They spent an hour going over the details before Maximilian decided it was enough. The offer took him aback, but he couldn't complain. The tomb had given a lot, so could this new world do something similar? If there was even a five percent chance of that, he had to take the gamble. That didn't mean he would go now. This trial was likely just as good an opportunity as anything else. Especially if the Network arranged things specially for them.. There were too many variables for him to feel confident taking any action other than sticking to the plan. When he was sure their battle hadn't drawn any additional eyes, he sat down and started meditating. He doubted he could make a lot of progress now, but that last fight was interesting. The array they used was especially so. He had memorized some of the hand signs, but he had no confidence in duplicating them. He opened his eyes sometime later and was a bit surprised to see Alejandro waiting for him. He raised an eyebrow, and the swordsman shrugged.

  "You weren't expecting me to leave you now, were you? No way. I've seen how strong you are, and I've seen how strong some of their squads are. We won't survive on our own. I doubt any groups would be better than fighting with you. Not unless those other two were working together. Even then, I'd probably throw in with you."

  Maximilian considered sending him away, but thought better of it. He had to admit he wasn't wrong. Even he wasn't too confident about fighting two or three squads at once. Perhaps if he had more of his skills, but now? He shook his head. He had to verify something that could change his opinion. He pulled up his quest menu and let out a sigh of relief. He had advanced it during that battle. Which meant fighting with Alejandro wouldn't hurt him. He waved away the screen and looked at him. "You can stay with me, but if I tell you to run, you do it. No questions. No hesitation. A tough battle will be difficult if I have to protect you as well, and if we come across another group like the last one. You are to deal with the array. I doubt you have to kill any of them to break it. My guess is you have to break their concentration. Maybe make them release the hand signs."

  Alejandro grinned and nodded. "I can do that. Will we share loot fifty-fifty?"

  Maximilian nodded and then paused. "I want the furniture. You all can take the other stuff; I don't care too much about it. If we come across items we can't divide, we alternate. I get the first pick, you get the second, and so on. This pattern will continue if we find other people." Maximilian knew that this arrangement was technically disadvantageous to him. Since any tough fights would be his, he should probably take more of the loot, but he didn't care much. He wasn't sure if it would continue, but he didn't need a lot of resources. He wasn't sure if that was because of his affinities or because of his physique. He wasn't sure if those two things were unrelated. Either way, he made his choice. "It's getting dark. We should find a building so we can rest. I am not sure about you, but I only need a few hours a week. You can keep the first watch for about two or three hours. After that, I will take care of it."

  "Sounds like a fine plan to me. Do you need to sleep? Like, sleep?"

  Maximilian shook his head. "Not really. It's still nice to do, but I can get the rest from cultivation. Do you have any skills that would help? Specifically, any scout-related abilities?"

  "No. I have one skill that improves my sword thrusts called "Pierce" and a movement skill. That one makes it so one step is more like ten. It doesn't use a lot of energy, but it's hard to use in combat. The sudden shift in perspective is difficult."

  Maximilian was a bit annoyed that other people had movement skills and he didn't, but that was how you played the game. You did what you could with what you had. He had a lot of benefits, so he couldn't complain about not having that one. He also had his class, so he wasn't in a position to complain. At least not logically. He turned and mentally mapped out a route. "There should be another housing neighborhood to the southwest. We could go and stay there. Of course, other people will likely have that same idea." They discussed the idea for a few more moments, but neither could come up with something better. They didn't want to get caught out in the middle of the night. That would be the best time for ambushes, and he had no interest in ambushing other people. That seemed wrong, and he doubted anyone had any scarce things to take. Even the flower he had found wasn't too crazy. At least he wouldn't be willing to kill over it. He turned and started walking. He was a bit surprised that Alejandro could make decent speed. He wasn't as fast as Maximilian, but he was closer. His sprint was closer to a jog for Maximilian, which worked out well.

  "I have to know. How are you so fast? At leveling, I mean. Did you get a special treasure?" Alejandro asked.

  Maximilian considered telling him about his physique, but decided against it. He wasn't worried about the guy attacking him, but his gut said to keep it quiet. He also didn't want the man to get asked about it. "I have high affinities, which are responsible for my appearance as well as my cultivation speed. I can grab a level or two if I spend the week cultivating."

  Alejandro let out a low whistle. "Damn, some people get all the luck. So you don't need to be here? You could just lock yourself in a room and get stronger?"

  Maximilian shook his head. "Yes and no. I could do that, but it would cost me a lot. I need to complete quests. I also need to do things for my class. I am pretty sure hiding away would mean I would get a bad class. Or maybe no class. Also, it's hard to advance a Dao just by meditating. It's possible, certainly, but not easy. I can't explain it exactly, but it's like combat inspires you. It provides you with the missing pieces. I guess that it involves the Network. It wants us fighting. It wants us to compete. That way, we become blades that sharpen each other." He decided not to mention his other theory. That it was possible, he was weird. That his physique made it possible, his gut told him that wasn't true. That his physique didn't provide its benefits yet, but he couldn't be any more sure about that than he was about anything else.

  "Sure, but what's the point?" Alejandro asked.

  Maximilian shrugged his shoulders. "No idea. Our tutorial didn't say anything, and I haven't learned anything new. There might not be a reason. For all we know, the Network is no different than gravity or any other law of physics. Assuming those still apply. Regardless, neither of us is strong enough to get answers to those questions." From there, the duo fell into a brief and fruitless question-and-answer sequence. Maximilian provided an update on the world outside of Nubia, while Alejandro mentioned a few things about the realm. Neither provided anything groundbreaking. When they reached their destination, they were surprised to find it empty. The neighborhood was identical to the last, except that several houses had craters across their front yards. Craters and corpses. A quick investigation revealed that the chain array was only one of many types. One yard was scorched and filled with skeletal remains. He wasn't sure if he had gotten off easy. The fire array seemed like torture unless his rain and wind could counter it. He and Alejandro settled on a largely untouched house. They decided to watch it for a while. In case someone else had gotten here already. When no one came out or moved after twenty minutes, he shrugged his shoulders and nodded.

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  "I am sure that there is still an array here, so wait here and let me test it out. Don't move unless I tell you to." Maximilian waited to make sure Alejandro agreed before he made his move. "If I die, continue on your own." He added as he arrived at the gate. He knew that he didn't need to say that, but he found it amusing. He cracked his neck and braced himself. When he was ready, he leapt forward. His danger sense warned him as soon as his feet touched the ground. He pushed off a fraction of a second before a spike the size of a tree shot up at him. He focused on avoidance as they came one after another. They were fast, but he was quicker. If only just. He maneuvered himself to head toward the house in his retreat. He fell into a dance-like rhythm where he narrowly avoided each spike. When he was confident, he decided to gamble. Spiritual energy surged into his right hand as he stepped back. A massive spike of stone rose from where he had been. He slammed his fist into it. For a moment, the two were at a stalemate. He could feel the array drain more spiritual energy to resist him, but it wasn't enough. A crack resounded seconds before the spike shattered. His victory was short-lived as the array generated more spikes. He grinned as he returned to his retreat. He conducted several more tests this time focused on his dao and skills. He had expected there to be conflict between the dao of static and whatever the stone was, but there was none. Once again, he found himself questioning if the science of Earth was no longer valid. Or if the dao was something different entirely.

  For now, though, he had accomplished all he needed to. He shifted focus and raced across the yard. He was forced back several times as the array grew more powerful. Not that it mattered. The array wasn't good enough. He wasn't sure if a person could have directed the spikes, but as they were, their paths were obvious. They were reactive. As long as you had the speed to react, they couldn't hit you. When he reached the other side, the array deactivated, and he took a moment to relax. He mentally scolded himself. The array was a challenge. He was just weird. He doubted Alejandro could have made it across that easily. He also knew that there was always someone stronger out there. He needed to keep that in mind. He would use his strength to protect others and always be ready for the big dog to show up.

  "What the hell was that?" Alejandro asked as he arrived.

  Maximilian smiled and shrugged. "Just a small benefit. The arrays are more like automated defenses. You can find a pattern. Though you would need to either plan it out or have enough attributes to react in time."

  Alejandro nodded and looked back at the destroyed yard. "Yeah, I got that part. I am asking how you have so many? That speed was unbelievable. Is it related to the Dao? Can you teach me how to get one?"

  Maximilian was about to shake his head when a thought came to him. Why couldn't he help? He focused on understanding his dao, but he could do that through exposure. At least he thought he could. He hadn't come across a lot of windy, rainy, or lightning-filled places, so he couldn't do it for himself. That didn't mean he couldn't do it for Alejandro. The idea would be too dangerous for Farrell because he wasn't a cultivator. That wasn't the case for Alejandro. "There is something we could try." Maximilian led him into the building as he explained his plan. Twenty minutes later, Alejandro was ranting about how much electricity was evil.

  "I told you we can stop now. I doubt you can get insight this easily, or else everyone would do so. I still think it will work. The Network doesn't give you anything for free. Also, there are ways for people to help others get Dao. I don't know how else to do it."

  "How do I know this is even worth it?" He asked.

  Maximilian raised an eyebrow and then formed several balls of bluish-white electricity. Each one floated up and circled them. He had to fight a laugh at the irritated face Alenjandro was making. It was apparent that the man was stuck between wanting the power and not wanting the pain. Maximilian decided to spare him from making his decision right away. "Take a break and explore the rest of the house. I want to use the cultivation room." He gave him a nod and then made his way out of the main room and up the stairs. The layout of this house was almost identical to the last one. The difference was more aesthetic than anything else. He wasn't sure if the city had standardized housing or if the nobility copied one another. Not that he cared. He stole all the furniture he could find. It was a bit weird that his first major shopping trip was looting an ancient ruin, but it was certainly more fun. He also didn't need to worry about assembly, which was more than worth all the effort. When he reached the main bedroom, he entered and made his way into the attached cultivation chamber. Unfortunately, this one had no special treasure or array. Part of him felt a bit ridiculous, but it was disappointing nonetheless. He pushed those thoughts to the side and took a seat. He settled into a mix of energy absorption and mental reflection. His next Dao breakthrough was approaching. Yet he wasn't ready to take that step. He wanted to focus on the rejuvenating aspect of rain. The part that restored the crops and saved lives. Only that felt shallow. He had already focused on the healing aspect. An aspect that was closely related to what he wanted. He needed a bit more. Something to separate it. He focused on the imagery of rain—the depictions in stories, in mythology, in just about everything.

  After a few hours, he opened his eyes and sighed. It wasn't enough. He wanted the boost for the trial, but he wouldn't rush it. Not if he didn't need to. He got to his feet and was about to leave when the door opened. Alejandro stumbled with a rapier in hand. For a fraction of a second, Maximilian thought the man had decided to try and kill him. "We have a problem." He said as he gestured to the door. "Something is attacking the trial takers." Maximilian cocked his head and then followed. "It began as soon as night fell. At first, I thought it was just people fighting, but I started to see them. They were humanoid but certainly not people. I think you should see them. I've seen them, and it doesn't make much sense."

  Maximilian nodded as they ran through the house. A short sprint later, they stood at the gate. At first, nothing happened, and Maximilian was about to turn his attention to Alejandro. Only for something to happen. A figure leapt onto a building one hundred or so feet away. The being wore a black and azure blue robe. The robe was plain and did little to hide the figure inside. They were tall, around six and a half feet, if he had to guess. Its body was wrong. It was humanoid, but it was closer to a wooden doll, only much bigger. It was made out of dark grey stone. Even from this distance, his danger sense prickled. He didn't think the creature could hurt him from here, but it was obvious that the thing was strong. It stood sentinel as if it waited for them to do something. Maximilian squinted, trying to make out specific details. As far as he could tell, there were no weapons, which made him feel a bit better.

  "What do you think it is?" Alejandro fidgeted with his sword. His eyes never left the thing, and Maximilian couldn't blame him.

  "Can't say. It looks like a doll or perhaps a puppet. I think it's the next challenge of the trial. The rules didn't say only we would participate. It's possible that it's an environmental challenge. Is this the one you saw earlier?"

  He shook his head. "No, it looks bigger and stronger than the one I saw earlier. Its robe is a different color as well. The ones I saw had solid blue robes. What should we do?"

  Maximilian paused for a moment. Now wasn't the time to let fear take hold. He couldn't judge the strength of this thing, but if he high balled it, he could probably beat it in a fight. If he had to fight two of them, though? No, that would be too risky. He couldn't control the situation, and he would be forced to improvise. "Right now, we need information. We need to stick together and move through the ruins. I doubt the Network would give us something impossible, which means we need to keep our heads on straight." He thought about it for a moment and then nodded. His mind was made up. "If something happens, use your skill to escape. I doubt I can protect you and fight that thing."

  Alejandro gave a nod of his head as they made their way into the ruin. His eyes never left the statue like creature. Tonight was going to be interesting.