Chapter 8: The Dragon's Disciple
The subway tunnels opened into a wide, flooded culvert, the architecture giving way to something distinctly non-European: a cavernous, subterranean temple complex carved into the rock face. The air here was cleaner, scented with incense, but also sharp with the energy of pure Qi.
"A Murim Pocket-Dimension," one of the younger Hunters whispered in awe.
"No," Aiden corrected, stepping forward and analyzing the rock carvings with his Chronos vision. "A Temple of the Naga Dragon. A former sanctuary, now likely corrupted or used as a stronghold for the next stage of the cult's operation."
Suddenly, a blinding flash of emerald energy erupted from the temple entrance. It was a powerful wave of internal energy—Qi—not mana or demonic magic. It tore through the water in the culvert, sending a wave of debris toward the Vanguard.
Before Aiden could issue a command, Rin reacted instinctively, spinning his blade. The Rending Gale met the emerald wave, creating a counter-vortex of wind that deflected the energy harmlessly into the ceiling.
"Aiden, I sense a high-level Outer God artifact is being protected here," Rin warned, his eyes narrowed. "The intensity of the Qi is beyond anything an ordinary human could manage. This is a Murim Master."
As the debris cleared, a figure emerged from the temple entrance: a man in his late twenties, dressed in a black, high-collared traditional coat, his movements economical and precise. This was Master Wei, a Hunter known in the previous life as the Disciple of the Azure Dragon, a powerful ally Rin had deeply trusted.
Master Wei's eyes, bright with pure internal power, immediately found Rin. A look of genuine, untainted relief and warmth flooded his face.
"Rin! You're alive!" Master Wei rushed forward, ignoring the rest of the Vanguard and the cold, unmoving presence of Aiden.
He didn't hesitate to pull Rin into a fierce, genuine embrace—a stark contrast to the tactical distance Rin had maintained with Aiden.
"Wei," Rin gasped, returning the hug with a sincerity that Aiden hadn't seen since the Tower's destruction. "I thought you were lost after Floor 97."
"I was reborn, too, but I remembered everything," Wei said, pulling back to look at Rin with heartbreaking tenderness. "I remembered the end. And I remembered what he did."
Wei's eyes flashed with undisguised hatred as they flicked toward Aiden, who had remained silent, his strategic mind already calculating the tactical variables of this new, complicated player.
"You're still with the Arbiter?" Wei asked, the question laced with judgment.
Rin instinctively stepped away from Aiden, maintaining the distance. "We are tethered by a Goddess's decree. A tactical nightmare."
Wei looked at Aiden, his face a storm of righteous fury. "You cold-blooded monster. You used his final moments as a distraction. You sold him for a strategic win. You'll never change, Arbiter."
Aiden's face remained impassive. He knew this accusation was true in the eyes of everyone but himself. "Master Wei. Your presence here complicates the mission. The Naga Temple is a nexus for demonic activity."
"I am not here for your mission, Aiden," Wei spat out the name like a curse. "I am here for the cultists who defiled my lineage's sanctuary. And I am here to ensure Rin survives without your 'calculations'."
Wei turned back to Rin, his voice softening into a protective murmur. "Come, Rin. My internal energy is untouched by the Goddess's folly. You can anchor your Rending Gale to my Qi. We will clear the path together. I trust your blade implicitly. I never trusted his schemes."
Rin looked at Aiden, then back at Wei, whose kindness was a painful balm to his wounded soul. He nodded, accepting the protection.
"Lead the way, Wei," Rin said. "I'm tired of following the man who views my life as disposable."
As Rin and Master Wei moved toward the temple entrance, their combined aura of wind and Qi creating a protective, synergistic barrier, Aiden felt a spike of emotion he hadn't allowed since his rebirth: jealousy.
The feeling was instantly crushed by the cold logic of the Arbiter. Jealousy is a tactical weakness. Rin is safe. That is the priority.
But his Chronos interface, running diagnostics on the fate tether, registered the truth: the tether was strained, the distance between the two primary Hunters dangerously wide. Wei was an unknown factor, a powerful variable that could destroy the fragile temporal balance Aiden had created.
Aiden gave a clipped command to the remaining Hunters. "Follow them. Maintain tactical discipline. We are now navigating a three-way threat—the cult, the Naga Temple's defenses, and the volatile Murim Hunter."
He watched the two figures vanish into the temple complex—the cold strategist left alone with his bitter, calculated love, watching the man he treasured be comforted by a friend he could only view as a rival.