The Cultivators had all linked their rooms together, a function the Inheritance allowed upon request. This was so players could sit and calmly plan, work out what they would do in the next round of the game.

Jinxiao, lined up silently beside the four other Tier 1's, did not anticipate a calm and relaxing planning session. Her eyes moved slowly left and right as Hao stalked up and down in front of their line.

Click, click, click, click, click. The sound of Hao's hard-soled slippers smacking the stone. Click! An angry stomp as he turned. Swish. The furious rustle of his robes. Click, click, click… Hao came into view, green robes thrashing behind him as he stalked, movements emanating a precise fury.

She was just starting to think that was all he would do, that he was calming himself, as the walking continued. Then he stopped. He turned to face them. She tensed, swallowed, stared straight ahead. Used her grainy Soul Sense to see who he was looking at.

Wan, he's looking at Wan. And she felt a little rise of giddy relief that made her want to smile. She kept her face in an expression of determination and focus.

'Explain to me Wan, how precisely did you fail so utterly to contain the barbarian?'

'M-my lord,' began Wan with what Jinxiao judged to be an excessive amount of hope in his voice, 'you need to understand I did all that I could! The barbarian is tricky! He—'

'Tricky?!' screamed Hao. 'You worthless fucking worm! I should stomp your face into the ground! You are an embarrassment! You are a failure! You are completely fucking useless!'

'It wasn't entirely my fault, lord!' wailed Wan. 'What about Jinxaio?! She was his neighbour, too!'

Jinxiao tensed at Wan's deflection. How she loathed him. Ugly bald idiot!

Click, click, click… Click!

Hao was before her.

'Did you hear that, Jinxiao?' he hissed. 'Wan says it's all your fault.' His merciless eyes bored into her own.

'My lord, I held my position. Not only Wan but even Tong were forced to retreat! But I held strong, my lord!' Wan had stuck her in the shit with him, now she dragged Tong in to accompany them. What goes around comes around, as the Clan's Battle Master liked to say.

'You think I care a handful of dog shit for your holding strong?!' Hao shrieked at her. 'You should have killed the bastard!' he howled, spittle raining on her face.

But he turned and stomped away, robes a-thrashing once more. He paced up and down in front of them like a caged beast, face twisted in a snarl reminiscent of a deranged wolf. 'We are getting fucked out there! The barbarian is outnumbered five to one and he is pressing us! This is unacceptable! I don't need you to hold strong, I need you to kill him! Control your Symbiotes better, seize resources faster, I don't care, just fucking win! I refuse to lose, I refuse to lose to that scum, that trash, that vermin!'

'I have a suggestion, my lord,' came a voice, Tong. Soft-bellied prick!

Hao glowered at him. 'This had better be good.'

'What we need is an all out assault, my lord,' proclaimed Tong. 'We should sacrifice some of our members, have them send all of their units at the barbarian! With their sacrifice bolstering our Symbiotes, the rest of us will be able to take him down! End the barbarian threat now in one good charge!' And he slashed at the air as though tearing the barbarian's head from his shoulders.

Hao stared at him. 'And who do you think should be sacrificed?'

'My lord,' began Tong, speaking in some of wormiest tones Jinxiao had ever heard, 'clearly the greatest fault lies with his two neighbours—Jinxiao and Wan. If anyone held a responsibility to deal with the barbarian, it was them.'

What a moronic idea. We struggle to control many Symbiotes at once, a problem that for some reason the barbarian doesn't have. If we sacrifice members, his advantage will only grow.

Hao's expression turned oddly kind, a friendly grin appearing. 'What an amazing idea. I'm a little confused by your choice of sacrifices, however. Wan, I understand, but Jinxiao is in quite a good position now.' She felt a warm glow of satisfaction at these words. Yes! 'Whereas you, Tong, are nearly as weak as Wan,' spoke Hao cheerfully. 'If any should be sacrificed, it is you two.'

'B-but, my lord,' began Tong miserably, only to be cut off.

'Fortunately for you, I'm not a fucking idiot!' Hao screamed at him. 'Sacrifice people?! We can only control so many units, unlike that freak! We need every member! Are you deranged? Have you tasted demon blood, or are you just that fucking stupid?! I need solutions, not methods to hand him a free win!'

'How is it the barbarian has this capability?' came a murmur, Xin. That cold-blooded snake. 'There must be some explanation, lord, for how he can control so many, and so seamlessly. Perhaps some unusual Symbiote, one that works even in the Inheritance? Some oddity or unique trait within his spirit? If we could understand how he does it, perhaps we might find a way to remove the capability. With that, he would pose no challenge.'

Hao stood silent, for a moment, frowning and tapping at his chin. After a moment he shook his head. 'See what you can find out. Watch him, Xin. But I doubt you will find anything. Even outside of an Inheritance, it is not easy to learn of hidden spiritual traits or the precise Symbiotes others hold.' His eyes rose, glimmering with a cold light. 'I need strategies that will be quick, and effective!'

'I have an idea, lord!' spoke up Jinxiao. Risky, but I need to curry favour where I can. Due to her actions a week ago, Han had been killed, and Hao had favoured Han more than most. Thus, her current unfortunate position within the group. She knew that if she didn't get back in his favour before they returned, her life at the clan would become very hard. Of course, Han had deserved it, but Hao wouldn't understand that. This was her chance to gain back some standing!

'Another idea, Jinxiao? After your last?' There was a definite note of hostile sarcasm in his tone, but that wasn't unusual.

'This is a better idea, lord!'

'Speak.'

'When we ended the game, the barbarian was about to fall on our Workers, the healers and injured, and the Yin-Yang Rotation Symbiote. It is clear he wishes to destroy them all, and take the Yin-Yang Rotation Symbiote.'

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'Yes. Obviously! What of it?'

'So, I believe he will likely prioritise taking the Symbiote highly. It is the greatest prize. He wants it, as we all do.'

Hao snorted. 'He won't be having it. I'll destroy it the moment the game resumes. The Inheritance's instructions explained that unique Symbiotes respawn after a time.'

'But my lord… the barbarian might not know that Cultivators can easily destroy Symbiotes. Or if he does know, he might not expect it. It seems his people have little experience with them, based on those last we met. Most aren't even Cultivators.'

Hao wore a thoughtful frown now. 'Go on.'

'The Symbiote cannot escape… but if it tries, it could lead away some number of his attackers. If you had it retreat towards our bases, the Workers could simultaneously retreat towards our Symbiote army, which is closer. He might split his force. Then, when a large portion of his force has been drawn away, you could simply have the Symbiote destroy itself. This should allow more of the Workers, the injured, and the Red Grass they carry, to escape, and in this moment, they are more important. It is a minor advantage, but in a battle like this, any advantage is worth seizing!'

Hao smiled. 'Well, well. Not a bad idea. We will try it.' His eyes narrowed. 'It had better work, Jinxiao.'

'My lord, I have complete faith!' blustered Jinxiao, praying she was right.

###

Nicolai's podium rose up again, and he saw the others likewise rising. Hao's eyes locked onto his own, and from the expression on the man's face, he had the impression the man was trying to burn a hole through his head with nothing but the power of his gaze. The rest of them looked at Nicolai with dislike, but tempered by concern and wariness and a multitude of other things, their own personal worries and struggles bleeding through. The bald man looked seriously put out, giving the impression he'd not had a particularly relaxing break. Jinxiao wore a deep frown, gazing at the game board as though hoping to dig out every secret the it possessed.

Nicolai watched them calmly. With the Angelic Blade on his back it was easy to maintain his relaxed state of mind. He hadn't had any hallucinations or other trouble since leaving the castle. His true worry lay below, where he'd come from. He'd ran out of time and the undead had not been broken. It had laughed, and said it would remain strong, that he didn't have time to break its will, before he had to leave the Inheritance. We will see, Nicolai had said. We will see.

Thus, the game resumed.

It had ended just as he was launching a sneak attack on the Cultivator's support group, the Workers with their Red Grass, the injured Symbiotes which had retreated to be healed. He saw no reason to change this plan, already committed, the Workers already surrounded, and the Yin-Yang Rotation Symbiote beckoned from amidst them.

His Wolf Bugs fell upon them, and the Cultivators reacted instantly, clearly having planned what to do during the break. But their units were just as out of position as they'd been before the game had paused. However, there was a split.

The Yin-Yang Rotation Symbiote fled toward their base areas, while the Workers and other Symbiotes fled towards the army. Nicolai gazed at them, thinking. This was a strategy to split his force. An effective one. He wanted to destroy as many Workers and seize as much Red Grass as he could, but he also wanted to take that Symbiote.

He sent a quarter of his Wolf Bugs to chase after the Symbiote, figuring that ought to be enough, and the rest fell upon the Workers and the injured. The damage quickly mounted up, and Nicolai grinned upon, seeing his Wolf Bugs close around the Yin-Yang Rotation Symbiote. He'd be able to seize it from Hao.

'Nice trick, barbarian,' said Hao, and the man for some reason wore a faint smile. 'You're not the only one to think of it.'

Nicolai saw a team of quick-moving Attacker come streaming towards his own Workers from all sides. Trouble. His retreated in good order towards his own army, but that army was forced back to meet them, forced to stop harrying the other army—who were thus able to reach their Workers. He had his Wolf Bugs retreat, focusing on the those attacking the Yin-Yang Rotation Symbiote. He'd have to break its will fast. His will flexed as he worked to seize it from Hao's control.

That was when the Symbiote exploded.

He stared at it, and heard sudden laughter.

'Did you not know about that, barbarian?' crowed Hao. 'The owner of a Symbiote can order it to destroy itself at any time! You were never going to take it from me!' The others joined in, laughing merrily, clearly glad to finally have some kind of win.

Nicolai gave the man a slow nod, pulling his Wolf Bugs back. Some of them were caught by the Cultivators army, and killed by massed attacks.

Hao sneered at him, they all did, proud as cats. Except Jinxiao, for some reason, who continued to gaze at the board, and now wore a faint smile.

Nicolai had known about the self-destruct for Symbiotes, but only in a vague way, as something Kleos had mentioned once. It wasn't something he'd ever thought much on. He knew why Hao had been willing to destroy it, though. Because the book had said that any "reward" Symbiotes, the unique ones like this Yin-Yang Rotation Symbiote, would respawn after a few hours if they were destroyed.

The focus then, would return to the centre. That was where it would respawn and that was where the Golden Shardache was.

He pulled his army back a bit, watching the Cultivators warily, just as they watched him. All had taken a licking, and since they'd all drawn together with their Workers anyway, he opted to have his healed, and they did the same.

A pause in the combat, but it would soon resume. Two more days of this endless, vicious battle.

###

The Cultivators glared at Nicolai with fear and loathing. They all clustered on the same side of the table, now. Across from him. Their podiums had been reassigned as the state of the game changed. It was nearly the end of this second session.

The board was split in half. One side was his, full of wild Symbiotes. The other was theirs, where they had armies of basic Symbiotes and small groups of the elite, highest-level Symbiotes.

The Red Grass, at first one of the most plentiful Resources, one they'd all used freely and wastefully, was beginning to dwindle. It was crucial for healing Symbiotes. Nicolai had his own hoard, kept aside only for his very best Symbiotes, and they had their stocks kept for the same purpose.

The Cultivators did not speak loud and bold, not anymore. They muttered very quietly to one another in low and serious tones, covering their mouths and watching him warily, planning and plotting their strategies. He could feel their rage and disbelief. Hao especially. The man was incensed that the five of them were being fought on even terms by only one man, by one barbarian.

The Cultivator stared at him. His lips were twisted with disbelief. His teeth clenched tight with rage. His eyes boiled with hatred.

Nicolai gazed back. He raised the side of his lip in a tiny smile and Hao released a hiss of fury.

And the war continued. Endless and gruelling. Skirmishes and ambushes and all the tricks of war. Nicolai delighted in them. He took every opportunity to confuse them, to trap them. Scouts lured them in. Wild Symbiotes charged from the flanks. He took control of every Worm Spitter on the board, and used them to kite enemies whenever he could, a trick he and Aiming enjoyed immensely and which caused the Cultivator's untold fury. At first when he did it they would say he had no honour, that he was afraid to fight properly, but so far as he was concerned this was fighting properly, and in time they adjusted and found their own annoying strategies.

No matter what they came up with, he was prepared. Simulations had become crucial to the whole endeavour, as it continually generated models of the future state of the game. With this, victory was assured. No matter what the enemy tried, he and the Modules would be ready.

In each break he descended back into his private room where he focused on making the undead Soul give up.

Nicolai found an increasing dislike for the torture. Not because of any screamishness; the suffering of others gave him little rise to concern, and he was easily able to suppress the Mask's reaction due to the undead's non-human nature.

But the torture, in a way, disgusted him. Largely because of how he felt the Dark stirring within him, and its sick enjoyment. If he could have done it clinically and with no reaction, he wouldn't have been bothered. But the idea of taking pleasure in it upset him. He was a professional. Not a sadist. Or so he hoped.

At it was, he did his best to take to it in a methodical manner. But he knew that he was having limited success. The undead Soul was strong and determined.

He needed to find another way.

As a result, he began to think on the nature of the Lotus Blossom Symbiote, and the strange space it created within; where he was in total control.

He needed a more efficient method of torture, a more efficient method to break the Soul and make it give him the keys to the Blade.

That, and perhaps he ought to indulge the dark. Sick as this drive within it was, and though he disliked it, in this moment it could be of use to him.

Time slipped on, more brutal war on the board, accompanied by ruthless torture below…

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