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She reread Max’s letter and mentally went through the gymnastics of calculating the exact date and time on Earth. She didn’t know how the day and night cycles of Earth and the planet Max was on lined up, but hopefully there would be some overlap throughout the night where Max was supposedly going to spend it entirely under the effects of the Bloodmoon.

Kelsey couldn’t risk such exposure herself.

She had managed to get her tolerance up to just under an hour now, but that was the most she could endure accumulatively. She decided she would take short ventures into the Bloodmoon a couple of minutes at a time and then space them out every half hour.

That way she had the best chance of hopefully running into Max in the spirit realm.

As for what would happen when they did however, she still had no idea.

In the times prior she hadn’t been actively looking for Max and it was he who had found her.

But now they both would be seeking each other.

To find a way to communicate across the stars.

She prayed that Max was as excited as she was.

* * *

A mixture of anxiety and apprehension seized my gut as I headed towards the flaming braziers at the barrier’s edge. I’d assembled my platoon earlier and had all ten of them in tow as we together faced our final exam. I knew them each by name, but I couldn’t say I knew them well personally.

Not to the extent that I would need to in order to win this challenge.

I’d been plotting out a strategy all afternoon and had what I thought was a good plan.

I felt like I was back at the handler station again, training a batch of new recruits.

This challenge was more than just survival and I needed to know everyone’s strengths and weaknesses if I wanted to get the best performance out of my team. The majority were high-tier core realm cultivators with a couple on the cusp of breaking through to the Sacred Soul Realm like myself. But what really mattered, was their ability to withstand the Dark Frenzy of the Bloodmoon.

“Alright,” I said, stopping them and pulling them into a quick formation. “Time to go over the gameplan. I want to be able to rotate people in between the front lines and those who are mining and for that I need to know what everyone’s tolerance is to the Demonic Qi of the Bloodmoon.”

“What difference will it make?” a guy named Juk Sui asked. “We’ll all be under the same effect.”

“It’ll be worse when you’re looking those demons straight in the face,” I said. Most of these guys hadn’t had the deeper insight like me—knowledge of what glimpsing the unseen could do to one’s psyche. Granted they wouldn’t be facing off against those Star Born demons like before but for them even normal demons would count. “It’ll wear you down more. For front liners, I need people with mental fortitude as well as fighting ability. So who’s on my front line?”

Everyone raised their hands.

“Alright, hands down,” I said with a sigh. “Look, the bullshit stops now. There’s no shame for one’s abilities or lack thereof in my platoon. Everyone has a purpose. Now which of you just barely squeaked by your last Bloodmoon assessment. Be honest.”

Timidly three people raised their hands.

“Alright, you three are my core mining team,” I said. I then looked between them. “Dim Wei, you’ll be the team lead.”

Dim Wei, a petite woman who I knew to be pretty smart in the lab, snapped me a salute. “Yes, Platoon commander.”

“It’ll be your job to mine and secure the crystals,” I said. “I’ll lead the frontline team for defense. Now who is the best flyer here?”

Everyone pointed to a guy named Ten Chui. He was tall and lanky, with short cut hair and a mustache. I hadn’t seen him fly but I respected everyone else’s opinion.

“Ten Chui, you’ll be our scout,” I said. “You’ll warn us of incoming demon waves as well as seek out the next mining location.”

“Understood,” he said.

“Alright one last thing,” I said looking to the rest of the team. “Above all else, everyone fights to survive this night, understand? No one gets left behind, even if it costs us the win.”

That caused a bunch of murmurs and shocked looks.

“Don’t get me wrong,” I said. “We’re still gunning to win this, but we’re all way too close to being able to do this for real to throw our lives away now.”

“Yes, platoon commander!” they shouted in unison.

“Okay,” I said. “Let’s get to it.”

As we got back underway, a whistle called out to me from behind.

I stopped and looked toward the bushes and was shocked to see Chu Ren and Lo Ren emerge.

“Hey!” I said in a hushed whisper, glancing over my shoulder as I approached them. “What the hell are you guys doing out here?”

“We came to give you this,” Chu Ren said producing a bottle from his robes. “We heard about your final exam.”

“Whoa,” I said. “I can’t be celebrating early guys.”

Lo Ren laughed. “It’s not liquor. It’s a potent healing and revitalizing elixir. Figured you could use any advantage you can get out there.”

I smiled, taking the bottle. “I don’t know if this counts as cheating, but thanks guys.”

“Here is one for Blue Rose as well,” Chu Ren said, handing me another.

“Blue Rose?”

Chu Ren smiled sheepishly. “I know you two don’t get on anymore, but she’s become a good friend to us. We wish to see her succeed as well.”

“Don’t worry,” I said, taking the second bottle. “I’ll make sure she gets it and knows it’s from the both of you.”

The brothers gave me a bow.

“Thank you, Master Iron Bull,” Chu Ren said. “For everything. May this small token of what we can offer, be only a gesture of what we owe you.”

I returned the bow. “Thank you, fellas. Wish us all luck.”

As I turned to catch up to my platoon, I stashed both bottles in my robes.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

I couldn’t say I was surprised that they had made one especially for Blue Rose.

They all liked to drink together after all.

But it was a revelation that she had progressed and even maintained relationships outside of my own. In a way, I wondered if I was the one who had been missing out all along.

* * *

Chief Yora was waiting for us once I rejoined my platoon. Jei Su Long then arrived with his crew and I made an effort to pick out Blue Rose from his group. I desperately wanted to give her the brothers’ gift, if not to just have the obligation over with, but there was no time for that now.

Chief Yora quickly took center stage to address us.

“Here are the rules for the final exam,” Yora said. “Several caches of crystals have been buried in the desert. Two are close to the barrier and each cluster found within is worth ten points. There are other caches of clusters further out in the desert, with crystals worth 20, 50 and 100 points each. The amount of crystals in each cache is random and become fewer with the higher value caches and more plentiful with the lower values. The crystals will be differentiated by color. Brown crystals are 10 points, Black are 20, Silver are 50 and Gold are 100. The team with the highest total shall be deemed the winners.”

I wasn’t expecting a tiered point system.

This changed the strategy completely.

“Obviously, the closer you mine, the closer you will be to the barrier in case you get into trouble. The gold crystals will be at a point that is roughly the distance of the New Tribute run. If you venture past that point, you’ve gone too far. The caches are marked, but you will need to rely upon your Qi sensitivity to detect them, much as you will have to do on the Hell Worlds themselves. A small quantity of aetherite has been added to each cache in this regard.”

I was already recalculating what the best strategy would be now.

Mine for more lower value crystals in the safer areas, or head into the deep and get the jackpot win?

Both had pros and cons.

“Crystals can only be handed in at the end of the exam,” Yora continued. “You must either transport them with you or stash them to be retrieved later. If you are unable to endure the exam, it is recommended you return to the safety of the barrier. You will fail your examination if you do so, but it is far better to fail and try again later than die at this stage. Keep this in mind when making your decisions of where to mine.”

Chief Yora then looked over her shoulder and out at the barren desert. “As for now there are no hordes, but your presence will soon attract them. The exam will commence when the first horde arrives. Are there any questions?”

A silent pause filled the air.

“Then you may cross the barrier,” she said, taking a glance upward at the full Bloodmoon. “Good luck.”

I walked casually into the effects of the Bloodmoon and resisted the flare of dissonance it produced within my Flame. I pushed against it with my strength of will and Frenzy alone, saving my [Soul Shield] technique for when I would need to take a break.

I glanced over at Jei Su Long and the bastard leered back at me.

I looked further into his ranks to see Blue Rose and surprisingly she didn’t break her gaze when I made eye contact with her. She stared back instead, but with eyes wide and full of fear, the same thing resonating in her soul. I shot her a quizzical expression, as if to say, ‘Are you okay?’

Again, to my surprise she nodded at me.

But she looked anything but okay.

Across the desert, the wail of a lone demon drifted across the air.

It was quickly followed by another and then another.

“They’re coming,” Chief Yora said. “Prepare yourselves.”

It didn’t take long for the howls and wails to rise to a fever pitch and the slow rumble of what sounded like thunder to roll in as the stampede approached. The horde was perhaps just minutes away, but their presence reminded me of something else.

I yielded to the subtle effect of the Dark Frenzy to slip into a meditative state, accessing the spiritual realm to quickly inhabit my [Spectral Body] of the Struggler. I still couldn’t forget my other homework assignment while out all night under the Bloodmoon.

I sprinted off across the spiritual landscape, seeking Kelsey’s Flame.

I couldn’t sense anything.

Perhaps she wasn’t under the effects of the Bloodmoon herself as yet.

I was just about to pop back into my body when I sensed something else.

Something dark.

Sinister.

I’xol’ukz? I thought. So soon?

I didn’t see any tentacles yet, but I ejected myself from the spirit realm just in case.

When I reopened my eyes, a tsunami of snarling demons was now approaching, less than a football fields length away and building speed. I readied my Axe and Glaive, surging with Frenzy as I engaged [Steel Skin] and my [Soul Shield] technique.

“Get ready!” I called out to my platoon. “We stand our ground and make a hole in the horde.”

We formed into the classic phalanx defense formation, shoulder to shoulder with weapons at the ready. I couldn’t sense Qi, but I could imagine the air was pulsing with it as each cultivator tapped into their various defensive Qi techniques.

In the darkness the forms of the demons emerged.

Twisted and red-bodied.

All claws, horns and fangs.

But at least they weren’t Star Born.

Suddenly Jei Su Long let out a cry.

“To the air!” he shouted and immediately took off into the night sky. “Follow me! Anyone who can’t fly gets left behind! Move!”

He took off in a burst of speed, flying over the heads of the charging demon horde. The majority of his team took off with, including Blue Rose who winked out of existence at just the last second before the stampede hit.

Two poor sods who couldn’t fly were left out in the open.

Shit!

“Quick advance!” I shouted. “On me!”

I took off in a sprint to intercept as the horde closed in on the two cultivators.

“Fall back to us!” I shouted to them.

I didn’t have to yell twice.

They jumped into the midst of our defensive formation just as the wave of demons hit.

I surged with Frenzy, releasing a [Lightning One Chop Cleave].

My Glaive and Axe swung in unison and a huge arc of lightning sailed outwards, cutting into the charging demons. The cultivators at my sides performed similar maneuvers, using Qi technique to slaughter the demons in huge swarths.

Ten Chui took to the air and blasted downward with a fire technique to clear a path ahead of us.

“Keep pushing!” I shouted with [Struggler’s Resolve], charging headfirst into the swarm.

Claws and teeth raked against my hardened skin, but I bashed them aside with elbows and wide sweeps of my blades. Time folded in of itself as my [Bloodlust] kicked in and my Flame began to spew fresh Frenzy.

“We’re making headway!” Ten Chui called from above. “I can see the wave coming to an end!”

“How many left?” I cried.

“A thousand maybe!”

A hundred to one, I thought.

The sheer numbers put the [Odds Against Us].

My Flame surged a second time and I directed the Frenzy that came with it straight towards my jing as I engaged [Lightning Walk] to get above the horde and jump straight into their midst.

“[Wrath of a Thousand Slain Souls]!”

I landed like I was performing a cannonball-dive into a pool, my technique going off with a massive splash of [Frenzied Lightning]. The technique spread fifty feet all around and when I looked about the entire area was covered in smoldering demon corpses.

A rush of lemonade came from behind as my platoon stared at me stupefied.

It was probably the first time they’d ever seen me truly cut loose.

I cultivated it to fuel my next [Lightning Arc Strike] as I pushed into the rest of the horde.

I kept an eye on my Frenzy reserves as time wore on.

I had plenty in the tank thanks to how much I was producing, but my [Soul Shield] was constantly engaged as well. I’d have to manage it carefully to survive the entire night. I led the charge as I hacked and cleaved my way into a [Bloodlust] filled fervor.

A solid ten minutes went by with nothing but carnage and rage.

When some semblance of peace returned, the entire horde lay decimated at our feet.

A couple of my platoon members fell to their knees in exhaustion, struggling to catch their breath. Ten Chui touched down next to me.

“I’m not certain who the real demon is,” he said to me. “You or them.”

I cracked a smile as I cultivated the compliment. “You got no idea, my friend.”

I checked on my team and thankfully no one was badly injured, including the two tributes from Jei Su Long’s group.

“What are we going to do with them now?” someone asked.

I shrugged and looked to the both of them. “Well, I guess you’re either under my command now or you can both cross the barrier and fail. Which is it?”

They looked to one another and then bowed before me.

“We humbly request to join your platoon, Iron Bull,” one of them said. “Please accept us.”

“Fall in under Dim Wei,” I said. “You can join the mining crew.”

I looked out at the sea of bodies and tried to get my bearings. We’d traversed a good thousand yards or so from the barrier, the lights of the braziers just barely visible now.

“What now, Commander?” Juk Sui asked. “Jei Su Long and his platoon are probably deep into the desert by now, mining the high value crystals.”

“We should do the same,” one of my tributes said. “We should get after them!”

“No,” I said with [Struggler’s Resolve]. “This is a marathon, not a sprint. We need to spend all night out here regardless of how much we mine. Jei Su Long is going to burn them all out flying like that.”

“And this won’t?” Juk Sui said. “That battle was brutal.”

He had a point, but I needed to shut down any descension fast.

The last thing I needed was for morale to slip.

Winning wasn’t the main objective anyway.

“Do you think they will be any easier on the Hell Worlds?” I shot back. “This isn’t some dumb ass competition to be won. It’s preparation for what we’re going to have to deal with for real. If you want to cut corners for a cheap win, then you can march your ass back to the barrier right now.” I then shouted to the rest of the platoon. “That goes for everyone! You want an easy ride, let me know now.”

I waited and a mixture of fear and lemonade filled their hearts.

“Good,” I said. “Now let’s get to mining. Since we made the effort to clear the first wave, we might as well grab what’s here.” I turned to Dim Wei. “Get on it. Once you find the cache, we’ll all kick in to clear it quickly.”

“Yes sir!” She snapped me a salute and then ventured off with her mining team.

“Ten Chui, you go scout our next position.”

“On it,” he said.

As Ten Chui took to the air I looked to the rest of my team.

“Everyone else, take a breather while you can,” I said. “This is going to be a long night.”