The journey brought Dexter through several biomes, where the natural grass of the forest drowned under the mud of a decaying swamp. Upon seeing frogs built like chimpanzees and a scaled beast with question marks over its head, he and Alina changed their route.

The next biome sprouted mushrooms like a fungal bomb had exploded in the area. Webs over five times as tall as Dexter littered the place, having trapped snakes, boars, and even one of the night stalkers. Seeing the corpse made him think about the elite that had taken Anna, and he wondered why the girl had been chosen.

He suspected it had to do with her attunement, a secret Alina kept from the rest of them. She claimed Anna had a boost to her Perception attribute, but Dexter himself couldn't sense the Safe Zone. He relied on the compass, following in the last direction it had pointed.

As the sun set Dexter entered a new area of the forest. Rocky outcroppings riddled the terrain, covered by mounds of moss and invading roots.

"Is this the location?" Alina said.

"I think so," Dexter said. "By the way do you see that?"

He pointed to a stone statue of a dragon where leafy green vines had overtaken it, twisting through its open maw and claws. There was nothing unusual about the sculpture as far as energy was concerned. In fact it was almost too normal, mirroring the type of statues he had seen when he first arrived in Bali. Before the world had changed.

The stone dragons were sculpted in the traditional Indonesian art style and were used as decorations around his hotel. More art was revealed as Dexter walked forward depicting Buddha and various figures from the Hindu religion. Some statues had fallen over while others were cracked but together they led Dexter up a hill where he spotted two stone archways hidden behind tall trees.

"The Gates of Heaven," Dexter muttered, having set plans to visit the Lempuyang Temple. For some odd reason the system had scrambled parts of human society and he had to climb a steep hill to see what lay beyond the arched gate. Like the sculptures the gates had been reclaimed by nature, losing their magnificent glory. But as he reached the top of the hill there was still a nugget of treasure to behold.

"Borobudur," Dexter said, eyeing the stepped pyramid.

A shimmering halo hovered over the ancient temple, illuminating the camp of survivors huddled at its base. There were roughly fifty people that Dexter counted, wondering why they huddled under a series of makeshift tents.

"Are they here?" Alina asked, searching for Kwame and Nyo.

Dexter was about to respond when he sensed people approaching. Pushing Alina behind him, he turned to meet them when a man draped in night stalker fur and an old woman with a blind fold stepped out of the shadows.

"On second thought," Dexter said. "I think you should handle this." The blind woman had been scamming tourists at the fishing village, and he was sure she compromised his food after he caught on to their game. The scarred hands he remembered were nowhere to be seen, folded behind her back. But the simple stance held a dangerous aura, and he confirmed it with his eyes.

[ Human - lvl 17 ]

[ Human - lvl 19 ]

"Who are you?" the man shouted behind her, nocking an arrow to his bow. "Are you with the others?"

"Yes," Dexter said, putting on his friendliest of faces. "If by others you mean a group of two men and one woman." What's the odds that she still holds a grudge? He thought, stealing glimpses at the old woman. Besides, she can't possibly remember me. "Oh, and there should be another that traveled with them. A little twin tailed cat." As he spoke, the old woman grumbled.

"Grab him!"

Wasting no time the level 19 archer who Dexter assumed was her son, snapped his bow, shooting the arrow towards Dexter. Then he shot another, aiming it at Alina. However, both missiles were intercepted by a blurring spear before they could leave a mark.

A fight was about to break out, when Dexter raised his hands in peace, signaling Alina to deactivate Quick Step. But before he could negotiate with the pair, a set of vines speared through the ground, wrapping around his legs. Alina fell over, but his balance was unbreakable. At his current strength the vines would have to be the size of a tree branch to suppress him. But interestingly enough they attempted anyway, climbing up his chest as they siphoned his energy.

Alina's eyes practically shouted at Dexter who frowned in return. Her vines had circled up to her chin, covering her mouth. "Mmh-mmmmh!"

"The systems having trouble translating that," Dexter said.

"Mhmm-hmmhm!" Alina struggled, staring daggers at Dexter.

"Fine," he said, turning back to the others. "She wants to know if you ate our friends. I can't leave you alive if you did. The whole get captured and sent with the other prisoners isn't going to work if they are roasting over a fire. It'll ruin my robe."

The man spat, nocking another arrow. "Get on your knees." However rather than aiming it at Dexter he aimed it at Alina's head.

"So be it," Dexter said, raising his palm as the vines were ripped to shreds.

Before the man could unleash the arrow a force of wind aura pulled him forward. Struggled as he might, the aura brought him to Dexter where his neck fell under the mercy of Dexter's grip.

"Is it hard to breathe?" Dexter asked. "Well that's how she feels."

Rather than cutting Alina loose, he looked to the old woman, his eyes demanding she remove the skill or watch her son die before her. She acted faster than Dexter expected, but he didn't let go, squeezing until the man struggled, grasping at his arm.

"They are alive," she said. "Unharmed!"

"Well your hospitality sends mixed signals," Dexter said. "I should kill him for attacking us." He squeezed the man's throat harder, on the verge of betraying his ideals, when the man forced a whisper out of his throat.

"I have… a son," he pleaded.

Dexter looked him in the eyes, remembering the little kid that worked with his grandmother at the stall. "I know, now hand over your money. All of it."

The notification appeared signaling his increase in funds. "Is that all?" Dexter asked.

The archer could barely nod, opening his status page to reveal the truth.

Dexter turned to his mother. "Your turn," he said. "Penance for your transgressions."

As more Essence Tokens made their way to Dexter, he rummaged through the archer's pockets, and found a medicinal ball formed from tea leaves, nuts, honey and berries that he had seen one of the squirrels eat.

[ Nourishment Egg: Regenerates minor scars and assists energy rejuvenation. ]

Dexter ate one of the eggs to show it was safe then tossed five to Alina. He finally put the archer down after tossing his dagger into the forest when Alina kicked him square in the nuts.

"Ouch," Dexter said, wincing himself. "I felt that."

"Why did you attack us?" Alina screamed at the Indonesian man. "Are you with those things?!" She asked, gesturing towards the night stalker pelt he wore. After not getting an answer her hand flexed and sharp claws slid down her fingernails. "Answer me!"

The man coughed, trying to regain his breath while his eyes teared at the pain in his groin. "No…" he finally managed to say.

Dexter gave a warning look to the old woman when she stepped forward, then kept an eye on the guards around the temple. After the scream and previous commotion some of them moved towards him.

"This isn't going to go as you think," Dexter said, releasing Munchkin from his robe. The scythe shifted in the breeze, reflecting light off of its curved blades.

"No, we're not with them," the woman said, making their position clear. "Those creatures have been hunting us. Picking us apart at night. We gave you the Tokens, please don't kill him." She finished.

"Take us to our friends." Dexter demanded, leaving the threat open. He sent Munchkin to hover at her son's neck, while his mother called off the others.

"Any sudden movement and your head might just fall off," Dexter said as he ushered the man forward.

"What's wrong with this place?" he asked a second later. "Is it not a Safe Zone?" He was sure he found the right location, but there was nothing safe about it.

"The dragon," the woman turned with irritation on her face. "It won't let us in. We've tried everything, but now it doesn't even bother to reveal itself. Sleeping while the beasts pick at us."

"Dragon?" Dexter and Alina said, taken aback.

"It's the spirit guardian of this temple," the woman said.

Dragon… Is this place related to the Sky Priests? No, that's not right. The architecture is completely different, Dexter thought, finally noticing the changes made to the temple. What were supposed to be over five hundred Buddha statues atop the stepped pyramid were instead figures sculpted with draconic origins.

"Then why attack us if you could use our help?" Alina asked, still irritated from the encounter.

The woman didn't answer, but her son spoke up, wincing from the blade at his throat. "We're desperate," he said. "Ten people died and fifteen have gone missing altogether. Our numbers are falling, and the only protection my mother has are her vines. She can level by absorbing energy through the skill. But the higher she grows, the more energy is required for her next level."

All eyes fell to the woman's hunched back, who grumbled after her secret was revealed.

Dexter understood her plight, after all the more he leveled, the more he found it difficult to absorb natural energy from his surroundings. The purity of the essence factored in as well, and after leaving the mountain he found less potent sources of wind energy.

Her method was rather interesting in his opinion, and he suspected that she used humans as a fuel source. Feeding them with nourishing eggs, only to siphon their energy again. The method was crafty, devious, hell even admirable if he was playing a video game. He would have done it to the enemy team himself. But something would have to be done about her liberal usage, or else it would run wild.

"What are your names?" Dexter finally asked.

"Baskoro," the archer who Dexter suspected was in his early thirties said. "My mother's name is Yassa."

They neared the far side of the temple when Dexter noticed a secluded camp with guards surrounding it. The men held swords, but neither looked like they knew how to use them. From the sight it was clear that the best of their group had died during the night stalker raids on their camp.

"I'm releasing the two new ones," Yassa said to the guards.

"What about the third?" Dexter inquired.

"He's out harvesting ingredients for his wife," she answered.

Irritation rose within Dexter, but he held it from showing. George had pissed him off way too many times and now he left Kwame and Nyo to be used like farm animals. Placing a hand on Alina's shoulder, Dexter squeezed it to let her know she wouldn't have to deal with her pain alone. "He'll answer for his crimes," Dexter promised.

As they entered the tent Dexter saw five people bound by vines that were thicker than he expected. The slimmer vines were new, ensnaring Kwame and Nyo, and even little Asha, who's eyes were half lidded as if they were sleeping. One of the guards plopped nourishing eggs into their mouths, except the twin tailed cat until Dexter ordered him to. Their eyes clashed but he finally obeyed when Yassa gave him the okay.

Alina went to help Nyo and Kwame back to health, wiping smudges from their faces with a wet rag she stripped from her sleeve. Dexter had bent down to pick up the little cat when he turned to Yassa and asked her about the rest of the people she was draining energy from.

"They are prisoners," Yassa said. "Members of the group who turned on us and started killing our own for resources."

Murders? Dexter thought. Such a crime was worlds apart from what George had done, yet it needed to be addressed.

"Release them as well," Dexter said, looking at their emancipated forms. He wasn't sure if they would recover as it seemed muscle atrophy had long since kicked in. "From now on you can only use that ability on monsters unless I state otherwise."

The guards in the tent began to object to Dexter's authority, but he ignored them, staring at the older woman before him, her eyes blocked yet somehow she could read his demeanor.

A sharp nod swayed Yassa's hair as her bun rolled. She acknowledged her new position, stepping aside to grant Dexter leadership of Safe Zone. What she held was a ragtag camp of survivors, some desperate enough to turn feral.

"Good," Dexter said. He didn't relish leading people. He much preferred the background, but it seemed he'd have to step in and advocate for his own sense of justice, or have it be ruled by someone else. The law of the jungle had returned.

After Kwame and Nyo were carried to a vacant tent, it dawned on Dexter that Breeze of Vitality would help their recovery, if only by a little. But the eggs had already restored color to their cheeks and he wanted to check on the Zone spirit Yassa had spoken about.

Now, as he stood at the nullification barrier blocking the entrance to the temple, he couldn't shake the feeling that some—thing, was watching him from the other side. "Hello?" Dexter said, tapping on the screen. There was a give to the translucent barrier, far sturdier than the Nullification Zone, but he was sure that he could break it if he applied himself.

Is that what this is, a test? Dexter thought, looking at the two largest Dragonkin statues on his sides that towered over him. One was seated in a lotus pose with a scaled tail flat across its lap. It was the image of serenity, reminding him of the week spent gathering wind energy to increase his level. The other statue was the total opposite, standing forward with a demeanor that spoke of violence. Its mouth was parted in a snarl, bearing fangs shadowed under its flared wings.

"So am I supposed to choose a side?" Dexter said to the shadow beyond the barrier. After no response he shuffled over to the seated statue on his left. "This one, I choose the monk," he suspected the temple flavor hinted at that being the right choice, but the gesture failed to elicit any reaction. Moving over to the other side failed to change anything as well.

"You know this really isn't the best time for games," Dexter sighed, becoming all too aware that he was dressed like an overenthusiastic larper. Stewing in silence he rolled his eyes. "Ugh, I hate puzzles…"

Stepping back, Dexter took in the grandeur of the temple when he smacked himself for forgetting the capitalistic nature of the religious. He had chosen a side but failed to provide an offering.

Walking back over to the lotus statue he flared his aura, drawing in natural wind energy. This time a smile broke across his face as the ground rumbled and a fire blossomed over the lap of the Dragonkin. "I love puzzles!"

What the standing statue would accept wasn't as apparent, but Dexter handed over his spear and surprisingly had a reaction on his first try. However, the rumbling stopped as the spear was rejected.

"What is this not good enough for you?" Dexter said, taking back his broken spear. "It may not be big but it still works."

He pulled out his dagger next and the response was far less noticeable. Frowning, Dexter looked at the presence behind the barrier. He had one thing of value that represented the warrior statue and if it was rejected he would be all out of options.