A few days had passed since James had made his deal with Paulie and his gang. At the moment, he stood in the training room, performing the many twisting motions of his martial art. The idea of how he fought was finally starting to coalesce in his head and he used that image as a goal.

Sweat dripped from his temple as he held a bridge position, slowly moving up into a handstand before lowering his legs and looping them through between his arms. His muscles tensed from the motion. Nadia watched from the side, examining his movements. She added tips here and there, making sure James trained every muscle.

“I think, disciple, you will need a weapon of some sort,” Nadia said after some observation.

James sucked in a breath as he explosively tumbled and kicked across the training grounds. “What?”

“You will succeed admirably in the obstacle courses, of that I am sure,” Nadia said. “However, you will need some assistance in the tournaments. Flat ground is not effective for your art, and the tournament field is entirely flat ground.”

James finished a flying kick, knocking a target out of the sky. “Seems like an oversight.”

“It is so one fights with their martial arts and not their environment,” Nadia said. “Which is of course an issue when your environment makes up portions of your art.”

“Well, what do you suggest?” James asked.

“A staff is the simplest answer,” Nadia said. “Add a way to secure it to the ground and you’ll have a secure piece of usable terrain. They are inexpensive as well, costing no more than ten or so credits for one of solid quality.”

“I’m hearing a but,” James said as he twisted through a series of holographic rings.

“There are few restrictions on weapons in the tournament,” Nadia said. “A simple staff would easily break when struck by something more powerful.”

An illusory opponent appeared for James to dodge. “So what would you suggest?”

“A staff of Electrum Oxen bone would hold up to all but the most destructive of weapons,” Nadia said.

James shook his head. “Can’t. Sold them already.”

“All of it?” Nadia asked.

“I’m saving the money for something,” James answered.

Nadia raised an eyebrow. “It seems you disregarded my words.”

James retreated and shook his head. “I used the sales to introduce myself to some of the better crafters. I got most of them to agree to favors along with selling the Oxen. Aliah’s making me some new talismans, and I’m planning on exchanging other favors later.”

Nadia shook her head slightly. “Well, I will admit it was not the decision I would have made but at some point you must learn without my guidance.”

“To be honest, a weapon doesn’t sound like the best idea, master,” James said as the training programs allowed him a break. “My art is mainly grappling, throwing, and the like. A weapon would only make that harder.”

“That is partly why I recommended the staff,” Nadia said. “The thought was to mostly use it as a platform for your moves.”

“I’d need more than a staff,” James said after thinking about it. “An entire jungle would be best.”

“I doubt there is a weapon that powerful, disciple,” Nadia said with mirth.

James walked over to his master and took a seat. “I guess I could use a staff. I wouldn’t be able to use it for much of anything though. Plus I’d like to keep it on the cheaper side. And if they’re cheap enough I could just buy a lot of them and replace them as they break.”

Nadia gained a pensive look. “You know, disciple. I don’t think there are rules limiting the number of weapons one might bring.”

James raised an eyebrow.

His master looked down at him, a sly smile on her face that felt out of place on his moral master. “Perhaps you can have your jungle after all.”

“What do you mean?” James asked.

Nadia walked out onto the training field and motioned for James to follow. He did so, the area changing into a flat landscape around him.

“Keep in mind that this is only a visual,” Nadia said. “However, I believe the idea might go something like this.”

A staff, made of holographic light, appeared in Nadia’s hand. Claw-like knobs, perhaps to add weight, rested on both ends of the staff. Nadia moved her hands, the training room moving the staff with her. James watched it twirl and spin, blocking some imaginary strikes before Nadia brought it high and slammed it into the ground. The claws on the end dug into the floor, anchoring the staff.

Nadia proceeded to launch herself from the pole, another staff appearing in her hands as she came in for a kick. The imaginary opponent dodged, but Nadia stopped herself with the clawed knob and twisted around. She pulled two more staffs out, linking the two staffs together by the claws before swinging it in an arc.

As she stopped, she looked at James. “Are you understanding my intentions, disciple?”

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James nodded. “I could make all kinds of platforms like this.”

“Your results will vary from mine, of course,” Nadia said. “But adding so many options will likely increase your options.”

“Only one problem,” James said with realization. “How am I going to carry all of those staffs?”

Nadia chuckled. “Disciple, have you forgotten about the dimensional storage? It is a simple matter to hold thousands of staffs with the right product.”

James scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Right. Somehow I forgot about that.”

“Then, I am tasking you with purchasing a storage and your weapons with your newfound currency,” Nadia said.

James made a face. “Master, I was trying to save that.”

“Credits are meant to be spent, disciple,” Nadia said. “There is value in saving, but you are still forming your foundation. A strong foundation builds a strong cultivator. Spend what you can now to build that foundation.”

James sighed. “Alright master.”

Nadia smiled and patted him on the back. “Do not worry, disciple, it will not be overly expensive.”

__

Speaking relatively, Nadia was correct. The dimensional storage and staff combo only cost around twenty thousand credits. It was still the most money James had spent at once, and the man swore he felt physical pain during the purchase. The bag cost the most. Like Nadia said, a staff didn’t cost more than ten credits. In fact, James was able to use the bulk purchase for a discount with the merchants he bought from.

The new bag now sat on James’s left hip for easy reach. But now that he thought of it, reaching for the pouch was such an obvious move. Everyone would know that’s where he stored the staffs if he did that, and James knew he wasn’t skilled enough to mask his movement. Not yet at least.

He stepped out of the merchant building and into the streets of Cyber Crane. Surprisingly, the market floor of the sect had no one who could make thousands of staffs in a reasonable amount of time. Part of James wanted to think of it as more discrimination, but he learned the real reason after one of the department stores directed James to their main branch. According to the branch, none of the stores on the market floor had that many staffs in stock at one time. James could order them, but he wanted to get them immediately.

Thus, the trip outside of the sect.

His business finished, James walked along the sidewalk, idly taking in the sights. The merchant building had cordoned off a large section in front of them as a green space. Families and individuals relaxed on the slow rolling hills, admiring art or flowers. Children ran around in groups playing imaginary games while even more tried setting up random games of Voidball.

James went back to his thoughts, dwelling on how he might fix his problem with telegraphing his movements. The green space fell away, returning to the multicolored hues of towering skyscrapers and cramped streets. Blue and gold washed over him as he walked through crowds. His eye caught a group of downtrodden in an alley, their faces sunken as they begged for scrap.

Idly, James pulled a few pieces he’d collected and tossed them toward them. They thanked him profusely as James went on his way. He felt uncomfortable at the gesture. A part of him felt like he should do more.

With all his thoughts and worries, it was no wonder James soon found himself a bit lost. A wall blocked his path, James having turned the wrong direction at some point. He sighed and turned around.

A woman in discolored robes stood at the other end of the alley. Her eyes focused on James, causing the man to tense. He reached down to his pouch.

“Can I help you?” he asked.

The woman flicked her wrist. All at once James’s senses screamed danger! He moved, the lines of energy appearing before him as he readied for combat. He caught a glimpse of two needles whizzing past his head, both perfectly aimed for his eyes.

He saw the lines of two more needles moving straight toward him. James pulled a staff from his storage, putting it between him and the needles. Two soft thunks echoed faintly in the alley as the needles struck.

James kept his eye on the woman, but instead of moving toward him, she retreated into the crowd.

“Beasts,” James cursed.

She had to be one of those assassins Peregrine warned him about. Except this one used hit and run tactics instead of the brash headlong rush from the one before.

Another needle flew from the crowd, James moving out of the way to avoid it. It struck the wall behind, splintering and rebounding toward James. The man cursed again and rolled behind a trash bag.

He had to get out of the alley, he was a sitting duck here. But he couldn’t go into the crowd, there was no telling where the woman was. She was completely hidden in the throng and James knew if he entered she would sneak up behind him and likely remove him from existence.

James made a face. Going up would make him a target as well. He might have to risk it.

His handheld buzzed, and James was suddenly reminded of its features. He ignored the message from Garret and instead sent a request for help to Nadia along with his location. She answered back in moments.

Good, now all James had to do was hold on until his master arrived.

Another pair of needles flew toward his position, James only barely catching the second vector line behind the first. He moved and brought his staff up, blocking the second needle that ricocheted off the first. He felt his staff crack.

James discarded it with a grunt, stabbing it into the ground in front of him to block at least some of the area no matter how small. He ran his thumb upward, activating the claw mechanism in the weapon. It bit into the ground, securing itself as James reached and grabbed another staff from his pocket.

“My master is on her way,” James said into the crowd. “You better give up now!”

A few of the passersby looked at him oddly, but more just ignored him. James saw a fan of needles fly from the crowd this time, each one at head height. James dropped to the ground, grabbing the stray trash bag in preparation. Sure enough, the needles shattered on the wall behind.

James ducked behind the bag but kept his eyes on the crowd. Another line was already flying toward him as the needles shattered. James thrust at it with his staff, using the denser claws to block the needle. He thrust again at the second one, just barely defending himself.

The young cultivator knew he couldn’t keep up this defense, but he also had no way to safely climb out of the alley without a thousand needles coming straight at his face. He needed some way to mask his escape.

It was only then he remembered the last of his current talismans. With barely a thought, he activated the smokescreen.

Instantly, James felt his throat go dry and simultaneously felt every pore open up. Water practically exploded out of him, creating a small mist. There was a tingle on his arms that made his hairs stand on end, and suddenly the small droplets became a cloud of smoke. Body odor infused smoke, but smoke nonetheless.

James used the opening, quickly creating a wall of staffs that would block needles. From there, he started tossing the staffs outward in random directions. The goal was to fill the area with enough platforms that James could practically walk up the wall and block any incoming fire. So, two at a time, James threw staff after staff out of the smoke, the Metastate guiding him.

He heard needles strike the staff wall in front of him, signaling that the assassin had found his position. With no time left, James grabbed another staff, stabbed it into the ground, and scrambled up it like a monkey.

As soon as his head peeked out over his smokescreen James calculated his escape. The staffs all sat haphazardly on the wall in easy to reach places, but it would take a bit more work to get all the way up the alley. Luckily there were more handholds higher up.

He took a breath to steel his nerves and instantly regretted it as his body odor filled his nostrils. Nonetheless, James jumped from his staff in the smoke toward the first makeshift handhold.