《Why is your equipment so good?》


 Chapter 1: The Start

    "Fail!"


    "Fail!"


    "Fail!"


    Three years and three failed attempts in getting into the Azure Sky Sect meant Warren no longer had a chance of becoming an outer court disciple. Warren Long was 13 this year, and although he was discouraged, he knew it was a long-shot. An average boy like him with no talent and no backing could only dream of becoming a disciple of a cultivation sect.


    Once a year, starting at the age of 10, all citizens of the Azure Sky City and surrounding cities and towns had the chance to participate in the entrance exam to the Azure Sky Sect. However, out of the sixty to seventy thousand children part-taking in the exam each year, only one to two thousand would be accepted.


    The first two tests of endurance and strength were grueling for any child Warren''s age. However, with Warren''s abnormally high willpower, although difficult, it was doable. It was the third test, chi force, that always disqualified him. For a 13-year-old, he needed ten units of chi force to pass; unfortunately for him, he only had seven. Almost the same thing happened the year prior, he was only missing two units for his age group. the year before that he was only missing one. After the age of 13, the Azure Sky Sect no longer accepted disciples, as the kids became too old to mold a proper foundation.


    ----


    Walking down the mountain, Warren spotted the Azure Sky City in the distance. As the city draws closer, he is reminded of the harsh time his family of four has fallen onto.


    His father used to own a 65% stake in a woodworking shop that his grandfather passed down to him. The other 35% was owned by his granduncle, his grandfather''s half-brother. Although his family didn''t live in luxury, they were well-fed and lived in the bustling worker''s district of the city.


    This all changed a year and a half ago. his father came down with a sudden crippling illness that left him bed-ridden for most of the day. In a year, his family had blown through their savings trying to find a doctor that could cure his father''s illness. In one final desperate attempt, they sold their ownership in the woodworking shop to his granduncle at a measly 40% of market value. His granduncle cited familial ties, lack of liquidity and how his grandfather wanted the shop to stay within the family to justify the substantial discount.


    With the money, they sought out the best mortal doctor in the city. But alas, even the city''s best mortal doctor couldn''t cure his father.


    With no money leftover after the treatments, they sold the deed to their modest courtyard and what non-essentials they could bear to part with and moved to the slums of the city.


    Within days of getting to the slums, they were spotted by the local gang, Black Fur. It didn¡¯t take long for the members of Black Fur to notice that the family of four had some money on them.


    During the Long family¡¯s 5th night in their home in the slums, their door was kicked down by three Black Fur members. There was nothing much his father could do to stop them from taking what little money they had leftover. Fortunately, the Black Fur members, were only there for money and did not seriously injure anyone.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    In the past half year, his younger sister, Jude and younger brother, Seth and him did what they could to keep themselves and their father fed. They usually resorted to picking through trash and begging for spare copper. Although not a glorious life, Warren was glad he could see his siblings and father every day.


    ---


    As Warren was lost in thought on how he could help his family, he didn''t notice his surroundings had gotten quiet. The sounds of the whining children had all but disappeared, the sky had changed from a light blue to a gray color, and the ground once rich with lush vegetation had become barren. Although the city and slums were still there, they were covered in a layer of fog.


    It wasn''t until Warren had tripped over a small rock did he notice the ominous change in his environment. If it were any of the other exam takers, they would have already started panicking and recklessly running around. Warren, however, did not. He calmly surveyed his surroundings and felt a strange jittery in his heart.


    Looking down at the pendant his mother had given him the day she disappeared, he saw a faint green light extending into the unknown landscape like a compass pointing him to his fate. Without a second''s hesitation, he began running in the direction of the green light.


    ---


    After 30 minutes of non-stop running, Warren started feeling his legs going numb from his overexertion.


    "Damn. Where does this end?" He mutters to himself.


    He gradually started to slow down as he depleted his energy reserves.


    Missing a step, Warren¡¯s legs gave out from underneath him and he fell down onto the grass with a plot, panting heavily on the ground.


    Looking around he notices his surroundings had not changed at all. Up ahead, he saw the outline of Azure Sky City in the distance. He has the distinct feeling of not being any closer or further to the city as when he first started.


    Confused and tired, Warren decided to take a few minutes to rest before following the strange green light again.


    Warren closed his eyes and started meditating. He was taught how to meditate during his first attempt at passing the Azure Sky exam three years ago. The examiner had said that clearing one¡¯s mind and drawing in the chi of heaven and earth is fundamentally how cultivators raise their chi force and thereby becoming stronger.


    Warren enjoyed meditating. He would always feel relaxed after an hour of meditation. However, given his current family situation, he didn''t have time to meditate. Most of the progress he had made in increasing his chi force was the year and a half before his father became ill.


    As Warren cleared his mind, he let the energy of heaven and earth flow into him through the tiny pores on his skin. While meditating, he always feel like he was being embraced by a warm formless cloud.


    After a few seconds, he was shocked when he noticed the same strange green light extending ever forward. The next moment he snapped his eyes open, not believing what he saw.


    "It must be my imagination, there was no way the strange light would be in my mind as well," He thought to himself.


    Warren once again closed his eyes. This time, as soon as he closed them, he could see the green light. He examined it with great curiosity. As his mind follow the green light forward, he felt a strong connection up ahead.


    Not long after, he came to a stop in front of a light green orb. Not knowing what to do, he reached out with his mind to try to touch it


    At that instance, he felt countless needles stabbing into the deepest part of his mind. He gasped for air, but none would come to him. He tried yelling out, but he found his mouth missing. He wanted to flail around with his arms but he felt that missing too. It felt like his body was connected and disconnected from the world at the same time.


    Just as he thought he would never see his father or his siblings ever again, he saw three translucent boxes appeared in front of him. With the appearance of the translucent boxes, his pain dulled and he passed out.


    ---


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>[Congratulations! The skill "Equipment Enhancement" has been successfully integrated with your soul.]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>[Congratulations! The skill "Basic Analyze" has been successfully integrated with your soul]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>[Due to the low level of your soul and understanding of the natural laws, you can only enhance Lesser Common to Lesser Uncommon grade equipment]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    End of Chapter 1

 Chapter 2: The Long Family

    Warren woke up with a splitting headache. Opening his eyes, he was greeted with the familiar sight of his ceiling.


    Confused and disoriented, Warren tried to sit up only to be stopped by two successive tackles from his side.


    "Big brother! Big brother! You''re awake!" Jude yelled.


    Patting the two little ones on the head; Warren opened his mouth to say something, but he felt like he just swallowed a mouth full of sand.


    After seconds of trying to wet his lips, he was finally able to croak a single word - "Water."


    ---


    Minutes later, Jude and Seth came back with a pitcher of water along with an older man. The man looked bone thin and sickly. If one were you to look closely, they would see remarkable resemblances between Seth and the older man. They both had light brown hair, high cheekbones, and large black eyes.


    Walking to Warren''s side, Jude places the pitcher of water to Warren''s lips.


    Warren tilted his head down and took several large gulps before taking in a deep breath and a sigh of relief. Finally having his thirst quenched, he was able to ask the question that has been on his mind this entire time.


    "What happened to me?"


    "You''ve been unconscious for almost three days, brother!" Seth replied.


    Warren shocked by the answer took another glance at everyone in the room. Worry and concern was visible on everyone''s face. For the first time since he woke up, he noticed the black circles under everyone''s eyes. Looking at Jude, he could even see the slight redness lingering in her eyes.


    Above all, he felt a wave of warmness wash over him. Although his family has fallen on hard times, their kinship was as strong as ever. Warren swore to himself that he would move heaven and earth to make a better life for his family. Unconsciously, Warren shed a tear of his own.


    "Big brother, what''s wrong?" noticing the tear, Jude quickly asked in a concerned tone.


    "Oh, it''s nothing, little Jude. I just woke up for a long sleep and got something in my eye." Warren responded.


    Hearing his brother''s answer, Jude''s face relaxed and she jumped on the bed.


    Seeing this Warren couldn''t help but give Juda a pat on her head.


    After a moment of silence, Warren asked: "How did I get back?"


    It was Seth that answered this time. He eagerly said,: "It was an uncle from the Azure Sky Sect that brought you home!"


    "What?!"


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Surprised and confused, Warren looked towards his father for some answers.


    "Seth is telling the truth. It was Master Hou that brought you back to us. He said he happen to come down to the Azure Sky city to buy some materials when he spotted you. He is a very good man; he went through the trouble of asking many of the exam takers to learn your identity. You must thank him when you return to the sect." His father said.


    A trace of guilt appeared on Warren''s face.


    "Father, I failed the entrance exam again this year. I won''t be able to join the Azure Sky sect. I will have to find another way to thank Master Hou." Warren said with a self-deprecating voice.


    "Oh my son, we know. But there is hope! Master Hou said that although you only had eight units of chi force and won''t be able to join the Azure Sky sect as an outer sect disciple, you can still join as a servant. And it just happens that Master Hou is in charge of recruiting the servants!" His father beamed loudly.


    Hearing this, Warren''s face immediately lid up.


    "Really?"


    Before his father could answer, Seth exploded and answered "Master Hou is a great guy! He told us that if you work really hard, you can still join the outer sect disciple when you are fifteen!"


    Not knowing what to say, Warren could only stare blankly at his family. Then all of a sudden a loud rumble could be heard coming from Warren''s stomach. Having been unconscious for almost three days, there was no doubt that he would be hungry. It was surprising that he didn''t notice until now.


    With a hearty laugh, his father looked at the two younger kids and said: "Come on, let''s go find some food for your brother."


    Without another word, the three of them left the little room they shared.


    In all the excitement, Warren had overlooked one small detail that he just realize now; "Wasn''t I tested to have seven units of chi force; when did it become eight?" Unable to parse through the mystery, Warren decided to push it to the back of his mind and decided to spend the time meditating.


    ---


    Closing his eyes and clearing his mind, he was greeted with the familiar blankness. However, seconds later he saw blue boxes appearing out of nowhere.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>[Congratulations! The skill "Equipment Enchantment" has been successfully integrated with your soul.]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>[Congratulations! The skill "Basic Analyze" has been successfully integrated with your soul]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>[Due to the low level of your soul and understanding of the natural laws, you can only enchant Lesser Common to Lesser Uncommon grade equipment]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With a jolt, he opened his eyes, and they were all still there, neatly stacked on top of each other.


    "What the hell are these?"


    End of Chapter 2

 Chapter 3: New Skills

    Puzzled at the translucent blue boxes, Warren reached his hand out to try to touch them. However, when he moved his hand to them, his hand simply passed right through, it was as if they weren¡¯t there. If Warren didn''t experience this himself, he would not have believed what was happening. This was all simply too strange for him. After five more minutes of trying to interact with the boxes with no success, Warren finally decides to try another method.


    Thinking back to when he was following the green light from his mother¡¯s pendant, he remembered no matter how long or far he ran, he could not get any closer.


    ¡°Maybe this is has something to do with that green light that I saw and I can only interact with it through my mind.¡± Warren mutter to himself.


    But as soon as he thought of that, his entire body shuddered. He was reminded of the massive amount of pain he felt when his mind had reached out to the green orb.


    One thing he knew for sure was he did not want to feel that pain ever again!


    Torn between the experience of the stabbing pain and his curiosity, he was momentarily lost at what to do. On the one hand, the torment was unbearable for the 13-year-old boy, but on the other hand, this could be a mystery that has been left behind from his pendant. And that pendant was the only connection he had with his mother.


    It took him all but a minute to make up his mind. He had sworn to himself that he would move heaven and earth to help his family out of the situation they were in. This mysterious power might just help him accomplish that. And in the deepest part of his heart, he hoped that the boxes would also provide a clue to where his mother was.


    Gritting his teeth and closing his eyes he willed the boxes to come closer to him. Only after several seconds of waiting and not feeling anything off did he open his eyes. Surprisingly, the boxes were now hovering only mere inches away from him. A little frightened at how close they were now, he quickly tried to move back on his bed. But they boxes kept following him.


    Taking a second to collect his thoughts, he willed the boxes to move to an arm''s length from his face, and they obeyed. It felt natural and easy to him; it was almost like the boxes were an extension of him.


    Next, he willed the three stacked boxes to separate from each other.


    Although many kids in the slums did not know how to read, Warren wasn''t one of them. He and his siblings had gone to school since they were four. In fact, Warren was often praised as the smartest student in the class, often placing first in many subject. It was only after his father had gotten ill did he and his siblings stop attending.


    Now, Warren was able to read what each box had to say.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>[Congratulations! The skill "Equipment Enhancement" has been successfully integrated with your soul.]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>[Congratulations! The skill "Basic Analyze" has been successfully integrated with your soul]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>[Due to the low level of your soul and understanding of the natural laws, you can only Enhance Lesser Common to Lesser Uncommon grade equipment]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Reading through the three messages, Warren had a vague understanding of what it meant. At the same time, he felt his fate would be a changed from today onwards by these little boxes.


    It would seem to him that he had acquired two "skills" called "Equipment Enhancement" and "Basic Analyze" and because his "understanding of natural laws" was lacking he, the skills were limited in what they could do.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Grabbing the nearest object from him, he thought "Basic Analyze!"


    A new box appeared out of no wear, and the following message was neatly written on it:


    ---


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    [1 Unit of Chi Force(UCF) Used]


    [7/8 UCF Remaining]


    [Analyzing...]


    [Analysis Complete]


    [Item Grade: Lesser Common]


    [Enhancement Level: 0]


    [Item Name: Blanket Rag]


    [Attack: 0]


    [Defense: 0.5]


    [Durability: 2/5]


    [Description: A poorly-made, worn-down blanket that can barely keep one person warm]


    [Enhancement Requirements: 5 UCF]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    --


    This sudden appearance of the fourth box had startled Warren, causing him to drop the blanket back on to the bed.


    After taking a minute to calm his nerves, he took a deep breath and read through the message. Absorbing the information, Warren couldn''t help but let out a self-deprecating chuckle. The skill he just used told him that the blanket could barely keep one person warm and yet this was the only blanket the family had. At night they would all share this one blanket.


    "It would seem like I would need to use my chi force to perform the "Basic Analyze" skill and it would take even more chi force to use the Equipment Enhancement skill. " Warren mused to himself.


    "Hum, I still have 7 UCF left, I should just use the "Equipment Enhancement" skill to see what happens."


    Picking the blanket back up, Warren thought "Equipment Enhancement" to himself.


    ---


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    [5 (UCF) Used]


    [2/8 UCF Remaining]


    [Enhancing...]


    [Enhancement Successful]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    --


    This time, he noticed something leaving his body and covering the blanket. It was only a short instance, but Warren saw the blanket glowed a light green hue.


    "This must be how using CH feel like. The first time when I used "Basic Analyze", I only used 1 UCF, and therefore I didn''t feel anything, but now the using "Equipment Enhancement", I could clearly feel the majority of my CF leaving my body."


    Noticing that those were the only messages that he will get he couldn''t help but roll his eyes.


    "It would seem like I need to spend more another CH to use Basic Analyze."


    --


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    [1 UCF Used]


    [1/8 UCF Remaining]


    [Analyzing...]


    [Analysis Complete]


    [Item Grade: Lesser Common]


    [Enhancement Level: +1]


    [Item Name: Blanket Rag]


    [Attack: 0]


    [Defense: 1]


    [Durability: 3/6]


    [Description: A poorly-made, worn-down blanket that can barely keep one person warm]


    [Enhancement Requirement: 6 UCF]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    --


    Seeing and reading the content of the new box that just appeared, Warren was overjoyed. He ran his hand through the blanket, and he could just barely notice a difference with the blanket, nevertheless, it was there.


    "It seems like after enhancing the blanket one level, it''s defense actually went up by .5 and durability also went up by 1, however, the Enhancement Requirement also increased by 1. Is it a coincidence that the Enhancement Requirement matched the full Durability of the item?"


    --


    Looking around the room, Warren wondered what he could use his last UFC on. Catching a glint the in the corner of the room, he saw a reflection of himself in the mirror. With a spark of excitement, he thought "Basic Analyze" on himself.


    After a long second of waiting, a new box finally appeared in front of him.


    --


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    [1 UCF Used]


    [0/8 UCF Remaining]


    [Analyzing...]


    [Analysis Complete]


    [Name: Warren Long]


    [Cultivation Talent: Common]


    [Cultivation Level: NA]


    [Health: 6/6]


    [Stamina: 2/7]


    [CF: 0/8]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    [Description: A 13-year-old boy that lives in the slums with his family. He was lucky enough to obtain the skill "Basic Analyze" and "Equipment Enhancement" by chance.]


    ---


    Although slightly disappointed at what he saw, he was expecting as much. He knew he wasn''t special and would not amount to much, but now he had these "skills", his future was in his hands.


    ---


    As soon as he finished reading through the new information, the door opened, and his father and siblings came in.


    End of Chapter 3

 Chapter 4: Small Surprises

    Seeing that his father and his siblings had walked in, Warren quickly calmed himself and replaced the excitement on his face to something more neutral. Although Warren trusted his family with his life, he didn''t know who could be lurking about. Additionally, his siblings were still young and could accidentally slip up and tell someone.


    As his family walked into the room, he saw each of them holding a small bowl with one bun inside each.


    "Big Brother! Big Brother! We were lucky today, and a pretty miss gave each of us a meat bun!" Seth excitedly exclaimed.


    Gathering around the only other piece of furniture they had, the family of four sat on the floor in front of a small table. Warren had found the table a couple of months ago; it was missing two of the four legs. When Warren brought the table home, his father had used his carpentry skills to remove the two legs and cut them in halves to make four shorter legs then reattached them to the table.


    Sitting around the table with the three buns on the table there was a clear hesitation among his siblings, but not his father.


    With a gentle voice, his father said "Go ahead! What are the three of you waiting for? Go eat."


    It was Jude who spoke up next. "You should eat as well! If you don''t eat, you will never get better!"


    To that, his father simply replied: "The three of you are growing, this old bag of bones and go a meal or two with eating." As he said that, he pushed the three buns towards his children while having a wide smile on his face.


    Warren was the first to pick on of the bun. Warren gently broke off 1/4 of the bun and gave it to his father. His siblings soon follow suit.


    This scene had played out many times before. His father would always reject his share of the food, but the children would always stubbornly insist he had his fair share. Once, he had left the food to see how long it would take for one of his children to give in and eat the food. He underestimated them; it sat there for days before it was finally rotten enough that nobody could eat it.


    Seeing what just happen, his father knew no matter how he denied it; the children would not take it back. He would hate to waste it like last time. With a bitter smile, he took the three-quarter buns and started eating with his children.


    ---


    The room was soon filled with laughter and a joyous atmosphere. The stress the family had been under had disappeared with Warren''s awakening. And now Warren will also be able to join the Azure Sky Sect as a servant. This meant that the family would soon have a stable income. The family will no longer need to scavenge for food.


    ---


    After everyone had finished their share of food, Warren turned to his father and asked able Master Hou.


    "Father, do you know when I need to report to Master Hou?"This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    With a glint of pride in his eyes, Warren''s father replied- "Ah. I almost forgot to tell you! In three days, report to the service entrance of the Azure Sky Sect. All the newly recruited servants will be gathered there!"


    "Oh."


    Although Warren was happy to be able to find work and support his family, he was saddened that he had to leave so soon. He also wanted more time to learn about the two new skills that he had acquired.


    "Big Brother is so great! I want to be just like Big Brother when I grow up!" Seth said


    Giving Seth a wide smile, Warren said "You must train hard and become and disciple. Don''t be like me, only a lowly servant. Before I leave, I will teach the two of you had to meditate so in two years you can take the entrance exam!"


    Hearing this, Seth and Jude was so excited and immediately started pestering Warren to teach them.


    Taking a minute to collect his thoughts, Warren decided to start teaching them now. This way if they had any questions he could answer them while he was still home.


    ---


    Several hours had passed since Warren had woken up. Both his siblings had started to meditate. Although it took about four hours for them to start, Warren was surprised to see both of them were in the correct state of mind. He remembered when he was first taught, it took him almost an entire day to get to where they were now.


    Warren looked at the twins and thought "Basic Analyze!"


    ---


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    [1 UCF Used]


    [6/8 UCF Remaining]


    [Analyzing...]


    [Analysis Complete]


    [Name: Seth Long]


    [Cultivation Talent: Lesser Uncommon]


    [Cultivation Level: NA]


    [Health: 4/4]


    [Stamina: 4/5]


    [CF: 6/6]


    [Description: A 7-year-old boy that lives in the slums with his family. He has Lesser Uncommon cultivation talent, which is seen in 1 in 75 cultivators.]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ---


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    [1 UCF Used]


    [5/8 UCF Remaining]


    [Analyzing...]


    [Analysis Complete]


    [Name: Jude Long]


    [Cultivation Talent: Lesser Uncommon]


    [Cultivation Level: NA]


    [Health: 4/4]


    [Stamina: 5/5]


    [CF: 6/6]


    [Description: A 7-year-old girl that lives in the slums with his family. She has Lesser Uncommon cultivation talent, which is seen in 1 in 75 cultivators.]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ---


    Seeing this, Warren was both surprised and overjoyed. With this cultivation talent, both his siblings will have a lot higher chance of getting into the Azure Sky Sect than him. Their CF was already at 6, which also means long as they meditate a little each day they could probably reach the 7 CF threshold for their age group in a matter of months.


    Sitting next to his siblings, Warren also started meditating. This time, the blue boxes did not appear and Warren was allowed practice without distractions.


    The night sky fell and soon the family of four squeezed onto the tiny bed they are shared.


    Warren was excited, he knew that he had enough CF to enhance the blanket one more time, but he had to wait. He did not want his family to see him use his skill as it would definitely draw suspicion.


    And so the night went on. Warren drifted in an out of sleep a couple of times before finally feeling confident enough to use his skill.


    ---


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    [6 (UCF) Used]


    [1/8 UCF Remaining]


    [Enhancing...]


    [Enhancement Successful]


    "Basic Analyze!"


    [1 UCF Used]


    [0/8 UCF Remaining]


    [Analyzing...]


    [Analysis Complete]


    [Item Grade: Lesser Common]


    [Enhancement Level: +2]


    [Item Name: Blanket Rag]


    [Attack: 0]


    [Defense: 1.5]


    [Durability: 4/7]


    [Description: A poorly-made, worn-down blanket that can barely keep one person warm]


    [Enhancement Requirement: 7 UCF]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ---


    The last thought on Warren''s mind before he fell asleep was: "Ah, the blanket felt ever so slightly sturdier and the bed felt just a tad warmer."


    End of Chapter 4

 Chapter 5: Passing Out... again?

    The next morning Warren woke up with the sunrise. He took a glance around and made sure that everyone was still asleep. He placed one hand on the blanket and thought "Equipment Enhancement."


    He was greeted with the now familiar sight of the blue translucent boxes. However, instead of the "Enhancement Successful" message, he got a new notification.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>[Not enough CF]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>[Enhancement Unsuccessful]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Warren was first taken aback, but thinking about how it''s only been four hours since he had depleted his Chi Pool, he realized this was what was suppose to happen.


    Since Warren had already wakened, he didn''t want to go back to sleep. He gently got out of the bed, being extra careful not to wake anyone. His father stirred a bit but ultimately went back to sleep.


    Sitting on the floor of their little hut, Warren began to meditate. Today was not the first time he had gotten up so early. But it was the first time he meditated this early. Usually, he would go into the city to find food for his family.


    Warren wanted to use this time to restore his Chi Pools just enough to use "Equipment Enhancement" before his everyone wakes up.


    Sitting there on the floor, Warren closed his eyes and cleared his mind and began to meditate. He noticed that his Chi Pool was just the tiniest bit larger.


    "Interesting... I haven''t done anything differently in last few days aside from using the two new skills, so that must be the reason" Warren thought to himself. Although he knew that the "Equipment Enhancement" and "Basic Analyze!" was somehow helping his cultivation, he could not pinpoint exactly how.


    ---


    Roughly two hours of meditation later he felt his Chi Pool swelled and a small pop that only he could hear went off in his body. He knew that this meant he had just gained an extra unit of Chi Force. In two days, he had gone from 7 units of Chi Force to 9. This was unheard of to Warren, but then again, he was just a boy and didn''t hear much.


    Opening his eyes, Warren looked in the direction of the bed; he saw the rest of his family was still sound asleep.


    Walking over to the bad, he softly touched the blanket and thought "Equipment Enhancement"!


    ---


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    [7 (UCF) Used]


    [1/9 UCF Remaining]


    [Enhancing...]


    [Enhancement Successful]


    "Basic Analyze!"


    [1 UCF Used]


    [0/9 UCF Remaining]


    [Analyzing...]


    [Analysis Complete]


    [Item Grade: Lesser Common]


    [Enhancement Level: +3]


    [Item Name: Blanket Rag]


    [Attack: 0]The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    [Defense: 2]


    [Durability: 5/8]


    [Description: A poorly-made, worn-down blanket that can barely keep one person warm]


    [Enhancement Requirement: 8 UCF]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ---


    To Warren''s delight, the enhancement worked this time, and it filled his heart with determination. It''s only been two days since he has acquired these skills and he was already able to make small improvements to his family''s living situation. He can only imagine how things would change in a few years when he had explored all the options these skills gave him. Warren also felt a little bit better about leaving his family in two days.


    "At least they will be able to sleep a bit warmer at night" Warren muttered to himself.


    ---


    Instead of going back to sleep, Warren decided to go into the city to see if he could bring some food back for his siblings, although it probably won''t be much it could help tie them over until he can bring some money back.


    Taking the first step outside his little hut, he immediately felt the chilling autumn breeze. Although it is a bit colder than usual, it was not enough to phased Warren.


    By this time, there was already a fair number of people about. Some were similar to Warren, begging and looking for scraps of food. Others were going into the city to find work. And there were few that already had work.


    By the time Warren got the Pine Street, the corner where his family usually begged for food, the city was already bustling. He saw merchants and street vendors haggling and trading, he saw children not much older than his siblings going to school and he saw labors tracking to the docks to brings goods into the city.


    Settling down for a morning of begging, Warren laid out his small chipped bowl and made himself look as small as he could. Having some experience, he knew that people would pity those who are young and are more likely to give something to them.


    Slowly minutes turned into hours and it was already past noon. He still had nothing in his bowl. He also didn''t catch sight of his siblings.


    "They must have gone to a different street today." Warren thought to himself.


    Then suddenly a small bun was dropped into his bowl. Looking up he could only see the back of a young girl about a few years older than himself. She was wearing a cyan color dress, she had a middle-aged maid next to her and two guards walking behind her. Warren only had a small glance at the girl and immediately his face redden.


    It must be said that Warren didn''t have much interaction with other people his age in the past year and a half and especially not pretty young girls. For almost a full five seconds Warren was stunned by her beauty. When he finally regained his faculties, he saw a palm-sized fragrance pouch next to his bowl.


    Putting one and one together, he knew that this must have belonged to the young girl that had just given him a bun.


    Wiping his hands on his semi-clean clothes, Warren tried his best not to get the pouch dirty. He quickly caught up to the group, however before he could say a thing he was harshly kicked in the abdomen by one of the guards.


    He flew into the air and backward by more than five feet. He landed with a thump onto the hard cold ground.


    "Kid, what the hell do you think you are doing?" The guard that kicked Warren asked in asked in a stern tone.


    Taking several seconds for the shock and pain to pass he realized what he just did. Warren couldn''t help but call himself stupid. The guard did what he was supposed to do and it was him that was running over at full speed. No matter how someone looked at it they would think Warren was the one making trouble.


    Cursing his stupidity, he reached his hand out to show the pouch. However, he did not dare to look up, he was afraid that he had just caused trouble for himself. He had heard the rumors that people from rich houses loved to pick people off the streets and "play" with them and discard them after they were done. And those people would always come back with gaunt eyes.


    ---


    All the commotion had caught the attention of the young miss and the maid. They turned around to see one of the guard yelling at a beggar on the floor.


    "Joe Yee, what do you think YOU are doing? How could you hurt a defenseless child!" The young Miss rebuked the guard that just kicked Warren.


    Joe Yee couldn''t help but felt wrong; he was just doing his job.


    "Young Miss-" He began to say, but before he could finish his sentence, he was cut off.


    "Enough Joe Yee, we will discuss this when we get back to the sect." This time was the maid that spoke up.


    Walking up to Warren, the young Miss took the pouch from Warren''s hand.


    "Thank you for retrieving my pouch. My name is Xia Mi, and I sincerely apologize for my guard''s actions."


    Hearing her sweet voice, Warren couldn''t help but look up. In front of him, was the young Miss in the cyan dress that he saw before. Warren was still young but felt like his heart was beating so fast he was afraid that the girl in front of him could hear it.


    In that few seconds of confusion, Warren forgot about the pain that he felt in his abdomen, but he also forgot to breathe, and his vision started to close in from all sides. The last thing he saw was Xia Mi''s concern face, and his last thoughts were, "Shit, not again." before he passed out.


    End of Chapter 5

 Chapter 6: Factions

    When Warren came to, the first thing he noticed was that he was no longer on the streets, it was much too quiet for that. He looked up and saw an unfamiliar ceiling.


    His first thought was "Shit; I''ve been abducted." His mind was racing, remembering the rumors about rich families doing to the poor, his heart ever slightly tighten.


    But the next moment he felt something was odd. He sniffed the air, and the fragrance of delicious food was in the air. Warren quickly got up and looked around.


    It took him a few moments to understand his surroundings. He was on the second floor of a restaurant inside a private room. There was a large table in the middle of the room and there sit the young miss, Xia Mi, and the middle-aged maid. The two guards were standing on either side of the door.


    Looking at the food, Warren''s eye begins to grow wide, and his mouth started to water. He had never seen a feast such as this. Even when his father was still well, they couldn''t afford all the food on the table.


    ---


    Noticing that Warren had finally woken up, the maid said, "Come here, little boy. Our young miss is treating you to lunch as thanks for returning her fragrance pouch.


    Warren, still dazed by all the food didn''t hear what the maid had said. His eye was fixed on all the food that was on the table, and his feet started to move to the table on their own. By the time he had finally reach the table, he had blinked and was snapped out of his daze by the beautiful young girl sitting there.


    "Umm" was all Warren could manage to say. Immediately Warren could feel his face turn as red as a bead.


    "Young friend, you passed out on the streets. You were so thin so we thought you might be hungry so we brought you here. Go on! Eat as much as you can." This time it was the young miss that spoke up.


    "Thank you so much for returning my favorite fragrance pouch to me. And I am sincerely sorry for my guard harming you."


    Warren had finally regained some of his wits. Giving the young miss and the maid a short but curt nod, he took the seat that was farthest away and began eating. Never in his life had he ate so fast. He barely had time to taste the food, the only thought in his mind at this point was to stuff as much food on the table as he could into his stomach.


    Seeing this, the two other people at the table couldn''t help but let out a small smile and began eating as well.


    After five minutes of non-stop eating, Warren felt full for the first time in over a year and a half.


    Looking up from his food, Warren said in a low voice that barely a mouse could hear "Thank you Miss Xia Mi."


    Hearing this, Xia Mi and the maid gave Warren a warm smile.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "What is your name, young one?" The maid asked.


    "Warren"


    "Ah Warren, it is our pleasure to meet you."


    "Where are your parents, little Warren?" The maid asked in a slightly worried toned.


    Warren told them about the life that the family has been living. How they have lost everything after his father had fallen ill and how his mother had gone missing shortly after his siblings were born.


    After telling the maid and Xia Mi his story, Warren let out a heavy sigh. It was the first time he had ever narrated his story to anyone. He had always bottled it up and never once complained. He knew complaining wouldn''t do him any good. Instead, he must take action and work with both his hands to help his family.


    After hearing Warren''s story, the two couldn''t help but feel saddened for the poor little guy.


    "Warren, if you ever need help you can come to the mayor''s mansion and tell them Head-Maid Shu sent you. Although, I can''t promise you much, when you grow up a bit more we can help you find some work" Said Maid Su.


    Giving Maid Shu an embarrassed smile, Warren said: "I sincerely thank Maid Shu for the offer, but I was recently accepted as a servant for the Azure Sky Sect by Master Hou."


    Xia Mi gave Warren an awkward look and said. "Warren, you might not know this, but Master Hou''s full name is called Yun Hou, and he has quite a reputation of recruiting innocent boys like you and doing bad things to them" After saying this Warren could see Xia Mi''s face redden.


    "What do you mean? Master Hou is a good guy, after I was unconscious, he found out who I was and brought me home." Warren couldn''t believe what he was hearing.


    "Yes, that may be true, but that is because he needed to make sure that you didn''t have any powers backing you. And the reason why he invited you to the sect is that once you are a servant under his supervision, he can do anything to you in the name of the sect. He is a truly despicable person." Explained Maid Su.


    Learning this, Warren was shocked and was speechless. He thought he finally found a way to help his family, but it turns out he was about to walk into a lion''s den!


    At this point, Warren''s face was very ugly, and he did not know what to do next.


    Xia Mi gave Maid Su and looked that only the two of them would understand and Maid Su gave her a short nod in response.


    "Young Warren, let me tell you something that not many people outside the sect knew. There are actually two major factions in the sect. This is because the patriarch and matriarch have been in secluded meditation in over 50 years. The two people who are are governing the sect are the two grand elders, Elder Xia, and Elder Yun."


    "Why are you telling me all of this?" Warren questioned.


    "Because I am Elder Xia''s granddaughter and I want to bring you to my side. We want you to help us publicize what Yun Hou has been doing all these years. In this grand scheme of things, it would be a small win for us, but I can not bear to see all these young boys having their future crippled by him!" Xia Mi said while standing up.


    "Warren, if you join us, we will help you with your cultivation, and you will have the backing of the Xia family. Although I cannot utilize too much of my family''s resource for an outsider right now, I am still an inner court disciple and can give you many pointers and my own cultivation resources that will be very useful at your stage!" Saying the Xia Mi flipped her jade-like hands, and two small pills appeared in her hands. Without a second hesitation, she threw them to Warren.


    "Here are two chi expansion pills that will help you cultivate, if you agree to help us, there are many more benefits I can give you."


    Catching them in his hand''s Warren was trembling. He knew how precious these pills are. Each of these pills would fetch at least ten gold in the open market, which was enough for his family of three to eat 3 square meals a day for over a year!


    Warren looked deeply into Xia Mi''s eyes, this time he didn''t get embarrassed or shy. He saw no ill-intent. He couldn''t explain it, but he felt if he let this chance go, he would regret it all his life. With a short nod, he put away the two pills and said. "I agree, I will help you bring down Yun Hou!"


    End of Chapter 6

 Chapter 7: Taking Pills

    As the meeting with Xia Mi came to an end, Warren left the restaurant with a lot on his mind.


    Xia Mi haven''t plan on bring Warren to their side when they first met, and she also didn''t know Warren''s connection with Yun Hou, and therefore she didn''t make any concrete plans to expose Yun Hou.


    Warren didn''t leave the restaurant empty-handed, in addition to the two Chi Expansion Pills that Xia Mi had gifted him, he was also carrying one bags of rice in each hand. Xia Mi had offered to give him some silver so his family wouldn''t go hungry. However, Warren rejected the idea. He knew that if any of the Black Fur gang found out, it would just spell trouble for his family. Instead, he opted to get two bags of rice, although it was a bit eye catchy for him to be walking around in the slums with the rice, it wouldn''t invite too much trouble.


    When Warren finally got home, it was almost dusk, and he only had one day before he needed to set out to the Azure Sky Sect.


    ---


    Little did Warren knew that the only reason that he was able to get home safety was that Joe Yee was protecting him in the shadow. There were several suspicious people following Warren on his way back, and Joe Yee gave all of them a proper thrashing.


    After Joe Yee had escorted Warren home, he visited the Black Fur outpost and gave everyone there a good beating as well. He warned them that if anyone were to harm Long Family residents, they were received a far worst fate.


    ---


    As Warren enter his house, he noticed that his siblings and father were not home yet. He knew that they usually would get home a little after dusk. This meant that he had some time to figure out what he could do with the pills and how to explain everything to his family.


    Sitting down on his bed, the first thing he did was thought "Analyze" on the pills.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    [1 UCF Used]This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    [8/9 UCF Remaining]


    [Analyzing...]


    [Analysis Complete]


    [Item Grade: Lesser Uncommon]


    [Enhancement Level: NA]


    [Item Name: Chi Expansion Pills]


    [Durability: 1/1]


    [Description: A medical pill that will increase one''s Chi Pool by 5. Warning: This medical pill''seffectiveness will reduce byan absolute 10% for each successiveconsumption]


    [Enhancement Requirement: 16 UCF]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ---


    There was a lot of information that he Warren needed to absorb here.


    "It looks like this pill will help me will several months of hard work, but there is a limit of 10that I can use."


    Sigh. "If I had even one of these pills before I take the entrance exam, I would have undoubtedly passed. This is why there is such a big difference before commoners like me and the childrenof cultivation families."


    "It also looks like the Enhancement Requirement is higher than for Lesser Uncommon grade items even if the durability is only one."


    After thinking everything through and calculating how much CF he had, Warren knew that an Enhancement was not possible.


    Throwing the pill in his mouth, Warren could feel the hard shell of the pill instantly melted away, and the medical energy traveled to his Chi Pool, which sat right above his stomach. Several seconds later he could feel his Chi Pool started to swell and then he hear a small pop in his body. Warren sat there and meditated, roughly a minute later, he heard a second pop.


    By now, Warren could feel the energy medical energy had lessened a bit. The whole process took about a quarter of an hour. Opening his eyes, Warren could feel that his Chi pool had gotten noticeably larger, but it also felt somehwat empty.


    "It looks like although the pill helps me increase my Chi Pool, it didn''t fill up the Chi Pool as well."


    Remembering he had 8 UCF remaining from his analysis of the pill, Warren grabbed the blanket and thought "Equipment Enhancement."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    [8 (UCF) Used]


    [0/14 UCF Remaining]


    [Enhancing...]


    [Enhancement Successful]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Warren knew that he did not have enough CF to use his analyze skill and therefore did not even bother. Instead, he got off the bed and started cooking.


    He didn''t know if his siblings and father were able to get any food today, so he decided to make some porridge with the rice that he got.


    Each bag of rice usually held about 10 lbs of rice, but judging from how filled the bags were the was at least 13 lbs of rice in each bag. He remembered how the restaurant manager had personally delivered the rice. And he was increbible polient when he handed the rice to Warren.


    Measuring out half an lb of rice, Warren started making theporridge.


    End of Chapter 7

 Chapter 8: The Last Day

    Dusk quickly came, and the door to Warren''s little hut opened. As his siblings and father walked into the hut, the first thing that they noticed was the four bowls of porridge sitting on the table.


    At first, there was a look of confusion on each of their faces, but as soon it was replaced with excitement. It had been weeks since they each had their own bowl of food!


    ¡°Warren, what is all this?¡± His father questioned.


    ¡°I was fortunate enough today to meet a great benefactor. He asked me to do some small tasks for him, and in exchange, he gave me all this rice.¡± Warren replied.


    Warren didn¡¯t want to tell his family of his encounter with Xia Mi and the situation with Yun Hou at the Azure Sky Sect. There was nothing they could do for him, and by telling him, it would only make them worry.


    His father gave him a deep and meaningful look but did not press any further.


    On the other hand, his siblings were just too content to finally be able to fill their bellies to ask any questions.


    ¡°Ahhh! That was so good! I haven''t eaten so much in so long!¡± Seth loudly exclaimed after finishing his food.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about food for a while.¡± Warren calmly said while pointing at the two bags of rice in the corner of the room.


    They all looked at the two bags of rice in wonder. The last time when they saw this much food was when his father was still well, and they were still living in the worker¡¯s district.


    ---


    After the meal was over and everyone had settled down, Warren and his siblings started meditating.


    Sometime later when both his siblings where in deep meditation, Warren discreetly took the second Chi Expansion Pill. Moments later he started to hear the now familiar popping sound within his body ¡ª this time, instead of 5 pops, that were only four pops.


    Warren didn¡¯t stop meditating until he felt his Chi Pool was full. By this time, it was already the middle of the night, and everyone else had gone to sleep.


    Walking to the bed, Warren placed his hand on the now four-time enhanced blanket and thought ¡°Equipment Enhancement."


    This time the Warren notice the glow lasted a bit longer and more intense than before.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    [9 (UCF) Used]


    [9/18 UCF Remaining]


    [Enhancing...]


    [Enhancement Successful]


    [Upgrade successful]


    [New Effect added]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ¡°Huh.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    A bit surprised and puzzled at the new notifications, Warren quickly used ¡°Analyze¡± on the blanket.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    [1 UCF Used]


    [8/18 UCF Remaining]


    [Analyzing...]


    [Analysis Complete]


    [Item Grade: Common]


    [Enhancement Level: +5]


    [Item Name: Blanket Rag]


    [Attack: 0]


    [Defense: 3]


    [Durability: 7/10]


    [Description: A poorly-made, worn-down blanket that can keep one person warm]


    [Effect: Increase warmth produced by the blanket by 10%]


    [Enhancement Requirement: 10 UCF]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Interesting. Somehow the Item Grade increased from Lesser Common to Common and also gained an Effect. The description also changed to "can keep one person warm".


    After sometime of thinking, Warren knew he would get anywhere. The only way for him to find out what was going on was by testing his new skills and repeating what he did. However, with the pity amount of Chi Force that he had, he couldn¡¯t do much testing.


    He climbed into the bed and quickly fell asleep.


    ---


    The next morning Warren woke up to the smell of cooked porridge.


    I can get used to this.


    It was the second time that Warren woke up to the smell of food. He got off the bed and saw that his siblings and his father were already awake. There were four bowls of porridge on the table just like last night.


    ¡°Come! Come! Brother, we all waiting for you to eat!¡± Jude said.


    Walking over to the table, Warren took his normal spot.


    I can¡¯t remember the last time we were able to eat breakfast as a family together.


    He didn''t say much during breakfast. He just quietly look at his family and remember the scene before him. At this moment he was content. However, he knew that this wasn''t going to last long. He knew that all this was given to him by Xia Mi and there was a debt that he still needed to pay.


    It was his last day home before he had to go to the azure sky sect.


    The family decided to stay in today and spend time together. For most of the morning, Warren played with his siblings. After they got tired, his two siblings started meditation. There was a fire lit inside of Seth and Jude. They wanted to be like his brother and follow his footsteps and join him at the Azure Sky Sect in the future.


    Instead of joining them in meditation, Warren sat beside his father. It had been a while since they had time to talk one on one like this. With his father ill, most of the duties had fallen on to him. He didn¡¯t fault his father. He knew that his father was doing the best that he can.


    ¡°My son, thank you for giving me hope again. The past year and a half, I have only been going through the motions for the sake of three of you. I was too afraid to think that one day one of you might be able to pull our family out of here. But now you are on your way to doing it. I am truly proud of you. But if life at the sect is too hard, you always have a home here.¡±


    Warren didn¡¯t know what to say. In the end, he gave his father a nod.


    Seeing that his son understood him, he smiled and left the house to try to get some more food for the family.


    Warren walked to where his siblings were mediating and sat down next to them and began doing the same.


    ---


    The night quickly came, and his father had come back with a small meat bum.


    Once again, the four of them sat around and had porridge together. This time each one got one-fourth of the meat bum as well.


    ---


    It had almost become a routine for Warren by now. He waited until everyone was asleep and gently used his Equipment Enhancement skill on the blanket. This time he the glow was a lot fainter than before and didn¡¯t get any new notifications like the last time.


    "Basic Analyze!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    [1 UCF Used]


    [7/18 UCF Remaining]


    [Analyzing...]


    [Analysis Complete]


    [Item Grade: Common]


    [Enhancement Level: +6]


    [Item Name: Blanket Rag]


    [Attack: 0]


    [Defense: 3.5]


    [Durability: 8/11]


    [Description: A poorly-made, worn-down blanket that can keep one person warm]


    [Effect: Increase warmth produced by the blanket by 10%]


    [Enhancement Requirement: 11 UCF]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Although Warren was confused as to what triggers the item to upgrade and gain an effect, he was half expecting this. He didn¡¯t think it would get another effect, at least not so quickly.


    The item got an effect when it was upgraded, so maybe that is the reason? Then what caused the upgrade? Ahhh. Too many questions and not enough Chi Force to test everything.


    End of Chapter 8