Sitting on the Jingozi arena floor, my mind raced as I gauged the distance of the fall, the potential impact, and the water below. Last time I made this same fall, Cragmarr's body broke the fall, but he was made of rocks. This time, we'd be dead for sure if we hit the surface at full force. But thanks to my gift, time was on my side.
Except for the fact that I was out of battle cards.
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Zii: 42/100
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Cards: 0/22
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[Error]: 11/11
My [Evolve] spells were out because they required a battle card with at least one zero score to work. [Warp] and [Silence] didn't make any sense, which left me with the offensive cards, like [Poison Strike].
My next consideration was my water walker ability. Would it turn the surface into concrete? I wasn’t in a hurry to find out. I laid on my back to check the North Star.
“Hey, thanks for the assist back there, Alpha,” I said, still getting used to the voice having a name. "I never asked if I can call you Alpha. Yeah?"
“For sure, and that's what I’m here for, Ember," he replied. "How’s your plan going?”
“I guess it’s going alright, considering I’m literally flying by the seat of my pants right now.”
“Well, you know what they say about the best-laid plans,” he chuckled.
Despite the circumstances, I felt strangely calm. It felt… I don't know… like a flow state. Maybe it had to do with finally letting everything fly and unleashing my full abilities. Then it dawned on me—Katorro's presence? Did he have anything to do with it?
Well, here goes nothing. YOLO, am I right?
Blinking back, I timed the fall as we hurtled toward the depths below and decided to try every strike spell I had. It didn't matter what they were meant for, and it was probably a stupid idea.
SELL CARD IS AVAILABLE:
Blood Strike
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PVE: Pay 1 Zii for a random attack plus +1.
Shade Strike
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PVE: Pay 2 Zii for a random attack plus +2.
Poison Strike
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PVE: Pay 3 Zii for a random attack plus +3.
Mystic Strike
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PVE: Pay 4 Zii for a random attack plus +4.
The combo burned 10 Zii, and in hindsight, maybe [Mystic Strike] would have done the trick alone since it triggered a submerged detonation, similar to an underwater bomb dispersing the water's surface resistance.
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Zii: 32/100
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Cards: 0/22
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[Error]: 11/11
Twisting my body so that Katorro was on top of me, I held onto him tight. We plunged into the ice-cold water, and the frigid shock seized my muscles. But immediately, I felt a force launch me back out of the water like a beach ball onto my feet. The old man sank, but I had grabbed the rope around his waist before impact. He floated with my help.
SMACK.
Something slammed the water beside us. Straining to see below the surface by moonlight, the motionless shadow didn’t appear to be a guard. I blinked into the Jingozi arena to zoom in.
It was the elven prisoner. Whether he dove in or someone pushed him, I whispered, "Sorry."
Blinking back, arrows rained from above, falling short and wide, making tiny splashes. I had nothing left to throw another smoke bomb and hoped the cover of night was enough. With Katorro’s limp body over my shoulder, I ran for the nearest shore.
MISSION COMPLETE: DUNGEON ESCAPE
Escape the Emperia dungeons.
Reward: Jingozi Token [1]
MISSION COMPLETE: THE PRISONER
Rescue the mysterious prisoner from the Emperia dungeons.
Reward: Jingozi Token [1]
FEAT COMPLETE: CHAMPION
Discover your champion.
Reward: You have now unlocked the ability to receive a royal champion card.
LEVEL UPDATE
Name: Ember [Doctrine Dealer]
Tier: II [Bronze] Rank 6
Reward: Battle Cards [2]
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
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[3/6]
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[4/6]
UPDATED STATUS:
Name: Ember [Doctrine Dealer]
Tier: II [Bronze] Rank 6
Faction: Ninja [Field]
Zii: 32/100
Cards: 2/24
[Error]: 7/11
Deck:
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Shuriken [Ninja]
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Reward Meta
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Auto Dodge
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Water Walker
I rechecked my last achievement and confirmed it said what I thought.
FEAT COMPLETE: CHAMPION
Discover your champion.
Reward: You have now unlocked the ability to receive a royal champion card.
Champion—this guy?
How did that make sense? Was this frail old man supposed to be my champion? He could barely stand, let alone put up a fight. Or maybe he was meant only to unlock the champion card option?
We reached the shore, the dark pebbled sand stretching before us as the waves crashed against the beach. I stumbled forward, Katorro’s weight growing heavier on my shoulder. My muscles burned, my breath labored, and we were drenched from head to toe. Thankfully, my armor's self-cleaning and repair passive started to kick in.
With shivering hands, I extended my familiar ring, summoning Usain. He appeared in a shimmer of light, chewing grass like no time had passed. I draped Katorro over the saddle, the two arrows still lodged in his back, and climbed behind him.
“Go, Usain,” I whispered, and the thunderbolt took off, churning up the sand. I kept glancing over my shoulder, half-expecting a pursuit. Katorro’s breaths came shallow, with no idea how much blood he’d lost. Hypothermia wasn’t out of the question either. My Zii was low, but I couldn’t leave him like this.
Taking a deep breath, I gingerly pulled the first quarrel from his back. His body jerked, his breathing growing more labored. I pressed one of my new cards and a Zii coin against the wound and focused, channeling what I could to stop the bleeding. I repeated the process with the second quarrel.
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Zii: 32/100
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Cards: 0/24
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[Error]: 7/11
By dawn, Katorro’s breathing steadied, and the wounds closed. But he remained unconscious. Examining myself, my armor looked dark with fresh blood of my own. I must've taken different nicks here and there, and now their effects were catching up to me.
Slumping against Usain, we rode on.
***
Exhausted, pushing any further became impossible.
Scanning the tree line, I searched for a place to stop and spotted a small clearing hidden from the shore. It appeared quiet, shielded by a thick ring of foliage.
Sliding off Usain, I lifted Katorro from the saddle and laid him down in the soft grass after wrapping him in my Ninja scarf. His breathing remained shallow but steady—an improvement. Kneeling beside him, I tipped a waterskin to his lips, letting water trickle down his throat. His eyelids fluttered but didn’t open.
Performing Zii-Kata replenished my cards and almost topped me off to full Zii. Yet I was still bleeding and needed more rest.
Usain wandered off, grazing on the sparse grass. I lit a fire small enough to avoid attention while keeping us warm. Tearing into a ration, I chewed the dried meat while staring into the flames. The fire’s crackle was soothing, lulling me closer to dozing off.
“Hey, Usain. Keep a watch out, okay?”
Sleep overtook me.
When I woke, the fire had burned down to smoldering ashes, the clearing bathed in morning light. Katorro wasn’t where I left him. In a panic, I scrambled and found him slumped against a tree a few feet away, still wrapped in the scarf.
I hurried over and lifted him back onto Usain, securing him. After feeding Usain a Zii coin, we set off again. I checked the map. Jon Deerfoot’s keep was too far out of the way. But Radiant Temple looked like just a few days’ ride. With luck, Cragmarr would be there.
I stowed the map and urged Usain to pick up speed.
***
It was a cloudy night, almost pitch black, beyond our fire's small circle of light. Usain grazed at the edge of the clearing. Katorro, bundled again, lay beside the fire, still unconscious but stable. As I completed a Zii-Kata routine, the crackling flames were the only sound in the quiet night.
At least I had a full charge and no longer bled. I could stay on watch the whole night. But something gnawed at the back of my mind—I couldn’t shake it. I glanced around the clearing, trying to scan through the brush, but it was too dark.
We are not alone.
The unease grew stronger. I stood, careful not to disturb Katorro, crept toward the edge of the fire’s light, and peered into the darkness.
There—on the edge of my vision, something shifted. It was too deliberate to be the wind or a passing animal. We were being watched.
Without any moves, I blinked into the Jingozi arena long enough to scan the surrounding area. The arena’s magic amplified my senses, allowing me to see further into the reflection on the Jingozi floor. A figure lurked in the trees, watching us from a distance. But the image was distorted somehow, no matter how much I zoomed, just like what happened in Jon's keep. How long had it been watching us?
“Hey, Alpha,” I said. “Do you see what I’m seeing?”
No answer.
Blinking back into the clearing, I took a deep breath and loaded my Jingozi cards.
Circling back toward the fire, I pretended to tend to it while keeping my senses trained on the figure in the trees. My mind raced with possibilities—friend or foe? An enemy sent by the Emperor faction? A bandit? Jingozi? Or something else entirely?
The figure remained still.
“I know you’re there,” I called out.
Whoever it was, they were gone.
I turned as Katorro awoke. He stared straight ahead without focus, yet his eyes were glowing with life.
“I know you,” he said. His voice was weak and raspy.
“My name is Ember,” I said, propping him up and pulling the scarf tight. “We met once before. We were prisoners together.”
“Children… where are the children?”
“In the dungeon? I didn’t see any.”
“Take me to…” his voice trailed off, lost in thought.
I pulled out a ration and offered it to him.
“I do not hunger,” he said, staring ahead.
Wait, is he blind?
I held a waterskin up and off to the side. Without looking, he reached for it effortlessly, took a sip, and handed it back. We sat in silence.
Well, at least he’s not gonna die on me.
“How are you… my champion?” I asked.
He began to snore.
***
Katorro rode behind me on Usain, his slight frame pressing against my back. It felt like carrying a child. Despite the million questions buzzing in my mind, I knew better than to push him to talk.
The path ahead descended into a ravine, a shortcut that would shave a day off our route to Radiant Temple. The ravine walls were steep and jagged, with rocks jutting out in rows like shark teeth. As we rounded a bend, Katorro tensed behind me.
“Stop,” he whispered.
I pulled Usain to a halt and scanned the path.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Look,” he pointed in front of us.
It took me a moment to see it—a nearly invisible translucent thread stretched across the path. I blinked into the Jingozi arena, my senses amplifying as I explored the surrounding area.
A spider with a body the size of an SUV hid high in the overhanging rocks. But this was no regular arachnid. Its body was made of dark gnarled tree vines, twisted and contorted into a grotesque form. Eight glowing orange eyes stared out from the mass, and two fangs dripped with a black tar-like substance.
Blinking back, I backed Usain up. The thunderhoof sensed the same danger and snorted.
“What is that thing?” I asked.
“Demon.”
"Alrighty, then. I'm sure there's another way."
The detour pushed us to where the walls were less steep, and the path opened again.
***
We spent the last night in the ravine. Katorro managed to find his appetite and finished a ration. Despite those intense, fiery eyes, he was still beyond frail. He also refused to answer any questions, ignoring anything I asked.
At dawn, we emerged from the ravine, the harsh terrain giving way to a more open landscape. To my relief, the spire of the Radiant Temple stood in the distance.
“A nexus,” Katorro said.
“Yes, sir," I didn't hide my relief. "Hang on, we’re almost there. Let’s go, Usain! Mush!”
Usain rumbled to the temple at top speed.
The gates were open, revealing Master Xiang and Cragmarr standing to greet us. I lowered Katorro from Usain’s back, careful not to jostle him too much. Then I ran toward Cragmarr, throwing my arms around him.
“Did ya miss me, Crag?” I asked.
“I am glad you are safe, Em,” he nodded.
After bowing to Master Xiang, I turned back toward Katorro, ready to introduce him.
“Cragmarr, Master Xiang, this is—”
“Katorro Hoshizaki,” a voice interrupted behind us.
“Sora?” I blinked in surprise.
She stepped out behind the gate in a full Ninja suit with the hood down.
“Master Katorro,” she bowed. “We thought you were lost.”
“I was, and I am,” he replied.
“I’ll take Katorro for healing and care,” she said, moving to his side, supporting him as she led him away. I watched them go. Cragmarr placed a hand on my shoulder, and I forced a smile.
“Welcome back, Ember,” Master Xiang said. “Radiant Temple is in your debt.
“I’m just glad you’re all okay,” I said. “When did Sora get here?”
“She was here when I arrived,” Cragmarr said.
“That man… Kotarro… he’s my champion.”
“I am confused."
“So am I, Crag. So am I.”