The snowy landscape was serene as the night grew colder and darker by the hour, but the atmosphere of the sect was anything but calm. Kira, Kolt, Blue, Trill, and Arbur were escorted to a room where they could sleep for the rest of the night, while Micro and Kel cultivated together on the hill where they had once trained together. Kel had trouble containing his excitement to embark on a dangerous quest, and word of his plans quickly travelled through the sect, but Micro quietly worked through conflicted feelings.

  “I just don't know what the old man would do at a time like this…” Micro said to the dog beside him. Micro put the tailgate of his soul down, and he joined the ghostly dog who resided in his core on the truck bed. He looked back at all the core cards in the bed behind him, then he looked at the dog and sighed. “There aren't enough signs on this world…”

  He looked up at the garage’s ceiling, noticing the old flickering light bulb he had recreated, but he chuckled when it occurred to him that it wasn’t any brighter than the rest of his brightly glowing, amber, garage-shaped core.

  “Picking fights with dangerous people… Bringing children along with me… Magicians, cultivators, dungeons, monsters, gods—”

  “Grrr…” the dog growled suddenly at something Micro said.

  “Gods?” Micro asked the dog.

  It growled again.

  “Ah, I guess you must have met Nora when you—” Micro said, but the dog began barking angrily, and Micro recalled his own encounters. “I wonder why she does what she does…”

  ~

  After sitting in silence for a while and enjoying the familiar scenery of his garage in peace, he stood up and prepared to depart.

  “Well, I guess I'll find out after I get stronger,” he said to the dog. “I'll help my friends, and I'll try to stop Nora from sending anybody else over here against their will.”

  When Micro returned to his senses near the summit of the mountain, he saw the sun beginning to rise over the snowy horizon. Kel was standing nearby, looking at the shield in his arms with a complicated expression.

  “I have declared my intentions to the elders,” Kel announced after noticing Micro had opened his eyes, then he began to walk briskly down the mountain before Micro could reply. “Let us begin our quest at once.”

  “Let’s go!” Micro replied. Micro's friends caught up with them as they passed through town, though Kolt was still half asleep, and the sect became rowdy as they exited through its gates.

  Nobody came to greet Kel as he left, but it seemed like everybody in the sect had heard about his plans. Even the baker’s daughter who would normally take any chance to speak with Kel only looked silently at him from afar with a heavy gaze.

  “Lead the way, Micro.” Kel gestured to the path ahead of them as they made their way down the mountain toward the small villages. “Several elders will be monitoring our progress from afar, but they are not to interfere with my quest. They are primarily concerned with any interactions I might have with the mundane.”

  “Interactions with the mundane?”

  “If we are mistaken, and I should cause harm to any person who is neither a cultivator nor a summoned hero, then it would spell the end of my sect. Even the magicians themselves are not to be judged by the likes of us,” Kel explained. “The elders will ensure that I walk this path to victory with honour.”

  “That’s nice of them,” Micro replied. He looked around once again at the increasingly familiar sight of the derelict village, and he was surprised when a familiar voice called out from above.

  “So it's true!” the voice shouted. Before Micro could look up to identify the source of the voice, three young women in blue robes dropped down from the sky. They touched down on the ground gently, without a sound, and then bowed their heads toward Kel.

  “Thea! Nice to see you again. Wait a minute, isn't that…” Micro strained his eyes for a moment and quickly recognized the glow of amber core in the heir to the Sparrow Sect. However, her comrades, Mary and Lana, still remained at the jade stage. “Wow, good job!”

  Thea looked up at Micro with a grin, and instinctively reached for the bow on her back. However, after glaring at him for a moment, she ultimately straightened her posture without drawing her weapon.

  “That's him!” Mary shouted as she noticed Micro, but Thea raised a hand to silence her.

  “Kel may not have informed you that many sects remain quite certain that you were responsible for the attack which occurred during our sacred tournament,” Thea explained to Micro. “My sect is particularly suspicious of you, I might add.”

  “His innocence goes without saying,” Kel replied casually, putting Micro's friends at ease. “He is the epitome of selflessness and a master of techniques beyond this world's understanding. What could he gain by assaulting such a lowly alliance as ours?”

  “Indeed…” Thea said, nodding slowly. Disregarding Kel's reasoning, she continued to look at Micro with a smile which he couldn’t quite read. “Whether you caused the summoning or saved us all from it, I would thank you either way.”

  “You're welcome, I think…” Micro said, but he frowned as he tried to understand her expression of gratitude. “But what if I did neither—”

  “It taught us just how complacent we have become in this land. We were blind to the stench of our own stagnation,” Thea continued. “I would never have imagined falling so far behind in strength to a handful of wretched magicians. No sect can hide its shame.”

  “Nora is pretty powerful, to be fair…” Micro tried to reassure Thea, but she shook her head. “She’s a god—”

  “If all it takes is prayer to make some petty, jealous filth into a genuine threat to our kind, then our kind can only be described as unforgivably weak,” Thea said bitterly through her smile. “And so you have inspired us, strange young master.”

  “I did?” Micro asked.

  “A wandering soul, ignorant of our ways, pressing forward against fate and into the unknown, chasing strength beyond comprehension and standing resolute before any challenge…” Thea said with an oddly reverent tone that caught Micro off guard. “A summoned hero, no less, showing us the way out of the prison of our ineptitude… Forward is the way for us now, Young Master.”

  “Sometimes reversing is necessary, but…” Micro said, but he was having trouble following Thea's reasoning. “Well, good for you. You found the Amber Sparrow Art Dungeon?”

  “Indeed, though only my master and I have been successful in acquiring its rewards as of yet,” Thea replied with a bow. “A ruby level dungeon appeared in its vicinity which caused us to halt our challenges for some time, but the danger seems to have passed since the storm of fire.”

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Kira, Kolt, and Arbur paled at the mention of the Ant Dungeon, drawing a confused looked from Thea and her comrades, but they remained silent as Thea continued to speak.

  “In any case, I have not come here to waste your time with idle conversation,” Thea said with a small bow directed at Kel. “In the interest of preserving, or at the very least reigniting, the honour of so many sects which nearly perished at the conclusion of our most recent tournament, a new event has been scheduled.”

  “A tournament!” Kel repeated with excitement. “I am blessed with much good news these days!”

  “No longer will we limit ourselves to challenges between cultivators of jade cores,” Thea announced pridefully. “More than honour, we shall seek enlightenment. Beyond establishing petty hierarchies, we shall pursue the advancement of our cultivation!”

  “More than honour?” Micro gasped. He leaned over to Kira and Kolt with a look of disbelief. “That’s a big deal. They usually go on and on about honour.”

  “I thought it was just Arbur…!” Kira replied. “You mean all cultivators ramble about it that much?!”

  “M—my apologies…” Arbur stuttered and bowed. “I didn’t realize I sounded so… repetitive…”

  “The tournament will be held quite far from the city this year, for obvious reasons,” Thea announced. “You'll find the venue along the new road which recently appeared between the Imperial City and the mountains south of here. It was constructed recently by the Dragon Sect Alliance, or so I am—”

  “No fighting on the road,” Micro suddenly stated coldly. His frown caught Thea of guard, and he continued with a stern tone. “Road rage is specifically mentioned in the rules.”

  “Who do you think you are ordering around here, you little—” Lana spat, but Kel interrupted her with an angry burst of aura.

  “You will respect the rules of Master Micro's road,” Kel declared.

  “Micro's road…?” Lana growled, but she was silenced when Thea waved her hand.

  “Kel is not lying,” Thea said with her eyes glowing brightly, though it took her some time to consider what he had stated. “The road belongs to Micro, you say?”

  “I did pay for it, but you can go ahead and use it,” Micro replied with a friendlier tone. “But roads are for travelling on, not for fighting. Save that for your tournaments, okay?”

  “Interesting,” Thea said. “I will ensure the rules of Micro's road are upheld, upon the honour of my sect.”

  “That means a lot, thanks,” Micro said with a smile of relief.

  “I would only request that, in return for our compliance, you be sure to attend the tournament with your friend,” Thea added with a grin. “It is to be held ten days from now. We are confident news will spread quickly, and you will likely make a great many friends, should you see fit to honour us with your presence.”

  “Sure, I’d love to make more friends! We'll head over after we take care of—” Micro replied happily, but Kel interjected.

  “We are honoured to accept this invitation,” Kel said with a dignified salute. “We will meet you on any battlefield!”

  “That sounds fun!” Blue suddenly appeared on Micro's head with a burst of energy, causing the three women of the Sparrow Sect to take a step back defensively. Having coated herself in radiant green armour, Blue grinned and continued with an ominous tone. “That sounds very, very fun…!”

  “We will take our leave,” Thea replied with a strained smile. With an awkward bow, the three women jumped into the air and glided away into the distance.

  “They were pretty…” Kolt was impressed by the graceful manner with which they quickly departed, but Kira rolled her eyes.

  ~

  The party continued out of town and into the woods at a quick pace, enjoying the fresh morning air. Kel continued to explain to Micro just how much his presence at the tournament had impacted local sects, though Micro was more interested in news of new dungeons being explored as a result. He did his best to remember the names and locations of each dungeon Kel mentioned, though Kolt, Kira, and Arbur grew more nervous as the list of dungeons grew longer. After running for some time, Kel decided they should sit for a while so the children following Micro could rest. He had grown more interested in them since the previous night.

  “So, Young Master Kolt, Elder of the Truck Sect!” Kel addressed the boy happily. “I've noticed a certain spark in you, a certain ambition in your eyes. What is it you seek on the path of cultivation?”

  “Oh, umm, I just—” Kolt stuttered, but Micro gave him a reassuring smile. Kolt cleared his throat and continued. “I just want to be strong.”

  “How strong?” Kel asked, amused by the simple answer.

  “I want to be stronger than dragons, at least,” Kolt stated, though his tone was less boastful than usual. Though he had grown stronger since training with Lena, Kolt still felt weak before the presence of Kel’s mountain-like aura. “I want—I want bandits to run away from me, and if they don't, I want to…”

  “So you wish for a noble, righteous sort of strength! A fine path to enlightenment!” Kel nodded with approval, then turned his attention to Kira with bright eyes. “And what of you, Young Master Kira. Your talent is unmistakable, and your position as Elder of the Truck Sect is well earned, yet your ambitions are less clear to me.”

  “My ambitions?” Kira wondered for a moment. “What I want…”

  “One with your talents will find whatever strength one seeks. But I wonder what you would do with that power,” Kel clarified. “I expect Micro has been a great influence on your direction, but he is not the type to impose his beliefs on another.”

  “I want to… make things…” Kira finally replied. “I want to protect my family, especially from bandits, but what I really want to do…”

  “The paths of destruction and creation are not always so easy to discern, or so it is said,” Kel replied with a slow nod. He looked impressed by her reply. “My own sect's teachings are rooted somewhere between the philosophies of destruction and creation, though some would argue it is nearer to one or the other. Perhaps it is neither.”

  “Lena did say that destruction and creation aren't opposites once, but I don't really understand that.” Kira frowned, but she quickly bowed apologetically. “Sorry, I don't mean to be rude.”

  “Not at all, Young Master!” Kel smiled. “You honour me by sharing your journey with me. I look forward to seeing what you create with the power you will surely gain.”

  “Thank you…” Kira replied awkwardly.

  “Having a destination is important, but it’s good to take your time choosing one,” Micro said as he began to snack on some of the mountain fried beef he'd stored away with his storage skill back at Kel's sect. Kira declined when he offered her some, but Blue awoke to the smell and began to snack on her own supply. Kel continued to address the young ones beside Micro.

  “Young Master Arbur, we spoke earlier, and I wish to convey that I deeply moved by your perseverance. Your quest will be remembered, and I will speak of your legendary task to all who will hear me,” Kel said to Arbur with an enthusiastic grin. “I am sure that you will find revenge along the path you now walk.”

  “I am honoured to walk beside Master Micro on this path,” Arbur replied. “I would otherwise be lost, and vengeance for my fallen sect would be a dream beyond dreams.”

  “And may I ask—” Kel looked around for a moment, but couldn't find Blue or Trill. “I suppose even pixies are known to rest…”

  “They’ll show up pretty fast if you blow something up,” Micro replied. “Did you want me to call them now?”

  “No, no—Thank you, Master Micro. You really have created a fine sect in such a short time…” Kel said with a heavy sigh. “One might say you have a talent for attracting exceptional disciples. When I think of how bloated with mediocrity my own sect has become, it makes me wonder what direction I would lead it, if I were to lead it anywhere at all.”

  “Leading that many people in the same direction sounds hard without a road to drive on,” Micro replied. “What if they don’t want to follow you?”

  “The will of the sect is one, Master Micro,” Kel said with a frown, but he realized that he was unable to say so with confidence. “Or so it is meant to be. Despite factional disputes, my grandfather never failed to maintain absolute order. But when it comes to my own family…”

  “I’m sure you’ll figure things out with Vale,” Micro said with a reassuring smile. “I know a fight on this world usually involves explosions and serious injuries, but even families on my world fight sometimes. Fighting is normal, sometimes...”

  Kel nodded slowly as he considered Micro’s words, then leaned back and looked up at the morning sky. Kolt and Kira were nearly done eating their snacks, and Arbur had begun to meditate. Blue and Trill were still nowhere to be found, but Micro was sure they’d appear before long.

  “Shall we?” Kel eventually said to the group. “I must admit I am feeling restless with such a quest laid before me.”

  “Let’s go!” Micro replied, jumping to his feet happily. “Don’t worry about it, Kel. I’m sure we’ll all be eating mountain fried beef together before the sun has set!”