Audrey watched with envy as Blaidd coated his tail in orange flames, illuminating the dark cavern. Fire was so cool! That cerberus bloodline was much better than her lame dragon lineage. Sure, she could make herself really fast with wind and kick really hard, but apart from that, her only flashy ability was to call rain to take a shower.

“Ok Audrey, what should we do now?”

Oh right, she was supposed to tell her team what to do. She had shared with them what Mister Spirit had said, that being in command would be a huge help to her cultivation. They had immediately accepted to let her lead, but she still wasn’t sure that was such a good idea.

“Um, right. Well, Blaidd, you stay in front to light up the way! Konrad, you are the slowest so go in last, and look out for any attacks from behind…”

Thinking hard, she tried to think of the best arrangement for her party and came up with something completely different from what they usually did. Looking around in embarrassment at giving them orders, she saw that none of her teammates had moved to the positions she had just detailed.

“Okay Audrey, you made some good points, but… you might be forgetting some things. Having the light in front of us will blind us, so Blaidd should be in the back, not the front. Since Lethalia lacks defense, she too should be in the back, able to see the entire team to see who needs healing. As for Konrad, being slow means he should be in front, to make sure he is not left behind…”

Audrey hung her head, listening carefully to the revised plan. She was used to just going in the front with Konrad because that way she was the first to get in the fight, and had never realized there was a deeper logic to their usual arrangements.

She kept nodding along to the long list of corrections, but as they came to an end, with everyone looking at her, she didn’t know what to do.

“Mister Spirit? What should I do? Should I do as he said?”

“Follow his suggestions, of course. He is obviously much better at this than you, and listening to him will help you avoid plenty of beginner mistakes.”

“But aren't I supposed to be the leader? If I do as he says, won’t it really be him ordering me?”

“Can’t you see your team is still waiting for you to give them the go ahead? Taking advice is a very important part of leadership, just make sure you are making the final decision.”

That was good! Efraim was much better at this than her, so it was great that she could rely on him. In fact, couldn't she ask him to teach her? Mister Spirit had given her a few lessons, but as usual, he had talked a long time while sharing very little useful information.

“Then why don’t you give me advice?”

“Because I’m a peaceful hermit, that's why. I know even less about battle strategies and leadership than you. Now stop arguing and get to work. Do your best, and you will get it eventually.”

Looking up to see all her companions patiently waiting for her orders, Audrey suddenly got a little giddy. Maybe this ruling business would be more fun than she had anticipated!

“Right! Thanks Efraim, you’re the best! Then let’s keep the usual formation and get going. Also, don't hesitate to give me advice, I’m told by, uh, my instincts that accepting and using them is part of being a leader.”

She didn’t like hiding Mister Spirit from her friends, but he had been very clear that it was very important, so she did her best. They probably suspected something, discretion wasn’t her forte, but it was enough to keep Mister Spirit happy.

“Let’s go! Be careful and don’t forget to check the ceiling. We don’t want to get ambushed like last time.”

Taking the lead as usual, Audrey marched forward, eventually falling back behind Konrad as she couldn't both pay attention to her team behind her and scan for any upcoming danger.

The cave exploration went smoothly, as they came across nothing more dangerous than a few dilapidated traps and poisonous critters. That wasn’t a surprise, the real challenge was to find the secret entrance.

Even with vague coordinates, a hideout designed to fool the eyes of the Old Ones was far from easy to enter. Only after days of explorations did they manage to trigger a concealed wall, revealing a large cavern.

The areas overlord, a giant blue mushroom, had not taken kindly to their intrusion, but it too had eventually fallen to their collective efforts. It had been a hard fight, but seeing their stationary enemy rooted to the ground, Audrey made her first strategic decision and planned a war of attrition. They would fight it for as long as they could, before retreating and resting for a few hours, to prepare for the next attack.

It was also fortunate that Lethalia had advanced her priestess rank. Her channeling of the Gift of Stars to heal them let them ignore the poison clouds, meaning they only had to deal with its root strikes.

Then, after moving the poisonous remains of giant mushrooms, having traversed halfway across the great plains and fought more monsters than she could count, they finally beheld their prize.

It was a huge black platform, perfectly smooth and made in one piece of pure black rock. She could feel her blood boil just by standing nearby, her cultivation speed increasing by a notable amount.

This was the heart of every city, the fabled Gift of Void.

Legend had it that in the beginning, there was only the Void, Earth, Sun, Moon and Stars. Only after the creative Earth did the overbearing Sun become jealous, imitating her and sending its progeny down to destroy Earth creations.

The peaceful Earth was no match for the power of the Sun and its descendants, but the Void, Stars and Moon took pity on the earth, each sending down gifts to help it break free from the tyranny of the Old Ones.

The Moon bestowed infinite wisdom and knowledge, enlightening all races and forming the dream world so that there would be no limit to the scholars' learning.

The Stars cooperated to create a thousand Gifts; miraculous runes that let animals call upon the power of the cosmos, and call it down to destroy the invaders.

But the most generous was the infinite Void, who was touched by the suffering of Earth. Using its endless body, it fought against the Sun, giving the opportunity for the Moon and Stars to send down their gifts.

The Sun was mighty, and as it fought back, the Void was wounded, its blood raining down to Earth, each drop transforming into an ornate black obelisk.

This was the gift of Void, or the Gift of Cultivation. With it, all creatures could grow stronger, harnessing the power of blood, and using it to fight off the curse of the Sun. Even now, centuries after the Sun and its progeny were defeated and sealed, forced to atone for its crimes by bathing the Earth in healing light, the three Gifts were still priceless treasures, with myriads of uses.

For Audrey and her team, it wasn’t just a tool to make their cultivation skyrocket. They now held the key to establishing their own city, to creating their own clan and becoming one of the rulers of this world.