Samantha flew towards the discolored line in the distance as quickly as she could stomach. The world blurred around her in a disorienting smear, and she stopped every few seconds to ensure that she hadn’t overshot her goal. Before long, she neared the area and was able to see what it truly was for the first time: a canyon.
The rocky chasm was incomprehensibly vast and larger than anything she had seen on the first floor. It was at least 10 miles wide at its narrowest point, a mile deep, and its length stretched on beyond the visible horizon. The tall, sheer walls were nearly vertical, with only the occasional boulder or overhang sticking out from the surface and breaking up the uniformity.
She looked back to where her body was located and estimated the rift was perhaps 15 miles away from where they had arrived. The incredible size of the rift had made it seem closer when she had spotted it earlier, and she feared her initial plan to flee from the bandits into the canyon was now unlikely to be successful. Still, she explored the area in the hopes that some solution would present itself.
She descended about half a mile into the ravine until she was able to clearly make out the details below. Though she hadn’t traveled terribly far from the sandy, barren landscape above, it seemed like she had entered an entirely different world. The further she descended, the greener and more vibrant everything seemed to become. A wide river of sparkling, clear waters flowed through the center of the canyon and gave life to the landscape through its countless small tributaries. A dense canopy of trees shaded a majority of the valley from the harsh sunlight overhead, and a variety of plants seemed to be thriving. Compared to the desert, this looked like paradise.
She turned to the right and started quickly traveling down the length of the river in hopes that she would see some sign of civilization. Cities typically were founded near reliable water sources, and she felt this river was probably the largest source around.
After moving down the river as quickly as she could for one second, she would pause her flight and visually scan the area for any structures or signs of campfire. She continued this process for another 10 minutes before giving up on this direction and returning to where she started. Moving left up the river this time, it only took her five minutes before she found what she was looking for. Given the speed she was traveling, it was hard to tell if she had traversed 20 or 50 miles in the short period of time, but at least it was relatively close by.
A small hamlet was nestled in a natural bend of the river and had completely cleared the surroundings of any foliage. For several hundred feet in any direction of the hamlet there was nothing but dirt, meaning there was nowhere to hide when approaching. Extending out from the edge of the hamlet and about 100 feet into the river was a dock with several small boats moored to it. Other boats were pulled halfway onto the sandy shores so as not to float downstream.
Samantha flew closer to the colony to try and get a feel for if the group would be friendly or not. There was always a chance that, like the raiders, these people would seek to rob or kill them rather than take them in.
“--Delvers will bring anything good back? I heard from Fara that she’d be taking the group further than usual.” a laid back looking woman asked the man standing guard near the eastern hamlet entrance.
He grunted in response.
She rolled her eyes at him, “Wow, Marcus. How insightful! You always know just what to say.”
He gave her a sidelong glance, then smirked, “Mhmm.”
The woman's fist whipped out and slammed into the man’s shoulder, but he didn’t so much as flinch. Instead, the woman drew her hand back and rubbed at her sore knuckles, then shook her hand a few times. Marcus let out a small huff of air that Samantha interpreted as a laugh.
“I still can’t believe you actually managed to buy a Resilience enhancing art off of the Delvers! Talk about unfair. You think you’re so untouchable now? Just you wait.” she complained playfully.
Marcus reached over and gave her a consoling pat on the shoulder.
“I’ll challenge you to a proper duel once I get back to Centra and buy an art of my own. Or maybe I’ll luck out like Raymond did and get one from a third eye vision, then–”
This was the second time that she’d heard a second floor resident mention an art scarcity. When listening in on the raiders, one of them had asked their leader Cain if he thought Samantha and her group had any new arts on them because he’d been waiting to learn his first one. Now, this. She wondered if arts were not as widely available on the second floor in general, or if this was unique to whatever area she had landed in.
The woman continued to ramble on and Marcus continued to respond in nothing but short grunts. Not seeing the one sided conversation going anywhere fast, Samantha moved on to exploring inside the town.
A quick jaunt through the hamlet gave her the impression that this was not a hostile settlement. There were around 60 individuals–mostly adults, but a few children were also present–who seemed to be going about their day as anyone would in a town. There were a handful of shops, some homes, and a sort of central hall where heavily armed individuals occasionally entered or left. With the exception of the smallest children, everyone carried a caster with them at all times. Samantha again wondered what kind of weapon it was.
Figuring that she’d investigated the area as much as was reasonable for the moment, she canceled [Spectral Projection]. In the next breath she was back in her body and she opened her eyes.
“Harold?” she called.
The grumpy man rounded the corner of the butte and approached her, “Well, don’t leave me in suspense. What did you find?”
“Okay, well I have good-ish news, and bad news. Which do you want first?” she offered.
“I’m already miserable, so tell me the bad. No sense in getting my hopes up with mediocre good news only to stomp them back into the dirt.” he grumbled.
“We’re being hunted by raiders a few miles off. Don’t look up, but there are three vultures flying overhead that are their bonded beasts. They had seven cultivators of various ranks that I could see, as well as other giant bonded spiders hiding below the surface of the sands. They plan to launch their attack once the sun starts to set, and the only refuge is a huge ravine about 15 miles away.” she explained as calmly as she could.
Harold kept his expression neutral, “...and the good news?”
“Good-ish.” she corrected.
He sighed, but waved for her to continue.
“The ravine I found has an abundance of water and resources, and I found a settlement we can travel to. Problem is, the System itself warned us when we arrived that the rifts are filled with dangerous predators, and the hamlet is likely several days' journey away if we travel through the canyon to get there. Also, it doesn’t look like there’s a good way for you to get to the bottom of the ravine without my help. I have a few ideas, but you probably aren’t going to like any of them.”
“How long would it take if we traveled along the tops of the cliffs instead of in the rift? Would that be any faster?”
“That depends on you.” she said honestly. “It was hard for me to gauge distance while scrying, but I’d approximate after walking to the canyon it could be 20 to 50 miles to the hamlet. I didn’t think you’d want to do that in the hot sun without any shade. And we definitely wouldn’t be able to manage it while being chased.”
Harold shook his head enthusiastically, “No, you’re right. Going through the rift is our best option… provided we manage to survive the journey there. I’ll leave asking about the specifics of descending into the ravine for later. Worrying about it now is a waste of time. You have a plan for how to get out of this mess, right? You aren’t panicking, so you must have something up your sleeve.”
She nodded, “Truthfully, our chances of winning against the raider group in a straightforward fight are terrible. I noticed a couple of oddities we might be able to exploit while scrying, though. First, it seems like combat arts are rare on this floor. That’ll give me an advantage and hopefully allow me to keep up with more experienced cultivators. Second, the raider group didn’t seem like the type to fight to the last man. I think if we put up a strong front at the start then they’ll scatter, or at least back off enough for us to make it to the ravine.”
“A bluff, then? You’re betting our lives on a bluff?” he asked incredulously.
She shrugged, “Unless you have a better idea?”
He scowled, “No, but if it’s bluff or death I might be able to come up with some concoctions that can help us. Something flashy and extremely painful that can scare them off.”
“You have the means to make potions right now?”
He gave her a sardonic smile, “I robbed the Ruler’s alchemy lab of all the ingredients, base chemicals, and equipment I could carry. My work won’t be the best quality due to these conditions, but it will still be potent.”
“In that case, there might be something else you can do to give us a better shot at survival…” she started tentatively.
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“I’m listening.”
“Can you make a poison that could kill a Bronze cultivator quickly if ingested?”
He raised an eyebrow, “Several. Why?”
“I might be able to use it in the upcoming fight. The catch is, it needs to be as painless as possible. It won’t be useful to me if it makes the target scream in agony and draw a lot of attention as they die.”
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, “Painless poisons are certainly doable. Off the top of my head, there’s one called ‘The Reaper’s Kiss’ that knocks the victim unconscious before stopping their heart. It usually takes less than a minute to kill. I don’t know if this will work for your purposes though because it has a very short shelf life. I can give you the base compound and the activation powder, but you’ll need to use it almost immediately after mixing it. It becomes inert in an hour, otherwise.”
“That’s perfect, actually. How long will it take for you to make it?” she asked, trying not to let her sudden wariness show in her voice. The apparent ease with which he could craft such a deadly poison was mildly disconcerting. Harold may not be a strong cultivator in terms of raw power, but it seemed that his stunt with the court alchemist, Valena, was more than just luck. She resolved then and there to keep a good eye on her personal effects and supplies when Harold was nearby.
“It’s quite simple actually. The required solutions were already present in the alchemy vault so I just need to measure out the correct ratios. Give me five–maybe ten minutes.”
Samantha watched as Harold rifled through a small knapsack and pulled out five vials. Four had colored liquids in them while the fifth was empty. He mixed varying amounts of the liquids into the empty vial, swirled it a few times, and then handed it to her. Then he reached into his bag and pulled out a tin filled with black dust. He put a pinch of the dust into some wax paper, then folded it so none would fall out.
After handing her the powder he explained, “Again, I want to reiterate the importance of not mixing this into the vial until you’re ready to use it.”
She nodded her understanding, “I won’t. I’m going to head up to the top of the butte again to keep watch on the birds and the raider camp. Will you be alright down here by yourself for a couple hours?”
He waved her off irritably, “I may be weaker than you, but I’m not a child. You don’t need to baby me. I’ll get started on mixing up some nice surprises for our unwelcome guests.”
Leaving him to it, Samantha loaded her heavy pack onto her back and Silas perched on her shoulders once again to give them both some shade. Then, she began the 1000 foot climb. A month ago, undertaking such a physical task would have been unthinkable. Now, it seemed practically mundane. Her enhanced Strength made even the couple hundred pounds of equipment she carried a non-issue, and whenever she lost her footing or reached a particularly difficult section all she needed to do was use [Cloud Step] to reach the next climbable area. 10 minutes and a few qi points later, she was back to the top of the butte and looking over the desert.
She set her pack down behind her and sat down, using it as a backrest.
“What are you really planning?” Silas asked curiously, “I felt your unease earlier. You lied.”
Samantha looked up to the vultures circling high overhead and sighed, “I didn’t lie about how bad our situation is. You and I could possibly make it to the rift before being caught if we left Harold behind, but even then we might not have the energy to climb down. Even with a full qi pool, [Cloud Step]ping the entire way down to the bottom of the canyon will be difficult at best. As much as I dislike the man for the role he played in Aiden’s death, he’s already paid a heavy price for what he did and I don’t feel right about abandoning him.”
Silas snuffled in protest, “If he’s too weak, why not leave him? He’s not family like us. It’s better that you and I survive.”
“He has his uses.” she hedged, “If it really comes down to it I’ll leave him behind, but I don’t think that is the best option in this case. Even if we leave him to die it won’t stop the vultures from tracking us, not to mention the spiders they have can also track prey.”
Silas let out a low growl of frustration, “I hate being prey.”
Samantha stroked his head to comfort him, “I don’t like it either. That’s why I got poison from Harold.”
“But, how will you get them to drink it?”
“That’s the part I did lie about. It’s not for them… it’s for me.”
He paused for a moment to think over her words, then exclaimed with realization, ”So you can go back to the library inside you!”
“That’s right.” she praised, “I have an unspent Low Bronze insight that I received after completing the registration quest. There must be something from my past lives that can help me in this situation. I thought about just initiating a third eye vision so I wouldn’t have to die again, but it’s too unpredictable. I would regret using it like that if I only received some normal memory instead of an art.”
“What are you looking for, then?” Silas inquired.
“A long range attack, maybe? I’d also settle for some sort of transport art or something that can hide us all. I’m open to anything useful, really.” she admitted.
He nuzzled into her cheek, “I understand. I will guard you! I will use my wings to hide your death.”
“Good thinking.”
Silas angled his wings overhead to shield her from the vulture’s sight. Then, Samantha mixed the activation powder into the liquid and it shifted from a murky brown color to completely clear. She hesitated for a moment and wondered if there really wasn’t a better option other than dying. No matter how she looked at it though, she couldn’t see another way.
She doubted she could lure the birds close enough to kill them all off, and didn’t currently pose enough of a threat to dissuade the raiders from attacking entirely. Unless she could somehow show that fighting would be more trouble than it was worth, the best she could hope for was an extended standoff. In that case, it’d be a waiting game to see who ran out of supplies first and was forced to act.
No, this is the right choice. Sometimes, you’ve just got to do things you don’t want to.
Before she could talk herself out of it, she drank the entire vial of poison in a single gulp. It was completely tasteless.
Paralyzation poison has activated [Poison Connoisseur]. Current paralyzation poison resistance at Rank 1 - 71%.
Congratulations! You’ve solidified the core concept of ‘Determination’ in both thought and deed.
As a secondary tenet, ‘Determination’ will enhance your foundational tenet of ‘Ambition’ and impart the following benefits:
1. Slight advantage when penetrating qi defenses of higher ranked cultivators
2. Slight advantage when defending against qi offenses from higher ranked cultivators
3. Slight advantage when engaging in battles of will with higher ranked cultivators
Rejoice! Ambition alone is the progenitor of dreams half fulfilled. When coupled with Determination, however… even impossible hopes can be made manifest.
Samantha read through the notification as quickly as she could. She could feel herself becoming increasingly drowsy by the second and couldn’t help but marvel at the potency of this concoction considering she already had a Rank 1 resistance in place. Her limbs grew heavy and her eyelids drifted shut. Her entire body became paralyzed and she sagged slightly against her pack.
Before she fully drifted off to sleep her lungs stopped working. The entire organ seized and clenched with some of the worst cramping pain she’d ever felt. She would have screamed, but she couldn’t so much as twitch her eyebrows. Then, came the feeling of incredible nausea. The stabbing sensation in her guts felt like she was experiencing a horrible case of food poisoning. Lastly, her heart came to a stop, but she didn’t immediately die. For several long, uncomfortable moments, her entire body felt like she was being burnt alive.
The agony she felt was unbearable and she couldn’t even so much as groan. Indignation rose up in her as she cursed Harold and his entire bloodline. This poison was far from ‘painless’. She was greatly relieved when she finally fell fast asleep.
You have died!
Cause of death: Mass Organ Failure
Healing required for survivability: Minimal - No significant loss of body mass. Poisoning ongoing.
Estimated time to revival: 10-30 minutes.
----------------------------------------
“Boss!” one of the vulture-bonded scouts alerted.
“What? Did something change?” Cain asked.
“The girl just… dropped dead out of nowhere!”
“That’s impossible!” Cain snarled, “She was in the Bronze ranks!”
“I’ve got confirmation of the same thing, Cain.” another scout said, “[Find Corpse] doesn’t lie–my bird is going nuts over the body right now. I’m barely able to convince it to stay away.”
Cain punched his fist into the sand. He was really looking forward to being able to cultivate off of an ascendant’s corpse for once. With only a Copper tier to harvest he would hardly get any advancement off of it.
“Looks like it’s my time to shine then, right boys?” the Low Copper member of Cain’s group said smugly, “If you beg me now, I’ll let you have more of the cultivation from the temporary nexus.”
Cain looked to the Low Copper with thinly veiled contempt. The weakling was a leech, and was only good for dealing with the weakest and most unprepared ascendants. The only reason they kept him around was because he lacked any ambition to grow stronger and let the other members take most of the energy from founts. He was hardly worth the food and water necessary to keep him alive. Maybe they could blood-in the newcomer instead. Scouts reported him to be some sort of alchemist, so he was probably more useful than their current member. He’d wait to see if the man was a good fit for their gang and would make an appropriate offer.
“Should we get rid of the spirit beast? It looks to be guarding the girl’s body.” the scout asked.
Cain shook his head, “Let’s not be hasty. Pack up everything and call up the mounts. After we’re fully loaded up we can send in the vultures and head over.”
At his words, eight Sand Spiders wiggled out from the ground and shook off any lingering debris from their exoskeletons. The men immediately saddled the creatures and started strapping various gear across their elongated abdomens.
Cain hid his disgust of the beasts by turning away and keeping them at his back. The hairy arachnids came up to his shoulders, and their oversized mandibles made up over half of their heads. Like some sort of demented crab had emerged from their faces, their ‘fangs’ were, in fact, sharp, serrated pincers that grabbed– instead of stabbed–prey. Two small, black, beady eyes sat atop their heads and were uncomfortably close together. Sitting directly above the mandibles, the two midnight orbs practically touched. But none of that was what disturbed him the most.
Their lightly colored exoskeletons were practically see-through, and if he looked too closely he could swear he saw their organs pulsating just beneath the surface. Even thinking of it forced him to suppress a shiver. He could deal with them well enough once they were fully loaded up with equipment and a majority of their bodies were covered, but until then he would face away. If they weren’t so useful and only required one person to be bonded to the alpha to control, he would’ve chosen different mounts years ago.
With the threat of facing off against a Bronze cultivator possessing unknown arts gone, they no longer needed to wait for optimal conditions to move in. As soon as the spiders were ready they’d begin their assault.