Zelek waved to Enril, who had just returned to the entry gate of Boundless Heaven Sect, and shouted, "Over here, Brother."

　　Enril ran over and embraced him. "It`s great to see you, Brother. How have your jobs been these past moons?" The two walked to their residence in the sect.

　　"I don`t have any complaints. Most of the work I did involved escorting caravans. I had one or two other Seekers with me, so it was trivial. Only foolish beasts dared to attack us." Zelek started fishing in his pouch. "Look at what I got from one of the beasts, though." He pulled out a small, round crystal ball that glinted green in the sunlight.

　　"Is that a crystallized core?" Enril got so close that his nose almost touched the ball.

　　"You`ll never believe what attribute it is." Zelek`s grin widened.

　　"Let me get this right, you not only obtained a core from a beast, but it`s wind-attribute as well? Heaven must truly love you." Enril smiled back, then had a worried look. "Hey, the beast you killed, it wasn`t cute and fuzzy, was it?"

　　"You`ve always had a soft spot for the cute critters, haven`t you? No, this came from a bear-like creature with two heads." Zelek closed his hand around the crystallized core and gusts of wind swirled around him. When the wind ceased, he asked, "How have your jobs been?" The crystal ball had vanished.

　　Enril gave a small chuckle as they entered their residence. "They`ve been fine, nothing quite as exciting as yours. My pay has been great, though, because I can perform courier jobs faster than most. On rare occasions, I get lucky and find some along the same travel route. I`ll need to visit the AlSchemist. Some people were so impressed with my speed that they gave me some extra herbs, check them out." Enril fished his spoils from his pouch and laid them on the table.

　　"Wow, what an amazing haul." Zelek`s eyes scanned over the precious herbs. Some were green, others red, some had flowers, while some just were stalks with leaves. "Hey, isn`t that&" He pointed to one long stalk.

　　"Yes, it`s SeekersBane." Enril cupped it in both hands. "Turns out, it`s quite precious and rare."

　　" If left unrefined and ingested, a Seeker will roll their largest face for seven days straight. As Madam Yun told us, though, it drastically decreases the lifespan. I learned exactly what it does. The values on your Filters begin to decrease to zero. When they all reach zero," Enril drew a finger across his neck.

　　"And Brogle willingly chose that path? I can`t fathom what would drive someone to sacrifice their entire life for seven days of growth." Zelek folded his arms. "You`d have to be a fool."

　　"I heard an interesting rumor, there`s an antidote, but I couldn`t find any information on it. Sounds like a load of rubbish, if you ask me. In my digging at the library I did find one interesting fact, though. Ten Heavens Council outlawed the usage of SeekersBane as a torture device two decades ago." Enril raised the precious herb to his lips and pretended to nibble it.

　　"Please, don`t joke about eating that, Brother." Zelek leaned over and snatched the herb out of Enril`s hand and placed it back on the table.

　　"I wouldn`t dare. You can refine this into a special pill, the Six-Sided Rolling Pill`. It`s supposed to provide a magnificent boost to your growth. I`m going to see if I can obtain one."

　　Zelek`s eyes darted around the room, searching for anything amiss. "A merchant passed a rumor to me that could be a great opportunity for us." Enril raised an eyebrow and leaned in close. "There`s a pond in the Wild Lands that holds a precious herb known as the MoonLight Lily." Zelek`s lips formed a scowl. "The exact location is unknown."

　　"Brother, are you suggesting&"

　　Zelek`s eyes met Enril`s. "Yes, I am. We should seek this pond in the Wild Lands. I inquired about the MoonLight Lily last time I was in the sect. It`s the main ingredient for the WaterGrace Pill. With the two of us working together, I think we can succeed."Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author`s consent. Report any sightings.

　　After a long silence, Enril said, "It`s not even been a half year since we buried Elder Winryu and Elder Heles. I still think about them every day&" Enril`s hands gripped his robe.

　　"I do as well, Brother. What happened is forever burned in my mind. The only thing that hurt more was being treated like heroes instead of murderers." Zelek punched the table. It groaned under his enhanced strength. "That is why we must grow stronger. To become true heroes."

　　"WaterGrace Pills, huh? I know the WindGrace Pill has treated you well over the years. Just imagine the possibilities if we had multiple pills like that," Enril mused, his words measured as they left his lips.

　　"My Reserve can compete with those a year or two older. That`s the effect of just one of those pills. By the way, there`s a catch for when this pond appears. It only reveals itself on the night of a full moon. A night like tonight."

　　"Maybe we should wait, Brother. After all, we`re still only First-Steps. While I agree that we`re stronger than most in the same step of our realm, we shouldn`t let it inflate our egos," Enril protested.

　　"Let`s change the topic for a moment. Have you noticed anything strange about your Filter since ascending?" Zelek asked, steepling his hands in front of his face.

　　Enril focused on his inner self and viewed his Filter. With closed eyes, "I have noticed one thing. Two of my faces have silver numbers instead of the standard black. They both are my largest face, as well." When Enril opened his eyes he was greeted by Zelek`s toothy grin.

　　"My Filter is different as well. The largest face, a forty-four, has golden numbers. I roll it quite frequently, as well, maybe a third of my rolls?"

　　Enril put a finger to his chin. "Now that you mention it, I do roll my silver faces quite often, about a quarter of the time. Do you think this means something?"

　　"I don`t have that answer. What I can see is that we grow faster than most in the Vale. Maybe it`s Heaven`s blessing, or maybe we`re lucky. We can`t waste whatever this gift is, though. How about this, let`s spend this next moon practicing and preparing. We`ll form a plan and perfect every detail. On the next full moon, we strike out for the MoonLight Lily. Deal?" Zelek stretched out a fist toward Enril.

　　Enril met Zelek`s fist. "Alright, you`ve convinced me. It`s a deal, Brother."

　　Two days after their pact, Heaven blessed them with an opportunity: a job that granted them access to enter the Outer Lands in the South, offering them a firsthand look at a portion of the barrier surrounding Heaven`s Vale. Thirty days of meticulous planning passed, and the day of their journey arrived.

　　As the two stepped out of their residence, they were greeted by a familiar face. "Why does it seem like trouble is brewing with you two? Since entering the Expression Realm you`ve not spent a night in the sect. Until last moon, where you`ve been here every night. Explain yourselves." Ying Yue stood and blocked their path.

　　Zelek bowed to her. "Greetings Sect Master. We`ve been so excited to move unfettered and free in the Vale that we got carried away. In the pursuit of glory for the sect, we took every job we could get our hands on. Foon territory is our home, but so too is Boundless Heaven Sect. We have spent the last six years here, after all. You are worrying far too much, Sect Master." He gave her a bright smile.

　　She pointed a finger at him. "That right there is why I don`t trust you. Your grin, and the way you spoke, it`s unsettling. Now, if you reveal your plans to me, I will ensure the punishment is light." Ying Yue gave Zelek a soft slap to the side of the head. "And don`t lie this time."

　　Zelek rubbed his head. Enril stepped forward. "Sect Master, please understand where we come from. We grew up in a small clan where travel wasn`t permitted due to a lack of strength. We have the strength needed to move without worry, and we wish to exercise that strength. The Outer Lands fascinate us, they`re full of cute creatures and plentiful bounties. After earning a small fortune, we wished to relax and enjoy it for a while."

　　She sighed. "Fine, I`ll believe you, for now. If it`s just the Outer Lands you are exploring, that`s permitted. Don`t you dare go beyond that though. The Wild Lands are&" Her shoulders shuddered and her tone shifted to cold and distant. "Only death exists out there&"

　　"May I ask a bold question of you, Sect Master?" Ying Yue gave a slow nod. "Would you be willing to share your experience in the Wild Lands?"

　　Her spine straightened and she glowered at Enril. "How did you&"

　　Enril held his hands up and apologized. "Vice Master Ling needed an urgent delivery. I took care of it and he told me some bits about your past. Nothing intimate, just a rough outline of your adventures."

　　She turned away from the boys. "The only thing you need to know is that I had to witness my whole team die. I escaped because I am a coward." Without warning, she stormed away, her auburn hair trailing behind. Enril and Zelek exchanged a nervous glance before continuing their routine. From atop a nearby tower, Ying Yue concealed herself with a technique. She whispered to herself as she watched the boys, "What are you two up to?"