Rieren returned to the little clearing she had claimed for herself. She wondered if she was supposed to feel terrible about letting the monster die, especially after it had helped her claim all these Credits. But lucky for Rieren, her current Arisen form wouldn’t really allow her to struggle with things such as guilt and remorse.

She could admit that it had come to a rather deplorable end. It was for the best, though. The trajectory of its character would no doubt have made it collide with mortals down the line, which would have undercut all the efforts the other monsters were making towards getting themselves a peaceful home.

What a fortunate turn of events that she herself hadn’t needed to raise a hand to ensure its demise.

Rieren had been about to settle down and use all her new Credits to purchase everything she needed, but a furry little interruption materialized before her.

“You return, Batcat,” she said.

The kitten fluttered its wings and hopped over to her, making little biting motions with its tiny teeth. Ah. The iconic signal for her to poke through the memories it had to share.

“You have already finished your reconnaissance?” she asked. “That was fast.”

Batcat rolled its head like it was offended that she doubted its efficacy. Rieren summoned a smile and patted its head, then began cycling her Essence through the kitten. Since this was Essence she was simply pulling in from the environment, the cat didn’t have to go through distasteful experiences of needing to endure Abyss-Aspected Essence.

None of the Essence reached her spiritually frozen elixir field, of course. All her meridians were blocked off. Thankfully, it was enough for her to peer through what Batcat had to show.

The memories came in a series that depicted the cat’s journey from the moment it had exited the glade. So this was what the tournament grounds appeared from a small perspective much closer the ground. Everything was sized-up as though she was in a land of giants.

It was nice to see no one ever interrupted the cat. If anyone saw it, they assumed it was some Spirit Beast or other for the hundreds of cultivators who were present, and let it get about its business. It wasn’t like Batcat was bothering anyone.

The first person of interest Batcat reached—and stopped to observe—made Rieren tense as well. It was Kalvia.

She was with the lanky boy who had accosted her when they had first come here. Rieren’s question regarding his identity was soon revealed as Batcat got close enough to listen in on the conversation.

The camps for every cultivator group were a little secluded from the others, to grant them some modicum of privacy. Often, this involved setting up within glades like Rieren’s own, just significantly bigger. For some, there were entire islands jutting out of the marshland that were bounded off the others by a moat of swamp water.

With all the trees everywhere, Batcat had no difficulty secreting itself close enough to eavesdrop. Rieren had always appreciated the cat’s intelligence, but now it was on full display.

“…being so dejected, coz,” the boy said, twirling a twig in his hands. He was observing how Kalvia had her head buried in a book. So reminiscent of the time she had set up an entire miniature camp when she and Rieren had been cultivating in the Shatterlands. “Everything will be fine, you’ll see. We’ve already got the first piece in position. Now—”

Kalvia whirled her head around with a scathing look. “I’m not worried about any of that.”

The boy splayed out his hands before her. “Then it doesn’t matter, right?”

That was wholly the wrong thing to say. Kalvia’s expression turned even angrier, like she was one heartbeat away from leaping out of her seat to strangle her companion.

With a sigh heavier than the mountain, she turned back to her book. “Just leave me alone, Zhalen.”

Rieren took note of the name. Definitely a scion of the imperial clan. That explained why he was referring to Kalvia as a cousin.

“I can’t, coz,” he said. “I wish I could, but we need to figure out how we’re tackling the rest of the tournament. You know it’s not going to be easy to win.”

“We can’t do anything about it because we don’t have the matchups yet. We can talk afterwards.” She turned a page. “Besides, you all are taking care of everything without me. Pieces already in position, right? Is what I do any longer even that important?”

It was the boy’s—Zhalen’s—turn to sigh. “I have a feeling you wouldn’t be so mad if your team hadn’t collapsed in on itself.”

Kalvia just turned another page.

Realizing his efforts were futile, Zhalen finally turned away. “Alright, I’ll give you some space. But you know your caretaker wants you to make the proper effort in the Trials of Ascendance. We need to win. We need to secure the clan’s hold on the imperial court.”

She waved a dismissive hand. “I’m sure my caretaker has more important things to take care of nowadays.”

Batcat didn’t stick around for any further conversation. The last of the chatter dwindled to nothing as Rieren’s perspective shifted away from Kalvia’s camp to a different location on the tournament grounds.

To where Amalyse was training.

Unlike Kalvia, she wasn’t taking any time off or anything of the kind. Weapons made of gleaming red Essence materialized in her hand, one after the other, and she used them all with practiced ease. It didn’t matter if it was a greatshield, didn’t matter if she held a short sword or a lance, Amalyse was adept with them all. Two lives’ worth of skill was at play.

From within the gloom of the tent, an older woman who looked much like Amalyse was watching the proceedings with clear warmth. Clanmistress Arraihos had to be glad to have her daughter back in one piece after the first round.

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It was soothing to watch her friend practising, for some reason. Unlike with Kalvia, there was no scheming going on, no conspiracy surrounding her, no tension threading the air.

“Will you take a break at any point at all, daughter?” Lady Arraihos asked.

Amalyse simply continued fighting the air. She had created a mace now, the head as big as her own. Her violent swings carved out the soft soil with ease.

For a moment, Rieren thought that was all Batcat would show her of Amalyse. But then Lady Arraihos came to her daughter.

“Have you spoken with…?” She seemed unsure of how she was to finish her question.

Amalyse finally turned around. She towered over her mother, much like she did over Rieren herself. She had said that she got it from her father, who had passed away long before the apocalypse had struck. No time reversing shenanigans was going to bring him back.

She had raised an eyebrow at her mother. “Which one do you mean?”

Lady Arraihos sighed. “Either, I suppose. Although, I suppose it is Rieren I am more curious about. I myself can speak with the other party.”

“No, I haven’t.”

She turned back to practising.

“Do you know where she is? What she’s doing or planning?” Lady Arraihos waked in front of her daughter, forcing her to halt her brutal pokes with her crimson spear. “The indecision about your future is difficult to bear, daughter. We need to settle on a course of action. Soon.”

Amalyse narrowed her eyes. “You were part of the vote, weren’t you, mother?”

“Which vote are you speaking of?”

“You know the one I’m talking about. The one that allowed the monsters to enter in the tournament. The one where the tournament administrators left it up to all the clan leaders to decide whether the Abyssals, Aetherians, and Arisen would be allowed to participate.”

Rieren’s interest in the actual conversation perked up. This was leading somewhere.

Lady Arraihos looked like she was in defensive. “Yes, we all had to vote.”

“And you voted yes.”

Amalyse turned away again. This time, she did head towards the tent.

“Amalyse!” The older woman trailed after her daughter. “Wait. We all had to vote. By the time my turn came around, the vote was already decided. I had to keep our family in line with the imperial clan. That’s why we voted yes.”

Amalyse whirled around. Suddenly, she appeared just as angry as Kalvia. “We?”

Lady Arraihos closed her eyes. Amalyse realized she was going to get nothing further from her mother and headed back into her tent. Her mother didn’t follow her.

“One day,” she whispered. “One day, you’ll be in a position where you’ll need to make these decisions too. And you’ll realize you’re not making them for yourself—you’re making them for those who will come after you.”

Batcat was leaving for the next location.

Rieren considered Lady Arraihos’s words, and how different her two teammates’ scenarios were. Different, yet similar as well. They were both dissatisfied with the state their team was in, specifically regarding Rieren’s condition.

She didn’t get the chance to think more, since Batcat made it to the next location—Essalina Arteroth’s camp.

It was the largest one Rieren had seen to date. Arteroth guards and cultivators buzzed about as though they were in a military encampment. Rieren was certain she spotted soldiers drilling at one area through Batcat’s eyes. She didn’t get the chance to be sure, for the cat came to a stop at the edge of the camp, hidden within the trees, right before its main target.

Rieren was too lost in Batcat’s memories to tell if she was smiling at seeing Essalina’s condition. She supposed it didn’t matter. It wasn’t like she could feel much, if anything.

But it was still satisfying at an integral level to see Essalina clutching her wounded midriff with one hand. Of course, she wasn’t to be cowed down from one injury. She stood in the middle of her camp like the general she was, surveying all her soldiers like she would bite heads off with her expression alone.

The Arteroth scion appeared to be waiting for something. She was tapping her booted foot on the ground, each tap faster than the last.

Batcat had chosen to appear at a very fortunate time, for Essalina didn’t have to wait long. One of her tournament team members appeared. What was his name? Rieren had no trouble remembering the handsome face with the brutal scars, but the name escaped her.

He wasn’t alone, however. Two more qualified competitors followed him, and their names Rieren knew well.

Morel and Olis followed until they were all a few respectful paces from Essalina.

“Young mistress,” the man said with a short bow. “I’ve brought the ones you requested.”

Essalina turned her sharp look on the younger cultivators. Morel looked a little frightened. He had good reason to be. After all, he had not only helped Rieren qualify for the next round, he and his team had also been helped by Rieren in turn as well. A double blow against his affiliation with the Arteroth clan. Against Essalina herself, in truth.

Olis looked a lot more comfortable. Curious, but holding herself with confidence.

“Congratulations on your qualification to the second round,” Essalina said. Despite her look, she actually did sound gracious. “You’ve made the Northern Ranges proud.”

Olis puffed up her chest. “As we seek to do, Lady Arteroth. We will tear through this competition too, just you wait.”

Essalina spared a brief smile at that. “I called you here because I believe you two can help me.”

Morel bowed low quickly. “Anything, Lady Arteroth.”

“You both… met Rieren Vallorne in the previous round, yes?”

Olis and Morel had completely opposite reactions. Olis nodded vigorously. She had found a way to be useful, and she was not going to hesitate. On the other hand, Morel looked like he’d had a stake driven through his chest.

Rieren would have laughed if she’d been capable of it.

“Looks like you both have,” Essalina said. “I don’t intend to grill you for any particulars. That can wait. However, what I wish to know is whether she was a monster or a cultivator when you met her?”

The question surprised both of the interrogatees. Olis just looked confused, while Morel’s mouth set in a hard line.

“A cultivator,” Olis said with easy confidence. “A deceptively powerful one, but a cultivator, for certain.” She glanced at the boy beside her. “As far as I was with her, at least.”

Essalina nodded, then turned to Morel. He swallowed an obvious lump in his throat before answering.

“As long as I was with her, she was a cultivator too,” he said.

“And?” Essalina missed nothing.

“I believe she turned into one after we separated.”

Essalina grinned as though she had been given the present she had been hoping for years. “You hear that, Naviel?”

The scarred man didn’t look impressed by the findings. “So what if she is a monster, young mistress? It changes nothing.”

“Oh, but it does. Don’t you see?” She raised both arms high, her mouth twitching like she was restraining herself from bursting out into a maniacal laugh. “Think about it. She’s a monster now. Bereft. Alone. Nothing for company except other worthless creatures who—actually, not even them, if I heard correctly that she betrayed the monsters too.”

“Ah, I see.” Naviel nodded thoughtfully. “She will no longer be able to avail herself of anyone’s protection. Not personally, at least.”

“Yes! A perfect opportunity for a final crushing, blow.” Essalina brought her eyes back down on her teammate, but with an added fervour this time. “Take Olis and Morel and give them fair compensation.”

She turned and hurried away.

“Where are you going?” Naviel asked after her.

“To meet a Clanmaster. I need them to make a very specific matchup…”

“But you’re injured.”

Naviel’s last words had turned to a mutter as Essalina was already long gone. She wasn’t hearing him.

Rieren yanked herself out of the cat’s memories. Enough. She had seen enough.

She patted the winged kitten’s head. “Thank you, Batcat.”

Rieren’s thoughts were buzzing with all that she had seen. There might have been more that Batcat might have to show her, but she had already settled on a course of action that she needed to see through. Sooner rather than later.

It was time to use her new Credits to get everything she needed to cultivate to the next stage.