Maximilian sighed in annoyance. He knew he was being greedy, but he couldn't help himself. If he could have brought one of these statues back to Earth, it could have changed everything. Unfortunately, he couldn't. He wasn't sure if the Network placed a restriction on them or if they were just too big. On the positive side, it wasn't a complete loss. There were smaller alcoves, private rooms, and similar places. The smaller statues and paintings inside he could take with him. They weren't as good as the big one, but they were more concentrated. He wasn't sure how that worked, if the insights granted by the big statue would be weakened by the number of people or not. Either way, it would benefit Nubia. The various statues were fascinating in their own right. At first, he thought they were the same person, but that wasn't true. It seemed like the faces changed the more he concentrated on them.

  As if the act of watching changed them. He wasn't sure what that meant. He quickly learned that the statues weren't evenly distributed. The weapon-based daos were the most common. Of course, that was only true if you grouped them as "weapons". If you counted individual weapons instead, then they were even with the others. Swords were common. He wasn't sure how the crafter did it, but the weapons felt "sharp". Like if he touched it, he would lose a finger. It took him almost an hour to find a statue that corresponded to his dao. The statue was of a woman who stood proudly facing the north. A chaotic storm held in her hands. She looked as if she were waiting for something. As if she were about to unleash the trapped storm on something. Oddly enough, he felt the connection to two of his dao. Squall was obvious, and static wasn't a surprise, but rain wasn't there at all. He wasn't sure if it was omitted or if the person in the statue hadn't included it for some reason.

  Despite the questions rolling around in his head, he took a seat on the mat and focused. He focused on his recent battles, his recent uses of his dao. Each battle flowed through his memory like a river of time. He pushed the memory to the back of his mind and focused on the sensation. What it was like to use his dao. What they did. He knew he wasn't ready to evolve his next dao. Rain was next, and he couldn't help that one. He would lay the foundation for what was to come. As he ran through the insights from his battles, he turned his attention to the statue. Now that he had let himself focus on it. He could feel the ideas enter his mind. It wasn't quite a download of new data. He would compare it to someone whispering in his ear. Someone is gently guiding him in a direction. He instinctively knew that he had as many directions to go as there were stars in the sky. Yet, he tempered himself. He could feel insights into other dao gathering, and he was a bit worried about getting one by accident. He focused on what he wanted. He fused more concepts into his understanding of Static.

  Wind followed with Squall. He wanted to amplify the offense of static while improving the speed squall. He wasn't sure how long he sat there before he blinked. He slowly exhaled and ended his cultivation session. He wanted to stay a bit longer, but he knew it wasn't a good idea. The insights from the statue had become more distant. He thought he had burned through a resource, but the statue seemed the same. He couldn't verify, but he assumed that he was the issue. That he had reached the limit of what he could do for now. He cracked his neck and stood up. He looked around and realized he had made a mistake. He had slipped deep enough into meditation to let it distract him. There were ten people in the massive room. None of the ten were close to him. None of them had attacked anyone, so he figured this room was some unofficial neutral zone. He doubted that it would last forever. This site was too important. Eventually, someone would try to take control of it. He considered doing that himself, but quickly abandoned the idea.

  He wasn't interested in being that kind of person. He doubted he could survive in this new world without compromise, but this time was something he could control. He gave the area a final glance and then made his exit. When he was back in the ruins, he cracked his neck and sprinted north. The few hours he was away had seen the ruins change. The city was more active than it had been before. He saw the flashes of skill activation and sounds of battle in every direction. He wouldn't call it a chaotic battlefield yet. The city was vast, resembling more of a scattered group of battles than an organized entity. He did notice that the inner reaches of the city were dark. Which made him think no one had been allowed there. Which was a positive.

  He wanted to explore and unravel the story of this place, but not if it meant missing out on better opportunities. He was willing to sacrifice some things, but he wouldn't gamble his life, at least not on something like that. He even started to come across looted buildings. Which meant other people had come up with ways to deal with the array. He came across several more buildings that were interesting. He looted them for everything he could. Most of his prizes weren't related to cultivation. Pieces of furniture were the most common. Works of art were second. He wished the statues and statuettes were helpful, but he knew they weren't. The ones that helped you felt different, still looked nice. They still had the signs of wear and tear, but they looked "more". He couldn't explain it better than that. They had more presence. Everything went into his bag. He was also forced into a handful of skirmishes. Battles that ended before they went too far.

  He was about to search for somewhere to rest for the evening when he saw something. A battle between a trio of warriors and someone he recognized. He leaped on top of a building to get a better look. He cocked his head when he saw it was the man from before. He hadn't given the man permission to teleport in with his people. Not that it mattered. They weren't on the team here anyway. Maximilian decided to watch the battle for a few moments. There was a problem. The man was losing. The problem wasn't him. He was strong enough to handle any of the warriors, but they were a group. Soldiers used to fighting together, and he was alone. If Maximilian didn't help him, the stranger would die, and he wouldn't get any of his questions answered.

  The trio was naturally from the other world. Two of them wore the same armor as the last groups he had seen, while the third looked more important. He wore a fancy helmet that made him think of Roman generals. All four used swords, though the mystery man used a rapier while the others used shortswords. He stood there and thought about it. Though he already knew what he would do. He wouldn't let him die. Especially not due to numbers. Maximilian jobbed along several rooftops until he was behind and above the stranger. He was in direct line of sight of his attackers. He was about fifty feet in front of them. He waited until they noticed to release his killing intent. He had intended to open a weakness that the stranger could take advantage of. That wasn't what happened. He swore as all four men froze like deer caught in head lights. It hadn't hurt any of them, but it had ruined his plans.

  By the time the group realized what had happened, he had already acted. Three lances of bluish-white electricity shot for his targets. One for each of the warriors. He doubted the attacks would land. What he needed was for the group to disengage. An outcome he got seconds later. Swords met electricity as they retreated almost ten feet. Maximilian decided not to give them a chance to regroup. He unleashed a mix of wind and electricity to keep them on the back foot. None of them were strong enough to take his attacks head-on on but they didn't need to be. They flowed around and with each other. Despite how fast his attacks were, the group managed to avoid most of them. The ones they couldn't, they met together.

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  Even with that, he would have the advantage. The problem was their leader. He was faster and stronger. If Maximilian had to guess, he would put the man around his level, which was a problem. It was clear the man hadn't been trying earlier, though he couldn't figure out why. If he had fought like that before... It wasn't important. He could handle the group if he needed to. His attention shifted to the stranger. The man hadn't joined the fight, nor did he look like he would leave. If anything, the man seemed happy to just watch. He wanted to send a bolt in his direction, but he couldn't spare the moment. The battle felt like dancing on the edge of a blade. Where each slip-up let them get a bit closer to him. If he messed up too many times, the group would close the distance, and he would be screwed.

  Their leader must have realized that they were on the losing side. He looked at his men, who gave him a nod as they moved to stand behind him. They made several hand signs. They ended with three fingers pointed at their arm and three more pointed at the general. Maximilian was about to launch a set of attacks when his instincts screamed at him. He locked eyes with their leader as spiritual energy flowed into him. Maximilian's mind raced to figure out what had happened. It was clear that they were making him stronger. He just didn't get how. Was it an array? Did the hand signs do it, or was it energy manipulation? If it were an array, could he learn it? Not only would it help him, but it could keep his people safe. He could— His thoughts were shattered when the man moved. He disappeared and reappeared less than ten feet away.

  Maximilian reacted just fast enough to avoid the sword strike. He unleashed a burst of wind and shot from the roof. A second after he hit the ground, his instincts screamed a warning. Without hesitation, he unleashed his Dao fields. The warrior continued his attack and slammed into the overlapping fields. The leader froze for less than a second. It was barely enough for Maximilian to activate Severing Disc. Both blades emerged just as the warrior arrived. His blade raised, and then he was gone. The blades tore into him from the sides. They split him into three pieces. It was then that the stranger made his move. He unleashed a flurry of blows at the remaining warriors. Two were dead before Maximilian could react. The third tried to run and was killed with a thrust ot the back of his head.

  Anger flared as Maxmilian unleashed his killing intent. The world shimmered as if it were a mirage as he took a step toward the man. He hadn't decided if they were on the same side, and that certainly didn't do him any favors. The stranger froze. His hands held up in placation. "In the future, when someone surrenders, you take it. If you can't accept that, then I suggest you get moving." He let his words linger in the air for a moment before he withdrew his aura and dao fields. He strode over to the leader and collected his bag. He wasn't sure what the rules were in terms of claiming the loot. Though he leaned toward it being restricted. Only the person who got the kill could claim it. Despite how mad he was, he wasn't going to kill the man. Not for that. The group had tried to kill him, so mercy was likely in short supply. Maximilian waited until the man had finished collecting the bags before he asked his questions. "Who are you and why did you join in Nubia?" A part of him felt the direct approach was a bit heavy-handed. Especially since he hadn't banned him or anyone else from joining Nubia. Since he was in the settlement, he had to join before he locked it down. Yet it was weird. He was strong. At least relative to everyone else.

  "I apologize if it bothers you. I was in the area a month or so back, and I wanted to see what the peak was like. Both figuratively and literally. Got to admit, hermano, I had expected you to be more warlord, but you aren't. If anything, you are more old-world than everyone else. Sure, it reminds me of being in a history channel documentary, but still familiar. I had wondered if the man himself would be as dull. You are not. If I asked you how you got your killing intent like that, would you tell me?" The man laughed and shook his head. "Right, right, got to do the whole introduction." He stepped back and raised his rapier. He then flourished it. The blade tore through the air in a fanciful "A" before the blade stopped at his side. "Alejandro Agramonte."

  Maximilian cocked his head at the man. He vaguely remembered that from an old movie, but he couldn't recall which one. He also wasn't going to ask. He chuckled at the man and then shook his head. He hadn't expected to see another leader so soon. Though it only made his choice to be in Nubia weirder. He could lead a faction of his own. Unless he hadn't earned a hub for some reason. "You haven't answered the question. Why don't you have your own faction? Or your settlement at least."

  Alejandro shook his head and laughed. "No se?or. Not for me at all. I have no interest in leading other people. I am enjoying the wandering lifestyle. That being said, I can see the ways the winds are blowing. The battle for Earth is going to start soon, and I have no interest in it. This puts me in a shitty position. I could tell everyone I don't want it, but would anyone believe me? I am stronger than most, but not quite as strong as you. I haven't compared myself to the other two, but my guess is I am closer. Close enough that they might view me as a threat."

  Maximilian nodded and could see the problem. He didn't care about it, but he could see it. As far as he was concerned, the others were going to target him eventually. If the world were a game of King of the Hill, he was the king. Everyone else was going to have to hit him to change that. "I see, so what you want me to protect you? Offer you haven and then what?" He asked the question but didn't need to be told the answer. He was strong enough to defend Nubia. Probably from any one of the other top ten members. The only problem was trust.

  "I am not asking you to do it for free, but yeah. That's what I want. I was exploring the wilderness, and I have some information you might be interested in." Alejandro grinned as if he were the cat that got the cream. A grin that grew when Maximilian paused. He took the moment to continue. "You see, I was exploring a cave system where I found something weird. There was a spot where the world kind of shimmered. As if it wasn't there. Like one of those cloaking machines in movies. Being the explorer that I am, I decided to throw a rock at it. A rock that disappeared when it passed through. I did something with one of the lizard creatures in the area. When it jumped back through and tried to kill me. I figured it was safe. Or at least somewhat safe. I decided to head through."

  Maximilian's eyes widened at the description. It sounded a bit too much like the tomb he found. Spiritual energy surged through his channels just in case he had to attack the man. He wasn't willing to kill him for that, but he couldn't have the tomb's location getting out. His worries were dispelled with the next thing he said.

  "It was a winter wonderland." He grinned. "It wasn't just that either. I got a quest when I entered. A quest that I promptly failed. There are monsters inside. Stronger than me, and I imagine stronger than you. They were freaky. Unless you have something else hidden away. I managed to travel about a mile inside before I was forced to go back. I was attacked by a rhino-like creature. Never seen it before, so I don't think it's from Earth. I am willing to tell you where it is. If you give me what I want."

  Maximilian stared dumbfoundedly. He thought he knew what would happen, but once again, he was surprised. Part of him wanted to leave the trial and go there now, but he didn't. He would trust Alejandro's assessment of the situation. He doubted anyone currently on Earth could explore the place. Not unless the other species chose not to send their strongest here. This place would also give him the best chance to get stronger. "Yeah. You can stay as a citizen. You are expected to obey all the same laws as everyone else. You can get set up to collect contribution points if you haven't done so already."