“So, what does it feel like?” Guang asked Boneroot. The two boys plus Iris were sitting around the table in Boneroot’s common area. Guang watched with intense curiosity as Boneroot prepared to take inventory of the void ring that Boneroot had won from Wei Zhen in a duel.

In the weeks since he’d first met them, Boneroot’s friends had only changed slightly in appearance. Guang’s hair was now long enough that he kept it tied up in a loose knot, showing off a surprisingly soft jawline. Boneroot was also fairly sure Iris’ hair had more streaks of white than when he’d first met her and her upturned eyes an even brighter turquoise.

“I don’t know yet,” Boneroot replied. “If I don’t feed any ki into it, it just feels like a plain, iron ring. Hold on.”

The boy channeled some of his ki to the finger on which he was wearing the understated ring. Immediately, he gained an intuitive awareness of a space the size of several Kurokis, as well as its contents. The feeling was surprisingly similar to his sense of the little tsovar, himself, who was sleeping away in his own pocket dimension. Unlike the space bound to his shadow, though, Boneroot had full control of the subspace contained within the void ring.

With a flick of his hand, the contents of the void ring spilled out onto the table. The items that came out were split into four categories. The first and most exciting to Boneroot was a large pile of spirit stones. Despite only recently breaking into the Orange realm, Wei Zhen had a stockpile of at least thirty Orange spirit stones. To a disciple with no resources like Boneroot, that represented almost a two months’ supply. He did feel a twinge of regret, however, that there were no Red spirit stones he could share with Iris and Guang. He would give some of the Orange stones to Song for all the help he’d been with sparring practice, but he wanted to do more for his two closest friends.

“Wait,” Boneroot said, thinking aloud. “Can I trade the Orange spirit stones for Red ones? Maybe at Central, or something?”

Iris and Guang knew the answer and quickly caught on to the implication, but neither wanted to be the one to suggest they claim any of their friend’s hard-fought prize. Boneroot shot them an exasperated look.

“If I can get more Red stones for a few Orange stones, that’s an easy decision to make. You don’t have to be so weird about it.”

Iris gave an awkward half-chuckle.

“Sorry, Boneroot. It’s just that you always do this kind of thing and we don’t really have any way to make it up to you.”

Guang nodded solemnly, but Boneroot waved it off.

“But I don’t doubt you will eventually. I only got this far due to some fortuitous circumstances and if I’m going to go higher, I’ll need help, preferably from people I actually like.”

Boneroot gestured to the other two people in the room, but he was met with intense sheepishness.

“Besides, once I manage to trade for Red spirit stones, they’ll be useless to me, so you’ll have no choice but to accept them.”

In smug silence, Boneroot turned his attention to the next type of item on the table: talismans. Scattered among the spirit stones, some of the talismans were inscribed on paper, others carved into wooden blocks. Boneroot recognized some of the characters, but he still couldn’t begin to guess what any of them actually did. Iris and Guang were similarly stumped. Boneroot neatly filed them back into the void ring, deciding to ask Venh about them when he got the chance.

Next was weaponry. Though the large warhammer Wei preferred was not in the void ring at the time of his defeat, there were three other, similarly well-crafted weapons. The first was a longsword that lived up to the name. Its dual edges shone with what Boneroot assumed to be an enchantment of some kind and the hilt was comfortable, black leather with the crest of the Zhen carved into it. Two silver hammers crossed each other, one a warhammer, the other a forging hammer, signifying the clan’s two chiefmost values.

Next to the sword lay a matching heater shield, the same Zhen sigil emblazoned right in the middle of its flawless, steel front. The back of the shield and its grip were comprised of the same quality, black leather as the sword hilt.

Last of the weaponry were twin hatchets. The pristine steelwork of the axeheads was surprisingly bereft of the Zhen’s crest, as well as the same black leather as the other items. Instead, the shafts appeared to be little more than solid wood. At second glance, however, both the wooden handles and the sharp edges bore the characteristic runic carvings of enchanted weaponry.

“No doubt these are enchanted, yeah?” Guang asked, pointing out the runes.

Boneroot thought for a moment before asking, “Do you think they’re ki-dependent? They might need someone with a Metal attunement to function properly, right? Otherwise they’re just normal, albeit well-made, weapons.”

After a shared look, each cultivator picked up one of the steel workings and walked out into the garden for testing. Boneroot held the longsword in his hand, testing out its weight and inspecting the engravings. Though he had learned how to wield a spear in his youth, he had no experience with other weapon types. The sword was shockingly light, to the point that Boneroot wondered if it was actually enchanted for weight, but, ultimately, it felt foreign in his hands.

Channeling ki into his hands, not unlike what he’d done with the void ring, did not yield any results. If the sword had an enchantment requiring activation, Boneroot didn’t think he’d be able to discover it. The boy gave it a few experimental swings. It felt ungainly to use and, after only a short time, Boneroot felt confident that his cultivation art probably had no room for this sort of weaponry. It just didn’t feel right in the same way that his techniques did.

Beside him, Iris was taking similar test swings with one of the axes. She had no real experience with weapons, but the thought of using something so clearly expensive was exciting. When her ki failed to activate any enchantment, though, she frowned and quickly abandoned the weapon before coming to the same conclusion as Boneroot when she tried out the sword.

Guang, at least, took to the items with more zeal. It was clear from how he wielded the longsword that he was much more comfortable with the motions than his two friends.

“The ones we used in the military were a lot poorer quality. Practicing swordplay was one of the few things they actually let us do. I was never any good at it, though.”

Once Iris and Boneroot were suitably impressed by the boy’s skills, despite his constant downplaying of them, Guang began testing the enchantments.

“I actually knew a couple officers who had enchanted weapons. Not many, though. Most of them aren’t in a high enough realm to be worth the investment. Also, for some reason they’re mostly Fire cultivators.”

“Maybe those are cheaper,” Boneroot suggested.

“That is the most common ki attunement,” Iris added.

When Guang channeled his Metal ki into the sword, the effect was immediately apparent. The sword extended at speed to nearly double its already-impressive length. Fortunately, Boneroot reacted quickly enough to not get speared.

Iris made an unimpressed, garbled noise before clarifying, “Sorry, that just doesn’t seem all the strong. Plus, think of all the more useful things you pay to have enchanted on it.”

“I think it could be, yeah? I’m guessing it’s a way for someone without the right techniques to fight at range. Someone like Wei, right? I’m pretty sure there are also weight and durability enchantments on it. Whether all that is worth whatever the cost... I dunno.”

With a shrug, Guang moved on to the shield. He channeled his ki into it without much ceremony.

Iris and Boneroot yelped in pain when the light emitted from the shield blinded them. Both cultivators were rendered ineffective for a few seconds before they were able to blink away the sudden blindness.

“Another way to deal with a range disadvantage, then. Pretty ironic that you punched him into the ground then, huh?”

Boneroot grinned, but had to cycle some qi to get his eyes into proper working order.

“That’s brutal,” he commented. “Even if you know it’s coming, you're going to have to close your eyes, or turn away. Clever.”

Iris nodded her approval, still blinking hard.

Last up were the axes. Guang gave them a few experimental swings before testing their enchantments. Unlike the previous items, these didn’t change notably when fed Metal ki. A couple swings later, Guang still wasn’t sure what their enchantment was. Finally, he had a thought.

Guang thew one axe to the other side of the garden. A moment later, it returned to his hand.

“Oh,” Boneroot exclaimed. “Hana Shio’s spear was like that, too.”

“It’s tricky,” Guang said, not looking away from the finely crafted metal in his hand.

Iris announced, “Well, I’d say that’s a pretty sweet haul! I didn’t expect there to be so much inside the ring. I mean, the ring alone would have been worth it, right?”

The trio filed back inside to inspect the remaining wares. Last and certainly least of them were a couple sets of the Zhen family robes. He would have to ask Song if they had any worthwhile enchantments, but, other than that, he doubted they were much of a boon. There was no way he could sell them back to one of the Zhen siblings. Even if they didn’t have such fragile pride, their family could easily afford to just send over some more. At the very least, a few less-savory plans for the robes were floated among the three cultivators to a chorus of laughs.

“So,” Boneroot said, starting to wrap up the proceedings. “Obviously, Iris and I don’t have much use for the weapons. You want them, Guang?”

Somehow, the jovial boy was taken aback by the question, despite it being the most obvious thing to ask. He had to think hard for a moment before replying.

“Yeah, actually. Those axes. They’re perfect for me.”

Boneroot was relieved his friend didn’t refuse out of some misplaced guilt.

“No interest in the sword, or shield, though?”

Guang shook his head.

“No, thanks. They don’t really fit my art. You should probably sell, or trade them in Mountain’s Rest, though. The talismans too, right?”

Boneroot opened his mouth, but realized he hadn’t actually thought of that. Iris went over and slapped a palm to his forehead so he didn’t have to.

~

Another week passed in much the same manner as the previous two. Most notably, Guang raised his ki cultivation up to the level of his qi, putting him firmly in Mid Red realm in both. During that time, he reported both Zhen siblings neglecting to show up to their Ki Training classes, as well as Expert He Edri treating him even more coolly than usual.

So, it was a rather prickly scene when all the first-year disciples were told to gather at Fen’s Arena. According to Venh, Grand Master Yan was coming down from the upper peaks to announce the first competition among the teams.

Boneroot met up with Guang and Iris at the edge of the burgeoning crowd. There was a current of excitement underlying their conversation in anticipation of the announcement, one that the trio tapped into as they debated what the competition might be.

Soon, their discussion was put on hold as their final two teammates found their way over to them with obvious reluctance. Zhi Zhen was staring daggers into Boneroot, who noticed a distinct lack of her own void ring on her finger. It was a simple jump in logic to assume Wei had commandeered hers to replace the one Boneroot took from him.

Iris couldn’t let that go unobserved.

“Zhi, what happened to your fancy jewelry? I noticed you’re missing a ring. You should see the one Boneroot has.”

The childish jibe actually cut a nerve with the girl, much to her friend’s chagrin. Hana Kasumi cradled her head in her hands as Zhi lashed out.

“Why don’t you just challenge me, already? Oh, right you’d lose.”

Before the bickering could intensify, they were interrupted by an unlikely interloper. Hana Shio, with her own team at her back, was listening in on the intersquad turmoil.

“Boneroot, I must confess I’m surprised by your team’s lack of cohesion. As the strongest, it is your responsibility to keep everyone in line.”

A quick flurry of responses drowned out Boneroot’s. It was hard to tell who between Zhi Zhen, Iris, and Hana Kasumi was more offended. The four cultivators behind Hana Shio seemed amused, but unwilling to engage in the antics. Boneroot didn’t recognize any of them.

“I suppose,” the girl with the trident on her back continued, “it would be more difficult if I had the Kasumi girl, but it is the duty of the strong to make due. You will need to learn this, Boneroot.”

The target of Hana Shio’s backhanded comment bit down on her lip, but didn’t respond. With a sidelong smirk, Hana Shio left amid a chorus of insults hurled at her back. Boneroot didn’t know what to make of the girl. He had only interacted with her a handful of times outside their initial fight, but he came away from each one less sure of her character.

In the wake of the other team’s departure, Boneroot was left to clarify that he did not think along the same lines as Hana Shio, a situation he did not appreciate. Fortunately, he was bailed out of any further squabbling when Grand Master Yan took the stage. One day, he was going to learn how to appear and disappear with no warning and he was going to abuse it.

“Hello again,” she began her address. “I trust you have all been working hard in the first few weeks of your time here at the Brightmoon Sect. A number of you have reached new milestones, while others have even broken into new realms entirely. The time has finally come to show off what improvements you’ve made!”

As was her usual approach to these speeches, Grand Master Yan left ample pause in between speaking. It allowed enough time for some murmuring to start up before she continued.

“For the first competition, we’ll keep it simple! Twenty teams enter! One team leaves! With a prize! And also a couple other teams! With lesser prizes!”

Also like usual, she was having fun.

“The primary objective of this contest is to test how well your team functions in chaos. Specifically, you will be thrown into a battlefield where there are more than two sides. Depending on the path you take upon leaving the sect, you may never actually see a standard war in an open field, the likes of which you’ve undoubtedly read about. For many, it is far more likely that combat will find you ambushed in a forest, or racing across a cityscape. If you leave this institution unable to thrive under the pressure of outright pandemonium, you will have wasted your time.”

“The battle will take place at this time one week from now. You are to meet here, whereupon you’ll be transported to the arena. Once the fight begins, you are welcome to thin out the competition in any non-lethal means you see fit. Plan, scheme, or betray to your heart’s content! Know, however, that you will not just be facing your fellow Outer Sect disciples. A number of stronger cultivators will be present to shift the landscape and create dynamic obstacles. That is not to mention, of course, the spirit beasts we’ll be periodically releasing into the arena.”

Now, the crowd was near frenzy as a fresh round of fevered speculation took hold of the excitable disciples.

“Should you come out on top of this melee, your team will be rewarded with a surplus of spirit stones and sect points. The standout cultivator on that team will also receive one month of tutoring from their chosen Sect Master. For the teams that claw their way into second and third place, though, you will receive proportionally lesser prizes, but no tutoring. Good luck!”

Just as the audience processed the opportunity to learn personally from one of the Sect Masters they normally wouldn’t even see until reaching the Inner Sect, Grand Master Yan disappeared. Growing used to the abrupt arrivals and departures, though, the disciples in front of the stage quickly began to disperse.

“So,” Iris broke their group’s silence. “You think we can find this arena before next week?”

“Were you not listening,” Zhi snapped at her. “If Grand Master Yan doesn’t want you to find this location, do you really think you, of all people, can do so in spite of her?”

Iris kept her cool as she addressed the question, “Were you listening? She was practically begging for us to figure it out. She said ‘any means necessary’! Just because we’re supposed to ‘thrive on chaos’, or whatever, doesn’t mean we have to go in blind.”

Zhi struggled for an immediate retort and, surprisingly, Hana Kasumi was the one to speak next.

“She’s right.”

After a glare from her friend, Hana hastily clarified, “Loathe as I am to admit it, of course. The other teams are certainly to have been practicing together, as five, for the last week, at least. We need any advantage we can get. To that end, I propose we meet tomorrow around mid-afternoon to outline a basic strategy and feel out any synergies among our team members.”

Recollection of a certain incident instilled trepidation among the other disciples on the team.

“I know the last attempt went... poorly,” Hana continued as she eyed Iris, who pointedly ignored her. “However, I think we need to move past that if we’re to have any hope of competing with the other teams.”

“Great idea!” Guang said before Zhi Zhen could shoot it down.

“I think that’s Boneroot’s decision. Duty of the strong and all that,’ Iris said as much to tease Boneroot as to annoy the other two girls.

“Tomorrow sounds good,” he replied with a short frown at his friend. “Does anyone know where we can practice without being in plain view of our competition?”

“Were you not paying attention last time?” Zhi asked. “You can reserve a section of any training field. They’re all equipped with barriers that can block sight from anyone at our level.”

“So long as it’s not Training Field E,” Guang muttered under his breath as the group went their separate ways.