Genesis Locorum

A few hours later, Atsuko looks over the documents that were obtained from The Engines. Her lips tighten as she reads through the document. Her fear is confirmed, the Engines had somehow managed to enter the microdungeons and use them to their advantage.

“We’re pulling up the timetable, the test shall begin tonight,” the Nekomata says.

Atsuko has previously explained that the Engines were among the dungeons she had gone to and that they were the ones that tried to trap her.

Saizo arrives. “What is your plan, Lady Atsuko?”

“My plan? That should be obvious, we’re gonna try to make Emily as strong as possible before our belligerent ‘friend’ arrives.” She turns to Heathcliff. “Besides Tim, Who had Emily made Sentinels?”

Rose gestures to herself and her fellow Magical Girls.

“I also became a Sentinel for certain reasons,” Clara says.

“Right,” Atsuko says. She turns to the Hermandezes. “We’ll be using the Femtonauts for the maiden voyage, so that means the only risk is psychological for now.”

“You want us to come along?” Julia says.

“I figured that your expertise in stealth would translate to some tenacity.” Atsuko turns to Tim.

“I’m going,” Tim says. “I have my reasons to explore my Qiang.”

“I’m going too!” Emily knows that Baron Roberts is attacking her, that she is the reason for the other Divine Dugneon’s movement from Cerberus.

“Okay so we have two volunteers,” Atsuko says. “Anyone else?”

“You have to ask?” Sarah says.

“We’re going!” Rose says, and the other Coloraturas nod in agreement.

“We can’t bring everyone,” Saizo says. “We will need someone to man the equipment.”

“Leave it to me!” Hoshikage says. “Akko has taught me a lot about operating the instruments.”

“I’ll keep an eye on the Kaguya Parallel Mirror,” Noboru says.

“I’ll rendezvous with the Rosencruz guild, keep an eye out for any mechanical guests,” Richard says.

“I see about applying traps,” Minerva says. “Nina shall assist.”

“Aww,” Nina says. “I want to explore the items.”

“I’ll try to help in any way I can,” Charlotte says.

“We have to prepare for the worse, chers,” Heathcliff says. “This Dungeon will try to bring all to bear it seems.”

“Hey has anyone seen the Sprites?” Elizabeth says.

“I’ll go check on them,” Emily says.

✦✦✦

Emily’s gaze turns to the room where the Sprites are living. She sees the playful illusions turn into a dour atmosphere, and she also sees Ulric leading his brethren in mourning. One of them is instructing Kaitlyn to paint a picture of Puck and his beloved Maeve.

“Is something the matter?” Emily’s voice echoes out to them.

“Mister Puck is gone!” Flowena sobs inconsolably. She and the others had learned that the Mirage Feywood and its inhabitants were absorbed by the Engines.

Ulric calmly explains what had happened to Emily in an uncharacteristically serious manner. “We had attempted to contact our friends in the Feywood after learning of the Engine’s movements. Our attempts had failed.” Emily begins to understand what Ulric meant by that.

“He was so young!” a sprite says.

“That heartless…” another sprite says.

Emily is aware that Puck sent the sprites to them because of the possibility that the Engines would strike the Feywood, and so were the sprites themselves, yet she sees that the reality of this eventually hurt them dearly despite this.

She soon tries to find Elizabeth. “I found the Sprites,” her voice echoes to the fairy. “They’re mourning the loss of the Feywood.”

“I see,” Elizabeth says. “[The Engines] must’ve figured out we got the Mirage Staves from that dungeon and decided to strike the [Mirage Feywood] first.”

“What’s going to happen, Lizzie?” Emily’s tone is that of a scared child, someone who is afraid of what is to come and unsure of what to do.

“We will have to hope Atsuko’s hypothesis is correct,” Elizabeth says. “Lest we’re left with no method to prepare in time. With what we have witnessed thus far of the might of the Engines and its first Sentinel, we will have to assume their power is of a scale higher than what we have been able to amass thus far. It would take us months to try to gather as much mana, and that is assuming we were able to locate and absorb every dungeon in New Virginia.”

Emily stays silent.

“Emily, it’s not your fault,” Elizabeth says. “We had no idea just how powerful that dungeon would be at the time.”

“I made the call to press ahead,” Emily says. “If we left early we…we—”

“Wouldn’t be aware of the full extent of his machinations,” Elizabeth says. “Or of his weakness.”

“Weakness?”

“You recall that whether she did that enable him to absorb dungeons directly through their avaratas has in turn made his own inseparable form his core. He is by that point a Natural Dungeon, albeit a very powerful one. If we can defeat and absorb his man, then his threat is no more.”

“That’s a very big ‘if,’” a sighing wind blows through the doors.

“Chin up, I know we’ll get through this!” Elizabeth says with a great big smile.

“Thanks, Lizzie,” Emily says after a few moments of silence. She thinks about about her past experiences since she first awakened.

“There is a lot about this place you still don’t know,” Elizabeth says. “I’d make a poor guide if I let you die before then.”

Emily laughs. “Good point.” She looks back tot eh time they first met Tim and Heathcliff, and how they had saved her from certain doom. Her mind then flashes to her saving Sarah and Nina from Tarantulopolis, then her trip through Revotos’ Valley, then her encounter with the Truces, her visit to Noir and its Underground, her taking the Coloraturas on as Sentinels, and finally her time at Gatsby tower, dancing with Tim.

Atsuko walks in and sees Elizabeth. “Hey Lizzie, is Emmy here, by any chance?”

“Not you too,” Elizabeth thinks. She has gotten used to Emily using that nicknae for her, but not otehrs.

“I’m here, Atsuko, what’s up?” Emily’s voice echoes to the nekomata.

“We have finished preparing the pods,” the teal-haired girl says.

“Pods?”

“That’s right,” Elizabeth says. “We have decided to use the pods from our trip to Noir to hold your bodies while your consciousnesses are piloting the Femtonauts.”

“Huh,” Emily says recalling Atsuko asking her to create some tubes earlier today.

“With that done we are all set to visit Tim’s Qiang,” Atsuko says.

Emily’s gaze follows Atsuko and Elizabeth as they return to the room where the microdugneon related instruments lie.

✦✦✦

Meanwhile, Tim is meditating. He faces his Qiang, which is suspended in the air within a chamber. The Takarabune is located nearby. Tim thinks back to the day his previous teacher had entrusted him with the Qiang. He had returned to Fairborough on that day, at his home, before he encountered Heathcliff.

“Was there anything I could’ve done?” Tim thinks about if he was able to save the school. “Had I been there…but then.” He knew his deceased mentor had sent him away for a reason, and the Qiang was part of it.

Atsuko and Elizabeth arrive. “Is he asleep?” the nekomata says.

“I’m meditating. Have a lot on my mind.” Tim stands up.

The Coloraturas, the Hermandezes, Sarah, Heathcliff, and Kasumi arrive, as well as Saizo, Kei, Hoshikage, and Noboru.

“Looks like everyone is gathered,” Atsuko says. “Just say the word, Emily.”

“Is everyone ready?” Emily says.

“As ever!” Streltizia says.

“Ready!” Lily, Clover, and Rose say.

“Let’s go!” Azalea says. “Longer we dawdle, the more time that walking smog factory has to get us!”

Anemone and Hydrangea nod.

“I’m ready, cher,” Heathcliff says.

“Same,” Esteban says.

“My skills are sharpened now,” Julia says.

“I’m ready!” Sarah says.

“Kasumi and I will be coming along as well,” Atsuko says. “Just say the word and we’ll launch the Takarabune at once.”

“I’m ready,” Emily says. “Let’s go.”

Elizabeth directs the volunteers to their pods.

“You might be a little sleepy,” Atsuko says. “That’s normal.”

Tim, Heathcliff, Sarah, Esteban, Julia, Rose, Raine, Streltizia, Lily, Clover, Hydrangea, Azalea, Anemone, Kasumi, and Atsuko enter their pods. Elizabeth, Saizo, Hoshikage, Noboru, and Kei follow instructions Atsuko had left them to operate the machinery.

The pods glow an indigo light, a sign that the minds were successfully linked to the Femtonauts and that the bodies are unconscious. “Launching Takarabune!” Hoshikage says. The shuttle-like vehicle is now painted towards the Qiang. The device moves towards the weapon, shrinking to a nanoscopic scale as it is directed to the spearhead. Before long it is too small to be seen.

A few minutes later, Noboru sees the Kaguya Parallel Mirror has changed, the two reflective plates at the top and bottom of the cylinder now reflect a tesselating piece of hyperbolic space. “Circle Limit breached,” the tanuki says.

A moment later, a light on the Mirror is lit. “Landing confirmed,” Kei says.

“Marker set!” Hoshikage says.

Emily focuses on the marker and generates an avatara and fifteen Femtonauts. “Is this right?”

Through a monitor hooked up to the Mirror, Kei observes the placement of Emily’s avatara form and fifteen humanoid shapes near the Takarabune. “The Femtonatus placement has been confirmed.”

“So far so good,” Hoshikage says. “I’m launching the mindstream programs now.”

The pods’ indigo light changes to a verdant hue. Emily’s consciousness is moved to her avatara, while the mindstream programs work to project the minds of those in the pod into their respective Femtonaut.

“Good luck, Emily,” Elizabeth says.

“See you soon,” Emily’s voice echoes to Elizabeth one last time before her consciousness is placed in the avatara. Everyone checks the instruments and finds that the mindstream programs are successful. The monitor and the mirror are changed to depict the scenes from the point of view of Emily’s Avatara. It shows a vibrant mountainous landscape lined with red bridges and bathed in a golden light.

“Is this a microdungeon?” Elizabeth says.

“Yep,” Hoshikage says. “We did it! We breached into the microdungeon!”

Elizabeth looks at the display with relief and confusion both. “Does Obsidian know about this?” the fairy thinks.

✦✦✦

Emily, Tim, Heathcliff, Sarah, Atsuko, Kasumi, The Hermandezes, and the Coloratura arrive in the microdugneon of Tim’s Qiang. They see a valley of mist-enveloped mountains, each decorated by verdant forests, scarlet-trimmed roads, and silver rivers.

“So this is a microdugneon,” Emily asks.

“I’d hope so,” Atsuko takes out a compound bow as tall as she is. “Would be a pain if our calculations were off by even a micrometer.”

Time looks up at the sky, and sees it is dyed a twilit yellow, and also sees various tessellating patterns in the sky. He then looks at the tallest of the green mountains. He sees at its peak a large building with red and gold shillings and what seems to be a replica of his weapon. To him this Qiang is gigantic, but to Atsuko, it is smaller than the actual Qiang.

“We should head there,” Tim says, pointing to the temple.

“That’s gonna be a large climb,” Heathcliff says.

“Heh, that never stopped you before,” Esteban says.

“I’m an adventurer, Esteban, not a mountaineer,” Heathcliff says.

“It’s better than just standing around,” Rose says.

“She’s right, “Atsuko says. “We can learn more if we explore the microdugneon.”

Kasumi looks around and sees the mist surrounding the other peaks. “Maybe I can manipulate the mists here,” the orange-haired kunochi thinks.

Azalea looks around the surrounding area. “You’d think our spearheading this expedition would have attracted some locals,” the mermaid says with a chuckle.

They suddenly hear a large rumbling.

“Azalea!” Streltizia says.

“It wasn’t me,” Azalea says. “I didn’t jinx it.”

Strelitzia and Sarah prepare their weapons, prepared to fight whatever is emerging from the distance.

A shadowy figure emerges from the ground, resembling a martial artist. They assume a horse stance, and Tim and Kasumi respond by doing the same. The fighter is soon accompanied by three others.

One of the shades makes a charging leap toward Emily, but she parries it with her twin blades and casts an earth spell to enchant her weapons. She tries to slash at the shadow, but her weapons move through them without a scratch.

Clover takes her fan and uses it to turn the wind against the shades with a mighty swing. Strelitzia uses the wind to rapidly leap toward one of the shadows and swing at it with her axe.

Kasumi takes a bauble from her dress and uses it to create a veil of mist to cloud the shade’s vision as she, Emily, and Tim try to fight it. Tim moves his leg and stomps at the shadow’s knee. His attack lands and causes the shadow to dissipate.

Hydrangea tries to freeze the emerging shadows, but they move through her frozen fetters. Anemone uses her magic to immobilize a few of the shadows, but most of their attacks are unable to deal any meaningful damage to them. Including Anenome’s arrows.

Lily tries to use her light spells to blind the shadows, but her radiant attacks only make them larger. One emerges and makes a charging step to her, but they are intercepted by Heathcliff’s shield.

Heathcliff stands from the strange entity’s attacks. His shield blocks the shadow’s blows while Lily gallops away.

Most shadows appear, this time wielding Qiangs, they use the spears to strike at the party. As Tim fends off the assailants, he notices something familiar about them. His mind flashes back to his training at his school, to the very foundational classes. He begins to behave in a particular manner and uses his teaching to disarm the opponents with rapid arm movements and take one of their Qiangs to use against them. With the stolen Qiang, he conjures a wind shield and uses that as the basis of a whirlwind that bathers the nearby shadows and blows them into the strange sky.

Emile leaps into the whirlwind with lightning-enchanted blades and dances around the twister, slashing the shadows. The tornado dissipates and gravity causes the remaining shades to plummet into the ground and vanish.

“What the heck were they!” Strelitzia says with shock.

“A reminder,” Tim says.

The group explores the microdungeon further.

✦✦✦

As the party explores the microdugneon, Azalea marvels at the sight of the jade-colored forest and silver-colored rivers.

“Well I’m certainly not jaded looking at these trees,” the clione says with a sigh.

Lily notices Azalea is more chipper than usual. “You like this place, right?”

“How can I not?” Azalea says. “The fresh air, the sparkling rivers, the lack of polluting factories. If only places like this are more common.”

Meanwhile, Streltizia looks at an apple tree. The plant’s presence sparks several questions for her. Feeling out of place for some reason. The minotaur turns to Atsuko. “Hey, are we about to eat in this place?”

“The Femtonaut bodies were designed to mimic biological and magical function as much as possible,” Atsuko says. “But these are prototypes admittedly. This the first my research has ever been.”

The conversation is interrupted by Rose slithering to the tree and taking the apple. She tries to bite into it, but despite her mouth being open, the front is mushed all over her face.

“Guess that answers that,” Streltizia laments.

“I’ll see about tweaking the designs a bit,” Atsuko picked some apples and put in in a bag she took from the Takarabune.

The group explores the microdungeon further until they see what seems to be barriers blocking the way.

“What are those?” Emily asks.

Atsuko examines the construct. “Seems like these are walls.”

Tim looks at the design of them, they are unlike a certain monument in Jiang-Hu, instead, they seem to be thin and wooden, yet his attempts to breach them have proven unsuccessful. No matter how high he leaped, he could not jump over them. His attacks leave no scratches on them and no matter how many rocks he conjured or the first of the wind he summons they do not bend.

His mind flashes to his travels with Heathcliff. He had heard of hostages being held in a fortress of a dungeon and had taken on the quest willingly. He and Heathcliff had tried several things to breach the fortress but could not find a direct way in.

Heathcliff notices his knave’s contemplation. “Thinking about that fortress huh, cher?”

Tim nods.

“Fortress?” Emily asks

“Tim wanted to save some hostages in a well-fortified Dungeon,” Heathcliff says, “Like ‘walls as hard as a Diamondback’ hard.”

“If there is anything I’ve learned from the experience,” Tim says. “It’s that we can’t brute force everything, at least not yet.”

“What happened to the hostages?” Emily says.

“We managed to find a way in,” Tim says. “But by then most of them had perished.” He flashes back to the day of that failure. He had found an expert lock-picker and enlisted his assistance in opening the fortress, but when they arrived they found many corpses. The survivors were few. He has attempted to learn lockpicking but his efforts yielded little help in subsequent adventures.

“I’m sorry,” Emily says.

Tim sighs. “What is there to apologize for, you weren’t there. It was never your fault.”

Emily looks back to her own concern. To the things she thinks were. The children of Hamlin and the ongoing encroachment of the Engines.

“Maybe we can scale up to scale the wall?” Azalea says.

“I don’t think that would work,” Atsukos says. “If we try to enlarge the Femtonauts, we could become too big to remain in the dungeon. Even a minimal increase would change our superposition and throw off our position in hyperbolic space.”

“You lost us, Lady Atsuko,” Kasumi says.

“We change the size of these bodies, we risk getting kicked out of the mcirodugneon,” the nekomata clarifies.

“I’ll go see if there is anything of import nearby, and see if there are any more shades.” Esteban moves away from the party.

The group returns to the Takarabune. Atsuko puts the bag of apples into the ship.

“Are these apples safe to eat?” Emily says.

“Can’t eat them here, I try that,” Rose says.

“An apple orchard feels out of place here for some reason,” Tim says.

“It’s likely residual mana affecting the microdugneon,” Atsuko says.

“You mean, mana from external sources?” Anemone says.

“Yeah,” Atsuko says while getting another bag. “The reason I picked the Qiang is because I noticed that it had been used for a long time. And therefore would have taken in a lot of Tim’s mana. And with it his memories and experience. That wouldn't be the only influence, of course, its inherent mana would still be predominant.”

“That makes the apples more incongruous,” Tim says.

“Actually, Tim” Heathcliff says. “Didn’t we need to get the shaft replaced several times.”

“A lot of apple trees in Liberté were evidenced to be used for replacement parts,” Atsuko says. “That would explain the apples at least.

Despite the talk of apples, no one feels hungry. To Sarah’s surprise.

Esteban returns. “I found something you should look at.” He leads the group to a small building, with tiered roofs. The roofs are held aloft not by walls, but by four columns.

“A pagoda?” Kasumi says.

“No, a ta,” Tim says.

“Is there a difference?” Kasumi says.

“The architecture is more in line with Jiang-Hu than Yae Shoto’s,” Atsuko says. She examines the structure more closely and sees that there are eleven eaves on it.

Emily notices that the floor of the ta has a swirling vortex on it. She steps closer to the spiral and examines it. It doesn't seem to exert any pull on her or the others. She places her hand on the floor to see if she can touch the spiral. As she does a pillar of light suddenly envelopes everyone.

✦✦✦

The light fades and the surroundings are not different, though still surrounded by tall misty peaks, jade-colored forests, and silver rivers, they feel eh various positions of everything have shifted, more notably the Takarabune, which is now right next to them.

“What the…” Clover says in shock.

“Did I do that?” Emily says.

Tim looks at the tallest peak and notices it and its distinctive replica of the Qiang is now closer.

Emily looks back at the ta and finds the vortex has vanished. Atsuko looks at it and sees only ten eaves on the structure. The three conclude that this means the number of eaves on the ta represents the current depth of the micro dungeon they’re inside.

“I think we have found the means of getting to that temple,” Atsuko says. “If we can find another ta, we should be able to get closer to that mountain top.”

The group sets out to find another ta. They learn that the current of what Atsuko has dubbed “floors” is at the foot of one of the mountains and covered in trees. Anemones and Hydrangeas examine the trees and discover their wood and leaves have a crystalline structure.

“Hmm,” the wolf-ear girl muses on the crystal trees.

“Why are the trees here crystallized?” Hydrangea says.

“It might be because of Tim’s preferences towards wind spells?” Anemone guesses.

The group finds another ta, guarded by more animalistic shadows. Rose and Emily use lightning magic to scare them off. Emily approaches the ta and stands in the spiral, taking them to another floor of the microdugneon.

After arriving on the third floor. Atsuko takes a look at the ta and sees it has eight eaves on its roof now. “Within expectations.” She writes down something in a notebook before taking her compound bow and following the party.

As they travel, Tim is approached by Strelitzia and Lily. “What do you want?” Tim says.

“Can you tell us about what you were doing before you met Emily?” Lily says.

“I was training, traveling with Heathcliff, and raiding dungeons, that’s all,” Tim says.

“That’s all?” Streltizia says. “That can’t be right?”

“What are you two so interestsed in my past?” Tim says.

“I want to be a great Sentinel!” The exuberant centaur says with aplomb. “Plus since we both use spears, I figured maybe you can tech me how to learn how to use it.”

Tim looks at the minotaur. “I was just curious, okay?”

Tim raises an eyebrow.

“Fine,” Streltizia says. “I want to be a better protector, alright?”

Lily is confused. “What do you mean Stre? You are one of the best defenders I’ve ever known!”

“But is that enough?” the minotaur says. “I want to be certain your and the others are safe! If anyone get past me…”

“You know your friends can handle themselves,” Tim says.

“Yeah but—“

“Besides, I think Heathcliff would be better suited in teaching defense,” Tim interrupts.

Streltizia pouts.

“She doesn't trust Heathcliff that much,” Lily whispers.

“What does that have to do with anything!” Streltiiza shouts.

Tim sighs.

After a while, and some encounters with more shadows, Emily soon finds another ta and activates it, bringing them to the next floor.

✦✦✦

Eventually, they arrive at the sixth floor, as evidenced by the ta having six eaves on the roof. Kasumi begins complaining about the length of the trip.

“I feel like we’ve been here for an entire day now!” Kasumi says.

The floor they are in is surrounded by apple trees. The presence of the red and green fruits taunt Sarah alongside the apparent lack of hunger.

“Hey,” Emily appches Atsuko. “You said the only risk is psychological right?”

“Uh-huh,” Atsuko says. “We have arranged things to ensure the real bodies are hale and healthy while our consciousnesses pilot the Femtotnauts! There is no need to worry!”

The once golden sky is now a bright azure, and the tessellations begin to show patterns reminiscent of the Black Box. Emily looks at the sky with curiosity and confusion. Before she suddenly sees smoke merging from a nearby temple.

The group is started by the sight of people fleeing from the temple. The first time they had encountered anything in the microdugneons. Even worse still, they are pleading for help as they flee.

They rush in the direction of the fire and discover that shades are attacking the populace. Tim looks at the sight in horror before regaining composure and jumping into the burning temple. He saves a young child from an attacking shadow.

“What is going on?” Emily says.

“Was wondering how long it took before we see friendly faces,” Atsuko says while taking her bow. “Come on!”

Clover is already at the Temple, using his wand and fan to repel the invaders with a vengeance. A concerned Streltizia follows suit and defends the peryton fawn from behind.

As they fight the shadows. Their backs to each other, Streltizia chastising Clover for rushing off.

“You know I can’t stand there while people are suffering!” Clover says. She creates a tempest from the surrounding fires to repel the shadows.

“Yeah, but you shouldn’t rush off like that! What if someone catches you on your own.”

“But I’m now alone,” Clover says. “You’re here with me, right?”

Azalea and Hydrangea work to douse the fires. Kasumi uses mist to conceal her location as she engages the shades. Raine tries to manipulate the fires so that they are concentrated in a single location. Esteban, Julia, and Heathcliff try to save people who were trapped by the fires and smoke. Atsuko and Anemone snipe at the shades from afar.

Tim soon finds a large shade in the center. The shape of this shadow gives Shim pause as he recalls an event back in Fairborough. A confrontation with his half-brother ended poorly for him.

“Why did it take his form?” Tim wonders as he sees the gigantic shade lunge towards him. Him. Emily blocks its attack with her twin blades.

“Tim!” Emily says. “Are you okay?”

The martial artist nods. “I’m…I’m fine.” He assumes a horse stance as the two try to fend off the shade.

The shadow leader assumes a familiar horse stance and summons a Qiang in a bolt of lightning. The weapon’s advent causes a nearby building to ignite. The shadow makes a charging leap and tries to lean on Tim, but he counters by backstepping. The shadow charges forward, but Tim uses a one-inch punch and a stomp in tandem to halt its advance.

Emily stabs the leader with one of her blades and then signs a Bardsong tune to freeze the sade, but the apparition disappears and reemerges behind Emily. Emily turns around and parries the blows with a spinning parry. Tim moves behind the shade and exchanges blows with them. He sees their fighting styles are evenly matched, another painful reminder of his half-brother.

“Hah, weak, and you think you can rule Fairborough like that?”

“You claim to be able to save people? Don’t make me laugh.”

“Calling you trash is an insult to the dumpster!”

Memories of his half-brother and his biting remarks flood Tim’s mind. As did thought about how he was able to learn the same moves he did. Mysteries that he was not able to solve.

Tim and Emily continue fighting the shade. Emily’s slashes and Tim’s strikes wear down the shadow bit by bit. The shadow tries to disarm Emily, but she dances past the attempt, and Tim closes the gap with a charging leap and defeats its attempts at elbow strikes with his arms.

Tim soon extends his arms in a diagonal slope, one pointing down in front, the other pointing up behind him, its fist facing the opponent. Tim punches with his forward arm before striking with his other, but the shade uses the opportunity to grab that arm and hurl Tim over his shoulder.

A while later, Emily enchants her swords to use her Photon Ring attack, she tosses the light-enchanted chakram through the shadow. The shade tries to dodge, but Time knees him in the abdomen and follows with a punch, staggering it enough for the weapon to strike and fell them for good.

The shadow vanishes and the fires have burned out. The townsfolk cheer their saviors.

“Are they Messengers?” a man asks

“The shadows are gone, we’re saved!” a woman cheers.

“Thank the Administrators!” another person says.

“So they know of the Administrators as well,” Tim says.

The temple’s head priest approaches the group. “Thank you, kind strangers,” he says. “How can we repay your kindness?”

Time faces the elder. “We’re looking for a way to that mountain,” he points toward the tallest peak.

“You want to ascend Spearhead’s Peak?” the elder says with shock. “No one was able to approach the mountain,”

“First time for everything,” Atsuko says.

“I’m afraid we can’t help you reach the mountain,” the elder says.

“Is there a ta around these parts, then?” Heathcliff says.

“A ta?” the elder thinks about it and realizes there is one within the temple. “Coem with me.”

The group follows the elders and sees a ta with six eaves within, kept in a garden. Emily sees the vortex on the floor of the ta.

“Thank you,” Tim says. “This will help us reach the mountain.

“I wish you good luck, kind travelers.” The elder watches as Emily steps on the ta and the group is enveloped in bright light.

✦✦✦

Emily’s group arrives on the seventh floor of the microcungeon. The ta they emerged from has four eaves left on it. They survive their surrounding and see that they are at the foot of the mountain. The replica of the Qiang within the Qiang looms over them. Tim finds a rock and sits on it, wondering about the apparition of the previous floor.

Emily approaches him. “Tim?”

“Yeah?” Tim says.

“Is something the matter?” Emily sits down next to him. “You seemed kinda out of it at the last floor.”

“It’s…the form of that shadow, I’ve seen him before, but…”

“But what?” Emily says curiously.

“I don’t know what his presence means. Is it an effect of my memories on my weapon?”

“Who was that anyway?” Emily asks.

“My brother.” Tim sighs. “Well, half-brother. We don’t get along much.”

Emily is surprised to learn he has siblings.

“They were both to a different mother. The Duchess of Fairborough,” Tim says. “Theodore is the oldest prince.”

Emily wonders if she should ask Tim more questions. The silver river flowing behind them reflects the tesselating sky. Emily reclines and gazes at the strange sky.

“What do you think we’ll find on the next floor?” Emily says, wanting to change the subject.

Tim shrugs, “Prolly more crystal trees, apples, shadows. More of the same.” He turns his gaze toward the mountain near them. He notices among the red and yellow buildings a sense of familiarity.

Kasumi sees the pair and approaches them. “Taking a break?” the kunoichi says while sitting next to Emily and Tim.

“Maybe,” Tim lies.

Emily looks at the Yanese ninja. “You’re Kasumi, right?’

“Yes,” the exuberant girl says. “Kasumi the Mistwalker!”

“How long have you met Atsuko?” Emily says.

“Lady Atsuko? Um, my whole life I guess. Hoshikage knew her longer though.”

Tim recalls the instances of seeing Kasumi fight, both against and more recency alongside him. “That fighting style, where did you learn that?” he says.

“Hoshikage taught me!” Kasumi says. “She says we needed to learn to fight if necessary.”

“Fascinating,” Tim says. He stands up and stretches. Emily yawns. Tim looks at the kunoichi with curiosity.

“W-why are you looking at me like that?” Kasumi blushes. “Stop it.”

“Sorry,” Tim says. He looks up at Spearhead’s Peak.

“I heard that bajiquan was used primarily by bodyguards?” Emily says.

“Yes,” Tim says. He wonders if there are survivors from his school.

Kasumi shies away from Tim. Emily looks at the embarrassed Kunoichi. “It thinks she likes you, Timmy,” she says

“I do not!” Kasumi says. “Knock it off!”

Emily chuckles.

After a while, the trio returns to the others and searches for the next ta. Tim eventually finds the other ta guarded by some shadows.

“Why are they shadows anyway?” Rose asks.

“Maybe they prefer the shade? “Azalea jokingly says.

“That is an interesting question,” Atsuko says.

Tim looks back a talks with his deceased mentor. “I think these shades are thoughts of darkness made manifest. Fears, doubts, nightmares,” he says. “It would at least explain why one resembled Theodore,” he thinks.

Emily picks up on that thought. She silently wonders about the princes and princesses of Fairborough and why Tim’s relationship with the eldest prince seemed to sour.

“I’ll coax them out,” Heathcliff says. “Esteban, can you get Emily to the ta?”

Esteban nods and clocks himself and Emile. Heathcliff throws his shield at one of the shades and draws the ire. Sarah and Streltizia help lure out several other shades while Rose, Clover, and Atsuko scare the remainder off with lightning and wind.

Esteban and Emily sneak past the few remaining shades and Emily touches the spiral on the ta. Bringing everyone to the next floor.

✦✦✦

Eventually, Emily, Tim, Heathcliff, Sarah, The Coloraturas, Esteban, Julia, Atsuko, and Kasumi arrive on the tenth floor. The ta they emerge from has but a single eave.

“Is there any reason why the eaves are reduced with each floor?” Tim wonders.

“I’m not sure,” Atsuko says. “All I have been able to surmise is that they denote our progress through the microdugneon’s depths.

The party stands at the gates of the temple on top of Spearhead’s Peak. They can see the replica of Tim’s Qiang towering over them, at the center of a temple complex with orange wooden walls and red and yellow eaves.

“This looks like our destination, chers,” Heathcliff says.

“Finally,” Rose says. “That trip is exhausting.

Sarah is concerned about how they haven’t felt the need to eat anything despite what seems to be a trip three days in length.

Atsuko examines the architecture and notices it is more ornate than the ta. She then stands in front of the group with her notebook and some glasses. “Let’s see. So far we established the following. The most obvious being that lifeforms exist in the microdungeons, as evidenced by that village…”

Azalea looks at the complex weave of flora and buildings that can be seen beyond these gates.

“…that there are also hostile entities as would be expected from a dungeon…” Atsuko continues.

Kasumi sees that the mist that surrounds the peak has not enveloped the complex itself. Tim looks behind him and sees the view of not only the past nine floors but also myriad others, several of which seem to include villages and even a city in the distance. Each interspersed with jade forests and silver rivers.

“…and that residual mana from the wielder has a notable effect on the microdugneon.” Atsuko puts her notes away.

“Why does this floor feel different?” Emily says. She senses a foreboding aura in the air. Tim turns back at the temple and notices it bears a lot of architectural similarities to the school. He then sees a sign written in a script that he understands. He translates the characters and leans that the sign tells of truth lying beyond these halls, and warning of the gatekeeper that guards them.

“We should get going,” Tim says.

Atsuko looks back t the Takurabune that had followed them on this journey. The shrine-like ship is filled with several items procured throughout eh trip, starting with the apples and replicas of the Qiang they are inside. She sees there is still room for a few more chest before things begin to be too cramped for the Femtonauts.

“Need any time to prepare?” Atsuko says. “Odds are high that whatever is awaiting us will be a tough nut to crack.”

“I think we’re ready,” Emily says.

“Not much to do prepare anyway,” Sarah says.

“That boss is no match for us, Lady Atsuko!” Kasumi says.

“Guess that settles it,” Esteban says.

“I’m ready to end this long trip,” Julia says.

The group enters the temple complex.

✦✦✦

Emily’s party arrives at the temple courtyard. Azalea swims around excitedly at the intermix of nature and construction.

“Wow! I never seen something so harmonious with nature before!” the mermaid says. Azalea’s comment takes Emily aback. The clione looks at the Black Box’s avatar and realizes her mistake. “Sorry.”

Tim examines the courtyard an uncanny replica of the one at his school. He sees designs etched into the ground on a black octagon, depicting eight colored trigrams in different colors each. “Is this from my memories or maybe…” He notices four incongruous pillars.

The group is surprised to find there are no signs of any prescience, no people, no shades. Yet at the same time, a sense of dread looms over the group.

Rose slithers around, looking for possible routes to take. Lily looks at the golden sky and sees the tesselations depicting eerie patterns. Streltizia holds her labrys, expecting an ambush of some sort to happen.

Julia takes notice of the lack of people around and looks around for any traps and signs of inhabitants. She soon finds a strange entrance.

Heathcliff meanwhile notices something on the walls. “Come see,” he says to Tim.

Tim observes the writing and translates the script. “It seems to be… a riddle?”

Julia enters the entrance and finds four orbs. Colored black, white, teal and red. She takes the spheres and rolls them to the courtyard.

Tim translates the sign. “It seems to be about the Celestial Beasts. ‘To the south, the Sparrow, to the north, the Tortoise, to the west, the Tiger. To the east, the Wyrm.”

Julia overhears Tim’s explanation and ponders how these connect to the spheres she found. “Dios mio,” she thinks. Hydrangea recalls her trek to the Cocytus Manor and the imagery of the ceiling as she and the other Coloraturas fought the first boss.

“Excuse me,” Hydrangea asks. “Do we know where north is?”

“Let me see,” Atsuko says. She Examines the area for signs of direction.

Tim notices the spheres Julia has found and their colors. He searches his memory for the the position of the school, looking for answers to the riddle. He then remembers the day he first arrived at the school and learn that the entrance was facing south.

With this knowledge Tim takes the red sphere and places it on the column closes to the enhance. The sphere begins to glow, he takes the teal sphere and places it to the one the one to the rightmost column, then placed the white one on the opposite side and finally the black sphere is placed on the last column.

Everyone soon hears whrilling noises from below and as the octagonal design recedes and reveals a staircase. A stairwell that Tim does not recall having existed at the school. A loud roar is heard from the depths of the mountain below.

“It looks like we found the boss,” Atsuko says.

Emily looks at the stairs and notices it they resembles the spirals on the ta that she touched. She looks at Tim who stoically looks at the depths.

“Master Wu,” Tim thinks. “What secrets does this Qiang hold?”

The group prepares themselves mentally before descending down the stars. Expecting to find something dangerous at the bottom of the spiral.

✦✦✦

Emily and her group descend the large staircase. They arrive at the bottom of the stairs and see a large dimly lit basement. Raine and Lily conjure a fire and an orb of light to illuminate the place.

Tim looks at the walls. He sees they are lined with several training weapons. Emily looks at the floor and sees several alchemical and thaumaturgical sigils. Atsuko notices a stature at the furthest edge of the room. Sarah and Rose see several empty beakers and vials on the tables.

“What is this place?” Azalea says.

“It looks like an alchemist’s den,” Esteban says.

“Best be careful then, chers,” Heathcliff says. “Who knows what experiments lurk in this place.”

After taking a practice Qiang from the walls Tim turns his gaze towards the stature. It depicts a warrior in a horse stance, wielding a Qiang.

Julia senses something is off about the sculpture. She takes out her dagger in anticipation of a fight.

“There is no door at the other end of this place,” Atsuko says.

Emily and Tim approach the statue. Emily steps on one of the designs on the floor. The ground rumbles as the statue begins to move. The stone man turns to the challengers and lets out a roar. Tim tries to hit the stature, but the boss sidesteps him and retaliates with a punch in the abdomen. Tim is sent back several feet. The mobile stature then tries to swat Emily at the hips, but she moves back several steps and draws her sword. Her weapon is parried by the statue’s weapon.

Emily tries to move the statue Qiang, whispering Bardsong to enchant it with lightning. Heathcliff, Sarah, and Julia rush to Tim and Emily, but a shadow emerges in the form of the statue, barring their way.

Tim makes a charging lep to the statue and strikes it with its knee. He follows it up with a punch. The construct is pushed back just enough for Emily to finish her strike. The stature assumes a horse stance again. Tim observes its movements and sees a glyph next to the opponent’s leg. The statue slides its leg over the glyph and activates it. Pillars of flame and geysers of water emerge from the floor.

Heathcliff distracts the shadow doppelganger for Sarah and Julia to move past it and assist Emily and Tim. The Coloruaturas and Atsuko deal with a firey clove of the statue while Esteban uses his cloaking magic to conceal himself and Kasumi.

The burning stature tried to strike with a shape and elbow strike downwards, but Streltizia blocked the attacks before they hit the ground. Anemone and Hydrangea see Streltizia has touched a sigil and activates it, earthed spites just out from the ground, scaring the young witches.

Tim uses his Qiang to create a shield of air for himself and Emily. The original statue touches the ground with the arm extended behind it before attempting to push Tim with its fingertips. Tim evades using the wind shield to launch himself toward the ceiling. Sarah arrives and swings her hammer against the statue, chipping off parts of its fingers. Julia moves behind the stature and tries to sever its head, Her knife jugulates the boss from behind, but it is not enough to cleave the head off.

Heathcliff holds his own against the statue’s shadow and manages to knock it towards its burning counterpart. He notices the sigils around him and sees they represent elemental effects. He rushes towards the two statues, avoiding sigils as he makes his advance. With sword and shield both, he knocks the statues into each other.

Cloaked, Esteban observes the sigils on the ground. He notices they are colored according to the elements and lands on a yellow one.

The arena is suddenly lit as pillars of light attack random parts of it. One hits the shadow of the statue, causing it to write in pain. Kasumi uses the cover of Estebn’s cloaking spell and the mist generated by the stem from the flame pillars and geysers to cover the Coloraturas. Azalea uses the mist and steam to douse part of the statue. Hidden, Kasumi copies the original stature’s movements, sending the burning one flying with her fingertips.

As the burning statue falls. Clover draws her fan and strikes the shadow with it. The metal weapon creates a blust of wind that pushes it backward and dislodges the weapons from the walls. The burning statue lands in the shadow statue and both of them crumble. Everyone moves to aid Tim, Emily, Sarah, and Julia.

The original statue remains, but the attacks landed on it and the defeat of its brothers caused it to wear. The boss assumes a horse stance and tries to strike Emily, but she counters with a Photon Ring. Sarah slams her hammer against the statue’s knee, chipping part of it off. Their friends arrive to assist them.

Anemone and Lily coordinate to cast a shadow long enough to catch the unhindered leg of the statue and pin it to the ground. Hydrangea uses her grimoire to conjure shards of ice to strike the statue. Strelitzia then slams her axes against the pinned lag and chips a chunk of the statue off. Esteban activates the glyphs to create a tailwind that makes his allies faster and hinders the statue’s movements. Rose slithers around, activating the pink sigils to empower her lightning spells.

Tim and Emily see that something in the statue’s torso is exposed. Emily enchants her weapons with ice and throws the combined chakram at the exposed core of the statue. The weapon causes ice to encase the statue.

Time seizes the opportunity and charging force. The momentum and the tailwind empower his attack as she strikes the frozen abdomen of the statue with both palms. The ice and stone shatter in response to the force of Tim’s attack. The boss is no more.

They hear a chuckle echoing in the room as a spectral door appears and opens.

“Is that it now?” Rose says.

Tim approaches the door. He senses a familiar aura emanating from it. He opens the door and a bright light engulfs the room

Emily and her friends suddenly arrive back at the starting point of the tenth floor, at the gates of the temple complex. There they find a man in the distance. His black hair was cut short, and he wore a suit with five buttons and four pockets son it. The black suit is woven with intricate patterns it in dark grey, white, red, and yellow. The buttons were instead colored in metallic shades of yellow, black, white, red, and blue from top to bottom. The man also wore black pants along with the suit.

Tim looks at the man in shock. “It can’t be…”

Emily notices her Sentinel’s surprised at seeing the figure.

“It’s nice to meet you again, Xi Lanqiong,” the man says.

✦✦✦

The others are confused by both the man’s presence and the name he uttered.

“Xi Lanqiong?” Heathcliff says.

“Mother gave me that name,” Tim says.

The mysterious man approaches the party. “You had done well to make it this far.” His tone of voice was polite but with an analytical. “My name is Wu Jingyu. Elder of the Golden Spear.”

“The Golden Spear?” Atsuko says.

Jingyu turns around. “Come, we have much to discuss.”

Wu Jingyu leads the party deeper into the temple complex. They arrive in an ornate room that Tim recognizes as a place for gathering. At the other edge is a flat chest.

Jingyu observes the party. “A dungeon core, eight witches, a seasoned knight, two rouges. You had gathered quite a few allies Lanquong.”

“They call me ‘Tim’,” Tim says.

“Forgive me,” Jingyu says.

“While we are on that subject,” Anemone says, “I don’t like to be called a witch.”

“My apologies,” Jingyu says. He turns his eyes to Atsuko. “You made the vessel outside of the temple?”

“The Takurabune?” Atsuko says. “Yes, I helped get this crew to enter the microdugneon in the Qiang.”

“So that is how,” Jingyu says. He turns to Tim with a smile.

“Master Wu,” Tim says. “What is going on? How are you in this place?”

“When the armies of Wu-kong attacked the school, I have used a special spell to allow my soul to inhabit this weapon after my body perished. I had hoped that you would be able to bring the Qiang to safety so that when the time is right, I would be able to resume teaching you and others.”

“What of the other students?” Tim says. “What had became of them?”

Jingyu sighs. “While I was unable to save myself. I was unable to save my disciples. You were the sole survivor of my students.”

“And the other elders?”

“I can only assume that as I took steps to ensure this Qiang’s safety, they did so with the other three treasures, so then they should be scattered away from Jiang-hu.”

Emily and Heathcliff see Tim’s expression tense with a sense of profound sadness. “Tim…”

“I’m fine,” Tim lies.

“Cher, I know you long enough,” the knight says. “You know you can talk to us.”

“Maybe later,” Tim says.

Heathcliff turns to Jingyu. Whatever had happened on that night has clearly affected his current protege. Jingyu turns to Heathcliff. “I take it you’re the one that took care of Lanqiong? You have my gratitude.”

“Pleasure’s all mine,” the red-clad knight says. “Friends call me Heathcliff.”

“So,” Emily says. “Why did they attack the school?”

“They were after the four treasures of the Golden Spear, and the extermination of our humble Alkahestry sect.”

“Alkahestry?” Sarah says. “Aren’t cultivators supposed to be extinct?”

“Our discipline was not lost to the sands of time,” Jingyu says. “We have managed to keep ourselves hidden from those that wish to oppose us, and spread like the petals on the winds.”

“What is a cultivator anyway?” Emily says.

“Yeah,” Rose says. “I’m curious about that too.”

“Last I checked,” Heathcliff says “They were supposedly a breed of wizards that people claimed the Administrators abhorred.”

“They were said to be capable of great feats,” Anemone says. “Immortality, traversal into other realms, the ability to use their weapons as surfboards.”

“You guys surf in your weapons?” Azalea says.

Jingyu chuckles. “It seems we did well if the misconceptions were that deep. While immortality is a common goal and experienced cultivators can travel through many worlds. We do not surf with our armaments.”

“Oh,” Azalea says. “That just crashed—“

“We fly using them.”

“Wait, what!?” Emily says.

“Master, why haven’t you told me this?” Tim says.

“I’m sorry, Lan—Tim,” Jingyu says. “You were not ready yet. You haven’t ascended to the step of Albedo yet. Your Furnace is still unrefined. Even if you were ready, the soldiers of the Wu-kong army would have still overwhelmed the school. As much as I’d hoped otherwise, there was nothing either of us could’ve done.”

Tim clenches his fist.

“But we are here because of a different overwhelming force, are we not?” Jingyu says.

Emily remembers the Engines. “We are,” she says. “We came to this dungeon in the hopes of finding a way to grow stronger in preparation for fighting an incoming dungeons.”

“The Engines at Cerberus?”

“Now hold on,” Heathcliff says. “How did you know that?”

“The spell I used had connected my essence, my mana to the weapon itself. In essence, I am as Miss Emily is, a core to a dungeon, or microdugneion as Miss Atsuko puts it.”

“Guess this means we can save the introductions,” Heathcliff says.

“I can try to teach you and your fellows,” Jingyu says. “But I fear that it is not enough. The path of an alkahest is too long for your situation to change alone. If you can survive the ordeal…”

“Wait, can we bring you back to—” Tim says.

“Won’t work,” Atsuko says. “He’s currently the core of the Qiang. Removing him would risk the integrity of the weapon, to say nothing of what could befall the microdungeon and those inhabiting it.”

“She’s right,” Jingyu says. “My removal could risk erasing this world and destroying the weapon.”

“I see,” Tim says.

“Cher…” Heathcliff says solemnly.

“I shall give you some time to consider your options,” Jingyu says. “But as for our Yanese friends here. Do know that your trails here did strengthen the weapon. Some of the mana contained is now unbarred.”

“Awesome!” Atsuko says.

“What options are we talking about?” Emily says.

“Both how to confront this foe of yours and if you are willing to cultivate yourselves as you are the Qiang. I shall go now.” Jingyu leaves the room.

✦✦✦

Through the next hour, the party discusses their options.

“Cultivators, de toutes les choses sur lesquelles tomber…” Heathcliff says.

Tim leans against a wall. “To think he was still alive after all this time,” he says.

Emily wonders about Jingyu’s offer. “Did you know anything about Cultivation, Tim?”

“My knowledge on the topic is sparse,” Tim says. “I was taught about techniques for learning moves and of course baji, but that is about the extent of it.”

“A real-life Alkahest,” Anemone says. Her mind races as she ponders about the arcane secrets they hold.

Hydrangea tries to read some of the scrolls from the nearby bookcases, but most of them are blank, and those that are are written in Jiangese script. “Why are some of these scrolls blank?”

Atsuko looks at one of them. “That is rather unusual. Invisible ink perhaps?”

Kasumi talks with Clover and Streltizia about the possibility of Cultivation and its possible benefits.

Tim glances at Heathcliff. “What about you?”

“Huh?” Heathcliff says.

“Forgive me,” Tim says. “I knew I haven’t been forthright about my past.”

“It’s okay,” the knight says. “Can’t chide you for keeping secrets.”

“That aside, I want to ask about Master Wu’s offer.”

Heathcliff chuckles. “Cher, if this is what I think it is, then we have stumbled into a world of danger and risk. If people know about the secrets of your spear, they are going to be all over us. Even more so if you decide to return to your old mentor.”

Emily thinks about the imminent arrival of the forces of the Engines. She approaches Atsuko. “Excuse me, but now that we have proven your thesis…”

“Say no more!” the nekomata says. “I’ll try to work on a plan to help refine your weapons before our friend comes.”

Tim looks at Emily. “Will this be enough?” he asks.

Emily’s face bears a look of uncertainty. “I don’t know but we have to try!” She knows the threat to herself, and to those that reside within her.

Tim smiles.

Rose slithers around the room, looking for something to do. “You’d think Mister Wu would’ve left something for us to do in the meantime.”

Raine looks at the lamia. “Rose’s it’s only been ten minutes!”

“Ten minutes is ten too many!” Rose says.

Lily chuckles.

“Typical Rosie,” Azalea says.

“Hey!” I can’t help it. It’s so…so…” Rose slithers to a window, seeing a glint from outside. Raine sighs. Kasumi looks out the same window, looking at whatever caught Rose’s eye.

Emily mulls over other ideas to find a way to defeat the incoming Dungeon Core. Heathcliff approaches the avatara. “You okay, cher?”

“I’m fine,” Emily says. “Just a lot on my mind.”

“I’ll bet,” the knight says. “First the Hamlin issue, now this. You haven’t even been here a year yet.”

“And yet things have grown so complex in such a short time.” Tim approaches the two.

Emily sighs. “It’s true, there is so much I don’t know about this place.” Emily realizes that she knows as much about herself then she does Titania, even after all this time, she has yet to recall anything of who she was before becoming a dungeon, save for her name and the vestigial hazes of a dream.

Sarah approaches them. “Whatever happens, know that I got your back! Richard too!”

Rose slithers to Emily. “We’re gonna help too!”

“That steam dungeon’s no match for the Coloraturas!” Streltizia says.

“My shinobi and I will also help,” Atsuko says. “Can’t have all my work come undone by a jealous dungeon, can I?”

“I will also do everything in my power, Emily.” Tim says.

Heathcliff chuckles. “It should go without saying, but as the Dungeon Master, it is my job to make sure this ship doesn't sink. Say the word, and I’ll come to help you, cher.”

“You also have me and my husband’s support as well,” Julia says.

Emily thinks about the friends she has made so far. Elizabeth, Heathcliff, Tim, Richard, Sarah, Minerva, Nina, The Coloraturas, the Hernandezes and most recently Atsuko. She knows now that they would follow her wherever they go. She looks at those among them that came with her to Spearhead’s Peak. “Thank you.”

Five more minutes pass and Wu Jingyu returns. “Have you enough time to weight your options?”

“We have,” Tim says.

✦✦✦

The group talks to Jingyu about the topic of Alkahestry Cultivation as well as possible ideas for finding the weakness of the Engines’ Core. The topic soon shifts to the context of the coffers in the room.

“The chest contains all my culminated knowledge,” Jingyu says. “To take is to consent to inhering both the sect of the Golden Spear and the goal of its restoration. Should you accept, know that the road ahead will be freight with even more peril.”

“How so?” Emily says.

“Though cultivation sects are uncommon in Liberté, and Alkahestists even more, there are some in existence, and they will learn about your efforts. Some will try to forge alliances with you, others will seek to pillage you and bereave you of that you hold dear and others still will actively try to make you into their puppets.” Jingyu turns to Tim. “And others still will look down upon you besides.”

“Okay, and?” Esteban says.

“Though the Administrators’ alleged disdain of Cultivation is unfounded, there is a high chance they will take notice of our efforts. As you walk the path of the Golden Spear, and gain the power to travel to higher realms, the gods will test your will and your mettle. You must overcome these trials if you wish to stand alongside the Cosmos herself. And even if you don’t, they will look at you with scrutiny.”

“I see,” Emily says. “But what will happen if we do manage it?”

“Over time, you will gather and mass mana and power. If you can complete your magnum opus you will prove yourself nigh insurmountable, save for other cultivators and other adventurers of that caliber. The challenges that would face you are myriad and relentless. Yet should you succeed, you will find yourself at the apex of power.”

“And you know this…how?” Sarah asks.

“The Golden Spear has been around for centuries,” Jingyu says. “But in that time there are those that had transcended with our teachings. Messengers, Adventures, Heroes. It has proved to be a viable path of enlightenment, refined over the decades and centuries.”

“Is that why Wu-kong targeted you?” Emily says.

“Indeed,” Jingyu says. “Though they have their sects, they reasoned that their fragile hegemony over Jiang-hu can be best preserved by the utter annihilation of rival powers. Be they northern Nu-wa, eastern, Neh-za, or the neutral forces in Wu-lin.”

“I have one question,” Tim says. “Did you know who led the attack?”

“I cannot say,” Jingyu says. “Their fighters have gone to great lengths to parasitize our teachings. They had likely infiltrated the Golden Spear for months if not years. Seeing it with double agents and demonic cultivators in preparation for the attack.”

“Did you notice anyone with blond hair and hazel eyes among the students? Another from Fairborough?”

“Hmm,” Jinghu says. “Now that you mention it, I’ve heard that there was mention of someone like that in Wu-lin. Whether or not they attended the school I do not know.”

“I see, thank you, Master Wu.” Tim wonders if Theodore was involved in the sacking of his school.

“I understand if you wish to decline. This is a task that is best left to the prepared and—“

“I’ll do it,” Tim says.

“Me too,” Emily says. “I’ll see what I can do you help you revive the Golden Spear.”

Jingyu is surprised by how quickly they accepted the mission.

“Well you heard them,” Heathcliff says with a small smirk.

Jingyu chuckles. “Maybe the Crimson Hound had rubbed off on them.” The Master walks to the chests and takes some slips of jade from them. He returns to Tim and Emily. “This shall allow you to learn the principles of macrocosmic cultivation. Attune with these slips, and you shall lean the process of the magnum opus, and you and your fairy friend will be able to explain them to fellow disciples.”

Tim and Emily tend their arms to the jade slips. The knowledge of the processes of Alkahestry flows into their minds as the slips glow with a verdant hue.

“I’m sorry I cannot accompany you on this journey. In my current state, I am naught but an object. The slips in these chests shall allow teach you in my stead. Once you are ready for their vast knowledge. In the meantime. I hope the Qiang itself will make a better teacher in the near future.”

“Is there any way to visit you again, Master?” Tim says.

“I think that is for our feline friend to answer.”

“I think its possible, in theory anyway,” Atsuko says. “But we might have to fight our way through ten floors each time we try.”

“How so?” Heathclfif says.

“Think about the ta,” Atsuko says. “These pagodas had less eaves the deeper we’ve delved into the microdungeon. I also suspect that the item itself will try to push us away from Spearhead’s Peak regardless of how we pinpoint the entry point. It will likely try to bring us around ten floors away from the temple. This is all conjecture of course we’ll need a larger sample size to confirm it.”

“Right,” Heathcliff says. “Forgot that this is the first time we’ve set foot in one of those things.”

“It has been a while,” Sarah says. She grows even more concern about not feeling hungry, even though she knows the Femtonaut body is incapable of eating food, and that her actual body is sleeping elsewhere.

“Thank you for your time, Master Wu,” Tim says.

“Thank you for visiting,” Jingyu says. “It tends to get very lonely around these parts. Good luck on your quests.”

Everyone takes the chests to the Takarabune and places them inside. Tim bids his farewells to Wu Jingyu. After several minutes of preperations everyone boards the Takarabune and departs the microdungeon.