As Zero continued down the trail he spotted near the caravanThe air was cold. Massive trees towered over everything in sight.
Waist high grass, flowers and bushes of considerable variety. The walk was short lived.
He slowly picked up the pace, briskly walking, almost jogging, into a full on sprint.
The wind blowing his hair in a flurry, the whooshing of the wind ever present as his thoughts ran rampant.
'System, what are the chances this is the same one I was in.' His voice cold.
"Unlikely, yours did not transport slaves" His heart continued to beat rapidly, as if wanting to be freed from his ribcage.
"Zero, please think this through a little more, these businesses. They're never weak, they need power to keep this up, I don't think you should go there now." The system's chime almost held emotion.
There was no response.
Zero spotted another collar—then blood. Footprints. Signs of struggle. His jaw clenched. A vein pulsed in his forehead. He presses on faster.
'System. Show me the stored cultivation, and where I stand'
[Name: Zero]
[Adventurer Rank: Silver | Mission Points: 240 / 250]
[Cultivation Tier: Peak Shardweaver]
[Challenge Timer: 5 Days Remaining]
[Chain Mastery - Level 1]
[Oathlink Sync: 100%]
[Passive Cultivation Stored: +156.21%]
[Talent Points: 0]
[Talent Level: Above Average]
[System Credits: 37]
He stared ahead, fists trembling.
"Claim it all," he said. Voice low
For a moment, just a moment. Everything stilled…
Then—
** VOOOOOSHHHH. **
The wind that had once rushed past him blew outward instead. Trees swayed, grass was flattened, and the air pressure around him surged like a wave breaking off his skin.
Even Zero's steps halted for a beat, bracing himself.
[Auto Cultivation Claim Successful]
[Tier Ascension Complete.]
Astral Heart Tier: True Comet Soul – 6%
Astral Heart Core Strength: Extreme
Zero stood still for a moment, a strong blue glow noticeable in his chest, his Astral Heart was currently supplying his body with an immense amount of Astral energy.
He basked in it, just for a moment.
Then when he prepared his stance to continue running, the world rushed to catch up.
he bursted forward, his feet barely touched the ground, each stride carrying him farther, and faster.
Not even the wind could keep up, branches flashed by and vanished behind him like static.
[Speed Surge Detected]
[Current Velocity: Subsonic]
He was still adjusting when he heard voices-faint but growing clearler by the second.
"When's the boss supposed to arrive?" A short, bald man said.
"I don't know, stop complaining and wait like everyone else" The taller one waved him off without a glance.
'It seems to only be two?' Zero thought, narrowing his eyes
'System how many are actually there?'
[Scanning signatures…]
[29 Life Signs Scanned]
Zero almost choked, 'TWENTY NINE?' He screamed internally.
'Are any of them cultivators?'
[ 8 cultivators found]
[5 lesser-greater stardust initiates]
[2 True Shardweavers]
Zero's breath hitched,'And the last one?'
…
[Peak Comet Soul]
'System can they sense me? Like my energy or something.'
"No, that something only cultivators above Celestial Bloom are capable of"
'And what do you think my chances of winning are?'
"...."
'...'
Zero sighed. His heart still rushing, he peaked from around the tree, his eyes immediately locking onto them, the slaves.
Dirty, beaten, dull eyes, empty.
They looked like shells.
'Is that how I looked…? Do I still look like that?' Zero's heart aches slightly, and Oathlink pulses slightly.
[Oathlink senses goal progress nearby]
[Temporary mastery increase granted]
[Oathlink Mastery- III] Increased attack speed, precision, weight control, attacking power
'System please, help me. I need to do this'
'What are the locations of the 3 strongest?'
[Locating…]
[True Shardweaver A: 29 meters southwest – patrolling near the ridge.]
[True Shardweaver B: 30 meters northeast – overseeing slave guard rotation.]
[Peak Comet Soul: Central encampment – 50 meters ahead. Surrounded.]
Zero's eyes narrowed.
Three strong ones. Twenty-six others. And the slaves caught in between.
Too much that could go wrong.
He closed his eyes. Just for a second.
'System. What's the play?'
[Suggested Approach: Prevent group coordination. Get rid of all the weaker ones before the strong cultivators reach.]
[Warning: Peak Comet Soul may outclass you in a direct clash.]
Zero opened his eyes. His grip tightened around the chain.
"I won't let them live like that."
The wind shifted again.
Zero didn't wait.
The moment the system finished speaking, his foot pressed into the dirt—and vanished.
A sonic pop echoed through the forest.
The two outer guards barely had time to blink. The taller one only saw a flicker of blue light.
CRACK.
Zero's chain slammed into his gut like a steel whip, folding him in half. The man crumpled before he could scream.
The second guard fumbled with his sword, eyes wide.
Too late.
Zero's hand grabbed his wrist mid-draw, spun him, and drove his elbow into the man's temple. A clean thud. His body dropped limp.
Both were down in seconds.
Zero's momentum barely broke. He spun, chain retracted with a flick, and darted forward.
There. The slaves.
Huddled near the fire pit, chained at the ankles, blank eyes staring through nothing. Most didn't even react to the sound. One flinched. Another turned—slow, hollow.
Zero crouched by the nearest one and smashed the lock open with his chain's weighted end.
Clink.
Then another.
Clink. Clink.
A few slaves jerked at the sound—then blinked like they were waking up from a nightmare.
"You're free," Zero said. "Go. Now. Follow the river south until you hit the road. Don't stop."
One man looked at him, confused, almost dazed.
"I SAID GO!" Zero snapped, voice cutting through the air like lightning.
That did it.
The group began to scramble—half-stumbling, half-running, dragging each other upright. Hope lit their faces for the first time.
But they weren't alone anymore.
A shout rang out behind Zero.
"What the hell is going on?!"
Six bandits spilled from a narrow cove built into the hill—where the camp likely kept weapons and food. Three of them drew blades. One had an old cultivator brand glowing faintly across his neck.
[Stardust Initiates. Untrained formation. Alert level: High.]
Zero's chain slid loose again, glowing faintly with energy. His stance widened. The glow from his chest pulsed deeper—Oathlink flaring to life.
Behind him, the last few slaves were fleeing into the brush.
In front of him—rage, fear, and steel.
He didn't flinch.
"Come on then," he muttered.
"Let's see if you're faster than I am."