《The Immortal's Dice》 Chapter 1: The Immortals Dice This is my own novel. This story is due to my love for writing. Enjoy. ---------------------------------------- Chapter 1: The Immortal''s Dice ''Awaken. The Dice is yours. Awaken.'' As if he were a robot whose power switch was pressed, a seventeen year old with dark brown hair and blue eyes awakened. His breathing quickened as he felt a cube in his right hand. As he opened his palm, his fears were confirmed as he saw a blue crystal dice with white dots and six sides. "Mom! Dad!" William Mu screamed. Loud thumps echoed in the Mu Home as three people rushed in. "Will, what''s wrong?" his mother asked. "No," his father, Tian Mu, rasped, pointing at the die. "You got an Immortal''s Dice?" "Dad, what do I do?" William asked, despair in his voice. "Is that a die? What game are we playing? Roll it," his little sister laughed with glee. "Don''t. He can''t. He''ll be taken from us," his mother, Selene, yelled. "He has to. If he doesn''t roll within ten minutes of waking, he dies," Tian sighed. William and his parents stared at the seemingly harmless die as it glowed. The Immortal''s Dice, called Dice for simplicity, first appeared on Earth a hundred and fifty years ago. Since then, the world changed. Radios, television channels, and the internet kept talking about Dice and the humans who received them. Those people were called Dicers. Only Dicers could roll the die they received. Those chosen were always at random, the fabled Dice appearing in either hand when they awoke. Failure to roll the die within ten minutes of consciousness always resulted in death. The world changed because of Dice and Dicers. Those who rolled the die would gain as many awards as the number of dots on the side facing upward. After seventy two hours, the Dicer would be transported to an Earth from an alternate dimension. Those remaining on Earth would get live screening on the internet or television featuring all Dicers still living on the other Earth. If a Dicer survived for a year, the Immortal''s Dice gives them two options. The first option is to receive a random award, the quality depending on the roll of the die. The second option was being able to return to Earth for one month before returning back to the alternate Earth. Many families were torn apart by Dices. Those who miraculously survived for a year would either make a rampage on Earth or never return again due to how much the Dicer and his family had changed. Once a Dicer left for the alternate Earth, he would never be the same. Never. "I don''t want to spend my life fighting demons, monsters, magical beasts, or magical races. I''m afraid. I saw my best friend die last week," William shook with fear. "As soon as you roll the die, your life will be on the small screen (television) until the day of your death. The only exception being the fact that the live screening will not just show you. It alternates with those who are currently the most interesting. Roll your Dice. We prepared for this," his father soothed. "Remember my brother, Wan? He survived for six years by staying at the sect or staying in big cities." "He''s still alive? Why hasn''t he come back for the past three years?" William frowned. "You can choose to come back or receive a random award. When he came the first and second time, he had a hard time adjusting back to life on Earth. It was too painful for brother-in-law. Still, you better come back!" his mother explained. "I''ll roll the dice now," William sighed and the die clinked ten times before displaying five dots on the top side. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "New Dicer registered. Amount of time passed: 7 minutes and forty one seconds. Dicer will live. Awards: 5. Now commencing random transfer. Awards: Totem-grade magical sword, three skills, and a spatial ring. Spatial ring possess 20x20x20 meter space within. Totem-grade magical treasures are rare and take time to refine. Sword locked inside Dicer''s body until refinement process is complete. Skills learned: Beast Tamer, Fireball, and Sunbolt Strike," the Immortal''s Dice projected in a monotone voice. "Dicer is registered as William Mu. William has seventy two hours to prepare for dimensional travel. As you possess a spatial ring, do note that only food can be brought with you. Likewise, only food can be taken out from the spatial ring whenever you return to Earth. Exceptions do apply. Timer now commencing countdown." As the die zoomed into his pocket, William shook his head as knowledge imprinted into his mind. He tried to use the skills, but found that he could not. He also could not sense the sword in his body, but felt a strange energy in his chest. "How come I can''t use my new skills? I''ve seen uncle use them once," William groaned. "You can use them when you return. It is also why the world''s governments are on alert when a Dicer chooses to return," his father explained. "When you arrive on that planet, survival must be your top priority. The Immortal''s Dice, or whatever beings created them, will send you to a suggested organization to train and learn new skills. It is usually a sect or academy. The Dice will also restrict you from travelling outside the sect or academy until after a year has passed. Now, go to the basement. We had food and beverages stored up in case your mother and I became Dicers. You''re picky, but there is still good food there. Oh, feel free to take all the Pepsi cans. It''ll remind you of home." "Thanks dad," William nodded and raced downstairs while his mother turned on his 14 inch plasma screen television. "There''s no question. Our son is a Dicer. That''s him just reaching the first floor and heading to the basement. The government will be here soon. I''ll take Rebecca to school," Selene sighed and wiped her tears as she held her daughter''s hand. "Keep our son here. If you leave, don''t be gone long." "That''s right. The government! They might be tracking where my brother lives. He could help Will. Wait, now is not the time for that," Tian muttered and rushed out the room. An hour later, the military showed up at their doorstep. Tian and William were shocked as they traveled the highway in a military vehicle. The local police actually shut down the highway as they traveled to Van Nuys Airport. "Does this happen to everyone?" William asked a soldier as he entered a military cargo aircraft. "I''m just following orders. You will be debriefed in the Pentagon in three hours," the soldier answered and left him alone. "Mom is going to kill us. We left and we probably won''t be back before I have to leave," William sighed. "Don''t worry about her. Your sister''s crying will keep her occupied. If you don''t come back next year, she might lock you up in the following year," his dad joked. "I''m not going to tell you that you''ll be alright. I can''t understand what you''re going through. Just do what you think is right. That planet is not our Earth. The same principles and laws don''t apply. The threat of death is even more prominent. Just know you always have a home to come back to. You might even find your uncle there. No matter what, we''ll be waiting for you to come home." "Thanks dad. I''ll try to make it back," Will said as he took out the Immortal''s Dice and clenched it in his fist. "I will make it back." Chapter 2: Circumstances of a Dicer Recap: William Mu awakens with an Immortal''s Dice in his hand. He is overcome with fear as he knows what the Immortal''s Dice is and what he had become. He rolls a 5 on the die and receives five gifts. Now, he and his dad are being escorted to the Pentagon. Chapter 2: Circumstances of a Dicer "William Mu and Tian Mu, please come with me into the vehicle," an agent asked as the plane landed in the U.S. capital. "So, what do you plan to do with my son?" Tian Mu asked as the duo got into a black Hummer escorted by four more Hummers and ten policemen on motorcycles. "I''m afraid that is classified. People on Earth are able to watch your son''s life save for certain places or situations. One of those places is the headquarters of a nation''s central intelligence agency. In your son''s case, people will not know what will transpire in the Pentagon. This is standard protocol for a new Dicer. If you watched new Dicers on the live screenings, you would have noticed that the live screening shows a different Dicer as soon as the new recipient of a Dice enters the Pentagon," the agent answered. Once arriving at the Pentagon, agents blocked the views of the crowd gathered to see the new Dicer. Security pushed the media reporters out of the way as the father and son finally entered the Pentagon. They headed through four security checks before proceeding into an elevator. As the elevator stopped two levels below ground, Will and Tian saw a blank white room with two dressing rooms on either side of the room. "William Mu, please change into the clothes on your right. Mr. Tian Mu, the same to your left. Once you are done, leave your clothes in the box within the room and return to the elevator. Mr. Tian Mu, you will be able to receive the contents of both boxes when it is time for your escort home," the agent said and gestured out the elevator. "I look like a sect disciple in a wuxia show," William said as he adjusted the brown robes on his chest. "Am I really never leaving the Pentagon before I go to the alternate Earth?" "Yes. I''m afraid so. There is much to prepare," the agent dipped his head in sympathy while Tian Mu joined them in the elevator in a grey shirt and black camo pants. "Good. You are both here. We will proceed on to the Dicer Division. Your debriefing will be in a transparent room with several agents on monitors surrounding the room. In the transparent room will be an oval table and several chairs. It is there that your debriefing will take place." "I''ll learn more about Dice?" Will asked, holding the die in his hand. "The Immortal''s Dice? Yes. You will be debriefed about Dice and your circumstances as a Dicer," the agent confirmed and remained silent until the elevator reached the desired floor. "Here we are. Ignore the monitors. Just focus on the debriefing. You don''t have much time. You have about two and a half days left on Earth. Good luck." "William nodded as he and his father left the elevator. They gazed at the monitors and agents before seeing a tiny room up ahead. The entire floor was similar to a giant coliseum in terms of space. The transparent room was about ten feet high and William could see a middle-aged man with gray hair waiting for him at the table. "Hello William. I am the director of the Dicer Division of the United States, Roger Haunt. Please sit. We have much to discuss and very little time before you head to the next world. Before I begin, you must know that you will not remember being from Earth while on that other planet. In fact, you will not remember until a year has passed and the Immortal''s Dice gives you the option to return for a month or receive a randomized reward," the man said grimly. "What? That''s impossible. My brother didn''t talk about any of that," Tian frowned as they sat down. "Mr. Wan Mu had to follow Dicer protocol while on Earth. The information is highly classified as it would further cause unrest in the populace if the family and friends of the Dicers knew the truth. This information is also the reason why some Dicers choose not to return. It is not the allure of a reward, but the pain of knowing that their memories return for a month only to be sealed again for another year. This is also why your brother did not choose to return during the last three years. You did not know this as the live screenings do not show the twenty four hours during which the Dicer regains his memories and must make the choice. Believe me, the choice to remain hurts less than the choice to return. Like the rumors claim, Dicers are never the same when they return," Mr. Haunt explained. "I am truly sorry to be the one to tell you this, Mr. Mu. It is my believe that your brother will also choose to not return in the future. He will not remember your nephew nor will William remember him. No Dicer can remember another Dicer while on the alternate planet. This is to safeguard their privacy and the secrets they possess." "This will happen to me too? I can''t believe this. To tamper with the human mind....what kind of die are the Dice? Why was I given the Immortal''s Dice?" William muttered as he clenched his fists in anger. "I''m afraid we do not know. There is much about Dice that we do not understand, and the Pentagon knows more about Dice than any other country''s central intelligence agency. Now, allow me to address the matter about your gifts," the director said and gestured to the giant screen to his left. "You possess a Totem-grade magical sword. I''m afraid I can''t tell you about it as the Dice put it inside your body and sealed it within. Now, the fact that your spatial ring possess a 20x20x20 meter space is very useful. A meter is already over three feet. That is a lot of space. Now, I will begin to explain your three skills." You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. "The first skill you learned is the Beast Tamer skill. Think of it like a videogame. As the name implies, you can tame magical beasts. Just having one already makes you more dangerous. A Dicer can make any number of magical beasts submit by beating them to near death or in the event that the magical beast recognizes your strength. The hard part is taming the submitting magical beast. Making them submit to follow you does not guarantee loyalty. Magical beasts still evolve and grow stronger over time. A submitted magical beast may challenge you in the future to regain its freedom. Taming a magical beast truly makes it your partner, pet in most Dicers eyes," the director said. "The Fireball spell is similar to ones you see in videogames and needs to further explanation. The Sunbolt skill is a martial arts technique used by immortals. Learning too many skills would have meant a harder time to master them. The Beast Tamer skill is actually a restriction or magical seal. Thus, there are only two you need to master. This is good." "So I need to master the Fireball spell and Sunbolt technique. Okay. Doesn''t sound too bad," William nodded. "Why do you call the die Immortal''s Dice? It is only just one, right?" "The die you have is very special. You will discover many uses for it. It is called Dice because there are many who received dice when they awoke. The mysterious voice that awoke them also called the die Immortal''s Dice. When you return to Earth, the whole world will have its eyes on you. As a Dicer, you are superior to us in every physical aspect. You can even use flying spells or techniques. Right now, you cannot use any skills. When you return, people will both revere and fear you as you can use your skills on Earth henceforth. During the first ten or so years, the Earth was devastated by many rampaging Dicers. Luckily, the stronger Dicers who survive do not come back. Some are so powerful, even missiles and armor piercing bullets would have no effect. We would have no means to protect ourselves. This is who you are now," Roger Haunt answered. "You will remain here until the Dice transports you out of our world, our very dimension. Any requests of food and drink will be provided. You may not remember where you come from, but you will remember small things. It is part of a loophole of sorts. Your treatment, for when you return, will be based on your actions while you are gone. Please keep that in mind. Also note that no one, not even another Dicer, will be able to detect your Dice in any way shape or form. To them, it never existed. This measure was perhaps implemented to also prevent Dicers from harming one another. With every Dicer, we learn more." William spent his remaining days learning survival tips and martial arts from the agents. His father watched in silence as his son had to grow up in a way he never did. Tian Mu was not a Dicer. He did not need to learn how to fight, but chose to learn martial arts. He did not need to kill to live. He was in control of his life. His son wasn''t. His firstborn and only son. He prayed to God that his daughter would not become a Dicer. "The time is running out. I''ll be gone in a few seconds," William said as he stood on the roof of the Pentagon, his father and the agents there with him. "You''ll make it back, Will. You learned martial arts since you were a boy. Your spars were pretty good against those agents too," Tian assured him as he patted his son''s shoulder. "There is more to it than fighting. When my memories return, I might undergo a psychological battle with my new self and my old self, the self you know now. I might become a different person. I''ll come back though. Even if I don''t want to come back, I''ll need closure. The director said that the Dice can automatically give me the randomized award if I choose to lock that option as my given choice. I''ll be spared my memories from coming back. I''ll need to return to give a proper farewell before I do," William said as he gazed at the blue crystal die. "Whatever choice you make, I will support you. Your mom and sister won''t understand, but they are not Dicers and they are not you. In time, they will. Just come back next year before you truly make a decision," Tian said and hugged his son. "Goodbye Will. I''ll be watching and recording whenever you are on the live screens." "Bye dad. I really don''t want to go," William said, tears going down his eyes as he let go of his father. "I know. My father must have felt the same when Wan became a Dicer. Now I understand why he was pained before he passed two years ago. Wan chose to never come back," Tian said softly but William couldn''t hear him as he was covered in a blue sphere of light and vanished. "You prepared him physically. Not mentally," Roger noted as Tian turned away from where his son disappeared. "Just have an agent explain things to my wife. I don''t want to sleep on the couch for even a few days," Tian replied as he walked back inside the Pentagon without another word. Chapter 3: Earth-4 Recap: William Mu entered and his father arrived in the Pentagon. They meet the director of the Dicer Division, Roger Haunt, and learn the horrible truth about Dice. They learn the true reason why some Dicers, like Uncle Wan, chose to never come back whenever they survived another year. William is covered in a sphere of blue light and vanishes from the rooftop of the Pentagon. Chapter 3: Earth-4 "Your son will be fine. He''s a strong lad," Director Roger Haunt said as he and Tian head to the elevator. "Are you sure you don''t wish to go home?" "I will stay. I told my wife I''d be at home with my son. I can''t go back without him. Between you and me, she controls our marriage. Not complaining, but there are times where I''m afraid to do what I want," Tian chuckled as the returned to the glass room. "Sir! Big news! Another alternate Earth has appeared!" one of the agents shouted and Tian and the director raced to the giant monitor in the glass room. "Earth-4? Impossible. He should have been sent to Earth-3," the director gasped. "There were more alternate Earths?" Tian gasped. "Over a hundred years ago, Dicers were sent to Earth-2. It was a futuristic Earth with flying cars and plasma technology. Then, Dicers were sent to Earth-3 after the Dicers living reached some quota. We never figured it out. Now, your son was sent to Earth-4," the director answered. "We received reports of five new Dicers. Two of them are in the United States!" an agent cried. "So soon? Are the live screens still showing the Dicers of Earth-3?" the director asked. "Yes sir, but we have no visual confirmation of what is happening to Dicer William Mu. At the top right corner of the screen, azure letters state that Earth-4 is being prepared and Dice rewards are being adjusted," another agent said. "Putting it on the main monitor now." The two men stared at the giant monitor to see a girl fighting a giant wolf pack. At the corner of the screen, there were indeed azure letters stating what the agent reported. The director then yelled orders to retrieve the new Dicers in the United States as Tian sank into a chair and prayed his son was alright. His heart ached as he remembered his son''s last words before he vanished. In an unknown place isolated from time, William Mu awoke. He was still in the sphere of blue light, but he was traveling through the stars. He saw countless planets as the sphere zoomed by. He saw giant gas planets like Jupiter. He saw cold planets with ice rings. He saw pink and purple planets. He passed by yellow suns and blue suns. He soared above black holes and past galaxies. "What is this? What is happening? If I only had my camera..." William sighed as he admired the cosmos. "Hello William," a man said as he appeared beside him. "Me? Wait. You can''t be me. Who are you? What are you?" William gasped. "We figured this was the best way to calmly communicate to you," his clone said, save he wore blue and white robes and not brown robes. "We? Those colors....are you the Immortal''s Dice?" William asked. "Yes and no. What you are seeing is an illusion, an image formed to communicate," the clone said and changed form to a Hispanic teen. "Perhaps this form will be easier for you." "Jorge. He was my best friend," William said softly. "The last time I saw him was on the television screen as he got his chest ripped apart and his head bitten off in pieces." "Not a pretty picture. My friend, the news you need to hear is not one which you prepared for. You are heading to a new Earth in the same dimension of your own world. Slight differences, same universes, and different galaxy. In simpler terms: we are in in the universe your Milky Way Galaxy is in, but not the same galaxy that contains your world. The Milky Way Galaxy is one of several galaxies in the universe. You saw the blue sun. That is the center of the universe, and not even one hundred of your Jupiter planets can fill even five percent of the sun," the Jorge clone said. "Why send me somewhere else? Something wrong?" William asked. "The quota was filled. The right amount of living Dicers was met," Jorge smiled. "You are the first Dicer to go to Earth-4. As a reward, you will learn the Ghost Severing Strike skill and gain spirit energy sensing. The next two Dicers will also receive the ability albeit slightly weaker, and a different skill." "What a weird skill," William noted as information branded into his memory. "Earth-1 is where you come from. Earth-2 is a futuristic Earth. One your planet will never achieve even if six hundred years pass by. Your oceans already have plastic islands and glaciers the size of Texas already fall off your arctic lands. Earth-3 is where you would have gone. It is an Earth very much like the xianxia novels you love to read. Earth-4 is quite different. Every Earth has similarities. You should know that," Jorge said as they passed another galaxy. "The universe is quite amazing. So much life and death created similar by forces we cannot comprehend. Every day a new star dies and many more take its place. Some stars fall apart in itself and form black holes. Others burn bright and become suns which burn despite the lack of oxygen in empty space. Do you know that?" Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. "Why are you telling me this?" William asked. "The universe is the like the living body. The cells live and die everyday like stars. The heart is the blue sun. Your organs are the galaxies. Such is the analogy. Earth-4 is where you will go. You must survive, Dicer. You''ll have many enemies on that Earth," Jorge said and vanished like dust blown in the wind. William didn''t know what the Dice meant as is eyes felt heavy. He took one last look at the stars before he lost consciousness. "Dicer is unconscious. Now updating memory based on Earth-4 Dicer parameters. Memory updated. Now downloading memories and sealing Earth-1 memories," the die said in a monotone voice. "Download complete. Seal complete. Update acknowledged. Due to update, Dicer will forget Fireball spell and learn the Lightning Arrow spell. The Sunbolt technique will be replaced with the Earth-Shattering Fist. Totem-grade sword and spatial ring remain unchanged. Destroying flesh and scanning Earth-4 for suitable host.......scanning......host found. 98% match to William Mu''s appearance. Now transferring spatial ring and soul to new host body." A blue crystal die and a black ring levitated within the blue sphere as it shot down onto a planet similar to Earth. The sphere of blue light entered an ash-colored cabin by a giant lake with a river connecting to the ocean past the mountain range. A boy with brown hair and brown eyes was on the bed with his eyes wide open. The boy had succumbed to a mysterious poison and died from excruciating pain. The blue sphere of light landed on the body and a black liquid was expelled from the pores. The ring adjusted on the left index finger as the boy opened his blue eyes. His breathing quickened as he leaned upright, memories buzzing in his head. Knowledge flowed in his head as his body grew slightly and developed lean muscles. The Immortal''s Dice sent invisible energy all over the lake village. Those who had any knowledge of the boy had their memories changed. One old man and his granddaughter were the most affected. They were the blood-related family of the boy. Their memories of the boy, Feng Bai, was nearly the same. They would always believe Feng was always born with blue eyes. Shen and Qing Bai were Feng''s family. Feng did not know about his parents, his grandfather raising him and his sister. Feng was seven and Qing was about three months old when Grandpa Shen brought them to the village. Feng was rescued by an immortal while hunting in the woods. This immortal taught give him scrolls containing secret skills. These skills were Beast Tamer and the Ghost Severing Stike skill. Feng also found a spatial ring from a dead immortal at the bottom of the lake. It contained exotic food and beverages. Most importantly, it contained a scroll of a martial technique called Earth-Shattering Fist. Feng also found a scroll containing the Lightning Arrow spell. Grandpa Shen, Qing, and Feng would believe these memories to be real. They also hoped Feng had affinity to thunder. The Bai Clan had a long history of affinity to fire, but their clan was most famous for an ancestor who was an immortal with the affinity to thunder. That ancestor was Lei Bai and one of the most powerful thunder immortals in history. If he had more than one elemental affinity, the Bai Clan would have ruled the world. Anyone fortunate to become an immortal would celebrate just to have two affinities. The maximum elemental affinities one could have, even with mystical items or immortal methods, was five. "I''m alive. My name is Feng. Why do I have fragmented memories of myself as William Mu?......Oh! So the Pepsi is a soda. Where did the immortal find it and how did I know that?" Feng groaned as he felt a pang of pain in his head. "Man my head hurts. Am I dehydrated? Tomorrow, grandpa and Qing come back from the port city. Hopefully the crops and boar hide sold well." Feng stared silently at the lake before meditating in the backyard. On his lap was a scroll containing a Qi condensation method. Qi was another term for spirit energy. Qi condensation methods were the meditation techniques that allowed a mortal to cultivate spirit enery and become an immortal. The immortal and his grandfather said he had average talent. It would take him months to condense spirit energy in his body. For some reason, he could actually sense spirit energy circulating in his body. Black liquid seeped from his pores and spread a rancid stink all over his clothes. "I, I did it! I became an immortal!" Feng celebrated as he jumped to his feet. His nose wrinkled as the stench became too strong and quickly ran to the tub in his room. He did not notice the blue crystal die on his bed. Nor did he remember that he would be watched until the day he died. This boy was not William Mu of Earth. He is a Dicer of Earth-4: Feng of the Bai Clan. Author: I have finals this week so there won''t be a new chapter for a while. Now, the transition to the new Earth is complete. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Chapter 4: The Journey Begins Recap: William Mu becomes Feng Bai. The skills he knows are Lightning Arrows, Earth-Shattering Fist, Ghost Severing Strike, and Beast Tamer. His main affinity is thunder. Now, his journey in Earth-4 begins. Chapter 4: The Journey Begins A few hours later, Grandpa Shen and Qing arrived. They entered the house to see a young man with dark brown hair meditating in the living room, opening his blue eyes as he heard them step inside the cabin. The air about him seemed different than when they had left. They''re eyes widened as they realized Feng had taken his first steps as an immortal and successfully condensed Qi in his body. "Feng! Wow. Congratulations big brother," Qing said as she hugged him. The ten year old was really happy. Now that Feng was an immortal, they could leave the village and never come back. She was bored of the tiny lake town and had few children to play with. "Yes. We can finally move out of our home," Feng smiled and turned to his grandfather. "I''ve succeeded. I can now practice the mage spells and warrior arts of immortals. My affinity is thunder, like yours." "Truly? Heh. Good. I suppose the time of living a sheltered life is over. The world of the mortals is over for you now. A life of blood and steel, that is the immortal way," Shen nodded. "Qing, go to your room and play with your new toys in your storage bag. Your brother and I need to be alone now." "Okay. Good luck Feng," Qing smiled and headed off to her room. "There are more to immortals than spells and warrior arts. There are also divine abilities, seals, and other things. What you will learn is a secret divine ability I discovered long ago: Hidden Body Space. You will be able to create your own storage ability inside your body, the space growing the stronger you become. It is best to hide your most precious things inside your body. Your Totem sword is different. It becomes a part of your body. This divine ability is like a spatial ring, no one but the owner can access the contents within. You''ve memorized the spells and warrior arts. You can destroy them now," Shen instructed as he bestowed a book to Feng. As Feng opened the book, it turned into specks of light and entered his chest. In Feng''s mind, he could see an empty, 2x2x2 meter space in his body. The space was not inside him physically. It was a different feeling than the Totem. The Totem could be taken in and out of his body as soon as he refined it, but the space would always be in his body. "What an awesome ability," Feng sighed with praise. "Yes. Spatial rings are different than storage rings, a higher level magical item with storage abilities. Spatial rings can only be used by the owner unless the spirit energy imprint is removed or the owner dies. Your Hidden Body Space is destroyed with you. In death, even the items inside will be destroyed. You will have the last laugh," Shen smirked. "The outside world consists of people both good and bad. Thieves and bandits run amok in the wilderness. There is more to be wary of than demons and magical beasts, Feng." "Yes grandpa," Feng nodded. "We will head to the capital. It is there that you will be recruited into an academy. Our empire is powerful because they accept both immortals and mortals. Immortals rely on mage spells and warrior arts. Mortals rely on guns, bullets, and their magic-enchanted weaponry. Humanity''s technological advancement may be slower than it was during the Overlord Era, but it has progressed. Humanity once ruled our world for a reason: our intelligence and greed for more than what we already had. Humanity learned to use magical beast cores as reactors for puppets and golems created as servants and golems. The rich in our empire all have one. Wood, earth, metal, and other material could be used to create golems and puppets. Do not underestimate golems and puppets. While they cannot grow more powerful without upgrades, their strength never wavers until they run out of spirit energy," Shen warned. "Imagine facing an enemy that didn''t know fear and could repair itself as fast as instantaneous regeneration. Now, imagine facing such an enemy with a vast supply of spirit energy reserves. Your chances of defeat and death grow the more the fight drags on. If you face such an enemy, kill the human possessing the control talisman. His puppet or golem would be yours." "Such a thing exists? No wonder the empire is so strong. Immortals are rare after all. If regular mortals had puppets and golems, the immortal path is not a necessity for power. But won''t the core run out of spirit energy? How could it be re-energized?" Feng asked. "The unique process of the golem and puppet crafting changes the core. The core is essentially made useless once used as a reactor core for a puppet or golem. They can also be destroyed even though magical beast cores are supposed to be indestructible and turn to ash after draining the spirit energy inside them," Shen answered and gave Feng a manual. "What is this?" Feng asked. "That is the World Devourer Manual, a type of cultivation method. By absorbing the power in the manual, you will be able to freely absorb spirit energy without having to worry about any berserk energy. Eating magical beast meat is the best for you as you can easily turn it into spirit energy, not just having the ordinary benefit of recovering spirit energy. Open it," Shen gestured. As Feng opened the manual, rune scriptures appeared all around him in various colors before disappearing into his body. Feng cried out as his body started to swell and fatten. "What are you doing? Cultivate according to the scripture! Control the spirit energy or you will explode!" Shen roared, Feng hastily entering lotus position and soon began cultivation. Steam arose from his body as it began to turn to normal. Feng no longer had an average body. His body was now filled with lean muscle. He wasn''t muscular or skinny, but his body became extremely fit. His strength and speed arose without killing his flexibility. Shen watched as lightning crackled around his grandson. His eyes glinted as he saw two rune scriptures arise from his grandson. They were the scriptures of the Ghost Severing Strike and Earth-Shattering Fist. The two scriptures revolved around Feng and began to fuse together. He was instantly delighted. Affinities were separate from warrior arts and spells. If you had affinity, warrior arts and mage spells of that element would be easier to master and the immortal could learn to create and manipulate the element on his own. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Still, you needed no elemental affinity to learn a warrior art or mage spell. The benefit of learning a warrior art and mage spell of another attribute was that you gained affinity for it over time. Like a weak little boy learning to box for the first time, honing his skills would make him truly strong. Shen saw the skill display its name before entering Feng''s body. The skill had become Ink Dragon Strike. It also came with several memories of a unique kind of martial arts. Shen could see illusory men made of ink-colored spirit energy perform several martial arts stances, strikes, and techniques. Finally, a three meter snake made of the same ink spirit energy coiled around Feng''s body before vanishing. As Feng''s cultivation grew, the snake would develop dragon scales and eventually ascend into the form of a dragon. "This ink-colored spirit energy, what kind of element attribute will Feng learn from it? It even granted him his own martial arts style. I''ve read the Earth-Shattering Fist manual skill book, but its technique was very similar to many others. Perhaps the Ghost Severing Strike was more than what I thought it was?" Shen brooded as he let his spirit energy radiate toward Feng. Feng''s body created spheres of freezing that swirled around his body. This was the typical reaction of the World Devouring Manual. The luck of the fusion of skills was up to luck. Those who learned the World Devouring Manual would gain affinity to fire and wind. Most people died upon receiving the manual''s power. It was said that one immortal created the manual after seeing a black hole devour a planet. The technique was intended for darkness and wind, but too many people died. Thus, he made an inferior model that advanced even further than the original by substituting a freezing snow storm as his inspiration. Shen was sure his grandson would survive as he had the thunder attribute. The thunder attribute may not improve the purity of Feng''s spirit energy as it was a very destructive and difficult path, but its benefit was different in that it improved his physical body even better than immortals who had earth and metal affinity. Shen only hoped his granddaughter would also have affinity to thunder. Feng''s eyes slowly opened as he rose to his feet. An insuppressible feeling rose up Feng''s throat and was released as a roar of pure spirit energy. Augmented by his wind affinity, the roar had become like a sound wave that damaged the floor and walls. Feng completely destroyed the roof area above his head before the powerful feeling disappeared. Shen removed all the frost that began freezing and cracking the house with a wave of his hand as Feng admired the changes in his body. "Wow. I feel so amazing. Its as if I have just gained control of my body. Its so much stronger than before," Feng sighed with praise. "Yes. You gained affinity to water and wind. You did not learn the original World Devouring Manual, as I did, because you just became an immortal. You would have died instantly. Now, we''re leaving for the capital. You''ll use this Black Iron Bow and Crystal Vein Sword. Can''t have you using more valuable magical weapons yet. The Black Iron Bow is very heavy, but immortals with thunder as their main affinity refine their body more easily than purifying their spirit energy. The Crystal Vein Sword is slightly more valuable as it is not from this empire. However, it is not that great a treasure besides being nearly indestructible and ever-sharp against those around your cultivation. You are not strong enough to prevent more valuable magical treasures from being stolen. So these will have to do. As of right now, you are a Rank 1 Spirit Acolyte, Shen said, giving Feng the items. Feng sighed and said, "You''re right, grandpa. I don''t have much experience using a weapon. I''ll only get bullied and taken advantage of because of my inexperience and weak cultivation. I''ll enter an academy. It is safer, has more resources, and backed by the nations they are built in." "You don''t have to worry so much about someone killing you, or the enemies of a sect. However, you will get less experience in an academy. You will also be tied down to the nation. There are two sects I know that are of the middle ground. Alright, lets go. We''ll take the teleportation array by the mountainside to enter the capital," Shen said and opened the door. "Your journey will now begin. I don''t have much to give you. You must become strong on your own. Take this teleportation talisman and keep it in your Hidden Body Space. That talisman will automatically teleport you to another talisman''s area that is connected to it should you use it. Its an ancient one, but unique in that distance does not matter. Having talismans that teleport in smaller distances in whichever direction you desire are too expensive and invite jealousy and envy. You''re better off selling those." "Thanks grandpa," Feng said, tears going down his eyes. He had trained so hard for this day. After many bitter months, he could begin his journey. "After I drop you off, I''m taking your sister to another nation. The reason why I don''t want you to enter an academy is because that other nation has the potential to conquer the continent. To live to see the continent under one throne, you need to be in a sect to survive all that bloodshed. No one will recognize you there either. It is very far from this nation. Now, lets leave before Qing wakes up," Shen said as he left a body exuding a pink mist underneath Qing''s door. "Will she be okay?" Feng asked. "Shouldn''t I have said goodbye to her?" "No. Best you didn''t. Little children have attachment issues. It is only when they reach their juvenile years that they learn the idea of freedom and personal space. She''ll cry for a few days and get over it," Shen said and they left the house, Feng slightly impressed and scared of his grandpa.