A fifty-man strong recovery team marched deeper into the wilds beyond what remained of Haven City’s outer wall. From above it appeared as if the group had been divided according to the color of their robes. Though, the truth was slightly different.

The blue clad Ukata were the tenuously elected leaders of the group. In part due to the fact that the venerable Elder Teng De was the one leading the expedition.

The Ukata clan members accompanying him were his four advisors- otherwise known as elders Ukata Song Ming, Ukata Xiao Shui, Ukata Liang Zan, and Ukata Gao Mei, ten cultivators in the body refining realm, and Gao Feng.

The green clad Qiao clan contributed an additional ten members to the recovery effort- led by the Qiao’s sixth elder: Qiao Xuan Delan. While the red clad Cai clan sent eight warriors of the Channel Building stage and two cultivators of the Body Refining realm.

The remaining twenty men- clad largely in black with red undertones- were led by Duan He. Though his group were only supposed to monitor the clan members and ensure they fulfill their end of the bargaining they’d struck with the boss… And in the event they failed to do so, eliminate them.

Together, this was the group assigned to track down- and retrieve- Taryn, Fan Shun, Xia Yawen, and Xia Wei.

However, due to their inexperience - many of the clan members were not prepared for the humidity they would feel beneath the spindly branches of the Mokan trees.

The Mokan’s limbs resembled the legs of a large arachnid and created a feeling of intense discomfort amongst the younger members. A sight that left Gao Feng feeling slightly proud of himself.

He’d found the trees disturbing to be sure. But after being chased by a literal horde of the dead… The trees seemed rather plain by comparison.

“Gao Feng.”

Gao Feng looked up after being called, the hand-drawn map sitting on his lap forgotten for the moment. Around him men and women from as young as twenty - to the older generation were gathered around the eight campfires they’d constructed before Rala’s light disappeared- a meager dinner of dried rations was all they had to sustain them for another day of marching.

The man who’d spoken his name approached confidently, his head held high and his back straight as an arrow. He was tall with black hair that was graying at the temples. His name was Ukata Teng De- and though young for an elder, he had successfully guided the Ukata clan for thirty years. His calm temperament and vast knowledge of Eco causing him to be widely respected both inside and outside of the clan.

“Yes, Elder De?” Gao Feng asked, he quickly stood to greet him - shoving the map into his back pocket as he did.

Teng De noticed this action but said nothing.

“Haven’t I asked you a hundred times not to call me that?” Teng De asked tiredly. He, like the rest of them, had not gotten much sleep since leaving the city.

“Sorry, Uncle De.”

“It’s fine, Gao. But listen, I didn’t walk all the way over here just to speak with my favorite nephew. There’s something I need you to do.”

“I’ll do whatever you need me to do.” Gao Feng said immediately.

“I need you by my side, leading our group from the front. As much as I hate to admit it, you’re the only person here who’s been out of the city.”

“Of course, Uncle De.” Gao Feng grabbed the brown rucksack at his feet and slipped it over his shoulders. He also picked up the black scabbard resting by his foot and slipped it into a metal ring attached to the side of his belt.

“I won’t let you down, Elder De.”

“For the love of all that is holy - stop calling me that.” Teng De grumbled as he walked away to allow Gao Feng to settle in for the night.

They both knew they were going to need all the energy they could get to catch up to a group led by an unsealed Fan Shun.

Nearly a hundred miles away, Dawen’s silver light filtered through the branches of the Mokan trees and pine trees overhead. Taryn was excited to see new life after seeing nothing but Mokan trees for the last few weeks.

The new plants brought with them new and intriguing smells. Most of which, Taryn had never experienced before.

With the plants came animals. Though these were not the large Eco beasts Taryn had become used to avoiding every day. These creatures were small and seemed to possess very little Eco on their own.

Little Yi seemed especially thrilled to witness small, brown, furred rodents chasing each other through the branches and along the forest floor. On numerous occasions, Xia Wei had to chase little Yi into the bushes or risk losing sight of him in the increasingly darkening shade cast by the trees.

As night would shortly be upon them, it wouldn’t be wise for the little rodent to run off on his own. At least, not until they knew what predators might lurk within the shadows.

“We’ll set up camp up ahead.” Fan Shun announced, motioning towards the shore of a lake peeking through the trees.

Taryn quickened his steps and broke through the tree line within a few minutes. He immediately tossed his bag aside and dropped to his knees in the loose sand of the shallow beach surrounding the lake.

Gentle waves lapped at Taryn’s legs, soaking his clothes, and cleansing him of most of the day’s buildup of sweat and dirt.

For good measure, he took a deep breath and dunked his head in the water. He scrubbed at his scalp with his fingers until he could hold his breath no longer.

Taryn came up and sucked in a lungful of air while climbing to his feet. He plodded out of the wake to rejoin the others onshore.

“Sorry.” He said while ringing out his hair. “I’ve been wanting to do that for ages.”

“I can tell.” Fan Shun laughed. “But since you jumped in ahead of the rest of us, you get to set up camp while we go play in the water.” She dropped her bag at Taryn’s feet, kicked her shoes off, and waded in without giving him the opportunity to object.

She walked until the water was slightly beyond her waist. Then she dove under the water, leaving the three teenagers standing confused on the shore.

“Come on, little Yi.” Xia Wei chuckled at the rodents excited squeaking, as he also dumped his bag at Taryn’s feet. Little Yi dove off Xia Wei’s shoulder the moment the water was deep enough and disappeared beneath the waves- prompting Xia Wei to dive in after him.

Which left only Xia Yawen, Taryn, and the awkward silence between them.

“I—”

“You know—” They both began to speak, only to be interrupted by the other. Taryn laughed nervously at the accident, while Xia Yawen seemed to grow frustrated.

“Why don’t you leave your stuff with me and go join the others.” He offered.

“I will, later, when I have time to properly relax. For now, we need to get camp set up before Rala drops below the tree line. Would you mind collecting firewood?” She asked while dropping her bag on the ground.

“Sure. I can do that.” Taryn replied with a nod. He jogged off into the forest and searched around the bases of the towering Mokan’s for fallen leaves and small branches.

Though light due to their spindly, arachnid like shape, Mokan leaves were full of flammable sap that made them the perfect tinder for getting a fire going.

After collecting several arms full of sticks and a sap laden leaf, Taryn returned to the group and deposited his finds beside Xia Yawen- who was sitting with her legs folded beneath her.

“Thanks.” She said without looking at him. Instead choosing to keep her eyes closed and her attention directed inwards.

Taryn knew what she was doing. He’d grown used to the routine during the weeks they’d traveled together. Rather than sitting by and waiting, Taryn constructed a small fire pit in front of her and settled in to wait.

As Xia Yawen’s eyes snapped open, Taryn couldn’t help the small smile that appeared on his face.

It’d taken her a few minutes to gather the power within her. But now that she had, Xia Yawen parted her lips and exhaled— A gaseous orange colored Eco flowed from her lips and gathered around the fire pit.

Taryn’s eyes began to itch as the temperature around them rose sharply. He looked away from the pit a second before the temperature spiked and the kindling combusted into a brilliant orange flame that flickered in the dim light.

Xia Yawen smiled proudly at the fire and glanced at Taryn. Likewise, Taryn was excited to get a first-hand look at fire elemental Eco in action.

Fire Eco was one of the more common varieties in Haven city. However, most- if not all- fire Eco users were forbidden from practicing their art at the training grounds for fear of burning them down... again.

“That’s amazing.” Taryn whispered while staring at the blaze. His inner Eco-fanatic reared its head for the first time in weeks and dragged him down a rabbit hole of possible applications for fire Eco- made only more severe by the addition of the practical knowledge on the subject.

However, even with an immortal’s knowledge at his fingertips, he was still oblivious to something that was patently obvious to the two people watching them from the water. Taryn was completely unaware of the effect his casual praise had on Xia Yawen. A girl who’d been so starved of affection that even a casual compliment caused her cheeks to flush and her pulse to quicken.

She quickly stood from her seat and went to join Fan Shun and Xia Wei in the water. Leaving Taryn to think by himself- Not that he’d notice for several minutes.

Later that night, after everyone and their rodent had gone to bed for the evening. Taryn found himself in a dark cave with only a single source of light to guide him— the pinprick of light in the far-off distance did little to guide his feet, but it was enough to serve as his goal.

Because if he could see it, then somehow- someway- he could get to it.

The sound of dripping water echoed through the darkness engulfing Taryn. The sound came in time with the feeling of his heart pounding in his chest. In spite of this, Taryn kept pushing forward.

Every step brought him closer to his goal- towards the light of the end of the tunnel. Taryn paid little mind to the wet, sinking feeling he was experiencing through his shoes. That didn’t matter, the darkness behind him didn’t matter.

Taryn’s sole focus was on the light in front of him.

But every step that brought him closer to the light weighed on him. It was growing more difficult to move his legs. And he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was pulling on his shirt, trying to haul him backwards into the darkness.

But the light was getting bigger. Taryn’s perseverance was paying off. Soon, he would have to concern himself with the darkness anymore. Soon… He would find that which he’d been seeking for so many years— Taryn’s body came to a complete and sudden stop.

What am I doing? Taryn tried for a moment to recall where he was. But no matter how he thought about it, none of this was making sense.

Where was he?

Taryn finally looked down and found himself standing in a knee-high pool of crystal-clear water. The bones of the fallen could be clearly seen floating past his ankles.

Taryn couldn’t help himself. He watched a skull drift by on the undercurrent— but his eyes widened as he looked behind him.

Though the dim light made it difficult see for a few seconds. Taryn’s eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness… just ten feet behind where he was standing, the water flowed upwards, forming a wall of liquid and bone that was slowly moving towards Taryn. And at the center of the water wall was a skeleton with a single arm reaching outwards… Towards Taryn.

It didn’t take Taryn long to realized that this skeleton was the origin of the sound of dripping water- as droplets fell from its boney fingers in a consistent rhythm. Ta-tap, ta-tap, ta-tap.

Taryn began to backpedal. But his foot landed on a slick spot and came out from under him. He had to fight to keep his head above water as he sank to his shoulders and scrambled back to his feet.

The water never stopped moving. Now it was five feet away and seemed to be gaining speed since Taryn’s slip up.

Taryn pushed off the floor with both feet and used his arms to move the water out of his way. He pushed forward, desperate to get away from the strange thing following him.

With renewed vigor he pushed himself towards the light.

Fear and Resolve. The two emotions went to war inside Taryn’s mind- each one wanting to gain a foothold over the other.

In spite of this internal struggle, Taryn was making progress. The pinprick of light Taryn had first seen had grown to the size of a door.

When Taryn was a dozen feet from the portal of light. He took a chance and glanced behind him— The skeleton’s hand was almost close enough to grab him now.

Taryn’s heart pounded in his chest as he poured every last ounce of effort he had into getting away.

Taryn pushed and pushed. Just when he thought he’d do it, and he’d get away— He felt two drops of water land inside the collar of his robe.

Taryn didn’t hesitate.

He threw himself forward and ducked beneath the surface of the water while he scrambled those last few feet towards freedom.

His hand was the first thing to pierce to portal’s veil- almost instantly he noticed something he hadn’t been expecting.

A drastic change in temperature. Enough to make Taryn’s hand shake down to the very bone. But Taryn believed anything was preferable to whatever that thing would do to him if it caught him.

While pushing himself through the water. Taryn grasped around with the arm through the portal. Hoping to find anything that would help him— His hand landed on something solid. It was icy to the touch, and slender enough for Taryn to wrap his fingers all the way around it.

Taryn pulled hard on the object and used it to climb into the light mere moments before the skeletal hand sank into the water after him.

Taryn’s head burst through a ring of ice, and immediately felt his lungs seize up as the freezing temperature caught up with him. Without thinking, he pulled on the thing he was still holding onto and pulled himself out of the freezing water and onto a glacier.

Taryn sucked in ragged breaths as his body shivered in an effort to stave off hypothermia…

“You should not be here.” A voice said from above Taryn’s head.

Panting, Taryn arched his back and looked into the masked face of a hooded man. A dark ceramic mask obscured his face, leaving only a pair of crimson eyes visible.

“What are you doing here, Taryn?”

“Who—”

“You know who I am.” The masked man said.

Taryn stared up at the man. His mind was too stunned by recent events to truly process what was going on.

Only one person came to mind.

“You’re the… the Mourner?”

The masked man made a noise of agreement and sat down on the ice beside Taryn’s head… Though Taryn noticed the man struggling to bend his left leg. Rather than sitting down, it would be more accurate to say he fell backwards.

“Now- tell me- why have you come here?” The Mourner asked.

“I’m not really sure where “here” is. But since you’re here, I guess that means I’m dreaming.” Taryn sighed.

“Dreaming?” The Mourner scoffed and motioned to the glacier that stretched on for miles in every direction. “If this is what you’d consider a dream- I’d hate to see what you consider a nightmare.”

Taryn shivered and sat up. “Can’t argue with you there… You wouldn’t happen to have any idea what that skeleton was, would you? While I’d love to chalk it up to a side effect of eating Wei’s cooking, something tells me food poisoning doesn’t usually cause that.” Taryn asked while gazing around at the glacier.

“That was your first tribulation. Every cultivator has to go through it, though each Eco type has a different trial to overcome… If I’m recalling correctly, the first Wild Eco tribulation is the trial of perseverance.”

“Sorry, but- what’s a tribulation?”

“Easiest way to explain it is as a test from the universe. See, Eco has sentience. It may not be on the same level as you or me, but it does. And it doesn’t like to give out its power easily. So, it tests us to see if we’re worthy of the privilege of cultivating.”

“And… If we fail?”

“Then you’ll no longer be a cultivator.”

“Oh, I guess that makes sense—”

“You’ll also be dead.”

Taryn’s brain froze for a moment… Eventually he sighed and began to look around.

“So, what happens now? Do I just pick a direction and start walking or?”

“Trying to ditch me so soon?” The mourner chuckled. “Well, don’t worry. When you wake up, you’ll be back at the lake. All warm and cozy beside the fire.”

“How do you—”

“I know a lot more than I should, but not as much as I’d like… But you should already know that. After all, you’ve read my journal, haven’t you?”

“Er- well- I’ve skimmed it. Been a bit too preoccupied with trying to stay alive to read the rest of it.”

The mourner sighed. “Do us both a favor and read the journal. Memorize it if you can.”

“I will. I’ll- I’ll read the whole thing… Mind if I ask you something, sir?”

“What?”

“Why’re you helping me? First you gave me the prophesy, and now this. Why?”

The Mourner didn’t say anything at first. He just stared off into the distance, eyes locked onto something Taryn couldn’t see.

The Mourner laughed. “Let’s just say I have a vested interest in you staying alive and leave it at that.”

“I think I deserve to know the truth— Er, sir.”

“You will. In time. But right now, you wouldn’t understand even if I told you.”

A flash of light stretched across the sky, illuminating the glacier with a pale blue light. The crashing of thunder followed the light and drew Taryn’s attention skyward.

“What’s that?” Taryn asked.

“Not sure. We’re inside your head— Either you’ve got a monster living between your ears, or—” Another crash of thunder slammed into Taryn’s ears, causing them to vibrate erratically. “Or you’re waking up.” The Mourner sighed. “Listen, before you go. Take care of Iddrai. He can be a bit of an annoying ass, but he means well.”

Startled, Taryn turned his head to look at the mourner, but instead of a glacier he found himself sitting beside the lake. The humidity in the air was causing his robe to stick to his body and sweat to drip from his brow.

“Snoooore~”

Taryn’s eye twitched out of annoyance, and he glared at the person on his left.

“Snoooore~” Xia Wei’s snored.

Well, that explains the thunder. Taryn sighed. He rolled away from Xia Wei’s aggressive snoring and tried his best to go back to sleep… But Taryn would not find any more sleep this night.