The Li clan member answered Joshua about what happen 2 days ago.

  "Two days ago, an emissary from the second prince arrived," the man's voice was shaking. "He demanded that we explain why we had not yet brought the other forces in Sunset Breeze Pass City under the prince's control."

  Joshua felt the rage boil in his gut.

  "What was his response when you informed him of the situation?"

  "Our clan elder, Li Shan, tried to explain that we had been cautious due to the volatile nature of the forces in Sunset Breeze Pass City and because the Li clan had loss two high level martial artist. But the emissary grew impatient. He claimed that the Tri Body Hall's escape to the Su Empire was a direct challenge to the prince's authority," the man said to Joshua.

  Joshua's eyes narrowed at the mention of the Tri Body Hall. They had been the ones to train him, and he owed them a debt of loyalty.

  "And what did the emissary do after that?"

  The man answered.

  "He said that the prince had grown tired of our excuses. He demanded that we take control of Sunset Breeze Pass City immediately, or face his wrath. We pleaded for more time, but he was insistent. Then, clan elder Li Shan suggested that the village where you live, the one where the Tri Body Hall newest disciple lives, is a good target. He claimed that if we make an example of this villagers, perhaps other forces would compel force them to serve the prince and won't corner them too much."

  The man continued to recall the process.

  "The emissary agreed. He sent word back to the second prince, and within hours, a battalion of his elite forces arrived. We and the soldiers slaughtered everyone, while doing what we should do the elder Li Shan had added extra other for the Li members. That is lead the soldier away from your bunker."

  The swordsman's words painted a grim picture, and Joshua felt his rage simmering just below the surface. So it was all a ploy, a ploy to lure him out and claim the bunker for themselves.

  "Were there any survivors?" he asked through gritted teeth, the weight of his question hanging heavy in the air.

  The man's eyes dull, his grip on reality slipping away under the Nexus's control.

  "There was a fighter," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "He fought bravely, took out a few of our men before... before we could capture him. That is all I know as we didn't chase after as we had to guard the bunker and the soldiers retreated back to their camp."

  Joshua felt his heart drop.

  After killing the Li clan member he followed the tracks leading to the mountains.

  The journey was a blur of rage and grief, his steps fueled by a need to avenge the innocents of Quinse. The Nexus kept feeding him information, updating him on the survivors' tracks that was well hidden but was easily found by Nexus.

  The path grew steeper as he approached the mountains, the air cooler and fresher. His boots crunched on the gravel, sending small rocks tumbling down the slope. The tracks grew fainter with each step, but the Nexus's enhancements allowed him to follow them with unerring precision.

  As he reached the base of the waterfall, the thunderous roar of the water filled his ears, a stark contrast to the silence of the battlefield he'd just left behind. The force of the water was a wall of white noise that seemed to wash away his thoughts, but he remained focused on his mission.

  Then, as if to break the tranquility of the scene, an arrow shot through the air, aimed directly at his chest. Without a moment's hesitation, Joshua's body reacted, his hand flashing out to swat the projectile aside. The arrow clattered against the rocks at his feet, and he spun around, his sword and Qi pistol at the ready.

  But as the figure emerged from the trees, he saw that it wasn't an enemy soldier, but rather a familiar face.

  "Bek Su!" he exclaimed, lowering his weapon. His friend looked as if he hadn't slept in days, his clothes torn and his eyes bloodshot.

  "Joshua, it's you," Bek Su said, his voice filled with relief.

  "I thought they had... I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you."

  Joshua's eyes searched his friend's face, noticing the bruises and the weariness etched into his features.

  Joshua did not know what to say to Bek Su, his anger and guilt threatening to consume him. He had been the one to bring the attention of the second prince to Quinse, and now it lay in ruins because of his actions.

  Bek Su looked at him with a mix of understanding and sadness.

  "It's not your fault," he said, his voice a mere whisper over the rush of the water.

  "You couldn't have known. But we must put aside our grief for now, for the living need our help."

  With those words, Bek Su turned and began to ascend the rocky path leading behind the waterfall.

  Joshua followed, his mind a tumult of anger and guilt. The thought of his village in ruins was almost too much to bear, and the knowledge that he had unwittingly brought this destruction upon them was like a dagger in his heart.

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  As they climbed the rocky path behind the waterfall, the roar grew louder until it was almost deafening. The mist that sprayed from the cascade cooled his hot rage, but it couldn't wash away the horror of what had been done.

  And then he saw them, huddled together in a small cave hidden behind the curtain of water: babies, crying softly; children, their eyes wide with fear; teens, trying to put on a brave face; and women, their expressions a mix of despair and hope. The sight of them hit him like a physical blow, knocking the wind from his chest.

  These were the survivors of Quinse, the ones who had escaped the massacre that had been brought down upon his home. His anger morphed into a fierce protectiveness, a burning desire to ensure that nothing like this would ever happen to them again.

  Bek Su's voice was hoarse from the screams of battle, but he spoke with a solemn resolve that seemed to cut through the mist.

  "Almost all the men from Quinse stood their ground, fighting to the very end," he began.

  "They knew what was coming and chose to protect the village with their lives. They bought us this time, gave us a chance to escape."

  Bek Su's words were like a cold slap across the face, waking Joshua from his rage-induced trance.

  "What do we do now?" he asked his friend.

  Bek Su looked at him, his eyes filled with a quiet strength that belied the horrors he had witnessed.

  "I don't know," he said, his voice low.

  "I'm just a hunter, Joshua. I know how to track and survive in the wilds, but this... this is beyond me."

  Joshua nodded solemnly, understanding the weight of the situation. He knew that Bek Su wasn't a tactician or a leader, but in this moment, he had to step up. He had the knowledge and the power to make a difference.

  "We need to gather supplies," Joshua said firmly. "Food, water, medicine—whatever we can find. We'll need to be self-sufficient until we figure out our next move."

  Bek Su nodded in agreement, his expression a mix of hope and trepidation.

  Joshua order Bek Su and the few remaining able-bodied men to stand guard at the cave entrance as he set out on a mission to gather supplies.

  He knew that the safety of the survivors was paramount and that he needed to act quickly. The weight of their lives rested heavily on his shoulders, and he felt the burden of his newfound leadership role.

  He teleported back to Terra and quickly commanded Nexus to search for the nearest things he needed for the surviving villagers.

  Within minutes, the spirit weapon had pinpointed the locations of various supplies scattered throughout the land: a clinic with good amount of supplies, a water tanks, and a grocery stores filled with enough food to last them a month.

  Nexus ordered food from the store to send a truck he especially hired to deliver it to the mansion quickly and the 6 water tanks would be delivered later too with the other truck.

  But for the medical supplies he needed to get a Certificate of Medical Device Notification (CMDN) or a CMDR from the FD and so Joshua needed to use hypnosis on the people as he did not want to waste time and get watch by the government.

  While he was waiting, he learn how to use he medical supplies and also planned what to do next.

  His heart felt anger as he felt things never go his way. He planned to kill all elder of the Li clan, the emissary and the army and only then his heart may calm down a little bit.

  His thought was interrupted by the sound of trucks delivering the supplies and he needed to send it to the villagers quickly.

  With a heavy heart, Joshua brought all the supplies to the portal, feeling the cool mist of the waterfall on his face once more.

  He quickly called out to Bek Su who are hiding behind the waterfall.

  "Take these," he said to Bek Su, his voice firm despite the emotional turmoil within.

  The hunter looked at the mountain of supplies in disbelief, his eyes welling with tears.

  "How did you...?"

  Bek Su's voice trailed off as he stared at the pile of supplies that seemed to have materialized from thin air.

  Joshua nodded, his jaw set with determination.

  "It doesn't matter how I got them. What matters is that we use them to keep everyone safe and healthy."

  With that, the villagers swarmed around the supplies, their desperation palpable as they grabbed what they could and began carrying it into the safety of the cave.

  The children looked on, wide-eyed, not fully grasping the gravity of their situation, but understanding that something important was happening.

  Joshua turned his attention to the medical supplies, his mind racing with the knowledge he had gained from his late-night study sessions. He worked methodically, his hands steady and sure as he treated wound after wound, administered medicine to the sick, and bandaged those who needed it.

  The villagers looked at him with a mix of awe as they didn't know that he was a good doctor, as doctor of this quality can only found at large clans or powerful group.

  Their trust in him grew as he worked tirelessly, treating their injuries and soothing their fears.

  When the last of the supplies had been distributed, Joshua called everyone together. His voice, though filled with grief, was steady as he recounted the treachery that had befallen Quinse.

  "The second prince's forces did this!" he said loudly.

  "They came for me, but found you instead. They will not rest until they have what they want. We must stand together and fight back! If you follow me I will avenge the wrong and lead you to greater heights!"

  He look the villagers in the eyes and spoke softly.

  "Who among you would follow me."

  The survivors looked at each other, the weight of his words sinking in.

  The silence was broken by the sound of a child's whimper, a stark reminder of the innocence that had been shattered by the day's events.

  Then, one by one, the villagers began to speak, their voices trembling with anger and pain. They told of loved ones lost, of the fear that had gripped them as the soldiers approached, and of the hope that had been snuffed out in an instant.

  Bek Su was the first to stand beside him, his hand on the hilt of his bow.

  "I am with you, Joshua," he said, his voice firm and unwavering.

  The villagers looked around, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on their hearts. One by one, they rose to their feet, each one stepping forward to stand beside Bek Su.

  Joshua felt a surge of hope and a renewed sense of purpose as the people of Quinse pledged their loyalty to him. The silence was broken by a murmur of agreement, a whisper that grew into a roar as they vowed to fight alongside him.

  He knew the first order of business was to enact his plan of vengeance. He turned to Nexus, the digital tentacles fluttering with anticipation.

  "Plan the assault," he said, his voice cold and measured. "Li Clan Elder, the emissary, and the army must fall."

  [1st Plan: Avenge the Quinse village]

  As Nexus formed a series of mission he needed to complete to achieve the destruction of his enemies. Such gathering info on his enemies, getting modern weapons such as grenades, machine guns and etc.

  Joshua's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions as he ordered the second command.

  "Form a plan for leading the villagers," he ordered Nexus, his voice firm.

  The spirit weapon's tentacles danced before his eyes as it began to lay out a series of strategies. The first was simple but essential: train the villagers to defend themselves. The second was to fortify their new mountain haven, turning the cave into an unassailable fortress. The third was to establish a network of spies and scouts, ensuring they had eyes and ears across the lands to anticipate any threats.

  Joshua nodded as the plan has formed and issued the last command.

  "Create a path for me to grow stronger."