After packing his belongings, Grey unblocked the entrance and stepped outside. He moved quickly, gliding down the broken streets and past weathered buildings. He stopped short when something unusual caught his eye: a deer with a coat of blood-red fur and wolf-sharp teeth was gnawing at the stonework of a ruined building.
The creature lifted its head and stared. Grey's breath hitched under the intensity of its gaze. He felt a strong spiritual presence radiating from the deer and an overwhelming tang of corrosive substance in the air. He began to back away slowly, but the deer didn't move—only watched. He didn't let himself breathe properly until he'd put a safe distance between them.
This was the second mutated creature he'd seen; the spirit fluctuations alone were enough to terrify him. Fortunately, like the leopard earlier, it didn't act hostile—only curious.
After a while, Grey leaned against a tree and let his legs sag. He unscrewed his water bottle and drank deeply, trying to silence the pounding in his chest. He realized he must have wandered off course—he was likely edging closer to the outer layer of the corroded zone.
As he considered his next move, a faint rustle came from the bushes. His cultivation-sharpened ears picked it up instantly. Grey rose and stepped back several paces. From about thirty feet away he called, "Hello?" He didn't know why he had—maybe hope, maybe habit—but a small, malicious trace of spiritual energy leaked from the undergrowth in answer.
A man emerged. Middle-aged, clothes in tatters like Grey's, face smeared with grime—but a vicious gleam in his eyes marked him. He gave off the aura of a fourth-level Qi Accumulation cultivator.
Grey should have welcomed another human. Instead, unease crawled up his spine. The dark clothing, the malignant look—then it clicked. Scavenger.
Scavengers were rogue cultivators: thieves, murderers, and predators who camped near corroded zones to pillage whatever resources the blight produced.
The scavenger barked a laugh at Grey's nervous expression. A dagger materialized in his hand. He pointed it at Grey's pouch. "Nice and easy, kid. Hand over your pouch, and I'll let you leave with both legs."
An Unconventional Fight
Grey's surprised face hardened. He wasn't cowed. Now that he'd broken into the third realm of Qi Accumulation he could sense this man's depth—and he knew he could fight him. He didn't hand over the pouch. His hand slid to his side where a small knife was concealed.
The scavenger, misreading Grey's silence as fear, repeated himself. "One more time. Give me the pouch."
'First a leopard, then a deer. Now a middle-aged fool,' Grey thought, a dark edge to his humor.
He didn't waste time. With a sudden burst of speed he closed the distance in two breaths. The scavenger grinned and charged.
They collided with brutal force. Grey hit the ground, a spray of blood tasting metallic in his mouth. He swore when he looked down and saw a deep gash along his arm. But the scavenger's face told its own story: a crack spidered down his dagger.
Grey had struck with his right fist while his left held the knife. When the scavenger lunged to stab, Grey's left hand flicked up, the blade clanging against the dagger. The weapon glanced off, and in the split second the scavenger used his free hand to slam Grey's fist away and then elbow him in the gut.
He hadn't expected a full-strength strike from a fourth-level cultivator to sting like that; his insides lurched. Still, he'd achieved his aim: the attacker's dagger was failing. Rage warped the scavenger's features.
Grey spat blood and closed his eyes for a heartbeat while his cultivation circulated; the purple crystal at his core did its work, knitting flesh and soothing pain.
'Ah, so where were we...' he thought, grimacing as he reset his stance.
"That knife cost me money! I'll cut you to pieces!" the scavenger roared and surged again.
Grey braced to block, but another explosive impact sent him flying backward. His face had turned pale, but this time he didn't cough up blood. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
The scavenger kept lunging, expending spiritual energy with each dash. Grey's plan was simple: make the man waste his reserves. Each loud bang of their clashes showed the scavenger burning too much too fast, while Grey conserved his strength and waited for the moment to strike.