Unravelling the remainder of the foreign energy within my arm took several more hours and gave me time to reflect upon recent events.
Several Cultivators had made comments in the past. Attributing my superior strength to divine origins or status. However, they had been transparent acts of flattery and were profoundly unlikely to have any bearing on the recent changes acknowledged by the system.
Filtering through the interactions, there was a single occurrence that stood out as different from the rest.
Shortly after reconstructing the Oba patriarch's core, the patriarch had made similar claims as the rest. With the notable difference that the Oba Patriarch had actually witnessed my core. Albeit, while he was in a disoriented state.
It was possible that the Oba patriarch had seen something in my core that signalled an early sign of the current changes. However, the more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that it had just been a coincidence.
Unlike Mana and Chi, Divinity didn't generate a noticeable sensation as it was accumulated. Functionally, nothing more than a steadily increasing number on my status. Which struck me as being incredibly strange.
Capable of being used to create powerful magic items, and as I now learned, also capable of creating Artefacts, Divinity was arguably more powerful than both other forms of energy combined.
Divinity required a certain degree of Authority before it could be forged into an Artefact. Which was why Orphiel and Ophelia had been incapable of creating more than powerful magic items.
Unable to take the risk in providing the Fallen Angels with even a small degree of Authority, I had assumed I would be limited to the Divinity I could collect personally.
I was wrong, and it didn't take long for me to remember why.
Technically, I was the head of a Pantheon. Or rather, the head of a Pantheon of Pantheons. Standing above the trio of Valkyrja and the duo of Fallen Angels.
Divinity could be willingly shared among members of the same Pantheon, in a similar fashion to electronically transferring money from one bank account to another.
However, there was a problem.
Having access to the Divinity hadn't awarded intuitive control or guidance. Making the resource functionally useless in my hands.
Sigrun, Kara and Skuld were less likely to be compromised than Orphiel and Ophelia, but there was no guarantee they knew the same tricks either.
Resolving to question the Valkyrja for guidance, I was interrupted by a new Challenge. Unlike the others, which were automatically filtered to the outermost periphery of my vision, this Challenge appeared directly in the centre. Making it impossible to ignore.
Sparing only a moment to use my authority to don my armour and retrieve my weapon, I accepted the Challenge.
Surrounded by blackened, withered trees on all sides, I extended my senses and began pushing forward. Wasting no time in avoiding the strange trees and instead ploughing through them. Shattering and crushing the alien vegetation without a second thought.
Drawn toward the only other source of internal energy, it took less than a minute to locate the other Monarch.
Bloodied and pale, Yi Gim leaned heavily on a nearby tree for support. His right arm ended abruptly in a ragged stump of exposed bone and torn flesh, and deep scratches marked his armour. All the same, the older Monarch appeared profoundly relieved by my presence.
"You came..." Yi Gim croaked weakly, his bloody lips parting into a faint smile. "I was...Not sure...You would...Answer..." He panted, struggling to breathe and speak at the same time.
After rejecting my original offer for Vassalage, Yi Gim had engaged in near-constant Supremacy Challenges against every Monarch he dared. Surrendering his winnings to me in carefully orchestrated hand-offs, to make his losses practically negligible. A near fool-proof plan that had provided hundreds of territories to my Realm. All with the sole provision that his family be awarded lands that amounted to what amounted to pennies on the dollar.
Apparently, our collaboration had not gone unnoticed.
"It's time to end this gambit," I insisted, removing a simple bed from my Storage Ring and then depositing healing elixirs, pills and bandages on the mattress.
Yi Gim breathlessly hobbled to the bed and all but collapsed from exhaustion. Too tired to even put up an argument.
Carefully pinching at his armour, I ripped the leather bindings and pulled the armour away. Reducing the pressure on Yi Gim's chest and allowing him to breathe more freely.
"Thank you..." Yi Gim wheezed before reaching for one of the pill bottles.
"It was a set-up?" I said, more of a statement than a question.
Yi Gim nodded weakly. "The Jin...Had a...Demonic...Beast...Had to...Use the...sword..."
I nodded gravely and glanced at the crimson naval sabre discarded on the ground. Formed from jade and infused with my own blood, the blade was close to indestructible. The withered remains of Yi Gim's right hand still loosely clutched at the exposed tang.
The Demonic Beast had destroyed the leather bindings of the grip, leaving the stone seemingly untouched.
"Armoured....Turtle..." Yi Gim wheezed, following my gaze. "No...other...way..."
I nodded and didn't find it difficult at all to imagine a monstrous turtle shearing off the Cultivator's arm with an armoured beak.
"More waiting...A trap..." Yi Gim hissed, grimacing in pain as he awkwardly bound the stump of his right arm.
I had initially assumed Yi Gim had issued the Challenge to seek urgent medical aid. However, the news of other invaders lurking within his Realm made more sense. Since he could have just contacted me through the communication talisman for medical assistance. However, a Challenge would get my attention and remove him from immediate danger.
All things considered, it was definitely the smarter play. Especially since it wouldn't prevent him from attempting other means of escape or survival in the meantime.
I extended a new offer of Vassalage.
As much as I appreciated the space and resources Yi Gim's efforts had provided, I couldn't allow him to continue. Not now that he had been crippled, and there were increasingly frequent and organised efforts against us.
Of course, that would also mean taking on another mandatory Challenge each month. However, if anyone had earned such a consideration, Yi Gim had.
"I refuse..." Yi Gim met my gaze with steely resolve. "I can...Still...Fight..."
I couldn't help but glance at the sabre.
The Cultivator's civilisations did have access to magical prosthetics. However, even the most advanced examples I had seen were poor substitutes for a Cultivator's missing limbs. Limiting or disrupting the flow of Chi, weakening the Cultivator's Techniques and overall combat ability.
Acknowledging my fellow Monarch's unwavering determination, I considered potential solutions and safeguards.
Yi Gim had sworn Oaths that prevented him from acting against me. On the provision that I made no intentional steps to directly harm his family and people. So he was far less of a security risk than a stranger might be in his place. This gave us several options I would not have otherwise considered.
"Abandon your Realm-" I held up one hand to cut off the refusal I knew would be coming. "-abandon it, and I will give you a residence within my own Realm. A place where the assassins of our enemies won't be able to reach you."
Giving the offer considerable thought, Yi Gim had a fleeting sense of unease but quashed it a few heartbeats later. "Very well..." His shoulders sagged somewhat, although it was unclear if it was because of his trampled pride or relief.
"I might have the means to skew the odds back in your favour. Once you have recovered, we will discuss it further." A part of me rankled at the prospect of trusting an outsider, and I felt ashamed for hesitating before silencing it.
In my current situation, paranoia was not without its merits. However, it was becoming uncomfortably easy to make increasingly selfish and self-serving choices under the pretence of safety and security.
An unpleasant truth that made the Dao of Tyranny all the more upsetting.
I was not the same man who had died on Earth, and I was becoming increasingly concerned that many of the changes had not been for the better. I had killed hundreds, thousands, of people. Tens of thousands more had been killed at my command. The justification of the violence and death as a means to secure life and liberty for those under my protection was a weak shield for my soul.
The killing was becoming easier, and it didn't bother me in the way I expected it should.
"Gratitude," Yi Gim inclined his head in thanks, drawing my thoughts back to the present. A measure of colour had returned to his face and appeared to be in much better condition than when I had first found him. "If I may further impress upon your generosity-"
"We can take as long as you need," I interjected, guessing at his thoughts.
Yi Gim smiled faintly in response and inclined his head in thanks. "Gratitude.
Drawing a stone throne from beneath the ground, I returned my armour to my Storage Ring and settled in for a long wait. Seeing little reason not to take advantage of the opportunity to decompress. Fully intending to recoup the lost time from a rest period, I would have undertaken after spending time with my family.
As time passed, I became increasingly aware of the pocket dimension and its boundaries. Specifically, how it was gradually growing smaller. Constricting ever so slowly with each passing moment.
Further observations revealed that the invisible boundaries were closing in with increasing speed. The acceleration was minor, but otherwise impossible to ignore now that I had become aware of it.
It wasn't difficult to guess at the function's purpose either. No doubt intended to force the participating Monarchs and their proxies into conflict and force a conclusion. While I had no way of knowing for sure, I strongly suspected that the constriction wouldn't end until a victor was determined. Potentially crushing all remaining participants to force a final outcome.
After close to an hour of rest, Yi Gim consumed more of the pills and the most potent of the elixirs. Settling into deep meditation, which accelerated his recovery by leaps and bounds.
Roughly ten minutes later, he appeared close to peak condition. With the exception of his missing forearm.
Retrieving his sword from the ground, Yi Gim seemed to consider returning it to its scabbard but decided against it. "The beasts will have moved from where I last saw them..." Awkwardly holding the blade under the pit of his damaged arm, he bound the exposed tang with strips of cloth to allow for a better grip.
"Practically guaranteed," I agreed. "I'll come for you when the Challenge ends. Will you be able to reach the city where I last visited?"
Yi Gim nodded, his jaw set in grim determination. "I was forced to flee the city. However, I was not far when you accepted the Challenge." He sighed and released a strained sigh, "I should have thought to make the Challenge sooner...Or at least attempted to make contact..." His voice was heavy with regret and self-recrimination.
Unsure what to say, I remained silent. Objectively, he should have acted sooner. However, I wasn't nearly so naive as to discount the panic he had likely experienced and wasn't confident that I would have acted much differently in the same circumstances.
"What has been done is done..." Yi Gim released a deep sigh and reaffirmed his resolve. "Are you prepared to accept the newly acquired territories? I did not have the opportunity to inspect them, so I am uncertain of the dangers they may contain."
"It's fine," I replied calmly. "I have measures in place to account for any dangers that might exist."
Yi Gim was vaguely aware of the methods I employed for Realm security, but always made a point of asking. Whether it was out of politeness or self-interest for his family was unclear, but ultimately inconsequential.
"Alright..." Yi Gim took a moment to roll his shoulders and stretch his legs. Preparing himself for an immediate confrontation. "I surrender."
In less than a fraction of a second, I reappeared in the temple grounds.
With a thought, I confirmed that the newly acquired territories had been partitioned into quarantine. From experience, I had a vague idea of the overall population density. More recent experience made my heart sink as I recognised the signs of a mass culling in progress.
Acting quickly, I pulled the Daemons and Ophelia from their duties and relocated them to the hardest hit locations. Relying on their natural hardiness and a hastily issued quest to see them through the initial confusion.
Immediately afterwards, I deployed the peacekeeping force of volunteers en masse, issuing them the same quest but relocating them to a single location as a unit more than five hundred strong. Formed from Cultivators of previously Conquered territories, the volunteers and their commanders had all passed rigorous inspection to determine their moral fortitude and martial capabilities. However, the majority were not volunteering out of altruism or a love of their fellow man. They were in it for the rewards.
Not that I would fault them for it. Greed, within reason, was perfectly fine. Provided they got the job done.
Trusting that Gric would handle things in my brief absence, I gathered my Mana and concentrated on my memories of Yi Gim's city. Experiencing a trace of resistance, I considered delaying the Spell.
Instead, I used my authority to call Sebet to my side as insurance and then teleported us both.
"A little warning would-" Sebet began to snicker, but stopped dead, suddenly on alert and scanning our surroundings for danger. Crimson armour materialised over her body, and a multiheaded whip appeared in her right hand.
Even with the warning coming at the speed of thought, it was already too late. I could feel the energy of the Formations restricting my Mana in a similar manner to the Spatial Anchor Spell.
The command gave Sebet pause, but only for a moment. Like a dog let off its leash, she bolted headlong toward the north-east, and presumably her first victim.
Expanding my senses, I withdrew the communication token from my Storage Ring.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Besides the fact that we stood a much better chance at survival as a team than alone, I wasn't going to cut an ally loose out of misplaced anger or fear. I had made the decision to enter his Realm and should have taken the warning more seriously.
Yi Gim replied, his voice positively thrumming with unspoken gratitude and relief.
I insisted, already on the move toward the bay.
As a Cultivator, Yi Gim could hold his breath for a considerable amount of time. Combined with his Water Affinity, he could probably remain submerged a good while longer. Although I still wasn't certain how long that would be.
Ultimately, it didn't matter. If the worst came to worst, Yi Gim would be many times safer in or on the water.
Yi Gim replied determinedly.
Gathering mana as I ran in the direction of the ocean, barrelling straight through stone walls in my way, I Summoned two projections of Sebet and let them loose to hunt alongside the original.
Burning through so much mana carried undeniable risks for a long-term engagement. However, without actionable intelligence for our current situation and potential dangers, the mana wouldn't make much of a difference.
Besides, mana could always be regenerated. So it was better to spend it now than to have regrets later.
My movements had not gone unnoticed, and I could sense several Cultivators headed in my direction.
Looking over my shoulder, I wasn't particularly surprised to find what looked like an armoured seventeen-foot-tall gorilla gaining ground in my wake. Charging headlong through the broken walls and buildings, I was so graciously clearing out of its way.
Despite being confident I could put the beast down with little chance of sustaining an injury, I decided against expediting a confrontation. There was no telling what tricks it or the other Cultivators trailing behind us were capable of bringing to bear. It just wasn't worth the risk.
Besides, if the beast was stupid enough to come within reach of the water, I could just drown it without taking on any of the risk of a head-to-head battle.
To maintain my lead, I began manipulating the broken masonry with my Chi. Using my Earth Affinity to assemble ramshackle barricades before withdrawing my Chi.
The barricades weren't strong enough to slow the beast by much, but it wasn't costing me anything either. However, it did provide me with a better appreciation for its capabilities. Specifically, the true danger the beast represented.
The near-hairless gorilla hadn't blinked once since it began the chase. Leaving dust and debris to hit its eyes without so much as flinching. Worse still, despite its extreme exertions, the beast itself was completely silent.
The plates of its armour rattled and clattered, and its massive fists and feet thundered against the ground. However, the beast made no vocalisations of any kind.
With a sinking feeling in my gut, I narrowed the possibilities and realised my original escape and counterattack likely wouldn't work.
I was unable to perform a more detailed scan of the beast's energy to confirm my suspicions without either drawing closer or diverting focus from my withdrawal. Which left me with an uncomfortable degree of uncertainty.
The Gorilla's behaviour was something I had witnessed first hand and unsettling up close when confronting the undead. However, I sensed no Death-aligned energies coming from its body. A contradiction to the animated corpses occupying the barren fields of Gu Lin's former territories.
It was possible that not all undead contained such energies. I had no way of knowing for certain. Least of all in my current circumstances. However, a gut instinct continued to insist that the core of my assumptions wasn't wrong. That the creature chasing me with single-minded killing intent was not alive and was animated by external means.
I felt the connection to one of Sebet's projections disappear without warning. Before I could internalise what had happened, the second projection disappeared as well.
Blood spattered the inside of my helmet as my exertions expelled the fluid from my nose.
Uncomfortably aware of the Devil's sado-masochistic relationship with pain, I had to assume the underlying cause for the pain itself had to be responsible.
Now torn between freeing Sebet and regrouping with Yi Gim, I couldn't help but curse myself for being so impulsive. My only consolation, the fact that Sebet did not appear to be in immediate danger.
I felt Sebet restrict the connection. She withdrew the chaotic mess of thoughts back into the confines of her own mind.
Taking this as a sign of her approval, I committed to regrouping with my fellow Monarch as my first priority.
I promised. Too stressed to be upset, as fragmented traces of amusement filtered through the remnants of our connection.
More Cultivators had joined the chase, and I could see a small number of them sprinting along walls and leaping from one rooftop to another with impossibly long strides.
Although weaker than the gorilla, the human-sized Cultivators held the same unnaturally unwavering gaze from behind their cloth and clay masks.
Experimentally reaching out to one of the nearest Cultivators with my Earth Affinity, I seized control over the mask and violently snapped the Cultivator's head to one side.
The Cultivator didn't even lose its footing. Doggedly continuing the chase. The simple clay mask crumbled as the creature swivelled its head back into position. Revealing a pale, ashen face with dead, empty eyes.
Crashing through the final defensive wall of the city, I leapt into the surf with renewed vigour. Wasting no time in infusing the surrounding water with my Water Affinity and drawing myself further out to sea. Altering course just enough to follow the coastline while remaining deep enough to slow any of the living dead that might try to chase me into the water.
Against my expectations, the corpse Cultivators didn't follow me into the ocean. Instead, they continued to give chase along the coast. Accelerating their pace to match my own without expectation of fatigue or exhaustion.
I warned, sending the message through the communication token. Leave the beach and head into the water.>
Suppressing a flare of irritation at the unforeseen setback, I reevaluated our options and took a calculated risk. Redoubling my speed by combining control of my armour with Earth Affinity and firing myself through the open air like a living missile.
Salt and sand tore at my translucent eyelids, and the wind howled as it passed through the gaps in my armour.
Vision blurred by the protective skin over my eyes, I was unable to make out details of anything more than a dozen or so feet from my own face. Forcing me to rely on the link formed by the communication token to measure the remaining distance between myself and my ally. An untested and potentially disastrous prospect I would have avoided in different circumstances. Given that I was moving too fast to alter course or decelerate at short notice without injury.
Just as I had expected, the connection provided by the communication Formation was a poor gauge for distance. However, the presence of my own blood was a different matter. The instant the sword came within reach, it was firmly seized under my control. Dragged in my wake and drawn hastily toward my body.
Near-deafened by the wind, I felt the impact of the blade against my armour but barely heard it.
Decelerating in as controlled a manner as I could manage, I awkwardly lowered myself to ground level. Doing my best not to accidentally crush Yi Gim without leaving myself on a bad footing against a potential ambush.
"Gratitude!" Yi Gim panted, his armour all but missing and his combat robes reduced to a torn and bloody mess.
"Change quickly!" I withdrew an emergency spare set of magical armour from my Storage Ring, dropping it onto the ground. Summoning five generic Human projections with a sliver of mana to assist.
All the while scanning the not-so-distant water and the beach leading to the nearby city for signs of danger.
Planting his sword tip down in the sand, Yi Gim stripped to his underclothes without a single word of protest. Allowing the projections to pull the padded gambeson over his head and buckle the steel breastplate and other segments of the armour over his body. Magically adjusting to his precise requirements, the armour's design was clearly unfamiliar to him, but didn't impair his movements in any meaningful way.
"One of my subordinates has been captured," I explained grimly. "However, it is unclear if it was through strength of arms, subterfuge, or their incompetence."
Yi Gim nodded in understanding. "How do you recommend we proceed?"
I wasn't sure, but I did my best to project an air of confidence all the same. "We need information. These beasts and Cultivators. Those I encountered in the city were undead. Living corpses animated by internal energy," I clarified, uncertain if my fellow Monarch would be familiar with the term.
Yi Gim's eyes grew wide, and his already pale face grew a shade lighter. "You are certain?"
I nodded. "However, they were not entirely the same as those I have encountered in the past. Possessing no Death Affinity that I could sense."
Yi Gim grew increasingly concerned. "Did these Cultivators bear a mark of their allegiance?"
Sparing a moment to review my most recent memories, I shook my head. "Besides hiding their faces behind baked clay masks, they had nothing else that might signify a shared identity."
Yi Gim appeared both relieved and disturbed by this new information. "I do not believe they are possessed by evil spirits...I would need an opportunity to inspect one of these enemies for myself to be certain. However, this description matches rumours of the Black Hand. A sect of Cultivators that specialise in assassinating, animating and then remotely controlling the corpses of their targets..."
That sounded like necromancy to me, just with extra steps. However, if Yi Gim was convinced there was a noteworthy difference, I wasn't going to dismiss his perspective out of hand. "Remotely controlling?" I pressed for clarity. "Experiencing the world through the eyes of their puppets? Not just commanding them from a distance?"
"I do not know for certain..." Yi Gim replied quietly. "Rumours were often exaggerated and unreliable..."
That was fair enough. Expecting a solid confirmation one way or the other was wishful thinking on my part. So I changed focus. "Do you think destroying or damaging these puppets would harm the Cultivators controlling them?"
Yi Gim gave it some thought for a few moments and then nodded. "The damage might be minor and temporary, but severing such a connection would certainly cause a measure of unavoidable backlash."
"Good," I grunted. Uncomfortable with the prospect of engaging in a battle of attrition where the enemy suffered no loss for their efforts.
A dark shape had appeared in the water and was approaching the beach.
Yi Gim looked to me to make a decision.
"We need more information," I repeated. "And removing this piece from the board will shift the balance back in our favour."
Yi Gim nodded to show he understood. "I will follow your lead."
I nodded back and withdrew a brace of arrows and my warbow from my Storage Ring. "If it tries to retreat, focus on slowing it down. Don't be a hero."
"Understood!" Yi Gim sheathed the crimson sabre through his new belt and concentrated on saturating the nearby water with his Chi and Water Affinity.
Mere moments later, a two-story-tall sapphire-shelled crab burst from the surf. With a host of writhing grey tentacles protruding from holes in its shell and toxic ooze frothing from its palpitating feeder mandibles.
Nocking an arrow, I waited for my moment to strike.
Despite the beast's reckless advance, I wanted to be certain it couldn't readily escape after whoever was controlling it realised the danger they were in.
Yi Gim's control over the water was contested, and I felt him deliberately give ground before the enemy Cultivator. Feigning weakness while conserving his strength in a bid to lure the beast into our ambush.
Seemingly only too willing to accept Yi Gim's inferiority, the giant crab crashed through the shallow waves with renewed vigour.
Gathering mana into the stone head of the arrow, I took a deep, calming breath, took aim, and loosed, calmly exhaling as the arrow leapt toward its target.
Prepared to adjust the course of the arrow with Earth Affinity if needed, I felt a small thrill of satisfaction as the arrow found its mark without interference.
Diving deep through one of the cracks of the giant crab's shell, the arrow then exploded. Sending chunks of meat and chitin flying from the beast's back. Its tentacles flailed wildly, groping blindly through the air and writhing with anger.
Yi Gim saw his chance and initiated a counterattack for control over the waves. Significantly impeding the
I loosed two more arrows in rapid succession, but an invisible force deflected them before they could penetrate the shell. Instead, it detonated prematurely and driving the massive crab onto its back and leaving its legs flailing in a panic.
Substituting a small amount of HP for the mana cost, I loosed a fourth arrow and took a half step to shield Yi Gim with my body.
The invisible force attempted to deflect the arrow like the others, but I was ready for it this time and remotely corrected its course before allowing the Thundering Strike Spell to detonate.
The soft undershell of the crap erupted in a fountain of gore. Its insides were utterly destroyed alongside whatever had served as a base for the Black Hand Cultivator's control.
Too late, I felt hardened steel impact against my stone breastplate. Wooden splinters and a blunted spearhead flew past my chest an instant later.
Resisting the urge to trace the original path of the spear, I shifted the earth beneath Yi Gim's feet to place myself between him and the enemy.
A second spear slammed into my exposed elbow, scratching my thick skin but failing to draw blood.
Somewhat reassured by the difference in our strength, I had to resist the urge to look for the archer for a second time. While my second set of eyelids provided an emergency layer of defence, they were far thinner than the thick armoured skin of my forearms.
Stowing the arrows and bow into my Storage Ring, I withdrew a tall crimson rectangular shield in their place. Appearing just in time to intercept a third spear.
"Behind!" Yi Gim cried out, a semi-transparent wall of water rising from the sand and intercepting a hail of regular-sized arrows. Stealing their momentum and causing them to fall to the ground.
"Save your energy!" I barked and waved toward the ocean. "Retreat into the water!"
Another spear crashed into my shield and carried a significantly higher degree of force. However, it fared no better at penetrating the stone than those that had come before. Only for a torrent of emerald flames to spill around the edge of the shield a fraction of a second afterwards.
Yi Gim summoned a much smaller shell of water to protect himself, while I took the hit and attempted to gauge the enemy's strength.
Evocation and elemental style combat was relatively common amongst Cultivators. However, Elemental Affinities were extremely rare.
From the way the flames spilled around my shield, I was confident that whoever was responsible for the Technique didn't have a Fire Affinity. If they had, then it wouldn't have been difficult for them to redirect the flames toward my arm holding the shield or the visor in my helmet.
At least, that's what I would have done with it.
After a handful of seconds, the flames guttered and died.
Waist deep in the surf, Yi Gim swivelled one way and the other to avoid the arrows loosed by the archers harrying our retreat from behind. Intercepting and deflecting those he could not dodge with his crimson sabre.
The Water Affinity within the sabre allowed the blade to sweep through the water as if it were air. Creating curtains of rushing water that swept aside incoming projectiles.
Similarly, Yi Gim's Affinity lent him an unnatural grace. His movements are guided by the ebb and flow of the sea.
Not even knee deep, I matched Yi Gim's pace and kept my senses on alert for new arrivals.
The welcoming committee had been hard on my heels and wasn't convinced they would simply leave us alone just because I had left the city.
Disappearing beneath the surface, Yi Gim sped through the water like a living torpedo. Putting as much distance between himself and our pursuers as quickly as he could manage.
Stowing away my shield, I invested the surrounding water and my armour with my Chi and followed after him. Albeit with considerably less grace. More akin to a jagged cliff breaking the tide.
Desperate to prevent our escape, the archers redoubled their efforts, and a handful of arrows managed to strike between the gaps in my armour.
Two of those arrows were shorn short and became tangled in the simple clothing I wore beneath my armour. A third arrow released a liquid from a hidden compartment, dissolving a section of my tunic and drying a section of my skin. While a fourth released a jolt of electricity.
Although unharmed, the attacks served as a reminder of the potential dangers. If I were human, there was every chance that any one of those arrows could have claimed my life, or inflicted a telling injury.
Sensing one of the enemy Cultivators entering the water, I immediately shifted focus. Abandoning the retreat and instead seizing the Cultivator with all the energy I could bring to bear. Binding their body with tendrils of animated water and dragging them beneath the surf.
Even if the corpse puppets didn't need to breathe, the sand kicked up by the waves would heavily restrict their vision and cut them off from the sight of their allies.
For my trouble, an arrow narrowly missed the visor of my helmet.
Renewing the retreat toward deeper water with the corpse puppet in tow, I suppressed a grim sense of satisfaction.
Isolated from the pack, the Cultivator was too weak to present much of a threat. As a test to confirm this assumption, I ripped the corpse puppet's limbs from its sockets. Leaving it quite literally disarmed.
Stowing away the crudely amputated limbs in my Storage Ring for future inspection, I bound the creature in thick stone chains. As much to weigh it down and provide convenient handholds as enabling a secondary means of exercising Affinity-based control over its movements.
The remaining Cultivators made a point of remaining a healthy distance from the water's edge.
There were more of them than I had initially encountered. Easily numbering in the dozens, and with several more giant beasts besides. Their numbers were growing with each passing minute.
A handful of Cultivators took to the sky atop flying swords, but they made sure to keep their distance. Seemingly content with tracking our movements but not so brave as to risk confrontation.
Descending into the depths, I used the Shape Stone Spell to dig a channel through the bedrock beneath the sand of the ocean floor. Tunnelling to form a winding S bend before hollowing out a cavern. Expelling the water with my Affinity left thin but otherwise breathable air.
Next, I formed walls to keep the corpse puppet isolated and further interfere with its allies from pinpointing our exact location by homing in on its unique energy.
Grateful for the respite. Yi Gim settled into meditation to restore his spent energy and heal his most recent injuries.
Still in near-peak condition, I snacked on a portion of stored food and inspected the severed limbs of the corpse puppet.
More or less as I had expected, the clothing and light armour were functionally irrelevant. Bearing no enchantments beyond low-grade durability to strengthen the fabrics and resist foul odours.
The pale skin was a different matter entirely. Written using an alphabet I was unfamiliar with, each limb bore strings of formations tattooed into the flesh. Mirroring the circulatory system beneath.
Given their inert state and a complete absence of internal energy, I felt it was very likely that they were a part of a larger Formation. Dependent on the core of the Formation in order to retain their intended function and remain supplied with the energy they needed in order to operate.
Stripping down the torso revealed more of the tattoos and a whirling cluster over the corpse puppet's heart, abdomen and beneath the hair on the crown of its head.
"It is not too late..." The corpse puppet gurgled. Its lungs are overflowing with seawater and spilling over its dead, stiff lips. Staring up at me with its milky, dead eyes, its attempts at intimidation were beginning to get on my nerves.
The cultivator controlling the corpse puppet had made the same demand several times already and didn't appear to actually understand the words he was speaking. Just the gist of the message. Repeating the lines by rote.
Leaving the corpse puppet behind, I sought out Yi Gim's input.
"Are you familiar with this language?" I asked, presenting one of the amputated arms.
No stranger to the battlefield, Yi Gim didn't flinch away. Instead, leaning closer to better read the characters by the ephemeral light cast by a small enchanted lantern. "I'm afraid not," he shook his head regretfully.
"It's fine," I consoled him.
It was a long shot, so I wasn't particularly disappointed. It was the isolation that was wearing on my nerves.
Attempts at Summoning my other subordinates had met with failure. Strongly indicating that the Grand Array the enemy had deployed within Yi Gim's Realm was far more dangerous than I otherwise might have assumed. Even my attempts at Summoning Sebet were unsuccessful. However, I wasn't certain if that was caused by the Grand Array or whatever had caused her Banishment. Maybe even something else entirely.
The Arrays I had created to protect our hideout would prevent most forms of teleportation. But if these Cultivators had such a sophisticated Array of their own, it wasn't entirely beyond the realm of possibilities that they could still find a way to bypass them.
Unsure what else I could learn from the corpse puppet, and growing increasingly paranoid. I decided to engage in a simple set of tests.
Removing the chains, I crushed the lower section of the torso beneath my boot. Pulverising the internal organs and grinding the bones to dust.
The corpse puppet cursed hatefully but otherwise appeared none the worse for the damage.
Raising my boot, I brought it down on the creature's ribcage.
The destruction of the second cluster of Formations appeared to place a greater strain on the single cluster that remained. However, besides impairing its movements and coordination, it didn't appear to do much else.
Lastly, I drove a blade through the corpse puppet's skull. The instant the tip pierced the brain, the creature grew deathly still.
"So it's standard zombie rules then..." I muttered quietly. Somewhat reassured by the unexpected simplicity. Having entertained fears that the corpse puppets might possess the means to independently reassemble or otherwise repair themselves.
Spontaneous reanimation wasn't entirely out of the question, but the energies within the dead flesh were rapidly dissipating. Making the possibility less unlikely by the second.
Still observing the remains, I felt an oddly familiar presence on the periphery of my senses.
Initially assuming it might be Sebet, I subconsciously opened my mind to establish a two-way mental connection. However, the instant I did so, I realised my mistake.
The person on the other end of the connection wasn't Sebet.
It was an Ogre.
Or at least, something the system identified as being functionally similar.
I could sense the rising panic from the Ogre and brought the full weight of my will to bear. Compelling them into inaction while I decided how best to proceed.
Given our current circumstances, it was all but guaranteed that this Ogre was an enemy.
The issue now was deciding what to do with them.
Assuming they were not a corpse puppet, and I was reasonably certain they weren't. The Ogre might prove to be a useful source of information.
Then again...
Normal Ogres were not particularly intelligent. It wasn't fair to call them stupid, but they definitely lacked mental dexterity. Often coming across as quite childish as a result of struggling to express more complex thoughts and ideas.
After several minutes, I had made up my mind.
"Come to me," I commanded. Speaking the words aloud to better conceptualise my intent.
Yi Gim gave me a questioning look. Already rising to his feet even as I waved him back.
"I sensed someone who may be one of my kind," I explained while taking note of the Ogre's initial progress in our direction.
"One of your kind?" Yi Gim inquired, clearly made uncomfortable by this news.
"An Ogre," I clarified. "Or something close to it."
"I see..." Yi Gim considered me for a moment and then looked toward the entrance to our hideout. Appearing to come to a decision, he sighed resignedly and returned to his meditation.
He didn't appear comforted by that distinction.
Not that I blamed him. If our positions were reversed, I probably wouldn't have taken the news nearly as well.