53. Alchemist In Their Midst

***

"What aren't?"

"The beasts, they are at least hundreds of meters away."

"Huh?" Tanji frowns. "That's it, that's the last rule. Hiro! How did you notice?"

"Notice it was an illusion?"

"How did you?"

"I just squinted my eyes at it and noticed."

"You really have good eyes, though it's not an illusion," Tanji said and thought. "Rule one, the entrance or exit changes every third hour. Two, it does so in a clockwise direction, meaning the next location will be south. Three, as one moves away from the entrance the space stretches, while as one moves toward the entrance space compresses. Finally four, do not run, running only increases the space. These are the basic rules of the Spatial maze."

"If it's not an illusion, then what is it?"

"I'll tell you later, let's go we are heading south."

"Huh? Why? I thought the exit was east?"

"Stop asking and let's go."

Tanji pulls Hiro's hand and led him towards the south. As he did, someone yells, "this was really a waste of time."

"Let's get going!"

"We shouldn't have waited."

Tanji heard some others say, but he just kept on walking alongside Hiro. "I know they are far away but shouldn't we run?" Hiro asked.

"Hmm? No, we are just going to walk until will reach our destination."

"He has lost it, let's go too."

"And where is our destination?" Hiro asks.

"You'll see."

"I'll be honest with you, I'm getting more skeptical about you."

"That's good. It will keep you on your toes and make you take actions carefully."

…

"Shin, isn't that a village?" Mia asks.

"It looks like one," Shin replies.

The duo were on a small hill looking around. Beside them was the boy and girl who had followed them. At the foot of the hill was a small village settlement.

"It looks empty and damaged though. Should we check it out?"

"Yeah, we should at least secure a place to stay when night falls."

"That's a good idea," the boy agrees with Shin.

"Alright, let's go," Mia voices.

"By the way, you two what are your names?" Shin asks the boy and girl.

"Oh, I'm Mushuang Jian, but you can call me Shuang, or Jian."

"I'm… Guan Xue," the girl says.

Shin nods and the group made their way down to the village. The closer they were the more they confirmed Mia's words, the village was empty. From their current view, most of its buildings were destroyed. In no time they arrived at the village.

"Wait, we aren't the only ones here," Shin announces.

"Huh? Really?" Mushuang Jian asked.

"Shh!" Shin hushes him and grabs his spear tightly. "Quietly but quickly retreat back!" he whispers.

Mia nods at him and did as he had said. While she did, she took out her whip. She had noticed some footprints leading into the village. They didn't belong to humans and she thought that was Shin's reason for retreating.

On the other hand, Shin had notice a huge beast head poke out from between two buildings. The head was way bigger than any he had laid his eyes on. Luckily, it was asleep and he had noticed it first.

Quickly they retreated, going around the hill while following Shin's lead. It wasn't until they were out of range did Shin yell quietly.

"Run!"

"Why are we running?" Mushuang Jian asked.

"Feel free to stay if you want to die," Shin replied while pulling Mia away.

…

~Spatial Maze~

"Hiro, how's your cultivation going?"

"It's easy, I should reach the eighth stage in no time. The energy here feels heavier but it's actually easy to cultivate."

"Is that so?" Tanji looks at him with amazed eyes. "You aren't human," he thought. "Just what are you? This is the energy of ancient times, humans and ordinary beasts could not cultivate this energy. That's why most beasts of ancient times went extinct as it was only the divine beasts and a few major and minor beast clans that could. It wasn't until a mysterious person appeared did humans learn a method to cultivate it. They had to first break this ancient energy down and then cultivate. As several generations went by, humans increased and so did the use of this method. After dozens of millennia, the universe acknowledged the broken energies and began producing it. Or one could say the universe's love fell on the humans so there was no need for the method and it got lost as time went on. So how the hell is he able to cultivate it?"

"Hey Tanji, can you here me?"

"What?"

"We need to talk later, but first why the hell are they still following us?"

Tanji turned to the people a few distance behind them. "Hmm, there are still people following us. I thought by now everyone would be gone."

"Me too," Hiro said.

"One, two, three… four, five, six. Six people."

Following behind them was the old man, a man, three ladies and a girl that looked nineteen.

"May I ask why you guys are following us?" Tanji asks.

"Young child, this old man is frail and weak, and I have to depend on others, that's why I'm depending you able children."

"You are at the eighth stage like me, how are you weak?"

"Unlike you, who is just blossoming in years, I am withering in it."

"Sorry, and you?" Tanji turns to the man present. He had a small build and held a sword. "You are at the ninth stage."

"I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say it's because of your friend. I may be at the ninth stage but it's obvious he is stronger than me. He already cleared the beasts that followed us. It is expected though, after all you guys are from the Imperial eagles academy."

"How do you know we are from there?"

"Come on now, it's obvious," the old man said.

"Your composure and the way you dress shows you are either from there or from a rich family in Eagle's city," a lady said.

"I doubt there's any child from a rich family as strong as he is," another lady said. Her hair was a perfect blend of black-blue ombré.

"I see. So one ninth stage, one eight stage, two seventh stage and two sixth stage. Not a bad line up, if everyone has experience in fighting but I can see, only you, you and you have experience," Tanji said while pointing at the man, the old man and the black-blue ombré lady, respectively.

Correspondingly, the three of them frowned, squinted and raised a brow at him.

"You are one strange fella, young child," the old man said.

"I don't think I am wrong, am I?" Tanji turns to the two other ladies and girl. "Have you ever fought before or being in a fight? One that involves your life on the line."

"No, I'm just a maid, sir," the lady who had not spoken before said. Her grey colored eyes that match her ash colored hair stared at her feet.

"No, I'm just the daughter of a tailor," the girl replied. Her pony tail dangled as she shook her head. "I'm not good at fighting, but I'm very good at other things. Please don't abandon, I'm very useful."

Tanji turned to the lady who had not replied. She was the first to speak among the ladies but now she had not replied. "What about you?"

"I don't have experience in an actual fight but I have been taught the sword."

Tanji turns back to old man. "I wasn't wrong."

"Ha, asking them that doesn't accurately confirm it. But yes, I have experience in a fight," the old man replied.

"You may be old, but at least you can protect yourself."

"True."

"Well, if you guys are going to follow us, we should at least use you guys and gain from it."

"What's your plan?" the man asked.

"We'll give orders and you follow. Don't worry, the orders I'll give will benefit us all."

"That isn't hard for me," the old man said. "After all I am depending on you guys."

"I'll follow," the maid lady said with a happy smile.

"Me too," the girl voices.

"That isn't hard."

"It is normal for someone from Imperial Eagle to take charge in situations like this. I just want to know how you know about this place."

"I'm not going to tell you that, don't bother asking again," Tanji turns to the man. "And what's your decision?"

"The one with the biggest strength has the biggest say," the man replied while looking at Hiro.

"Hiro!"

"Yeah?" Hiro who was busy watching the surrounding turned to Tanji who had called.

"Do you mind putting a bit effort in protecting them, in exchange for a labor?"

"No, I don't mind."

"Do you mind me dishing out those labor?"

"Nope, how many are they?"

"Six."

"I can do it if they stay close."

"Alright," Tanji turns to the man. "So what you guys are going to do is simple. Look out for herbs and pick as many as you can."

"You are an alchemist?" the old man asked.

"A third grade one."

Smiles appeared on the faces of all of them after hearing Tanji's words. There was an alchemist in their midst. That in itself was a great news.