The woman with a child in her arms clung to Nathan's sleeve. She expressed her gratitude with tears in her eyes, only for Nathan to do his best to clumsily try and calm her down. By his side, his wife looked at her man with a gentle smile, looking pleased at the crowd's reception.

  Most were surprised to learn of his identity, looking upon him with reverence. Even Sera looked taken aback yet chose not to approach him. Instead, she sneakily made her way toward Ning Shan, who was silently observing the spectacle from the edge of the lobby, all the while examining the metallic remains of the floating drones.

  Their external shells were cracked with their circuitry spilled out. Ning Shan rummaged through them yet couldn't understand how such machines could come to life. This type of mechanical and electrical engineering was so far removed from what he knew.

  While well-versed in artifact refining, he could scarcely believe that inanimate objects could come to life without any traces of spirituality. After all, he had always believed that only the Heavenly Dao could give sentience to all beings. It seemed things were different in a world devoid of it.

  “How did you know?” Sera asked, watching the couple, feeling slightly conflicted.

  “How would I?” Ning Shan replied, still tinkering with the drones’ remains. “I just gambled, and it seemed to have paid off.”

  “I don’t believe you,” she scoffed. “You mean to tell me you chose to take the elevator, only to encounter Nathan Hunt. I’d have an easier time believing this world was once bathed in glorious light.”

  “Is he famous?”

  Sera turned to face him, looking slightly shocked, only to shake her head soon after.

  “I keep forgetting how clueless you are in your surroundings with how confident you always look,” she sighed. “Where does it all come from?”

  “Will doubts keep you alive?” he replied. “I don’t think I’m infallible, but sometimes action is necessary, and doubts will only drag you down.”

  “Survival..." she muttered, finding truth in his words. Maybe they weren't so different after all. "Those drones you're tinkering with, Nathan Hunt is the man who designed them. In fact, he's the one that designed most of the convenience we enjoy. Let's just say that life within the Cradle wouldn't be as pleasant as it is."

  “Yet, that convenience comes with a price,” he replied. “From his reaction, I doubt he wished for his inventions to be used in this way.”

  “Well... I only heard he wasn’t interested in politics,” she hesitated. “I’m sure you can infer the rest.”

  “Of course," Ning Shan said as he rose, done with the broken drones, before advancing toward the only one still in good condition. "I've seen countless people in similar situations. None had graceful endings once their usefulness ran out."

  “I doubt they would go that far,” Sera said, frowning at his words. “If they had the guts to do it, it would have been done a long time ago.”

  “Who’s to know the depths of human depravity,” he shrugged.

  He picked up the slightly dented metallic ball, only to jab a single finger in the gap between a sensor and the plating, ripping its exterior apart and exposing its mostly intact inner circuitry. Unlike the other inert ones, this one seemed to still pulse with energy, almost like a heartbeat within.

  Ning Shan could feel the flow within the wires, tracing them back to their origin, a slight yellow crystal within its core. Turning his back to the crowd, he reached further, displacing all that stood in the way, only for his finger to reach the crystal while Sera watched his actions with curiosity.

  As he touched the yellow object, black lightning jumped from his flesh onto the crystal. It burst apart, crumbling into yellow dust, but then began to swirl almost as if a tempest was born within the machine. The cloud of yellow dust spun as if a galaxy, colliding with his flesh and the black lightning arcing upon it, sapping away its angular momentum. Soon, the cloud disappeared, eaten away by his flesh.

  The dust flowed within his meridian, seeking a way to his core, only to be added to the red planet within. As the yellow dust entered his inner universe, it burst apart, its colour changing, almost as if it could divide itself into inferior particles. From the small amount he ingested, an ocean of dust filled his core, a ratio of nearly a hundred to one. Ning Shan couldn't help but smile.

  The red dust spun around his core, attracted to the red planet. Just as it had less than an hour before, the planet swelled until it exploded, scattering all its dust into a large cloud. His core was packed to the brim, even pushing against the black barrier that restrained it within, making it expand slightly.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Less than a fraction of a second later, the planet condensed again, this time with seven rings of red dust orbiting it. Ning Shan couldn't help but be surprised how easily he had reached the seventh level. This method was much faster than slowly inhaling qi, trying to incorporate it into one's cultivation. There was no need for suitable techniques; there was only a lack of resources.

  He wondered how fast he could advance, given the chances, yet there was one thing on his mind. Each time he advanced, the planet seemed much more unstable when it burst, its explosion much more violent each time. If not for the lightning reigning it in, he might have suffered some irreparable damages.

  “I can't help but wonder why you aren't dead doing what you just did," Sera whispered to him, looking conflicted. "Most people would die touching it without its stable crystal shape, yet it seems you can easily break the equilibrium, returning it to its dust form. How do you do it?"

  Ning Shan merely smiled and remained silent.

  “Trying to be mysterious?” Sera scoffed. “Suit yourself, but remember that many won’t be as understanding as I am!”

  Ning Shan chuckled, watching the young girl pout under her hood and cross her arms. While appearances could be deceptive, she didn't look much older than sixteen. While she sometimes exuded the attitude of a veteran with heaps of life experiences under her belt, she mostly seemed to act her age: socially awkward and a nervous wreck.

  “Still, he seems quite young to be such an influential individual," Ning Shan remarked, looking back at Nathan Hunt and his wife, who seemed flooded with people inquiring about his work.

  “Don’t be deceived; that man is much older than he looks,” Sera replied.

  “How old would that be?” Ning Shan asked, turning toward her.

  “Who knows?” she shrugged. “Rumours is that he even predates the establishment of the Council. Some say he was even involved in the Cradle’s construction, dating back to the collapse.

  “The Collapse?” he inquired, intrigued.

  “I’m too young to know about it, and the Council chose to lock down that information. It’s all just rumours by this point; nothing verifiable,” she said, shaking her head. “If you wish to know, why not just ask him? It seems you were hitting it off.”

  “I may just do that,” he replied, smiling slightly. “The Council; is that your government?”

  “A part of it,” she hesitated, her gaze wandering around. “It’s... complicated.”

  Ning Shan remained silent, pondering on what he had heard. This world possessed a structure not unlike his own, yet it still felt foreign. Unlike his sole rule over the land, control seemed to be dispersed between various individuals with all their own agendas.

  It's no wonder they are so strict on security. I don't doubt unrest exists here but is squashed through overwhelming force. I may have to lay low for a while, he thought, kicking away one drone’s remains. Well... I'm sure he'll take care of it...

  After a moment more of reflection, the crowd soon parted, slowly dispersing as the people returned to their lives. Some chose to return to their homes within the building, while others left merely the clothes on their back, too afraid of retaliation despite Nathan Hunt's assurances. Even fewer of those who had left returned.

  “Should I call you Sir Hunt from now on?” Ning Shan said with a smile on his face as the man approached him, only to see him shake his head helplessly.

  "I'd rather not," Nathan replied. "It's actually refreshing meeting people who do not know me. Sometimes, fame is a burden I'd rather not deal with, yet it is the inevitable consequence of my work."

  “Power births influence, and influence births power. They are one and the same,” Ning Shan replied, only for the man to sigh.

  "All I wanted was to make a better life for people, and look where that got them," he said, pointing toward the drones' remains. "Everyone uses my work for their own ends, irrespective of my own wishes."

  "Every sentient being works in their own self-interest. You cannot hope to change their natures. Trying to do so is a recipe for disaster," Ning Shan replied, unconcerned.

  “You speak as if you have experience,” Nathan’s wife said. “I do have to wonder why a hunter would speak of philosophy.”

  Ning Shan turned to the woman, scrutinizing her. She was beautiful, seemingly the same age as her husband—at least outwardly. Her dress was modest, yet one could tell how high-class its materials were. Even in his former world, Ning Shan would be hard-pressed to find one as exquisite. Though slight, he could even feel the dust flow within, probably imparting defensive capabilities not unlike the artifacts he knew of. In this way, both worlds were quite similar.

  “That’s quite prejudice of you,” Ning Shan replied. “Do you not believe people have their own thoughts? Must all lines of thinking be rigidly controlled by one’s status?”

  The woman was stunned, unable to retort. Still, she didn’t show outrage as Ning Shan expected. Instead, she began pondering seriously, only for Nathan to run his fingers into her long hair, caressing her head.

  “You’ll have to forgive her,” he said. “Her father is the overprotective type. Merely having him agree to let us come to this level took a lot of convincing.”

  “It’s fine. It’s foolish to expect a sentient being to fully understand another’s perspective without the same life experience. The act of trying is praiseworthy enough. Besides, I am guilty of it as well, as is everyone. On another note, what do you intend to do about this?” Ning Shan said, pointing to the small mound of broken electronic parts.

  “Nothing much,” Nathan shrugged. “This will stop here if they know what’s good for them. Otherwise... Well, I’ll deal with it if it comes to it.”

  Sera let out a long breath of relief as she heard his assurances. All the tension left her, and she almost collapsed as she felt a slight vertigo assault her. Ning Shan’s hand came just in time to keep her upright, sliding it beneath her armpit. However, the sudden action displaced her hood, allowing her face to be seen.

  She reacted swiftly and pulled her hood down, yet the couple didn't miss the sight of her face and her differing features. Surprise flashed on the woman's face, yet her husband showed nearly no reaction, almost as if he had already seen too much of something similar. In fact, he didn't even address it, only smiling slightly. Following his lead, Ning Shan chose to change the subject.

  “Since you decided to hire me, I should do what I’m paid for,” he said. “Do you have a destination in mind, or do you wish to head back up?”

  “This trip was supposed to be an informal one,” Nathan replied. “Many do not even know we left, but now, there is no way for my location to keep from spreading. Unfortunately, our trip must end here.”

  He turned to his wife, giving her an apologetic look, yet she smiled back.

  “A shame, but I’m sure you’ll have another chance to spread your wings.” Ning Shan said. “Now then, dear customers, allow me to show you the way.”

  With this, Ning Shan turned on his heels before heading toward the elevator that had brought them to this place.

  Rise of a Planeswalker, as well as 25 chapters of my new series Advent of Sorcery.

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