"Yeah, I'll do it," Cole replied promptly.

Of course, you will.

"Thank you very much," Leigh said, shaking Cole's hand firmly. "Your belongings are outside, and the woman is in the last tent. If there's anything you need before you go, come see me. I'd also like to hear more about your homeland, Sun Tie." Leigh extended his hand to Sun Tie, who stood and shook it. With a nod of his head, he left the area.

"It feels good to be treated with respect," Sun Tie commented, as though speaking to no one in particular.

"Pff…" Cole said, arms crossed. "You can't be this naive."

"Naive?"

"He was just buttering you up to extract information—a classic interrogation tactic. And you fell for it like a duck."

Sun Tie raised his eyebrows. Deep down, he knew that Leigh had precisely done that. But it wasn't much different from what his disciples did all the time in Eternal Wind, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it.

"Whatever, old man. Let's see what the woman wants from us." Without waiting for an answer, Sun Tie exited the tent, squinting against the light from the three suns. Camp members continued to set up tents, cook, or train. Sun Tie noticed Sofia and James conversing near the stream.

The walk to the last tent was short. Cole took the lead and peeked inside.

"Hello, ma'am. May I come in?" Cole looked inside, then back at Sun Tie, gesturing for him to enter. As the young master set one foot inside the tent, the woman began to recoil, shaking her head violently.

"No! No! No! Just you, just you!" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with a rasping accent. "Not him, please. Take him out."

"You heard the woman, kid. Wait outside, please."

Sun Tie turned and left, his emotions in turmoil. On one hand, he felt terrible for the woman, who was clearly in immense distress. On the other hand, the uncertainty of what was happening inside the tent also gnawed at him.

Frustrated, the young man walked toward the stream, keeping his distance from James and Sofia. Looking for a quiet place to ponder his plans and try not to feel worse about the whole end-of-the-world situation, he sat down, took off his sandals, and dipped his feet into the water. The sensation felt comforting and made him think of home. If I want my place back, I need to plan better.

His plan was simple but lacked concrete steps: revenge, clarification, and power. He needed these three things most but had to prioritize them correctly.

No matter how many stats or skills he had, Sun Tie felt he could only defeat Sun Li with his cultivation core. To accomplish that, he needed power, which in this context meant Qi. He had to find his grandfather and convince him he hadn't lost fairly. Although he didn't know how to repair his core, it would be his grandfather if anyone could help him.

With this realization, Sun Tie decided that his first step would be to find his grandfather while gathering as many levels, stats, skills, and equipment as possible. With his repaired cultivation core and new abilities, he would become invincible, one step closer to immortality.

Cole's assistance would be crucial on this quest. The man had a natural talent for navigating the wilderness and a keen instinct for investigation. His skills—[Eagle's Eye], [Stealth], and [Tracking]—would be invaluable for finding clues and ensuring survival. Now that they were on good terms, Sun Tie was excited to train with the old man. Maybe I can ask him to use his skills on me to test mana manipulation.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Hi, Sun Tie. How are you doing?" Jaime's voice interrupted his thoughts. The burly man sat beside him without waiting for an invitation, prompting Sun Tie to sigh.

"Hello. I'm extremely happy to see you," Sun Tie said, smirking.

"That's really nice of you to say, Sun Tie," the man responded with a broad smile. "Even if it's a lie."

"Oh, so you're not completely stupid?" Sun Tie turned his head to look at the man.

"I'm afraid not, but sometimes I let myself get carried away. It's something to do with my upbringing, I think," James replied. He removed his shoes and dipped his feet into the water. "So, how are you, truly, Sun Tie?"

"Are we really doing this?" Sun Tie inquired.

"Why not? So…"

"I'm preoccupied. Since this whole thing began, this is the first time I've had a chance to really think.

"Scary, isn't it? We're all trying to avoid overthinking. That's why Leigh keeps everyone busy all the time—no time to dwell on this hellish situation," James sighed as he picked up a rock.

"Smart of him," Sun Tie replied.

"Yes, he is a smart man, indeed. A natural leader. I'm glad he's the one running things. For once, I can just be myself." Sun Tie looked closely at the man for the first time since they had met and saw him in a new light—not as an overgrown child but as someone searching for lost innocence within himself. "This new life is already demanding sacrifices from all of us, isn't it?"

"Why is everyone talking about sacrifices today?" Sun Tie asked, prompting a chuckle from the man.

"Cole seems to be a wise man, indeed. I assume he’s the other one talking about sacrifices, right?" Sun Tie nodded, and James continued, "I don't know Cole's perspective, but here's mine: I have no idea what's going on, and none of the scriptures I've read prepared me for hearing what appears to be the voice of God or an alien. I only know that the kids in this camp need capable men and women to look after them." James locked eyes with Sun Tie as if searching for something. The young man flinched.

"Good thing they have you, Sofia, and Leigh," Sun Tie said, expecting a reprimand from James, but the man simply smiled.

"Yes, they're fortunate. Sofia used to be a medic and is now a magical healer; Leigh was a teacher and now leads and practices some sort of arcane magic. As for me, I offer sound advice. Quite the trio, wouldn't you say?" James playfully shoved Sun Tie, who was less than amused.

"Was that supposed to be a friendly gesture? You Earth peasants behave like animals," Sun Tie retorted, causing James to laugh.

"You guys really are similar."

"Me and who?" Sun Tie asked, raising his eyebrows.

"You and Liao Ziyu," James said as if it should have been obvious.

"There's another cultivator here? Where?" Sun Tie sprang to his feet.

"Last I saw him, he was heading into the jungle; said he needed to pee."

"In what direction?" James pointed toward the woods across the stream. Sun Tie was already on the move when he heard Cole's voice calling him from behind.

"Wait, kid!"

"What?" Sun Tie turned around, sandals in hand, and walked toward Cole. "There's another person from Eternal Wind here, and I want to talk to him. Maybe I can learn something." A smile spread across Sun Tie's face; he couldn't contain his excitement.

"That's great news. I'm happy for you," Cole said, removing his hat and holding it in both hands. His hair was slick with sweat, and he wore a severe expression.

"What?" Sun Tie was puzzled.

"I'll need to help her."

"What a surprise. So, what's the plan?"

"I can't say," Cole replied, testing Sun Tie's patience.

"What in the Heavens are you talking about? Are you now lovers? Just go have some fun, old man. I'll talk to the other cultivator, and we can meet up later to discuss our plans," Sun Tie said, turning away. Just then, Cole grabbed his arm.

"That's not it, kid. I need to go into the jungle to do her a favor."

"Why all the secrecy?"

"I'm simply respecting her wishes," Cole explained.

"The noble hero strikes again," Sun Tie smirked. "Fine, just promise me that we'll help her and then go straight to find my grandfather."

"No, Sun Tie. I don't think you understand," Cole locked eyes with the young master, a look of regret etched on his face. "I need to go alone. This is where we part ways, forever."