I bolted up sometime later. My addled brain braced for a fresh fight. Instead I found a rather irritated Xerxes looking at me. “Stupid human.” I resisted the urge to laugh at the irritation in his voice as I recalled the battle. Based on the gaps in my memory and what Xerxes explained I hadn’t won as cleanly as I thought. Tamais had stabbed me in my lower right side. Whatever Tao he used has wreaked havoc inside my body.

  When I passed my mental gaze over my channels I nearly cried. The area around the impact site was ruined. Fortunately the area didn’t have any sigils but it ruined the circulation of my energy. It was a bit like a car crash on a highway. A bit of experimentation revealed that the situation was a bit of a mixed bag. I could redraw the area but it would hurt. Like a son of a bitch. The pain was like carving into my actual flesh. After my first attempt I wondered if the channels were literally a part of my body. Despite what the tutorial workers and Desbera had said.

  With the damage done I would probably need to spend a day or two redrawing the area. Which would take us out of the battle. To add insult to injury Xerxes had been forced to drag me away from the battlefield which meant we hadn’t claimed any of the gear. I wanted to go back but Xerxes confirmed that there was another alert ring. Which meant that people could have found the battle site already. The results of the fight weren’t all bad though. Xerxes had gained the majority of the energy from his battle and it was immense for him. He had to have gained at least two or three levels.

  For me the gains were less noticeable on the outside but no less powerful. First my comprehension over the Tao of Compression had increased.

  Tao of Compression. Comprehension: Middle. Intelligence +20, Strength +20

  The change made my aura even more condensed. Despite all the power I had used I still managed to reach level 41. Leveling had started to feel like a Sisyphean task. Where every battle would cost me more than what I gained. Now the quiet days of meditation could make up the difference so it wasn’t helpless. Progress was like trying to fill a bucket with a thin stream of water where every so often the bucket would get dumped over. Those weren’t the only benefits though. My proficiency with both Ethereal Convocation and Realm of Consciousness increased a stage to Advanced and Mastered Respectively.

  Based on the new sigils the improvements were notable. Realm of Consciousness increased the omniscience which was great. It also would drain more energy. Convocation's improvement was much more interesting. It increased my group call size to five people. The connection it would create would be much more stable. I could also keep the call stable for a full day. Lastly the maximum range was five miles.

  My stats had taken a large leap forward which made the situation much better. I placed my free points into Constitution mostly due to my inability to avoid getting stabbed. The boost wouldn't amount to much in the grand scheme of things but that was fine. I pulled up my stats and gave them a final review.

  My wealth was also incredible. Apparently killing real people was very lucrative in the System's eyes. Which gave me mixed feelings. On one hand it meant I was rich. At least by Earth's standards on the other hand it meant that the System really wanted us to kill each other. Would everywhere just be lawless wastelands?

  I shook my head and pushed those thoughts down. I knew that wasn't the case. At least one Kingdom existed and at least one sect which meant there were likely many more. No way if one civilization managed to dominate everything that there princes would be stuck here for this trial. Especially since they hadn't already left. Why risk everything here when you could just buy a kingdom's worth of supplies?

  The tutorial workers also mentioned a few factions. The thing I needed to be worried about were the laws. There was no guarantee that slavery for example, was illegal everywhere. I shook my head and focused back on the world around me. Ultimately there was no use worrying about other things. I needed to focus on the current situation

  It was hard to determine just how strong I was since there was nothing to compare myself to. The closest benchmark I had was Tamais’ energy and I was much stronger than him before the formation activated. When I took the formation into account I was just a bit stronger. If I was forced to fight him straight up I would probably lose but if I set up my full kit and avoided him. Well that would be a different story. I got to my feet and stretched my muscles. The area Xerxes dragged me to was some kind of burrow that sloped into the ground.

  We were at the border of the bloody area and the swampy one. I used my psychokinesis to bury the entrance to our hiding place and pulled out my spirit stones. I gave half of them and all of the uncooked meat to Xerxes. The last battle made it pretty clear that we weren’t quite ready to do whatever we wanted. Which meant it was time to get things on the road.

  I would give it three days. Three days to recreate my channels and to gain as much powers as possible. After that it would be time to see what the rest of the trial had for me.

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  (Prince Scythan)

  I took a sip of bloodroot tea as I poured over the map. The chimeric forest was worst than expected. Yet it had made little difference. I turned an eye toward my Hand. Talia hadn't moved from her spot on the ground nor had I expected her to. "Tell me what do you think of the situation?"

  She kept her gaze on the ground but spoke with a surety that gave respect to her position. A position that had been earned with the slaughter of countless others.

  "I believe it would be best to wait. We do not know the identity of this rogue cultivator. It is likely that they are a mercenary under either the King or the Crown Prince. That assumes we trust what the third said on the matter."

  "You don't believe him?"

  She hesitated a slight shift of weight the only thing that showed her fear. "I do not mean to question the royal family—"

  "I believe him. My brother is soft but not foolish. He doesn't have the mettle to throw away his followers. Furthermore I spoke to one of my spies amongst his followers. Do you know what they told me?"

  "I wouldn't dare to make assumptions."

  I chuckled at the response and leaned back in my chair. This accursed demiplane was another reminder of why I hated leaving the palace. Who but the peasants could live like this? "His wounds were primarily to his soul. Further the Tao in his wounds were strange."

  "Do you mean to say we are dealing with a mentalist?"

  "It seems like that but it begs the question. Are we dealing with a person who belongs to a proper clan? If so why are they so clandestine? If they wanted they could just claim the trial's top spot. I have a theory. I believe that we are dealing with a man in exile. Perhaps a forgotten son or some such. It would explain the reports of Qilin and his power."

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  I took another sip and turned in the direction of the crown prince's camp. "I had considered inviting him to my side but after his defeat of Tamais I am not so sure. Tamais had managed to activate his formation but there is no indication that the formation was deactivated. Do you know what means?"

  There was a brief pause while she considered the information. It was almost like watching a clockwork automaton. Finally when it clicked she shuddered. "That was strong enough to defeat him while he was empowered? That would place him at the peak of the Condensation realm? Why would someone like that come here alone?"

  "I do not know and truth be told I do not care. This is our best chance to deal with at least one of my brothers. Prince Kerian has not recovered yet he hasn't left the trial."

  "I...the King decreed that the family was not to kill one another." There was a slight tremble in her voice. A tremble that made me grin with delight. It had taken me years to get the perfect reaction out of her. It was almost like playing an instrument.

  "Who is to say who killed him and who didn't? Not even my royal father can see what happens in a System Trial."

  Of course the unsaid part was that I wouldn't be the one punished should he find out. I took another sip of the tea. Spiritual energy flowed into my dantian. Even with the better environment I hadn't reached level 38. I could grab one or two level if I burned the majority of my wealth but that was impossible. Why would anyone become penniless just to speed up the process?

  "Get ready. I want to move out in the next four hours." With any luck the race for the throne would have one less participant soon. Talia backed out of the tent and I was left alone. My gaze shifted to the array around the tent. The only thing that kept the putrid air of the outside from getting in. "I hate this damn realm."

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  (Aaliyah)

  The new recruits went over their spear forms while I glared at them from my rooftop. Their average levels had stagnated and for some unknowable reason that bastard left me with the final say. Both sides had become insufferable in his absence. The cultivators and Christopher wanted to keep pushing especially with the System's Herald's new level. Amara couldn't be defended by one person especially not a person who was hell bent on not being here.

  I sighed and stared at the setting sun. That wasn't fair. It was more accurate to say that stagnation was lethal now. The status quo was change. Those of us who wanted to settle down and forget the chaos were in danger of being eaten. Even if we hid behind the walls. Furthermore an unpleasant rumor had started to spread. A rumor that was hard to disprove. Most of us no longer received quests.

  It was impossible to prove of course. There was no quest generator but it was a specter that hung over everyone. Especially the "forsaken" as people had started calling them. Without the System's Guidance people had gone a bit crazy.

  "Aaliyah"

  I groaned and turned around. Keshaun and Christopher waved at me and I shook my head. "What's up?"

  "We have a problem. A group of cultivators have attacked a group of noncultivators. They are trapped in an old apartment building. We hoped that you could go and deal with it."

  "I am not him. I can't fight of a group of people." I sighed but drew my daggers. "Where?"

  Keshaun nodded and gestured to the west. "Just outside the array. The building is two stories and our intel places the trio on the second floor."

  "Alright so you want me to get them out or kill the people attacking them?"

  "Just get them out. We don't want to risk their lives. We will send in a proper group to apprehend them."

  I looked at Christopher who nodded his agreement. "If you can hang around after we would appreciate it. Just to make sure nothing unexpected happens."

  I sighed and stepped off the building. The world blew past me until I activated **Umbral Dance**. I became one with the darkness. For a moment it was like the world ceased to be. In the next I reappeared nearly three miles away. I couldn't help but wonder if this skill was equal to that portal one. The **Shadowdancer** class was fun. Albeit not as lethal was it could be.

  I arrived at the location and sure enough the new faith had taken hold. A man who looked like he looted a Halloween costume store stood on a box ranting about the "glorious System".

  "You all heard the voice and you saw the message boxes same as I. You have no doubt noticed the disturbing lack of direction. I don't know how clear the System has to be! Those who refuse to enter the new world must burn with the old!"

  I shook my head at the nonsense but a part of me couldn't ignore it. The top ten had shuffled more time than I could count but the two at the top never changed. The System's Herald was insane. Or at least that's what everyone thought but the more time went by the more I wondered. Were we the crazy ones? Monsters were at the gate. The tutorial woman told us that immortality was available or at least hundreds of years of life.

  Hell the social order had been flipped on its head and here we were. I turned my attention from the preacher and back to the task at hand. I activated my skill and the darkness swallowed me. It was like stepping into a dream when I reappeared. The hallway was almost untouched. The walls held pictures of Disney characters and small flowers. While scattered toys decorated the floor. There were signs that it wasn't the old world of course. Scratch marks on the ground where furniture had been moved.

  Broken windows covered in plastic or cloth. It wasn't hard to see what they had been trying to do. What they wanted to do. "Hello? My name is Aaliyah. I am with the city of Amara. I am here to bring you away."

  Someone moved in the next room. Two people and then a third. From the sound of it was two adults and maybe a child. A moment later a bald dark skinned man stepped into my room. A metal cudgel held in one hand. Though based on the hesitation in his eyes and the utter lack of killing intent he had never used it. "Why are you here. We already told your people that we wanted nothing to do with you all."

  I sighed. "Yeah, the people out there don't care about that. Some of our people saw that you were in trouble and we want to bring you to safety."

  The man hesitated just as the preacher's voice passed through the walls. "If we don't act the System will! Are we willing to stand by as our lives are cut down because we refused to do what we were supposed to! Because people refused to let go of the old ways? No! We cut the cancer away now."

  The color drained from the man's face and he lowered his weapon. He called out in a different language. I couldn't tell which. Soon after a woman and a little girl stepped into the room. My heart dropped when I saw them. The woman was pregnant. I passed a mental eye over **Umbral Dance**'s sigil but there was nothing about how it affected the body.

  "Alright, alright I can only take one person at a—"

  "Our daughter, then my wife and you can come back for me after." The man spoke up before I had finished the thought.

  I thought about it for a moment but couldn't come up with a reason to disagree. I gave the little girl a smile and picked her up. "Close your eyes and we will be there before you know it." After that I activated my skill and the darkness swallowed us. We reappared next to a pair of guards.

  "Keep an eye on her. I am going back for the other two. If things go to shit send in a squad to deal with the crazies." I didn't bother to wait for a response. I activated my skill again and disappeared. I appeared just as a door blew open somewhere beneath us.

  The woman froze her gaze shifting to the wall as if she could see the stairwell on the other side. The husband pushed her into my arms and we were engulfed. "Send them in." My mouth had just barely reformed when I called out. I wasted no time before reactivating my skill.

  My skill was amongst the fastest transportation skills in Amara and it felt too slow. When the darkness fell away the room was no longer empty. The husband had been backed into a corner. While two people I vaguely recognized from outside stood in front of him. I drew daggers and the lights in the room dimmed. I stepped forward the blade in my right hand caught the closest cultist just beneath the ribs.

  A quick twist and their blood spilled to the floor. The second cultist was faster on the draw. He raised a short sword but choose to defend instead of attack. A mistake. My dagger slipped beneath his guard like a snake before I slit his throat. I didn't get a chance to reflect on the deaths before footstep roared up the stairs. I reached out, placed a hand on the husband's shoulder and let the darkness consume us.