Micro, Feng, and Lena continued to weave through the trees as the mysterious summoned creatures chased tirelessly after them. Occasionally one would fly high up into the air, only to come crashing back down to the ground, the impact of which made it even more difficult for Micro to keep his footing.

  “Are there any dungeons we can hide in?!” Micro yelled over the roar of one of the creatures.

  “No such luck!” Blue called back.

  “What are you talking about?!” Feng blurted out in shock.

  “Caves?!” Micro continued to question Blue, but she continued to search in silence. “Mines, perhaps…?

  “Wait, Micro!” Lena called out while diving through the air to avoid a wave of debris.

  “Yes?” He called back.

  “Do you think you could make use of your Spirit Wave Skill if we bought you enough time?” Lena asked.

  “Spirit Wave?” Feng shouted. “But he’s only a Jade core, its power would only—”

  “I believe its combination with the Mycelial Art should compensate for his lack of internal energy!” Lena added.

  “The Mycelial—Such an art?! I see!” Feng looked back with a bright expression. “That’s much better than what I was about to suggest. On your mark, then!”

  “What’s happening?” Micro asked Lena, stumbling over a small gravel golem as he looked behind him. Lena rushed forward to grab his arm and stabilize him before he fell, and the group continued.

  “We’ll draw them away and circle back!” Lena answered, her voice filled with an authority which reassured Micro. “Use that time to prepare a Spirit Wave attack, the strongest you can!”

  “Okay!” Micro answered with resolve. “Drive safe, Lena.”

  Without another word, Lena and Feng nodded to each other, then stopped in their tracks. Each cultivator released an intimidating aura that would have been noticeable from much farther away, and it was soon clear that they had succeeded in drawing the monsters’ attention. Micro watched as one creature followed Feng as he ran to the right, while the other followed Lena to the left, leaving Micro alone and out of breath. He was unsure how long it would be before they returned with the monsters behind them, and he immediately rooted himself in the ground. After taking a deep breath, he began to draw as much energy from the ground as he could.

  “There’s a lot of energy here…” he mumbled as he channelled the endless supply of power to his hands, he was startled by the power he felt accumulating in his core. “This actually feels a bit dangerous!”

  “You sure you don’t want to just escape now?” Blue asked. “Now would be the time…”

  “We’ll leave together with Feng and Lena,” Micro replied quietly as he continued to concentrate.

  “I figured…” Blue sighed. “Hey, Trill!”

  “Yes!” Trill faithfully replied, jumping out of Micro’s other pocket and landing neatly atop his head.

  “You figured out that mushroom card, right?” Blue asked.

  “Don’t remind me!” Trill mumbled in reply. “What pride I still had as a pixie is gone…”

  “Whatever, we’ll double up on an attack,” Blue continued. “This might be fun, if it doesn’t get us killed.”

  “Understood,” Trill replied.

  Micro continued to prepare a Spirit Wave attack as Blue summoned her Spirit Slingshot, and Trill stood behind her with a hand placed on her back. Blue rooted herself the same way Micro has, and Trill soon followed, somehow feeding the energy he amassed into Blue through his hand.

  “That’s convenient,” Micro remarked.

  “You aim to the right,” Blue replied. “I’ll take left.”

  “Do you think we’re strong enough to stop them?” Micro asked as the power in his hands glowed ever brighter. “If those things crash into us, I’m guessing they’ll do a fair bit of damage.”

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  “No,” Blue stated plainly. “Those things are tough.”

  “Oh…” Micro frowned.

  “I figure we’ll give them a headache at least, but they’re unfamiliar beings,” Blue answered with a shrug. “Best we can hope for is to slow them down while we find a rock to hide under.”

  “Good luck,” Micro nodded, then closed his eyes and increased his concentration. The flow of time seemed to slow for Micro as his roots reached deeper into the ground. Blue and Trill had soon created their own vast network of roots that intertwined with his own, sharing the rich power of the forest equally between the three of them. As the energy in his hand continued to grow in density, he eventually found it necessary to strengthen the shield around his hands to prevent them from being consumed by it.

  Micro’s core began to vibrate with the intensity of the energy flowing through it, and he felt the soul of the dog which resided within his core running around excitedly, apparently chasing the energy playfully. Micro smiled as the joy of the dog spilled over into his own emotions, along with the desire to chase something, but he remained focused on the wildly fluctuating ball of energy in his hands. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed when he began to feel that he could not possibly contain any more energy within his shielded hands. He opened his eyes and noticed no less energy than he had summoned present in the translucent slingshot held by Blue.

  “That all you can do?” Blue taunted him when she noticed his eyes had opened.

  Micro only nodded, scared of what might happen if he were distracted by conversation. He felt closer to losing control with ever second that ticked by, and sweat poured down his face as his concentration waned.

  “Oh, just in time,” Blue said, looking back into the woods as the sound of trees being obliterated grew in the distance. “Our friends are back.”

  Soon after the terrible sounds could be heard, Micro saw Lena and Feng toward him, side by side, each being pursued by one of the giant creatures. Lena had apparently been injured as blood poured from a wound on her head, but she looked forward at Micro with resolve.

  “Wait for it…” Blue said quietly as Feng and Lena led the monsters closer and closer to where she and Micro stood waiting. “Wait…”

  Finally, Feng and Lena each turned in opposite directions, confusing the beasts for a moment before the accumulated energy of Micro and Blue caught their attention.

  “Now!” Blue shouted.

  BOOM

  With a feeling of immense relief, Micro looked into the fierce eyes of the monster on the right and extended his hands, allowing the energy in his hands to flow freely away from him. He tried at first to narrow the wave of energy, but it was all he could do to keep it pointed in a single direction.

  Blue’s attack reached its target much faster than Micro’s, her dense ball of energy striking the its target between the eyes. Its head was knocked back by the explosion of Blue’s projectile, causing it to stumble forward and trip. By the time its head had hit the ground, Micro’s wave of energy had also met its target, causing it to flip in the air and crash head-first into a hill. Micro also nearly fell as the energy left his legs, but Feng soon appeared beside him with a wide smile.

  “Well done!” Feng shouted.

  “That should buy us a moment!” Lena added.

  “That’s good…” Micro replied, feeling dizzy. He reached down to allow Trill and Blue to climb up his hand and into his pockets. Blue wore a proud smile, though Trill looked too exhausted to smile at all. “Let—Let’s go…!”

  ~

  Micro felt frustrated as he followed behind Lena and Feng in a daze, his one good eye unable to focus well on the forest floor ahead. His Armour Trait prevented the rocks and roots he tripped over from injuring his toes, but it bothered him no less.

  “One day…” Micro mumbled. “I’ll have tires again, one day—”

  “What did you say?” Lena turned around to ask. “Are you injured?”

  “I’m alright, it’s nothing,” Micro replied with a heavy tone. “Are we safe yet?”

  “You and Blue did well. It will take some time before they regain their senses, and we’ll be far enough away by then,” Lena replied reassuringly. “I only hope those monsters don’t stray far from these woods…”

  “Where should we hide?” Micro asked.

  “For now, we’ll head west,” Feng replied. “Once we’ve put some distance between us and those evil beasts, you and Lena will travel west, on to the Water Serpent Moon Sect.”

  “Oh, good idea,” Micro replied. “Won’t you join us?”

  “I’m afraid I may have found a reason to keep living,” Feng answered with a frown.

  “Have you considered returning with me to the sect?” Lena asked with bright eyes.

  “No, though I’m sure we’ll meet again,” Feng said, shaking his head. “Seeing such vile creatures summoned to these woods which I have called home for so many years… I’m sure I can’t let this be.”

  “So you’ll start cultivating again?” Micro asked. “That’s great!”

  Feng nodded his head, but he looked more disappointed than excited to have decided to rekindle his core. His steps were heavy as he walked ahead of Micro for the next few hours in silence. Lena remained at Micro’s side as he continued to stumble frequently until he’d recovered enough energy to better maintain his balance.

  “Ah…” Feng eventually mumbled with an air of displeasure. “As if the magicians’ summoned beasts weren’t enough…”

  Micro looked around the forest, trying to see whatever threat Feng may have noticed, but it had grown too dark for him to see much of anything. With what little energy he could freely use, he looked ahead once more to observe the energy of the woods.

  “Are those people?” Micro wondered aloud. “They’re blurry, but there’s a lot of them…”

  “You have good eyes for somebody without the Spirit Vision Skill,” Feng replied, but his tone was still grim. “But you may wish to close them for a while.”

  “Why? Who are those people?” Micro asked, but it was Lena who answered with a sour tone.

  “Bandits.”