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“So you did breach the protocol then?” Gong said.

“I did,” Jei Su Long answered far more quickly than he would have expected. “And it is a good thing that I did. It was my intention to only lend assistance to the platoon, but imagine my surprise when I found the Iron Bull in the midst of killing his own men.”

Gong immediately grimaced at the thought.

Nothing rang true about it.

“Killing his own men?” Gong questioned him further. “Why would he do such a thing?”

“I had the same question, general,” Jei Su Long said. “It was only after I managed to slay the Iron Bull himself that I found the answer.”

“You killed the Iron Bull?”

“It was in self-defense,” Jei Su Long said. “The man attacked me.”

“I mean that… I find it strange that you were even capable of such a thing,” Gong said.

Jei Su Long’s brows lowered in a glare. “You think I not strong enough to defeat one such as him?”

“Nevermind that,” Tai Su Long said. “Clearly my nephew’s skills were superior. Speak of this answer that you found.”

Jei Su Long reached into his robes and produced a piece of parchment that was stained with blood. “I found this on his corpse after I slew him. It explains perfectly why he did it. He was following the orders of his princess.”

“His princess?” Gong said.

“I always knew that Bull man was up to something,” Tai Su Long said as he studied the document. He then handed the paper to him. “Here, General Gong. Read for yourself.”

Gong took the bloodstained parchment and began reading.

My Dearest Tribute,

First, well done for making the correct decision in rejecting my false offer of ease through the Academy. It was a test…and one that you have passed. It was always my intent to send the strongest and bravest of what our fair planet has to offer, and you, my dear Tribute, have once again proven your worth to me.

Rest assured, however, that the opportunity to become a royal consort may still be in your future. Should fate destine it between us.

Especially if you return to me a Legionnaire.

On that note, there is another task you must assure me of completing. When you do return from your tour of the Hell Worlds, as I am sure you will, ensure that you return alone. There is a significant grant that is awarded by the imperial treasury to be split amongst the home worlds of the tributes who survive.

It should go without saying that my planet is the only one worthy of receiving this grant.

You must ensure that it is so.

Do not disappoint me.

Until the fates reunite us again.

In my thoughts always,

Princess Lunalah

General Gong stared at the letter stupefied. “This is a letter from the Third Princess Lunalah to the Iron Bull?”

“It is stamped with her imperial seal, is it not?” Jei Su Long said.

Tai Su Long harrumphed. “That settles it. The Iron Bull’s motivations are now clear. He likely was planning this from the start. The reward of wedding a princess is something a low born peasant like him would dare not cast aside.”

“Yes,” Gong said sardonically. “Even to the point of slaughtering his own men apparently, despite it betraying every display of his character thus far. An incredible actor he must be.”

“Yes, yes,” Jei Su Long said quickly. “He’s a born liar.”

“And one guilty of far more,” Tai Su Long said. “His record at the academy must be expunged. The president himself must learn of this treachery.”

Gong seethed inwardly.

A blind man could see past this charade, yet he possessed neither the station nor proof to deny it. How indeed had Jei Su Long obtained such a document? Was it authentic? Or an act of forgery?

“This letter proves more than just the Iron Bull’s treachery,” Gong said. “Does it not implicate the very princess as well?”

The notion seemed to take both Tai Su Long and Jei Su Long by surprise, almost as if the two had overlooked the true mastermind of the deed to simply place more emphasis on the Iron Bull’s so-called treachery.

“Indeed,” Captain Li Jeng said. “I would think a letter such as this would create quite an uproar within the lower courts.”

Tai Su Long snatched the letter away from Gong. “I shall be the one to disclose this to our princess directly. You are right. If handled carelessly this could cause a rife throughout the entire empire.”

“Perhaps there is one already,” Jei Su Long said.

“What do you mean?” Gong said.

“How do we know that other royal households are not plotting the same?” Jei Su Long said. “Uncle, I have served my tour of duty and am now a full-fledged legionnaire, having braved the fires of the Hell Worlds. But I would hate to think that with the knowledge I have now, that other deployments might be at risk. I propose that for the next two deployments I shall volunteer as a Senior Commander to oversee the operations as I have done here today to ensure their safety and integrity.”

Gong nearly died inside. “Two more tours?”

“Why yes,” Jei Su Long said. “I will make the sacrifice for the empire.”

“A capital idea,” Tai Su Long said. “I am certain the president will be most pleased to hear it. Captain Lu Jeng, make for Du Gok Bhong with haste. We have much evidence of this treachery to share.”

As Tai Su Long and his nephew left, Gong’s insides soured with disgust.

“Did you buy any of that?” he asked Captain Li Jeng.

“Not a word,” the captain said. “No way could he have faced the Iron Bull and won. I’ve questioned my pilot. He left a full minute ahead of schedule due to a signal from Jei Su Long from below. He likely stranded them there. In the face of this evidence however, I doubt we could even bring it up as an accusation.”

“He would likely explain it away in any case,” Gong said. “Not to mention it would be the end of our careers or even lives if we did.”

“So what do we do from here?”

Gong sighed and thought of the Iron Bull. A brilliant legacy cut short by the arrogance and greed of the elite. “We can do naught but follow our orders and endure the Governor and his wretched nephew for two more tours perhaps. They will use this as a means to claim even more glory and favor for their clan. In the meantime, we have to do our utmost to ensure that a travesty such as this does not occur again.”

* * *

I was lounging on the lakeside beach with Fia, her head nestled against my chest. She was talking to me about something, but I couldn’t figure out quite what. I just smiled at her while I ran my fingers through her hair, enjoying the warmth of her body as she pressed against me. Then I noticed the size of her stomach. It was huge.

That’s right, I thought. The baby.

Then I figured out what she was talking about. The baby and how much we needed to prepare. Where we’d have to find a crib, perhaps borrow some clothes from Yu Li. We’d have to get married first of course. Then that reminded me of all I needed to do to make that happen.

Defeat the Warden.

Gain my status as a Legionnaire.

Du Gok Bhong.

The Hell Worlds.

I looked up at the sky and it had suddenly turned a violent red.

There at its center was the oppressive orb of the Cursed Star, flanked by a Full Bloodmoon. Fia screamed next to me and when I looked, I saw it was no longer her, but Dim Wei. Tears streamed from her eyes as she begged me to kill her, over and over again.

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I jumped up and found myself surrounded by my platoon, all of them in varying states of demonic transformation. They begged for their deaths as they suffered under the effects of the Cursed Star, wailing and moaning for me to kill them.

I awoke from the nightmare with a jolt.

It was pitch black.

For a moment, I wondered if I was still within a nightmare, but then, my body gave the reassurance of reality with the harsh bite of pain. Every cell cried out in agony, but I found I didn’t have the strength to even grunt, much less scream.

With the return of physical pain came the true memories of my ordeal as well. The truth that my subconscious was trying to suppress with those moments of bliss with Fia. But my conscious mind could suppress them no longer.

My stomach curled as I thought of each of my men.

Dim Wei.

Juk Sui.

Jim Po.

It was still hard to believe they were all gone now.

The weeks and months we had spent together.

The friendships and camaraderie we had formed.

And not to mention, how they had entrusted their lives to me, no question.

Everything had been progressing so well.

We’d nearly made it.

And to have all of it scattered at the last moment.

All because of him.

Embers of rage kindled within my soul.

That damn bastard Jei Su Long, I cursed him inwardly. He had caused all of this.

Slowly my grief ebbed, and rage took its place, forming like a pit of bile in my soul.

My Flame coughed and sputtered as it reacted to it. It was still choked something fierce with a gunk like Dark Frenzy, but not quite. Something stronger and more potent. I’d been poisoned by a Cursed Star, so Cursed Frenzy was perhaps the best way to describe it.

My hand was still on the aetherite crystal and as I struggled to try and reignite my Flame, what little Frenzy I could draw on was instantly zapped. I collapsed in on myself and my consciousness gave way to darkness again.

* * *

I awoke sometime later.

I had no clue how much time had passed.

Was it hours or mere minutes?

It could have been days.

I had no idea.

I went in and out of consciousness frequently then—glimpses of pitch-black pain and reality mixing with fever dreams, plagued by the nightmarish monsters of the Hell Worlds. The cycle seemed to go on for ages, but each time I regained consciousness, I struggled for a moment to reignite my Flame.

I lost track of how many attempts I made.

Of how many times I endured the nightmare of seeing my men turned into demons, over and over again. But in the madness, the Struggler was there, lending his silent and solemn support. It was the thought of who and what I needed to survive for, that kept me going.

Fia.

The baby.

Freeing my home.

I had no idea if I could even get home now, but I would have to find away.

No way was I dying in this Hell ridden darkness.

The [Struggler’s Resolve] gave me purpose and slowly, but surely, with each glimpse of consciousness, I chipped away at the Cursed Frenzy clogging my soul.

* * *

I came to with a start and breathed in a huge lungful of air.

I then hacked it out immediately, choking on the acrid taste of sulfur.

It was the first time, I realized, that I had actually breathed when I came to.

The other times, I must have been teetering on the boarder of [Death’s Door].

Now, however, my body seemed to have healed enough to actually be under its own power, albeit just barely. I checked my Flame and saw the Cursed Frenzy was finally gone. It was just a little candle right now, but the aetherite crystal had done its job.

I still didn’t know how long it had taken.

Was I out for days? Weeks?

I prayed not.

But days was likely.

I hadn’t been this badly beat up in ages and that went for both physically and spiritually. The only upside was, that if I survived this and managed to heal all the way naturally, I’d be in for a shit-ton of gains.

The thought made me laugh inwardly and I hacked out a little chuckle.

Doing that hurt like hell.

I struggled to get on my hands and knees in the darkness and the effort felt like I was trying to perform a pushup with an elephant on my back. It took time, but eventually I managed to get to crawling.

Hard rocks bit into my palms and I realized I must have very little of my naturally hardened skin left to even feel such a thing. How did I even lose it? I didn’t recall burning my hands or anything, but then the realization hit me as a gnawing growl twisted my stomach with pain.

My body was cannibalizing itself.

I was dying of hunger and thirst and my parched throat felt like it was filled with knives. I tried to find my canteen, but my robes were shredded. I couldn’t even find my weapons. If I had the strength to shift with [Mark of the Beast] I could perhaps see in the dark, but my body was lightyears away from doing something like that right now.

Hell, even a spark of lightning would help, but I had no spare Frenzy to speak of.

My Dantian was but a sliver and anything I had in it was now devoted to the most basic functions to keep me alive through [Death’s Door].

I didn’t know where I was heading in the darkness, but I needed to find water.

I stumbled around for countless minutes, and slowly my eyes adjusted to the faint light produced by the aetherite crystal. It wasn’t much, the crystal itself being only the size of a football, but from it, I could just barely make out that I was within a large cavern.

I found that my weapons had fallen close to me, but I was in no condition to try and lift them. I searched on my hands and knees for any remnants of my ration pack, dreaming of finding a sliver of jerky and my canteen.

But after spending what felt like an hour, I couldn’t find anything at all.

Hope faded to desperation but subtly I began to sense something else in the darkness. It was faint, but in the distance, I could hear what sounded like voices. At first, I thought it was coming from the crystal, but as I touched it again, I could sense no living spirit within it, like what I had experienced back at Du Gok Bhong.

Perhaps it was too small.

But as I focused on the voices, I sensed that same spiritual presence as when I was digging earlier. Perhaps there was a larger crystal somewhere. Something that could perhaps sustain me. I looked to the small lump of aethrite that had sustained me thus far. I’d have to leave it behind to find whatever it was.

But what other choice did I have now?

I summoned my strength and honed my spiritual focus as I crawled towards wherever the voices were coming from. Pitch blackness returned and I found myself literally stumbling in the dark with no compass other than the voices of desperation and fear, drawing me nearer.

I didn’t know how far I traveled but fatigue set in as hours went by.

But, then along with the voices I heard something else.

The gentle lapping of water splashing against a rock.

A jolt of excitement and hope ran through me, reinvigorating my weary bones. I crawled towards it, enduring the pain of both exhaustion and the numerous abrasions that now blistered my hands and knees.

I sensed I was heading downward, lowering towards some depth unseen and then finally I found the source. Water I couldn’t see, trickled down a rockface and pooled in a small basin below it. It was cool to the touch and soothed my burning skin.

Scooping the water into my palms, I sampled it and didn’t care that it tasted like mud. I lapped it up hungrily and the water soothed my aching throat. I sensed something move within the water and flinched back startled.

What the hell was that?

In my mind I conjured up all manner of creatures that could be slithering in this water. Worms, leeches, giant cockroaches? It all turned my stomach and made my flesh crawl, but then another thought occurred.

What the hell else was I going to find to eat down here?

I summoned my [Struggler’s Resolve] and fished through the small pool of water to find whatever the hell it was. Something slimy slipped past my hand and I splashed through the water to snatch it.

A mixture of revulsion and disgust filled me as I finally grasped whatever it was. It was long and slimy and twisted within my grasp. I didn’t know what the hell it was. It could be some poisonous demon larva for all I knew.

But it was protein my body desperately needed to repair itself.

To hell with it, I thought.

Whatever the outcome, I’d have to trust that I could survive eating whatever this thing was by relying on [Death’s Door]. I blanked my mind as I pushed the writhing thing into my mouth and bit down hard. Nasty, bitter tasting juices filled my mouth, and I nearly spit it out and retched, but the thought that all my body needed was fuel right now, forced me to keep it down.

I imagined it being some kind of fish, like raw sushi and that helped me bite and choke down the rest of it. I nearly vomited as the thing filled my stomach and I washed out to taste with the foul-tasting water. I propped myself against the rock face then, breathing heavily from my ordeal. As the minutes passed, my mind and body seemed to settle.

My stomach went to work digesting whatever I’d just eaten and then, like it finally knew I had sustenance to process, my body gave into the fatigue, and I fell into a long and restful sleep.

I awoke sometime later, feeling surprisingly refreshed and renewed.

Even my Flame seemed to burn a little brighter.

My stomach surprisingly did not feel sick and even had a bit of appetite gnawing at it. I went back to the pool and drank more water, before searching for more of the nasty worms or whatever the hell it was that I had eaten.

No, not worms, I thought. Eels.

I convinced myself, that that’s what they were.

Like unagi.

Fresh Japanese sushi was on the menu.

I found and scarfed down three more of them, blocking my nose as not to actually taste the things, but I managed to fill my stomach. I rested then and like before, my body gave way to sleep. I repeated the process until it became a routine and slowly, I recovered and regained my strength.

After what had to be a couple of days or so, I finally had enough strength and wherewithal to think straight again. My body was still relatively weak and recovering, but at least my mind and spirit were now functioning as they should.

In between my disgusting meals, I dove into my mind’s eye to enjoy the solace of my lakeside beach. But after a while even that became tedious. I finally set my mind to what I really needed to do.

I needed a plan to get the hell out of here.

My body still needed to recover, but my mind and soul were free to roam.

I needed to get back to the surface, strong enough to rendezvous with the next deployment. If things went to schedule, that gave me two weeks or so to recover and prepare. But how much time had passed already?

I had no clue.

Which meant I needed to get strong enough to reach the surface as soon as possible. Not to mention to be able to defend myself against the hordes of demons roaming up there. As I contemplated my predicament, a new thought occurred.

I needed to scout out my surroundings.

Slipping into the spiritual realm, I inhabited the Red-hued [Spectral Body] of the Struggler and then ventured into the darkness of the spiritual realm. Above I could sense the rays of Dark Frenzy from the surface and the gates that spawned the demons there. But below, where I was, I sensed that’s same presence as I did before. A huge source of harmonic Frenzy and the voices that came with it.

As I ventured to reach it, I saw the faint glow of it in the spiritual plane.

A ghostly form the same hue and shape as the aetherite crystal appeared, but surrounding it was something else. Something vile and powerful. As I drew nearer, I could sense a malevolence and rippling across the faint outline of the crystal, were purple tendrils of Dark Frenzy.

The tendrils pulsed and suddenly I sensed an unearthly presence draw near.

Something flashed and I felt myself quickly ejected from the spiritual realm and suddenly I was back in my own body again.

Shit, I thought. What the hell was that?

But whatever it was, I had no way to find it in the physical realm.

At least not yet.

My body was still too weak.

But perhaps…

I ventured back into my mind’s eye and read a few versus from the cultivation manual again before attempting to project my [Spectral Body] into the real world. It was a new technique, but not dissimilar to those I already knew from before.

It started out with me inhabiting my [Spectral Body] in the spiritual realm, but then from there I would need to project my [Spectral Body] into the real world. I could manage but a second at first, the technique draining what little Frenzy I had.

I would then have to rest and recover before trying again.

It took me close to a day and over a dozen tries, but eventually I got the meridian sequences down just right and was finally able to [project] my inner self into the real world.

It was similar to me summoning my [Spectral Body] as I had done countless times before, but this time, instead of seeing double, with my [Spectral Body] superimposed over my true self, I was now seeing only through the eyes of my [Spectral Body] alone.

I’ve done it! I thought.

My spiritual consciousness was now inhabiting my [Spectral Body] in the real world.

Immediately my surroundings came to life as my demonic eyes pierced through the darkness.

I could see myself leaning against the hard rock shale of the cavern wall.

I looked a mess. Emaciated.

I needed real food.

I took a few steps and suddenly my [Spectral Body] dissipated, and I found myself thrust back into my body again.

Shit, I thought.

Not much of a projection range.

But it was a start.

After a few moments to muster a bit more Frenzy, I tried the technique again and this time I managed to make three steps before my [Spectral Body] dissipated once more.

Progress, I thought.

It was slow, but it was there.

If I could master this, I could venture far away enough to find a better source of water, or perhaps even venture to the surface to scrounge up some real food. If such a thing even existed. But whatever the case, this was now my ticket to greater freedom in this mini-dungeon of a Hell World.

You’ve got this Max, I told myself. Get the hell out of here.

Encouraged, I summoned my hatred for Jei Su Long to cultivate a bit more frenzy, before settling back within my mind’s eye and then trying again.