Sebastian flitted across the snowy landscape of the former Profound Sky Sect’s lands. His running speed surpassed that of the Cornuptreses, though he had to take more frequent breaks, and because he didn’t need a flat road like they did, he could enjoy the views as he ran across tree tops and mountains.

  After a few days of travel, he came across a town. It was similar in size and quality to towns he had called home before, only with different architecture. As he landed atop a broken building, however, he realized it was completely abandoned. There wasn’t a soul in sight.

  Unlike the strategic base town, it wasn’t reduced to rubble, at least. Even so, there were signs of a battle, albeit one-sided. Some roads were torn up, some buildings had scorch marks while others had their walls or roofs destroyed. Occasionally, as he walked along the roads, he could see the remains of those killed peeking up through the thin veil of snow that did its best to hide the worst of it.

  He didn’t stay for long.

  His journey east continued, and every day he would see more villages or towns or settlements, all of them destroyed and empty.

  After a week and a half, there was smoke over the horizon. It wasn’t directly in his path, but as he got closer, he noticed a mountain peak on fire.

  Looking closer, there were countless pagodas and other buildings strewn across the peak. They were in ruins, all of them. If not for his supernatural senses he would barely even have been able to see them. At the center of the peak stood a palace, still burning. There was no way to truly know, but Sebastian’s intuition told him that the fire wasn’t recent. That the peak was destroyed weeks or even months ago and the fire simply refused to die down. The enduring struggle of a once-proud sect refusing to surrender, even in death.

  His eyes lingered for a few moments, but he didn’t stop.

  As he continued past what he could only assume was the Profound Sky Sect’s true sect grounds, more recent signs of the Lumerian army’s passing were made clear. Thus far, it had been obvious by the desolation and destruction left in their wake, but after this point, the signs were in the landscape.

  Forests were uprooted, either for resources or to provide a path for their armies. Trenches dug around where their armies had rested. Buildings which had no place on this continent, constructed and abandoned. Their paths pointed north, likely to aid in battles against other enemies of the kingdom.

  A few days later, Sebastian approached the edges of the former Profound Sky Sect’s territory.

  There was a caravan of refugees traveling east, like himself. He debated ignoring them and continuing on his own but figured that tensions so close to the new Lumerian border might still be rather high right now. Someone over level 50 casually moving around the area might raise a few eyebrows.

  Joining a group of refugees to lay low felt like a good play.

  He considered his options for how to approach the caravan. A more casual approach seemed appropriate since just dropping down on them might scare them all silly. After a moment of thought, he decided to let them catch up to him.

  They had a few mounts and draft animals, so they were moving faster than a man on foot.

  Sebastian dashed ahead of them and landed on the road, clasping his hands behind his back as he ambled down the road.

  Shortly after, the caravan caught up to him. It was by no means a large caravan, only a few wagons and carriages, but there were almost 50 men, women, and children traveling, or rather fleeing, together.

  Sebastian stepped to the side and bowed politely, as he had seen others do back in the strategic base town. He ignored all the wary looks he got and called out.

  “Greeting, I see we’re traveling along the same road. Is there perhaps room for one more in your caravan?”

  He was met with a silence accompanied by whispers of fear and suspicion.

  The silence didn’t last for very long.

  An old man stepped out of a carriage to respond. His hair was unkempt, beard untrimmed, clothes dirtied and torn, yet they still retained a certain dignity. The old man’s clothes were several steps below Sebastian’s “borrowed” clothes in terms of quality, but still a few notches above the rest of the caravan.

  They all wore clothes similar in style to Sebastian’s, only in different variations. Most had robes that were tied around the waist and of a rougher and thicker material.

  “Greetings, lord,” the old man said. “How could we refuse. We must help each other in times of need, after all. Though I fear our carriages might not live up to your standards.”

  Lord, huh. Well, I guess quality robes from some elder or other of the Profound Sky Sect sets me up as some kind of lord to most people. I’m not gonna complain if it works to my advantage.

  “Most appreciated. And there’s no need to worry of standards in times like these. To not have to walk is a comfort I envy at the moment,” Sebastian said with a soft smile.

  He could see some tension leave the old man’s shoulders.

  “Envy no longer, lord. Please, come in.”

  I don’t know much about the culture and customs here but something tells me that not all so-called lords are all that pleasant to deal with. Meeting some random noble walking with his own two feet was probably cause for concern. To see me being affable was likely a welcome sight.

  Sebastian entered the simple wooden carriage. It was well made, but there were no decorations and the inside only had the thinnest padding on the seats. The old man walked in as well and took a seat opposite him. The caravan was on the move as soon as the door closed behind him. There were two others inside, an older woman and a woman who looked to be in her twenties. Both squeezed together next to the old man, leaving Sebastian a whole side to himself.

  “My family, lord. Paek In-Suk, my wife, and my daughter Paek Sol-Bi. And I’m Paek Chuwon, village leader of Blue River Village, or former village leader, I suppose. Like most everyone, we’re traveling east in hopes that the Shattered Earth Sect will accept us. Who do we have the pleasure of traveling with, lord?”

  Sebastian took a short moment, he realized that he didn’t actually know enough about this place to make up some believable lie.

  “There’s no need to call me lord. Can a lord of nothing truly be a lord, after all? We’re all going east to start anew. You can just call me Baz!”

  All three were stunned. They didn’t know what to make of the situation, to call a lord by his name, what sounded like a nickname at that, was unthinkable under normal circumstances. Although, even they had to admit that these weren’t normal circumstances.

  “Baz,” Paek Chuwon said almost reluctantly, as if it was a physical struggle just to speak so casually to a noble, “might I ask your thoughts on this new alliance. As an enthusiast for history, I for one am glad to see a step toward regaining the unity spoken of in the legends of old.”

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  Sebastian narrowed his eyes in thought. “Alliance? I’m afraid I’ve lived somewhat secluded since the war began. No news have reached me for months and months.”

  “Oh dear, you’ve missed a great deal then. With the fall of the Profound Sky Sect, most of the western and central sects and clans have realized just how big of a threat the foreign invaders truly are this time around. The wars have raged on for countless generations, but it has been a very long time since the invaders were last this aggressive. So, for the first time in millennia, they have set aside their pride and their traditions to form a defensive alliance. The Great Martial Alliance!” The man’s eyes lit up as he spoke of this alliance, with equal parts hope, pride, and fascination. “It’s why we finally decided to make the move east. The Shattered Earth Sect turned away countless refugees when they were isolated, but now that they’re a part of the Great Martial Alliance, they are mandated to accept any and all refugees to keep in line with the just laws of the alliance.”

  Great Martial Alliance? That certainly reminds me of all kinds of novels and webtoons I read back home. Those are all cultivation or murim stories though. I did feel like maybe there was some connection back when I heard of the Profound Sky Sect and how the continent is similar to the Calindor Federation. That it’s run by various schools and clans and sects, only without a governing alliance. Until now, I guess.

  Maybe there is something to that idea after all. Chuwon said that he’s a history buff, maybe he can fill in some more blanks.

  “That sounds like good news,” Sebastian said. “Anything to help fend off the invasion. I’ve never been into history much, but you mentioned legends of alliances like this in the past.”

  Seeing his guest share his interest, to some degree at least, seemed to delight the old man. “Oh yes, it’s difficult to find even traces of information about the ancient history of our world, but there are pieces out there. Crumbs to follow, if you have the perseverance to do so. I’ve been interested in our history since I was a child, and I still have only learned bits and pieces through some dealings with a number of sects.

  “What I have learned, however, is that eons ago our lands were divided into two factions, the Light and the Dark. The Light faction were the sects and clans who upheld honor and justice while the Dark preyed on people for their own benefit. With the founding of the Great Martial Alliance, some have drawn parallels with the Groups of today. Most who joined the alliance are situated in the west, closer to the border with the enemy. In the far east, most Groups are more isolated, less united. In the past, most—although not all, as far as I can tell—of the Light faction came together to form a Martial Alliance to protect the people of this world from the Dark faction. I’m glad that I get to live to see such a thing myself. I only hope that this new Great Martial Alliance will live up to its name.”

  Reaching the edge of the Profound Sky Sect’s territory took them far longer than it would have taken Sebastian alone. He could have made it within the day if he ran, but the caravan took just over a week. They finally arrived to a checkpoint along the road, normally inspecting travelers but currently more focused on dealing with refugees moving between the territories.

  The caravan was stopped, and a guard called out. “Alright, everyone out! Line up! You’re about to enter the territory of the Shattered Earth Sect. As such, each and everyone of you will be marked. If you do not report to the city guard in Jigusi within two weeks, this mark will turn red. A red mark means you are a criminal, and you will be killed on sight. So, don’t waste any time. I repeat, go directly to the city guard in Jigusi.”

  Sebastian sensed that none of the guards were over level 30, so he knew they couldn’t stop him if he chose to just ignore them. but he was curious, and he didn’t see a point in risking anything. He got in line behind Paek Chuwon and his family and waited his turn. Applying the mark was quick and easy. The guards had what looked like a stamp and used a small energy crystal to power it as they marked each refugee on the back of their hands.

  Interesting, it’s like magical ink, I guess. A rune or something enchanted to be "impossible" to remove and to glow unless they do something to deactivate it in a set time. If the guards back in Lumeria had this when they called me in as a draft dodger I never would have been able to get to Luxendorf in the first place. Strange that they didn’t, but I guess different regions have their own specialties. Same as how Calindor have inspections crystals even in towns where Lumeria uses their measuring machines.

  It’s not strong, but I wouldn’t call it weak either. Anyone who’s reached Major Accomplishment would be able to shrug off the mark without issue, but I doubt someone under level 40 could deal with it. I could erase it at any time just by overloading it with essence, but it doesn’t seem like there’s enough essence in it for it to be dangerous. Might as well keep it, to follow procedure.

  The caravan was let through once everyone was marked. They didn’t dillydally.

  The refugees hadn’t expected to be marked, but it apparently wasn’t completely unheard of. Still, with the mark acting like a ticking time-bomb, they hurried to Jigusi as fast as they could. Though they rushed, Sebastian's skin itched with how slowly the caravan moved compared to his usual travel pace, but patience felt like a better option than recklessly getting caught up in something unnecessary or even dangerous. It took them almost the full two weeks.

  The city itself was similar in size to Luxendorf, or in other words—massive. Like the rest of the towns and cities Sebastian had come across on the eastern continent—or as the locals called it, Mugongji—the architecture looked Asian. It wasn’t quite identical to anything he had seen on earth but strikingly similar to older architecture from East Asia. There weren’t as many pagodas here—although there were still some—and there was a subtle difference in style from the towns of the Profound Sky Sect.

  A crowd of people stood gathered as they entered the city, most of whom were also marked. Refugees like the Paek Chuwon and his fellow villagers, all downtrodden and destitute to various degrees.

  The road was wide and unpaved. Even though the road was just dirt, it was the cleanest and most well-kept dirt road Sebastian had ever seen. System Skills showed their magic in the strangest of places.

  They were forced to leave their horses and most other animals outside the city, and so the fifty-something refugees crossed the wide road on foot over to the open square where city officials were receiving refugees.

  Half-way across the road, they were stopped by a small group of men. Nobles, if their fine silk robes were any indication. All five of them wore similar green robes adorned with embroidered turtles and white trims.

  “Ugh, more filth crowding our streets,” one of them said. A young man in his twenties with a disgusted look on his face.

  Ptui

  One of his friends spat on Paek In-Suk, the village leader's wife.

  “These vermin should know better than to pollute our city with their presence. Just because the Great Martial Alliance says to take in freeloaders doesn’t mean that they should have the indecency to actually force their stench on us,” the friend said, inciting laughter in the rest.

  “Shame we can’t expect decency from animals,” the first young man said to even more laughter.

  Paek Chuwon and his family got down on their knees without hesitation.

  “Apologies, Lord Practitioner! We meant no disrespect.”

  They gradually crawled out of the way, continuously directing their kneeling toward the young men as they got out of the way. The group laughed some more and continued walking, but they only got a few more steps in before the leader of the group stopped dead in his tracks.

  “What in the hell are you looking at, vermin? Huh? How dare you stand in my presence! I don’t care if you were some pathetic, pretend noble in your filthy village back in your ravaged, barbarian homeland. Here, you kneel before your betters.”

  Sebastian only barely registered what the young man was saying; he was more focused on his eyes. He had seen those eyes before. They were the same eyes that Josh and the other heroes had when they tried to kill him, when they tried to rid the world of vermin unworthy of being called human.

  Since the day he arrived in this world, Sebastian had been pushed to his brink countless times. Certainly physically, but even more so mentally and emotionally. He had been rejected, abandoned, and betrayed. He had watched what few friends he had die in front of his eyes. Almost been killed himself.

  All because of those eyes.

  All this time, he had pushed it down. A deep breath and a mental push to focus on what mattered, his goals and his pursuit of power.

  For the first time, it didn’t work.

  His fist clenched until it drew blood as he desperately tried to control himself.

  Then he blinked.

  When Sebastian opened his eyes, his fist was already half-way to the young man in front of him. Essence circulated at top speed, and a [Shattering Strike] struck the young man directly in the chest.

  The poor bastard never even realized he was being attacked.

  Time practically stopped. A cloud of blood spread out toward the other four. Sebastian took a step, and in the same smooth motion, he grabbed the sword tied to the disembodied legs that hadn’t yet been grasped by gravity. The blade moved in a beautiful horizontal arc and cleaved clean through another of the group. A shadow copy of the sword materialized but rather than move in that same arc, it launched like an arrow into yet another young man. The last two had gotten their own swords only half-way out of their scabbards when their heads went flying.

  He had moved so fast that to the eyes of the mortals in the square, an explosion went off and suddenly the group of five were torn apart.

  Sebastian stood alone in the center of the devastation as bodies fell, and blood and viscera rained down around him.

  He took a deep breath and looked around to see the looks of terror on everyone’s faces. Screams tore apart the short stunned silence and chaos erupted.

  Well, fuck…

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