Chapter 9: City of Monsters

"We approach the city. Never seen one like it," Hiro noted as he drew his two short swords.

"Stay alert. Wei and Benkei should take the front. I'll take right flank, Lu Mang the left. Qing will assist whichever side is in most danger and Sakura will focus only on aerial or long range enemies," Ling ordered as Wei and Benkei walked to the front.

"We shouldn't be traveling in the streets, or entering the skyscrapers. The most danger lays there," Wei said.

"You recognize this kind of city?" Qing asked.

"This technology originates from Earth. I've seen a few relics obtained in my dukedom," Wei lied as he surveyed the streets.

"Are you certain there are monsters and magical beasts here?" Lu Mang asked, looking around.

"They're here alright. We're surrounded," Sakura said, nocking an arrow.

"How do you know?" Ling asked.

"She's always been sensitive to spirit energy. She can access her spirit sense despite her low cultivation," Hiro answered, brandishing his short swords.

"She's right. They're here," Wei said, drawing his sword. "I can sense them."

"You can sense spirit energy in other people too?" Qing asked.

"No. Not their spirit energy. Their bloodlust," Wei said and stared at the ground. "They're in the sewers! Dozens of them."

Wei put his left hand on the ground. He closed his eyes and a brown pulse radiated from the brown ring on his hand. The others felt the ground quake softly beneath their feet.

"They're dead," Sakura said. "I sense some spirit energy signatures ahead. We need to get out of here."

"Do we split up momentarily?" Benkei asked. On the straps of their backpacks were communication badges. Only the original owner could use them and they were activated to those part of a party. To those who entered the Space gate alone, the badge would disintegrate.

"I'm going underground," Wei said and three fireballs broke through the road to the sewers. Of course, the water was long gone.

"Sakura will go with you guys. She can sense spirit energy and her ability is most useful. You royals are at Foundation Establishment. You can keep her safe. I'll go with Cong Wei," Benkei said and followed Wei below the street.

"I'll attract the attention of the monsters and draw them away," Hiro said.

"You can't," Sakura said as Hiro put a hand on her shoulder.

"The Mukata Clan is tasked with protecting your esteemed clan. One guardian per descendant until the cultivation rises and deserves more hands," Hiro said. "Go."

Sakura nodded, gritting her teeth with anger and worry as she led the other three party members away from the main streets. Benkei followed Wei through the sewers, staring at the many corpses skewered by spears of rocks from the beneath the concrete.

"What are those things?" Benkei asked as he stared at the grey-skinned humans with withered skins and scales on their bodies.

"Corpse Eaters," Wei answered, a memory belonging to the ghost flashing through his mind. "They're a species of undead tainted by dark magic. A pale imitation of power meant to contest the flames of a dragon. Fire can kill them, but only by burning the flesh not covered by their scales. The more they feed, the more powerful they become. Mindless undead that travel in hordes. They eat anything of the living, attacking on plain sight. There should be no more in the city."

"Where are we going?" Benkei asked.

"Where they used to be. There must be signs of life in the city. Other humans. Also, there must be treasures and the source of their creation. I originally came down here to escape what was coming to us," Wei said, creating a small flame in his hand to ignite a nearby plank on the ground. "We'll regroup with the others later. The more of us, the less we take."

"I'm game. My katana hasn't tasted blood since I got it," Benkei agreed as Wei observed the tracks and turned left into another sewer tunnel. They followed three tunnels before exiting out a manhole. Wei killed a few two foot tall rats with his fireballs while Benkei laughed as he slashed with his katana.

They cringed as they passed a few mangled corpses. However, they continued on as they knew they were going the right direction. They paused before a giant chamber that had several sewer tunnels along the walls. With the water long gone, Wei and Benkei could see a tunnel at the bottom of the chamber.

They nodded and slowly made their way below due to Benkei's ability to create and manipulate metal. It took Benkei half an hour to create metal bars in the wall to descend downward with. The two rested from exhausting their spirit energy before pressing on. They learned that Hiro regrouped with the others and that Lu Mang reached the peak ninth layer after slaying five meter tall wolves.

"He's growing," Wei sighed and ate a fruit he took from the valley.

"That Lu Mang?" Benkei asked.

"Lets just say, he sees me as a love rival and I have no interest in her," Wei shrugged and paused. "We're getting close. The smell of blood is stronger and my light spirit essence is reacting to something."

"That would be dark essence. What spell and battle skill do you know? Item?" Benkei asked. "I know the Metal Raiment spell and Thunder Beast Slash battle skill. My magical item is a bracelet that creates an energy shield as strong as the spirit energy supplied and my cultivation."

"I know the Fireball spell and possess a flying sword talisman. My battle skill unleashes a sword beam, but I haven't reached initial mastery with it yet," Wei answered.

"If we find a catalyst for obtaining steel essence, I'd like it. Essence is the next level up after all," Benkei grinned. "Besides another katana, I don't really care what we split unless its a Spirit Pearl."

"Take it," Wei said, tossing a Spirit Pearl. "Breakthrough before we head inside. It'll take a while to stabilize your new cultivation so we'll go in after two hours."

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"You found some good stuff. Where?" Benkei asked.

"The corpses. I did search them you know," Wei answered.

"Thanks man. Really. Truly," Benkei bowed his head and went back up the chamber to breakthrough there as it was safer. Wei also went up and onto the surface through another tunnel.

He returned with some non-perishable food and water bottles from the convenience stores he visited. He also returned with chips and other snacks, realizing that not much time passed as they still tasted good and didn't go moldy or rotten when he opened a few.

He had also found a turtle shell pot. It was an extremely valuable item. Upon binding it, he learned it could be used to refine magical items and treasures. It could even upgrade them with the right materials. It also seemed to invigorate his wood essence within his spirit energy. He also found nine throwing knives. He put them in the pot and dumped some spirit crystals within.

Before Benkei returned to the bottom of the chamber, the throwing knives had been refined to three flying daggers with cyan crystal blades. Thinking of the long term, Wei dumped his flying sword talisman in the pot with many other miscellaneous items and magical metal he obtained from his executions and left the pot in the Blood Vein Ring so the process wouldn't be halted if he stored it in his hidden body space or Cosmos Ring. Time still moved within the Blood Vein Ring even if it was inside the hidden body space because they were not connected.

"I've finally consolidated my spirit energy at the early Foundation Establishment. I'm finally a quasi-celestial. Once I break through the peak stage, I'm a true celestial," Benkei laughed and saw Wei. "Thanks man. You're a true friend. You could have kept the Spirit Pearl and sold it, but you gave it to me."

"Don't mention it," Wei nodded and held out two katanas. "Found these outside. It makes me suspicious. There are some really rare magical treasures and many more junk treasures, but no human bodies. Not even decayed ones. I would find it hard to believe if someone told me they were all killed and eaten by the Corpse Eaters."

"These katanas are old. Nice craftsmanship, but the quality pales to my sword," Benkei noted as he appraised the swords. "What you also said sounds bad. We came with many others. Even if they were teleported to other areas in this dimension, we should have encountered a group or individual. Heard signs of battle. What is your cultivation now?"

"Still at the middle Foundation Establishment stage. I'm not only purifying my spirit energy to make me more powerful in the future, I'm also refining the flesh, bones, and organs in my body," Cong Wei answered. "I discovered I can continue practicing my Indestructible Golden Body technique. Do you know why?"

"Ah, you know that body refinement technique? Wow. You'll be tough to kill. The gold element contains the power of the stars, closely tied to the earth element. There are some skills and spells not restricted by the Space Gate. In your case, it can't be used to harm people or defend yourself as it improves your defenses permanently as you progress. I've heard similar cases," Benkei answered and paused, his hand on the badge. "Bad news."

"What is it?" Wei asked.

"DAMMIT!" Benkei roared, standing to his feet. "Are you sure? Hiro, you better be lying!"

"What happened?" Wei said as Benkei fell on his knees in despair.

"Fucking Lu Mang. He found a Space Gate but saw that Qing's Cosmos Ring shines near it. That means it is not the Space Gate home. So, he destroyed it as the Space Gates here are not indestructible. However, there are always defense mechanisms and a drake came out the Space Gate. While a wingless lizard of a dragon, it still possess dragon blood and it nearly killed them. A few of them have burns and the dragon spirit energy caused their spirit energy to be erratic," Benkei cursed. "They'll be unable to harness their spirit energy until it stabilizes. Meanwhile, the drake is on a rampage and killed two groups of people. Hiro saw it from the window as the Drake jumped out and traveled rooftop to rooftop. Its in its juvenile state, but its growing fast."

"Damn. We might not have seven days to go home. That dragon might destroy our Space Gate," Wei muttered but Benkei shook his head.

"It already did. Hiro found it and he regrouped with them to show them the location as the others took refuge in the skyscraper. We're fucking stranded and need to take another Space Gate to leave this cursed place," Benkei sighed. "Who knows if we can find another area with our Space Gate in time. Unless we had a flying sword, its impossible to travel and search so far from here."

"I can't go back to my family?" Wei said before the original Han Cong Wei's memories flashed. "No. I have to go back. I'm the duke. I'm still here."

"Listen to me! We're stuck. I want to cut off the head of that bastard, but his actions saved their lives. He's a hero to them. They can accept his actions," Benkei yelled, trying to keep Wei from going into shock.

"And I'm supposed to accept that he's a hero? What a load of crap!" Wei roared. "Looks like I have to take a chance and follow the script. I'll be the villain and skewer him."

"You can't!" Benkei said, putting a hand on Wei's shoulder. "You're right. We can't go back. He fucked up our lives and our families will believe we're dead. I want to cut off Lu Mang's head too, but do you think the others will let us?"

"No. The masses always see the hero as a savior no matter the method," Wei muttered and breathed deeply. "I don't care about him anymore. I knew he'd make trouble for me.....Lets go find the source of those Corpse Eaters."

"Yeah. Lets wreck havoc first and give Lu Mang a nice punch to the face when we regroup," Benkei agreed as he followed Wei into the tunnel at the bottom of the sewer chamber.