"Hmph!" Jin Huang pointed with his chin at the gathering of knights, rogues and adventures.
"It seems that their talk of honor was complete bullshit," Hei Shisan spat.
Gwen's group was present, but Mars alone was at the front. Boff was also missing.
Upon closer inspection, a lot of the groups seemed to be missing people.
Frowning, Jin Huang pointed at Mars, "What have you done with Gwen and Boff!?"
Han Jianyu glared as he rounded Hei Shisan's side, only then noticing that Boff truly was missing.
"I really liked Boff especially," Jin Huang continued. "He said he would treat me to a sandwich after this."
Mars' grin was cold. "That's too bad. I'm afraid Boff won't be making any sandwiches for you or anyone else."
Mars' eyes lingered on a particular tomb off to his right, and Jin Huang's eyes followed. Something was off about it.
It appeared to have been altered somehow.
"Now," Mars placed a hand on the hilt of the sword at his side, "where is the sword?"
Jin Huang blinked; the others looked at him with questioning gazes.
Most of them had experienced the same trials, but none of them made it out.
Hei Shisan and Lu Chen got stuck on the second one, locked in an endless battle with their own selves.
Cho Yanshi had not been able to make it past the very first trial.
Shen Wuyou and Qin Shuyue were unable to realize that the third trial was a false reality. They were too caught up in it.
As for Han Jianyu, he was the only one that had appeared while still unconscious.
The other groups had long been ejected from the tomb; Jin Huang's group was the only one that remained inside.
"I don't have any sword. What are you talking about?" Jin Huang tilted his head.
Mars scoffed and pointed at something off to the side, just behind Jin Huang's group. Looking, they saw the staff that had initiated the trial.
However, it was now decayed and lifeless. As though the gentlest breeze would destroy it.
"We aren't idiots. The Immortal Mage, Merlin, placed that staff there long ago. He said that its power would only fade when the sword chose its new owner." Mars grinned.
"So one of you has it. My bet's on you," he said, his predatory gaze set on Jin Huang.
"Tch," Jin Huang cracked his knuckles. "So much for honor."
Unbeknownst to everyone, Lu Chen had pulled something out of his spatial ring and sneakily sent it off in the direction of the tomb that had been tampered with.
His hope was that he would find Gwen, Boff and the others- those who opposed Mars' plan- trapped inside and be able to set them free.
The object was a tiny disc, powered by its very own miniature core. It silently flew off toward the tomb, relaying the information to Lu Chen via a spiritual connection.
He was thankful that it was still functional. However, when he saw what was inside the tomb, he suddenly felt like there was nothing to be thankful for.
With a thought, the disc utilized its specialized array, and transported everything that it found to the outside.
When a bright blue light appeared between Jin Huang's group and Mars' group, all were startled.
"What the-" Mars shielded his eyes.
Jin Huang took a step forward, his nose immediately detecting fresh blood.
The light dimmed, and all could see what had appeared. Lu Chen's expression was gloomy.
The disc had found numerous mutilated corpses inside the tomb, Gwen and Boff among them.
Jin Huang almost gasped, taking a breath instead.
For a moment, the entire Valley of Kings fell silent.
Even the ever-present wind that howled between ancient tombstones seemed to retreat in shame.
Bodies lay strewn across the stone in a grotesque heap. Armor was torn apart, limbs were bent at unnatural angles.
Blood pooled between the cracks of the ancient stone and slowly trickled along with some meaty bits.
Gwen lay near the front.
Her once-pristine armor had been split open across the chest, and though her eyes remained open, whatever fierce defiance had once burned within them was gone.
Not far from her was Boff.
The young man looked almost unrecognizable. His broad frame had been reduced to stillness, one massive hand outstretched as if he had tried to crawl toward someone.
Jin Huang stared. He stared at Boff especially. His lips parted, but no words came.
"Ugh! Who the hell did that!?" Mars groaned. "They stink!"
In that moment, Han Jianyu, Lu Chen, Hei Shisan, Qin Shuyue, Shen Wuyou and Cho Yanshi glared at Mars.
Jin Huang was furious. The usual grin that would always linger on his face was gone.
Han Jianyu's jaw clenched so hard his teeth creaked.
Qin Shuyue covered her mouth, face pale. Even Hei Shisan had looked visibly disturbed.
Shen Wuyou's expression darkened. "You butchered your own allies."
Mars rolled his shoulders with complete indifference.
"Allies?" he laughed. "They were obstacles."
He gestured lazily toward Gwen's corpse. "That woman prattled on and on about honor. About some bullshit knight's code."
Then toward Boff.
"That fool thought loyalty meant something."
His grin widened. "They refused to cooperate, so death was the only option available for them."
Jin Huang slowly lowered his head. No one could see his eyes beneath the shadow cast by his hair.
Lu Chen and Hei Shisan immediately recognized the signs; they were also furious.
Mars smirked. "You were the only ones that made it into the tomb. I know you have the sword, so hand it over."
There was a brief silence that barely lasted before it was shattered.
The sound of steel hissing free from sheaths all across the Valley of Kings overlapped into a single, violent chorus. The wind returned with a howl, whipping cloaks and hair into a frenzy as killing intent flooded the ancient grounds.
Mars didn't move, only smiled.
"Last chance," he said lazily, resting his hand on his sword. "Hand it over, and I might let a few of you crawl away."
No one answered him.
Jin Huang stepped forward, and the stone beneath his foot cracked.
His head was still lowered, his face hidden- but the air around him had changed. It felt… heavier. Like something was pressing down on the lungs of everyone present.
Lu Chen exhaled slowly through his nose. "We're doing this, then."
Hei Shisan let out a low chuckle, though there was no humor in it. "Been waiting since he opened his mouth. Time to try out these runes."
He tore his sleeves, freeing himself up while also revealing dark runic symbols painted onto his arms, their own inherent energy filling him.
Han Jianyu didn't speak. His sword was already in his hand.
Mars sucked his teeth, "So be it." He raised his hand slightly.
"Kill them!"
The valley erupted as they charged all at once.
Knights in battered armor, rogues slipping through blind spots, adventurers with axes, spears and curved blades. They charged by the dozens, surging forward like a tide of steel and killing intent.
At first, Jin Huang didn't move. His eyes were fixed on one thing: Boff. That stupid promise.
He vanished the next moment.
BOOM!
The ground where he stood exploded outward as Jin Huang shot forward, his figure blurring into a streak of motion.
His first victim didn't even see him. A fist crashed into the knight's chest, causing a sickening crack.
Armor caved inward as the man was launched backward like a broken doll, slamming into three others and sending them tumbling.
Jin Huang didn't stop, didn't slow and didn't think.
A blade came for his neck and he tilted his head just enough for it to miss. His hand snapped out to grab the attacker's wrist at precisely the same moment.
Snap!
A scream cut short as Jin Huang drove his elbow into the man's face, dropping him instantly.
Behind him, the others moved.
Han Jianyu stepped into the fray like a drawn blade given human form. His sword flashed once- twice- and two opponents fell before they even realized they'd been cut.
His actions were clean, precise and unforgiving.
Lu Chen flicked his fingers, and several discs shot out, humming with inherent energy.
They darted through the battlefield like living things, releasing bursts of force that knocked enemies off balance... or worse.
Still unable to utilize their internal energy, they had to find other ways to fight.
Hei Shisan laughed, a sharp, feral sound, as black energy erupted from the runes and coiled around his arms.
He met a charging group head-on, his strike sending one man crashing into another with bone-breaking force.
"Come on, then!" he roared. "Let's see what these runes of yours can do, Wuyou!"
Shen Wuyou was at the back, dice in hand, calculating probabilities as the battle raged.
At the first sign of an unfavorable exchange, he would hastily call out to them and have them alter strategy.
Realizing this, a number of Mars' goons tried to attack with arrows, but Cho Yanshi's barrier- powered by his runes- put a stop to them.
However, there were still too many. Runes alone could not make up for the difference.
They kept coming from all sides. Relentless.
Jin Huang was the only one operating at full capacity, but his sole focus was on getting to Mars.
As for Mars, he watched without joining.
His eyes remained locked on Jin Huang, tracking his movements with cold interest.
As if sensing his gaze, Jin Huang looked up. For a brief moment, their eyes met amidst the chaos.
Mars grinned. "You're fighting for corpses!"
Jin Huang's fist froze mid-swing for the briefest fraction of a second, causing a blade to graze his side.
He didn't react.
Mars continued, "What was his name again? Boff?"
Another opponent lunged; Jin Huang didn't dodge.
The blade pierced his shoulder as his hand closed around the attacker's throat.
The man choked, eyes bulging, then- CRACK.
Jin Huang dropped the body, and carried on.
Mars chuckled. "He trusted too easily. People like that always die first!"
Something shifted, but not in the battlefield... in Jin Huang.
The chaos around him seemed to dull, like the world had been muffled. His breathing slowed.
"So what if you guys shared a laugh? Maybe a drink?" Mars' grin widened. "You think his death means something in the grand scheme of things?"
Jin Huang moved again- a lot faster this time.
He tore through another pair of enemies, his movements losing their earlier fluidity as they became sharper, more direct and more violent.
Mars' voice followed him like a shadow. "Let me explain something to you: Bad things happen to good people all the time."
A rogue leapt from behind.
Jin Huang didn't even look. He twisted, his fist driving backward and crushing the man's ribs.
"Those who lack the resolve to do what needs to be done always get fucked over!" Mars smirked as blood splattered across the stone.
"The universe doesn't care! That's why the stronger party is always right."
Another body fell.
"That is Law!"
Jin Huang stopped, standing in the middle and surrounded by fallen bodies and circling enemies.
His chest rose and fell. Behind him, his friends' fight raged on.
Mars smirked, and stepped forward. "I was strong enough to remove the obstacles in my way, but are you?"
Jin Huang's head lifted, his face now visible.
There was no grin- no light. Only something dark and unsteady. Something dangerous beneath the surface.
His voice was quiet, "… shut up."
Mars smiled. "Oh?"
Jin Huang took a step forward; the ground cracked again.
"I said-"
His eyes locked onto Mars.
"-shut up."