Creepy.

They walked for what seemed like hours, but strangely enough, Oz wasn't all that tired from it like he would have been before.

"We're here." Jared announced as they reached the entrance of one of the secluded parks in the city.

The sun had just set and the moon was beginning to creep into the sky. A silver glow was cast over the trees in the heavily wooded park causing the shadows to be that much more emphasised.

"A park?" Oz questioned as he turned round to face the group, their grinning faces starting to seriously give him the creeps. "What exactly are you going to have us do?"

"Just keep following," Jared beckoned as he strolled past the park gates and began to follow the dirt path within.

"Don't worry too much guys, we all had to do this test as well when we applied." A female voice whispered sweetly. It was Amanda who was Jared's wife and one of the first members of the Jade Guild. Oz always got along with her ever since he met her when his brother joined the guild years ago. He saw her like a big sister.

Oz didn't feel any more relieved though when she said this, but he forced a smile and nodded nonetheless.

The group made their way through the wooded park, the sounds of the city fully disappearing. Xiao tried to pretend that he wasn't bothered about walking through the creepy park, but Oz noticed his occasional flinch whenever a sound would echo through the trees.

"Why did you agree to this?" Quinn's voice made Oz almost jump out of his skin.

"What do you mean?" Oz grumbled, glad he still wore the mask on his face so he could hide his expression.

"It's way to early for you to do this test yet." Quinn sighed and rubbed his temples as if he had a headache.

"What choice did I have?" Oz answered, anger seeping into his voice. "Xiao would be kicked out otherwise."

"I wouldn't have kicked him out, Oz." Quinn said, shocked that his little brother would even think that he would do something like that. "Jared only said all that to provoke you guys into agreeing to his test."

"Why?" Oz asked even though he already knew the answer.

"Why?" Quinn repeated and then laughed bitterly. "Because he's bored."

Jared was indeed a strong and well known Cultivator in this city, but he began to change around a year ago.

He went on a solo hunt outside of the City and trespassed into one of the dangerous zones out in the wild. Only teams of strong cultivators equipped with the strongest weapons and armour are allowed to hunt in the red zones as the beasts there are all ranked at Rank 4 and above.

And even then, a lot of those cultivators would get seriously injured or die.

So what made Jared travel into the red zone? He would never answer any questions about that particular hunt, only that he would never leave the city walls again.

He began to drink a lot more and cut back on his training, but he was still heroic in Oz's eyes.

Even if his sense of humour was beginning to grow twisted.

"We're here!" Jared announced and everyone began to crowd around him as he crouched down and began to dust off something on the floor.

"It will be a miracle if this old thing still works," Connor, another member of the guild snorted and Oz got closer to look at the small disk on the floor.

It did indeed look old, it's stone material cracked and decayed but the large blue oval stone in the middle seemed intact.

"When you get to your second year in the academy, you will be allowed to use their Virtual Reality rooms where you can spar with digital partners with a rank of your choosing." Jared began to call out. "But before that technology was created, there was a more primitive method of fighting.

And that was to fight against yourself."

"Fight against yourself?" Xiao's brows furrowed. Even Oz, the one who spent countless years studying everything to do with cultivating, had no idea what Jared was talking about.

"These stones are actually banned now," Jared rapped his knuckles against the large blue oval stone on the floor. "Even all text and information about them have been wiped clean."

"There must be a reason for that." Oz said with an eyebrow raised, unease beginning to bloom inside his stomach.

"What you need to know is that the Virtual Reality Rooms in the academy are limited. They limit the pain you receive, they use standard fighting techniques and only fight until you tell it to stop.

How would that benefit you? You won't be fighting like that in the real world. There is no mercy when you're fighting with your life on the line." Jared face darkened as he spoke those last words and a heaviness filled the air.

"So what's different about this stone?" Oz asked quickly to try and distract Jared from whatever dark thoughts where currently plaguing him.

"With this stone, you fight yourself." Jared said as he stood up and focused on Oz and Xiao. "The fight won't end until either you or your opponent is knocked out. I'm giving you this warning now -

You will get hurt.

So this is the last chance to change your minds and turn away right now."

OZ involuntarily gulped as Jared's words sunk into him.

But he was also strangely excited.

What was a little pain to Oz? He went through torture everyday with his demonic breathing technique, so what if he got a little roughed up in a fight? It's not like he hasn't been hit before, so there was nothing new here.

"I'll do it." Xiao said firmly, surprising Oz. He knew that Xiao wouldn't decline doing something like this, but he was a little surprised at how fast he answered.

Even OZ had to take a little time thinking it over.

"Me too," Oz said decidedly, grinning at Xiao and then at Jared. "I'd like to see how strong I really am."

"Don't regret those words." The corners of Jared's mouth curved up as he put his arms around their shoulders again and pulled them towards the stone.

Oz cast one last glance to his brother, and when he saw Quinn's worry filled expression, he couldn't help but feel more motivated.

He would prove to his brother that he wasn't someone he needed to worry over anymore. That he too, could protect those around him.

Even if he got a little hurt.