Life without rain is a barren existence.

~Manannan, God of the Sea & Weather

Exiting the building, Crow looked back and saw the exterior looked like a pristinely kept temple. Somehow he was expecting to be run down and creepy, especially since the area was hauntingly vacant. Crow realized why those people chased Zoe into this remote location.

“What is that place?” Crow asked while pointing at the building they had just left.

“It’s… I don’t know. They abandoned this part of the sect on claims that it’s cursed. People disappear randomly, but before they do, they say you hear a burst of shrill laughter.”

“Uh… then why did you run here?” Crow already had an idea of what was happening. This was clearly Donovan’s work, and he probably littered this place with gold coins or objects, tempting people’s greed.

“The rumors say you’ll be safe if you don’t take anything from this place. And I didn’t run here!” Zoe complained. “I was the unlucky one that was chosen for this obligation. Although they abandoned this area, they send us outer disciples over to clean up the buildings. To the elders, we are just fodder. We have no value until we reach a certain amount of power.”

“You think it was bad luck?” Crow snorted. “That bastard Ku arranged it. He’d long planned on raping you. But that is a good thing. If everything you said was true, if they ask you about it, just say you were in the temple cleaning and never heard or saw anyone here.”

Crow looked at his surroundings, surprised by the elegance of each building surrounding the plaza. In the middle of the plaza, there was even a majestic fountain, but it had long gone silent. He doubted there were any outer disciples with the ability and knowledge to repair something like that. The temple was built into a small mountain, and because Crow knew what to look for, he could tell where the hidden windows were for the room on the other side of the secret door.

The other buildings that circled the temple and plaza were just as impressive. Even abandoned, it was obvious that this area was once an important part of the sect. Knowing that there was even more to it below his feet, Crow felt the reasoning for abandoning this area was weak. Something else was the culprit, but he couldn’t imagine it was just the death beetles either. Zoe didn’t know, but Crow was sure there was a bigger secret here, a mystery he might explore if he could access Unholde’s library.

In fact, his infiltration into this sect was unexpected, so he doubted they’d have their guard up. Add in the fact this place was on lockdown with a lot of their elders stuck on the outside, Crow felt he could gain a lot more information on the sect. Including their allies and enemies, secrets, and other things to annoy them.

Zoe led them to a paved stone path that led them out of the plaza and wrapped around a tree-covered mound. Crow called it a path, but it was like a five-meter wide road. Based on the smoothness of the stones, it was easy to tell that they were worn down by traffic and age. It really was a shame this part of the sect was abandoned.

After a time, they came to a stone wall with a wrought-iron gate. The wall and gate were also impressive but didn’t look as old as the road, and the gate was currently still open.

“They’ll lock this when it gets dark. If you are stuck on the other side, you’ll have to stay the night in this area,” Zoe said softly from beside him. “People claim ghosts from that mound and infest the area at night.”

Crow didn’t doubt that rumor at all. He could feel the coldness of Ghost Mana had infected the surroundings. It wasn’t so heavy that it’d kill off all life, but it was easy to see that weaker plants and animals would either die or mutate under it. It also added to the mystery.

Exiting the gates, the sect opened up, and Crow gaped like a bumpkin. The bustle of the main sect area was more active than most large cities. Even Rosdoe appeared tame compared to this place. Sione’s memories didn’t attribute the same level of awe Crow felt, so he hadn’t noticed it before. Once he was over his shock, Crow’s Mind overlayed the other boys’ memories and could pinpoint the buildings with the most importance.

“The outer disciples, like us, all live in the same place. I’m not sure where you live, but it should be close to my dorm.”

“You live with your coven?”

“Yes. We are closer than sisters but don’t worry. Only my secrets are shared, and the vow I made with you will protect you from them. Even if they wanted to force their way into my memories, they wouldn’t be allowed to see you. But you should know that I’m vulnerable every time we perform a ritual because my Mind is open to them. They’ll be able to see my memories as long as they aren’t protected. They won’t know about you but will see my interactions with you. I’m not sure how to explain things to them—mmm!”

Crow sealed her mouth with his own. It wasn’t a deep or passionate kiss, but her surprise was genuine because of his unpredictable action.

“W-why?”

“You didn’t resist,” Crow laughed. “And now you don’t have to explain. Just let them come to their own conclusions. When they tease you, just act like you normally do. Also—they won’t be able to scry me.”

Zoe didn’t say anything, but her fingers were touching her lips. She led him through the crowds of people until they reached another wall and gate. On the other side, he could see the buildings that he recognized from Sione. These were the sect’s pride and were heavily protected as if they were heavenly treasures.

“That town we passed through is where the commoners and slaves live. The outer disciple’s dorms are inside this gate and to the west. To the right is where the inner disciples reside but do not go there unless summoned. Straight ahead, on the other side of that tall building, are where the core disciples, elders, and sect leaders all live. Outer disciples are just crammed together without any order. The other areas are organized by the type of cultivation branches. It is also forbidden to enter the territory of another branch, even if you are summoned. There are common grounds, so do not let them trick you. No matter how they cajole, torture, or whatever, do not enter another branch’s area.”

“What about the rules regarding these buildings in the central area?” Crow asked. Sione had some knowledge of them, but it was vague. He only went to the Task Center, which assigned the sect obligations and the library to research skills.

“As long as you are a disciple, you can enter any of those buildings, but there are places they forbid us entry because of our status and cultivation methods. There are signs, so pay attention and don’t wander around randomly. An outer disciple’s punishment for almost every violation is death, and that’s the benevolent penalty. Remember that Unhulde…” Zoe’s voice dwindled, and Crow didn’t need her to explain. Angering the wrong person here was more likely to render a fate worse than death. Nadia’s situation came to mind. A state that was neither dead nor alive.

Ghost Eaters like to kill can capture freshly turned ghosts, which was probably one of the tamest of the evil branches. This sect wasn’t a place filled with benign souls. It might be one of the tower’s vilest places, which could only be topped by the Blood Ember Sect.

“I got it. You can go, but remember our promise.”

“Uh, you should know that Ku isn’t a simple disciple. His master isn’t someone even the sect leader would provoke willingly. Ku’s father is also a powerful cultivator, too. But that man ascended the tower and hasn’t returned in years. It might be fine for now, but you must escape immediately once the restrictions drop. It’ll be a massacre if that man shows up because he has an unquenchable bloodlust.”

“He’s not a Ghost Eater?”

“No, that man is from the Blood Ember Sect.”

Crow’s head snapped toward Zoe. “That sect is related to Unhulde?”

“They are or were a branch of Unholde. That branch still exists, but the Blood Ember Sect was taken over by someone else long ago and refused to bow his head to the Unhulde sect leader. To prevent conflict, they reached an accord that both found favorable. Many of the members of the Blood Embers are from this sect. Or were… some madman slaughtered and almost singlehandedly destroyed the entire organization. Rumors say when that butcher passes through, the rivers run red for a week.”

That created an awkward mood because he was sure Zoe was talking about his father and maternal grandfather. It was odd to think of his family as the bane of Unhulde, and now he was carrying on the same tradition.

“Cro—Sione, thanks for saving my life. If… you want, I can become your assistant?”

“Huh? What does that mean?”

“The Featherswallow Witches do not perform any dark rituals, so our powers don’t have offensive spells. We often offer ourselves as assistants to other powerful cultivators that can protect us.”

“What services do you provide?” Crow asked and couldn’t stop his mind from remembering her naked body.

“N-not that!” Zoe stuttered. “We do normal maid services and help with combat training.”

“Combat? Like martial training?”

“Yes. Some Hex Witches focus on evil spells but at the cost of sacrificing their communion with the world. In other words, they give up their sight abilities. Those like my coven, who choose not to follow the path of a Hex Witch, can only focus on combining our martial training with our seer ability. Healing and sight are the two rituals I excel at, but it’s not something I can use in combat as it requires focus free of distraction—and…” Zoe flushed, thinking about the ritual.

“And…?”

“We… need to perform our rituals with no clothes on. Anything that might inhibit our communication with spiritual energy around us will decrease the chance of successfully performing the rituals.”

“Oh, that makes sense,” Crow nodded, not bothered by the explanation.

“It-it does?”

Crow leaned over and whispered into her ear. “Druids also commune with the natural order to increase our power. We absorb external mana, but our spells use internal and external mana, so we don’t need to be naked. However, most of us wear sleeveless clothes because for that reason.”

Zoe nodded in response. She was nervous about getting caught and had already made her vow, so she couldn’t avoid becoming linked to this stranger. It was one of the main reasons she offered herself as an assistant. At least this way, she could be beside him and prevent mishaps. She wasn’t ungrateful and knew she’d likely have been raped and killed if he hadn’t come along. All that aside, she was standing next to Unhulde’s most wanted enemy—the pressure was overwhelming.

“Okay, I’ll accept you. Follow me, so you know where I live, and we’ll go meet our daily obligations together. Are there classes we are supposed to attend?”

“Sort of, but they aren’t mandatory. The elders will give lectures in the main hall every day. Each day it’s a different branch elder, and they’ll speak about their cultivation methods and other things that might be good to know. Usually, outer disciples will only attend the lecture related to their cultivation method at this point. Loose cultivators will attend most lectures until they decide which branch to join. At that point, they’ll get techniques and other resources.”

“Alright, I want to attend all the lectures.”

“But… why?” Zoe blurted out.

“If you want to survive in the tower, you better pay attention to what I’m about to say. Out there, no amount of power will save you from an enemy prepared to take you down. Knowing weaknesses, strengths, methods, and more will give you an edge that can help you fight way above your level.”

“Where did you learn that?”

“I had a master that taught me archery. He was a mortal and killed a cultivator way more powerful than us. The scariest opponent you’ll ever face is the one you know nothing about.”

Crow led the way to his new temporary home while Zoe trailed after him. Her mind was lost in thought, and she eventually realized what Crow meant. This sect was his mortal enemy, and he was looking for all their weaknesses. Zoe knew she should object or feel wronged because of her sense of belonging or loyalty to this place. Instead, she felt excited and couldn’t wait for the chaos the man in front of her would bring. After today’s event, Zoe realized that she despised the geniuses here who took whatever they liked because of entitlement. Half her coven had been raped, and the only reason she remained untouched was because of her grandmother. That sense of protection was stripped away today, and the only one that could protect her at all times was herself.

Loyalty? She almost laughed at the thought. In reality, her rage hit a boiling point, and she couldn’t wait for this place to be covered in blood, smoke, and ash.