The idea was simple. The tiger seemed to have Seok’s radar ability, and perhaps a way to measure power. That was why it chased James during the fight. The answer James had was to basically use himself as bait.

“Jump!” Seok shouted.

Everyone moved, avoiding the next attack of the Terra Tiger as it made a pass. As they landed, all three sprinted away from Fu, seemingly leaving the man. The tiger, knowing it was unable to enter the shield of plants, gave chase.

Nadia kept close to her disciple as they ran. On Seok’s next yell the three had gained enough distance for James to enact his plan. Nadia and James jumped at the same time, both cultivators using the Metastate to stay in sync. Nadia’s water barriers slowed the tiger again, the animal landing with a snarl of anger as it failed once more to catch its prey.

As they fell, Nadia used her water to slow both their falls. Before they both landed, Seok broke the earth around them with another stomp. Nadia maneuvered, landing first and catching James at the same time. He moved to stand on her feet, acting as one person.

With Seok’s earth shattering blow, James theorized that the tiger wouldn’t notice both he and Nadia landing on the same spot. The plan was that on the animal’s next pass, Nadia would conjure a barrier of water to slice through the animal.

“Behind!” Seok shouted a moment later.

Nadia whipped around, James in tow. The earth opened, revealing the beast in all its terror. Water whipped past James’s ears, moving in circles at the animal.

To James’s shock, the tiger met the spinning water with its claws. The two powers clashed, water meeting earth. The earth won.

The tiger’s claws shore through the blades of water, but not without damage. Chipped pieces of diamond fell from the claws, and James knew it would blunt some of the attack.

The tiger knew as well and abandoned an attack with its claws to instead bite with its sharpened teeth.

James could feel Nadia conjuring another attack but saw that the tiger would reach them before it finished. His mind raced, trying to come up with an answer to the incoming maw of death. His body, in turn, reacted. James felt his body lash out, his arm intending to punch the tiger in the eye. James reeled the intention in, but caught the tiger’s reaction to the attempted attack.

The animal had shifted ever so slightly to avoid a damaging blow while still coming at James. The tiger had reacted like the burrowing rodents, reading his intent. James quickly enacted what he’d learned earlier while training. His fists lashed out, the man throwing everything he could into sending two, three, four, and more attacks at the animal.

James felt the nodes on his back flare before a small portion of his mind activated the temperature regulator. Heat traveled down his back and through his feet. James pushed on, adding more intention to his attacks even as he felt his blood run hot. He aimed at the eyes, the throat, the nose, anything that might possibly turn the animal away.

The tiger reacted to each intent, making micro movements to avoid the incoming attacks. But James’s almost suicidal rush started to take its toll, and the animal felt the need to shift its neck just slightly too far back.

Just enough time for Nadia to finish her next attack.

A slicing wave of water flew over James’s head, aiming just above the mouth. The tiger reacted, biting down on the offending disk. However, that was what Nadia intended.

She pushed James to the ground and followed through with a punch, water becoming a drill around her fist. The tiger met the attack with its claws, the two forces clashing once more.

This time, the water came out on top.

The tiger’s claws, dulled and cracked from the first clash, fell apart under the constant stream of moving water. The paws followed, splitting apart as Nadia punched straight at the animal’s skull.

The tiger attempted one more defense, bringing its mouth up to bite through Nadia’s arm. At the last moment she stopped her punch, bringing her other fist over in a drilling uppercut that punctured the tiger’s gut. The animal cried out in pain, falling to the ground.

Nadia never let it land alive. She stepped over James and kicked in a slicing arc, decapitating the threat. It thumped to the ground in two pieces, shock and pain still on its face.

James collapsed on the ground, staring up at the sky in relief. Nadia knelt beside him a moment later, splashing him in the face with water.

“You reckless, foolhardy, idiot of a disciple!” she said. “You almost lost your head because of this idea!”

“But it worked,” James answered with a cough.

“Only because you almost overheated again,” she chided. She turned to Seok. “And you! You should never have encouraged him.”

“His plan had the best chance of success. You know this,” Seok said. “Do not let your concern for your disciple cloud your judgment.”

Nadia huffed. “We will talk about this later.”

She pulled James to his feet, using her water to cool his back. James hissed as the cooling liquid ran down his back.

“You have some burns,” Nadia said. “Minor.”

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“What about Fu?” James asked.

The three looked over to where their fellow cultivator had wrapped himself.

“I could attempt to cut through his defenses,” Nadia said.

“No,” Seok answered. “I’ve seen this barrier before. It will only regrow when cut. Fu must either tire or be convinced to exit the barrier.”

“How are we going to do that when he doesn’t listen?” James asked.

Seok picked up the tiger’s head. “Simple.”

The stone-faced man walked forward and tossed the head into the barrier. Plants instantly wrapped around the body, pulling it inside. James held his breath, only exhaling when the barrier started to come apart.

Fu appeared on a throne of plants, his legs bandaged to prevent more bloodloss. A tiger skull lay in his hands, and James shuddered at the implication.

“The danger had passed, friends!” Fu called out. His voice sounded strange to James’s ears.

“Then let us get you home,” Seok said.

Fu nodded. “Yes, I believe this is enough adventure for today.”

The plants around the cultivator withered as Seok moved in. He grabbed Fu by the arms, lifting him onto his shoulders.

Fu chuckled weakly. “Look at me, the great cultivator now a backpack.”

“Rest,” Seok said. “We shall return soon.”

James turned to his master. “Is he going to make it?”

“We shall see,” Nadia said somberly. “He has lost a lot of blood and our journey to the camp on this floor is long.”

“No,” Fu shook his head. “We travel back through the stairs. We cannot risk revealing our treasure before we sell.”

“Fu,” Seok said.

“I have coagulants and sprayskin in my bag,” Fu said.

“That might—“ Seok started.

“I know what it might!” Fu snapped. “Just do it.”

Seok nodded slowly. James looked to his master in question.

“Sprayskin will cover his wounds and help him heal,” Nadia said, “but if we do not reach an actual healer in time his legs cannot be replaced without more amputation.”

“And that costs an arm and a leg for each leg,” Fu said. He chuckled darkly. “Hard to pay when I only have arms.”

“Won’t the Electrum Oxen cover the costs?” James asked. “And we have the tiger now.”

“It might,” Nadia said. “Come, help me dismantle the animal.”

James helped his master dismantle the tiger, shuddering at the broken claws. They drained the animal of blood, then skinned and butchered it. Along the way, Nadia removed three orbs from the animal.

“Are those cores?” James asked.

“One is,” Nadia answered. “Beasts cultivate differently than us. They slowly accumulate power over time, condensing their abilities into cores over the years. This tiger completed one core, likely the ability to swim through the earth, and had two more unfinished.”

“The radar and its claws?” James asked.

“Possibly,” Nadia answered. “But there is no way to tell until we appraise them.”

“One core is more than enough to repair Fu’s legs,” Seok said.

“Oh goody, a complete core and we have to sell it,” Fu lamented. “What is the world coming to.”

“We will heal your legs, Fu,” Nadia said. “But for now we must leave, lest the smell of blood attract any more predators.”

Everyone tensed at those words. James looked around the plains with suspicion.

“It is likely this was the only the tiger’s hunting ground,” Nadia said. “A beast with this much power wouldn’t have much competition here.”

James let his master pick him up since Seok had to carry Fu. He wanted to protest but knew that both cultivators moved much faster then he could at the moment.

Instead, James watched the plains around him change from dull browns to dull greens as they approached the stairs.

The stairs seemed to be a biome all their own, similar to the jungle on the floor above. That was why James didn’t notice much of a difference until they reached their destination. The stairs held less trees and more underbrush. Giant ferns and sweeping moss covered the metal structure. There was slightly less humidity as well, though the heat seemed more oppressive. Small insects buzzed through the underbrush, small mosquitoes and other irritating nuisances. The cultivators brushed them away with their powers.

They stopped for nothing until they reached the camp of cultivators that protected the lift. James hopped off Seok as the guards hailed Nadia, who gave them a respectful wave back.

“Anything to report?” the guard asked.

“We encountered a tiger that took Fu’s legs,” Nadia said. “He requires a healer.”

One of the guards rushed toward the central camp building as the other looked at Fu with concern.

“Is—“

“The beast is dead,” Nadia answered. “We were able to eliminate it after it ambushed.”

The guard nodded. “Nice to hear we won’t have to send another party out after it.”

The other guard came back shortly with a healer pulling a stretcher. Seok gingerly placed his friend on the bed, following as the healer brought Fu inside.

“Beasts,” the guard said with a shake of his head. “Every day a cultivator comes back missing an arm or a leg. It pains me to see it.”

James almost asked why they didn’t push the forest back, but held his tongue with a look from Nadia.

“We must still discuss your reckless actions, disciple,” she said. “Come.”

The guard made a consoling face to James as he followed behind his master. James shrugged, giving the guard a ‘what can you do?’ look. The guard nodded in understanding.

Nadia sat James inside her vehicle, closing the door so no one outside could hear.

“I don’t want you being that reckless again, understood?”

“But if I didn’t, you would’ve stayed behind,” James said.

“I would have,” Nadia said. “And I would have been able to bring more power to bear with you out of the fight.”

“Seok didn’t think so,” James argued.

“Seok does not know all that I can do,” Nadia said. “It would have been dangerous, yes, but I would have emerged the victor.”

James shook his head. “And how many wounds would you have?”

“Irrelevant,” Nadia answered.

“It’s completely relevant,” James shot back. “How do you think I would feel if you came back without an arm?”

“Less than what I would have felt if I failed to protect you,” Nadia answered.

“I can’t always be protected by you,” James shot back.

“No, you can’t,” Nadia agreed. “That is why I am training you disciple. Emphasis on training. The goal is to prepare you without endangering your life.”

“More than it already is?” James argued. “I’ve been in danger since day one. You know that.”

“So I should allow you to enter into more danger?” Nadia asked with a raised brow. “Danger is not a binary switch, James.”

“I know that,” James answered. “But I couldn’t live with myself if I ran. Not when I know I can help.”

Nadia sighed. “Disciple, I am glad you share my sentiments. However, you must also learn when to pick your battles. You almost lost your life in the attack. Only your last minute attack and the temperature talisman saved you.”

“Isn’t that true of all dangerous fights?” James argued. “I only survived the possession because I have a unique constitution. I only survived overheating because you have a water power. It’s not a great argument.”

“Then perhaps this one might be. Tsukiko would have lost herself if you fell,” Nadia said.

James fell silent.

“Disciple, please understand that it is my job to keep you safe, not the other way around. Only a poor master knowingly puts their disciple in danger. I only want you to understand that what you did was reckless.”

James sighed. “Fine. I get it.”

“Good,” Nadia answered. “Then let us settle your punishment.”

“Oh, come on,” James complained.

“More sweeping of the market should do the trick,” Nadia said.

James looked at his master. “We both know that isn’t much of a punishment.”

“No,” Nadia said as she opened the vehicle door. “But I’m also going to let Tsukiko know what you did.”

“Wait, master, let’s talk about this!” James shouted as he followed her out.

But Nadia refused to listen.