The tiger could dig him out. It just hadn’t felt like it until now.

  Now that Jake actually had to escape, he also realized that having a time constraint messed with his plans. It might take him a few scouting missions to find a place underground to retreat to, and if he was unphased, the tiger would likely find him. Demon beasts had cultivation bases of their own, and the senses that came with it.

  “Shit,” muttered Jake. The grasping, flexing paw felt like it was right in front of his nose, but he had at least a few minutes before becoming kitty food. He opened his Eternal Struggle Reward System screen and rolled one more point. This shouldn’t cost too much, right? he thought. The one-point roll ended. Now he only had three points left. Since the roll was done, he quickly inputted “map, mental, surroundings.”

  His three results made him raise his eyebrows. Eyes darting between the screen and the giant claws growing closer by inches, he read:

  (Tier 2) Fortune Map (growth type) — Ability to generate a map overlay that lasts three breaths. The map size and accuracy will vary, but will always point to fortunate locations or encounters.

  (Tier 3) Mini Map - Map that can be constantly displayed or studied in detail. Updated in full for every dimension and level of reality the user travels to. Can be utilized to track individuals.

  (Tier 3) Mini Map, enhanced (growth type, special) - Updates area map as the surroundings are visited or explored Success is based upon ability and potential resistance. Higher proficiency reveals more information.

  “Shit,” he hissed. All three choices were good, and he was fairly certain he’d just gotten an extremely lucky roll, maybe the equivalent of rolling all “7’s” in the Eternal Struggle Reward System! He’d only spent one point and he’d gotten not one, but two tier 3 results!

  The Mini Map was really what he needed, but the Fortune Map would be amazing for the future...if he had a future. Finally, when the claws were only a few inches from his nose, he growled, chose Mini Map, enhanced, and phased, then flash-stepped downward at a 45-degree angle.

  He hoped he wouldn’t regret his choice in the future.

  Jake was starting to lose his composure. He was cool-headed, but the last few minutes had been a never-ending tsunami of stress and danger. Finding a new place to hide was proving difficult.

  He’d dove into the earth, but had needed to come back to the surface before his phasing ability ended. His map was open in the corner of his vision, but there hadn’t been any time to really learn how to use it. At least the new mental map was easy to read. It updated as he moved, almost like a map in an RPG game on Earth, turning the surrounding darkness into information.

  Unfortunately, it hadn’t taken long for the giant tiger to find him again. But this time, Jake had been so wary, he’d actually gotten a sense of danger and had dodged a pounce. Then he’d run through the forest, barely keeping ahead of the huge demon beast by using flash step.

  In fact, the tiger came so close to catching him, he’d felt the demon beast’s breath on his neck. A moment later, it’d been gone. Something massive and dark had jumped out of the forest shadows, slamming into the tiger. Whatever the new creature was, it pushed the attack and the two demon beasts had begun thrashing around, engaged in a life and death fight.

  Jake hadn’t stuck around. He didn’t want to be caught between the demon tiger and anything big and bad enough to see it as a potential meal. As soon as his phase ability could be used again, he drove back into the earth.

  His map filled out details around him a bit farther than what was immediately visible on the surface. This rule seemed to apply underground even though he couldn’t actually see anything. If he concentrated, he could change the view to a 2d map, or a wire frame, or even a 3d model. This time, he noticed what looked like a pocket in the earth or a cave on the edges of his perception and he moved that direction.

  After a short exploration to ensure it was big enough for him to stay in for a while, Jake phased back into reality and slumped on the stony ground, leaning against the slanted wall. That was close, he thought. He needed to get the hell out of this area, fast. That was obvious now.

  He wasn’t sure if he could actually suffocate in his little bolt hole, but he wasn’t too worried about it. His dimensional storage ring actually had an honest to goodness oxygen tank. But just to be safe, Jake sat cross-legged, centered himself, slowed his breathing, and began to meditate.

  There were still a few things to do before he could start escaping in earnest, like use up the rest of his points in the Eternal Struggle Reward System. He also needed to learn how to use his new map tool.

  Jake knew if he were still a normal human, and maybe less experienced, he’d be overwhelmed with everything that had just happened in such a short time. As it was, he was not very happy about how things were developing. But being safe underground had just taken the edge off of his worry.

  After a couple of hell dimensions and all his time fighting vampires via a challenge room, he was actually feeling a sense of familiarity with the situation.

  He waved a hand and mentally commanded his map to open to full size. As he studied it, he wondered if he’d made the right choice.

  Chapter 4

  Jake crossed his arms in complete darkness and grimly pondered his options. He had a total of 3 points left to use in the Eternal Struggle Reward System. That was his only real option to survive his current situation. He was in a predicament.

  His storage ring was full of Earth weapons that wouldn’t do jack-shit to the feisty-slash-wtf supernatural tiger that wanted to eat him. And he believed there were probably more powerful demon beasts in the mountains his master had lived in. He knew for sure there had to at least be other creatures on the same level, because the tiger had been attacked.

  The Murim world was huge—Jake knew that much. And he’d felt the aura from the tiger. If he were to try fighting that thing, he would likely barely scratch it. Even if he did manage to bring it down, the fight would attract other creatures and he’d be toast. So he needed to get stronger, but he needed to get away from these mountains first.

  He reflected on his deal with The Morrigan for a few minutes. This was the first time he’d really had time to think about everything without interruptions since he’d come to the Murim world. The way his safety in the Murim world had been temporary was annoying, but not technically The Morrigan’s fault. And he had gotten a good lead on where to go from his master.

  Jake knew what he was likely signing on to before he’d accepted Morrigan’s offer. Throwing their champions directly into the storm was likely the way of the gods, or at least war gods like The Morrigan.

  His original plan when he had been trapped by the tiger had been to escape underground, maybe find an extensive cave system and make his way out of dangerous territory. But he had scrapped it pretty fast after getting some more time to think.

  The reality was there was no way to know there was even a cave system, that it was running the right direction, or even if it would be safe. There might be even more dangerous creatures underground.

  And there was no telling how far this dangerous area spread. Maybe the entire mountain range. Jake knew he was too weak for this area, but not exactly how much so. More powerful creatures might be a mile away.

  Knowing so little was frustrating. Luckily, he was not totally helpless and still had some options. He mulled over how to spend his Eternal Struggle resources.

  There were about a million things Jake could probably come up with to roll for through his reward interface, but what he needed most was either a way to hide or travel unseen...so stealth, or fast travel.

  Ultimately, he decided that a means of transportation was probably his best way to survive for now.

  He only had three points left and he decided to use all of them. Two points went into the item itself, and he invested the last point into his reward roll before even getting the results. So if he understood the system right, he should get four choices, not three, and he had a better chance for better rewards.

  Here goes nothing, he thought. When the roll was complete, he thought the keywords "ki-transportation, flying, long distances." His teacher had spent hours ranting about how terrible Earth transportation was, how flying swords were better than anything Jake had ever seen.

  The resulting choices were:

  (2nd tier) Eternal Kite — A ki-injection flying tool. Faster than average. Indestructible and if separated will find its owner as long as they live.

  (3rd tier) Living Clay Bat — Flying tool with limited will and power. Slower than average, but offers high defenses. Extremely high agility and adaptability. Once every ten years it can be commanded to teleport a long distance somewhat randomly—a general direction can be given.

  (2nd tier) Millennium Harvest Sword — The weapon of a forgotten god. Faster than average when used as a flying sword and has the ability to grow large enough to carry any number of passengers without added strain to the owner.

  (4th tier) Array Platform of Water Dao Insight — A flying platform that is just a flagstone for immortals on any path other than a water-based Dao. For the correct owner, it will fly far faster than average, can increase cultivation speed, aid with insights into the Dao, grow or shrink in size, and offer protection up to the Soul Hardening stage. Offers its own storage, pill oven, and quarters. Has stealth abilities up to the Meridian Refinement level.

  This was Jake’s first time seeing a 4th tier item and he blinked in astonishment. The Array Platform of Water Dao Insight was one of the most powerful tools he’d ever heard of, like the vehicle of a god. Wow.

  Unfortunately, it would be worthless for him. He didn’t know exactly what his Dao path was, but it sure as hell wasn’t water-based.

  He did some thinking, taking his time. The Eternal Kite was a solid choice. If he chose Millennium Harvest Sword, it would be amazing if he had his own private army to go with him...and if he was powerful enough to actually make such a thing fly fast. So its effectiveness would be limited now.

  Ultimately, he chose the Living Clay Bat. When he received the tool, it appeared in his storage ring along with an instruction manual. He absorbed the array instruction manual—a far more efficient process than needing to read something. Luckily, operating the Clay Bat wouldn’t be too difficult for him at his current cultivation level. Maybe that was one reason it was a tier 3 reward. Usually, cultivation tools required more energy the better they were, but high quality artifacts were more efficient.

  Jake sat in the dark. He was wondering if he should linger and hide in this space for longer when he suddenly felt a rough, jagged sensation pass over his senses. A moment later, a spike of danger shot through his mind so powerfully that he immediately phased and flash-stepped back to the surface.

  Behind him, likely above where he’d just been hiding, a crater was smoking. Standing over it was a truly enormous monster. The demon beast giant tiger and what looked like a huge armadillo were both half-eaten behind it on the ground.

  Jake couldn’t move for a moment. The pressure this new demon beast was exuding made it hard to think. It had shaggy fur, but also an insect-like head, almost like a praying mantis. Its claws were huge, and even though it stood on two legs, almost like a t-rex, it still had such a long tail, it looked almost like a snake attached to the back end. The creature’s claws hung to the ground and it rested on his knuckles like an ape.

  If he moved, he’d die. Jake knew this for a certainty. He’d known better than to waste energy delivering a Demonic Contradiction Wave. Against whatever this thing was, it’d be like throwing a handful of salt at a charging bull.

  This mountain range was death. Even if Jake somehow survived his staring contest with the demon beast in front of him, there would likely be other such predators. And his odds of getting away weren’t great. He wasn’t sure how the monster had just bored into his hiding spot, but he had a feeling that avoiding it when it could even actually see him would be...grim.

  A sudden shriek in the distance had enough power to make the leaves rustle. The mantis-headed monster turned to look in that direction. Jake knew this was the only chance he’d likely get to escape.

  He pulled the new Clay Bat from his storage ring and jumped on, not even getting time to admire his new ride. The moment he was in place, he used the directions in his mind, cycled his cultivation base before injecting his ki into the bat, and desperately ordered, “Teleport that direction!” He pointed away from the dangerous mountains.

  The chimera-like demon beast made a gurgling hiss as it pounced forward. One massive clawed hand descended impossibly quickly, but the air shimmered around Jake and the attack didn’t connect. “Fuck off!” crowed Jake. He flipped off the demon beast, and chuckled as his nerves and pent-up stress unwound.

  He didn’t know where he was going, but anywhere was better than here.

  The view of the mountains faded. Jake hoped he hadn’t used up all of his luck on the Eternal Struggle Reward System. If he landed in danger this time, the bat wasn’t going to be any help for another ten years.

  Chapter 5

  Jake trudged down one of the underground side paths he’d taken countless times before. He paused along the way to mark yet another day on the wall. Over ten years had passed since he’d come to this place. That was depressing but at least the plan he’d come up with was almost ready.

  “Hey, Jake, why are we going this way? I thought we were going to that new vein we found last week.” Jake turned and regarded his workmate. Not for the first time, he wondered if this creature was his friend, or could even be trusted.

  “Slim, remember the rule? You can come, but don’t ask questions.”

  “Oh yeah, boss. Sure thing. But can you please, please call me Sandman Slim?”

  “No. That’s a weird name and nobody else calls you that. If you bring it up again, I’m going to just call you by your real name.”

  “Oh okay, forget I said anything.” He muttered, “Should have never told you my real name.”

  Jake shook his head. He’d had this conversation thousands of times over the last nine years. As he walked, he glanced at Slim. The creature was not human, but he claimed that he had been in the past.

  Slim looked like as much of a monster as Jake did, which was to say, completely. He was a tall, gaunt, emaciated creature with big eyes, no nose, blocky teeth, and thick, square nails on his too-long hands. According to him, a hundred years ago, he’d been an orthodox cultivator in a small sect that had been destroyed by a rival, unorthodox sect. As one of the only survivors, he’d been cruelly cursed, mutated, and banished from the land.

  Jake was still a little skeptical about his story, at least the part that Slim had been a normal human in an orthodox sect. All he knew for certain after over seven years of working together was that Slim was at the second stage of Gold Body Refinement. When they’d first met, Slim had been at the first rank of Gold Body Refinement. Like Jake, he’d been slowly getting stronger in this place. Most of the other prisoners were too. Jake had a very different way to grow in power, though–a fact he’d been keeping a careful secret.

  Of course, now that he knew more about this world, his desire to escape was stronger than ever. As it was, he would have grown in strength much faster if he weren’t trapped in this subterranean prison.

  That thought reminded him about something he’d heard the day before. “Hey Slim, didn’t Zhang Lie finally get past his bottleneck? I thought he said as soon as he achieved the third stage of Gold Body Refinement that he was going to attack Lady Brima.”

  Slim scoffed. “That was some pig shit he said years ago. After Tuomasi tried it a year ago and lost his arm, everyone is pretended they never said nothin.’”

  Jake nodded. Tuomasi was a thoroughly unpleasant demonic cultivator. Actually, most prisoners of the Web Burrows were. But the arrogant, angry man was a full-fledged Foundation Pillars cultivator with a Reforged Body. He was one of the most powerful prisoners of the Web Burrows.

  Over the last nine years, Jake had reached the fifth rank of Gold Body Refinement, which was both highly disappointing and a great achievement. He was still progressing faster than the other prisoners, but that was because he had such a vastly different path to power than they did.

  His greatest achievement during this time hadn’t been related to his cultivation base at all, though. He was actually on his way to train his new ability further.

  The Web Burrows seemed to be ancient. It seemed to consist mostly of caverns connected by handmade tunnels, then mines built off these connection tunnels that burrowed even deeper. The tunnels had been hewn out of solid rock. If there was an entrance to this prison, Jake had never seen it. Maybe it was past the restricted area that nobody got past, where Lady Brima lived.

  Jake had no idea how deep this place was beneath the surface. Digging through the rocky walls was labor-intensive and exhausting, but possible for all the prisoners with the celestial iron picks they’d been given. Even so, digging a tunnel to escape was pointless. Trying to head up too far would just result in running into an impenetrable wall, and digging in one direction didn’t accomplish anything except eventually running into bigger, more dangerous caves with demon beasts that would be happy to find a would-be escaped miner for a snack.

  “I think we’re almost here,” said Slim.

  “Yeah, I know. I’ll go ahead just in case there are any crawlers.”

  “You got it. Let me know when it’s clear.”

  Jake drew the carved sword from his belt that he’d been using for over five years. The wood was some of the mysterious root that the prisoners used for everything else in the mine. Although it looked like any other kind of wood, it was extremely durable and very good at channeling chi. Its natural toughness also turned harder than steel when chi was run through it. The other prisoners called the wood a “natural treasure.”