The daily lives of Micro and his party remained consistent as winter began. In the weeks following their meeting with Tohan, they had settled into an enjoyable routine. The peaceful woods echoed with the sound of exploding trees, a sound which the group never quite got used to hearing.

Arbur had successfully mastered his first core card, and had moved on to the next. Kira had finally refined her jade core to the level where Lena was comfortable teaching her several sword techniques, allowing her to practice the steps with a wooden sword carved from a tree branch. Kolt was still far behind Kira's progress, but Lena was content that he would form a jade core eventually.

Micro agreed not to cut any trees while Blue was sleeping at night, so he spent most of his free time after sunset crafting crystals of various properties. He discovered that he could imbue the crystals with certain skills, making them even more versatile. He had crafted thousands of crystals, all stored away in his storage, when he happened to create a crystal of particularly interesting qualities.

This crystal was a murky brown colour, and not very large. It was roughly shaped like a teardrop, a spherical ball that came to a singular point. He had manifested several skills, traits, and arts in its creation. The end result was a crystal which absorbed ambient energy through its sides and released it out of the point continuously. When he placed it on the ground, it even managed to propel itself forward like a clumsy rocket.

However, his experiment with the brown crystal came to an end when he tried covering the point of the crystal with his finger, blocking the energy from escaping. The crystal quickly turned red hot and exploded like a glass balloon, abruptly waking everyone but Kolt from their slumber.

“Interesting...!” Micro said often as he watched his creations propel themselves down his path at night. They usually stalled eventually, and some exploded, but he enjoyed his experiments.

During the day, Micro often kept pace with Blue on their violent trek through the trees, though she sped up quickly as her strength returned to her and was beginning to take the lead.

Micro allowed himself to enjoy the beginning of winter, reassuring himself that he'd be able to make up for lost time one day with a core card or two that allowed him to travel in time, and he almost wished his simple days of clearing trees with Blue and enjoying evenings with his new friends could last a lot longer than they would. Such thoughts were more comforting than those of the old man having to make trips into town on snowy days without his truck.

The peaceful atmosphere suddenly felt polluted one day, however. The sun was setting on a snowy day when Micro turned to see Lena with an intense expression. It didn't take him long to notice the reason why.

“Not far ahead.” Lena whispered.

“They don't seem to have noticed us.”

“It feels like there aren't many, but they're strong...” Micro said, looking ahead with Spirit Vision as far as he could.

“I expected to sense Master Feng by now...” Lena wondered aloud.

“The bandits ahead are disgustingly powerful, for bandits....”

“Bandits?!” Kolt was jared from his meditative state, falling to his back in surprise.

“It's fine, brother.” Kira assured him.

“We have Master Micro with us. And Master Lena.”

Arbur was about to say something, but his face soured as he finally began to sense what was ahead.

“Take note, children.” Lena addressed Kolt and Kira.

“What you will sense in those we will soon encounter is the corruption of humanity.”

“Corruption?” Kira repeated.

“Those who do not cultivate are susceptible to all manner of dark forces.” Lena explained.

“Those who dwell in these woods are bathed in wild energies which draw out their darkest natures. And while they grow strong, so too does their darkness.”

“What makes them so evil?” Micro asked, his shoulder beginning to ache.

“Why do they do such terrible things...?”

“As their undisciplined forms become seeped in energy, and they taste its power, they are changed.” Lena continued.

“As their bodies grow stronger, so too does the darkness in their hearts. Simple desires become insatiable greed, mundane anger grows into unbearable hatred, carnal desires are-”

“Lena means to say, if I may add...” Arbur suddenly interjected with a nervous bow.

“Without discipline, the mundane people who hide in the woods are typically transformed into monsters.”

“Like how animals near a dungeon entrance get bigger?” Micro asked.

“It is similar, but humans are complex creatures.” Arbur replied.

“The mundane who lack honour are poisoned by the temptations which accompany even the smallest amount of power. Even a kind soul would be driven mad at the very least, but those...”

“It pains me to address them as such, but there are clearly cultivators among their number.” Lena spoke with a bitter expression.

“Bandits are a nuisance wherever one may roam, but never have I even heard mention of bandits achieving that level of cultivation. For such heresy to have come about within this empire's borders, right under its nose...”

“Forgive me for raising the topic of your ties to the empire despite your desire for a neutral status on this journey, but would such an occurrence not be noticed by the Empire's forces?” Arbur asked.

“The Envoys are not unjustly famed for their skills.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“It is unprecedented for such a thing to go unnoticed.” Lena answered.

“I will disclose that the Empire's resources are spread thinner by the rise in summonings than it would admit even to itself, but to miss something like this...”

“Blue?” Micro turned to Blue with a questioning expression.

“Ah, of course, Master Farmtool.” Blue replied sarcastically.

“What she's trying to say is those smelly fools up ahead should've been wiped out by her friends by now, since they started cultivating.”

“Oh.” Micro nodded.

“Bandits aren't allowed to cultivate?”

“They aren't allowed to exist at all.” Lena said with a harsh tone.

“But for them to have grown as strong as they have is deeply troubling.”

“Why?” Micro asked.

“It is a symptom of the Empire's sickness, a sign of what is to come.” Lena explained.

“A sign...” Micro frowned, trying to understand the implication of the word.

“You do like signs, don't you?” Lena asked coldly, her temper shortened by her anxiety.

“What kind of sign do you think a growing population of powerful bandits is?”

“That's...” Micro's expression darkened.

“... a bad sign.”

~

Micro ceased his road-building project for the time being while the group quietly approached the bandits. There were only a hundred or so bandits in total, but there were dozens of jade and amber core cultivators among them. Micro could clearly see the tents full of prisoners, a sight he didn't wish Kira or Kolt to witness.

“Are you distracted?” Lena asked him after he looked ahead for a moment.

“What do you mean?” Micro asked, but he focused his Spirit Vision and looked ahead more intently, wincing at the unpleasant things that came into clearer view. It soon became clear what Lena was referring to.

“A dungeon?!”

“Precisely.” Lena replied.

“They appear to be training there. Disgusting. Defiling such a place...”

“I hope Tohan and Tring didn't get caught up with these bandits...” Micro whispered, allowing his eyes to wander away from the bandits' camp.

“Their sect is farther south.” Lena replied.

“They wouldn't have crossed paths.”

“That's good.” Micro sighed.

Micro looked ahead and increased his focus on the unpleasant scene, watching the bandits go about their lives. A large group was eating by a fire, several were wrestling near a barrel of wine, but most of them were meditating. It made Micro uneasy to see so much energy flowing through each of the meditating bandits despite the unsettling aura around them. He was soon distracted by a cold aura against his back, and turned to see Kira and Kolt with heavy faces.

“Are you scared?” Micro asked.

“Can we kill them all?” Kolt asked in return.

“Wha-” Micro stuttered.

“We don't kill, remember?” Kira answered her brother, but her eyes burned with anger. Micro worried what she may do in such a state, but she continued with a strained voice.

“What should we do, master?”

Arbur and Lena both looked at Micro, waiting for his answer. Blue had apparently grown disinterested, and had begun kicking a small rock around on the forest floor.

Micro wanted to suggest they run in the opposite direction, but he knew that wasn't the right answer. He knew what Lena would say about the bandits, and he knew there were innocent people who needed help, but as his shoulder began to ache, all he could do was look back at Lena.

Lena looked hesitant to speak for a moment, but eventually leaned back and looked at Micro with a much less stern expression than she usually did when educating someone.

“I understand your reservations well, as a guest in this world.” Lena said softly, still mindful of the bandits' camp.

“Although the paths we walk may differ greatly, honour is the shared culture of all cultivators in this world. While I still struggle to understand your oddly sentimental attachment to the weak and mundane, I do wish to see all living things free of the oppression of evil forces. Do you share this belief?”

“I don't want weak people to be hurt by bad people like that...” Micro replied.

“The fate of the mundane is grim in any case, but evil must be purged by those with the power to exercise justice.” Lena explained.

“Hmph.” Kolt suddenly scoffed.

Arbur recoiled at the disrespectful tone Kolt suddenly directed at Lena, but kept his own mouth closed tightly as he listened.

“Is there a problem, child?” Lena asked him, her patience obviously tested.

“You almost sounded heroic for a moment.” Kolt grumbled.

“But you still don't really care about anybody who doesn't cultivate. You only want to kill the bandits.”

Lena frowned deeply at his words, but didn't dispute them.

“I always hated cultivators for just watching us starve, watching us freeze, watching us die in the mud...!” Kolt continued with anger in his voice, but he looked at Lena with a conflicted expression.

“But I know it's my fault for being weak! I know that, but...”

Kira and Arbur looked like they wanted to add something, but the mood grew tense, thick with confusion and frustration.

Micro felt lost, and his eyes began to wander, falling on the bored Blue.

“What do you think, Blue?” Micro as, breaking the awkward silence.

“Ah?” Blue responded with her eyes half open.

“Kill them or don't. Who cares? Humans don’t live long anyways.”

Micro opened his mouth to reply, but couldn't.

“If the plan is to help the tied up villager-looking riffraff, what's the problem?” Blue continued, grinning slightly.

“We'll have some fun if anyone tries to stop us.”

The others looked at Micro, waiting for his reply. The weight of the decision was uncomfortable, but he began to imagine what his driver would do if he drove by such a situation.

“He'd stop and help...” Micro eventually concluded.

“Who?” Blue asked.

“Okay. I'll go.” Micro decided.

“What should we do, Lena?”

“Very well.” Lena nodded.

“Arbur, you stay with the children.”

“I want to fight though-” Kira argued, but Lena's fierce glare returned.

“This situation is unprecedented enough. You will exercise caution.” Lena ordered.

“Master Micro and Blue will accompany me.”

“I understand.” Micro replied.

“You may see to rescuing the mundane who are imprisoned.” Lena explained.

“They are spread out, so act quickly, before they realize our intentions. The first thing a bandit will do is take hostages, not unlike those cursed, snake-like, arrogant…”

Lena began mumbling as she recalled her feelings toward a certain sect.

“I'll head in first.” Blue interjected.

“Let's start things off with a bang.”

Lena raised her hand to hold Blue back, but Blue had vanished with a broad smile on her face as soon as she had announced her intentions.

“I should have anticipated that...” Lena sighed, then rose to her feet and addressed Micro.

“It is unlikely that any bandit in that camp has the power to injure you, but do not lose focus.”

“Okay.” Micro nodded, standing despite the weight he still felt.

Explosions and screams could already be heard from the camp where Blue had begun to entertain herself, and events unfolded quickly.

Arbur was content to watch over Kolt and Kira at Micro and Lena's request, though Kira was particularly eager to fight. She clenched her fists, hiding behind a tree while observing the scene.

Micro watched Lena prepare herself to attack, and familiar glow of the Tiger Art surrounded her body. She lowered her stance, and lunged forward into the forest ahead. Micro quickly lost sight of her before reactivating Spirit Vision.

“More off-roading...” Micro sighed bitterly as he struggled to keep his footing. He coated himself in the armour of the Turtle Art and fortified his body with the Dragon Art. He wondered if poison or intimidation would be enough to keep any attackers away, but the answer to his question came in the form of an aura-covered axe flying straight toward his head.