The passageway that the creature may have been inadvertently guarding led to a maze of similar pools, with different ‘guardians’. None of them had the cheap trick the previous one claimed and weren’t a tinge more difficult because of it. Made ever simpler with his advancement to the fifth cycle. Seri did say Ji Nan was on his trail—if so, then he only did the legwork of clearing the path for his executioner.

That didn’t tax him. There’re too many things to be preoccupied with and another worry had to get in line before packing in. He tried to use the spiritual waters left in all these areas, each one as useless as before. Good for replenishing his Juva, but pushing to the next cycle? ‘Course it wouldn’t be so easy, Grisla figured.

Throughout all of it, he wondered—where exactly did the Elders go? For all that talk of clearing most of the danger, he’s been on a warpath since stepping inside. Either that was lip service to the highest degree… or, it was not, and everything can be whittled down to a conclusion: That he was on a path none have ever taken. Should the danger earlier just be a precursor for what’s to come, then…

Suddenly he felt sick.

Before him, with one step outside of the seemingly final cave brought him to a chamber. It was the largest he’d ever seen since arriving here, dwarfing the little welcome back when they first entered. The road ahead, the massive doorway was guarded by one statue that looked as if he was the one man who could lift the world. Its open hands burned with forest-like light. Substituting the cave light around were torches with the same brilliance.

Torches, here? Recently lit? Or…

His medallion blinked.

“It’s Everburn,” Seri said.

“Everburn?”

“Been a while since I’ve seen it, but the fuel for this virtually guarantees its use for… a century or two.”

“That’s amazing.”

Seri lazily answered, “Meh.”

He took the time to send his sense out: to crawl through every inch of the chamber, swim over corners and nooks impossible to reach with a spine; nothing to note, in fact, it felt like he were in any ordinary place in the world. But when he stretched his sense out, to travel down the next hallway—

Grisla’s everything was shaken. The blood from his nose touched the stone before his knees did.

“I…how?” he coughed. “All I did was look—”

“Because you looked. What we can say for certain is that though they may have been primitive cultivators from years past, they are still without a doubt your superiors on the Path. Knowing this, Grisla Orlith throws his Spiritual Sense out to peep where he shouldn’t. A glutton for punishment, through and through.”

“I believe that the polite thing to do is ‘knock’ first. There’s no door, obviously but y’know, just pull back on trying to scan this place. Who knows what might’ve happened to you if you tickled something they cared about.”

The trail over his lips told him that Seri was right; and the warning was understood. After which, he stared into the black of another hallway. Possibly with its own new troubles to face.

Grisla sighed. “The only way is forward. It’s always been… forward,” he muttered.

Then—he stepped to the left.

Bang.

Ahead, a runaway warhammer embedded itself into the stone. Evaporating after a breath; the fireflies it dissipated into ran away like a flock of birds, to the direction opposite him. Grisla’s head swiveled to the sound of footsteps, like feet on word flooring. The suspect’s hands grasped an imaginary object, but then the mold was filled in by the light returning to whence it came. Reforming into a warhammer again. Pristine enough to be more for decoration, than attempted murder.

“Ji Nan. Brother Ji Nan,” he raised his chin. “You’re a bit late.”

A humorless smile. “I’ve been traveling at a leisurely pace, apologies,” Ji Ning said.

Grisla frowned slightly. Behind Ji Nan, two of his cronies still managed to keep up. Looking way worse for wear, but intact they are.

A hand to his mouth, “Heavens!” Ji Nan exclaimed. “You look horrible! I never knew the Well of Wonders would be so harsh on you. My sins are too high, my lord. Surely, allow me to kill you and end your suffering here. Let me, your loyal retainer, carry on your wishes.” The hammer and he danced together, as they walked slowly to Grisla.

He scanned the two behind him. This was a problem. See, Grisla had some estimation about Ji Nan’s capabilities, however inaccurate it may be. The accuracy wasn’t the point, it was the information counted, that made it useful. He had no qualms about cowardice here—there’s no reason to believe he can slink out of a one-versus-three situation with two at the same level. Ji Nan may or may not be the most dangerous factor here.

Uncertainty won’t win him this battle, though.

“I thank you; I really do. If you weren’t such a soft pudding, it’d take up all my time here to find you. Remember that scream of yours?”

Grisla was lost. Scream?

How! I made sure not to leave any traces behind! I remember saying that. Yeah, she didn’t exactly explain, but now it makes sense. My time in Limbo. The training—the crab. Damnit.

He rolled his neck. “It was only me wanting to hurry it up.”

“Uh-huh,” Ji Nan said, “sure.”

With no more words needed, the two behind him shot forward to Grisla. One preferring hand-to-hand, the other carrying some sort of a bow. The arrows reached him first, one grazing his cheek, the other driving through his hair. Thankfully, there was way more space to maneuver around than it was in the hallway. Maintaining his distance from Ji Nan was the first idea, but then he didn’t do much at all—standing where he stood, watching like royalty at the coliseum.

The two flunkies had some sort of strategy beforehand; their experience in group combat was evident as the one who exchanged blows with Grisla up close used it as a distraction for his partner behind him—letting off arrows in between every gap in his defense, preventing Grisla from killing him on the spot. Whenever he wanted to retreat, the arrows chased his footwork.

Grisla aimed to take his head off with a kick—but as he did, the disciple sneered, ducked and in his absence an arrow bit into Grisla’s shoulder.

“A little birdie told me you’re a bit familiar with the Archive’s favorite,” said the disciple. His return kick may have been blocked by Grisla’s forearm, but the force transferred still pushed his target quite a distance away.

He took a breath. “I’ve only known her for a day. What about it?”

“Working in the archives means she has a little bit of wiggle room to request for things that people like us can’t get, at least without the input required. But her?” he chuckled. “The map that Brother Ji Nan has access to is the layout drawn by our predecessors. ‘Course, it wouldn’t be that much of a challenge if we knew where everything is. Still—”

“Who cares?” Ji Nan said.

The disciples shared a laugh.

“What did you do to her?” Grisla snapped.

Ji Nan tilted his head, “Do you take us for some brutes? Oh no, all that was required was a question, a bit of blackmail, and a seasoning of a thinly veiled threat. Very simple to get the ball rolling; and the scroll in my hands. See?” With a flick of a wrist, a rolled parchment was held.

“She isn’t involved in our issue. Why would you do this?”

“Oh please. Don’t flatter yourself. I would’ve done it anyway. It was just easier to go through with it knowing your association. It’s that face I wanted! Yes Brother Grisla, that face!” he pointed.

She didn’t even mean to get involved with me. Shu’s just a nice person. And, who knows what he did to her…

Archivist Shu didn’t deserve Ji Nan’s wrath. He too, was a victim of circumstance that delivered him to his attention, all of it stemming from youthful arrogance; a fleeting thing. How stupid of a reason. Why must people be like this?

Grisla took a deep breath. “I swear on my martial heart… you will die, Ji Nan. On this day, with the heavens as my witness!” he pointed up. “You will die.”

The expressions on all of them changed. Doing vows on one’s martial heart weren’t taken lightly, and the act of calling one bound one’s spirit to adhere to the terms written. Should he break the vow…

“Fool!” One of the disciples said. “You’ll cripple yourself forever if you do so!”

“It’s too late,” the other shook his head. “He’s already sworn it.”

Ji Nan was startled for a moment but returned to his usual gloating face. “Doesn’t change a thing. As a matter of fact, even better.”

Grisla ripped the arrow out, snapping it while Ji Nan walked forward to join his companions.

“Before you die, you’ll feel the anguish of your martial heart crumbling when you see that there’s an immense gulf between you and me. I’d rather extinguish my soul than to have that fate thrust upon me. Your choice, though.”

The disciples charged again, this time with Ji Nan in tow. Grisla’s Juva raced throughout his meridians; his brain unconsciously did it without even his instruction; knowing that he stands on the tip of a knife, there would be no benefit if his response was delayed in the midst of combat trying to conduct his Juva as well.

Ji Nan wasn’t faster than Mu Yin—but he wasn’t far from her benchmark. Reminded by his wide sweep at Grisla’s torso that took the boy by surprise. During his dodge he was assaulted by the close-range disciple, letting loose a flurry of limbs. It’s pure luck that Grisla’s hand-to-hand skills were better than his, otherwise the next few steps wouldn’t be said.

He blinked, then howled as a new arrow took up residence in his thigh. Each one of them was an experienced fighter, so Grisla’s second of distraction was a cue as loud as a thunderclap. The predators pounced.

Ji Nan teleported to Grisla’s side. “Oopsie, my hands slipped!” The warhammer slammed into him, turning his body into a projectile darting for a wall.

The chamber rumbled. Pieces, big and small from the wall tumbled down pathetically as they were evicted for a new resident.

His medallion blinked, but nothing came. Instead, the light died a few blinks later.

It’s… happening, again.

Lungs struggling for air; the boy felt as if a giant had squished him. Below him, the group walked up.

Ji Nan moaned, “Down already? But I only hit him once!”

“…Brother Ji Nan? He’s still alive, though. Most people are usually dead in one hit!”

For that, the disciple was shot a venomous glance.

Grisla coughed. I’m going to die here. I’m going… to…

I refuse! No, not by him. He isn’t worthy.

After pulling himself out, he stood straight up. Grisla spat out the copper taste that infested his mouth. It seems they weren’t in a hurry for his demise, as they watched their squirming prey. The three assumed that their victory… was inevitable. Rolling his neck, clenching his fist repeatedly is a prelude for what’s to come.

His eyes rolled over the two, then locked onto Ji Nan—specifically, his hammer.

Sneering, “Ah, so it’s true.” he said.

“Hm?” Ji Nan squinted at Grisla.

The boy closed his eyes, “When I swore before the heavens,” and let out a breath. “I meant it.” Grisla lifted a foot, then—

He vanished.

“There it is! I was wondering when you were about to do it!”

Ji Nan heard a plop and turned. “Liao!”

The bowman’s throat was a sprinkler. While he was standing, and while he gargled on the floor. Next to him, a sharp appendage. From a crab, possibly? Ji Nan thought.

“Think you can flaunt that in front of me and kill my junior brother! You don’t know how death is written!” Ji Nan’s eyes moved with the scraping of feet around him; as they chased a ghost, he pulled out a hand filled with talismans.

Grisla’s ghostlike form stopped. Taking the time to lean on a wall, his breath explained just how hard the strain was for him, but still, “He should be grateful I didn’t save him for last; wannabe Houyi. I’ll admit, I haven’t been this pissed in a long time. Even back at home, when I was treated like dirt, there wasn’t much to feel, as I’ve already long grown used to it. I wore it like armor, even. But you lot?”

Before Grisla continued, the other disciple was already on him. Fist shooting forward to end him. The disciple’s would-be victim didn’t even give him the time of day; a leisurely Grisla took two steps off the wall and disappeared from the disciple’s aim. In a blink, Ji Nan’s companion was holding himself tight as he buckled under the pain.

“Mercy, mercy…” the disciple pleaded.

Grisla smiled, then ended him too with a stomp to the throat. If Ji Nan were a betting man, he’d say that going for the pharynx was his enemy’s favorite idea.

“Your invalid of a junior brother really thought that with his meagre ability he could clash against me with his lonesome,” Grisla kicked the disciple away like a bag of garbage.

“Wei…” Ji Nan whispered.

“If you were to ask me, I’d say you sent them to their deaths. Much like the last time, in fact,” Grisla basked in the schadenfreude. “The most powerful disciple here and yet, knowing of my capabilities, or because of your arrogance disallowing it, you went ahead and watched your junior brothers and sisters run at me only to face a certain end. If you all came at me together the first time, back in the Northern Wilderness or even just now in the first skirmish. I wouldn’t really be here right now to gloat at you.”

He shrugged, “Personally, I don’t really enjoy the pointless disposal of lives. But—” Grisla sneered, “I do thoroughly enjoy that face of yours, Ji Nan. I like it very much. If you won’t come kill me,” he waved his hand, like as if presenting at a play over the corpses. “I’ll keep killing your underlings instead! How ‘bout it?”

Ji Nan, shaking with rage, said: “…You’re a demon, Grisla Orlith.”

“Aren’t we all?”

Grisla’s eyes flicked to the talismans bundled, he couldn’t read it as his enemy was clearly hiding the written script. He frowned. What is he planning?

“Good!” Ji Nan laughed manically, sucking in air as if it were the last bit of it around, “Very good! We’ll settle it here then! After you’re dead I’ll personally carry your corpse to the Orlith family to tell them of the story of how a disgruntled bastard like you met his end to me! Think that now you’ve hit fifth cycle it makes an ounce of difference to me? Come!”

‘Steps of the Alpha’ was engaged, and Grisla’s body was a bullet shooting towards Ji Nan, who sneered with the devil’s likeness. Ji Nan let his hammer vanish, then readied his talismans.