Path of Dragons

Elijah could move pretty quickly, even on foot. Part of that was due to his high attributes, but he also had Lupine Reflexes speeding him along as well. The upgrade to Essence of the Wolf hadn't gained anything in terms of raw speed, but the attributes he'd gained over the past couple of months definitely affected his pace. In addition, the improved reaction times that came with it definitely made moving rapidly that much easier to handle. So, as he sped through the forest, he made great time, covering the distance back to Hong Kong in only four or five hours.

On the outskirts, he found sparse collections of zombies, but as he progressed into the city, he was confronted with thicker congregations of the undead creatures. Fortunately, they weren't equipped with the best of senses, so as long as he remained under the influence of Guise of the Unseen, he remained undetected. Even so, his way was slowed by frequently being forced to climb walls or leap large rifts in the streets. He managed that well enough that those obstacles didn't slow him down too much, though.

Crossing over to Hong Kong Island required him to climb along the bottom of one of the bridges, just so he could avoid the densely packed zombies on the surface. He had no issues with that, though. In the Shape of Venom, he could cling to nearly any surface, and traveling upside down came as second nature.

Yet, as he did so, he couldn't ignore what he felt via Soul of the Wild. The zombies were familiar enough, but what he sensed just below the surface of the water was far more troubling. At first, he had quite some difficulty identifying the creature, but soon enough, two things became apparent. First, it was a squid, but one with necrotic tentacles that seemed on the verge of rotting off. Second, it was a monster, and a powerful one at that. It wasn't as strong as the kitsune guardian he'd seen only a week or so before, but it was easily powerful enough to cause him problems.

So, as much as he wanted to leap into the water and deal with it, he refrained. In fact, he stopped mid-stride as the thing passed beneath him. It stopped, and a moment later, a dozen tentacles, each one ending in a jagged hook, peeked above the surface of the churning water.

Elijah didn't dare move, because he sensed that if he did, the monstrous squid would notice him. The tentacles crept closer, extending far above the waves until they latched onto the bridge itself. That's when it pulled itself above the surface, and Elijah very nearly lost his grip on the underside of the bridge.

Calling the monster ugly was vastly understating it. Just like the zombies above, it was composed all of rotting flesh, with huge chunks missing from its body. However, what truly tipped it over into the realm of abhorrent disgust was how that appearance married to the sense Elijah got from Soul of the Wild.

Because it was the best example of life through death that he'd ever felt.

And it just didn't make sense to him. It was like the natural order of the world had been subverted into an abomination that needed to be scoured from existence. He'd never sensed anything quite so antithetical to the very core of who he had become, and every instinct within him screamed to destroy it.

But Elijah was no unthinking beast, so he managed to subdue the calls of his nature. He had other responsibilities, and if he fought that creature then and there, it would doubtless bring quite a lot of attention down on him. Even if he won – and that was no sure thing – he would be in the same position he'd found himself in after erroneously taking to the skies a week before.

That had worked out, allowing him to right a wrong against nature. However, he didn't have time for any more side quests. So, he exercised his willpower to subdue his instincts. Even as those hooked tentacles came his way, he refused to move even a muscle.

One slapped the bridge, sending a wet, squelching sound to assail his ears. Then, it crept forward. Inch by inch, as if it was searching for something. Still, Elijah remained motionless until the thing was only a foot away. Up close, Elijah couldn't deny that the tentacle was much larger than it had first appeared. In addition, it was far more disgusting than his first impressions had suggested – and that was saying something. Bits of flesh sloughed off into the water with every movement, and the smell that wafted into Elijah's nostrils was like week-old fish that had been left out in the sun.

In short, it was one of the grossest things he'd ever sensed, and considering that he'd been nearly crushed to death by a slurry of rotting meat, that was a quite a high bar.

It inched closer and closer, but just before Elijah would have been forced to react, a sound from up above echoed across the bridge. The rotting squid reacted immediately, and its tentacles shot out, wrapping around the structure. A moment later, it had heaved itself out of the water until its beak was even with the surface of the bridge. Then, its tentacles went to work.

The zombies screeched, then sprinted to attack the thing. But as expected, they were far too weak, and it used their momentum against them, sweeping its tentacles across the bridge to gather the creatures into a clump that led directly into its mouth. Elijah swallowed hard, though he still refused to move. Doing so would have assuredly drawn the squid's attention, and given what he felt up above, he definitely didn't want to chance that.

So, he remained in place as the thing feasted on the zombies.

It took almost five minutes before it had consumed its fill of rotting flesh, and it released its grip on the bridge before flopping down into the water. A few moments later, it swam away, leaving Elijah more than a little disturbed.

He remained in place for a few more minutes, just letting his heartbeat return to its normal pace. Part of it was fear, and he would never deny that. However, there was more to it than that. His instincts to rid the world of such an abomination played a part as well, but buried somewhere between those two factors was an excitement he couldn't overcome. Coming back from the Trial of Primacy, then getting an influx of levels afterward, he'd feared that he wouldn't find many challenges on Earth. He no longer worried about that. His experiences since leaving Ironshore had told him, and in no uncertain terms, that there were plenty of dangers left in the world. He didn't even have to look to find them. They were all around.

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That realization came with a sense of relief – and a healthy dose of fear – that accompanied him as he continued across the underside of the bridge and made his way toward the giant skyscraper that housed Heaven's Bastion. It was far and away the tallest – and most intact – building in the area, so he had no trouble finding his way back. When he was a hundred feet from the plaza surrounding the glass and steel monstrosity of a building, he shifted into his natural form.

It felt good, resuming his humanity. He felt that he wasn't in any danger of losing himself to his wild side, but if he spent too long in any of his bestial forms, he did find it slightly uncomfortable. It wasn't surprising, all things considered. He was still a man, so spending days on end walking around as a quadrupedal beast was bound to feel a little odd.

He approached the building, and when he reached the gate, he found a different set of guards waiting on him. He explained who he was, but they still picked up their radios to get permission for his entrance. After that, they all just waited around for nearly ten minutes. Elijah was on the verge of simply barging in when a newcomer arrived.

He was tall, with broad shoulders, and an immaculately trimmed mustache. What's more, he carried himself with confidence, and from what Elijah felt from him, he seemed to have earned it. He wasn't as strong as Dat or Sadie, but he was no slouch, either. He wore a set of modified riot gear, much like the others, but someone had added a bunch of silver filigree that Elijah knew signified decently strong enchantments. He wore a slender longsword at one hip and a dagger on the other.

He was also white, which made him somewhat distinct, at least compared to the mostly Asian population he'd seen or felt within the settlement.

"Ah, the famous Elijah Hart," he said in a pompous British accent. "So good of you to return. Some of us thought you might have seen the state of Hong Kong and fled to more favorable climates."

"I don't think we've met," Elijah responded.

"Of course, of course. How rude of me. I am Sir Gideon St. Claire, captain of the guard, so to speak," he provided, thrusting out a hand. Elijah took it. As they shook hands, Gideon went on, "How was your little holiday? Relaxing?"

"Very," Elijah answered. "Saw some interesting things out there. Were you aware that a couple hundred miles that way, you had a melted down nuclear power plant? Nasty place. I also don't recommend traveling via the local metro. Or in the water. The streets don't seem very safe, either. You know what? The skies are rough as well. But most importantly, I found the entrance the Primal Realm."

Gideon narrowed his eyes at the cavalcade of information in Elijah's response, but he didn't give any other indication that he'd been thrown off his guard. Instead, he gave Elijah a winning smile before saying, "You had better come with me, then. We were on the verge of finalizing our plan for when the Primal Realm opens."

"Lead on," Elijah said, not sure if he liked Gideon or not. The man's prim nature was a little off-putting, but that could have easily been chalked up to personal bias. It put him in mind of kings, queens, and aristocracy, all of which left a bad taste in his mouth. Still, he vowed to give Gideon the benefit of the doubt.

After their meeting, Gideon led Elijah through the vast, empty lobby. Once upon a time, it had probably been quite a lot of steel and glass. However, much of the latter had been coated in a thick tint that kept out all the intended light, casting the area into a perpetual gloom that was only broken by the interior lights.

"How did you all end up getting the electricity working?" he asked. "I know you converted ethera, but I'm curious about how it all works."

"House secret, I'm afraid," said Gideon good-naturedly. "I doubt you would understand, in any case. No trees or wild beasts involved."

That snide remark definitely didn't endear the man to Elijah. "I think you'd be surprised how much I understand."

"Indeed. If you are truly interested, I can arrange a tour of the engineering level down below. I prefer to let them toil in peace, but I'm certain they would accommodate your curiosity."

"Appreciated," Elijah said as they entered the elevator. Soon enough, the thing was shooting up the towering skyscraper, bypassing floors by the second, until they shuddered to a stop. By Elijah's count, they were on the eightieth – or somewhere around that – floor. When the doors opened, he saw that they'd arrived in an opulently decorated space dominated by what looked like culturally significant artwork. Elijah saw Chinese-style armor displayed on mannequins, polished marble floors inlaid with patterns representing animals like koi, cranes, and to his dismay, dragons.

Large, framed calligraphy scrolls and ink paintings decorated the walls, and there were small fountains – one in each of the far corners as well as another in the center of the room. Red lanterns emitting soft light dangled from the ceiling. Explore more stories at My Virtual Library Empire

"A little overdone, but Mr. Song takes tradition very seriously. More so since the apocalypse," Gideon stated. "I don't blame him. Truly, an event of this magnitude could put any man in touch with his ancestors."

"Mr. Song? Nico?"

Gideon gave a harsh laugh. "No, little Nico has no command responsibilities. This clan is run by his grandfather, Tianwei. The old man is ancient, but the apocalypse restored most of what age took from him. He is a formidable man and one of my dearest friends."

"I see," Elijah mumbled. Had Sadie ever mentioned her grandfather? He couldn't remember, but he didn't think she had. What did that mean? Was there something else going on? His hackles raised, but he wasn't sure if that was because he was truly in danger or if he was simply uncomfortable with his ignorance.

Ultimately, it didn't matter. He'd committed to helping Sadie and Dat, and he intended to follow through.

"Lead on," he said. "I don't think we have much time to dawdle."

Gideon gave a blindingly white grin. "Too right," he said. "Too right. Let's go."

And then, he led Elijah through the lobby, down a hall, and to what seemed to be a conference room. That's when he got his first look at Sadie's grandfather. As expected, he was an older gentlemen with a shock of white hair and a matching, well-trimmed beard. When he stood, Elijah saw that the man wore a crisp three-piece suit and carried a cane that had a dragon's visage on the head.

"You are late, Mr. Hart," the man said. "I do not appreciate being made to wait. Please, sit. We have much to discuss."

Elijah immediately hated Song Tianwei, and from the man's expression, it seemed that the feeling was mutual. Still, he pushed his disdain aside, strode forward, and took the chair at the foot of the large conference table.

He was accustomed to battles, but it seemed that he'd just stepped into a different kind of conflict.