Chapter 165: Stalemate
"For someone who claims to be his ally, you do not seem particularly concerned about Uhtred’s situation," Krijn said, interrupting Zara from her cultivation session.
Behind him, sitting off to the side, was the female ancient variant general. Her eyes were focused on Zara in a strange vigilance. It seemed it was she who had silently spurred Krijn to speak.
All three of them had separately managed to escape the pursuit of the otherworlders, retreating back across the border into Zone 2. However, it seemed almost too easy. Either the otherworlders were being lax, or by pure luck, every one of them had somehow outrun pursuers who were several levels higher than them.
The simplicity of their escape struck all of them as strange, especially Krijn, who seemed to be the only one among them, who was out of the loop regarding the current situation.
On the side of the female ancient variant general, he could understand that her attunement allowed her the ability to see and sense things he could not, so her calmness made sense.
But Zara’s complete lack of urgency, on the other hand, baffled him seriously.
Uhtred, the number one ranked human ascender, the highest ranked even in the trial rankings, had been captured by an otherworlder powerhouse whose level defied calculation. Yet Zara was sitting cross-legged in deep meditation, calmly cycling her cosmic essence as if nothing had happened.
"I’m sure he’s fine," Zara said smoothly, not even bothering to open her eyes. "He’s just like that. Always the one getting into these kinds of situations, but somehow he ends up coming out alive."
Krijn grunted, clearly dissatisfied with the answer. He looked as though he expected more, maybe a plan of action, some way they could confirm Uhtred’s current state.
Of course, on the trial rankings, his name was still there. He wasn’t dead, at least. But for all they knew, he was being tortured for information right now, information about both modern humans and, more specifically, the ancient variants.
Krijn wanted to retort, but before he could, he caught himself. Why was he so worried for Uhtred’s safety?
A deep frown colored his face and he went silent, trying to decipher exactly what it was about Uhtred that made him so invested.
He tried to convince himself that he only cared because Uhtred’s capture posed a security risk to the ancient variants, but the excuse felt hollow even to him.
Zara opened her eyes and looked up at him. "They are not going to kill him. That much, I am sure of. In fact, I believe he’s going to walk right back here in a day at most."
Krijn stared at her, unable to fathom where her blind confidence came from. It was as if she knew something they did not — privy to an inside knowledge about the trials that they weren’t aware of.
Yet, the very next morning, Zara’s prediction came true.
A subtle shift in the ambient essence near the Zone 3 boundary made all three powerhouses snap their heads toward the forest edge.
A solitary figure was strolling casually through the treeline, stepping out of Zone 3 and crossing the border into Zone 2 without a single scratch on his body.
Uhtred.
He walked into the Grotto Heaven with a relaxed, unhurried gait, stepping into the shade where the three of them were waiting.
Krijn’s head whipped toward Zara, an unreadable glint flickering in his eyes as he stared at her. She didn’t look surprised in the slightest. Her face remained completely flat, her gaze shifting from the Neanderthal over to Uhtred.
"Zara, we’re pulling back," Uhtred said the moment he reached them.
That seemed to draw Krijn’s attention back to the present. His head whipped in Uhtred’s direction, and a growl escaped his lips.
"What do you mean, Uhtred? Are you trying to sabotage the third trial?"
Uhtred let out a slow, tired sigh.
"We aren’t sabotaging anything, Krijn. We’ll be staying right here in the Grotto Heaven alongside you. But I’m not going to lead my people to throw their lives away against an impenetrable wall."
Before Krijn could demand an explanation, a series of heavy essence signatures appeared along the Zone 3 border.
From the treelines beyond, otherworlder forces poured out, drawing the attention of both generals and Zara. Uhtred, however, looked unsurprised, as if he had known all along. The otherworlders immediately began erecting structures, establishing a forward defensive line very close to the Zone 2 border.
Barely a mile separated them now, and their forces continued to pour out, spreading in a wide line to both the east and the west. They were forming a massive inner circle within Zone 3, one that was spread wide but thoroughly fortified and guarded by serious powerhouses: Jotuniels who were at least ten levels above Uhtred, Krijn, and the female general.
"Hmm. You have come to an agreement with the otherworlders, have you not, Uhtred? What did they promise you?" Krijn’s tone became deathly cold and condescending. He looked thoroughly disappointed, as if he had expected much more from Uhtred.
Uhtred’s expression flickered slightly. Even though he knew the true details of the negotiation between himself and the otherworlder leader, the accusation still stung, especially since it was far from the truth.
Uhtred simply clenched his jaw and let Krijn believe whatever he wanted.
The Neanderthal general was smart enough to see the core reality of the situation. There was no way they were penetrating that line. Whatever had transpired between Uhtred and the otherworlder who captured him in Zone 3, a stalemate had effectively been established.
Neither the modern humans nor the ancient variants could progress any further. Zone 3 was totally off-limits, which meant that, for all practical purposes, the third trial was over.
For the remainder of the two weeks, the only sensible choice was to simply cultivate within the Grotto Heavens, gathering as much power and as many levels as possible within this essence-dense environment before returning to the main continent.
Both Krijn and the female ancient variant general said nothing more and parted ways with Uhtred and Zara.
Before leaving, however, the female general’s eyes lingered on Uhtred. Their gazes met across the short distance, and it felt as though an unspoken message passed between them.
Whatever it was remained a mystery, but the female general did not look perturbed by how things had unfolded.
She simply turned and headed into the distance toward a different Grotto Heaven alongside Krijn, leaving Uhtred and Zara to their own devices.
Right after they left, a conflicted look settled on Uhtred’s face. He was almost second-guessing his decision, but when he turned with a sigh to look at Zara, he felt a surprising wave of reassurance.
Zara’s gaze held no judgment and no expectations. She looked at him as though she understood full well that deeper reasons lay behind what had happened, and she was simply waiting for him to explain in his own time.
"We need to find Diya and Dennis," Uhtred said first, regaining his composure. "We need to ensure that they improve as much as possible over these next two weeks. They must take maximum advantage of this environment. In fact, not just them, we also need to do the same."
He looked into the distance, peering beyond the Jotuniel defensive line inside Zone 3.
"This trial is only the start. The true tribulations are yet to begin, and we must be thoroughly prepared for them."