Blackstone Valley smelled like iron, smoke, and old blood.
Not fresh blood—there was no frenzy here, no chaos—but the kind that soaked into stone and never fully washed away. Fires burned low across the settlement, not for warmth but for deterrence. Every flame marked territory. Every shadow hid intent.
Ben felt it immediately.
This place didn't hunt.
It waited.
They moved through narrow paths between crooked structures stitched together from scavenged wood, cracked tiles, metal plates, and bones bleached white by sun and time. Some huts leaned against cliff walls; others hung suspended by chains and ropes like precarious nests.
Eyes followed them everywhere.
Some curious. Some amused. Some calculating.
Lin Yue kept her head down, hand never straying far from the knife at her waist. Ben walked half a step behind her, posture loose on purpose, eyes alert.
He didn't want to look dangerous.
He wanted to look expensive.
That lesson came from experience.
A pair of men arguing over a crate fell silent as Ben passed. A woman with scarred arms paused mid-transaction, gaze flicking briefly to the Omnitrix before snapping away.
They'd noticed.
Good.
A tall man stepped into their path.
He was broad-shouldered, wearing piecemeal armor that had once belonged to a sect disciple. His cultivation wasn't subtle—Qi rolled off him in slow, heavy waves.
Mid-level.
Strong enough to bully. Not strong enough to rule.
"You're new," he said.
Ben smiled faintly. "We get that a lot."
The man ignored him, eyes fixed on Lin Yue. "Border fee."
She stiffened. "We already paid at the gate."
"That was the gate," the man replied calmly. "This is my street."
Ben tilted his head. "You own it?"
The man smiled. "Until someone takes it."
Ben nodded thoughtfully. "Fair."
He stepped closer.
Not threatening. Not aggressive.
Just close enough that the man could see the faint shimmer under Ben's skin—diamond catching light, heat rippling faintly in the air.
The Omnitrix pulsed once.
Soft.
Controlled.
The man's smile faltered.
"Street's crowded today," Ben said casually. "Be a shame if something… happened."
A tense second passed.
Then the man stepped aside with a scoff. "Don't cause trouble."
Ben walked past him without another word.
Lin Yue exhaled quietly once they were clear. "You didn't even threaten him."
Ben shrugged. "Didn't need to."
They found temporary shelter near the cliff wall—an abandoned shack with a cracked roof and no door. Lin Yue immediately began setting wards of crushed herbs and chalk symbols along the entrance.
"They won't stop anyone strong," she said. "But they'll warn us."
Ben sank onto a crate, rubbing his temples. The Omnitrix's glow had dimmed again, its surface warm beneath his fingers.
He felt… hollow.
Using partial manifestations drained him faster than full transformations ever had.
Because this world fights back, he realized.
"Rest," Lin Yue said. "I'll trade for food."
Ben frowned. "Alone?"
"I've done this before," she replied evenly. "You haven't."
He didn't argue.
She disappeared into the maze of Blackstone Valley, leaving Ben alone with his thoughts and the soft hum of the Omnitrix.
Minutes passed.
Then voices drifted closer.
"…artifact user, they say."
"…sect bounty's already circulating."
"…if it's real—"
Ben tensed.
Three figures stopped just outside the shack.
One laughed softly. "If it's fake, we kill him. If it's real, we sell him."
Another replied, "Either way, profit."
Ben stood slowly.
He stepped out into the open.
The three men froze.
Ben smiled—but there was no humor in it.
"You know," he said, "you guys really should knock."
One of them lunged.
Ben didn't transform.
He didn't need to.
Diamond surged just beneath his skin as he twisted aside, catching the attacker's wrist and locking it in place. A sharp twist—bone cracked.
The man screamed.
The second man drew a blade—but Ben kicked him square in the chest, heat bursting outward at the moment of impact. The man flew back, slamming into a wall hard enough to dent metal.
The third man ran.
Ben let him.
The message was already sent.
As Ben turned back toward the shack, Lin Yue stood frozen at the alley's edge, basket of supplies clutched tightly in her hands.
She'd seen everything.
"I told you this place wasn't safe," she said quietly.
Ben wiped blood from his knuckles. "Yeah. But it's honest about it."
She approached slowly. "That honesty costs lives."
Ben met her gaze. "So does lying."
They ate in silence.
Dried meat. Hard bread. Bitter tea.
Afterward, Lin Yue finally spoke.
"There's someone here who can help you," she said.
Ben raised an eyebrow. "Help how?"
"Teach you how Murim works," she replied. "How to survive without being hunted every moment."
"And what's the catch?" Ben asked.
She hesitated.
"He trades in favors," she said. "And secrets."
Ben leaned back, staring at the cracked ceiling. "Those are always the most expensive."
Night fell over Blackstone Valley like a slow, heavy curtain.
Lanterns flickered on. Conversations grew louder, more dangerous. Somewhere nearby, someone screamed—and no one intervened.
Lin Yue led Ben through twisting paths until they reached a larger structure carved directly into the cliff face. Guards stood outside—not sect disciples, but hardened men with dead eyes and disciplined posture.
"This is neutral territory," one guard said flatly. "State your purpose."
"We're here to see Old Liang," Lin Yue replied.
The guard studied Ben, eyes lingering on the Omnitrix.
Then he stepped aside.
Inside, the air was cooler. Torches cast long shadows across stone walls etched with talismans and old scars. At the far end of the chamber sat an old man at a low table, sipping tea.
He didn't look up.
"I wondered when you'd arrive," he said.
Ben frowned. "We've never met."
Old Liang smiled. "I know."
He finally looked up.
His eyes were sharp. Calculating. Dangerous in a way sect elders weren't.
"You fell from the sky," Liang continued calmly. "Killed cultivators. Escaped an elder. Crossed into Blackstone Valley."
He leaned forward.
"Do you know how rare that is?"
Ben didn't answer.
"I can teach you how to survive here," Liang said. "How to turn fear into leverage. How to make Murim hesitate before touching you."
"And in return?" Ben asked.
Liang's smile widened.
"When the time comes," he said, "you will owe me one favor."
Lin Yue stiffened. "Liang—"
"One favor," Liang repeated. "No more. No less."
Ben studied the old man.
Then he nodded.
"Fine," he said. "But I choose when I pay it."
Liang laughed softly. "You're learning already."
As they turned to leave, Ben felt a chill crawl up his spine.
The Omnitrix pulsed.
Words shimmered faintly across its surface.
WarningFuture Probability Shift DetectedDebt Registered
Ben swallowed.
Outside, Blackstone Valley buzzed with quiet anticipation.
Somewhere beyond it, sects sharpened their blades.
And somewhere within it, Ben had just made his first real mistake.