Betrayal or Deceptions

As Eric pressed his advantage, his heightened senses, amplified by the Warrior's Echo's energy, picked up a distant hum of reinforcements approaching.

The old man's expression transformed from anger to worry, and he suddenly closed the distance between himself and Eric.

"Eric, stop! Injure me and escape with your companions!" the old man urged, his voice laced with a hint of genuine concern.

Eric's eyes narrowed, suspicion etched on his face. "Why would I trust you?"

The old man's gaze darted towards the direction of the approaching reinforcements. "Those who come won't give you a chance to survive. They'll crush you and everyone you care about. I can only help you this much, just escape."

With a swift motion, the old man positioned himself to receive Eric's attack. "Hurt me, Eric! Make it convincing, or they'll know I've betrayed them."

Eric hesitated, unsure of the old man's motives. But the Warrior's Echo phantom seemed to sense an opportunity, and its energy pulsed in agreement with the old man's words.

With a deep breath, Eric unleashed a precise strike, injuring the old man and creating an opening for their escape.

"Go! Now!" the old man yelled, clutching his wound.

Eric didn't hesitate. With the Warrior's Echo phantom leading the way, he grabbed his companions and fled into the unknown, as the Emporium's reinforcements closed in.

As they fled, he reached into his pocket as he felt a cold sensation like a metal or something hard's inside.

"Hmm.. what's this? I didn't kept anything inside"

his fingers closed around a cold object. Confused, Eric pulled them out, a high-tech device - the old man's advanced tech gloves. "How did this entered my pocket? Eric wondered, then Realized the old man must have slipped them into his pocket during their brief, intense encounter.

The gloves' sleek and transparent surface gleamed in the fading light, "strange, is this technological energy? Eric felt a strange energy emanating from them.

From the inherited memories, there are not many forms of energy apart from the spiritual energy which was everywhere in the ancient times and the advanced, immortal energy in the immortal realm.

There are also different types of energy; the nefarious energy from tainted spiritual energy, monstrous energy from monsters and the elemental energy from elements that around.

And unless one reaches the advance stages in cultivation where energy would be generated based on one's cultivation practices and concepts expanded.

"This type of energy!...it should be able to attain it own dao if it's taken and cultivated to it's extreme."

He sensed the device's immense power and versatility, and a shiver ran down his spine. Why didn't the old man used this energy while fighting him? Why had the old man given him this technology? What secrets did it hold?

Diana and Arin exchanged curious glances, sensing Eric's puzzlement. "What is it, Eric?" Diana asked, as they navigated through the winding streets.

Eric held up the gloves, his mind racing. "The old man's tech. He must have put it in my pocket during the fight."

Arin's eyes widened. "That's advanced Emporium tech. It could be a game-changer in our fight."

But the careful Diana hesitated and said with a slight warning; "let's not forget the deceptions of the Emporium all these years, maybe they will use this device to track us and annihilate all of us together one day"

Eric paused and felt a chill in his spine "that could be true, earlier I felt the old man's actions was weird, such a cunning old man. To pretend to betray the Emporium, he's just making us lower our guards towards him then they would attack and annihilate us in one swoop"

Although Eric was talking, his mind was on something different, earlier he felt as if the old man was playing with him. The Old man was definitely stronger than him yet he never fought with all his strength. The Old man should be at least two major stages stronger than himself yet he fought him on equal grounds and that makes no sense for someone on an annihilatory mission.