also slight stabs of phantom pain in his head.

    Solera gritted his teeth and stopped. It seemed like his channels had healed, but he was still feeling pain in his forehead, where his Lake was. He could remember a faint memory of that same pain when he was a child trying out channeling. Had he always felt this pain when he channeled?

    Yes, yes he had. Solera scratched his head, a frustrated look on his face. This type of pain was not the pleasant pain he got from exercising. It was a tearing pain, like his head was being slowly peeled apart. He could easily ignore it, as he probably had back at Fortress Hickory and the other battles when he had been forced to channel large amounts of power, but the pain probably signified that the circulating was doing more harm than good.

    This was the reason why Solera didn¡¯t channel, he re-remembered now. It had just been too long since it had happened that he had forgotten. With a sigh, he placed the book back on the bookshelf. The circulation mantra was clearly a very simple, standard one, one that had passed millennia of testing. The problem was not the mantra or his execution, it was him.

    He had no choice, though. Now that he had revealed the extent of the power crystal¡¯s abilities, he had to keep up the act. Solera took the book back out of the bookshelf and walked out.

    Macaw was laying in Solera¡¯s bed, a dim, bored look on his face. His eyes flickered over to Solera as he entered.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Solera knitted his eyebrows together. ¡°What are you doing there?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to sleep.¡± Macaw responded with a slight smirk on his face. ¡°Don¡¯t bother me.¡±

    Solera was very annoyed, but didn¡¯t know what to say.

    ¡°Put up with me for a bit, kid.¡± Macaw sighed, his eyes scanning the ceiling. ¡°I overpowered too long against a guy who had no business being a footsoldier.¡±

    ¡°Overpowered?¡± Solera asked, confused.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Macaw raised both eyebrows and sighed again at the ceiling. ¡°You know what that is. Burning your cultivation and your channels for a few moments to be stronger.¡±

    ¡°... Oh.¡± Solera knew what that technique was. He had used it back at the Genbu assault when a man had been trying to snap his neck. It was also a circulation mantra, but it was used to heighten a person¡¯s strength, speed and durability. If used for a few seconds, it only fatigued the body and the channels a little bit. But if it was used for much longer than that, huge damage could be dealt to both a person¡¯s cultivation and channels.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was called overpowering.¡± Solera said. ¡°Skadi didn¡¯t call it that, either. He just said channeling power through the entire body.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯m right.¡± Macaw closed his eyes.

    ¡°Wait a second!¡± Solera grew angry again. ¡°You were just changing the subject! Sleep in your own bed!¡±

    ¡°Nah. Too nasty from¡­ nah.¡± Macaw mumbled, and went absolutely still. Solera¡¯s eyes bugged. He thought seriously about dumping some water on Macaw¡¯s head, but then it was his bed which would be taking the loss.

    Solera fumed for a few moments, then walked over to the table and sat down, brushing several of Chip¡¯s papers aside. Guinness was, as usual, snoring away in his bed, but Chip was nowhere to be seen.

    He flipped open the mantra pamphlet. Unlike the tome, this one had very few words. It was just a compilation of various conversion mantras. He could see thirty different mantras for flame and an entire page dedicated to various kinds of wind, but the more exotic channeling techniques for things such as healforce or kinetic push and destruction tendrils couldn¡¯t be found.

    Solera wasn¡¯t looking for those, anyway. Something basic was all that he needed to make his channels more adaptable to different forms of power. He selected a low-power fire mantra, perfect for cauterizing wounds. This one would be useful for the doctors.

    He performed the mantra as quickly as he could. As he did so, his mind felt like it was making strange contortions. The power in his channels seemed to vibrate along with it. The moment he shot the power out of his channels, it would collapse into whatever it had been converted into. He could only hope it was flame.

    Bursts of light shot out of his hand, lighting up the entire room for a brief instant. He sighed. He had definitely failed.

    ¡°Hey, quit it, will you.¡± Macaw mumbled. Solera ignored him and tried again. Another flash of light, but a different color this time. The room lit up again and again for the next half hour until Solera collapsed back into the chair, his Lake nearly drained of power.

    He groaned to himself. Just like when he practiced control, his mind was feeling very drowsy. Now, he realized it was because the Lake would drain itself of power as he channeled and controlled. His eyes drifted over to his bed, where Macaw was still trying to sleep.

    Thinking some curses to himself in his head, Solera looked at Chip¡¯s bed. Chip was never around, so if Solera slept in it for a few minutes, there would be no harm done. Without any further thought, he flopped onto the top of the bed and closed his eyes.

    ¡°Get out of my bed, Solera.¡±

    Chip¡¯s smooth voice trickled into Solera¡¯s ear. He mumbled to himself for a bit before his eyes shot wide open.

    Chip was standing there, flanked by Alda and a middle-aged man who, judging from his muscles, was probably much older than he looked.

    Solera nervously got out of his bed, shooting a look at his own bed. Macaw was looking at him with an amused expression on his face. Solera¡¯s mood went from horror to disgust, and then to anger in an instant. Macaw! He would get him for this!

    ¡°No need to be angry, Solera. I¡¯m not mad.¡± Chip went over to the table and readjusted his papers. ¡°I just heard that you made use of some of my healforce pills.¡±

    Solera looked blankly at Chip. Chip looked back with an inscrutable expression. Realization dawned on him after a few seconds. Chip... wanted to take credit for his work!

    No, that wasn¡¯t it. Chip was offering him a way out of his predicament! But he was taking credit to promote his own services at the same time! Solera stared at Chip with a mixture of fear, astonishment, and admiration. This guy¡­ he was far, far too intelligent.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Solera mumbled. ¡°I¡­ I reacted too quickly.¡±

    Chip smiled at Solera. It was a satisfied smile, one that made him feel unsettled.

    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. If you wanted to help so badly, there¡¯s a lot of other things you can learn.¡± Chip nodded to Alda, who walked over to Solera, before talking to the other man.

    ¡°Solera, if you wanted to help, you should have just said so.¡± Alda told him, a hint of reproach in her voice. ¡°I went out of my way to talk to some channelers here about tutoring you further in your channeling. But it turns out you just took a pill! We have a limited supply of those and Chip can¡¯t make too many at a time. Like I told you, there¡¯s better things for you to be doing.¡±

    Solera coughed awkwardly. It seemed like playing along with Chip had its side effects.

    ¡°Solera.¡± Chip said, causing Solera to swivel his head back around to look at him. ¡°This man beside me is an injured medic. He could teach you about the subject, if you want.¡±

    ¡°Hello. My name is Luthor.¡± The man extended his hand to Solera, looking him over with glassy blue eyes. ¡°I¡¯m a medic for Captain Zekira¡¯s battalion, but I have been injured, so I¡¯m just sitting around for the next month or so.¡± He shifted his shirt slightly so that Solera could see the bandages underneath. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Solera looked back at Luthor. He didn¡¯t particularly want to learn about the intricacies of healing, especially when he could just channel the power from his crystal. Besides, this man looked a little fishy.

    ¡°No? That¡¯s too bad, then. I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± Luthor bowed his head slightly, then shrugged at Chip. ¡°Any other way I can pay?¡±

    Chip ran his fingers through his hair. ¡°I¡¯ll think of something.¡±

    Luthor nodded and left, taking Alda with him. Solera stared at Chip with some anger on his face. He knew that Chip was trying to manipulate him into handing over information about the power crystal again!

    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to do that for me. I don¡¯t want to owe you anything.¡± Solera snapped, then walked over to Macaw to kick him out.

    ¡°Agh- all right, I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go.¡± Macaw got up, wincing as his feet touched the floor. ¡°Hey Chip, got a nice racket going on for yourself over there.¡±

    Chip didn¡¯t respond. He was sitting in the chair, writing something down on one of the papers.

    ¡°What about that exo¡­ that exo-whatever. We could really use you down in those tunnels.¡± Macaw said as he put on a shirt.

    ¡°No.¡± Chip answered very bluntly.

    ¡°Seriously, that thing might make you stronger than an immortal. What if I died because you didn¡¯t save me?¡± Macaw was lacing his boots on now. He was speaking casually, but even Solera could tell that he was probing Chip.

    ¡°Then die. There are reasons I can¡¯t display my strength right now.¡± Chip tossed down his pencil and rolled up the paper.

    ¡°Hm? Something about that family you said you would tell us about, but won¡¯t?¡± Macaw laughed as he put on his coat. ¡°Good bed, by the way, Solera. Can I use it again later?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± Solera walked up to the table and grabbed his books, taking care not to make eye contact with either Chip or Macaw.

    ¡°It¡¯s useless for you to know about me. Maybe after we¡¯re safely back in Eden.¡± Chip said as Macaw walked into the tunnels.

    Solera climbed into his bed, flipping open the boring tome again. He was still angry at Chip, but he said nothing. Chip could read Solera better than Solera could read, so he was certain that Chip already knew what he was thinking. If Chip had anything to say, he would say it.

    For a few moments, the only sound in the room was Guinness¡¯s snores. Solera waited to see if Chip would speak to him or not.

    ¡°Do you feel that?¡± Chip turned around, his eyes scanning the ground.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Solera responded, confused. That was not anything close to what he expected Chip to say.

    Chip¡¯s hair melted into the black oil of the exosuit. The liquid flowed down his face to form a black helmet which completely covered his face. Seeing Chip¡¯s actions, Solera immediately reached down to the foot of his bed for his sword.

    Like a striking snake, a tendril of semi-solid oil shot out of Chip¡¯s arm and speared into the ground. The ground ruptured, breaking open to reveal a tunnel beneath them. Chip¡¯s spear, which had stabbed through the Vigor¡¯s talisman, retracted just as a tiger leaped out of the tunnel towards Solera.

 Chapter 38

    Solera shouted, taking a wild swing at the tiger as his feet frantically scrabbled away at the bed. He was able to tumble over onto the ground and narrowly dodge the monster¡¯s swipe. Tearing, ripping noises rang out as the sheets were shredded into confetti.

    Before Solera could get up, the tiger leapt at him again with its fangs bared. He wrapped his second hand around the sword hilt and slashed with as much force as a boy on the ground possibly could. The tiger still landed on him, its claws pattering onto the ground just centimeters from Solera¡¯s face. It had a long gash running from its torso up to the bottom of its neck where Solera¡¯s sword had cut it, and its eyes gleamed a feral viciousness no human could ever match up to.

    Solera flipped the sword around, stabbing it into the ground at a diagonal angle between him and the tiger to protect himself while his legs retracted back into his stomach in preparation for a kick. His face was a contortion of both despair and rage. Again! Stuck on the ground, his enemy on top, again! Attacked in a fortress, again! Without Chianti or Macaw or Verreaux or anyone else, again!

    The singular difference was this time, both his Lake and his power crystal were nearly empty!

    The sword came out of the ground at the same moment his feet slammed into the tiger¡¯s belly and at the same moment the tiger¡¯s gaping maw pounced downwards around the sword towards his head. The tiger¡¯s belly was its weakest point, but it still felt like iron to Solera¡¯s bare feet. The tiger¡¯s neck, too, felt like tough meat, and Solera¡¯s sword stopped cutting into it almost as soon as it made contact. He was able to knock the jaws of certain death away, but it was so close that the whiskers on its chin had brushed past Solera¡¯s forehead. He could feel the hot breath of the savage beast passing through his hair, and wondered in passing how Chip felt the wind blowing past his exosuit.

    The moment passed, and Solera used the fraction of the second he had bought to twist around and ledge his feet around the tiger and kick himself into a roll that brought him out from under the animal. As he rolled, his sword swiped at it again, creating a small red line on the tiger¡¯s chest.

    As he rose to his feet, he could see sharp black stalagmites rising out of the ground, stabbing through the air and curving towards a shape he could not clearly make out because blood was trickling down from his forehead onto the side of his left eyelid. It didn¡¯t matter, though. He chopped at the tiger, sending it down to the ground, and chopped again, creating another line of red in its orange-black-white fur. Again, and again, and again. The red lines became red puddles, and the red puddles started to gleam with white flecks as he chopped into bone.

    Why was he so weak that he could not even chop through a tiger? No, why was this tiger so sturdy? No, why was a tiger even here? Solera didn¡¯t know, but he kept swinging. He was looking at the tiger¡¯s eyes, just like he did with Jogujo¡¯s patients. He was looking to see if it was still alive.

    It was alive, but for some reason, the animal just laid there as Solera chopped. Maybe he had disabled it somehow. Or maybe it had just given up on life, and was waiting to die.

    Solera stopped, his breath ragged. The tiger was still breathing, but the breaths were broken, ragged gasps that sounded like they could stop at any moment. As Solera recovered his bearings, he turned around to look at the rest of the room.

    The black oil of Chip¡¯s exosuit had created multiple spikes around Guinness¡¯s bed, forming a sort of tent. They shielded Guinness from the other two tigers and a helmeted man, who was blasting a flamestream at a black silhouette.

    A tiger glanced back at Solera, but by then his sword was already arcing down into the controller¡¯s shoulder. His body was a lot softer than the tiger¡¯s, so the sword cut straight to the bone and even cracked it before stopping. The man toppled to the ground like a bag of rice. Solera stabbed his sword straight into the channeler¡¯s neck the moment he fell to the floor.

    From where the fire had been came black claws shaped like spider legs, piercing into the tigers¡¯ feet with a sick squishing sound. They were immobilized. Blood sprayed into the air as a flurry of semiliquid spikes shredded them into fur and detritus.

    A black figure stepped out, morphing back into an expressionless Chip. Around him, Solera could see the charred bodies of another three soldiers. Solera would have thought this sight would have been very striking if Chip was not clearly wearing a very skintight black uniform. Without a word, Chip walked right past Solera to Guinness¡¯s bed. The oil merged seamlessly into his body, transforming back into his neat robes and slicked hair.

    ¡°Get yourself cleaned up.¡± Chip said while he slapped Guinness awake. ¡°We only came across this small team, but more tunnels must have been opened up elsewhere.¡±

    Solera stared at Guinness, dumbfounded and a little frustrated. While he was fighting desperately for his life, Guinness was actually snoring away!

    And Chip! He had dealt with three soldiers and two tigers and who knew how many Vigors, on his own! Yet right now, he was completely at ease. His expression didn¡¯t even change, although Solera wondered if his face was actually covered by that mystical exosuit.

    ¡°Solera. Snap out of it and clean up.¡± Chip repeated. ¡°We don¡¯t have much time here.¡±

    ¡°Got it, Chip.¡± Solera wiped the blood out of his eye and looked himself over. There were several lacerations on his legs that he had never noticed, along with a short, but deep gash along his left arm from the tiger claw when he had rolled off the bed. His back throbbed with a dull pain from when he had tumbled out of his bed, but other than that he seemed alright.

    The power crystal had only a few hours worth of power at most, but Solera still felt much better as the verdant power rushed into his Lake. The various pains in his body instantly vanished, including forehead pain he didn¡¯t even know he had instantly vanished. Solera frowned. His free hand reached up to touch his forehead. It came away, slick with blood.

    Solera glanced back at the tiger behind him. Its diced organs were clearly visible and it lay in a slowly growing pool of blood. The tiger seemed to have died in the interval between Solera charging away and him looking back. He could see blood matting the whiskers on the tiger¡¯s chin.

    Solera massaged his forehead, astonished. These monsters had been engineered to be killing machines! Even their hair could cut! Him beating this particular tiger was probably more luck than skill.

    Guinness whimpered. Solera turned his head and saw Guinness staring at the bodies of the burnt humans. He seemed to have in his eyes a sense of primal fear, one surpassing anything Solera could ever feel himself.

    Solera bent down to pick up a shred of what had been his bed. He dabbed at his wounds with them, wondering if he should use any of the meager amount of verdant power in his Lake to heal his current wounds.

    No, he wouldn¡¯t, not before sizing up the situation at hand. It was a meager amount of power, not even enough to overpower for a single attack, but perhaps he could use it to heal something more serious down the line. Damn it! Damn it damn it damn it! Why did the enemy choose today to attack? Originally, Solera had decided that using the power crystal only for cultivation which it was not even suited for was a complete waste, and he could help save lives with the healforce the crystal imparted instead. But he had been caught completely off guard by this attack from the blue.

    ¡°Solera, let¡¯s go. Use this, Guinness, and don¡¯t lose it.¡± Chip grew a shiny black battleaxe out of his arm and handed it to Guinness. Without any further talk, Chip walked out of the room, as if he was taking a morning stroll. Solera hurriedly strapped on his boots, grabbing his Truesight goggles and backpack as he ran out.

    This particular section of the tunnels was deserted, but Solera could hear the clangs of weapons and shouts from above. Directly on top of them was the fortress, so the noises definitely didn¡¯t mean anything good.

    ¡°We need to find Macaw. He just left, so he shouldn¡¯t be that far away.¡± Chip cocked his head, listening to the sounds of fighting above them. ¡°Up there.¡±

    As they ran to a ladder that would take them into the bottom of the fortress, Solera struggled to strap on his Truesight goggles. The upper rim pressed into his raw forehead, creating twinges of pain.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Truesight goggles could only see through powerless items. Solera gazed upwards, but could make out nothing but the green shine of the power within the fortress itself.

    CLANG!

    Solera snapped his head back down to see a black spike jutting out from Chip¡¯s leg. It had stabbed towards something far down the hall. Solera squinted. It was the face of a woman, but he could barely make out the colorless robes and hood she wore.

    ¡°So it is ~you~, Elijah.¡± The woman had an enchantingly rich voice, and spoke as if she was singing, but when he heard her, Solera¡¯s nerves couldn¡¯t help but numb. This woman¡­ was dangerous!

    Her face floated there, impassively smiling. She was wearing goggles that obscured her eyes. After a moment, Solera realized that she was wearing insulator robes which rendered her invisible to his Truesight goggles. He stripped them off, turning the colorless walls back into a dark shade of brown and the area where the woman¡¯s body should have been into clean, white robes.

    She had straight blonde hair poking out around her Truesight goggles, and on her cheek was a strange tattoo, a rectangle whose corners looked like they had been stretched, with two round knobs poking out from opposite ends.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Chip¡¯s voice remained calm on the surface, but Solera could detect the anger hiding below. ¡°Those goggles¡­ you suck even dead men dry now?¡±

    The woman took off her hood with a husky laugh, revealing a beautiful face that was too young to be old, but also too old to be young. ¡°Sucking men dry¡­ Are you saying I¡¯m some slut?¡±

    ¡°And a whore.¡± Chip leaped forward, black ribbons shooting out from all over his body towards her. Solera extended his arm out to block Guinness from extending. Sweat beaded off his face.

    When he looked at this woman, he felt absolute fear! He didn¡¯t know what this woman¡¯s relationship to Chip was, but his very core was absolutely certain that it was incredibly bad luck to run into her. Her demeanor exerted an invisible, yet enormous pressure on his mind. On the surface she looked harmless, but the moment she clashed with Chip, Solera¡¯s instincts were proven right.

    CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG! Chip¡¯s ribbons and her arms made a cloud of dancing blurs and a discord of countless clashes of metal. Solera thought she was wielding two short swords, but he really couldn¡¯t be sure.

    ¡°Elijah, Elijah, Elijah!¡± The woman called out sweetly as she blocked his blows. ¡°Your mouth is dirty as ever, but it¡¯s like this strange toy of yours has given you the great big thing you always wished you had! You actually want to fight me, an immortal?¡±

    Chip said nothing, but his blows visibly intensified. Shallow nicks started to appear in the tunnel walls from their clashes. Little flecks of mud flew everywhere, with one landing on Solera¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°Did you think you could kill me today? Or do you think you have to fight today, because I tracked you down here to kill you?¡± The woman laughed, stepping forward with her left shoulder pressing towards Chip. Her left arm made an unfathomably powerful circular swipe from the bottom to up that knocked Chip and all of his ribbons backwards a meter.

    ¡°I could have killed you any time, Elijah! Finding you would have been so easy! But I never did, because,¡± her eyes narrowed as she smiled widely, ¡°why should I execute a fly like you?¡±

    Chip¡¯s ribbons swayed rhythmically, like a grasshopper waiting to strike at its prey.

    ¡°Still sucking men dry. Still lying your lies. Elia, I know you would have killed me a thousand times over if you could have.¡± Chip leaped forward again. Hundreds of his ribbons whipped towards the woman from all directions in a pattern very much resembling a blooming flower.

    Elia¡¯s hands, which did indeed grip two short swords, turned into a blur again.

    ¡°Oh, Elijah! Thinking I couldn¡¯t kill you before. You¡¯re at that stage of life where you think you are smarter than everything that came before you!¡± Elia¡¯s smile was so wide, her eyes had turned into slits. ¡°What do you call yourself now? You did like calling yourself Circuit. And Chip. With that chip on your shoulder, that must be the name you chose, isn¡¯t it? Chip?!¡±

    Solera tugged on Guinness¡¯s shirt, his mouth a thin, hard line. This was an immortal in front of them. Whether Chip won or lost, Solera and Guinness would be entirely useless! If this Elia won, she could slay the two of them without a modicum of effort! They had to run!

    They turned and fled back into the tunnel system, leaving Chip to fend for himself. Solera felt no remorse at all; what they faced was an immortal! If it had been a normal soldier or even a King monster, Solera would have stayed. But in a fight with an immortal, he was nothing but dead weight. If he stayed, he could only die. Besides, it looked like Chip¡¯s personal problem. He wanted nothing to do with it.

    Right as they ran out into the open, a loud cracking sound emerged from the fortress, which was now several hundred meters away from them. A thin, but clearly visible crack had appeared in the walls, where Solera knew Chip and the immortal were fighting. He realized his back was matted with sweat, and shivered before scanning the area for any soldiers of Eden.

    The grass was shorter this far from the fortress, but still nearly as tall as Solera was. All around him, he could see the ripples in the grass created by the movements of people and monsters. Solera looked at the ripples, his brow furrowed. He had no way of telling what hid within the rustling grass was ally or enemy, so it was best to stay far away from them and find a large group of Eden soldiers he and Guinness could link up with.

    ¡°Soleh-ra!¡± Guinness shouted, pointing off to the top of the hill. After peering closely, Solera could see a throng of soldiers poking out from behind a rocky outcropping. Among them, he could clearly see Luthor!

    Without further delay, Solera led Guinness towards the group, careful to avoid drawing near any ripples in the grass. The others were only several hundred meters away, easily reachable by the two of them. If they were careful and quick, it was extremely unlikely they would have to run into any enemies on the way.

    His hopes were dashed when a wind blade blasted out from right in front of them into the distance, where some imps were fighting a large bird. A piece of mud and grass turned around, revealing itself to be a channeler in full camouflage. She seemed to be as surprised to see them as Solera was to see her.

    Sssssssssss-! Solera dove to the side, narrowly dodging the channeler¡¯s wind blade. A quick roll had him back on his feet and charging towards her. The channeler was already charging up power into her gauntlet for another shot, a grim look on her face. Solera was only ten meters away, and fast closing in for the kill. If she missed again, she would have no option but to die.

    Her gauntlet glowed a bright shade of green, causing Solera to narrow his eyes. Just as he was about to dodge, the channeler¡¯s arms flailed, and she was dragged onto the ground. A vine-like blade of grass had wrapped itself around her foot and yanked her off balance! His dodge instantly changed into a leap towards her, his sword stabbing straight for her lungs, but his killing blow was batted aside by a frantic movement of her gauntleted arm! Her body was thrashing, struggling to wrench itself free of the spirit grass¡¯s grip.

    ¡°AAHHHHH!¡±

    Before Solera could fully process why Guinness was shouting from behind him, a giant rock about half his size and definitely over a hundred kilograms crashed into the channeler and crushed her into the ground. Her legs poked out from the mud, faintly twitching. She had overpowered to defend against the impact, and was still alive, albeit mortally wounded.

    Guinness brushed past Solera and gripped both hands around the rock. He lifted it up into the air above his head, and then threw it down again with another loud yell. Solera gaped in shock, his mind simply unable to comprehend the inhuman display of strength Guinness had just made.

 Chapter 39

    Since when had Guinness been this strong? Back at Fortress Hickory, Solera never saw anything like this. Otherwise, their fights would have been much easier! Right?

    Solera thought back to the expert swordsman, the one that had killed Pinot and caused Chip to flee. His eyes began to widen as he realized¡­ It was Guinness who had knocked the man down to the ground with a single punch! Solera had stabbed the swordsman countless times, yet he was only able to finish him off when Guinness had knocked the man out cold with a second punch.

    The man was wearing incredibly strong plate armor, yet Guinness¡¯s fists had not been injured even a little bit when he had struck him down. Solera had been under high stress at the time, and so had not connected the dots. But Guinness throwing a rock weighing hundreds of kilograms was not something he could miss.

    Solera stared at Guinness, who was panting heavily from the exertion, incredulously. Could it be that Guinness had an insanely high cultivation, and none of them knew? But this wasn¡¯t possible! High level cultivation required cultivation techniques, and cultivation techniques required using the channels, and Guinness couldn¡¯t even channel!

    Still, the truth was staring at him in the face. He could not deny what his own two eyes told him: Guinness was a freak of nature.

    Solera shook himself out of his thoughts. They were still in the middle of a battle! Right as he resumed his walk through the grass, a shadow blotted out the sun. It was the King Gorilla, its body flying over from another side of the hill.

    The King Gorilla smashed into the ground, creating a shockwave which knocked Solera off his feet. Cursing, he got up again, only to see an ocean of tiny bright blue things crashing onto the ground around him. They were minuscule, like dust, but they moved as if they were sentient. In an instant, the blue dust swirled together into an immensely tall tower forty meters high. At the top stood a girl in a green blouse, sucking a lollipop.

    Solera looked no further.

    ¡°RUN!¡± He shouted, grabbing Guinness and fleeing towards the hill as fast as his legs could carry him. Victoria was here again? They had to flee! The grass shivered as another tremor ran through the ground. Solera glanced back and saw that the tower had turned into a giant blue Vigor, its fist rising from a gaping, bloody hole in the King Gorilla¡¯s corpse. Solera¡¯s heart trembled, and his legs suddenly found a new maximum speed.

    What was she doing here? Last time, she was controlling over twenty jumbo Vigors. Now, Victoria was only controlling a single Vigor, but Solera had no doubt that this strange blue Vigor was far more dangerous than the previous twenty! Solera gritted his teeth. Whatever he did, he absolutely could not go near her!

    BOOM!

    An explosion had Solera tackling Guinness to the ground. When he looked up, he found that it was not an explosion. It was the throne which called itself the Vanguard clashing with the blue Vigor. Its battleaxe glowed with golden sunlight as it carved towards the Vigor with a force that could possibly slash both fortresses into two!

    CCRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKKKK!

    A thousand lines appeared beneath the blue Vigor¡¯s feet. The thousand cracks turned into ten thousand, and within a moment a crater fifty meters in diameter and twenty meters deep had appeared.

    The Vanguard jumped back to the edge of the crater. It held up its battleaxe to the light for an inspection. On the center of the axe¡¯s edge, Solera could clearly see a crack in the weapon!

    Solera¡¯s eyes bugged. That was a mighty Sky artifact, a weapon from Sky itself! How could something like a Vigor, which was meant to regenerate any damage it took rather than block any blows, make even the smallest chip in the blade?

    ¡°So this, this is the power of siehnti!¡± The Vanguard roared as an ocean of blue flowed out of the crater, carrying the girl atop it. It reformed back into a Vigor, standing on the opposite side of the crater from the Vanguard.

    ¡°You have the strongest weapon in all of Land under your control, girl.¡± The Vanguard raised his battleaxe up into the air. ¡°Still, you¡¯re going to die today!¡±

    The battleaxe shot through the air at an insane speed. Solera could only see the Vigor flowing together, like a wave about to crash in on itself, around Victoria. The wave was only about a meter thick when the battleaxe flew into it.

    TIINNGGGG!

    A metallic, clashing noise rang out as the battleaxe split into countless shards of whatever its component material was. As for the wave, it emanated countless ripples as it dispersed the force of the impact. Another crater appeared, but Solera could not even see the tiniest crack appear on the Vigor itself. Of course; it was a Vigor, and could instantly reform. But what was astonishing was that the Vigor had actually stopped the battleaxe without the slightest backwards movement.

    Despite the sheer amount of things that had occurred between the tremor which had sent them to the ground and the Vanguard¡¯s battleaxe being destroyed, the entire exchange had occurred in under ten seconds, with a good half of it taken up by the Vanguard¡¯s talking. Solera tapped Guinness on the shoulder. They got up off the ground and started fleeing again. If a throne couldn¡¯t stop her, then only an immortal or seraph could. But half their forces, including Chianti and Verreaux, were sieging Fortress Hickory, a hundred kilometers away! If Umbra and Skadi had also left, then Solera and Guinness could only flee. Again.

    Because of the disturbance the Vanguard and the girl had created, they were able to cross to the other side of the hill without disruption. They were now in the space between the two fortresses, alongside the group of Eden soldiers Solera had seen earlier.

    Their position gave them cover from numerous channelers, whose attacks peppered the ridges on either side of them. A pack of tigers prowled along one side of the hill, just several meters away from the cultivators who waited for them to cross over the crest.

    ¡°Get down!¡± A soldier shouted as a glob of magma flew over and splashed into the fortress walls. Several soldiers were hit by the rebound and fell screaming to the ground.

    The old, emaciated man, Jeboro, whom Solera had seen that day along with the girl, landed in the center of their group. Before Solera¡¯s expression could even change, a blur appeared next to Jeboro.

    Jeboro blocked the blur with his golden gauntlets and rode the impact onto the branches of the first fortress that had been created.

    ¡°You¡¯re good, you¡¯re good!¡± Jeboro shouted at the man, the captain which had brought down one of Leera¡¯s assassins that day. ¡°But where¡¯s Skadi? I want to get him back for what he did already!¡± Some magma sloshed out of his gauntlets as he shook his fists.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± The captain flicked the blood off his sword as he leaped into the air. Jeboro and the captain quickly disappeared from sight, leaving behind only the furious ringing of their clashing weapons.

    ¡°Ready your gauntlets! Don¡¯t let Captain Osmond down!¡± A soldier shouted at a line of channelers on the side opposite the tigers. But before he could tell them to fire, his head disappeared.

    The man that had appeared in the center of their formation was extremely tall, with long, messy hair and bright blue armor. On both his hands were a set of brass knuckles, one of them slicked with blood and brain matter.

    ¡°Another immortal!¡± A man cursed as he lifted his gauntlet up. Ogura disappeared as over ten channeling attacks slashed through the place he had occupied.

    ¡°Fuc-¡± A soldier shouted as she shot out a wind blade at the approaching blur. Her eyes went blank the moment the blur passed straight through her and solidified back into the immortal, his hair blowing wildly with the tempest he had created through his own movements. He removed his hand from the hole he had made in her body, crushing her head in the palm of his other hand before turned around. Imprinted on his forehead was a small red line from the wind blade he had taken head on.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Solera felt despair in his heart. No wonder they were immortals. In front of one, he was no more than an ant waiting to be crushed!

    Screams rang out from behind them, along with tearing and chewing sounds. Solera gripped his sword tightly, not sure which way to look. On one side was a pack of tigers, and on the other was an immortal!

    ¡°Rally together! I¡¯ll take him!¡± A man stepped towards the immortal, raising his sword up. ¡°My name is Harold. What¡¯s your name, immortal?¡±

    A look of disdain appeared on the immortal¡¯s lips. ¡°Ogura!¡±

    He leaped towards Harold. With a single blow, Harold¡¯s sword broke apart and his head exploded.

    ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± Ogura looked at the soldiers near them.

    Solera could hear the sounds of the tigers behind him. He knew this man was something far beyond his reach, someone totally unassailable, but he had to do something! His power crystal was nearly empty, with only a few hour¡¯s charge, but it was still much better than nothing.

    The immortal had only blocked the wind blade at point blank range because he was ready for it, and had overpowered the moment it had struck him. No human, when not overpowering, could take a wind blow head on, no matter how insane their cultivation was!

    Solera was not sure how long immortals could overpower for, but he knew nobody could overpower for extended periods of time. It was likely that Ogura was only overpowering the moment he saw a blow coming towards him. If Solera could land his all-out hit when Ogura was not overpowering, then Solera had a chance. They would all have a chance.

    He had no other choice.

    ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± Ogura barked.

    A woman walked forward, her expression grim.

    ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± Ogura asked as he cleaned his brass knuckles with the woman¡¯s shirt. ¡°If you surrender, I¡¯ll only kill half of you demon worshippers.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡±  ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡±

    One soldier after another had their bodies smashed apart. The tigers had halted their assault to create a ring around them, watching as Ogura slaughtered the Eden soldiers. Solera did not look away, his blood boiling within him. The moment he had an opening¡­ he would kill Ogura, or die trying. Probably the latter.

    ¡°Get off my men!¡± A man barked as he tossed the front half of a tiger at Ogura¡¯s feet. It was Captain Osmond, with Jeboro nowhere to be seen. ¡°You¡¯re dead. If not to me, then to Skadi!¡±

    Ogura looked at the tiger corpse at his feet, then laughed. He leaped forward towards Osmond, his brass knuckles lashing out. Osmond¡¯s sword glowed red as he he channeled power into it. A loud screech resounded out, and sparks appeared where the weapons came into contact. With that single blow, Osmond was panting heavily, his face matted with sweat.

    Ogura punched again. Though Osmond blocked with his sword, he was blown back ten meters, landing heavily onto the ground. Right as Ogura stepped forward to finish him off, a giant boulder smashed down right onto the top of his head. Ogura stumbled forward, clutching his head, which had a small, bloody gash in it.

    Guinness roared, both his hands gripping the sword Chip had given him. He ran around the fallen boulder and chopped down at Ogura¡¯s shoulder. The sword went an inch deep before stopping.

    ¡°GUINNESS!¡± Solera screamed, one hand on his power crystal. The sword slashed straight at Ogura¡¯s neck, glowing green with the verdant power of the crystal. It didn¡¯t matter if this wasn¡¯t the optimal time, he had to go now! Osmond leaped forward as well, thrusting desperately at Ogura¡¯s heart.

    Blinding purple light shot out of Ogura¡¯s body as the two swords cut into him. Solera felt as if he had struck a wall of steel. The bones in his wrist creaked from the force of the sword handle, which had completely stopped moving the moment the sword touched Ogura¡¯s neck.

    Some flying darts bounced off of Ogura¡¯s body. They had pierced through his armor, yet were stopped the moment they touched his skin.

    ¡°AAAARRRRRRRRRGGHHHH!¡± Ogura palmed Solera and Osmond. The moment the palm touched Solera, he was flying backwards through the air. It wasn¡¯t the physical force of Ogura¡¯s palm, Solera thought in the back of his mind. Otherwise, he¡¯d be like that first woman, with a hole blown straight through his stomach. No, it was a channeling attack which had carried him away. Kinetic push!

    After he traveled around fifteen meters, Solera¡¯s back smashed into the ridge, knocking the wind out of him. He could hear several bones cracking, but he paid no attention to any of it. Guinness¡­ Guinness was the only one of the three who had not been pushed away!

    ¡°Stop right there!¡± Solera could hear Skadi¡¯s shout. ¡°Unless you want-¡±

    Ogura ignored him. His fist smashed straight into Guinness¡¯s face.

    Solera screamed.

    Guinness¡¯s head disintegrated right in front of his very eyes, spraying into the air in a million bits of blood, bone, and brain matter. His body swayed for a moment, before it fell backwards onto the ground.

    ¡°GUINNESS!¡± Solera howled, tears trickling down his eyes. ¡°GUINNESS!¡±

    Not Guinness! Why Guinness? He was just a kid who couldn¡¯t understand anything! How could he be singled out by an immortal, and his head destroyed so quickly that his soul couldn¡¯t even go to Sky? How could such a cruel fate befall Guinness?

    In an instant, thousands of thoughts flashed through Solera¡¯s mind. He remembered his earliest memories of Guinness, years ago, of him being bullied by the other kids from the Grove. That time, he hadn¡¯t paid it any thought, but now he deeply regretted his inaction.

    He remembered when he had truly met Guinness, that day when his mother, the mousy lady, asked Solera to take care of him. He still remembered the uncomfortable feeling he had when she asked. He remembered sitting quietly on the reindeer next to Guinness as it took them to Peat City. That time, he had barely even bothered to talk to Guinness. The regret in his heart grew.

    He remembered Fortress Hickory, that fateful day. He had ordered Guinness to go along with them as they fled. It had turned out to be the right choice when the Airborne came with their flamethrowers¡­ but Solera knew how irresponsible, how whimsical his decision had been. He had given so little thought to Guinness''s safety. That day, he had only taken Guinness because he felt more people was better for escaping. It had been Guinness who had saved his life from that swordsman, and he didn''t even realize until today.

    He remembered Guinness carrying him as they fled from Jeboro and Victoria. He should have been left behind there. But it was Guinness who had insisted on taking Solera, despite it weighing him down. Despite Solera¡¯s relative apathy towards him all that time.

    All this time, Solera wasn¡¯t taking care of Guinness. It was the other way around! At Fortress Hickory, at the Genbu assault, just now, with the channeler¡­

    Solera hadn¡¯t realized until now, but Guinness had been his first friend. A sea of regrets filled his heart. His first friend, and yet he had barely interacted with him. Why hadn¡¯t he talked to Guinness more? Why hadn¡¯t he cared more? Now, Guinness was dead! His soul had dispersed, with no chance of even going to Sky because of the heartless method Ogura had used to kill him!

    If only he had been strong enough to kill Ogura with that blow! If only it was within his power! Then, Guinness wouldn¡¯t have died!

    But Solera was too weak! He didn¡¯t have the power to do anything!

 Chapter 40

    ¡°I FUCKING TOLD YOU TO STOP!¡± Skadi¡¯s voice was like thunder, reverberating throughout the entire battlefield. ¡°DID YOU THINK YOU COULD IGNORE ME?¡±

    Skadi was gripping Victoria in one arm, but his other smashed straight into Ogura¡¯s fist. The very wind trembled around them, and yet another crater appeared under Ogura¡¯s feet. But before he was sent flying away, Skadi¡¯s fist opened into a palm and blurred forward to grab Ogura by the face.

    ¡°Stop! Stop! We agreed we would stop!¡± Jeboro¡¯s hoarse voice whispered out as loudly as he could. ¡°You can¡¯t just break the agreement like that!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯LL SHOW YOU WHAT IT MEANS TO IGNORE ME, SKADI!¡± Skadi screamed, his hands trembling. Blinding light shot out of Ogura¡¯s body again as he desperately overpowered against Skadi¡¯s death grip. A flash of green light appeared, immediately followed by Oguro¡¯s scream, which was quickly stifled by the crunching noise his head made as his skull cracked apart.

    Ogura, too, had his head destroyed so quickly his soul would never go to Sky.

    The corpse thudded onto the ground, completely motionless. Solera could see an eyeball poking out from the pile of mud and hair that had once been Ogura¡¯s brain. At this moment, he was feeling extremely conflicted; Guinness had died, but he had been thoroughly, thoroughly avenged.

    Jeboro gaped at the mess that had just been Ogura. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve done this.¡±

    Skadi gazed at Jeboro out of the corner of his eye, his face still dark with anger. ¡°The girl still lives. Isn¡¯t that what you care about?¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course. I don¡¯t care even a little bit about that southern fool who was so stupid as to ignore you, Skadi!¡± Jeboro bobbed his head hurriedly. ¡°The same goes for you two! And the Tornado elders as well! If Victoria dies because of any of you, we¡¯ll have a time out to kill all of you!¡±

    Only now, did Solera dully notice that the enemy soldiers were wearing different uniforms. Some were in the black garb of the United Duchies, whereas others were dressed in dirty gray robes. Standing at the fore of the gray-robed channelers were two gold-robed figures, their faces covered by smooth, gray masks that only revealed two holes for the eyes. And standing on the branches of the fortress was a dark-skinned, bare-chested man and a light-skinned woman wearing a helmet which covered her entire face.

    ¡°Negotiating with devils.¡± The half-naked man sneered. ¡°You can be sure the Pope will hear about this within the next two years!¡±

    Solera looked around, his eyes taking everything in. Two immortals from the Tornado Sect, two from the Halo cult, Jeboro, Elia, Ogura¡­ maybe Skadi could kill them all. He had just killed one immortal without even the slightest resistance. He could kill them all! They hadn¡¯t lost yet!

    Solera didn¡¯t believe it could happen, but he forced himself to believe. He absolutely did not want to surrender to these stone-hearted murdering scum.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the Lynx? I know the bitch is here.¡± Skadi glared at them as he adjusted his grip on Victoria, whose bored eyes made her seem completely unaffected by the fact that she was being held hostage. ¡°She¡¯s the only one among all you trash who has the qualifications to talk to me.¡±

    ¡°Insolence.¡± The bare-chested immortal from the southern continent made a sweeping motion which encompassed the entire battlefield. ¡°Your forces are cornered. All your demon lords are dead. Surrounding you are-¡±

    ¡°Shut up! Shut up already!¡± Jeboro shrieked. ¡°Damn it, if Victoria dies, Duke Shatter will be very mad. You can¡¯t just let him be mad like that! Just shut up! Esteemed Skadi, the Lynx will be here, uh, shortly. Definitely.¡±

    ¡°I am here.¡± The voice came from far away, tremendous in volume but so harmonious that it seemed as if the speaker was right in front of them.

    She appeared from a tunnel several hundred meters away, a tall, graceful woman seated atop a savage black tiger, whose fur glistened like polished metal. The Lynx had faint lines crisscrossing her exposed skin, but that was the only sign of her birth as a monster.

    But Solera knew¡­ this was the face of a monster! He had heard about her many, many times over the course of the siege, and of the countless fatal injuries he had seen while working with Jogujo and Alda, a good half of them were caused by one of the thousands of tigers she controlled. The corpses right behind him were the work of her tigers. Every single tiger was under her mental domination. Everything they did was because of the Lynx!

    This woman was no woman. She was a monster with an ocean of blood on her hands!

    ¡°All right, Lynx.¡± Skadi spoke, not to them, but to the Lynx. ¡°What¡¯s going on here? Fighting your age-old comrades, allying your age-old enemies. The Halo cult, of all people! Has two millennia without a master addled your brain?¡±

    ¡°No, Lord Skadi.¡± She was completely composed, like a feline at rest, and spoke as if she was purring. ¡°I chose independence that day. But even when I am independent, I cannot control everything that happens. Nobody can.¡±

    ¡°Bah.¡± Skadi snarled. ¡°Enough about that now, I already want to kill you."

    He massaged his eyelids for a few seconds before resuming. "Here are my terms. Let me and all the captains go. Guarantee the safety of the soldiers you take prisoner. Then, you can have Victoria back.¡±

    He stroked the expressionless girl¡¯s cheek with one of his long, tattooed fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll even leave behind that pile of siehnti.¡±

    Solera stiffened. Surrender, to the United Duchies? He remembered Fortress Hickory! They had not given anyone the opportunity to surrender before they burned everyone alive. Was Skadi seriously even considering this?

    ¡°Don¡¯t joke around!¡± The bare-chested man shouted. ¡°We¡¯re only here to slay you demons! Why would we want your peons? Lay down this life you stole and-¡±

    ¡°We accept.¡± The Lynx cut the immortal off with a purr that seemed much louder than his shout.

    Skadi looked at the bare-chested man with a gaze that could cut steel. ¡°Consider yourself lucky, punk. The Lynx knows that if I overpowered again, I could kill at least five of you!¡±

    Despite his declarations, Skadi seemed rather bitter. He turned around, his eyes sweeping over the entire battlefield.

    ¡°My soldiers! My comrades!¡± Skadi shouted. ¡°I am sorry! But we have been surrounded by countless experts. This loss can only be blamed on me, for my lack of awareness¡­¡±

    Solera felt like a mountain had fallen on top of him. Skadi had given in, just like that! They had lost, and they were surrendering, and this time, there was nowhere he could run! Was nobody going to continue fighting? He looked around, seeing expressions of defeat on the other soldiers¡¯ faces. None of them seemed to have any fight left in them at all. Solera felt the unwillingness raging away in his heart, but he could do nothing. Not if nobody else would.

    The power crystal! He had to hide the power crystal before it would be confiscated! With a groan, Solera raised a hand up to the stone dangling around his neck. His shoulder blades were cracked, making movement insanely difficult. Several bones in his ribcage were also broken, but he couldn¡¯t feel any pain yet. His hand was able to grab onto the power crystal after several seconds of struggle.

    ¡°Uggghhhh.¡± Solera grunted as he contorted his neck to allow the necklace to slip out of his hair. Losing the power crystal was the one thing he could not do in this situation. Without it, not only would his injuries take months to heal, he would also be rendered powerless against his captors!

    The faintly green rock rested in the palm of his hands. He had to hide it, but where? His backpack was definitely a goner. His clothes might be changed. His boots? No, too risky. Should he swallow it? He could just vomit it back out when he needed it. And if not vomit, well¡­

    Yes, that was the place. With some difficulty, Solera raised his hand to his mouth, but halted right as he was about to open his palm.

    Immortals had impossibly sharp senses. Elia had heard and even identified Chip¡¯s mumbling as they ran through the tunnels, and back at the Genbu mission Skadi had been able to see Jeboro and Victoria from over ten kilometers away when they were far above the clouds. If he was going to swallow a rock, there would be no doubt that an immortal would find it strange. He had to do it in a fashion that would cause them to pay no attention.

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°... I promise you all that if any of your captors harms any of you, their country will pay tenfold!¡± As Solera unstrapped his backpack, Skadi finished his closing speech. Solera didn¡¯t assign his words any weight at all; Skadi, despite all his bluster, was just a coward running away with his tail tucked between his legs. He was a seraph with his own free will, after all. Why would he bother dying for Solera¡¯s country? Fucking scum.

    Solera was unable to get the backpack off, so he made some fumbling motions behind him to mimic retrieving a pill from his backpack. His shoulder blades made some crackly noises, causing him to finally feel a pang of pain, but he ignored it. He could heal it later, when he made sure they weren¡¯t going to execute him. Then, he could at least take down a couple more with him.

    His backpack scuffed his back as he brushed up against the tree, causing him to flinch in shock. He could feel that there was a deep gash in his back. So deep, yet he could feel nothing there! Solera grimaced. A wound like that meant he had no choice but to convert the verdant power into healforce.

    ¡°ALL RIGHT. ALL PRISONERS, LIE DOWN ON THE GROUND AND LACE YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD!¡± The half-naked southerner roared as Skadi and the captains walked into the distance, Skadi still holding Victoria in one arm.

    Solera inwardly cursed. The immortals were sweeping everyone with their gazes! After a split second of thought, he squeezed the power crystal into the gash in his back. The sudden flare of pain in the core of his body told him it had gone deep inside to the very core of his body.

    What Solera had realized in that split second was that if he had swallowed the crystal, it would have been impossible to channel its power because there were no channels inside the stomach. The back, on the other hand¡­ there were no guarantees that the power crystal would be able to come into contact with a channel, but it had paid off.

    He could feel a small trickle of verdant power pouring into his channels!

    Solera made a show of struggling to lace his hands behind his back, then channeled the verdant power throughout his body to help himself into position. The deepest parts of his wound instantly knit together around the power crystal, concealing it from normal vision. A person wearing truesight goggles might only see a particularly bright spot, but even that could be concealed as long as he spent effort to stop the channeling flow through his body, which was a bit like holding one¡¯s breath.

    ¡°THESE SOLDIERS ARE GOING TO COLLECT ALL THE WEAPONS. IF YOU RESIST, YOU WILL BE KILLED!¡±

    A man in black came to Solera and roughly wrenched off his backpack while several others stood by in case Solera tried anything. Solera stared at the mud, not daring to even breathe. If he even flinched, it was possible that he would be killed.

    ¡°God damn. Poor kid¡¯s good as dead.¡± The man cursed as he saw the blood on the backpack and the wounds on Solera. He shook his head as he walked away, mumbling some words Solera could not hear. Solera looked at the man¡¯s back, a glare on his face. He didn''t want to die here. He would not die here!

    ¡°The soldiers in the grass, my tigers will escort you to the rally point.¡± The Lynx spoke up, then resumed talking quietly to the Tornado sect elders.

    Out of the corner of his eye, Solera could see a woman in white robes emerging from the fortress, a mildly unhappy look on her face. He immediately looked back down into the mud, his face paling. Elia!

    Judging from her expression, Chip had probably been able to escape! Good for him, but Elia had seen Solera¡¯s face. If she saw him¡­ he shuddered at the thought. Right now, his top priority was to escape her notice.

    ¡°The groups atop the hills, follow the directions of my channelers!¡± One of the masked elders snarled with a harsh, grating voice that could be heard from kilometers away.

    Solera blinked. The Tornado sect and the United Duchies were both taking prisoners? He was up against a tree, just out of range of the hill and inside the grass, so it was likely he would be taken by the United Duchies.

    His eyes flicked upwards again to look at Elia. Black-armored men were now flanking her as she strode towards the Lynx. She¡­ was a member of the United Duchies!

    The United Duchies! They were the ones who had burned children alive! They were the ones savagely killing soldiers in the tunnels for the last few months. Solera had already seen countless soldiers succumb to wounds created by tigers, flying darts, Vigors¡­ The child whose face had been cut into an unrecognizable mass of flesh starkly stood out in his mind''s eye.

    The United Duchies had been allied with Eden, yet they began this war from out of nowhere. They had proven, time and time again, that they were completely untrustworthy. They were being led by the Lynx, a monster who had killed tens of thousands through her summons. The fact that he had to hide from Elia was just the last nail in the coffin.

    Solera stood up. His knees felt weak, but nothing had broken. Gritting his teeth, Solera stumbled towards the gray-robed channelers. He had no idea what the Tornado sect people were like, but he would take his chances. Surely they could not match up to all the reasons he had against the United Duchies, the country which perpetrated the most despicable acts Solera had ever seen. Be their prisoner? He would then truly be as good as dead!

    ¡°Hey, you! Kid! You¡¯re going the wrong way!¡± One of the United Duchies men whom had confiscated his equipment just then shouted at him, but Solera grimaced and kept walking. He was as good as dead, right? Stop caring about him already!

    ¡°Kid¡­ ah, fuck it, man.¡± The man gave up, and Solera didn¡¯t hear him again.

    ¡°You! Group five!¡± A gray-robed man shouted at him, pointing towards a cluster of prisoners in the back. Solera swept his eyes through the prisoners as he walked. He couldn¡¯t see Macaw anywhere he looked. Could he have escaped?

    There were thousands of prisoners, so Solera couldn¡¯t be sure. Even if Macaw wasn¡¯t among these prisoners, he could be on the other side, taken prisoner by the United Duchies. Or¡­ he could be dead.

    Guinness was dead. Solera didn¡¯t want to think about anyone else he knew being slashed or mauled or crushed to death. Macaw! Just half an hour ago, he had been annoyed with Macaw for occupying his bed. Now, Solera didn¡¯t even know whether he was alive or dead. How quickly things could change. The problems of half an hour ago seemed like a blissful dream to him now.

    ¡°Hello.¡± A voice broke Solera out of his meandering train of thought. A red-haired boy several years older than him, with a babyish face and sparkling eyes, was smiling at him. ¡°I think I saw you that day, when Skadi was testing our cultivations. My name¡¯s Lem.¡±

    Solera stared at Lem, a little disgusted. They were prisoners of war, their future fates unknown, and this guy was actually smiling at him. ¡°Solera,¡± he muttered, averting his gaze to focus on a nearby tree stump. Maybe Lem would stop pestering him and let him think in peace.

    ¡°Are you okay, Solera? You have some cuts on your arm.¡± Lem grabbed Solera¡¯s arm, giving it a closer look.

    Solera shook him off and turned to face Lem directly, so that Lem would not see the injuries on his back. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± This wasn¡¯t the time or place for stupid conversations, for fuck¡¯s sake.

    ¡°Okay, my bad.¡± Lem scratched his head, the twinkle in his eyes dying. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just scared. I talk when I¡¯m scared. Uh, the person in charge of our group is coming.¡±

    He tentatively pointed a finger at an approaching gray-robed man.

    <hr />

    Thanks for sticking it out with me this far, everyone. Your support and comments mean a lot more than you''d expect!

 Chapter 41

    ¡°My name is Rasmurnov.¡± The gray-robed officer said in a flat, monotone voice. He looked completely average, except for one thing: his eyes were pitch black, like two bottomless, devouring pits. He was of an average stature, but his eyes made him seem unnaturally large. If not for his eyes, his face would seem completely forgettable.

    ¡°As for all of your names, don¡¯t bother telling us. My men will escort you prisoners to the closest Tornado sect prison camp a thousand kilometers away. The journey should take several months.¡±

    Rasmurnov paced up and down in front of the two hundred or so prisoners he was in charge of. ¡°I am a fair man. If any of you suffer permanent injury or death at the hands of my subordinates, I will give them their due punishment. The same goes for the reverse. Pray to your Gardener that nothing happens.¡±

    He pivoted on his heel to look at the inferno behind him. Tornado sect channelers were torching the tall grass atop the hill. The living, sentient blade of grass which had saved Solera from being shot by the channeler was somewhere in there. Probably wisps of ash now.

    RUUUMMMBBBBLLLLL-

    An explosion appeared within the inferno as the United Duchies detonated another round of explosives. The second fortress-tree broke apart, its branches falling onto the ground, where they shattered like glass. Though these two fortresses had resembled Fortress Hickory, they could not compare to it at all.

    ¡°I do not like the grass and the trees and the ants and the worms around here.¡± Rasmurnov pivoted back to face them. ¡°You all stuff spirits into the strangest things. So we will start moving now.¡±

    Their guards herded them into one long single-file line before they started moving. Solera was near the front, with Lem right in front of him. At least this way, Lem couldn¡¯t see his injury and babble about it.

    ¡°Several thousand kilometers¡­¡± Lem muttered, but when Solera didn¡¯t respond, he fell silent. They trudged through the mud for hours, the fortresses and the hill behind them slowly disappearing into the forest. Only faint plumes of smoke could be seen.

    Silent. Solera had always been a silent person. Before, it was because he couldn¡¯t talk. Now, it was because he wouldn¡¯t talk. The weight of Guinness¡¯s death, Skadi¡¯s sudden surrender, his worry for his own life and of Chianti¡¯s when the enemy advanced further, they all weighed down on him, like rocks chained to his feet.

    But what weighed down on him most was his powerlessness! All his life, he had been training, cultivating, but what did it mean when his enemies had lived for centuries? Compared to them, he was nothing! Chianti had told him to do what he had the power to do, but he had the power to do nothing.

    He didn¡¯t have his sword, or his truesight goggles, or even the wings he had worn only once. It was unlikely he would ever see any of them again. Now, the only thing he had was his power crystal, stuck in the middle of his back.

    He had begun to feel the pain of his countless injuries, but the crystal was alleviating most of it. The power crystal was an unparalleled item, and the only reason he had not entirely given up on himself. He would live to the end of this war. A century later, two centuries later, when he could become an immortal, he would have his revenge on all these immortals who had screwed him over so badly today.

    ¡°Hey, you!¡± A boot slammed into the back of his legs, sending him kneeling into the mud. Solera looked to his side to see a gray-robed channeler with messy brown hair. The channeler was glaring at him with a gaze that Solera could only describe as crazy.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like the look in your eye!¡± He snarled, some spittle flying out of his mouth and landing onto Solera¡¯s cheek. ¡°You better not be thinking anything vicious!¡±

    Solera got back up, looking away. The prisoners behind him were all staring, and some guards watched with mild interest.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Solera turned and kept walking, his face devoid of any expression. But inside, he was furious! He could be kicked down because his expression wasn¡¯t good? Just who did this guy think he was? Solera absolutely despised this person, but he would do nothing. He valued his life over his dignity. Because as long as he was alive, he could kill this man, whoever he was. So he held his tongue and kept his head down.

    ¡°Picking on prisoners, Jumpy.¡± Another voice from somewhere behind Solera spoke, followed by several snickers. ¡°That¡¯s a step up from the rats and the birds, at least.¡±

    ¡°My name¡¯s not Jumpy!¡± The man behind Solera roared angrily.

    The voices laughed again, but after that, Solera¡¯s area lapsed back into silence. By the time dusk fell, they had gone approximately twenty kilometers in a southwesterly direction. The hundred or so soldiers set up tents all around the camp for the night, with twenty remaining on guard duty. There were no tents for the captives.

    Lem sat next to Solera, his teeth chattering.

    ¡°It¡¯s so cold, Solera. Couldn¡¯t they give us blankets or something?¡± He whined.

    Solera eyed him for a moment before looking away again. Lem was talking to the wrong person here. Besides, he didn¡¯t even know what Lem was talking about. Eden was warm year round, and tonight was not any different.

    ¡°That guy earlier, though. That was really bullshit.¡± Lem shook his head, then shivered. He curled up into a ball and pulled his shirt down over his legs.

    ¡°Yup.¡± Solera said, tuning Lem out. He began thinking about his cultivation. With the decidedly bad food they had been served for dinner by the Tornado sect, it would definitely stagnate. The greatest crime when it came to cultivation was not practicing or getting injured. It was not eating food infused with power! This was why immortals almost completely came from wealthy families. Birthing an immortal was an effort built on generations of work, and could be ruined by the smallest setback. Like this one.

    But he had the power crystal. Solera was sure that this setback was not fatal to his prospects with it. Though he could not exercise because he was walking all day and though he was disinclined to practicing his sword arts in front of twenty guards in the middle of the night without a sword, he could take measures to ensure he reached immortality.

    Practicing his circulation mantra, for one. It gave him a small headache, just like before, but he almost couldn¡¯t feel it at all because it was verdant power he was channeling. The power shot up and down through his body in an endless cycle.

    Solera had read from the really dry book about channeling that circulation mantras actually did help cultivation a tiny, tiny bit, when power would leak out of the channels and be absorbed by the body. He couldn¡¯t feel it happening at all, but he doubted the book would lie to him. By continually circulating, Solera would be able to preserve his cultivation so that immortality would still be attainable. After that, then the Sky was the limit. Whoever he wanted to have revenge on for the events today, he could.

    ¡°... and I¡¯m going to be going to sleep now. Good night, Solera.¡± Still shivering, Lem closed his eyes.

    Solera blinked, then shrugged to himself. He went back to circulating. He could feel the power thrumming through his channels, the power pouring in from the crystal, his wounds slowly healing. He thought again about Guinness, but quickly refocused on the mantra. For a long time, there was only the mantra. Ethereal liquid shooting through thousands of colorful lines, with a giant node of light at the top and a lesser one in the middle. The hum of something akin to a heartbeat, yet erratic, yet melodic¡­

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Come with me, girl.¡±

    Solera¡¯s eyes snapped open. His eyes flickered around, but he could see nothing but the trees and the moon and the stars and the Halo.

    ¡°Damn it, she¡¯s a heavy sleeper. You think the Ras will even like her?¡±

    Solera¡¯s head began to turn ever so slowly towards his left.

    ¡°Just wake her up, for the Thundergod¡¯s sake. Why the fuck are you trying to lift her?¡±

    It was five channelers, two of them dragging the woman up. Solera could see the gleaming blue light of the Halo reflecting off their gauntlets. A feeling of disgust and anger washed over him, this time even more intense than when he had been kicked earlier that day. Rape! Just how much dignity would these soldiers give them? Solera wished so badly that he had the power to kill them all right now. If only he had been born a century earlier!

    Gardener damn it all. Solera found himself cursing in the name of the man turned Sky god his father worshipped. Rape her once. Rape him once. Rape him a hundred times! But as long as he was alive, there would be payback!

    ¡°Girl, what¡¯s your name?¡± One of the channelers, a woman, whispered.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± The female prisoner mumbled, her voice a little panicked.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± The channeler laughed nervously. ¡°We were looking for a girl to warm our boss¡¯s bed. Rasmurnov. Army relationships are forbidden, and one of us thought he was looking at you, so we¡¯d thought we¡¯d make the offer. Your life can be made a lot easier, and we¡¯ll really appreciate it.¡±

    Solera¡¯s eyes narrowed. They could be telling the truth. Or they could be luring the woman out to kill her.

    He felt the power crystal inside him. Killing was where he drew the line. Death meant that one couldn¡¯t take revenge.

    Solera stared at the woman¡¯s face, faintly illuminated by the dual lights of the moon and the Halo. If he did not see her tomorrow, then Solera would exact justice on her behalf. Even though he couldn¡¯t do it now, he could do it later. He looked at the faces, the backs of the channelers. Burned them into his memory. Whatever he did, he could not forget! These prisoners were his comrades, who had protected Eden for him. Who had protected him, in countless battles he would never know about. The world could forget them, but he would not.

    ¡°How can I trust you?¡± The woman asked, still fearful.

    Solera blanched. What? She was actually going along with this? Was she trying to weasel her way out? All she needed to do was cause a scene, and then these guards would either have to leave her alone or deal with a riot!

    ¡°Uh¡­ you can tell all the guards here, wake up ten of your friends, tell them where you¡¯re going to be.¡± The channeler responded awkwardly. ¡°We¡¯re not trying to do anything shady here.¡±

    Tell her friends she would be having sex with an enemy officer? Solera almost laughed out loud. It seemed like he had jumped the gun. Nothing was going to happen tonight.

    The woman seemed to have shared Solera¡¯s thoughts. ¡°No, I¡¯m going to have to say no. No.¡±

    ¡°Uh, okay then. But when you find yourself too cold to sleep or too tired to walk or some other stupid problem you prisoners always seem to have, just tell us.¡± There was a note of annoyance in the female channeler¡¯s voice. She and the other four channelers promptly tiptoed their way through the field of sleeping bodies back to their spots next to the other guards.

    After a few minutes of silence, Solera closed his eyes again. It seemed he really had jumped to conclusions on this one. The channelers were just¡­ being stupid. Solera didn¡¯t know any other way to say it. Besides, most of the other captives were probably awake as well. Not everyone was as naive as Lem, who just went to sleep the first moment he could without any regard for what the Tornado sect people might try. If those channelers really wanted to rape the woman, then she wouldn¡¯t even need to make a ruckus. Solera was sure even if he refused to do anything, there would be many who would.

    He went back to his circulating, trying to reach for that strange state of immersion he had been in. The memory of it was hazy now, but it was really soothing. If he had known about it earlier, he would have channeled more. He felt like he was nearing that point when he was awakened again by some sobbing sounds.

    ¡°Ah¡­ haahh¡­¡± Lem cried.

    Ugggghhhh. Solera groaned inwardly. Perhaps Lem was not older than him after all. He had been on the cusp when the damn kid had started sniffling!

    Solera opened his eyes, then blinked in surprise. It was already dawn! Had he drifted off to sleep without even knowing it?

    *Sniff* Lem was rubbing his eyes, but saw Solera out of the corner of his eye.

    ¡°Hey, Solera.¡±

    Solera stared at Lem again, then sighed to himself. Lem reminded him of Guinness, although he couldn¡¯t really understand why. Just like Guinness, Lem didn¡¯t deserve to be in this mess. One of his greatest regrets was not talking to Guinness more. He could at least humor Lem, then.

    ¡°Do you ever have dreams, Solera?¡± Lem asked him.

    Solera was taken aback by the sheer weirdness of the question. ¡°Yes.¡± Not that he remembered any of them.

    ¡°Dreams of the people you kill? Do you see the people you kill when you sleep at night?¡± Lem pressed on.

    ¡°... No.¡± Who on Land did that? Solera never heard of any such thing before. The heroes of legend definitely never experienced that, either.

    ¡°I guess I¡¯m just weird, then. I dreamed of the first man I killed, killing my family.¡± Lem smiled weakly. ¡°But my family¡¯s in the capital. It¡¯s just a dream. So whatever, right?¡±

    ¡°... Right.¡± Solera nodded slowly. All around them, people were waking up. Soon, they would have to walk again. A thousand kilometers¡­ it was a long, long way to the prison camp.

    ¡°You know you can control your dreams.¡± Solera said, taking his mind off the road ahead. ¡°Maybe next time, keep that in mind.¡±

    Lem seemed incomparably happy that Solera had finally said more than one word at a time. ¡°Yeah, well, it¡¯s a dream, right? I don¡¯t know I¡¯m dreaming until I¡¯m awake! I-¡±

    ¡°Breakfast time.¡± A woman who had been sleeping near them got up, eyeing them with bleary eyes. ¡°Shut the fuck up already.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s the morning. I talk in the morning.¡± Lem laughed awkwardly.

 Chapter 42

    Breakfast was a stale, cold loaf of bread, to be eaten while they continued their trek. This time, Solera was near the middle of the line. The asshole guard, Jumpy, was nowhere to be seen today. Lem, however, was behind him. Luckily, all prisoners had gotten a change of clothes from the channelers to clearly differentiate between the two groups, and so Lem couldn¡¯t see the injuries on his back.

    ¡°Have you ever traveled anywhere?¡± Lem babbled on. ¡°I¡¯ve never been outside of Eden, but there are a lot of things I want to see. Excalibur in Camelot, the volcanoes in the Bloodsand Dominion, the Verdant Hills, the Hellhole in the southern continent, the walls of the eastern continent, the-¡±

    ¡°Nope. Never traveled anywhere.¡± Solera cut him off. Over the course of the last few minutes, he realized Lem didn¡¯t remind him of Guinness at all. One talked too much.

    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s too bad. The Pantheon has the only navy in Land, so I¡¯ll probably never get to see any continent other than this one.¡± Lem sighed. ¡°People from the central continent are so lucky. They¡¯re the only place without war or travel restrictions. I heard their entire continent is one large city. I would like to see that for myself, as well.¡±

    ¡°How about our Tornado Towers?¡± A female guard walking alongside them looked over, a bright smile on her face.

    Solera eyed her warily. Why was this guard talking to them? They were supposed to be enemies!

    ¡°The Tornado Towers?¡± Lem grinned right back. ¡°I guess I¡¯d want to see that too. But it might be too windy. Cuz tornado.¡±

    ¡°Uh, you get used to it.¡± The woman smiled. ¡°The tornados are really good for cultivating. Even though we¡¯re all primarily channelers, nobody is going to turn down increased longevity. I actually like feeling the wind and dirt on my face now, since I associate it with the towers.¡±

    Solera realized, with a start, that he had heard this voice before. It was the woman from last night! He looked her over again. She had a slightly chubby face, with medium-length brown hair and freckles. She genuinely seemed like a person who was just trying to be friendly, but...  Solera wanted nothing to do with her. Just yesterday, she had been one of the people trying to kill him, and there was no way he would forget about that.

    ¡°Ahaha!¡± Lem laughed cheerily. ¡°I¡¯m Lem! What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Helga.¡± She answered, drifting a bit closer to them. Solera edged away, a grimace on his face. He didn¡¯t want to talk. Not with her.

    ¡°This is Solera!¡± Lem said, grabbing Solera¡¯s arm. ¡°He likes, uh¡­¡±

    Several seconds passed awkwardly.

    ¡°Training.¡± Solera looked at the dirt on the ground as he walked.

    ¡°Training, huh? I don¡¯t like training. Mantras are a lot of work.¡± Helga laughed again. ¡°Boss Ras makes us practice a lot in our free time, though. He¡¯s a slave driver.¡±

    ¡°Ras¡­ Rasmarnov?¡± Lem asked.

    ¡°RasmUrnov.¡± Helga kicked a pebble through the mud as she walked. ¡°I don¡¯t mean to talk bad about him, though. He does a lot to protect his subordinates, and I really respect him for that.¡±

    Solera remembered the events last night and rolled his eyes.

    ¡°¡±Yo, Helga!¡± One of the soldiers from behind came running forwards to them with a face full of mirth. ¡°You¡¯ve got to¡­¡±

    His eyes flickered to Solera and Lem, revealing a trace of disdain. ¡°Why you talkin¡¯ with these¡­ these prisoners?¡±

    An annoyed expression appeared on Helga¡¯s face. ¡°Something wrong with that?¡±

    The young man glared at the two of them, especially Lem. ¡°No. Never mind.¡±

    ¡°Tell me what you were going to say, Isidor.¡± Helga stopped, folding her arms and pouting. Lem stopped with her, so after a meter Solera did too.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± The youth looked away sullenly. ¡°Just Jako got his ass whipped by one of the prisoners when he touched one of the prisoner¡¯s asses is all.¡±

    Helga started moving them all along again, but her eyebrows rose upwards like a twig at the bottom of a lake. ¡°What did he do after?¡±

    Isidor glanced at Lem again before leaning in and whispering into Helga¡¯s ear. Solera strained his ears, but heard nothing. Helga, on the other hand, started howling with laughter.

    ¡°Okay, you can leave now. That was funny.¡± Helga waved him away, a grin on her face. Isidor jogged up ahead to tell the next guard, his face slightly less annoyed than it had been before. After a moment of silence, Helga snickered again.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Lem asked curiously. ¡°I wanna laugh too!¡±

    Helga looked at him for a moment before obliging. ¡°There¡¯s this asshole in the back, his name is Jakovich. Apparently he groped one of your comrades.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lem shouted angrily. ¡°That¡¯s not funny.¡±

    If Solera had not already heard that this Jakovich had his ¡°ass whipped,¡± he would not have been happy either. But it seemed he had been given his due.

    ¡°I guess not.¡± Helga smiled. ¡°But also apparently he got beaten up by your other prisoners. So he ran crying to the boss, and Ras was like-¡±

    At this point, she folded her arms together and imitated Rasmurnov¡¯s monotone voice. ¡°¡®who asked you to be a little bitch? That was nobody¡¯s fault but your own!¡¯¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Lem began smiling. ¡°This Rasmurnov seems like a good guy after all.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s probably not exactly what he said. But it¡¯s something along those lines.¡± Helga smiled smugly. ¡°That was Isidor, by the way. He¡¯s from one of the smaller villages, and doesn¡¯t speak too good. Great shot, though.¡±

    Solera¡¯s eyelid twitched. So this Isidor had murdered Solera¡¯s fellow countrymen as well. He wondered how many Helga had killed. The discomfort in his heart took on a tinge of anger as he thought about how Lem talked so casually with her.

    A thought popped into Solera¡¯s head, causing him to frown. It actually made sense to talk to her. She was one of their guards, and could kill them anytime she wished. But if Lem befriended her, wouldn¡¯t that make it a bit harder for her to treat him cruelly?

    Solera rubbed his chin. Maybe Lem was not so naive after all.

    ¡°Hey, do you know about that Jumpy guy, then?¡± Lem asked. ¡°He kicked Solera yesterday. I don¡¯t like him very much.¡±

    ¡°Did he?¡± Helga scratched her head. ¡°That guy¡¯s a little crazy. Uh, let me put it this way. He has two names: Jumpy and Not Jumpy. He used to just be weird, but in a battle with the Thundercloud sect somebody bonked him on the head too hard. Or something.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so he¡¯s just crazy.¡± Lem laughed. ¡°That¡¯s okay, then.¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡± Helga nodded, then blinked. ¡°Well, I got something to do now. Nice meeting you.¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡± Lem nodded, waving as she trotted away. He turned back to Solera, a wide grin on his face. ¡°She¡¯s hot.¡±

    No. Lem definitely was too naive. Solera shook his head, smiling. In a single morning, he had gone from annoyed with Lem, to interested, back to annoyed, and then to impressed, and now to incredulous.

    Though they were mostly moving westwards, their slight orientation to the south meant that they were slowly passing into the Tornado sect¡¯s territory. Nearly everything directly south of Eden was either mountains or desert, if Solera remembered correctly. The Tornado sect should be no different. As the sun swung through the sky, the forests slowly began to thin out and the hills began to grow more pronounced, and by the time the sun had set, the fertile black soil had turned into a dark shade of brown.

    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    The channelers had burned down another portion of the forest to create a large clearing for the prisoners to sleep in. Solera lay in the middle of this clearing, holding his riceball just above his head. He was deep in thought again.

    With the crystal, Solera¡¯s arms had recovered their full range of motion. Another day and he would be fully healed. After that, he could even use the power to cultivate. Not that he would, of course. The crystal was a weapon which bestowed upon him power that could be used both to heal and to kill.

    Solera¡¯s eyes glimmered. No, he would not be using the crystal to cultivate. It would be for his escape from this damned march. With it, who could stop him from running away in the middle of the night? Like Helga had said, these guys were channelers, not cultivators. They could at most lift their gauntlets up before he disappeared into the forest or the mountain or wherever he would be. But after that, he would have to fend for himself.

    It would be best to start saving food wherever he could, whenever he could. Too bad this riceball would go stale within a day. Solera bit a chunk out of it, the top of his head rubbing against the ground as he chewed.

    Navigating back to Eden would not be easy. It would require crossing the enemy lines, for one. Maybe he would have to steal a uniform from the guards. And how could he prove he was from Eden when he got back?

    Bah. He¡¯d figure out those issues when he came to them. First things first, he needed to finish recuperating. Then, he would wait one week charge up enough power. By then, he would have to finish preparations for his getaway.

    Just like the night before, Solera practiced his circulation mantra for as long as he could. He didn¡¯t know when he had fallen asleep, but when he opened his eyes again it was the crack of dawn.

    He was at the back today, with Jumpy just a few meters ahead of him. Solera paid him no mind, though; he was trying to locate himself in the mental map he had conjured up. Solera estimated that their average pace was fifty kilometers per day, which would mean the trip would take under a month. He didn¡¯t know why Rasmurnov had said it would take several months. Maybe they would have to climb mountain paths or take a more roundabout trail.

    ¡°No! Stop!¡± Solera heard a woman¡¯s cry, and then a loud crackling noise.

    About thirty meters in front of him, five guards had surrounded a young woman with their gauntlets raised at the nearby prisoners. In the center was a youth with a pockmarked face and a ruthless expression.

    Solera immediately started moving forward, his face dark. So there really was scum in this world. At least the commander, Rasmurnov, didn¡¯t seem to care if they beat up this kind of trash.

    ¡°You! At it again!¡± A prisoner shouted as he barreled towards the group. A guard lifted his gauntlet up, shooting out a wire that embedded itself in the prisoner¡¯s arm. A crackling sound rang out again, and he dropped to the ground, screaming in agony.

    Solera stopped in his tracks, his face shocked. These guys were actually willing to attack them for this girl? Were they not thinking about the consequences at all?

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± One of the guards laughed. ¡°You guys can go fuck off!¡±

    The crackling noise began again, causing the man¡¯s howls to redouble. Solera was stricken with fear as he watched. He didn¡¯t want to risk being heavily injured or killed defending someone else. Not when he was still injured. Not when he still had to escape. Not when he could kill them all in the future.

    ¡°Look, girl. I really don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re so scared.¡± The pockmarked youth said amidst the screams, a nasty smirk on his face. ¡°I¡¯m not even going to touch you. Just teach you a lesson for yesterday.¡±

    He dodged aside as she threw a rock at him. ¡°Hey, the boss will punish you if you inflict permanent injury or death. Ha ha ha¡­¡±

    Solera looked at the man on the ground closely, his eyes narrowing. Was it that this strange weapon they were using wasn¡¯t lethal? Though the man was squirming on the floor like a fish out of water, the pockmarked man¡¯s words had made him reevaluate.

    ¡°Jako, just take her. She¡¯ll be begging for more tonight.¡± One of them said, causing the whole group to laugh. Solera gritted his teeth and began charging forward again. One of the channelers looked over at him, smirking. He nonchalantly raised his gauntlet upwards.

    Solera dodged aside as a wire shot out from the boy¡¯s crackling gauntlet. But before he could recover, another three wires shot into his body. An immense tingling sensation shot into him, sending him tumbling into the floor. That tingling instantly turned into blinding pain, causing him to shout out.

    ¡°Dumbass.¡± One of the guards sniggered. By now, all the nearby prisoners and guards had stopped to watch, most with varying degrees of indifference.

    Solera struggled up, but the crackling intensified and he was sent to the ground again. He found¡­ that he couldn¡¯t move! He had no control over his muscles anymore, no matter how much he flailed about.

    ¡°Look, girl. You¡¯re my spoils, understand? I feed you. I own you.¡± The pockmarked kid, Jakovich, had bent down next to the fallen girl, waving his fingers. A third crackle rang out, causing the girl to yelp in pain. ¡°We can make life easier for all of us, right?¡±

    Solera cleared his mind as the pain coursed through him. This weapon was definitely not causing him serious injuries, so he needed to calm down. Assess the situation. Figure out how to get out of this thing.

    A burst of green power flooded into his arm, which wrapped around the needles embedded into his body. As his hands touched the wires, it automatically clamped down, sending an intense tingling down his arm.

    ¡°Raggghh!¡± Solera snarled as he tore all three needles out of his skin at the same time. He flailed about for a split second before rising to his feet again. Immediately, another channeler shot a wired needle into him.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± The first one asked, staring at the wires on the ground.

    Another burst of power. Solera charged forward, closing the last five meters within a second. His fist smashed into a third channeler¡¯s face before he could shoot more wires. Without missing a beat, Solera¡¯s knee carved upwards straight into Jakovich¡¯s face, sending him stumbling backwards.

    Crackling noises shot out from Jakovich¡¯s gauntlet as he unconsciously channeled power into it, causing the girl to scream again. Solera smoothly got on one knee, delivering a vicious punch into Jakovich¡¯s stomach.

    Out of the corner of his eye, Solera could see the other captive kicking the legs of one of the channelers before pushing him over onto the ground. Solera¡¯s other fist punched into Jakovich¡¯s side as his second knee swung down onto Jakovich¡¯s arm, pinning him to the floor.

    He looked down at Jakovich¡¯s face, his eyes cold. This was the face of a piece of filth. But he couldn¡¯t kill Jakovich. He could only give him a sound whipping. With his left hand gripping Jakovich¡¯s neck, his palm descended down, again and again, delivering a series of resounding slaps to Jakovich¡¯s face.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Slap! ¡°God-¡± Slap! ¡°Stop it!¡± SLAP! Slap! Slap! ¡°I¡¯m s-¡± Slap! ¡°Sorry!¡±

    A needle embedded itself into Solera¡¯s back, but he overpowered and just continued. Actually, this felt kind of good. The faint tingling in his back made the feeling of slapping Jakovich¡¯s face much more stimulating. Well, it was mostly because slapping a piece of shit felt good. He should have done this to Chip back when he had first seen him again after Fortress Hickory. Or-

    Everything went black.

 Chapter 43

    It was probably only a few seconds later when Solera regained consciousness. He groggily opened his eyes to see the face of Jumpy, the youth who had kicked him down the other day.

    A hand clamped around his neck, squeezing it tightly like an iron vise. Solera gasped for breath, but found that no air could get past his lungs! This guy¡­ was this guy trying to kill him?

    ¡°Ah, fuck, damn.¡± Jakovich groaned in the background. ¡°I don¡¯t want you helping me, you freak. Get the fuck out of here.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! I¡¯m not a freak!¡± Jumpy shouted angrily as he choked Solera.

    Solera flailed about wildly, his fists thrashing weakly at Jumpy. Another crackling noise. Solera¡¯s body tensed up involuntarily. His fingers twitched as he found himself without control of his body again.

    ¡°Kkkhhaau¡­¡± The saliva in Solera¡¯s throat hurned as he desperately tried to breathe. Jumpy¡¯s eyes stared down at him like a ravenous tiger gazing at a helpless reindeer. Solera looked up, his panicked eyes dimming as his vision started to turn black.

    Jumpy was insane! Solera could see it in his cold, sadistic gaze. He had to do something drastic now, or else he would die right here!

    The verdant power stored in his Lake roared through his channels. Solera¡¯s hand clenched into a fist again, then opened up back into a palm which slammed into Jumpy¡¯s jaw. His fingers descended down towards Jumpy¡¯s eyeballs.

    Jumpy let go with a scream as Solera¡¯s fingernails lightly scraped the area directly below his eyebrows. A flash of light and a roaring noise thundered out, throwing Solera to the ground like a broken rag doll.

    Solera gasped for air as he laid on the ground. He could feel his consciousness fading away again. What had he been shot with? Was he dying right then and there, unable to even feel the pain of his passing?

    Black. Dimly, he could feel a force smashing into the side of his body.

    Solera opened his eyes some time later. The clouds overhead were blurry, split into twins overlaid atop each other. Solera¡¯s eyes refocused for a moment before he lost consciousness yet again.

    When he came to, he was standing, his arms splayed out, tightly gripped by two gray-robed channelers. Lem was not far away, his face filled with anger and his mouth moving at speed, but Solera couldn¡¯t make out what he was saying. His ears rang with a strange buzzing noise, more high-pitched than the crackle of the gauntlets earlier, yet seemingly just as loud.

    A red-hot pain shot up his back. He stared blankly at the ground, his eyes unfocusing and refocusing. His mind was fuzzy and dim, completely unable to think. What was going on?

    CRACK!

    Another flaming pain lanced through his body. His back felt like it was on fire, and he could taste metal in his mouth. His fellow prisoners stood in front of him, watching him with blank eyes.

    CRACK!

    Solera was whipped again. A boot scuffed against the ground. A rustling sound of someone wiping something with a rag.

    ¡°You are all idiots.¡± The flat, monotone voice of the commander, Rasmurnov. The scorching pain came in waves with every heartbeat.

    ¡°I am tired of this behavior. Of this immature exploitation of loopholes. It shows that you have no respect for the intentions behind my words.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, sir.¡± Several voices from behind Solera mumbled meekly. The voices of those rapists.

    ¡°You need to quit treating people like some sort of game. The next time this happens, not only will you die to one of them, I will also whip your corpse to make it more tasty for the hyenas.¡±

    The words were funny, but the voice was so emotionless, so matter-of-fact, that nobody could laugh. Least of all Solera.

    ¡°Yes, boss.¡± The five muttered.

    ¡°Proceed.¡± Rasmurnov¡¯s monotone voice rolled out, not with the power of Skadi¡¯s voice or the subtle drifting of Leera and the Lynx, but still forceful nonetheless.

    Lem ran up to Solera, hoisting him up as the crowd around them was dispersed. He had tear stains on his face, but attempted to smile when he looked at Solera.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± He asked as he helped Solera along. ¡°You didn¡¯t get hit too hard by any of them, did you?¡±

    Solera coughed out some blood. He tried to walk with Lem as he regained full control of his mental faculties, but his legs felt like butter and his head felt worse. The buzzing sound was still there, a faint ringing that just wouldn¡¯t go away.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think I did.¡± Solera coughed again. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what happened.¡±

    ¡°When what happened? When this all started?¡± Lems boyish face contorted in rage for a moment. ¡°These five-¡±

    ¡°After I got knocked out,¡± Solera interrupted, groaning to himself.

    ¡°Oh. Sorry. I just thought you might have forgotten everything.¡± Lem smiled embarrassedly, then grew angry again. ¡°It¡¯s not fair! Rasmurnov said he would punish any permanent injuries or deaths, but when he looked at you, he said he didn¡¯t see anything!¡±

    Solera looked up ahead, where the five guards were walking. An intense feeling of hatred shot through him. If his injuries didn¡¯t count as permanent, then why was he getting whipped? He had hurt them far less than they hurt him!

    ¡°Rasmurnov said none of their injuries were permanent, either. But then the one with the broken nose said it was technically permanent!¡± Lem stomped on the ground, his eyes bitter. ¡°I said it was bullshit, but he didn¡¯t even listen to me. Helga said he was a cool guy, too.¡±

    Solera¡¯s hatred slowly subsided, supplanted by a feeling of resignation. Of course it would turn out this way. What had he expected? Those soldiers were Rasmurnov¡¯s subordinates and he was just a prisoner. Why would Rasmurnov punish his own men in favor of him?

    The exhilaration of delivering justice had dissipated. It wasn¡¯t fair, Lem had said. Of course it wasn¡¯t fair. This world wasn¡¯t fair. Otherwise, Guinness would still be alive and Solera would be back at the Grove learning about sunflowers and daisies.

    Land was inherently unjust. If the top dog of this group, Rasmurnov, said red was blue, then red would be blue. It wasn¡¯t up to someone like Solera who wielded no power at all to decide.

    His half-hearted slapping was just that; a slap on the wrist. It was the closest thing to justice a piece of powerless trash like him could do. If Solera wanted to deliver true justice, then he needed to have the power to do it.

    Power! Power was the cure for everything. Every problem in his life could have been solved with more power. At Fortress Hickory, when the Airborne attacked. Against the Genbu, when Fischer died. Countless wounded died everyday because the medics didn¡¯t have the healforce to spare. And above all, when Guinness had been killed by the immortal, Ogura.

    The ultimate solution to everything was power. Power was what Solera needed. If he wanted to exact justice, if he wanted to protect his friends and family, then he would have to be powerful.

    He would not become powerful today, nor would he be powerful tomorrow. But what he had inside the very core of his body was a power crystal! With it, he could become powerful, not today, not tomorrow, but ten years from now! Ten years from now, he would be powerful enough to make a difference. A century from now, nobody would dare touch his friends.

    But for that to happen, he had to live.

    The wounds on his back stung like bee stings, but like all his other wounds, they healed quickly as he drained the verdant power stored in his Lake. Again, he would have to put off his escape. Perhaps he would abandon all thought of escape altogether. It was too risky. He didn¡¯t know how to get food, he didn¡¯t know how to make his way back, he might get caught. The chances of death were too high, and his goal, above all, was to live.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    That night, he lay on the ground, focusing again on his channeling. He had the verdant power make additional revolutions in his back before returning to his Lake. The power leakage from his channels would be greater there, and he would heal faster that way.

    ¡°Hey, kid.¡±

    Solera opened his eyes. Next to him was a middle-aged man, the one who had fought the punks off with him. Solera looked at him blankly.

    ¡°You did good.¡± With that, the man closed his eyes. After a few seconds, Solera bemusedly closed his own, and went back to channeling.

    The night passed quietly. Apart from people getting up to be escorted somewhere to relieve themselves, there were no disturbances. Even the ringing noise which had plagued him for the whole day disappeared as he slipped off into dreamland.

    Solera trudged along the mountain path the next day. Lem walked alongside him, talking cheerily about some other prisoners. Yesterday¡¯s incident seemed to have vanished entirely from his mind, as if it had never happened. Or maybe he was trying to get Solera¡¯s mind off of yesterday.

    ¡°The girl you saved, her name is Letva. She told me to tell you that you were really badass last night.¡± Lem winked slyly at Solera. ¡°She¡¯s hot, so you know what to do.¡±

    No, she wasn¡¯t. And Solera wasn¡¯t in the mood for this kind of talk. ¡°You forgot about the guards, Lem.¡±

    ¡°The guards are a lot less anal than they were two days ago.¡± Lem grinned. ¡°I guess you can¡¯t see that, but the proof is right in front of you. We¡¯re walking together, see? They don¡¯t care about single file anymore. And now that we¡¯re in the mountains, there¡¯s no open spaces anymore. They¡¯ll have to split us up. What do you think, hm?¡±

    A little flustered, Solera shook his head. ¡°No.¡± Breakfast every day was a stale piece of bread, the guards were clearly douchebags, and yet Lem actually had the energy to think about sex. Besides, there was only one girl he liked.

    ¡°Hey, guys. What¡¯s up?¡± The cheery voice of that girl, Helga, again. Solera silently wished she would fuck off.

    ¡°Not too much.¡± Lem chirped back. ¡°Is it going to rain soon? Those clouds are really, really dark.¡±

    Helga brushed her hair as she looked up at the sky. ¡°It¡¯s always raining in the Tornado sect. So yep.¡±

    Lem adjusted his blue robes uncomfortably. ¡°That¡¯s not okay. How is this clothing going to hold up against the rain?¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t.¡± Helga smiled brightly at Lem. ¡°Sorry about that, but the higher-ups are cheapskates.¡±

    Helga looked at Solera. ¡°Why¡¯s your friend always down in the dumps?¡±

    Lem stared in shock, while Solera¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°He got whipped by your asshole boss, that¡¯s why.¡±

    Helga blinked, a flash of amusement on her face. ¡°Oh, was he the one? When I heard about that, I thought it was really funny.¡±

    Lem¡¯s face had a tinge of anger now. ¡°It wasn¡¯t funny. He got whipped three times for breaking somebody¡¯s nose! Didn¡¯t you say Rasmurnov was a great guy?¡±

    Helga looked mad now as well. ¡°Yes, yes I did. What¡¯s the problem?¡±

    Solera grabbed Lem¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Lem, quiet.¡±

    If they got into another altercation, the consequences might even be heavier than last time. Solera would not risk another whipping over a stupid argument.

    Helga glared at Lem. ¡°It¡¯s just a few lashes. He didn¡¯t kill any of you, which is what the Thundercloud sect would¡¯ve done if you even touched their troops. Get over it.¡±

    Lem slowly turned his eyes away to look directly ahead. His lips were tightly pursed, although his eyes for flaming with rage. As for Solera, all he felt was mild disgust for this girl. She was completely out of touch. Not worth his anger. None of these guards were worth it.

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t mean for it to go like this. My bad, I guess.¡± Helga shrugged and walked up ahead to speak with some of her friends.

    Nothing else happened that day, other than that Solera saw a man chopping at a tree far away. He looked at the man for a while, but he soon fell out of sight.

    Just as Lem said, they were split up that night, camping amongst a number of different rocky outcroppings. Only three tired-looking guards watched over the twenty prisoners Solera was grouped with. Solera could hear the yipping of a pack of hyenas as they hunted who knows what all night, but once again the night was peaceful. By now, they had traveled around two hundred kilometers, and were far, far away from the border.

    Early morning rain woke everyone up several hours earlier than usual. Solera sat with his legs crossed as the raindrops pitter-pattered on his robes, soaking straight into his skin. He was circulating again, much faster and with higher volume than when he had first learned the mantra.

    Power flowed from the Lake in his soul with a deep, powerful thrumming sound which he only he could hear. It had become much more purer than before, Solera was certain of it. His channels had grown in size as well. Even though he was not and would never be a channeler, the fact that he had larger, stronger channels meant that the strength and duration of his overpowering state was increased. From all the battles and fights he had been in, he had learned just how critical that was.

    Of course, if he was just simply better at fighting, he would never have to overpower in many of the situations he had been in. Solera began thinking about the four major factors which he had identified as being important to his combat capabilities.

    Cultivation saturated the body with power, increasing strength and longevity. Meditation expanded the rift which supplied the Lake with power while also condensing power to become more pure, further enhancing the overpowering state. Technique and expertise with weapons allowed Solera to use his body to its fullest potential. And now, circulation, which increased the size and health of the channels.

    Of the four, the only two he could do was meditate and circulate. But circulation was, for a cultivator, just simply more useful than meditation, so that¡¯s what he would continue doing.

    ¡°Solera.¡± Lem tapped him on the shoulder. ¡°Quit your whatever, they¡¯re handing out breakfast.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Right.¡± Solera opened his eyes and shook the beads of water off his face. He got up to walk to the guards, who were handing out yet more pieces of stale bread. When was the last time he had meat? Did that rice ball count?

    ¡°The hyenas are really loud.¡± Lem said as he took a piece of bread from the guard. ¡°I wonder what they look like.¡±

    ¡°They probably look like dogs.¡± Solera muttered as he tried to squeeze his own piece. Some crumbs fell off as the bread cracked. Gardener damn it all. If he didn¡¯t have his power crystal, all his injuries would have rendered him completely unable to even move. Maybe Rasmurnov would have just left him to die when they were still in the forests of Eden.

    A channeler suddenly came barreling over from one of the other groups, waving his hands like a madman. Solera looked over, his eyes uninterested. Seems like another dispute had occurred.

    The channeler stopped, panting for breath. He pointed off towards where he came, waving his hands. The other guards stared at him, their eyebrows raised.

    After a few seconds, he mustered up his breath. ¡°Plo, get these guys to the center, now! The hyenas are coming!¡±

    <hr />

    Thanks for the reviews, guys. I really appreciate them :)

    I''ve read criticisms about my grammar/language, and flow. I agree with them, but I have my blind spots and I am fallible.

    If any of you notice non sequiturs, grammar mistakes, spelling mistakes, or even things that just don''t read well, please please Please point them out somehow, whether it be through a comment or a PM. I suck at checking PMs but I do go through them, and I read every comment and review on Overpowered. I can promise the majority of the time that unless you are blatantly wrong, the mistake/imperfection WILL be fixed. Bad grammar is something I think I can easily fix and I want future reviewers to be giving me a perfect grammar score, so help me out please.

    Thanks for your support, all.

 Chapter 44

    The guards jumped up, shock on their faces. One, a young woman with a short pigtail, immediately began channeling into her gauntlet. Solera rose to his feet as well, his eyes narrowed. Were the hyenas wild animals or spirits? If they were monsters, were they wild monsters, or was this an orchestrated attack by summoners?

    ¡°Get moving! Now!¡± One of the guards barked at the prisoners. Their group was unceremoniously herded onto the mountain trail which held the other prisoners. As Solera hurried forward alongside Lem, he could hear the baying of the hyenas growing louder.

    A young man near a bit further ahead of Solera tripped on a rock and fell. He was kicked by the leading guard. ¡°Hurry the fuck up! Do you want to die?¡±

    The young man got up, wordlessly shaking his head.

    ¡°Yeah, well, me neither!¡± The guard shouted. ¡°Get your ass moving!¡±

    The hyena cries were right above them now, where the mountain flattened out and became a mesa, accompanied by shouts, screams, and the sounds of what Solera supposed were gauntlets discharging. Solera ascended up the mountain face, his eyes dark. How would he, or any of the prisoners, be able to fight off a pack of hyenas, be they monsters or animals, with no weapons?

    Weren¡¯t they just going to be used as meat shields for the Tornado Sect channelers?

    Solera¡¯s fears were confirmed when he found himself at a flat ridge in the mountain where the others had gathered. There were three large groups of white-robed channelers to Solera¡¯s left forming a wedge formation against the oncoming hyena horde to his right, each group split into two rows, one standing, one kneeling. The kneeling row was shooting out a continuous flamestream to screen away the hyenas, whereas the standing row shot out a variety of projectiles, among them flying darts and wind blades.

    This would¡¯ve been great if the prisoners were arranged in haphazard rows diagonally forwards to the white-robed channelers. Rather than charge through the inferno of death to the channelers, the hyenas were lunging at the blue-robed figures!

    Upon seeing Solera¡¯s group appear at the edge of the ridge, a stream of hyenas broke off from the main group. The guard who had kicked the youth raised his gauntlet up, blasting out a rapid series of projectiles at the nearest hyena. The blurs shot into one of the beasts and splattered into liquid which began to dissolve the hyena¡¯s fur into sludge.

    With a pained yelp, the hyena frantically shook itself in a mad effort to flick off the deadly liquid. A drop landed on Solera¡¯s robe, burning straight through to his leg.

    He didn¡¯t pay any attention to it, though, because a hyena was leaping straight at Lem. Solera delivered a savage frontal kick towards the hyena¡¯s body, but it had still latched its jaw around Lem¡¯s arm. Lem screamed, shaking his arm and the hyena around.

    Before he even knew what he was doing, Solera¡¯s hands had clamped around the hyena¡¯s neck, squeezing it up against the head to force the jaw to loosen. With some effort, he wrenched the kicking, struggling hyena off Lem and fell onto his butt. Its claws scratched at his robes, tearing long strips off of him and leaving cuts of varied depth all along his abdomen.

    ¡°AHHhh!¡± With his hands firmly gripping the squirming beast¡¯s head and neck, Solera rolled over and pressed the thing¡¯s face into the ground as hard as he could. He got to his knees, lifting the snapping, spitting hyena up above his head and smashed its head across the stony ground. Its whole body trembled, but Solera didn¡¯t stop. With one hand holding down the neck, his fist chopped down on its skull.

    Bam!

    The bottom of his fist went numb from the impact. Cursing in his heart, Solera lifted the dazed hyena back into the air and brought it down again. This time, he heard a crunching sound emanating from the monster¡¯s skull.

    Solera knelt there, his heart thumping furiously. The hyena lay limply on the ground, its body caked with blood and dust. His forearms were crisscrossed with long, bloody scratches from the hyena¡¯s claws. Lem was next to him, cradling his ragged arm. Hyenas were everywhere, and the formations had utterly broken down into a chaotic melee. Solera could see Rasmurnov, a helmet on, standing calmly with five channelers surrounding him and blasting out crackling red bursts of light. Flames were everywhere. The trees and grass on the mountain slope were burning, and rocks were tumbling down from higher up.

    A rock lay amongst scree at his feet. Solera picked it up as he got back on his feet, his eyes slowly swept across the battlefield. The fight with the savage hyenas was still raging. On the far side of the ridge, next to the mountain slope, a group of channelers were scything through the hyenas, leaving only charred corpses behind them. Even though these bodies were those of wolves, Solera still felt cold sweat on his back. The faces of Merlot and Savi swam back up into his mind. The burning fires, the charred smells, it all reminded him too much of Fortress Hickory.

    Blue robes. So many blue robes on the ground, They were tattered and torn, bloody and dirty. Screaming in pain or utterly silent. Men and women, old and young, nobody was spared from the savagery.

    There was only one thing that kept Solera from being one of those blue robes.

    Solera¡¯s boot smashed into a snapping hyena, crushing its head into the mud. The moment his foot thudded against ground, his rock crushed a gaping hole in the hyena¡¯s neck. The stone¡¯s impact left deep cuts in Solera¡¯s hands.

    He wasn¡¯t stronger than others. He wasn¡¯t more experienced than others. The only difference between him and everyone else was that his technique, his balance, his very mentality had been sharpened for all his life to the point where everything was automatic. No hesitation. No wasting time. What Solera had, above everything else, in a fight, was his decisiveness.

    A hyena lunged at him. His hands were above his head, both tightly gripping the rock. He swung it down like a hammer onto the hyena¡¯s skull, twisting aside as he did. The hyena fell on the ground next to him. His boot pressed the hyena¡¯s neck to the ground, and the rock descended again.

    He had realized it when he reached out to help Lem. Be decisive. It was what had saved him from death by sword at Fortress Hickory, by rock at the Genbu battle, and by claw at the final siege. He had to be decisive. The more decisive he was, the more hyenas he could slay. The more hyenas he could slay, the less his fellow prisoners would die.

    He had to be decisive.

    ¡°Lem, get behind everyone else.¡± Solera snarled. His hands were bloody from using the rock. His leg was screaming from the acid. Cuts were all across his forearms, his back, his torso. But at this moment, he was decisive.

    Another hyena was dragging a dead body backwards, but let go as it saw Solera approach. Its beady eyes coldly sized him up like a cat would a mouse, a deep purr emanating from the depths of its throat.

    It turned and fled.

    Solera blinked. Everywhere, the hyenas were scampering back, leaving behind a ridge strewn with nearly a hundred striped corpses and a fair amount of motionless blue robes. What was going on? Had the hyenas decided to cut their losses and retreat?

    ¡°Bandit summoners.¡± Rasmurnov was using power to amplify his voice. ¡°Do you understand who you are attacking right now?¡±

    Solera looked up the mountain walls to its summit. Standing at the very top of this particular mountain, nearly five hundred meters above them, were three cloaked figures wearing featureless black masks.

    One of them, a man with a deep voice, laughed. ¡°We know exactly what we are doing.¡±

    The figures backed away from the edge, which abruptly exploded into a shower of rock. They rolled down the mountain directly towards them, triggering more landslides as they descended.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°All of you, take cover.¡± Rasmurnov snarled, but Solera was already running. He jumped over the ridge and began running down the mountain face, his face pale. These bandits were creating an avalanche to crush them all!

    Solera dropped under a rocky protrusion into the mountain trail below as the entire mountain trembled. Pebbles bounced onto the trail before continuing their roll down the mountain. Half a second later, a giant boulder rolled off the protrusion and flew into the air above Solera.

    Solera looked down grimly. If that boulder had hit him, there would have been nothing left!

    As the rocks thundered past, cracks spread along the protrusion which had shielded Solera. Cursing inside, he began crawling on all fours along the mountainside to a place with more cover. Pebbles pelted the top of his back, but larger rocks would still go over him. He hoped.

    A howl sounded out from nearby, causing Solera to freeze up. The hyenas¡­ the hyenas had not been running away! They had run here to kill off the survivors! Solera¡¯s blood ran cold as he thought this. These bandits were just as ruthless as the Airborne of the United Duchies, if not more.

    A hyena bounded out from around the bend in the trail. Its paws skidded across the floor as it saw Solera and changed direction to charge straight towards him.

    Solera had dropped his rock at some point. Against the first hyena which was devoting all its attention to him, he had no choice but to use the verdant power in his Lake and overpower.

    All his senses became sharper, clearer. Like a finely made blade. His mind, previously panicked and frantic, calmed down. Power surged out of his channels, burning his cultivation. His body was a vast forest burning itself into cinders. Yet his mind was a calm lake, its waters lapping gently at the shore. It was in total control of all of him.

    The hyena dodged his swipe. Nimble and vicious, as it should be. A hyena with its attention undivided was fearsome indeed. But it was no match for him when he overpowered.

    It went for Solera¡¯s legs, so Solera pivoted his foot around and sent his other leg straight into the hyena¡¯s body. It floated through the air and slammed into the mountain walls. Solera¡¯s hand moved leisurely, yet it was touching the hyena before it could recover itself.

    What was this change? The last time he had overpowered, it was on the ground against a tiger. Time had not slowed, nor had he calmed down at all. Was this the effects of a few days of a circulation mantra?

    Perhaps. But more likely, it was because Solera had learned something. Learned that he had to be decisive. That he needed to clear his mind of all things extraneous and focus on what was right in front of him.

    That as long as he did so, he was in control.

    He was not faster than before, nor stronger than before. But his mentality had changed. And that meant everything changed.

    His boot slammed into the hyena¡¯s ribs and made a disgusting crunching sound. This hyena was no longer a monster. It was just an ant which would do his bidding. His heel lifted up into the air, then came down again. The hyena¡¯s eyeballs bulged, then went blank. He had crushed its heart.

    Too easy.

    The sounds of the avalanche returned to the fore of his mind as he powered down, along with the smell of blood and the sight of death. When he had overpowered, he had heard, smelled, and seen far better than he did usually. But at the same time, his mind was focused on other things.

    His reverie had shattered. The moment had ended. His channels screamed from the exertion of intentionally leaking out so much power. His Lake was empty of verdant power. He was exhausted, more than he ever had been before.

    Jakovich walked out from around the bend, huge gashes in his leg and torso. He and Solera looked at each other for a moment.

    Jakovich¡¯s gauntlet began to glow.

    Solera overpowered again. This time, the world did not slow. But the hyena was in his left hand, his feet were charging straight at Jakovich. They were fifteen meters from each other, not far, but not close at all.

    Jakovich¡¯s eyes were burning, just like Solera¡¯s body. Burning with hatred. It had to be this way, Solera thought grimly. He had humiliated the kid too much. And kids will be kids. Ten meters.

    Jakovich lifted his gauntlet up at Solera. It was ready to fire. Solera stared at the bottom of Jakovich¡¯s palm, where the power was being gathered. Where whatever Jakovich was shooting would discharge. Eight meters.

    Solera lifted the hyena up as a flash of light shot out from Jakovich¡¯s gauntlet. The corpse thumped into his arm as it blocked the projectile Jakovich had shot, sending a liquid spraying all over his legs which caused the previous burning sensation to intensify and propagate. Seven meters.

    Solera lobbed the hyena at Jakovich as he charged. Five meters.

    Jakovich flinched and jumped aside as the hyena flew forward, fearful of getting into contact with the copious acid on its body. Two meters.

    Solera tackled him to the ground. His elbow carved upwards into Jakovich¡¯s jawbone and landed with a crunching sound. At the same time he crawled forward atop Jakovich¡¯s body, the elbow retracted, only to raise into the air and come down again on Jakovich¡¯s chest. Solera¡¯s other hand formed into a claw which descended onto his face.

    After a moment, he wrenched his fingers out of Jakovich¡¯s eyes. His vision was dimming. His legs were burning. But Solera could not rest now. With heavy, pained pants, he got onto his knees and lifted Jakovich¡¯s robe up to clean the acid off his legs. What used to be his flesh sloughed off as he wiped, leaving behind a multitude of shallow holes several millimeters deep. Crumble acid. Chip had used something similar back at Fortress Hickory, Solera thought faintly in the back of his mind. And he had only been hit by the splash. If he got hit by the full burst, his corpse would quickly have ceased to exist.

    Solera looked down at Jakovich¡¯s face. The kid was dead, his eyes destroyed, with scratch marks all over his cheeks and nose. Solera took several deep breaths.

    He had to be decisive.

    His palm smashed down at Jakovich¡¯s nose. It came back up, and smashed down again. And again, and again, and again. His entire hand was bleeding from the cuts received by the rock, yet now it was doused in so much blood that the cuts could no longer be seen.

    Jakovich¡¯s face finally caved in. Solera looked at it emptily. He had seen similar things far too many times to feel anything now.

    He rolled Jakovich¡¯s body to the middle of the trail, lifting his head up for an instant to check for any large boulders heading his way. There were none. Taking another deep breath, Solera flung the body down the side of the mountain, where he could see it rolling and tumbling like a broken rag doll for several seconds before he turned away and crawled back to the mountain face.

    He lay there, leaning against the wall, his face blank and his eyes dim. The sounds of the avalanche were fading away, no longer as loud as before. They sounded like raindrops hitting the branches outside the window of his room back at the Grove.

    He really wanted to sleep.

    <hr />

    Link to chapter 45</a>

    Next chapter link will take you to the To-do list and then the Glossary.

 To-Do list - updated 4/30/16

    The current to-do/retcon list for me that I feel is important for readers to know is:

    consider changing the names of the people at the Grove, because they¡¯re all named after alcohol and that might turn off some readers. probably wont happen but maybe

    make past weapon-to-weapon fights cooler and more accurate. Make weapon talk in general more accurate

    make Vinoh''s injury clearer

    switch the events of chapter 35 and 34 around to make Solera¡¯s decision to be a ghetto healer make more sense

    <del>get a better prologue than the one that currently exists, which is not on royalroadl at this moment</del>

    Tornado Towers -> Tornado Tower

    Chapter 44 fight with Jakovich''s unreasonable overpower

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    Drop curse right on top of the characters in chapter 27 instead of having Chip argue for going to it

    Give early Solera a personality

    Global Dimension Rework

    Edit out unnecessary filter words (felt a sinking feeling -> stomach sank; Solera realized -> delete) and to be verbs (cut the useless crap)

    colloquialize some language, make peoples speech styles more distinct

    fix any and all typos/stupid errors/grammatical mistakes. if you guys ever find yourself rereading or just reading a chapter and you find a mistake, please make a comment or pm me. I will read it and it will be fixed and god damn I hate typos

    looking for opinions on the current synopsis. If you have tips for a possible future synopsis please do tell.

    My readers are awesome :)

 Glossary Thing

    I will update this whenever I feel like it. Guaranteed update at the end of every book, but that really doesn''t mean anything at all

    <hr />

    Power: A strange plasma from Sky which can ¡°collapse¡± into worldly energies, such as lightning, fire, wind, healforce, kinetic force, and many other things. Measured in ¡°iotas.¡± No relation to ¡°power¡± in physics whatsoever.

    The Four Disciplines of Power

    If it can be imagined, power has the capability of doing it. However, on Land, the usages of power can be divided into a few broad categories. These are their very basic explanations.

    Cultivating: Saturating the body with power to increase strength, reflexes, and longevity. Done primarily through the consumption of pills and foods already saturated with power, though other methods do exist.

    Channeling: The usage of mantras to manipulate power and send it through the channels.

    Controlling: The usage of power as a signal to control equipment such as Golems and flying discs.

    Summoning: The opening of external rifts into Sky to seize and mentally dominate spirits for the purpose of possessing living things on Land (such as ants, lizards, grass, humans, etc.) to turn them into monsters which serve the summoner as long as mental domination is maintained.

    Components of a Soul

    Soul: The spiritual component of a human, unique to only humans among all the animals in Land. Composed entirely of power, it is strongly correlated with mental ability.

    Lake: Situated inside the head, the Lake holds all the power gathered from the Rift. Mantras are performed in the Lake, and the power expended through channeling, controlling, and summoning all drain the Lake. Maximum capacity increases along with any usage of the Lake (channeling, controlling, and summoning) and with age.

    Rift: A miniscule portal into Sky at the center of the Lake. Supplies humans with a steady stream of power. Can be expanded through meditation.

    Channels: Situated throughout the entire body, the channels regulate power flow. Larger channels increase the amount of power that can be channeled at once (amperage). Stronger channels increases its ability to withstand the strain of overpowering and of highly pure powers (*kinda* like increasing maximum voltage. See power purity). Improved through all forms of channeling

    Methods of Training

    not feeling it right now, see chapter 43 or 42 or whichever

    Circulation Mantras

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Meditation

    Mind Splitting

    Cultivating: See above.

    Metrics of Power

    Much of this is not yet precisely explained in the series due to the inability of plot to do so, but will be later. However, unlike other mechanics, these will be revealed now.

    Power Purity: A measure of how ¡°dense¡± the power is, in iotas-per-packet, where a packet is a cluster of Iotas. If iotas are atoms, then packets are the elements. A power purity of level 140 is twice as dense as that of level 70, and converts to twice the energy. Used primarily as a measure of a channeler¡¯s ability and the level of one¡¯s soul.

    Cultivation Class: A measure of the saturation of packets inside a person¡¯s body but outside of the channels. The precise unit is the concentration, which is the number of packets per cubic centimeter multiplied by average power purity of the packets within the body. Because it is nearly impossible to measure, the unit more widely used is ¡°class,¡± simply a measurement of how resistant a body is to outside pressure.

    Mind Splits: The amount of souls a person has within the body. Mechanics remain unrevealed.

    Process of Summoning

    Largely unrevealed, but this is what is known.

    Ascension: The expansion of the rift within the head, allowing the soul to ascend into Sky. The body which is left behind turns into ¡°summoning dust¡±

    Summoning dust: The leftovers of ascension. Used by summoners to open up rifts.

    Mutation: The modification of the vessel¡¯s body during the summoning to add desired features to the monster, such as spikes or wings.

    Local Powers

    Eden

    Tornado Sect

    Thundercloud Sect

    United Duchies

    Major Powers

    Verdant Empire

    Bloodsand Dominion

    The Pantheon

    The Halo Cult

 Chapter 45

    Solera didn¡¯t know when he had blacked out, but when he awoke, it was to the prodding of two Tornado sect channelers.

    ¡°Hey, man, you okay?¡± One of them, a sandy-haired boy not much older than him, extended his waterskin out to Solera.

    Huh. So they didn¡¯t know what he had just done.

    ¡°He looks like he got fucked too hard.¡± The girl next to him remarked as she looked Solera up and down. ¡°Sorry about those acid burns. It wasn¡¯t, uh, on purpose. Unless Jakovich or one of his friends is still pissed at you for the other day, haha.¡±

    Solera immediately grabbed the waterskin and began chugging it all down. His heart, previously completely still, instantly began thumping heavily. He could feel the sweat on his hands. Did she suspect something? If she took that line of thought any further, then he was finished!

    ¡°Yo, bro.¡± The boy said as he looked at Solera. ¡°Chill. Your friends are fine and so are you. Let¡¯s get you back to the others.¡±

    Solera was hoisted up onto his feet. As they supported his walk up the mountain trail, he looked over the side of the mountain. His mind was racing wildly, thinking about Jakovich.

    Jakovich. A young man under twenty, younger than any other soldier Solera had killed. He had friends and a family who would mourn his death. He had emotions and feelings and motivations, just like everyone else. Like the others who had died. Pinot, Fischer, Guinness¡­

    Names. Jakovich had a name. A name which all these people knew, and remembered him by. Solera would never know, nor remember the enemies he had slain because he had never known their names. The Airborne who had killed Pinot and come so close to killing him, the man who had tried to snap his neck at the attack on the Genbu. But he remembered Pinot and Fischer and Guinness and everyone else. Because they were on his side. Because he knew their names.

    And just as he remembered Guinness¡¯s name, these people would remember Jakovich! They would remember that he was a young man under twenty, just as Solera remembered Guinness was ten years old. They would remember him! Even if they didn¡¯t know at this moment that Solera had killed Jakovich, they would remember him! They would go back and find Jakovich¡¯s body, his eyeballs gouged into bloody detritus, his head scratched by Solera¡¯s nails. Solera had destroyed Jakovich¡¯s face to make it appear as if he had been crushed by a rock, yet even as he thought about it he realized what a lame attempt it had been. Even Guinness would be able to see through it! The scratch marks, the eyeballs, they couldn¡¯t have been done by hyenas or rocks! They would know it was him who did it!

    Solera¡¯s eyes darted around. Maybe he would have to kill these two as well. Make a run for it. There simply was no way he could get away with this. To the other Tornado sect channelers, Solera had not slayed an enemy, nor protected himself in self-defense. To them, he had brutally murdered one of their own! Even if, to Solera, Jakovich had been a scumbag who had tried to rape a defenseless girl, they would probably think about Jakovich like Solera thought about Fischer: someone who was on their side, who was a friend of their friends! At the end of the day, he was a Tornado sect channeler, and at the end of the day he had been killed by a prisoner!

    ¡°Fuck bandits, man.¡± Seeing Solera look down the mountainside at all the rubble created by the avalanche, the boy glanced over as well. ¡°Flunkies from school and criminals from outside, that¡¯s all they are.¡±

    Solera blinked in surprise. He silently began to steer them away from the mountainside. If they saw Jakovich¡¯s body somewhere in the rubble, then who knows what might happen. He would assess the situation first, before deciding to run. Maybe the majority of the channelers had died. No, but this time was the best time to kill them. If he had to flee, then-

    ¡°They usually don¡¯t touch the military, though. These guys had balls.¡± The boy continued speaking, completely unaware of Solera¡¯s internal chaos. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll be sweeping them out when the Boss reports this to the brass.¡±

    Before Solera could decide any further, a large cluster of people came into view. The prisoners and their guards. The wounded lay on the side of the road, with channelers next to them treating their wounds. When Solera looked at the injured, he saw that nearly all of them were in blue robes. His eyelids narrowed. Yes, these people really didn¡¯t give a fuck about the prisoners! They had used them as human shields in the fight! If they found out Solera killed Jakovich, then it didn¡¯t matter what rationale Solera had. He would die.

    ¡°It¡¯s been half an hour since Boss and the crew appeared on the summit. They should be back by now.¡± The girl commented as she let go of Solera. ¡°Let¡¯s go check up on Otzvy.¡±

    Solera ground his teeth in frustration. He couldn¡¯t escape any more. There were too many eyes who would see him fleeing! He should have killed the two while he still had a chance. No, he should have never blacked out in the first place.

    ¡°Solera!¡± Lem shouted from somewhere. Just a few meters away, sitting next to some prisoner girl. ¡°You¡¯re alive, thank kismet. Are you all right? Those wounds don¡¯t look too great, but I really can¡¯t tell. Pers-¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Solera muttered as he sat down. Even though he hurt all over, the injuries really weren¡¯t anything new. The power crystal would fix it, just like it had the last five times he had been ¡°heavily¡± injured. Indeed, his wounds had already stopped bleeding. That wasn¡¯t the problem, though. He was all right physically, but he really wasn¡¯t all right at all.

    ¡°This is the guy I¡¯m telling you about! Solera is really strong!¡± A grin appeared on Lem¡¯s face as he heard Solera¡¯s response. ¡°He killed the hyena biting me, just like that!¡± Lem mimicked Solera¡¯s crushing motion as he spoke. ¡°Solera, you¡¯re really powerful! Are you from some noble family? I wouldn¡¯t know how else you could have such a cultivation!¡±

    Lem was talking out of his ass again. Solera, powerful? If he was powerful, then he wouldn¡¯t be worrying about his impending death right now! If he was powerful, then Guinness wouldn¡¯t have died! If he was powerful, then his father would not be terminally ill because he would have been able to cross over enemy lines months ago and returned to the Grove!

    ¡°I¡¯m not that strong. I¡¯m not from a noble family, either.¡± Solera snapped. Fuck Lem so much. Naive, horny kid.

    ¡°Not strong? Of course you¡¯re strong! How are you not strong?¡± Lem¡¯s eyebrows raised up, as if he was amazed by the very thought.

    ¡°Just stop.¡± Solera cradled his forehead bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m not powerful at all. Not now, not ever. I can¡¯t save anyone. Not my friends, not my family. Not even me.¡±

    Jakovich¡¯s face appeared again in Solera¡¯s mind, causing him to gnash his teeth. When they found the body, when they realized it was him, there was nothing, absolutely nothing he would be able to do! No matter how badly he wanted to flee from these guards, he couldn¡¯t escape from them now. If they wanted Solera dead, then he could only roll over and die. Him, powerful. It would be funny if he wasn¡¯t screwed.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Lem blinked confusedly. ¡°You saved me. Am I nothing?¡±

    Solera glared at Lem. ¡°Yeah, I killed a couple hyenas. What does that even mean? I can¡¯t beat a battalion of channelers! I... I can¡¯t kill the immortals who forced us to surrender!¡±

    ¡°Well, no.¡± The girl next to Lem said. ¡°But that¡¯s a pretty high bar to set.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lem folded his arms. ¡°Who cares if you can¡¯t kill an immortal? They¡¯re immortals! It¡¯s not like it¡¯s up to you to do that. That¡¯s not your job, that¡¯s somebody else¡¯s job. And they failed, not you. Solera, with your bare hands,¡± Lem lifted up both hands, ¡°you killed monsters that could have killed me easily! Tell me that¡¯s not powerful. That¡¯s pretty powerful.¡±

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°I bet you¡¯re strong enough to beat any one of the guards in a one-on-one.¡± The girl scrunched up her face as she smiled at Solera.

    Solera looked away. ¡°Just stop.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to kill immortals to be strong.¡± Lem said. ¡°Just focus on what¡¯s in front of you. Right now, you¡¯re a kid who can fight off monsters. And since it¡¯s monsters we¡¯re fighting, not immortals, then that¡¯s all that matters, right?¡±

    Lem would be so right, if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that-

    CLANG!

    The clatter of metal hitting the floor interrupted Solera as he gathered his thoughts. He twisted his neck around to find that it was Rasmurnov, his helmet sandwiched between his arm and torso. Behind him stood four channelers, their robes dusty and dirty.

    ¡°Save your power.¡± He drawled as he looked at the channelers who were healing the wounded prisoners. ¡°We might need it for our own.¡±

    The things he had thrown on the ground were black masks. Five of them. So they had killed the summoners. So the next thing they would do is make sure everyone was accounted for. And when-

    ¡°What happened, Boss? You guys didn¡¯t get all of them?¡± One of the channelers called out from amidst the crowd.

    Wait, what?

    ¡°All of them?¡± Rasmurnov snorted. ¡°Five people cannot dominate several hundred hyenas. Not everyone is the Lynx. There are many other summoners in the area. The nearby villages may be in danger.¡±

    Solera¡¯s eyes widened. More summoners in the area? Did that mean some of them had fled? Or that they couldn¡¯t do a full check, for fear of getting ambushed? Maybe if so, he could get away with it!

    ¡°Everyone knows what to do, then.¡± Rasmurnov¡¯s eyes swept the crowd. ¡°Before we go, who is unaccounted for? Ponsa?¡±

    Solera¡¯s heart sank. So they would be checking after all. Maybe they wouldn¡¯t go hunting for the body, then. A woman was clearing her throat now. Maybe she would count wrong.

    ¡°Uh¡­ let me check.¡± The woman smiled weakly before calling out the names of the channelers, while another channeler counted the prisoners. Ah, so prisoners were counted while channelers were named. So no luck there. Maybe he could say something when she called for Jakovich. No, he would never get away with it. He still had friends. Doing so would only bring huge suspicion onto himself.

    ¡°Jakovich?¡± The woman called out. A still, deathly silence fell down upon the group. Solera looked at the ground emptily. He still had hope. They could still just not look for the body, right?

    Several minutes later, Rasmurnov¡¯s face was dark. Solera sighed to himself. He really was just deluding himself. What kind of military leader wouldn¡¯t look for the bodies? Once they found them, it was only a matter of figuring out who did it. Maybe a fleeing summoner did it. Maybe if Solera cleaned the gore out of his fingernails, they wouldn¡¯t know it was him. Yes, he could do that. Solera began to scrape the insides of his fingernails out. Little, black specks of what he could only describe as dried blood and detritus started falling on the floor. He would have to get rid of that, too.

    ¡°Thirty prisoners and two guards. Hmph.¡± Rasmurnov turned and began walking back up the mountain trail. ¡°Let us leave. There is no time to lose.¡±

    Solera stared at Rasmurnov¡¯s back. No¡­ no way! They actually weren¡¯t going to look for Jakovich¡¯s body? Could some villages that might or might not already be smoking piles of ash actually be important enough to not warrant a more thorough checkup on the personnel?

    He almost couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. What he had been telling himself before, was just half-hearted attempts to convince himself that he was not going to die! He had been resigned to, if not his death, then at least a lengthy process of denying his way out of death. Yet Rasmurnov was walking away, just like that!

    ¡°What the¡­¡± The girl looked annoyed. As she struggled to stand up, Solera realized her leg was injured. ¡°If he rushes us, please don¡¯t leave me behind.¡±

    ¡°Aw, that¡¯ll never happen!¡± Lem laughed as he helped her up. ¡°Solera, help me. I¡¯m not strong like you are.¡±

    Solera¡¯s channels were screaming with the pain of overpowering, but it didn¡¯t inhibit him from walking. As Solera put her arm around the girl¡¯s arm around his neck, she said her name was Camela, but he wasn¡¯t really listening.

    They were leaving! They really were leaving! It seemed like Rasmurnov felt the urgent need to pay the local villages, wherever they were, a visit. Ha ha ha ha, YES! A crushing weight on his heart he didn¡¯t even know had existed disappeared. Disappeared!

    Wait. Jakovich¡¯s friends¡­ Solera looked around for them as Camela and Lem made conversation. Jakovich¡¯s friends were in the back, pained looks on their faces. But they weren¡¯t looking for Jakovich.

    Heh. Heh heh haha HAHA HA! Solera was laughing with pure joy inside his mind, but on the outside, only the corners of his lips lifted up slightly. He was safe. He really was safe. He let out a long sigh of relief.

    ¡°Hey, Solera, what are you huffing for?¡± Camela looked at him, her large eyes filled with curiosity. She was a pretty girl, with wavy brown hair that, as someone, Solera could not remember exactly who, once said, really needed to be cut. Judging from her light skin, she had probably done very little physical training outside and was probably not a cultivator.

    Solera looked away, his smirk turning into a smile. ¡°Nothing, nothing!¡± She had actually noticed his sigh. Well, he definitely wasn¡¯t going to tell her why.

    The more Solera thought about how he wasn¡¯t going to die, the more his smile widened. Then, he blinked.

    ¡°Oh, Lem, how¡¯s your arm?¡± Solera asked, his smile by this time a huge grin. ¡°I can channel healforce. Not a lot of it, but some.¡± He had a little bit to spare by this time, especially if Lem was seriously wounded.

    ¡°What, you could?¡± Lem gaped at him. ¡°And you¡¯re saying you¡¯re not powerful! What the heck!¡± He immediately extended out his arm to Solera.

    ¡°Hey, what about my leg?¡± Camela complained, looking at Solera with her doe eyes. Solera stared at her for a moment. She seemed to like him. Well, she didn¡¯t look too bad. Maybe when they reached the prisoner camp or whatever, he could relax a little bit. Actually, that Letvia from the other day wasn¡¯t bad either. No, no girl was bad at all. Chianti was the best, obviously, but really, no girl was bad at all, and he needed to take what he could get in case another stupid situation like today popped up again.

    ¡°Mhm, mhm.¡± Smiling, Solera reached over with his left arm to grab Lem¡¯s, and gripped Camela¡¯s right arm with his right.

 Chapter 46

    ¡°Mmmhmmm.¡± Solera repeated several hours later, his eyes drooping. He had been reminded, yet again, of why he often did not like spending time with Lem. And now, Camela.

    The more they talked, the less he found himself able to listen. Camela, for example. After some extended talk with her, he had gotten the impression that it wasn¡¯t that she was interested in him. She was just¡­ very self-centered. Not to mean selfish, but rather that everything had, in some way, some sort of relation to her that she needed to speak about.

    The giddiness of escaping what he had thought was certain death had long left him, leaving him a reality as harsh as before. The fact of the matter was, he was still out in the middle of nowhere. Surrounded by Tornado sect channelers, some of which were Jakovich¡¯s friends and hated him. Presumably the area around them was infested with bandits who would not hesitate to kill him. They were willing to attack the very military of the country in which they lived; why wouldn¡¯t they kill him?

    Well, Solera had nothing but the rags on his back. Logically, he shouldn¡¯t be robbed. But that wouldn¡¯t stop him from possibly being press-ganged into a bandit group or becoming food for the hyenas. Anyway, bandits were scummy characters in general. He didn¡¯t want to deal with them.

    And all that was if he didn¡¯t try to flee. Solera had not yet given up on his plan for escaping, but he was close. If he fled, then his situation would be even worse. He didn¡¯t understand the local geography at all and he would constantly have to forage or break into village homes for food. Every time he was discovered, there would be some sort of a hunting party sent after him, perhaps even the military.

    Lem looked at Solera again, so Solera nodded. ¡°Mmmmhmmmmm.¡± The border had to be several hundred kilometers by now. He wondered what was going-

    ¡°What does that even mean?¡± Lem groaned at Solera. ¡°I was asking you if you¡¯ve ever been to the capital. Seen the bonsai trees.¡±

    Whoops. ¡°Nope.¡± Solera said, taking his hand off of Camela¡¯s arm to scratch his head. ¡°Do you guys still need the healforce? I¡¯m running out.¡±

    ¡°I guess I can do without for a little bit.¡± Camela smiled, blinking her big eyes at him. ¡°But I¡¯ll need help tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be okay.¡± Lem chirped.

    ¡°Mhm.¡± Solera let go of both of them. Now he could drift away from them over the course of the next hour.

    What was going on at the border? What had happened to Chianti and Verreaux, who were sieging Fortress Hickory? Were they attacked as well?

    Were they even alive?

    Solera frowned. He wanted to know. He wanted it so badly. But not even the escorts knew. At any moment, as he walked through this desolate mountain pass, Chianti could be fighting for her life. Or she could be a prisoner, just like him. Or she could be long dead. Solera didn¡¯t want to think about the last possibility.

    A flat, monotone voice came out from behind them, amplified as usual by power. ¡°Set up camp. The specialized will scout the village with me. Ponsa will be acting commander until I get back.¡±

    Solera looked around, confused. He could not see any sign of any village in this place. They were technically in a mountain pass, but the mountain pass was situated atop a huge plateau upon which more mountains sat, so it was a mountain pass already far above sea level. Lem had told him that this plateau was called the Thunderslab. Over twenty-five thousand kilometers long, the Thunderslab stretched through practically the entire Tornado and Thundercloud sects. Above it, there would always be dark clouds and rain.

    Dark clouds and rain there were, but no village that Solera could see. The guards were setting down their tents as if nothing was amiss, so Solera figured that the village was probably just well hidden or well defended.

    Hyena cries sounded out again, causing a stir amongst everyone present. They were, however, extremely far away, and in the opposite direction of where they had been walking for the entire day. Solera closed his eyes tiredly. Even though everything had turned out fine, he was still exhausted by the day¡¯s events. Not to mention injured.

    Tonight, he chose meditation. Meditation was much more relaxing than a circulation mantra, which required some amount of concentration at all times. He would do it until he fell asleep.

    ¡°We are in luck.¡± Rasmurnov¡¯s flat voice shot into Solera¡¯s ear after several minutes, causing him to open his eyes. ¡°The village has invited us to stay the night.¡±

    After some dialogue between Rasmurnov and some of his subordinates, the tents were repacked. Solera and the other prisoners were led to a long rope hanging from a cave in the side of the mountain. They were told to climb up, but some, like Camela, didn¡¯t have the strength, while others were too cold or too injured. He was one of the last ones to go into the cave, but when he did reach the top he helped pull others up.

    The caves. They were like the tunnels Solera had gotten so accustomed to, only carved out of stone instead of dirt. Tiny and narrow, winding and dark. It was not until they had walked a hundred meters in the dark that the tunnels began to be lit.

    ¡°Ohhh.¡± Lem gasped as he looked at the lights. ¡°Chargelights. Been a while since I¡¯ve seen those.¡±

    Solera took a look for himself. The chargelights were strange contraptions, channeling items which used power to illuminate the surroundings. The Grove used captured fireflies and the military camps used lamps which burned animal fats, so this was his first time seeing such a thing.

    After walking another five hundred meters, the tiny tunnel they were in opened up into a small valley within the mountain itself. Built into the sloping walls of the mountain were countless tunnels just like the one he had emerged out of, connected by steep mountain paths and an intricate network of cables. Ledges which otherwise could not be reached had tunnels carved into the mountain walls they protruded from, and flowing water wound its way down the mountain in zigzag motions around the tunnel holes to form a lake in the very center of the valley.

    Solera¡¯s eyes widened with shock. A nondescript mountain could actually hide a village like this? No, could this even be called a village? Depending on how deep the tunnels were, this place could easily house several tens of thousands of people! Even though the outside was just a bunch of holes, Solera could only try to imagine the vast and complex tunnel system lying behind it. It boggled the mind.

    ¡°The pows will be housed in that tunnel.¡± An old woman lifted her hand, which was encased in a jet black gauntlet, up to point at a small hole on the other side of the valley, around four hundred meters away. ¡°They must be kept under heavy guard. Understand?¡±

    ¡°Understood, senior.¡± Rasmurnov bowed his head slightly, then glanced over at his subordinates. Solera and the others were herded around the edge of the small lake and led to the small tunnel the woman had selected. He looked at the lake¡¯s far edge as he walked. The water simply poured over the edge, presumably turning into one of the countless waterfalls Solera had seen in these mountains. This place was astonishingly well-hidden.

    Several kids, all around Solera¡¯s age, ran out of a tunnel high above them. They stared down at the captives with wide eyes. Solera looked up at them, his eyes tired. He remembered when he had been a kid who had seen nothing. That was only a short time ago, yet it seemed like ages had passed since he had been that Solera.

    Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    He looked back at the lake. Its tranquil waters made him remember the peace of the Grove. It wasn¡¯t at all like this village, but he was reminded of it nonetheless. He remembered running through the vast fields of crops, walking up the gnarly steps to the tree he had called home. It really did seem so long ago.

    Even the events of only a week before was a distant memory. He remembered the intense emotions he had felt when he had watched Guinness die. Now, when he thought of Guinness, he only felt empty inside. His home, as well. Even Chianti¡¯s face could not cause him to feel any particularly heavy emotion.

    That was so strange. When he first looked at this mountain village, he was beset by more emotion than when he thought about Guinness just now. All his memories seemed devoid of meaning compared to a mere mountain village or a waterfall.

    Solera¡¯s lips hardened. He knew why. It was because he was a decisive person at heart. He didn¡¯t dwell in the past, he lived in the now. Lem was right when he had told Solera to focus on what was in front of him. Only, Solera had always done that. Ever since Fortress Hickory, he had done it.

    Take things in stride and keep on going. It was the way he coped with everything. The way that he kept his psyche intact from all the sorrow, the blood, the death that he had seen. If it meant that his memories became distant and bleached of emotion, then that was fine. It was the price of staying sane, of being decisive.

    Being decisive, in essence, meant taking everything in stride. It meant never hesitating, which meant never dwelling in the past. It meant that no matter what happened, he needed to keep going. Being decisive was what had kept him alive in battles. Now, he also knew that it was what kept him going after the battle had finished.

    He turned away from the lake, a glint in his eye. Funny what sort of thoughts watching some moving water could evoke.

    Several hours later, some more shit flowed down the wrong rivulet. He sighed and laid back on the floor. Just like everyone else, he was in one of the hundreds of tiny cells, separated only by metal bars, in the vast cavern the tunnel had led to. The cells sloped downwards, and had two ruts in the ground through which two rivulets of water flowed down the mountain. One was supposed to be his toilet, and one was supposed to be his bath and drinking water. Clearly, some people had forgotten which was which. Fuck them to Heaven and back.

    It was better than the conditions outside, Solera supposed. He didn¡¯t know until now how sick he had been of the rain soaking through his robes and into his skin. Many prisoners had completely stripped off their blue robes in favor of the floor. After a while, he had talked himself into it as well, and did not regret it in the least. The floor was freezing at first, but had warmed up very quickly.

    He heard some more giggling as another village child climbed down from a hole in the tunnel above them. The kid, a wide-eyed girl Solera would guess was ten years old, hung upside down in the air with a rope tied around her ankle. Somewhere above her were the other kids she was with, whispering and laughing.

    ¡°Get the fuck out of here!¡± A prisoner several cages down from Solera shouted at the child. It was the old man who had fought Jakovich with him the other day, he realized. He had not seen him for a while, as they kept being split off into different groups.

    ¡°Eeeee!¡± The child squealed as she rotated around to face him. ¡°Drink the poo! Drink it! Heehee!¡±

    Solera grimaced. So there had been no accidents after all. It was just that these kids were disgusting!

    Solera rolled on his side to look at the old man, who had gotten up and dipped his hand into the flowing water.

    ¡°Idiot kids.¡± The old man grumbled. He turned around and flung something at the child, causing her to scream in fright.

    ¡°Ewwwwwwwwwwwww!¡± She shrieked. ¡°Take me back! Take me back!¡±

    The rope was pulled back up, and her shit-covered clothes disappeared into the hole she had come from. The old man washed his hands in the rivulet for a while before lying back down.

    Solera rolled onto his back, an amused smile on his face. Just as he did, the girl dropped into the corridor again.

    ¡°Bad man!¡± She yelled, tossing a rock at the old man. ¡°Really bad! Stupid fucker!¡±

    Another pebble was thrown, bouncing weakly off the old man¡¯s back.

    ¡°What do you think you are doing!¡± A loud shout came from the front of the corridor as Jumpy charged in.

    ¡°Oh oh!¡± The girl froze, then glanced back up. ¡°Take me back!¡±

    She tossed a rock at Jumpy, causing him to flinch backwards. Seeing this, Solera laughed quietly to himself. These kids were disgusting and annoying, but his opinion of this girl had greatly improved.

    ¡°You!¡± Jumpy screamed in rage, causing Solera¡¯s smile to disappear. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    He bounded forward and grabbed the girl by the shoulders as she was being hoisted up. All the prisoners instantly got up, looks of either shock or amusement on their faces. Solera crawled up to the bars, his eyes wide. This guy wasn¡¯t serious, was he?

    Jumpy yanked down on the girl, causing some shouts from up above. The end of the rope fell down out of the hole as he tossed her onto the ground.

    ¡°You don¡¯t throw rocks at me!¡± He screamed maniacally. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± The old man shouted. ¡°She¡¯s just a kid! Get off her right now!¡±

    Jumpy savagely kicked the child in the stomach, sending her rolling over several times next to a cell that held a young man, who had just woken up from the commotion.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Jumpy yelled a third time. The girl was curled up in a ball, crying uncontrollably as Jumpy approached.

    The drowsiness instantly left the young man¡¯s eyes when he saw the child up against his cell.

    ¡°Stop! Stop it! You can¡¯t frame me for this!¡± He thrusted his hands out of the bars in a frantic attempt to push Jumpy away.

    ¡°Kill you! Kill!¡± Jumpy was about to stomp on the girl, but the prisoner grabbed him and pulled him into the bars of the cell. Bawling, the girl got up and stumbled away from Jumpy.

    ¡°DON¡¯T TOUCH ME!¡± Jumpy screamed, sending out a blast of flame from his gauntlet. Solera shouted, wrenching at his bars. They didn¡¯t budge.

    The prisoner screamed and let go of Jumpy, falling to the ground. Before anyone could react, a huge flamestream erupted out of Jumpy¡¯s hand, enveloping the young man in a scorching inferno.

 Chapter 47

    CRACK!

    The whip glanced off of Jumpy¡¯s back, leaving a long, red line behind. Rasmurnov raised the whip again. Though he was clearly very unhappy with the whole affair, his face was stony and inscrutable.

    CRACK!

    Jumpy yelped. His whole body was trembling and shaking, a bit like Solera had been when he was shot by the channelers using the strange needle-wires.

    ¡°Apart from the specialized, you have the highest power purity here.¡± Rasmurnov said as he lifted the whip up.

    CRACK!

    ¡°So if your soul is the most powerful, then why are you so stupid.¡± It was a question, but spoken as a statement.

    CRACK!

    Jumpy was screaming incoherently. He and Rasmurnov were in the middle of the lake within the valley. On the shores and on the ridges higher up was everyone; the villagers, the soldiers, and the prisoners. They watched silently as Rasmurnov lashed Jumpy again.

    CRACK!

    His back was covered with blood now, like Solera¡¯s had been when he had been punished by Rasmurnov. Solera looked on, his face nearly as expressionless as Rasmurnov¡¯s. This freak had roasted the man to death, yet all he got was a few strikes to the back. Solera himself had gotten the same punishment for much, much less.

    CRACK!

    ¡°My name¡¯s Jumpy, my name¡¯s Jumpy! Please stop, please stop, please stop it¡­¡± The whip whistled through the air another time.

    CRACK!

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Rasmurnov took out a rag from his breast pocket and began cleaning his bloodied whip. ¡°You delinquents are foolish beyond belief. If I had not gotten us assigned to transport duty, half of you would be dead and half of you would have some sense. I have been too lenient, and this is the result.¡±

    He trudged out of the water, shaking his head.

    ¡°Suffice it to say that any further transgressions will not be tolerated.¡±

    With that, the prisoners were led back down the mountain and back on the trail. Solera¡¯s expression was dark, while Lem was uncharacteristically silent.

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair.¡± Lem finally mumbled, after they had gone around four kilometers. ¡°He killed someone. He should be dead.¡±

    Solera snorted. ¡°It wasn¡¯t fair when I got whipped, either.¡± The world wasn¡¯t fair, and neither was Rasmurnov.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Lem¡¯s face was downcast. Solera could see the faint shine of tears on the bottom of his eyelids. ¡°I just wish something could be done about it.¡±

    Solera nodded, but didn¡¯t say anything, so they fell back into silence.

    Wishing something could be done about it? Of course someone like Lem could only ever wish something could be done. He was too weak to do anything else. As for himself¡­ well, maybe there was some merit in saying that he was powerful. He did have the power crystal, after all.

    Verdant power flowed out of the crystal and into his channels at every moment of the day. If he stored it up, he could kill Jumpy with ease. Indeed, the thought had crossed his mind several hundred times in the hours since the young man had been incinerated.

    But it wasn¡¯t just that he could do something. He needed to be able to deal with the consequences as well. And how would the power crystal help him with that? Even during the first time he had used it, at Fortress Hickory when it had been at full charge, it had only allowed him to kill three men. Though it was true that if he rationed the power rather than blowing it all in one strike, there was simply no way he could take on an entire battalion of channelers. Even an immortal would be hard-pressed to do that. Not to mention, he had never again attained full charge with the power crystal since that very first time.

    Well, he didn¡¯t have to take on an entire battalion. Couldn¡¯t he just kill Jumpy and run? But then that brought up the escape plan again, which he had decided was far too difficult, even if he didn¡¯t add on the task of assassinating someone.

    It wasn¡¯t right, though. And it wasn¡¯t all about injustice. What was to say that Jumpy wasn¡¯t going to do such a thing again? Rasmurnov was clearly a weak leader who, as he himself had said, was too lenient. Even though Helga said the man was ¡°respected¡± and whatnot, his subordinates clearly did not assign much weight to his orders. The old woman had told Rasmurnov to keep them under heavy guard, and yet children were taking turns rappelling down into the middle of the dungeon. It was absurd how much his orders were flouted, and his meager punishments only encouraged more wrongdoing. Something had to be done before another one of them was killed. Before he was killed.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    The fact of the matter, though, remained that Solera was unlikely to get away with such a thing. It was simply too impractical. With Jakovich, Rasmurnov had just assumed he had died to wolves or the avalanche or fleeing summoners or something. That time, Solera actually had an alibi. Even more importantly, they had been pressed for time. But now, the hyenas were heading away from them. Maybe they would encounter bandits again, but he knew that the hyena attack was already a very rare occurrence. No, but those bandits had intentionally attacked them. Who was to say it wouldn¡¯t happen again?

    Solera looked frustratedly at the ground. He just didn¡¯t know what to do. Too many factors, such a hard decision¡­

    Be decisive.

    He had to be decisive.

    Solera blinked. Yes, he had to be decisive. Every time he had been in a fight, it had been decisiveness which had saved his life. He already knew that. Even outside of the fights, being decisive kept him sane. Yet here he was, vacillating over the decision of to kill or not to kill.

    His entire life, he had always been dithering. Stumbling on his words, fudging up his thoughts. Just like now. Always letting someone else make the decisions for him. Vinoh and Chianti¡­ he had always followed them mindlessly. But now, they weren¡¯t there anymore.

    Now that they were gone, he had to be independent.

    Solera could no longer blindly follow as he once had. He had to think clearly for himself, because the only people now who gave him orders were his enemies. People who had no interest in his wellbeing.

    Now that he was here, he had to face reality.

    Jumpy had killed someone. Rasmurnov had promised due punishment, yet all he did was whip Jumpy several times. He himself had been whipped for breaking somebody¡¯s nose! Did Rasmurnov think that a broken nose was equivalent to a dead man? Of course not! The simple reason was that Rasmurnov had no interest in the wellbeing of Solera or any of the other prisoners.

    This was reality, and these were the facts.

    Solera had been following Rasmurnov¡¯s orders. All the prisoners had, to a greater degree than even Rasmurnov''s own men, and yet one was still killed. Rasmurnov had promised to be fair, and yet he was blatantly partial.

    Since Rasmurnov was unjust, then it was up to him to be just.

    This was injustice, but not only that. Jumpy was insane. He had to die, or else he would kill again. And that was a more important reason to act than to address injustice. A practical reason.

    To properly reach a decision, he had to be practical.

    If he was patient, an opportunity to strike would reveal itself. They were visiting more villages, weren¡¯t they? Could it be that every single village would have such a vast dungeon complex? Of course not! Rasmurnov was an incompetent and so were his underlings. At some point, security would loosen up again. Besides, nobody liked Jumpy anyway. He could easily set it up so that it was another guard or even a villager who had killed him, and people would believe it. There might not even be any motivation to investigate Jumpy¡¯s death.

    He had to be the one.

    Because Lem was powerless, he could do nothing but cry over another¡¯s death. When compared to the larger context, Solera was the same. But he didn¡¯t have to consider the big picture, because as Lem had said the day before, it wasn¡¯t relevant. What he had to worry about was the problem right in front of him, and that was an aberration of a human whose name was Jumpy. He could kill Jumpy. He could prevent more deaths from occurring. He had to. If he didn¡¯t do it, then who would? The only person Solera could rely on was himself. The only person he controlled was himself.

    So he had to be decisive.

    Life was just one, long, life-and-death battle. Just as in life-and-death battles, Solera could not hesitate in life. He had to be decisive.

    A flame of determination lit in Solera¡¯s eyes as he reached his decision. It may not be today. It may not be tomorrow. But the first opportunity he got, he would do the logical thing, the moral thing. The thing which he could only trust himself to do.

    He would put Jumpy down.

 Chapter 48

    The chance came a week after the incident, when they were visiting yet another village hidden by guarded tunnels halfway up the mountains. Because there was only enough room inside the caves to accommodate some channelers who would otherwise be in tents, Solera and the other prisoners were split into smaller groups scattered around the craggy mountain. The fog making up the endless stormclouds enveloped them in a dense soup, making it impossible to see beyond ten meters.

    Yes, this was his chance to kill Jumpy. With most of the channelers, including Rasmurnov, in caves, low visibility in uneven terrain, and even a river to dispose of the body, it was almost too perfect.

    So when Jumpy¡¯s silhouette rose to its feet, Solera was elated. His efforts of sneaking into Jumpy¡¯s group during the prisoner divisions and staying up all these hours looked like they were about to pay off. If Jumpy had done nothing all night, giving Solera absolutely no opportunity to strike, then he might have just given up on the plan entirely.

    Solera wiped the condensation off his face as he stealthily got up. The other sentries for his small group were too far away to clearly make him out. Next to him was a snoring old man, the one who had fought with him against Jakovich. Because the old man had gone to sleep the first moment he could, Solera still didn¡¯t know his name. He took care not to wake him as he creeped away.

    Jumpy had gone downhill, presumably to the bathroom a hundred meters away, but Solera needed to do one thing first. He remembered that on the way here, he had seen a tall tree surrounded by several large boulders. After a half minute of walking, he had located it in the fog. After checking his surroundings for others, Solera took out the flat rock he had been hiding for the last few days  in his robe and stripped his clothing off. He folded the robe and placed it underneath a malformed, cracked boulder. If it got stained during the assassination, then all his hard work would be for naught.

    He picked the flat rock back up, feeling its cool, smooth surface in his hands. Though he was naked, it actually felt warmer without the damp clothing on his skin. The mists enveloped him in a coolness that wasn¡¯t soothing in the way a hot bath would be, but it was nonetheless very comfortable. He checked his surroundings again before striding off into the direction Jumpy had gone.

    As he strode down the hill in the direction Jumpy had gone, a drop of cold landed on his hair. Then another, and another. Raindrops fell through the fog from the clouds above, trickling into ruts in the ground which ran down the entire mountain. Over time, the ruts would gather together to form into streams and then into rivers running through the base of the Thunderslab. One such river was not far away; he had seen it on the way here, and he could still hear the faint rushing sounds of the water if he strained his ears.

    He had gone about fifty meters down the hill when he made out the faint outline of a human form leaning against the silhouette of a tree. He froze. After a moment, when he was certain that the outline hadn¡¯t noticed him, he dropped to the ground to eliminate his silhouette.

    This figure¡­ yes, it was Jumpy. His head was tilted upwards at the sky, as if he was pondering something.

    Not that he was, of course. He was a deranged psychopath. And Solera was going to kill him here.

    He silently inhaled. He could feel his heartbeat, even and tempered. He was ready. He was in control. He could do this, and he would do this. Because he had decided to.

    He began to creep along the ground in a roundabout fashion so that Jumpy wouldn¡¯t be able to see him. His feet were bare and his footsteps were light, the way Vinoh had trained them to be so long ago, but they still made tiny, scuffing sounds as they treaded over the pebbles and stones. No big deal, though. The noises were all but imperceptible amidst the pouring rain.

    The ground was bumpy and filled with grooves, allowing Solera to silently move through the cover towards Jumpy. There weren¡¯t any people nearby, he was certain of it. Everything was clear. He gripped the rock tightly, his eyes narrowing. He had a week¡¯s worth of verdant power saved between the crystal and his Lake. He would end this before it even started.

    Jumpy¡¯s head jerked around. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±

    Solera didn¡¯t know what had given him away, but he didn¡¯t think about it because he was already bolting down the last five meters of distance between the two of them the moment Jumpy¡¯s head had moved. Jumpy¡¯s silhouette gained depth as he closed the distance between the two of them, turning into a young man with wet, black clothing and a shocked expression.

    Verdant power blasted through Solera¡¯s channels as he pounced. Jumpy recoiled, attempting to back away but only bumping into the tree behind him. The rock left Solera¡¯s hands and sailed through the air at a dangerous speed towards Jumpy¡¯s face, who raised his arms to protect himself. Even as a small thumping sound emitted as the rock smashed into his forearms, Solera was upon him.

    It was as if the world was moving slower than usual. Solera¡¯s senses heightened to the maximum. The burning sensation of overpowering was back, along with the calmness that had accompanied it before. He was calm. He was in control.

    Solera¡¯s palm smashed into Jumpy¡¯s chin with enough force to throw someone an entire ten meters away. His head jerked backwards into the tree, creating a loud thud and a cracking noise as the bark split apart. Jumpy should have already died, but Solera¡¯s other hand shot for his neck. Just in case.

    His hand clamped down around Jumpy¡¯s throat, squeezing it so that no sound could come out. As he did so, his eyes widened. He had slammed Jumpy¡¯s chin into the tree with the combined force of overpowering and a fair amount of verdant power from the crystal, yet he could still feel a vibrant pulse in Jumpy¡¯s neck!

    What the fuck was going on?

    His palm redoubled in force, pressing Jumpy¡¯s face harder into the tree. His fingers descended and raked Jumpy¡¯s cheeks. Thin, bloody canals were carved into Jumpy¡¯s face, much like the rainwater ruts on the ground around them. A strangled gurgling sound came out of Jumpy¡¯s throat.

    A metal gauntlet pressed into Solera¡¯s abdomen. Before he could react, he was sent backwards by an inexplicable pushing force. He stumbled back for several meters before tripping over himself and rolling across the ground for another few meters.

    Solera got up quickly, staring cautiously at Jumpy. The kinetic push hadn¡¯t injured Solera, but he didn¡¯t care because Jumpy should have been dead! Why wasn¡¯t he dead?

    An inhuman groan came out of Jumpy¡¯s throat as he extracted his head from the indent it had made in the tree. Blood poured out of a deep gash in his skull, along with some faint, gray light.

    Overpowered! Without even being able to see Solera¡¯s palm coming, Jumpy had overpowered! This motherfucker! Solera cursed in his heart as he charged towards Jumpy again. Jumpy was crazy, but he definitely had either strong reactions or incredible foresight to do that without even seeing the blow coming.

    Jumpy¡¯s eyes were dim and glazed, although Solera could not be sure in the fog. The gash in his head seemed to be deep, very deep. And yet his gauntleted hand was raising upwards towards Solera.

    Zwub zwub zwub zwub zwub-

    A thorny mass of gray branches of power blasted out of Jumpy¡¯s gauntlet towards Solera. Without even thinking, Solera dived to the side.

    The branches shot out like lightning, twisting and smashing into the ground before dissipating into nothing. Out of the corner of his eyes, Solera could see small, perfectly shaped holes in the ground in the area the branches had pierced. What¡­ what the fuck was that attack?

    Zwub zwub zwub zwub-

    Another storm of gray lightning shot out, twisting in every direction as they grew into the air. This time, they didn¡¯t shoot towards Solera, but in the complete opposite direction he had been in. They enveloped the rock wall a meter away from Jumpy, poking countless holes into it. Solera stared, dumbfounded.

    Jumpy¡¯s eyes were still dim. His mouth drooped open to make another gurgling noise. Out of his left, ungauntleted hand, a storm of normal lightning shot out. Rather in clean, straight lines like normal, the lightning storm arced about haphazardly to cover the entire area near Jumpy¡¯s left side.

    Solera had no way to dodge before the lightning hit him. He collapsed to the ground as the shocks slammed into him. His ears were ringing again, and he could taste a burning sensation in his mouth.

    But he was still overpowered. He was still in control. He stared up at Jumpy, several meters away from him. He, Solera, would finish this!

    The pebbles and bark all around Jumpy skated along the ground as the wind around him picked up. Cursing, Solera leaped up and began running to the side. A mini-tornado formed around Jumpy, sending stones spraying everywhere. Solera¡¯s lips thinned some more. He needed to end Jumpy before this ruckus became too loud.

    Lights blasted out of Jumpy¡¯s gauntleted hand. They bounced off the fog, lighting up the whole area around Jumpy for a brief moment. The tree lit up with light and emitted several slight crackling sounds, as if it was about to crack apart. As for Jumpy himself, his throat gurgled again as he collapsed onto his knees. His face seemed to be slightly burnt.

    Jumpy was on the cusp of death, but he needed to die right now.

    Solera took another step to Jumpy¡¯s side, putting himself ever so slightly behind Jumpy. He charged forward and closed his eyes as he passed through the tornado. Rocks bounced off his body again, much like they had done during the avalanche. After a split second, he cracked his eyes open again.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    His fist smashed into Jumpy¡¯s jawbone, sending him toppling onto the ground. Solera put his hands on his knees, panting. He had overpowered for too long, he could feel it. Fuck it, it didn¡¯t matter. The other guards! Had any other people noticed? Solera strained his ears, listening for any sounds of possible movement.

    Nothing. Just the sound of rain, pitter-pattering onto the ground. After ten seconds of nothing had passed, Solera relaxed. The verdant power flowed into his body, converting into healforce which treated his light burns. Within several minutes, there would be absolutely nothing tying him to the killing. Maybe his channels would be sore for the next few days and he might have lost some cultivation, but nobody would notice things like that.

    Jumpy lay on the ground, blood pouring out of his head. Just like the rain, the blood flowed into the ruts. Come morning, perhaps no traces of the fight would be left. Except for one thing. Solera looked up at the rock wall, studded with holes.

    He glared at it for several moments. The blood could be washed away, the body could be thrown away. But the holes? What could he do about that?

    He could patch it up with mud. That would make it hard to notice. But that would take too long. The more time he spent here, the more likely he would be spotted by someone passing by, for some reason or another. He couldn¡¯t risk it.

    Solera sighed. Well, it wasn¡¯t as if Jumpy¡¯s death could have been hidden in the first place. Come morning, they would definitely find out. Only, Solera had intended to make the death possibly seem like an accident. Maybe Jumpy fell off the cliff or something. The holes in the wall made that extremely hard.

    He looked into the fog. He knew the cliff edge was not far, only a few hundred meters away. He hoisted Jumpy¡¯s body up onto his shoulder and creeped through the rugged terrain, his eyes constantly sweeping around for any possible signs of other people.

    Soon, the sounds of rushing waters could be heard. The turbulent river below ran down for who knew how far. Once he threw the body over, nobody here would ever find it. It was just too bad about the holes, but maybe nobody would notice. It was just one of many, after all. And Solera had never heard of that channeling technique, or really most of the things Jumpy had done. He had not read about it in the channeling books, and it didn¡¯t seem like the average Tornado sect channeler in this contingent of troops knew how to do any of them. So maybe nobody would even recognize that the holes were the vestiges of a channeling technique.

    Or maybe the technique was simply something recently invented or something advanced which Solera didn¡¯t know about. Well, then maybe the holes were for the better. It was unlikely a crazy guy like Jumpy would be able to channel advanced techniques like that. And that technique looked like it needed a gauntlet. So an advanced channeler, with a gauntlet. That made it seem more like an advanced Tornado sect channeler had fought with Jumpy and created the holes, rather than Jumpy creating the holes in a fight with an unarmed prisoner.

    Solera stopped. In that case, maybe it was better not to throw the body away. No need to make it difficult for that idiot Rasmurnov to connect the dots. If he didn¡¯t even notice the holes and declared that the prisoner was a killer, then that would be even worse.

    But this scenario guaranteed foul play, whereas if he threw the body away, it would be much easier to explain as an accident, as long as they didn¡¯t notice the holes. But then how would they draw the conclusion that it was an accident without being able to find the body? And what if they did see the holes?

    Gardener damn it all! Solera ground his teeth. Those holes had ruined everything. Everything! Forget it! He would throw the body away. That area was extremely inconspicuous. Combined with the fog, it was extremely easy for nobody to ever notice it without a careful comb-over. And there was no time for one of those, since even if the villages were all safe and sound, they were still far behind schedule. If Solera just left Jumpy¡¯s gauntlet next to the cliff edge, then it would be natural to think there was simply an accident. He had taken off the gauntlet to relax, and somehow fallen off the cliff. Whatever, he was crazy. They needed to move on. Case closed.

    The smell of something Solera could not identify hit his nostrils. It was rather pungent. After a moment, he shrugged. Just animal droppings or the fragrance of a particularly odorous mountain plant. Without further ado, he carried the body down the path which led straight to the cliff edge.

    On either side of the path were rocky outcroppings. They gave way to a ridge overlooking the bottom of the mountain. Sitting against the stone walls, a pipe in her hand, was Helga.

    Solera halted. Their eyes met for a moment, before Helga¡¯s gaze started darting around. Taking in Solera¡¯s nakedness and the corpse on his shoulder.

    Helga opened her mouth, and then closed it again. A hint of fear creeped into her expression.

    Jumpy¡¯s body slid off of Solera¡¯s back, landing on the ground with a solid thump. He looked straight at Helga, his expression completely blank.

    ¡°I killed Jumpy.¡± His eyes bored into Helga¡¯s face, analyzing every muscle twitch.

    Her body was completely still, her eyes like that of a panicked deer. ¡°Y¡­ yeah.¡±

    ¡°... You won¡¯t tell anyone, would you?¡± Solera stepped forward slowly as he maintained eye contact with her. Even as he asked, he knew what he had to do. He could see the lie forming in her eyes. He knew she was going to tell. To scream.

    Helga opened her mouth to answer. Solera¡¯s step immediately turned into a sprint as he charged forward. She didn¡¯t even have time to react before his palm smashed into her face, sending her head flying backwards into the stone wall and bouncing off and sliding to the ground with the rest of her now-limp body. Dead instantly. That was how Jumpy should have died.

    His eyes flitted over the two corpses blankly. Helga hadn¡¯t even been wearing her gauntlet. It was laid down at her side. Next to the gauntlet was her pipe, which she had dropped when Solera had killed her. Some smoke was still drifting out of the thing.

    His gaze slowly turned into a glare. Why? Already the situation had been complicated by some holes in a damn rock face! Now there was a second death to deal with! Solera gnashed his teeth. Why the fuck did Helga have to be here? Couldn¡¯t she have chosen somewhere else to smoke? She ruined everything!

    Solera trembled with fury for another moment before calming himself down. He had to be calm. Calm and decisive. Figure this out again. Maybe this could all be worked out somehow.

    What would Rasmurnov think when he saw this? Jumpy, dead from physical blows to the head, and the same with Helga. Could they have done this to each other?

    No, of course not. Two people dying simultaneously from punching each other in the head was preposterous. Well, he could still throw the bodies down, and then they wouldn¡¯t be able to know who died from what. Or he could just toss one of them. Solera blinked. There was an idea in there somewhere.

    This was the scenario. Jumpy and Helga were smoking the pipe together. No, they wouldn¡¯t do that, they weren¡¯t friends. Helga had made that clear. Okay, Jumpy, pissed off Helga was smoking. Or smoking without him. Or that she was flouting guard duty. Or some other stupid reason. He¡¯s crazy, the specific reason doesn¡¯t have to make sense. He kills the defenseless woman in a fit of anger. Why would he do that? He did something similar just a week ago. That was why Solera had killed him in the first place. To prevent stuff like that from happening again. Yeah, that made sense.

    Would Rasmurnov believe this? Maybe, maybe not. Solera needed to set the scene so that he would. And Jumpy still had to die somehow.

    Solera thought a bit longer. Jumpy commits suicide. Why? He realizes he has made a transgression a thousand times greater than killing a lowly prisoner. This time, he will be executed without question. Better to kill himself, then. He jumps off the cliff to commit suicide.

    Yes, that was the story. It wasn¡¯t too unbelievable a story, either. Solera dragged Jumpy¡¯s body to the edge. Almost as an afterthought, he took off Jumpy¡¯s gauntlet, tossing it to the side. He grabbed Jumpy¡¯s body, and with some effort, raised it over his head.

    The body fell forward, disappearing quickly into the mist. After a few seconds, he heard a faint splashing sound. He turned around to Helga¡¯s body, which was still leaning against the rocky outcropping. Would Jumpy have channeled anything to kill Helga? He had only kicked and punched the child, but he had thoroughly burned the young man to death. Solera knew the flame mantra. If he burned Helga¡¯s body, then maybe it would be more convincing.

    No, that would be too fishy. Helga already had a fatal head wound. No need to make things too complicated. Then would Jumpy have carried the gauntlet to his death? Solera had no idea.

    He shrugged and laid the gauntlet down beside the cliff. It was a shame that he couldn¡¯t keep it. He could hide a rock, but hiding something like a gauntlet, especially Jumpy¡¯s gauntlet, was incredibly risky. If he was found with it, all the effort he had spent on creating this semi-convincing story would have gone up in smoke. He would not risk it all for some weapon he didn¡¯t even know how to properly use.

    He made his way back to the tall tree and the cracked boulder, washing off the bloodstains in a puddle before donning his robes and slipping back into his camp. The old man was still snoring away. Similarly, the sentries had not moved from their position on the other side of the area Jumpy had been guarding. They really were incompetent.

    Solera laid down on the ground, a simultaneously worried and relieved expression on his face. He had done it. He had slain Jumpy, which meant there would be no more crazy in their group. But he had also killed Helga. He had set it up so that it seemed like an internal conflict, but he couldn¡¯t rest easily until he knew how Rasmurnov would react.

    The night passed without any further disturbances.

 Chapter 49

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. It¡¯s been two hours since breakfast was served, and we¡¯re still not going.¡± Lem grumbled. ¡°I¡¯m done walking. Really am. The sooner we¡¯re in that damn camp the better.¡±

    Solera brushed his hand along the stone floor. They had found Helga¡¯s body. They had seen Jumpy¡¯s gauntlet. So why were they taking so long? An uncomfortable feeling crept down Solera¡¯s spine.

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re leaving. Thank kismet.¡± Lem laughed as he stood up. ¡°I wonder what the food there would be like. And the girls.¡±

    Solera got up, releasing a deep breath as he did. All his worries vanished. They were going! They had bought his story, or made up one of their own. Whatever it was, now the rest of the journey could proceed in peace. No more Jumpy to kill people. No more Jakovich to rape people. And it had all been because of him, who had done what nobody else would or could do.

    They were led through the thin, spidery tunnels going through the heart of the mountain and down ropes which dangled for a hundred meters until they reached the ground. The moment Solera¡¯s feet touched solid, he looked back up. The tunnels were all but invisible again.

    ¡°Get a move on!¡± A soldier snapped, his gauntlet pointed straight at Solera.

    Although he was taken aback, Solera quickly hurried into the line of moving prisoners. Next to him, the river was flowing down at speed, coated with whitewater foam from the constant clashing of water and rock. This was the river he had thrown Jumpy into. With that kind of force, his body should be several hundred kilometers away by now.

    ¡°Down! Sit down!¡± Another channeler directed prisoners into a crescent formation by the river. Solera looked at the crescent blankly. The sinking feeling in his stomach immediately returned, five times stronger than it had been before.

    Standing by the river¡¯s edge, in front of all the prisoners, was Rasmurnov and his specialized channelers. In front of him were two tarpaulins draped across the ground. Solera stared at them dumbfoundedly. Surely, those couldn¡¯t be¡­

    ¡°On your knees!¡± A channeler brusquely shoved Solera forward, causing him to sink down.

    As if he was a statue, Rasmurnov stood silently in front of the two canvasses as the prisoners were organized, his hands clasped behind his back. His face was more unreadable than it had ever been before.

    All the prisoners knelt there silently. Behind them was a second, shallower crescent made up of Tornado sect channelers. The seconds dragged by, like sticks through mud. Though the river roared by in front of them, Solera felt it was the silence that was deafening.

    ¡°They say.¡± Rasmurnov unclasped his hands from behind his back to take on a ramrod straight standing position. ¡°They say these clouds didn¡¯t exist before the First War. Our western continent was the eastern continent back then, with the continent of Heaven being the center of the world.¡±

    He tossed a smooth rock up and down with his ungauntleted hand. Solera looked at it, his eyes slowly growing bloodshot. It was the rock he had thrown at Jumpy when he had first attacked.

    ¡°Of course, the war happened, and the ocean of Heaven not too far west of us is impassable now. Some of you may have seen the ocean for yourself. Calm. Tranquil. Everywhere. But the storms lie beyond the horizon. The monsters lie beneath the surface.¡±

    Rasmurnov brought his hand back to his side. The rock fell through the air and bounced several times across the ground.

    ¡°Men are like the ocean of Heaven. Calm on the surface, mad beyond belief everywhere else. It is clearer to those of us in the Tornado sect. The stormclouds blow in from the ocean year round, striking us with lightning and deluging us with rain. The rain makes rivers throughout our mountains. They run north through Eden to form the Azurejade Lakes in the Verdant Empire, south to form several oases in the Golden Deserts, and southeast to form Lake Avalon in Camelot. These rivers and lakes are symbols of that which works against us, of our endless tribulation. The mountains our resilience.¡±

    He flipped a tarp open, revealing a mangled body battered beyond recognition, drenched in a puddle of its own making. Solera¡¯s heart began to wildly thump.

    ¡°A man died tonight, his body thrown into this nameless river. I found him stuck against some branches several kilometers downstream.¡± Rasmurnov bent down and hoisted the body into an upright position. He grabbed the mess of black strands which Solera knew was Jumpy¡¯s hair and tilted the drooping head up so everyone could clearly see the ruined face. The fall and the river had rendered it a formless mass of disfigured flesh.

    ¡°His name was Jumpy.¡± Rasmurnov let go of the body, letting it drop limply to the floor. ¡°And her name was Helga. Both killed by someone who is harmless on the surface, but a monster everywhere else.¡± He removed the other tarpaulin, revealing Helga¡¯s body. Apart from the faint shock remaining in her eyes, she seemed to be in pristine condition. As if she could sit up at any moment. Solera knew, however, that the injury was on the back of her skull. She would never sit up again.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°I am not a religious man. Quite the opposite. But even the most uncultured member of the Tornado sect knows the proper way, the respectful way, and even the sensible way to cover up a murder is to throw the body down one of the many deep, dark ravines in the area.¡± Rasmurnov threw the canvasses back onto the bodies and stood up.

    ¡°So let¡¯s keep this simple and quick. Turn yourself in, murderer. I am a fair man, and will administer the judgment my directive designates.¡±

    Blood roared through Solera¡¯s head with more force than the current behind Rasmurnov. He had been seen through, and now the channelers were out for blood!

    He was the one who had killed the both of them. He needed to turn himself in. Otherwise, all his fellow prisoners would suffer Rasmurnov¡¯s punishment!

    Right now, Rasmurnov did not in any way seem incompetent. Rather, his expressionless gaze made him seem like a sadistic demon! Due punishment? A fair man? Solera felt bitterness in his heart. What a load of bullshit. Who knew what kind of unearthly torture Rasmurnov had in store for him? Still, he had to do it. He would just be prolonging everyone¡¯s suffering otherwise.

    ¡°It was me.¡± A voice rang out. It was not Solera¡¯s.

    His eyes widened. They flicked to the one who had stood up. It was the old man who had slept by him last night! Had he noticed Solera¡¯s disappearance and connected the dots?

    Rasmurnov¡¯s gaze swept past Solera to land on the old man, several meters to Solera¡¯s left. ¡°Is that so.¡±

    Solera stared in complete shock. This old man, he was willing to die to protect him! He was dying in place of Solera! What this meant... was that Solera had essentially killed this man!

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The old man snarled. ¡°Those two were the worst of you bastards. Especially that one, beating little girls and incinerating young men. You¡¯ve done a fine job, commander. A fine job raising these depraved things who call themselves human. I did the world good when I sent them to Sky, where they belong.¡±

    Although Solera was in turmoil upon hearing these words, grateful for the old man¡¯s sacrifice and also guilty beyond words, Rasmurnov¡¯s expression did not change once as he listened to the old man¡¯s tirade. He held out his hand. A specialized handed him a short knife.

    ¡°Very well, then. The punishment is death. Bring him here.¡±

    Another specialized rolled a tree trunk over to Rasmurnov¡¯s feet. Several Tornado sect members roughly dragged the old man to the stump.

    Solera felt extremely bitter. He would live, but only because another would die in his place! He keenly regretted his decision to kill Jumpy. It had led to the death of a man much better, much wiser than him. But now that the situation was what it was, he could only accept it.

    A specialized pressed the old man¡¯s head into the stump. The blade danced across Rasmurnov¡¯s agile fingertips. Solera watched, his eyes glued to the old man¡¯s graying hair. Though he had never learned the old man¡¯s name, he would never forget his face. Never forget his sacrifice. He would watch the old man die for him. Looking away would be the ultimate disrespect.

    ¡°Any last words?¡± Rasmurnov loomed over the man, his emotionless eyes gazing down indifferently.

    The old man twisted his head to the side so he could speak. ¡°Fuck you and fuck everyone.¡±

    The specialized lifted the head up and mashed it back into the stump. Rasmurnov¡¯s knife descended onto the old man¡¯s neck. It pressed into his skin and moved back and forth, sawing deep into his neck. A pang of bitter guilt shot across Solera¡¯s face. The old man was truly dead now. Because of him.

    Blood sprayed everywhere, spattering Rasmurnov¡¯s black clothing and the specialized¡¯s hand. The knife continued sawing. The old man¡¯s entire body trembled, each heartbeat sending out another geyser of blood.

    A grating sound emitted as the knife carved into the wood. Rasmurnov extracted the knife out and flicked the blood off. He took out the rag he had used to clean the whip to wipe the knife. The somber, dead silence returned. Even the river¡¯s noise seemed to have dulled. Stony expressions could be seen on every prisoner present.

    Rasmurnov finished cleaning the knife and handed it back to the specialized behind him. He grabbed the old man¡¯s head and lifted it up into the air.

    ¡°Look upon this head.¡± Rasmurnov slowly moved his arm to display it to everyone. ¡°It is the head of a criminal.¡±

    Blood dripped out of the old man¡¯s neck. All the light had left his eyes. His face truly showed no signs of the life that had only been there seconds ago.

    ¡°His crime was lying to me.¡±

    Rasmurnov turned around and tossed the head into the river.

    ¡°Until the real killer confesses, a random prisoner will be chosen to die every morning. Now get a move on.¡±

 Chapter 50

    Rain. There was no rhythm in the rain. It struck the ground aimlessly, purposelessly, capriciously, like a child stomping a line of ants. Solera hated the rain. Because of it, he could not remember the last time he had been warm, or the last time he had experienced true silence.

    Like the line of ants, Solera and his line of prisoners had been crushed by the rain.

    He hated the rain. It was supposed to wash away all the blood, yet Rasmurnov had still found the rock he had thrown at Jumpy. No doubt the rock had a stain of some sort that had been left untouched over the course of the night¡¯s precipitation.

    The rain made the rivers. He hated the river. It was supposed to wash away the body, yet Rasmurnov had been able to find that too. Rasmurnov talked about how the river was a sign of tribulation and bad luck for the people of the Tornado sect. Fuck that. It was him who got screwed by the river. If the body wasn¡¯t stuck a mere five kilometers downstream for Rasmurnov to find, then would he have reached the conclusions he did? Definitely not! And now, because of that river, Solera was in the worst quandary of his life.

    It had been partially his fault, he admitted. Greatly, even. But he had to do what he had to do. Jumpy was a great danger to everyone. He couldn¡¯t have been allowed to stay alive! Yes, Rasmurnov went through the trouble to investigate the killings, conveniently found the body, decided not to believe the old man¡¯s story, and then declared that the proper, proportionate retribution was to execute somebody every single day, but how could Solera have predicted such a chain of events??

    Yes, it was Solera¡¯s fault. But he firmly believed that his decision was the right one, and that everything that could¡¯ve gone wrong did. He couldn¡¯t be blamed for that. But the situation was what it was. He had to confess, or else another innocent prisoner would die tomorrow.

    The problem was¡­ Solera didn¡¯t want to die.

    Next to him, Lem sniffled. He seemed to be in poor health lately. Having poor nutrition, weather, and cultivation tended to do that.

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair.¡± Lem muttered. Oh, this again.

    ¡°Rasmurnov says that someone killed those two, and the punishment is that all of us have to take turns dying until that someone confesses?¡± He looked angry as he sniffled again. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything! Why do I have to be punished? And the guy who died was Jumpy! You know he¡¯s crazy! Maybe he killed Helga and then himself or something. How does Rasmurnov know what happened?¡±

    Solera glanced off to the side, a feeling akin to an angry bitterness welling up in his stomach. Looks like someone understood him. Too bad it had to be Lem.

    ¡°It¡¯s all unfair. I wish I was born on another Land or whatever. Or just not born at all.¡± Lem said glumly.

    Solera flicked some water out of his hair as they climbed up an unusually steep mountain path. ¡°It¡¯s reality. I don¡¯t like it either.¡± Actually, given the context, he hated it much more than Lem did. He was sure of it. ¡°But there¡¯s no point whining about it. Just face it and deal with what¡¯s in front of you, right?¡±

    Always keep moving. Never dwell on the past. As before, it was his fault for making what he still thought was the right decision. Fine. Now, his task was to talk himself into confessing.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. But what can I do?¡± Lem sniffled again. ¡°I¡¯m powerless. Just waiting to die.¡±

    Solera didn¡¯t know what to say about that. Lem was powerless, but Solera wasn¡¯t. All he needed to do was confess.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to die.¡± Lem sighed. ¡°I hate life, but I don¡¯t want to die. Do you know what I mean?¡±

    Solera nodded. He didn¡¯t want to die, either. But unlike Lem, he had to.

    ¡°I hope the killer confesses, if there actually is one. It wouldn¡¯t be fair if I died because of this.¡± Lem kicked a pebble off the side of the trail, shaking his head in disgust.

    Solera looked away frustratedly. Yeah, it wouldn¡¯t be fair. But if they were going to talk about fair, a whole slew of things that had led up to this moment had not been fair: him getting whipped for breaking a nose, Jumpy killing a prisoner, Jumpy¡¯s body not flowing all the way downstream, Rasmurnov executing the old man for lying, and the issuing of this ultimatum. It wasn¡¯t fair to Lem now, but unfairness was nothing new to Solera and many others.

    Fuck fairness. Actually, it was fairness which dictated that he confess. Lem didn¡¯t want to die. Well, he didn¡¯t want to die either. It was fairness that said Solera¡¯s execution would be ¡°fair¡± while Lem¡¯s would not, and it was fairness which assumed Solera¡¯s life was worth less than the combined lives of the other prisoners who would be executed. But what did fairness even mean in this shitty world? And who decided the value of a life? To him, fairness meant nothing. But his life was everything.

    He was in deep turmoil for the rest of the day. He wanted to be decisive, but he simply couldn¡¯t. Not when the decision was to willingly commit suicide.

    When night fell, they were led up into another village, this one a shallow but vast cavern in the heart of the mountain. Columns of wet stone and small pools of stagnant water peppered the area, and a mess of black tubes covered the ground. The tubes dipped in and out of the pools and could be seen disappearing into the adjoining tunnels.

    The captives were forced to stay there as a group of villagers ran about moving objects. Solera stared at a steaming pool of water not far away from him, paying it all scant attention. He was going to confess, but when? He obviously couldn¡¯t do it now. Maybe he could do it quietly tonight, or the next morning. Rasmurnov would be assembling them all together at that time, waiting for confessions. Yes, the next morning would be good. As long as it wasn¡¯t right this moment.

    This night would be his last, he realized forlornly. His entire life, years of living at the Grove, all those desperate life-and-death struggles, they all led to this. His neck being sliced away like a ham, by a man who, judging from his facial expressions, thought killing was no different from cooking.

    Vinoh¡¯s face appeared in his mind. Solera thought back to all his years with him: running through the wheat fields of the Grove, sleeping in the treehouse with the steps grown from its roots, listening to the myriad things his father had to say.

    Vinoh, as he recalled, had not wanted him to go to Fortress Hickory. How right he had been. Solera wondered what would¡¯ve happened if he had stayed at the Grove that day. He would still be that shy, innocent, empty-headed child who thought war was ¡°cool¡±. Only now, after everything he had been through, did he understand that Chianti¡¯s account of her mercenary group fighting for and against every country on the eastern side of the Warring States was a sarcastic jab at the senseless realities of life.

    If he had stayed, he would never have met Macaw or Verreaux or Fischer or Lem or Helga or Jumpy or Jakovich or anyone else. He would not have given much thought to Guinness¡¯s death, and Chianti would only be an attractive face, not the one stable anchor he had in his life at the tunnels.

    He would have been living an empty life, devoid of all meaning. But that was infinitely better than the empty death he would have to face the next day.

    ¡°All done, sir.¡± A middle-aged man jokingly saluted Rasmurnov. ¡°Make sure to send someone to the ma¡¯am to tell us the news, yeah?¡±

    Rasmurnov nodded as he turned around. ¡°Get them in.¡±

    They were led around the pools into another large chamber. The dimly lit chargelights hung throughout the ceiling revealed it was completely barren. Patches of dry ground, however, indicated that anything that had once been in the chamber had been recently removed.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°If you need to go, knock on the walls as you walk through the tunnel.¡± A guard barked at them after the last prisoner entered the room. ¡°Otherwise, you will be shot on sight. Have a nice night.¡±

    He backed away into the tunnel, leaving the prisoners alone in the chamber. A heavy silence fell on the group, punctuated only by the periodic drops of water falling onto the floor. Though nobody said it, Solera knew that they were all thinking about the execution tomorrow. Wondering if they were going to be the one who would be chosen to die. Maybe he should tell them that he was the killer and that he would confess tomorrow.

    But what exactly would he say? Hello everyone, I¡¯m the killer? And how-

    ¡°Who¡¯s the one?¡± A woman¡¯s urgent voice shattered the silence and broke his train of thought. Solera twisted around, but could not make out the speaker in the gloom.

    ¡°What?¡± A sneer from a bald man not far from Solera. ¡°Someone fart near you?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± The woman snapped. ¡°Who¡¯s the one who killed those two?¡±

    Silence. Solera opened his mouth, but no sounds came out. He closed it again. He didn¡¯t want to say it. He wanted his last night to be in peace, without the eyes of nearly two hundred prisoners on him throughout the night. That was the least they could for him, right?

    ¡°Whoever did it, you had better say it! Innocents will die because of you!¡± The voice snarled. ¡°Turn yourself in to Rasmurnov! You¡¯ll have more blood on your hands the next morning, on top of that old man!¡±

    Solera¡¯s eyes narrowed. This fucking bitch. Did she think he didn¡¯t already know all this? Leave him alone!

    ¡°Hey, can you shut up? I need to sleep.¡± The bald man grumbled, pulling his robe up to cover his head.

    ¡°How can I shut up? You tell me, how can I shut up when there are lives on the line because some idiot thought it was a good idea to murder some guards? Tell me right now!¡± The woman raged. ¡°The killer needs to confess!¡±

    The woman¡¯s voice had a hint of panic in it. It seemed to be a little familiar, although Solera could not place it at all.

    ¡°Look, lady. This situation is all sorts of fucked up.¡± The bald man rolled over onto his back so he could speak more clearly. ¡°What if the actual killer really was that guy today? Who¡¯s going to confess then? And if the actual killer wasn¡¯t him, then even if he confesses, how does that dead fish tell that it really is the one, and not another, hm, liar?¡±

    Solera blinked. He actually hadn¡¯t thought about that. If this bald man was right, that meant if he confessed, Rasmurnov still might not believe him!

    His blood ran cold. Rasmurnov¡¯s attitude and actions over the past two days had unconsciously caused him to rule out the possibility that the man could make a mistake. But Rasmurnov was just a human like any other! If Rasmurnov didn¡¯t believe Solera when he confessed, then he would be executed in vain, like the old man!

    Yes, that was right. Rasmurnov definitely wouldn¡¯t believe him. Solera didn¡¯t even look like a killer! He was probably the youngest among all of these prisoners. If he was Rasmurnov, he would not believe that this young child could have killed two trained channelers, one of them knowing incredibly high-level channeling techniques.

    It wasn¡¯t as if Rasmurnov was some magical mind reader who could tell when someone was lying. Otherwise, Solera would¡¯ve been killed a long time ago. At the very least, even if he could read lies, Rasmurnov would have interrogated the prisoners one by one to see who the actual killer was. Obviously, he didn¡¯t do that because, well, he couldn¡¯t.

    Solera¡¯s mind was thrown into turmoil again.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter!¡± The woman shrieked. ¡°We had a good thing, and this murderer ruined it! When you¡¯re chosen by Rasmurnov to die the next morning, we¡¯ll see what tune you¡¯ll be singing!¡±

    ¡°Oh, when ¡®I¡¯m chosen by mister Rasmurnov to die,¡¯ hm?¡± The bald man laughed. ¡°Are you fucking him or what? I know those kids asked you that very first night to do just that. Didn¡¯t think you actually accepted.¡±

    Solera¡¯s eyes widened. This woman!

    ¡°Of course not! I never did any such thing!¡± The woman seemed beyond enraged now. Solera sat up to get a clear look at her. ¡°I know. You¡¯re the one, aren¡¯t you? Changing the subject to get away with your imbecilic actions! You¡¯re the killer! Just you wait, Rasmurnov will hear this first thing tomorrow!¡±

    Solera saw the woman¡¯s face. Indeed¡­ it was the woman from that very first night, the one Helga had asked to ¡°warm the boss¡¯s bed¡±! His face contorted with rage.

    This woman had been fucking that piece of shit this entire time to get special treatment! Now that she was locked up with the rest of them, she wanted out! Bedding that killer, calling him by name, Rasmurnov, and now gladly willing to root out Solera in the name of saving lives on the line? Solera knew all she wanted to do was go back to whatever arrangements she used to have!

    This dirty whore! Solera had been struggling with his selfishness the entire day, yet this woman openly flaunted her own in the name of justice. At least Solera had never made that kind of excuse for his own actions. His killing of Jumpy was selfish in that he wanted to protect his own life, but the risk he took on was far greater than if he did nothing! He really did it to protect the other prisoners!

    Neither did he hide his desire to live under a veneer of righteousness. No, not his desire to live! His desire to have a nice bed every night and a penis up his fucking VAGINA!

    Selfish. He was selfish, no doubt about it. But this woman was something else.

    At this point, the bald man started howling with laughter. The entire cavern broke into a huge commotion, with everyone trying to shout over each other. Some wanted the killer to confess, some took the bald man¡¯s side, some screamed for silence.

    ¡°All right, all right, stop it! Stop it! STOP!¡± The voice of another girl from the other side of the cavern rang out, eventually bringing a silence back into the cavern. ¡°Can¡¯t you see they¡¯re doing this intentionally? Putting us in this place without any guard presence. They want to split us up, set us on each other¡¯s throats. We¡¯re being set up!¡±

    ¡°True.¡± The bald man remarked.

    ¡°We have to stay unified. At the very least, this talking isn¡¯t going to go anywhere. Let¡¯s just sleep for now.¡± The girl advised, her voice trying to be soothing.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter!¡± Another man from somewhere roared. ¡°The fact is that one of us is going to die tomorrow! We need to fix this now!¡±

    The prisoners started shouting again. Vitriolic comments about him, the murderer. Screams for him to sacrifice himself for their benefits.

    Solera turned over, an ugly glare on his face. Everyone was selfish. Every single person in this shithole.

    He could be selfish too.

    <hr />

    Special thanks to Kbnnfx for helping me edit this chapter!

 Chapter 51

    The rain was falling harder than it ever had before. Every drop sent a shock running through Solera¡¯s fatigued mind. Because of the argument, which had gone well into the night, he had gotten no sleep at all.

    Rasmurnov stood in front of the prisoners, inserting the last of his sandwich into his mouth. Slow, deliberate chewing noises mixed in with the sounds of rainwater as his eyes meticulously swept around the mountain clearing they had been led to. At his feet was a freshly cut tree, an axe embedded deep in the stump.

    Rasmurnov¡¯s throat made an audible swallowing noise as he finished his breakfast. He took out a canteen and leisurely popped off the cap. This sick fuck. He was dragging this out intentionally.

    ¡°Well.¡± He spoke as he half-dusted, half-washed the bread crumbs off his hands. ¡°The criminal has had a day to reflect. Would he or she like to confess?¡±

    Utter silence. Solera scanned the people around him. He no longer had any motivation to sacrifice himself for his fellow prisoners. Maybe if Lem, the bald man, or a few others were chosen, he would intervene. But otherwise, he was content to watch.

    ¡°... I see. That¡¯s too bad.¡± Rasmurnov walked up to the stump. The axe made a wet squelching noise as he tore it out of the wood.

    ¡°This axe is finely made. By a craftsman from Eden, actually.¡± He lifted the implement up into the air. ¡°The village head gave it to me after I told her that I was using a jackknife.¡±

    The axe started emitting a high-pitched humming noise as a slight sheen of power covered it.

    ¡°Yes, she said the axe would be better. Faster and easier. Less messy. Cleaning my sleeves takes time out of my day, so I accepted.¡±

    Rasmurnov lowered the axe to his side. ¡°It¡¯s less painful for the unlucky one, as well. So let¡¯s get right to it. Who¡¯s it going to be?¡±

    Solera looked at Rasmurnov¡¯s cold, clammy eyes. What kind of a person was this man to speak of killing so dismissively? To him, it was just a task to be done after breakfast! Compared to Rasmurnov, Jumpy was luck from Heaven. If only he had known that earlier. Now, they all faced death.

    It was paradoxical, really; death by Rasmurnov was not like any other death Solera had seen in that the death would seem so mundane. Like that of a cow in a slaughterhouse, a trivial matter completely devoid of emotion or struggle. Something to forget about by the next day.

    Solera felt a death like that was the worst kind of death he could experience, one where nobody would remember him the next day. That was a death best relegated to animals and not humans. He hoped with all his heart that it would be someone like the whore who would be chosen.

    He knew this wasn¡¯t sustainable, but he had to get through what was right in front of him before he could think about what would come after.

    Rasmurnov raised his arm to point at someone in the crowd. ¡°It will be you.¡±

    The guards shoved the prisoners aside and grabbed hold of a man, dragging him to the stump. Solera scrutinized him for a moment. A slight feeling of relief appeared on his face as he looked away. This man had been one of the ones vocally criticizing him last night. Solera didn¡¯t have to die for him. He didn¡¯t have to die.

    The man¡¯s face was stained with rain and bore a vaguely shocked expression, as if he couldn¡¯t believe it was him who had been chosen. But just as he reached the stump, he seemed to have recovered his senses.

    ¡°No!¡± He screamed as his thrashing limbs kicked a flurry of mud into the air. ¡°It¡¯s not me. It¡¯s not me!¡±

    Rasmurnov rolled up his sleeve with his free hand. ¡°I know.¡±

    A mix of tears and rain flicked out from the man¡¯s head as he struggled to keep his head away from the stump. ¡°I know who the killer is! Mister Rasmurnov, it¡¯s him! He did it! The bald man with the hooked nose! He¡¯s the killer!¡±

    Rasmurnov¡¯s eyes flicked onto the bald man, who just smirked. Solera watched on, his eyes sullen. He had expected something like this. When people¡¯s lives were on the line, their true colors showed. He thought about how just yesterday he had been blindly willing to sacrifice his own life for this man, and sighed.

    This man and Solera, they were the same. They shared that desperate desire to live which all humans held at the core of their hearts. Because he wanted to live, he had indirectly condemned this man to death, and the man was in turn accusing another.

    It was so pathetic.

    ¡°It¡¯s him, it¡¯s him, it¡¯s him¡­¡± The man¡¯s muffled voice trickled out from the stump.

    After another few moments of eye contact with the bald man, Rasmurnov lifted his axe high up.

    ¡°You already know what I think about lies. Any last words?¡±

    ¡°No! NO! NO!!!¡±

    The axe came down, slicing into the stump as if it was a block of cheese and only stopping when the handle made contact with the damp wood. The channeler holding down the man¡¯s head lifted it up and handed it to Rasmurnov.

    ¡°Shame another had to die.¡± Rasmurnov held the head out, fresh blood still dripping down the neat line that had once attached the man¡¯s head to his neck. ¡°I do not like to do this, but I must do what I must. Only the killer, who is one among you, can end the executions.¡±

    He looked down the path. ¡°Get a move on.¡±

    Lem said nothing as they walked along the wet, gravelly road that day. He wore the same bitter expression that Solera once had. He was silent, in the same manner of silent that Solera used to be. A frustrated, lost, and helpless silence.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    Solera was silent, too. But his silence was a bitter one, bitter at Jumpy, Rasmurnov, and all the prisoners who had verbally attacked him. Bitter at war, which had pitted all of them against each other. Bitter at the ugly, selfish nature of himself and every other human on Land.

    He clung to life so, so desperately. He had done what many would consider would be depraved when he let the two men die in his place. Why was he doing it? Why did he want to live so, so much?

    He had told himself it was for revenge. The truth was, it was very unlikely he would ever be able to get it at this point. All he was doing was prolonging the inevitable, and making his end that much more pathetic. Yes, the truth was that he was already dead.

    He needed to lose his attachment to life. No matter what kind of a place Sky was, it could not be much worse than what he was experiencing right now. Indeed, a piece of his fragmented soul could even become a Sky God one day.

    A huge droplet of water splashed onto his forehead, shocking him out of his thoughts. He blinked several times as a lucid cold shot through his head. Did he actually just consider throwing his life away? After all he had been through?

    This was ridiculous! He had already argued with himself for two entire days about this. If his thoughts about life just now were really valid, he would have thought about them earlier, not now when both his mind and his body was bone-tired.

    He was sleep deprived, that was all. Even though his train of thought made sense to him now, it might not do so the next morning when he had gotten his sleep and was thinking clearly. He needed to be rational and wait until the next morning to make a proper decision.

    They stopped at an enormous cave carved into a mountain pass that night. Rasmurnov herded them all through a winding tunnel into another dark cavern, once again leaving them with no guards. By now, it was obvious he wanted them to argue with each other, and so the majority ignored the whore¡¯s shrill cries. Solera himself immediately laid down and closed his eyes.

    The miserable cries of the executed man replayed itself over and over in his ears. Solera knew he was like that man, vainly trying to delay his own death by letting others die in his place. In the end, his demise would be no less deplorable. He knew he had to do something drastic. But what? Try to escape again?

    SSSSSSSSSSSS!

    The acrid stench of burnt flesh assaulted Solera¡¯s nostrils, waking him from the sleep he had not even known he had sunk into. A shriek reverberated off the walls of the cave.

    ¡°Stop!¡± A woman shrieked, struggling as two soldiers dragged her into the tunnel. ¡°Let go!¡±

    Solera frantically scrambled to his feet. By the mouth of the cave, he could see several bodies collapsed onto the ground, in front of a group of masked channelers.

    A plume of flame erupted from the hand of the leading channeler, an armored woman with a dark helmet-mask covering her entire face.

    ¡°Everyone against the wall.¡± Her voice was blunt, amplified with power so it echoed around the cavern. ¡°You, you, and you, come with us.¡±

    Several youths were escorted to the exit by two channelers as the others aimed their gauntlets at every part of the cavern. Any attempts by these people to struggle resulted in a forceful cuff to the head.

    The woman¡¯s helmet swiveled as she assessed the room. After a second, she turned around and walked back into the tunnel. The other channelers filed out after her, leaving behind only two motionless bodies and the smell of death.

    A shocked silence fell on the prisoners. Solera stared at the corpses on the ground in utter shock. They were killing at will now? That man and woman, what was going to happen to them?

    ¡°I want to kill them.¡± A loud, clear voice broke the quiet. ¡°I want to bash their heads to a pulp, burn it to cinders, and throw whatever¡¯s left into the Bloodsand volcanoes. I want these, these motherfuckers to hurt for what they¡¯re doing.¡±

    Solera¡¯s eyes widened in shock. The voice belonged to Lem. He had tears streaming down his face, and his hands were clenched into fists.

    ¡°Even if I died, man. Even if I died.¡± Lem¡¯s face was full of hatred. ¡°I¡¯m done being treated like shit. No, worse than shit. If I could take those sickos down with me, I would do it.¡±

    An old man sneered. ¡°But you can¡¯t, so you won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Fuck!¡± The whore screeched. ¡°Fuck the killer! Look what he¡¯s done to us now! At least some of us would¡¯ve lived to see the prison camp. Now, we¡¯re all as good as dead. If I knew who the culprit was, he would be a dead man.¡±

    ¡°Dumb bitch.¡± Lem spat on the ground with a venomous hatred, causing Solera¡¯s eyes to widen in surprise. ¡°That person is a hero. At least he took out two of these fiends. I¡¯d gladly die for him or her if it meant Rasmurnov died. It¡¯s people like you who drag us down.¡±

    ¡°Speak for yourself.¡± The woman snapped. ¡°Your hero killed us all.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d die for that hero.¡± Lem repeated.

 Chapter 52

    The next morning, they stood together for the third time in as many days, awaiting the execution. Solera ground his teeth as he looked at the cave¡¯s exit. In front of them was rain so thick it was impossible to see farther than ten meters.

    He had to end this. No matter how much he hated the whore, he knew she was right. They really were going to murder everyone. And only he could stop it.

    True, there were people whom he would not die for. Many of them. But there were also people like Lem and the bald man. People who didn¡¯t deserve getting raped or burnt to death.

    His eyes landed on the prisoners who had been taken away last night. They had returned in the morning, their clothing ravaged and their eyes hollow. It didn¡¯t take a genius to figure out what happened.

    The dilemma was that Solera could not forget one possibility: that if Rasmurnov did not believe his confession, he would not be able to do anything but die a pointless death.

    Solera knew that it was useless to agonize over the possibility. He knew he was using it as a way to cover his ears and absolve himself of responsibility. The truth was, Solera only seriously considered the idea that Rasmurnov would not believe him because that was what his heart wanted him to believe.

    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Even knowing all this, he somehow could not bring himself to confess. Every morning for the last three mornings, he had this argument with himself. It was time to bring it to an end.

    ¡°This inundation means there will be no journeying today.¡± Rasmurnov¡¯s flat voice rang out. Solera opened his eyes again. ¡°But there will still be an execution.¡±

    The man had his back turned to them to watch the torrential downpour of rain outside, but at this point he slowly turned around. ¡°Would anyone like to confess?¡±

    Solera stared at Rasmurnov¡¯s eyes. Those black eyes¡­ he hated them so much. He hated this man so much. But he had to confess. He had exhausted himself in his run from death. It was time.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, everyone.¡± A loud squeak from the other side caused Solera¡¯s eyes to widen. He turned to look at Lem, who had pushed his way out of the crowd of prisoners.

    ¡°I¡¯d like¡­¡± Lem took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯d like to not confess! I am not the killer!¡±

    Solera stared at Lem, his mind frantically trying to figure out what Lem was thinking. Could it be...

    ¡°But I still want to confess!¡± Lem shouted, his tremulous voice becoming hard with emotion. ¡°My name is Lem, short for Lemmuelen, and I wish I was the one who had killed those two the other day! I wish I was a hero like that person was! Commander, that is what I wish. Are you going to kill me or not?¡±

    ¡°STOP!¡± Solera frantically began pushing the other prisoners out of the way. ¡°LEM, STOP!¡±

    ¡°Tell me if you¡¯re going to kill me!¡± Lem screamed. ¡°Kill me right now!¡±

    Rasmurnov¡¯s eyes looked at Lem. His expression did not change at all.

    ¡°STOP!¡± Solera screamed, pushing the other prisoners out of the way. ¡°LEM, STOP!¡±

    Lem, this fucking idiot! Now, whether or not he confessed, Lem would still be executed!

    The teenaged boy, only a few years older than Solera, turned to look at him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lem cracked a smile at him before turning back to Rasmurnov.

    ¡°LEM! LEM!¡± Solera shouted again as he made his way out of the crowd. It wasn¡¯t too late to stop him from killing himself! If he dragged Lem back into the crowd, maybe-

    ¡°Sometimes, death is better than life!¡±

    Solera stopped right in his tracks.

    ¡°I would rather die here than continuing to live like a cockroach, waiting to be crushed!¡± Tears were pouring down Lem¡¯s cheeks now. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the same for many of you! If there¡¯s anyone else who will die with me, come forward! Let¡¯s show them that death won¡¯t break our resolve!¡±

    Solera was rooted to the spot, his mind completely blanked out. Lem was a completely powerless child, even more so than himself. Yet he had the courage that Solera did not. The courage to die!

    A gauntlet studded with metal smashed into the back of Lem¡¯s head, sending him toppling to the ground. The specialized channeler, an orange-haired man with a dark look on his face, hoisted Lem¡¯s body up and carried him to a small, flat rock.

    ¡°STOP!¡± Solera charged towards the specialized, his eyes red. If Lem was willing to die, then so was he! He would die in Lem¡¯s place! ¡°DON¡¯T KILL HIM! I¡¯M-¡±

    A crackling dart pierced into his skin, sending him to the ground. Solera¡¯s feet involuntarily locked together, and his shouts became incoherent gibberish.

    Rasmurnov took an axe from another channeler standing by. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll be dying alone, boy. Any last words?¡±

    Power blasted through Solera¡¯s channels, regaining him control over his throat. ¡°I¡¯M THE ONE! KILL ME INSTEAD!¡±

    The axe came down. Rasmurnov held up Lem¡¯s severed head, before dropping it to the ground. With his dirty gray boots, he stomped down on the head, as if he was cracking a nut. Solera howled, dragging himself forward with a single hand.

    Rasmurnov, this aberrant monster! He was going to kill him! He was going to tear this man to pieces!

    Rasmurnov lifted his foot up again. Right as he did, a channeler¡¯s boot smashed down on Solera¡¯s head, wedging it into the mud.

    A crunching sound rang out.

    ¡°Tough guy.¡± Rasmurnov¡¯s voice. Something bumped against Solera¡¯s head. ¡°You. You¡¯re the troublemaker from before.¡±

    The foot lifted up off of Solera¡¯s head, allowing him to get a good look at Lem¡¯s caved in skull. His eyes lifted further upwards to meet Rasmurnov¡¯s empty, dead eyes. Those cold, remorseless eyes. He would gouge them out and crush them and burn them and scatter the ashes across the continent! He would slay this man, if that was the last thing he did!

    ¡°Enjoy your last day. You¡¯ll be following your friend tomorrow.¡± Rasmurnov nodded to the troops, then turned and mumbled something to a subordinate, who led him into a side tunnel.

    Solera and the other prisoners were forced back into the cave. He left Lem¡¯s head at the execution site, his heart full of anger and bitterness.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    He wished this inundation hadn¡¯t happened. If they were out walking again, he could kill several guards before being put down. But here, in this damp cave with water trickling down from the bottom of the chargelights, there was nothing he could do. He could only wait for his death.

    He had said he was the killer. There was no doubt that Rasmurnov had heard him. Yet he had not reacted at all. As Solera had feared, Rasmurnov did not believe his confession. Even if he had died earlier, instead of Lem, it would have been in vain. It seemed the moment he had killed Jumpy, he had sealed the fates of himself and everyone around him.

    ¡°Look at that poor child.¡± The whore growled. ¡°His friend died for his hero, one of you, and we¡¯re still paying for it. If you¡¯re the bastard who did this, you should turn yourself in and save us all. Isn¡¯t that what loyalty means? Not letting people who respect you comrades die like flies because of your actions?¡±

    Solera¡¯s features twisted as the boiling rage and guilt sank away. It was still there, but muted. As if replaced by¡­ something. A strange calm. He took a deep breath, looked up and locked eyes with the woman.

    ¡°The commander says I will die tomorrow.¡± Solera said slowly. He rose to his feet and began walking forward.

    The woman sighed in disgust. ¡°Yes, and you¡¯re a good boy too. You and Bailey were the only ones among this lot who had any balls. If a certain person hadn¡¯t thought it was a great, great idea to-¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Solera asked. He was right in front of the woman now.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Glenda?¡± The woman said, a bit taken aback.

    Solera¡¯s hands snapped her neck. Glenda¡¯s limp body fell to the ground at Solera¡¯s feet. He looked down at her lifeless body, then back up at the faces of all the shocked prisoners around him. He took another deep breath.

    ¡°My name is Solera.¡± His eyes swept the room. There were so many people here. Nearly a hundred.

    ¡°I am the one who killed those two guards. Yes, I am the killer. Lem, those two men, they were all executed by Rasmurnov! But I am not ashamed of it! Because while they died because of my actions, they did not die because of me!¡±

    The words naturally flowed out of Solera¡¯s mouth with a force he never knew he had. ¡°Rasmurnov killed them! Jumpy killed them! The only person who dies because of me is Glenda! I killed her, not Jumpy, not Rasmurnov!¡±

    Solera¡¯s eyes bored into the bald man, who was looking at him with a tiny smile on his face. ¡°Because she wasn¡¯t a true soldier of Eden! Because a true soldier of Eden does not bend down when sick fucks like Rasmurnov and Jumpy violate the rules of war and execute us as they please! When we surrendered to them, we didn¡¯t expect our captors to turn around and kill us at will, but they did just that! People like them deserve to die, every single one. That¡¯s why I killed Jumpy!¡±

    His mind, his channels could feel the crystal firmly lodged in his back. It gave him power. It gave him the power to kill once more. It gave him the power to get revenge.

    ¡°I told Rasmurnov I was the killer, but he didn¡¯t believe me. He says I will die tomorrow! Well, I do not believe him, either!¡± Solera looked at Letva, the girl he had saved from Jakovich so many days ago. He saw, among the prisoners, many different stares. Reproachful, respectful, disbelief¡­

    ¡°I won¡¯t die tomorrow! I will die today, killing as many of these Tornado channelers as I can! If there¡¯s anyone who will come die with me, then follow me!¡±

    Solera turned around and walked towards the tunnel. He didn¡¯t expect anything from them. They were unwilling to die with Lem. Why would they die with him?

    ¡°Heh¡­ HA HA HA!¡± The bald man¡¯s raucous laugh caused Solera to stop and turn around.

    ¡°Ha ha ha¡­¡± The bald man shook his head as he stood up. ¡°If infants are willing to die and I¡¯m not, then what will I say to my parents when I go to Sky?¡±

    Camela, one of Lem¡¯s friends, stood up, her lip trembling. Solera looked at her expectantly. After a moment, she shook her head and sat back down.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± The girl who had tried to stop the argument the other day stood up as well. ¡°I¡¯m done here.¡±

    Two young men stood up, followed by Letva. Solera glanced at the tunnel again. The guards were over a hundred meters away, but they could easily have heard his shouting.

    It didn¡¯t matter, though. No matter what they did, he was no longer going to run from death. He was going to die a death that nobody could say was pathetic. That was the decision he had made, and he would stand by it.

    In all, eight other prisoners stood up. Solera looked at each of them, carving their faces into his memory. ¡°Before we go, I want to know each of your names.¡±

    Of course he had to remember their names. They were the people he had been willing to die for. Ironically, they were now the same people he would die with.

    ¡°Alerion.¡± An older man with only one eye.

    ¡°Brook.¡± One of the young men.

    ¡°Kingsley.¡± The other young man.

    ¡°Yarrow.¡± A middle-aged man.

    ¡°Letva.¡± She cracked a pained smile at him.

    ¡°Tamarind.¡± The girl from earlier.

    ¡°Kunal.¡± The bald man smirked again.

    ¡°Jemima.¡± A woman Solera estimated to be in her thirties.

    After the last introduction, Solera closed his eyes. He visualized the faces of all the people he had known. Vinoh, Chianti, Guinness, the Grove Tender, Macaw, Verreaux, Chip, Lem¡­ these were the people he would never see again. Alerion, Brook, Kingsley, Yarrow, Letva, Tamarind, Kunal and Jemima. These were the people he would die seeing.

    Life dictated that he would die here. And he was fine with it. For the first time in a long time, he had found peace in himself.

    Solera opened his eyes. In them were the fires of determination.

    ¡°All right.¡± Solera walked into the tunnel. ¡°Let¡¯s kill them all.¡±

 Chapter 53

    Solera¡¯s fist knocked loudly against the stone wall as he advanced down the tunnel. His strained ears could hear the sounds of cloth scraping against stone. A channeler appeared into view, his ungauntleted hand still holding his playing cards. Upon seeing Solera, he smirked.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the dead-¡±

    Solera¡¯s hand grabbed onto the channeler¡¯s face and twisted, causing the man to yelp and thrash around. After a short struggle, he wrenched the man forward into the well-lit cavity which held the other seven channelers. After a short grapple amidst the yells of the other channelers, Solera was able to grab the man¡¯s gauntlet with his free hand.

    ¡°Shoot me and he dies.¡± Solera growled. In response to another thrash, he twisted the man¡¯s neck a little further.

    Solera wasn¡¯t wearing the man¡¯s gauntlet. He couldn¡¯t use it to attack any of the guards, but he still had a hand around the man¡¯s face. Using some verdant power to help him break the man¡¯s neck would be child¡¯s play. The problem was, the channelers didn¡¯t know that. In their eyes, he was still only a teenager. They might not believe that he was physically capable of such a thing. But if he could get his hands on the man¡¯s knife...

    A guard pointing a fully charged gauntlet at Solera bit her lip nervously. Her eyes glanced over to the man in charge, one of Rasmurnov¡¯s specialized channelers. He was tall and thin, with gaunt shoulders and a stony, windswept face. A light flickered dangerously in the palm of his gauntlet.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± The specialized spoke slowly, his eyes scrutinizing Solera for any sign of weakness.

    Solera stared right back, his expression unwavering. ¡°You¡¯re going to get out of my way. I¡¯ll release this man once I leave this place.¡±

    As he spoke, he moved along the edge of the chamber, making sure to keep the hostage between him and the guards at all times.

    ¡°Get out of my way!¡± He waved the man¡¯s gauntlet arm at the two guards lined up against the wall. They looked at the specialized, who gave a tiny nod of his head. Solera pointed to the center of the chamber. ¡°In the center. Go.¡±

    The hostage gasped for breath. ¡°You¡¯re- you¡¯re fucking dead-¡± He gasped. ¡°You¡¯re never-¡±

    Solera¡¯s hand moved down to cover the man¡¯s mouth. He was on the other side of the room now. All the guards had their eyes fixed onto him. They were right where he wanted them.

    ¡°You.¡± He waved the man¡¯s arm at the specialized. ¡°Tell me how to get out right now.¡±

    The specialized narrowed his eyes. He spun around, but it was too late. Kunal and the others charged into the room and pounced onto the channelers.

    A wind blade buzzed out of the female channeler¡¯s gauntlet and slashed straight through the hostage¡¯s body into Solera¡¯s. With a pained yell, he took his hand off the man¡¯s arm and pulled out the knife in the man¡¯s belt as his left hand shifted down to grab the man¡¯s torso. Solera pushed the man¡¯s body forward towards the woman and doubled over. The wind blade had left a deep gash in his side.

    His mouth contorted into a snarl as he leaped forward again. If she was able to fire a wind blade straight through someone, then she could not be underestimated, especially when all he had was a knife.

    Some blood sprayed onto his face as he passed Kunal, who was slashing a guard¡¯s neck with a knife he had procured from who knows where. The woman¡¯s gauntlet was charged again, and pointed right at him. As she fired, Solera threw his knife.

    The wind blade collided with the knife in mid-air, creating an ugly screech as the knife was shredded apart. Several flecks of metal embedded themselves into Solera, sending stinging sensations of pain throughout his body, but the handle of the knife flew into the woman¡¯s eye.

    CRACK!

    One of the young men, Solera realized it was Brook, slammed into the top of the tunnel and bounced back down. He could see a dark red gash in the back of the boy¡¯s skull.

    ¡°Down!¡± Kunal dove past Solera and onto the female channeler right as the specialized lifted his hand up.

    BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

    A few meters away, Letva¡¯s head exploded into a cloud of blood and brain matter. Next to her, the one-eyed man, Alerion, fell to the ground, a crater in the middle of his back. Dust and rock sprayed out from the wall where Kunal had just been. The specialized lowered his gauntlet, his free hand producing a capsule from his belt.

    ¡°Solera, STOP HIM!¡± Kunal screamed as he climbed up, his hands bloody from slashing his knife into the woman¡¯s body. Without a second thought, Solera tackled the specialized to the ground. His hands went straight for the capsule in the man¡¯s hands. No doubt it held the charges that allowed the specialized to kill so many of them at once.

    The man swung the capsule down at his head. Solera twisted aside, sending the metal smashing right into his left shoulder. A numbing sensation ran through his shoulder, but with a shout, he overpowered and gripped tightly onto the man¡¯s shoulders right as the specialized¡¯s gauntlet palm pressed into Solera¡¯s stomach. The specialized¡¯s gauntlet arm trembled and broke in four different locations as a tremendous force ripped Solera away from the man and launched him into the wall. He bounced off the top of the tunnel with a bone-jarring thud, before toppling limply onto the ground.

    The specialized struggled up. His gauntlet arm hung limply at his side, and flecks of bone protruded from his ragged flesh; it seemed Solera¡¯s grip on the specialized¡¯s shoulder had transmitted some of the kinetic push¡¯s force back into the man¡¯s arm. His intact arm tossed the capsule onto the ground and withdrew into his robe. When it reappeared, it was holding an ornately carved dagger.

    Solera gritted his teeth and sent verdant power blasting out of his Lake and through his channels. As the power seeped out of his channels and into his body, it converted itself into healforce which caused his bones to snap together.

    ¡°Put your weapons down and I can still guarantee a painless death.¡± The specialized¡¯s voice was raspy, his breath coming out in tremendous heaves. He stepped to his left, towards Solera.  ¡°This is futile.¡±

    Kunal chuckled as he moved forward to intercept the specialized. ¡°Chump.¡±

    PFOOoom!

    Bloody mist sprayed out of Kunal¡¯s front from a wind blade which pierced through his torso. With wide eyes, Kunal looked down, then back up at the specialized closing in on him. With a shout of rage, Solera forced himself to stand up. The specialized¡¯s knife penetrated into Kunal¡¯s body and withdrew along with a fountain of blood. It stabbed in again, and then back out.

    To his side, the gauntlet arm of that very first woman he had fought, whose throat he thought Kunal had slit, flop onto the ground. The motherfucker had been alive enough for one last shot, a shot which had undoubtedly killed Kunal and may have ended Solera¡¯s impromptu rebellion altogether.

    ¡°Haaahhhh¡­ Haahh¡­¡± The specialized gasped. Kunal¡¯s body slumped onto the ground at his feet, blood pooling out of his front. Solera backed away, his eyes sweeping the room. Tamarind and Yarrow were the only ones left, their arms locked around the last guard¡¯s neck and limbs. The specialized looked at them and then at Solera.

    Solera balled his hands into fists, his eyes staring grimly at the specialized. It wasn¡¯t over yet, He still had around seven thousand Iotas of verdant power left, enough for another couple seconds of overpower, and this man¡¯s dominant arm was broken. If Solera was careful, he could still kill him.

    The specialized turned around and fled into the adjoining corridor. Within the second, another group of prisoners charged out from the opposite tunnel into the room and descended on the last guard, dragging him out of Tamarind and Yarrow¡¯s grip and beating him to death.

    Solera took several moments to recover his breath. He looked up at Camela with some shock.

    ¡°You came after all.¡± He said. He wasn¡¯t sure how to feel.

    Camela¡¯s eyes shifted away bitterly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be alive to see what they do after this, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Solera looked down at a knife, embedded inside a nearby corpse. By rebelling, he ensured that the prisoners who remained would feel the renewed wrath of Rasmurnov, and thus had indirectly forced the other prisoners into joining his last act of defiance.

    Solera laughed, bending down and retrieving the knife. If it was before, perhaps Solera would have thought dragging others to their deaths unethical. Now, he didn¡¯t regret it even a little bit. As far as he was concerned, everyone who deserved to live had gone to die with him. If he forced everyone who deserved death to also die, then that was fine. No, it was better than that; it was how things should be.

    ¡°All right!¡± Tamarind shouted as she strapped on a wind blade gauntlet. ¡°They¡¯ll be coming back soon! We¡¯ll need to get to the central cavern if any of us are to escape!¡±

    The prisoners roared and charged into the tunnel which would lead them to the main cavern. Even as they left, another batch of prisoners moved in from the cavern. Solera went along, blinking in surprise. With an entire battalion of trained channelers against them, they still considered escape? Even if they somehow made it out of this disorderly mess of tunnels, they would still be hunted down!

    They were just deluding themselves, just like he had in the early days of his captivity. Solera no longer cared, though; if their beliefs resulted in the outcome that they would die fighting and killing even one more of these Tornado scum, then all the better.

    Solera had long since abandoned any thought of escape. There was only one thing remaining in his mind. Kill as many channelers as he could! Have his revenge on Rasmurnov! Make them pay for their wanton slaughter!

    With a snarl, he charged straight into the first side tunnel that appeared in the passageway. He had the power crystal. He had the mentality. Of all the prisoners here, he was the best equipped and most motivated. Because of that, he knew he had to do the most damage out of all of them!

    Screams echoed into his ears from other parts of the cave. Solera lowered his chin and pressed on. Behind him and in other tunnels, he could hear the sounds of fighting.

    As Solera passed by a chargelight, he tore it down from its place in the ceiling and stabbed the talisman encased within, plunging a section of tunnel into total darkness. Advancing forward, he destroyed the next chargelight, and the next. With lower visibility, the difference in firepower between him and an armed channeler would be that much smaller.

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

    He emerged out of the tunnel into the central cavern, which had descended into complete pandemonium. The channelers had split into small teams of three to hunt down the prisoners. Flamestreams could be seen pouring out of gauntlets in every direction he looked.

    Solera stepped back into the darkness as a group of five channelers ran out from a tunnel several meters away, garbed in cloth armor and metal helmets. He stared at the back of the last channeler, who was lacing up armor too big for her as she jogged.

    A vicious smile appeared on Solera¡¯s face. He had just experienced a tremendous stroke of luck. Without doubt, they had just come from the armory, where more weapons could be found! Why else would that woman have oversized armor?

    Solera closed his eyes and inhaled a deep, deep breath. He was no arms expert, so he could only guess what sort of outlandish weapons lay inside a channeling sect¡¯s armory. Especially this armory; this cave complex was clearly no village, but instead some sort of military outpost. If he could get in and arm himself with crumble discs, like what Chip had used at Fortress Hickory, or even just a sword, then his ability to kill would shoot up a hundredfold. But there was no doubt the armory was heavily guarded, especially with rioting prisoners.

    He exhaled, opened his eyes, and charged into the tunnel from which the group of channelers had emerged. High security? So what? At this moment, there was no time for caution. He didn¡¯t give a fuck. He would kill them all!

    Solera¡¯s verdant power circulated through his channels, ready to explode out at his will. The moment four channelers appeared at the entrance to the poorly lit cavern he knew was the armory, he was ready.

    Solera overpowered and charged forward, throwing his knife as he did. It went straight through the throat of one channeler and exited with the sound of gurgling blood. Simultaneously, A wind blade cut into Solera¡¯s shoulder and sent blood and flecks of bone into the air, but by then he had closed the gap. Solera crashed straight into the smallest guard, sending the two of them tumbling into the cavern, which was filled with rows upon rows of racks, filled with equipment. Helmets tumbled onto the ground as Solera pushed the channeler into an equipment rack and bolted into the rows of weaponry.

    Solera dove to the ground as a wind blade sliced through the gauntlet rack next to him. The other channelers charged inside, their gauntlets glowing with multicolored light.

    ¡°Spread out!¡± The leading one snarled as he walked past the rows of weapons. ¡°Cut him off!¡±

    The other two channelers fanned out along the edges of the room, creating a tightening net around his position. Solera gritted his teeth and began crawling along the ground. Incredibly, there was not a single sword to be found anywhere he looked. How was this even possible? He was in a fucking armory!

    Sweat dripped off of his face. After his charge, he had absolutely no verdant power left. He could hear the low hums of the channelers¡¯ gauntlets as they swept through the room to trap him. He had to do something, or else he would die in this cornucopia, unable to take advantage of all the weapons at his fingertips.

    The leading channeler stepped into Solera¡¯s row. Immediately, his palm rose up. With a shout, Solera body-slammed the nearest rack of weaponry, sending it toppling over as a wind blade slashed into his leg. Ignoring the sudden slack in his leg, Solera crawled into the adjoining row through the gap he had made.

    The channeler walked across into the row Solera had just crossed into, his gauntlet aimed directly at Solera¡¯s head. Solera ducked back behind the weapons rack. With a snort, the channeler leaned back into the first row. Another wind blade shot into Solera¡¯s exposed leg, creating an explosion of blood and bone.

    His eyes dimming from the pain, Solera reached out and grabbed onto a small, metallic ball along a shelf of similar objects. Solera threw it at the channeler as he walked back into the second row. The channeler dodged away as the ball flew past him and bounced along the ground.

    Immediately, Solera grabbed another ball and channeled a few Iotas of power into it. The balls were were some sort of weapon! He threw it again, this time at the opposite end of the row, where another channeler had just appeared.

    Shrapnel shot through the armory as the ball exploded with a deafening boom. The channeler¡¯s body was torn apart, spattering all over the equipment he had been near. Some shrapnel slashed into Solera¡¯s left arm, but he didn¡¯t even feel it.

    Solera threw another ball at the end of the row where the first channeler had been and ducked back behind the weapons rack. The sounds of metal thudding into leather and metal was accompanied by a bloodcurdling scream.

    A rack of weapons near the leading channeler flew through the air and crashed nearby Solera, causing a new set of metal balls to cascade across the ground. Solera haphazardly grabbed one and chucked it back over.

    BOOM!

    An explosion ripped through the armory. Bits of shredded leather skittered across the floor, and the last channeler shouted as he dove for cover. With a roar, Solera grabbed a cluster of the explosives and sent them flying all over the cavern. The chargelights shattered as a cloud of dust enveloped the entire room. Solera grabbed still more and threw them again.

    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

    The very cavern itself trembled from the force of the explosions. A helmet flew into Solera¡¯s chin, sending him reeling onto the ground.

    His ears buzzed from the explosions, and pain flooded his entire body with a tingling dizziness. Yet he could hear the footsteps of another group of people, so he forced himself up and grabbed another shrapnel ball. He threw it straight for where he thought the doorway was and slumped down. Bodies tumbled to the floor. They screamed as they fell, but he could barely hear them.

    Solera lay on the ground, staring blankly up at the darkness. He had done so much. He had killed so many of them. Far more than anyone would have ever expected from a thirteen-year-old kid like him. That was enough, right? Nobody could call his death pathetic now, after all he had done. He could go in peace now. All he had to do was close his eyes.

    Yes, he had done enough. His journey was over. Soon, he would go to Sky. Perhaps parts of his shattered soul would meet Guinness again. No, that wasn¡¯t right. Guinness had never had a chance to go to Sky. The southern immortal who killed him had ensured it wouldn¡¯t happen, the son of a bitch. Who could he meet, then? He could meet Lem again¡­

    Lem. Full name¡­ full name Lemmuelen, or something. Solera¡¯s eyelids, which had almost shut, wrenched themselves open again. Lem had died to Rasmurnov, his head chopped off with casual ease. Rasmurnov had trampled his head until it caved in.

    With an agonized howl, Solera sat up. Rasmurnov was still alive! The single most evil man he had known with absolutely no equal, and Solera had met a good amount of people since he left the Grove. Didn¡¯t he say he would kill Rasmurnov? Gouge out his eyes. His damn, dead fish eyes!

    His head was splitting with the pain of channeling, but he channeled. The little power he had left flooded through his body, giving him the strength he needed to stay conscious. Lem! Didn¡¯t Lem say he wanted to kill the guards, as well? Solera had done just that, but was that enough?

    Solera¡¯s hands brushed the ground. It came across a helmet in the darkness, which he flipped over. He grabbed a metal ball and put it into the helmet. Then another. Before he knew it, the helmet was full. Not that it was enough. Of course it wasn¡¯t enough. As long as both he and Rasmurnov lived, nothing would be enough!

    He dragged himself along the ground, his breath coming out in rattling gasps. One hand and one foot pushed his body across the ground, while the other gripped tightly onto the helmet which held his weapons. How could he let the lull of sleep tell him he had done enough when Rasmurnov still lived? What would Lem think of his killer, alive because Solera was too sleepy to do anything more? Solera knew the chances of him killing Rasmurnov were low. Too low. But as long as he was alive, there was a chance. He couldn¡¯t give up now. Not when he still had the ability to do more.

    He could hardly make out anything. Sight, sound, smell, touch. These things had vanished long ago. There was only the next step to take.

    He had been chosen to be taught by Eden¡¯s greatest military instructors at Fortress Hickory. He would have been an immortal. They had taken everything from him. These people from the Tornado Sect, one of the three countries which had utterly ruined his life. He would kill them all.

    Chianti. At this point, Solera had no idea what had become of her. Was she still alive? She had to be. She wasn¡¯t with them at the final battle. If he killed everyone here, he would be taking some strain off of the backs of everyone who was still fighting. He would be saving lives¡­

    The liquid blur his eyes transmitted to him transformed into the sight of the central cavern. He stared at it for a while. Fuzzy figures moved to and fro across his vision, and muted sounds pounded down on his ears.

    Using the wall as support, Solera stood up. His functioning leg trembled violently, and his head felt as if it would split apart at any moment. Despite all this, he reached into the helmet and tossed the ball out the side of the tunnel.

    BOOM!

    The shockwave sent Solera tumbling back to the ground. He slowly picked himself up and threw another one.

    BOOM!

    Solera gazed blankly into space, which had turned into blurs again. He was killing them, right? Yes, he was. But he needed to kill more. He needed to kill them all.

    One more time. One more burst of effort, and he would be done. The Tornaders would die with him!

    The last Iotas of power flooded out of his Lake and into his channels, and then into his body. For a singular moment, all the light focused itself into something comprehensible. Channelers, everywhere. The motionless bodies of prisoners. The screams came from afar, but he could hear them again.

    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHH!¡±

    Solera howled, throwing another ball at the massive pillar in the center of the central cavern, a hundred meters away. It slammed into the ceiling twenty meters away and exploded into shrapnel. Before anyone he could react, he threw another ball, and another.

    The cavern was enveloped in clouds of dust, yet Solera kept throwing. Right as he tossed the final ball, he could hear a faint rumbling noise.

    As Solera¡¯s consciousness escaped him, everything began to tremble.

    <hr />

    Well, this arc is done, much later than intended.

    Uh, there are a lot of factors going into why the chapter releases have been slowed so much, but I''ll keep it to the tl;dr.

    I think chapter releases will be more frequent from now on, but they will be a lot shorter (1400 words each? idk)

    Until next time, guys! :P

 Chapter 54

    The internal buzzing of power humming through Solera¡¯s channels brought him out of the nothingness. Right as he realized the power seemed foreign, his head was assaulted by excruciating waves of pain, as if it had been folded up like a parchment and was being ripped asunder. All around him was darkness, like he was trapped in a mental cage from which he could not break free. He desperately wanted to scream, but for some reason, he couldn¡¯t!

    ¡°... I¡¯m saying the power is leaking out, ma¡¯am¡­ going straight to his body from the channels¡­¡±

    In between each head-splitting barrage of agony, he could hear the faint voice of a young man, nervous and tremulous.

    A soft, yet forceful hand grabbed Solera¡¯s forehead and kneaded. Foreign power smashed into his Lake like a rock into a pond and blasted power out into his channels. As power leaked out of his channels and into his body, a completely foreign feeling enveloped his channels, as if they were being gripped by a soft and slippery membrane. Something in his head clicked together, and he found control of his mouth, letting out a bloodcurdling howl.

    ¡°Interesting.¡± A woman¡¯s blunt voice, tinny and slightly muffled, spoke as the hand moved down and stifled Solera¡¯s scream. ¡°I can see his channels are unusually weak. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I agree, ma¡¯am. They are the most porous I have ever seen.¡±

    ¡°Continue treating him. As for¡­¡± An especially grueling pain hit Solera for a few seconds, causing him to lose track of what the woman was saying for a moment. ¡°... don¡¯t bother.¡± Receding footsteps.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am?¡± Shock could be heard in the young man¡¯s voice.

    ¡°You know what I mean. Put them down!¡± The woman barked.

    Them? Who was ¡°them¡±? Was it himself and the other prisoners? Was this woman just going to kill all of them?

    For a moment, he felt this was incredulous. But he again remembered everything that had happened, and sighed inwardly. Nothing more was to be expected from the people of the Tornado Sect. Without exception, they were ruthless and callous.

    ¡°Elder Zmenoy.¡± A flat, monotone voice. Rasmurnov¡¯s voice. Just hearing it sent fiery hot rage coursed through Solera¡¯s blood vessels. He ransacked his mind for control over his muscles, but he just couldn¡¯t seem to find anything! It was inexplicable!

    Why? Why now, of all times, when Rasmurnov was only meters away from him? The only thing he had left to do in this world was to kill this man. It was as if he was being tortured by some higher power which derived pleasure from watching him stand at the precipice of his goal, unable to take that final step...

    ¡°Such an act goes against the established directive pertaining to the rules of prisoners of war. You cannot kill them.¡±

    What? Solera¡¯s fury subsided, replaced with complete bewilderment. Was he hallucinating? Why would Rasmurnov possibly say that? Why were they being spared, when they had tried to kill everyone? Why?

    ¡°Which rule do you speak of, Rasmurnov?¡± Zmenoy¡¯s voice was incredulous. ¡°The one telling you to grant them reprieve during inundations? Or the one telling you to kill them one by one in the event of crime by an unknown perpetrator? The bureaucracy is bloated, and their rules are a mishmash of contradiction.¡±

    ¡°I do not seek to make sense of the law, only enforce it.¡±

    She snickered. ¡°If that were true, you would be a bit busy here.¡±

    After a moment, Rasmurnov responded. ¡°I am not ignorant. The capital has given you extrajudicial authority, but the prisoners remain under mine.¡±

    ¡°They will die.¡± The woman¡¯s voice had turned sinisterly quiet. ¡°Do you think these Edenese sheep will get away with destroying my base? All here will die.¡±

    ¡°They will be brought to the prison camp and tried.¡± Rasmurnov¡¯s voice remained as emotionless as ever.

    For a long time, there was only silence. Solera¡¯s mind, too, was silent. He could not process what Rasmurnov was saying, because it did not make any sense. Most definitely, he was hallucinating. Or already dead and in Sky, his perception of reality warped beyond recognition.

    ¡°I can see why everyone despises you, Rasmurnov.¡± Zmenoy snarled. ¡°You take them and get the fuck out of here, now.¡±

    ¡°Give me the boy.¡±

    Another silence ensued. Solera¡¯s eyes abruptly flashed open, only to see an endless expanse of textured gray. Sky? No, it was not Sky, but sky. Clouds. Another burst of pain erupted in his head, creating circles of color flashing across his vision. Against all expectations, he was still alive.

    Zmenoy¡¯s hushed whisper drifted into Solera¡¯s ears. ¡°He has a cultivation class of ninety-three, Rasmurnov. Ninety. Three. Other anomalies have been detected as well, and need further investigation. If he dies under your watch, the council will have your head on the dome, and that¡¯s if whatever Edenese noble family he belongs to doesn¡¯t hunt you down first.¡±

    Solera¡¯s eyeballs flicked around. Beside him was a young man, his hand placed on Solera¡¯s exposed sternum. Only now, could Solera feel the insane quantity of healforce shooting into his body from the boy¡¯s gauntlet.

    ¡°I apologize, Zmenoy. This is outside your area of authority. I will do what the council has dictated, not you.¡±

    ¡°Rasmurnov¡­¡± The woman¡¯s voice dripped with fury. ¡°I am the angriest I have ever been. Do not forget your place, or you will lose your life.¡±

    Solera twisted his head to his left to see a tall, slender woman with a smooth, featureless golden mask covering her entire face. Long, silver hair flooded out from behind the mask and onto her robes. Next to her was Rasmurnov, whose robes were dusty and torn. His face was more expressionless than even the woman¡¯s mask. His glassy eyes moved away from the masked woman and onto Solera, where it lingered.

    ¡°I will bring him.¡± He said, his empty eyes boring into Solera¡¯s like an all-consuming void. ¡°You are entitled to send an escort to accompany me.¡±

    Solera wrenched his gaze away, a shudder running through the entirety of his broken body. Those eyes unnerved him more than the most grotesque monster he had ever seen.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± The woman snorted and walked away. After a moment, everyone dispersed with the exception of the channeler treating Solera, who in turn left after another channeler with fresh reserves of power arrived.

    For an hour, nothing happened. Solera stared up at the gray clouds, thinking to himself. Nothing made sense to him anymore. He remembered bringing down the cavern upon himself as he lost consciousness, yet he was still alive when he should be dead. His rebellion had been put down, yet the man who had executed innocents without qualm was fighting against the execution of confirmed killers. But the most confounding thing of all was that he seemed to have been singled out by the leader of this military outpost for absolutely preposterous reasons.

    Cultivation class ninety-three? From Rasmurnov¡¯s stare and from the channelers treating him, Solera knew they were talking about him, and yet he could not believe it. Back when Skadi, a confirmed immortal and suspected seraph with the inhuman levels of mental prowess and control accompanying such titles, had tested him, he had said Solera was only class eleven. Every class represented a ten percent increase in strength and durability with respect to the first cultivation class. Seventy-eight levels¡­ that meant he was nearly eight times stronger than before. In two or three months?

    Absolutely unbelieveable. This could not be true for countless reasons, the most glaringly obvious one being that he had not seen any such improvements over the course of the journey. No; he had been this strong, or perhaps stronger, long before he was forced into this disastrous prison march where the only power supplied to him was from the crystal and the rift in his soul. It was impossible for him to have cultivated even one percent of what would be required for such an improvement. And what other anomalies? Porous channels? What did that even mean?

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Nothing made sense. But this was reality. Solera could feel it as he regained control of his body. The throbbing pain of broken bones and ripped muscles coursing through his entire body, the occasional raindrop falling onto his bare skin or his open wounds, the headsplitting migraine, it was all too real.

    He despised it. He had expected to die in the uprising, and yet he had not. And now they would not even kill him. Not killing him¡­ that meant they didn¡¯t even see him as a threat. No; they viewed him with contempt and disdain. Solera howled bitterly, the tears streaming off his face. Being spared by the enemy was pathetic. He would rather have died there. He screamed his anger at the clouds, but nobody listened to him. Even the channeler at his side ignored him.

    Without warning, he was hoisted up onto a sling and carried through a pile of rubble to the other prisoners. They were arranged in one long line, their limbs each bound by a cord of twine. Of the two hundred they had set out with, only around thirty prisoners remained.

    Rasmurnov stood at the front atop a small boulder, his hands clasped behind his back. He had changed clothes, his tattered gray robes swapped out for another set of gray. In front of him, again, was an axe and a tree stump.

    ¡°All of you here have taken part in an act of insubordination against your captors. You will be brought to the prison camps, where you will be tried and undoubtedly executed.¡±

    Solera¡¯s eyebrows rose. It was comical, really. The man who had executed innocents to find a killer now required himself to bring killers to some kangaroo court before executing them. Yet as Solera heard Rasmurnov emotionlessly narrating his decree, he felt that some semblance of familiarity had returned to his world. This was exactly the Rasmurnov he knew. Only someone who had a total apathy for human life could be so self-contradictory when it came to the pursuit of justice.

    ¡°The remainder of your journey is short, but I must make sure none of you rebel again.¡± Rasmurnov picked the axe up and beckoned for the first prisoner to be brought again. Solera wryly wondered if Rasmurnov was only going to bring the bodies to trial. At this point, he expected anything.

    The axe came down and chopped the man¡¯s hands off. Even as he screamed, the next prisoner was brought forward.

    ¡°On the off chance that you will not be executed, we will implant regrowth seeds so that no permanent injuries will occur.¡± Rasmurnov drawled as he chopped another set of limbs off. Beside him, a channeler shoved the tiny pellets into the bleeding limbs of the first man. Solera looked on, stupefied.

    He had just said he expected anything, but he was caught completely off guard now. Rasmurnov was lopping hands off and simultaneously allowing them to regrow on the ¡°off chance¡± the prisoners would be spared, when he had expressly said it would not happen. Did this man take some sort of perverse pleasure in being crazy?

    The air was split apart by shrill curses and howls of agony. Yet Rasmurnov was oblivious to them, his axe methodically descending, again and again, each stroke the same as the one before it. A small pyramid of hands had formed by the time Solera was the only one left.

    Rasmurnov¡¯s eyes fell upon Solera. He beckoned with a bloodied finger at him.

    ¡°Enough.¡± Zmenoy snarled. ¡°Half his bones are broken. He isn¡¯t going to do anything.¡±

    ¡°Law is blind to privilege.¡±

    The sounds of grinding teeth could be heard. After a moment, she stormed off. What a weak woman, Solera thought in the back of his head as he was dragged forward. He found himself staring into those jet black eyes again. The very core of his being burned with hatred, hatred that he was being spared by his most hated nemesis, hatred that he could do nothing even when he was less than a meter away.

    Rasmurnov stared right back.

    ¡°You want to kill me.¡± He flatly stated.

    Solera¡¯s eyes widened with shock, then narrowed with hatred. ¡°Yes,¡± he spat. ¡°I will end you, even if that¡¯s the last thing I do. So you better kill me right now.¡±

    Rasmurnov shrugged.

    ¡°Kill me, Rasmurnov! Why won¡¯t you kill me?!¡± Solera shrilly screamed as the axe lifted into the air. ¡°WHY WON¡¯T YOU KILL ME?¡±

    The axe came down, and his hands fell away. Solera stared at the stump in absolute horror. The clean split, where his hands had once been.

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Solera screamed as he was pushed aside, to the doctor. ¡°In half a year, when my hands grow back, I¡¯m fucking going to kill you! I¡¯ll turn you to dust, Rasmurnov! Just you see!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get a move on.¡± Rasmurnov turned his back to them and began walking down the stony mountain trail.

    <hr />

    In other news, I''ve finally got around to remaking the prologue (the first one was posted on the blog but not here, because I was unsatisfied with it.) I''m putting it down here, but also at the beginning of the first chapter.

    <hr />

    A clear blue sky shone down on Halo City, the capital of the southern continent. It was a day in paradise, like every other since the Halo Cult had been created. Birds circled in the skies above, their eyes gazing down at the gleaming city of blue below them. Children ran about the translucent blue ground, laughing as they tumbled through market stalls and siehnti stairways.

    The bridges were bustling, as always. Each over thirty meters wide and however long they had to be. Farmers entering with their produce, and exiting with their earnings. Cultivators, their blue robes rippling in the light wind. Street peddlers advertising their wares. Officers patrolling their designated areas. The tarpaulins dangled below the complex grid of bridges, collecting the power emanating from below.

    The power stations, one each for the eight buildings surrounding it. Lush plants, the largest in the world, grew in the spacious verges which ringed every bridge and tower, nurtured by the small aqueducts next to them. The cultivation temples and libraries, the barracks and refineries, the arenas and agoras. This was the largest city in Land, the pinnacle of human achievement, created entirely out of the siehnti left from the War of Bloodlines and two millennia of accumulated blessings. All balanced above the yawning abyss of the Hellhole, the great blessing and curse of the southern continent.

    Created during the cataclysmic War of the Bloodlines, the Hellhole had allowed devils and their demon hordes to cross over. They ravaged the southern continent for a thousand years until he vanquished them like the Ancients did the primordials. Now, the chasm enriched the entire southern continent with its power emissions, a monstrous feat given the continent was over eight hundred billion square kilometers.

    He stood there, seven kilometers above the ground at the top of the highest tower in the city, looking down at the gaping darkness of the abyss. He had tan skin and brown eyes which seemed to drink in the light, a stark contrast to his translucent blue armor, which glittered with the light. On his mind was not the blue sky or the blue city, but the black darkness of Hell.

    ¡°Letting the Harbinger¡¯s descendants in Eden live on was a mistake.¡± He spoke. The sunlight diffracting through his armor danced across the ground as he turned around. Behind him sat three women and two men. Like him, they were all youthful in appearance, the result of millennia of unhindered cultivation even after achieving immortality.

    One of them, a woman with rich caramel skin and a completely unblemished face, shook her head in disagreement. ¡°The Harbinger was human, and so are his descendants. You were not wrong to spare them.¡±

    ¡°He is far beyond human now. And his intent is clear: to reestablish that hellish kingdom of demons, the Garden.¡± The man spat the last word out with clear disgust.

    A bald youth chortled. ¡°No greater euphemism has ever been made, true.¡±

    ¡°No single person has ever done greater damage to Land than the Harbinger, not even the bloodlines. Summoning was the darkest art ever made, yet it is not dark enough for him. Did you read the transmission from this morning? He had the audacity to-¡±

    ¡°We need only journey to the western continent again.¡± The caramel-skinned woman stood up from the glittering ground. ¡°It will be the fifth time this millennium, but we cannot delay when it comes to that man. Already, Land has lost two continents to the nothingness. If the western continent follows¡­¡±

    A dark-skinned man raised a hand to cut her off. ¡°We cannot. The Harbinger himself cannot enter Land. His descendants are human, and their devils hide as he did when we first sought to destroy him. Let us approach it in a more indirect manner. Otherwise, the Pantheon will use our actions as leverage against us in future negotiations.¡±

    ¡°The Pantheon has amassed too much power.¡± The man spoke. ¡°And our knowledge of their affairs in the central continent remains as scant as ever, despite all your efforts. If they continue their impious actions towards us, I will have to take action, no matter if they are man and not monster.¡±

    The dark-skinned man frowned. ¡°Bahamut... ¡±

    ¡°Enough discussion. We will go with your proposal.¡± The man nodded at a woman, who wore on her head a translucent, jelly-like helmet with faint, red lines glowing under its surface. ¡°Adela, contact Eden¡¯s neighboring countries and the Pantheon. They will help us¡­ no. We will help them with their territorial disputes. As far as everyone is concerned, it will just be another war in the Warring States.¡±

 Chapter 55

    The mountain roads had never been smooth, yet Solera knew they were not at fault for the shocks of pain running through his body. No; those were caused by the channelers carrying him. Even after three days of journeying, they were still seething with anger left from the fight, and rattling Solera¡¯s broken bones seemed to be their way of venting.

    That was all they would do to him, though. These channelers belonged not to Rasmurnov, but to Zmenoy, and the things he had overheard Zmenoy say made her intentions very clear: he was not to be permanently injured or killed.

    ¡°Lay him down.¡± Rasmurnov intoned as he strode past them to the prisoners up ahead.

    Solera was unceremoniously tossed to the ground, the sling making a clattering sound against the hard stone. His body screamed with pain, but his expression did not change in the slightest. He had already experienced too much pain and felt too much hatred, to the point where he had grown totally numb to both. This little shock, how much more injured or angry could it make him? Just one pebble atop a mountain of rocks and boulders. He felt like a husk, an empty shell of the person he had been before he had left the Grove, because he couldn¡¯t feel anymore.

    ¡°He¡¯s brain dead.¡± One of the channelers grumbled. ¡°Just stares blankly at nothing all day. If I were in charge, I¡¯d have left him for the wolves.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re finally here, though. I can smell the unwashed bodies already.¡±

    ¡°Heh, you ain¡¯t smelled nothing yet. But lucky us, we get the prize of lugging this sack of shit to the capital.¡±

    ¡°The fuck, really?¡±

    Solera¡¯s eyes moved downwards to the stump of his right hand. It was still only a stump, with no noticeable signs of the new hand that should¡¯ve been forming. He looked back up to the skies of the Tornado Sect. As always, it was covered with clouds which cried rain. For the first day, he had used the sight of his stump to ignite the rage within him and temporarily forget the pain and suffering plaguing him, but it had stopped working. His fire had died when they had spared him. That was the moment he realized his absolute helplessness. Cutting off his hand? That was just an act of sadism on Rasmurnov¡¯s part. There was nothing Solera could do ever since the moment he became unable to kill himself in battle.

    ¡°It¡¯s been an eventful journey, contrary to the wishes I expressed at its start.¡± Rasmurnov¡¯s dull voice slithered into Solera¡¯s ear from a bit away. ¡°But it is over now. My men will escort you for the remaining kilometer.¡±

    The sound of Rasmurnov¡¯s boots scraping against the ground could be heard for a moment before a voice cried out.

    ¡°Wait!¡± It was a girl¡¯s voice, a voice he vaguely remembered. He didn¡¯t try identifying it, though; she was going to die, just like Lem. Sometimes, he wondered why he had warmed to Lem. From the start, he knew it was almost certain they would die on this hellish journey. If he had just continued to treat everyone coldly, then he wouldn¡¯t have had to bear with the anguish of watching them die.

    The footsteps stopped. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°If we¡¯re all going to die, then grant us just one request. Let us speak to the boy in the back!¡±

    The channelers surrounding Solera began snickering. He craned his neck to look at the speaker, his mind struggling to understand. Talk to him? Why would anyone bother to do that? His actions had condemned them all to death!

    ¡°Please.¡± The voice begged. Against his will, Solera realized it was Tamarind. So she had been one of the prisoners to survive.

    ¡°You may speak from where you are.¡± Rasmurnov spoke after a short pause.

    ¡°Solera!¡± A man whom Solera had never heard before immediately shouted. ¡°May kismet and the Gardener be with you!¡±

    ¡°Good luck and godspeed!¡± Another voice he didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Solera, let¡¯s meet again sometime, somewhere.¡± Tamarind called out. ¡°Have hope!¡±

    He trembled as the remaining prisoners called out to him. Why were they doing this to him? If they were all going to die, why did they have to say these things? He didn¡¯t want anything more to lose!

    ¡°Have hope!¡± Someone yelled again, and then the voices were gone, replaced by the sounds of fading footsteps. A single tear leaked out from Solera¡¯s cheek as he heard them disappear. Cruel. It was cruel of them to make him care about them, when they knew he knew they would die. It was cruel of them to tell him to keep hoping when he was in this hopeless situation.

    Rasmurnov¡¯s gaunt profile blotted out a portion of the sky. He was holding a rope in his hands, one threaded through a series of metal cylinders which each had a spike jutting out of one side.

    Solera¡¯s eyes flicked away from the rope, into Rasmurnov¡¯s black voids. A pang of despair shot through him. Have hope? How could he have hope? It was all over for him. He was left alone here, with this monstrosity of a man and a group of channelers who already hated him with every fiber of their beings. After that outburst by their prisoners, their hatred should only have been intensified.

    He needed to give up hope, and stop caring. He couldn¡¯t care anymore, not if he wanted to keep his sanity. He couldn¡¯t care about the people who hated him, because he knew wishing them death was pointless. He couldn¡¯t care about the people who wished him well, because they were going to die and cause him further emotional pain. He couldn¡¯t care about himself, because his situation was the grimmest of all.

    Rasmurnov bent down, his blank, inscrutable expression examining Solera. ¡°Apologies.¡±

    He took hold of one of the spiked, cylindrical tubes and stabbed it straight into Solera¡¯s body. Solera¡¯s eyes widened as he could feel a tiny hole being punctured in his channels. The power in the vicinity was sucked away, disappearing into the cylinder, which lit up with light and began to crackle. Drainers, Solera realized. The doctors had used them to drain away excess power, yet it was now being used on him!

    Rasmurnov wrapped the rope around Solera¡¯s entire body, puncturing his body again and again with the small spikes on each cylinder. Each prick sent a deep sensation of pain through Solera, followed by an uncomfortable tingling as his power was drained away from his channels, like water pouring out from a punctured barrel.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°What are you doing? He¡¯s no immortal, we don¡¯t need to put drainer ropes on him.¡± A channeler asked Rasmurnov with a tinge of curiosity.

    ¡°I do this on Zmenoy¡¯s orders,¡± was his blunt response.

    Even though Solera believed Zmenoy wouldn¡¯t endanger his life, he felt a growing sense of unease. These drainer ropes didn¡¯t seem like it was all that was planned for him. Not from what he knew of Rasmurnov.

    The man withdrew a capsule from his jerkin. From the capsule he popped a pill out into his hand, a gray pill, cloudy like the sky. Rasmurnov looked down at the pill, then at Solera for a long moment.

    Then rammed the pill straight down Solera¡¯s throat.

    Almost instantaneously, Solera¡¯s stomach began roiling. Strange waves of a totally alien power was seeping into his channels, covering them, sticking to them. Grinding them down.

    Solera arched his back and yelped. His yelp turned into a scream as he was torn apart, dissolved, squished. Like cloth folded in half, then torn down the middle. Like a finger wrapped in sandpaper being rubbed back and forth at high speed. His channels experienced every kind of pain imaginable, and more.

    Why were they doing this? Solera howled at the sky, but he saw nothing anymore, for everything was black, then brown, then gray, then black again. Every moment was an eternity, a constantly shifting montage of different pains and colors. His toes were being clipped off, his bones being broken yet again, his hair being ripped out, one by one. Choked. His insides were burning while his outsides were freezing. Choked again. The insides of his body set on fire. Gray, black, gray, black.

    He could see himself, a disembodied blob, a trembling puddle that was constantly being drained away. It was like that for an eternity, until without warning, a deluge of acidic black liquid enveloped him, threatening to totally dissolve his very being.

    He was born in the First Ring, one of the many offspring of a merchant family. When he was seven, he witnessed the improper, unfair trial and execution of his friend¡¯s father, and learned the importance of the law, and of justice. By the time he came of age, his studies had earned him exemption from the draft, and he was sent to the capital for higher education and training.

    What was different between good and bad, criminal and lawful, just and unjust? When he tracked down the man who had killed for food, he didn¡¯t know. When he hunted escaped slaves from the Dome, he didn¡¯t know. When he watched his superiors in the bureaucracy writing and interpreting laws as they pleased, he didn¡¯t know. When they tried his family for graft, bribery, and corruption, he didn¡¯t know.

    Law and justice were not one and the same. No, the concept of justice he had held absolute from childhood didn¡¯t even exist. Every time he condemned a criminal, he felt not victory, but sympathy. For the only difference between police and criminal, killer and victim, exploiter and exploited, are the vicissitudes of life. Everyone is selfish and greedy when they have everything they need, and even more so when they don¡¯t.

    Fundamentally, everyone was the same; three meals away from being a criminal. The circumstances of life could turn a boy into a corrupt official, like his brother, or a man of ¡°justice,¡± like him. A criminal could have been the Patriarch, or the owner of an inn, and the owner of an inn could be a criminal or the Patriarch, and the Patriarch himself could be the owner of an inn, or a criminal¡­

    Justice, then, was men born into circumstances allowing them to follow law, passing judgment on men born into circumstances forcing them to violate law. Totally arbitrary and pointless. Yet without law, society would collapse. That was why he had to know his place, and carry out the justice of the law, no matter how unjust it may be, for justice is nonexistent. Still, it was a pity. This child, with his strength of mind and body, could easily have been anything else other than a boy to be experimented on¡­

    Solera broke away from Rasmurnov¡¯s grip, his mouth frothing with dried spittle. Rasmurnov stumbled back, his face beading with sweat. He stared at Solera, his empty eyes wide with astonishment.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, sir?¡± A masked man shouted, running forward to grab Rasmurnov¡¯s shoulder. Hands gripped Solera, dragging him away from the man.

    In front of him, Solera could see a vast gateway, ornately decorated with carvings and inscriptions. On each side of the gateway was a vast mountain plateau, upon which grew the largest mountain he had ever seen, covered with stone buildings and strange sculptures. Yet what befuddled his eyes was not any of that, but the gargantuan funnel of wind enveloping the very top of the mountain, forcing the dark gray clouds in the sky around it into a circular spin.

    Solera¡¯s right hand twitched for a moment. He looked down to see a pale hand where his hand once had been. His mind was whirling with confusion, just like the tornado in the skies above. How much time had passed since he had last been conscious? Where was he? No, forget those questions. Just what was that strange experience he just had? Who was he? Wasn¡¯t he from the Grove, not the First Ring? Yet those memories were as real as any of his own! That vision¡­ just what was it?!

    Rasmurnov straightened up, wiping his brow. ¡°Nothing. Just¡­ just get a move on.¡±

    <hr />

    I''d like to thank the readers and especially the commenters for sticking with me for this long. I''m so grateful for you guys! :)

    I know this chapter is pretty weird, so I''m aiming for another three chapters this week, let''s give this a go.

    I did a lot of brainstorming over the last week, a lot of re-evaluating the far future of Overpowered and a lot of fleshing out of backstory I didn''t think I needed to flesh out until now. Major changes have been made, but funnily enough the only real difference on the current story is that Tornado Towers -> Tornado Tower.

 Chapter 56

    ¡°The Pyrotechnics Academy is having a performance tonight at sundown! Purchase your tickets at the bazaar, only 500k Iotas, get them...  them...¡± A young lady, her arms filled with flyers, ceased her shouting when she saw Solera getting dragged through the square.

    In fact, nearly everyone present was staring at the spectacle that was Solera. His clothes were in tatters, caked in months worth of mud and grime. The small, bleeding holes left behind by the drainer belt could be clearly seen all over his exposed body. But perhaps with this, he might be seen only as a vagrant with an unstable mind. With the ten masked soldiers escorting him, however, he instantly became the center of attention.

    ¡°What did a young boy like him do? He can¡¯t be any older than seventeen!¡±

    ¡°More fodder for the Dome, looks like. Guess I¡¯ll go sign up right now, try getting that free win.¡±

    The whispers of the bystanders found their way into his ears, but he paid them no attention. He also ignored the aching pains coursing through his weakened body. There were still far too many questions in his mind, the most pressing of which was about that strange hallucination.

    It was like he had lived another life, one spanning an entire century, far longer than Solera himself could remember living. And yet several memories from that life were clear as day, while the rest were fuzzy, jumbled, incoherent.

    The cave-buildings carved out from the mountain itself, the wide mountain steps he was climbing up. He had a vague sense of familiarity with it, as if he had trodden this path many times before. The next building, at the top of this flight of stairs, was Granny Schula¡¯s restaurant with the snake soup he didn¡¯t like.

    The building Solera knew he had never seen came into view. He recognized the misshapen pillars and wood roof which merged into a mountain cave. Yet it was not a restaurant, but a bustling appliance store, throwing his mind further into its confusion. Custom cooking pots, humidifiers, even miniature Vigor talismans for farming in the caverns were being sold here. Solera had never seen these strange objects, yet he had, and he could even identify what they were.

    The chargelights atop the lampposts on either side of this new flight of steps looked familiar as well. The daughter of a man who lived in those residential caves had been kidnapped, raped, and killed. He had sent the kidnapper to the Dome, but he knew the man had only done the kidnapping on the orders of Madame Snakehead¡¯s son, whose lust was insatiable. Just another injustice, out of his power to make right.

    No! Solera screamed in his head. These were not his memories! They were-- they were-- they were Rasmurnov¡¯s!

    The realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. He had Rasmurnov¡¯s memories! But how? He had never known such a thing was possible!

    Then again, he was a truly uninformed person, who only understood the depths of his ignorance now that he had come into contact with Rasmurnov¡¯s soul, which had lived an entire century. Even though his recollections of Rasmurnov¡¯s memories and thoughts were obscure and fuzzy, like the clouds which covered the mountain, he knew very clearly that he was outmatched, in terms of both knowledge and wisdom. There could be no contest between a mind which had lived a century and one which had experienced a mere thirteen years of life.

    Thirteen years? How old was he now, really? Before he could ponder the question, he pushed it to the back of his mind. This question of the vision was far more important. But when he cross-checked Rasmurnov¡¯s memories for any information, he returned only a blank. But he had only a glimpse into Rasmurnov¡¯s mind, a glimpse which had lasted an instant. Perhaps Rasmurnov would be able to know or deduce from his experience what had caused it, but if he did, Solera could not access the answer.

    The flights of steps continued up the entire mountain, disappearing into the spinning vortex itself, but they stopped their ascent when they were a kilometer above the gateway from which Solera had entered and turned onto a path which wound its way around the mountain. His mind whispered to him, telling him the cave complex around the bend led to the dungeons beneath the Dome.

    The dungeons! Solera¡¯s stomach churned. Forget these questions about his new memories! What was the Tornado Sect going to do with him.

    Images of dissected bodies and jars containing singular body parts sprang to the forefront of his mind, causing him to violently shudder. He couldn¡¯t daydream, not now! He had to escape somehow, or he would face a fate much worse than death!

    His body. Solera concentrated on himself, feeling for his strengths. He was incredibly weak, but still much stronger than he had been the last time he had been conscious. His bones had mended themselves, and a pale white hand grew out from the stump of tanned skin Rasmurnov had left behind. His muscles had atrophied, however, and the flow of verdant power within him had only just started replenishing itself.

    But the group of masked channelers around him revealed no openings. The two at his side had their hands firmly gripping his shoulders, steering him whichever way he pleased.

    A crushing feeling weighed down on Solera¡¯s heart. An indeterminate amount of time had passed, yet his situation remained as hopeless as ever. For a moment, he had thought he could escape, just as he had thought he could defy Rasmurnov. But the only thing he could do, just like before, was maybe kill one man before he was subdued and sent to whatever grisly fate awaited him.

    The small cave entrance appeared into view, guarded by another two masked channelers. The tunnel was well lit by chargelights and completely smooth, as if someone had spent years sanding down every rough edge. A metallic sheen glinted off the surface, causing the faint voice in the back of Solera¡¯s mind to speak again, telling him it was reinforced by an antichanneling field.

    ¡°Here.¡±

    He was tossed into the first cell that appeared, across from another containing a young man. Solera lay there on the smooth ground, looking for any imperfections in the cell which he could use to escape. But neither his mind nor Rasmurnov¡¯s unconscious could find anything. Resigning himself, he took a seated position. The sound of the two rivulets that were to be his water supply and his toilet was all that accompanied him as he waited for his fate.

    ¡°Hey, you.¡±

    Solera opened his eyes and looked at the black-skinned male facing him. He was muscular, with piercing red eyes. Yet when Solera looked upon him, he felt no sense of intimidation. Perhaps he had seen too many monsters to care about a mere human.

    ¡°What time of day is it outside?¡± The youth asked him, getting up to grip the bars of his own prison cell.

    Solera blinked, struggling to remember. He had been too preoccupied to pay it any attention.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Afternoon,¡± he finally responded after a lengthy educated guess.

    The youth sighed, then went down on his knees and began doing push-ups. Solera looked on with disinterest. He was not going to give anyone a fit body to dissect.

    ¡°Where do you come from?¡± The boy asked as he seamlessly transitioned to clap push-ups.

    ¡°... Eden.¡± Solera saw no point in lying, so he told the truth.

    ¡°Ah, me too. Name¡¯s Katzchen, by the way.¡± Two lies, the voice whispered. Solera¡¯s eyes instantly narrowed, before closing completely. Who was this guy, a plant the Tornado Sect had set to get information from him?

    ¡°Prince¡­ King Reginald is a good man.¡± The boy said. Not a lie. Solera¡¯s eyes blinked open again to see the boy¡¯s red eyes staring intently at him.

    The two of them said nothing for a while, just staring at each other.

    ¡°What is the date?¡± Solera finally broke the silence.

    ¡°October of year 8023.¡± The boy answered. ¡°Afternoon on the fifth, apparently.¡±

    October¡­ He had spent nine months knocked out by the demonic pill Rasmurnov had forced down his throat. Solera looked down at his hands. He was fourteen now, a half year away from turning fifteen.

    Nine months! How many battles had been waged, how many people he knew had died in that time period?

    ¡°What¡¯s the state of the war?¡± Solera blurted out. Whether this kid was lying, or a plant or whatever, he didn¡¯t care! He wanted an answer!

    Katzchen began to practice his punches, powerful punches which drew force from every part of his body, from his feet up to his shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ve been in here for two weeks, so I wouldn¡¯t know. The guards feed me a lot of bullshit, though.¡±

    ¡°Tell me everything.¡± Solera snapped. Katzchen raised an eyebrow, then sat down.

    ¡°Civil war has broken out in the Verdant Empire. Lord Azurejade is blocking armies from the Floating Mountains and the Chechewa Prefecture from invading Eden¡¯s north.

    The information sent Solera reeling. The behemoth of the north, the Verdant Empire, also wished to attack Eden? Just what had his country done to earn the wrath of every single one of its neighbors?

    Lord Azurejade, fighting off invading armies in the Azurejade Lakes? Solera had long known about the Lakes, which directly bordered Eden¡¯s north. The Lakes were less than a hundred kilometers from the Grove, and occupied a landmass over half the size of Eden itself. If the armies broke through¡­ Sweat beaded off Solera¡¯s head. He had long expected to die a horrible death. But here was his father and home at stake!

    ¡°The United Duchies remains at Klora, unable to break Eden¡¯s defensive line. The two sects have pushed past the Bamboo Tower, which still stands but is impotent, and are laying waste to Eden¡¯s countryside.¡±

    ¡°Katzchen, you¡¯re behind the news!¡± The sounds of laughing echoed off the stone walls. Two masked guards walked up to their cells, one of them jutting his chin out at Katzchen.

    ¡°Let me update you, my friend the rat. Your king¡¯s new monster army deserted this very morning. Gone. Left a giant hole in your southern defensive line. I guess that¡¯s another three cities getting burned to the ground right now, heh.¡±

    ¡°Bullshit, as usual.¡± Katzchen cracked his knuckles. ¡°It¡¯s time for my daily stroll, I think.¡±

    But it wasn¡¯t bullshit, the voice told Solera. The guard was telling the truth: the monsters really had deserted.

    Of course they had, Solera realized bitterly. They were monsters, unwilling to die for a human struggle. All it took was for a single Seraph to be intimidated by the endless hordes of enemies they were faced with, and an entire monster army would desert along with it. This was the price of not having summoners dominate all the new monsters they were bringing in: they could not stop monsters from disobeying commands. Reginald, Skadi¡¯s desperate actions of madly summoning in Sky spirits had backfired.

    The door to his cell clanked as it opened, bringing his thoughts back to reality. He looked up at the two guards, whose faces were covered with smooth gray masks. Just two? Maybe he could do something, then.

    ¡°He just got here two minutes ago!¡± Katzchen shouted. ¡°Is this another stupid prank or something?¡±

    ¡°No, he¡¯s just much more import-¡± Solera¡¯s overpowered palm smashed into the guard¡¯s cheek, sending him reeling. Before the other one could react, he had pushed him into the two rivulets. Solera slammed the door shut and turned to run.

    CRACKLE!

    A tremor ran through Solera¡¯s body, and he fell to the ground, totally immobilized. Rasmurnov stood several meters away, next to another middle-aged man with long gray hair.

    ¡°You gave him the gray pill, as ordered?¡± The middle-aged man said, his voice rich and strong. Across from Solera, Katzchen¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°I did, Patriarch,¡± Rasmurnov spoke calmly. ¡°I put on the drainer ropes just before.¡±

    ¡°Very good. You are dismissed.¡± The Patriarch walked up to Solera. Solera¡¯s mind was frantically racing. The Patriarch? The Patriarch of the Tornado Sect? What was someone like that doing here?

    BLAM! BLAM!

    The sounds of sizzling flesh assaulted Solera¡¯s nostrils. One of the guards fell to the floor next to Solera, his body reduced almost completely to charcoal.

    Still completely immobilized, Solera was hoisted up over the Patriarch¡¯s shoulders and carried away from the cells. The Patriarch blasted the wall with a bolt of light, causing a hidden door to swing open. Inside, Solera could see a faint altar, above which was a massive spherical rift, nearly a third of a meter in diameter. A gaseous cloud of gray power surrounded the sphere of distorted space, moving and coiling around like a living thing.

    Realization dawned on Solera as the door behind him quietly closed, bringing with it a sense of absolute terror.

    He was going to be possessed!

    ¡°NO! NO!¡± He screamed as he regained control of his limbs. He kicked and thrashed, but the Patriarch¡¯s grip was like iron. He was thrown onto the altar and strapped down, preventing any further movement.

    ¡°STOP! ANYTHING BUT THAT!¡± Solera screamed.

    A blast of gray light shot into the cloud, which at once coalesced into what could only be described as a claw, descending down upon the altar.

    <hr />

    Apparently I made a mistake long ago while calculating distances. Lol, whoops. Eden is actually 4k km across, The surface area of the Southern Continent is actually 600m km^2, the prison camp was actually 200 km, the planet is a sphere of radius 100k km, etc. Fixes will be made... later. Thanks so much to Arkus for pointing out the sheer absurdity to me (although to be fair, this is a xianxia-style universe...)

 Chapter 57: Jumpy

    The ethereal claw sank into his body. A chill shot through his channels, followed by a ripping pain in his head which made everything go black.

    When he opened his eyes again, he was not chained to an altar, but in an alien land which he had never seen before, yet felt strangely familiar. Dirty brown mud stretched out as far as he could see. Throughout this mire grew strange snot-green roots, hollow and pierced through with holes. Roots twisting through the mud, that was everything this world had to offer him. He wondered where he had seen this place before.

    He tried to move, but found that a thick root wrapped around the entirety of his right leg. His eyes followed the root all the way down to his feet, only to find that the root merged into an even larger one upon which he stood. This root was the size of a small hill, easily the largest one in this mire, rising out of and sinking back into the brown, like a gnarly tree root. Torn roots, much like the one binding his leg, lay next to a human-shaped imprint on the surface of this large one. These roots, he could see, had once bound his entire body against the ground. But they had been utterly destroyed, ripped apart and burned. The singular remaining root around his right leg looked as if it had suffered similar abuse, and was on the verge of withering away.

    He saw this, and the mud beneath him churned. The entire world began to shiver, like the waves of a stormy sea. Gray pus oozed out from the holes in the hollow roots, dripping onto the mud to form disgusting, foggy puddles.

    The spirit, Solera realized. He did not know where he was, but the spirit had followed him here! It would chase him down and possess him! He tried to tug his foot free, but it was to no avail. The root, old and decrepit as it was, would not budge!

    One of the smaller roots, which had swelled to a great degree, burst apart and released copious amounts of gray liquid. The puddles bubbled, and then rose up, forming into grotesque monsters whose form defied physical comprehension. One was a ball of wings, its tail lashing the ground. Another was a gaping mass of incisors, with an eyeball in the center of every tooth. Every single one began to crawl, slither, and roll towards him.

    Solera¡¯s attempts to free himself became more frantic as he looked around himself. In every direction he looked, he could see the spirits coming for him, and more poured out from every snot-green root he could see. They would devour him, he knew. Devour him here, where he was trapped. Trapped by this root, here in this muddy marsh, only capable of awaiting his death!

    As if in response to his emotions, the mud around him churned all the more madly. The gray monsters snarled, yipped, yowled, screamed as the mud underneath them swirled, consuming several of the absurd creatures.

    As if in response to his emotions¡­ Solera¡¯s eyes widened, as his surroundings familiarity became clear to him. He had seen this place before, vaguely, as if through a foggy mirror. Years ago, when he first tried to channel, he had had a splitting headache and vision, where he was bound, here upon this same root. And when he had practiced his circulation mantra when he was on the prison march, he had discovered a giant node of light, one which, he finally remembered, was brown¡­ He had seen, at that time, his soul.

    And this was the very soul he stood upon now. The mud was no mud, but rather a mass of power; it was his Lake! And those green roots, those were his channels! The root binding him was not trapping him. It was a part of him. This entire world was a part of him!

    ¡°This¡­ this is my soul.¡± Solera repeated to himself, his eyes wide with realization. Faintly, he could see the real world, a ghost image under the image of this brown mire. But right now, it was not the real world that mattered. It was the battle in his mind, the imminent fight with this spirit for control of his body!

    ¡°This is MY domain!¡± Solera screamed, clearing all other thoughts from his mind. ¡°Get OUT!¡±

    His Lake echoed him, the mud rising up like a tidal wave and burying the monsters deep beneath the surface. The roots trembled, then sunk into the mud. Steam billowed from the ground and into the sky.

    Solera concentrated further, and from the mud rose hands which dragged more monsters into the mire. Geysers of silt erupted into the air, showering the invaders with the muck. Whenever the mud splashed against the creatures of gray, both fizzled and turned into steam.

    Even as gray holes bubbled to the surface of the brown mud wherever the roots had been previously, the skies above crackled. Far, far above the raging battlefield, Solera could see an ocean of gray descending. He gritted his teeth and looked down again.

    The gray liquid spewing out of his channels had burned away all the mud which had enveloped them and shapeshifted into a new army of monstrosities. Where there had been hundreds, there were now hundreds of thousands.

    Solera raised his hands into the air, his lips contorted into a snarl. A tremor ran through the world, and then every single monster was pulled into the bog. Plumes of steam billowed from the marsh, and the very ground itself sunk down slightly, revealing parts of every root which had previously been submerged in mud.

    Realization dawned on Solera as he saw his Lake receding. He had destroyed all these spirits by dissolving them with his own power, but he had expended precious resources by doing so; the dissolution meant trading one Iota of his own power for one Iota of the enemy¡¯s, turning the fight into a war of attrition. A war he could not win, as the gray ocean loomed above him, already far larger than the entirety of his Lake. And already, the swamp was again covered with new monsters.

    Solera snarled. The mud around him swelled upwards, forming into a hill with two massive arms, much like the upper half of a Vigor. He brought the fists down upon the ground, crushing a swathe of spirits into paste which harmlessly melted into his own Lake.

    He swept his hand, creating a frame of destruction which took up half his entire vision. In response, the spirits merged together, turning into a haphazard mess of tentacles, mandibles, and claws. Solera clapped his Vigor¡¯s hands around this giant, but the hands were slashed through, creating a cloud of steam as the mud sloughed onto the ground in great chunks.

    Solera withdrew his arms, reforming his destroyed fists. The monster had made its body hard, so it could slice through his Vigor. Then¡­ why couldn¡¯t he do the same?

    The Vigor balled its hands into fists, but it could go no further. Narrowing his eyes, Solera concentrated some more. The mud tightened a little bit, become a tiny bit denser. He screamed, and the mud squeezed down on itself, turning, for an instant, into a rock. He brought the fist down on the giant, sending gray liquid spraying everywhere. Gasping, Solera let the rocks crumble back into mud, and swept at a new horde of monsters behind him.

    The struggle for Solera¡¯s soul went on desperately. The obliteration of one wave of monsters only heralded the emergence of another, their bodies clashing with the mud to become vapor with every step they took. And in the skies above, the gray ocean¡¯s shape had changed, turning into a gleaming hand, with three sharp claws. Unlike the gray creatures, which were like liquid once destroyed or Solera¡¯s mud golem, the tip of every claw was razor sharp, undoubtedly as solid as steel.

    The hand reached Solera¡¯s land, its claw grabbing at Solera, still atop his Vigor. With a thought, he sunk deep underground. The claw grabbed the Vigor and crushed it into juice before evaporating it into vapor, but Solera had already escaped. With some shock, he realized he could still see everything, as if the mud was partly transparent. The claw rose up, then dug back into the mud. The fingers flicked open, sending giant chunks of brown spraying into the sky. They hurtled away, their speed not slowing in the slightest. The claws dug in again, in preparation to dislodge another chunk of Solera¡¯s Lake.

    ¡°AHHHHH!¡± Solera howled in pain as he forced the ground around the claws to tighten. The hand behind the claws quivered for a moment as it struggled to open its fingers. Then, needle like threads shot out at odd angles, digging deep into the mud, like shovels tilling soil. Brown mud erupted into the air as the threads pulled upwards.

    The claws ripped out another glob of mud and threw it away to reveal a tangled mess of roots, all of them still spewing out gray liquid. Solera¡¯s foot, still chained to the root, was revealed for an instant. But the instant was enough. The claw snatched towards Solera, pulling up the entire root along with him. It grabbed at his leg, effortlessly ripping apart the final root binding him. He kicked out, breaking free from the root and rolling back into the mud, where he disappeared. It was completely like fighting a Vigor, Solera realized. The claw was trying to find the talisman which controlled the body-- him!

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    But he was at a total loss here, completely unable to resist this demonic claw, which carved out another hill of mud, tossing it into the air, where it drifted away. Solera stared at the disappearing blob, his eyes downcast. It had taken every fiber of his concentration to make a rock for an instant. How could he possibly stand against this juggernaut of metal?

    It was only a matter of time. If the claw dug out every single bit of mud, then there would be nowhere left to run. His soul would be extinguished, and his body would be stolen away by this vicious Sky spirit. Was this the feeling that man, the one who had become Umbra, had felt?

    Death by possession was a cruel fate, Solera bitterly realized. His soul would die, but his body would live on, taken by the thing that had killed him. And, of course, there was no rebirth when the soul could not pass through the rift. He would become nothing, like Guinness had.

    He didn¡¯t want to become nothing. He really, really didn¡¯t want to become nothing. He would do anything, anything to escape this fate! There had to be a way! Solera, submerged deep underneath the surface of his Lake, used the Lake itself to see the claw, which relentlessly dug in search of him. He used the channels to look within himself, at the flood of gray power pouring into his body. And then he saw it. Of course. How could he have forgotten?

    The power crystal!

    A deep rumbling sound emitted throughout Solera¡¯s soul. The claw paused for an instant, then resumed its tunneling. His channels bulged, then erupted with steam. The flow of gray was replaced by a deluge of verdant green which in under the span of a second had covered the entire world. With a single thought, the mud in which the claw was buried constricted, even as the green waters buffeted the hand. Gargantuan amounts of steam rose into the sky as the green dissolved gray.

    Solera shot out of his hiding place, the green waters in the palm of his hands forming into a semisolid spear. He slashed away at the gray mud of the hand in search of the soul he knew was within, for he knew that if he had a soul the spirit was looking for, then the spirit in turn had a soul he needed to look for.

    A bulge moved upwards from one of the fingers, upwards towards the surface of the green lake. Solera followed it, his eyes narrowed. This was the most critical battle of his life, the battle for control of his own body! He could not let the enemy escape, and gather more power to return!

    Solera burst out of the waters even as the bottom of the hand, now the top, a little bit above the surface of the verdant waters, opened up. A shining gray hand emerged, followed by the body of an exotic woman, her otherworldly face contorted into a vicious snarl.

    The moment she bent down into a jumping position, Solera¡¯s spear pierced right into her heart. His body followed an instant later, careening into the woman. The woman uttered a shrill scream, her hand rising up to grab his face.

    He was not Solera, he realized as her hand came into contact with him. He-- she-- was nobody at all.

    She was born at the dawn of time, she remembered. But what she could never remember, was her name. The other children pelted her with rocks, called her ¡°jumpy¡± when she screamed. They were led by That Boy, she remembered. She hated them all, but she hated That Boy the most. Because all she ever wanted was to be left alone, and it was That Boy who would get them all to bother her. It was because of That Boy that she forgot her name, and became Jumpy. But she never wanted to be Jumpy. She¡¯d rather have been nobody at all.

    They would never leave her alone, even after they discovered the lands outside Home and That Boy became That Man, the king of Real. Because That Man told her to forget the past, that she would be trapped with him forever, and because she had the Voidwalking bloodline, the one which would allow them to travel to the Void and back. She would never, never ever ever give them what they wanted!

    That Man told her to forget the past, that she would be trapped with him forever. They gave chase, so she fled to the Void, the one place they could not follow her. The one place she could be left alone. But she could never be left alone, not in the Void.

    Solera paled as a trillion images of the Void shot through his mind. Hellscapes made from twisted corpses, desperate struggles in lands beyond his comprehension. An eyeball rose from twisting black rivers, in a valley of shattered glass. The flames of a gargantuan, three-eyed bird, burning her back as she fled. It was not for an eternity until the freaks, the monsters began running from her, for she had become stronger, more fearsome than all of them combined.

    She was no monster. But everyone else was, from the children of her childhood to the spirits of the Void. The only person she could rely upon was herself. Everyone else was a monster! She had to kill them all, until only she was left! Kill, crush, devour, exterminate, destroy, slay, oblit-

    He twisted the spear, eliciting another scream from the woman. While she had been distracting him with her mental assault, needles had risen from the surface of the claw-hand, preparing to stab into him. They shivered, then fell away as Solera ripped the spear out and plunged it back in. He stabbed her again and again, his face white with terror.

    Because this woman, despite her beautiful face and alluring body, was a monster beyond monsters! A woman whose insanity knew no bounds, a woman who was no longer a woman, but an abomination which had been deranged for millions of years! He remembered the most maddening vision of them all, the vision of herse- no, of what the woman had become, and shuddered. The tiny versions of herself, bizarre and fearsome as they were, could not hold a candle when compared to her true form in Sky. Even the woman he was killing right now was nothing, he knew as he stabbed her another time. She was only a miniscule clone of a spirit of unfathomable size, one perhaps larger than all of Land!

    The woman, and the hand of the claw itself had long dissolved into goop, melting into Solera¡¯s Lake, but he continued to stab downwards into the green waters. This monstrosity within him had to be completely purged from his mind, or else it would drive him insane!

    For a long time, he stabbed every gray speck he saw, gasping as he tried to get rid of the visions from his memory. But there was one, terrible, terrible realization on his mind, one of the trillions of crazy thoughts the spirit had whispered to him, an offhand whisper, totally unimportant to the monster herself, one whose magnitude he desperately needed to wrap his mind around, but could not.

    In the vast territory of that superpower which called itself the Pantheon, in the central continent and in the colony on the eastern side of his western continent, every single person, every single man, woman, and child, every single merchant, slave, soldier, and king, every single one of them, without exception, had been possessed by this demon!

    The image of the green waters and vines, of the mud and the milky gray liquid, began to fade away. The real world came back into focus, the circular rift, still spewing out that sinister gray fog, reoccupying the center of Solera¡¯s vision. He stared at it, his face covered with sweat.

    ¡°It looked like a hard fight.¡± A man¡¯s rich voice sounded out, friendly and cheerful. ¡°He must have been a summoner. But no matter. Welcome to our new Home, myself. A place where we can be alone¡­ together.¡±

 Chapter 58

    The Patriarch of the Tornado Sect appeared next to Solera, a warm and soothing smile on his face. It was as if he was looking at a child or a lover, rather than an unkempt boy he had just tossed onto an altar to be sacrificed.

    It sent chills down Solera¡¯s spine.

    Right now, he was dealing with a monster which had possessed an entire continent! Solera could not wrap his head around the sheer amount of people that meant. It had to be billions. Billions of minds, extinguished by this¡­ this thing. The Gray, he decided to call it.

    The Gray occupying this light-skinned, long-haired man¡¯s body smiled again.

    ¡°Love?¡±

    Solera struggled to calm himself down. Could he convince this insane monster in front of him that he really had been possessed by¡­ by a clone of itself? Or was he too sane to fake the insanity?

    The threat of possession quite literally loomed above him, spewing out its disgusting gray fog. If he could not convince this man, then another Gray would descend, and there would be no verdant power to save him another time.

    He wasn¡¯t good at lying, but he had to sell this illusion.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Solera tried to sound upbeat to match the Gray¡¯s repulsive expression, but he couldn¡¯t do it, not when he was experiencing this abject terror.

    The Gray didn¡¯t seem to notice, his hand reaching out to muss Solera¡¯s hair. ¡°I know the fight was hard, love, but you must remember the boy¡¯s memories. He is a special one, he might have important information for us.¡±

    Not the Gray. If he continued to call this man the Gray, then his fear would never leave. This man in front of him was just a man, nothing more.

    ¡°What was the boy¡¯s name, and where did he come from?¡± The man whispered into Solera¡¯s ear, nibbling it lightly.

    What the fuck?

    ¡°Solera from Eden.¡± He blurted out before he could panic again. Focus!

    ¡°Which part of Eden?¡±

    ¡°The Grove.¡± No lying. Not if he didn¡¯t have to.

    ¡°As we expected. Who was his father?¡±

    ¡°V-Vinoh.¡± He stammered as his thoughts went into disarray. What was the Gr-- the man talking about?

    The man backed away with such speed that Solera almost thought he teleported. Solera groaned inwardly and closed his eyes to wait for the inevitable. What had given him away? Or did, for some reason, they hate his father that much?

    ¡°The father¡­ he is alive?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Solera immediately answered in relief, then stiffened. If the Gray, for whatever reason, hated Vinoh, then saying yes meant unleashing the wrath of an entire superpower, and more, on his father, a crippled man!

    Had he just condemned his father to death?

    Solera¡¯s mind was thrown into chaos once more. He was not good at lying, but he had to do what he had to do! If he lied and the monster saw through him, then his lie would have been for naught and he would have been discovered, on top of it all. He did the right thing, he really did!

    But what if the Gray really did want to kill his father? What if Vinoh died because of what he had just said, right here, right now?

    Solera trembled. No matter what, he had failed his father here. Again.

    He had always failed Vinoh. He had failed to cure his father with the power crystal, because he had been taken all the way to the Tornado Sect. He had failed to protect himself for the same reason. And his dream of making his father proud by becoming an immortal in his stead was just that, a dream.

    He had given nothing back to Vinoh, he realized. And now, he was giving Vinoh away.

    He realized the man had been quiet for some time. Thinking, with worry. Their eyes met, and Solera froze. The Patriarch smiled gently.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, love. All will be well. We will just have to locate the hidden immortal, find out what he has been doing for the past decade. No large matter. It will be as if they summoned another Seraph.¡± He spoke more to himself than to Solera.

    Solera opened his mouth, about to say that Vinoh was crippled, an old man who had stayed in the Grove doing nothing but training him, but he hesitated.

    This man was the Patriarch, the most important decision maker of the entire Tornado Sect! No doubt he also had a hand in their plans to invade Eden! If he said nothing here, then the Patriarch would see a threat when there was none. Could he then become more fearful, and tell his generals to be more careful? That would give some respite for the soldiers of Eden, some time to regroup and summon more monsters to their side!

    But if he did say it, then the Patriarch would not send anyone to hunt Vinoh down. His father would be safe, for the time being! And who was to say that a more careful enemy would better than a reckless one? King Reginald had been the leader of a mercenary army, once, if Solera remembered correctly. A master thinker and strategist. Maybe what he needed to face was a reckless enemy he could outplay; if so, Solera would be making everything go wrong with his attempt to help.

    ¡°Yes, love?¡± The Patriarch softly prodded Solera.

    Solera shook his head several times before speaking. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°No, say it. Your words are valuable, love. You don¡¯t ever have to put yourself down again.¡±

    Solera looked blankly at the wall behind the Patriarch. Well, there was too many ways this half-assed idea could¡¯ve gone wrong. Better to just stick with the original plan and keep telling the truth. ¡°The¡­ the father is crippled. He has done nothing, and is soon to die.¡±

    The Patriarch tilted his head, his long gray hair drifting slightly. ¡°That is not nothing.¡±

    Solera felt his stomach clench. He frantically grabbed at the first excuses which came to mind. ¡°It was difficult to remember!¡± A lie, which he immediately followed with a truth. ¡°The boy had strong feelings towards it.¡±.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    The Patriarch shook his head forlornly. His hands grabbed Solera¡¯s bindings and unlatched it from its hook. ¡°Poor child. Your mind is still weak from the battle. Do not let the vestigial feelings of a slimy, two-faced future backstabber sway you. The only ones you can trust are your selves. Us. Everyone else is a monster, snake-tongued and savage. You killed the filthy boy, love. You will kill, kill until our home is clean of bugs and pests. Okay?¡±

    Solera dumbly nodded. Insane. So insane.

    The Patriarch undid the last strap, patting Solera¡¯s head again. ¡°Good, very good. We won¡¯t have to bother with the man, then. He is too stupid to be of any threat, and his body is crippled. Last question, and you can go have a nice sleep. Did the boy know anything about his porous channels, his high cultivation, the second Lake in his back?¡±

    Solera vaguely remembered something, but he felt he could shake his head quite confidently, so he did. But he would make sure to look at his channels again later, using his new clarity or whatever it was.

    The Patriarch quirked his lips, but it didn¡¯t look as if he had expected anything. He shot a beam of light into the wall, causing the ceiling itself to slide open and reveal the gray sky above. Wings erupted from his back, and he took Solera into his arms.

    ¡°You are lucky, love.¡± He said as they rose into the air. ¡°You occupy the body of a boy with a cultivation class of nearly 100, something only the most privileged elite and talented can achieve at¡­ eighteen years of age?¡±

    ¡°Thirteen.¡± Solera muttered. No, he was fourteen now.

    ¡°Thirteen!¡± The Patriarch¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°The boy must have been very special to the enemy then. You are very, very lucky.¡±

    A twinge of fury rose in Solera¡¯s heart, but he quelled it immediately. Him, special and lucky? Those were the two words which would least describe him! But he could not be angry here, not at this monster, especially not when he was already hundreds of meters high into the air.

    They flew towards the whirling vortex. Upon taking a second look, Solera could take in its sheer awesomeness. The base of it was at least a kilometer in diameter, covering the very tip of the mountain, as if the mountain was its anchor, and he could not estimate its height, but it rose up until it merged with the highest cloud layer. No, it didn¡¯t merge with the highest cloud layer. It created it. Clouds emerged from the center of the funnel, spinning around it at unimaginable speeds until they escaped from the vortex and sunk below the mountains.

    The Tornado Sect¡¯s capital, he remembered Lem telling him, was the highest point in the entire continent, at the top of a plateau, which was atop a vast mountain range, which in turn was atop the Thunderslab. This vortex, then, had to be the root of the endless clouds which blanketed the country. No, but Rasmurnov had said the clouds came from the ocean, or something. Whatever, he had stopped being angry about whatever he was angry about.

    ¡°I still remember the Void. Bad things trying to eat us, voices saying bad things, mean things, selfish things. Trillions of voices, and they never go away no matter how many we kill.¡± The Patriarch¡¯s voice was quivering, and his vocabulary had been reduced back to that of a child¡¯s. ¡°But you¡¯ll be alone now, love. Alone to get some rest, for a little while.¡±

    Solera said nothing, because he had no idea what to say. The man was being insane again. He tensed as they flew right into the vortex, but he felt nothing at all. He opened his eyes to see that the Patriarch had conjured a tornado around his body to fend off the winds of this tremendous vortex.

    The faint, hazy outline of the mountain appeared, but it was obscured by the whirling brown dust of the vortex and the tornado. As they drew closer, the outline gained in detail, revealing a palace built into the very mountain itself, a vast, hulking amalgamation of rock, metal, and even wood. Yet its tip, just like the mountain it rested on, was obscured by yet another vortex, a smaller one which shot without limit up into the sky.

    And then the winds disappeared behind them. They were in the eye of the storm, an eye which situated itself at the center of this majestic mountain-palace. The Patriarch touched ground, his landing no more than a leisurely walk. The man was an insane monster, but it seemed he could not be underestimated. Though such a thing should be obvious, seeing as he was the Patriarch.

    The Patriarch let go of Solera with one hand, using it to open a door which swung quietly on its hinges. He laid Solera onto the bed and stood up, a smile on his face.

    ¡°Get some rest, child. Your vessel needs cleaning, but I know you want some time to rest. Enjoy our new home, for now. Tomorrow, we will start teaching you about this world. There is much work to be done ahead of us. Rest well.¡±

    The Patriarch kissed Solera¡¯s head before leaving. When the door quietly closed, Solera immediately rose to look at the room. It was bare, with only the bed, a table, a chargelight, and the two rivulets which would be his drinking water and toilet. These two rivulets were clearly the norm for the Tornado Sect, he realized. But the important thing was that nobody else was in the room.

    He released a breath he didn¡¯t know he had been holding. It was an incredibly deep breath, one carrying more weight than he could imagine.

    He was safe. For the first time in so, so long, his life was not in imminent danger. During the entire interrogation, the Patriarch had not been the least bit suspicious of him. Almost as if he was incapable of thinking about the possibility that Solera could have won against the possession, or that he could have lied.

    Of course, he was not out of the woods yet. He was in the center of the Tornado Sect, thousands of kilometers from home, trapped with a monster which thought Solera was its kindred. But there was nobody threatening to kill people he knew. Nobody chopping off his hand, feeding him pills, whipping his back, digging tunnels for an ambush.

    No, it wasn¡¯t perfect. But like he had thought about during the interrogation, it was a temporary respite. A time for him to catch his breath, and recover from the countless sufferings he had endured. In that way, he and the Gray he was supposed to be were not so different: two creatures in need of a rest.

    He collapsed onto the bed.

 Chapter 59

    He was sleeping, he knew. He could still smell and hear, and even see the darkness of his eyelids, if he tried. But his soul did not seem to need any rest.

    He found himself at the top of a pillar of earth which overlooked the world of brown mud and green roots. Though he could not see it happening, he knew his Lake was replenishing itself, ever so slowly. He knew because he could feel his Lake in its entirety, sense the power trickling in through his rift.

    Being able to see this inner world and walk around in it was a totally new sense he had awakened, like a blind person seeing light for the first time. At the same time, he could vaguely sense the world in its entirety, and control every part of it. It was the way he had always felt his soul before, but now that he could combine this new sense of his with his old sense, he could feel his Lake in vibrant detail.

    He looked down, and the pillar of mud slowly became translucent, allowing him to see straight through it. He tensed, and he could feel a plume of mud rise into the air on the other side of his Lake.

    The sense everyone used to feel and control the soul was simply called the inner touch. Mantras were performed with the inner touch, and summoners required an advanced inner touch, but that was all he knew about it. As for this new ability, which had allowed him to accurately use his inner touch to slay the Gray¡­ its name appeared in his mind. The third eye.

    Even before the dawn of time, the Ancients were omniscient, all-knowing. When they had created Land and Sky, they had also created codices, magical tomes which stored every name, word, and meaning possible. Though many codices had been lost to time, the Grove still had one. Whenever a child was born, a name from the codex would be chosen, and the infant would have every single word in the Language imprinted into its latent memory. Every concept, every ability, every thing had a name which the Ancients had chosen, and the name of this ability, he knew now, was the third eye.

    A lost ability, then? Something which only the bloodlines knew about, and had been lost in the War in Heaven? Solera didn¡¯t know. He shrugged. It wasn¡¯t as if names were important. If it was called the third eye, then he would call it the third eye.

    He looked around for any curiosities he hadn¡¯t noticed before. Was this world only roots and mud? Everywhere he looked, it was all he saw, but perhaps there was more. He cast out his inner touch to look for any oddities, and he felt one. Two. Three. All of them, wedged deep below the surface

    Brimming with anticipation, he used his inner touch to bring the strange objects upwards. The mud below him began to roil, and out rose three sharp, gray boulders. Solera blanched, and a gargantuan Vigor rose up to surround his soul. The Gray!

    Nothing happened.

    After a moment, the gray boulders rose up some more. He recognized them, now. They were the claws of that giant hand!

    If he remembered correctly, the rest of the hand had been composed of gray mud which had dissolved into his Lake when he had slayed the Gray¡¯s soul. Trace amounts of steam rose up from where the gray met the brown, but the claws, which were made of some harder substance, showed no visible signs of melting away.

    Solera let the Vigor fall away. The claws would not attack him; he had slayed the Gray which had once controlled it. He let the mud carry him to the massive claws. These things were weapons, Sky weapons. Like the Throne¡¯s battleaxe!

    The full implications of what he had just thought hit him. Sky artifacts! They were things from fairy tales and legends. Yet here were three, implanted into the Lake inside his head!

    Without further ado, he willed his mud to stop assaulting the claws. The steam cleared up as he walked forward to take a closer look. He could see that they had a distinct gray glint to them, like vapor covered by a sheen of glass. Gas inside glass, as it were. He knocked on it with the knuckles of his fingers. The claw was hard, but also smooth, without bumps or rough edges, a lot like the walls of Fortress Hickory.

    Fortress Hickory and the other two tree-things had also been Sky artifacts. It was obvious, now that he thought about it. This stuff was siehnti, made from power! Though he wasn¡¯t sure exactly how it was made; the Gray¡¯s memories about it-- as were most of its memories now, actually-- were hazy and unclear, and growing more so with every passing moment.

    Shrugging, Solera squinted closely into the foggy gray claw. These claws, they could be his weapons.

    The claws shuddered, then rose as Solera formed a three-fingered hand out of mud. He flexed it experimentally, then raked it across the ground. Long trenches were gouged in the ground as the claws sliced straight through the mire.

    The hand dissolved, and the claws sunk into the ground. He had them melt back underground, then fell onto his rear. He wiped his brow, sighing. Forming and controlling a Vigor had been nothing if not natural, but this three-fingered hand was totally alien, something completely foreign to his mind.

    But that made sense. The Gray was distinctly unnatural; of course its weapons of choice would be difficult for a sane human like him to use. His mind turned to other things. In this soul-world, there were too many things to experiment with.

    He sank down, deep into the ground, towards the very center of the earth. His surroundings became translucent, and he saw it: a spinning ball of light, rotating every which way as it spat out a blank, colorless liquid and gas. The colorless power slowly turned brown as it soaked into Solera¡¯s Lake, but more poured out from behind from that brilliant sphere.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    The rift. The gateway between life and death, the fountain which blessed man with power. Solera¡¯s hungry eyes drank it in. Inside this whirling sphere was Sky!

    All his life, he had heard about Sky. Wanted to know more about it. And here it stood, right in front of him. He could enter. He could go through the rift and see Sky for himself.

    But he didn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t want to see it anymore. Maybe it was because of the unconscious effects of Rasmurnov¡¯s prejudice against spirits, or the Gray¡¯s fear towards Sky, but for some reason, his curiosity about Sky had vanished.

    He stood there for some time, enveloped by the translucent mud. His heart had filled with doubts again. Sighing, he sat down and began to meditate, there in his soul-world.

    The rift shivered, then swelled in size. The trickle of blank liquid accelerated into a pour. Occasionally, ribbons of multicolored liquid shot into his Lake: red, green purple¡­ They were absorbed into him, slowly becoming brown until its original color had totally vanished. He watched with detached interest, though. His mind was elsewhere.

    He was letting his encounters with the Gray and Rasmurnov affect his very psyche. They had killed his desire to see Sky, but that was not all. He faintly remembered finding monsters easy to get along with. But that was also gone, replaced by a mixture of caution, revulsion¡­ and fear.

    But worst of all, he could remember his hatred for Rasmurnov. His vow to kill the man, tear out his eyeballs and burn them to dust. But that hatred was subdued now, a shadow of an echo of its former intensity. Now, he could feel nothing towards Rasmurnov.

    His eyebrows narrowed, squeezing together in frustration. Was it because, as he had felt before, he had felt so much pain that he had grown numb? Or was it because touching Rasmurnov¡¯s soul had somehow influenced his unconscious?

    Fuck! They were changing him, changing who he was! He couldn¡¯t listen to them! He was going to kill Rasmurnov! Even if he didn¡¯t hate him right now, he was still going to do it! He had to, because he knew he had hated the man!

    Kill him! Dismember him! Crush him, burn him. Smash him¡­ Solera¡¯s mind began to drift off. Into the trance that came along with meditation¡­

    He had to escape, of course¡­ return to Eden, before this monster discovered who he really was¡­ the first opportunity he had, he would take it!

    But how would that happen?

    Time flew by. His body slept for a day and a night, and when he exited his trance, the rift shrank again, back to its original size, but maybe a tiny bit larger. He could neither see nor feel a difference, but the benefits of meditation were never immediately apparent. His Lake, on the other hand, had drastically changed. The world was no longer made only of mud and roots. Above the mud was an ocean of rich brown liquid, calm and tranquil. And above the ocean was a third layer, one of brownish gas.

    The material world came into focus. Solera got up, and looked at the metal bathtub, next to the two rivulets. After sniffing himself, he went to wash.

    He gripped the frame of the bathtub as he went to fill it, and his third eye activated. Somewhere far away, he could faintly discern the existence of something!

    What? Solera focused, a bit confused. He wasn¡¯t in the world of mud anymore, but inside the roots themselves. He was the mud, rushing through a labyrinth of channels into his hands, which had connected with another network of fibrous tunnels. It was the sensation of this new network his third eye had felt, he realized.

    He focused back on the material world, and took another look at the bathtub. It was finely made, painted with events he couldn¡¯t interpret. Under the paint, a strange pattern of webs and lines rose from the metal, like a million tiny vessels had been cast into the bronze.

    Plant fibers or animal blood vessels, without a doubt. This bathtub was some sort of channeling apparatus! Solera looked at the rivulets, then nodded to himself. He scooped up some water with a smaller bucket and tossed it into the tub, channeling some power as he did. The metal thrummed as power flowed through its entirety, warming the water up. Trying to keep his astonishment down, he tossed some more water into the tub.

    He was feeling the best he had in ages, he thought as he sat there. He was slightly astounded by the degree of his deliriousness before he had fallen asleep. Somehow, he had failed to see this bathtub, a wardrobe, several paintings, and even a bookshelf when he had looked the room over. Shaking his head, he sprayed a bottle of fragrant mist onto his body. His skin tingled as the dew hit him. Solera looked down at the ornate bottle, surprised. This cleaning spray was also a cultivation aid! That had to be expensive.

    Well, it seemed being mistaken for a crazy monster had its perks. Solera blinked. He just made a joke. When was the last time he did that?

    Quirking his lips, he wiped himself off with a towel he found hanging off a hook on the wall. The wardrobe revealed itself to be a channeling device as well, though he couldn¡¯t figure out its use. Inside were several sets of smooth, gray robes. His hands touched them, and that¡¯s when his eyes bugged.

    Insulator robes! Several sets of insulator robes, in this wardrobe right here! They shielded against all sorts of channeling attacks! Only the richest nobles and that one girl who sucked lollipops and controlled Vigors could afford this sort of thing. If the Patriarch would go this far for his new baby boy, then he would definitely have to leech this place dry before he escaped. And kill Rasmurnov, of course.

    Solera donned the clothing, a smile on his face. He had no idea what was coming for him today, but he was ready.

 Chapter 60

    ¡°Love, wear this.¡±

    The Patriarch handed him a full-face helmet made from metal, with a translucent screen for the face. The visor looked as if it was a strange kind of glass, but it was soft to the touch. A little confused, he put it on.

    The Patriarch blasted the cave wall, and the door, made of tarnished gray metal, slid open to reveal a storm of wind and dust. Solera looked outside, but could only see a brown whirlwind. The tornado!

    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve had your rest, it¡¯s time for you to be taught more about our Home. But you must be very careful. The people you will be talking to today, they¡¯re not us, and they don¡¯t know about us. Don¡¯t let them know who you are, or there will be big trouble.¡±

    Solera nodded, still confused. If the teacher wasn¡¯t Gray, then the teacher would be a normal human. But what normal human would choose this vortex to hold a tutoring session?

    Almost as if in direct response to his question, a silhouette appeared in the cloud of dust. It took on depth, becoming a tall, frail man garbed in dirty gray robes which left no skin exposed to the dust. He wore a helmet much like Solera¡¯s and his face could be seen through the visor behind. He had pale skin and a sickly demeanor, yet he looked very comfortable standing there in the storm.

    ¡°Professor Mohan.¡± The Patriarch had become a completely different person, his attitude instantly taking on an overbearing aura. ¡°As I said last night, this is the boy I picked out from the slums. He has great potential, and it would be best if you treated him with care.¡± The veiled threat in the last sentence could easily be heard in his icy tone.

    Mohan put on a strained smile, then beckoned. Solera glanced at the Patriarch, who smiled and gently pushed him out of the cave and onto the howling mountaintop. Mohan swiveled around, and led Solera into the dust storm.

    The dust battered his helmet and his clothing, but the robes seemed to be resistant to wind, so he felt nothing. Up ahead, he saw Mohan tap the side of his helmet, and his voice suddenly spoke directly into Solera¡¯s ears.

    ¡°Test test test. Okay, good.¡± Mohan nodded to himself and continued walking through the dust storm. ¡°Solera, is it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Solera said. Mohan seemed to have heard him as well, because he nodded again.

    ¡°The Patriarch is a strange man, really. Loves to pick favorites, and I can never know who he¡¯ll chose. Today, it¡¯s a boy from the slums. Consider yourself lucky, I guess.¡±

    Solera¡¯s eyes narrowed. He felt uncomfortable talking, but this man had knowledge he needed. ¡°Favorites? Like who?¡±

    ¡°Not important, because we¡¯re here.¡± Mohan swept his hands at the dust storm, then turned around. ¡°Oh, take a few more steps forward.¡±

    Solera did, and the dust storm disappeared. All the wind and dust was gone, and the area even fell into an eerie silence. He looked behind, and saw a silently swirling wall of dust.

    ¡°We¡¯re inside the eye of the storm, Solera. This is the center of the Tornado Sect.¡± Mohan gestured at his surroundings, and Solera noticed the hundreds of gray robes scattered across the plateau. They were mostly adults, but Solera could also see teenagers and even children, all seated on the ground with their helmets by their side. Their eyes were closed, and their faces showed either relaxation or concentration.

    But all these people were only at the periphery of his vision. His focus was on the gleaming blue tower at the center of the plateau, at least thirty meters high with a square base of around ten meter sides. It was made from a lustrous material, like hollow glass with a cloudy blue gas just beneath its surface. Siehnti! So much of it!

    Solera couldn¡¯t help but gawk at the tower. He had seen siehnti dust when the United Duchies had forced a surrender with immortals from the Halo cult and a siehnti golem they had obtained from the Blessing, but this was something else entirely. This siehnti was solid, a monolith of shining blue!

    ¡°Can you feel it?¡± Mohan smiled affably at Solera.

    The question seemed strange, but Solera knew exactly what Mohan was talking about. A tingling feeling enveloping his entire body, and a presence surrounding him, touching his very consciousness!

    Without hesitation, Solera opened his third eye to examine this strange feeling. He could see his Lake and the green roots that were his channels shivering in pleasure. Far, far above was a blue ocean so large it might as well have been the sky, emitting tendrils of colorless vapor. The vapor¡­ it was everywhere! The moment it made contact with his Lake, it turned brown, and when it touched his soul, he felt a wave of ecstasy had passed through him. It felt as if his very self had been nourished.

    ¡°The Tornado Tower is mystical, without a doubt.¡± Mohan¡¯s voice reverberated around him, bringing him back into the real world. ¡°Just standing here improves your cultivation, your channels, and your Lake. This is, of course, a property of all siehnti landmarks. But what is special about this one is the pressure it applies on your soul. Walk with me another twenty meters or so.¡±

    Solera stepped forward, and he could faintly feel the white mist thickening. From out of nowhere came a thin string of blue which pierced right into his Lake, sending a dizzy feeling shooting through his head as he saw the faint outline of a fuzzy image. And then it was gone.

    He tried to focus on that faint image, to see what it was, but he could not. And yet, he could see something else. A third frame of vision popped up, along with the vision of him standing in the real world and the vision of him standing in his Lake. Now, he was a brown planet in a sea of white mist and clouds of blue strings which poured out from a faraway column of blue. The blue strings seemed to have a life of their own, darting out of their cloud and back as the entire cloud slipped in and out of the column. But not only that, he could see hundreds of other planets, one of them a pale green one not so far away from him. Mohan¡¯s soul!

    ¡°Do you feel the pressure? If you take a step back behind this line, it will go away. Move forward, and it will intensify. More debilitating, but the benefits also multiply.¡± The gaseous green blob, much larger and brighter than Solera¡¯s own, lit up as Mohan spoke.

    Solera wrenched the two visions his third eye was feeding him to the back of his mind, and he was standing on the plateau again. Looking down, he could see that he had passed over a white line, which formed a circle ringing the entire plateau.

    He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here.¡± He wanted to examine this white mist and these blue strings in more detail.

    Mohan shrugged and stepped over the line. ¡°Take a seat, then. But don¡¯t take off your helmet, we don¡¯t want to disturb others with our talk.¡±

    Solera concentrated on his third eye again as he saw a blue string shoot into Mohan¡¯s planet, which vibrated slightly. It shot back out and rejoined the frenzy of strings whirling through the colorless mist.

    ¡°The inexperienced and weak will find it difficult to go much farther than here, because the mental pressure increases exponentially. You¡¯d probably fall unconscious and then lose your mind if you¡¯re out for too long.¡± Mohan pointed at some children who were seated well behind the white line. ¡°Nonetheless, this is excellent. People enjoy meditating here, as you can see.¡±

    Solera nodded. Though his third eye could only see his Lake and his channels, not his body, he could still feel the tingling of his body absorbing the colorless power and strengthening its cultivation.

    ¡°As I said, the Tornado Tower is the only siehnti landmark which exerts pressure on the soul. It is also the only landmark which creates a weather phenomenon, the tornado. So the question I will answer today is, what makes our Tornado Tower so different, and why?¡±

    Normally, Solera would see this question as totally useless to him. Why should he be learning about some esoteric crap when he could be preparing his escape? But with the strange visions his third eye gave him, he felt he had to know. He opened his mouth to ask Mohan to continue and a blue string slammed into him again. This time, he could feel it leaking out colorless power into his Lake during the tiny instant it took to pass through him. Then it was gone.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Solera¡¯s eyes went wide. The first time he had been struck, he had been too electrified to notice. But this time, he could feel that the the string had left behind an amount of power that was easily a thousand times more than the amount of power he absorbed every second!

    And yet, as he looked at the string whirling back into its cloud, he couldn¡¯t tell if it had shrunk at all! Just how pure was this blue power, to be able to release so much at every moment and still stay the same size?

    Mohan began speaking again, taking Solera¡¯s silence in stride.

    ¡°To answer that question, we must examine siehnti in general. Siehnti is an incredible substance. Every piece of siehnti is indestructible, a rift into Sky which never closes. It emits a power which can be absorbed by anyone to improve both their cultivation and power purity at the same time, something nearly impossible for any other kind of power to do efficiently.¡±

    Solera broke away from his thoughts to look at Mohan. ¡°I¡¯ve seen siehnti break.¡±

    Back at that fateful battle, the blue siehnti Vigor had shattered the Throne¡¯s golden siehnti battleaxe into pieces. And from what he had seen, he was sure siehnti was just condensed power. Hell, he had siehnti claws buried beneath his Lake!

    ¡°Was that siehnti this shade of blue?¡± Mohan pointed at the tower.

    Solera frowned. ¡°No.¡± Though the Vigor had been.

    ¡°Common misconception. That was enti, not siehnti. Enti is the closest analog of siehnti, the stuff Sky artifacts are made from. But enti is different in three ways. One, enti artifacts may not have rifts inside them. Two, enti artifacts can be destroyed, though it is extremely difficult to do so. Three, enti artifacts can be any color, but all siehnti is a shade of sky blue. We suspect siehnti is only a variant of enti.¡±

    Solera stared at the ground, trying to absorb the information.

    ¡°Strange, I know. Enti is not a word from the codex, but one we created to describe something that had never existed before. It¡¯s why the Halo cult gathers all the siehnti and enti it can, actually. They believe that siehnti is the property of gods and not of men, while enti, which they call false siehnti, is blasphemous and a sign of the hubris that characterizes the demons who wish to become gods.¡±

    Solera scratched his head. ¡°So there are things that aren¡¯t defined by the codices, and the Halo cult sees these things as¡­ blasphemy?¡±

    ¡°Yes. What is outside the codex is outside the realm the Ancients established for man. Summoning, blood magic, demons¡­ mostly summoning, nowadays. Every time the Halo cult has declared Holy War, it was to eradicate one of the three. The Prince, Emperor Wiki, the Gardener, Wildfire, all of them trespassed into the realm of the Ancients. But this is a tangent. I like tangents, but-¡±

    At that moment, another blue string flew into Solera. This time, he contracted the water of his Lake into mud, and the mud of his Lake into rock in an effort to keep the string inside him. If he could trap it, then he could absorb the power the string gave off at an insane rate!

    The string stayed inside him for an instant of an instant longer before penetrating past him, almost as if he didn¡¯t even exist.

    ¡°-re short on time today, I¡¯ve got some experiments to run. So back on topic. The Tornado Tower.¡± Mohan had continued talking, oblivious to Solera¡¯s struggle, but it seemed Solera had only missed a fraction of a second.

    ¡°I do not believe I, or anyone else on Land, can tell you what exactly about this particular siehnti landmark makes it different from the ones in the Verdant Empire, in Opportunity Kingdom, and the ones the Halo cult seized from the Bloodsand Dominion or bought from the Pantheonic colonies. But I do know where the answer lies. It lies in the ancient history of mankind, all the way back seven and a half millennia ago, to the time of Heaven¡¯s War.¡±

    Solera had no idea where Mohan was going, so he nodded for him to continue.

    ¡°All siehnti landmarks were created by the Siehnti clan, one of the most powerful bloodlines to walk Land. Back then, the world was ruled by Veritas, the leader of the Truth clan and original holder of the Truth bloodline, because she knew everything, or so it was said. Four hundred years after the dawn of time, she had humanity set out from Heaven to colonize the western and eastern continents.¡±

    Mohan paused, then jutted his head as he broke out into a wide smile. ¡°Back then, by the way, Heaven was the center of the world, not the Pantheon, which is on the opposite end of the globe. Thus, our western continent is actually the ancient eastern continent, and the eastern continent was actually the west. So the Siehnti clan and a few others were tasked with colonizing the ancient east. They and everyone else was doing well, until Veritas visited the Siehnti clan capital, right here, and vanished.¡±

    Another string had shot through Solera while he was listening to Mohan speak, but he ignored it. The fact that the Tornado Sect, a small country in the Warring States, was once one of the major capitals of the world was something entirely new to him.

    ¡°Of course, that led to a lot of finger-pointing, and it didn¡¯t take long for world war to begin. I won¡¯t get into the details, but it was basically Heaven and the ancient west against the ancient east. The Storm clan called down thunderstorms to raze this vast mountain range to the ground. You can still see the storms blowing in from the ocean if you go to the Thundercloud Sect, actually.¡±

    Mohan coughed, then continued. ¡°But anyway. As a countermeasure, the Siehnti clan modified this tower to become what it is now, a creator of this great storm. The tornado and the hurricane surrounding it keeps the other, more destructive storms at bay, and this clash between the Storm and Siehnti clans lives till this day. Sadly, we don¡¯t know how either of them created these storms, because neither clan passed on their knowledge.¡±

    ¡°Long story short, Heaven suffered the First Cataclysm, still of unknown origins, and was completely cut off from the rest of the world by storms and sea monsters. The Siehnti clan thus seized the advantage and were destroying bloodlines left and right without mercy. Yet when they were on the precipice of victory, they were all recalled back here.¡±

    ¡°Why?!¡± Solera¡¯s brows were knitted together as he struggled to justify such a stupid action.

    Mohan¡¯s smile could be seen from behind his visor. ¡°Because the leader of one of their allied clans claimed to have gained enlightenment when he touched the Tornado Tower. He had received an insight which he and everyone else felt was more profound than the control of Land itself. And so all returned, and vanished, just like Veritas did. The war which had ruined an entire continent and annihilated every single bloodline ended, and the only marks the Siehnti clan left on this world are these landmarks.¡±

    Mohan stood up, but motioned for Solera to keep his seated position. ¡°So to sum up, the weather was created by the Siehnti clan¡¯s modification to the tower, and the mental pressure an effect of the ¡®enlightenment.¡¯ I know this is all ancient history, irrelevant to almost everyone still alive today, but the Heaven¡¯s War is still a major influence on our Tornado Sect. The reason we were founded, actually, was to rediscover this lost insight. Although that hasn¡¯t happened in the seven thousand years this sect has existed, every genius and immortal who has been here has attributed a portion of their success to an insight reached on this plateau.¡±

    ¡°So stay awhile. Perhaps you might learn something in the next few hours.¡± Mohan left, disappearing into the brown vortex and leaving Solera there, amidst the sea of white mist and blue strings.

 Chapter 61

    For a while after Mohan left, Solera looked in wonder at the majestic blue tower. ¡®Enlightenment¡¯ was just a word to him, with no real meaning behind it. But there was clearly something otherworldly about this place, with the blue strings and the white mist that only he seemed to be able to see.

    Indeed, it was just now at this very place that he had awoken a third vision, the one of souls adrift in a spiritual ocean. His third eye, which had only been able to look inward at his own soul, was now able to look outwards, at the souls of others. Why?

    He focused again on the clouds of whirling blue strings, one of which sent several threads shooting his way. He put a hand out to swipe a passing string, and for an instant he had something, and it was gone.

    Solera frowned. He swiped his hand through another string, and another, and each time he felt the same feeling. It was as if, for a moment, he was touched by a strange presence, and became one with it. But when the moment passed, everything disappeared.

    He was frustrated, because he did not know what it was that he was forgetting. But from the way the blue strings bled the colorless power¡­ it was clear. Power. These strings had power. If he could trap one inside his soul, he could extract an indefinite amount of power from it. He had to trap one!

    Solera took a step forward, throwing his hand through three passing strings. The feeling intensified, but so did the feeling of forgetting. But he remembered something now. He remembered they had the answer! The answer to what? The answer to everything! He needed to feel it again! He needed it!

    A knot of ten strings shot through him, and his eyes widened- but he had forgotten. With a shout, he sprinted forward towards the tower from which all the clouds emerged. A barrage of strings whizzed right past him, and he continued forward, dimly aware of the other souls moving through the colorless sea towards him. But they were unimportant. Only the strings were important.

    The strings had power, and he needed power¡­

    A jolt buzzed through him, and he bolted up, his mind clouded with confusion. The images his eyes were sending him were fuzzy, but they finally melted into three distinct perspectives. He was staring at the face of an old woman, a gray sphere which took the place of a portion of the woman¡¯s head, and of course, his very own soul.

    Gray!

    Solera froze up, looking in stricken terror at the old woman Gray. She was staring strangely at him. She was going to possess him?

    Her hand reached out, and Solera could faintly see gray power trickling through nearly invisible tubes which existed everywhere her body did. The power came within millimeters of touching Solera as her fingers stroked his hair.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, love. I¡¯ll leave you alone now.¡± She stood up, leaving Solera at the edge of the wind wall.

    He took a while to calm down, sort out what happened. He had seen the strings, felt something. Gone crazy. He had tried to run into the cloud- no, he actually did run into the cloud! Mohan said people had gone insane when they went too far! Had that happened to him?

    Why had he done that?

    Sweat beaded down Solera¡¯s neck. He only remembered his insatiable urge to touch the strings. There was something about them, something dangerous. He couldn¡¯t go near them, not if he wanted to stay sane.

    The Gray. He had been rescued by a Gray. A monster, not in body but in soul. Solera felt even more uncomfortable thinking about this. How had he allowed this to happen? He couldn¡¯t understand!

    This Tornado Sect was unreal, surreal. He needed to escape quickly, and go home where things made sense again. Solera staggered to his feet, only to stumble back down from the dizziness. The Gray was back again, propping him up. Another Gray came over to help. Another Gray?

    Solera¡¯s heart, which had only begun to slow, immediately picked up speed again. He concentrated his third eye on his surroundings to see that at least a third of the people in this place were Gray, their souls shining gray spheres, more vibrant than the souls of any other color. They were everywhere. A teenaged boy, his eyes closed and the edges of his mouth curled upwards into a pleasant smile. A man with blonde hair, meditating on a mat near the center of the Tower. Even a baby, rocking in an automated cradle, her eyes darting around at dizzying speed.

    ¡°Love, everything fine?¡± The Gray holding up his right side whispered into his ear. He looked over to see a young girl, her face sickeningly beautiful. He looked away, nodding silently. She was a Gray. This girl was a Gray.

    The Gray on the other side, the old woman from before, chided him.

    ¡°We know you wanted to test yourself, but that was too scary. Your soul is not pure enough right now. Never pass the first ring without us again, yes?¡±

    Solera nodded again. He remembered now. He had been unable to comprehend the blue strings, and had abandoned caution to seek enlightenment. But his soul was too weak. Of course he couldn¡¯t understand what he was feeling. That was so stupid, so stupid. How could he?

    Solera closed his eyes. He needed to calm down. He was surrounded by enemies and strange things, and losing his mind again was the last thing he wanted to do.

    After a moment, he opened them again. He turned to his left, to the old woman Gray.

    ¡°Cou-could I go back to my room, to get some rest?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but stammer out the question. No matter how nice or pleasant they looked on the outside, the Grays were still Grays.

    She frowned, and her soul lit up with even more light. ¡°We already have your schedule prepared, love. You have your second tutoring session in thirty minutes.¡±

    Solera nodded, thinking for a moment. ¡°Is the teacher¡­ one of us?¡±

    The Gray sighed sympathetically, and he could feel two arms wrapping around him from his right side.

    ¡°No, love, if you really want to be left alone then we¡¯ll cancel it.¡±

    Solera could feel some teeth on his ear, and started to squirm. ¡°Tha-that¡¯s fine. Let me go early so I can, I can be left alone early.¡±

    The company of a real human, that was what he needed right now more than anything.

    The old woman nodded. ¡°Yes, love. This is your primary partner, by the way.¡± She patted the head of the girl clinging onto Solera. ¡°You will move to her room tonight.¡±

    Solera opened his mouth, then closed it. Some more sweat appeared on his neck. How¡­ how could he escape if he had a Gray with him at night? He couldn¡¯t stay with this girl. Absolutely couldn¡¯t stay with this Gray. He had to find some way out!

    ¡°The Academy takes fifteen minutes, let¡¯s go.¡± The girl chirped as she disentangled herself from Solera and went to retrieve her helmet. He cursed to himself as he realized she was coming.

    The old woman nodded, handing Solera his helmet and putting on a mask, and then her helmet. She was somebody important, then, if she wore one of those masks. But that wasn¡¯t anything he didn¡¯t already know. But more importantly, where was the Academy? Was it outside of this cave-palace? Could he use the Academy to escape?

    Before he could get very far down his line of thinking, the old woman took hold of him with one hand and the girl on the other, and began walking them through the vortex. The dust, which screamed past at speeds Solera would call dangerous, began to drift by in the region surrounding them. After several minutes, they were inside the palace again, walking through tunnels.

    All of a sudden, he realized his third eye¡¯s external vision had vanished. He could no longer see the souls of the two Grays right next to him. He could no longer see anything at all! Solera concentrated, struggling to turn the external vision back on, but he couldn¡¯t. It was like it had never existed.

    Why?

    ¡°You two are primary partners. Talk more.¡± The old woman frowned. ¡°You new ones never talk but only think. This is not Sky anymore. You must talk now.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Solera mumbled. He took his mind off his missing external vision and began trying to memorize the layout of the palace.

    ¡°I¡¯m just so happy! It¡¯s finally my turn to show off!¡± The girl skipped along, a wide smile on her face.

    ¡°Yes, later.¡± The old woman nodded amiably. They turned a corner, and were outside again, this time further down the mountain, outside of the massive wind vortex.

    The entire mountain city lay below them. Thousands of stone buildings, hanging vines, aqueducts, open-air pavilions¡­ Solera looked down at the city. Just how many of them were Gray?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The old woman had finished attaching a pair of wings to her back, and she gripped the girl with one hand and Solera with the other. With the combined thrust of her flapping wings and the small tornado she generated underneath them, they quickly rose into the sky.

    They flew through the air, beelining for the cavern system they called the Academy. Solera looked down below him at the tiny houses and dots which were people, and went absolutely still. If he was dropped from this height, he would become flatter than a paper.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°There¡¯s the Academy!¡± The girl pointed off to a giant grid of caves and buildings built into a vertical rock face. From a hole at the top of the cave rose a plume of steam which disappeared into the clouds above. Solera squinted, and could make out gray-robed figures moving through the caves.

    ¡°And that¡¯s the Dome! We¡¯re going there tomorrow!¡± She pointed in the opposite direction. On the other side of the mountain was an immense, hemispherical building, made completely from a black metal. It was balanced at the edge of a long escarpment which dropped all the way to nearly the very bottom of the mountain. Solera¡¯s eyes landed on a tiny mountain path leading into a cave, and his heartbeat quickened. That place¡­ that was the place where the Patriarch had summoned the Gray into him!

    She pointed out the residential areas, various blocks of smaller buildings and caves which were adjacent to the marketplaces, but Solera stopped paying attention. The Dome¡­ there was a rift there, a rift to the Gray. It was where they conducted their possession, where he had been possessed. The thought made his stomach churn.

    When he broke away from his thoughts, they were landing atop a flat strip of rock which extended out from the cliff face.

    ¡°I¡¯m going now,¡± the girl laughed as she walked away. ¡°See you tonight.¡±

    Solera nodded dumbly, and turned to follow the old woman through another mind-boggling set of tunnels and stairs. They walked past countless gray-robed people, many of which looked to be quite young, who all bowed to the old woman as they passed. They also shot curious glances at Solera, which he tried to ignore.

    ¡°Love, please be careful.¡± She spoke as they walked down a long hallway with doors on either side every few meters. ¡°This teacher is not one of us. But he is not normal, either. He is very smart, and does strange things a lot. You must bear with him until you learn the basics of channeling. Alright?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Solera drifted into thought again. Channeling¡­ he had tried to learn something about it, back when he was trying to help the medics. But it was an extremely complicated subject, and after his ordeal, the only thing he could remember was a circulation mantra and maybe half of the mantra for power-to-fire conversion.

    They stopped at a door. The old woman took off her mask before pushing the door open. Solera blinked. The room was totally empty, save for a man dozing off in a hammock which hung off the edges of the back wall.

    ¡°Professor Abkariya.¡± Her voice had turned icy cold, just like the Patriarch¡¯s had when he spoke to Professor Mohan. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    The man opened his eyes and looked over. He had caramel skin and a striking face, with a hooked nose and mischievous eyes, and Solera felt uncomfortable. He felt uncomfortable looking at this man. The way he moved, the way he swiveled his head, the way he looked at the old woman, everything felt wrong to Solera about it, and he couldn¡¯t understand why.

    ¡°Elder Galina. Right.¡± Abkariya yawned and rolled back over. ¡°That tutoring thing. I changed my mind. I¡¯d rather be doing science right now.¡±

    The hairs on Solera¡¯s head rose, and the feeling deepened. He backed away, extremely confused, but the old woman put her arm around him.

    ¡°This is not something you can change your mind about. You were never given an option.¡± She snapped at the man as she gently pushed Solera forward. ¡°He must be versed in the entirety of the curriculum by the end of January. I trust you understand how important this boy is, and what would happen if he was harmed. Good day.¡±

    The door slammed shut behind Solera, leaving him alone with this unnerving man. Solera stayed next to the door, frantically trying to understand what was giving him this feeling. As far as he could tell, there was nothing particular off about him, but there was!

    ¡°Ahhh, come on.¡± The man let out a long sigh, then got out of his hammock. ¡°Well, I¡¯m Abkariya, and you?¡±

    Solera figured it out. It wasn¡¯t himself which was giving him this sensation, he didn¡¯t think. It was Rasmurnov¡¯s voice!

    But that raised more questions than it answered. Why was Rasmurnov¡¯s voice urging him to be cautious? Did he have past history with this man, buried in his latent memory?

    No, that wasn¡¯t it. It was Rasmurnov¡¯s lie detecting instinct was going haywire. It couldn¡¯t read this man at all!

    Solera felt some shock. The man had been a criminal investigator, and had seen through every lie lobbed at him during the prison march. Even if he wasn¡¯t adept enough to identify Solera as the killer, he still had immense experience in reading body language! How was it being tricked by this man?

    ¡°Hey, I asked you a question. We¡¯re not getting anywhere with this, you know. You know?¡± The man patted Solera on the shoulder, eliciting a charge of static. ¡°Oops, sorry.¡±

    Solera¡¯s eyes widened. He looked into his third eye, where he could see a red dot entering into an obscure channel near where his shoulder would be. The moment it came into contact with his power, it fizzed, and all the surrounding power began to turn a fiery shade of red. The red touched more brown, which also became red!

    ¡°What did you do?¡± Solera demanded, his voice carrying a tinge of fear. He backed up again, and then, with some hesitation, moved forward to stare directly into Abkariya¡¯s eyes. He had to be confident. He was the one with power here. He had the Grays on his side!

    ¡°Do something? What¡¯d I do?¡± Abkariya raised a finger, and began picking his nose.

    ¡°You¡¯re converting my power.¡± Solera snarled. He could feel the red pouring through his channels now, despite his efforts to contain it. ¡°You put something in me, and you¡¯re converting my power. You¡­ you know how many people you¡¯re going to piss off if I get hurt, right?¡±

    Solera didn¡¯t like the idea of relying on the Gray, but he could feel, see the red power spreading through him. He couldn¡¯t control it!

    Abkariya blinked slowly. His finger dug into his nostril some more before he pulled it out and touched Solera¡¯s shoulder again. The red power began to drain away, fizzing into nothing as they exited Solera¡¯s body.

    ¡°It would¡¯ve just made you a little sick, no need for heightened emotions.¡± He grumbled. ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to teach another idiot. It was fun for the first year, before I realized the depths of people¡¯s stupidity. I can¡¯t really be blamed.¡±

    Solera opened the door, moving to step outside. ¡°That¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t want to learn channeling from you anyway.¡±

    That¡¯s right. He needed to escape. Right now. The Tornado Sect was just too crazy.

    ¡°Uh, no. Now I want to teach you. But I also am kinda doing something else right now, but I still want to teach you. I guess I¡¯ll just give you some simple exercises for today, yeah?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Solera backed away, but found himself flying over Akbariya¡¯s head and through the air into the hammock.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± He shouted, struggling to rise to his feet.

    ¡°Chill, man. It was just kinetic push, nothing fancy.¡± Abkariya closed the door and smiled at him. ¡°I mean, I did change up the direction a little, but that¡¯s just another variant of kinetic push. I¡¯ll teach you tomorrow, after we¡¯re done with the basic basics.¡±

    For the third time today, Solera¡¯s back became drenched with sweat. This man was not going to let him go. And he was, very clearly, not a normal human. In fact, the Grays right now seemed more normal than him. At least Solera could predict them a little bit. This man, neither he nor Rasmurnov¡¯s voice could read at all!

    Abkariya pulled out a card from his pocket and tossed it over. Solera looked down at the card, resting on his stomach, and looked back up again.

    ¡°What, you¡¯ve never seen money before?¡± Abkariya groaned. ¡°You channel power into it and it changes color. Red is-¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Solera snapped as he disentangled himself from the hammock. ¡°But what is it for?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to learn the basics, that¡¯s why. I want you to channel¡­ hm¡­ exactly five Iotas into that card, accurate to three decimal points. The card-counter is- ah, right. Well, just figure it out.¡± Abkariya brushed past Solera and flopped back into his hammock.

    ¡°Five Iotas?¡± Despite his precarious situation, Solera found himself growing even angrier. ¡°I output several hundred Iotas a second, at least! How do I do that? How do I even know I put in five Iotas? This card isn¡¯t going to change color with that little!¡±

    Abkariya sniffed and rolled over. ¡°You want to learn channeling, but you can¡¯t even control your channels. You tell me how stupid that sounds.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not stupid,¡± Solera muttered as he flipped the card over in his hand. He couldn¡¯t escape; Abkariya wasn¡¯t going to allow it. But neither could he possibly do the inhuman task he was asked to do. He was just wasting his time here with yet another madman when he could be saving his own life right now!

    ¡°Quit whining and figure it out.¡± Abkariya snapped.

    His eyes red with frustration, Solera started to channel into the card.

 Chapter 62

    It wasn¡¯t humanly possible. The amount of time it took to channel a mere five Iotas had to be less than a twentieth of a second, but he couldn¡¯t be sure.

    Channeling was like squeezing water out of a tube; once the tube was squeezed, it was nearly impossible to control how much water would come out. On top of that, there was simply no way for his channels to squeeze out a mere five Iotas at a time.

    He also had no way of figuring out how many Iotas there were; a mere five Iotas was not enough to make the card change color at all! In short, this was an impossible task

    Solera tried again. This time, it looked like the card had changed color only very slightly. He presented it to Abkariya, who ran a finger along the card¡¯s surface before flicking it out of Solera¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Look, buddy. You can¡¯t just make shots in the dark like this. You¡¯re not proving anything. Even if you can magically get five Iotas, I¡¯m just going to ask you to do it again, and again, until you can get it right a hundred percent of the time.¡± Abkariya sniffed.

    Solera would¡¯ve been extremely angry if this wasn¡¯t a man who could vaporize him in under a second. But he needed to be careful. Abkariya had been able to send him flying through the air without him even realizing it, and had even injected him with that strange droplet of red power.

    He was an erratic man, so Solera didn¡¯t want to try anything.

    ¡°How many Iotas was it?¡± Solera asked as he picked the card off the ground.

    ¡°87. That¡¯s the last time I¡¯ll answer that question.¡±

    Solera looked sullenly at the card. In truth, it was far closer to orange, which signified a hundred Iotas, than it was to red, which signified zero. He had tried to convince himself it looked like five Iotas, but clearly Abkariya had seen through him. Or maybe Abkariya hadn¡¯t, and was just pulling things out of his ass?

    ¡°Is there any advice you could give me?¡± Solera pleaded.

    Abkariya gave Solera an annoyed look. ¡°Nope. I don¡¯t know how idiots learn these things since it was just too obvious for me. The only thing I can do is show you what¡¯s possible. And it¡¯s possible, see?¡±

    He snapped his fingers and a wisp of red gas floated out. ¡°Five Iotas, accurate to thirty decimal points. So easy.¡±

    Solera glared at the fog, then back at the card. This ¡°teacher¡± was of absolutely no use at all! He concentrated as much as he could and tried again. Just like before, it was almost orange. After another ten minutes of failure, Solera flopped to the floor, exasperated.

    There was no way! It was absolutely impossible! He couldn¡¯t stop and start channeling fast enough for this, and he strongly doubted anyone could. The more powerful someone was, the more Iotas would shoot out at any given moment, after all. This task would actually be harder for someone more powerful, and it was already impossible for him to do it.

    ¡°You know, there are many ways to do this. All they take is control over some fundamental skills, or some creativity.¡± Abkariya lounged on his hammock, a lazy smile on his face.

    Many ways? What ways? Was this man actually saying there was more than one way to channel? That was absurd. Of course there-

    Solera¡¯s eyes widened. No, there truly was no other way of channeling. But there was a method of controlling the power! His third eye!

    He was submerged in a ocean, standing atop a planet of mud. Everything was brown, and yet transparent at the same time. His vision cut through the earth to the tangle of roots at the core of his Lake. The roots stretched away into the nothingness which Solera knew was his material body. With a thought, he willed the mud to push his soul through the Lake and into the roots that were his channels.

    This was such a counterintuitive method, Solera thought as he propelled himself through a labyrinth of passageways. He had not even considered using the third eye, because he had assumed nobody but him had it and thus the solution did not require it; after all, he had never heard of the third eye before. The name of the ability had been granted to him by the mental imprint of the codex itself!

    But could it be that he was just uneducated, and knowledge of the third eye was actually widespread? That was totally possible, Solera realized. He knew nothing about channeling. Maybe Abkariya knew about the third eye, and was actually expecting him to use it to solve this problem!

    Solera found himself at the end of a tunnel, staring out at a giant, clear film which covered the entirety of the space beyond the tunnel. He had traveled through his channels to the one at the tip of his index finger. And, as he had guessed, he was able to see the card itself, using his third eye!

    The third eye¡­ it was turning out to be incredibly useful, and he only had it for a day now. He felt he was only scraping the surface of the third eye¡¯s potential. Undoubtedly, there was much more he could be doing with it.

    Solera willed the power to trickle forward, out of this singular channel and into the film. This was different from channeling, which squeezed the power out by using the roots as pumps; this was him willing the power itself to surge forward!

    When the power reached the edge of space, at the thin nothingness which separated the end of his channel from the clear film, it stopped. Frowning, Solera pushed harder. The power shivered, then launched a large droplet of power, nearly as large as his soul, past the tunnel and into the film.

    Yes!

    Excited, Solera willed another droplet to shoot out. It seemed to be the same size as the previous one, and with that he abandoned all hesitation. He did it again, and again, and again, until five droplets had shot into the film. He traveled back through his channels all the way to his Lake and opened his body¡¯s eyes.

    To his surprise, he was slumped over on the ground, his right hand still barely touching the card. It seemed that at some point, he had lost control of his body without even noticing!

    It must have been when he had left the Lake to enter the channels, Solera figured. For some reason, it was incredibly difficult to see inside his channels clearly without actually being there. Every time his channels pumped, his vision of them would go haywire.

    Whatever, it didn¡¯t matter. Solera rubbed his cheek, which had hit the ground a little heavily, and triumphantly handed the card over to Abkariya.

    Abkariya traced the card with his fingers again, then snorted. ¡°I don¡¯t know what hocus pocus you were doing just now, but that¡¯s still not five Iotas.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is!¡± Solera glared at Abkariya, feeling his fury well up. Five droplets, five Iotas! This man really had just been messing with him all along, and didn¡¯t actually know how to count Iotas!

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t, but I know your mistake. That¡¯s 435 Iotas, or rather, 5 packets, each of which contain 87 Iotas! That¡¯s your power purity, by the way. 87. Pathetically weak. Honestly, you should be ashamed of yourself. But anyway, there you go. There¡¯s a lot of ways for you to do it. Consider alternate flow instead of direct flow. I don¡¯t know why nobody uses alternate flow. It¡¯s great.¡±

    Solera struggled to understand Abkariya¡¯s explanation. Packets? Alternate flow, direct flow? The fuck were those?

    The droplets, they were packets. But according to Abkariya, a single one of those droplets contained 87 Iotas!

    ¡°How do I split a packet from 87 Iotas into 5? And I still can¡¯t even tell how many Iotas are inside the card!¡±

    Abkariya raised an eyebrow. Solera wasn¡¯t sure, but his expression seemed to be one of condescending incredulity.

    ¡°Can you really not see, or feel the difference? Really?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Solera muttered.

    ¡°This is so stupid,¡± Abkariya grumbled. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you can¡¯t do that. A card is made up of billions of components which change shape when you add power to it. They change shape so drastically that they change the way they refract and absorb light! So even the color of the card changes along with its texture! How can you not tell something so obvious?¡±

    ¡°Never mind.¡± This man and his explanations were useless. Solera resigned himself to just investigating with his third eye.

    After draining the card of power, he laid down and made sure to rest a finger on the card before exiting his Lake. Soon, he found himself facing the blank film again.

    He had a power purity of 87, apparently. This meant that the packets he shot out could only hold 87 Iotas. And yet, he was supposed to make sure only five Iotas could be released into the card.

    He first tried shooting a packet into the card, and then sucking the power back out so that maybe there would only be 5 Iotas left in the card. Yet he found that he couldn¡¯t suck the power out of the card because suctioning required the channels, which he seemed only to be able to do in his Lake. It was impossible to do both at the same time, because he could only see when he was in his channels and suction when he was in his Lake. So this method was out of his capabilities.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    After some thinking, he understood. What Abkariya wanted him to do was stretch his power, make it less dense! It was the reverse of what he had done in his fight with the Gray, or when he had tried to capture the blue string of power. There, he had made his muddy power more like rock, and his liquid power more like mud. Here, he was supposed to make his liquid power more like gas!

    Rather than try stretching his power first, he simply swiped some vaporous power from his Lake and lobbed a packet of it into the film. It worked, but Abkariya said the vapor packet had 10 Iotas. He then tried stretching the vapor into something thinner, but he could only get it down to 7 Iotas. Once again, he was stuck.

    This was the solution Abkariya wanted when he had talked about fundamental skills; he wanted Solera to be able to change his power purity at will by controlling his Lake to stretch and condense his power, and he wanted Solera to get an intuitive feel for what constituted five Iotas! But getting his purity all the way down to 5 was physically impossible. There was nothing more he could do.

    Well, even if he couldn¡¯t do it, that was fine. He had actually gained a lot from this strange, off-the-cuff lesson. He had learned about power purity, and that it was possible to change power purity by condensing or stretching his power. He had learned he could use the third eye to navigate through his channels, and see external objects with his internal vision. Not bad for a few hours of work.

    It also didn¡¯t seem like Abkariya knew anything about the third eye; he had casually probed Solera as to why he was on the ground ¡°like a retard,¡± but Solera hadn¡¯t answered.

    ¡°How much time before I can go?¡± Solera asked. Several hours must have passed since he had started this strenuous exercise, and it was probably time.

    ¡°Dunno. You can go either when someone important busts down that door or when you finally figure out this basic basic channeling.¡± Abkariya was still on his hammock. He had not gotten up at all this entire time.

    Solera looked at the door and blanched. It, and the entire wall, shone with a faint light. Abkariya had reinforced it with some sort of enchantment!

    ¡°This is crazy!¡± Solera shouted. ¡°Let me out!¡±

    ¡°Nope. Wait, you could try breaking the encryption on the door. That would spare us the tedious pain of a future lesson.¡±

    Solera shook his head in disbelief. This man was insane! How could he just lock a student up in a classroom? And what would the Grays do when they found out about this?

    Bah, it didn¡¯t matter. Who knew how long it would take before the door could be broken down? He needed to find some other solution to this problem. With a tortured groan, Solera went back to his third eye.

    If he had enough control over his soul, he could stretch his power to become 5 Iotas and this problem would be solved in an instant. But as it was, all he could do was stare at his Lake.

    His third eye could only see his Lake parts of his channels, as long as their was a string of unbroken power that stretched all the way into the Lake. But apart from that, his third eye was blind. It couldn¡¯t see external objects, except for a few hours ago, when he was at the Tornado Tower. If he could see the insides of the card¡­

    Solera bolted up from the ground, then laid back down in anticipation.

    The bathtub! The bathtub held the key! When he had touched the bathtub this morning, he had seen its inner world too! Why? Of course, of course! The bathtub had latent power inside it, and had created a direct connection all the way from the channels in his hands up to his arms and into his neck and finally to the Lake in his head!

    Yes, this idea had to be correct! The Tornado Tower had vaporous power shooting around everywhere! Because his Lake was in direct contact with that power, he was able to see everything that the vapor touched, and that included other people¡¯s souls! His third eye simply used power to ¡°see,¡± and if his soul came into contact with foreign power, such as with the Tornado Tower¡¯s vapor, then he could see everything that power came into contact with.

    It was complicated. But in essence, all he had to do was create an unbroken flow of power between his soul and the card, and he would be able to see it.

    Solera activated his channels and flooded the card with a continuous, stable stream of power. Slowly, something came into focus. It wasn¡¯t a network of tunnels like the bathtub, or a misty sea like the Tornado Tower. It was just a rectangular sheet, connected to the channels in his hands!

    Not a rectangular sheet. A stack of them. He watched as the packets crossed into the card in a connected line, and then flatten out into a thin rectangle. The rectangles would then split apart, becoming even thinner until every individual sheet became almost invisible. On a whim, he sucked the power back, and watched the sheets peel away, merging together to turn back into a packet and then crossing back into his channels. When only a little bit of power was left in the card, the vision started to fade away, too weak to be seen in any detail.

    Cards were black magic. They took in power and flattened it into rectangular sheets! How did it do that?!

    No, it didn¡¯t matter. Solera stopped suctioning power and poured power into the card again. He stared intently at a singular glob of power as it turned into a rectangle, and then split into two rectangles, then four, then eight¡­ eighty¡­ eighty six, eighty seven! 87, one sheet per Iota!

    That was it! All he needed to do now was suck the power back so that only five sheets were left in the card!

    But how would he do that?

    The answer dawned on him. He couldn¡¯t do it inside his own body, which only took in and shot out a single packet of power at a time. He had to go inside the card itself and extract the power!

    His soul¡­ it could leave his Lake and enter his channels. But could it leave his channels and enter this card? And what would his body do if his soul left it?

    Everything should be fine, Solera reasoned. He was already not really controlling his body when he entered his channels, but it still seemed to be breathing and whatnot. Without any further hesitation, he entered his channels again, encasing his soul in several packets¡¯ worth of power and flying across the thin nothingness into the card.

    The card was a strange place. It exerted a crushing pressure on him, struggling to flatten his power and his soul. Too late, Solera realized he had done something extremely dangerous. This pressure was not too heavy, but it could¡¯ve been! Would his soul have been flattened here, destroyed and left to rot inside a money container?

    Solera shrugged. It didn¡¯t matter because it didn¡¯t happen. He seized control of the power inside the card, ripping sheet after sheet away from the rectangle until only five were left. With some difficulty, he shot across the chasm between the card and his finger, the rest of his power in tow.

    ¡°I got it!¡± Solera leapt up, handing Abkariya the card in a fit of excitement. There was no way he was wrong now! He had made sure only five sheets were left in the card!

    Abkariya touched the card, then pulled it out of Solera¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Took you long enough. If I¡¯m willing to put myself through this torture again, we¡¯ll do some more basic basics tomorrow.¡±

    <hr />

    Personally, as a reader, when I come upon a chapter like this (like in World of Cultivation with the dude staring at his inner lake thing, or killing ants with his spiritual sense) I have to raise an eyebrow. This is so random, so technical, it doesnt really make sense, I want to see some people getting ripped apart instead.

    I know some people like some infodumps, but as I see it its been four or so chapters in a row of strange things. Maybe too much for some people.

    That¡¯s my opinion, might not be your opinion. The vast majority of readers are silent so I don¡¯t know what you guys think, and I doubt that the frequent commenters, because they are among the few who frequently comment, are a representative opinion on whether readers are interested in an entire chapter of Solera just dicking around with his third eye.

    I tried to make info dumps very unorthodox, but its still really random. But they do lay down the groundwork for a lot of Solera¡¯s future abilities with his third eye, so these were necessary. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll ever get this technical again. Cheers, guys, and I¡¯m looking forward to going back to just casually dropping information as the story progresses.

    EDIT: right, so I''ve been thinking about the concepts explained in this chapter for months, and I really have no idea if they make sense to the casual reader. If something is confusing please let me know!

 Chapter 63

    Thanks to the overwhelming amount of readers who responded. It seemed I misjudged, or maybe projected myself or something. Anyway, here is the chapter, it took a while to write despite this week being not too bad, comparatively speaking. Enjoy!

    Oh, right. Everyone who responded in chapter 62 gets a reputation point from me. Congratulations on your internet points!

    <hr />

    With a lazy flick of the wrist, Abkariya sent a bolt of power into the door. The force field rippled when the bolt made contact, and then melted away.

    Solera looked hesitantly at Abkariya before leaving. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the strange man would try something, but he just lay in his hammock, his eyes closed. Solera found himself in the long hallway of classrooms. Except for the occasional person rushing past the end of the corridor, he was alone.

    It was time.

    Solera walked to the end of the hallway, where it merged into a larger, winding passageway. His brows knitted together as he tried to locate himself, but his mind drew a blank and so he walked around the Academy to locate an avenue of escape.

    It seemed no matter where he went, he would be walking through another hallway of classrooms or the like, or he would find a locked door barring him from entry. Department of Pyrotechnics, Department of Refinery, Department of Circuitry, Department of Aerodynamics¡­ Solera started to grow angry as he wandered through the school. How could it be that there was no exit to this place! Had he been going the wrong way or something?

    Right as he was about to find his way back, a gentle wind from a distant tunnel drifted past him. His hopes renewed, he followed the wind to the outside.

    He was in one of the many caves leading out into thin air, almost identical to the one the Gray elder had entered when she brought him and the Gray child here.

    Solera searched for a staircase or a ladder, but there was no way down, only a vertical drop to the bottom of the cliff. But there was a set of wings hanging off a rack in the corner. After some thought, he looked out at the city again.

    From his position, he could see the entirety of the Tornado Sect¡¯s capital, all its rock buildings and aqueducts and gardens. He could see blobs of people flowing up and down steps which went all the way up the mountain, and roads which wound their way around the mountainside.

    The mountain making up the capital was massive, so large that it had its own mountains within mountains; the Academy, for example, was like a block overlooking the valley below it. The mountain upon which the palace and the tornado itself rested was the highest of all, a jagged spire shooting up into the sky.

    Yet despite the city¡¯s gargantuan size, it seemed to only have one exit: that gateway he vaguely remembered, near the twisted metal hemisphere which the Grays called the Dome. It was at the very bottom of the city, a pylon built into a gap between the cliffs upon which the entire city rested.

    It was so far away. But that gateway was the only place from which he could escape. He had to go there.

    He had worn wings only once before, a long, long time ago. He took a few minutes to put them on and give them a few test flaps, to make sure he still remembered. These wings were far more streamlined than the set he had taken off the Airborne at Fortress Hickory and far more intricate at the same time. His third eye could see a network of channels and other strange things within, but he didn¡¯t bother to look.

    Solera¡¯s channels and Lake were still too weak to allow him to go very far with these wings, but that was fine; he only needed enough power to make his way down this small cliff. With the small amount of people flying through the city at any given moment, he doubted he could escape detection if he used the wings for an extended period of time.

    ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡±

    A sudden gust of wind forced him onto his bottom. He looked up, and saw a golden-robed man in majestic silver wings descended into the cave from the air above. His striking blue eyes glared at Solera with something akin to pure disgust.

    ¡°Insulator robes? Nice, very nice.¡± He walked up to Solera and seized him by the arm. ¡°But do you think that makes you an elder? Too rich and powerful for rules?¡±

    Solera opened his mouth, but he didn¡¯t know what to say. He had been found out!

    ¡°Take those wings you stole off your back, you¡¯re coming with me.¡± The man wrenched Solera away from the cliff edge, pulling him away from the cliff edge.

    Out of the corner of his eye, Solera saw another figure drop out of the air, landing behind the man with a violent blast of wind. The old woman Gray!

    ¡°Forgive him, Elder.¡± She spoke bluntly, with a tone which brooked no compromise. ¡°He is new to the capital and does not know his limits.¡±

    The golden man turned and stared at her. Seconds passed, but the two didn¡¯t move. Neither was willing to back down, and Solera began to feel uneasy. If they were going to fight, what could he possibly do?

    Without warning, he was pushed forward, and would have tripped if not for his quick reflexes.

    ¡°Make sure your¡­ relative, knows his place. You may openly flout the law in the outer cities, but the Thundergod¡¯s will is divine here in the capital. Do not forget that, elder Galina.¡±

    The man walked past them and flew out of the cave without bothering to look back. Solera paid no attention though, because his concentration was focused entirely on the old woman Gray. If she was going to kill him, there was probably nothing he could do. His power crystal¡­ it wasn¡¯t enough.

    The Gray laughed, moving towards Solera. ¡°Precocious child. It¡¯s still too early for you to fly here. That disgusting man and his friends will not let you until we make you an elder.¡±

    Solera nodded dumbly. Was he really ignoring the fact that he had just been caught red-handed trying to escape? Or had she misinterpreted his actions somehow?

    She took his arm and flew into the air using both her wings and a cushion of wind she conjured below Solera¡¯s feet, to another one of the caves. The girl Gray was seated there, reading a book. She looked at them and laughed, a bubbly laugh. Solera felt very uncomfortable hearing it.

    They landed, allowing the girl to hook her arm around the old woman before they flew up again, this time towards the dust storm.

    ¡°How were your classes, love?¡± The old woman looked down at him with a gentle smile.

    Impossible. It was like these Grays couldn¡¯t even conceive of the possibility that he wasn¡¯t one of them, that he could have been trying to escape. How far could he stretch their trust before they finally became suspicious?

    Solera just shrugged his shoulders. After some thought, he spoke. ¡°I want to sleep.¡±

    He wanted to be alone for a while, let him sort his thoughts out.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, love. But you have to take care of your vessel. You have to eat.¡±

    Well, that was fine. But before Solera could respond, they entered the wind vortex, rocking slightly before the old woman stabilized. The wind was so, so fast, yet they were cutting straight through it with almost no resistance. What sort of technique did this require? If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he was flying through it right now, he wouldn¡¯t have thought it was even possible! Hell, even if he was on the ground, he might have been blown away, or even cut away by the flying dust. That was how fast the wind was blowing.

    The palace came into view again. He could see the second tornado atop it, surrounding the area of the Tornado Tower. Two great storms, sandwiching this tower of rock. It was probably impossible to escape from this place, Solera grudgingly conceded. He would have to do it in the Academy, or something similar.

    They touched down at a small cave near the top of the palace, a mere fifty meters below the inner tornado. Solera followed the two Grays deeper inside, to a room with a large, round table. Around twenty gray-robed men and women were seated already, murmuring among themselves.

    ¡°Ah, everyone has arrived.¡± The Patriarch, who was on the other end of the table, laughed and sat down. ¡°Have a look at our newest vessel.¡±

    All eyes turned towards Solera. His hairs instantly stood on end. These people¡­ there was something about the way they carried themselves, something about their expressions. Something was telling him that everyone here was a Gray!

    The way they sat, the way they moved, the way they smiled¡­ they were not the same, but they were similar. Solera¡¯s heart began to palpitate. He was in a lion¡¯s den, being sized up by every beast present.

    A middle aged man nodded sympathetically at him. ¡°Do not worry, love. We are all one.¡±

    The Patriarch gave Solera a soothing smile. ¡°The vessel is a young noble from Eden, with a cultivation class of 98 and an age of thirteen.¡±

    ¡°An anomaly. What was the vessel¡¯s cultivation method?¡± The speaker was an old, sandy-haired woman.

    The Patriarch shook his head. ¡°We were unable to extract any information, love. It will be your duty to investigate the vessel further.¡±

    Solera¡¯s heart sunk deeper. He was going to be investigated? He had to leave before then!

    ¡°Who seized this vessel?¡± A man, still youthful in appearance, asked.

    ¡°Rasmurnov.¡±

    Murmurs of shock rose up around the table, causing Solera to frown. He remembered Rasmurnov had lived in the capital for some time. But he hadn¡¯t thought the Grays would have paid too much attention to the man.

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°That creep is here in the city? He must be removed!¡± The middle-aged Gray from before clenched his fists, his lips trembling. ¡°Will he never leave us alone?¡±

    Solera narrowed his eyes. What was the man talking about? He couldn¡¯t remember anything about this Gray!

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, love.¡± The Patriarch had an unnerving smile on his face. ¡°He will become one of us, when it is time for the next update.¡±

    Galina nodded. ¡°Yes. We negotiated with the High Council today. Rasmurnov will be appointed a deputy of the Chief Elder of the City Guard in a week for his service in the battle for Fortress Hickory. The fundamentalists would not allow us to send him out again, but that is fine. He will stay in this city to hunt down Madame Snakehead and interrogate the wolf summoner we captured.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ his cultivation is too low, and his soul too pure.¡± The man protested.

    ¡°His skills are useful. And Abkariya has further refined the pill formula. The purity threshold has been increased to the seventh degree, and now it only takes a week to take effect.¡±

    ¡°He took my partner away! He can¡¯t become one of us because I want to kill him!¡±

    The Patriarch raised up a hand in a placating gesture. ¡°It¡¯s not possible, love. This is the only way, and it is a good way. What will Rasmurnov do when he sees this vessel here?¡± He pointed at Solera again.

    Solera fidgeted with his fingers. They were talking about possessing Rasmurnov. He had said over and over again he wanted Rasmurnov to die. In fact, he had believed killing the man was the one reason he had left to live. Rasmurnov had killed Lem, had killed the old man, had turned the prisoners against each other¡­

    Yet his enmity towards the man had vanished without his even knowing it. Why? Why? He replayed his memories again. He would kill Rasmurnov. He had promised it with all his heart. Where had his hatred gone?

    He grabbed onto a finger and squeezed hard. The pressure helped to calm his mind somewhat. The man would be possessed, his soul extinguished by an unstoppable monster. Unless Rasmurnov also awakened the third eye to combat the invading spirit, there was not much he could do. So he would die. Yes, he would die, and that was good.

    Yet when he thought of a Gray spirit descending into Rasmurnov¡¯s body, he didn¡¯t like it at all.

    ¡°Enough. The decision is final.¡± The Patriarch sent a bolt of power shooting into the wall, and a door formed from rock slid open. Several servants filed in, each carrying several platters of what Solera presumed to be food. The dishes were covered by metal domes, but the fragrant aroma of meat wafted into his nose.

    He had to stop thinking about Rasmurnov. This food, instead. When was the last time he had eaten?

    He¡­ he couldn¡¯t remember! It had been before Rasmurnov had¡­ before he had been fed that pill. The man at the Dome had said that was around nine months ago!

    How could it be? Surely he must have eaten in that time span. But he couldn¡¯t remember at all!

    The servants left the room, and the door slid back in to become a seamless part of the wall. The Grays took off the Domes and began serving themselves.

    ¡°The bandit attacks down south are increasing. A merchant from Sunda was able to fight off three attacks before making it here to sell this meat.¡± The Patriarch spoke as he cut some meat off a giant leg of what appeared to be ham, Solera wasn¡¯t sure.

    ¡°Snakeheads.¡± A Gray from elsewhere in the table snarled as he crunched away on some plant.

    The old woman Gray ladled some soup into Solera¡¯s bowl before speaking up. ¡°The High Council has dispatched Elder Valerie to escort the merchants. But when we capture Madame Snakehead, all this will cease.¡±

    Solera glanced at the bowl, then cut some steak off a nearby hunk and sampled a bite. His expression instantly shot up.

    This food was heavily saturated with power! He could feel it from the tingling sensation in his mouth, a feeling much more intense than the bath he had taken! It was incredible!

    Solera had eaten well almost his entire life, but this was on another level entirely. He tried to quantify it¡­ four, five hundred Iotas, in this one bite he took?

    It was difficult. The power in the food was totally different from the power in his channels. His third eye could only barely make out their presence, so the only thing he had to go on was his feeling.

    He cut up another slice of meat, making it disappear within the span of a quarter minute. This food was a treasure, and he needed to eat as much of it as he could before he made his getaway.

    These Grays, they had tried to possess his body. This was their just desserts!

    This bread, this loaf of bread! It was ten times less dense in terms of power than the meat was, but that was fine because it was just bread! And the rice, it didn¡¯t taste nearly as good as the ones from the Grove, but it was great as well!

    Solera didn¡¯t bother to sample the ham, directly cutting off a quarter pound of it and stuffing it into his mouth.

    ¡°Try the soup, love. It¡¯s specially for you.¡± The old woman Gray smiled at him as she ate.

    Well, she asked for it.

    Solera washed the ham down with the soup, and then his eyes bugged. No way! It had at least five times as much power as the ham did! How was that possible? He eagerly grabbed a spoon to investigate further.

    There was some meat at the bottom which he was able to dig out. He raised the spoon up to his eyes curiously. The broth trickled out of the spoon and back into the bowl, leaving behind a broken human nose.

    Solera¡¯s hand began to tremble. He could see, out of the corner of his eye, the old woman staring expectantly at him.

    He put the spoon back into the soup, stirring it as his stomach wildly churned. What the fuck was this monstrosity before him?

    ¡°Come on, love.¡± The old woman shook her head disapprovingly. ¡°Your vessel is gifted, and must be taken care of. Out of everyone in this room, only you and your partner will be an immortal, and you can do it only by eating the best food we prepare.¡±

    The eyes¡­ the eyes of every monster in the room were on him. Watching him. Testing him. There was no choice.

    Be decisive! He had to be decisive!

    Solera lifted his spoon back up, depositing the thing into his mouth. He fixed his eyes on the leg of ham as he chewed. It was crunchy, oh Gardener, why was it crunchy?

    The lettuce, he had to look at the lettuce. But it wasn¡¯t the same. He wanted to throw up. He couldn¡¯t do this. But he had to do this. Why did he have to do this? It wasn¡¯t fair!

    He could smell the soup now. It smelled sickly, like a mix of earwax and a pungent oil. He couldn¡¯t smell it anymore, not if he wanted to be decisive. They were looking away now, most of them. The old woman, this sick bitch, she was still watching.

    Solera swallowed early. The swallow was too loud, a squelching sound as the thing was launched into his throat. But he couldn¡¯t taste it anymore, that was what mattered. The rice, he had to wash it down with rice, definitely not with the soup.

    ¡°The wolf summoner, he was from Opportunity Kingdom. One of Reginald¡¯s lackeys.¡± The Patriarch began speaking again to another Gray. Solera focused on it, straining to make the man¡¯s voice the only thing in his mind.

    ¡°But that is all we got from him. Rasmurnov may get some more, and we are still hunting the rest of the summoners.¡±

    The other Gray, she was yet another old woman, with blonde hair. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter much. The monsters are just the Gardener¡¯s last ditch effort to get us to withdraw. We¡¯ll have their entire country burned to ash within two years.¡±

    Solera focused on the ham again. They were burning his homeland to the ground, and he was helpless. There was nothing he could do to stop anything, was there?

    ¡°Drink more, it¡¯s good for you!¡± The girl Gray chirped as she dipped her spoon into Solera¡¯s bowl and shoveled some meat out. ¡°We don¡¯t get this a lot, you¡¯re so lucky!¡±

    She forced the spoon into his mouth. Solera quickly followed it up with another spoonful of rice, swallowing it all as quickly as humanly possible. For he was only a human, a human among monsters. Helpless, powerless. Nothing had changed, really.

    It seemed like forever, and yet he could remember nothing of what happened until the ordeal was over because he had nearly blocked off everything. The Patriarch was wiping the oil off his mouth with his sleeve. He looked tired now, with large bags under his eyes.

    ¡°I have one last announcement to make tonight.¡± He said to the entire room, which instantly fell silent.

    ¡°The Halo cult is sending a team here in three weeks to secure our summoning dust. One immortal, two class 900s, four class 700s, and 8 class 500s. If they find out about us again, we will have no choice but to kill them and sacrifice ourselves to the cult so the Pantheon is not endangered. So until they are gone, we must be on our guards.¡±

 Chapter 64

    Hey guys, so sorry about the late chapter. I had intended to gloss over this part but when I wrote it I realized this was totally impossible, so I required some time to think about it. Also school, also I accidentally got addicted to a video game. I have rid myself of the latter affliction, and am expecting the next chapter to come out on Saturday.

    ---

    An immortal from the Halo cult was coming to the Tornado Sect capital. The Halo cult did not know about the Grays. A world power whose purpose was to vanquish demons had been unable to discover that an entire continent had been lost to spirits! Solera had thought the Halo cult had been some kind of a monstrous force, unstoppable and all-powerful. But now, they seemed so inept. So useless.

    Instead of doing something about these Grays, the Halo cult was helping them burn down his homeland. The irony was so hard to stomach that he actually would have preferred it if the Halo cult was a malevolent force instead of a stupid one. It just didn¡¯t seem right that a world power could make such a huge mistake.

    But it was the truth, the Patriarch had said as much himself. And in that truth lay an opportunity. The Halo cult didn¡¯t know! If they could see- if he could show them, the immortal, just what these ¡°people¡± really were, then Eden could be saved!

    He had to tell them, somehow. They would be here in only three weeks! They-

    ¡°Love!¡±

    The voice broke Solera¡¯s train of thought. He looked at the girl Gray, who was staring at him with her large eyes. He still didn¡¯t know her name. Did she even have a name?

    She did, of course she did if she was to pretend she was a human. Her name was fake, stolen. These monsters didn¡¯t have real names, and it was fitting, because these monsters didn¡¯t deserve to have names.

    But these monsters did call each other by name. The name was ¡°love,¡± and that¡¯s what made these things so perverse.

    ¡°Do you want to be left alone?¡± She asked, tilting her head.

    Solera noticed they were the only two left in the dining hall. His eyes drifted down to the empty bowl, and his stomach roiled. Three weeks. Could he last three weeks of this? No, not just that. How would he show the Halo cult immortal, even if he made it past these three weeks? Why would the immortal believe him?

    Would he tell the immortal that this entire country and probably the Thundercloud Sect and the United Duchies, and also the Pantheonic colonies and the entirety of the central continent was ruled and mostly inhabited by a single Sky spirit? He would sound crazy!

    Forget it, it wasn¡¯t possible. He just needed to get out of here.

    Oh, right. The girl Gray had asked him a question. He looked up from the bowl and found the room empty.

    He frowned. How much time had passed? No, it didn¡¯t matter, this was a good time to see if there were any exits from this place that didn¡¯t involve flying.

    Solera entered the tunnel leading deeper inside the mountain, only to find the girl Gray waiting for him. He feigned a smile while mentally cursing to himself. These creeps kept talking about leaving him alone, but they never did.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to move your things, the monsters already did!¡± She giggled, taking his arm. Solera was led deeper into the palace. They descended at a shallow angle, walking through the long spiral of what he assumed was a tunnel looping its way up, down, and around the mountain.

    Solera¡¯s eyes shifted around uncomfortably. Only now, did he remember the old woman Gray telling him he was going to move into this girl Gray¡¯s room.

    He bit his lip. These Grays had fed him human remains, had tried to possess him, had killed untold amounts of people. They were monsters, and he could never fall asleep next to one! How could he rest easy when something so psychopathic and delusional was right next to him? There had to be a way out of this!

    ¡°Look, love!¡± The monster pointed ahead, at a strange metal contraption next to a thin slit in the cave wall. Looking through the slit, Solera could see the dust whirlwind which surrounded the mountain.

    He looked back at the construct. It was built into the very ground, and had a spear-like object protruding from its cylindrical base. It seemed like the spear-like protrusion could pivot up and down, and slightly to the left and right. A cannon!

    With a few more steps through the cave, Solera could see that there were many more of these things, and several of them were manned by gray-robed men and women!

    ¡°This is for killing monsters,¡± the girl Gray explained as she placed her palm flat on a square cloth pad poking out of the side of the weapon. The pad glowed, and with a tremendous screech, a black line shot out of the weapon, instantly vanishing into the hurricane.

    Solera gawked at her, then peered out from the slit. He could see the mountain outside, gently sloping downwards. Beyond that was the whirling wall of dust, and in the background, the very faint outline of the city far below them could be seen.

    This Gray was insane! That projectile had to have been launched into the city below!

    The girl Gray had bent down, and was picking up a conical black lump of metal from a dispenser at the bottom of the turret¡¯s base.

    ¡°This one explodes!¡±

    She grinned, ramming it into place and placing her hand on the cloth again.

    ¡°Wait, okay, okay!¡± Solera¡¯s sweaty hand pulled hers off the cloth.

    ¡°No, love, I have to reload it so we can be safe from monsters.¡± She put her other hand on the cloth, and it glowed. With a metallic grinding noise, the spike receded into the hollow tube of the launcher.

    Solera grabbed her other hand in case she would do it again. She smiled, walking forward to envelop him in a hug.

    ¡°I love me so much! I¡¯m so happy right now!¡± She giggled, pulling away and dragging him down the hall. Solera followed, bewildered.

    ¡°Hi, love!¡±

    ¡°Hi, love.¡±

    The girl Gray called out greetings to the guards as she skipped by. They smiled back, with the exact same warm smile he had grown to fear. These Grays, they were human and not human at the same time. Their movements, their facial expressions were so natural, and yet not. They spoke the human language, they expressed human emotions, and yet not. It wasn¡¯t right!

    She kept talking about monsters. But wasn¡¯t she the monster? How could she be anything but a monster?

    They stopped in front of a door. It opened with a light push by the girl Gray, revealing a large bed with mounds of pillows, a wardrobe and a door which led to what looked like a bathroom.

    He cringed. Why was the room so human? Why did it have a bed with pillows and a wardrobe with clothing and a bathroom? Why wasn¡¯t it some cave littered with shit and rotten bones?

    She had skipped into the room already. Turning around, she saw Solera, still at the door.

    ¡°Close the door!¡± She grinned as her hands reached down to the bottom of her shirt. The shirt raised up and Solera¡¯s eyes shot to the side, focusing on the rock wall.

    ¡°W-w-where¡¯s my room?¡± He stammered as he stepped back, pulling the door back with him. He heard feet pattering on the ground.

    ¡°No, love! This is your room now! We¡¯re sleeping together so you won¡¯t be alone!¡±

    He wanted very much to be alone right now. But he could say nothing, do nothing! They might grow suspicious of him!

    This entire time, they had never once doubted him. But he couldn¡¯t know what would set them off! Should he really risk his life over something like this? It was just sleeping, it was just sex, infinitely preferable to all the other things he had been put through.

    It was something trivial, he told himself. Why was he getting so hung up over this? He just needed to be decisive. With a deep breath, he stepped back into the room, closing the door behind him.

    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    Her breasts were so pale and round, her nipples so pink.

    ¡°I¡¯mgoingtosleepthen.¡± Solera walked past her, his head lowered and his heart thumping with so much force it should have made the ceiling cave in.

    It wasn¡¯t fair. It wasn¡¯t fair that a monster could wear human skin.

    A soft hand grabbed onto his arm, causing his entire body to stiffen. Her head, with her auburn hair, popped into his face.

    ¡°You have to clean these, love!¡± She smiled, revealing a perfect set of white teeth. ¡°You have to be immortal if you want to stay forever, and you have to take care of your vessel if you want to be immortal, okay?¡±

    Solera tried not to look downwards as he nodded.

    He entered the bathroom, which like all bathrooms in the Tornado Sect, had two rivulets of water flowing down its side. There was a mirror on the wall, one which revealed the girl¡¯s slender body in full detail as she walked over behind him. She had taken everything off.

    There was a bucket right there, a bucket with things inside it. He needed to clean his teeth, clean his teeth after that horrifying meal. When was the last time he had brushed his teeth? He couldn¡¯t remember.

    The bucket, it had some pills made from a flaky white powder. With some confusion, Solera looked around for a toothbrush. She appeared again, her hand brushing his side as she picked a pill out of the bucket. Some saliva glistened on the edges of her pink lips as she dropped the pill into her open mouth.

    Why did this monster have to look, act so human? Why couldn¡¯t she just be a monster?

    Her hands dipped into one of the rivulets and scooped out a handful of water which she sucked into her mouth. Some swishing sounds could be heard from inside her cheeks.

    Solera followed her lead, putting a pill into his mouth and following it up with some water. To his shock, the liquid began to bubble, releasing a taste so cold it actually burned. His eyes watered and his nose burned. It took all his effort to not spit it all out. Next to him, the girl Gray bent down and spat out a mouthful of azure liquid into the other rivulet.

    He spat out the liquid with a gasp. The air he sucked into his mouth stung with chilliness, like he had stuffed ice into his mouth. His vision was blurry from the tears which had built up. What was this stuff? Where was the toothbrush?

    ¡°Okay, then you have to use this.¡±

    Some liquid dribbled down from her lip as the girl Gray took out a long, thin string. She broke a shorter piece off and wound it around her fingers, then threaded it through her teeth and made back-and-forth sawing motions with her hands.

    Solera inserted the string between his teeth. It felt strange, and when he moved the string through the gap, he felt something come loose. He yanked the string out with shock and looked at it. On the string was a small lump of brown detritus, and blood.

    What was this brown thing? Food? It came from his mouth?

    ¡°Ewwww,¡± the girl Gray gasped as she saw. ¡°You¡¯ll need more floss!¡±

    In muted shock, Solera brought the string back up to his mouth. This was all wrong. Monsters were spirits, animals from Sky. They didn¡¯t originally have bodies, because they lived in Sky and bodies were constructs of Land. Spirits seized their bodies, mutating into grotesque, dirty, ugly, misshapen things as they did. Like imps and Kings and Skadi, with his tattoos and filed teeth. A body was supposed to be totally foreign to spirits¡­ so why did this monster know more about cleaning a body than he did? Why did this monster look, smell, feel more like a human than he did?

    He felt so frustrated. All wrong, everything was wrong, every law was being violated.

    Wasn¡¯t the combination of a body and a soul what made the human uniquely human? An animal had a body and no soul, a spirit had a soul and no body¡­ So what was the difference between a human and a spirit with a body?

    There had to be a difference between a human and a monster. But he didn¡¯t know what it was.

    The girl laughed, breaking his train of thought with a laugh that was far too human. She took his hand, leading him to the bed. He looked at the pillows and the blankets. Were they going to do human things too?

    She rolled onto the bed, stretching her arms and legs. Solera looked at the hair at the center of her hips, then looked away, extremely red. Her body was human, it could only be a human¡¯s. But she was a monster, she had to be a monster! She had made him a cannibal an hour ago, for the Gardener¡¯s sake!

    How could he be reacting this way?

    ¡°It¡¯s time to sleep, love.¡± She looked at him, her green eyes looking straight into his.

    This was sick. This was depraved. But what could he do?

    He gingerly climbed into the bed, not daring to take off any of his clothes. With a smile, the Gray rolled around to stretch her hand out to the nightstand on her side of the bed, giving him a glimpse of the perfect arch in her back.

    The chargelight at the top of the room blinked out. Everything was dark, so he could only hear some rustling sounds as a warm, soft body wrapped around his. He wished she was a monster, a dragon or a regular or an imp. Anything would have been better than this.

    ¡°Good night, love.¡± She whispered, nuzzling the back of his head with her nose and lips.

    She went still. Solera lay there for a while, his mind too rigid for his body to relax. She started to softly snore, her warm breath blowing onto the back of his neck.

    Was a monster supposed to snore? Was a monster supposed to smile warmly at him, call him ¡°love,¡± use sophisticated technologies to do everything humans did, from bathing to flying to teeth-cleaning?

    It was so wrong. Even with the insulation of a layer of clothing, Solera couldn¡¯t bear the feeling of her wrapped around him because the feeling wasn¡¯t right. He needed some space. His own world, insulated from everything outside. His third eye.

    The mud and fog of his Lake had hardly appeared when he sensed a foreign presence near him. In the skies above his Lake hung a vast network of gray tubes which looked almost exactly like his own channels. In fact, his own channels in his body brushed up dangerously close to the blue, with only two colorless barriers separating the two from touching.

    The foreign clump of channels was faint and difficult to see, but it was there, right in front of him! No, right behind him!

    Solera left his Lake, snapping back into the real world. The girl Gray¡¯s forehead was pressed up against his hair, revealing the entirety of her soul to his third eye. He moved his head away, and the vision disappeared.

    Gray tubes, gray channels. A Gray soul. The memories of being possessed came rushing back to him. The monstrous things which had poured out of his own channels, the three claws which were still embedded in his Lake. The bone-chilling fear as he touched the Gray¡¯s soul. And now, there was one right next to him, literally breathing down his neck.

    A Gray, human? No! It was merely a spirit living inside... a corpse! The human whose arms were wrapped around him was long dead! Dead, like Pinot, whose stomach had been punctured, or like the woman whose face he had caved in, or like the woman whose neck he had snapped. The human was dead!

    A monster could wear the skin of a dead human, but it was still a monster. This Gray¡¯s soul was still Gray! The soul did not change, and so the soul of a monster was still a monster, no matter who it possessed!

 Chapter 65

    ¡°We¡¯ve come a long way, ladies and gentlemen. Two hundred days have passed, but we are here at last. Today marks the 6233rd birthday of our founding father, the Thundergod! To commemorate him today, our Tornado Sect hosts the championships for this year¡¯s competition at the Dome!¡±

    Solera paid little attention the announcer¡¯s amplified voice booming at him, preferring instead to look at the people sitting around the Dome.

    He had been flown in this morning along with the other Grays, and was sitting in a booth outside the massive arena that was the Dome. Up close, the Dome¡¯s twisted metal formed the rough outline of a birdcage a hundred meters in diameter. Ringing it was a rounded mountain which had been terraced hundreds of times into rings of seats upon which Solera and tens of thousands of others sat.

    His eyes were focused on a family, he realized. A father, a mother, and three young children. The youngest one was only a baby, clinging to the mother¡¯s neck.

    What was a family doing here? What was a festival doing here, right above the prison where the Grays had tried to possess him? How could this be?

    ¡°Of the thousands who joined the tournament this year, only six remain today! These six have proven themselves here in the Dome over the course of countless matches. They are among Land¡¯s best, with the potential to be the gestalts, the archmages, and the immortals of the next century!¡±

    A tournament. So he was here to watch people practice their fighting. It interested him a tiny bit, but he couldn¡¯t understand why families would come to watch.

    ¡°Rest assured, ladies and gentlemen, that the duels shall begin soon. First, let us welcome Elder Oblako, an archmage of our High Council and the manager of the Dome!¡±

    The tens of thousands of people present clapped, the sounds of their individual claps combining into a powerful roar, like the tornado itself. The cloud layer above abruptly split apart, forming a hole in the sky that was easily over a kilometer wide. In the center of that hole was a single dot, a person in gray robes and gray wings.

    The Patriarch, who sat beside Solera, sneered.

    The dot fell for a full minute, slowly growing in size to become a gray robed man, his wings wrapped around his body. When he was nearly upon them, his wings erupted out, creating a tremendous gust that could be seen with the naked eye. Even as his boot touched the very top of the birdcage, a small gust of wind blew across Solera¡¯s face.

    ¡°Clashes between such talented individuals can involve huge amounts of destruction. It is Elder Oblako¡¯s duty to power the Dome¡¯s thundersteel, which can absorb any attack! Will we all give thanks to Elder Oblako, Patriarch Zatem, the Thundergod, and of course, our army, for using their power to protect us?¡±

    The audience roared their approval. Elder Oblako, who was standing at the very top of the Dome, gripped with each hand two rods which protruded out of the structure. The air began to hum, and a slight blue aura appeared around the metal. The aura spread out to envelop the entire cage, creating a thin, transparent film separating the viewers from the arena¡¯s inside.

    Solera sat there, frowning. Something wasn¡¯t right.

    ¡°Yes! We give thanks to the elders of the Tornado Sect, and to all the young men and women out there shedding blood in a foreign country to protect Land from insidious demons! In their honor, let the duels begin!¡±

    A chorus of ¡®thank yous¡¯ rang out from the audience, accompanied by clapping and even some stray bolts of light shot into the air.

    ¡°As always, we begin with the controllers. On the north end is Reika from the central continent, with a soul count of seven and a power purity of 762! Everything about her screams distance! The distance she has traveled to participate in our tournament! The distant fighting style she employs! Even the look in her eyes shows just the vast distance in stature between me and her!¡±

    As the audience was laughing, a hand patted Solera¡¯s head. The Patriarch leaned in from behind Solera, smiling his unnerving smile.

    ¡°Look, love. She¡¯s one of our best vessels, just like you. She was able to maintain several hundred clones after taking the vessel, and her power purity can reach 30,000!¡±

    Solera looked at the girl, his face paling in shock.

    Several hundred clones? Did that mean several hundred souls? The announcer said seven, and that was enough to be among the world¡¯s best!

    30,000 purity? Solera¡¯s purity was a measly hundred! Chianti¡¯s was under 400, and he distinctly remembered her saying nobody in Land had a power purity over 5,000!

    The Patriarch must have seen the shock on Solera¡¯s face, because his patting grew even more affectionate.

    ¡°Love, she truly is amazing. We are working hard to make her immortal, it would be horrible to lose such an excellently possessed vessel.¡±

    He seemed very smug. Solera turned to look at the Patriarch. He hesitated, but his curiosity overrode his fear.

    ¡°How can it be so high? Nobody in Land can be that strong.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± the Patriarch agreed. ¡°But we are not from Land, love. You should know this.¡±

    Solera nodded, still not understanding. He felt he was toeing some line he hadn¡¯t known existed.

    The announcer had introduced the other person by this time, and already the duel had begun. The Gray in the Dome was using hundreds of flying swords, blades attached to a combination of two circular bands. The bands, Solera remembered, granted the blades the ability to fly. The flying swords were split into seven large groups, whirling through the air towards the other side of the arena.

    The second person was encased in a thick of suit of armor; from each of his arms sprouted twin blades, and around him were three giant Vigors rising out of the mud within the Dome.

    ¡°Four souls against seven! Golems versus flying swords! A tight defense against a scathing offense! Reika has more souls, but the golems are easier to use compared to the flying swords! This battle will come down to whoever can control better, as it should be!¡± The announcer was screaming as quickly as he could, his voice charged with excitement.

    The armor¡¯s blades began to rotate as the flying swords neared. Rocks emerged from the Vigors arms; one of the Vigors chucked a stream of mud at one of the approaching clumps of blades. The cloud of swords fell, ripping out a jagged trench in the ground as the blades broke upon each other. But no screeching sounds came out of the Dome. The crowd below Solera cheered.

    ¡°An unexpected takedown! The battle hasn¡¯t even started and already a batch of flying swords has been taken down! How will Reika deal with this upset?¡±

    The other batches of flying swords had split up to surround the armored boy and his Vigors. They hovered for a moment, before whirling towards him. Solera frowned, but kept watching. He felt something was wrong, but he couldn¡¯t look away for even a moment, the action was happening so fast.

    The Vigors stepped backwards, raising their arms and expanding their very bodies to block the incoming onslaught. Yet without warning, the six groups of flying swords split up into a formless cloud of blades!

    When before the blades had moved as seven groups, now every single flying sword moved in a seemingly independent path. Above, below, to the sides, they dodged around the Vigors effortlessly to move in on the armor. Solera¡¯s eyes widened.

    Those swords were going straight for the kill! This tournament was a tournament to the death!

    Even as he made the connection, the first sword slammed into the armor. Another sword hit, and another. The armor disappeared from view altogether as a dense cloud of flying swords surrounded him. The Vigors scrambled back, as if in a panic, then slumped down, dissolving into sludge.

    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    Solera¡¯s hands were trembling in shock. How could it be? How did this exist? Who would take part in such a savage, grisly tournament of their own, free volition?

    The announcer had casually mentioned that there had been thousands of people who had joined. Could it be¡­ could it be that they all died?

    ¡°Heh. The fool believed love could only control seven groups at once. What a joke. She could fight an immortal and win.¡± The Patriarch was panting with delight, his mouth open and his eyes glazed. He seemed...  hungry.

    Solera turned away, trying not to shiver. This monster, this fucking monster, he was enjoying this.

    ¡°REIKA!!!¡± Someone in the stands below screamed.

    The entire stadium erupted in cheering. Loud whistles accompanied whooping as the flying swords flew away, revealing a shredded hill of metal. The screeching sounds of horns blasted across the arena.

    ¡°REIKA! REIKA! REIKA!¡± The opposite end of the arena began to chant the Gray¡¯s name. Within seconds, the entire stadium had taken up the call.

    Solera looked at the pile of scrap, dumbfounded. There was a corpse in there somewhere. Did nobody here understand that?

    His eyes landed on the family again. One child was laughing as he pointed with his finger. Solera followed the fingerpoint, tracing its line through the air, and found himself looking at the broken metal again.

    Was this funny? How was this funny?

    He saw the people in the audience. Their faces were red from shouting and their eyes glassy with passion. He glanced at the Grays, then back at the rest.

    He couldn¡¯t tell the difference. Their crazed smiles and heated expressions were the same.

    Solera¡¯s forehead began to sweat. To be this drunk off of bloodlust¡­ how many Grays were there?! He could see thousands of them! Not just elders or gifted ¡®vessels¡¯, but also normal men, women, and children! They all seemed to be possessed by the same manic spirit!

    ¡°What is it, love?¡± The Patriarch leaned down to Solera again, putting a hand on his shoulder. His smile, it was demented.

    Solera opened his mouth, then closed it. He looked at the spectators, then back at the Patriarch. ¡°How many Gr- how many of us are there in here?¡±

    How could there be so many? He would never be able to escape this forsaken hellhole without being caught!

    ¡°How many of us?¡± The Patriarch¡¯s smile disappeared, replaced by a sympathetic look. ¡°Just us, love, the palace workers, maybe a few hundred more. We only occupy special vessels every once in a while because the portal is not too big.¡±

    A hand patted his shoulder. It was the girl Gray.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, love. One day, they will all be one with us.¡±

    Solera nodded blankly, his eyes returning to the fervent gazes of the people within the Dome. It couldn¡¯t be. They had to be Grays. But he didn¡¯t want them to be Grays.

    ¡°Haha!¡± The announcer laughed. ¡°Calm down, calm down, everyone.¡±

    They weren¡¯t Grays. Yet they still took pleasure in watching suffering! They enjoyed being the spectators of death! How could it be?

    They were so lucky, these children and students and men and women, they never had to experience war! So why would they go out and watch this pointless killing? Because it was totally pointless!

    ¡°I know that was an amazing victory by Reika. One can only imagine the sheer amount of time she spent practicing that attack algorithm, and congratulations to her for her hard won victory. Like all victors of the tournament, she gains unlimited access to the Tornado Tower for the next century! Congratulations, Reika! Do you have anything to say to all your fans in the stadium? ¡­ ¡­ No? Well, uh, that¡¯s fine.¡±

    The crowd laughed, but Solera¡¯s mouth just hung open in shock. For a century¡¯s access to some slab of glass, thousands of people had fought to the death? Was life really that cheap?

    ¡°Unfortunately, the loser¡¯s head seems to not be intact, so we will have to skip the post-match ceremony. Will the winners please go to the gambling booths at this time to collect? Because up next is the channeling match! From the north end, we have Yixing from the Chen clan, boasting a soul count of three and a power purity of 1121¡­¡±

    Solera turned off his real sight, retreating into his world of mud where he could be alone. He was no longer willing to watch this vile event. All these people here, these vile people, treated this like it was some sort of game. They were no better than monsters.

    Despite trying to ignore all the sensory input flooding in, a loud clamor brought him back into the real world. In the Dome, one channeler lay motionless on the floor. A loud crackling noise rang out through the entire stadium, and the blue aura dissipated into nothing, leaving behind a skeleton of black metal.

    ¡°Congratulations on your victory, Enkudabao from the Pantheonic colony of Atakapa! Please use elder Oblako¡¯s thunderknife to proceed with the post-match ceremony.¡±

    Next to Solera, the girl Gray licked her lips, smiling ravenously down at the arena. Solera shifted around uncomfortably.

    In the Dome, the winning channeler was standing over the motionless one. He bent down, grasping the corpse by the hair, and raised up a black knife.

    Solera retreated back inside, but churning the brown seas of his Lake did not drown out the crowd¡¯s cheering.

    Someone patted his shoulder yet again, the Patriarch.

    ¡°Look, love. Dinner!¡± He leered at Solera as he motioned towards the Dome. Bitterly, Solera turned his head to look. The channeler was raising the severed head high into the air, presenting it to the descending elder. Oblako¡¯s hand reached out, and grasped the head by the forehead. He flew up again, mounting it upon a spike jutting out from the very peak of the Dome. Even from his position at the far back of the stadium, he could see the head¡¯s dim eyes, staring out into nothing.

    ¡°Excellent, Enkudabao of Atakapa! You have paid your respects to the Thundergod, and in turn our Sect grants you a century¡¯s access to the Tornado Tower! Good luck, Enkudabao, and may your insights be many and deep!¡±

    The announcer coughed.

    ¡°Well, these matches were much shorter than previous ones. This year¡¯s participants in the control and channel categories truly were much more skilled than before. But I do believe that this last match will be the most intense and exciting of the three!¡±

    ¡°From the north end is not your typical participant! No, he is not a free man, but one of the many dangerous criminals being held under the Dome. Our Thundergod was merciful, but only towards the strong. To go free, this man must show¡­ his will to live! If a man truly loves life, then his actions, no matter how abhorrent it may seem to outsiders, must in some way be justified, because otherwise he would not throw it away so easily! This drive to survive, is something our own Thundergod admired greatly! Countless others who have fallen before the law have attempted this path to clemency over the past six millennia, but only ten have ever succeeded! Will he be the eleventh?¡±

    ¡°From the southern continent, this man¡¯s name is unknown. But he calls himself¡­ Katzchen!¡±

 No Update

Sorry guys,

    Finals are intense and I have come down with a pretty savage sickness. There wont be a chapter at least until middle of next week.

 Announcement

    Hey, guys. I said I wouldn''t be able to put out a chapter until last week, and I was, but I took that week to blow off some steam and now I am busy again, with no expectation of being able to put out steady chapters until July. So after a lot of thought, argument, and procrastination, I have decided to end Overpowered.

    There are a lot of factors going into this decision, and I already gave school as a major one, but the largest reason in this decision is that I felt I''ve made too many mistakes in the early chapters, to the point where it is impossible for me to salvage/re-spin no matter how much I think about it. Solera is totally helpless for the first fifty chapters. He is completely unable to influence the storyline; things happen to him, and he doesn''t make things happen. I underestimated just how frustrating this could be to some readers, and to myself, and have come to realize that this is a bad strategic move as a plot device. I thought it would be necessary if I wanted to set up future plot points and smoothly worldbuild, but those should never take precedence over the present plot. And I have not been able to think up any fixes in the past three months thinking about this.

    Another reason is that I never felt any of my writing past the first thirty chapters gave off the impacts I intended them to. I don''t know how to explain this, but what I see in my head and what I feel when I read my own chapters feel off. I''m unable to actualize the scenes I have in my head, and it''s made me feel my work is really unsatisfactory to myself. Every major occurrence that I''ve planned out, with the exception of Rasmurnov''s first execution, turned out drastically different when I decided to write it, sometimes for the better as with the possession scene, but never in a way that I can predict. And thats been frustrating me when I try to plan for future chapters. Even this piece of writing feels like I''ve been detracting from my point, somehow in some way.

    The final major reason is that though I cannot fix what Overpowered is now, I have what I believe is an excellent rewrite model that addresses all of my criticisms towards my own work, and brings a thousand new things to the table. But the thing is, Overpowered is already a rewrite of another project of mine. No matter how good I think this new rewrite might be right now, I don''t actually know if it will turn out to be something I want to rewrite again. With the still-true fact that I won''t be able to get out chapters in a timely fashion and my preference to have the power to change all previous chapters any time I want without having to notify any readers, I don''t think I will publish this story until/if I''m done.

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    I still think Overpowered has a lot of potential, especially in this current arc. But faced with my current schedule and with my inability to actualize what I want to happen, I don''t think it can be done by the time I finish college, which was the original plan. So that I can concentrate on school, so that the readers don''t get strung along, so that I can pivot to a new story in private, I have to axe Overpowered.

    I think I''m ending it for the right reasons, for myself. But that doesn''t change the fact that I''m screwing you guys. I wasted your times building this up, thousands of hours lost between all of your lives, and I''m unable to deliver. There''s no excuse for that. I''m sorry. I''m sorry to all the awesome people I''ve met on these forums who gave Overpowered a chance, and to the people who took time to critique my work and give feedback to me, and to the future authors who will never get certain readers because I caused them to lose faith in online publishing. I''m sorry.

    EDIT: If anyone is interested in reading the new version of Overpowered if I release it, please PM me a way to contact you. This project could take years to bear fruit and some of you may leave Royalroad in that time, so something like an email would be good for the long term. This is the best I can promise right now. Once again, I''m sorry and ashamed for ending Overpowered like this.