Tunde found himself making his way to black rock itself, the stronghold retaining the name bestowed on the entire settlement. It had been left to the people living within the vast districts of the settlements to come up with names for their districts. Tunde found himself chuckling the closer he got to the stronghold itself, remembering Lady Ryka giving him the ‘honor’ of naming the districts himself.

  Thankfully Varis had put a stop to that, the Highlord for once proving himself useful when it came to the running of the settlement. Black Rock belonged to the empire and the Highlord had stated that as the highest authority within black rock, he alone reserved the right to name the districts, something Tunde found odd for him to do seeing as he had never interfered with the running of the settlement, preferring to lock himself up in the uppermost chambers of the stronghold, the domain of elder Joran.

  Pausing at the large doors where two disciples bowed at him, Tunde nodded at them, watching as the doors swung open, the soft sweet smell of whatever incense burned in the air filling the entire room, the doors closing behind him. Inside the stronghold, the lower floors unfolded into a series of sections. Towering pillars of rock shaped by rock affinity users, their surfaces polished to a glossy sheen, reflecting the dim light that filtered in through high windows. The air hummed with the faint crackle of ethereal energy, a testament to the stronghold's power once imbued by the sapphire stone of raw power.

  Right in the middle of the first floor of the stronghold lay the requisition hall, a bustling chamber where cultivators and visitors alike converged to obtain elixirs, pills, and other essential items for whatever needs they had. Rows of shelves lined the walls, laden with vials of shimmering liquids and meticulously crafted artifacts, each imbued with the promise of power and advancement, at least to the stage of a disciple.

  He moved subtly through the throngs of cultivators and random people; aura drawn tightly to himself again as he continued his training. Tasked with reducing both his presence and aura, Tunde had begun the process at the beginning of the week, under the watchful gaze of Varis who somehow knew where he was at all time, something about his dominion and mind.

  It hadn’t gone past Tunde that he still had not been successful with his dominion technique, Ifa had not been forthcoming as well, simply stating that he wasn’t strong enough. He tried again, bringing up his screen as he typed.

  [I need a dominion technique]

  [subject is not ready, any other request?] Ifa replied.

  Stifling his frustration to avoid it interfering with his aura control, he stopped at the door leading to the private abode of the steward of the requisition hall. Calming his nerves before opening the door, watching the figure bent over a table and poring over a scroll turn his gaze to him.

  “It’s been a while, lord Tunde,” the old man said.

  Despite his pure white hair and the voluminous brown robe he wore, Tunde’s respect for Elder Wren hadn’t diminished. Bowing at the waist to the man who chuckled, shaking his head.

  “This humble lord greets the elder,” he said softly.

  “That is frowned upon, Tunde” Wren replied with a sad smile.

  “It doesn’t matter if I’ve spent more centuries than you on this planet, rank will be rank”

  Tunde tucked his hands into the sleeves of his robes, eyes glancing around the room.

  “I beg to differ” he murmured, taking a seat on the only other chair in the room.

  “Now I see why you and the Highlord are always at each other’s throats,” Wren said with a chuckle.

  “More like he owns me but knows it’s only by rank” Tunde replied.

  “Ah, that and the might of an entire empire filled with dozens of Highlords like him and even greater powers”

  Tunde mulled over that with a wince, nodding appreciatively at the cup of steaming tea placed in front of him. He found himself wishing for something different even if he didn’t voice it out, lady Ryka’s successful plantation of tea leaves, despite its medicinal and helpful effects, had lost its luster to him, there was only so much he could appreciate drinking tea after all.

  “We all want some wine; or alcohol, believe me,” Wren said, getting back to his seat.

  “Was I that obvious?” Tunde asked apologetically.

  Wren waved it dismissively.

  “You think you’re the only one to have a look of weariness whenever they’re offered tea?” he asked with a chuckle.

  Tunde’s expression changed.

  “how’s she?” he asked softly.

  Wren sighed, reclining on his chair.

  “she’s recovered, but she insists on staying within our quarters, the jarring battle has scarred her in ways I cannot explain,” he said.

  Tunde frowned, turning his gaze to his cup in silence.

  “As long as she’s alive, I’ll take it” he replied.

  “You must understand, young lord” Wren started.

  “Not all of us advance due to the thrill of battles, some of us simply want to live long enough to see the passing of the centuries with the ones we love”

  “Then I’m glad she has you” Tunde replied.

  Wren gave a soft smile before changing his expression.

  “Now, I know you didn’t come here just to greet an old man, I might have something for you,” he said.

  “And if I told you I was just checking up on you?” Tunde asked.

  Wren snorted, moving to a bookshelf as he tapped the side, a pulse of Ethra later and it was splitting in the middle to reveal another shelf, this one lined with books.

  “As you know, we’re seeing more and more scavenging hunts to the ruins of Jade Peak City” he started.

  “that’s still a thing?” Tunde asked incredulously.

  The ruins of clan Verdan’s jewel city, Jade Peak had been laid to waste by Varis following its near utter destruction at the hands of the revenants, something that was still a sore topic for Tunde. He didn’t necessarily miss the clan, nor the city, too many bad memories than good in his opinion. He simply didn’t like how it had ended, left with nothing but a husk of a settlement to put in order with people looking up to him.

  “Oh yes, thankfully, how else would I have gotten my hands on this restricted book then?” Wren said, cutting in his thoughts.

  It was a large brown book, its cover looking worn from surviving what seemed to be the ages. Wren placed it in front of him before tapping it gently.

  “Now I want you to know that old books such as they don’t have reliable information” he started.

  “Not only are they outdated, but unlike path or technique learning books and scrolls, they are written based on the views of the author, it should help you, to some extent” he explained.

  Tunde allowed his void ring to swallow it up as he stood, bowing to the elder.

  “What would I do without you” he said.

  “survive” Wren replied, drawing Tunde’s attention.

  “we’ve all heard and seen how much you’re defending us from the constant attacks from the wastelands,” he said.

  “But I want to remind you that you’re all that remains of Joran, of the blind tiger and his will lives through you, don’t throw it away for the whims of an empire”

  Tunde bowed once more to the elder gratefully before speaking.

  “Please, inform Elder Ming that I would love to come visit her, whenever she would be willing to accept my request,” he said.

  Elder Wren nodded to him, bowing at the waist as Tunde left the office, taking a deep breath, aura wrapped tightly around him before making his way to his next destination. Greeting a few cultivators along the way, some with familiarity and others out of mere courtesy, simply not recognizing them and not having the time to do so.

  Reaching the upper levels where the quarters of the esteemed adepts, lords, and Highlord resided, Tunde turned in the direction of a single living quarters, its bland design already familiar to him. Knocking on the door as a quiet “come in” came from within it, he opened the door to reveal a large room, made even larger by the small figure seated on a chair and scribbling away at a scroll, barely glancing up at him before nodding.

  “Seems everyone’s busy these days,” he said as he sat down directly in front of the female figure.

  “We can’t afford to be, not with the number of people within black rock” she replied.

  “And yet, Harun was of the opinion that you wanted more people,” Tunde said.

  Lady Ryka turned her gaze to him, dropping her writing quill before reclining on her chair.

  “Someone needs to tend to our growing produce farms and other necessary facilities to keep the settlement running,” she said.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Tunde raised an eyebrow.

  “And you think a bunch of bandits are the best fit for the job?”

  “Former bandits,” she said, cutting in.

  “And besides, do you trust them fighting by your side or as core members of black rock?” she asked.

  “no” his reply came hard and fast.

  Lady Ryka nodded.

  “I thought as much,” she said.

  “Varis wouldn’t like this” Tunde said.

  ‘I and the Highlord have come to some sort of arrangement, besides, since when did you care what Varis wanted?” she asked with a cock of her head.

  “he’s the only power we have against a true onslaught from the wastelands” Tunde replied.

  “For now,” Ryka said.

  Tunde narrowed his eyes at her.

  “What does that mean?”

  Lady Ryka stapled her fingers together, speaking calmly.

  “I have been receiving information from certain people I know within Talahar, the capital city itself,” she said.

  Tunde waited for her to continue calmly.

  “And it seems like the imperial clan has decided to take this issue seriously”

  “No doubt thanks to Varis’s words” Tunde murmured.

  “True, and they’re sending an entire branch family to deal with it”

  Tunde froze, staring at her.

  “I thought it was one of the noble families?” he said.

  Ryka sighed.

  “So we thought, you might want to take it up with him” she replied, glancing upwards.

  “he’s been expecting you”

  Tunde folded his arms, reclining on his chair as he folded his legs.

  “How are we doing, resource-wise?” he asked softly.

  Ryka rubbed her head with a sigh.

  “Could be better, few merchants would dare cross the destroyed wastes of Jade Peak, something about it being bad luck, scavengers come back with little to nothing, and the land here is far from arable but we manage” she explained.

  “In short, nothing new” Tunde said as she chuckled.

  He got to his feet, folding his hands together while staring at her.

  “we’ll find a way,” he said.

  “Joran left this place to me, and I intend to ensure it doesn’t come falling down”

  Ryka gave a soft smile.

  “And you have us as well, don’t forget that,” she said.

  Giving a curt nod and a bow, Tunde stepped out of the room, giving a light shudder before turning his attention to the uppermost room. There, the atmosphere shifted to one of quiet reverence, as if everyone knew well enough than to come there. The corridors were adorned with intricate tapestries stylized designs of the crest and sigil of the imperial clan itself, a large black cloud with white lightning bolts, even Tunde admitted it looked too aggressive for his tastes.

  On entering the room, the chamber itself was spacious and opulent, with rich tapestries, plush furnishings, and weapons from whatever personal vault was of the Highlord’s, exuding power even from where he stood, a reflection of the status and influence wielded by a core member of the imperial clan.

  Seated calmly on the floor, facing a wall, breath steady was Varis Talahan, Highlord of the empire, and if by what Tunde had gathered, one of the most powerful within the empire. That was to be expected, making the rank of adept at a mere ten years, the Highlord, grandchild of the emperor himself had seen his advancement stalled, fed only the most potent of fruits, elixirs, and pills, he had been bred to be a pillar of power for the clan by his mother who by all accounts was a peak ranked master of the clan and soon to be a paragon. Tunde stood a few meters from the Highlord, bowing at the waist in silence.

  “I should turn you to ashes where you stand,” the lazy voice of the Highlord said.

  Tunde stifled the urge to roll his eyes. Contrary to the persona he exuded, Varis was a calm and laid-back cultivator, a nice way to call him lazy. Never leave the comfort of his room, under the excuse of meditating and not having to deal with the disturbances that came from being the strongest cultivator within an area. Tunde had first thought he’d be nothing but a waste of space, that was, until an entire rift had manifested right next to their walls, tier 4 creatures pouring out by the dozens.

  Tunde had been preparing to face them down with grim determination, another trial for black rock to face when Varis had stepped out of his quarters, one wave of his hand and the very skies vomited flames and lightning that left nothing of the creatures, the people of black rock staring in pure awe and a bit of terror at the cultivator. He had left the rift guardian for Tunde, a peak tier 4 creature that he spent close to an hour battling, an insect-type creature with such tough carapace that void touch and all his attacks had taken the better half of the hour simply trying to break.

  It spoke to the growing strength of the creatures as the ranks got higher, something Tunde realized would only get harder. Still, Varis had insisted that he had done his only service to the settlement as far as he was concerned and they should turn to Tunde now for protection. And that was how he found himself holding back the daily attacks of the bandits from deep within the wastelands while his supposed new ‘master’ enjoyed what meager hospitalities black rock could afford him.

  “It would be a shame, after everything you’ve imparted into me, it would be a waste of resources” Tunde replied, keeping his voice as humble as he could.

  Varis snorted.

  “Is that your way of saying thank you master?” he asked.

  “I am ever in the debt of the imperial clan for honoring us with your presence as humble and loyal servants of the empire,” Tunde said again.

  “Ha!, that’s a new one, I see lady Ryka’s been teaching you proper etiquette, good” Varis said.

  With a sigh, the Highlord got to his feet, toned body that had been forged from a century of training revealing itself. Tunde for once found himself envious of him, having all the resources of the empire at your fingertips, watching as the Highlord moved with obvious ease, stretching, his black hair with sparse white strands within it. Tunde stood straight, the Highlord staring at him, he nodded, taking off his robe, putting on nothing but his leather trousers, he settled into a fighting position, refraining from activating Ethra sight.

  The Highlord spoke.

  “Remind me again why you went against my orders?” he said.

  “I wouldn’t dream of doing that” Tunde replied.

  “And yet you’ve been admitting bandits into the settlement, can’t tell if you’re just nice or stupid”

  Tunde kept his eyes on the hands of the Highlord, watching as they kept moving fluidly. Every part of him was a weapon, Tunde knew that well enough from the multiple broken bones he had gotten from training with him. One careless touch and he would be incapacitated, he shifted his footing, imbuing his body again even if he knew it was useless against the Highlord.

  “As per your orders, I took out the threat to the settlement” Tunde replied.

  “And you think a bunch of disciples and initiates are harmless?”

  “With all respect to the Highlord, to the people of black rock? Yes”

  Varis smiled, and then he moved. Tunde’s aura shuddered with the mere taste of the Highlord’s intent, Tunde reacting with all his speed, aura coating his hands as he clashed with him. He felt the blow through his reinforced bones, gritting his teeth as he weathered it along with the continuous blows.

  They came from all angles, not Ethra attack, just mere hand-to-hand combat, and yet, Tunde found himself quickly falling behind. No matter how many times he faced the Highlord, it was always the same conclusion, utter defeat. Grabbing one of Varis’s arms, he twisted, bringing his other hand to chop at his collarbone, driving it down with raw aggression, to hold back against him was to invite an even quicker defeat.

  As expected, it was parried, a slight pulse of his aura and Tunde found his hand torn away from its grip of the Highlord’s, ducking low to avoid the chop he knew was coming before rolling backward, arms up in a block to stop the kick he also knew was coming for his head, he had passed out one time due to it. Already breathing hard against the calm-looking Highlord, he shifted backward, taking his stance again.

  “Have I ever told you why I let you live the moment I saw you?” Varis asked.

  “No, venerable Highlord”

  Varis chuckled.

  “All it takes is a beating to bring your sense of humbleness, we should do this quite often” Varis added.

  Tunde wanted to point out that they’d been doing this every day for the past three months but kept his mouth shut, only watching as the Highlord circled him.

  “I saw something in your eyes that, to be frank, I haven’t seen in the eyes of the hundreds of lords of the capital itself, hunger” he started.

  “It burnt with such ferocity, as if you had just realized how high the mountain of advancement really is and was eager to explore”

  “Many have died that way you know” he continued.

  Tunde spread his aura in a tight circle around him, ready to move at the slightest provocation from the Highlord.

  “That and the fact that the clan needed a figurehead within these parts and no respectable vassal clan would be bothered to come to take the job, no matter how lucrative we’ve made it” Varis added, shrugging as if in defeat.

  When he moved, Tunde did as well, gathering his strength, and allowing his power to flow through him in a rush into his fist.

  “Show me that hunger Tunde” Varis said, easily catching the punch that let out a loud crack as it came in contact with the Highlord’s palm.

  Varis’s punch slammed into his chest as he wheezed, his breath knocked out and his cycling completely disrupted, falling to the ground as he struggled to contain the pain. It felt like his ribs had shattered, the pain nearly blinding him to his surroundings.

  “That pain you’re feeling?” Varis started.

  “it’ll be nothing compared to what the wasteland king would inflict on your people should he get past that wall of yours”

  “They are the literal definition of barbarism, life means nothing to them, they could even be barely called cultivators, seeking only the thrill of a battle” Varis explained.

  “The only reason he isn’t at your walls right now, is simply because of the intervention of the Heralds, a debt we’re loathe to owe them at this point, and yet, one we desperately needed at that point as well.”

  Varis crouched next to him where he wheezed, gripping his chin firmly as he stared into his eyes.

  “You weren’t the only ones to be attacked by the revenants Tunde, even close to the heart of the empire, they struck. The bone king, with his hordes of creatures, raining down on the capital in an attempt to shield our eyes from what was going on at our borders” he continued.

  “And while I was here, finding out not only had a vassal clan of the empire rebelled, but they had allied with the followers of undeath, I had to stay back, unable to help my clan fight off the attack on our own soil, as foolhardy as the king was”

  “So, understand me when I tell you that the imperial clan might as well accept the loss of the loss of these parts of its borders and its hundreds of thousands of citizens as an acceptable loss, we have millions more within the empire proper itself. Your survival is entirely in your hands, and if you can’t follow a simple order to save your life, don’t come crying to me when they betray you from within” he finished releasing him.

  Tunde got his breath under control, sitting up as he saw the smile on Varis’s face, a mask that hid the brutal and lethal cultivator within, shuddering slightly.

  “Now, where were we? ah yes, aura training, prepare yourself” he ordered.

  Tunde had barely managed to gather his aura around himself when the Highlord slammed his into him, the metaphorical weight pressing down on his consciousness as he found it hard to breathe. He tightened his fists, eyes shut as he gathered his willpower and pushed on, cycling to keep his concentration and hoping to last more than an hour.

  ***********************************

  Two hours later, Tunde crawled out of the room. Varis heaved a sigh, cracking his strained neck as he turned to a communication device lying close to him, a silver disc with inscriptions written on it, feeding it a bit of his Ethra. His Ethra was not the best for powering constructs, but he couldn’t be bothered with finding another, the concept of the Blitzfire tempest, two ruthless affinities of fire and lightning had been developed by the patriarch for optimal offense, not for mundane use.

  A woman answered on the other side, white hair with a strand of black in front, staring at him with irritation before her gaze softened a bit.

  “Varis,” she said.

  He bowed slightly to her.

  “Mother,” he said formally.

  “How fares your mission” she asked.

  “Slow, but yielding results from what I’m seeing”

  “Oh? is that praise I hear from you?” she asked again.

  Varis frowned.

  “If you think for a moment that I would see these people as anything more than bodies to throw at him, then you’re sorely mistaken” he replied.

  She nodded.

  “As expected, speak, I’m occupied,” she said as a roar broke through the air.

  “Another attack?” he asked, concerned.

  “a tier 7 incursion within the heartlands, not the capital, this close to the end of the surge, it’s expected, the big one has yet to arrive” she replied.

  “Catastrophe,” he said softly.

  “Varis” she warned.

  “Apologies master, he has surpassed all my expectations, surviving a single punch with a touch of Highlord strength,” he said.

  “Impressive for a wastelander, and you say he’s from Crystalreach?” she asked.

  “His skin tone and looks explain such, something about being shipped away to die as I’ve reported earlier”

  She nodded.

  “Then keep testing him, Kael’s technique will shatter soon and the king will be able to move from what he’s explained, I should be there by then” she ordered.

  He bowed at her.

  “Oh, and I’d be careful if I were you, rumors of different bounty hunters and assassins moving towards the borders have filtered to us, not sure what they want, but it can’t be good,” she said, cutting off the communication before he could speak.

  “No, I suppose not” he murmured to himself, glancing at the door where Tunde had left,