Chapter 14: The Choice of the Blade
The Vanguard found a temporary reprieve when the Labyrinth's chaotic architecture settled into a small, stable chamber—a rare moment of neutral ground. The other Hunters immediately began tending to their minor wounds and recovering their drained mana. Aiden, now walking but still unsteady, moved to a corner to quietly analyze the Oracle scroll.
Master Wei approached Rin, his expression earnest and concerned. He carried the deep, spiritual focus of his Murim training, his presence a stabilizing, yet judgmental, force.
"He is a strategic monster, Rin," Wei said quietly, watching Aiden who was now pouring a precious mana potion down his throat. "He chose to harm his own mind just to ensure the integrity of his plan. He has no conscience, only calculation."
Wei sat down across from Rin, placing a warm hand on Rin's knee. The gesture was familiar, comforting, and utterly non-calculating.
"The connection between the Rending Gale and the Arbiter of Chronos is a known paradox of the Tower, Rin. Your combined power is massive, but it only functions when he dictates the terms. He is the mind, and you are the execution."
Rin looked at the Murim Master, his chest tight. "The tether forces my hand, Wei. I am trying to survive."
Wei leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "The tether can be broken. My lineage, the Azure Dragon, is deeply tied to the ancient Earth Gods—before the Greeks and the Devils arrived. The Dragon's Scale you used on him was more than just a healing potion."
Wei drew an intricate, glowing Qi symbol in the air—a complex knot of energy. "The Scale carries a counter-ritual, a minor artifact from the Goddess Rhea, the Titaness of Motherhood. She despises the constraints Zeus and the others place on Hunters. If you commit to a new purpose, a clean purpose—one free of this endless vengeance—you can shatter the tether."
Rin's heart leaped. Freedom. A life where he didn't have to relive the trauma of betrayal every day, a life where he could simply trust the friend beside him.
"What is the clean purpose?" Rin asked, his voice barely audible.
Wei's gaze was direct, his sincerity absolute. "The war with the Outer Gods is not about artifacts; it's about preserving humanity's spirit. The Murim Masters protect the spirit, the inner purity. Join me, Rin. Anchor your blade to my Qi, to the purpose of pure protection. Break the cycle of trauma, leave the Arbiter to his cold fate, and we will ascend the Tower together, partners in purpose, not in pain."
Wei reached out, offering his hand—an invitation to a different, less painful destiny.
Rin stared at the offered hand, imagining a future where he didn't have to carry the cold, self-destructive genius on his back. A future where trust was not a weapon.
Suddenly, a cold, analytical voice cut through the air. "The Oracle scroll, Rin. Read the next path sequence. The three-minute timer is reset, but the Harpies will return with reinforcement."
Aiden had walked over, his face still pale, but his Chronos eyes blazing with renewed focus. He didn't acknowledge Wei, only Rin.
Rin retracted his hand, his opportunity for a clean escape instantly poisoned by the cold reality of the mission. He looked at Wei, who simply offered a disappointed, understanding nod.
Rin rose to face Aiden, his warmth hardening into cold steel. "You're well enough to command, Arbiter. You should be well enough to listen."
Rin leaned in close to Aiden, their faces inches apart, their tether humming with aggressive proximity. "Master Wei offered me an alternative path, Aiden. A path of pure protection, a way to break the tether and finally leave the cold, calculated hell you drag me through."
Aiden's perfect mask didn't crack, but his jaw muscle twitched. "And you declined."
"I declined for now," Rin emphasized, his voice a low, lethal threat. "Because a true escape requires absolute knowledge of the prison, and you are the keeper of the most terrible cell. You hold the key to the betrayal. I will not leave until I force the truth from your throat, Arbiter. Until then, you are not my partner; you are my hostage."
He thrust the Oracle scroll back into Aiden's hand.
Aiden took the scroll, his fingers brushing Rin's. The contact sent a strange, familiar jolt through the strategist's depleted core. He looked into Rin's blazing, angry eyes, understanding the depth of the commitment Rin had just made. Rin wasn't just staying out of duty; he was staying out of a relentless need for an emotional resolution that only Aiden could provide.
"The key phrase remains relevant," Aiden stated, his voice returning to its emotionless tone. "The Sun Rises Twice. We proceed East-East-South now."
He turned and walked away, his heart a raw, bleeding wound. Rin hadn't chosen him; he had chosen the confrontation. But in his cold, calculating mind, a choice that kept Rin near him, even in hatred, was a strategic victory.