Alex jolted awake to the smell of blossoming copperthorns, sandalwood, and honeysuckle, covered in thorny vines that flowed effortlessly away as he sprung to his feet and darted up the trunk of the foliage-rich tree before him as fast and effortlessly as a dream. He blinked in momentary wonder as Rank 8 Forest Flight in addition to Quickness and Finesse having transformed in a single night to the Deeper end of Silver meant that his movements were now as effortless and fluid as he could normally only achieve when lost in the trance of battle, truly one with his weapon.
Only now…
It wasn’t so much embracing a wondrous dream as waking up from one. Only now did he truly feel awake, alive, and wholly himself once more as he reclaimed ever more pieces of his potential, his soul, from the eternal dream that was the River of Souls.
Yet he knew it was time to brace himself for nightmare and bitter regret. Fearing the terrible price that must be paid after daring to use his breakthrough to ascend an entire rank, before being forced to spend what had felt like ages harmonizing the accretion disk of his soul.
A transcendent super cable now spinning about the singularity of his future core without any trace of wobble at all. Pristine notes ringing harmoniously against his psyche, all but promising him that his potential was now unlimited. As for averting internal disaster and any sort of crack in his foundation, he felt nothing but heartfelt relief. Now he could see that his forced evolution had been the equivalent of taking a spirit pill, so eager he had been for a fresh breakthrough. A stunt that could have so easily strained his foundation to catastrophic results, yet by some miracle it hadn’t, and he had no plans of ever pulling such a stunt again. He promised himself right then and there that, no matter how much he felt his opponents pressuring him, he would rush no further level-ups. He would take all the time he needed to perfect and master his skills, to condense as much potency as he could into his super cable’s pristine transversal momentum, and only when the pressure got so great that his evolution was all but inevitable would he let it blossom.
Only when his foundation was absolutely pristine and as strong as it was possible to be would he allow himself to ascend at all.
Yet it was all he could do to suppress the surge of guilt, wondering what awful price this city had been forced to pay at the hands of gloating monsters, for the sake of Alex’s own ascension.
As it turned out, much to his awe and wonder, the answer seemed to be… nothing at all.
All was quiet. Peaceful in the depths of the night. And whether it was that same night or he had been out for days, weeks or months, he could sense no distant screams, no smell of any wood more valued than scraps burning. In truth, he sensed no trace of anything at all being amiss on this glorious night.
His lips curved in a gentle smile as wonder-tinged laughter filled the air, now gazing out at the city at large from the top of the crown of the massive date tree that had paid heed to his call. A touch of wood, a dream of the forest, now turning a ten by twenty yard piece of abandoned real estate into a graceful arborium with just a few walls intact that were now living wood, for all that they appeared planks from the outside still, the roof having transformed to the lush green canopy of fig, apricot, and date trees ripe with a sweet bounty of luscious fruit.
And Alex sensed but a single request he didn’t dare deny the miracle of greenery that had saved his life, its formation having allowed him to dart between the trees as fast as teleportation, just a second before Mongoose could rip open his throat.
You have summoned forth: Enhanced Water Shield! You have summoned forth… gentle showers! Note. You are channeling the potency of no kills. You are using no beast cores. You may maintain this shower for 10 minutes without penalty.
And the minute he sensed the miniature grove’s thirst slaked, Alex switched to a different bounty, though this too was delivered only in moderation, and before the roots of the largest trees, those that had helped him when he had needed it the most.
You have given the gift of Divine-tier blood to multiple representatives of the Eternal Forest.
The Eternal Forest recognizes your boon!
Your status within this Minor Grove is now that of Revered Ally!
You are currently suffering from: Mild Anemia: -1 to all Strength Checks.
You have paused to imbibe trail rations and 2 flasks of water. Homeostasis restored.
Alex spared a final fond look for the miniature grove he was leaving behind, giving a gentle pat to the front building face that was now living wood, though Alex suspected very few who lacked a cultivator’s insight would be able to tell, promising himself that he’d do what he could to purchase the property and see the grove tended to. He smiled, patting his hip, pleased once more that no matter how hard a certain headmaster had glared in expectation, he had donated only what he wished to. Indeed he had been happy to surrender a good portion of his prize for the sake of the city and school he had so recently left behind. But he had still kept a good measure for himself, trusting in his own instincts, and the worth of his story being at least equal to whatever Silver Sands academy might or might not be able to pull off with his donation. As for the hidden grove he had just created, once he took steps to assure that this property would well and truly be secure... free from predatory opportunists or legal capture, then he’d happily plant what boons he might to assure a bountiful garden for countless years to come.
Shadow Qi Perception Check: Success!
Alex’s wandering thoughts froze to crystalline focus, realizing he was being a fool the instant he sensed shadows shifting in ways they were never meant to. And considering that he had just obliterated an entire company of Dongfang Hong’s seasoned Bronze, including a Silver-tier elite… multiple Silver tier elites… he would be a fool not to suspect that one or more of the score in hiding in the deserts below Wanshi’s caldera would be here to track down the culprit responsible for the cessation of young victims being kidnapped to feed the rapacious needs of the Red Prince’s butchers.
Far faster than a mortal could blink, Alex had darted around the nexus of shadow, drawing his fangtian ji in the blink of an eye, weapon raised for a devastating windmilling blow that would shatter concrete to powder without channeling any Qi discipline at all. Then Alex took a closer look at his prey.
His cheeks to flush at the sight of Nili’s features, surprise, alarm, and exasperation flickering across her exquisite countenance, so like her daughter’s, that they could both pretend that she hadn’t been momentarily terrified that Alex would end her life. A tragedy that would fill their enemies with darkest mirth.
Nili blinked, slack-jawed only momentarily, before giving a low chuckle. “If I ever had any doubt before…”
Alex’s cheeks flushed as he lowered his fangtian ji. “Sorry.”
She smirked. “Apologize for nothing, hero. Even if I had to spend the entire night of our engagement chasing down and butchering rats eager to flee a sinking ship and hop right into the arms of our enemies.”
“Ah.”
Her sardonic smile grew. “And all of the following day and the next, discretely returning sixty odd girls to parents and guardians who, I was grateful to see in most cases, had missed them dearly. It took time to ascertain that the parents were both as upright as we could hope… and sympathetic to the ordeal that the girls had suffered.”
Alex winced, feeling acutely embarrassed for the girls, but knowing that in this day and age, things needed to be said. “Nili… about the girls, and the kidnapping. It’s… complicated.”
She nodded solemnly. “I know. They were all seduced. Each and every pristine innocent child had been deflowered utterly before being kidnapped and claimed. On the one hand, this would be disastrous in almost any situation and pretext. But one thing a certain sniveling rat did make clear was that the culprit was a powerful Silver.”
Nili chuckled ruefully. “You’d be surprised the clemency and… understanding? This brought. Girls that would otherwise have to worry about being cast out and abandoned are now instead being gazed at a bit too intently by elders hoping for a powerful Silver to be born into their clan.”
Alex winced. “Ah. That must be… awkward for the girls.”
“Unbelievably. They were seduced by a powerful master of Spirit Qi and a predator along the Purple Path, though many choose to conquer it by declaring it their choice, however foolish a choice it was. Still, they’re caught between feeling ashamed for not being the innocent prizes their parents had hoped to marry off… while simultaneously being seen by their family as valued broodmares. When it was made clear that they were rescued before anyone else could touch them… almost all the parents welcomed their children with tears and open arms, all agreeing to put the night behind them as if it had never happened… and if the girl quickens, the grandparents will in all likelihood claim the infant as their own right after they have been weened.”
“So girls can still be married off,” Alex said with a sad smile. “Almost as good as new, and with a future Silver, hopefully, in the family.”
“More or less,” Nili conceded. As for the others? Most of those parents were still talked around to forgiving their daughter’s… indiscretions when I discretely promised to double their dowry. Within reason.”
Alex’s eyes widened. He then gave a relieved nod. “Good. Not perfect, but… thank you, Nelly. That’s a weight off my conscience.”
“Mine as well,” She said, eyes growing haunted as they quietly made their way along the brownstone road. “Alex…”
“It’s alright. You trusted your underling while doing your part to save this city by Sunlay’s side. Chaoxiang allowing the girls who did work under your roof to be so badly taken advantage of… that’s his fault alone. Not yours.”
She gave him an arch look. “As if you knew exactly what I was going to say.”
Alex grinned. “Just a hunch. I could be—”
“You’re right. Dead right. Though now I have a full dozen girls eager for a gentle taper and a fresh start, with half of those girls deciding that they’re all desperately in love with a legend come to life, the hero of their dreams, each and every one eager to fill your nights with bliss, should you care enough to grace them with your patronage.”
Alex forced a chuckle. “I hope they can all find professions and paths that fill them with contentment, and men who appreciate the healthy, empowered women they are blossoming into, without judging the follies of their past.”
Nili gave him a curious look. “You do have a unique perspective on these things, Alex.” She sighed sadly. “Truly an idealist and a dreamer. Bringing to life so many ancient tales.”
Alex flushed and lowered his gaze, carefully taking in his surroundings, most definitely not paying attention to Nili’s comment or the sad look in her eyes.
“So, what’s the plan?” He asked, eager to change the subject.
“A great question, Alex. First, I assume you took care of the Silver who had been leading the operation?”
Alex gave a curt nod.
This earned a fresh snort. “A man who, by all accounts, is a Mid-tier Speed Cultivator who, if he had half a mind to, could have probably broken into the palace and eliminated any number of key players, even if traps and countermeasures are in place that would assure his death along with his targets’.” Her gaze hardened. “A man who should never have been able to slip by the gates without being held to the strongest of oaths. And you dealt with him as easily as exterminating rats from a granary.”
Alex snorted. “First of all, it’s actually a pain in the ass to purge a granary of any kind of rodent.”
“I know.”
“And secondly… it was a damned close fight. Close enough and perilous enough that I had another breakthrough and only came back to myself minutes before we met up.”
Nili looked him over with a measuring gaze, lips pressing together in a frown.
“Nili?”
“I believe we might have a bit of a problem, Alex.”
Alex felt a twist of apprehension, but forced a laugh. “When are we not dealing with problems? So spit it out, and we’ll deal with it.”
His semi-flippant remark earned a look. Then her features eased into odd approval. “The problem is you, Alex.”
“Me?”
Nili nodded. “We need to get you some fresh attire to wear to court. His Grace will be giving commendations to the bold caravanners that dared the deadly sands to bring a considerably hefty grain shipment to our fair city, and both sponsoring merchant and the pair of Ruidians who managed to fend off bandit raiders will be feted by the city. Of course His Grace is hoping that such awards and commendations will inspire ever more merchants to dare the sands, the premium rate he’s now willing to pay allowing for the hiring of more guards as well.”
Alex slowly nodded. “Sounds logical to me. So, what’s the problem?”
“The problem is that you’ve grown almost two inches, Alex. And the way you move… with the exquisite grace of a master cultivator, your every movement an extension of the dance… whether that of art or combat hardly matters. What I’m saying, Alex, is that you now radiate a Spiritual Pressure that will leave most mortals breathless, and no experienced cultivator will see you as anything other than what you are. An extremely powerful and talented body cultivator with multiple elemental affinities who’s managed Deep Silver while barely twenty years old!”
Alex blinked at that. “Okay, first of all… I’m only Rank 2. Even if my stats are, well… yeah. No complaints there.”
Nili furrowed her brow. “You’re saying you only had one breakthrough since you first ascended to…” she shook her head, looking more than a little bit awed. “And how could it be otherwise? We first met when you were Bronze, and no weakling then, either! We only sensed your Silver pull when…” She paled, slender fingers instinctively reaching up to her neck before she forced her hand down.
She shook her head in disbelief. “Whatever your supposed ‘Rank’ or whatever paradigm you use to define yourself… you’ve still managed to hit Deep Silver potency in less than a week. And that, dear Alex, isn’t just shockingly absurd, it’s outright impossible… No. It’s outright legendary.” She gave him a pointed look. “Do you see the problem, Alex?”
Alex winced, then forced himself to nod, conceding the point. Though he didn’t feel like he was any taller than he had been before… more like he had just corrected something that had felt the tiniest bit off since he had first woken up to his new life, regaining the very height he had had when daring to defy the heavens, a lifetime ago.
“I’m radiating too much of my killing aura.” he forced a smile that was more a grimace, eyes glaring in all directions. “After coming so close to… not being here after my last fight, I feel this need to truly be in the moment, to sense my connection to everything and everyone around me. To be ready for extreme violence the instant something feels off. Because the slightest mistake, the tiniest miscalculation…”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
“I know,” Nili softly said. “Believe me, you’re not the only cultivator who’s ascended along Peril’s Path. Far from it. Myself in more perilous times included. Yet the disadvantage is that it can be very difficult to pull oneself in. To not feel like one has to be utterly connected to everything around them, even if we use but a metaphor. But equally true, if we allow the pressure of our anxieties, alarm, or outrage to fade, if we instead concentrate on flowing into our environment instead of dominating it… I find that such does wonders for helping to hide one’s natural killing aura.”
Alex nodded, taking a deep breath, trusting in the competence of the companion by his side. He was safe. Their foes were defeated. All was well. No need to glare so fiercely into the dark, daring all foes to fight or flee for all they were worth. No. Alex was just a former apothecary’s assistant enjoying an evening walk with a beautiful kitsune companion. A youth awed to have earned royal commendation and excited for a chance to see the wondrous palace for himself.
Alex closed his eyes for a couple seconds, recalling so viscerally the innocent joy he had experienced with a certain young Apothecary who had seen him as little more than a charming fellow herbalist who had been there for her when she had needed him. A warmhearted friend who had set her up with a fortune in priceless potions, only to fade away days later, never to be seen or heard from again.
Nili gave him a curious look. “Remarkable.”
“What?”
“You hide it so well… so naturally. Are you sure you have no Shadow Qi Affinity?”
Alex smirked. “As a matter of fact, I do have a mild affinity. But only in terms of detecting it. I have no ability whatsoever to manipulate it.”
Nili shrugged. “Either way, you now give off the spiritual pressure that’s precisely what one would expect from a newly awakened disciple.”
Alex grinned. “Yup! It’s all about drawing it in. All you need to radiate is your smile and the warmth of your good intentions.”
“Sure. Though I’m guessing there’s not much we can do about your walk?”
“What’s wrong with my walk? It’s a perfect normal walk… I think.” Alex sighed. “Please don’t make me stumble, over analyzing my own two feet!”
This earned a snort. “The problem is how you move, not your walk per se.”
“How I move?”
She needed. “Eerily graceful. Like a cultivator who has absolutely mastered his own body.”
“But my Finesse is Only Silver Rank 3. We don’t hit normal Silver tier maximums until Rank 5, right?”
Nili gave him a strange look. “What’s so bizarre is that I think I know what you’re saying… Alex, do you even know how rare it is for any Silver tier cultivator to survive and train and evolve long enough to earn three breakthroughs in a single characteristic?”
Alex nodded. “Mongoose had Rank 3 in Quickness. Rank 5 when he boosted himself later in the fight. And he was a monster.”
Nili’s gaze hardened. “Mongoose. That was his name?”
Alex nodded. “That’s what he called himself. Why?”
The kitsune squeezed her eyes shut before shaking her head with a sigh. “I fear things might be even more dire than we thought… no, Alex. Please don’t brood. Keep your thoughts light. Light as any aspirant dreaming of a perfect, glorious cultivator’s life. A fantasy free of hardship and struggle. There. Better! And to answer your question, Yes, achieving five miraculous breakthroughs in a single, highly focused aspect of one’s physical or spiritual being is supposedly what unlocks the gate to shockingly powerful growth, should one actually manage to break through to the next tier. Which, in your case, is Gold. But such a feat is borderline legendary. Were it not for the monstrous presence of Xien Tang that had come so close to claiming Liushi… I’d wonder if Golds themselves were just idealized dreams of cultivation, much like the gods themselves were ideals of concepts, or metaphors for the avariciousness and petty power-squabbles of man…” Her cheeks flushed when she caught Alex’s gaze.
“Apologies.”
“No need. I’ve met the individuals you’re referring to. Hardly an ideal among them that’s not based on absolute power and dominion and crushing anything that flies in the face of their fanatic obsessions, so I know precisely how bad they are.”
His words caused Nili to stumble.
It was surprisingly easy for Alex to catch her and steady her back to her feet, even as her tremble grew. Haunted eyes met Alex’s own. “Please, Alex. Be careful.”
“Always.”
This earned an arch look, even as Nili gracefully slipped free of Alex’s steadying grip. “Really?”
Alex chuckled. “Okay, that part’s a lie. How the hell am I going to ascend Peril’s Golden Steps if I’m cautious and prudent and trying to advance at anything like a sane pace?”
Nili gave him a look nearly identical to the one his mother used to give him as a boy, after his genius plans somehow turned the kitchen to a disaster zone. Before snorting with mirth. “Oh, there’s so much I could say to that, Alex Hammer. But since your insane risk taking is the only reason why my husband and I aren’t wearing slave collars right now, the only reason why my sworn charge is safe, my daughter not in some man’s…”
Her voice broke off as she rubbed the haunted look off her features, giving the softest of chuckles. “All I can say is that your madness clearly works, no matter that your path would spell absolute disaster for anyone else. And here you are, just three days after charging headlong into the den of the deadliest Silver ever to slip past Wanshi’s walls… and instead of being maimed, disemboweled, and left to die a hideous death like the handful of guards whose bodies we so recently found… you’ve emerged noticeably taller, your shoulders broader, and even if you still appear to be in the Bronze end of the cultivating spectrum and not a Silver Giant by any means, you still radiate such potency when you’re not careful that no cultivator would dare take you for granted.” She frowned, gazing down at what he thought was a perfectly innocent walk. “And still moving with a liquid grace that any warrior would envy, and we can only pray that all of that won’t give your nature away.”
Alex frowned. “My arms don’t feel that much bigger, and my changshan tunic fits me just fine.”
“I’m sure your magical clothing that the wind tossed into your hands the moment you lifted your arm before all our eyes fits you just fine, Alex. The problem is, I’m not sure my tailor will be able to alter the outfit I picked out for you in time.”
Alex shrugged. “So I just wear what I’ve always worn—”
“Alex, we’re going to be presented before the prince. I’d prefer that you not embarrass yourself or our group”
Alex grinned. “Good thing I’m never embarrassed.”
Nili gave him an arch look. “Another exaggeration? Because I know a dozen girls who would be eager to test that claim. Girls I am willing to devote quite a bit of resources to aiding, for the sake of a heroic ideal that’s brought inspiration to so many of our—”
“Fine! Let’s go to your bloody tailor. But if he sticks me full of pins, I won’t be happy.”
“It’s a she, Alex. And I expect you to obey the rules under a seamstress’s roof.”
“And that is?”
“Absolutely no talking. It’s a woman’s sanctuary, and women alone converse within.”
Alex blinked at that, trying to process what his friend had just said. “But that means… what if a guy doesn’t have, well…”
“Have you ever seen any unattached men strolling about casually without a mother, sister, aunt, daughter, wife, or betrothed in any desert city? One who wasn’t hurrying to or from his place of instruction or business as fast as he could? Certainly not casually taking in the sights or at risk of catching any unmarried woman’s eye.”
Alex frowned, realizing he actually wasn’t sure about that.
“But Nili, I never had a problem with—”
“Really? Are you sure about that? From what I recall, there was either a certain pretty Ruidian girl or a female cultivator friend by your side whenever I caught sight of you, limited as that was. Sometimes both. And besides, as far as our people are concerned, you’re Ruidian. An entirely different culture, so allowances were made.”
But before he could say anything else, they stopped before a well-maintained building free of any huts or add-ons as they approached the boarder between the merchant’s quarter and the marbled quarter that the well-to-do called home.
“Ah, here we are. Now keep your adorable lips shut, Alex. I will, of course, handle everything.”
And in surprisingly short order, Alex found his arms being carefully raised and lowered as an eagle-eyed seamstress with a dozen pins in her mouth draped him in fabric that was both silky smooth, airy, and a strikingly attractive shade of sea-foam blue.
Fortunately, the fitting wasn’t nearly as dull as Alex had feared, finding the myriad bolts of beautifully patterned satin, silk, wool, hemp, and lace carefully placed in their hardwood racks quite soothing to look at, and he felt that he was now getting quite used to modifying his movements so as to blend in perfectly with everyone else.
The handsome woman in question who definitely had a few intact meridians open, beamed with pleasure several moments later. “I believe we are done, my lady. And what a fine specimen you have brought before me!”
Nili’s features softened with a smile. “I quite agree, Mingi. Thank you again for working on such short notice.”
“Not at all, not at all, my lady! You know I always love a challenge. And it is so rare to find cultivators sporting the ancient bloodlines so strongly!”
Alex’s eyes widened at that, earning a smirk from Nili.
“Indeed it is. Ancient royal bloodlines thought lost in the cataclysm aren’t quite so alien to the desert cities as most would think.”
“Indeed, the boy could pass perfectly for a Ruidian. Were he not radiating such monstrous potency, I’d think him just that! Will your guest be attending the college, my lady?”
Nili ignored Alex’s surprised blanch. “That remains to be seen, Mingi. Perhaps he will, at that.”
Shortly thereafter, a dazed Alex found himself wearing attire even he could admit would be worthy of any lord, gazing at Nili with something close to awe.
“How did she, and you, know about YanTu Royalty?”
Nili flashed Alex an oddly pitying smile. “Of course I do, Alex. I was a scholar once, and this is YanTu nation, after all. Believe it or not, history was my focus when I first entered Wanshi’s grand academy as a scholar’s daughter, years ago. Don’t you dare ask me how many years, child, and no, no one knew of my mixed bloodlines.”
Nili, now looking no older than Alex, no matter her years, stopped and sighed, gazing at the brilliant, starry night sky above them and the graceful marble fronted buildings and perfectly placed date trees lining the wide streets of this part of the city, seeming completely oblivious to Alex’s shell-shocked stare. It was all he could do not to stumble as so many anomalies snapped into place, his heart swelling with relief and desperate hope.
“Not that very much remains of our once great nation. Just the dying embers clinging to life in the vast desert that I sometimes fear that the whole world has become” Nili whispered, wiping away a tear as she gazed with fondness at the city, and the vast, endless desert their elevated quarter of the city had such a glorious view of, even from the central boulevard. Together, they silently gazed out at the vast desert seas far beyond the caldera that fed and watered an entire city. Just one of a handful of islands in an endless sea of desolation. All that it was left, it seemed, of the great YanTu nation.
But still, a breathless Alex had to be sure. “So this isn’t…” He swallowed, heart hammering, having stumbled to a stop. “This isn’t ZhengTu kingdom? This isn’t CuiJing Principality? I’m not responsible for destroying an entire…” He blinkeda way hot stinging tears, too choked up to speak.
“So this isn’t my fault?” He whispered at last, like a child so terribly afraid that somehow he had lit the fire that had turned his family’s manor to ash… and burned everyone alive inside it.
Nili flashed Alex a smile so sympathetic it set his heart lurching painfully in his chest.
Nearly identical to the look his mother had given him when first she read the cold, dispassionate chart that had effectively been Alex’s death warrant. Stage 4 cancer. No repeals, re-rolls, or second chances.
“Of course you did, Alex. You, Your wife and sister disciple, and the mad fox that led you all against the Ancient General so set on eliminating you madcap fools that our entire nation was destroyed.”
Her smile grew even more pitying when Alex stumbled to the ground, fighting not to hyperventilate as his fingers clawed the brownstone blocks at his feet so hard that stone cracked in his grip, a hoarse sob slipping free of his lips as his mind filled with visions of vast armies, crimson battlefields, and entire cities erupting in flame.
Flashes of a wild-eyed nemesis screaming his eternal hate.
Shui Jun’s face. Not that of a cold-eyed serpent, but the beautiful young woman she had once been. Her Japanese features just as alien to these people as his own Scandinavian features had been. And the uniform she had worn… he recognized that uniform, even as Shui Jun screamed and howled her wrath, the equal of his own. Summoning death’s waters in a nightmare of apocalyptic vengeance.
And WiFu roaring with a fury Alex had never seen before in this life or any other that he could recall, as together, he, Shui Jun, and his mentor set the entire world ablaze.
“No… no, no, no!”
Alex’s howl was endless and eternal, suddenly flooded with the bitter fruit of so many faces mirroring his own. And not just his own. Countless generations of beloved offspring once savored by eternal parents, slaughtered to the last innocent child.
The air filled with the mocking laughter of a bloated monstrosity so filled with malice that nothing would ever appease, save for the absolute destruction of his deformed youngest sibling, his disciples, and every reflection of happiness or joy that Alex, WiFu, or Shui Jun had ever experienced.
In that moment, Alex knew with searing and utter clarity that there could be no peace. No truce. No cease fire of any kind between him and his sworn foes of a thousand incarnations.
“Alex, please. Get up. Your soiling those silks just minutes after we—”
Something in his eyes, perhaps. Nili’s gaze widened with what Alex knew damn well was fear when he regained his feet once more.
“No, Alex. Please. NO!” She fell to her knees, sobbing with terror, desperately pleading with her gaze. Looking so young. So innocent. So like one of Alex’s lost children. “No, no, you mustn’t. Please! The hour isn’t that late. It can’t be! You can’t doom us all again!”
Yet her words were nothing to him as he howled his wordless fury to the heavens, so filled with heart-wrenching despair that he could utter no words beyond a mournful cry so terrible that stone cracked and date palms crumbled to ash. And the handful of innocent mortals who had been making their way peacefully through the city street that had chanced to look his way, each and every one of them collapsed, spirits washed away by death’s waters as their bodies corroded, aging centuries in seconds, before being blown away as white ash upon desert winds. Even Nili had collapsed in a heap. Blood trickled from every orifice upon her terrified countenance, looking up at Alex as if he were death, come to claim her soul.
And then, in the blink of an eye, it was gone.
“Soon, my disciple. Soon it will be time.”
Alex jolted awake, stumbling on his feet, gazing about with confusion.
“Nili?”
Alex winced, genuinely worried. Why did his friend look so terrified?
“Nili, what’s wrong?” He rubbed his throbbing skull. “And why the hell does my head hurt? I have Tier 4 Silver Vitality. At this point, headaches are absolute bullshit!”
“I don’t know what your mumbling about, but we’re late, Alex.” Nili snapped, glaring at him very much as a mother would a particularly stubborn child. “And you’ve somehow managed to get your silks dirty within minutes of purchasing! Are your sure you stabilized your foundation, Alex? Because stumbling like a drunkard makes me think you need a good couple weeks meditation… or the same taper your devoted doves will be suffering through.”
Alex furrowed his brow. Wasn’t Nili upset about something? But she didn’t look upset. Save maybe at him? And was that blood around her… no. Just a trick of shadow and light. She looked flawless as always.
Alex flashed a sheepish smile. “Yeah, I felt like I was on top of the world, just… what, an hour ago?” He shrugged. “Then we got these clothes? Odd, it feels almost like a dream. And then we were chatting and…” He shook his head. “I don’t know, Nili. Maybe forcing two Silver tier evolutions in twice that number of days with almost no sleep wasn’t exactly the smartest move I could have made.”
This earned a playful snort. “Truly the lucky fool as always,” Nili huffed, before patting his hand like a mother, leaving him feeling oddly cared for, for all that her eyes were firm with reproof and gentle with concern. “Now come, Alex. We’ll pay our respects to the prince, you’ll just smile and nod and do absolutely nothing to imply you’re anything other than a powerfully built half-blood guard. Then we’ll head back and you’ll be free to sleep and consolidate your gains for the next week. And who knows? If you’ve had enough of cultivation academies, you might just find yourself hungry for the road once more. There’s a whole world filled with exotic cities desperate for caravan guards and heroes.”
Alex grinned, eased as always by his friend’s patter. “True. I get the gut feeling that my story will be happiest if I don’t linger any place for too long… especially places where I stand out!” He said with a fond chuckle. “Like Liushi. It sounds terrible, I know. I made friends that I dearly care for there, but after wearing the hero’s mantel so strongly that both prince and headmistress acknowledged me…” he shuddered, shaking his head. “I don’t know, maybe I didn’t want it all to go to my head?” He sighed. “Somehow, I just knew it was time for me to go.”
Nili gave him an understanding smile. “Yours isn’t an easy burden to bear, Alex. But I’m glad you chose to leave when you had. Otherwise…”
“Otherwise, Dongfang Dickhead’s troops would have had way too much fun harassing my friends, and that’s a big no no as far as I’m concerned,” he said with a certain twinkle in his eyes. “Alright, why are we standing around here for? Let’s go pay our regards to the prince, secure a certain prize, save a city, and walk off as fresh legends with no trace that we were ever here!”
Nili chuckled throatily, squeezing his hand. “Let’s do just that!” And with a flick of her fingers and a brush of shadow, the odd stains on his fancy silken attire disappeared as if it had never been, and soon they flowed through the city at a pace that seemed oddly graceful to the passersby, even if they darted past at a speed that no horse could hope to match.