Mash followed Daniel to the City of the Setting Sun. The man had been eager to share things about his home. Mash thought the name sounded pompous, although Daniel's explanation of his ‘sect’ revealed that everything would be like that It was called The Virtuous Sun Sect, and he said that it sat atop a mountain. The name was arrogant, but he guessed it fit a place run by slavers. It was surprising to hear about how the sect functioned. Apparently, it was run by a handful of masters. Each of which owned dozens of slaves. Hearing Daniel talk about it was surreal. Everybody in the sect fought over being selected as a slave. Then they would go from doing simple work to more complex work, and it didn’t sound like they got anything in return.

They got stronger by doing the work, but none of the work sounded like something they needed to become slaves for. Honestly, Mash didn’t think the sect really did anything for them. Most of what it provided was something they could get on their own. He didn’t like it and wondered how his brother would feel about getting some new additions. Daniel seemed nice enough, and it sounded like Mash had the skill to make portals now. He might be able to take everyone to his world if needed. Even though he didn’t take the seraphim class, he still wanted to help people if he was able to.

Now that he was thinking about it, he could probably go back to the previous worlds he had been in and get people out of them. Free them from the shackles his world had placed around them. Although, there was a good chance that would cause problems with his world’s owner, and Mash didn’t think he was ready for that confrontation just yet. He was lucky that his previous actions hadn't earned him a punishment. His thoughts shifted when the city itself finally came into sight. Daniel had said it had been stationed at a mountain, and Mash thought that would mean at the base. Instead, he could see buildings sprawling up the mountain and even noticed a building at the very top. It looked like an elaborate castle, and the top of the building even went into the clouds. Mash's first instinct was to think that it would be cold all the way up there.

“Quite the sight isn’t it. I have yet to see a city that can match the beauty of the sect.”

Daniel spoke with a fondness that Mash hadn’t expected from the man. He was strangely emotional about certain subjects, but most things didn’t seem to matter much to him at all. His voice was almost always placid. The mountain was rather tall. It stood alone seeming to sprout from the forest. It was unnatural. Something this large should be surrounded by a range of smaller mountains. However, he guessed this world didn't conform to the structure of his own. Mash’s eyes lingered at the top of the mountain, a realization coming to mind as he watched it.

“The person we are going to meet is up there, isn’t he? Do you guys have a quick way to the top?”

He spoke while looking at the great distance they would have to walk to get there. While they were moving fairly quickly it would still take a while to scale a mountain like that and Mash found himself asking the question. Daniel’s face didn’t change, and Mash somewhat expected his response.

“There is a staircase. The journey to the sect is a test we must take. It should be no problem for one of your strengths. We should be able to arrive quickly too.“

Mash considered his response. Walking had its advantages, as it would let him see the city. Judging by what he could see the actual city was partly along the ground surrounding the mountain. That probably meant that the sect occupied the mountain itself and most of the buildings on it were a part of that. While he did want to explore the city, he would rather do that freely. Plus, he kind of wanted to see how his discussion with the so-called masters would go.

“I think I have a better idea.”

Mash grinned as he imagined the cat-form’s wings sprouting from his back. He didn’t want the full transformation and was extremely pleased when it worked. Then he noticed something far more interesting about the transformation. Adding the wings took almost no energy and maintaining them was expending an even smaller amount. It was to the point that Mash was recovering energy faster than the skill expended it. Checking his status, he considered what the skill implied.

Chimeric Transformation: Transform your body taking on aspects of those which you have consumed. Control which aspects to take and combine them to create the perfect form. Greatly increased energy consumption when combining forms.

It seemed like the energy cost would only be significant if he was mixing multiple forms. Did this mean he could fly freely once again? He had wanted to explore the skies above, to see some of the monsters which had been above the struggles of the world below. That was one of the things he wanted to do again, and he felt like he might be able to do it now. If went while using some of his draconic powers, there was a good chance that the dragons there would recognize him. That was a thought for another time though as the three beside him looked at him with different expressions.

Daniel seemed intrigued and curious, while the other two looked warry. Mash could see some concern and fear in their eyes, but Mash ignored that. Instead, he just spoke to Daniel directly.

“I can fly up there quickly. Can you? Or do you want me to carry you?”

Daniel looked a little disappointed. He probably wanted Mash to explain more about his abilities and what he had just done, but he replied anyway.

“No, that is something I would only get after my next advancement.”

Mash wasn’t expecting that response. It sounded like Daniel knew what he would get from his advancement. That was interesting and certainly better for the class system. The vague descriptions he received made it hard to tell what each would do exactly. It felt like their path was much more structured than his own.

“I can easily carry all of us up.”

Mash spoke while growing wood from his hands. He decided to try something a bit different from his normal creations though. Instead, he tried changing his arms into those he normally got from his treant form. It worked, his arms changing into large wooden limbs. The energy cost went up significantly, both for the creation and the consistent drain. He could still manage it for the trip easily enough, but he would probably only be able to use something like this in a fight. The others’ gazes grew even more concerned, but Mash only gestured for them to grab onto his arms. He made his big enough that they could easily sit on it if they wanted. While the two beside Daniel looked hesitant, Daniel himself grabbed on without worry. Mash was surprised by the trust he was getting, but then he remembered that Daniel had a skill for it. It sounded like a convenient skill.

Once Daniel grabbed on, the other two followed with some poorly hidden apprehension. Gaining their trust was something that would happen eventually, but he didn’t care about it all that much. It was to be expected to some degree. Daniel was the strange one in this situation.

With his passengers firmly in place, Mash took the air, his wings growing bigger to adjust for the added weight. His acceleration was significant, and he reached top speed within an instant. His passenger’s eyes went wide, as he flew straight towards the top of the mountain at great speeds. Mash was embracing the newfound speed, and the wind dashed past them as he moved through the air. The city below him was quite the sight, and he could see a few people pointing toward him. Tall buildings of stone and brick were constructed along the mountain, and he could see where the general town ended, and the sect began. A long wide flight of stairs separated the general people from the sect.

He noticed that the sect’s buildings were all larger and more lavish than those of the town. The difference bothered Mash, but he guessed that rich people were the same regardless of the world. It looked like Daniel’s masters were quite interested in displaying their wealth. Hopefully, that would mean that they would be more willing to sell, and Mash could get out of this situation peacefully.

During his flight, Mash slowed as he felt something enter his domain. He slowed significantly coming to a complete stop. There was a barrier of some kind in front of him.

“There is a barrier here. Can I pass through it, or will that cause some problems?”

Mash spoke loud enough that any of the three would be able to answer. Daniel was the one to answer, the other two seeming frozen from the trip. The two were looking down anxiously.

“It is one of your gathering formations. It is not harmful; it draws in energy to make the mountain a better place to train. It also works as training, and you will probably experience some resistance as you get higher.”

Mash nodded and flew on. The resistance Daniel spoke up was negligible at best. Honestly, Mash only noticed the change because he was looking for it. It was as if he had suddenly become heavier, though it wasn’t a big change. he could feel the weight increase as he went higher, and it reached a peak once he passed the clouds. It almost felt like the clouds themselves had been another barrier. The clouds had felt unnaturally dense, and the weight had been most significant as he passed through them. The white mist had clung to him, and he felt like it was attempting to drag him down.

Although his new stats made it so that he could easily ignore the added weight. He approached the building at the top, a spire-like building made of some fancy stone. It was black with specs of gold mixed into it, and Mash felt a little disappointed by the gross display of wealth. It seemed like something a self-proclaimed god would build for themselves. Mash’s impression of this master was growing ever worse.

“The Spire of Stars. Home to the head of the sect, and my master, Jeral the Forgetful.”

The reverence in Daniel’s words bothered Mash. It reminded him of he had first been treated when he had met Aifell. Mash didn’t think that anyone deserved treatment like that, but he would find out soon enough. The man’s name was a surprise. How did someone earn a title like ‘forgetful’, and what did that even say about the man? It didn’t reveal anything about the man, though Daniel had said it with pride. It was probably some strange symbol of power. Mash wondered where he would find the man but realized that it would probably just be at the top.

Along the walls of the tower, he had noticed several windows and was able to glimpse inside as he flew along the side of the spire. His domain let him peek inside, and he noticed a few people were working inside. While he couldn’t see all the way through the building, he had seen enough to spot over ten people inside. He wondered who all those people were, but after seeing a few people doing mundane chores, he assumed that they were probably more slaves. Mash sped up for the final distance, and landed at the top, dropping the three as he did so. His wings billowed out like a cloak as he landed. Mash was a little surprised at what he saw. From Daniel’s description, Mash was expecting one person, but there were five people on the roof. They sat on pillows, all of them were facing toward him, seeming like judges ready to impart a punishment.

“I did not realize you had summoned others, Master. My apologies for disrupting you.”

Daniel bowed at his waist; his head pointed toward the ground as he spoke. His tone was formal, but Mash heard the worry in his voice. The other two were worse off. Both were practically prostrating themselves before the five masters, their heads bowed, and foreheads touching the ground. mash decided he really didn’t like these so-called masters.