Chapter 486

With Allie unable to teleport Lila, everyone but Matt hoped to attend to their affairs during the interim, but the dragon quashed any such thoughts with a simple but effective threat. If they didn’t travel with her the whole way, she wouldn’t help them plunder the other Ascenders’ hauls with targeted bets.

He was just glad to have something to do that wasn’t ‘worry about the impending removal of himself’. That was why he’d asked for Leon’s pep talk and why he’d also used a memory technique he’d learned from Max about temporarily sealing a memory. With his nerves so taut months out, he knew his worries would only increase if left alone.

Would he still be him without the core of himself?

How much would be left of him when JR took out his name.

If the body left behind was a good person, what did that say about the core of his identity? What if it was a bad person?

What did it say about him that despite his own worries that he never once considered backing down? It was like jumping in a pool of sewage, he didn’t want to do it but he would.

At least, that was what he told himself.

Tempted to open the memories that had just settled him down, Matt pushed his worrying thoughts down, thankful for Lila’s insistence that everyone travel together.

Travel plans decided, their transport was one of Lila’s smaller yachts, alongside most of the high Tiers headed to Minkalla.

Lila’s foresight proved as keen as it ever was. All of them were ever so politely asked to join any number of people, for any reason at all. One newly promoted duke even sent them an invitation to watch an orange tree he had installed on his ship harvested.

A perfectly normal orange tree.

Matt briefly considered accepting the man's offer, if for no other reason than to personally question him about what was so special about the highlighted tree, but he knew that would be futile. Anyone brazen enough to host a banquet of a normal Tier 3 orange tree would be glib enough, he didn’t want to verbally spar with them.

Instead, they used each other as excuses to fend the various factions off.

Arriving back at Minkalla, Matt allowed himself a few moments to go back through his memories, good and bad, of the clockwork planet, but he didn’t linger on many of them. Only his final moments of seeing the white hole inside the planet's core remained as something he might be able to investigate, but he was still at least fifteen Tiers from that day.

Instead, [Portal] allowed them to step into Lila’s suite within the Corporation space station at the cost of a fine. Far from the first to arrive, they found Sien, Maya, Max, and Oliver already in the lounge.

“Max, what did I say about letting yourself in?” Despite being in human form, Lila’s growl was unmistakably draconic.

“That I’m welcome to do it at any time?”

“No, that is not correct. I—”

Lila’s angry tirade was cut off as Olivier did a double take upon seeing Matt. “Seriously? Did you already harmonize with your stage two Power? That's incredible. Most importantly, when?”

Realizing he’d been the subject of a bet, Matt narrowed his eyes. “What were my odds?”

Rolling his head back and forth, Oliver played dumb. “Nothing like that. I—”

Stepping around him, Matt almost instantly found himself eye to eye with the speedster once more. “Okay, fine. Here is the date. Who won anyway?”

Cursing, Oliver glared at Matt before sighing and slinging an arm around his shoulder as he led them to the bar. “Wun, as shocking as that is. The worst part of it was, he only made such an early bet because he lost a bet right before, and spite bid on it when the topic of you harmonizing with stage two came up.”

Sien joined them, nodding to confirm his words. “It is a pity, but his luck tends to come out of nowhere like that. If you are interested in betting, mayhaps I have an offer to tempt you?”

Having projected her words to the entire room, the Lady of Ill Dreams’ words cut through the conversation like sudden fear of the darkness under the bed.

The unknown.

The feeling only lasted a moment but it worked. “Does anyone want to bet that I have information that can change the realm?”

Aster was the first to respond as she turned to Max, who was closest, and asked, “Didn’t she already do this last time with the breach? Think she has another breach?”

Max didn’t mind the angry look Sien shot at both of them and agreed, causing the atmosphere to shift. “Yes to the first, no to the second. It’s definitely not that. She’s looking far too smug for that.”

Allie peered out from one of Sien’s shadows and asked, “What are you planning? Tell us. We aren’t going to fall for this again.”

Wrinkling her nose, Sien gazing at her tagalong as if contemplating to raise a foot and squish her. “You’d be surprised how many times this same setup works with these idiots, but I will concede I did just use the same tactics not too long ago.”

Handing the still standing woman a drink, Matt asked, “So, you're not going to share now that you’ve been called out?”

“Absolutely not. How else would I have such a good success rate with this method if I folded at the first hurdle? Shameful mindset, Matt. You should learn more from me in that regard, rather than that scaly brute over there. Mind games are often stronger than such simple creatures can comprehend. Such as a simple roasted goat illusion causing this stupid lizard to cause us to fail right before I succeeded.”

Lila jumped up from her seat and rushed into the conversation. “I told you I wasn’t sure which one was real and which one was fake, but you told me to trust my gut. AND I DID! What else do you want from me? I’m still the one who carried your bedraggled ass out of that strange realm.”

“I meant your intuition, youstupid lizard, not your actual stomach. Admit it, you simply didn’t want me to win on my first attempt where you failed your’s, that's why you chose the wrong option!”

“Ho—”

Not entirely sure how he’d gotten caught in the crossfire of Sien and Lila’s spat, Matt listened as everyone vied to tell about their own exploits during the breach. Not one to miss out, they shared their own adventures. It almost sounded like a one-upsmanship competition, as everyone deliberately started small before working to the more notable events.

Matt thoroughly enjoyed listening to the stories of the higher Tier Ascenders journey. It sounded fun with as much internal competition as external. The groups disparate Tiers limited most of the true competition to Oliver, Sien, Eclavon, and Gideon who were all Tier 40 or Tier 41 or higher.

Lila’s significant Tier advantage meant she faced the same struggle every high Tier did, lack of places within a five Tier gap so her inclusion in a story was quite a bit rarer. The top of the pyramid was small, and the planets high enough Tier to house a strange realm she could use were difficult to find.

That didn’t stop her from having her own stories. They were simply a little slanted by her spending so much time waiting around to beat any high Tier groups that wandered by the planet she waited on.

Keeping in mind Rah’s comments about the high Tier’s treasuring such moments and having put in effort himself, Matt better understood why each adventure Lila did have was treated seriously.

Once most of the boasting had died and everyone separated into their own conversations, he tied into the Corporations’ LocalNet to browse both the listed auction items and items generally up for sale.

He didn’t really need much, only the Tassal of Lament remained as a must-buy or replace, but that wouldn’t stop him from getting other things he wanted.

While not quite a step above their last auction, most fluff items had been ruthlessly culled to fit within the auction slots’ limits. However, his most important purchase, the Tassal of Lament, remained elusive, with no one openly selling one.

That didn’t stop him from spotting two things he did want. One was a Natural Treasure replacement for the mana to flesh integration. JR hadn’t specified any need for a specific Natural Treasure like the Tassal of Lament, rather to look out for the effect itself.

He’d already bought a Tier 30 conch shell but its effect was barely passable. Seeing a replacement with an integration effect almost ten percent better, after Tier differences were accounted for, he put it on his watch list. The small and unassuming petrified seed with a single green shoot sprouting out of a crack wasn’t even expected to sell for all that much, given it was only Tier 31.

The second item that caught his eye was a pure splurge item. A Tier 21 orange mineral, the Natural Treasure’s primary effect, a small increase to mineral perception, was considered useless. If that was all it had to offer, such an item would have never appeared in even a smaller auction hall in Minkalla. Due to some quirk of its formation, the Natural Treasure’s, or more accurately, its physical shell, could copy the feeling of someone and project it later.

He knew Liz would like its coloration thanks to how similar the shade was to her fire phoenix feathers, and its secondary effect was fun. A personalized remembrance stone.

Sighing at how clever he was, he caught the attention of Maya, who raised an eyebrow in question.

Not wanting to share his gift to Liz, he offered an alternative answer without lying. “I’m appreciating being able to buy items I need for relatively cheap. In a few more Tiers, I’ll have to deal with far more people at my Tier who directly need the same items, while also having resources similar to me. I don’t think I’ll enjoy auctions as much then.”

“Fuck you. And I tried to be nice.”

Turning away from him, she returned to her previous conversation without missing a beat.

Seeing he’d deflected properly, he asked the room. “Did anyone find any leads about anyone who might have a Tassal of Lament?”

Getting a resounding silence, Matt thanked everyone before continuing his own inquiries while making Max a drink in apology while he made his own.

Rather than directly saying he wanted it for himself, which might get the other Great Powers to hoard any Tassal of Laments they found, he stated it was a payment he was trying to gather for a modification to his growth sword. Given his long standing search for items related to his growth item, he hoped few would look deeper into the matter but he was prepared if they did.

After all, it was only his delving weapon, and nothing they needed to worry about. Thankfully, his efforts proved unnecessary upon the arrival of Gideon and Eclavorn.

Unlike the last time they arrived, they carried with them good news instead of insults. They’d found a Tier 36 Tassal of Lament. Best of all, the shark bloodline group who had the Tassal of Lament were on their way to Minkalla and were willing to talk about a trade.

Their help almost made Matt feel bad for selling the Plasma upgrade elemental orb with an open auction, but it had already been consigned and Ecalavorn had been a dick. With their assistance being the only one that proved helpful, he mentally wrote any prior grievances off, but couldn’t change the past.

Not that Lila gave him a chance to speak as she kicked things off immediately. “Now that we are all here, except Aiden, let's deal with some things we should have done last time we got together. First, and most important. Bets on the newest Ascenders. Who’s got ‘em? Where and how soon?”

Hearing Oliver, Sien, Max, and Maya all grumble, Lila stomped over them. “Don’t give me that. Once you sell everything, you are going to try and say you have nothing to bet, so bets first.”

Eclavorn was the first to respond with a smile. “I think the next Ascender will be in the Collective. We are ripe for it. I can feel it in my bones.”

Aster coughed as she mock whispered, “Lack of calcium in your bones.”

However, Ecalvorn was unbothered. “Good tooth health is important for a real combatment like myself. Maybe a support like yourself can afford to have your teeth rot out, but I cannot.”

“No need to compare dresses, children. I’m the prettiest girl at the ball and there is no need to bicker.” Wun nearly caused a fight then and there, but Lila kept order by speaking over him.

“When are you betting, E? Pick a time or I’m moving on.”

“Within the next five hundred. And as for my wager, I’ll give a free selection of any Tier 35 or lower item from my hoard, but in return I expect either the same or an item I’ve been desiring in particular.”

Both Ellen and Max took the bet and after they settled things, Lila turned to the rest of the room looking for other bets; Matt thought there wouldn't be anyone taking when Olivier spoke up.

“I’ll toss my hat into the ring. The Guilds have been doing well in recent years but I’ll go for a full thousand.”

The grumbles on the long timeline immediately got pushed back. “Let me finish what I’m offering. Sheesh, you people are impossible. I’m the speed guy here. I’ll bet a Tier 30—.”

Sien scoffed at him, “Cowardice to bet so low. Ten Tiers beneath yourself? Pitiful. I’m willing to bet, so let me instruct you. I—”

Ellen raised her hand. “Oh, give up, Sien. People took it personally after the breach bet. No one is going to fall for that again so soon. Spill or stop teasing.”

Instead of getting angry, Sien acquiesced by crossing her hands in her lap.

Unable to get anything else from her, everyone returned back to the conversation of the next Ascender. With the typical timeline pegging a new Ascender every handful of thousand years, all of the bets were long shots and correspondingly inexpensive.

When they finally settled things, Aster and Allie took center stage as the area darkened and snow started to blow wildly around their seating area.

Allie, shivering and blowing into her hands, stumbled around, bouncing into their tables and jostling their drinks. “Help, help. I can’t see. If only I could find my way [Home].”

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Hearing her cue, Aster stepped forward and once behind Allie, whispered. “I can offer you that. A way to always find… [Home].”

Still looking forward, Allie started to plead, “Oh? How is such a thing possible!?”

Like a switch was flipped the snow and darkness vanished as Aster withdrew a simple box containing the [Home] orb and she sent information on the skill to anyone who hadn’t already seen it in the Ascender chat.

Aster snapped the box close with a smile. “Now that we have your attention, what goodies do you guys have? I want them all.”

Krodag raised a finger as if confused, “I don’t think that's how a bet works.”

Aster cradled both Allie and the box the teleporter was helping to shield from the mean words. “And I don’t think you know how bets work with me. We will only wager [Home] for things of similar value, so if you don’t have something interesting, we aren't trading. You can wait for it to pop out of a rift.”

That was part of Lila’s devised strategy.

Wun shrugged, proving her help invaluable, “Meh. I’m not planning to head into chaotic space any time soon, so I’ll pass. In fact, I think we should all pass. Buyers market.”

Having said that, he didn't move from his seat or look away.

Maya wasn’t so coy seeing Allie move to put the box away. “Don’t try to play games, Wun, no one here is that dumb. Or at least not that game. I’ve got a Tier 37 cold related Natural Treasures I was never able to figure out in my treasury. Or umm I have a—”

Wun interrupted her floundering by asking a question but they’d already won.

Interest firmly peaked; they got several counter bets, but they didn’t agree to any of them in the short term. For all the theatrics, [Home] was a must-have skill for all the Ascenders, and they were perfectly willing to open up their real treasuries to get their hands on it in no small part thanks to Lila.

She’d only hinted at exploring the fourth layer of chaotic space once but they’d only need the one hint to put things together.

Today was to get their interest.

Not that they had too long before the initial auctions officially kicked off. Running only two weeks rather than a full month, the Minkalla auction had a dozen auctions going at once during the slowest times, but little of that mattered to him.

With his resources, he was easily able to secure the petty items he was interested in without much effort. Buying at his Tier made everything feel so cheap as to be negligible.

Most importantly, the shark shiver had arrived. They were cagey but agreed to meet.

Together, Matt, Liz, and Aster floated through the sharks’ underwater estate, escorted by a small school of young sharks who swam along around them in a perfectly coordinated mess for the short distance to the Tier 44 matriarch. Far from hostile, they swam with exuberance and inquisitiveness that befit their single digit Tiers.

Having done his research, Matt knew Tala e’ Navier was a relatively younger immortal, but that only meant she’d still been weak when the Monster Collective broke away from the Federation. Not that she hadn’t lived through it, and he’d prepared himself for that.

To her credit, the gaze she used to inspect him was the same one she used to inspect Liz and Aster, without any additional malice. Which was more than he could say of some of the other equally old or older representatives who lingered around in the rooms foliage.

Tala didn’t mince words, “Good day, Alphas. I wish swift currents to carry you along. Alpha Eclavorn indicated you wanted to purchase our Tassal of Lament. I won’t lie to you, nor will I try to exaggerate. I’ve had several very good offers to buy it, yet I haven’t sold it. Do you know why I’ve kept something so valuable for so long?”

“Not off what I could uncover from your publicly known background.”

With a wide smile, Tala waved a flipper and a Tier 20 swam over with a box from a concealed area off of the side.

“I’m not surprised you didn’t find anything. In fact, I’d have been very upset if you had been able to uncover my shame so easily. In exchange for the Tassal of Lament, I want you to kill my sister, Briska.”

Matt wasn’t surprised to learn she’d wanted someone dead, given the typical Ascender skill set. In fact he’d expected that, but her relation to the target warranted more information.

“During the rebellion, she chose to stay in the Federation. I thought I’d forgiven that but later once the war over and the dust settled I learned she’d been involved with Megan the whole time. Using me as a leak.” The water trembled around them for a moment with barely repressed rage, but it vanished as quickly as it had arrived as Tala continued. “That I can’t accept. As I start looking towards Ascension, I find that it has become an obsession. I don’t have the skill set needed to secretly assassinate her nor do I have the raw power necessary to charge over and kill her. And as hateful as it is to admit it, even if I could find her, I don't have the skill set that would see me live long enough to ascend. I’d hoped our Alpha was looking into the Tassal of Lament for one of the older Alphas, but no matter. Even if you can’t kill her now, I’m confident you’ll follow through should you agree.”

Reviewing the provided information about the last seen Tier 39 sister he felt little in the way of reservation. Tapping into the EmpireNet on the nearby moon and accessing the general information stored there confirmed most of Tala's information. At least enough he was willing to take her general word.

Matt shared a look with Liz and Aster, silently communicating and asking for their thoughts. They all knew this meeting was far from private, which left them with two options. They could accept and publicly make an enemy out of the Federation, though their relations were already terrible. Or decline and worsen the Collective's opinion of them.

Trading an item for someone's life wasn’t something Matt wanted to make a habit of but he felt no guilt over this target. The Federation’s Internal Stability Agency was not known for its kindness. They’d earned their reputation for infiltration and corruption of various early bloodline separatist moments and post war their scale and capability had only grown.

Even if he was willing, he wanted to know more. “What’s your acceptable timeline?”

Shaking her head, Tala earned some of his respect. “I only want your word. I’m trying to be as reasonable as I can, and putting a timeline on something like this is stupid.”

That response and the sincerity in it caught all three of them off guard.

Seeing Matt make a decision, Liz snapped the box shut, tucking it under his arm. “Then we accept.”

Tala looked delighted and like she wanted to say more, but Aster used her fur as an excuse to leave immediately. Their host didn’t resist and they were escorted outside to find two people already waiting for them.

The first was reassuring. Rusty, who picked at something in his teeth with a toothpick, not paying much attention to them or anything else in the hallway, as if he was there casually.

The other was a familiar and unwelcome face. One of the Federation Tier 48’s, Faith.

Someone they’d met under very similar circumstances.

Too similar to be a coincidence.

Seeing a play about to start, Matt moved to cast [Portal], wanting to leave before it started. However, the moment the aperture tried to widen into a stable connection, a shift in the ambient mana’s movement tried to destabilize the spell.

Rather than fighting to keep the spell stable or let it dissipate, Matt flared over a million mana, as if trying and failing to stabilize the spell. Expanded by the sudden and too large burst of mana, the spell aperture started to tear deeper into reality than normal before it fell apart with a boom.

It wasn’t dangerous or harmful, but every spiritual perception in the system was now looking at them thanks to the concussion bomb ‘Faith’ had set off.

Smiling, Rusty cracked his knuckles, ready for a fight with Faith. But three Tier 50 perceptions swept over, ending the dramatics.

Out of the watchers it was Janet, the Republic Tier 50’s voice that echoed through the hall. “Disperse and stop causing commotions. It's unbecoming of all of you. Acting like children. Don’t we all have enough problems to not be seeking out new ones?”

Rather than arguing, Faith cupped her hands and bowed to the air, saying something he didn’t care to listen to.

His second attempt to cast [Portal] was uninterrupted, and he stepped back into the Ascender suite to the jeers and cheers alike.

He was just happy to have secured the Tassal of Lament.

His armor could get started as soon as the auction ended. With that single change, he couldn’t wait for the two weeks to pass, but that only made everything take longer.

Aster got lucky, getting a rare weather altering Tier 22 Natural Treasure. The Entropic Frost would, as its name suggested, lower the ambient temperature around it. More than that, once settled into a location, it would start to warp the local weather patterns, though it wouldn’t aspect the area. At or near Tier, it was a useful item, but with her capital planet being higher Tier than it, Matt was confused with what she wanted it for until she gleefully chucked it into her spirit space.

He almost thought he’d found an answer when he felt a small burst of smugness when the Natural Treasure entered her spirit space as if she’d confirmed something. But when he silently probed, she only stuck her tongue out at him not willing to share her finding. That only made him all the more eager to learn what she’d been hiding but her distraction didn’t stop him from savoring Eclavorn’s reaction to seeing the plasma orbs.

Eclavorn was chatting with Wun, Sien, and Krodag, when his head snapped up and to the side at a speed faster than Matt could follow.

Pupils dilating, his draconic form flickered as he moved to one of the displays at his head level.

Panting heavily, he called out, “Gideon, how much money did we bring? Gideon!”

Pivoting his attention to his bond, Eclavorn finally caught on to the Empire contingent and their utter lack of surprise, which stood out in stark contrast to everyone else.

Liz explained to the room with a wide smile. “We tried to get something for everyone in that strange realm, but we only had a few such successes. We do have more specific Natural Treasures of most of your types, though the Tier might be a bit low. Congratulations.”

Still panting at the ever rising price, Eclavorn looked pained as he asked, “But why sell it in an auction? Why not warn me at least?”

Before Liz could answer, Gideon chuckled and defused any tension. “I think you are going to have to take this one on the chin, E. Start asking the various pack leaders for private loans.”

Looking horrified, Eclavorn’s claws inadvertently sliced through the floor. “I didn’t bring nearly enough money!”

Seeing the predatory gleam in everyone's gaze as they tried to convince Eclavorn to take loans from them, Matt felt much better. Better than since he’d learn about the requirement to have his name removed to strengthen his armour… And he cut that thought right off before he started fretting on the side effects of that.

Again.

The rest of the auction proceeded smoothly, until news spread that Winter Hornet was going to make a special announcement at the end of the final day.

Seeing Sien glower at the news told the rest of them her bet material was going to be revealed, but she refused to give them any hints. Even down to the last second, she refused to do anything but take bets, but no one was dumb enough to agree when the answer was to be revealed so soon.

A good thing too, because every single one of them would have been wrong.

The first oddity was when the recording was forcefully shared across every screen and projector in the system all at once.

Winter Hornet, clad in robes so dark they actively drank in the light, stood on a small patch of immaculate grass, looking up just past the recording angle. As his gaze dropped, the perspective rose, showing the Tier 50 standing at the center of every melee weapon imaginable laid out in a spiral.

Instead of explaining, Winter Hornet took his time looking around slowly, making his way over the course of a minute, winding outward in the same pattern as the weapons.

“Coming back from deep chaotic space, I found myself with time on my hands. Time to reflect. Time to ponder. Time to ask questions. Some of them were simple, some were complex. However, through the asking, I came to a conclusion.”

“That’s actually a lie. The timing, not the idea itself. That was his, but it's much older than this might imply.”

Sien’s insight raised Matt’s expectations. He didn’t get the feeling Winter Hornet enjoyed theatrics or playing a part, so seeing the Tier 50 do exactly that intrigued him.

That same smiling Winter Hornet took a deep visible breath before he continued. “What is the single most important trait for a cultivator to have in this Realm? I’m sure if you ask five people you will get five answers, but after much consideration and self reflection, I came to an answer I’m happy with. The willingness to risk. Risk life, risk death, risk fame, risk fortune. Risk, risk, risk. The more I thought about it, the more I kept coming back to the same answer; the willingness to take risks. Some die in the pursuit, but those that make it are inherently better than those that wallow their entire lives away. Even in failure, humiliation, or death the first group tried. Many things can be learned through time and effort, but that most fundamental property isn’t so teachable. Not truely.”

Letting the moment linger, Winter Hornet closed his eyes as he finished walking among the weapons. He never stepped on anything but the grass, each step unhurried but eating distance.

“Then, as I returned from chaotic space and meandered through a few worlds, what did I see but a young woman like many others. Mortal. Useless. Not knowing who I was, she begged me for a chance. Interested, I stopped and asked for clarification, ‘a chance for what?’ What was her response? ‘The first step’ she cried out. ‘I only need the first step and then I can take every one after that myself’. Initially, I was going to dismiss her request because the steps were there, but I realized something. She couldn’t see them, for she was blind. Of course she was. She was a mortal, and this was a Tier 4 world with plenty of rifts. So I asked her if she was sure she wanted her chance. When she accepted, I gave her the same choice I’m going to give every single one of you today.”

Opening his arms, Winter Hornet gestured to the weapons around him. “Risk. Risk it all for a chance at something more. This is an open offer to the Realm. I care not from which Great Power you hail, any mortal who reaches Sect lands and wishes to cultivate need only pick up any weapon you see arrayed before me. I will not give you help, I will not give you eyes. I will give you a weapon and a monster. Why these weapons? A three foot range is the average distance an unawakened adult can absorb essence from, and so the maximum weapon length here is two and a half feet. Pick one up and change your destiny yourselves.”

It was only as his last words fell with a heavy finality, that it became clear Winter Hornet wasn’t talking to the viewers, rather the twenty eight mortals who had been waiting at the edges of the circle.

In contrast to Winter Hornet, who was fully clad, the newcomers' clothes were as different as they were. Some were fully nude, while others were fully clothed, though only in simple cloth shifts, and everything in between.

From his subtly changing facial expressions, Winter Hornet had his own opinions on clothing and he wasn’t too hesitant in sharing them. According to him, those fighting for their life should do so nude, or for those with body parts that might get in the way, tightly bound. Any attempt at something as luxurious as modesty resulted in barely discernible smiles.

Seeing an elderly woman pushing eighty and a young boy barely fourteen standing next to each other felt deeply wrong to Matt, but Winter Hornet only smiled like a grandfather giving gifts.

“Armed but not armored. A fight for your life. A battle with destiny. For those who wanted it, here it is; your chance. I won’t give you a step. Not even the first. I will give you something more important. A weapon. Only by using it can you change your fate.”

Stepping into the rift, Winter Hornet led the twenty eight mortals inside.

He was no helpful shepherd guiding the needy onto the path of cultivation. No, Winter Hornet was merely a lighthouse silently showing them the rocks. It was up to them to make it through the storm safely.

Matt’s initial reaction to the Tier 1 goblins was familiarity, due to his own experience with the exact same rift, but he’d been fighting creatures at the same Tier, not as a moral.

The difference became immediately apparent.

Due to Winter Hornet’s command, every fight was a one-on-one, but that only made it more bloody. When the group encountered their first monster, a young boy rushed forward with a short spear at the Tier 50’s nod.

Even as the most standard Tier 1, the goblin was faster than the young boy, but he played the fight well. He kept his distance, using both the shaft of his weapon along with the blade to punish the monster's ferocity, showing that while not well trained, he’d trained hard.

A month of proper training would have seen far less blood shed. To win, the boy took several cuts from the stone dagger on his forearms and chest before he managed to properly stick the goblin with his spear and end its life.

Winter Hornet hadn’t lied. He’d let any adult make the attempt with no questions asked.

The next person, a middle aged man who also wielded a spear, proved exactly why that was such a bad idea. Being significantly taller than the first awakener, the monster didn’t play by the same rules, catching the second man off guard. Its first move was to dart between the man's legs mid-lunge, but that was all it took. That single mistake proved fatal, with Wither Hornet and everyone else watching the man bleed out next to the goblin he slew in his final desperate moments.

Matt was horrified as a still smiling Winter Hornet watched six more people die in their attempts to awaken.

The most he did was offer advice to the few wounded who managed to rejoin the group under their own power. Seeing his gentle smile as he reminded the woman that she should retrieve her fingers out of the goblin’s mouth felt deeply wrong. The expression was far too kind and understanding for a leader who would have led them into such a situation in the first place.

As Matt had the thought, his Truth made itself known for a moment, pushing back just enough to make him reconsider his initial reaction. For all that it was preventable and therefore foolishly wasteful to not prepare the entrants, not a single applicant turned away from their fight. It truly was their choice, and he couldn’t help but respect that.

He respected them and their bravery while hating Winter Hornet for such a convoluted method to a solved problem.

As for those that died to prove Winter Hornet’s point? Their ends may not have been clean, but few were. In another contradicting display, Winter Hornet paid his respect to their fallen bodies before letting the group move.

Twenty eight mortals and one cultivator had entered the rift, but only twenty two cultivators exited.

Bloody and wounded, the twenty one newly awakened Tier 1s looked at the recording as Winter Hornet opened his arms showcasing the field of weapons and the people behind him alike.

“This is an opportunity I gift to you Mortals of the realm. A weapon and a monster. Risk. Everything after that is up to you.” His words grew hard as steel as he followed the carrot with the stick. “Though let me be clear, nothing in life is free. In exchange for this opportunity, my requests are twofold. For those that accept my offer and step into cultivation, my request is one mandatory enlistment once you reach Tier 15 under the same restraints as anyone else. For those that chose not to take my offer, my request is even simpler. Silence. You have your opportunity, take it or do not complain.”

With those final words the recordings ended, and chaos started to spread as the various Great Powers cultivators began to respond. While the message had little to offer anyone in the Empire with its mandatory awakening, only the Federation could say the same as the Sect’s message was a naked provocation to steal everyone else's most ambitious mortals.

Realizing that, Matt couldn’t help but grow even more confused. The inevitable end of Winter Hornet’s move would be the other Great Powers opening up more avenues to awaken, so what was the point?

Sien waited until Brian asked that exact question to clue them in. “That’s where part two comes into play, but we aren’t advertising it quite so loudly. While we were gone, the high Tier sects weren't idle. Far from it. The Hall of Aspirants has been growing rapidly, with dozens of new techniques added to its halls ready to be taken up by new power houses.”

Shadows rippled around Sien’s eyes, leaving her eyes to glimmer in the rising darkness. “As for everyone's aggression? Good! Anyone who takes fault with our policies can meet us on the battlefield! We stand ready!”