Xian was speeding through the Great Marsh to avoid his enemies. Leaping from one tree to another or running on the ground, he had managed to flee up to now but had lost his way in the process. It was his first time in such a place and he felt he was running in circles. How depressing and frustrating ! Everything looked exactly the same no matter where he went, everywhere and nowhere seemed strangely similar. It was unnerving and the young boy's worries could only increase. Although he was always in the habit of repressing his emotions to some extent, he couldn't help but feel uneasy in this strange and eerie environment. He truly wasn't as indifferent as people thought but nobody liked being read like an open book.

He had lost track of time as well, he only knew that the sun would be setting very soon and his situation might worsen at night. Whether it be the previous Infinite Forest or this seemingly boundless Great Marsh, in the end, he was definitely caught in a huge trap. Even though he was moving non-stop, covering vast distance without rest, he was still unable to leave the cursed place. How many wild animals, Spirit Beasts, poachers, bandits, snares and ambush would he have to fight or avoid before wearing himself out and dying a dog's death ? Unknowingly, he had set foot in enemy territory where everyone and everything seemed intent on catching or killing him.

It reminded him of an old mission, not a good memory at all. He'd almost gotten caught after the assigned assassination attempt, and of course the said mission had ended in a failure since the target had been wounded instead of killed and the witnesses had not been eliminated. Experience did not come in a fortnight, after all. Thereafter, Soon-Yi had mercilessly sent him on various jobs to train him, while complaining and cursing every time she had to clean up his mess. Fortunately, he was now a decent assassin, or so he thought when he looked at his own efficiency rate and various stats. He had learned his lesson : a skilled assassin had to know how to flee quickly and stealthily, be inconspicuous in any kind of environment and shake off any pursuers. However, truth be told, hired killer was not his calling. Protecting his lady Wei was his ideal, and Soon-Yi knew it.

On that mission, years ago, he had barely escaped from his target's protectors and the chase had lasted several days. Those knights and bodyguards had truly been persistent. Even though he had been but a child at that time, his stamina had never failed him and in the end, his small frame had saved him, allowing him to go through tiny holes and hidden passageways. Once more, he was heavily relying on his physical strength, light weight and unmatched stamina to stay alive.

When he had decided to jump, or fall, in the forest to escape from the claws of both dragons, the black legendary dragon and the smaller white dragonling, Xian had been intent on leaving them behind and fly to Lady Wei's rescue. Even though he didn't know where she was and who could be detaining her, Xian wouldn't give up on her. He had to save her or at least retrieve her remains. He winced at this idea, hoping he was not too late. He almost felt upset because the dragons had made him forget, even temporarily, his true purpose in life. He had nearly been led astray, his ears were burning from shame and embarrassment. Such a disgrace was unforgivable but now was not the time to wallow in self-hatred. Staying with the dragons would certainly not help Wei Lin.

To slow his fall from the sky, he had grasped the branches he could reach, breaking some of them as he crashed into the biggest ones or was scratched by merciless twigs. Thankfully, his skin withstood scr.a.p.es and bruises without showing the slightest blemish. Several times, he had tried to use a flying spell to at least decelerate but to no avail, to his utter dismay. Even wind magic was no use for him. He was both familiar with magic spells, due to Soon-Yi's teaching, and mostly estranged with regards to his own magic powers. It was difficult for him to use them and his reluctance and hatred only increased with each failure. Even his ever-reliable instincts were telling him that he had been reckless. However, through his short but eventful life, he had been somewhat proficient in staying alive. Harshness just had to be overcome and unpredictability had to be coped with. These might be his last moments, but he would be wracking his brain to find a solution until the end.

His mind was filled with questions. How did he manage to fly when the legendary dragon had been chasing him and Qing Chan ? Maybe the dragons had taken too many magic elements from him and he didn't have enough left for flying. He just hoped he didn't need Qing Chan to be by his side when using this flying spell because it would be of no use to him right now.

Nevertheless, as he currently couldn't fly, he had to brace himself for the impact on the ground. His first idea was to curl up into a ball and harden his body. On second thought, he changed his whole body into a malleable and flexible material. Not only would his skin resist the shock without injury but also absorb it and his bones, muscles and internal organs wouldn't break, and would only need to be reshaped. His whole body was resilient thanks to Soon-Yi's tampering. His foster mother was indeed the undisputed most powerful mage in the Selnan empire and probably in an even larger area. Xian could change his body at will, without using any magic of his own.

Upon impact, Xian smiled wryly as he lifted his now completely flat face. He really felt like a human-shaped slime that had been tossed on the ground but otherwise he had no wound and felt no pain. However, he certainly had mixed feelings as he quickly got back into shape. Soon-Yi had really outdone herself but it was clearly over the top. Was he still a human being ?

Moreover, it reminded him painfully of the multiple trial and error he'd had to endure as she'd hurled him from the top of a cliff time and time again over the years. Something was really wrong in Soon-Yi's methods of upbringing, but it only added to Xian's resentment as well as attachment and thankfulness towards her. Not that he would ever voice them. His feelings seemed quite complicated and conflicted but he didn't question or doubt anything. Soon-Yi, like destiny according to Xian, was not easily changed nor bent and could only be accepted as is. To stay alive, one just had to adapt and cope with everything sent his way.

As soon as Xian's body was in an acceptable shape, he started to sprint right ahead. He didn't want to be caught again, all this outlandish escape would be in vain if the enemies, including the dragons, found him. He had to get out of this place.

However, after numerous ups and downs and even though the dragons were nowhere to be seen, the upcoming twilight sent shiver down his spine. He definitely needed to find the way out of the Great Marsh. He had a foreboding feeling and had never feared the night to that extent.

Then, inexorably, the sun set without a care for Xian's misgivings. For a split second, everything was dark and silent. Animals, insects, plants, every living thing seemed to hold its breath. And all of a sudden, bloodcurdling howls erupted from everywhere and blood-red halos shone from several places in the Great Marsh then disappeared. The red flickering lights seemed to flash in random places and each time, new cries, even human ones, could be heard. As the movements seemed to come closer, slowly surrounding him, Xian guessed that the cries came from trapped beasts or people. Even powerful Spirit Beasts were caught as unbridled magic was bursting everywhere in their desperate struggle to break free from the red magic circles trapping them.

Obviously, Xian would not remain here waiting to be ensnared. He had nowhere to go, didn't know who had laid the traps nor where they were but it didn't matter in the least. Like all the preys in this cursed Great Marsh, he knew he had to escape to survive and took off for all he was worth. Running relentlessly once again, he had no time to survey his surroundings and could only avoid the traps that had been triggered, either by seeing the light or mostly by hearing the anguished wails around him, hoping against all odds that he would not trigger a hidden snare that had yet to activate.

In his haste, he didn't notice that his magic core had been replenished and was overflowing again, making his whole body shine brightly in the dark moonless night. On a whim, he tried to fly and was almost caught off guard when he effortlessly rose in the air. With a small sigh, relieved that his inability to fly previously had only been due to his lack of magic elements, he hovered in mid-air to finally take his surroundings in, memorizing the layout and his escape route. He felt fortunate that Soon-Yi's tampering with his body had included his eyesight.

Just as he had found the way out and was about to escape, red beams of light shot from almost everywhere in the Great Marsh and converged towards him. He could only regret his staying in the same place for too long, or regret his whole body shining like a beacon but it was now too late. How could he fail to flee quickly and stealthily, be inconspicuous in any kind of environment and shake off any pursuers, the ABC of the assassin he laboriously learned over the years ? He had let his guard down, it seemed like the rush across the Great Marsh had taken an unexpected toll on him and he could only shake his head bitterly, dreading what was to come.

Faraway, in the Infinite Forest, Tian Jie, the white dragonling, was still following the black legendary dragon at nightfall. In the distance, he could barely make out flickering lights, they were almost invisible but he could clearly feel the magic at stake. It was sickening, countless magic circles were s.u.c.k.i.n.g the life out of every living being unfortunate enough to have triggered the traps. He knew it well for it was used in Lysania, his homeland, to feed the dragons with life magic elements when the supplies were insufficient, even though it was kind of taboo.

Then as both the black dragon and the white dragonling sped up towards the Great Marsh, Tian Jie's heart sank when he recognized the lonely golden light shining bright in the dark sky of the ill-fated place. He wished he could leap with joy at the sight of the Absolute Source they finally found again but he knew the boy was an easy target and when he saw the red spells reaching the tiny golden spot, he knew they were too late.

In the center of the magic attacks, bathed in red light, Xian couldn't move an inch. He was totally helpless as he felt his magic elements being s.u.c.k.e.d out of his core and his stock being rapidly depleted. But the red light disappeared in a snap and, as he no longer had enough magic elements to sustain his flight, Xian fell down rapidly. His own life elements had not been drawn, however the level in his core was now down to its b.a.r.e bones. Not enough to fly but fortunately, he didn't need any of his own magic to modify his body, thanks to Soon-Yi.

As there were no high trees in the marsh to slow his fall, he started to revert back to his malleable slime-like form. However, he never touched the ground. A huge black hole was hovering half a meter above ground and he was in no position to avoid it. Just as he was surrounded by an oppressive darkness, he felt strong arms grabbing his waist from behind. He couldn't see who the man was but even though he was certain that it was not Prince Zhou Xi, the position was strangely familiar. "How can I feel safer being hugged this way, and who is the molester ?" he wondered wryly.

As far as he could see in front of him, even with his enhanced eyesight, there was absolutely nothing. All of a sudden, his depleted core began to fill again of its own accord and he heard a groan behind him, in a deep masculine voice he had heard before. He guessed it was the black dragon in his human form. He felt the husky voice whispering near his ear :"Got you at last but don't go and absorb my magic elements as you please. Try to focus over there, I can feel magic". Xian lowered his head in shame, even though he had no control over his own core, and complied obediently. He truly knew nothing of this Absolute Source thing...

Tian Jie landed heavily on the ground, panting. He was not used to fly, not used to such speed, even though he was far from competing with the huge black dragon, and lacked basic training such as landing and taking off efficiently and elegantly. His shortcomings were glaringly obvious, he was stranded in the now pitch black Great Marsh whereas the black legendary dragon had managed to slip into the closing dimensional hole to follow the golden kid, if barely, by changing into his human form. The Absolute Source and the black dragon were now out of Tian Jie's reach and the latter had no way to know how to catch up with them. However, that would not stop him from trying. His encounter with the Absolute Source had somewhat improved his spineless self. His resolve had never been so strong, even though his chance were slim, to say the least.