Law of the Jungle (Book 3): A Wuxia Progression Fantasy Adventure Series E-Book

Vasily Mahanenko

• Herausgeber: Magic Dome Books
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

What could possibly go wrong at a Tier Zero school of ascension when all the powerful foes have been vanquished and a bonded pair of Seekers can handle any adversary — not just at their current stage of ascension, but also from the initial ranks of the next one? It turns out quite a lot can derail—especially when clans decide to contest who is to gain access to the Primordial Soul for the next decade. The Seekers find themselves forced to put textbooks aside and engage in their usual business: accomplishing the impossible.

Leseprobe

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

About the Author

Vasily Mahanenko

Law of the Jungle

Book#3

Magic Dome Books

Law of the Jungle

Book 3

Copyright © Vasily Mahanenko 2024

Cover Art © Linni 2024

Designer: Vladimir Manyukhin

English translation copyright © Mikhail Yagupov 2024

Published by Magic Dome Books, 2024

Anschrift: Podkovářská 933/3, Vysočany, 190 00

Praha 9 Czech Republic IC: 28203127

All Rights Reserved

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the shop and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This book is entirely a work of fiction. Any correlation with real people or events is coincidental.

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Chapter 1

“THIS CANNOT BE allowed!”

The administrator of the School of Spirit Power was nearly choking with rage. However, he could only display emotions of such intensity towards Candidates of lower ranks. Our Diamond rank made us impervious to his vitriol. If he had spoken softly, like mentor Guerlon, I might have been concerned. I sighed, looked upwards, as if beseeching Heaven to grant me strength, and reiterated,

“Is this point stated explicitly in the rules of the School of Spirit Power? Could junior please demonstrate the corresponding passage to me?”

“Whether or not it’s written down is irrelevant! What you’re asking for is unacceptable!”

“This brings us back to the rules concerning what is and what isn’t acceptable. So, who determines that? Perhaps you, junior?” I emphasized the rank of my interlocutor, a grown man, which only angered him further. The Golden-ranked Candidate had grown accustomed to being near-omnipotent within the vast domain of the school, yet here was a strange pair of Seekers breaking every imaginable rule, and no one could do anything about us. The Seeker’s plaque guaranteed our immunity. More accurately, it guaranteed the possibility of retaliation against any upstarts causing trouble, and the sight of the three thoroughly-stripped sophomore students lying on the ground nearby and groaning piteously gave any would-be aggressors second thoughts. We hadn’t killed anyone, but Vyllea couldn’t restrain herself and removed a few fingers from a particularly vocal commentator. Who would blame her? Certainly not me. This fool had dared to tell my companion that a beauty such as her could find someone better-looking than yours truly for company and that he, the embodiment of the Deforean Empire’s bright future, was better suited to taking care of a girl like her. Now, it seemed, he’d need to take care of having his fingers reattached before he could pay attention to any of his other concerns.

“I will complain to the headmaster!” The administrator finally decided to play his trump card.

“You are free to do all that the rules of the School of Spirit Power allow you to. You may complain — or choose to refrain from complaining. You may argue. You may shout. But, most importantly, the rules do not forbid you from providing the two of us with private accommodation. And us Seekers stick together, junior. Do you object to that?”

I struggled to keep a smirk off my face. The students of the School of Spirit Power were housed in several common barracks, boys and girls separately, and these barracks were positioned as far away as possible from all the important places on school premises such as training grounds, dining halls, academic buildings, and workshops. However, some of the particularly distinguished students were housed in small cottages where they could indulge in relaxing pastimes such as meditation while they prepared for their classes and whatnot. There were few such cottages and many contenders for them. For the most part, they were reserved for the offspring of the major houses. The rules forbade them from staying in their family residences — without official permission from the head of the school, at least. The school year was to start only in a month for the freshmen, so some of the lodgings were currently empty, but the administrator understood that if we moved in, evicting us would become impossible. Moreover, he found our demand to live under one roof completely scandalous. Yet such were the wishes of our official mentor, an Overlord of the Silver rank.

“Zander, haven’t you had enough of this?” Vyllea asked, a note of irritation tingeing her voice as she gestured towards the nearest cottage. “Junior, from now on, this cottage belongs to us. We’ll be back with our belongings, and by the evening, I expect to find two beds here. If I fail to, there will be consequences. Come on, Zander, I’m getting sick of this place.”

The administrator began to protest, but his words fell on deaf ears. Today, two Diamond-ranked Candidates, both of whom had just turned sixteen, were officially admitted to the School of Spirit Power. After examining Vyllea, the headmaster had accepted payment for two years and issued us with passes. We were free for the next month, and I, for one, had no desire to avail myself of House Wang’s hospitality. I requested a copy of the school’s rules and studied them meticulously. I discovered that we were allowed to lodge on school premises for the month leading up to the start of the new academic year free of charge.

Yet we still needed to pay a visit to the palace, at the very least. Our mentor understood he might not survive the process of making us Seekers, so he had unloaded all his possessions, including the money for school fees and all our personal belongings, in his room. We could have retrieved them immediately, but I hadn’t known where we’d be staying earlier that day when the clan head’s advisor had left the First Tier. Now that I did know, the last thing I wanted was to stay on House Wang’s premises a minute longer than I absolutely needed to.

However, as was often the case, our wishes didn’t quite align with the options we had at our disposal. We’d only reached House Wang’s palace by nightfall. Moving through the city on foot proved to be enormously inconvenient! The vast spaces that Vyllea had initially enjoyed were annoying her enormously towards the evening. I reminisced about the ideal layout of Zou-Lemawn, where everything was compact and confined. Here you could almost feel yourself age traversing from one city section to another.

Yet it wasn’t the distances or the late hour that compelled us to linger at House Wang’s residence. Upon arriving to the inner courtyard, we found ourselves expected. An imposing Taoist, whom I saw as a spot of darkness in my spirit vision (a Master, since our mentor had referred to him as “junior”), stood in the yard alongside Carmin, Elda, and a stunning redhead, the sight of whom made my heart skip a beat.

“Trouble?” Vyllea whispered, squeezing my hand.

“Nothing serious so far,” I answered. It was well established between us that although Vyllea was physically stronger, I had a keener sense for danger. At that moment, there was none. Yet we had to be circumspect.

“Elder,” both Vyllea and I managed to bow almost simultaneously, though it was a bow among equals rather than a juniors’ bow. A twinge shot through my back, but quickly subsided.

“My name is Darna Feng,” the redhead introduced herself. Her voice was as beautiful as her appearance. House Feng was a conglomerate of various families atop the Phoenix Clan’s hierarchy in the Central Tier. Our mentor hadn’t said much about them, deeming a meeting unlikely unless it happened centuries from now.

“Seeker Zander and Seeker Vyllea,” I introduced us formally.

“Seekers?” The Master’s face became contorted in a grimace of skepticism. “Junior, aren’t you presuming a bit too much?”

“I never presume, Elder,” I replied, feeling a sharper sting in my back this time.

“Is that so, junior? Can you substantiate your claims?” The Master clearly hadn’t forgotten our mentor’s blade at his throat. He tried to suppress us with his aura, but Vyllea and I, still hand in hand, withstood the pressure easily enough. Breaking us would require considerably more effort.

“Stop,” commanded Darna, paling visibly, and as the pressure lifted, Carmin and Elda gasped for air, clearly more affected than we were.

“May I see your plaques, Seekers?” Darna asked. “As far as I know, they don’t admit anyone below Golden-ranked Apprentices into Seekers.”

“Everything happens for the first time, milady Darna Feng,” I responded, removing the plaque from around my neck. Vyllea and I hadn’t figured out where to keep them, so we wore them like amulets. Vyllea followed suit, displaying her plaque. The Master’s face stretched in surprise. Carmin reached out towards the plaque, but I shook my head. It wasn’t wise to do that.

“Well, that explains a lot,” Carmin chuckled, withdrawing his hand. “Losing to a Diamond-ranked Seeker doesn’t tarnish one’s reputation. Though I wouldn’t mind a rematch. Elder, would you care to demonstrate your skills once more?”

Vyllea didn’t reply, choosing to give Carmin a withering look instead. Even I felt uncomfortable under her gaze. My partner could sure leave a lasting impression when she wanted to. But Carmin’s words spoke volumes — they had run background checks on us and sent their reports to all interested parties. That explained the absence of people around. The servants and representatives of House Wang were afraid to so much as approach the windows.

“Today you enrolled into the School of Spirit Power,” Darna confirmed my suspicions that not only had we been investigated, but our movements through the city had been monitored thoroughly as well.

“Milady Darna Feng, I have a proposal. Let’s be straightforward about what you need from us. It’s the most effective way to get results,” I suggested, while my heart was ready to burst from my chest. I was overwhelmed by intense feelings for another person for the first time, and I was immensely grateful to our mentor for teaching us to control our emotions.

“Do you know who I am?” Darna asked unnecessarily.

“You’re the daughter of one of the Phoenix Clan’s chief advisors. A resident of the Central Tier. A Diamond-ranked Candidate, which is quite unusual for where you’re from. The Elder next to you is either your guardian or mentor, most likely a Golden-ranked Master. Carmin represents the Bao family from the Third Tier; he’s an Apprentice of the Silver rank. I don’t know anything about Elda’s family, but since she’s from the fourth Tier, she likely belongs to House Lee, and is also a Silver-ranked Candidate. This meeting is important to you — so much so that you’ve intimidated the entire Wang palace into abject terror. People are afraid to even approach the windows. Did I miss anything?”

“I told you he was a sharp cookie!” Carmin chuckled, but he faltered when the imposing Taoist glanced at him.

“The fact that I am a Diamond-ranked Candidate is known only to a select few in Tier Zero.” Darna’s look was ominous, but I had an excellent response ready.

“Our mentor is not just a Seeker, but also an Overlord of the Silver rank. I hope that’s a sufficient answer.”

The reaction of the imposing Taoist suggested he wasn’t privy to such information — my back finally stopped aching. Not every Master would dare harm the students of a Silver-ranked Overlord.

“Zander, aren’t you tired of this yet?” Vyllea had held her patience until the end, but she finally snapped. “Why do you keep talking to them? Our mentor taught us to act, not to bow down to everyone we meet. Elder, do you have any questions or complaints?”

Vyllea looked at the master, who was so flabbergasted by her audacity that he didn’t even know how to respond. Had the girl been able to sense danger, her back would undoubtedly have been throbbing mercilessly by now. However, Vyllea lacked this ability. Despite the master’s best efforts, he couldn’t penetrate her indifferent gaze.

“So, the answer is ‘no,’ then. Elder, we’ve had a tough day. We’ve met with the Phoenix Clan’s advisor, sorted out issues at The School of Spirit Power, fought for our housing, and trudged here across the entire city! I’m exhausted and in dire need of rest. Let’s go, Zander. By the time they manage to say something coherent, it will be morning already.”

“The Phoenix Clan has been called to participate in a competition,” Darna finally decided to get to the point. “There are five teams, one representing each tier. Candidates from Zero, Apprentices from the First, and so forth. The only requirement is that the competitors must be official students of some ascension school, having studied in their rank for at least half a year. That’s why my father sent me here — I’m guaranteed to lead the Candidates’ team of the Phoenix Clan. The team must consist of five people. In two weeks, there will be a qualifying round for the immortality-seekers of the Candidate stage. The winners will earn the right to join my team and represent the clan in the upcoming competitions. I want you to participate in the selection.”

The offer was… unexpected. So I clarified,

“Why us? You’re from the Central Tier. I assume there are many folks just like you there. Diamond-ranked Candidates who could easily pulverize any Candidate from Tier Zero. There are bound to be geniuses — if not in the Central Tier, then surely the Fourth.”

“I won’t beat around the bush — the group members are already known. All Diamond Candidates from the Central Tier are trained by the best mentors, and we’ve already held several joint training sessions. The competition is merely a nod to tradition, nothing more. No one from the outlying tiers stands the slightest chance of winning. I wouldn’t have even looked your way this morning, but today my father contacted me and strongly recommended that I also involve you. I don’t like it and consider it a waste of time, but I must obey. This is an invitation to the qualifying competition. I need your signature.”

Darna extended a golden sheet. One sheet. Whoever had made it considered yours truly and Vyllea a single entity. It seemed only the deaf hadn’t heard about our full conjunction. I looked at my companion and nodded at the sheet.

“Shall we make ourselves some new enemies?”

“Weak and useless ones? What’s the point? I’d sign up for the second group. To have a crack at the Apprentice Taoists. That would be entertaining, at the very least. But mucking about with a bunch of Candidates… I don’t know. Darna, what’s the prize?”

“What prize are you talking about?” The girl exclaimed, bewildered. “It’s an enormous honor to be chosen as a clan’s representative!”

“You may have forgotten this, so I’ll remind you — we’re Seekers, Zander and I. Clashes within and between clans interest us far less than dealing with battlefields, anomalies, and wormholes, or exploring new lands. You’re asking us to forget about our interests and work for you. You’ve even declared yourself the leader, though you wouldn’t last a minute against us.”

“Isn’t that a bit presumptuous, greeneyes?” Darna was seething — I understood her; Vyllea could infuriate a stone. As for “greeneyes,” Darna seemed to be hinting at Vyllea’s alleged heritage. Only the members of the Tiger Clan had green eyes.

“I haven’t even started to get presumptuous with you, rednose,” Vyllea retorted. “If you want us to champion the Phoenix Clan, give us a reason. As for papers that say nothing about the reward we’re getting, why, you can use them to wipe your ass.”

Luckily, I was astute and observant. While the girls were arguing, I never thought of letting go of Vyllea, and kept my spirit vision active. A bright source of power appeared in Darna’s hand, and several nodes flared up, absorbing the energy. A tingling sensation ran up my spine, and a suit of Spirit Armor enveloped both Vyllea and me. The pain intensified, and as the energy in Darna’s nodes reached a critical mass, I subtly signaled to Vyllea that it was time to bolt. Darna wasn’t just releasing a Spirit Arrow — it was something far more powerful and dangerous. The energy from the nodes erupted into a bolt of lightning. Apparently, in the Central Tier this might be considered a playful flick on the nose. But in Tier Zero such actions could be deadly.

Stones erupted in all directions, yet we emerged unscathed some thirty feet away. Vyllea gasped, and it took considerable effort to keep her still, since she seemed ready to tear Darna to shreds for such an underhanded move.

“Zander!” Vyllea protested when she realized who was restraining her.

“Artifacts,” I replied, extending my free hand towards Darna. “Clan advisor’s daughter, your behavior is reprehensible. You will be punished for this.”

A Spirit Arrow burst from my hand, but Darna deflected it effortlessly with a jian that appeared suddenly in hers. The girl could see energy. Was she a mental absolute, I wondered? Or perhaps even a pure absolute? It was unlikely the advisor had appointed her as the head of the candidate group merely on the account of her having a pretty face. Darna’s nodes began charging with energy again. However, this time those were different nodes. The ones that had already discharged appeared like shriveled grapes in my spirit vision, needing time to recover. Darna had used up four nodes for her lightning strike, meaning if she continued using the same attack, she’d run out of juice before too long. As we evaded another attack in the nick of time, I realized my calculations were correct — the lightning had cost her another four nodes. She had fifty-two altogether, which meant she could launch thirteen of them, and had eleven left in her arsenal. As soon as she’d launch her last bolt, she’d have no choice but to engage in hand-to-hand combat with her jian or fists. Well, that much was clear. All that remained to me now was to see how proficient she was with the sword.

I extended my hand again, noting with dissatisfaction that the girl didn’t need to direct her lightning with gestures. I needed to work on not revealing my intentions to the opponent, too. A Spirit Arrow soared into the air, followed almost instantly by a second. Then a third. A tenth. I attacked without pause, and although Darna had blocked the first three techniques, she failed to stop the fourth. The arrow reached her, but then a protective amulet activated — her body flared up and absorbed my technique. The fifth, sixth, and seventh arrows had also gotten deflected, but the eighth reached its target once again. Again, the protection activated. When the twelfth arrow struck the girl’s chest and vanished without a trace, I lowered my hand and asked with a smirk,

“Do you understand that you have already lost to us as far as the competition is concerned? There won’t be Central-Tier amulets there. Three hits out of twelve, and we weren’t even fighting seriously. Are you sure, daughter of one of the clan advisors, that you are prepared to defend your clan’s honor with such training? Your lightning looks menacing, but how long will it take you to recharge the nodes? Will they even recover? By the way, are scrolls with techniques and spirit stones even allowed in Candidate competitions? I have serious doubts about that. What are you counting on, then? Extraordinary swordsmanship or hand-to-hand combat style? Well, I’ll disappoint you here, too — Vyllea will turn you into mincemeat within a minute. Do you know why? Because you’re simply not ready for a serious fight. You’re used to everyone being scared of your name and giving in before they even begin fighting for real. We, however, have spent four years in the demon lands, where every day was a battle for survival. A mistake there was punishable by death. Your father knows this. Have you ever thought, advisor’s daughter, why one of the greatest Taoists in our world had asked you to invite some unknown teenagers from Tier Zero to your team? You might do well to ponder that; it will be a worthy mental exercise. And when you decide to meet with us again, offering to join the team that defends the Phoenix Clan’s honor, I strongly suggest that you come with a specific proposal. Let’s go, Vyllea. Today has indeed been tough. We still have to walk to The School of Spirit Power. I feel no inclination to linger in this place a second longer.”

Having used two techniques, we found ourselves next to the palace entrance and walked inside. Judging by the stinging in my back, a strike from the Master had been in the cards until the very end, but he restrained himself. The show of strength was successful. Now it was up to Darna. If she truly was an absolute — even a mental absolute — she would realize that we were called here for a reason. The mentor had taught us to ignore spirit coins, but to be very vigilant for any spoils or reward one was due. If so, it was my sacred duty to squeeze her for as much as she had. I had grand plans, after all. The School of Spirit Power’s charter didn’t forbid students from having their own means of transportation. I’d even spotted a nice spot for parking. I grew tired of moving around Vorend and Tier Zero in general on foot from day one. A self-propelled cart was urgently needed, and I knew just who might help me obtain one.

We weren’t stopped, so we shouldered our bags and headed through the night capital of Tier Zero to the ascension school. I wasn’t worried about attacks. My sense of danger had proven its usefulness, our spirit armor was still intact, and it would only take a split second to drop our luggage and spring into action. But I kept an eye open through my spirit vision all the same — no one knew when the assassins’ guild might make their first move, after all. So I didn’t miss the moment when an odd type of energy appeared ahead. The person in our path was carrying poisoned needles.

“The one who calls himself Dee wishes to meet with you,” a voice announced. “You can leave your backpacks and bags here; they will be looked after. Our leader guarantees that nothing will happen to your belongings. At least if we come to an agreement. If not… Well, corpses have no need for worldly goods…”

“Right,” I dropped the cumbersome luggage to the ground. “Just a clarification. When we come to an agreement — and we will — we must pick up our belongings near the School of Spirit Power. If you are so impatient that you couldn’t wait for us to carry them there ourselves, then you’ll have to do that work for us. Vyllea, put everything down. I’ve found us some porters.”

I was beginning to enjoy the tingling between my shoulder blades. It brought me a special appreciation for life. And yes, after today’s meeting with Darna, my heart no longer skipped a beat every time I looked at that girl. She may have been breathtakingly beautiful, but even Vyllea with her open disdain for everyone weaker than herself was a more pleasant companion than a haughty scion of the Central Tier. I had my doubts she even considered us human. We were probably just pesky bipeds she had to deal with perforce and considered utterly unworthy of representing her clan. Well, let the Heavens be her judge, I thought to myself.

Chapter 2

THE ASSASSINS’ GUILD didn’t bother with any subtleties. If there were any official artificers’ workshops in Tier Zero, they surely belonged to House Wang. And thus we approached a regular forge on the outskirts of the city. There were no people around — this seemed to be an industrial area, and not a particularly busy one at that. Furthermore, the Seekers’ workshops were located on the same street — which reminded me that I definitely needed to stop by for a new cloak and dress for Vyllea. Seekers used a distinct pattern that made their enemies recognize them from a distance. But first I need to sort out my more immediate affairs.

Spirit vision revealed several Apprentice-stage Taoists, including the Gold-ranked individual who introduced himself as Dee. Today he went for a completely different image. There was not a trace of the dignified and affable gentleman in the faceless mongrel who’d approached us — the kind of person one didn’t see even when one looked straight at them. But I didn’t need to look at appearances. I couldn’t mistake this person for anyone else — I had seen his energy structure. I even took the trouble to count all his open meridians — there were 128 in total. Should this person acquire an energy core, he would become at least a Silver-ranked Warrior. There sure were interesting characters dwelling in Tier Zero. It was curious why he didn’t progress any further. Was it a rank limit similar to my father’s? He looked much better than my parent, incidentally. Apparently, he fed well on spirit stones.

The place where I was to demonstrate my expertise had already been prepared. Everything necessary for grinding herbs and bones had been brought in, along with a magnifying glass and a fine needle for etching sigils. Dee, as I decided to carry on calling him, unrolled a wooden scroll in front of me. That was quite strange — I distinctly remembered that the recipes from the Silver Heron School were written on regular paper and not on wooden strips bound by a ribbon. A single glance was enough for me to realize that the only challenge in this task would be the application of the needle to the base. There were no complex combinations of herbs or bones here. It was just meticulous work, which I had no intention of doing. After all, was I an artificer or not? If there was a chance to cut corners, one should always take it.

Herbs and bones were laid out separately, along with ten needles and a container with poison. Everything needed to start creating and prove that I was worth paying fifty spirit coins a month. However, I planned to show the assassins’ guild that they should pay me just a bit more.

“Do you need anything else?” Dee asked, pointing to the materials and tools. He noticed my hesitance and tried to understand its cause.

“Yes. Is there something to draw on? Since we are in a forge, and the furnace is still warm, I need to make something. It will be useful for you in the future.”

Naturally, there was nothing to draw on. Assassins didn’t carry paper with them. I had to take a piece of charcoal and sketch a certain contraption I had seen in a book by Huang Lung. Taoists had long had to work with small objects, transforming them into artifacts, and it wasn’t always possible to apply sigils to such objects directly. Working with each needle individually was sheer madness.

“What is this?” Dee frowned as he looked at my drawing, which resembled two boxes nested within each other, with low sides. The inner box was smaller than the outer, with a space between them.

“You pour the poison in here,” I began to explain. “These grooves are for the needles whose tips need to be covered in poison.”

“Why?” Dee didn’t grasp my concept. “Can you even etch sigils like this?”

“A lid is also needed, which will cover the vessel with the poison,” I ignored the head of the assassins’ guild. “Orimmal toad venom is dangerous even as a vapor. Have the boxes prepared. Also, I need two tulips, some oak bark, and bone dust. All from the First Tier.”

“Boy, are you sure you’re in command of all your faculties?” Dee’s expression remained emotionless, but a sharp pain in my back indicated a threat. They were deciding whether to kill me outright or let me suffer before death.

“Most esteemed Dee, I am fully aware of what I’m doing. You want ten needles, don’t you? I propose raising the stakes. If you provide everything I’ve requested, then you will receive a hundred needles… let’s say six hours after I receive the necessary materials. The number of needles isn’t actually crucial. The main thing is that they all fit into the container with their tips. I’m not interested in creating miniatures. I’m here to do what an artificer does.”

“Wait,” Dee said after a pause and left. Judging by how his assistants scrambled about, the orders he gave were clear, firm, and perfectly understandable.

“Care to explain?” Vyllea asked. While I talked with Dee, she had been inspecting the forge as if nothing special was happening. Just a bunch of cold-blooded assassins around. Big whoop! It wasn’t her first time, anyway.

“There are several methods of working with miniature artifacts,” I didn’t hold back, especially since I saw that Dee was behind the wall and could overhear our conversation. “The most common, popular, and familiar one involves working through sigils, which is what the creator of these needles did. I can’t imagine what kind of concentration it takes to meticulously apply a sigil to a needle, then fill the grooves with crushed ingredients, and seal everything with energy. Especially since the needle’s tip must be immersed into the toad venom for it to work. But there’s another way. Rare, known to few, but monstrously effective. Making artifacts via the creation of a formation. I’ll transform the two boxes they’ll soon bring us into an enhancing formation, specifically designed for creating a particular artifact — a poisoned needle capable of penetrating spirit armor. Most importantly, producing a hundred needles will require the same amount of materials as producing one. Thus, not only will Dee eliminate waste, but he’ll also save a fair amount of spirit coins on materials.”

“Why haven’t you used this before?”

“Have we ever needed to turn some small thing into an artifact in such large quantities? Except maybe your underwear, although… that’s not exactly something I’d call small…” I couldn’t resist the tease. Teasing Vyllea was like drinking water. If you didn’t do it at least once a day, you’d eventually wither up and die.

“I’ll kill you!” Vyllea growled, and a knife appeared in her hand. Knowing she could stab me as easily as look at me, I threw up my hands in a conciliatory gesture.

“Okay, okay! I was wrong. You wear the smallest underwear in the world.”

I had to dodge when the knife flew at my head. Apparently, she didn’t like my apology, either. Next, a jian appeared in Vyllea’s hands, which meant things were getting dangerous. Her bright green eyes glinted with malice and bloodlust, so I had to act on an old, well-practiced plan — rush to her before she could swing and embrace her, releasing several threads of bodily energy. Vyllea couldn’t resist such a thing and soon softened, channeling the energy through herself.

“Someday I’ll kill you, moron.” The bloodlust left my partner’s eyes. “Then I’ll devour you — and I won’t even choke!”

Responding to this wasn’t necessary. Instead, I clasped my hands, pressed my head against Vyllea’s, and for a while, we stood in such an odd pose to the onlookers. Like two lovers frozen before a kiss.

“Ahem,” came a delicate cough. I opened my eyes — it was already dawn outside. Had we really been standing like this for about six hours? Vyllea opened her eyes, furrowed her brow, not immediately understanding what had happened, then looked at me questioningly, demanding an explanation.

“I suspect we need to try this again, but in a calmer setting,” I replied, tuning into my sensations. It seemed I had managed to get a good rest, all while in the process of circulating energies. And what pleased me the most was the increase in my body’s energy volume, something that hadn’t happened in a very long time. I even began to think that we had reached our limit.

“Shall I leave?” Dee re-entered the scene. Everything I had requested was already on the table. The boxes were crudely made but perfect for my plan. The most important thing was that they had a flat and smooth surface on which I could draw several symbols. I had never created a formation before, but a beginner-level textbook from the Silver Heron School, which I had studied, gave me every reason to expect success. There was no mentor to question where I had learned such technology, and Vyllea certainly wouldn’t ask such questions.

“Your six hours start now, artificer,” Dee seemed to enjoy changing his persona. Now he had taken on the guise of a blacksmith, complete with burns on his face and a gruff voice. Nothing suggested that he was the head of the assassins’ guild except for the familiar meridian pattern.

Dee began forging, paying us no attention. As someone whose childhood had been spent in a forge, I must say he acted quite adeptly and properly, just as a blacksmith should. I smiled, impressed by Dee’s talents, and I took up the stylus. A formation needed to be created first.

“Vyllea, I need your help. This needs to be ground into dust. Can you handle it?”

“Are you sure I shouldn’t just stab you instead? Give it over.”

The girl began crushing the oak bark with such fervor that I worried about the material for a while. Excess emotion can also be harmful. Yet not a single speck fell from the mortar, and I relaxed. Vyllea might not be the calmest or most stable creature in the world, but she could focus when necessary. Meanwhile, I started drawing sigils on the prepared device. Four were needed altogether: three control symbols that would manage the formation’s operation, and the fourth was the sigil that needed to be applied to the needles. Several times anxiety gripped me; I may have looked like I was working with confidence, but I was actually performing this operation for the first time in my life, guided by a book I’d read four years ago. The sigils turned out perfectly, and as Vyllea ground the bark into dust, I began carefully filling the etchings with it.

It took us three hours to set up the formation. Despite Vyllea’s assistance, it was an incredibly meticulous task. Dee kept hammering away, pretending to be the master of this forge, and even had several visitors come by. Outwardly, everything appeared so ordinary that without spirit vision revealing one or two poisoned needles sewn into each visitor’s sleeve, one might really think that the head of the assassin’s guild was taking orders from clients as a blacksmith. What a bunch of odd characters.

“What now?” Vyllea leaned over my creation, examining the powder-filled sigils. It took a monumental effort to refrain from pulling her towards me — I was even afraid to breathe towards the device. One mistake, one gust of wind blowing a few particles aside, and it would all be over. We would need a new base, which the assassins would hardly provide us with. However, I managed to control myself and simply took Vyllea’s hand. Evaluating the sigils once more, I raised my free hand to the creation and emptied one of the meridians I hadn’t used for applying my techniques. It flashed so brightly it almost blinded us — even Dee stopped hammering and came over to see what it was all about.

“Is everything alright?”

“It’s just perfect,” I replied with a smile, looking at the glowing object. The steel boxes assembled on the floor had transformed into a stable formation.

“Can you explain what this is?”

“This will cost you a hundred spirit coins. Do you know how formations work?”

“Only superficially.”

“There are two types: dynamic and static. In both cases you need to create a control circuit that will activate the embedded techniques. Dynamic formations are like flags that form a protective dome. They split into at least four parts, scatter, and begin to activate the embedded techniques: barrier, silence, and so on. It always varies. Static formations don’t require scattering, so you can limit yourself to three symbols. These three in our case. And they don’t require any resources — just energy. This symbol activates the still-empty sigil, this one copies it onto the items in the grooves, and this one fixes the result. That’s basically how it works.”

“So, I can now fill this space with needles, pour in the poison, fill the grooves with symbol ingredients, and… what next?”

“Then you activate the sigils by supplying them with energy. A simple Tier Zero spirit stone should suffice, although it needs to be tested. I haven’t worked with needles as a base before.”

“Can I do it myself?”

“By all means. As I said, this will be your formation.”

“I’ve noticed you’ve said ‘will be’ instead of ‘is.’”

“Well, I haven’t received those hundred spirit coins yet.”

Dee didn’t respond. After wiping the mortar, he began grinding the herbs. Soon, all the ingredients were poured into the grooves. The head of the assassins donned a strange mask and gestured for us to step back from the table. After setting the needles, he poured the poison into the container and, without even closing the lid, directed energy onto the formation. There was no second light show. The symbol into which the ingredients had been poured flashed but then went out. Dee took one of the needles, turned it in front of him, and even brought a magnifying glass closer to examine the details. I knew what would be there. According to the book, the sigil had transferred to the needle by itself, without the painstaking and tedious work.

“How long will this formation stay functional?” Dee asked, still not removing his mask.

“As long as the sigils are not erased. The task was to demonstrate skill, not to create a formation for enhancing items. I’d say thirty of forty uses. It needs testing.”

“Do you have many such solutions?” Dee nodded towards the formation.

“It depends on what exactly is needed. Sometimes it’s easier to apply the symbol directly to the item rather than fuss with a formation. Such things are only used for trifles. Major artifacts are formed through sigils, but I’m not yet skilled in working with them. I need textbooks.”

“I’ve heard you. I need some time to test your creation and weigh its pros and cons. If the latter are fewer, you’ll get your hundred coins. I cannot cancel the contract on you, but I won’t send anyone after you for the next two months. Consider that a gift. You will be taken to the School of Spirit Power.”

“We’ll walk,” I declined the offer, earning a displeased snort from Vyllea. Dee said nothing, returning to the formation and studying the resultant needles. The audience was over. Grabbing the girl by the hand, I dragged her away.

“Are you mad? Walk? The school is on the other side of the city!” the girl berated me as soon as we stepped out of the forge. Several inconspicuous individuals immediately shut the door and hung a “Closed” sign on it. No one was to disturb Dee, apparently.

“We’re walking,” I pulled Vyllea along. She tried to resist for a while, but soon gave in. Then we found ourselves next to a nondescript workshop familiar to me. I was seeing it quite differently with my spirit vision now. What I managed to spot inside was quite noteworthy. There were several dozen artifacts, a wealth of spirit stones carelessly tossed into a pile, and some power spots — apparently, herbs.

“You might as well have taken me to a pigsty!” Vyllea clearly disliked the workshop’s interior. Four years had passed, but absolutely nothing had changed here — it was just as messy and just as empty as I remembered it. No visitors, no owner, no one but us. I approached the counter and pressed the bell several times.

“We’re closed.”

The tailor emerged from behind the counter with a sullen expression. Four years ago, he had resembled a dried-up raisin of a twenty-year-old, but now he looked like a miraculously ambulatory set of bones of indeterminate age. How he was still alive baffled me — work with energy had completely drained him. My spirit vision showed no sign of any nodes. If he was a Taoist, he was Silver-rank at best, despite working with first-tier artifacts and items! They had nearly burned him out, and it seemed everyone was indifferent to his plight.

“You’re open,” I replied. “We need a cloak, and this is the only place in Tier Zero where we can get one.”

The tailor’s stern gaze swept over Vyllea and me.

“Aren’t you too small to make such demands?” Despite his condition, his voice remained firm. In response, I removed the Seeker’s plaque from my neck and showed it to him. Vyllea, hesitating a moment, did the same. The tailor wasn’t a Seeker — that much was clear to me now. But he worked for us, helped us, and did everything necessary to supply us.

“What’s your rank?”

“Diamond Candidates.”

“A Second-Tier cloak will burn you. I’ll make one for the First Tier. Two enhancements. What do you want?”

“Just the base — I will apply the enhancements myself.”

“That’s even easier. I remember your measurements. The cloaks will be ready in five days. Two hundred spirit coins each.”

“How much?!” Vyllea exclaimed, but I managed to calm her with a gesture.

“We don’t have the money, tailor. I have another proposition — barter.”

“What can you offer me, Seeker?” The tailor’s face twisted, making him look even more intimidating than before. “Will you close an anomaly for me, perchance?”

“I can offer you a future, tailor,” I replied, unexpectedly finding myself grandiloquent. “You have no nodes, and working with artifacts is killing you. You’ve turned into a skeleton in the course of four years. In another two or three, you’ll be gone. You know this. Everyone knows this. But instead of working on developing nodes, you just snap at everyone.”

“Do you think I haven’t tried?!” The tailor trembled with rage. “I can’t break through to the Golden rank! There’s a wall! A limit! I work with Qi, but I can’t control it! Do you know how many such well-wishers I’ve seen so far? Nearly a hundred in the last five years! All they could do was sympathize! I hate it all, dammit! I don’t need anyone’s freaking sympathy!”

“I’m not offering you sympathy, tailor. I’m offering you help. You sew us two complete outfits. Including backpacks, belt pouches, and shoes. First-Tier fabric, with the Phoenix Clan symbol on the chest. All of it free of charge for us. In return, I will make sure you develop a node. I can’t turn you back into a human — I don’t have healing techniques. You’ll have to get proper nourishment on your own.”

“You’ll open my nodes?”

“I’ll launch a process that will make them appear. You will have to open them yourself by working with artifacts and feeding your body well. So, what do you say, master? Barter?”

“Barter it is,” the tailor said in a firm voice. “What do you need?” The decision was easy enough. Faced with the choice between death and losing revenue, only a madman would choose the former.

“Spirit stones. A lot of spirit stones. Practically all those you have over there,” I nodded toward the pile in the inner rooms. If the tailor was surprised, he didn’t show it. He approached the door, hung up the ‘Closed’ sign, and locked the workshop. Watching him walk, I was genuinely surprised not to hear the clatter of bones. He hardly seemed human anymore.

“What needs to be done?” the tailor asked as we approached the table with the spirit stones. Each stone contained little energy — they were clearly from Tier Zero, but collectively, they could provide the volume of energy I needed. Still, I decided to take precautions, and Vyllea’s hands found their way to my neck. I seated the tailor on a chair, sat opposite him, and took his hands in mine, closing my eyes.

Overlord Nurgal Lee (I wondered if he was related to Elda) had once claimed I was an “opener” — that is, someone capable of working with the nodes, meridians, and cores of others. The Overlord mentioned nothing about a conjunction being required for this, so I assumed physical contact should suffice. I initiated three whirls of energy within my body, giving none of it to Vyllea standing beside me. The tailor’s form reluctantly materialized before me, as if resisting and wishing to remain unseen. I didn’t want to send energy into him by force, unsure how he might react, so I acted on intuition. I needed the contours of the person before me to understand where to start forming nodes. When my mind couldn’t sketch this, I reached for the Qi energy forming in the invisible meridians between me and Vyllea and sent it adrift. I usually collected energy; this time, I released it, enveloping the man before me. It worked perfectly — I saw clear contours appear before me. Finally, my mind connected, highlighting the areas where nodes should form. There was emptiness — his body was not ready to accept so much as a single node. Instead of diligently training and circulating energy through his body, this madman had absorbed energy from artifacts, believing it would further his ascent. His body needed healing, but I couldn’t provide it. According to my mentor, all healing techniques required an energy core. Anyone who attempted it without one would die.

I couldn’t heal, and I’d remain unable to do so until I reached the Warrior stage. But what I could definitely do was draw a new portion of energy from the meridians I shared with Vyllea and spin it towards the highlighted places. The spirit stones on the table were insufficient. Dreadfully so. Now that I had begun forming a node, I realized this all too clearly.

One node equaled one depleted meridian. It was grim and unpleasant news. To bring the tailor back to life, two nodes were necessary, which would deplete the energy of two meridians. It was a lot. An immense amount, in fact — but, unfortunately, I had no other choice. We needed the Seekers’ attire. Everyone should immediately recognize whom they were dealing with — that was one of the rules our mentor had spoken about. So there was no point regretting the loss of energy. Seekers never went back on their word.

Two bright spots flared up within the tailor’s body, greedily absorbing the free energy. I had planned to form only small nodes, the way I had done for Vyllea, but it seemed I had overdone it. I’d opened actual nodes in his body. I didn’t even need to direct energy flows into them — the nodes did it all by themselves.

“All done,” I released the hands of the freshly-minted Golden-ranked Candidate. “Of course, this won’t allow you to work with Second-Tier items, but First-Tier artifacts won’t burn you anymore. Find a Warrior — you need treatment. And the sooner you get it, the longer you’ll live. We’ll come for our clothes in five days.”

The tailor wanted to say something, but I stopped him with a gesture of my hand and almost laughed. Mentor Guerlon used to stop me with that same gesture when I tried to say or ask something. I hadn’t realized I’d picked up his habits. I took Vyllea by the hand and pulled her out of the workshop. Then I drew a heavy sigh. It was evening again. Our belongings were somewhere near the School of Spirit Power. I wondered if they had already been scattered, or if the assassins’ guild was still guarding them.

“Is everything finally done now?” Vyllea asked discontentedly. “Or are you planning to save half of Vorend?”

“It’s all done. We just need to figure out how to restore the energy. One meridian requires a Warrior grade stone, and those aren’t available anywhere in Tier Zero. Although… you know, I have one idea, but you won’t like it. Shall we run? If we walk, it will take an eternity to reach the Wang House palace.”

“Why’d we go to the palace? Our stuff isn’t there!”

“I told you that you wouldn’t like it,” I couldn’t help but smile. “Trust me, we need to go to the Wang House palace first. We should remind the head of the house about an agreement between him and our mentor. Catch up!”

Chapter 3

“THERE’S ONLY TWO MONTHS left. Why would you need this now?” Hurikki Wang asked wearily. It was funny that the head of the house was morally prepared for the students of the troublemaker to continue his great work, so he didn’t yell at us or try to argue when I made my demands. He just sighed heavily and buried himself in documents.

“We want to take a look,” I replied. “Our mentor never took us there, so it seems we must go ourselves. By the way, can we book it for another year?”

“That’s out of the question, black anomalies are not meant for…” Hurikki Wang began, but stopped short, looking at Vyllea and me. Candidates were forbidden from venturing into black anomalies without the accompaniment of mentors or Seekers. Seekers! That means I could accompany Vyllea, and she could accompany me, and it didn’t matter that we were both Candidates. The official status of a Seeker opened many doors.

“So, it is possible, right? — I brought the silent representative of House Wang back into the conversation. “We have a year and two months during which no one else will claim the anomaly, am I right? Is there a description of what happens there?”

“Uncontrolled energy bursts of Second-Tier level at random locations, an abundance of traps, and Warrior-stage golems,” Hurikki Wang replied, although I already knew this description. The phrase “energy bursts of Second-Tier level” was particularly appealing to me, as it was exactly what we needed to replenish our depleted meridians and form new ones. Of course, the presence of Warrior golems and a multitude of traps didn’t sound pleasant, but I was counting on my spirit vision. It would help us find optimal spots to avoid trouble. Without high-level energy, Vyllea and I would soon become just like ordinary Taoists, which was unacceptable.

“We’ll book it, then,” I nodded and sighed. What I saw with my spirit vision didn’t please me, prompting a reaction. “Tell me something, o esteemed head of House Wang — how much does a self-propelled carriage cost?”

“Come again?” Hurikki Wang was clearly taken aback by such a question.

“A carriage. There’s one in my father’s village; I want one like it. How much does it cost?”

“The most basic ones begin at two thousand spirit coins.” I whistled inwardly. “But no one would want to ride in that. Decent ones start from four thousand and up. Did your mentor leave you that many spirit coins?”

“Not exactly. Vyllea, have a seat. We’ll be spending some time here.”

“I don’t understand…” The girl frowned but fell silent when two people burst into Hurikki Wang’s office.

“Where have you been?!” Darna Feng seemed upset. “We’ve been looking for you all day, and you’re sitting here!”

“Elder,” I ignored the girl and greeted her guard. Vyllea reluctantly echoed me. She disliked all these formalities, and I completely agreed with her. If the protector had been at least a Gold-ranked Apprentice, I would never have bowed before him. But a Master could squash Vyllea and me purely for entertainment, and we had to accept that.

“Why didn’t you say you had a full conjunction? Why didn’t you say who she was? And who you are! Why did I have to learn all this from my father?!”

For the first time in my life, I experienced genuine disappointment. Even when my parents sold me for two hundred spirit stones to Mentor Guerlon (for which I was actually immensely grateful to them — it occurred to me that a visit with my family was long overdue), it hadn’t felt like this. When I first saw Darna, she seemed like the Heavens incarnate. Beautiful, incredibly attractive, sensuous — the kind of woman hundreds of suitors vie for. But her current behavior made her seem about as attractive to me as your average lamp post. I’d even gotten angry — a rare occurrence for me.

“And who are you to demand explanations from me?” I did my best to make my voice glacial, mimicking my mentor.

“Say what?! I’m Darna Feng! I’m the daughter of the clan leader’s advisor! You should be tiptoeing around me and jumping at my every whim!”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Darna. You are merely a Diamond-ranked Candidate who’s unable to use techniques independently. A Taoist dependent on artifacts from the Central Tier who’s gotten accustomed to having everyone clear the way and agree with any decision you make. Our confrontation was yesterday, but you still haven’t restored your nodes. You mentioned speaking with your father, which means you paid a visit to the Central Tier. If the energy accessible there was insufficient for this task, then you have serious problems. Either you’re unable recover, or someone doesn’t wish you to. Either way, you are weak and useless. Report to such a Taoist, let alone jump at her every whim? The Heavens would not approve, Darna of House Feng. Vyllea, would you bother with such a Taoist?”

“Why bother with indigestion?” Vyllea snorted and turned away. “Zander, let’s just go to the black anomaly already! I didn’t come here to listen to this nonsense!”

The news was actually terrible, and I didn’t know how to react. Darna had been told Vyllea was a demon, that I was a mental absolute, and that we had full conjunction. I saw no restraint in the words of House Feng’s representative, so sooner or later Vyllea’s true identity would become known to the entire Tier Zero. There was never any shortage of those seeking revenge on demons for their slain kin in any tier, so first, the hunt would begin here, in Tier Zero, then proceed into the First, and so on. The Seeker’s plaque would only encourage confrontations. After all, there would be no punishment for our murder. I wondered how Seekers were regarded in the north and whether it might make sense for us to relocate.

The Master leaned over to Darna and whispered something to her. The girl turned sharply as if wanting to burn a hole through him, but her mentor remained calm. Darna bit her lip and turned towards Hurikki Wang.

“Forget everything you’ve just heard, Taoist. If a sound of it leaves this office, House Wang will cease to exist! Do you understand?”

“I do, Miss Feng,” Hurikki Wang was petrified, clearly not expecting anything of the sort.

“Seekers, follow me!” Darna commanded and exited the office. Vyllea and I exchanged glances and held hands, ready for an attack from the Master. None came. Like us, he was patiently waiting for the girl to return — which she shortly did.

“Seekers, please grant me a few minutes of your attention. I’d like to discuss something with you. Esteemed Hurikki Wang, may we use your office? We need to speak privately.”

Apparently, Darna had used some special secret calming technique. There was suddenly a calm, measured, and powerful young woman standing in front of us and exuding strength. Yet her glamour no longer affected me. The charm had dissipated, replaced by annoyance. I wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.

“Yes, Miss Feng.” Hurikki Wang looked even more terrified than before. Within moments, he had vanished. The Master produced a flag and enveloped a large part of the office in a formation of some sort.

“I apologize for my earlier lack of restraint. My father has informed me that there will be two conjugated pairs among the Tiger Clan Candidates. There’s no detailed information about the level of their conjugation. Among the Phoenix Clan representatives, the two of you are the only ones who have conjugation, which is why I’ve been tasked with bringing you in.”

“We need a self-propelled carriage,” Vyllea didn’t hold back for a second. “It’s infuriating to have to walk everywhere around this world. If you want us to work with you, give us a carriage.”

“Are you really a demon?” The wall of composure and decorum cracked. Darna’s voice held genuine interest.

“And are you really just a Candidate from the Central Tier? Despite the insane levels of energy that floats there?”

“Do you have any idea of what you’re talking about?” Darna was astonished. “It’s dangerous to transition to another level of ascension before eighteen. The body may not endure it.”

“Typical humans,” Vyllea snorted. “Oh, it’s so dangerous, you might stub your toe. Don’t go there, a twig might fall on your head. Either you decide when and how to ascend on your own, or you’re a slave waiting for your master’s orders. My mother became a Warrior by seventeen! And it happened in the Second Circle, without any access to the Primordial Soul. If she hadn’t given birth to me in Circle Zero, I would have already become a Warrior! Because that’s my will! Do you hear that, human? Mine! Not some mentor’s or custodian’s. Mine and mine alone! If you want us to defend your clan’s honor, you’ll have to furnish us with a self-propelled carriage. That’s all I can say to you.”

“Defend my clan’s honor? You’re taking on quite a lot, aren’t you? You’re not even part of my team yet, demon!” Darna seemed to return to her usual state, where the whole world owed her a favor.

“Your team?” Vyllea even laughed. “Let me return your own words to you, human, do you have any idea of what you’re talking about? Take off your artifacts and let’s go outside again. How many seconds will you last? And Zander and I won’t care whether you’re alone or with your much-touted team from the Central Tier. We’ll tear each one of you a new one and you won’t even notice. The conjugated fighters from the Tiger Clan will treat you in the exact same way. A self-propelled carriage, Darna Feng. That’s the only thing that can make me take the side of any humans.”

“Your words need to be proven in action, demon!”

“Are you a complete idiot?” Vyllea even glanced at the ceiling and shook her head. The sense of danger surged so high that I literally felt how the enraged Master would turn us into mincemeat. I had to intervene.

“Vyllea may use harsh words occasionally, but she did point out the essence of what’s happening here quite astutely. It’s not every day you meet someone so eager to destroy the reputation of one of the clan chief’s advisors.”