The Ascending Circle meeting the next day was tense with unspoken currents. Eight people, each carrying secrets and ambitions, gathering under the pretense of collaborative learning.
Elena called the meeting to order in the North Tower study hall, her green eyes bright with excitement. "I've made a breakthrough in multi-layered enchantment theory. With Victor's help, we can create artifacts that combine multiple specializations in single items. Watch."
She pulled out a small crystal orb, no bigger than a fist. "This contains enchantment matrices from me, alchemical stabilization from Marcus, healing arrays from Sarah, and power regulation from Victor. It's a healing artifact that adapts to injury severity, draws on ambient mana to fuel itself, and can be used by anyone regardless of cultivation rank."
The group leaned forward, examining the artifact with professional interest.
"How long did this take to create?" Lucian asked.
"Two weeks of continuous work. But now that we have the template, similar artifacts could be made in days. We could revolutionize healing accessibility." Elena's expression was serious. "But there's a problem. The techniques required are... unusual. Marcus's alchemical stabilization shouldn't work the way it does. The processes he uses don't match any recorded methodology."
All eyes turned to Marcus, who was eating a pastry and apparently unconcerned.
"I improvise," Marcus said simply. "Trial and error, experimentation, seeing what works. Not everything needs formal documentation."
"But it does if we want to replicate your results," Elena pressed. "Victor can't calibrate artifacts to your techniques if we don't understand the underlying principles. Sarah can't incorporate your stabilization methods into healing arrays. We need transparency, Marcus."
The room went quiet. This was the confrontation everyone had been dancing around for weeks—Marcus's secretive methods versus the group's collaborative philosophy.
Marcus set down his pastry and met Elena's gaze directly. "Here's the issue: my techniques are personal, developed through specific circumstances I'm not willing to discuss. Sharing them requires sharing context I keep private. That's non-negotiable."
"Then why join Ascending Circle?" Elena's voice carried frustration. "This group is about collaboration, shared knowledge, mutual advancement. If you're going to hoard your techniques—"
"I'm not hoarding. I'm protecting." Marcus's tone was calm but firm. "I've shared plenty—potion recipes, cultivation advice, alchemical theory. What I haven't shared are the specific methods that make my work unique. That's my competitive advantage, and I'm not giving it away even to friends."
"Competitive advantage?" Elena's eyes flashed. "We're not competitors, Marcus. We're supposed to be allies."
"We're both. Allies with individual interests. I help the group when it benefits everyone. I protect my personal advantages when necessary. That's honest, not selfish."
Victor intervened before the argument escalated. "Perhaps we're approaching this wrong. Marcus doesn't need to reveal his entire methodology. He just needs to consult on projects where his techniques are incorporated. We use his expertise without demanding his secrets. Fair compromise?"
Marcus and Elena stared at each other for a long moment, neither willing to back down completely.
"Fine," Elena said finally. "Consultation instead of full transparency. But understand, Marcus—if you want the benefits of this group, you need to give something substantial in return. Not just crumbs of knowledge."
"Agreed. And Elena? If you want my cooperation, stop trying to dissect my techniques like I'm a research subject. I'm a person, not a case study."
The tension eased slightly, but the underlying conflict remained unresolved.
After the meeting dispersed, Lucian pulled Marcus aside into a private study room. "That was intense. Elena's not used to people refusing her demands."
"She'll adapt or she won't. Either way, I'm not exposing my methods just to satisfy her curiosity." Marcus activated a privacy ward. "You said you found information about the Crimson Hand?"
Lucian's expression became serious. "Yes. I asked my father's intelligence contacts—discreetly, claiming it was for academic research. The Crimson Hand is one of three major assassin syndicates operating in the kingdom. They have over two hundred confirmed members, ranging from Iron Rank initiates to a rumored Diamond Rank leader called the Crimson Lord."
"That's... concerning. Two hundred members?"
"Organized into cells, each operating independently. Red Seven was probably a mid-level recruiter. If you rejected their recruitment, the cell leader—Red Three—will report to higher authorities. They'll assess whether you're worth recruiting by force or eliminating as a threat."
Marcus processed this information. "So I should expect more contact from them."
"Definitely. But here's the interesting part—my contacts say the Crimson Hand is currently fighting a shadow war with another syndicate called the Silent Blades. Resources are stretched thin, attention is divided. If you're smart, you can exploit that conflict."
"How?"
"False flag operations. Attack the Crimson Hand using Silent Blade techniques, making them think their enemies are escalating. Or vice versa. Sow confusion, force them to focus on each other instead of you." Lucian pulled out a map. "I've identified three Crimson Hand safehouses in the city. Small cells, lightly defended. If we hit them hard and make it look like Silent Blade work..."
Marcus smiled slowly. "You've been thinking like an assassin."
"You've been training me well." Lucian's amber eyes were cold, calculating. "But there's a risk. If we escalate the shadow war, civilians might get caught in the crossfire. We need to be precise, surgical. Hit only legitimate targets."
"Agreed. We're killers, not monsters. There's a difference."
They spent the next hour planning operations against the Crimson Hand, identifying targets, preparing equipment, coordinating timing.
When they finished, Lucian hesitated. "Marcus? Can I ask you something personal?"
"You can ask. I might not answer."
"Why do you do this? The assassination work, I mean. You're Silver Rank, tournament champion, have legitimate wealth through alchemy. You don't need the assassination income anymore. So why continue?"
Marcus was quiet for a long moment, considering how much truth to share. "Because if I stop, I become soft. Comfortable. Vulnerable. The world is dangerous, Lucian. Full of people who want to take what you have, hurt you for being successful, exploit any weakness. The moment I stop preparing for that reality is the moment I become a victim again."
"Again? Were you a victim before?"
"In my own way. Different life, different circumstances. But I learned that safety is an illusion, comfort is temporary, and the only person you can truly rely on is yourself. So I stay sharp, stay dangerous, stay ready for whatever comes next."
Lucian nodded slowly. "I understand that. After my mother died, after years of being dismissed as the talented bastard... I learned similar lessons. Power is the only real security. Everything else can be taken away."
"Exactly. Which is why we continue. Why we push for Silver Rank, Gold Rank, beyond. Not because we want power for its own sake, but because we need it to protect what we've built."
They separated, each heading to their own preparations. Marcus had contracts to plan, equipment to prepare, and threats to neutralize.
But as he worked through the night, Marcus couldn't shake Elena's words: "We're not competitors, we're supposed to be allies."
The problem was, Marcus had learned long ago that allies were just competitors who hadn't turned on you yet. Trust was vulnerability. Openness was weakness.
He'd made that mistake once in his previous life—trusting people, being open, letting himself become comfortable. Then he'd died choking on a dumpling because he'd gotten careless, stopped being vigilant.
Never again.
Marcus checked his equipment one final time, reviewed his intelligence on Crimson Hand targets, and prepared for tomorrow's strike.
Around him, lives intersected and diverged—Elena pursuing excellence, Daniel pursuing revenge, Lyra pursuing truth, Sarah pursuing understanding, Victor pursuing innovation, Lucian pursuing power.
And Marcus, pursuing the one thing he'd never had enough of in either life: security. Even if he had to build it on a foundation of corpses and secrets.