The Military Court was far from the grim dungeon Zane had imagined; rather than a place of punishment and relentless trials, it was a gathering spot for soldiers to discuss strategy and negotiate. Instead of darkness and chains, the air was alive with hushed conversations and determined faces.
Under the glow of the bright moon, Hua Huiliang stood beneath an arbor. Despite the stitched smile on his face, his eyes were somber, reflecting the weight of the news he was about to share. Resting on his shoulder was a golden phoenix—ethereal and shimmering as if crafted from pure mana. The sight startled Zane, evoking memories of the legendary Fenghuang, memories that made him shudder involuntarily.
"There's been a sighting of a Jade Palace within the Lu Clan's territory," Hua Huiliang announced gravely. "According to intel gathered from the mana birds, its location appears to be in Zhangwei village."
Madam Hua stepped forward, standing beside Li Feng with concern evident in her voice. "Wouldn't that area be cursed then?"
Sect Leader Xue, known to Rhian as Xue Huoqian, nodded. "Indeed, madam, the place is cursed. But we share this information to avoid unnecessary casualties regarding the palace."
Hua Huiliang's voice was resolute as he added, "Zhangwei village lies at the edge of both Hua and Lu territories. By war's end, we have the duty to investigate. However, we will not risk our homeland. Our forces will proceed to the Juhong plains. Meanwhile, innocents unaffiliated with the System should seek refuge at the safe house behind Nonwang Mountain's waterfalls. Is that clear?"
One of Hua Huiliang's advisors exhaled softly. "It's strange—this feels like a puzzle falling into place."
"Yes, Sect Leader Hua! How on earth do we find the 'helper'?" came a voice from the crowd.
Zane scanned the gathering for the speaker but was nudged lightly by Rhian. "Ignore who spoke. Focus on the response," Rhian said.
Before Zane could protest, he noticed many eyes fixed on them. "Why are they all staring at you like that? Do they think you're some sort of prince?" he whispered, elbowing Rhian again.
"I'm not a prince," Rhian replied with a sigh. "But honestly, it doesn't matter anymore."
"They look at you like you're… valuable property," Zane observed.
Rhian smirked lightly. "Simple way to discourage it: mind your own business."
Just then, the gates to the Military Court swung open, and a woman rode in, bringing her horse to a halt. "Our scouts have reached the plains," she announced. "We've detected mana signatures from Shu, Mei, and other unknown sources. It's time to move."
Xue Huoqian murmured, "Welcome back, ma'am."
"And you, Sect Leader Xue," she replied, bowing slightly. Zane noticed her foreign appearance—tan skin and hazel eyes flickering under lamplight—setting her apart from the rest.
Hua Huiliang raised his hand solemnly. "May the constellation of the Celestial Rotating Jade watch over us from Tian. As its direct lineage, I bestow protection upon every member of this clan."
A faint glow of mana shimmered around the soldiers and then vanished. Zane glanced at Rhian. "Does that work for you?"
Rhian smiled faintly at the woman on horseback, his gaze confident. "I don't need a talisman to know I'm blessed."
Within moments, horses were saddled and assigned. Skilled mana users propelled themselves forward with swords, while those on foot were instructed to hold position unless absolutely necessary. System members were free to choose their approach.
—
Descending onto Qian He Píngyuan—the Qian River Plains, whose name now felt like a bitter mockery—the landscape stretched out barren and unforgiving. The once-lush grasslands had withered into brittle yellow stalks, cracked earth showing through like old scars. Overhead, thick gray clouds pressed low, choking the first hints of dawn into a dull, ashen light. The air carried the faint metallic tang of impending rain mixed with smoke from distant, smoldering fires.
Zane walked beside Rhian, fingers wrapped tightly around the chain dangling from Ember's hilt. The sword felt heavier than usual, as if it knew what was coming. "What exactly is the relationship between the sect leaders?" he asked quietly, eyes fixed on the path ahead.
Rhian didn't look at him. "To become a sect ruler, aspirants enter the grand Jade Palace in Tiangong Cheng. They undergo trials that can last years. Only five survive to the end together. Those five become the nominees who rule for a century."
"So… they're bound by shared survival?" Zane pressed.
Rhian's jaw tightened for a moment. "At first, yes. They were supposed to be allies forged in hardship. But power erodes trust. Shu Meiying proposed using the Fei Resurrection artifact to rebuild the devastated clans to end the suffering. The others refused—said it would unbalance the natural order."
Zane waited.
"Then he stole it from the Temple," Rhian continued, voice flat. "After that, everything unraveled. Villages burned. Forests ran red. Diabolic energy seeped into the soil. He captured Sect Leader Mei and tortured her until one of her disciples handed over the artifact to spare her life. Since Shu Meiying vanished into hiding, no word has come from the new Sect Leader Mei. The chaos only grew worse."
Zane glanced toward the front of the column. Hua Huiliang walked alone, shoulders squared, no horse offered to him like the others. In Zane's fragmented memories, this man had been a figure of cruelty during his capture—cold, efficient, and merciless. Yet here he stood, leading without fanfare, bearing the weight of decisions that would cost lives on both sides.
Rhian followed his gaze. "Sect Leader Lu is missing. Attachments… they become weak points every time."
Zane gave a short, bitter nod. "Attachments and greed. The threads that always snap."
Rhian's mouth curved in a small, sad smile. "That's what makes people human."
The words landed strangely in Zane's chest—spoken by the same man responsible for so many deaths across regressions. Yet they carried a quiet truth he couldn't argue with.
Before he could respond, the sky split open.
Flaming arrows arced down in a screaming curtain of orange and black.
Screams erupted instantly.
"Akgh!"
"Aghah!"
Rhian reacted without hesitation. Golden threads unfurled from his palm in a shimmering circle, weaving into a translucent barrier that deflected the volley. Sparks rained harmlessly around them as the arrows hissed and died against the shield.
When the barrier faded, the grass ahead was ablaze. Water-wielders rushed forward, palms glowing blue as they summoned streams to smother the flames. Soldiers scrambled into defensive formations across the uneven fields.
Zane looked at Rhian, then down at Ember.
[System notice: Opening stat window]
[System Error]
The floating message hovered mockingly. Zane's lips pressed into a thin line. An error now—of all times?
[Many
[
[
[
Zane swallowed. An error was impossible… unless something fundamental had changed.
"Move out!"
"Charge forward!"
"Free the horses!"
[
He drew Ember slowly, the blade catching the weak dawn light in a dull-orange gleam.
In Ellesmere's old military fields, they used to say, Paint yourself and your side black. Let the others be white. In war, things go berserk by nature. Stand still too long, and a white pawn will find you.
Zane licked his lips and took a steadying breath.
Footsteps pounded behind him. He took two deliberate steps forward, then spun—just as a man in gold robes thrust a gleaming blade toward his chest. Zane parried with Ember, metal screaming against metal.
[A stigma, ␣␣ achieved!]
[Memory recollection: 0.8%]
Blood drained from Zane's face.
0.8%?!
He had understood fragments—forty-something percent in flashes—but less than one percent now? His breath came ragged. He shoved the blade away.
[System Error!]
[An Auxiliary Trial has arrived!]
Zane forced his mind to steady, shoving aside the spiraling panic.
[Auxiliary Trial: Kill The Enemy's Pawns
Grade: C+
Time Limit: 30 minutes
Conditions: Kill five or more people belonging to the Shu clan. Any method of slaughter is allowed.
Failure: A Dire Card will be placed on you
Reward: 1000 coins for each kill]
He barely registered the words before another sword came at him. He blocked again.
[Second Auxiliary Trial has arrived!]
[Auxiliary Trial: Traitor
Grade: B+
Time Limit: 90 minutes
Conditions: Find the Shu Helper among you
Failure: Inevitable death
Reward: the trial will be truncated]
––
Rhian evaluated the chaos with cold precision. What's the fastest way to kill a person?
He drove Executioner through a Shu soldier's chest, twisting once. The man coughed blood, neon-blue light erupting from the wound as the blade's curse took hold, eating him from the inside.
[You've finished the 1st Auxiliary Trial!]
[3000 coins earned]
[Personal skill, 'Hymn of Apostle' Lvl 3 is active]
Rhian clicked his tongue in disgust and shook the sword clean. The dark energy no longer leaked uncontrollably from Executioner; it felt… contained. Almost satisfying.
Will Zane survive this?
If he slaughtered everyone here, would the trial end by force?
He scanned the battlefield again, eyes narrowing. Mayhem had swallowed the prairie. Fire had spread faster than expected, reaching the edges of a nearby village. The river to the east ran red. They had been separated when a revenant had lunged at Rhian, and Zane had been pushed away into a sword-lock with a Shu clan member.
The revenants didn't count as kills, much to Rhian's chagrin. And the longer he stared at the people belonging to the Shu clan, the more unsettled he felt.
Their eyes were sunken in, cheeks hollowed out as though they'd been starved. Beyond that, their eyes had gotten this greenish tinge to them that seemed to be spread out onto their skin as well. They garbled more than they spoke, and the way they fought could be described only as animalistic by Rhian.
Then he saw Zane—fighting defensively, blade flashing but never finishing a kill. No intent to take life. Rhian's brows furrowed.
Morals in war. People live, die, and live again.
He raised Executioner to his neck and sliced off a single strand of hair with the edge.
[You've activated personal skill, 'Hurtle Chase' Lvl 3]
Wind howled around him. In a blink he crossed the distance, lodging Executioner into the abdomen of the woman attacking Zane. She screamed. Rhian yanked the blade free and shoved her down.
"Hey," he said, ignoring the horror in Zane's eyes. "You know you should ask someone whether transferring an Auxiliary is possible. I read something close to that in the contract."
He shook Executioner again, blood flicking off the edge.
"You—"
"A Dire card is worse," Rhian cut in. "Trust me."
He glanced at his reflection in the blade, then spun to parry another disciple. A quick upward strike shattered the man's nose; a follow-up to the neck dropped him.
The Dire card came from the Nerathi Isles' Iron Rose Temple. He'd seen them sold in the Player's Tryst. He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but the cards had been the reason he had ended up getting mixed into the crossfire of the two nations.
He glared at Zane. "Contract Administrator—is transfer possible?"
[
[
[Some
[A contract has arrived!
You,
You, ␣␣ are given the position of 'client.'
[The Contract Administrator has granted you permission to follow through with the auxiliary.]
Rhian rolled his shoulders. Executioner gleamed darkly, hungry again. "Make yourself bait," he said, glancing back at Zane. "Won't you?"
—
Five people died at his hands.
[Auxiliary Trial has been completed!]
[5000 coins have been earned!]
Rhian coughed and stabbed Executioner in the ground. He swallowed a sick feeling in his throat and closed his eyes tightly before opening them.
"Does it feel satisfactory?"
Rhian shook his head. "It's what has to be done."
He turned around and stared at Zane, glaring at him.
"What? Are you going to lecture me or shit?" He asked, leaning on Ember's hilt.
"Then what are the restrictions?"
'What's with him asking such questions?' Rhian pursed his lips.
[
Of course the creator of Executioner would smile.
Rhian licked his lower lip again. 'This man revealed similarly. Now I can act all high and stuff.'
"You're from Selvaris, aren't you?" Rhian asked. "Military empire? Mass mercenary producer? War." He took a step ahead, narrowly dodging an arrow, and gazed into the other man's eyes. "And there's no war without death."