I stood frozen as the conversation between Sammy Ashworth and the martial masters continued, each word centing my precarious position. The green hat felt heavier on my head with every passing second, marking as both Evelyn's pawn and a potential sacrifice for these power-hungry martial artists.
"Before we proceed further with our alliance discussions," Sammy continued, his voice carrying an authority that belied his youth, "I have one more purpose for gathering you all here today."
The atmosphere shifted instantly. Reed's eyebrows raised in silent question.
"As founding mbers," Sammy said, leaning forward conspiratorially, "you should know that our alliance has its first enemy—a man who dared to strike at the heart of the Ashworth family."
My muscles tensed as I kept my face carefully neutral, pretending to be nothing more than a pathetic pathfinder.
"The murderer Liam Knight," Sammy spat, hatred dripping from each syllable. "He killed my grandfather, Michael Ashworth."
Gasps erupted from the gathered martial artists. Even Talbot and Holt, hardened fighters that they were, looked shocked.
"Michael Ashworth?" Reed's voice held disbelief. "The Gentle Dragon of the North? I thought he died of illness months ago."
"A convenient cover story," Sammy replied bitterly. "In truth, this Liam Knight murdered him in cold blood. My uncle Corbin has confird it."
I fought back a surge of rage. What brazen lies. Michael had died in my arms after Corbin poisoned him. Now they twisted even this sacred mory to serve their ambitions.
"I vow before all of you," Sammy continued, his voice rising with emotion that I knew was entirely fabricated, "that the first act of our alliance will be to hunt down this criminal and make him pay for his cris against the Ashworth family."
Reed nodded solemnly. "The Reed family stands with you in this. No one should be able to strike down a martial master like Michael Ashworth and live."
One by one, the other masters pledged their support. I stood there, head bowed, as they promised to hunt down and exact vengeance for a cri I never committed.
"Excellent," Sammy said, satisfaction evident in his tone. "After we explore this battlefield and gather its treasures, we begin the hunt imdiately."
A slender man who had been silent until now stepped forward. His eyes were unsettling—completely black, with no visible whites. Power radiated from him in waves that made my skin crawl.
"Allow to introduce Mr. Noble," Sammy said with obvious pride. "A specialist in ntal power from the western provinces. He'll be instruntal in tracking down Knight."
Mr. Noble surveyed the group, his black eyes eventually settling on . A chill ran down my spine as his gaze lingered longer than comfortable.
"You there, pathfinder," he called out, his voice eerily lodic. "Co here."
With no choice, I approached, keeping my eyes downcast and my qi suppressed to a pitiful level.
"Look at ," he commanded.
I reluctantly raised my eyes to et his, preparing to defend against any ntal probe. But instead of attacking, he smiled thinly.
"Perfect," he said. "You'll be ideal for what cos next."
Before I could react, his hand shot out, index finger pressing against my forehead. A sharp pain lanced through my skull as sothing foreign entered my mind—a wisp of his consciousness, creating what felt like a ntal tether.
I stumbled back, hand flying to my temple as pain radiated through my head.
"I've marked him," Mr. Noble explained to the others. "Now he'll scout ahead for us, unable to disobey my commands."
I wanted to rip his throat out, but the ntal mark buzzed painfully when I even thought about resistance. My divine sense was far superior to his primitive ntal techniques, but breaking the connection now would reveal my true power.
"Excellent," Sammy nodded approvingly. "Let's proceed deeper. This battlefield is said to contain treasures from the War of Ancient Kings."
Mr. Noble turned to , his black eyes gleaming. "Walk east, pathfinder. There's a large concentration of artifacts about a mile in that direction. Report any dangers you see."
The mark in my mind pulsed, compelling forward. I could resist it, but doing so would blow my cover instantly. Instead, I channeled just enough of my divine sense to weaken the mark's hold while appearing to comply.
"Yes, master," I mumbled, playing the part of the subservient tool.
As I trudged eastward, the group followed at a safe distance. Dark energy swirled around us, growing thicker with each step. The battlefield was ancient, its soils saturated with the residue of countless deaths. For most, this energy was oppressive—but for , it was nourishnt. I absorbed it subtly, strengthening my damaged ridians as I walked.
"This place gives the creeps," I heard Holt mutter behind . "The energy here is wrong."
"All battlefields hold the echoes of violence," Mr. Noble replied. "But this one is special. The War of Ancient Kings wasn't just fought with physical weapons—it was a conflict of spiritual powers now lost to ti."
I processed this information carefully. If true, this battlefield might hold energies similar to what I needed to heal my core completely.
After walking for nearly an hour, we reached a section where the dark energy was so thick it was visible—swirling purple-black mist that clung to the ground like spectral hands. Ancient weapons jutted from the earth at odd angles, so still gleaming despite centuries of exposure.
"Stop here," Mr. Noble called out. "What do you see ahead, pathfinder?"
I peered through the mist. "There's a clearing up ahead. Looks like soone's been digging."
"Proceed with caution," he commanded.
As I approached the clearing, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Soone had indeed been here recently—a massive pit had been excavated, at least thirty feet across and so deep I couldn't see the bottom. Dark energy poured from it like water from a spring, creating the mist that surrounded us.
But what made my blood run cold wasn't the pit itself. It was who sat beside it.
Clara Vance.
The young girl I'd rescued months ago, who possessed a pure dark energy body—a rarity I'd never encountered before. She sat cross-legged at the pit's edge, her small form silhouetted against the swirling darkness. Her eyes were closed in what appeared to be deep ditation.
What was she doing here? How had she even found this place?
I fought to keep my expression neutral as shock and horror coursed through . If Sammy Ashworth discovered her unique constitution, she would beco an imdiate target. And if Mr. Noble realized my connection to her, both our lives would be forfeit.
"What do you see?" Mr. Noble called impatiently.
I needed to think fast. Clara hadn't noticed yet, absorbed in whatever ditation technique she was practicing. I could feel the dark energy flowing into her body, strengthening her unique constitution.
"There's a pit ahead," I called back. "Very deep. Strong dark energy coming from it."
"Is it safe to approach?" Sammy's voice carried forward.
I turned back to face the group, positioning myself to block their view of Clara. "The ground looks unstable. I should check it alone first."
Mr. Noble's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You seem suddenly eager to help, pathfinder."
I feigned fear, sothing I'd beco adept at during my years with the Sterling family. "I just don't want to fall into that pit, master. It looks bottomless."
"Approach it," Mr. Noble commanded, his ntal mark pulsing painfully in my head. "Tell us exactly what you see."
I walked forward slowly, mind racing. Clara was just twenty feet away now. If she opened her eyes and recognized , everything would fall apart. And if these martial masters discovered her, her fate would be sealed.
The dark energy coming from the pit was intoxicating—pure, ancient power that called to the depths of my being. Under different circumstances, I would have been delighted to find such a resource. Now, it was just another complication in an increasingly dangerous situation.
I reached the edge of the pit, standing just a few yards from Clara. Her breathing was rhythmic, her small face serene despite the malevolent energy swirling around her. This close, I could sense how much dark energy she had already absorbed—her body glowed with it, visible only to my enhanced perception. First published on *.
"It's a pit," I called back, stating the obvious to buy ti. "Very deep. I can't see the bottom."
"Is there anything in it?" Sammy asked, his voice closer now. They were approaching despite my warning.
I needed to wake Clara, to sohow warn her without alerting the others. But before I could act, her eyes snapped open—completely black, like twin pools of ink.
She stared directly at , recognition dawning on her face.
"Liam?" she whispered, her voice carrying clearly in the stillness around the pit.
And just like that, my cover was blown.
Behind , I heard Sammy's sharp intake of breath. "Did she say Liam? As in Liam Knight?"
I turned slowly, coming face to face with seven of the most powerful martial artists in the North, all now realizing exactly who their pathfinder was. Mr. Noble's black eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in calculation.
"Well," he said, a slow smile spreading across his face, "this is an unexpected prize. The very man we were hunting, delivered right into our hands."
As they advanced, weapons drawn, Clara rose to her feet beside . Dark energy swirled around her protectively, responding to her emotions.
"Who are these people, Liam?" she asked, her childlike voice at odds with the power emanating from her small form.
Sammy Ashworth's face contorted with rage and triumph. "He's the murderer of my grandfather! And now, he'll pay for his cris!"
I moved in front of Clara protectively, mind calculating odds and escape routes. Seven Peak Form Grandmasters, plus Sammy and his four companions, against —still damaged—and a girl with power she barely understood.
The situation couldn't get much worse.
Then Mr. Noble laughed, a sound that chilled the air around us. "Oh, this is perfect. Not just Liam Knight, but the dark energy vessel as well. Two prizes instead of one."
And I realized with sinking horror that it absolutely could get worse. Mr. Noble knew what Clara was. And now, trapped between a bottomless pit radiating ancient dark energy and a semicircle of enemies who wanted us dead or captured, we had nowhere to run.
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