Nicolai streaked over the ground, widening the gap between him and the Cultivators. While he fled, he worked to corral and cut back the infection, but his efforts were stymied. He was only able to hold it back, quarantine it to his chest area from which it constantly tried to spread. Even with the dark burning through him, this was all he was capable of. Without the dark and the thrill and the Modules, who helped also, he suspected the infection would already be all through him, freezing up all of his Symbiotes.

He would need to pull back his entire Soul Sense and use the whole weight, Soul and Soul Sense all at once over perhaps five or ten minutes, to deal with it. He couldn't do that, because the only reason he was able to get away from the Cultivators was because he was using the Grasping Finger, which required him to extend his Soul Sense in order to target it. He needed to stay ahead of the Tier 2, if that man was able to wrap the spiritual hand around him again and restrict his Soul Sense, he would be slowed to a crawl and stepped on like a bug.

He had no attention for spare for the Red Gourd Symbiote from the Toothbearer, which previously he had been applying spiritual pressure to in order to keep it placid. It tore a hole through the zipped pocket he'd stuffed it into and disappeared into the jungle.

He needed to find somewhere safe, somewhere he could go to ground.

But where? How? There was no time, and he knew too little.

Threat Analysis had an idea. The moment it broached this idea to him, he gave his approval. Using his Mark, the Module activated the TreasureFinder.

TreasureFinder charges: 1

Use charge?

Yes.

Set search parameters…

/"Safety from pursuers"/Closest/Quick

Scanning…

In only moments, the charge was used and a result given. Nicolai and the other Modules looked it over. A new icon had been added to their map, a short distance away. It was called: Inheritance.

Wary of any obstacles, Threat Analysis also activated the Pathfinder, selecting the revealed Inheritance as their destination. The Pathfinder simply drew a straight line on the map from their current location to the destination, telling them there was nothing unexpected on the way.

Nicolai's path through the jungle veered to the right. Then he had to dodge rapidly to the left in order to avoid a burst of fire, and duck as the arrow sliced at him. He pulled himself rapidly away and barely avoided a swipe of the great spiritual arm.

The Cultivators were pressing closer, emboldened as he did nothing but run. He needed to push them back or he might never reach his new target.

Drones followed in his wake, launched from before the fight. Through them he observed the pursuing Cultivators.

They weren't following as Nicolai had expected, in a rush through the jungle.

Instead they had taken to the air, all of them floating on… he frowned as he looked more closely. They were standing on swords, flying on them, arrayed behind the Tier 2. They had also formed a significant defence. Even through the drones and without the benefit of spirit vision, Nicolai saw the shield they'd formed—it caught and diffused the light, like deep water. A great weighty thing like a curving bowl, positioned between them and him. They had hands extended toward the Tier 2 who seemed to be generating the shield. Some kind of group effort. They were worried about the M99, after seeing what it was capable of. These guys were smart.

After dodging their attacks he had a moment to act, so pulled the M99 from from his storage, slowing slightly. He quickly reloaded it then took aim.

His eyes couldn't see them through the thick leafs above, but he wasn't firing blind. Via Aiming's coordination with the drones, he knew precisely where to aim. He slid through the air, levitating via his two Pegasi rings.

He squeezed the trigger and the gun jerked against him. He observed via drones while his hands began to move, absently starting the process of reloading.

The round slammed into one of the weaker looking edges of the shield, right in front of one of the weaker looking Cultivators. The shield filled with cracks but managed to hold, and in only moments it was regenerated. The Tier 2 gestured for the one Nicolai had aimed at to group up closer with the rest of them.

They were moving at a speed that perfectly matched Nicolai, and despite the cover between him and them, they were tracking him. His Soul Sense peered around and he saw it. A floating eye, connecting to a thin strand of Soul Sense. Observing him just as he observed them via drones.

They weren't attacking in some over aggressive charge as he'd expected. They were taking their time. The Tier 2 had hit him with some kind of poison or curse which was making him unable to use his Symbiotes, and they were just… going to wait for it to do its work. A smart strategy with minimal risks.

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He was getting closer to his target, but he needed a little more time. He had his drones swoop closer, taking up positions around him while he stored the M99 and pulled another item out. As he did so, he happened to turn his body in a way that hid his actions from the floating eye.

###

'That big loud-stick is dangerous,' murmured one of the Cultivators, as the echoes of the barbarian's latest attack faded. He, like the others, was balanced on his sword, the wind whipping at his robes.

Zhang Hao, the Tier 2 Cultivator who led them from the front, where he flew balanced on his own sword, snorted. 'Perhaps to those who haven't invested in a good burst shield. With this defensive array we are safe from him.'

'Young Master is wise,' murmured a bald Cultivator. A man who, like the others, was one of Hao's personal servants. 'With the Red Face Infestation Symbiote, even now his internal system will be falling to chaos. Soon he will be easy pickings.'

Hao smiled, gazing absently down at the treetops sliding past below. Through the Phantom Eye he'd created, most of his attention was focused on the fleeing barbarian, who was hurtling through the brush. 'Exactly. But remain wary, he may have some more tricks to play.'

'A great day for you, my lord! The clan will reward us greatly for bringing the Tier 3 Artifact, especially so soon after we have finished finding one another and gathering! The others are still settling in the new village, while we are out here seizing treasures!'

Hao's eyes narrowed. He wanted that Artifact for himself, not to see the Elders take it and give it out to someone who pleased them. He was approaching the final stage of Tier 2, and in a few months would advance to Tier 3. With something like that in his hands, he would secure his position within the clan. If I convince father, I will be able to keep it.

He just had to finish this barbarian.

Hao had been considering attempting to talk with the barbarian, at first. The last group of barbarians they'd encountered had all been killed after a short battle, but he'd realised afterward that this had gained him, and the clan, little.

He didn't understand their strange tools, nor anything else about these people. That being the case, it would be wiser to take a hostage and interrogate them.

But that had all changed when he'd seen the Tier 3 Artifact. Seeing something so valuable before him, in the hands of someone so weak… he'd been unable to stop himself from seizing for it.

Now, he regretted his rash actions. He should have acted friendly and gotten close. After defeating the last barbarians so easily, he hadn't anticipated this one would cause any trouble—the fact the barbarian was also a Cultivator had only made him seem even weaker, as he was only Tier 1. Hao had expected him to be defeated in only moments.

His hand had been shown so there was no point in putting up any act. He had to kill the barbarian as soon as possible. They hadn't encountered Cultivators from other clans or sects out here but that didn't mean none were around. If another Tier 2 turned up, or worse still, a Tier 3, he'd be at risk of losing the Artifact.

Fortunately, in spite of the difficulties he'd caused, the barbarians was nearly finished. Hao and the others were following at their leisure as the man dashed through the brush. Hao's Tier 2 Artifact Blade, Irgunsoo, was beneath his feet and through its Art he was able to grant the same power of flight to his companions Imbued weapons.

He snorted. This would be over soon. 'A glorious day for the clan—and for me!' He laughed.

###

Behind the Cultivators a squad of hunter-killer drones swooped down, coming fast from above. They had been pre-programmed with the proper directions, and fulfilled them perfectly. The Cultivators' large shield was held between them and Nicolai, thus the drones had swept wide and high so as to attack from the unprotected rear.

Two of the Tier 1 Cultivators were targeted, the four drones split between them. They sped in, a sudden blur of screaming-rotors and rapid movement, then with sharp bangs each Cultivator took the payload of a single drone, which smashed their personal Burst Shield. A second later, the remaining two drones hit those same Cultivators, now unprotected.

Nicolai, down below, saw it all through his recon drones. Both Tier 1's fell from the air with holes in their chests. He'd opted to simply take out two of the Tier 1's, who he knew did not possess shields capable of taking two hits. He would've liked to remove the Tier 2, but he'd worried that even sending all four drones against the man wouldn't have been enough, as the man had switched to a powerful skin shield. Ultimately it was preferable to definitely kill two small fry, than possibly kill the big one.

There were five of them left in total, and their pursuit had taken on a more aggressive air. Now they were coming quicker, closing the ground, and launching projectiles from their vantage. No longer content to wait for the red infection to weaken him, they wanted to finish him before he found a way to kill again.

Unfortunately, he was lacking any such methods. Those had been the only hunter-killer drones he'd had; they were very expensive.

Nicolai pulled the M99 again, and returned fire. This slowed him further, but it was necessary. He had to see if he could break their big shield, now there was only five of them. In between each shot, he launched himself forward while reloading.

It had some effect, but quickly they replied with more attacks from above, throwing them whenever they saw him pause to fire, and he was forced onward. Prior to this the shield had began to look weaker, filling with cracks, and as he resumed his full out flight they slowed for a time, focused on recharging it.

He'd bought himself a moment, but no more. Fortunately, that was enough as he arrived at his target.

Emerging from the jungle ahead of him was a large stone monument, a statue of a giant worm surrounded by worked stone outcrops which formed four corners around it.

Nicolai sped toward the statue. This was the site of an Inheritance, which he knew a little about from Kleos. The head had told him they were places where a Cultivator could enter into strange grounds, and grow stronger from the trials on offer.

He hoped this one would let him in and no other. Even if not, this statue would be a better place to fight from than the jungle. The stone would give him cover, allowing him to avoid shots while firing back.

Before the statue there was a raised area of stone, on which a circle was carved. He stepped into the circle, and received a notification from his Mark.

Refinement Master Kol'teth's Inheritance

Rewards on offer include Refinement Knowledge and a Yin-Yang Rotation Symbiote.

Up to ten people may enter at a time. The Inheritance can only be activated if at least one month has passed since the last activation, and individuals may not attempt it more than once.

Activation is currently available, and you are eligible to enter.

Combat and other hostile acts are not possible within this circle, nor inside the Inheritance. You may keep your Symbiotes and other items, but all Symbiotes, Artifacts, Imbued, innate magic, etc., will be unuseable within. Your Soul Sense likewise will be restricted.

Do you wish to enter?

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