《The Path of the Neverborn》 The End and The Beginning - Prologue The End and The Beginning ¨C Prologue Earth (2050): Time had not been kind to humankind over the last few decades. No, perhaps it would have been wrong to put it that way. Humankind had not been kind to itself over the last few centuries. If you asked when the end began you would probably be told it was the Industrial Revolution of 1760 that sealed the fate of mankind, whilst also propelling it to a star-like glory. Pollution and technological advances enabled the human race to develop cities, nations and empires. Wealth gathered at the top - at the cost of the poor - whilst the atrocities of Man were covered by positive thinking and false empathy - closely married to hypocritical ethics and ignorance. Political instability sparked the Great World War of 2020, which was in fact THREE Great Wars. North America clashed with South America over immigration, American prosperity and the protection of its citizens. The result was a continent brought to its knees and a new status quo where South American citizens were treated as neo-slaves. Europe clashed with the Middle East, resulting in a nuclear fallout. Neither side could really be called victors but the Middle East were definitely the losers. All the while North Korea and South Korea avoided a nuclear war, however, they did not avoid a full-on frontal confrontation which was swiftly brought to an end through Chinese intervention which took the opportunity to expand its territory by engulfing the two nations. ________________________________________-_________________________________________ Cold. Wet. London¡¯s inhabitants comforted themselves, knowing that at least one thing had maintained its reliability over the last 30 years, the Great British weather. The UK, as a group of islands, had fortunately managed to avoid any major damage from the Great World War, albeit it had not escaped unscathed from the aftermath. The planet had become a bleaker place, perhaps even post-apocalyptic, but wallowing in the past would not solve the problems of the present. Whilst most people could make a decent living before the War, life was now much harsher. Most unqualified work had been automated and was now carried out by computers or machines. Competition for qualified jobs was fiercer than it had ever been, requiring endless studies and to add insult to injury most jobs asked for prior experience which could not be obtained unless one had ¡®personal connections¡¯. Science had come to a standstill over the last 3 decades, minor advances had definitely been made and science had definitely been nearing the point where major breakthroughs were to be achieved, however, due to new military priorities and the focus on rebuilding what had been lost, science funding had been cut to practically nothing, stagnating the ¡®scientific waters¡¯ ¨C inevitably meaning that quality of life for citizens across the globe actually decreased extremely fast. Diohel (15,246): The Plane of Diohel. A vast ¡®planet¡¯, very different from what the humans of Earth would be able to comprehend, not because of a lack of scientific knowledge, not at all. In fact, Earth was very far ahead of Diohel in terms of comprehension of the laws of physics, biology and chemistry as well as the wonders of mathematics. No. Diohel was a wondrous place. An arcane place. A mystical place. Diohel had no need for science, because it revolved around a higher power ¨C Magic. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. The inhabitants of Diohel did not call the phenomenon ¡®magic¡¯. They called it the Deity¡¯s Essence, in other words, borrowing the power of the Gods. Life was very different from life on Earth. It was no less difficult, in fact, life on Diohel was eons more ruthless than life on Earth but there was one major difference. Inhabitants of Diohel had the opportunity to fight for their destiny and fight for their future by learning to control Deity¡¯s Essence. Through the power of the Gods humans could stand tall and fight their way to riches and glory. Legend had it that humans could, at the pinnacle of power, become Gods themselves and wield the capability to cleave mountains and split seas, create and destroy worlds, all to their will. Diohel was split into two major continents along with a variety of smaller continents and isles. The first continent was the Western Continent of Sages. The Continent of Sages was prosperous, wealthy and abundant. The Continent of Sages is where mages, sorcerers and clerics cultivated the power to yield Deity¡¯s Essence outside the body to create ¡®spells¡¯. The centre of the Continent of Sages was God¡¯s Haven, the city harbouring the Royal Bloodline. The Royal Bloodline was ¨C in essence - just a lineage of mages with a long heritage, who wielded great power and governed the Continent of Sages as well as protecting it from the dangers of the Northern Netherlands. The Northern Netherlands were a forbidden land directly attached to the Western Continent of Sages and separated by an ancient barrier. The second continent of Diohel was the Eastern Continent of Warriors. This continent was much more barren and bred fighters and barbarians who cultivated the use of Deity¡¯s Essence inside the body to refine powerful bodies capable of great strength and speed as well as enhanced senses. The Eastern Continent of Warriors was also much larger than the Continent of Sages and fraught with many more dangers to the average joe which made life of normal citizens a nightmare. Warriors were held in contempt by Sages as they were made out to be animals who knew only brute strength and had no intelligence or finesse. Both major continents were separated by the Zether Sea. The Zether Sea was by no means boundless or huge. It was however, extremely difficult to traverse with storms and magical beasts making the journey extremely perilous. The physical separation along with the animosity between the continents meant very little exchange, trade or communication occurred between continents. ________________________________________X_________________________________________ END OF PROLOGUE The Beginning and The End The Beginning and The End ¨C 002 London ¨C 2050 ¡°GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!¡± ¨C My mother shouted at me through the dead of night. It¡¯s 3 AM and I am being thrown out into the rain by my own flesh and blood. I¡¯m an only son and I live by myself with my mother ¨C or rather, I did live by myself with my mother. My father passed away in the War 30 years ago, he was a true war hero. He died before the fighting in the Middle East turned nuclear. He was surrounded by enemy fighters and to buy his company some time he called an airstrike on himself and took out a whole enemy battalion at the price of his own life. A noble sacrifice. Walking through the dimly lit streets of West London I can¡¯t help but feel bitter about being thrown out. I mean, it was not an unexpected turn of events by any measure but even so, can¡¯t help but feeling disappointed. In this day and age there are only three professions which still have any form of success: ? Engineering ? Medicine ? Computing Sure, a military career is also a possibility but I couldn¡¯t exactly call myself a success by enrolling into the military. Many young men enrolled as a last resort when it was either the army or homelessness. Prospects are limited and in the end it can only lead to an empty, pointless life. I, on the other hand, went against my mother¡¯s better judgement and decided I would study Natural and Applied Sciences, a foolish endeavour considering funding for scientific research and projects has been practically non-existent for the last few decades. Most people would call me an idiot for making the foolish choice to go into a field with no future prospects but I don¡¯t regret it, maybe I will die young, poor and desolate but I will die knowing that whilst I was alive I actually lived, which is more than can be said for a lot of people that are merely existing these days. I¡¯m no spring chicken either. I¡¯ll be turning 36 this winter, which when compared to the retirement age of 82 and the average life expectancy of 114 can be considered youthful, but certainly not young. I guess I really will have to enrol in the milit- ¡°Oi! You there! Come over ¡®ere lad!¡± ¨C Bollocks, just what I needed, a bunch of idiots coming to kick a dog whilst he¡¯s down. ¡°You ignoring us lad? You got a pair on you, eh?¡± ¨C I¡¯ll just ignore these bastards, had enough for one damned day. I hurry my footsteps and faintly hear one of the chavs say something to the group. ¡°CRACK!¡± The sharp sound of a wood bat hitting my back resounds out into the dark whilst a deep pain fills my whole back. ¡°Shoulda just stopped shouldn¡¯t you? Oi, get his wallet and whilst you¡¯re at it take his shoes. That¡¯ll teach him to not piss about next time.¡± I¡¯m on the ground cursing out these c*nts whilst they take what little I have left. At least they didn¡¯t take my dad¡¯s necklace, the only thing he left behi- ¡°Oh, what have we got here lad? You got a nice little gem ¡®round your neck don¡¯t you?¡± Spoke too soon, today is just not my day is it now? I grimace through the pain ¨C ¡°Hey, give me that, just take the damned money and give me that!¡± ¡°Alrighty now, getting rowdy aren¡¯t we? Dicky, take this piece of shite and throw it somewhere would you? Fake piece of shit.¡± What¡¯s he doing? Oh, he¡¯s dashing the necklace onto the street, real mature. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want that? Go get it!¡± The chav-lord said whilst not missing the opportunity to deliver one more kick to my ribs. All the wind I thought I owned left me and for a second I thought I was going to pass out there. The current situation is not my personal peak but this has become a common occurrence in a poverty-stricken world. You could even say we have it easy here in the UK which was left untouched by the War, for the most part. Half-limping, half-crawling I make my way to the middle of the street to pick up the only heirloom left in the family¡­ Something¡¯s off. I was left a bit dazed by the fall to the ground and failed to notice a car darting towards me, seems that today really was my day to leave this world¡­ just before the car crashed into me I got to see a glimpse of the group that put me in this mess, they turned tail as soon as they realised what was happening and I probably won¡¯t even get justice for my death. Fuck it all. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Arghh¡­ what is going on? ¡­ Where the hell am I? Everything is white as far as the eye can see, and looking around I can¡¯t see anything resembling my own body. Am I in a coma? This is definitely odd. I guess I¡¯m not dead but this is definitely not looking that much better. Oh, what¡¯s this? Seems like I¡¯m being pulled somewhere. I can¡¯t see myself moving in the endless white but it definitely feels like I¡¯m being dragged¡­ . .. ¡­ ¡­. ¡­.. How long has it been? At this point I have lost track of time¡­ has it been hours, days, years? ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­. ¡­¡­.. *Rumble* I can¡¯t help but feel fear and excitement as I finally see something out of this darned blizzard of nothingness. It looks like an opening, a tunnel of some sort, is this what they mean when they say don¡¯t go towards the light? I¡¯m not exactly rich for choice right now, it¡¯s either the light or, well, nothing. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.Hmm? This is new, I¡¯m beginning to feel a bit sleepy, I guess I¡¯ll drift off for a while, I¡¯m not exactly busy as it goes. ¡­ ¡­ *COUGH* *COUGH* *COUGH* ARGH! What is this splitting headache! Leon Blanchard¡­ Li Bai¡­ Earth¡­ Diohel¡­ My head is a mess. It feels like there¡¯s something else in my head, something more. I look around to see a beach. How the hell did I get to a beach? WAIT! I¡¯M ALIVE? I mean, I¡¯m not complaining, but it¡¯s definitely a surprise! Let me get out of the water, I¡¯m absolutely soaked and if I don¡¯t dry myself out after spending God knows how long in the water I¡¯m not going to be staying alive for much longer, at least not with my injuries. Oh, right. Injuries, how come I don¡¯t feel any pain? A quick inspection reveals something I was not prepared for. This. Well. This isn¡¯t me. I mean, I am me. At least I think I am. I couldn¡¯t be a figment of my own imagination. Could I? Either way, something is definitely not adding up. I currently have no injuries and in a way I actually feel better. I feel stronger and younger. Less aches and even my sight seems sharper. Oh, no. Sleepy. Again. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Hmm, where am I this time? I see a ceiling and four walls. I¡¯m in a hut. Seems someone came to get me from the shore. ¡°Hello boy. What were you doing, sleeping out there next to the water? You could have drowned!¡± I turn my head to see an older gentleman, dressed in a robe. Not really a robe, more of a kimono. ¡°Thank you for your help, sir. I¡¯m afraid I passed out and have no recollection of how I got to shore.¡± I replied to this man. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¨C The old man asks. ¡°Li Bai¡±. I reply. Wait, no it¡¯s not. My name is Leon. Leon Blanchard. Hahahahahahaha, so this is what the headache was about! This is definitely a curious impossibility but I seem to have taken over someone¡¯s body. My head feels like a mess and I¡¯m going to need some time to process everything, but I have indeed died and been born again. Truly the Gods work in mysterious ways, when I thought I had been forsaken I have actually been given a new lease on life. ¡°Oh? Good name young man. What¡¯s the last thing you remember?¡± ¡°I was travelling on a boat, I departed from God¡¯s Haven, I was expelled from the Western Continent of Sages and I was dumped in the waters of Slave¡¯s Bay to fend for myself.¡± I tell myself just as much as I tell the old man. The old man¡¯s smile stiffens slightly as I mention God¡¯s Haven. ¡°You¡¯re a sage?¡± He asks in a serious voice. ¡°Oh no, I had no talent for cultivation from a young age and was deemed useless by my parents, hence why I have washed up here, I was a bigger burden than I was worth it seems.¡± Dumped on the streets by my parents in two lives, the heavens truly laugh at a man. ¡°Ahh, seems I got ahead of myself here young man, no, Junior Bai. I¡¯ll allow you to rest for a couple of hours.¡± The old man walks out of the hut before flashing me a smile and closing the wooden door behind him. Given some time to process the memories left behind I have come to realise that I am in a world where magic ¨C Deity¡¯s Essence ¨C reigns supreme. The previous inhabitant of this body was actually the 99th Prince of the Imperial Bloodline but he was born a bastard to a servant girl and thus was an illegitimate son and a blemish in the Emperor¡¯s image. His talent for controlling Deity¡¯s Essence was also pretty mediocre so he was disposed of. According to the memories left behind, the previous soul¡¯s mother was sent off to one of the small duchies under the Imperial Bloodline¡¯s control and lived a comfortable life there. Excitement is born within me. I can¡¯t wait to see what this world, and even more importantly, what Deity¡¯s Essence has to offer! Right now I should find out where I am though. A basin of water has been left next to the simple bed and I wash my face, but not before looking at my reflection on the still water. Such a foreign face, so odd. However, this new face means a new lease on life, an opportunity to shine where I have previously failed! I walk outside to a radiant sun. The warm sunshine hits me like a truck and I can¡¯t help but take a deep breath in. The old man is sitting on a chair with a reclined seat looking out into the sea. He gestures to a similar seat next to him and I sit next to him. ¡°Are you alright now Junior Bai?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you very much for your help, I truly would have been at a loss without your assistance. By the way, where are we?¡± ¡°We are on the island of New Penia. Not far from Old Penia, on the mainland, in the region of Grand Penium. It must be a shock to you to find yourself in such a remote region of the Eastern Continent of Warriors.¡± ¡°Seems I have strayed far afield from my homeland. Senior, I have been disregarded by my own parents, thrown asunder from my continent. Although I may be surprised to find myself in a strange land I plan to make this land my home, any attempt to return would create more trouble than it would solve.¡± ¡°Oh, you¡¯re a haughty child, truly a rarity nowadays. I like you child.¡± End of Chapter 2 The First Steps - 003 The First Steps ¨C 003 ¡°Kid, do you know where you want to go from here? I need to go take care of some matters but I¡¯ll leave you a map of the local region so you can familiarise yourself with the surroundings.¡± ¡°Thank you senior, I have a vague understanding of the Eastern Continent but I will make good use of the map whilst you¡¯re gone.¡± The old man reached inside his kimono and took out an aged parchment scroll, clearly yellowed by the years, edges frayed from generous use. He turned, said goodbye and left. The map felt thick, much stockier than the paper used back on Earth. Opening the wrapped up map revealed an exquisitely drawn out depiction of the local region, accompanied by a vague outline of the entire Plane of Diohel. The memories left over within me were indeed in accordance with the map but it still feels very uncomfortable to have two sets of memories. I am currently on the small island of New Penia, it is not much more than a glorified outpost for traders to stop and stock up on small necessities before they continue on their journey elsewhere. Directly North of New Penia is an uninhabited island. Resources there are not very abundant and the fact that it is split from the mainland of the Eastern Continent makes it an inconvenient place to colonise. The notes on the map state that the island is used by some warrior sects to test their younger trainees in trials by fire where they undergo physical tests and face some relatively weak beasts. Further North of the desolate island is a small body of water named the Pinean Straight where traders and visitors funnel into, in order to dock into the Eastern Contient at the city of Old Penia. To the South of New Penia is nothing but water, I really washed up on the edge of the world. Seeing no more information that can be of immediate use to me I roll the map back into a scroll. It is finally time to come to terms with the reality of this new world. I am not currently dismissing the possibility that this new world is just a result of a near-death experience but thinking that way will not help me in any way. Right now my priorities are understanding the Plane of Diohel and coming to terms with the changes I will be facing. Seeing as I inherited Li Bai¡¯s body and memory I have also inherited his history and his feuds. In the Western Continent of Sages, Li Bai was playing the fool as if he had no talent for the control of Deity¡¯s Essence as he wished to keep a low profile. He had learned to be a schemer from a young age as he thought that acting in such a way would buy him some time to gain strength in the shadows before aiming for a position of power. His plans backfired and he ended up being thrown into the sea. Sometimes gambles do not pay off. I believe the phrase was ¡®Homo proponit, sed Deus disponit¡¯ ¨C ¡®Man proposes, God disposes¡¯. Li Bai - as an illegitimate heir ¨C did not have access to the Imperial Bloodline¡¯s exclusive resources and knowledge, however, he was still provided with a very capable teacher when he was living in God¡¯s Haven. The basic understanding of Deity¡¯s Essence and how to wield it has now been passed on to me. If I had to describe Deity¡¯s Essence, it would be a form of energy, and yet, also a form of matter, and yet not. Deity¡¯s Essence permeates everything and all living beings interact with it to some degree. Humans in the Plane of Diohel have an additional organ system within their bodies, a system very similar to the circulatory or lymphatic system. This system could be likened to the ¡®meridian¡¯ system mentioned in traditional Chinese medicine, of course the specifics are way off, but the general concept is essentially the same. Meridians channel Deity¡¯s Essence. Sages conduct Deity¡¯s Essence in the environment into their core, which sits above the navel and below the sternum. They then use the stored Deity¡¯s Essence to affect matter, either by manipulating matter directly or through the addition or subtraction of energy, at the cost of Deity¡¯s Essence. The name given to Deity¡¯s Essence really is appropriate, it can be used to affect reality in a way which only Gods could. Of course the theory regarding matter and energy has been developed by me based on my understandings from Earth, I suspect sages, especially those at lower power levels, don¡¯t really understand the mechanism behind Deity¡¯s Essence. Warriors use a slightly different technique. They take in Deity¡¯s Essence into their core, where it is purified, just like a Sage. Then ¨C instead of storing the Deity¡¯s Essence ¨C they distribute it into their body in a method dictated by their learned cultivation technique. This will enhance their strength, their speed, and even their reactions and senses. In theory, there is no incompatibility between the two training methods and one person could train in both branches at once, however, in practice this was difficult. The major method to increase a Sage¡¯s power is to expand their core by carefully overfilling it with processed Deity¡¯s Essence, then, they would use that stored Essence to train their spells and applications of Essence until their core was depleted. The process would then start again. For a Sage to train as a Warrior, the Sage would have to use all their stored Deity¡¯s Essence by dissipating it into the body, forsaking the practice of spells and control of Essence. Training in both methods would produce half the results with double the effort and was such no one would attempt it. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.The second method for a Sage or Warrior to increase their power level is to train in a processing technique. These techniques modify Deity¡¯s Essence into a form that is most compatible with the individual user, meaning easier control and more efficient storage. The trade-off of doing this is a loss of versatility in the Deity¡¯s Essence, causing the Essence to create a biased effect. Li Bai was only 14 when he met his misfortune and he was only at the beginning stages of his cultivation, he had just recently learned to sense Deity¡¯s Essence and had very limited progress in terms of actually controlling it. This was his true talent and it was satisfactory compared to the rich youths, and maybe a little above average when compared with the average joe. Unfortunately, the process of sensing and controlling Deity¡¯s Essence is not something that can be passed on through memories, it is very much like sport where only repeated practice can produce results. Fortunately, I came from Earth, a plane where Deity¡¯s Essence does not exist, so Deity¡¯s Essence is as clear to me as night and day, allowing me to skip over the part where I learn to sense Deity¡¯s Essence. As to controlling Deity¡¯s Essence, I am going to have to try my hand at it as soon as I can stabilize my situation. *Tap* *Tap* *Tap* Footsteps come into earshot, the old man has returned after a couple of hours, he resolved his business whilst I was mulling over the memories left to me. ¡°I¡¯ve just come from a meeting with the Council of New Penia. We have a restocking mission once every three months and the next one is scheduled for tomorrow. We travel to Old Penia and trade there for the resources we need. I don¡¯t suspect you will be wanting to stay in New Penia so I can bring you with us to the City and introduce you to a friend who can take care of you until you decide what you want to do with yourself.¡± I am somewhat startled. This old man is really going out of his way to help me. ¡°Senior, I¡¯m afraid I still don¡¯t know your name!¡± ¡°This old man¡¯s name has long since become of no use to anyone¡­ everyone around here calls me Old Angler.¡± ¡°Mr. Angler, you have shown me great kindness by helping me so far, and even went out of your way to provide me with contacts in Old Penia. I am in your debt and if the day ever comes when I can repay you I will do my utmost to do so.¡± This old man has absolutely no obligation to help me, and yet he is doing so out of the kindness of his own heart, those who treat me kindly will not be forgotten. ¡°Kid, I just found you interesting, that¡¯s all. That being said, it is a pleasure to see a spirited young man who knows how to treat his elders and benefactors!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll prepare some clothes and some basic supplies for you to take with you. You should rest easy; we leave at first light so we can get to Old Penia before night falls tomorrow.¡± The old man added. ¡°Then I will be in your debt Mr. Angler. I do have to ask, I am not familiar with the proceedings in the Eastern Continent of Warriors, how should I go about making some small change for myself?¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯re still wet behind the ears from being dragged out of the sea and you¡¯re already thinking of gaining independence? You have some serious motivation kid. The most important thing for any youth in the Eastern Continent is being recognised as a Warrior. You should try to enrol at a sect, if you have the talent then you will be provided with resources and you will receive guidance. Secondly, many youths make a little extra money on the side by apprenticing themselves to Masters in the city. Blacksmiths, artisans, alchemists, refiners and all sorts of professions will seek an inexperienced youth to take care of chores for them. You can seek a place by the side of a Master if you can catch their attention.¡± This old man really did not hold back on his explanations, he laid out everything clearly, and did not add unnecessary details by assuming I¡¯m an idiot. I don¡¯t know where this man¡¯s family is but he would have made an excellent grandfather. ¡°Thank you for your guidance Mr. Angler, I will leave you to make your preparations as I¡¯m sure you¡¯re busy. I shall head inside to rest and prepare for tomorrow.¡± I saluted the stern faced old man and turned to head to the hut where I had been before. Inside, a burlap bag is laid out on top of the bed. Examining it I find some basic necessities like a leather water holder, a makeshift book with information regarding Old Penia and the surrounding lands, and basic eating utensils fashioned of some form of fairly dull metal, adorned with wooden handles. I use the still clean water in the basin to freshen up and climb onto bed. End of Chapter 3 Stepping into the Continent of Warriors – 004 Stepping into the Continent of Warriors ¨C 004 I woke to the rogue sunrays which infiltrated the gaps between the wooden planks of the hut. I have not been in such a good mood in a long, long time. Back on Earth my days were counted, the future looked bleak and the planet seemed to be crumbling apart. In my new life I have a limitless future ahead of me, the new prospects of cultivation have appeared before me and adventure is at my doorstep. As someone who had taken his childhood for granted in my previous life I can¡¯t help but feel excited for the days ahead. Getting out of bed I notice that a new water basin has been placed in the room with clean water for my convenience. A fresh change of clothes has also been provided, most likely so I don¡¯t have to use the clothes I already packed for the journey. This old man really is taking care of me. I go outside the hut and sit on a chair facing the coast. The sights here really are something to behold. New Penia may be off in the South-Eastern edge of the plane but it was not barren. The sky was the brightest of blues, much brighter than I had ever seen on Earth. The waters around the island are fierce but manageable, fruit grows aplenty and beautiful birds litter the skies. Closing my eyes, I feel the light warm breeze caress my face and my sleeves flutter gently in the wind. This is a peace many had hoped for back on Earth but had no hopes of ever attaining. Lost in the sensations of this pseudo-paradise I can¡¯t help but thinking about staying here on the island and becoming the old man¡¯s helper, one day taking his place and living my days out in peace. I shake that thought out of my head, the Plane of Diohel has too much to offer for me to seclude myself off in this island. It is said that our biggest regrets are not the things we did wrong, but the things we never had the courage to attempt. Old Penia will allow me to experience what a relatively large city of the Eastern Continent has to offer. The old man leisurely returns from his preparations and he takes a seat in a chair next to mine, he also looks out into the sea. ¡°Everything is ready kid, we have to leave as soon as possible, we definitely do not want to waste daylight. The waters from New Penia to Old Penia are not treacherous but the sea must never be disrespected. Even the most docile of waters can turn into a huge headache if you are not adequately prepared¡± ¡°Yes senior, I have not changed my mind. I wish to accompany you into Old Penia and try my hand at what the city has to offer. I will be under your care for the near future.¡± The old man nods slightly and stands up. ¡°Follow me.¡± As I follow the old man we pass many other wooden structures, some huts, some trading shacks and storage shelters. All were crafted from simple materials with simple assembly techniques. Perhaps it was due to the low number of visitors to the island or because of the excellent weather but it did not seem like the inhabitants of New Penia had any need for extravagant construction. We walked for another 15 to 20 minutes, during which pleasant sights set the scenery for a wonderful walk, before a sight shocked me to my core. We reached the docks of New Pinea and the construction was nothing extravagant either. The docks were mostly wooden structures with some metal accents for support. The stunning sight was in the water. A huge ship. In shape it was built very similar to a classic 18th century ship, sails and all ¨C but in size, it could not be compared. This sail-propelled ship was easily as large was a cruise liner back on Earth. My mouth was agape. ¡°We do not use many resources here on the island but the traders which pass through have large requirements for stocking up when they pass by. We only restock every three months so we hire the services of a Warrior sect¡¯s ship so that we don¡¯t have to maintain a fleet.¡± The old man was tactful and explained why this completely out-of-place sight was in front of my eyes. The Old Angler led me to the entrance of the ship, an unexpectedly simple ramp up to the lower levels of the ship. From the inside of the ship we made our way up internally until we reached the decks. Where the helm would be on an 18th century ship there was a hexagonal table, richly decorated with symbols and patterns which I did not understand. In the middle of the table there was a bead about the size of a tennis ball. The bead closely resembled a pearl, except it was a deep crimson, almost blood-like. The patterns traced inwards towards the bead and seemed to be feeding it. Further patterns then traced the table down to the floor and then continued up the masts and sails of the ship. ¡°That is a magical beast core. Beast cores are similar to cultivators¡¯ inner cores but have a few key differences. Beast cores possess the innate ability to draw in Deity¡¯s Essence so unlike cultivators, beasts do not need to expend great effort to control Deity¡¯s Essence. On the other hand, beasts cannot wield the power inside their cores as proficiently as cultivators can. Furthermore, beast cores remain behind after a beast perishes, unlike a cultivator core. Beast cores are very valuable as when utilised by Masters they can be used to produce powerful pills and elixirs, enhance swords and armour and produce Sage staves and accessories. They can also be used to power inscriptions like this one you see here, where the beast core propels the ship forward by converting Deity¡¯s Essence into wind which blows onto the sails.¡± Stolen story; please report.The old man provided an adequate explanation. With the old man¡¯s explanation, I can formulate a theory for myself. If I were to treat Deity¡¯s Essence as electricity, then a beast core can be used as a battery. When beasts die, they leave behind a fully charged battery. Masters can use the electricity inside the battery to produce all sorts of single use concoctions such as elixirs or pills. Alternatively, the battery can be used along with a generator (an inscription which helps to gather Deity¡¯s Essence) so as to produce an engine which produces power. A transmission (a secondary inscription) then transforms the power of the engine into movement. In this way inscriptions could be used to enhance weapons and armour or even used as the main component of Sage accessories. In this case, the beast core is being used to drive the ship. The Plane of Diohel never fails to make me excited. The exploration of the novelties of Diohel is made much easier by the science of Earth. I expect that when the time comes for me to start my own path of cultivation, the academic knowledge from my previous life will propel me to great strength. Seeing my pensive look the old man allows me a few moments to gather my thoughts. ¡°Esteemed benefactors, I thank you for your services once more!¡± The old man said to two 30-year old looking men and one younger woman who looked to be in her early 20¡¯s. ¡°Old Angler, your island of New Penia have been reliable costumers of our sect for a long time. On top of that, the journey you request is not dangerous or long, your business is always welcome.¡± The younger woman spoke politely. ¡°This young man is accompanying us this time, he is looking to expand is horizons in the city of Old Penia, he is stepping onto the Eastern Continent of Warriors for the first time and I plan to leave him with an old acquaintance.¡± The old man explained. The woman spared me a polite smile and briefly rested her gaze on me before returning to the Old Angler. ¡°Old Angler, you have been conducting business with our Tempered Steel Sect for many years and it would be a small matter to take your prot¨¦g¨¦e in. We make no claims to be the strongest sect in Old Penia but we are certainly no pushovers. If the young man so wishes he can come to our selection day in a week¡¯s time. I can at the very least secure him the position of an Outer Disciple even if he ends up having mediocre talent.¡± I consider the situation, and although I am not overly familiar with the etiquette in the Eastern Continent I am sure that being straightforward at a time like this is the most appropriate. I step forward. ¡°Miss, I have not had the pleasure to make your acquaintance prior to this occasion, therefore, I can only thank you for the opportunity you are making available to young me. It would be an honour to attend your selection day, however, I plan to progress with my own strength, so if I do not meet the qualifications to pass your sect¡¯s test please do not provide any further help behind the scenes. Relying on backing this early on in my path of cultivation will not bring me any benefits in the future.¡± The woman¡¯s smile widened slightly hearing my words. Although I spoke with sincerity, my words were also calculated. I am sowing a good impression for myself as an independent, passionate youth. Although I do not know what kind of tests I will face in order to enter a sect, I do expect to be able to make it through, relying on my excellent sense for Deity¡¯s Essence and my knowledge inherited from Li Bai and Earth. The other two men nod slightly hearing my words. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± One of the men says. The two men and the woman make their way to the hexagonal table. Each of them set each of their hands on a vertex of the table. A low, deep hum can be heard. It slowly builds into a rumble. The inscriptions begin to glow with a feint hue and the beast core begins to shine with a red, ethereal halo. I can feel the Deity¡¯s Essence in the atmosphere being sucked towards the table and into the beast core. The phenomenon escalated for no more than a dozen seconds before all three Warriors released their grasp on the table and each formed a different shape with their hands. The suction momentarily halted and the core surged with power, driving the ship forwards through the secondary inscriptions. The suction power of the table then returned after a few moments but much gentler and definitely much more stable than before. The ship began to move towards the blue sea and in my heart I knew that a new chapter was about to begin. End of Chapter 4 Follower Announcement *Please read the story page* TL;DR : I have caught a summer illness and as such have not been able to post the chapters I had been hoping to post. I will take the opportunity to rewrite the chapters I put out with a cleared narrative, improved plot and less confusing elements in general. I may also change story from first person to a past narrative or a more conventional third person story telling convention. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. If you were liking the story so far, the general outline of the rewritten work will be similar and I will update the story page to let you know what it will be (but not launch another update ''chapter''). Thank you for your viewership!