Maximilian and Justinian continued together for an hour before they found something of note. It was the largest building he had seen since the trial started. It was the size of a football field. It lacked a roof, which made Maximilian want to head in from above. Only as soon as they tried, his instincts told him it was a bad idea. He wasn't sure what would happen, but the trial had been a large enough example of what happens if you gamble that they decided to listen. They made their way to the ground. "Do you have a way to enter the buildings safely?" Maximilian asked.

  Justinian shook his head. "We avoided a lot of them for that reason. We were able to brute force a few of them."

  Maximilian nodded and then released his layered Dao fields. He expanded them until they coated both comfortably. He smiled, and then the two of them stepped into the room. He felt the familiar scan followed by a rejection, and then something attacked them. For a moment, the world shifted, and they found themselves falling through an open sky. The vision, or rather illusion, was so strong that Maximilian believed it was real. Fortunately, it shattered a moment later. Maximilian placed a hand on Justinian's shoulder. He flooded the warrior with a bit of his Dao and ended the illusion for him.

  "Thanks."

  "No problem." Maximilian turned his attention to the rest of the room and raised an eyebrow. It was a weapons depot. Not just a weapons depot but a stocked one. Maximilian paused, unable to reconcile what he saw with what he understood. The place was supposed to be a ruin. Everything he had seen until this point had been ruins. Sure, there had been some valuable items, but most of it was either faded or in states of disrepair. This stuff was similar, but very clearly weapons. Maximilian shook his head as Justinian grabbed a spear off the wall. As soon as he had it in his hands, the spear turned into a beam of light and went into his bag. Maximilian laughed and nodded. That part made a lot of sense. "Well, I guess that part hasn't changed. We won't be able to use these items during the trial. I am thinking a fifty-fifty split. We can either divide all the weapons evenly, or you can take one half the room, or I can take the other."

  "Let's divide things fairly. I wouldn't want to risk a conflict because someone found a secret room or something similar. It looks like we can touch the items, but I don't want to risk tossing them about. Let's go through it side by side."

  Maximilian saw no reason to disagree with the suggestion, so they decided to stick together. Maximilian attempted to let his instincts guide him, but either everything in this room was normal, or it wasn't able to help him. Not that he cared overly much. The items here weren't his, or rather, he intended to give them to his people. He had already abandoned the marital path, and no part of him regretted that choice. The few battles he had to use weapons turned him off from the idea. Now that he had his own powers, he saw no reason to renege. "So, tell me what your citizens are like? I noticed you didn't have any mages with you. Did no one try, or did you only recruit warriors?"

  Justinian paused; his face was turned away from Maximilian, but he could see the emotions in his posture. His muscles tensed and then relaxed as if he had resigned himself to something. For a moment, he wondered if he had made a mistake asking the question, but it was too late to take it back. "No." He began. Still not turning around. "We had mages, or rather people who wanted to be mages. They specialized as we did. Focusing the majority of their points on Intelligence or Wisdom. Things began well. The teams worked out well. They were ranged specialists similar to the archer, but our quest...My quest changed things. We were besieged by a beast tide. An army of monsters that seemed almost inexhaustible. Well, we slowly ran out of defenders. Out of warriors. As the monsters came people more of us were exhausted. The mages did not do well. They were glass canons. Further, the skills they had access to weren't useful. The tutorial ones were fine, but not enough. The ones for sale weren't enough. Most died before they could buy something good in the quest shop. The people with the physical attributes to take hits. To survive did. The mages were too fragile."

  Maximilian stood still as Justinian spoke up. He was sure that he wasn't explaining anymore. At least not completely. It felt more like he was justifying himself. He knew it wasn't Justinian's fault, nor was it anyone's. Every type of cultivator had weaknesses. He had survived on his own as a mage, but most likely couldn't. He was pretty sure his own survival was due to his affinities and likely whatever his weird physique did. Part of him felt guilty. That he had been given an unfair advantage, and that advantage kept him alive. The more rational part knew that it was nonsense. That he hadn't done anything wrong and that everyone had advantages and disadvantages. He wasn't sure which argument was winning. Day by day, he felt himself changing. The idea that everyone was created equal seemed so unsure. He wasn't about to go around declaring people weaker than him, less than, or anything like that. He felt more like a rich kid. The kind that forgot just how much things cost for normal people. The kind of people he used to dislike.

  "I am sorry." He said solemnly as Justinian finished speaking. "I imagine that the battle wasn't easy. I am glad you got through it. I am glad that many of your people survived." He wanted to say something more, but he wasn't sure what to say. He had already said sorry, and he doubted that saying that everything would be better later would help. Unfortunately, anything he could say would be hollow, so he just let the silence linger.

  "I appreciate the sentiment. If you do not mind my asking. How did you survive so far? Was it a unique skill? If you are willing, I would like to ask you to train future mages."

  Maximilian hesitated for a moment as he searched for the correct answer. The best answer for this situation. "Yes and no. I did get a defensive skill. One that helps a lot. I got my first Dao early on, which allowed me to manipulate spiritual energy directly. I also have a special advantage that, as far as I know, can't be shared with anyone else." He decided not to explain the full details. Not because he was afraid, but because it felt tasteless. He could tell that Justinian was raw, and the last thing he wanted was to get the man's hopes up. "I don't have any way to teach the skill now, though."

  "I see. Well, I would take it as a personal favor."

  Maximilian nodded but didn't commit further. He had no problem helping, especially if it meant saving lives, but his plate was already full. If he slowed down, it might cost more lives than those he could save. He thought about it for a few moments as they collected the rest of the weapons. The silence hung between them as they searched the rest of the building. There were more weapons and a few pieces of armor in the storage rooms, but that was it. Maximilian was a bit disappointed that they hadn't found anything really special. He knew it was unlikely, but he had hoped to find a talisman or at least a new robe. He felt confident that the real rewards would occur at the end of the trial when the Network calculated their performance. When they had finished looting, they made their way back outside. They continued through the ruins. After a few hours, they decided to stop visiting most of the buildings. It wasn't that they didn't hold objects of value, but there was little point. The few weapons they could find were good, but they both knew they needed to fight. They needed to start collecting tokens. After a quick discussion, they drew their auras closer to their bodies and set off. They were pretty confident they could escape the royals if they encountered them. As far as either of them knew, no one in the trial could fly. Maximilian hadn't seen anyone crafting platforms like he did, which meant the sky was theirs. At least for now.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  It took them less than an hour to encounter their first imperial team. The squad was standard size and didn't have anyone noteworthy to fight. Maximilian offered them the chance to leave by giving up their tokens, but they refused. He still wasn't sure if it was loyalty or fear, but he didn't care overly much. Between the two of them, the group of five stood little chance. Despite their advantages, the battle still took the better part of an hour. Maximilian restricted himself so the pair could practice fighting together. A process that proved to be harder than he expected. The issue was twofold. The first was the area of effect. Maximilian had fine control over his abilities, but his main strategy was widespread attacks. Something that could easily catch Justinian if he wasn't careful. He was pretty sure the warrior could handle a hit or two, but it was something he would need to work on. If they were fighting something or someone really dangerous, then a mistake like that could get everyone killed. Their second issue was related to the first. They were both used to being leaders, and neither of them wanted to follow. It was a dumb flaw, but one they would need to work on. Fortunately, the warriors weren't strong enough to make a difference. Justinian stabbed two of the warriors through the chest, and the other three surrendered. They had a small disagreement about letting them live. One that Justinian reluctantly gave up on.

  "Alright. I think we can get a few more hunts in before nightfall. The question is, what do you want? I am going to hunt the puppets more, but if you want to stay behind, you are welcome to."

  "No. I decided to stick around for a reason. Let's stick to the original plan this time. I'll lead the way. You support."

  Maximilian raised an eyebrow and then smiled. He would do his best, though he doubted it would work out that way. As much as he saw the Wisdom in it. He was having far too much fun to sit in the backlines. "Yeah." He offered noncommittally. The pair decided to rest for twenty minutes to recover a bit of energy and then sat out. They squeezed in two more groups before they retired into one of the nearby buildings. They settled in and waited for the puppets to arrive. Almost as soon as night fell, Maximilian's instincts reacted. His hair stood on end, and he looked around, half expecting an attack. A fear that was confirmed a moment later as two puppets walked toward them. Maximilian's eyes widened as he looked to Justinian. The two locked eyes for a moment and then went into motion. He wasn't sure why, but until now, none of the puppets had entered the buildings. None of the puppets had sought them out either. They had to be the ones to go on the offense. He wasn't sure if they were coming after them specifically or if this represented a new stage of the trial. Regardless, it was a problem. Even with the power of his Dao fields, Justinian was at a disadvantage.

  "Who....Are...You." The question caused Maximilian to stumble. A half-formed lance of electricity floated in the air next to him. For a moment, he thought he had imagined the voice. That it was a trick of his mind. When the puppet asked the question again, he withdrew his dao field. Justinian retreated a moment later.

  "We are trial takers." Maximilian began. He wasn't sure if it was possible, but if they could reach a peaceful solution, he would. He wasn't sure why, but both of these puppets seemed more dangerous. His instincts were at a dull roar the moment they appeared, and that hadn't changed. "If we have offended, we offer an apology. The Network has— His words were interrupted when the puppet asked its question again. This time, they weren't given a chance to respond. The two puppets shot forward, only this time the duo used tactics. Until now, the puppets had been mostly simple-minded. They hit what they could when they could. Now the two shot to opposite sides of the room and then toward them. Maximilain got over the shock a moment later as he formed a half dozen lances of electricity. Justinian blocked the weaker of the two with his spear. Their initial plan went out the window almost immediately, but it wasn't all bad. Despite the changes, these puppets weren't that much stronger than the others. Maximilian felt reasonably sure he could deal with his and provide additional support.

  His target avoided the first two lances and tried to block the third. Maximilian grinned when electricity surged through the puppet. It paralyzed it for a moment. The effect was much weaker on nonliving targets, but it was enough. The rest of his attack hit home. A moment later, he activated Severing Disc. Both buzzsaws crackled with electricity as he unleashed one of his strongest moves. As testament to the new puppet, it retreated. It pushed off the ground with enough force to crater it. The speed was impressive, but how could such a thing be enough to dodge his attack? Maximilian had more than enough control by this point to send the blades in pursuit. The puppet moved toward its ally, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to get help or if it intended to force the blade to attack Justinian. Neither happened as Maximilian unleashed a blade of wind as a follow-up. The crescent-shaped attack forced the puppet into an impossible decision. It could take its chances with the wind or the blades, but it couldn't dodge all three. Unfortunately for it, the choice was false. Maximilian parted the buzzsaws just enough to reveal a pathway. He wasn't sure the puppet would even be able to try it, let alone that it would. Yet, the puppet charged forward. As soon as it jumped, its fate was sealed. Maximilian flicked his wrist, and both saws moved in unison. The puppet resisted the cut for less than a moment before it was trisected. With his enemy finished, he turned his attention to Justinian, who was having a harder time. He wasn't losing necessarily, but the puppet pressed him hard.

  Maximilian hesitated for a moment, not sure if he wanted the help. Ultimately, pragmatism won in the end. He wanted to let Justinian get the energy, but they couldn't afford to be distracted too long. He unleashed a trio of electrical lances. The puppet tried to respond, but as soon as it turned, Justinian took advantage. The puppet was trapped between a proverbial rock and a hard place. Despite its best attempt, the puppet was destroyed a moment later. Maximilian stared at the duo in confusion and curiosity. "You heard that right?"

  Justinian nodded as he jabbed the puppet with his spear. "Yeah. I don't think it was aware. It was a better fighter but it felt more like they robots with better programing. Maybe its a preprogrammed message?"

  Maximilian considered it for a moment but wasn't convinced. He wasn't sure why someone would make a robot, program it to ask who you are, and then have it refuse to accept the answer. The response reading part might have been broken, but he wasn't sure. Regardless, the best way to find out the answer was to fight. "You good to continue?" He looked at Justinian.

  "Yeah, I am alright. I wouldn't mind a bit of that healing, though? Especially if it could help with the pain. Blocking its attacks wasn't fun."

  Maximilian laughed and helped him amount. Mostly because it would help him improve his healing abilities. He spent ten minutes on it before they set out again. Despite the strange situation, they decided to stick to the plan. They would move out in a circle with their base as the center. If they got separated, they would head back on their own. If that wasn't possible, then they would continue alone or break their tokens. Maximilian was confident he wouldn't do that. He wasn't going to risk death if he didn't have to, but he also wanted to see the end of the trial. Even if that meant he had to fight on his own. Maximilian focused on their current situation as they stepped into the sky. They immediately realized things were different. For one, there were a lot more puppets than usual. They saw battles taking place in every direction. Maximilian cocked his head as he tried to understand what was going on. There was no announcement that tonight would be different, so why was it? He turned his attention to the wall into the next region. When he saw it was still sealed, he sighed in relief.

  "The way I saw it, we have two options. We could go on the offensive and go after the Imperials. The chaos of tonight will grant us the best chance. Or we go on the defense. We focus on saving as many people from Earth as we can."

  Maximilian paused, frozen with indecision as the night filled with the sounds of battle. "We will do both. Save as many as you can. We beat the imperials. If they give up their tokens, they can escape." He released his aura in full. He wasn't sure if the puppets hunted based on aura or not, but he was well past caring.

  "That softness is going to get us both killed." Justinian grumbled as they took off. "