Lindon wondered how she had read his mind, but he didn’t really care. He wanted that power.

The Seishen King descended before them, going to one knee in front of Charity as he removed his helm. His gray beard and hair were matted with sweat, and he spoke with both exhaustion and respect. “I thank you, Sage. I would have felled that beast sooner or later, but I fear what damage it may have done in the meantime.”

“What is the situation?” Charity asked calmly.

“I have no doubt the Sage understands it already. We hastened here, to obey the Akura summons as quickly as possible, and arrived only the day before yesterday. The place was…a slaughterhouse. We gathered everyone we could, but that was only two in ten of the town’s residents. We suspect there are as many again still alive and in hiding, but that is entirely a guess. We have barely been able to secure our own position.”

As he spoke, his eyes flicked to Lindon more than once.

He showed no surprise. He’d noticed Lindon already and remembered him.

[Do you think he knows we killed his son? I say we because I want him to know that I deserve half the credit.]

Lindon bowed respectfully, hoping that manners might somehow help.

“I see. Good work, Your Highness.” She spread a hand to her side. “I’m certain you remember Wei Shi Lindon Arelius, my selection for the tournament. You may not have heard yet, but he earned his way to the top sixteen.”

Dakata’s jaw stiffened. “I…see. He must be a valuable asset to the Akura clan, then.”

“He is. And he will be joining up with my father’s forces when they arrive in a day or two. Until then, I will leave him in your care.”

Lindon whipped his head around to stare at the Sage. If she left him under Dakata’s supervision, he’d be dead within the hour.

Charity went on, serene and unconcerned with Lindon’s panic. “My father is looking forward to meeting with this Underlord. If for whatever reason he cannot, he will be very disappointed. In you.”

Dakata bowed his head. “I will protect him as if he were my own son.” There was gruff anger in the last word.

Lindon knew that the Sage was protecting him, but he still didn’t trust the Overlord’s restraint. “Apologies, honored Sage, but may I—”

“You will be busy before my father arrives,” Charity interrupted. “We will pay a bounty for dreadbeast bindings. And you should be prepared to do battle against enemy Underlords when Abyssal Palace arrives.”

“If I may ask, can I stay…elsewhere…today?” He was painfully aware of the king kneeling behind him, listening to every word.

“I have every faith in your ingenuity and resilience. As well as Dakata’s self-control. Farewell, both of you. I will see you soon.”

Then she vanished into a pool of shadow.

Leaving Lindon alone with King Dakata.

The Overlord straightened up, pulling out his Thousand-Mile Cloud and placing his helm back on. “Stay away from Daji,” the King said roughly. “He’ll kill you. Now get behind the wall and we’ll find you a room.”

Lindon had no intention of staying in any room the Seishen Kingdom prepared for him.

9

During his first night in Sky’s Edge, Lindon didn’t sleep at all.

As an Underlord, he needed less sleep than he ever had before…unless he exerted himself. He still recovered faster while sleeping, so he preferred to get five or six hours of sleep a night to maintain top condition. But a night without sleep wouldn’t kill him.

Falling asleep inside the Seishen Kingdom’s walls just might.

He had stayed long enough to at least see the room they had given him, but on his way he had glimpsed both Meira and Prince Daji.

Daji, younger brother to the Prince Kiro that Lindon had left dead in Charity’s treasure vault, was a wolf-like young man with a savage air. He was as tall as his father, but not as broad, and he carried two swords as he prowled the wall, shouting at his men.

The Underlady Meira had almost been chosen to participate in the Uncrowned King tournament as part of the Akura vassal team, and that was the lesser reason why she frightened Lindon.

Her hair and eyes were both gray, though she was a young woman, and a pink flower over one ear seemed to be her Goldsign. She was a life artist and carried a tall scythe with a blade made of green flame. Lindon had seen her fight with armor before, but in the fortress she wore simple sacred artist robes.

The robes were stained in blood, which was especially concerning because her techniques were bloodless.

He saw her as she leaped into the sky, pulled a winged dreadbeast apart with her bare hands, and then fell onto the back of another. Only when she was on the ground and surrounded did she pull out her scythe and swing it around her, cutting through the ranks of the enemy in a furious rage.

She had been the one responsible for almost killing Yerin, and Lindon still felt a tight anger toward her for that.

But in the end, Yerin and Lindon had been the ones to walk away victorious. He was content to leave her alone.

The Seishen Kingdom had plenty of other Underlords after their time in the Night Wheel Valley, such that Lindon felt like he was surrounded by them until he escaped the fortress, but none seemed to notice him through his pure madra veil.

And no one cared when he jumped down from the top of the wall and ran into the rocky wilderness.

Lindon didn’t know how seriously the Seishen King would take Charity’s warning—would he hunt Lindon down to protect him, in order to avoid punishment from Fury?—but he had made his choice quickly. A dreadbeast-haunted wilderness was safer than a base of the Seishen Kingdom.

Lindon had survived dreadbeasts in the wild before, though those had been far weaker. Still, a script-circle and a network of hastily improvised security constructs kept him safe as he scooped a cave out of a cliff face with dragon’s breath.

Of course, he made sure to spend a moment stripping the binding from any dreadbeast he killed.

Any bounty was profit.

Instead of sleeping, he spent the night in the cave developing his techniques. The sooner he could get the Consume technique working, the better.

He sat cross-legged on the dusty stone floor as dreadbeasts prowled outside. His attention was focused inward as he tried to incorporate the principle of Emptiness into his Heart of Twin Stars.

Eithan’s cycling techniques were helpful for inspiration, but he didn’t have a spirit Enforcer technique in his Path, so there was nothing directly applicable. Lindon was forced to sit and check off variations as Dross simulated more.

[Oh wait, oh wait, I’ve got it! That’s it, that’s the key! Just try the last cycling pattern…in reverse.]

Inspired by the enthusiasm in Dross’ voice, Lindon reversed the course of his madra, matching it up to his breath.

In about ten seconds, he had to stop. Every inch of his madra channels was in searing pain.

[Perfect!] Dross shouted. [I couldn’t quite visualize what would happen if you tried that. Now we can absolutely, definitively, cross that off the list.]

Little Blue whizzed around Lindon’s head on a tiny Thousand-Mile Cloud, laughing like a silver bell.

Ocean-blue hair streamed behind her, as she had gained detail and substance over time. He could even see little feet kicking at the hem of her sapphire dress.