Alex had eventually agreed to Ethan’s proposal.

  Not easily. Not without suspicion. But after Ethan had pressed him, after he’d told Alex to check the flow of the guildmaster’s mana, something had shifted. He knew enough to realize the truth of Ethan’s words.

  It was actually quite ironic, because Ethan couldn’t actually feel her mana himself.

  His core wasn’t awakened yet. He had no true way of sensing the instability he’d described, no direct proof beyond knowledge carried over from a life that technically no longer existed. Everything he’d said had been built on what Alex had told him.

  It bothered him more than he liked to admit. Awakening his core had always been something he put off. Last time around, when cultivation had become common knowledge, he’d never truly dedicated himself to it. He learned enough to get by but never enough to excel. And it had shown.

  People like the Sage of Elements had lived and breathed cultivation. To them, it wasn’t a chore or an afterthought. It was obsession. The Sage had climbed the tiers at a terrifying pace, advancing through cultivation like it was second nature. Ethan had never thought much of it back then. Not until the higher thresholds.

  At Sovereign rank, the gap became undeniable. The difference between cultivation stages became night and day. Ethan had scraped his way into Sovereign, standing on the lowest cusp of that realm, with subpar cultivation to boot, while the Sage had been brushing against the edge of demigodhood.

  So now, standing at the beginning again, he’d made a decision he hadn’t before. He would take cultivation seriously this time. Even if he was bad at it. Even if meditation was boring. He knew the fundamentals. He knew how to awaken his core. He just hadn’t had the time to do it yet. Until now.

  Alex, for his part, had wasted no time in setting him up. Once the immediate crisis had been acknowledged, Ethan had been more or less told to stay out of the way while the guild reorganized. The only problem was that guards shadowed him constantly. It was fairly obvious he wasn’t trusted.

  Ethan tried not to take it personally. If their positions were reversed, he probably would’ve done the same. Still, the presence grated on him. He wasn’t going to run. Wasn’t going to sabotage them. If anything, he wanted the Broken Dawns to stay strong. They were fair, as far as guilds went. Better than most of the alternatives he remembered.

  But he couldn’t exactly say that without sounding insane. So instead, he focused on what he could control. Alex had given him a room in the guild hall, carved deep into the mountain itself. It was basic by all accounts, with stone walls, sparse furnishings, and the odd rug to liven the place up. It should have been the perfect place to cultivate.

  It wasn’t.

  Ethan sat cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed, hands resting loosely on his knees. He tried to slow his breathing. Tried to empty his thoughts.

  It didn’t work.

  Every shift of air reminded him he wasn’t alone. He could feel the guards outside the door, hear them move occasionally. Even when he pushed that aside, his own mind betrayed him.

  Cultivation required clarity. A solid sense of self. You couldn’t build a stable foundation on doubt and self-loathing.

  And Ethan had both in abundance.

  He’d never been a leader. Never the strongest. Never the one people rallied behind. Part of him had always blamed circumstance—starting the trials late, missing critical early growth—but he knew that wasn’t the whole truth. Plenty of people had entered as children, even toddlers, and surpassed him anyway.

  By all rights, he shouldn’t have survived the final battle.

  Someone else should have been standing where he was now. Someone better. Someone stronger. Someone who deserved this chance more than he did.

  Instead, it was him.

  He didn’t know why. But that didn’t change the fact that he had it. Ethan exhaled slowly, then let out a sharp, frustrated breath.

  “Fuck,” he muttered.

  His eyes snapped open. This wasn’t working. Not like this. Not with guards watching and his head full of bullshit. Cultivation demanded honesty, and right now all he felt was tangled up in himself.

  He pushed himself to his feet, irritation buzzing under his skin.

  He needed air. Even if only for a moment, he needed space, somewhere he could breathe without feeling like the weight of two lifetimes was pressing down on his chest.

  Ethan walked out of the guild, his personal guards following, and made his way outside.

  It was the afternoon, and Highrocks was alive. He could smell cooked meat, spices he didn’t recognize, oil and smoke and sweat all tangled together. The noise followed soon after, voices layered over one another, bargaining, arguing, laughing.

  The markets were busy. And it was exactly what Ethan needed.

  Crowded streets wound through the heart of the settlement, stalls pressed close together wherever the rock allowed it. Buildings etched into the mountainside with bridges connecting them. Everywhere he looked, people were moving around, going about their day.

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  Ethan walked slowly, hands tucked into the pockets of his shorts, letting himself drift.

  Food stalls lined one stretch of the path. Skewers of roasted meat turned over open flames. Thick stews bubbled in heavy pots, steam rising in fragrant clouds. His stomach tightened despite himself. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was. It had been a while since he’d had proper food.

  He passed weapons next. Blades laid out on rough cloth, some chipped and dull, others polished carefully. Spears with mismatched shafts. Crossbows reinforced with bone. Armor stitched together from leather, chitin, and scavenged metal plates. Everything looked pretty shoddy, but he supposed beggars couldn’t be choosers and all that.

  Ethan stopped briefly at a stall displaying rings and trinkets, most of them clearly enchanted in some minor way. The merchant eyed him, gaze flicking to his empty hands, then away again. He was dismissed in a rather rude way. But he had to agree. He was broke, so he couldn’t blame the guy.

  Earth money was worthless here. Paper bills and cards had become little more than kindling or keepsakes. Trade had reverted to tangible value. Food, materials, services. Which was why he had harvested what he could from the scorpion. Silver and gold had found their way back into circulation, scavenged from ruins or pulled from the system in raw form.

  PO, on the other hand, was useless to anyone but the system.

  Untradeable. Unshareable. Locked to the individual. Ethan exhaled through his nose. He hadn’t thought about it until now, but he needed to get his hands on something valuable.

  He turned away from the stalls and made his way toward the settlement stone. It sat in a wide, open plaza, centered in the middle of the settlement. People lined up as they took their turn approaching it and getting whatever they needed.

  Ethan stepped forward and waited in line. He got a few strange looks as his quiet guards flanked either side of him. He ignored it, like he tried to ignore them. The line moved at a quick pace, a clerk calling people forward when it was their turn. Finally, Ethan was up. He walked up to the stone and placed his palm against the cool surface.

  The familiar interface bloomed in his mind.

  It was just like the one he could call up manually, only with the connection to the settlement stone, prices were halved, supply was limitless, and there were more items on display.

  Ethan was only there to resupply. After feeding Mark and Sarah, his supplies had started to run low. With him about to set out on another mission, he needed to restock.

  He went about his task, buying the basics required to survive in the desert. He didn’t have much PO, so he kept it simple, only acquiring a water purifier and small rations.

  He watched his PO tick down with each purchase until he finished and there was almost nothing left.

  The items manifested at his feet in neat stacks. He quickly bundled them and put them in his handy pack. The clerk ushered him away from the stone so the next in line could have their turn.

  Ethan had one last stop before he got back to cultivating. He moved through the market until he arrived at the living section. He found Mark and Sarah near one of the quieter residential corridors, just outside the guild hall. Mark was sitting on a low stone bench. He held a toy in his hand and was in the middle of a ferocious battle. Tom was attacking his hand with abandon, his own toy crashing into his father’s as he laughed. Sarah stood close, one hand resting protectively against her stomach, watching with a slight smile.

  Ethan idly wondered if he should leave them to it. It felt like he was encroaching on their happiness. But just as he was about to turn around, Sarah noticed him.

  “Ethan. It’s good to see you.”

  Mark pushed himself to his feet with a wince. “You alright?”

  “I am,” Ethan said. “Just came to see how you guys are getting on now.”

  Mark nodded and walked over before extending a hand. Ethan took it, and the man applied pressure before giving it a firm shake.

  “Thank you, Ethan. For everything.”

  Ethan was momentarily at a loss; the sincerity of his words made him pause before a smile spread across his face.

  “It’s no problem. I actually came to let you guys know I’ll be heading out again.”

  “You’re leaving?” Sarah asked, brows knitting together.

  Ethan nodded. “Soon. The Broken Dawns have agreed to help look for my sister. I just need to do something for them first.”

  Mark frowned. “They should help without the need for payment. That’s stupid.”

  “I know,” Ethan said gently. “But this is the way the world works. Especially here in the trials.”

  Sarah hesitated, then stepped forward and wrapped him in a brief, careful hug.

  “Thank you,” she said quietly. “For everything. I don’t know what would’ve happened without you. I hope you find her.”

  Ethan stiffened for half a second, then returned it awkwardly.

  “You would’ve survived,” he said. “You’re stronger than you think.”

  He knew that was a lie. But it sounded nice.

  Mark met his eyes. There was resolve there now—not just gratitude.

  “I owe you,” Mark said. “I don’t forget things like this. When I’m able to repay you—”

  “You don’t owe me anything,” Ethan interrupted. “Take care of your family. That’s enough.”

  Mark nodded slowly. “Still. I will.”

  Ethan gave a small smile, then stepped back. He didn’t linger and make small talk. He had come to say what he wanted. Goodbyes were easier when they were short.

  He returned to the room Alex had given him and closed the door behind him.

  This time, when he sat down, he forced himself to breathe.

  The guards outside faded into the background. The noise of the settlement dulled. He focused inward, on the space beneath his sternum, on the idea of stillness rather than the demand for it.

  Hours passed.

  He didn’t know if he made progress. Only that, eventually, exhaustion pulled him under and meditation blurred into sleep.

  Ethan pushed himself upright and froze. Alex sat at the small table across the room.

  Two plates of food rested between them, steam still curling upward. Alex looked different now; he had shaved. His hair pulled back tight, light armor fitted neatly to his frame. He looked ready.

  “Morning,” Alex said calmly. “Hope you’re hungry.”

  Ethan rubbed his eyes. “You don’t knock?”

  Alex shrugged. “Didn’t think you’d mind.”

  Ethan snorted softly and stood. He did mind. No one should be able to sneak up on him; it was something he needed to rectify.

  “I didn’t expect you to be here.”

  “I figured I should be,” Alex replied. “We’re moving soon.”

  “We?”

  Alex nodded. “I had a chat with another branch on the next level. They confirmed your theory and how to save her, so I’ve assigned a couple of people to come with us. Not many. I can’t pull too many fighters away—not with the other guilds watching. If the Valkyries make a move while we’re gone, Highrocks needs to be able to hold.”

  Ethan frowned. “You’re coming?”

  Alex met his gaze evenly. “The most important thing right now is healing her. The guild can survive without me for a short time. If the Colossus is the closest option, I’ll make sure the mission succeeds. Besides, someone has to watch you and make sure this isn’t some trap.”

  Ethan nodded; Alex coming would definitely make life easier. You couldn’t become the vice leader of a branch without holding power of your own. And, well, as for his accusation. It made sense.

  He took a seat across from Alex, eyes dropping briefly to the plates of food.

  “Fair enough. Thanks for the breakfast anyway.”

  Alex gave a humorless smile.

  He picked up a piece of bread and took a bite, letting the warmth settle in his stomach.

  “Are you ready?” Alex asked.

  Ethan swallowed. “Yeah. I just need to sell some materials from a scorpion I killed. Know a place?”

  ”We’ll take them. I’ll sort it before we leave.”