The sun was dipping towards the horizon, the long shadow of the tower I was apparently occupying stretching out of sight by the time my door opened again. For a moment, I ignored the sound, gaze locked on that umbral line as it sped across the land, moving in opposition to the failing light. I wondered how high I really was, and which tower I was in. I could see other shadows sweeping about, but the view from my window was not quite wide enough to see the other rising columns.

Turning to the door after one last lingering look, I saw a trio milling about my room. Tall and dark, my blindfolded mentor stood closest to me, head tilted slightly to one side. To his left stood the alchemist, Ben Won Ro, still clad in bright white – and incredible eyebrows. The final member of the small group was unknown to me, but bore a strong resemblance to Sidona, standing above 7 feet – as apparently was normal for their race – with hair of the brightest red, with lines of golden blond running up the sharp triangular ears. She wore a chrome bright breastplate over a thick green jacket of some quilted fabric, with matching plates covering portions of her arms, legs and feet.

“Walker, I cannot describe how happy I am to see you.” It was true – not only did I have a lot of questions for him regards my cultivation, but nothing good every seemed to happen when he was gone.

“It gladdens me to see you once more, Hunter.” His voice was warm and genuine, and something in me relaxed. It did not sound like he thought me complicit, as I had feared.

“Cripp- Huh, it seems not. Child – I am happy you live.” Ro’s voice was a little strained – I could understand it given that last I heard Tang was still unconscious, and his shop had been attacked.

“We are here to determine the events that transpired at the Honourable Master Alchemist’s residence, as well as at the location at which you came into contact with my niece.” The woman’s voice was hard - if not quite aggressive - but I imagined if my niece turned up with apparently necrotic wounds, I would be pretty concerned.

“Hunter, this is Breaking Sky Helaena, the current head of the Breaking Sky clan, and ruler of Everwood City. Please excuse her lack of introduction, she is distraught.” Helaena glared at my mentor, hand dropping to the pommel of a longsword scabbarded at her waist.

“It is not your place to apologise for me, Cousin.”

“Courtesy costs nothing, Helaena - whether you rule or are ruled.”

I blinked at the revelation that Walker was related to the ruler of the city I was in, weirdly glad that I had not just made that assumption.

“Ugh, it’s okay, Walker – I'm sure she’s just worried about Sidona. I heard she was in bad shape.”

“My niece will recover, but in the meantime, we must punish this group’s temerity. Explain, quickly. We will mobilise the army and make it clear to all that neither Everywood City or the Breaking Sky Clan are wise choices for targets.” Her gaze was intense and her voice, while still hard, also held an low heat. I intended to begin my explanation straight away, but it was at that moment I was betrayed by both my own natural curiosity and my damn hormonal body.

“Wait, you have an army? Where were they when that sect attacked the other day? That seems like it would have been a great time for an army?”

Walker winced slightly, and I could see the alchemist covering an obvious smile by rubbing his nose. For her part, the city’s ruler was growling under her breath now, the rumble making my teeth vibrate.

“The army was mobilising when my grandstanding cousin decided to interfere. Once he stepped in, a show of force on our part would have been seen as pointless puffery. It is better not to be seen than to be seen as pointless.” She was glaring at Walker now, who was pretending to be oblivious.

“Can you tell us what happened, Hunter? We assume whichever group took you also stole the Grand Harvest Body Refining Pill? We could not locate it at the scene, and neither you, or Tang were carrying it when you arrived here.” Ignoring his fuming cousin, my dark mentor spoke gently and I brought myself back to task.

“It wasn’t long after you left, Tang and I were just chatting and this guy – I think he was a guy, but I can’t be sure – just appeared next to us. There was just the one guy inside the shop, at least that I could see, and he said he wanted the Pill. He started to go after Tang so I, ugh, disabled him and hid the pill. There was some acid on the counter – Tang said it only worked on the living? I stuffed the pill in, thinking the thieves would hesitate to melt their hands off. I tried to take the thief to Aella, as I didn’t know where you had gone, and Tang was concerned all the flailing would damage the shop. They got me when I left, some kind of poisoned darts.”

“You hid my masterpiece in Flesh Annihilation Serum? A creative solution. You say you disabled one of them – how? You were basically a cripple at the time – did they send cripples after you, child?”

“No, they didn’t send cripples after me, Honoured Master Alchemist. I threw sand in his eyes and then smashed a jar of orange glue in his face. Tang activated it or whatever while he was trying to dig it out of his eyes. Stuck his hands right on, it was pretty great.”

“I did wonder why the Heaven’s Foundation Glue was the only thing broken outright...”

“And then?” Helaena’s voice was still angry, but at least she had stopped trying to stab Walker with her eyes.

“I woke up in a cell, with some creepy guy who also wanted the Pill. He started to torture me – really seemed to enjoy his job...” I shuddered at the memory and opted to gloss over the specifics. “He was starting to get serious when my energy channels started burning in and I mostly got lost in the process. When I came back to myself, he was gone.”

“May I view them?” Walker’s voice was polite, but there was something there I could not put my finger one.

“My... energy channels? Uh, as long as it doesn’t involve vivisection, I’m fine with it?”

Without another word, my mentor placed his large hand on my stomach just below my naval, and above where my energy centre would be. I felt something push at me, and there was a moment of resistance before I relaxed and allowed it to in. Long moments passed before the feeling abated, and Walker spoke again.

“Something is not right – you Focus is complete weeks ahead of what should have been possible, and your energy channels are extensive to the point of absurdity. You should have died a dozen times from the pain before your energy circulation reached such a state.”

“Wait, you mean I went overboard? I was afraid I had crippled myself, I mean, for rea-did you say I should have died? That was a possibility?” My voice went from happy, to relieved and finally rose in pitch and volume to terrified disbelief.

“Indeed - usually, the channels will push into the major limbs, around the body and into the head. A single, circled branch in each. You have not only followed every artery, aorta and vein, you have also followed every nerve in your body, for some reason.”

“So, defiance of death aside, is that... good, or bad?”

“It is a good thing, probably. Your energy use will be an order of magnitude more efficient, and it will allow you to cycle more Experience at any given time than a standard cultivator. It will mean you will likely need more practice, however.”

“Wait, the guy who was torturing me, he injected me with a bunch of things. There was something about a vampire and blood regeneration, something to make everything hurt more and... he mentioned something that would stop me dying. It's all kind of a blur, I think he mentioned a phoenix?”

“A substance to prevent death? Lady Helaena, we must take these people alive! Can you imagine the ramifications of such a thing?” Ro’s voice was urgent and excited, which I thought was in slightly poor taste given my recent trauma.

“Yes, yes, Honourable Master Alchemist. We will discover the secrets of this potion if possible.” The ruler nodded absently at Ro, clearly more interested in teaching the would-be-thieves a lesson.

“We will discuss this later, Hunter. For now, please continue.” Walker did not spare a glance for the wide-eyed alchemist.

“Well, I woke up and broke out of my chair-”

“How? If these people are abducting cultivators, the restraints should be sufficient to hold them.” Ro interrupted, providing another example of his profession’s eye for details.

“Oh, right. There were these crystals they said supressed my cultivation? I guess the chair didn’t normally need to be too strong, because of that? I took them with me when I left, though they broke. They should be in my robe, wherever it is.”

“Spiritual Weights? They are very rare, as well as illegal, banned by universal decrees. Another reason to hunt these miscreants down.” It made sense that the local ruler would be about laws – I hoped I had not broken any by making use of the crystals...

I went on to explain how I had escaped, detailing the states Tang and Sidona had been, as well as going over as much of Sidon’a fight as I could remember, which wasn’t much.

“Empty Void, this will not be enough to find them quickly – though, perhaps my scouts will have enough to go on, combined with your description. I will have you released – though you will remain in the tower until Sidona can corroborate your story. If your tale proves true, you have my thanks for saving my niece.” With a growl and nod, the woman strode from the room without another word to either my mentor or the alchemist.

“Hey, Walker... when I was escaping, I sort of blasted out a bunch of lightning – and it allowed me to get away from a guy who was grabbing me, but it hurt like hell – is it normal to be affected by your own Focus?”

Placing his hand back on my stomach again he once more pushed his perceptions into me. Whereas before, I could feel him moving about viewing my whole body, this time he stayed localised in my centre before withdrawing once more after only a few moments.

“You have chosen a particularly intransigent element for your Focus, as well as seeking to implement it in decidedly complex manor. You should be able to negate the negative effects on your body, with sufficient practise, though this will likely be compounded by the extent of your energy circulation, due to the need to control so many lines of power at once. Until then, you will need to endure the ramifications of your choices.” I could hear a little judgement in his voice, which to be fair seemed justified right then.

“I should have listened to Aella – she told me I should go for something less difficult to control. I don't suppose there’s a way to start over...?”

“Before your Core forms, you can indeed break your Focus and start over – however, you would lose the energy you have invested in it, as well as some of the extensive energy channels you have forged. Without energy flowing through them, your body may attempt to heal them, at this early stage.”

I thought about spending a month as a cripple – I had nearly died at least 4 times in the almost 3 days I had been awake and couldn’t imagine staying in that state for weeks on end. It also occurred to me that I might lose my energy system entirely, given my Lesser Regeneration ability.

“I... think I’ll stick with it.” My voice was reluctant and subdued, but it did not seem like there was really a choice, given my abilities. For a second, I thought back on the other options I had abandoned, thinking fond thoughts of sparkly soul clothes.

“Good. It would be a shame to waste what fortune has come from your ordeal.”

“You said they mentioned a Phonex, do you recall in what capacity?” Ignoring Walker and my conversation, Ro stepped forward, his eyes narrowed and shrewd, clearly still preoccupied with whatever potion or elixir had been used to keep me alive.

“It was something about boiling them. Sorry, I was distracted at the time.”

“Boiling a phoenix? Preposterous. I have a powder back at my shop that will sharpen your memory. Come find me when you are free, any clue is essential.”

“I do not think Hunter wishes to sharpen the memory of his torture, Honoured Master Alchemist.”

“What? Oh, yes, that makes sense. You will be compensated, fear not.”

“Actually, I’ll do it if... you promise not to make any more Grand Harvest Body Refining Pills...?”

“Of course, I had already come to an arrangement with Walker. Done.”

I will admit, I felt cheated right then – I had assumed their negotiation had not gone well, given I still saw my quest listed on the phantom tablet, but after a moment of thought I realised that the bonus criteria would not end until the 15 days had ended and mentally kicked myself for not checking first.

“Well, a deal is a deal, I guess. As soon as I’m free to come see you, I will.” I hoped it would not be for a while, however.

“Excellent! I’m going to visit Tang – I must ensure the medicines in use are of sufficient quality...” Mumbling to himself the names of various pills and potions, the elderly alchemist walked out of my room, leaving me alone with my mentor – one last “Preposterous!” hanging in the air behind him.

“So... royalty, huh?”

“I do not wish to talk about it.”

*

***

*

The next day, Walker and I sat amidst the extensive gardens of the Sky Breaker Palace– it turned out we were on the tallest of the city’s towers, the seat of power for the ruling clan. I had made the mistake of venturing to the edge earlier and had nearly thrown up – the view from my room had actually been quite low on the pole, relatively speaking. I asked my mentor, and he said we were over 9000 feet up – I could literally look down on clouds.

Now a safe distance from that terrifying view, Walker and I were working on my energy control. It was slow going – the near constant electric shocks extending the experience far beyond the actual time we had spent on it.

“This would be much easier if your Focus did not include the lightning actively running through your body.”

“I know, but I thought I could make myself faster. Doesn’t intent sort of... guide these things?”

“Intent does indeed shape the energy, which is the purpose of the Focus. Yours is a complex example; offensive and defensive, as well as the bodily enhancements you planned. It is unfortunate that you chose lightning, though I commend the detail you provided your Focus.”

“Thanks... What else could I have used, to get the same effects without, you know, blasting myself?”

“Effect is rarely the result of element – you may burn with an ice Focus, should your mind be capable of encompassing it. Some elements however, are harder than others. You may need to bring yourself more in line with your chosen element to truly overcome this handicap.”

“How do you mean? Aella said lightning was lazy, and I’ve spent more than half of the last week asleep – or unconscious – so I think I’m pretty close already.”

“It is true that lightning craves rest, but it also direct and aggressive, moving through and annihilating anything that stands between it and its goal. In you, I sense the dark of the deep earth – slow to move and hidden from view, but bringing destruction when finally, you are moved to action.”

“Walker... you know me really well. That describes me pretty well, but it’s not who I want to me anymore. In my past, I missed out on a lot of what life offers because I was too cautious, too slow to take opportunity. I want to be like lightning. Let's do this!” It was honestly a little scary, that somebody I had known for so short a time could see through me like that, but was speaking the truth when I said I wanted to change – so guzzle down every experience my second life could offer.

“Good. Now, again – you must try to guide the lightning, to keep it from crossing between channels. Your intent must be clear.”

Nodding, I pushed faintly at the refined Experience within me, my mind trying to keep it confined to where I needed it.

The high-pitched tearing sound of wild electricity suddenly filled the silence of the garden, blue and white tongues of lightning exploring the world around me, the sharp smell of ozone surrounding me in a cloud. For the barest of seconds, I maintained control, grinning at the lightshow and the incredible feeling Experience coursing through me. My attention, however, could not be everywhere and inevitably an arc escaped my control and linked multiple streams, the energy instantly escaping my control and knocking me to the ground, back arched.

I cut the power and groaned before sitting back up, ignoring the tree patterns once again decorating my skin.

“Excellent, you lasted a whole second. Provided you can maintain you timing, you should be able to use it in battle, without the enhancing elements, of course.”

“W-won’t it b-be harder to m-m-m-aintaaain control in a f-f-fight?” My body was still wracked by aftershocks, making it difficult to speak – I had been through the process dozens of times now, and knew I would get back control in a couple of minutes, but it was frustrating, to finally catch up to the average child only to find out I had screwed up my own cultivation.

“That is likely – you will need to practice both like this, and mid-fight to improve to the point you can use all of your Focus’s abilities.”

“A-and b-being more direc-ct – like li-lightning will help?”

“The close you are to your chosen element - or aspect - the easier it is to intuit the best methods of using it.”

“Alright. Once they let me go, do I go back to Aella’s to practice?”

Walker began to answer, but we were interrupted by a middle-aged man dressed in grey, bearing the cracked wings of the Sky Breaker clan on his shirt.

“Lord Walker, Hunter – Lady Sidona is awake. Your presence is requested.”

*

***

*

The servant led me and Walker into the palace that stood at the centre of the tower-top garden. The palace seemed to me made from some kind of white stone, in contrast to the wood I had seen down at street level.

I wondered at the strength of the materials used in the tower’s construction – it would certainly take a lot more than steel to hold an edifice like this up. I had seen a couple of strange metals since my arrival, but I had thought them merely decorative – maybe the people and beats were not the only thing stronger than normal here.

Leading us through the wide and intricately decorated halls, the servant remained silent, ignoring my questions about Sidona’s health, but I figured he was just rude – if anything had happened to Sidona, or if she had contradicted my tale, our summons would probably have been a lot more armed.

We came to a stop outside of a double door that looked like most of the others in the long hallway, though besides this one stood pair of guards, covered from head to toe in complex overlapping metal plates in red and gold. Each held an immense halberd – also in red and gold – at the ready.

“These are the two Lady Helaena summoned.” The servant spoke in a clipped town, and the guard on the left reached out to tap on the white wood of the door.

After a moment, one of the two doors opened, another of the plated guards stood barring passage. He glanced at us, and I heard a voice from inside, confirming our presence before the way was made clear.

Stepping into the room, I let out a low whistle – it looked like this was the entry to a full suite, with the entry hall bigger than any place I had ever lived. Rich carpets and paintings in blue and white decorated the huge space, a sharp contrast to the dozen or so armoured guards stood about, halberds ready.

“Let them pass – and be aware, this is the Apex of Infinite Blades – do not offer him offense.”

The voice belonged to Helaena, this time wearing a long flowing crimson coat, trimmed in some golden fur. The guards all stiffened at the mention of Walker, and I noted the choice not to introduce him as family.

“This way – my niece has rquested your presence. Worry not, Hunter – she has confirmed your story and you will be free to leave once you are finished here.”

“I’m glad she’s feeling better! Did you manage to catch the assholes that captured us?”

“We did not. We located the building you were held in, however by that time the … assholes... had fled. We will continue to hunt them, and they will be found.”

She led us through a series of rooms, each richly appointed, but managing to stay on the right side tasteful.

We ended up on a huge balcony overlooking the garden, and only the vast forest around us visible beyond it. It was a fantastic sight, and not just because of the view. Sitting by a table, sipping from a teacup was Sidona, red hair tied in a braid that fell down her back, and wearing a flowing robe in green and yellow – it matched her colouring much better than Helaena’s garments, though some of the appeal was no doubt due to the fact I had seen Sidona naked.

“Sidona! I’m glad you’re alright. Thanks, by the way for carrying us out of there. And for fighting that cat guy. I’m not sure I could have hobbled away fast enough on my own...”

“Hunter, you’re welcome. And my thanks to you in turn, for setting me free. My aunt tells me your companion’s wounds were extensive, and no doubt I would have been much the same had you not intervened.”

“Yeah, I got lucky. My... specific... abilities let me circumvent the security, and I heal pretty fast so...”

“Regardless of how, I am grateful.” Sidona smiled, and I found myself smiling back, my gaze locked on those emerald eyes.

Without conscious thought, I started to move towards her, my mind – or something vaguely related – filled suddenly with her scent. Yet another new and exciting feature of my fresh body making an appearance at the most inconvenient moment.

“Ahem.” I glanced up, just about able to scrape my eyes off Sidona, to see the raised eyebrow of her aunt, and the rapidly approaching guards I had failed to spot on the way in.

“Ah... sorry?”