Xing Lei breathed deeply as he stepped out of Ulak under the watchful eyes of the orcs, stretching he looked to the open horizon and felt quite relaxed. Setting out on a journey by himself? Reminded him of his childhood to be honest, striking out to find adventure and make a name for himself, though the difference in this case was where he was located. When he was just a brat he at least knew the area and had a rough idea where towns and hunting grounds were. Here, he knew next to nothing. Well almost. He at least knew the forest and his birthplace was to the south, but this little treasure hunt had him heading west, deeper into the grasslands.
For a brief moment he wished the others were here, Alustriea is a font of knowledge, having studied this region extensively for her ceremonial hunt. With her help he could likely find the ruins without a map just by listening to her stories and extensive discussions on regional history. As for Fleet Spear, as unused to this area as he was she at least was good company and knew the basics of surviving the area. Exhaling slowly he shook his head and headed off in the direction the mess of a map suggested, if he couldn't find the ruins he'd just have to sneak back into Ulak, kill Turk, reclaim the two and flee onwards.
Shaking such thoughts away he walked out through the tall grasses, his short stature soon vanishing as he slipped amongst the taller foliage. He did fully miss the experience of his old life though, the world was shared between mortals like those he found himself now surrounded by, cultivators that strove to conquer the heavens, and monstrous beasts which hedged in most nations. Mortals were always necessary to keep kingdoms going but without beasts how did one get stronger here? Physical exertion? Ultimately limited by ones physique. As he was he doubt he could ever reach a mortal level of being able to crush mountains with his fists or laying low swaths of trees with a kick of his leg...
As he walked he tried to think of some solution to the problem. As it was he was stuck in the early stages of body tempering, while it did give a small leg up over mortals it wasn't a true cultivation. The trouble was finding the herbs and beast blood to go further, the only reason he agreed to the job was to check these ruins himself. Even with a blade to Fleet Spear's neck he could have rescued her but he felt this might be an encounter of fortune. Walking on, he just followed the map and continued to mull over the problem, which ultimately came to the fact the Tier of this world was too low, or at least this area was at any rate. To truly regain his cultivation would require an insane lucky chance.
The day waned on for Xing Lei, the sun soon dipping into the sea of tall grasses and darkness swept across the plains, only now when the moon was slowly rising into the sky did the kobolds belly begin to protest and he found his second trouble with this job. Feeding himself. As much as he'd walked, Xing Lei hadn't seen anything really in terms of wild life out here. Really? How did those panther folk and their mounts become so numerous out here if there was nothing to sate their hunger. Frowning he got his spear ready and crept into the dark grasses, he'd see if he could find something quick before bedding down, but he truly began wondering if this grassland wasn't in truth a wasteland, for other than grass, he'd not seen much else growing out here.
As the time ticked on Xing Lei became aware of movement at the edge of his concious perception. Flexing his clawed toes into the firm earth, he could feel the subtle vibrations of something digging through the soil, it wasn't large by any stretch, but by this time meat was meat. Hoisting his Spear he focused and listened, his senses honed to search out where the subterranean creature would pop out. A short distance away a small mound of dirt began bulging upwards from below, a whiskered snout poked through to snuffle the cooling night air. As a small furred head emerged from the dirt a spear sailed through the sky piercing into the half buried body, the animal giving a sequel of pain before going silent.
Running over Xing Lei frowned, the spear had struck true sure enough but what he had hit had practically been thoroughly destroyed by the weapon. The mole had been very unlucky to dig it's way up and now its death could barely been considered worth it as very little meat could be salvaged. Pulling out his spear he turned his attention inward, he had something in his status last he checked, which could help. Bringing up his status he scanned the listing and focused on his draconic spells, something called Heavenly Feast was present but he wasn't sure what it would do. With heavenly in its name, he surmised it should be a grand effect. Did he really want to do something flashy on an open plain? Course the alternative... he looked down at the ruined little mole and shook his head, feast it is!
Thinking a moment, he had to admit to himself that he wasn't sure how to enable the spell though. Alustriea had shown him her magic which were lengthy chants, but his own personal magic? Focusing on the magic he lifted his hands, perhaps like his alchemy flame it was something innate, he'd just focus and produce something? Arms out stretched, his head tilted back he focused on the 'spell' and poured his will into it. With a soft gasp he found energy flowing through his body and escaping outside it. Feeling his inner energy flowing through his arms and out in front of himself he peeked and was surprised.
Sitting on the ground in front of him was several steaming plates of food, despite appearing on the ground there seemed to be enough food present to feed a small group of people. Checking his status half his mana had drained which might explain the lethargy he currently felt but with food to be had he moved to tuck in. However after a few mouthful of what he suspected was roast boar, his face screwed up. Chewing slowly he worked the meat around over his tongue and frowned. The food looked and smelled perfect but the taste? Non existent. He could feel it filling his belly and sating his need for food but there was no enjoyment in partaking of such a meal. Still he ate till he was full and turned to take some of the excess with him, bland it might be but food was food at this point, however he found the magic food vanishing as it had appeared. He still felt full but whatever had not been eated simply twinkled out of existence.
Shaking his head, Xing Lei tasked himself with testing his magic more thoroughly in future, or at least getting Alustriea's advice so he could more efficiently and expertly use his spells. For now he focused on bedding down for the night, it felt so odd that other than normal beasts there was nothing that really challenged his sense of security. He'd not noticed it in the forests but these plains were so quiet, beyond the wind passing through the tall grasses and the occasional distant sound of civilization in the distance, there was no sense of hostile nocturnal beasts.
Waking early, Xing Lei continued his trek across the plains, each step easy and uniform making decent time along the blurry path of the map, soon the second day became the third then on into a fourth. The vastness of the plains was wearing on him, there simply was nothing out here that subtracted from the endless waves of flowing grass. Well, that was true until he saw plumes of thin gray smoke coiling into the sky in the distance, as he drew closer the sounds of people drifted on the wind. Checking the map showed this was not a good sign, it would seem some force had occupied the ruins he was sent to investigate.
Creeping closer still, he carefully moved with the bending grass, staying upwind as he crested a small hill to look down into a deeper valley. A ruined building lay in the center of the valley, but it was currently surrounded by a multitude of tents and horses. Xing Lei's luck would not seem that great at the moment as he watched the panther folk below patrolling the fringes of the large camp. One end had been fenced off with hundreds if not thousands of horses milling about nibbling at the grass.
Narrowing his eyes he swept the camp with his gaze, from the colors and banners it would seem two tribes were facing off or cooperating together. Xing Lei turned his gaze watching the patrols, seeing horse mounted guards leaving and returning as guards on foot prowled the edges and cut the grasses low around their routes. He had to teach the ruin, but slipping past the panther tribes would prove daunting, the security forces alone seemed very tight and over lapped their routes making any missing guards found all the sooner. These two tribes were fiercely guarding the ruins, which definitely told him there was something of note inside, but the trick was getting it.
Xing Lei prowled the edge of the camp, paying note to the moving guards and roving mounted patrols, certainly he found gaps but the lack of cover made infiltrating the camp truly a fool's errand. Resolving himself to making a night incursion he backed off to the taller grass to wait for the bright sun to leave its perch in the sky above. Taking up a spot on a bluff he watched the camp through to the afternoon, the panther folk didn't really seem interested in the ruins as he saw no individuals or groups probing it, rather the panther folk all seemed to be intent around the two big tents just south east of the ruin, multiple times Xing Lei watched a pair of finely attired panther folk moving between the two tents, from all indications, these two were the leaders negotiating over something.
As night fell and the moon once again sailed across the starry sky, Xing Lei crept inwards. Shadowing one of the patrolling guards he followed along the route until he could slip amongst the tents. The sea of them that surrounded the ruins were mostly quiet, a few still had lively occupancy but for the most part, the tents were silent. For the time being he was safe, ducking around the tents that circled the ruins winding ever closer to the heart of the area. A few times he had to duck into a tent to avoid a patrolling guard giving him a view of how these people lived and he found them very similar to Fleet Spear.
Panther folk apparently loved trophies, each of the tents he had ducked inside had held a generous assortment of personal effects but the vast majority seemed to be prized taken from defeated foes. They seemed to prize swords above all else, as even these common riders had at least two hanging in their tent, if not more. The panter folk themselves seemed to favor a curved blade, much like a saber but a much more fanciful and broad blade with an enclosed grip, these spare swords were a mix of styles.
Ducking back out of his latest hiding spot Xing Lei slipped to a low crumbling wall and pulled himself over to get closer to the ruin proper. The layout reminded him alot of the keep the goblin tribe had infested, though this one looked in better straits. While the upper levels had crumbled around the outer courtyard area, he could see the first level was intact, in fact, the panther folk seemed to be using this main level as some sort of warehouse. Various goods were piled inside and the door was heavily guarded, but this was not Xing Lei's destination. His initial scouting had revealed an entrance at the back that didn't seem to have guards. The only call for that would be if that passage didn't meet up with the main warehouse floor.
Stealthily he moved along the wall, his dark scales blending against the ancient stone as he moved away from the high watched front to slip up behind the rear. His gaze taking in the dark, double checking for guards, it would be just his luck if there were some sentries posted in the darkness but it would seem the panther folk had long forsaken this route for some reason. Stepping in front of the doors he could see why, unlike the front which appeared to be wooden, this back door was made of heavy stone. His eyes swept its surface and found a circular indentation towards the bottom, strange characters were carved around this circle of depressed stone but Lei could not decipher the language.
Pulling the disc from under his armor he looked to the depression. It was rather obvious this was the 'key', but what wasn't was if there would be fan fair once it returned to the door. While getting in had been a matter of skillfully dodging patrols, getting out with a throng of alert and ready horse bandits waiting for him would prove a rather unwelcome end of this little job. Reaching out he slid the disc into the depression, when nothing happened he carefully turned it until something 'clicked'. While he was not treated to any great display he did suddenly find himself no longer before the stone doors, rather he now stood in a natural cavern that seemed to stretch into the distance.
Pulling his spear from his back Xing Lei advanced into the gloom...