Inero-ie increased his speed diving deeper into the depths, pulling along Cile and Sline. Behind him a trembling spread through the ice before it shattered as though it was fragile glass instead of ice that should have been harder than steel. He sighed in relief inwardly. Surprisingly, the woman chasing after them seemed oblivious to their presence most of the time, only sensing them whenever Inero-ie failed to suppress his Qi which had become chaotic due to the damage to the core.

He glanced back at the princess once he was sure they were safe for the moment. Somehow she had replicated his Elemental Melding, a feat that had taken him countless cycles to master. She was still as expressionless as the moment they had gathered in the teleportation chamber, as though she was unrelated to all that was happening.

“Is it because of you that she cannot sense us?” Inero-ie inquired as he dived out of the ice, emerging into a tunnel. Qi threads swept through the place and he could sense the princess staring at them. After a while, he retracted the threads, unable to find a marker in this tunnel. He had left those markings behind during his previous exploration and they would have guided them out of this place.

“Yes.”

“How long can you maintain the Melding?”

“A few days, perhaps.”

His face twitched. Even at his peak, he could sustain Melding for a similar duration and only because he had worked very hard to train in it. With this new revelation, a plan began to form in his mind.

"Can you maintain melding on your own?"

"Yes."

"Then here's what we'll do..."

As he explained his strategy, Inero-ie retracted his Melding which had still been covering both Sline and the princess. Instantly, the burden on his core lessened, but the damage had already been done. It would take him several months to recover from it. Once he was certain the princess could maintain the Melding, he guided them deeper into the depths of the hole. However, a sense of unease struck him, prompting him to swiftly grab the two and Meld them with darkness. Though the feeling diminished, it lingered in the back of his mind. His initial plan to have them wait until the enemy departed had been foiled.

"Go deeper, but not too deep—about a kilometer at most. I will draw the woman away while you check the maps on the armors and locate the nearest lab."

"But how will we navigate? How can you navigate for that matter?" Sline questioned, prompting Inero-ie to pause and realize that they had no source of light and with the armors no better than scrap, they had no equipment that could help them in navigation. He opened his mouth to respond, "I have a skill," then contemplated how the two would navigate this lightless environment. For him, it was second nature, relying on his threads and qi-location to navigate without relying on his five senses, but the princess and her lady lacked such abilities.

"Let's do it this way then. I will guide you until we reach the area directly beneath where we fought. While I distract that woman, you two can examine the maps to determine the location of the nearest lab. Then, dive back down into the ice beneath the armored figures for about five kilometers. I will locate you."

"Okay."

After leading them approximately below the battle site, Inero-ie separated from them. He began utilizing his threads cautiously, not wanting to arouse suspicion. Once he had put enough distance between them, he loosened the control over his core, allowing the chaotic aura to spill out. He made sure to quickly tighten control over the core to make the act seem real. Slowly he made his way deeper into the maze. Once again he let the aura spill out and then dived into the ice the next moment. Suddenly, his instincts started screaming but despite his best efforts, this time he could not evade. The impact radius was too vast, causing the ice within hundreds of meters to crack. His Qi spiraled out of control as he felt a vast and suffocating pressure focus on his being.

He dived deeper despite the pain, each assault grew more precise than the last. He knew he was being played with. He was already caught in the spider web. If the pursuer had wanted, he would have already been caught but this was okay too. It meant the other two had that much more time to search for the maps.

Something changed, he could sense it. The suffocating aura got so strong that his body refused to move and he was caught just like that.

Suspended in the air, he feigned resistance, though he wondered if he had truly given his all. Had he genuinely desired to escape? He pondered these questions fleetingly, knowing that death was just a step away, given the vice-like grip around his neck.

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Inero-ie's senses heightened as he detected a sudden change in his opponent's emotions. The shift occurred rapidly, transitioning from anger to intense rage. The grip around his neck tightened, bones cracking, and at that moment, he felt a surge of joy. He had done his utmost to fulfill his promise. Now, he could embrace death.

***

"Is the upload complete?" Cile inquired.

"Almost there, your Highness... Done!" came the response.

"Let's go," Cile said, grabbing Sline. She began executing the Melding, the technique she had recently copied from observing Inero-ie. However, something went awry, and Sline became rooted to the ground, trembling uncontrollably. Sensing something was wrong, Cile attempted to dive into the ice but suddenly Sline punched her right into the stomach.

It was sudden, leaving her no time to defend herself. She crashed against the armor, gasping, she looked at Sline who had been with her whole life, whose efforts she had to acknowledge even though she never knew how to express that. She had learned how to act, something her mother had made sure to ingrain in her but it was just that, an act. Even as she tried to get up with difficulty, she was sure Sline could never do such a thing.

She collapsed as suddenly a pressure crushed her. At that moment as her senses grew hazy she had the sound of something dropping.

'Sline,' Cile thought as her consciousness dispersed.

"It was fun playing with you, children. It is unfortunate that this happened but better you than us," Jionic said as Cile floated and came into her arms. From Sline's body emerged her jinn who had possessed her body.

"Where are you guys?" Jionic asked.

"Almost there– damn him, quickly open the portal. You have the target right?" Anger and urgency abound in Meelion's mental transmission.

Jionic opened the portal and the moment it had fully formed, an injured and weary Meelion carrying the bloodied and unconscious body of Livian entered her senses. A moment after that the presence that had been responsible for reducing both to that state. She pushed herself, employing her Qi and dragging them both into the portal and entering behind them. She turned, dismissing the portal before that presence could rush inside.

Jionic turned towards Meelion, her mouth opening. She wanted to ask what had happened. Why were both reduced to this state when they had made sure none could be a danger to them? She wanted to but couldn't. Her mouth stiffened, and her body too, just like Meelion. Both started at the man standing in their ship, gazing at the few flickers of starlight that made their way into this part of the galaxy.

"Juniors, I have a favor to ask," the man began.

"What does the senior want from us that he cannot accomplish himself?" Meelion responded cautiously.

"That child," the man said, pointing towards Cile.

"We cannot comply," Meelion replied firmly.

"Are you truly rejecting my request?" the man inquired.

"We are but corned beasts, senior. Doomed if we do as you say, doomed if we don't. I see more chances of living rejecting you."

"True. I am but an echo, an old one at that. And those you serve are far from merciful."

"We hope for your understanding."

"That puts me in a predicament. I cannot allow you to take that child with you."

"But you cannot stop us," Jionic asserted.

"That is also true, hundreds of years have passed since my body came upon this planet. Fighting you would be a useless waste of energy. How about this then: I will halt the investigators after you."

"But returning empty-handed won't end well for us."

"Humm… true. Which route will you take on your return, tell me?"

As Meelion conveyed the chosen route, she could feel Jionic's glare but ignored her for the moment.

"Someone will come and give you something of equal value once you leave the empire's territory."

"We appreciate your generosity," Meelion acknowledged, dipping her head in respect.

Meelion motioned for Jionic to place the child down, and she went to attend to Livian, carefully settling her into the healing pod.

"Her arm?" the man requested, and Jionic handed it to him. Once the man departed with the child in tow, Jionic prepared to voice her boiling thoughts, but Meelion quickly intervened.

"What? Do you want the imperial forces to hunt us down until we are dead? Or God forbid, attract the displeasure of a Sage? Don't let emotions cloud your judgment. Besides, he agreed to stop the investigators and provide us with suitable assistance. It's a net profit if anything."

Jionic's expression shifted, revealing a mix of emotions, before she sighed. "You're right. Let's leave this place. I'm too exhausted."

"Agreed. You go and spend some time in the healing pod. I'll take the helm until then."

"No, you go first. Your injuries are worse than mine."

"And I will take a long rest to recover that's why you need to be healed first.

"Very well," Jionic agreed, finally relenting.