《Grasping Destiny (Temporary Hiatus)》 Chapter I Chapter I ''Power...If I had power...this wouldn''t have happened to me...'' Thought a young boy as he lay on his back gazing up at the night sky through the canopy of a forest. ''Ah, it''s getting pretty cold...'' He turned his head and looked at his left arm. What he could see was his own shredded skin and a bone sticking out. ''Ugh, everything hurts...'' He tried to lift his head and view the rest of his body. He could barely lift it off the ground but was able to catch sight of a large pool of blood that he appeared to be laying in. Sighing mentally, he thought, ''...I''ve lost a lot of blood...'' The clothes he was wearing were torn. He had some gashes and cuts on his body. His legs were both bent in unnatural directions with the bones protruding. He turned his head and examined his right arm, noticing it was in an even worse condition than his left. The arm was almost severed at the elbow; the forearm only connected by a sliver of flesh. As he lay there battered and broken, he was struggling to stay conscious. He sighed mentally once more as he thought, ''It''s so hard to keep my eyes open...I think...I''m going to sleep for a while...Just...a little nap...'' As he was thinking this, he closed his eyes and let sleep embrace him. As the boy lay there unmoving with his eyes closed, something was happening in the night sky. The previously calm and peaceful sky was now stirring. The very air itself seemed to be trembling as a tiny crack in the fabric of space appeared. It happened so suddenly it was as if a glass window was abruptly shattered by a rock. This tiny crack quickly spread to be as large as a boulder before it finally ceased to expand. If one was to look up into this large hole, all one could see was a vast expanse of darkness behind it. Abruptly, this black void was lit up as a flash of white lightning spewed forth from the hole. This lightning struck the young boy as he lay there. However, what one would expect to happen, did not. Instead of being charred or even turned to ashes, the lightning turned into a white light that wrapped around his body and seemed to do no damage whatsoever to the boy. Rather, it actually started to heal his wounds. All of his gashes and cuts started to seal up. The right arm that was almost severed seemed to reconnect by its own will. The bone that was sticking out of his left arm popped back into place and the wound sealed itself. The same thing happened with his legs; they returned to their natural position and all of the wounds were healed. Once the process stopped, it was impossible to tell that this boy was even hurt to begin with. The only indication of which, was the torn and bloody clothes he had on his body. As the boy lay there, now in a perfect condition, the white light continued to envelop him. As if it sensed that all of the damage was repaired, the light started to fade. It almost seemed to be absorbed by the boy''s body. The moment the white light vanished, that boulder size hole in space started to close. The cracks that spread out from it all started to recede as the hole itself started to shrink in size. This happened until the hole vanished completely; leaving no evidence of its former existence behind. Along with its disappearance the air ceased trembling. Everything returned to its calm and peaceful state. Although this all took time to describe it happened in only a few breaths of time. ** ** ** ** An hour had passed by. The boy, however, still lay there with his eyes closed and his body unmoving. From afar, a man shouting could be heard. ¡°Alexander!...Alex, where are you!?¡± A quarter of an hour passed before the shrubbery near the boy started to move. A tall, well-built man wearing plain clothes was pushing his way through the shrubbery. His black shoulder-length hair appeared very ragged. When he saw Alex, panic flashed across his face as he rushed to Alex''s side. Stammering, the man urgently asked, ¡°Alexander! Are you okay!? Hey wake up! Alexander!!¡± Getting no response from him, the man looked around and then proceeded to pick Alex up into his arms. He started to move back through the way he came, as he called out in a frantic voice, ¡°Laylah!!...Laylah!! I found him!! Where are you! Come quick, he may be injured!!!¡± His voice echoed out in the forest startling some of the small forest critters. The man continued to rush through the forest calling for someone. As the man was jogging through the forest with Alex in his arms, a woman''s voice called out, ¡°Kaesan!! I''m here!¡± Hearing her voice, the man started to sprint in the direction it came from. By the time he reached the woman, his face was covered in sweat and he could feel his pulse pounding frantically in his ears. The woman, upon seeing him was at first rejoiced but then instantly her face paled as she saw Alex''s bloodstained clothes. She worriedly called out, ¡°Kaesan! What happened!? Is he okay!?¡± The man addressed as Kaesan responded with concern plastered on his face, ¡°I don''t know Laylah! I can''t see any wounds, but he was lying in a large pool of blood!¡± The woman called Laylah said, ¡°Quickly Lay him down! I''ll inject some of my Qi into him and search for any internal injuries!¡± Kaesan gently laid Alex onto the ground with haste as Laylah came closer. Placing her hand onto Alex''s chest, she closed her eyes as a pale green glow emanated from her hand and then slowly spread to cover Alex''s whole body. Ten breaths worth of time passed as she remained in the same position with her hand on his chest. Kaesan was growing distraught as he waited and watched, hoping for good news. Finally, Laylah smiled and withdrew her hand. Letting out a sigh of relief, she said happily, ¡°Everything''s okay. He has no internal injuries and there don''t appear to be any external ones.¡± Hearing this, Kaesan heaved a large sigh of relief as he wiped the sweat off of his brow. ¡°Thank the gods...I was so worried...¡± He said as he looked at Alex. But then he furrowed his brow as he asked, ¡°Then if everything is okay, how come he isn''t conscious?¡± With a puzzled look on her face, Laylah replied, ¡°I don''t know...It could just be that he was exhausted and collapsed. But that doesn''t explain the blood and the state of his clothes...For now let''s just bring him back home and let him rest. When he wakes up, we can ask him what happened.¡± Kaesan nodded as he said, ¡°Alright, let''s get going then. Being this deep in the forest isn''t safe.¡± While he spoke, he picked Alex back up into his arms and carried him alongside Laylah, as they traveled north. ** ** ** ** Alex opened his eyes to be greeted by a familiar ceiling. ''E-eh? Where...'' As he pondered where he was, he looked around. ''Oh, I''m in my bedroom?'' He tried to move his arm to bring his hand into view and it easily obeyed his command. ''W-what? Weren''t my arms...broken?...Was all of that a dream?'' He flipped his blanket to the side and also saw that his legs were no longer bent in unnatural directions. ''Was that really a dream?...It all felt...so real.'' As he was thinking this, he was staring at his hand as he repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fist. ''I feel...so full of strength...just what is going on?'' As he was in the middle of contemplating his situation, the door to his bedroom slowly opened as a woman who looked to be in her early thirties with sable-black hair that fell to her waist, carried in a tray with food on it. As she entered the room, she noticed Alex sitting upright on his bed. In a relieved tone, she immediately exclaimed, ¡°Alexander! Oh thank the gods! You''re awake!¡± The woman quickly brought the tray over to the end table near the bed and set it down. She then embraced Alex in a hug. Surprised, Alex uttered, ¡°M-mom, what''s going on?¡± The woman released Alex from her embrace and smiled, while she said, ¡°Honey, we were so worried about you. You''ve been unconscious for five days...¡± Alex was startled when he heard this, he stuttered a little as he asked, ¡°Five days? What happened? How did I end up here?¡± Giving him a warm smile, she said, ¡°Your father and I were worried when you hadn''t come home by nightfall, so we set out to look for you. We asked around town to see if anyone had seen you and were lucky enough that someone did. They said they spotted a boy who matched your description being led out of town by five older boys, who judging by their robes, looked like they belonged to a sect.¡± She paused there to take a breath and then continued, ¡°We followed after the direction that they were seen leading you in and we ended up in the forest, since that was the only place they could''ve gone. When we couldn''t find a trace of you, we started to panic. We yelled and looked for you for hours.¡± Tears started to form in the corner of her eyes as she continued speaking, ¡°When your father finally found you...you were unconscious, lying in a pool of blood and your clothes were torn beyond recognition. Your father almost had a heart attack when he saw you. He quickly carried you to me and I was able to investigate your body with my Qi. Luckily you had no injuries...Just what happened out there? Why were you in that state?¡± Alex looked at a loss as he was thinking how to answer his mother, ''I can''t tell her I was almost killed...Even if I did, I doubt she would believe me. I mean, I''m not even wounded...I can''t tell her the truth, I need to make something up.'' His mother was looking inquisitively at him, while waiting for his answer. After thinking for a moment, Alex furrowed his brow and slightly shook his head as he smiled wryly, ¡°I-I...don''t know...The last thing I remember, was walking into the forest with those boys...¡± His mother frowned then said, ¡°Who were those boys? Some townspeople said that they looked like they were from a sect...What were you doing going along with them?¡± Alex shrugged as he replied, ¡°I met them in the market. We talked for a little while and they noticed I was interested in cultivation, so they offered to show me some of their techniques. But they said that they couldn''t in the town since there wasn''t enough space.¡± His mother furrowed her brow and narrowed her eyes. Noticing this, Alex quickly said, ¡°T-they were really nice. After we entered the forest, they showed me how they could break a tree in half with just a punch...It was amazing. Afterwards they left, but I stayed behind. Once they were gone I went further into the forest...then I woke up here...¡± Letting out a breath of relief, his mother embraced him in another hug, ¡°I was so worried. I''m just glad you''re okay...¡± After she said that, she separated from him and then scolded, ¡°Never do that again! Your father and I were so concerned...¡± Alex warmly smiled as he apologized, ¡°I''m sorry mom. I didn''t mean to scare you guys.¡± His mother sighed as she rubbed the back of her neck, ¡°Just never do that again. I''m so glad you''re okay...I''ll go let your father know. You should take it easy for the rest of the day though, okay?¡± Nodding, he said, ¡°Okay mom. I''ll stay in bed.¡± She smiled and nodded, ¡°Good. Rest well.¡± With that said, she left his room and closed the door. Alex remained sitting on his bed thinking, ''There is no way I can tell my parents that those boys beat me to death''s door...If I did, I''m sure they would become frantic. I swear, if I ever have power, no one will get away with treating me or my family like that ever again.'' As he thought to there he stood up and walked over to the mirror that was mounted on the wall of his bedroom. As he reached the mirror, he examined his reflection. A boy standing at 1.4 meters tall, that appeared to be about twelve years old with dark raven-black shoulder-length hair and ice-blue eyes stared back at him. ''Huh, nothing''s different.'' Alex thought as he observed his reflection. He stepped closer to the mirror and pulled off his shirt. ''Eh? What happened to that scar? I used to have a really light scar on my waist...'' He raised his eyebrow as he looked closer. ''My wounds are all healed...My old scar is gone...Just what happened?'' Slightly shaking his head, he put his shirt back on and walked back over to his bed. Looking out the window he muttered, ¡°It''s noon already?¡± He laid back down onto his bed and crossed his arms behind his head. He stared at the ceiling for a moment before closing his eyes and thinking to himself, ''I hope I don''t encounter those boys again...'' Shortly after, Alex fell asleep. ** ** ** ** Time quickly passed by. It was already morning. ¡°Alex, It''s morning, wake up.¡± A woman''s voice sounded out close to his ear. Jerking awake, Alex blurted, ¡°Eh! W-what?¡± Noticing his mother sitting on the edge of his bed, he slowly sat up and said, ¡°...Oh, mom. Good morning.¡± Giggling, she replied, ¡°Sorry if I startled you. Your father wanted to make sure you were okay yesterday, but I convinced him to let you rest.¡± Alex smiled as he said, ¡°Thanks mom.¡± She slightly nodded, ¡°Mn. Breakfast is ready and your father is waiting for you at the kitchen table. So get dressed and come down, okay?¡± Alex nodded, ¡°Sure, I''ll be out in a minute.¡± With that said, his mother leaned in and kissed him on the forehead, then got up and left the room. After Alex got dressed in some plain clothes and checked his reflection to make sure he was still okay, he left his room and headed towards the kitchen. As he got there, he saw a man who looked to be in his late thirties with charcoal colored shoulder-length hair sitting at a table. Alex quickly called out, ¡°Good morning, dad!¡± Hearing his son''s voice, he immediately smiled and got up, rushing over to him. ¡°Alex! You''re okay! Thank the gods!¡± As he exclaimed this, he gave his son a bear hug. ¡°Do you have any idea how worried we were?¡± Alex coughed a little as he groaned, ¡°D-dad! I can''t breathe! You''re smothering me!¡± Laughing, he released Alex from the hug and said, ¡°Haha, sorry about that. I was just so overjoyed that you''re alright.¡± Smiling, he said, ¡°Come, sit down, breakfast is ready.¡± His father sat back down at the table and Alex followed suit. Once they were seated, Alex''s mother brought over a couple of plates with eggs and bacon on them, placing them in front of Alex and his father. ¡°This looks delicious mom!¡± Chuckling, she said, ¡°Eat up, there''s plenty more left.¡± Hearing this, his father smiled and said, ¡°Alex, make sure to eat a lot. Since you''ve been out for five days, you''ve got some work to do today.¡± Alex gave a wry smile as he responded, ¡°Right. Sorry about that dad.¡± His father laughed and said, ¡°Hahaha, no problem. I''ve managed the shop just fine these past days without you. It''s just that some more shipments of ingredients came in yesterday and they still need to be moved to the storehouse.¡± Alex nodded and said, ¡°I''ll get to it right away.¡± When his mother heard the response, she frowned slightly as she said, ¡°Kaesan, can''t you let him rest a little more. He just woke up from being unconscious for five days. He should take it easy.¡± Chuckling, Kaesan retorted, ¡°Laylah, Alex is a boy and soon to be man. We can''t keep babying him. Besides, it''ll be good for him to get some exercise after laying in bed for so long.¡± Laylah shook her head, ¡°I don''t agree, he should take it easy...What if he relapses or some-¡± Alex interjected, cutting his mother off, ¡°-Mom, Dad. I''m fine. I want to help dad at the shop. I could use the activity. I feel stiff all over from being in bed for so many days.¡± Laylah looked at Alex, concern showing on her face, ¡°Are you sure dear? I don''t want you to strain yourself.¡± Alex just smiled as he answered, ¡°Yea mom. I''m sure.¡± Laylah nodded and then said to Kaesan, ¡°Alright then. I''ll drop it. Just make sure he''s careful. Let him rest if he needs it.¡± Kaesan nodded and comforted Laylah, ¡°I''ll be sure to look after him sweetheart. Don''t worry so much. If you do, you''ll have a head full of grey hair in no time. Hahaha.¡± ** ** ** ** Alex and his family lived in a standard two-story house with three bedrooms. Two of which were upstairs while the other was downstairs. His room was on the second floor and his parent''s bedroom was located on the first floor. The house had a small kitchen, a decent sized living room and a bathroom. This house was the product of his father''s work as a physician. Thanks to the money he made, they were able to afford to live in a home within the town''s walls. It was convenient since their family''s medicinal shop is about a five minute walk away. After they had finished eating breakfast, Alex and Kaesan left their house. As they walked through the street, Alex couldn''t help but notice that it seemed a bit busier than normal. He asked his father who was walking slightly in front of him, ¡°Hey, dad. Why is it so busy? Is something going on?¡± Kaesan slowed down his pace. When he was next to Alex he said, ¡°Hahaha, yeah son. Since you were out for a while, you might not know. There''s some kind of tournament for cultivators being held in the city of Autumnwell. So all sorts of people are flocking there to watch and participate...Since our town is only a few hours away from the city, we''re seeing a boom in traffic as a bunch of people who couldn''t stay at the city are staying here.¡± Alex widened his eyes slightly and nodded, ¡°Ah, so that''s what''s going on.¡± After he thought for a moment he blurted, ¡°Oh, dad! This would be good for business then right!? With so many people, a lot of whom are cultivators coming through, there would probably be a lot of fights.¡± Chuckling Kaesan replied, ¡°Haha, Indeed. These past few days, business has gone up. Although I''m only a physician and not an alchemist, my medicinal pellets are selling pretty well...¡± He sighed as he continued on, ¡°If only I were an alchemist...Our families status would be so high...We would make so much money selling pills...To dream hahaha...¡± Alex smiled wryly at his dad''s comment. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ** ** ** ** Cultivators were individuals who trained and tempered their bodies with Qi. This would allow them to execute techniques and martial arts that were fueled by Qi, which only they were capable of. They are much stronger than the average human. It was extremely common for Cultivators to fight over the most minor disputes. Thus, Physicians and Alchemists were of great value to them. Physicians were ordinary people or cultivators that refined medicinal ointments, potions, elixirs or pellets that could aid in healing wounds, curing poison and etc from different ingredients. Where as Alchemists were always cultivators. To become an alchemist required an individual to have an aptitude for both fire and wood element Qi. These individuals were relatively rare. Alchemists could create the same things that physicians were able to. However, Alchemists were capable of far, far more. They could refine medicinal pills that were perfectly spherical unlike physicians who could only refine pellets, whose shape was more elongated and oval. Medicinal pills were created from ingredients found in the world, such as herbs and a slight infusion of Qi. The ingredients would be refined in an alchemist''s flame element Qi. There are many different types of pills that can be created, all of which have great effects. Thus, both occupations were valued by cultivators. However, Alchemists had a far greater value than Physicians due to their pill refining abilities. Being friends or having an alchemist with great skill that you could call on could be extremely beneficial. Some alchemists depending on their skill and ability, could be worth more than owning a rare treasure, a town, a city or even a small kingdom. As such, alchemists were highly sought after and people readily avoided offending them as alchemists could easily gather allies to assist them should they ever need to. It could be said that every physician''s dream was to become an alchemist. Most of whom could never succeed, due to the fact that it requires both fire and wood element Qi. When a person is birthed, they are born with an innate aptitude for certain Qi elements. There are many different elements. Although some elements may be passed down to the offspring from the parents, the newborn may still gain a different element or even not have the elements that their parents had. An individual having fire and wood element Qi was slightly uncommon. However, even if one had the dual elements, they would still need to have enough skill to control their Qi in the refining process of pills. As the slightest misstep could incinerate the ingredients. ** ** ** ** Kaesan continued to daydream as he and Alex walked to their shop. As they walked over towards a building that had a sign hanging outside of it which read: Hartlow Family''s Medicinal Supplies, Alex spoke, waking his father from his reverie, ¡°Dad, we''re here.¡± Kaesan started as he replied, ¡°O-oh. Wow that was quick.¡± Laughing, Alex said, ¡°Hahaha. It was because you were daydreaming dad.¡± Slightly furrowing his brow and giving a wry smile, Kaesan said, ¡°Heh, quiet you. Let''s get to work.¡± Alex nodded as he responded, ¡°Mn. So where are the ingredients that you need moved?¡± Kaesan smiled as he unlocked the door to the shop and entered with Alex in tow, ¡°They''re in the back. There''s an awful lot this time around though.¡± As they walked through the shop, they reached the back room. Once there, Alex couldn''t help but widen his eyes and gawk slightly, ¡°D-dad...you''re kidding right?¡± Before Alex''s eyes, was a large amount of crates stacked up to the ceiling. Chuckling, Kaesan said to Alex, ¡°You better get to work. There''s plenty of room in the storehouse out back.¡± Alex could only smile wryly as he shook his head. Letting out a slight sigh, he said, ¡°Alright...I better get to it.¡± Kaesan nodded as he patted Alex on the back, ¡°Haha, atta-boy. I''ll leave you to it then. I''m gonna prepare to open up the shop for the day.¡± He then left Alex by himself in the back room. ''Alright, guess I''ll start with these'' Alex thought to himself as he walked over to a nearby crate and picked it up. ''Ugh, these are kinda heavy. This is going to be a pain...'' Alex proceeded to carry the crate outside through the back door and into the rear courtyard of the store. Once there he went straight to the storehouse and entered it. He walked over to a corner of the room and set the crate on the ground. After he did so, he muttered, ¡°One down...countless more to go.¡± ** ** ** ** Alex had just lifted the tenth crate and was carrying it to the storehouse located outside in the shop''s back courtyard. Abruptly, the crate fell from his hands and cracked open as it hit the ground. Alex was standing there with a dumbfounded look on his face as he muttered, ¡°W-what is this?...Am I...hallucinating?¡± When he was carrying the crate to the storehouse, all of a sudden a weird chime rang out and a blue rectangle with text on it, appeared in his vision. *Ting*
You have gained 1 Strength (+1 STR)
Alex was alarmed as he looked at the blue screen. ¡°I gained one strength? What?¡± As he mumbled, he tried touching the blue screen. His finger passed directly through the screen as if it didn''t exist. ¡°E-eh!?¡± He let out a surprised gasp. He tried looking elsewhere in the courtyard, but everywhere he looked, the box stayed glued to the same position in his vision. ''Disappear damn it!'' As he thought this, the box immediately vanished. ¡°Huh!? That made it go away?¡± He uttered aloud. A single breaths worth of time passed before another blue square appeared in his sight. *Ting*
Congratualions!! You have been blessed by the gods! If you would like to read the tutorial please speak or think "Yes"
Alex was stunned as he read this box. ''What the hell is going on!? Blessed by the gods? Tutorial? Think yes?'' His thoughts were interrupted as another box appeared. *Ting*
You have chosen to read the tutorial. This tutorial is short but contains vital information.Please read thoroughly.
The blue box vanished and not even half a breath later, a new blue screen flashed into existence. *Ting*
You may be startled by these blue screens that keep appearing. Fret not. For these are Status Update Windows.Otherwise known as Status Windows. They bear no harm.
Reading what the screen said, Alex was flabbergasted. ''Status update windows? Then that means I gained one strength!? Huh!?'' As he thought this, the screen vanished and a new one appeared in its place. *Ting*
The following are a list of commands and their functions. These can be issued verbally or mentally.Should you forget these commands, simply speak or think help and these commands shall reappear.
Once more the screen vanished as a new window popped into being. Although Alex was slightly dazed he continued to read everything that was displayed. *Ting*
Help ¡°Function¡± ¨C will display and explain the purpose or use of any function. Open Status Window ¨C opens the status window displaying various information.Open Skill Window ¨C opens the skill window displaying all known skills. Open Ability Window ¨C opens the ability window displaying all known abilities.Open Profession Window ¨C opens the profession window displaying all known professions. Open World Map ¨C displays world map. Unknown areas will be covered by fog.Open Local Map ¨C displays all local known locations. Unknown areas will be covered by fog. Open Mini-map ¨C displays a small local map in the upper right corner of your view.Open Character Menu ¨C opens character menu displaying equipment and other information. Open Inventory ¨C opens the inventory to allow storage or removal of items.Open Reputation Window ¨C displays the reputation window. Keeps track of all reputation gained with various groups and factions. Open Quest Log ¨C displays quest log. Keeps track of all requests or tasks, ongoing and finished.Display Clock ¨C displays current time in upper right corner of your view. Show Health ¨C displays a health bar in the upper left corner of your view.Show Energy ¨C displays an energy bar in the upper left corner of your view. Show Qi ¨C displays a Qi bar in the upper left corner of your view.Show Experience ¨C displays an experience bar at the bottom of your view. Show Log ¨C displays a record of all recently obtained status windows.Equip/Unequip ¡°Item¡± ¨C puts on or removes any piece of equipment. Dismiss ¨C dismiss or any similar word will close any status window.
Alex read everything that had appeared, leaving him with his mouth slightly agape. ''So according to these...ummm, status windows...then I was blessed by the gods?'' He brought his hand to his chin as he was deep in thought, ''But when would that have happened? Nothing out of the ordinary happened to me lately except for those five boys almost killing me...'' As if he struck some sort of sudden realization, he widened his eyes and slightly gasped, ''That...that has to be it...When I woke up I was completely healed and I even feel like I had more strength then before. That''s the only thing that I think could explain it...So something happened to me in between the time I fell unconscious and the time I regained my consciousness...'' Another chime rang out as he was thinking. ''Haha, this could be great!...Alright, I wonder wh-'' Interrupting his thoughts was his father''s voice, ¡°Alex! What happened!? I heard a loud noise, are you alright!?¡± Kaesan ran over to him from inside of the shop. As he reached Alex he quickly looked him over. Alex panicked as he saw his father examining him. ¡°Uhh, dad. Do you see anything?¡± Kaesan had a puzzled look as he gazed at his son. ¡°Do I see anything? Yea...I see a broken crate. What happened?¡± Alex let out a sigh of relief as he gazed at the ground for a moment, ''Apparently he can''t see this status window...does that mean I''m the only one that can?'' Waking him from his thoughts was Kaesan snapping his fingers in front of Alex''s face. ¡°Alexander. Are you okay? You were spacing out.¡± Lifting his head and hurriedly nodding, Alex frowned as he replied, ¡°Yea dad. I''m fine. I''m sorry about the ingredients. I tripped and ended up dropping the crate.¡± Kaesan smiled as he chuckled, ¡°Haha, don''t worry about it, son. I thought you may have collapsed or hurt yourself. Why don''t you take a break for a little bit.¡± Abruptly, Alex heard another chime ring out and looked around but there wasn''t any new window, just the same one with the long list of options. Alex shook his head as he said, ¡°No dad, that''s okay. I should clean up the mess I made.¡± Kaesan chuckled once more as he responded, ¡°Haha, nonsense. You just woke up from being unconscious for five days. Maybe this is an aftereffect or something. Let''s go inside the shop. You can sit at the counter and help me manage any of the customers.¡± Alex smiled as he replied, ¡°Alright dad, if you say so.¡± Kaesan patted him on the back as they made their way towards the inside of the shop. Alex and his father entered the shop''s main room. Alex sat on a stool at the front counter as Kaesan continued to prepare things to open up the store for the day. As he watched his father set things up, Alex looked back towards the status window that was on the edge of his vision. ''Huh...so when I look away from it, the status window shifts to the side of my sight. That''s pretty convenient...Now then...Dismiss.'' As he thought this, the blue status window vanished from his sight. A breath''s worth of time later another chime sounded out as a brand new status window appeared. *Ting*
You have gained 1 Wisdom (+1 WIS)
*Ting*
You have gained 1 Charisma (+1 CHA) Congratulations! You have learned the skill [Deception - Beginner]
Alex widened his eyes as he grinned, ''I learned a new skill!? Eh? Wait, was that from when I told dad that I tripped?'' Another chime rang out. ''Another one? What now?'' Alex dismissed the window. Another breath''s worth of time later a new status window popped up. *Ting*
You have gained 1 Wisdom (+1 WIS)
After reading the status windows that appeared, Alex dismissed them. ''Huh. So I gained one wisdom from figuring out how I learned Deception? Amazing. Wait, what was the first message for...oh wait, was it from when I was trying to figure out how I was blessed? That must be it! I gain wisdom for figuring things out!? This is so incredible!'' Alex looked over to his father. He was currently setting out some potions and elixirs onto a counter. ''Dad is still setting up, so I guess I have some time...Let''s see...Open Status Window.'' As soon as he thought it, a large blue rectangle appeared before him with various information on it. *Ting*
Name: Alexander Hartlow
Age: 12
Level: 0XP: 0/100
Health: 10/10Qi: 10/10
Energy: 88/100Satiety: 90/100
Titles: None
Stats: Distributable Points: 0
Constitution: 1Intelligence: 1
Vitality: 1Wisdom: 3
Stamina: 1Endurance: 1
Strength: 2Charisma: 2
Agility: 1Dexterity: 1
Luck: 50???
??????
??????
??????
??????
Attack: 1Defense: 0
Element Resistance: None
Additional Information:
Race: HumanGender: Male
Element Affinity: All Elements
Alignment: NeutralAllegiance: Undeclared
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Chapter II Chapter II Alex was a little stunned as he let everything he had just read, sink in. As he was sitting at the shop''s counter, he thought to himself, ''Wow...so much stuff...Constitution and Vitality? Aren''t they the same?...Help Constitution. Help Vitality.'' As soon as he thought it, two blue rectangles popped into existence directly next to the large status window. *Ting*
Constitution (CON): represents your health. Increasing Constitution will increase your overall health.
*Ting*
Vitality (VIT): overall lifespan, the speed at which wounds heal, as well as the resistance to disease and poisons. Increasing Vitality will increase your resistance to disease and poisons, overall lifespan, as well as the speed at which wounds heal.
''No way!'' Alex exclaimed mentally. ''So if I can increase my vitality enough...could I become immune to disease and poisons!? Overall lifespan!? Doesn''t that mean...I could become immortal?...This stuff is incredible...Blessed by the gods huh? I definitely need to thank them if I ever get the chance...'' He dismissed the two windows and turned his attention back to all of his stats. ''Hmm, well might as well figure out just what everything does...Help Endurance. Help Stamina.'' Alex proceeded to ask for help with every attribute. As he did so, a bunch of windows appeared before him. *Ting*
Endurance (END): ability to endure pain. Increasing Endurance will increase your pain tolerance.
Stamina (STA): overall amount of energy you have. Increasing Stamina will increase your total energy.
Strength (STR): self-explanatory. Increasing Strength will increase your overall strength as well as muscle mass.
Agility (AGI): the ability to move quickly and easily. Increasing Agility will increase speed and nimbleness. Will also increase your body''s overall litheness (balances muscle mass.)
Dexterity (DEX): skill or adroitness in using the hands or body. Increasing Dexterity will improve your overall flexibility, hand co-ordination, etc. Will also increase your body''s overall litheness (balances muscle mass.)
Charisma (CHA): represents your overall charm, magnetism and presence. Increasing Charisma will increase the aforementioned attributes as well as make people like you more. Increasing this will also make you appear more attractive.
Intelligence (INT): capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding and similar forms of mental activity. Increasing Intelligence will improve all of the above as well as make you more intelligent and improve your memory.
Wisdom (WIS): ability to think and solve problems quickly. Increasing Wisdom will increase the speed at which you are capable of thinking at, as well as increasing the rate at which Qi is naturally restored.
Luck (LCK): good fortune; advantage or success, considered as the result of chance. Luck effects everything you do in a small way, sometimes for the better or worse.
Attack (ATK): the amount of damage you can do. A higher attack rating will allow you to deal more damage.
Defense (DEF): the amount of defense you have. Higher defense rating will allow you to take less damage from physical external forces.
Once again Alex was astonished. ''By the gods...Then according to this...If I increase all of these stats to extremely high numbers....won''t I become invincible!?'' As he thought to here, he began to rejoice mentally, ''Hahahaha! The gods must have heard my prayers when I was at death''s door. Thank you so much!!...With this...'' His thoughts were interrupted as his father called out, ¡°Alex! I''m going to open the shop now, so no more daydreaming. Haha.¡± Alex had a beaming smile as he responded, ¡°Haha, sure thing dad.¡± Kaesan raised an eyebrow as he viewed his son. Shrugging, Kaesan flipped the sign on the door to say open and unlocked the door. Alex was back in his thoughts as he and his father waited for customers. ''With this, I''ll be able to reach unimaginable heights! Could I even become a cultivator!?'' As if he realized something, he thought, ''Help Element Affinity''. As soon as he thought it, a blue status window flashed into existence. *Ting*
Element Affinity: Your compatibility with the different Qi elements.
Alex widened his eyes as he read the status window. Excitedly, he thought, ''It said all elements for my affinity!...T-then! Doesn''t this mean...that I can use all the elements!?...I-I...could become an Alchemist!?'' His thoughts were disturbed as Kaesan called out, ¡°Alex! Go out back and fetch some of the Eccu Leaf.¡± As he heard his father he hurriedly nodded and went outside. About a minute later he came back inside with a satchel in hand. ¡°Here it is dad.¡± He said as he handed the satchel to his father. Kaesan patted Alex on the head as he received the satchel. ¡°Thanks.¡± Kaesan then turned to the customer who had entered while Alex was lost in his thoughts earlier. ¡°Here you go, Harry. Six ounces of Eccu Leaf and four ounces of Ebbeley. It sure is surprising to see you here first thing in the morning though. Did something happen?¡± The customer was a middle-aged gentleman, with short brown hair. He placed ten silver coins on the counter as he took the herbs, ¡°Thanks Kaesan, these cultivators are a little troublesome. There was a fight in my tavern yesterday and you wouldn''t believe the damage they did. My son and I were slightly injured from the stray attacks...¡± Kaesan gave a wry smile as he said, ¡°I''m sorry to hear that Harry. At least you two weren''t seriously injured or worse.¡± As he said this, he pushed five of the silver coins back across the counter towards Harry. Noticing this, Harry questioned, ¡°Kaesan, I thought that these herbs were one silver an ounce?¡± Kasean chuckled and smiled as he spoke, ¡°Haha, Harry we''re old friends. There''s no way I could charge you full price.¡± Harry was taken aback as he said, ¡°But...Kaesan, I can''t...¡± Kaesan interrupted him, ¡°Haha, Harry, with the business my shop has been receiving, this amount really isn''t much. So please.¡± Smiling wryly, Harry took the five silver off the counter as he said, ¡°Heh, thanks Kaesan, I appreciate it...Stop by my tavern sometime and I''ll treat you n'' your boy to a drink.¡± Kaesan laughed as he replied, ¡°Hahaha, Harry, Alex''s only twelve. He''s too young to be drinking.¡± Harry chuckled as he reached the door, ¡°Then I''ll treat you to an ale and your son to a juice, haha. See ya later Kaesan.¡± Kaesan waved to Harry as he left the shop. Watching Harry leave the shop, Alex asked Kaesan, ¡°Hey dad. Can I go back to moving those crates now?¡± Kaesan raised an eyebrow as he looked towards Alex. ¡°Eh? You want to go back to work already? You turning over a new leaf? Hahaha. Sure, go ahead son.¡± Alex smiled as he said, ¡°Thanks¡± and proceeded towards the back room. Once there, he smiled to himself as he thought, ''Alright, so those were my stats in the status window...then what about the skill window?...Open Skill Window.'' As he thought this, a blue status window popped up into his view along with the sound of a chime. *Ting*
You have acquired the skill [Identify ¨C Beginner]
Skills: Deception Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner (Passive) ¨C the skill of deceiving others. Allows the user to be more successful in the art of misleading and lying to others. Identify Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C allows you to attempt to identify any item. Successful attempts will allow you to see various detailed information about the item.
As he read this, he was thinking, ''Alright, so the only skills I have right now are Deception and Identify...I learned deception from lying to dad...Does that mean that I can learn all sorts of skills, simply by doing things. I wonder what qualifies as a skill though...Hmm, well I can figure that out after...Now then Identify, uh how did I learn this? All I did was open up the skill window...Huh, maybe I''ll figure it out later...'' Alex thought to himself as he pondered about the Identify skill. Shrugging his shoulders, he continued to think, ''Now then, umm what next...uhh, dismiss...Open Ability Window.'' As soon as he thought the word dismiss, the skills window vanished. Then as he thought the latter part, another blue status window appeared along with the sound of multiple chimes. *Ting*
You have acquired the ability [Qi Enhancement ¨C Beginner]
*Ting*
You have acquired the ability [Genesis ¨C Beginner]
*Ting*
You have acquired the ability [The Empyreal Body]
*Ting*
Abilities: Qi Enhancement Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C allows the user to channel their Qi into any item to enhance its capabilities permanently. Genesis Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C allows the user to create any item that they can imagine so long as they have enough Qi. The Empyreal Body (Passive) ¨C you possess a body that came from the very heavens themselves. All 64 Qi Vein Entrances are open. Allows for unimaginable potential growth. Grants affinity with all Qi elements.
Alex read the list of his abilities and couldn''t help from gawking in astonishment. Alex stuttered to himself mentally, ''This...With this...I can become a cultivator!...I could even create things and improve them...This is simply unbelievable! By the gods!...With this...'' His face was currently turning red as he was imagining all of the possibilities. Interrupting his thoughts was a man''s voice, ¡°Alex! What are you doing? I came to check on you and I find you staring out into space.¡± Alex was startled but quickly recovered as he replied, ¡°Ah! Dad! Sorry. I was just lost in thought.¡± Kaesan raised an eyebrow as he asked, ¡°Are you sure you''re alright? You''re acting awfully funny.¡± Alex smiled wryly and shook his head, ¡°I''m fine dad. I was just thinking about some things.¡± Kaesan furrowed his brow as he asked, ¡°Is it about those boys from that sect?¡± Alex hastily shook his head, ¡°No. It''s not. But it sorta has some relation to them since their cultivators.¡± Kaesan pulled a few crates over and stacked them up. Afterwards he sat down on them as he said, ¡°Well, you want to tell me about it?¡± Alex chuckled as he saw his dad''s reaction, he fidgeted as he said, ¡°Haha, sure dad...Well, I was just thinking that maybe...it would be possible for me to become....a cultivator.¡± Kaesan went wide-eyed as he heard what his son had said. ¡°You want to become a cultivator?¡± Alex nodded, ¡°Yea, I do.¡± Kaesan sighed and then gave a slight nod, ¡°Being a cultivator is no easy thing, you know...It takes a lot of hard work and effort. Some people would say that it takes talent more than anything else. But that''s not true. Hard work and effort can achieve the same results as talent...although it may take slightly longer...But, you may have a slight knack for it, since your mother is a cultivator. Maybe you inherited some of her talent.¡± He brought his hand to his chin as he was pondering something. Alex stood there attentively while remaining silent. Finally after a couple of minutes passed, Kaesan said with a smile on his face, ¡°Well son, no matter what you do in life, I''ll support you. So if you want to become a cultivator, then I''ll stand behind you all the way...¡± His face turned solemn as he continued, ¡°We''ll just have to talk to your mother. If she gives the okay, then it''s fine by me.¡± Alex had a beaming smile as he said, ¡°Alright, I''ll ask her when we get home later. Thanks dad!¡± Kaesan laughed a little, ¡°Hahaha, alright son! Let''s get back to work!¡± Alex nodded then proceeded to pick up a crate and move it towards the storehouse. ** ** ** ** A few hours had gone by when Alex had just finished moving the last crate into the storehouse. As he set it down on top of some other crates, he had a beaming grin on his face. ''Hahaha. This status stuff is amazing! Over the past hours, I''ve gained three more strength and one stamina! It doesn''t seem like a lot but I can feel a minor difference already. This is so awesome.'' As he wiped the sweat off his brow, he left the storehouse and proceeded towards the shop. ''Alright, I got distracted by moving those crates. Time to see what the rest of those commands do. Open Profession Window.'' While he was walking a blue status window appeared. *Ting*
Professions: None
Raising an eyebrow at the window, he thought, ''No professions huh...well I guess that''s true. Haha, alright next. Dismiss. Open World Map.'' As he thought this the former box disappeared as a new large blue square appeared. The moment it appeared he stopped moving. As he viewed it, he thought, ''This is the world map? All I see is black with a speck of green.'' He tried to touch the map but his hand went right through it. Befuddled, he thought, ''Hmm...so touching it does nothing...then what about, ummm....zoom in.'' As he thought this, the map abruptly zoomed in to the point of the green speck. As it got closer and closer he could make out more details. ''Eh! No way! That''s the town we live in! The town of Solaris! Holy crap! Wow, it even has all of the grasslands nearby and even the forest.'' The map kept zooming in. Finally it stopped as a white triangle was in the center of the screen surrounded by various sized squares and rectangles. ''What''s that triangle?'' While he thought this he turned around in a circle observing his surroundings. As he turned, the map stayed in the center of his view and as it did so he noticed something. The triangle was spinning in a circle as well. ''No way! That triangle is me!?'' He turned to his left and the triangle copied him. ''Haha! Amazing! It is me!...Then those shapes around me must be the buildings?...'' As he was standing in the center of the back courtyard of the shop, he looked up into the sky. ''Hmm, so is this the view from above then?'' He joyously smiled as he thought, ''With this, it''ll be impossible for me to get lost!'' Alex dismissed the world map and continued to move towards the shop''s back door. ''Open Local Map'' he thought as he made his way forward. Another large rectangle appeared that was mostly black. Stopping in his tracks again, he thought, ''Uhh...So this one is different...Zoom in.'' He examined the map closely as it zoomed in to center on a small white circle. ''Huh, so if it''s like the world map, then is that white circle me?'' He stepped forward a little bit and as he did so, the white dot moved with him. ''Holy crap! Okay, so that is definitely me then. Awesome!'' As he inspected the map, he saw a slightly different view than on the world map. The shapes that represented the buildings were different. He could only see one squarish shape with lines going through it. He could no longer see any of the other buildings as they were all covered in black a black fog. ''What are those lines?'' As he thought this he walked over to the shop''s back door and opened it. While he passed through the doorway, he noticed something once more. ''I just walked through one of the lines...Oh! There was a little square like thing in the line. So those lines are the walls and that squarish thing was a doorway? Then I can see all the walls and doorways on this map...'' He pondered for a moment as he stood in the doorway, ''Oh! So maybe I can only see all the walls and doorways of buildings I''ve entered!?'' As he came to this realizations two chimes rang out. *Ting*
You have gained 1 Intelligence (+1 INT)
*Ting*
You have gained 1 Wisdom (+1 WIS)
''Eh!? I gained one Intelligence and Wisdom!? So I must have been right with my guess! Holy crap! This is too awesome.'' As he thought this, he dismissed the local map and walked into the shop, closing the door behind him. ''Heh. Dad was giving me one weird look as I stood there.'' He smiled towards his dad and sat down on the stool at the counter he had been sitting at earlier. After giving Alex a weird glance, Kaesan continued to deal with the customers. Alex sat there with his arms leaning on the counter as he thought, ''Open Mini-map.'' As soon as he thought it, a very similar map appeared in the upper right corner of his vision. ''Eh!? So this mini-map thing is the local map?'' As he focused on the mini-map, it suddenly enlarged filling just about his entire vision. ''Whoa'' he thought as the map expanding surprised him. He looked away from the map and as he did so, the map shrunk back to its original small size in its initial position. ''Incredible!! Then with this mini-map, there''s absolutely no way for me to be lost and I don''t even need to worry about opening up the local map. As I can just focus on the mini-map and it transforms into the local one. This is too great!'' He smiled as he viewed the mini-map. As he was sitting there smiling, a young girl''s silvery voice sounded out, ¡°Oh, happy to see me Alex?¡± Snapping out of his daze, he focused on the source of the voice. Standing in front of him leaning on the counter with her head resting on her hands was a girl who appeared no older than twelve years old. Her straight sable-black hair flowed down past her shoulders complementing her porcelain-like skin. Her eyes were a soothing emerald green that seemed to calm the soul. Continuing to smile, in a slightly surprised tone Alex said, ¡°Oh, Sarah. What are you doing here?¡± Giggling, Sarah replied, ¡°I''m here to see you! You''ve been missing forever! What happened to you?¡± Alex gave a wry smile as he answered, ¡°Ah, about that, I was sick and stuck in bed for a while. Sorry.¡± Huffing, Sarah crossed her arms and said, ¡°Why didn''t you tell me!? I could''ve came over to your house to keep you company.¡± Alex laughed as he responded, ¡°Haha Sarah, I was bedridden for five days. You know my father is a physician right? Even if you knew and came over, he would''ve kept you away from me to make sure you wouldn''t get sick as well.¡± She gave a slight wry smile as she sighed, ¡°Yeah...I guess you''re right...¡± Putting her hands on her hips, she continued in a playful tone, ¡°You know how worried I was about you!? Geez...¡± Alex smiled warmly as he responded, ¡°Sorry Sarah. I didn''t mean to make you so worried...Thank you though.¡± The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. At Alex''s last words, Sarah blushed as she stuttered, ¡°Well, it''s what friends are for, right!? Haha, hey, so...what are you doing today, are you busy?¡± Alex thought for a moment before replying, ¡°Hmm, no...I guess I''m not too busy...why?¡± With an excited smile on her face, Sarah said, ¡°Hehe, great! Guess what! There''s two cultivators who are going to be fighting a little later today!¡± She looked down towards the ground as her face started to become slightly flushed while she stuttered, ¡°Do you...want to...go with me to watch them?¡± Alex was a bit surprised but quickly answered, ¡°Yeah! That sounds like fun!¡± Jerking her head up from looking down, she grinned as she asked, ¡°R-really!?¡± Alex smiled and chuckled, ¡°Haha, yeah Sarah. Really.¡± Sarah''s face was glowing as she softly smiled and said, ¡°I''ll meet you at the front of your shop in a few hours okay? Then we can go together and watch the duel.¡± Nodding, Alex replied, ¡°Alright, that sounds good. See you then.¡± Sarah waved and said, ¡°Bye, see you later¡± as she left the shop. Kaesan walked over from nearby. As he reached Alex, he patted him on the back and jokingly said, ¡°Haha, so you''re going on a date with your girlfriend later huh?¡± Alex''s cheeks slightly turned red as he retorted, ¡°W-what!? What g-girlfriend!? We''re just friends and we''re going to go watch some cultivators duel later.¡± Kaesan chortled as he said, ¡°Hahaha, alright son. Whatever you say...You can have the rest of the day off, okay?¡± Alex grinned and nodded, ¡°Thanks dad!¡± Patting Alex on the head, Kaesan nodded, ¡°Mn. Just make sure you''re careful later. Depending on their ranks, a duel between cultivators can be dangerous even for spectators.¡± Alex gave a slight nod assenting, ¡°Right dad. I''ll be careful...I''m gonna stay here at the shop till then okay?¡± ¡°Sure bud. That''s fine.¡± As he responded, Kaesan had started walking over towards the other side of the shop. ''Alright, now I''ve got a few hours to myself.'' Alex thought as he continued to sit at the counter. As he sat there, he shifted his eyes to the upper right. ''The mini-map is still there. Great...So I guess it stays there until I dismiss it?...Well, let''s give it a try. Dismiss.'' Nothing happened as the mini-map remained in its position. ''Huh...maybe, dismiss mini-map?'' This time the mini-map vanished. Mentally sighing in realization he thought, ''Ahh, so I actually needed to specify the mini-map. Alright then, let''s bring it back! Open Mini-map.'' As he thought it, the mini-map instantly re-appeared in the upper right corner of his vision. ''Great. Okay, so next let''s try the character menu. Open Character Menu.'' As soon as he finished thinking it, a decent sized blue rectangle appeared in the middle-left of his vision. In it, was two identical images of Alex. One was a view from the front while the other was a view from the side. ''E-eh?...That''s me!'' Examining it, he thought, ''So this is me from the front and the side? Alright then.'' As he continued to inspect it, he noticed there were many small squares lining the sides of the window. ''What are these for?'' Looking closer at them, he noticed that in four of the squares there were some icons. The moment he focused on one of them, a miniature rectangle popped up.
Brown Linen Pants
''Uhh...so that''s cool.'' As he thought this, he changed his view to the other three icons. As he did so, three more status windows appeared.
White Linen Shirt
White Linen Underwear
Brown Linen Shoes
As he viewed what the status windows said, he tried to touch the icon of his pants. The moment his finger made contact with it, he suddenly felt a chill. ''Huh, so what''s that all about?...Wonder why my finger didn''t pass through it...'' Shrugging his shoulders, he dismissed all of the windows. ''Alright, so next...how bout I try...open-'' cutting him off was Kaesan''s confused voice, ¡°Uhh...Alex.¡± Turning to look at his dad, Alex innocently asked, ¡°What''s the matter dad? Did something happen?¡± Kaesan looked befuddled as he replied, ¡°Alex, where are your pants?¡± Letting out a surprised, ¡°Huh¡± Alex looked down and noticed a lot of white skin. ¡°Uhhh...¡± he muttered as an extremely bewildered look floated onto his face. Kaesan chuckled and smiled wryly while shaking his head, ¡°You know what...I''m not even gonna ask. Just, go put them back on, alright?¡± After speaking to there, Kaesan turned around and walked away. With an embarrassed smile on his face, Alex went into the back room. ''Okay, so that was strange.'' He opened up the Character Menu again and took a close look at it. The icon that represented his pants was currently missing from the square they were in previously. ''Umm, what the hell? Where''d they go!?'' Alex was starting to panic, but suddenly a thought occurred to him, ''Wait, didn''t that help thing mention something about an inventory?...Maybe that''s it. Open Inventory.'' Mirroring his thoughts a large status window appeared. As he examined it, he noticed something. This status window was different from all of the rest. In a large white rectangle with a blue outline, there were many white squares with black trim filling it up. All of which were empty, except one. ''By the gods! There they are!'' In one of the squares sat an icon that was very similar to his pants. ''Okay, so how did they end up there?'' As he viewed the inventory window, he attempted to touch the icon for his pants. As his finger made contact, suddenly a pair of brown linen pants appeared directly in front of him in midair. As he caught the pants, he thought to himself, ''...Okay...so if I touch an item in that character menu, they get stored into the inventory? Then if I touch an item in the inventory, that item gets taken out?...Alright, I can work with this...Oh wait! Didn''t that help thing say that there was a command for equipping and unequipping? That should be how to put things on right? Only one way to find out. Equip...Pants.'' As he thought the words, nothing happened. ''Umm...what, it didn''t work?...Well, I''ll just put them on myself then.'' A couple of moments later, Alex was once more wearing his pants. Looking down at his pants, he curiously thought to himself, ''Huh...Open Character Menu.'' The same status window from earlier popped up, with views showing himself from the front and side. He inspected the window and found that the icon for his pants was back where it was previously. ''Okay...so now they''re back. I''m still curious about this Equip and Unequip thing...Well, here it goes. Unequip Pants.'' Once again, nothing happened. ''What the heck? Um, Unequip Brown Pants?'' Again, nothing happened. ''Arg! Unequip Brown Linen Pants?'' This time his pants vanished without a trace. ''Ah! It worked!...Now where did they go?'' He stood there motionlessly in the back room as he was pantless. ''Open Inventory.'' The inventory menu blinked into existence in front of him. Inside of it, he noticed that the icon for his pants was there once more. ''Ahh, okay. So when I unequip an item it goes directly to the inventory?...Equip Brown Linen Pants.'' Right as the words were thought, his brown pants immediately flashed back onto his body. Alex looked downwards, inspecting his pants. ''Alright, so that''s an amazing feature. I''m just going to have to be careful not to take them off on accident again.'' He shrugged and sighed. ''Okay. Next was the, umm....Open Reputation Window.'' Another status window flashed into reality. As he viewed it he let out a confused, ¡°Huh?¡±
Reputation
Besides the word Reputation, the rest of the box was completely blank. Shrugging and dismissing the status window, Alex thought, ''Well I guess there really isn''t anyone I''d have a reputation with? Oh well...Next up is...Open Quest Log.'' Another blue rectangle appeared in his vision.
Quest Log Go on a date: Meet with Sarah Collford at your family''s medicinal shop in a few hours.
Alex''s face started to become somewhat warm as he was reading the entry that was present in the quest log. He stuttered to himself, ¡°It''s not a date. We''re just friends. Geez.¡± Shaking his head, he dismissed the quest log window. ''Alright so what was left?'' He thought the word, ''Help'', in order to view the entire list of commands. After reading through the various commands again, he nodded. ''Alright so, Display Clock.'' As soon as the words passed through his mind, some numbers appeared in the upper right corner of his view directly underneath the mini-map. He looked at what was displayed.
12:44
''No way!'' Alex thought to himself as he was looking at the numbers. ''It can even display the current time! That''s way too convenient!'' He smiled as he continued to think. ''Might as well leave that there then. Alright...next is, Show Health.'' Right as he thought this, a red bar with the numbers 10/10 on it, appeared in the upper left corner of his vision. ''Eh!? So that''s my health? Awesome!...Three more commands to go...Show Qi, Show energy.'' The moment the words floated through his mind, a blue bar with the numbers 10/10 and a green bar with the numbers 100/100 appeared directly underneath the health bar. ''Okay...So earlier the status window said I have 10 health, 10 Qi and 100 energy. Since the red bar is my health. Then the blue one should be my Qi and the green should be my energy. This is way too convenient. This is so crazy!'' Alex was grinning in excitement as he thought of the future. Shaking his head as he attempted to ground his thoughts, he muttered, ¡°Only one to go. Show Experience.¡± As soon as the words left his mouth, an empty bar that read 0/100xp, appeared at the bottom middle of his vision. ''Umm what is that? What''s experience?...Help Experience.'' As soon as he thought it, a new status window appeared. *Ting*
Experience ¨C a numerical representation of knowledge or practical wisdom gained from what you observe, encounter, undergo or do. Earning enough experience will allow you to level up. Experience may be earned through various means. Two of which are killing creatures such as profound beasts or monsters and completing quests.
As he read what experience was, Alex was wide-eyed. ''Okay...well, I''ll come back to this later. I''m not going to be able to kill any profound beasts or monsters for quite some time. Guess I''ll find out later after I meet with Sarah.'' When he finished thinking he looked around the back room and found a chair to sit on. Once seated he continued to think, ''Alright, so deception is the ability to deceive others. Then what about Identify?...Hmmm, Unequip Brown Linen Pants.'' After his pants vanished, he opened his inventory and retrieved them. Holding them in his hands and focusing, he thought, ''Well, here goes nothing. Identify.'' As soon as he thought it, a status window appeared. *Ting*
Brown Linen Pants ¨C Standard cloth pants made from brown colored linen.
Quality ¨C Standard.
Attack ¨C 0Defense ¨C 0
Special Properties ¨C None
After he read the description, Alex was slightly slack jawed. ''This...This is incredible! Does that mean then...that items can boost my attack and defense? By the gods!'' After he reigned in his thoughts, he looked at the pants in his hands and curiously asked aloud, ¡°Just how do I put things into my inventory without equipping and then unequipping them?¡± After staring in silence and at a loss, he thought, ''Help, How do I store items in my inventory.'' A couple of seconds passed before a status window popped up along with a familiar chime. *Ting*
To store and withdraw items from the inventory you need to be in contact with said item. Then all that is necessary, is for you to will it and it shall happen.
After reading the message, he thought, ''Well isn''t that vague...What does it mean by ¡°will it¡±? Maybe I just need to want it to happen or think it?...'' Staring at the pants in his hands, he tried willing it into his inventory. To his surprise, the pants vanished. Alex let out a startled gasp, ¡°Eh? It worked?¡± Opening the inventory, he saw that the pants were once more inside of it. ''Awesome! So that''s it!? Haha, great!...Equip Brown Linen Pants.'' After thinking it, the pants appeared on his body. ''Okay, so that''s that. Oh I know, Unequip White Linen Shirt.'' After his shirt vanished, he opened his inventory and took it out. Holding it in his hands he uttered, ¡°Identify.¡± As soon as the word was spoken, three new status windows appeared alongside the sound of three chimes. *Ting*
White Linen Shirt ¨C Standard cloth shirt made from white colored linen.
Quality ¨C Standard
Attack ¨C 0Defense ¨C 0
Special Properties ¨C None
*Ting*
Level up: Identify (Beginner Level 2 [0/15xp])
*Ting*
You have gained 1 Intelligence (+1 INT)
''Identify leveled up!? Open Skill Window.'' As he thought it, the skill window appeared.
Skills: Deception Level 1 [5/10xp] Beginner (Passive) ¨C the skill of deceiving others. Allows the user to be more successful in the art of misleading and lying to others. Identify Level 2 [0/15xp] Beginner ¨C allows you to attempt to identify any item. Successful attempts will allow you to see various detailed information about the item.
As he reviewed his skills, he jubilantly smiled. ''Awesome...So I get five experience for each item I identify? Or is it by type of item? Maybe the quality has something to do with it?..Hmm, I''ll have to experiment with it...The amount of experience I need to level it up, increased as well. It was ten just like deception, but now it requires fifteen...Huh, I even gained one intelligence when identify leveled up...Wait a minute, I have five experience in deception already? How-...ahh right, was it because I lied to Sarah? That must have been it...'' Dismissing the windows, Alex stored his shirt into his inventory and then equipped it. He looked down at his feet. A moment later his shoes vanished into thin air. Lifting his hand up and turning it over, the shoes suddenly appeared. ''I''m getting better at this...Identify.'' Another window popped up. *Ting*
Brown Linen Shoes ¨C Standard cloth shoes made from brown linen.
Quality ¨C Standard
Attack ¨C 0Defense ¨C 0
Special Properties ¨C None
After dismissing the status window, he stored the shoes back into his inventory and then equipped them. He sat there for a moment before smiling wryly. Abruptly, a pair of white underwear appeared in his hand. ''Hehe...I can''t believe I''m checking these...Identify.'' *Ting*
White Linen Underwear ¨C Standard white undergarments made from white linen.
Quality ¨C Standard
Attack ¨C 0Defense ¨C 0
Special Properties ¨C None
Making sure his underwear were back on properly, he opened up the skills window again.
Skills: Deception Level 1 [5/10xp] Beginner (Passive) ¨C the skill of deceiving others. Allows the user to be more successful in the art of misleading and lying to others. Identify Level 2 [10/15xp] Beginner ¨C allows you to attempt to identify any item. Successful attempts will allow you to see various detailed information about the item.
Nodding to himself triumphantly, he thought, ''Alright so I gained five experience each for my shoes and underwear. They''re both standard quality...Well there''s plenty of stuff in this room. Something has to be of either higher or lower quality'' Thinking to there, he dismissed the windows and stood up. He turned around and looked at the chair he had been sitting in. ¡°Identify¡± he mumbled. Immediately after, three chimes rang out. *Ting*
Wooden Chair ¨C Standard wood chair made from ordinary wood.
Quality ¨C Standard
Special Properties ¨C None
*Ting*
You have gained 1 Intelligence (+1 INT)
*Ting*
Level up: Identify (Beginner Level 3 [0/20xp])
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Chapter III Chapter III Alex was currently smiling as he viewed the level up notification. ''I gained one intelligence again when it leveled up...Hmm, when it levels, so far it seems like the required experience increases by five each time...Hmm, open status window.'' *Ting*
Name: Alexander Hartlow
Age: 12
Level: 0XP: 0/100
Health: 10/10Qi: 0/10
Energy: 81/110Satiety: 78/100
Titles: None
Stats: Distributable Points: 0
Constitution: 1Intelligence: 4
Vitality: 1Wisdom: 4
Stamina: 2Endurance: 1
Strength: 5Charisma: 2
Agility: 1Dexterity: 1
Luck: 50???
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Attack: 1Defense: 0
Element Resistance: None
Additional Information:
Race: HumanGender: Male
Element Affinity: All Elements
Alignment: NeutralAllegiance: Undeclared
Looking at his status, he frowned. ''Crap, so Identify uses Qi. I used it five times...so it should cost two Qi for each use...Alright, at least now I know...But just how do I regain my Qi?...Maybe I should find a cultivator and ask them?...I have ten more energy now than I did before! So for each point of stamina I gain, it increased my energy by ten? Awesome!...Well for now I''ll go back into the shop and see if dad needs any help.'' Dismissing the various windows, he made sure all of his clothes were on before heading back into the shop''s main room. Walking over to the counter his father was standing behind, Alex asked, ¡°Hey dad. You need any help?¡± Kaesan eyed his son before saying, ¡°No, It''s fine. I already said you can have the rest of the day off. After all you have a date later.¡± He winked as he mentioned the latter part. ¡°Geeze dad. It''s not a date!¡± Chuckling, Kaesan replied, ¡°Right, right. Whatever you say son.¡± Reaching into his pocket he pulled out three silver coins and handed them to Alex. ¡°Son. Why don''t you go buy that girl a flower or something for when you see her later. She''ll probably like that.¡± Alex''s cheeks were turning slightly red as he looked away and said, ¡°A-alright...thanks dad.¡± he took the silver and walked out of the shop. ** ** ** ** The town of Solaris where Alex and his family live is located within the Kingdom of Wrurin. This kingdom is one of many amongst the nations on the continent of Esari. All of the countries on the continent of Esari use a common currency system. This being copper, silver and gold coins. 100 copper coins equal 1 silver coin, 100 silver coins equal 1 gold coin. There are a few more things that are part of the currency system. However, those are things that commoners don''t have the chance to use, only the rich and powerful do. A farmer''s family may be able to earn one or two gold coins in an entire year''s amount of work. A Physician on the other hand could possibly make around ten gold in an entire year''s amount of work. Where as an Alchemist could easily make tens, hundreds, thousands or hundreds of thousands of gold, depending on their level of skill. Although the disparity in income was huge, for a farmer with a family of three to four, one or two gold coins was more than enough to live on for a year. It would cost about five copper per person to eat each day. Now this would allow for a rather meek and modest lifestyle, with a tiny bit of extra spending money, but nothing extravagant. Alex''s family was rather well off. Thanks to his father''s profession as a physician, their family made more than enough money to survive. They weren''t rich but they weren''t exactly poor either. There were plenty of people who were richer and more powerful than them. But what they had was more than enough to grant their son the life they wished for him to have. Not having to worry about when his next meal was, keeping him clothed and always having a roof over his head. One of the reasons that Alex''s family is well off, is due to two facts; that his father is a physician and his mother is a cultivator. Although she is only a low-rank one, she is able to hold her own against some of the low-ranked profound beasts and monsters that roam in the forest that is located to the south of the city. Thus, she is able to search for specific medicinal herbs that only grow in the forest and bring them back for Kaesan to refine into medicines or just sell as they are. With this combination, they have done fine for themselves. ** ** ** ** Alex had left his family''s shop and was currently wandering in the town''s market. There were many more people out and about on the streets due to the tournament that will be taking place in a city over. As such, he was also seeing a lot of cultivators walking about and checking out some merchant stall''s wares. Alex walked over to where there seemed to be a hubbub of activity. ''Huh, wonder what the commotion is about.'' As he arrived, he snaked his way through the crowd and reached the front. What he saw was two groups of people cursing and yelling at each other as a crowd surrounded them watching. As he observed the quarrel, he inspected both sides. One side was a group of five boys that looked awfully familiar to him. While the other were three boys and one girl. All of them looked to be around thirteen to fourteen years old. He grimaced when he saw just who the five boys were. ''Ugh, it''s them. They''re the ones that almost killed me.'' As he thought this, he moved back behind a couple of people to hide himself. He didn''t want them to notice him, as that would probably cause some kind of disturbance. Positioned behind a couple of men that were in the crowd, Alex looked to his left at middle-aged man who appeared kind. ¡°Excuse me sir.¡± The kind-looking man glanced at Alex and said in a amiable tone, ¡°Yes? Do you need something?¡± Alex smiled as he inquisitively asked, ¡°Sir, do you know what''s going on over there?¡± The man gave a wry smile as he answered, ¡°That group of five provoked that group of four over some trinket. Apparently both groups are from different sects and now they''re close to fighting it out.¡± Alex''s eyebrows were raised as he asked, ¡°Sir, by chance do you know just what sects they''re from?¡± The man brought his hand to his chin as he thought for a moment. As if he had just remembered something he said, ¡°I believe that the group of four is from the Gallant Eagle Sect, while that group of five is from the Argent Viper Sect.¡± Alex smiled as he replied, ¡°Thank you sir. Sorry to bother you.¡± The man nodded as he replied, ¡°It''s alright. Glad I could help.¡± The man then turned his attention back to the squabble. Alex stared at the five boys from the Argent Viper Sect making sure their images were thoroughly ingrained into his memory. As he did so, his face unconsciously scrunched up into a frightening appearance while he thought menacingly to himself, ''When I have the strength I''ll be sure to return what you all did to me ten fold...No, a hundred fold!'' Almost as if one of the boys sensed Alex''s glare and killing intent, he looked over in Alex''s direction. Startled, Alex quickly hid out of sight behind a large man. After waiting a moment, he peaked his head out. Luckily the boy had already changed his attention back to the group of four from the Gallant Eagle Sect. Sighing in relief, Alex thought, ''Holy crap! That was close. I wonder what-'' Cutting his thoughts off was the sound of multiple chimes as a few status windows appeared. *Ting*
Congratulations! You have learned the skill [Emit Killing Intent ¨C Beginner]
*Ting*
Congratulations! You have unlocked a new stat [Bloodlust]
*Ting*
You have gained 2 Bloodlust (+2 BLDLST)
Staring at the status windows that appeared, Alex was dumbfounded. ''I-I...How? I only thought of how much I plan on paying back those guys for what they did to me...That somehow earned me a new skill? Huh...'' As he sort of watched the two groups of sect members quarreling, he was also examining his new skill and stat. ''Help Bloodlust. Open Skill Window.'' *Ting*
Bloodlust (BLDLST) ¨C the desire to kill or maim others. This stat will affect certain skills. (One of which being - Emit Killing Intent. Bloodlust will make your killing intent stronger.)
Skills: Deception Level 1 [5/10xp] Beginner (Passive) ¨C the skill of deceiving others. Allows the user to be more successful in the art of misleading and lying to others. Identify Level 3 [0/20xp] Beginner ¨C allows you to attempt to identify any item. Successful attempts will allow you to see various detailed information about the item. Emit Killing Intent Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C allows you to give off or transmit killing intent. Capable of frightening others. May affect their mental state, impacting their combat performance.
After he read the effects of his skill and new stat, he looked around at the surrounding people. Smiling to himself, he thought, ''Hmm, well I guess that settles it. All these people here and no one saw my status windows. So I''m assuming I''m the only one that can see them...This is very handy.'' Dismissing the status windows, he turned his attention back to the two groups of cultivators. ''Oh, it seems like things are escalating.'' The two groups were preparing to attack each other when an elderly man dressed in a green robe came forth from the crowd. He stopped in between the two groups and harshly scolded them, ¡°What are you all doing!? Cut it out! Not in the middle of the town!¡± The group of four from the Gallant Eagle Sect immediately calmed down and respectfully responded, ¡°Yes Elder.¡± However, the group of boys from the Argent Viper Sect attempted to provoke the elder. ¡°Oh if it isn''t one of their trashy elders. Hmph! You think you can hide behind one of your sect''s crap elders. This old dotard is only at the mid-stage advanced rank. For an elder, that''s pathetic!¡± As the group from the Gallant Eagle Sect heard this, they became enraged. ¡°Don''t you dare insult our elders!¡± They once more prepared to fight. Abruptly, without warning, the elder in the green robe dashed forth and struck the boy who had insulted him directly in the chest with a palm strike. The boy spurted blood from his mouth as he was knocked backwards through the air. After he landed a couple of meters away, his companions were pale-faced. Stuttering, they said, ¡°You dare to lay your hands on one of our sect''s members! You''ll pay for this!¡± The green robed elder scoffed, ¡°Hmph! You fools are only at the late-stage intermediate rank and you dare to provoke me!? The nerve! I should end you all right here!¡± All of the boys began to tremble when they heard the threat. Stammering, one of them retorted, ¡°You wouldn''t dare!¡± The Gallant Eagle Sect Elder stepped forward and snorted as he said, ¡°I wouldn''t dare!? Try me.¡± After hearing this, the boys picked up their fallen friend and supported him as they began to leave. ¡°We''ll remember this!¡± One of the boys shouted out as they left. ¡°Hmph! Those spineless cowards.¡± The elder muttered while turning to face the group of four. ¡°Are you all okay?¡± In response to his question the group of four hurriedly answered, ¡°Yes Elder! Thank you!¡± The elder chuckled in response and escorted them away from the area. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Alex watched all of this happen and as he did so, he couldn''t help but utter, ¡°Amazing!¡± Excitedly grinning, he thought to himself, ''I wonder if I''ll ever be able to move like that elder and be so strong. That was so cool!'' He looked around and noticed the crowd was starting to disperse. ''Well, I guess I better get going too.'' As he was about to leave, he noticed something on the ground near where the conflict occurred. ¡°What''s that?¡± He muttered, as he walked over towards it. Looking down in the dirt, there was a small trinket. Picking it up and looking closely he noticed it was a brooch. ''This must have belonged to someone from the Gallant Eagle Sect.'' Rotating his head towards the direction he had seen the elder lead them in, he thought, ''I should be able to catch up to them if I hurry.'' After hesitating for a moment, Alex started to jog in the direction they had headed in. After a light run for a almost a minute, he had caught up to the backs of the group. He called out, ¡°Hey! Gallant Eagle Sect members, please wait!¡± Upon hearing a youth''s voice, the group paused and started to turn around. The elder immediately moved to stand between the group and the voice''s owner. As he saw a boy with raven-black shoulder-length hair running towards them, he was slightly confused. Furrowing his brow he thought to himself, ''This boy isn''t one of those Argent Viper Sect members, is he?'' As Alex was drawing nearer, the elder shouted out, ¡°Halt! Come no further!¡± Alex slid to a stop. As he did so, he respectfully said, ¡°Elder of the Gallant Eagle Sect, forgive me if I''ve startled you. It was not my intention to do so.¡± The elder still had his guard up as he raised an eyebrow. ¡°What do you want boy? If you''re here for trouble...¡± Alex quickly waved his hands in front of him, hurriedly saying, ¡°No no no. You''ve got it wrong honorable elder...I watched the conflict that your Gallant Eagle Sect members had with those boys from the Argent Viper Sect. The way you sent that boy flying with one attack was amazing!¡± The elder chuckled and smiled as he said, ¡°Haha, you flatter me boy.¡± His tone became a little softer as he asked, ¡°What is it? Why have you sought us out?¡± Alex smiled as he calmly stated, ¡°After you and your members had left the scene of the conflict, I noticed something on the ground that I believe one of you had dropped unintentionally.¡± As he spoke to there, Alex reached into his pocket and pulled out a green brooch that was adorned with an eagle engraving. Upon seeing this brooch, the girl from the group, stepped forward and shockingly exclaimed, ¡°T-that''s my hairpin! By the gods! It must have fallen off in the scuffle before you arrived, elder.¡± The elder slightly turned his head towards the girl and nodded. He then stepped forward towards Alex and amiably said, ¡°Thank you young man. Most people would have simply run off with it instead of returning it.¡± Alex chuckled as he responded, ¡°Haha, Indeed...Although I can''t say my intentions were completely selfless.¡± As the elder heard what Alex said, he raised his eyebrow and questioned, ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡± Alex gave a wry smile as he replied, ¡°Distinguished Elder, I only humbly wish to ask a single question in return for this hairpin.¡± The elder burst out into laughter as he heard Alex''s request. ¡°Hahaha, a single question? Of course, ask away my boy.¡± Alex grinned as he inquired, ¡°Elder, I have long wished to be able to become a cultivator. However, there was always something I was curious about. That is, just how does one cultivate with Qi?¡± The elder had a splendid smile on his face as he moved closer to Alex and answered his question. ¡°In order for an individual to cultivate Qi, they must first learn a cultivation technique. There are many different cultivation techniques, each of which contain different methods to cultivate Qi. The most widespread and easiest one, is to simply absorb the Qi from the environment and make it your own through meditation.¡± Alex had an excited look on his face as he was listening attentively. The elder upon seeing the look he had, started to have some pride seep into his voice. ¡°There are many different ranks of cultivation techniques. Each technique opens a certain number of Qi Vein Entrances. The higher the rank of the technique is, then the more entrances it opens up. Thus, having a higher rank technique is better since it will allow you to cultivate more Qi and do it faster than lower ranked ones...I can proudly say that our Gallant Eagle Sect has a considerably good technique, hehehe.¡± As Alex listened to the elder speak, he began to have a blank look on his face. Noticing this, the elder wryly smiled as he asked, ¡°What''s the matter boy?¡± Timidly, Alex responded, ¡°Umm, how do you meditate? And just what are these Qi Vein Entrances you''re talking about?¡± As if the elder had just realized something, he covered his face with his palm. In a tired voice he said, ¡°Ahh, I completely forgot. You''re a commoner. You probably don''t even know of anything that I just spoke about...¡± He sighed and shook his head. He slightly smiled as he said, ¡°Meditation is the process of clearing and relaxing your mind while focusing on your inner-self. In this way you can absorb the Qi of the world and slowly make it your own by guiding it through the system of your Qi Veins...As to what Qi Vein Entrances are...The Qi Veins in your body have a total of 64 entrances all located in different areas throughout your body. Most of which are usually closed, with only a few of them being open when you are born. With a cultivation technique, you can forcefully open some of the closed entrances. These entrances are what allow you to take in Qi from the world.¡± The elder took a breath and then continued on, ¡°The more that are open, then the more Qi that you can take in. This would also mean that you could refine the Qi into your own at a faster pace. Since you would be able to take more in and refine it all at once, compared to taking in smaller amounts...Do you understand?¡± Alex jubilantly smiled as he nodded and said, ¡°Yes venerable elder, I understand. Thank you very much for answering my question.¡± Once he finished speaking, he handed the brooch over to the elder. Receiving it, the elder smiled and questioned, ¡°Boy, what''s your name?¡± Raising an eyebrow, Alex answered, ¡°Alexander. Why does elder ask?¡± The elder chuckled when he heard Alex''s inquiry. ¡°Haha, I was just curious is all. It''s not often I encounter such a well-mannered and polite youth. If you ever wish to take the first steps on the road of cultivation, come on by our Gallant Eagle Sect...If you use my name, Elder Harvey Cote, I''m sure you won''t meet with much trouble. Our sect is located outside of the town of Brightwatch.¡± Alex grinned as he replied, ¡°Thank you very much Elder Harvey. I will remember your good will.¡± Elder Harvey turned around and motioned for the girl to come forward. As she did so, she smiled towards Alex and introduced herself, ¡°Hello. My name is Miah, thank you so much for returning my brooch.¡± Alex nodded, ¡°Don''t mention it. I just did what I thought was right.¡± After Miah received her brooch, Elder Harvey patted Alex on his shoulder and bid farewell. Alex stood there in the street for a moment as he watched Elder Harvey and the group''s fading backs. ''According to the Empyreal Body that''s listed in the abilities window, all of my Qi Vein Entrances are open...So now all I need to do is learn how to meditate and I could start cultivating Qi!! Haha, yes! Thank you Elder Harvey! If it wasn''t for you, I would''ve taken who knows how long trying to figure that out.'' Grinning from ear to ear, Alex was about to turn around and head back towards the market. But before he could do so, a chime rang out as a status window appeared. *Ting*
You have gained 1 Charisma (+1 CHA)
As he viewed the status screen a smile crept onto his face. ''Awesome, I gained charisma from talking to them? Definitely worthwhile.'' He then proceeded to head towards the market. Walking past some stalls, he thought to himself, ''Right now it''s 1:58 pm. This clock thing is so amazing...Hmm, I should probably hurry up, I don''t want to be late.'' He continued to browse some of the stalls until he found someone selling flowers. Walking up to the stall, he called out, ¡°Hey, miss. How much for some of those green flowers?¡± The middle-aged woman looked towards Alex and showed a gentle smile. ¡°Hmm, these here are Green Carnations...One silver for a bouquet...¡± Alex frowned a little as he asked, ¡°Umm, can I just buy one flower?¡± The woman raised an eyebrow as she said, ¡°Just one flower? Kid, I don''t sell them individually. These bouquets were all arranged painstakingly by me. Do you know how much effort it takes to make sure all the colors go well together and appear pleasing to the eye?¡± Alex retorted, ¡°Miss, isn''t it possible to just sell me one flower?¡± The lady shook her head as she answered, ¡°Nope. If you want a flower, then buy a bouquet.¡± Alex frowned as he replied, ¡°Miss, aren''t you driving away business by only selling bouquets? If you were to sell them individually as well, you would be able to increase the money you make.¡± The woman seemed to be thinking as Alex continued, ¡°Miss, I can''t afford a bouquet, but I would really like to purchase just a single one of those Green Carnations. Please. It''s for a very close friend of mine.¡± The woman sighed as she eyed Alex. ¡°Fine kid...If it''ll get you out of my hair, you can buy just one flower.¡± Alex rejoiced mentally as he inquired, ¡°So how much for one of them?¡± The woman looked at the flower he wanted to purchase. Chuckling, she said, ¡°Hmm, ummm I''m not too sure.¡± Alex smiled at the woman and asked, ¡°How about five copper?¡± The woman scrunched up her face when she heard the amount. ¡°Five copper...Kid, are you pulling my leg?¡± Alex gave a wry smile as he responded, ¡°Okay then miss. How about ten copper? That''s a fair price right?¡± The woman raised an eyebrow as she seemed to be thinking. She took some time to respond. ¡°Alright kid. That sounds fine.¡± Alex grinned as he said, ¡°Thanks miss! My friend will really like this.¡± After making his purchase, he turned around and began to walk away. As his back was to the flower lady, he stored the flower in his inventory without anyone noticing. Afterwards, he was preparing to leave when multiple chimes sounded out along with the appearance of two status windows. *Ting*
You have gained 1 Charisma (+1 CHA)
*Ting*
Congratulations! You have learned the skill [Negotiation ¨C Beginner]
Alex was astonished as he read the contents of the windows. ''I just got more charisma and unlocked ¡°Negotiation¡±? Holy crap. That''s pretty awesome...That was definitely from dealing with that flower lady...Was it from reaching a price? Well, whatever. Thanks for the skill and charisma, haha.'' Dismissing the windows, he headed back towards his family''s shop. As he was doing so he opened up his skill window to view the new skill he had learned.
Negotiation Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C your ability to achieve better terms, rewards, results, etc, for yourself when attempting to reach an agreement with another individual or group. At higher levels, your attempts will succeed more often.
''Well that''s awesome. But how will it being a higher level impact other people?...I don''t get it...Eh, whatever. '' He thought after he read through the skill. He dismissed the window and continued on his way. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Chapter IV Chapter IV Alex had just arrived outside of his family''s medicinal shop. As he was walking towards the front door, he checked the time. ''It''s 2:16pm. Sarah should be stopping by soon...Getting to watch two cultivators fight should be pretty awesome...I wond-'' Cutting his thoughts short was a loud bang as the entire front left corner of his family''s shop exploded outwards, sending wooden shrapnel flying in multiple directions. Following closely after, was a man being propelled through the air and crashing to the ground quite some distance away. As he landed, Alex stared wide-eyed. Slowly walking out from where the walls had been destroyed, was a single bald man dressed entirely in black, whose face looked like a demon. Blood was splattered all over it. His arms were covered in blood up to the elbow. As he exited from the shop, he walked towards the man that had landed on the ground. As Alex saw this happen, his faced paled as he was filled with a dreadful feeling. ¡°F-father!¡± He rushed towards the shop and opened the front door. When he entered, he immediately stopped moving. The color drained from his face and his eyes went wide as he looked around the interior of the shop. The inside of the shop was painted with blood. Bodies, limbs and innards were littered about. The shelves and most of the counters were broken into pieces. His legs started to tremble somewhat as he stood there. ''By the gods...What happened here?...Father!'' Breaking out of his stupor, he yelled, ¡°Father!!¡± No response. Again he yelled out, ¡°Father!!!¡± This time there was some coughing and then a voice, ¡°Ugh, Alex!¡± A slight sense of relief started to wash over Alex as he rushed towards the voice. As he turned the bend around what remained of a counter, he froze in his tracks as tears started to form in the corner of his eyes. ¡°Father!¡± He called out as he rushed to his father''s side who was laying on the ground in a pool of blood. As he reached him, he fell to his knees. Alex noticed his father''s entire left arm was missing. Stuttering, he frantically said, ¡°Father! Are you okay!? What happened?¡± Immediately after he spoke, he hurriedly looked around for something. Not finding what he was looking for, he pulled off his shirt. He bunched it up and pressed it to where his father''s arm used to be, trying to stop the bleeding. Feeling the pain from where his son was pressing, Kaesan coughed as he tried to speak, ¡°A-Alex! Are you okay?¡± With a sad smile on his face, Alex replied, ¡°I-I''m fine dad. W-what about you? Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere else?¡± Giving a pained smile, Kaesan said, ¡°Son. I''m alright-¡± He started to cough. Seeing this, Alex started to panic. ¡°D-dad!¡± As his coughing subsided, he weakly said, ¡°Haha, it''s alright son. I''m okay...¡± When Alex heard this, the panic in his heart subsided somewhat. ¡°The bleeding isn''t stopping. Dad. What should I do?¡± While Alex asked this, Kaesan slowly closed his eyes. ¡°DAD!!¡± After a few moments passed Kaesan abruptly spoke, startling Alex. ¡°There should be some herbs in the storehouse. Izaley, Aheves and Essu Husk. Go gather those and bring them back. It''ll stop the bleeding.¡± Wiping the tears from his eyes, Alex said, ¡°Alright dad! I''ll be right back!¡± He stood up and ran into the back room. ''Shit, shit, shit. Who the hell was that bald guy!? Did he do all that!? Is he the one who hurt my dad!?'' Alex''s thoughts were frantic as he was heading towards the storehouse. Once he reached it, he entered and wildly searched for the herbs. After a couple of minutes he found all three of them. He rushed back to the shop and reached his father''s side again. ¡°Dad! I''m back! I''ve got all the herbs.¡± He didn''t receive a response. Alex shook his father, while he stuttered, ¡°Dad! Wake up! I''ve got all the herbs! Dad!!¡± Finally, Kaesan''s eyelids trembled as he slowly opened them. ¡°Son...you''re back.¡± Nodding, Alex said, ¡°Yeah, I''m back. Now what do I do dad?¡± Kaesan''s face had become much more pale since Alex had left his side. Mumbling, Kaesan weakly said, ¡°Grind them up...Mix with water...Apply the paste...to the wound...¡± The moment he finished speaking, his eyes closed. With a heart full of worry and dread, Alex called out, ¡°Dad!!¡± Alex desperately followed the directions his father had said before he lost consciousness. He quickly ran to the back room. After he found a mortar and pestle, he ground the herbs up, then mixed them with water. A few minutes later, he had made a weird smelling white paste. He once more rushed back to his father''s side. Alex went back onto his knees and applied the paste to where his father''s arm used to be. He noticed that Kaesan''s breathing was extremely shallow. Worriedly, he thought, ''You''re gonna be okay dad...You''re going to be alright! You''re strong! This won''t kill you!..You''re going to be alright!'' Tears were slowly rolling down his cheeks as he continued to apply the white paste. After a couple of minutes, the paste was completely covering the wound. However, his father''s condition wasn''t getting any better. ''I need to go get help!'' As he thought this, he stood up and was about to run off to find help. But he froze in his tracks. Leaning on the remnants of a counter, was the now blood-covered bald man. He was staring at Alex and his father. When Alex stood up, he had ended up accidentally meeting the bald man''s gaze. However, he didn''t shirk away. Staring into the bald man''s dark eyes, Alex firmly demanded, ¡°Who are you? Why did you do this?¡± When the bald man heard Alex''s questions, he began to laugh uncontrollably. A deep and rough voice sounded out. ¡°Hahaha. Boy...I''m surprised...You are actually able to keep your wits about you?¡± Furrowing his brow, Alex asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± The bald man laughed once more. ¡°Interesting...¡± The bald man turned around and started to walk away. Before he left the shop though, he stopped and said in a voice full of pride, ¡°My name is Landis Blackwood. I belong to the Infernal Demon Sect.¡± He then continued to walk away while muttering in a barely audible tone, ¡°Interesting...Very Interesting...¡± The moment he was out of sight, Alex let out a huge sigh of relief as he fell down onto his butt. ''Holy crap...Just what was that...It was like some immense pressure was pressing down on me...It felt like my heart was in my throat...'' Interrupting his thoughts was the sound of multiple chimes along with the appearance of two status windows. *Ting*
Congratulations! You have unlocked a new stat [Willpower]
*Ting*
You have gained 5 Willpower (+5 WILL)
''E-eh?'' As he viewed the status windows, he started to laugh hysterically to himself. ¡°Hahahahaha.¡± His laughter echoed out in the ruined shop. After about a minute of laughter he finally calmed down and dismissed the status windows. He felt a trace of wetness on his cheeks.''Huh? I cried?'' Wiping the tears off, he thought to himself, ''Just what the hell is wrong with me?...I need to find help for dad.'' He quickly stood up and ran outside of the shop. Once he was there, he froze in his steps. The smell of blood and burnt flesh permeated the air. Lying all throughout the street were dead bodies, some of which were charred. Standing there, Alex slightly swayed as he felt his breakfast coming back up. Fighting back the urge to vomit, he proceeded through the obstacle course of various limbs and viscera. As soon as he was clear, he started to run towards his family''s home. While he was running, he was thinking to himself, ''I don''t get it. Why was it that when I saw what was inside of the shop I felt fine, but the moment I saw the carnage outside...Maybe adrenaline?...I need to get mom and bring her to dad!...Why were there so many dead people outside? Did that guy...He must have killed some of the people that were gathered from the noise...That bastard...Landis Blackwood...'' As his thoughts were running wild, he was sprinting to his house. ** ** ** ** As he was heading towards his house, all of the people he passed gave him weird looks. Some even looked as if they were afraid. The moment he reached his house, he barged in through the front door while panting and yelled, ¡°Mom!...MOM!!!¡± When she heard the yelling, Laylah hustled out of the kitchen into the living room. The moment she noticed Alex, fear and worry flooded her heart. ¡°A-Alex, what happened!! By the gods, you''re covered in blood! Wh-¡± Alex cut her off as he said urgently, ¡°-Mom! No time! Dad''s hurt! He''s lost a lot of blood! You''ve got to come help, now!¡± As the words sunk in, shock flashed across her face. Stuttering, she said, ¡°Alright. Take me to him.¡± ** ** ** ** Alex swiftly led his mother back to the shop. The moment they got within sight of the shop, his mother''s face paled. He continued to pull her by the hand. A few minutes had passed since he sprinted home, by now there was a small crowd that formed and was continuing to grow. As Laylah was pulled along by her son, she muttered in a disbelieving voice, ¡°T-this...No way...just what happened?¡± Alex didn''t stop as he said, ¡°No time, mom! Dad''s life is on the line!¡± He pulled her past the crowd and into the shop. Once they were inside of the shop, Alex could feel Laylah''s hand trembling as she slowed down somewhat. ¡°T-this...by the gods...¡± ¡°MOM! DAD NEEDS US!¡± Alex''s yell snapped Laylah out of her stupor. Nodding, she looked to her son and said, ¡°R-right! Where is he?¡± Alex pulled her over to behind the counter. The moment they came around it, Laylah yelled out, ¡°Dear!¡± She ran up to Kaesan''s side and fell to her knees. She pressed her hand to his chest. As she did so, a green glow spread from her hand and enveloped him. Alex stood there in silence with his arms crossed as he watched his mother tend to his father. ''Please be okay.'' He pleaded mentally to himself. ** ** ** ** Ten minutes passed by extremely quickly. Not able to withstand the silence any longer, Alex asked in a concerned tone, ¡°Mom...How''s dad? Is he going to be okay?¡± Heaving out a sigh of relief, she turned her head and looked at her son. Smiling, she said, ¡°He''s going to be alright.¡± Alex smiled in response and small tears started to form in the corner of his eyes. ¡°Thank the gods...¡± When she heard her son say that, she shook her head. ¡°No Alex. They weren''t the ones who saved your father''s life...Did you apply this white paste?¡± Alex nodded with a befuddled look on his face. Laylah was still smiling as she happily said, ¡°Your father is alive because of your actions. If you hadn''t done what you did, your father would have died for sure...From the looks of it, you were in the nick of time.¡± Alex warmly smiled. ¡°How did you know what to do? I don''t recall Kaesan ever telling me he had taught you any of his trade.¡± Alex''s smile turned into a wry one as he answered, ¡°At first, dad was still conscious. He told me what to do...I really should''ve learned more about medicine...¡± Laylah lightly giggled, then smiled. ¡°Don''t beat yourself up of over it. You''ll have plenty of time to learn in the future.¡± As she said this, she took her hand off of Kaesan''s chest. ¡°Alright, Kaesan will be just fine. He should wake up in a couple of hours.¡± As they were talking, some footsteps sounded out. Alex jerked around and saw some people entering the shop through the hole in the wall. As they came in, they were talking. A man''s gruff voice sounded out. ¡°Wow, such carnage...any idea who it was?¡± A woman''s silvery voice echoed in response. ¡°None. No one who is out there now, saw anything...These poor people. Outside there was only one dead cultivator. The rest were just ordinary citizens.¡± As they were inspecting the inside of the shop, Alex called out, ¡°Hey! Over here!¡± Abruptly the group drew their weapons and prepared for combat. One of the men was already cloaked in a red colored Qi. The woman noticed where Alex was and sternly ordered the group, ¡°Calm down! It''s just a boy!¡± Adhering to the woman''s orders, the group slightly calmed down but kept their guards up. The woman looked at Alex and kindly said, ¡°It''s alright, we''re not going to hurt you. You can come out.¡± Alex glanced to his mother, seeking her approval. After receiving a nod from Laylah, Alex stepped out from behind the counter and cautiously approached the group of people. As he got closer he was able to clearly see their appearances. They were all carrying swords. The woman had tanned skin. Her long mahogany hair was tied into a ponytail, with some long bangs hiding the right side of her face. From what Alex could see, there may have been a scar on that side of her face. Behind her there were four men. Of the two closest men, one was rather tall and had long blonde hair that fell past his shoulders. He had a sculpted face, with fierce eyebrows. While the other was short and stout. He had a furrowed face with bushy eyebrows and had short dark olive green hair. Alex stopped about five paces away from them. ¡°W-who are you people?¡± He asked in a slightly fearful tone. The woman gently smiled and approached Alex with her arms spread out, showing she meant no harm. ¡°We are from the Earthly Sword Sect. My name is Nahla Ironcrest.¡± When Alex heard this, he smiled and called out, ¡°Mom! They''re from the Earthly Sword Sect!¡± Laylah stood up behind the counter, slightly startling a couple of the men. When Nahla saw Laylah stand up, she asked, ¡°Is there anyone else here?¡± Laylah shook her head as she said, ¡°Only my husband, but he''s unconscious at the moment.¡± Nahla nodded and said, ¡°Alright. Can either of you tell us what happened here?¡± Laylah looked towards Alex. Nahla followed her gaze and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Well...I''m not really certain...When I got here, the wall of the shop exploded outwards. Then a man was sent flying out by a bald man. I immediately ran inside of the shop to look for my dad at that point.¡± The woman warmly smiled as she approached Alex. She knelt down in front of him and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡°Did you see anything else? The bald man you spoke of, can you identify him? Or give us a description?¡± Alex looked at her hand and then at her face. He shook his head as he stuttered, ¡°No...I only saw him from a distance. I don''t know what he looks like besides the fact that he was bald.¡± Nahla frowned then looked down. She shook her head and then lifted it to give Alex a smile. ¡°Alright, thank you young man.¡± Nahla stood up and looked to the blonde haired man behind her, ¡°Hayden, help them carry the boy''s father back to their home.¡± She then turned to the other two men that were with her. One of them was baby-faced with average height. He had medium-length dark-salmon colored hair. The other man was slightly tall with a weather-beaten face. His long indigo colored hair fell down past his shoulder-blades. Looking at them, Nahla said, ¡°Kian, Theo. You''ll stay here and search for anything that may give us clues as to whose responsible for this.¡± After hearing their orders they saluted by bringing their right fist to their heart. Nahla started to walk forward when the the bushy-browed man said, ¡°Nahla, what about me?¡± Nahla looked at him and giggled, ¡°Sorry Callum, umm stay here as well. Help Kian and Theo.¡± Callum nodded and moved over to sift through the dead and various debris. Alex led both Nahla and Hayden behind the counter to show them his father. Nahla was surprised when she saw him. ¡°Eh? Kaesan?¡± Laylah hearing this, curiously asked, ¡°You know my husband?¡± Nahla gave a wry smile as she answered, ¡°Yeah I do. Our Earthly Sword Sect does its best to keep peace in the town. As such we usually get a little banged up. Since there isn''t an alchemist in the town, we usually come to Kaesan''s shop to get some medicine or get patched up. He mentioned he had a wife and kid, but whenever we came around neither of you two would be here...To think Kaesan was in the crossfire of this...¡± Shaking her head, she looked to the ground and mumbled under her breath, ¡°Such a shame.¡± Picking her head up she said, ¡°Alright, Hayden pick him up. Mam, if you''ll lead the way.¡± Laylah smiled as she replied, ¡°My name''s Laylah and that''s my son Alex, nice to meet you miss Nahla.¡± After introducing themselves, she led Nahla, Hayden and Alex out of the shop. Then headed to their house. ** ** ** ** Once they reached their house, Laylah instructed Hayden to lay Kaesan down on the bed in their bedroom. Once that was done Laylah, Alex, Nahla and Hayden sat down at the kitchen table. Laylah served everyone some tea as they sat there silently. After a few moments of silence passed, Nahla remorsefully said, ¡°Laylah, I''m so sorry about your husband...¡± Laylah sat down and smiled. She replied, ¡°It''s only an arm. Luckily the gods gave everyone two. He''s still alive, so there isn''t much to be upset about.¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Nahla smiled wryly as she said, ¡°Haha, you''re pretty easy-going aren''t you?¡± Shaking her head, Laylah responded, ¡°Not really. I''m just an optimist.¡± Hayden and Nahla exchanged a glance. Hayden then spoke, ¡°Well, there are a few questions we need to ask since this event happened at your family''s shop. Is that alright?¡± Laylah didn''t say anything, she only nodded. Hayden took a breath before he continued, ¡°Do you know anyone that may have connections to a powerful sect or influential clan that may have a grudge against your family?¡± Laylah sighed in response to the question but then shook her head. Giving a slight nod, Hayden looked at Alex and continued to ask another question, ¡°Alex, was there anything distinctive about that bald man, besides the fact he was bald?¡± Alex seemed like he was thinking for a moment but then said, ¡°No, I didn''t get a really good look at him.¡± Frowning, Hayden asked, ¡°Could you make out any symbols or scars? Anything at all?¡± Alex brought his hand to his chin as he thought. After a moment he furrowed his brow and frowned. He said, ¡°No...I was too far away from him. All I could see was that he was bald and wore all black clothes.¡± After listening to Alex''s answer, Hayden let out a disappointed sigh. He looked towards Nahla and frowned. Noticing the glance, Nahla then asked, ¡°Alex, did you perhaps see any of the techniques that the man used?¡± Alex shook his head. ¡°No, when I was inside with my father, I had to run to the back courtyard and get herbs from the store-house. Then I came back and treated my dad. From where I was, I couldn''t see outside at all...¡± Nahla frowned. Then with a tinge of disappointment in her voice, she said, ¡°Alright then...I''m going to go back to the shop to help. Hayden stay here for a little while in case Kaesan was the target of the attack.¡± Hayden obediently nodded. Nahla stood up and as she did so, Laylah stood up as well. ¡°Miss Nahla, allow me to see you out...I really hope your able to find out who did this.¡± They then both proceeded to leave the kitchen. After they left, Hayden secretly gave a suspicious glance to Alex, then quickly turned away. After seeing Nahla out, Laylah came back to the kitchen. ¡°Mister Hayden. Please make yourself at home. If there''s anything you need please don''t hesitate to ask.¡± Hayden nodded, then said, ¡°Very well Mrs. Hartlow.¡± She lightly smiled, then said to Alex, ¡°I''m going to go sit by your father''s side until he wakes up.¡± Alex nodded and said, ¡°Alright mom.¡± After she left the kitchen, Alex looked at Hayden and curiously asked, ¡°Mister Hayden, do you think that bald man was from a sect?¡± Raising an eyebrow as he looked at Alex, Hayden said, ¡°There''s a good chance...but then again, since he was willing to commit such wanton slaughter in the middle of the day, he may just be a vagabond.¡± Alex nodded. Afterwards, he and Hayden sat in the kitchen in complete silence for a quarter of an hour. Breaking the silence, Alex asked in a curious tone once again, ¡°Mister Hayden. I know your Earthly Sword Sect is rather powerful, but what other sects are around here that would dare to slight your sect?¡± Hearing his question, Hayden was quiet as he thought for a moment. After a couple of minutes he finally answered. ¡°There''s a lot of schools, sects, clans and one academy in the Kingdom of Wrurin. Amongst them, the ones that are more powerful than our Earthly Sword Sect are quite numerous. But the ones in the immediate vicinity that are more powerful than us....Hmmm...There are only a handful...¡± He paused to take a breath and then continued, ¡°Those being, the Sunfire Sect, Lunar Sword School, Ironpalm Sect, Skywater Sect and Lunar Lotus School...but none of them would so brazenly slaughter so many people for no reason.¡± After thinking for a moment, Alex once more asked, ¡°Who''s the strongest sect in our area?¡± Hayden raised an eyebrow but answered nonetheless. ¡°In our region...I''d say the Raging Buddha Sect over in the city of Autumnwell.¡± Alex slightly nodded as he said, ¡°Hmm, I see...There''s so many sects out there...¡± Hayden chuckled. ¡°Yeah, there''s as many sects, schools and clans as there are leaves on a tree.¡± After they finished their conversation, they sat in silence for quite some time. ** ** ** ** About an hour and a half passed by. Laylah walked into the kitchen with a beaming smile on her face. ¡°Alex, your father''s awake.¡± Alex jumped up from his seat as he asked, ¡°Really mom!? That''s great.¡± He then rushed over to see his father. As he entered the bedroom, Kaesan was sitting upright on the bed. Alex had tears in his eyes as he called out, ¡°Dad!¡± He rushed forward and hugged Kaesan. Kaesan smiled and laughed as he hugged him back with his one arm. ¡°Dad, you''re okay. Thank the gods!¡± Separating from the hug, Kaesan happily said, ¡°I''m glad you''re okay too son.¡± As father and son were talking, Hayden and Laylah entered the room. When Kaesan noticed Hayden, he immediately stopped talking and smiled. He called out, ¡°Hayden! My friend, what are you doing here?¡± Hayden walked over to the bed and shook Kaesan''s hand as he said, ¡°Well, as you know, our Earthly Sword Sect tries to maintain order here in town. We''re investigating the attack that happened at your shop.¡± Kaesan showed a dejected smile when he heard that. Having noticed his reaction, Hayden asked, ¡°Kaesan. Just what happened? Your son said it was some bald man dressed entirely in black that caused such a disturbance...¡± Kaesan nodded. He remained silent and rubbed his temple as he collected his thoughts for a moment. Kaesan sighed as he said, ¡°It was just a normal day like any other at the shop...It was starting to get busy. But then suddenly there was an argument that broke out between two cultivators. I didn''t catch much of what was said. Just something about one of their sons wounding the other''s son. They must have ran into each other when they came to buy some medicine at my shop...They were about to start fighting, but then some bald man dressed in black told them to be quiet. From there, some threats were thrown about..." He paused there to catch his breath. "But in the end, the bald man...he struck one of the men in the chest with his palm. When he did so...that man exploded apart. It was gruesome...After that, everyone was startled and enraged. They attacked the bald man, but he effortlessly handled them all. In the conflict I was hit by one of the bald mans stray attacks. Thus, I lost my arm.¡± Hayden looked gloomy as he asked, ¡°Kaesan, do you have any idea how strong that man was? As in what his rank was?¡± Kaesan closed his eyes and brought his hand to his chin as he was in deep thought. After a moment, he said, ¡°You know old man Burton, right?¡± Hayden slightly nodded his head. ¡°Yeah. He reached Adept rank some time ago.¡± Kaesan frowned as he continued, ¡°Well that bald man effortlessly killed him in one attack...Old man Burton couldn''t even defend or react against it.¡± When Hayden heard what Kaesan said, his face turned ashen. ¡°One attack...and couldn''t even react to it?...Crap, if that''s the case...this bald man is most likely at least at the Expert rank. Not good. I have to go inform the sect right away. Kaesan, rest up and get better soon.¡± Hayden smiled and then hastily left. Alex was extremely intrigued by their conversation as he listened. He looked at his father and asked, ¡°Hey dad. What are these adept and expert ranks you guys were talking about?¡± Kaesan frowned as he answered, ¡°Haha son, you should ask your mother. I''m not certain about all the ranks. But she''s a cultivator, so she should have some idea.¡± Alex nodded and then turned towards Laylah. Seeing his curious gaze, she gently smiled. ¡°Alex, when you cultivate, you take in the Qi from the world. By doing this you become stronger. Those ranks that they were talking about, are the ranks of Qi cultivation. By cultivating you can advance in rank and when you do so, you grow much stronger.¡± Alex was wide-eyed as he listened. When Laylah stopped talking he eagerly asked, ¡°Mom. Exactly what ranks are there?¡± Smiling at her son, she said, ¡°From weakest to strongest, they are: Beginner, Novice, Apprentice, Intermediate, Adept, Advanced, Expert, Master and Grand-Master...When I was with my school for some time before I met your father, I had heard that there are actually ranks above Grand-Master. But I have no idea what they are.¡± Alex was grinning after he heard all of that. He thought for a moment before he asked, ¡°Hey mom. What rank are you at?¡± She chuckled slightly as she said, ¡°Geez, you''re really curious today, aren''t you?¡± Alex only smiled wryly at her comment. Sighing, she continued on to say, ¡°I''m an Early-Stage Apprentice.¡± Alex tilted his head after he heard early-stage. Still with his head tilted, he asked, ¡°What''s an Early-Stage Apprentice? Is that different from a regular apprentice?¡± Laylah laughed as she responded, ¡°Hahaha, I forgot to explain the stages didn''t I?¡± She looked towards Kaesan. Notcing her gaze, he nodded. Pretending to hit herself in the head, she said, ¡°Each rank has ten levels. Depending on what level you are at, you would fall into a certain stage. These stages and their levels are: Early-Stage Level 1-3, Mid-Stage Level 4-7, Late-Stage Level 8-9 and Peak-Stage Level 10.¡± Alex let out a breath of air after he heard all of that. Tilting his head to the other side, he curiously asked, ¡°Hey mom. How do you rank up from one rank to the next?¡± Laylah chuckled as she answered him, ¡°Once you reach level 10, you would then need to breakthrough the bottleneck to level 1 of the next rank.¡± Alex released an ¡°Oh¡± as if he understood everything. Laylah warmly smiled at Alex as she said, ¡°Alright, how about you let your father get some rest.¡± Alex nodded and started to walk towards the bedroom door when his father''s voice sounded out. ¡°Alex, don''t forget about your date with Sarah.¡± Alex''s face paled when he heard that. He frantically asked, ¡°Dad! She wasn''t at the shop when that man went on his rampage was she!?¡± Kaesan laughed as he calmly said, ¡°Hahaha, no son, she wasn''t. So you can calm down...You better hurry to get changed though and meet up with her. I''m sure if she gets to the shop and sees the state it''s in, she''ll be worried about you.¡± Alex looked surprised as he replied, ¡°Ah! Right! Good idea dad!..Then I''m going to be off! Rest well.¡± As he said this he left the bedroom and headed towards his own room to get changed. As soon as Alex left the room, Laylah immediately adopted a look of concern as she asked, ¡°Kaesan are you sure you''re alright?¡± Looking down at his one remaining arm, he said in a wistful tone, ¡°Yea...I''m fine...¡± Laylah frowned. She tried to comfort him, she said, ¡°Dear, at least you''re still alive...¡± Kaesan smiled wryly as he looked up at her. He sounded cynical as he said, ¡°Laylah...With just one arm, how am I supposed to keep running the shop?...Not to mention, did you see how much damage it suffered?...There''s no way we''ll be able to reopen it anytime soon.¡± Laylah walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. She grasped his hand and said with a smile, ¡°Honey. Even with just one arm, you can still continue being a physician...As for the shop...It can be repaired in time. Until then, we should be able to do just fine...It''s a good thing we were saving up some money.¡± Kaesan gazed into his wife''s eyes as he replied with a sigh, ¡°I suppose you''re right, dear...¡± He paused and looked to where his left arm used to be. ¡°It''s going to take some getting used to though...¡± Laylah warmly smiled and then kissed Kaesan. After separating from the kiss, she show a gentle smile. ¡°There''s the man I married...This is only an obstacle in our life...that''s it.¡± Kaesan slightly chuckled, ¡°I suppose it is...I''m gonna lay down and get some more rest okay?¡± Laylah nodded and then left the room. After she left the room, he laid down on the bed. With a very depressed look on his face, he muttered, ¡°Just an obstacle...¡± ** ** ** ** Once Alex entered his room, he closed the door behind him. He walked over and sat down on his bed. Right when he did so, multiple chimes sounded out along with various status windows appearing. ''Holy crap.'' He thought as he looked at them. *Ting*
You have gained 1 Stamina (+1 STA)
*Ting*
You have gained 1 Agility (+1 AGI)
*Ting*
You have gained 4 Charisma (+4 CHA)
*Ting*
Level up: Deception (Beginner Level 2 [15/15xp])
*Ting*
Level up: Deception (Beginner Level 3 [0/20xp])
After he read all of the status windows, he shook his head. He was a little amazed as he thought to himself, ''I gained one stamina and agility?...Was that from sprinting home and then back to the shop with mom?...Four charisma and two level ups for Deception....Guess it was a good choice to lie to those Earthly Sword Sect people...'' As he thought to here, his face became distorted as a very chilling light flashed across his eyes. ''Landis Blackwood. I''ll get stronger and then...I''ll pay you back for harming my father...So you better not die before then!'' After a few a moments, he shook his head and dismissed the status windows. ''Alright...I need to get changed so I can meet with Sarah...But first, I wonder what my stats look like now. Open Status Window.'' Heeding his call, a large blue rectangle appeared. *Ting*
Name: Alexander Hartlow
Age: 12
Level: 0XP: 0/100
Health: 10/10Qi: 2/10
Energy: 62/120Satiety: 60/100
Titles: None
Stats: Distributable Points: 0
Constitution: 1Intelligence: 4
Vitality: 1Wisdom: 4
Stamina: 3Endurance: 1
Strength: 5Charisma: 8
Agility: 2Dexterity: 1
Willpower: 5Bloodlust: 2
Luck: 50???
??????
??????
??????
Attack: 1Defense: 0
Element Resistance: None
Additional Information:
Race: HumanGender: Male
Element Affinity: All Elements
Alignment: NeutralAllegiance: Undeclared
''Whoa, my stats increased by a good amount...Huh...Oh yea, it said I earned willpower after that Landis left the shop...I wonder what it does. Help Willpower.'' As he thought it, a help window appeared. *Ting*
Willpower (WILL): the ability to control yourself and strong determination that allows you to do something difficult. Increasing this will improve your resistance towards mental effects.
''Awesome. That''s a really useful stat...Huh, I have two Qi now. So it regenerates on its own...That''s good, especially since I don''t exactly know how to meditate yet. I still need to try that later.'' He smiled and stood up from his bed. ''Alright! Time to get changed.'' After thinking this, he went to his dresser and began to change his clothes. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Chapter V Chapter V ''Crap, it''s already 4:03pm. Hope Sarah didn''t get to the shop yet. If she sees the state it''s in she''ll probably panic.'' He thought as he was walking down the street towards his family''s medicinal shop. As he was walking he glanced at the experience bar at the bottom of his vision. ''Hmm, it still says 0/100xp...'' After thinking this, he opened up his quest log. After reading it, he smiled somewhat. ''Okay, so the quest still says to meet with Sarah at my family''s shop. I guess the shop being damaged didn''t affect the quest...That''s good. After I meet her, I wonder if I''ll finally gain some of this so called Experience.'' As he was nearing the medicinal shop, he could see that there was a crowd gathered in front and a young girl was frantically trying to push her way in. ''Oh boy. Looks like I''m a little late...Better get that flower out.'' As he continued to approach the shop, he retrieved the flower from his inventory. The girl was starting to cause a commotion. ¡°Let me through!! I need to get through!! My friend might be inside that shop!! Move!!¡± Although she was yelling, no one was paying her any heed. Alex had finally reached the crowd and was approaching from behind Sarah. He gently called out, ¡°Sarah! It''s okay.¡± Suddenly hearing a familiar voice, Sarah was startled and quickly jerked her body around. When she saw who it was, tears started to form in her eyes. She ran forward and tackled Alex in a hug, knocking him to the ground as she called out, ¡°Alex! You dummy!¡± Laying on his back with Sarah on top of him with her head buried in his chest, he gently stroked her head as he said, ¡°Sarah, it''s okay.¡± He could hear some muffled sobs coming from her. ¡°Sarah. Let''s get up before we cause even more of a scene.¡± As she heard him say this, she sat up and looked around. Noticing that some of the crowd was looking at them, her face immediately turned crimson as she hurriedly stood up. While Sarah wiped her tears away, Alex chuckled as he got off the ground as well. ¡°Sarah, you alright now?¡± Pouting, Sarah looked at him and said, ¡°You meanie! Do you know how worried I was about you!?...hic...I thought you....hic...you were...¡± She started to cry again, but before she could say anymore Alex hugged her. At first her body went stiff but then she quickly relaxed. Separating from the embrace, Alex said, ¡°Everything''s alright now, right?¡± She was still blushing as she nodded her head. ¡°Mn. E-eveything''s okay.¡± As she wiped her tears, Alex smiled as he held a green flower towards her. ¡°Here, I got this for you.¡± As she saw the flower, a radiant smile crept onto her face. ¡°It''s so pretty. Thank you so much.¡± As his cheeks were becoming warm, he rubbed his nose. ¡°It''s a green carnation...I thought it would compliment your eyes...so uh...¡± Hearing this, Sarah giggled. She quickly grabbed his hand and said, ¡°C-come on. Let''s go watch that duel.¡± She started to pull him away from the crowd. As they were walking down the street, Sarah curiously asked, ¡°So...what happened to your family''s medicinal shop?¡± Alex''s face became slightly downcast as he said, ¡°Some cultivators broke out into a fight there...¡± As if realization struck her, she quickly asked, ¡°Umm...are your mom and dad okay?¡± Alex gave a sad smile as he said, ¡°My dad...he lost his arm...¡± Sarah stopped in her tracks when she heard that. ¡°I-I''m sorry...¡± Alex shook his head. ¡°It''s okay. He''s still alive, so...¡± She started to open her mouth to say something, but Alex beat her to the punch. ¡°So, who''s this duel between?¡± Smiling wryly, Sarah replied, ¡°I''m not sure. I just know that the two who are going to be fighting are at the Intermediate rank. They said that they''ll face each other in the Martial Arena.¡± Alex nodded. Sarah kept glancing at Alex as they continued to walk in silence. ** ** ** ** After about a quarter of an hour, they finally reached the entrance of the Martial Arena. When they arrived, Alex frowned. ¡°Tch, they''re charging people to watch?¡± Sarah wryly smiled as she responded, ¡°I didn''t know...Sorry.¡± Alex shook his head and smiled, ¡°It''s alright. Don''t worry about it.¡± The Arena itself was contained within a medium-sized coliseum that only had two entrances. One at the north side and south side. There was a decent sized line at the north entrance, where Alex and Sarah were. Alex and Sarah both sighed as they got in the line. After about five minutes of waiting they were finally able to enter. Before they could do so though, there were two large burly men blocking the doorway. ¡°1 silver per person.¡± Said one of the men. Alex frowned again, but nonetheless took out two silver and handed it to the man that had spoke. After he received the money, both men stood aside. After Alex and Sarah walked past them, they were in a long hallway. As they were walking, Sarah gently said to Alex, ¡°Hey. I''ll pay you back for this...¡± Alex chuckled as he said, ¡°That''s not necessary. That was the money my dad gave me so I could buy you a gift...So just count this as part of that gift.¡± After he finished speaking, he smiled. Sarah blushed and meekly said, ¡°T-thanks...¡± As they continued to walk, Alex was thinking, ''One silver per person!? That''s extortion!'' When they exited the tunnel, they quickly found some open seats that were relatively close to the stage where the fight would take place. The coliseum was a circular shaped building, with a stage in the dead center. This particular coliseum only had two stories. The seats ringed around the stage on the first and second story. The first row of seats were at ground level, with the closest view of the stage. The row behind them were positioned one step higher so they could also have a clear view. Each row after that continued to ascend, creating a staircase that led up to twenty rows. The second story was identical to the first. Alex and Sarah were able to find seats in the third row on the first floor. These seats were very close to the stage, where the action would take place. As they seated themselves, Sarah excitedly said, ¡°I can''t believe we managed to get seats so close! We''re so lucky!¡± Alex smiled but remained silent as he thought, ''Lucky...huh.'' They sat there and talked for a little while until the duel would begin. As they were talking, more and more people were funneling into the arena, filling up the seats. Before they knew it the arena was packed and had become rather noisy. After some more time passed, a man dressed in all black with long dark hair that fell to his waist, finally walked onto the stage. After he arrived on the stage, he stopped near the center and looked around. The man stood there and closed his eyes. Shortly after, another man started to walk towards the stage from the opposite side. He was wearing all light blue clothes and had shoulder-length brown hair. As he reached the stage, the man in black opened his eyes and smirked. ¡°Heh. I was starting to think you ran away.¡± The man in blue clothes scoffed, ¡°Hmph! As if I''d run...It''s time someone taught your Argent Viper Sect a lesson.¡± Both men bickered for a few minutes. As they were doing so, Alex was thinking to himself, ''Huh? When I met with Sarah, I didn''t get a status window...Shouldn''t have meeting with her completed the quest?...Open Quest Log'' As he thought it, his quest log appeared.
Quest Log -Go on a date: Meet with Sarah Collford at your family''s medicinal shop in a few hours. -Enjoy the date: Enjoy the duel with Sarah Collford.
Alex read and re-read the quest to make sure he wasn''t imagining things. ''Uhh...So this is a date...okay...But why didn''t I get experience for meeting her?...Is the quest not done yet?...I guess it has multiple parts?...Guess I''ll find out later.'' He shook his head and dismissed the quest log. After doing so, he turned his attention back to the stage. The men seemed like they were finally about to start fighting. ''About time.'' Alex was slightly annoyed at how long they were quarreling for. ¡°Fine! This place will be your grave!¡± Yelled the man in light blue clothes. ¡°Haha, I could say the same for you. However, I''ll be sure to send your body back to the Northern Ice Sect in pieces.¡± The man in black coldly replied. Enraged, the blue-clothed man charged forth. As soon as he reached the black-clothed man he threw a punch towards his face. The man dodged it by a hair''s breadth and countered with his own fist to the blue-clothed man''s chest. The blue-clothed man blocked it and jumped backwards, but the black-clothed man wouldn''t let him retreat. He closed the distance quickly not leaving any breathing room. He sent his leg out kicking the blue-clothed man in the stomach; then immediately delivered an elbow to his face. The blue-clothed man stumbled backwards, but quickly regained his balance. But it was too late. The black-clothed man was already upon him with yet another kick. But this time, it was to his waist. As the leg made contact, a loud crack sounded out. The blue-clothed man''s left arm dangled down unnaturally. Luckily, he managed to block the kick with his arm, but that came with a price. The audience was starting to get rambunctious. The blue-clothed man shouted, ¡°Ugh, you force my hand!¡± Suddenly, a blue mist seemed to exude from the man''s legs. A frost started to cover the stage around the man. Seeing this, the black-clothed man leapt backwards putting distance between the two of them. ¡°Come!¡± Yelled the black-clothed man as he placed his hand on his hip. The blue-clothed man smirked as he once more charged at the black-clothed man. This time his speed was faster. When he reached him, he kicked towards him. The air that his leg passed through seem to freeze. The black-clothed man didn''t move. Right when he was about to be hit, the leg stopped. ¡°W-what!?¡± Uttered the blue-clothed man. Wrapped around his entire leg was a long black leather strap. The black-clothed man laughed. ¡°Ahahaha, the win is mine.¡± As he said this, he yanked his hand back and the blue-clothed man tumbled to the ground. In the black-clothed man''s hand was a handle and connected to it was that long black leather strip. It was a whip. Before the blue-clothed man could untangle his leg, a foot came stomping down towards his head. He jerked his head to the side as the foot smashed a few of the tiles on the stage floor. The blue-clothed man swept his untangled leg in an arc knocking the black-clothed man off of his feet. As he hit the ground with an ¡°Umph¡±, he uttered, ¡°Bastard!!¡± The blue-clothed man managed to get his leg free and got back up on his feet. He immediately put distance between him and the black-clothed man. Staring him down, he panted heavily. The black-clothed man quickly got back to his feet by the time the blue-clothed man had put some distance between them. He stared back at the blue-clothed man. However, he wasn''t panting. The audience burst out in a clamor. ¡°Hmph. I''m going to end this.¡± Said the black-clothed man in a sinister tone. He started to crack his whip against the stage''s tile floor. Each crack of the whip shattered a tile. A greenish-black aura surrounded his hand and whip. He sneered and then charged at the blue-clothed man as the whip continued to strike out, cracking tiles. The blue-clothed man took some steps back and raised his arm preparing to defend himself. A blue mist started to exude from his whole body. When the black-clothed man was within three meters from him, the mist instantly formed into an icicle the size of a man''s arm. It sprung through the air towards the black-clothed man. He snickered and flicked his whip, smashing the icicle apart. After which, he flicked out his whip again. It came down with a crack as it slashed the blue-clothed man''s chest, leaving a bloody gash. The blue-clothed man grimaced as he stumbled back. Grinning maniacally, the black-clothed man continued to lash out with his whip, striking the blue-clothed man repeatedly. A full minute passed. The blue-clothed man could do nothing but receive the strikes. He was knocked down onto the ground. A bloody mess, he tried raising his hand and screamed miserably, ¡°I-I surrender! I give up!¡± But the black-clothed man ignored him and continued to lash at him; severing the fingers of his raised hand. The crowd had gone silent as they watched the spectacle. Five minutes went by and the blue-clothed man finally stopped moving. Sarah was clutching Alex''s arm and burying her head into his shoulder. ¡°I-is it over?¡± She weakly whispered. Alex patted her head and was about to say something. However, he noticed the black-clothed man approaching the body of the blue-clothed man. Alex whispered back to Sarah, ¡°Not yet. Don''t look.¡± Alex narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brow as he watched the black-clothed man. As the black-clothed man approached the body, he was grinning ominously. When he finally reached it, he kicked it with his foot. Knocking the blue-clothed man''s corpse onto his back. He muttered, ¡°Like I said...I''m going to send you back to your Northern Ice Sect in pieces...¡± He put his whip away and pulled a serrated dagger out from behind his back. He reached down and grabbed the blue-clothed man''s hair, yanking his head up. He then began to saw away at his neck with the knife; splattering blood all over. As he finally severed the head, he held it up for the audience to see. Some members of the audience grimaced, while some vomited. The black-clothed man''s grin became wider as he witnessed the crowds reaction. Dropping the head to the ground, he proceeded to saw off all of the blue-clothed man''s limbs. Once he was done, he called for someone from the audience. After a moment, four large burly men hopped up onto the stage. They uttered, ¡°Milord.¡± Snorting, the black-clothed man ordered, ¡°Gather this trash''s body. Send it to the Northern Ice Sect.¡± The four men slightly trembled as they acknowledged the order. After putting away his dagger, the black-clothed man had a smug smile on his face. Observing the crowd, he yelled out menacingly, ¡°Remember this! All those that cross my Argent Viper Sect will suffer the same fate!!¡± Hearing this, the entire crowd was deathly silent. Coldly snorting, the black-clothed man walked off the stage and exited the arena. Shortly after he had left, the four men followed suit carrying the remains of the blue-clothed man. Once they were all gone, the crowd erupted into a ruckus. Alex nudged Sarah and gently said, ¡°It''s okay now Sarah. You can look.¡± Covering her eyes with her hand, she peeked out. Seeing that it was all over, she let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I can''t believe how vicious that guy was...That other guy surrendered...and yet...¡± Seeing that she was slightly pale, Alex tried to comfort her. ¡°Sarah, lets get out of here. I''ll walk you home.¡± In response, she slightly nodded. They then left the arena and started to head towards Sarah''s house. Before they arrived though, Sarah turned to Alex and said, ¡°Alex...I''m hungry, do you want to get something to eat?¡± Alex thought for a moment before answering, ¡°Hmm, yea sure. I don''t know how you could eat something after that display, but it''ll be my treat.¡± Sarah smiled and hugged his arm. They then found a street stall selling some meat jerky. After he bought some for the both of them, they nibbled on it as they traveled to Sarah''s house. ** ** ** ** Alex had just escorted Sarah home and bid farewell as the sun was starting to set. Walking by himself down a street, he was thinking, ''Those Argent Viper Sect people are so barbarous and vicious...'' Shaking his head and sighing, he continued to walk. ''Hmm, well I wonder if I completed that quest yet...Open Quest Log.'' The quest log appeared before him.
Quest Log ¨C Go on a date: Meet with Sarah Collford at your family''s medicinal shop in a few hours. ¨C Enjoy the date: Enjoy the duel with Sarah Collford. ¨C Escort Sarah Home: See to it Sarah Collford returns home safely. - Return Home: Successfully return home.
''Huh...is this quest ever going to end...It''s like a continuous quest...Like a quest chain...'' He shook his head again as he dismissed the quest log. ''Oh well...I just can''t wait until it gets completed...I''m so eager to see if I earn any experience...'' As he was thinking, he ended up back in the marketplace. ''Crap, I wasn''t paying attention to where I was going...Let''s see...'' He opened up the local map. ''If I turn left up ahead I can double back.'' He continued to walk forward and was about to make the turn, when something caught his eye. ''Hmm...the blacksmith huh?...Well, I guess it wouldn''t hurt to take a look...'' He walked over to the blacksmith''s shop and entered. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Once he was inside, what greeted his eyes were various weapons and armor hanging on the walls. Some were even in display cases and on the counters. ''Wow. I can''t believe that in all my life, not once have I ever come here...'' As he thought this, he walked deeper into the store. There weren''t that many people within. There was a robust looking middle-aged man, who had a full head of brown hair that was cut short and a long beard that fell down to his belly. He had a chiseled face and a scar that ran diagonally from above his right eyebrow to just below his right eye, stopping before it reached his nose. He was wearing a leather apron as he was grinding a sword behind the counter. Alex walked up to the counter near where the man was grinding the sword. He politely called out, ¡°Excuse me, sir.¡± The man glanced up from the sword for only a second before returning his gaze to it. He grunted, ¡°What is it, boy?¡± Alex smiled as he replied, ¡°Well sir, I was just curious as to how much it would cost to purchase a sword that was right for me...¡± The man took the sword off of the grindstone and gave Alex a curious look. ¡°Boy. Are you messing with me? Go back to your mother''s teet. You''re too young to be wielding a sword.¡± Alex frowned, but sternly said, ¡°I know this may not change anything...but I''m going to be a cultivator soon and I believe I''m going to need a weapon...¡± When the man heard that Alex was going to be a cultivator, he raised his eyebrow and eyed him. ¡°You''re going to be a cultivator? Hahaha. Alright boy. I''ll humor you. Why don''t you come over here and let uncle take a look at you.¡± Alex was slightly taken aback. ¡°Ummm, no. That''s okay. My mother told me to not let strange old men check out my body...Never mind. I''ll take my leave.¡± The man was flabbergasted. He yelled out, ¡°Not like that you brat! Geez!¡± Alex turned around and was about to leave. ¡°Wait!¡± The man called out. Alex slightly turned around and asked, ¡°What? I already said it. I''m not letting you ogle me.¡± The man sighed as he chuckled, ¡°Boy, you''re funny. I''ll give you that. What I mean was, let me inspect your Qi veins. That''s it.¡± Alex narrowed his eyes and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why?¡± The man had a wry smile on his face as he replied, ¡°Wow, you''re a cautious one aren''t you?¡± Not receiving the answer he wanted, Alex started to walk away. As he did so, he said, ¡°Never mind sir. I''ll either come back with my parents or go elsewhere.¡± The man was dumbfounded. ¡°B-brat! Fine, whatever! I don''t care. I can''t be wasting so much time on random kids...¡± He angrily held the sword to the grindstone and continued his work. After Alex walked out of the blacksmith''s shop, he turned around and gazed at it. ''Hmm, when I mentioned I was going to become a cultivator, he became very interested...Hmmm, he asked to check my Qi veins...Was he a cultivator? Can they do that?...If they can, I don''t think I should let anyone check my Qi Veins if I can help it...Who knows what would happen if they found out about my Empyreal Body...'' After thinking that, he continued on his way home. ** ** ** ** When he had made it home, it was already dark outside. The moment he got into the living room, his mother who was sitting on the couch noticed him immediately. She frowned and chided, ¡°Alex! What were you doing out so late? You know how much I dislike you being out at night.¡± Alex smiled wryly. ¡°Sorry mom. After the duel, I walked Sarah home. Apparently, I got lost in thought on my way home and ended up in the market, haha.¡± Laylah''s mood seemed to ease somewhat as she was no longer frowning. Alex continued, ¡°Then I saw the blacksmith''s shop and my curiosity was peaked.¡± Laylah raised an eyebrow as she asked, ¡°Why were you curious about the blacksmith?¡± Alex awkwardly chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Umm...Mom...I need to talk to you...Can we sit down?¡± She narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brow. However, she gently said, ¡°Alright honey...What is it?¡± Alex walked over to the couch and sat down in a chair opposite of his mother. After his mother sat back down on the couch, he continued on to timidly say, ¡°So, mom...Where''s dad? How''s he doing?¡± Laylah warmly smiled and nodded. ¡°He''s sleeping right now and he''s doing fine...What did you want to talk about Alex?¡± Hesitating slightly, Alex started to speak, ¡°Well, mom...umm...I already talked to dad about this. But ummm, well, we were going to talk to you together...but since he''s asleep I figure I''ll just wing it myself then.¡± He paused for a moment and cleared his throat. ¡°Mom. I want to become a...cultivator.¡± When she heard what her son wanted, it was like a bomb being dropped. Her face was expressionless as she remained silent and stared at her son. After a few minutes passed, Alex was starting to feel awkward. However, he too continued to remain silent as he was wary of what his mother might say. Finally she spoke in a gentle tone, ¡°Alex...¡± He gulped as he heard his name. ¡°What did your father say about this?¡± Alex smiled wryly as he answered, ¡°He said that he would support me no matter what I choose to do. However, I would need to talk to you first.¡± She had a pensive smile on her face as she nodded. ¡°I see.¡± That was all she said. Once more a silence permeated the air. Once again it lasted for a little while. Unable to bear it again, Alex started to speak. ¡°Mom I-¡± However, his mother spoke over him. ¡°-Alex.¡± He looked at her attentively. In a solemn tone she said, ¡°If you wish to become a cultivator, I won''t stop you...But, there are some things you definitely need to know.¡± Alex nodded as he responded, ¡°Alright mom. I''m listening.¡± Laylah nodded and directly said, ¡°First of all. You should be aware, cultivators will fight quite often. It''s not uncommon for them to lose their lives.¡± Alex nodded showing he understood. She continued, ¡°The training and ordeals you will face, may be extremely difficult...would you still be willing to become one?¡± Alex nodded again and firmly said, ¡°Yes!¡± Sighing, Laylah severely said, ¡°If you become a cultivator...You have to be prepared to kill...Can you do that?¡± When he heard his mother''s question, Alex''s expression didn''t change. There wasn''t so much as even a flinch. Laylah was amazed, she had thought that her question would at least make him have some sort of reaction. Alex calmly and adamantly spoke, ¡°Mom. I''m prepared to do whatever is necessary for me to become a cultivator. Even if it means killing other people.¡± When she heard her son''s response, she went wide-eyed and started to open her mouth to speak. After a moment she closed her mouth and closely examined Alex. As she stared at him, she began to apply some pressure to him with her Qi. When he felt his mother''s Qi, his eyebrow twitched. But there was no other reaction. Laylah was astonished. ''Just what is driving him so much? He should at least have a larger reaction than this...'' She thought as she curiously looked at her son. After a couple of minutes, she finally retracted her Qi when she noticed that Alex was starting to sweat profusely. She giggled as she said, ¡°You don''t need to act so tough honey. If you couldn''t stand my Qi, you should''ve said something.¡± Alex smiled wryly as he replied, ¡°Mom. If I couldn''t endure the pressure from your Qi, you''d probably refuse to let me become a cultivator.¡± Laylah embarrassedly smiled as she dejectedly responded, ¡°You saw right through me huh?¡± Alex gave a nod to his mother''s inquiry. She continued to say, ¡°Fine honey...You passed my test...I won''t stop you from becoming a cultivator...However, there are some conditions of mine you''ll need to follow. If you agree, then I''ll support you full-heartedly.¡± Alex jubilantly smiled and nodded. ¡°Of course mom. Thank you so much! I-¡± She laughed and interrupted him. ¡°Honey. Not so fast. You should hear me out first.¡± Alex coughed. ¡°Right. Sorry...I was just a little overjoyed.¡± Smiling, Laylah gently spoke, ¡°These conditions aren''t really any restrictions, just some prerequisites that I want you to meet.¡± Alex hurriedly nodded as he keenly listened. ¡°First, you''ll need a weapon. We''ll go together to the blacksmith tomorrow and find you a good one...Second, I want you to be able to protect yourself. So starting tomorrow, I''m going to begin teaching you how to use a sword. As well as some basic hand-to-hand combat...Thirdly, you''re obviously going to want to join a sect or school right?¡± She paused there waiting for his answer. He hastily nodded. She was quiet for a moment and then continued, ¡°Alright then. I''ll go and get a list of all the sects and schools in this region of the kingdom. From them, I''ll help you pick out one that you are the most suited for...Fourthly, you said you wanted to learn dad''s trade right?...Then I want you to learn as much as you can before you set off okay?¡± Alex smiled and reassuringly said, ¡°Of course mom. I was planning on it for sure!¡± Laylah smiled. ¡°Good. Now for the final condition...After I train you and I think you''re ready, I want you to go into the Nilyl forest south of the town. Once there, you''ll kill a profound beast or monster at the early-stage beginner rank and bring back its Qi Core. Only then will I allow you to leave home and join a sect...Understood?¡± Alex smiled and resolutely answered, ¡°Yes mom! I won''t let you down.¡± She chuckled as she replied, ¡°Good. But don''t think it''s going to be easy. Profound beasts and monsters are stronger than cultivators of the same rank. If a mid-stage novice profound beast fought against a cultivator of the same stage and rank. Then that cultivator would most likely lose, unless they were well-prepared or talented. Profound beasts and monsters are not to be underestimated, regardless of their rank. Do you understand?¡± Alex smiled and nodded. ¡°Good.¡± Laylah smiled back as she responded to his nod. ¡°Now go to bed okay? Tomorrow will be a long day.¡± Alex stood up, but before he left, he looked towards Laylah and asked, ¡°Mom. Before I go to bed, could you tell me just what a Qi Core is?¡± She gently smiled at him before she answered. ¡°Sure honey...A Qi core is something that forms from the collection of Qi over a long period of time. Profound beasts and monsters all have one. For cultivators, when they start out they don''t have one. However, by the time they reach the intermediate rank they''ll be able to form one from their own Qi. It''ll increase the amount of Qi they''re capable of using and holding within their body.¡± Alex was boggled as he listened. ¡°Qi cores from Profound beasts and monsters can be used for a lot of things. The only uses though, that I''m completely sure of and aren''t just hearsay, would be that Qi cores can be used in both alchemy and blacksmithing. The final thing I know of is that, if a cultivator consumes a Qi core, they can increase their own strength. However, it is extremely dangerous to do so. It can even be lethal. Thus, not many cultivators risk doing it...I probably shouldn''t have told you about it, but I want you to be aware of the dangers.¡± Alex''s jaw was slightly agape. ¡°Wow mom. That''s crazy.¡± Laylah giggled. ¡°Hehe. Yea it is.¡± Smiling, Alex warmly said, ¡°Alright mom, thanks for answering me. I''m going to bed. Goodnight. I love you.¡± Laylah gently smiled as she tenderly replied, ¡°Goodnight, I love you too honey.¡± Alex then went to his room and closed the door. Once inside he stripped out of his clothes until he was in his underwear and then laid down on his bed. He crossed his arms under his head and excitedly thought, ''Mom and dad are both okay with me becoming a cultivator...To be honest, I didn''t expect them both to agree so readily...Well mom does have those conditions...But this is great! I can''t wait!'' As soon as he finished thinking, a chime rang out while a status window appeared. *Ting*
Congratulations! You have completed the quest [Take Sarah Collford on a date] You have earned 20xp.
Alex lay there slack-jawed in awe. ''Finally completed it...but 20xp? Hmm, I guess that''s good. I mean all I did was buy a flower, then go with Sarah to the duel and then walk her home. Wasn''t really difficult. If all quests are that easy, I''ll be able to earn experience easily.'' Closing his mouth and dismissing the window, Alex tilted his head. ''Huh. Why did I only get this message now and not earlier when I had walked inside? The quest had said to return home, so I figure it should have completed the moment I walked in through the door right?..Hmm, the only thing I could think of would be that maybe these messages wait until I''m in a sort of idle state before popping up?'' As if answering his thoughts, two chimes once again rang out as a couple of status windows popped up. *Ting*
You have gained 1 Intelligence (+1 INT)
*Ting*
You have gained 1 Wisdom (+1 WIS)
''Alright! So I was right? When I figure things out I gain intelligence and wisdom, so I guess I was right...That help thing, did say that wisdom affects problem solving...so yea...'' Slightly nodding to himself, he continued to think, ''Hmm, I wonder what my stats are like now.'' He opened up his Status Window and looked over his stats. *Ting*
Name: Alexander Hartlow
Age: 12
Level: 0XP: 20/100
Health: 10/10Qi: 4/10
Energy: 30/120Satiety: 72/100
Titles: None
Stats: Distributable Points: 0
Constitution: 1Intelligence: 5
Vitality: 1Wisdom: 5
Stamina: 3Endurance: 1
Strength: 5Charisma: 8
Agility: 2Dexterity: 1
Willpower: 5Bloodlust: 2
Luck: 50???
??????
??????
??????
Attack: 1Defense: 0
Element Resistance: None
Additional Information:
Race: HumanGender: Male
Element Affinity: All Elements
Alignment: NeutralAllegiance: Undeclared
As he viewed his stats, he was grinning from ear to ear. ''My Qi recovery speed is so slow. I wonder if it''ll recover faster when I sleep?...Four, I''ll have to remember that and check when I wake up...eighty experience to go! I wonder what''ll happen...My satiety went up from earlier today...Was it from that jerky?...Hmm, that''s so cool how it keeps track of my hunger too. Wonder why it doesn''t do thirst though? Huh...Oh well, I better get to sleep, tomorrow will probably be a long day.'' Finally settling his thoughts that were jumping from one thing to the next, Alex got under his bed''s blanket and rolled over to his side. He closed his eyes. He laid there for a little bit, tossing and turning. His thoughts started to race again. ''I really hope dad will be okay...Losing an arm isn''t a small matter...'' He sighed as he rolled onto his back. Opening his eyes, he stared at the ceiling with a solemn expression. ''Dad should be able to bounce back from this. He''s strong...'' He let out a long breath before he rolled back over to his side and closed his eyes again. ''I better try to sleep.'' Shortly after, he drifted off to sleep. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Chapter VI Chapter VI Alex groaned as the morning''s sunlight shone down on his face through the window. ¡°Ugh...¡± He slowly rolled to the edge of his bed and sat up. Yawning, he mumbled, ¡°Morning already?¡± He got up and walked over to his room''s window. Looking out and down at the street, he could see that there was already a lot of bustling activity. ¡°Geez, it''s morning yet it''s so busy...¡± Turning away from the window, he thought, ''Must be because of that tournament in Autumnwell.'' He walked over to his dresser and looked for some clothes. As Alex was getting dressed, he was thinking, ''With dad losing his arm, I hope he can keep working as a physician. I know it''ll be hard, but I hope he doesn''t have any mental issues from it...'' He shook his head, dispelling any more negative thoughts from creeping in. ''One day, I''ll be able to support my family on my own. This way dad and mom wont have to work again.'' As he concluded his thoughts, he had just finished getting dressed. He walked over to the mirror in his room and checked himself over. Nodding his head, he thought, ''Alright! Today I get a weapon and start to learn how to defend myself! I can''t wait!'' As he was about to leave his room, he glanced at the Qi bar in his vision. ''Awesome! My Qi is full now. So a full night''s rest and it''s restored...Well, then again I''ve only got ten Qi.'' Shrugging, he exited his room and headed downstairs. He went straight to the kitchen. His mother was currently preparing breakfast. Since he didn''t see his father, he curiously asked, ¡°Hey mom, where''s dad? Is he still asleep?¡± Laylah turned around and gave him a gentle smile as she said, ¡°Yeah, I figured it would be better to let him rest for a while longer.¡± Alex nodded. ¡°Here, I just finished making breakfast.¡± As she said this, she brought over a plate of eggs and some bread, setting it in front of Alex. ¡°Thanks mom.¡± After thanking her, Alex began to eat. As he was eating, Laylah sat at the table and watched him. After about ten minutes, he was done eating. Looking up from his plate, he noticed his mother staring at him. ¡°So mom. When are we going to go get a sword?¡± She remained silent in thought for a moment before she said, ¡°In a little bit. I''ll go write a note for your father, then we can leave.¡± Alex smiled and nodded. Laylah went over to a drawer to grab a pencil and paper. She sat back down and began to write. As she did this, Alex cleared the table of his mess. By the time he was done cleaning up, Laylah said, ¡°Alright honey. Let me go put this in the bedroom and then we can leave.¡± Alex eagerly smiled and nodded. A few minutes went by before they both left the house. Walking down the street, Alex asked, ¡°Where are we going to get a sword at?¡± Laylah giggled. ¡°Where else? The blacksmith, silly.¡± Alex wryly smiled as he responded, ¡°Is there another one? Or are we going to the one with that perverted old man?¡± Laylah slightly furrowed her brow and raised an eyebrow as she asked in an odd tone, ¡°What perverted old man?¡± Alex mischievously said, ¡°Some old guy was at the blacksmith yesterday. He had a scar on his right eye and wanted to check out my body...¡± Laylah was taken aback. ¡°W-what!? Are you sure you didn''t misunderstand?¡± Alex hurriedly shook his head. ¡°No! He said it as plain as day! He sounded really perverted when he asked to take a look at me...¡± Laylah narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brow after she heard that. ¡°Let''s go! I''ll go have a talk with this man.¡± Alex smirked as they both walked towards the blacksmith located in the market district. ** ** ** ** A quarter of an hour later, Alex and his mother arrived at the blacksmith that he had visited last night. After they walked into the shop, Alex glanced around. After a moment, he spotted the same middle-aged man wearing a leather apron that was here yesterday. ¡°That''s him mom!¡± Alex impishly shouted out as he pointed. Laylah glared at the man her son had pointed to. When Alex had called out, it drew the attention of the customers who were already within the shop. Laylah, with Alex in tow, stomped over towards the counter that the man was behind. Once there, they were standing side by side as she slammed her hand on the counter. ¡°Hey!¡± The man had been polishing some armor with his back turned to the counter. The moment he heard the noise, he turned around. Surprise was evident on his face when he saw Alex. ¡°Just what the hell do you think you''re doing asking to see my son''s body!? Huh!?¡± Laylah fumed as she glared at the man. Startled and wide-eyed, the man frantically said, ¡°W-whoa, whoa, whoa! Lady, calm down! It''s not like that! I swear!¡± She didn''t calm down at all, instead she started to get angrier. ¡°Don''t tell me to calm down! You think I''ll just stand by while you attempt to molest my son!? Huh!?¡± As she was yelling she pointed at him, while a green colored Qi started to exude from her arm. The blacksmith looked between Alex and Laylah with a dumbfounded face. His mouth opening and closing repeatedly. Witnessing this, Alex began to chuckle. The man pointed towards Alex and in an accusing tone said, ¡°Lady! I swear to the gods that I didn''t try to molest your son! That brat is just messing with you!¡± His answer annoyed Laylah further. She seemed like she was about to become violent. Right at this moment, Alex called out, ¡°Mom! It''s okay! I think he''s sorry.¡± She turned to look at her son, her anger visibly fading. ¡°Eh? I thought he tried to do dirty things to you? How is that okay?¡± As she said this, she furrowed her brow at her son. Alex wryly smiled and scratched his cheek. ¡°Well...umm...¡± The man interrupted in an annoyed tone, ¡°Lady! He''s just messing with you. He came here last night asking if I had any weapons that suited him and I asked to inspect his Qi Veins. That''s all that happened.¡± Laylah frowned and glared at Alex. ¡°Is that true?¡± She asked in a reprimanding tone. Awkwardly smiling and chuckling, he replied, ¡°Y-yea...I just wanted to get him in trouble...¡± A loud whack sounded out in the shop. ¡°Oww! That hurt mom!¡± Alex said as he rubbed the back of his head. ¡°Hmph! What are you doing huh!? You don''t falsely accuse people like that...seriously.¡± She huffed as she crossed her arms. The man laughed as he watched this. ¡°Serves you right brat...Trying to molest you? Unbelievable.¡± Alex smiled wryly as he apologized, ¡°Sorry mister. Sorry mom.¡± Shaking her head, Laylah rubbed Alex''s head and gently said, ¡°It''s alright, just don''t do it again.¡± After consoling him, she turned towards the man. ¡°Sorry about that. He can be a little troublesome at times.¡± The man shook his head as he smirked, ¡°Don''t worry about it. Kids will be kids...¡± He looked at Alex and continued, ¡°So did you come here only to cause trouble or are you buying something this time kid?¡± Alex grinned. ¡°Hehe, this time mister, I''m here to buy a sword!¡± Slightly nodding his head, the man spoke, ¡°A sword huh...alright. Miss, what exactly are you looking for?¡± Laylah and the man talked for a little bit, before he went into a backroom. As he did so, Alex was thinking to himself, ''Alright...so that was a failure. Guess deception didn''t work too well with that. Or maybe it wasn''t high enough level to work? I don''t know. I''ll need to experiment more.'' By the time he was done with his thoughts, the man returned. ¡°Alright, so these are the ones I think will be suitable for him...¡± As he was speaking, he laid out five swords on the counter. When he saw the swords, Alex''s eyes sparkled for a moment. The man saw this and chuckled. ¡°Haha, brat. Take your pick, try each one out. Give it a few practice swings.¡± Alex looked to his mother. She nodded signalling her approval. Alex smiled as he looked at the five swords that were in their scabbards. ''Alright, let''s see what happens.'' He thought as he looked at the one farthest on the left. ''Identify.'' *Ting*
Copper Short-Sword ¨C a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from copper.
Quality ¨C Standard
Attack ¨C 6Defense - 0Durability ¨C 10/10
Special Properties ¨C None
''Wow, an attack of six. That''s better then my current attack rating of one...Huh, durability? That wasn''t there on my clothes...Wonder why. Oh! Maybe leveling up Identify had something to do with it?'' Alex smiled as he picked up the copper short-sword. ¡°So uhh, miss?¡± ¡°Laylah. That''s my son Alex.¡± Laylah answered the man''s inquiry. Nodding, the man said, ¡°My name''s Telor. This here, is my shop.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± She replied. Alex stopped what he was doing and also replied the same as his mother. Alex then withdrew the sword from its sheath and did two practice swings with it, before returning it to where he took it from on the counter. ''Hmm, what about these other four?'' He looked at the swords next to the copper one and identified them all.
Bronze Short-Sword ¨C a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from bronze.
Quality ¨C Standard
Attack ¨C 8Defense - 0Durability ¨C 20/20
Special Properties ¨C None
Iron Short-Sword ¨C a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from iron.
Quality ¨C Standard
Attack ¨C 10Defense - 0Durability ¨C 40/40
Special Properties ¨C None
Black Iron Short-Sword ¨C a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from black iron.
Quality ¨C Standard
Attack ¨C 12Defense - 0Durability ¨C 50/50
Special Properties ¨C None
Steel Short-Sword ¨C a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from steel.
Quality ¨C Standard
Attack ¨C 14Defense - 0Durability ¨C 60/60
Special Properties ¨C None
As soon as he finished identifying them, two chimes rang out along with the appearance of a couple status windows. *Ting*
Level up: Identify (Level 4 Beginner [5/25xp])
*Ting*
You have gained 1 Intelligence (+1 INT)
After he read the pop up, he smiled. ''Great. It leveled up...But now I''m out of Qi again.'' He looked at the five swords and picked up the steel one. He gave it a few practice swings and then put it back. ''Huh, they all feel the same to me. Maybe it''s because I''ve never really used a sword before...'' Once more he picked up the copper short-sword and started to swing it. As he was doing this, Telor continued on to say, ¡°So these five swords are all short-swords since I don''t think your kid could handle a long-sword yet.¡± Laylah nodded in understanding. ¡°Yeah, maybe in a few years, but not now.¡± Watching Alex, Telor kept talking, ¡°So these five are each slightly different. The one he''s currently swinging is made from copper.¡± He motioned towards the four that were still on the counter. ¡°Then from the left to right, there''s bronze, iron, black iron, and steel. As you can probably guess, the copper one''s the cheapest, then-¡± ¡°-The price doesn''t matter.¡± Laylah cut Telor off. She wanted to buy the best she could for her son. She wouldn''t have him running around with a cheap weapon that may break at a critical juncture. Telor smiled when he heard that price wasn''t a problem. These were his favorite types of customers. ¡°Alright then, I''d recommend the steel short-sword. It''s the sharpest and sturdiest one.¡± Laylah glanced at him, then picked up the steel shortsword. She gave it a few swings. As she did so, it was clear to the anyone that she had some experience with a blade. ¡°Not bad. It''s well-balanced...We''ll take this one.¡± When Alex heard his mother''s decision, he came back over and placed the copper sword on the counter. Telor grinned as he said, ¡°Good choice. I smithed that one myself. So I can say without a doubt that it''s well-made.¡± Laylah ignored his boasting as she asked, ¡°So how much?¡± Telor brought his hand to his chin as if he was in deep thought. After a moment, he said, ¡°Well, you should know that steel isn''t exactly widely available here in our town. The steel I have, had to be imported over from the city of-¡± Laylah cut off his sales pitch. She sounded annoyed as she asked, ¡°How much?¡± Wryly smiling, Telor replied, ¡°Eight gold.¡± Alex widened his eyes as he uttered, ¡°Holy crap!¡± Laylah frowned and said, ¡°That''s a bit much, don''t you think?¡± Telor furrowed his brow as he retorted, ¡°Nonsense. As I was saying, that steel was imported from the city of-¡± ¡°-Mister. Can''t you just lower the price a bit?¡± Alex cut him off as he asked innocently. ¡°Oi! Brat! This here is fine steel! Besides my store, where else are you gonna find steel weapons in this town? Huh?¡± Alex glowered and looked down. After a moment of silence, he looked back up and tried to persuade Telor, ¡°Mister Telor. I''m going to become a cultivator. I need this weapon. But I don''t think it''s worth as much money as you say it is...Can''t you lower the price?¡± Telor laughed heartily. ¡°Nonsense brat! Either buy it or get out.¡± Alex''s expression turned solemn as he continued to say, ¡°Mister Telor, I wonder what my friends from the Gallant Eagle Sect will say, if I told them you were trying to extort my mother and I...¡± At the mention of the Gallant Eagle Sect, Telor broke out into a cold sweat. Looking towards his mother, he said, ¡°Mom, this place isn''t an honest establishment. Let''s go elsewhere.¡± Completely taken aback, Laylah mumbled, ¡°Uh, okay. Sure.¡± They both turned around and started to leave when Telor''s wary voice sounded out. ¡°H-hold on!...Maybe, I can lower the price a little...okay?¡± A sly grin flashed past Alex''s face before he turned around. When he did so, his face was solemn once more. ¡°Yes, mister Telor? What did you have in mind?¡± With a pained expression spread on his face, Telor said, ¡°Seven gold, okay? How''s that sound?¡± Alex raised an eyebrow, as he criticized the price, ¡°I don''t know Mister Telor...That''s still awfully steep...¡± Telor''s pained expression intensified as he said in a reluctant tone, ¡°Five gold fifty silver. That''s as low as I can go. After all, I still need to make a profit off of this.¡± Alex glanced around at the people who were within the shop observing the exchange. Nodding and smiling, Alex cheerfully replied, ¡°Deal! Five gold fifty silver it is. Thanks Mister Telor.¡± Alex glanced upwards towards his mother. Noticing his gaze, Laylah pulled out some money from her pocket and traded it to Telor for the steel sword. They then walked out of the shop. The moment they exited, Alex heard multiple chimes as some status windows appeared. *Ting*
You have gained 1 Charisma (+1 CHA)
*Ting*
Congratulations! You have learned the skill [Haggle ¨C Beginner]
''A new skill? Sweet...Haggle huh? Definitely from negotiating that price...I wonder what other skills there are...'' While he thought this, he and Laylah had already started to head back to their house. ¡°When we get home, we''ll move all the furniture out of the way in the living room...Then I can start to teach you how to use that sword.¡± Laylah said as she smiled at Alex while they were walking. Excitement could be seen in his eyes as he replied with a grin, ¡°I''m looking forward to it!¡± ** ** ** ** It took them a little over a quarter of an hour to get back home. Once they were there, they started to move the furniture in the living room out of the way. As they did so, Alex curiously asked, ¡°Mom, that sword was expensive...Are you sure it''s okay?¡± Laylah giggled and said in a kind tone, ¡°Honey, it''s alright. Your father and I have been saving money over the years. We''ve managed to build up a small sum for moments like these.¡± As she finished speaking she had a warm smile on her face. They slightly chatted as they moved the furniture to the sides of the room. When they were finally done, they both moved to the center of the room. Looking at Alex, Laylah said, ¡°Alright, so before I begin to teach you anything, there''s some things that I need to explain to you.¡± Alex nodded and earnestly listened. ¡°First of all, everything I know, I learned from the Rainwater Sword School whom I was with for six years. They have many different sword styles that all revolve around the concept of being as flexible as water. Thus, they are all fairly adaptable to the situation you face." She paused and took a breath before she continued. "These sword styles are all capable of allowing you to be as fluid as a river and as unyielding as rapids...Although they have many different styles, almost all of them were beyond my reach. As such, I was only able to learn the most basic style. However, although it''s basic, this one sword style forms the foundation of every style that school has. So even if someone wanted to only learn one of their advanced styles, they would still need to master this single one first.¡± She paused there and was looking at Alex, letting everything sink in. After a moment she continued, ¡°Now then, first of all, the style I am about to teach you is called The Raindrop Sword. It is extremely flexible. It allows you to defend and then immediately counter-attack. However, it doesn''t only rely on counters. It is also completely capable of being used for attacks as well...Hand me your sword.¡± After Alex passed her the sword, she demonstrated The Raindrop Sword Style. As she moved with the blade, it was as if she had become rain blowing about in a gentle wind. When she changed directions, it was as if the wind had intensified. She slashed through the air in three quick motions. As she did so, it was as if she had become the rain within a torrential storm. Alex stared at her in awe. ¡°A-amazing...¡± He uttered in astonishment. She stopped and sheathed the blade. Turning towards Alex she smiled and said, ¡°Alright honey. I just showed you The Raindrop Sword''s first form. With this form, everything that comes within your blade''s reach can be defended against. It''s almost like having complete control over the area in your immediate vicinity.¡± Tilting his head, Alex curiously asked, ¡°First form? What''s that?¡± Giving a slightly wry smile, Laylah answered, ¡°Sword styles usually have different forms. These forms are made up of stances that you take with the sword. Usually the first stance will move or connect to the next, then the next and so on. This is one of the most basic sword styles and only has one form. More advanced styles can have anywhere from three or more forms...This style however, only has three stances and thus, one form. But, this form is very unique in that all of its stances flow into each other. You can start with any of the three stances and move into the others.¡± She paused there. After taking a breath, she continued to speak, ¡°These three stances each serve a different purpose. The first one is for defending. The second is for counter-attacking. While the third is for attacking directly. If you can master all three stances Alex, you will be able to become like a river''s current. If you face an enemy, they will get caught up in the river and try to swim against it. But in the end they will be swept away by the current.¡± As she was speaking, it was easy for Alex to tell that she was very proud of this sword style. ¡°No matter what enemy you face, this sword style can be used. If you face an opponent who is similar to a boulder, then given enough time, you could emerge victorious. Just like water in that if you give it enough time, it can even erode and penetrate through mountains.¡± Alex''s eyes were glistening as he listened. When Laylah finished speaking, Alex ardently said, ¡°Mom! I want to learn it! I want to learn The Raindrop Sword Style!¡± When she heard this, Laylah giggled and triumphantly smiled. ¡°Excellent The most important thing is that you''re willing to learn!...However, before I can even begin to teach you it, you''ll first need to learn the way to properly handle a sword.¡± After she finished speaking, she began to show Alex how to hold, swing and move with a sword correctly. This went on for almost the entire day. It was late afternoon when they stopped. Alex was profusely sweating but had a burning determination in his eyes. Laylah had him practice with the steel short-sword while it was sheathed in its scabbard. There wasn''t anything else for him to practice with and she believed it would be better for him to get used to the sword''s weight this way. Alex was currently holding the sword by the hilt with two hands as he just completed a proper swing. ¡°Alright honey. You''ve been at it all day, why don''t you stop here?¡± Laylah''s tender voice sounded out. Wiping the sweat from his brow, Alex replied, ¡°But mom, I can keep going...¡± Giggling, she responded, ¡°Honey, it''s not good if you overwork your body. Every now and then, you need a rest.¡± Alex slightly pouted. ¡°Aw, fine. If you say so mom.¡± Laylah chuckled as she said in a gentle tone, ¡°Why don''t you go get washed up. I''ll make dinner and get your father.¡± Alex nodded and then left the living room, taking his sword with him. After he had left, Laylah shook her head while she mumbled, ¡°Really, he''s been glued to that sword all day...¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ** ** ** ** Alex was currently in the bathroom and had just entered the bath tub. His sword was resting against the wall by the door. He had just sat down and was about to recline, when multiple chimes rang out along with the appearance of numerous status windows. *Ting*
Congratulations! You have learned the skill [Sword Mastery ¨C Beginner]
Congratulations! You have learned the skill [Sword Style ¨C The Raindrop Sword ¨C Beginner]
You have gained 1 Agility (+1 AGI)
You have gained 3 Stamina (+3 STA)
You have gained 2 Dexterity (+2 DEX)
You have gained 1 Strength (+1 STR)
You have gained 1 Willpower (+1 WILL)
After reading the status windows, Alex was at a loss for words. He reclined in the bath tub and dunked his head under the water. After a moment he came back up and let out a long breath. ''...Whoa, what is this?...Unreal...As soon as those status windows popped up saying I learned Sword Mastery and The Raindrop Sword Style, it was as if all sorts of information flooded my mind. Just...what was that?...I feel like I know a lot more about the sword style now.'' After he thought to there, he dismissed the status windows and got out of the bath. He picked up his sword and started to swing it again. He executed the first stance that he had learned from his mother earlier in the day. ''Whoa! It feels different than it did earlier! Now I feel like I''m in more control or something...'' He stopped swinging the sword and held it at his side while he thought. ''Amazing...The Raindrop Sword Style...'' The moment the name of the sword style floated past in his mind, his body instantly started to move. He lifted the sword in front of him and grasped it with both hands. He then adopted the pose for the first stance of the style. His feet were shoulder-width apart, with his left foot a little bit in front of his body. His hands were slightly separated from each other on the hilt of the sword as he was holding it. He seemed as if he was ready to defend against any attack. Afterwards, he completely stopped moving and held that position. ''Just what was that!?'' He urgently thought as he lowered his arms. ''It was like my body moved on its own until it was in the proper pose for the first stance...Really, just what the hell was that?'' He stood there naked for a few moments and continued to ponder what had happened. Finally, he came to a realization, ''Was it...That had to be it...The Raindrop Sword Style.'' The moment he thought the name of the style, his body immediately moved to the position for the first stance. He laughed gleefully, ¡°Hahahaha. Yes, I knew it!¡± He put the sword back down against the wall and then hopped back into the tub. As he laid in the tub, he had a wide grin on his face. ''So that was it! If I call out the name of the skill by itself, my body will get into the proper pose for it...Help.'' As soon as he thought it, a large blue vertical rectangle appeared. In it was all of the various commands he could choose to execute. However, there was one in the list, that he hadn''t seen before.
Open Settings ¨C will display the settings.
''What is that? That wasn''t there when I checked the other day...Well only one way to find out what it does. Open Settings.'' Just as he thought it, another blue rectangle popped into existence. *Ting*
Settings
Skill/Ability Activation: Verbal and Mental???
??????
??????
??????
As he read the settings, Alex adopted a very perplexed look. ''Skill Activation? What''s that?...Help Skill Activation.'' Another status window appeared in his vision. *Ting*
Skill/Ability Activation: Is the ability to activate a specific skill with a verbal or mental command. Doing so will make your body perform said skill or ability. Will only activate if there is intent.
Alex widened his eyes, as he exclaimed, ¡°Incredible!¡± He dismissed all of the windows and thought, ''So that''s what happened. I accidentally activated the skill.'' He chuckled to himself as he noticed the mistake he made. ''I can''t believe I did that...Oh well, at least now I know.'' He then proceeded to finish cleaning himself in the bath before getting dressed and taking his sword with him as he went downstairs towards the kitchen. ** ** ** ** As he arrived in the kitchen, his mother was just setting plates onto the table. When she noticed him come in, she smiled and she asked, ¡°You''re still carrying that sword with you?¡± Alex grinned and nodded. ¡°Yep. I''m gonna keep it with me for a while until I''m used to it.¡± Laylah chuckled and shook her head. ¡°Alright then honey. Why don''t you go get your father. Dinner is about to be ready.¡± ¡°Alright mom.¡± He replied as he turned around and walked out of the kitchen. When he reached his parent''s bedroom door, he knocked. Hearing his father call out, he entered. ¡°Hey dad. Dinner''s going to be ready.¡± As he informed his father, he inspected his condition. Kaesan''s face had some color in it, but he looked slightly pale. Smiling, Alex said, ¡°Hey dad. I talked to mom last night about becoming a cultivator. Long story short, she said I could become one if I meet her conditions.¡± He lifted up the sword and showed it to Kaesan as he spoke the latter part. Kaesan smiled. But when he did so Alex was able to see some sadness within. ¡°Dad, how are you feeling?¡± He inquired as he moved towards the bed. Kaesan gave a shallow smile as he responded, ¡°Better...The wound is still sore as hell, but it''s getting better. Thanks to all the medicines I''m taking, it''ll probably be completely healed in about a month...Heh, the perks of being a physician...¡± He shook his head before asking, ¡°So your mother bought you a sword huh? You gonna show it to me?¡± Alex was surprised but quickly nodded. He pulled the sword from the sheath, showing it to his father. ¡°Steel, huh?¡± Alex nodded and replied in a jubilant tone, ¡°Yea, mom picked it out. Originally it was going to cost eight gold, but I managed to talk the blacksmith down to five gold and fifty silver.¡± Kaesan smirked as he said, ¡°My son the negotiator huh? Not bad.¡± Kaesan got up out of bed and patted Alex on the shoulder. ¡°Alright son, let''s go eat dinner.¡± Alex followed his father to the kitchen. Once they were there, they sat down and began to eat. While they ate, Alex told his father about what Laylah was teaching him. After they finished dinner, Alex bid his parents goodnight and went upstairs to his room. ** ** ** ** Alex was lying in bed staring at his ceiling while he was deep in thought. He had just checked his skills and noticed something disturbing. ''I can''t believe I''m only now noticing this...Those skills I learned after spending most of the day practicing with the sword...I didn''t gain any experience for them...I really don''t like that I have to be idle to receive most of these status windows. It''s really not convenient...'' After finishing his thoughts, he let out a despondent sigh. Right as he did so, a chime rang out as a status window appeared. *Ting*
Would you like to change the settings for update messages? Y/N
After he read it, Alex''s face contorted as he cursed, ¡°Are you fucking kidding me!?¡± He shook his head out of fury. ''What the hell. It couldn''t give me this message sooner? Ugh!'' He laid there and stared at the status window for quite some time. Finally, in a demoralized tone he said, ¡°Yes.¡± The message disappeared as a new one appeared. *Ting*
Please select an option:
Instant Message Notifications
Delayed Message Notifications
Idle Message Notifications
After considering his choices, he let out a sigh. ¡°Instant Message Notifications.¡± As soon as the words left his mouth, the status window disappeared. As soon as it did, a new one appeared informing him that his selection was successful. Furrowing his brows, he shook his head. ''At least that should take care of it...Maybe now it''ll let me learn things right then and there, instead of hours later...'' Shaking his head again, he mumbled, ¡°I seriously can''t believe it though...Ugh, whatever. I''m going to bed.¡± He rolled over onto his side. He was about to close his eyes when he suddenly remembered something. ''Ahh, right. I almost forgot. Open Status Window...'' As the window appeared, a strange thought occurred to him. ''Huh, I wonder why the screen with my status and all of the other messages are called status windows...Wouldn''t that get confusing?...Well then again, for my status I need to call out the word open before hand...Eh, whatever.'' Once he finished thinking, he thoroughly inspected his status. *Ting*
Name: Alexander Hartlow
Age: 12
Level: 0XP: 20/100
Health: 10/10Qi: 7/10
Energy: 18/150Satiety: 96/100
Titles: None
Stats: Distributable Points: 0
Constitution: 1Intelligence: 6
Vitality: 1Wisdom: 5
Stamina: 6Endurance: 1
Strength: 6Charisma: 9
Agility: 3Dexterity: 3
Willpower: 6Bloodlust: 2
Luck: 50???
??????
??????
??????
Attack: 1Defense: 0
Element Resistance: None
Additional Information:
Race: HumanGender: Male
Element Affinity: All Elements
Alignment: NeutralAllegiance: Undeclared
After he checked out his status, he couldn''t help but mutter, ¡°Holy crap. I''ve improved a lot.¡± He smiled as he begun to think. ''My energy has increased pretty significantly...You know, it''s weird. Before I was blessed by the gods, there was no way I could''ve been so calm and haggled with that blacksmith. The results of my intelligence, wisdom and charisma increasing is seriously scary. I wonder what it will be like if I can get my strength up to a really high number...I feel a little stronger then I did before I received this blessing, but it doesn''t feel like it''s that much...Attack is still one?...Huh, I wonder.'' While he was still looking at his status window, he picked up his sword that he was keeping next to his bed, leaning on the end table. The moment he had it in his hand, his attack rating jumped up to sixteen. ''Holy crap! It increased! Sixteen! Wow...'' He clutched the sword to his chest as he lay there in bed. He was looking at it intently. ''Hmmm, I know. I still have those two abilities to try...Open Ability Window.'' A chime rang out with the appearance of a status window. *Ting*
Abilities: Qi Enhancement Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C allows the user to channel their Qi into any item to enhance its capabilities permanently. Genesis Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C allows the user to create any item that they can imagine so long as they have enough Qi. The Empyreal Body (Passive) ¨C you possess a body that came from the very heavens themselves. All 64 Qi Vein Entrances are open. Allows for unimaginable potential growth. Grants affinity with all Qi elements.
''Alright, so they''re both at zero xp...Hmm, before I do this though...Open skills window.''
Skills: Deception Level 3 [0/20xp] Beginner (Passive) ¨C the skill of deceiving others. Allows the user to be more successful in the art of misleading and lying to others. Identify Level 4 [5/25xp] Beginner ¨C allows you to attempt to identify any item. Successful attempts will allow you to see various detailed information about the item. Emit Killing Intent Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C allows you to give off or transmit killing intent. Capable of frightening others. May affect their mental state, impacting their combat performance. Negotiation Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C your ability to achieve better terms, rewards, results, etc, for yourself when attempting to reach an agreement with another individual or group. At higher levels, your attempts will succeed more often. Haggle Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C your ability to talk or argue with someone in order to get them to lower a price. Sword Mastery Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C your overall expertise with the sword. Increasing this will improve your attack and defense rating while wielding a sword. Current bonus rating: +1 Attack Sword Style ¨C The Raindrop Sword ¨C Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C your overall mastery and skill with the sword style ¨C The Raindrop Sword.
Okay, Identify is at five xp...Identify.'' As he thought the latter part, he was gazing at his sword. A status window appeared with the swords information.
Steel Short-Sword - a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from steel.
Quality - Standard
Attack - 14Defense - 0Durability - 60/60
Special Properties - None
''Alright. Hmm? My Qi didn''t go down and I didn''t gain experience?... ...The only reason that could be is that I already identified this sword at the blacksmith''s shop earlier...'' He shook his head, dismissing his skills window and continued to think. ''Alright. Here goes nothing.'' He keenly stared at his sword. ''Qi Enhancement!'' As soon as he thought it, a blue status window appeared asking him a question.
Qi Enhancement: How much Qi would you like to infuse? Maximum amount: 10.
For a moment, Alex stared at it and thought. ''Hmm. Should I just do all ten? Might as well.'' He muttered, ¡°Ten.¡± Right as he did so, a blue vapor seeped out of his body and traveled to the sword, completely eveloping it. Then it seemed to be absorbed into the sword, leaving no trace behind. Staring at it in confusion, he thought, ''Huh? So nothing happened? That''s w-'' Before he could think anymore, a sudden jolt of pain sprung up from the depths of his body. ¡°Ugh!¡± He groaned. As fast as it came, it vanished, leaving only a trace amount of soreness. ''What the hell was that!?'' He immediately looked to his health bar. ''Shit! I lost three health!? What happened...'' As he was trying to figure out a solution, he abruptly sighed. ''Crap. I''m an idiot. I only had seven Qi...I was so excited to test Qi Enhancement that I failed to realize it....Now I have zero and seven health...So in order to use it, it took all of my remaining Qi and even some of my health?...That hurts...'' Two chimes rang out and a couple of status windows popped into existence. *Ting*
You have gained 1 Wisdom (+1 WIS)
*Ting*
You have gained 1 Intelligence (+1 INT)
¡°Hahaha...¡± He laughed somewhat when he saw the messages. ¡°Guess I was right...¡± Sighing to himself, he thought, ''Alright, so let''s not make that mistake again...'' After figuring out what happened, he glanced at the status window that was still open. Checking his ability he smiled.
Qi Enhancement Level 1 [7/10xp] Beginner ¨C allows the user to channel their Qi into any item to enhance its capabilities permanently.
After checking out his ability, he jubilantly thought, ''Alright! Seven experience. So the amount of Qi I put in grants me experience in an equal amount...But it seems converting health like it did, won''t reward me any experience...Alright, I can work with that.'' He dismissed his ability window and once more looked to the status window that held the steel short-sword''s information. As he did so, a chime rang out with the appearance of a new status window.
Steel Short-Sword - a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from steel.
Quality - Standard
Attack - 14+1Defense - 0Durability - 60/60
Special Properties - Attack +1
*Ting*
You have learned the Qi Enhancement effect of +1 Attack.
When he saw the results of his pain, he grinned. ''Great! So I could use this to increase it''s base abilities...Haha, awesome!'' After smiling and rejoicing for a few minutes, he finally dismissed all of the windows. ''Alright, time for bed. Not much more I could do anyway.'' He rolled over to his other side and closed his eyes. Within minutes, he had entered the realm of dreams. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Chapter VII Chapter VII ¡°Alex...Alex...Wake up.¡± A woman''s voice entered his ear as he lay sleeping. His eyelids trembled as he groaned, ¡°Ugh...It''s morning already?...¡± He still hadn''t opened his eyes. The voice sounded out again. ¡°Wake up. It''s time to start your training again.¡± At the mention of training, he finally managed to open his eyes. ¡°Uhh, morning mom.¡± Laylah giggled and replied, ¡°Morning sleepyhead. Do you know what time it is?¡± Alex shook his head. ¡°It''s almost noon. You''ve slept the whole morning away.¡± Alex widened his eyes. ¡°Eh!? No way!¡± Laylah laughed some more. ¡°Yeah. Geez, training yesterday must''ve taken it out of you...Come on, get dressed and come downstairs...You have a long way to go in your training.¡± Alex wryly smiled as he responded. ¡°Alright mom. Give me a minute and I''ll be right down.¡± After Laylah left the room, Alex rolled over to the edge of the bed and sat up. Yawning, he thought, ''Holy crap. That Qi enhancement really took it out of me...Open Status Window.'' Heeding his mental order, a large blue rectangle appeared. *Ting*
Name: Alexander Hartlow
Age: 12
Level: 0XP: 20/100
Health: 10/10Qi: 11/11
Energy: 150/150Satiety: 82/100
Titles: None
Stats: Distributable Points: 0
Constitution: 1Intelligence: 7
Vitality: 1Wisdom: 6
Stamina: 6Endurance: 1
Strength: 6Charisma: 9
Agility: 3Dexterity: 3
Willpower: 6Bloodlust: 2
Luck: 50???
??????
??????
??????
Attack: 1Defense: 0
Element Resistance: None
Additional Information:
Race: HumanGender: Male
Element Affinity: All Elements
Alignment: NeutralAllegiance: Undeclared
After reading his status, Alex let out a surprised gasp. ¡°Eh!? My Qi increased?...How?¡± He dismissed his status window and stood up. ''Awesome...Hmm, it probably increased due to using all my Qi? Or was it because the skill used more Qi then I actually have?...Hmm, I''ll need to experiment more later tonight...If I can increase my Qi by using my health a little bit, then I might as well. My health was full again by the time I woke up, it would be foolish of me not to take advantage of this...'' Finished with his thoughts, he quickly got dressed, grabbed his sword and headed downstairs. When he arrived, he saw his mother tapping her foot as she waited for him. ¡°Took you long enough. Now let''s get started.¡± Alex winced. ¡°Umm, mom. Could I get something to eat real quick before we start?¡± Laylah furrowed her brow and scolded, ¡°No! You slept past breakfast, so you''ll have to wait for lunch. Until then, we''ll train...I still need to teach you some basic hand-to-hand combat skills.¡± Frowning, Alex replied, ¡°Alright mom. What do you want me to do?¡± Laylah smiled and then in a content tone said, ¡°I''m going to teach you the only unarmed martial art I know. I also learned this from the Rainwater Sword School.¡± Laylah then went on to demonstrate three different stances to Alex. As she performed the first stance, she appeared to be as fluid as a liquid. When she completed the second stance, it was as if she was an immovable waterfall. Then as she took the third stance, she looked as if she was rain dancing in the wind. After she finished the third one, she stopped. ¡°Okay. Once again, this is the most basic of martial arts from my former school. Just like the sword art, this one is the very foundation of all the more advanced styles. Also, this style is meant to be used when you are disarmed in combat. This way you wouldn''t be helpless. But it doesn''t mean that you should only use it if you find yourself disarmed...¡± She paused a for a moment. After taking a breath, she continued to speak, ¡°What I just showed you, is known as the Raindrop Ward. It is a martial art that completely focuses on defense. Similar to the sword style, this one also only has one form and thus, only three stances. Each stance is focused on defense. However, the third stance gives you a way to fight back. It allows you to counter-attack your enemy.¡± Alex was taken aback at how skilled his mother was. ¡°Mom, you''re amazing. You''re really strong.¡± When she heard this, she couldn''t help but laugh. ¡°Honey, I''m not that strong. I''m only an early-stage apprentice rank. My talent for cultivation is subpar...But, I have practiced with The Raindrop Sword and The Raindrop Ward for a long period of time.¡± Alex shook his head and retorted, ¡°You are strong mom. Even if you don''t admit it!¡± Laylah chuckled and replied, ¡°Alright honey. Sure...Now why don''t you try to do the stances I just did.¡± ** ** ** ** Two hours passed by and Alex was already sweating profusely. Noticing how tired he was, Laylah called out, ¡°Alright! That''s enough. Let''s take a break here.¡± Alex rejoiced when he heard his mother. ¡°While you were practicing I made lunch.¡± He was euphoric as he responded, ¡°Thank you mom!¡± He rushed into the kitchen and sat the table. In front of him was a plate with a sandwich on top. He began eating. As he did so, he was thinking to himself. ''This sandwich is good...Alright, so I learned The Raindrop Ward earlier...Almost right when I finished doing the third stance, the message popped up informing me I learned it. Since then, I gained two experience for it...So since that''s the case, I guess I get one experience per hour?'' After he thought to there, he looked around as if he was searching for something. ''Huh, no status windows granting me intelligence or wisdom? Was I wrong? Or does that not happen for everything?...Bah! I wish this blessing thing came with a few more explanations.'' After shaking his head, he continued to eat. As he did so, he continued to think. ''Earlier I gained one agility and dexterity. I guess that was from learning the martial art...'' He glanced at his energy bar. ''Crap, that really took it out of me...Huh, I have eighty energy left...I used seventy energy practicing that martial art? Wow...'' As he was thinking, he had just finished his sandwich. ''Alright! Time to get back to it! I''ll keep at it until I collapse!'' He stood up and walked back into the living room. Right as he was about to go back to practicing, Laylah''s voice sounded out. ¡°Alex, I''m going to go out for a little bit okay?¡± He noticed her coming out of his parent''s bedroom. He nodded and replied, ¡°Alright mom. See you later.¡± Laylah gently smiled as she said, ¡°Make sure not to strain yourself with your training. It''s good to take it easy sometimes.¡± Alex had a warm smile on his face as he responded, ¡°Okay mom. I''ll take it easy.¡± She nodded and then proceeded to leave the house. Once she had left, Alex stood there for a moment and was in deep thought. ''Eighty energy left, so if I practice for another two hours, I''d be down to ten left. What happens when it reaches zero? Guess I''ll find out, haha.'' Finished thinking, he began to practice The Raindrop Ward. Time quickly passed. Before he knew it, two hours had flown by. ** ** ** ** Copiously sweating and panting, Alex wiped his brow. ''Holy crap! I''m exhausted!...'' Glancing at the time and his current remaining energy, he sighed. ''It''s been two hours and I''ve only got ten energy left...Looks like my estimate was right...Hmm, then if it''s seventy per two hours, one hour should be thirty-five energy...Well, time to test what happens when it reaches zero. Most likely I''ll fall asleep.'' He picked up the sword that he had kept on the couch and went upstairs to his room. Once there, he leaned the sword against his end table. Then he moved close to his bed and began to practice The Raindrop Ward once more. After six minutes of practicing, Alex abruptly felt his mind become foggy as his room started to spin and he collapsed forward onto his bed. ** ** ** ** As he was unconscious, four hours had passed by in a flash. As he lay there face down on the bed, he started to let out a groan. ¡°Ugh...What?¡± He pushed himself up and sat on the edge of the bed while rubbing his temples. ''Crap, that was...interesting.'' He looked around his room and then checked the time in his vision. ''Wow, four hours!?'' He glanced at his energy bar. ''E-eh!? Eighty energy?...What?...That''s twenty an hour. Is that the rate it regenerates at while I sleep? Holy crap!...Knowing that, I could probably more efficiently train. So long as I do the math well, I might be able to plan this out to the point that I may be able to meet mom''s requirements a lot sooner.'' He grinned as he came to this realization. Alex slapped both of his cheeks lightly and then stood up. ¡°Alright!¡± He picked up his sword and proceeded downstairs to the living room. Once there he looked around and poked his head into the kitchen. ''Huh? Mom''s still not back?...Well, I guess I''ll practice some more.'' He went back into the living room and placed his sword on the couch. ¡°Okay, let''s do this!¡± Alex then began to adopt the first stance of The Raindrop Ward and cycle through the stances. He did this for a little over two hours before he was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. Stopping and looking towards the door, he saw his mother walk inside carrying a rather thick book. Having his curiosity peaked, he raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Hey mom, welcome home. What''s that thick book?¡± Closing the door, she turned towards Alex with a smile. Noticing he was drenched in sweat, she chuckled. ¡°Geeze, you''re soaked in sweat. Have you been practicing all day?¡± Alex hurriedly nodded and grinned. Seeing this, Laylah shook her head and sighed. ¡°What am I going to do with you? I told you to take it easy.¡± Alex reassuringly said, ¡°Don''t worry mom. I took a nap for four hours, haha.¡± When she heard this, a content smile spread on her face. ¡°That''s good...¡± As if she just remembered something, she quickly said, ¡°Ah right! This book...This here has all of the sects and schools located in the Kingdom of Wrurin within it...I was able to borrow it from a friend of mine in the Earthly Sword Sect. However, she said that she wants it back when we''re done with it.¡± Alex had a beaming smile on his face as he asked, ¡°Really!? Awesome! When can I look at it?¡± Chuckling, Laylah answered, ¡°Hmmm. When you reach a level that I''m satisfied with in The Raindrop Ward and The Raindrop Sword.¡± Alex blanched as he responded. ¡°B-but, that will be in months! You can''t be serious.¡± Laylah firmly said, ¡°I am. I don''t want you to fill your head with grandiose dreams. Once you reach the level I want, I''ll let you look at it.¡± She giggled mischievously as she continued, ¡°And besides, this way you''ll have a good incentive to train.¡± Alex let out a long defeated sigh. ¡°Alright mom. So be it.¡± Laylah looked around the living room for a moment before she said, ¡°Alright, why don''t you keep practicing until dinner. Afterwards, I want you to help me move the furniture back. Now that I''ve shown you what you need to know, you can practice on your own in your room.¡± Laylah then left the living room and went into her bedroom to check on Kaesan. Alex stood there for a moment and thought, ''Good, if mom''s not going to supervise me anymore then I can probably reach the level she wants in about a month or two...Hmm, I should probably tell Sarah that I''ll be training so I can''t hang out.'' Alex grinned to himself as he started to practice The Raindrop Ward. ** ** ** ** Half an hour went by as he practiced. ¡°Time for dinner!¡± Laylah called out from the kitchen. ¡°Coming!¡± Alex replied. He walked towards the kitchen while thinking to himself. ''I should be close to earning one more experience for The Raindrop Ward. Once I do, I''ll need to train for roughly another three hours before I gain my first level up with it.'' Once he reached the kitchen he sat down and waited for his mother to serve dinner. After a few minutes, Alex and his parents were seated down at the table and eating soup. He glanced at his dad and mom. Clearing his throat, he asked, ¡°Hey dad. When you''re feeling better and your wound is healed, can you teach me what you know about medicine?¡± Surprise was plastered on Kaesan''s face as he placed his spoon down. In a curious tone he asked, ¡°Son, you want to learn how to be a physician?¡± Alex had an ambitious smile on his face as he answered, ¡°Yeah dad! I want to learn all you know.¡± For a moment, Kaesan''s eyes became misty. Turning his head away, he rubbed one of his eyes. Afterwards, he coughed and with a proud smile said, ¡°Alex. I''ll gladly teach you everything I know.¡± Glancing towards his missing arm, he said, ¡°Just give me a week to heal up some. Then I can start to teach you, okay?¡± Alex grinned from ear to ear as he replied. ¡°Alright dad! Sounds good. I look forward to it.¡± Chuckling, Kaesan said, ¡°Me too son, me too.¡± After the conversation they ate dinner in silence. When Alex was done, he asked to be excused and went upstairs to his room. Once there, he sat on his bed for a moment while holding his sword. ''Hmm, okay. I can train for about another hour and a half. Hmm, my Qi is full...Alright, that''s what I''ll do!'' He looked at his sword and thought, ''Open Skill Window, Open Ability Window, Identify.'' He checked the Identify skill and his Qi Enhancement ability. Then he proceeded to check the swords stats.
Qi Enhancement Level 1 [7/10xp] Beginner ¨C allows the user to channel their Qi into any item to enhance its capabilities permanently. Identify Level 4 [5/25xp] Beginner ¨C allows you to attempt to identify any item. Successful attempts will allow you to see various detailed information about the item.
Steel Short-Sword - a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from steel.
Quality - Standard
Attack - 14+1Defense - 0Durability - 60/60
Special Properties - Attack +1
This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ''Hmm, alright. Identify doesn''t cost me Qi or give me experience if I use it on an item I''ve previously identified. So then I can just mark that up as a fact...Let''s see, next is...seven out of ten experience for Qi Enhancement. Okay, this is definitely going to level up. Time to see if my theory about whether or not I get the same amount of experience as Qi that I put into it is correct'' He focused on his sword and said aloud, ¡°Qi Enhancement.¡± As soon as his words fell, a status window appeared.
Qi Enhancement: How much Qi would you like to infuse? Maximum amount: 11 Qi Enhancement Effects: +1 Attack = 10 Qi
Reading the status window, he thought, ''Oh, the effect I got last time is listed? Awesome, that'' will be a lot easier than remembering everything...The max amount is eleven this time...I''ll just put in enough to level it up first...Three.'' As soon as he thought the number, a blue mist seeped out from his body and engulfed the sword. Shortly after, the sword seemed to drink up the mist. *Ting*
Level up: Qi Enhancement (Beginner Level 2 [0/15xp])
Once he saw the message he jubilantly smiled. ''Haha, so I was right. The amount of Qi I invest will give me an equal amount of experience.'' He then used identify on the sword.
Steel Short-Sword - a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from steel.
Quality - Standard
Attack - 14+1Defense - 0Durability - 60/60
Special Properties - Attack +1
After checking the sword''s stats, Alex''s smile turned into a frown. ''Why didn''t anything change?...Was it not enough Qi?...That must be the case, it didn''t even cost Qi to identify the sword.'' He glanced at his Qi bar. ''Eight Qi left. Alright, here it goes...'' He looked to his sword and focused on it once more. ''Qi Enhancement.''
Qi Enhancement: How much Qi would you like to infuse? Maximum amount: 11 Qi Enhancement Effects: +1 Attack = 10 Qi
''Hmm, still says I can put in eleven...Wait, if I messed up and didn''t have enough Qi and then it took my health...Can it kill me?'' Alex shuddered at the thought. Shaking his head, he thought, ''I''ll just need to be careful...Seven.'' Once again a blue mist oozed out from his body and traveled to the sword. After a moment, it was absorbed. As soon as the mist vanished, a chime rang out. *Ting*
You have learned the Qi Enhancement effect of +1 Durability.
Steel Short-Sword - a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from steel.
Quality - Standard
Attack - 14+1Defense - 0Durability - 61/61
Special Properties - Attack +1, Durability +1
Alex widened his eyes and raised an eyebrow as he read the status windows. ''...Okay...So I think, ten Qi will only grant a plus one bonus in a random attribute? Unless I specify by selecting the effect listed?'' As if answering his thoughts, two chimes rang out with the appearance of a couple of status windows. *Ting*
You have gained 1 Wisdom (+1 WIS)
*Ting*
You have gained 1 Intelligence (+1 INT)
Slightly smiling, Alex thought, ''Okay, I was right...What happens when I have more than ten Qi and use more? This ability is really amazing.'' Dismissing the windows, Alex glanced at his energy. ''Hmm, only ten left. Might as well train for a few minutes so that I collapse. Then when I wake up I can repeat the process.'' After he thought to there, he stood up and began to practice The Raindrop Ward. Only a few minutes afterwards, he collapsed onto his bed unconscious. ** ** ** ** Hours quickly flew by as he lay face down, sleeping on his bed. Groaning, Alex slowly opened his eyes. ¡°Ugh, what time is it?¡± He glanced to the clock in the upper right corner of his vision. ''Eh!? It''s six in the morning already?...I don''t get it. Why did I only sleep for four hours last time and this time it was six...'' He sat up on the edge of the bed. Looking at his energy bar, he smiled. ''Well, at least my energy is almost full. I have 120 energy so I could go on for a little while...Oh! My Qi is slightly restored too!...Seven out of eleven.'' He brought his hand to his chin as he was in thought. ''It''s at seven now...So does that mean when I sleep I gain one Qi per hour?...If that''s the case, then I may as well use my energy first and then when it''s about to run out, I''ll use up my Qi. Then I can sleep and regain both!'' He grinned and stoop up from his bed. ''Alright, I''ll practice The Raindrop Ward for about an hour and a half. Then I''ll use some of my Qi.'' After he finished his thoughts, he adopted the stance for the first form of the martial art. Before he knew it, an hour and a half had quickly passed. Stopping what he was doing, he wiped his brow of sweat. ¡°Alright, open skill window.¡± After it appeared, he looked to his progress with The Raindrop Ward.
Martial Art ¨C The Raindrop Ward ¨C Level 1 [8/10xp] Beginner ¨C your overall mastery and skill with the unarmed martial art ¨C The Raindrop Ward.
''Not bad. Two more hours and it''ll level up.'' He smiled and then dismissed his skill window. Glancing at his energy bar and Qi bar, he thought, ''Sixty-eight energy left...Hmm, I didn''t gain any Qi during that time...Alright, time to use it up!'' He sat on the edge of his bed and grabbed his sword that was leaning against his end table. Focusing on the sword, he thought, ''Qi Enhancement.'' Answering his thought, a status window appeared. *Ting*
Qi Enhancement: How much Qi would you like to infuse? Maximum amount: 11 Qi Enhancement Effects: +1 Attack = 10 Qi +1 Durability = 10 Qi
''Okay, so one durability is listed there now as well. So it''s safe to say then, that any effect I learn will be added to the list...Well here it goes...Seven.'' Just like the previous time he used it, a blue mist seeped out from his body and engulfed the sword. Noticing that nothing happened after that, Alex thought, ''Hmm, alright. I think it''s safe to say that it only gains an effect when I put in ten Qi...So all I should need now is to use three more Qi and it''ll gain an effect?...Guess I''ll find out later tonight.'' He shrugged his shoulders and placed his sword against the end table again. After which, he yawned and stretched a bit. ''It''s still early...I think I''ll nap for a little while longer.'' He laid back down on his bed and closed his eyes. Shortly after he fell asleep. ** ** ** ** About two hours later, Alex woke up due to his mother''s voice calling for him. ¡°Alex! It''s time for breakfast! Wake up!¡± He slowly opened his eyes and mumbled as he sat up. ¡°Breakfast already?¡± He got out of bed and put some clean clothes on. After he had done so, he went downstairs and arrived at the kitchen table. ¡°Morning mom, morning dad.¡± He greeted them as he sat down in his seat. After a few minutes, breakfast was on the table. He and his parents began to eat. As they were doing so, Alex spoke, ¡°Mom, I think I''m going to rest today.¡± Laylah smiled when she heard her son''s plans. ¡°That''s good honey...It''s not good to strain your body day after day.¡± Alex nodded at his mother''s comment before he continued to say, ¡°I think I''ll go hang out with Sarah for a little bit...If that''s okay with you guys.¡± Kaesan smiled and nodded as he answered. ¡°Sure son. It''s good that although you''re focused on becoming a cultivator, you''re not forgetting about your girlfriend.¡± Alex''s face turned red. Stuttering, he retorted, ¡°She''s not my girlfriend! We''re just friends and she happens to be a girl!¡± Kaesan gave a hearty laugh. ¡°Sure son. Whatever you say.¡± Alex furrowed his brow and pursed his lips. Laylah giggled and looked at Kaesan. She interjected, ¡°Dear, stop teasing him. If he says they''re just friends then leave it be.¡± Kaesan smiled wryly as he responded. ¡°Alright, alright. Sorry kiddo.¡± Alex''s expression eased up as he replied, ¡°It''s fine dad. I''m not angry.¡± After their conversation, they ate breakfast in peace. Once he had finished, Alex was excused and left the house. ** ** ** ** He walked down the street for a few minutes before finally stopping before a two-story house. ''Well, hope this goes well.'' He thought as he knocked on the front door. A few moments later a middle-aged woman with long black hair answered the door. When she saw who it was, her face visibly brightened up. ¡°Alexander. What are you doing here so early?¡± Alex warmly smiled as he replied, ¡°Good morning Mrs. Collford. I was wondering if I could speak to Sarah for a little bit.¡± Mrs. Collford gently smiled in response. ¡°Sure. Just a minute, I''ll go get her.¡± A couple of minutes later, Sarah came to the door alongside her mother. The moment Sarah saw Alex she grinned from ear to ear and hugged him. Mrs. Collford giggled at the sight. ¡°Alright, well I''ll leave you alone with your boyfriend for a little bit.¡± When Sarah heard what her mother had said, her face turned crimson as she stuttered back. ¡°Geeze mom! You....¡± Mrs. Collford gave a sly smile as she turned around and left the two of them in the doorway. Still blushing, Sarah weakly said to Alex, ¡°Don''t mind my mother...She just...¡± Alex chuckled and responded. ¡°Don''t worry about it. My parents do the same thing.¡± After he finished speaking, they both stood there in an awkward silence for a few moments. Sarah was the first one to break the silence. ¡°So...Ummm...My mom said you wanted to talk to me.¡± Alex scratched his cheek as he replied, ¡°Oh yea...Right...¡± He looked towards the ground and rubbed the back of his neck as he tried to find the words to say. After some time passed, he finally said, ¡°Sarah...I may not be able to see you for a while...¡± She looked confused when his words came out. She stuttered somewhat as she asked, ¡°What do you mean? Are you going somewhere?¡± Alex let out an awkward chuckle while he continued to rub the back of his neck. ¡°No...well...not yet.¡± Sarah was starting to grow worried. Noticing this, Alex hastily said, ¡°I''ll still be here for a few months...¡± After a slight pause, he went on, ¡°Sarah, I want to become a cultivator.¡± When she heard what he had said, shock filled her face. As if he hadn''t noticed, Alex continued to speak. ¡°My mom said that I need to meet some requirements before she''ll let me leave to join a sect or school. So in order to meet her conditions, I''m going to be training really hard...I may not be able to hang out with you for quite some time...¡± Sarah was pale as she repeatedly opened and close her mouth. Alex rubbed his left arm as he clumsily said, ¡°Even after I leave to join a sect or school...I''ll be sure to come back to the town from time to time, to visit you.¡± Sarah felt herself become misty-eyed. With her lips trembling, she stuttered wile shouting in a bitter tone, ¡°Fine! Go! Leave then! You idiot! Just go! Don''t ever come back!!¡± As soon as she finished, she slammed the door in Alex''s face. He stood there on the front step, stupefied. ¡°W-what?¡± He uttered while in a daze. Feeling downcast, he turned around and headed back to his house, while he tried to think over everything that just happened. ''I don''t get it. Why did she act like that?...Was she mad at me?...'' Sighing mentally he continued to think. ''I told her I''d come back and visit her after I left...I just don''t get girls...'' He shook his head as he proceeded home. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Chapter VIII Chapter VIII Alex had just gotten home and immediately went upstairs to his room. Lying in his bed, he had his arm resting on top of his forehead as he thought back to earlier when he had spoken to Sarah. ''She probably didn''t want me to leave, right?...But then why did she tell me to leave!? I seriously don''t understand girls! Ugh!'' He rolled over to his side and glanced at his sword that was leaning against the end table. As he did so, there was a fierce tenacity that flashed past in the depths of his ice-blue eyes. ''She just doesn''t understand...I can''t continue to be weak like this...Never again will I allow someone to trample over me and my family....I will become strong enough to the point, where everyone will revere me! No one will dare to harm my family! Instead of the one being trampled on...I will become the one that does the trampling!! No matter what hardships I may face. No matter what obstacles or adversaries that impede my path. I will continue forward until I stand at the very peak of this world, where the strong rule!'' He stoop up and walked to the window. He gazed outside at all of the people walking about, doing their day to day routine. While he was standing there, he muttered under his breath, ¡°One day...¡± Shortly after those words fell, a chime rang out alongside the appearance of a status window. *Ting*
You have gained 1 Willpower (+1 WILL)
He glanced at the message and then dismissed it. Shaking his head, he walked back over to his bed and sat down. ''Okay...I think it''s time I try to meditate. If I can manage to do it properly...'' He had a devilish grin as he continued to think. ''When I join a sect or school, I''ll have one hell of a leg up on anyone else at the same rank as me.'' He closed his eyes and tried to recall exactly what the elder from the Gallant Eagle Sect had told him. ''Alright, clear and relax my mind. Then I can absorb the Qi from the world...I don''t know how to do that second part, but I guess I''ll have to figure it out.'' Alex crossed his legs as he sat on his bed. Closing his eyes, he thought, ''Clear and relax my mind...Clear and relax...'' He sat on his bed silently as he tried his best to clear and relax his mind. In this way, a quarter of an hour passed. Then half an hour passed. Opening his eyes, Alex let out a despondent sigh. ¡°It''s harder than I thought...¡± He shook his head as he had a slight frown spread across his face. ''I suppose it ought to be hard, else everyone would be able to easily become a cultivator...'' Once more he closed his eyes and attempted to enter the right mindset to meditate. Again, a quarter of an hour quickly passed. Followed by half an hour. Then an hour passed. He had yet to open his eyes. The room was deathly quiet except for the sound of Alex''s breath. Finally three hours had passed. ¡°Alex! It''s time for lunch!¡± In response to his mother''s voice, he opened his eyes. He groaned irritably, ¡°Ugh! Why is this so hard!¡± He uncrossed his legs and stood up. Stretching out his back and legs, he thought to himself, ''I feel like I''m missing something...I can sort of clear and relax my mind, but...I don''t know, it just feels like something crucial is missing...'' He sighed before he left his room and went downstairs to the kitchen. ** ** ** ** After he finished lunch, he returned to his room and sat on his bed with his legs crossed. ''Alright, I felt I was on to something earlier...If I could just figure out what I''m missing...'' He closed his eyes and once more attempted to meditate. Time swiftly elapsed. Evening had already arrived. Opening his eyes, he noticed it was dark. He quietly cursed to himself, ¡°Shit! What the hell is wrong with me? Why can''t I meditate!?¡± He stood up and stretched. As he did so, his bones cracked and popped. ''Oh, that felt good.'' He thought to himself with a slight smile. He looked around his room and then lit a candle for light. Shortly after, he laid down onto his bed. ''I must be forgetting something...Think....Think!'' Lying there, he closed his eyes as he strained to remember every detail about the conversation he had with the elder from the Gallant Eagle Sect. ''I picked up the brooch and brought it to them...He told me to halt...He explained to me just what meditation was...'' His eyes immediately flicked open as he furrowed his brow. ¡°Shit! I can''t believe I''m such an idiot! I actually almost forgot it!¡± He sat up and was about to make an attempt at meditating again, when he heard his mother''s voice. ¡°Alex! Dinner!¡± Surprised, he thought, ''Dinner already?'' He glanced at the clock in the upper right corner of his vision. ''Eh? It''s already 6:30!?...I spent that much time trying to meditate!?'' He shook his head as he stood up. '' After dinner I''ll use up all my energy and Qi. Then I''ll meditate...I should be able to do it now...I can''t believe I forgot part of what that elder said...Clear and relax your mind, then focus on your inner-self...I cleared my mind and relaxed it. But I forgot to focus on my inner-self...Unbelievable.'' After he thought to there, he blew out the candle in his room and proceeded downstairs. ** ** ** ** About a half an hour later, Alex had finished eating dinner and was already back in his room. After he glanced at his health, Qi and energy bars, he thought to himself, ''Huh...Apparently not doing much besides trying to meditate today, saved me a lot of energy...I''ve even got six Qi right now.'' He walked over to his bed and sat on the edge of it. He grabbed his sword that was in its usual place, leaning against the end table. Focusing on it, he thought, ''Qi Enhancement.'' As if complying to his thoughts, a status window appeared.
Qi Enhancement: How much Qi would you like to infuse? Maximum amount: 11 Qi Enhancement Effects: + 1 Attack = 10 Qi +1 Durability = 10 Qi
Slightly smiling, he thought, ''One.'' A faint blue mist seeped out of his body and enveloped the sword for a moment before it vanished. The moment the blue mist disappeared, a chime rang out alongside the appearance of a status window. *Ting*
Level up: Qi Enhancement (Beginner Level 3 [0/20xp])
Grinning to himself, he thought, ''Awesome, it leveled up...With two more Qi, I should hopefully get a new effect soon...Well here it goes.'' Once more he used his ability, Qi Enhancement. The status window appeared and he decided to use two Qi. A blue mist flowed out from his body and engulfed the sword. After a moment a chime rang out and a blue rectangle popped into existence. *Ting*
You have learned the Qi Enhancement effect of Defense +1
¡°Yes!¡± He exclaimed after he read the message. ''It worked! So it seems that for every ten Qi, a random effect is applied...I only have three Qi left. Might as well identify it.'' As he thought it, a new status window appeared.
Steel Short-Sword - a standard steel short-sword 60cm in length, made from steel.
Quality - Standard
Attack - 14+1Defense - 0+1Durability - 61/61
Special Properties - Attack +1, Durability +1, Defense +1
With a beaming smile on his face, Alex stood up. ''Excellent! It has one defense now? So what does defense do on a weapon? I remember that the help function explained that a higher defense rating would result in less damage taken...But if it''s on a weapon, that''s not going to really help me, is it? Or does the weapon take less damage instead?...Another thing I''ll need to experiment with in the future...'' He drew the short-sword from its sheath. ''Since I didn''t gain any experience in the sword style the other day, I can make up for it starting now...From not really doing anything today, my energy is sitting steadily at sixty-six. It only dropped by two from earlier.'' He took up the first stance for The Raindrop Sword and proceeded to practice all the stances. ** ** ** ** As he was practicing the sword style, three hours passed by in a flash. Sheathing his sword, he wiped the sweat off of his brow. ''Alright, six energy left...'' He tossed a glance at the clock in the corner of his vision. ''It''s nine o''clock?...Er, if my math is right...Then the sword style should only use up twenty energy per hour compared to the unarmed style''s rate of thirty-five energy per hour...Wonder why that is? Well I suppose I have the sword to rely on with the sword style, so maybe that lessens the burden on my body or something? I really don''t know. I''ll have to ask mom tomorrow.'' He set the sword down against the end table. ''Okay, I think I''ll take a quick bath. Then, it''s time to meditate properly!'' He walked out of his room and went to the bathroom. ** ** ** ** A half an hour later and Alex was back in his room. Sitting on his bed in his underwear with his legs crossed, he was smiling as he thought to himself. ''That was a much needed bath..Alright, this time I''m going to meditate for sure. Clear and relax my mind. THEN focus on my inner-self. Haha, I won''t forget this time!'' He closed his eyes and began his attempt at meditating. Rather quickly, half an hour passed. At this point Alex''s breathing started to slow down. Then an hour passed. Now, each minute he was only taking ten breaths. In his room, all that could be heard was the occasional sound of breathing. Another hour passed by, then another. At this time, Alex abruptly opened his eyes. He grinned from ear to ear and started to laugh. ¡°Hahaha, I did it!¡± He was staring at the status screens that had appeared. *Ting*
Congratulations! You have learned the skill [Meditation ¨C Beginner]
You have gained 1 Intelligence (+1 INT)
You have gained 1 Wisdom (+1 WIS)
''Haha, it took a while but I finally managed to learn it!...Huh, it was actually a lot easier than I thought it would be...It seemed like right when I focused on my inner-self after the moment I cleared and relaxed my mind, I was in a very interesting state...It''s hard to describe, it was sort of like I was at peace?...It felt so natural...'' Still smiling, he dismissed the windows that had appeared. He looked at his health, Qi and energy bars. ¡°Whoa!!¡± After he saw how much he had, he couldn''t help but exclaim. ''I only had one Qi after I enhanced and Identified my sword. Then after practicing the sword style for three hours, I only had six energy left...Yet right now, I have thirty-six energy and three Qi...Is this the effects of meditating?...Incredible.'' He brought his hand to his chin as he was in thought. ''Hmm, alright, so...I''ll practice The Raindrop Sword for another hour, then I''ll use the last of my Qi and enhance my sword again.'' He got up off of his bed and began to practice some more. An hour quickly passed by. When he finished, he leaned his sword against the end table again and then laid down on his bed. As he lay there, he was thinking about his Qi Enhancement ability. ''Hmm, I wonder. If I use some of my health for the ability, will it improve my Qi capacity? Last time I did it, I accidentally used my health and my Qi increased to a total of eleven...Guess it''s worth a shot...I have three Qi now, so If I use ten I shouldn''t die from it.'' He reached over and grabbed his sword. Focusing on it, he brought up the Qi Enhancement window.
Qi Enhancement: How much Qi would you like to infuse? Maximum amount: 11 Qi Enhancement Effects: + 1 Attack = 10 Qi +1 Durability = 10 Qi +1 Defense = 10 Qi
Bracing himself, he said, ¡°+1 Attack.¡± As soon as the words left his mouth a blue mist seeped forth from his body and enveloped the sword. Shortly after, it appeared as if the sword devoured the blue mist. ''Here it comes, it should be dela-'' Cutting him off was a pain that was more intense than the previous time it occurred. ¡°Ugh!!¡± He groaned in agony as the pain assaulted him for a whole minute. When it finally passed, he was panting and covered in sweat. ¡°Holy crap!...That hurt...a lot.¡± He uttered in between breaths. Right at this moment two chimes rang out alongside a couple of status windows popping into existence. *Ting*
You have gained 1 Endurance (+1 END)
*Ting*
You have gained 1 Constitution (+1 CON)
He let out a sardonic laugh as he viewed the messages. ''You got to be kidding me...So to increase my endurance I need to endure pain...That''s rather obvious...But do I have to endure ¡°that¡± kind of pain in order to do so? Or can it be a little less pain? Because the pain I just felt was as if the very fiber of my being was being torn apart...Holy crap that hurt...'' He sighed as he continued to think. ''Constitution huh? At least my health increased...Ugh, I still feel sore...It''s like it''s lingering...Open Status Window.'' Heeding his mental command, his status window appeared.
Name: Alexander Hartlow
Age: 12
Level: 0XP: 20/100
Health: 3/20Qi: 0/11
Energy: 16/150Satiety: 75/100
Titles: Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.None
Stats: Distributable Points: 0
Constitution: 2Intelligence: 9
Vitality: 1Wisdom: 8
Stamina: 6Endurance: 2
Strength: 6Charisma: 9
Agility: 4Dexterity: 4
Willpower: 7Bloodlust: 2
Luck: 50???
??????
??????
??????
Attack: 1Defense: 0
Element Resistance: None
Additional Information:
Race: HumanGender: Male
Element Affinity: All Elements
Alignment: NeutralAllegiance: Undeclared
After he viewed his status, he couldn''t help but have a brilliant smile creep onto his face. ''It''s only been a handful of days since all of my stats were at one...Not bad...I have a total of twenty health now...So one constitution translates to ten health?...Okay...'' As he lay there in deep thought, he let out a confused grunt, ¡°Huh.¡± With a scrunched up face, he thought, ''Why hasn''t my stamina increased anymore? I''ve been constantly using energy...'' Sighing mentally, he continued. ''Perhaps it just needs a lot more use, to increase it...'' He let out a long deep breath. ¡°There''s just so many things I don''t know about this blessing thing.¡± He rolled over to his side and covered up with his bed''s blanket. ''Time to sleep. I''ll go back to training when I wake up...Next week, dad will start teaching me about medicine...I can''t wait...'' He closed his eyes and fell asleep within minutes. ** ** ** ** The following six days passed by extremely quickly. Alex had a rather simple routine. Each day he would wake up at about eight o''clock in the morning. He would then spend all of his Qi on enhancing his sword, go downstairs to eat breakfast and then return to his room. Once there, he would practice The Raindrop Sword Style for a total of four hours and then eat lunch. Afterwards, he would return to his room and practice the sword style for another four hours. Then when he would get low on energy, he would meditate for about four hours on his bed. Once he was done meditating, it would usually be late at night and thus, he would practice The Raindrop Ward for about one hour to completely deplete his energy. Then he would sleep until morning and repeat this routine. On the night of the sixth day, Alex lay in bed after having completed his daily routine. He had a very satisfied grin on his face as he rested his head on his crossed arms. He was currently going over the fruits of his labor for all of his stats, skills and abilities.
Abilities: Qi Enhancement Level 6 [0/35xp] Beginner ¨C allows the user to channel their Qi into any item to enhance its capabilities permanently. Genesis Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C allows the user to create any item that they can imagine so long as they have enough Qi. The Empyreal Body (Passive) ¨C you possess a body that came from the very heavens themselves. All 64 Qi Vein Entrances are open. Allows for unimaginable potential growth. Grants affinity with all Qi elements.
Skills: Deception Level 3 [0/20xp] Beginner (Passive) ¨C the skill of deceiving others. Allows the user to be more successful in the art of misleading and lying to others. Identify Level 4 [10/25xp] Beginner ¨C allows you to attempt to identify any item. Successful attempts will allow you to see various detailed information about the item. Emit Killing Intent Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C allows you to give off or transmit killing intent. Capable of frightening others. May affect their mental state, impacting their combat performance. Negotiation Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C your ability to achieve better terms, rewards, results, etc, for yourself when attempting to reach an agreement with another individual or group. At higher levels, your attempts will succeed more often. Haggle Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C your ability to talk or argue with someone in order to get them to lower a price. Sword Mastery Level 4 [7/25xp] Beginner ¨C your overall expertise with the sword. Increasing this will improve your attack and defense rating while wielding a sword. Current bonus rating: +2 Attack +2 Defense Sword Style ¨C The Raindrop Sword ¨C Level 4 [7/25xp] Beginner ¨C your overall mastery and skill with the sword style ¨C The Raindrop Sword. Martial Art ¨C The Raindrop Ward ¨C Level 2 [4/15xp] Beginner ¨C your overall mastery and skill with the unarmed martial art ¨C The Raindrop Ward. Meditation Level 2 [14/15xp] Beginner ¨C the process of clearing and relaxing your mind while focusing on your inner-self. Allows you to take in the Qi of the world. Meditating will increase the speed at which your Qi is restored. Current Rate: 10 Energy/Hour 0.5 Qi/hour
*Ting*
Name: Alexander Hartlow
Age: 12
Level: 0XP: 20/100
Health: 20/20Qi: 0/18
Energy: 2/170Satiety: 68/100
Titles: None
Stats: Distributable Points: 0
Constitution: 2Intelligence: 10
Vitality: 1Wisdom: 8
Stamina: 8Endurance: 2
Strength: 6Charisma: 9
Agility: 5Dexterity: 6
Willpower: 7Bloodlust: 2
Luck: 50???
??????
??????
??????
Attack: 1Defense: 0
Element Resistance: None
Additional Information:
Race: HumanGender: Male
Element Affinity: All Elements
Alignment: NeutralAllegiance: Undeclared
After he finished reading everything, he couldn''t help but to chuckle. ¡°Amazing.¡± He uttered. ''When my Qi Enhancement reached level five, it gave me an increase of five Qi. Besides that, from using so much Qi, my maximum amount also increased by a total of two...I can''t believe I actually have eighteen Qi now...'' He dismissed his ability window as he continued to think about his results. ''It''s great to know that when I increase the level of my Raindrop Sword Style, it grants me dexterity. I gained two from that...Then for the Raindrop Ward, I gained one agility from leveling it up...My meditation leveled up once and it granted me one intelligence as it did so...Just amazing...'' As he thought to there, he rolled over to his side and dismissed the rest of the status windows. ''I wonder, since I gained five Qi when I reached level five Qi Enhancement...Does that mean at level ten I''ll get ten Qi? Or will be five again?...Hmm, will I even get anything?...I can''t wait to find out!...I finally gained more stamina too...That must have been from using so much energy these past days...'' As he lay on his side, he softly said, ¡°I can''t wait for tomorrow...Dad is finally going to teach me about medicine...¡± Shortly after he spoke that sentence, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. ** ** ** ** Monday morning quickly arrived. Sitting up in his bed, Alex yawned. ¡°Alright! Today is the day!¡± A light of enthusiasm was in his eyes as he got out of bed to put some clothes on. After he did so, he headed downstairs. When he reached the kitchen, he found his mother making breakfast and his father waiting at the kitchen table. ¡°Morning dad, morning mom.¡± He greeted them both as he took his seat at the table. Giving his father an eager look, Alex asked, ¡°Dad, how are you feeling today? Does your wound feel any better?¡± Kaesan glanced at his son and reassuringly said, ¡°Haha, don''t worry Alex. Today, I''ll start to teach you about medicine.¡± Alex''s eyes were filled with a deep yearning. He slightly chuckled as he responded, ¡°Dad, I really look forward to learning from you. But I also want to make sure you''re okay. If you don''t feel well, I can wait.¡± Kaesan shook his head. ¡°No, I''m alright now. I feel much better than I did last week. After breakfast, we''ll head to the shop and clean it up a little. Then after that I''ll start teaching you the basics.¡± Alex was brimming with anticipation. ¡°I can''t wait dad!¡± After their conversation, they ate breakfast and then headed towards their family medicinal shop. ** ** ** ** Kaesan and Alex were drawing near to the shop. As they did so, they were able to see the shabby condition it was in. The corner of the shop that had been destroyed, still lay in rubble. Outside of the wreckage stood two men with swords on their hips. When Alex and his father reached the shop, they moved towards the area where these two men were standing. Noticing someone approaching them, the two men put their hands onto the hilt of their blades and called out, ¡°Halt! This area is restricted by orders of the Earthly Sword Sect!¡± Alex and Kaesan stopped in their tracks. With a smile on his face, Kaesan responded, ¡°This is my shop. My name is Kaesan Hartlow.¡± When they heard his name, both of the men visibly relaxed and withdrew their hands from their swords. ¡°Kaesan? Haha, I''m glad to see you''re alright. Lady Nahla will be happy to hear the news.¡± Kaesan continued to smile as he spoke, ¡°Did Nahla assign the two of you to guard my shop?¡± One of the men nodded as he responded. ¡°Haha, indeed. She was worried there may be looters or thieves that wish to take advantage of the situation...After all, you do have a lot of medicinal herbs in there.¡± Kaesan''s smile turned to a wry one as he sighed. ¡°Yeah...I''ll have to thank Nahla for this. My son and I are going to be going inside to clean up and start some repairs. I''ll have to trouble the two of you for a while longer.¡± Both of the men chuckled. One of them shook their head as they jubilantly replied, ¡°Haha, it''s no trouble whatsoever Kaesan. This beats the hell out of training with Lady Nahla...She tends to over do it.¡± As the man spoke the latter part, he shivered somewhat. Kaesan gave a light chuckle as he walked over to the shop''s front door. ¡°Well, we''re gonna get to work now. Thanks again. If you see Nahla, could you tell her I said thanks?¡± The man nodded in acknowledgement. ¡°Sure thing Kaesan.¡± Alex and Kaesan entered the shop. They glanced around and both of them ended up sighing. ¡°Ugh, this is one hell of a mess.¡± Kaesan muttered under his breath. Looking to his father, Alex tried to console him. ¡°It''s not that bad dad...It could be a lot worse.¡± Kaesan raised an eyebrow and simply shook his head. The interior of the shop was a mess. The counters were mostly all damaged or demolished. The right front corner of the shop was completely obliterated. The bodies were all removed but the blood stains remained. Mumbling, Kaesan said in a sarcastic tone, ¡°Could be worse...huh.¡± Alex couldn''t help but give a small laugh as he watched his father''s reaction. He moved inwards and started to pick up some of the debris. ¡°Alright dad. I''ll start cleaning up. Why don''t you rest for a bit?¡± Kaesan wryly smiled. ¡°Hah, nonsense. I''ll help clean up too. After we''re done, I''ll start teaching you.¡± Father and son proceeded to clean up the large mess that was left in the shop. Hours passed by. Before they knew it, evening was almost upon them. Kaesan let out a long breath as he wiped the sweat from his brow. Observing the results of their cleaning, he smiled. ¡°Okay son. Let''s stop here. It looks much better now then compared to before...Let''s go in the back room. I''ll start to teach you some things about medicine.¡± Alex had a beaming grin as he hurriedly nodded. ** ** ** ** Kaesan and Alex were seated at a table in the back room of their family''s shop. Atop of the table, Kaesan had gathered all the things necessary to teach Alex about medicine. There were many herbs and a few books spread about. In the center of the table there was a mortar and pestle. Alex''s eyes were sparkling as he looked at everything. ¡°First things first.¡± Kaesan pointed towars the mortar and pestle as he spoke. ¡°That there is the fundamental tool of a physician. This is called a mortar and pestle. The mortar is this bowl shaped object, while the pestle is this heavy blunt-shaped stick thing here. Basically, you place an herb inside of the mortar and use the pestle to grind it up. You would grind the herbs into as fine a powder as you can. Then you could mix them with other herbs that have been ground up. Depending on the recipe, you could add other things. Afterwards, you could mix it with water or other liquids...¡± He paused to take a breath. Looking at Azael before he continued, he nodded in satisfaction. ¡°You have any questions?¡± Alex shook his head. ¡°Nope. I get it so far. What else is there?¡± Kaesan had a warm smile on his face as he continued to speak. ¡°So, physicians are far different from alchemists. We can''t infuse our medicines with Qi during the creation process, like they can. But, a physicians skills although inferior are still lifesaving.¡± He grabbed a book on the table and pushed it towards Alex. ¡°This book here is called An Herbalist''s Guide to Low Tier Herbs. It has the basics of herbalism. You''ll need to read, understand and memorize everything in that book.¡± Alex widened his eyes and let out a shocked gasp. ¡°Eh!? Everything? There''s so much...¡± Chuckling, Kaesan replied, ¡°That''s right. Everything. It has all of the basic herbs in there as well as the fundamental recipes a physician should know. As well as a few other helpful things...In order for me to get to where I am today, I too had to learn everything that was within that book.¡± Noticing his son''s still overwhelmed look, he asked a question. ¡°You remember that paste I had you make to stop my bleeding?¡± Alex rose his eyebrow as he gave a slight nod. ¡°That''s something this book will teach you. What you made was called the Blood Sealing Paste. As the name implies, it stops bleeding.¡± When Alex heard that the former paste he made was actually taught in this book, he seemed to cheer up. ¡°Okay dad. I was just a little surprised is all. This book is awfully thick.¡± Kaesan laughed. ¡°Yeah, there''s a lot. But, should you learn it all, you''ll be able to take your first steps towards becoming a physician...And should you find yourself injured when in the wilderness, you''ll be able to mend your own wounds with herbs that are easy to find. This is priceless knowledge. Since you wish to become a cultivator, I suggest you learn it all.¡± Alex softly smiled as he replied, ¡°I know dad. I plan to learn everything you''re willing to teach me.¡± Kaesan had a proud smile on his face as he stood up. ¡°Alright, how about we bring this stuff home so you can study there.¡± He walked over and patted Alex on the shoulder. After which he picked up the few books that were on the table. Alex followed suit by picking up the herbs. After he placed them in a satchel, he grabbed the mortar and pestle. ¡°Alright dad. Sounds good.¡± Nodding, Kaesan said, ¡°Lets go.¡± On their way out of the shop, they bid farewell to the two men from the Earthly Sword Sect. After which, they traveled home in rather good spirits. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Chapter IX Chapter IX When Alex and Kaesan returned home, they immediately ate dinner. When they were finished, Alex was about to head upstairs to his room with almost everything they brought back from the shop. Before he could leave however, Kaesan called out, ¡°Alex! Hold on a second.¡± Alex stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at his father. ¡°What is it dad?¡± Smiling, Kaesan said, ¡°Although I said you need to learn everything within that book, that''s not all.¡± Alex''s mouth was partially agape. Seeing his son''s reaction, Kaesan laughed. ¡°Hahaha, son, there''s still these two books here.¡± He picked up the two books he had placed next to his chair. ¡°There were three books total that I specifically picked for out for you. These three are probably a few of the most value possessions that I own. The first book is the one I already told you to read, An Herbalist''s Guide to Low Tier Herbs. With that, you''ll be able to know all basic herbs on sight and even be capable of creating some basic medicines.¡± He placed one of the books on his lap. The other, he placed on top of the table and began to tap his finger on it. ¡°This one here is called A Physician''s Guide to Low Tier Medicines. This here will teach you all of the low tier medicine recipes.¡± Alex tilted his head at his father''s last words. Curiously, he asked, ¡°Dad, what are low tier medicines?¡± Kaesan smiled as he replied, ¡°Medicines have many different tiers. There are at least twelve different ones. Physicians are only able to create Tier I and maybe some Tier II medicines. These all include things that are capable of healing injuries and sickness. Basically, the higher the tier of medicine then the better the effects will be. Alchemists however, are able to create all twelve tiers. Of course, only alchemists of sufficient skill and ability can do so.¡± Kaesan paused for a moment to allow the information to sink in for Alex. Shortly after, he continued on, ¡°Tier III and beyond does not only have medicines, but other medicinal pills that not only heal the injured and sick. But also can boost an individual''s strength, regrow limbs, enhance one''s cultivation and even increase the speed or effect of one''s training...Becoming an Alchemist is the dream of every physician...¡± After letting out a deep sigh, Kaesan kept talking, ¡°Well, you should already be well aware of most of the differences between physicians and alchemists. I''ve only explained it to you multiple times over the years, haha.¡± At his father''s comment, Alex could only return a wry smile. Kaesan grabbed the book off of his lap and placed it on top of the book that he had already put on the table. He tapped his finger on it as he said, ¡°Now this is the final book. This one is called Basic First Aid Practices. Within this book, is the method to treat all sorts of injuries. It has the process on how to properly clean, disinfect, dress wounds and more. If you wish to become a physician, this book is just as invaluable as the other two.¡± Once he stopped speaking, Alex said, ¡°These other two books are just as thick as the first...Holy crap.¡± Laughing, Kaesan chided, ¡°There may be a lot to learn, but it''s in your best interest to do so.¡± Alex nodded. ¡°I know dad. I just can''t believe how much there is.¡± Kaesan gave a wry smile as he spoke. ¡°Alright. These books will be able to teach you almost everything I know, haha...Once you think you''ve memorized everything that''s in these books, come back to me okay? There''s still a few tricks of the trade that I''ll be able to teach you.¡± Alex grinned as he eagerly replied, ¡°Alright dad...I''m going to bring all these to my room.¡± Alex carried the three books and everything else he needed up to his room. Once there, he placed everything onto his bed. After he did so, he couldn''t help but let out a sigh as he thought, ''This is going to take a while.'' He sat on his bed with his legs crossed and picked up the first book his father had told him about, An Herbalist''s Guide to Low Tier Herbs. He flipped it open. ''Well, this is going to take an eternity.'' He thought as he began to read. ** ** ** ** Alex sat on his bed reading for hours. In all this time he had only managed to read through the first chapter. However, when he had finished it, he received a message. *Ting*
Congratulations! You have learned the skill [Herbalism ¨C Beginner]
The moment he read this, he went bug-eyed. Grinning excitedly, he thought, ''Holy crap! I can learn skills from simply reading books!? You got to be kidding me!...This is awesome!!'' Glancing at the time, he frowned and closed the book. ''It''s already eleven?...It''s getting late, guess I''ll go to bed and continue tomorrow.'' After thinking to there, he cleared everything off of his bed and neatly stacked it next to his end table. Laying down on his bed he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. ** ** ** ** ¡°Uwwaahh.¡± Yawning, Alex woke up. Sitting up on his bed, he looked at the time while rubbing one of his eyes. ''Six in the morning. Man, that came fast.'' He got out of bed and picked up everything his father had given him, bringing it over to the bed. ''Alright, I managed to learn some basic stuff about Herbalism yesterday...Should I continue to read from where I left off or start reading one of the other books?...'' He brought his hand to his chin as he was in deep thought. ''Hmm, actually...I think I''ll practice The Raindrop Ward, since I''m still lacking in it. I should be able to practice for around four hours, then after that I can read and rest at the same time.'' Adopting the first stance of the Raindrop Ward, he began to practice. This lasted for four hours on the dot. Wiping the sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his shirt, he said, ¡°Whew, that was draining.¡± Taking a look at his energy bar, he smiled. ''Forty energy left. If I read for the rest of the day, by the time night falls, everything should work out okay.'' He walked over to his bed and sat down on it, crossing his legs. Staring at the books that were laid next to each other, he thought, ''It would probably be better to just read through that Herbalist''s Guide to Low Tier Herbs first...'' After he thought to there, he started to thoroughly read. ** ** ** ** Night had quickly arrived. Throughout the day, Alex had only stopped reading to eat lunch and dinner. Immediately after he would return to reading. He was currently sitting with his legs crossed on his bed while reading a book. He had a large smile on his face. Letting out a long breath, he flipped the book closed. ''Alright! Chapter ten down! Only around forty more to go...'' He stood up and stretched. As he did so, his joints and bones popped. ''Oh that felt so good.'' After stretching, he sat down on the edge of his bed. ''I can''t believe I can even gain stats from reading these books. How absurd is this!?...From reading ten chapters, my Herbalism leveled up. When it did so I gained one intelligence...'' Earlier he had looked at his skills and noticed that for each chapter he read in the book, he gained one experience towards his Herbalism skill. Chuckling to himself, he thought, ''At this rate, it''ll probably take me around a week or two in order to completely read and remember everything in these books...It''s so bizarre. I originally believed it would take me a lot longer to memorize everything. But, after I read this stuff, it''s almost as if it''s imprinted into my mind...Does this have something to do with the skill? Or is it because my intelligence is increasing?...'' He shook his head to dismiss his thoughts. ¡°Okay! My energy has recovered decently.¡± He stood up again and took the first stance for The Raindrop Ward. ''I should be able to practice for another two hours, then I can go to bed.'' After practicing for around two hours, he stopped and laid down. ''Even though I''ve been practicing this stuff for about seven days, I''ve only gained stats the first time I began practicing and when they level up...I wonder if it just takes a lot more time in order to gain more stats from them.'' He rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes, letting sleep take him. ** ** ** ** Time quickly passed. In the blink of an eye three days had come and gone. On the night of the third day Alex was seated on his bed with a book in his lap. A frown was on his face. ''I was able to level up my Raindrop Ward, but when it happened I didn''t gain any stats...However, my Herbalism leveled up twice and I only gained one intelligence. That was when it reached level four. So at that level and level two I''ve gained one intelligence. I think it''s safe to say that for every two levels in Herbalism, I gain one intelligence?... Well I guess it''s better than nothing. After all, when my intelligence increases I can feel my memory becoming slightly better. I''m not forgetting a whole lot anymore.'' His frown turned into a grin. ''But this Herbalism skill is really too handy. It actually lists all of the possible things I know and can create. If anyone else knew about this, then they may just cry, hahaha.'' He closed the book and set it on top of the end table. His thoughts quickly changed gears. ''Only took four days total to finish this first book and I got around one experience per chapter...I wonder if these other two books will be the same...'' He pulled over the book titled, A Physician''s Guide to Low Tier Medicines. ''Guess this one should be next. It kinda goes hand in hand with the Herbalism book...'' He flipped it open and started to read. After about twenty minutes, he finished the first chapter. When he did so, a status window appeared delivering him a message. *Ting*
Congratulations! You have learned the skill [Alchemy ¨C Beginner]
Alex sat there in a stupor staring at the message for quite a while. After an undetermined amount of time passed, he finally snapped out of it. Stuttering, in a jubilant tone he said, ¡°I...I learned Alchemy!¡± His hands trembled somewhat as his thoughts ran wild. ''Alchemy! If I level this up, can I create the pills that Alchemists are able to?...'' He hastily shook his head. ''No, no, no. Control my thoughts! In order to make those pills I need to first learn how to control my Qi and the different elements of Qi. I have no idea how to do any of that...I''m closer to becoming an alchemist now, but I''m still a far ways away.'' He had a wry smile on his face as he muttered, ¡°I can''t believe I almost got carried away with myself.¡± Finally, he dismissed the message and thought, ''Alright, I''ll stop here today. Tomorrow I''ll start the same routine again.'' He pushed the book to the side of his bed and laid down. He rolled over to his left side and thought, ''If this Alchemy skill is anything like the Herbalism skill...Then it should list all of the possible things I know and can create...With that...'' He let out a slight chuckle as his thoughts trailed off. Closing his eyes, he slowly drifted off to sleep. ** ** ** ** Alex spent the following days repeating the same cycle. Train in the morning with The Raindrop Ward for four hours, read for the rest of the day. Spend about two hours at night to train some more and then sleep. This occurred for five days straight. On the night of the fifth day, Alex had just finished training in The Raindrop Ward and was seated atop his bed with a beaming grin on his face. He was chuckling to himself as he was deep in thought. ''I just leveled up The Raindrop Ward. When it did so, I gained one agility...So from that I can make a guess and say that every two levels in it, I''ll gain a single point of Agility. That''s not too bad I suppose...'' He laid back on his bed and crossed his arms underneath his head. ''This Alchemy skill is too amazing though...I managed to get it to level four from reading that book. With it, I unlocked a new stat called Focus and not only that, but every two levels I gain some amazing stats. I get one intelligence, one wisdom and one focus...That''s crazy!'' His grin had yet to diminish any. ''Help Focus.'' Heeding his mental call, a status window appeared. *Ting*
Focus (FOC) ¨C your ability to give your attention or thought to a single object or activity. As well as your ability to enter into a state where you apply your everything towards a single point.
After he read exactly what the new stat called Focus did, he couldn''t help but rejoice mentally. ''This is going to be extremely helpful.'' He dismissed the window and rolled over to his side. ''Two books down and one to go. Hehe, when I tell dad I learned everything, I doubt he''ll believe me. He''s going to be speechless...Tomorrow, I''ll start the last book. That one seems to be the least thick out of the three.'' After thinking to there, he closed his eyes and entered the realm of dreams within minutes. ** ** ** ** Morning hastily arrived. The sun''s rays shone down through the window onto Alex''s face waking him from his slumber. Groaning, he mumbled, ¡°Morning huh?¡± He sat up and stretched while letting loose a large yawn, ¡°Uuuuwwwaaaahhh.¡± He looked around his room and then smiled. ''I start the final book today! Haha, I can''t wait!'' He stood up from his bed and began his usual morning routine of practicing The Raindrop Ward. Four hours later, he finished and sat on his bed with his legs crossed. Grabbing the final book from his end table, he placed it in front of him. ''Basic First Aid Practices, huh?'' He thought as he viewed the cover. ''Alright, let''s do this!'' He flipped open the book and began to read. The day quickly passed by rather tediously. After night had arrived, Alex closed the book and let loose a small cheer. ¡°Yes! I''m done! Hahaha.¡± Standing up and stretching, he was thinking, ''New skill called first aid huh? Not bad. It gained one level from reading the book. Hmm, I didn''t get any stat though when it leveled...Oh well...I need a bath...'' ** ** ** ** Reclining in the bathtub, Alex had a glowing smile on his face. ''Finally finished all the books...Wonder how my stuff looks now...'' Thinking to there, he opened up his status, ability and skill windows. *Ting*
Name: Alexander Hartlow
Age: 12
Level: 0XP: 20/100
Health: 20/20Qi: 18/18
Energy: 14/170Satiety: 71/100
Titles: Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.None
Stats: Distributable Points: 0
Constitution: 2Intelligence: 14
Vitality: 1Wisdom: 10
Stamina: 8Endurance: 2
Strength: 6Charisma: 9
Agility: 6Dexterity: 6
Willpower: 7Bloodlust: 2
Luck: 50Focus: 2
??????
??????
??????
Attack: 1Defense: 0
Element Resistance: None
Additional Information:
Race: HumanGender: Male
Element Affinity: All Elements
Alignment: NeutralAllegiance: Undeclared
Abilities: Qi Enhancement Level 6 [0/35xp] Beginner ¨C allows the user to channel their Qi into any item to enhance its capabilities permanently. Genesis Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C allows the user to create any item that they can imagine so long as they have enough Qi. The Empyreal Body (Passive) ¨C you possess a body that came from the very heavens themselves. All 64 Qi Vein Entrances are open. Allows for unimaginable potential growth. Grants affinity with all Qi elements.
Skills: Deception Level 3 [0/20xp] Beginner (Passive) ¨C the skill of deceiving others. Allows the user to be more successful in the art of misleading and lying to others. Identify Level 4 [10/25xp] Beginner ¨C allows you to attempt to identify any item. Successful attempts will allow you to see various detailed information about the item. Emit Killing Intent Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C allows you to give off or transmit killing intent. Capable of frightening others. May affect their mental state, impacting their combat performance. Negotiation Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C your ability to achieve better terms, rewards, results, etc, for yourself when attempting to reach an agreement with another individual or group. At higher levels, your attempts will succeed more often. Haggle Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C your ability to talk or argue with someone in order to get them to lower a price. Sword Mastery Level 4 [7/25xp] Beginner ¨C your overall expertise with the sword. Increasing this will improve your attack and defense rating while wielding a sword. Current bonus rating: +2 Attack +2 Defense Sword Style ¨C The Raindrop Sword ¨C Level 4 [7/25xp] Beginner ¨C your overall mastery and skill with the sword style ¨C The Raindrop Sword. Martial Art ¨C The Raindrop Ward ¨C Level 4 [21/25xp] Beginner ¨C your overall mastery and skill with the unarmed martial art ¨C The Raindrop Ward. Meditation Level 2 [14/15xp] Beginner ¨C the process of clearing and relaxing your mind while focusing on your inner-self. Allows you to take in the Qi of the world. Meditating will increase the speed at which your Qi is restored. Current Rate: 10 Energy/hour 0.5 Qi/hour Herbalism Level 4 [3/25xp] Beginner ¨C the study and use of the medicinal properties of plants. Allows you to be able to identify and know different types of herbs. As well as be capable of harvesting them without inflicting damage to the herb. Alchemy Level 4 [5/25xp] Beginner ¨C the process of creating various different beneficial consumables. Some of which being: medicines, potions, elixirs and pills. Higher level increases the chance of successful refining. Current bonus success rate: 1% First Aid Level 2 [0/10xp] Beginner ¨C your ability to give emergency aid to take care of the wounded or sick.
As soon as he finished reading everything, he did a double take. His eyes went wide as his face slightly blanched. Abruptly, he cursed out loud, ¡°FUCK!¡± Only a moment later a loud knock sounded out on the bathroom door and a worried voice could be heard. ¡°Alex! Are you okay!? What happened!?¡± He scowled as he responded, ¡°Nothing mom! I just hit my head is all.¡± After a brief moment of silence, Laylah''s voice sounded out again, ¡°Geez, you startled us you know. I''m glad you''re alright. Just be careful from now on.¡± After that was said, Alex could hear her footsteps fading away. ''I can''t believe I messed up so bad!! UGH!'' He had a horribly ugly expression on his face. ''How long has it been?...Crap, I really messed up. I forgot all about Qi Enhancement. I could''ve been doing that this whole time as well...'' He slowly started to submerge his body in the water. ¡°Ugh!¡± He groaned as he covered his face with his palm. After dunking his head under the water for a minute, he popped back up. Letting out a pain filled sigh, he muttered, ¡°No use crying over spilled milk...¡± ** ** ** ** After having a relaxing bath, Alex returned to his room. He grabbed his sword from next to the end table and sat down on the edge of his bed. ''I seriously need more intelligence...I can''t believe I forgot about Qi Enhancement...'' Lamenting over his blunder, Alex identified the sword.
Steel Short-Sword - a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from steel.
Quality - Standard
Attack - 14+2Defense - 0+1Durability - 61/61
Special Properties - Attack +2, Durability +1, Defense +1
''Okay, so those are the stats. Let''s see what happens.'' Focusing on his sword, he activated his Qi Enhancement ability.
Qi Enhancement: How much Qi would you like to infuse? Maximum amount: 18 Qi Enhancement Effects: + 1 Attack = 10 Qi +1 Durability = 10 Qi +1 Defense = 10 Qi
¡°Hmm, plus one attack.¡± The moment the words left his mouth a blue mist seeped out of his body and hastily engulfed the sword. After a moment, the sword seemed to have completely consumed the mist. ''Alright, I have eight qi left...Identify.'' He thought the latter part as he focused on his sword.
Steel Short-Sword - a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from steel.
Quality - Standard
Attack - 14+3Defense - 0+1Durability - 61/61
Special Properties - Attack +3, Durability +1, Defense +1
When he viewed the sword''s stats, he couldn''t help but smile. ''At this rate, I could keep improving it until it becomes the ultimate weapon, hahaha.'' Once more he activated his Qi Enhancement ability. As he looked at the menu he decided upon using eight Qi. Once more the same mist exuded from his body and was devoured by the sword. ''Hmm, I should need two more Qi...Ah screw it.'' He used his ability once more. This time he chose to use two Qi although he had none remaining, he would simply deal with the pain that was to follow after. Shortly after a blue mist once again manifested from his body and enveloped the sword. After the sword absorbed the mist, Alex immediately used identify.
Steel Short-Sword - a standard short-sword 60cm in length, made from steel.
Quality - Standard
Attack - 14+3Defense - 0+1Durability - 61/61
Special Properties - Attack +3, Durability +1, Defense +1
As he viewed the status window, he was interrupted by the pain that accompanied using his health instead of Qi. He let out a slight groan. ¡°Ugh...That one didn''t hurt as bad as last time...¡± He glanced at his health and noticed it was at eighteen out of twenty. ''Must be due to the fact I have more health now, so only two isn''t too big of a dent?'' He shrugged his shoulders and then looked back at the status window of the sword. Frowning, Alex spoke in a miffed tone, ¡°What? Why didn''t anything change?¡± He opened up his ability window and inspected his Qi Enhancement ability.
Qi Enhancement Level 6 [18/35xp] Beginner ¨C allows the user to channel their Qi into any item to enhance its capabilities permanently.
Still with a frown on his face, he muttered, ¡°I don''t get it..¡± He dismissed the windows and then placed his sword against the end table. Sighing, he laid back on his bed. ''I can''t figure it out now...I have no more Qi left. I''ll just wait until tomorrow morning.'' He rolled over to his right side and closed his eyes in an attempt to sleep. ** ** ** ** It was early morning when Alex woke up. He yawned as he sat up in bed. ¡°Uwwaahh, man, what time is it?¡± Peaking at the clock in the corner of his vision, he yawned once more. ''Six o''clock? That''s it? Huh, didn''t think I''d wake up this early...'' Shrugging, he got up from his bed and dressed himself. ''Okay. Time to mess around with Qi Enhancement.'' He sat down on his bed with the sword in hand. Focusing on it, he used identify and brought up the Qi Enhancement menu. ''Three attack, one defense and one durability. I''m at eighteen out of thirty-five experience for the ability...Let''s see if anything changes...'' Focusing on his ability, he thought the number ''Two''. As he did so a familiar blue mist seeped out of his body and completely enfolded the sword. Once the mist was completely swallowed by the sword, Alex once again used identify on it. After inspecting it for a minute or two, Alex was befuddled. ''I don''t get it...Nothing changed...'' He opened up his ability window and looked to see if he gained any experience with Qi Enhancement. To his dismay though, he did not. ''I didn''t even gain any experience with it?...What''s going on?'' Frowning, he reopened the Qi enhancement menu.
Qi Enhancement: How much Qi would you like to infuse? Maximum amount: 18 Qi Enhancement Effects: + 1 Attack = 10 Qi +1 Durability = 10 Qi +1 Defense = 10 Qi
''Currently I have sixteen Qi left, so...screw it, I''m just gonna do ten...Plus one attack.'' As the latter words floated past his mind, the blue mist flowed out of his body and into the sword. He waited a few breaths worth of time and was about to use identify again. Right as he was about to do so, a chime rang out along with a status window blinking into existence. *Ting*
Maximum number of effects reached: 5/5. Would you like to change an effect?
Alex gawked at the message in a confounded state. ''What the hell does that mean!? No! Open Ability Window!'' As soon as he mentally issued the command, his ability window appeared as the previous message vanished. Focusing on his Qi Enhancement ability, he scowled.
Qi Enhancement Level 6 [18/35xp] Beginner ¨C allows the user to channel their Qi into any item to enhance its capabilities permanently. Maximum number of effects: 5.
He stared in silence at his ability. Letting out a deep sigh, he thought, ''Okay...So apparently my abilities update as I go along?...Guess that''s good to know, but seriously?...Maybe the number of effects will increase as my level increases?'' Shaking his head, he dismissed the window. ''I didn''t gain any experience either, when I used my Qi. So I guess that means if it has the maximum number of effects already, I won''t get experience for simply pouring my Qi into it...There goes my idea of an ultimate weapon, haha.'' Still with a frown on his face, he stood up from his bed. ''I''ve made some good progress, but it''s not enough. I figure if I train for the next month I should be able to reach mother''s requirements. Then I''ll deal with a beginner rank profound beast...Once that''s done, I''ll be able to find a sect!'' Thinking of the future turned his frown into a smile. A fierce determination flashed by in the depths of his eyes as he withdrew his sword from its scabbard. He took up the first stance for The Raindrop Sword Style and began his time consuming training. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Chapter X Chapter X A month quickly elapsed as Alex trained diligently. He followed a very specific routine every day for thirty days. He would wake up at six o''clock in the morning and then practice The Raindrop Ward for four hours. After that he would meditate for eight hours to recoup some of his lost energy. Once he finished meditating, he would practice The Raindrop Sword Style for four hours. By the time he finished his practice, it would be about ten o''clock at night and that''s when he would go to sleep. Of course, while he trained he would occasionally stop to eat or use the restroom and clean himself. Besides that though, the rest of his time was spent on training. During this time, not once had he seen Sarah Collford. At first his parents were worried that he was training too hard. However, after some time their worry transformed into pride. They were proud of their son for working so hard towards his dream. They supported him full-heartedly and let him train to his heart''s content. Morning of the thirty-first day, Alex lay there on his bed with a grin on his face. ''I can''t believe it. It''s been a whole month already...I''ve made crazy improvements in this period of time.'' Thinking to there, he opened up his skill window to look at how he improved with the skills he trained.
Sword Mastery Level 7 [37/40xp] Beginner ¨C your overall expertise with the sword. Increasing this will improve your attack and defense rating while wielding a sword. Current bonus rating: +4 Attack +3 Defense Sword Style ¨C The Raindrop Sword ¨C Level 7 [37/40xp] Beginner ¨C your overall mastery and skill with the sword style ¨C The Raindrop Sword. Martial Art ¨C The Raindrop Ward ¨C Level 8 [11/45xp] Beginner ¨C your overall mastery and skill with the unarmed martial art ¨C The Raindrop Ward. Meditation Level 9 [44/50xp] Beginner ¨C the process of clearing and relaxing your mind while focusing on your inner-self. Allows you to take in the Qi of the world. Meditating will increase the speed at which your Qi is restored. Current Rate: 15 Energy/hour 0.75 Qi/hour
''I gained seven levels in meditation. When it reached level five, the amount of energy and Qi it regenerated increased. I gained four levels in The Raindrop ward and I gained three levels in The Raindrop Sword Style...Not to mention the stat increases I received...That was one hell of a month. Open Status Window.'' As soon as he thought it, his status window appeared listing his various stats.
Name: Alexander Hartlow
Age: 12
Level: 0XP: 20/100
Health: 20/20Qi: 18/18
Energy: 180/180Satiety: 82/100
Titles: None
Stats: Distributable Points: 0
Constitution: 2Intelligence: 17
Vitality: 1Wisdom: 14
Stamina: 9Endurance: 2
Strength: 6Charisma: 9
Agility: 6Dexterity: 7
Willpower: 7Bloodlust: 2
Luck: 50Focus: 2
??????
??????
??????
Attack: 1Defense: 0
Element Resistance: None
Additional Information:
Race: HumanGender: Male
Element Affinity: All Elements
Alignment: NeutralAllegiance: Undeclared
After he inspected all of his stats, he let out a happy sigh. ''The only thing I wish I could have improved was my Qi Enhancement ability...I didn''t want to use it on items in my room at random, in case my parents found out. Not that they would make a huge matter out of it...But I would prefer no one else know of this blessing of mine...And it''s not like I could go purchase tons of weapons, that would be suspicious...Oh well.'' He rolled out of bed, got dressed and grabbed his sword as he headed downstairs. Once there, he went into the kitchen and sat at the kitchen table as he waited for his parents. Placing his sword on the table, he immersed himself in deep thought. ''I wonder if I can meet mom''s requirements now...I think I''m ready, but I''ll need to make sure she gives the okay...Once I get that early-stage beginner profound beast''s Qi core, I''ll be able to leave home...I can''t wait!'' He brought his hand to his chin as a troubled expressions spread on his face. ''Hmm, I just hope Sarah is okay...I''ll make sure to say goodbye to her before I leave.'' Right as he was finishing his thoughts, Laylah walked into the kitchen. Noticing Alex sitting at the table, she called out, ¡°Oh, good morning honey. You''re up early.¡± Alex smiled as he replied, ¡°Haha, yeah. Morning mom. I just couldn''t sleep anymore. I''m too excited.¡± Raising an eyebrow, Laylah curiously asked, ¡°Why are you so excited?¡± Scratching his cheek as he chuckled, Alex answered, ¡°I, uhh, think I can meet your requirements now mom.¡± Laylah was taken aback when she heard this. She didn''t believe him. When she set those requirements, she expected him to take anywhere from half a year to a year to complete them. Regarding the profound beast? She didn''t believe he would truly be willing to go into the forest and find one to kill. Smiling, she walked over towards the table and sat down. ¡°Honey, I know you may think you''re ready, but-¡± Alex quickly interjected. ¡°-Mom. I''m ready. Let me show you how much I''ve improved. After I show you, if you still think I''m not ready, then so be it. I''ll go back to training.¡± After she heard this, Laylah was slightly dazed. She couldn''t believe what her son was saying. Where did this confidence come from? When he was born and even as he grew older, on countless occasions Laylah would check his Qi Veins in the hopes that maybe he would have some sort of potential to be a cultivator. However, reality hurt. Her son had no talent for cultivation. Out of all sixty-four Qi Vein Entrances, only two were open. He had even worse talent then her. This was heart-breaking for Laylah. Letting out a deep sigh, Laylah caved in. ¡°Alright Alex. After breakfast you can show me how much you improved okay?¡± Alex gave a wide grin in response. ¡°Okay mom! You''ll be surprised.¡± Giggling, Laylah replied, ¡°How bout I start making breakfast? Your father will be up soon.¡± Alex nodded and went back into his thoughts as he watched his mother start to prepare breakfast. ''Once she see''s how much stronger I''ve become, I''ll get to look at that book with all of the schools and sects in it...'' Shortly after their conversation, Kaesan had woken up and entered the kitchen. He and Alex chatted as they waited for Laylah to finish making breakfast. Once it was done, they all started to eat. Alex finished rather quickly and watched as his parents continued to eat. When Laylah noticed this, she couldn''t help but chuckle. ¡°Geeze. You''re really eager huh? I''m almost done, then you can show me, okay?¡± Alex zealously nodded and kept on watching them eat. ** ** ** ** Twenty minutes later, Alex and Laylah had moved the furniture out of the way in the living room, creating a large enough open space. Kaesan pulled over a kitchen chair so that he could sit and watch Alex demonstrate how much he improved. Laylah was standing to the side of him with her hands on her hips as she said, ¡°Alright, go ahead honey. Show us what you''ve learned.¡± With a wide grin, Alex earnestly nodded. He placed his sword down on the couch and then moved to the center of the living room. Once there, he moved into the first stance of The Raindrop Ward. From there he proceeded to execute the second and third stances. He repeated this three times. As he did so, both his mother and father were dumbfounded. Kaeasan had seen Laylah practice and polish her skills so that she wouldn''t get rusty. This would consist of taking up the three stances of the first form and cycle through them, one into the other. When he watched Alex do this, he was at a loss for words. He couldn''t even tell that Alex had only been practicing for one month. It seemed like he had practiced it for much longer. Laylah was in a similar state. She was absolutely flabbergasted. She knew that her son didn''t have any talent for cultivation. Sure, he may have been able to learn the forms without a hitch, but to improve to this level should have taken years with his level of talent. A smile with a hint of proudness crept onto her face. However, it quickly faded as a trace of sadness replaced it. Alex was about to go through the three stances for the fourth time when his mother called out, ¡°Stop.¡± Alex immediately ceased his movements and looked to Laylah. ¡°Did I mess up?¡± Laylah had a gentle smile on her face as she shook her head. ¡°No...You didn''t mess up.¡± Alex tilted his head in confusion. Laylah let out a muffled giggle as she said, ¡°Show me The Raindrop Sword Style.¡± Alex hurriedly nodded and moved with haste to grab his sword from the couch. After he had it in hand, he moved back to the center of the living room and withdrew the sword from its scabbard. He adopted the first stance of the sword style and then began to advance to the next stances. As he was doing this, Laylah muttered under her breath, ¡°Incredible...¡± Hearing this, Kaesan perked his ears up and gazed at her. ¡°Hm? What''s the matter dear?¡± Laylah slightly shook her head. ¡°It''s just...I can''t believe how much progress he''s made in only one month...¡± She paused there as she rubbed the corner of her eye. ¡°He must''ve worked so hard...¡± Kaesan had a warm smile on his face as he patted her back and turned his attention back to his son. Alex was completely immersed in The Raindrop Sword Style. A half an hour had gone by before he finally stopped. He sheathed his blade and wiped his brow of sweat. Glancing towards his parents, he noticed the strange looks they had on their faces. With a slightly shaky voice, he inquired, ¡°So, how was it? Do I pass?¡± Laylah didn''t respond. She looked towards the ground and closed her eyes. After a moment of silence, she opened her eyes. When she finally spoke she had a wide smile on her face. ¡°Yes...You pass.¡± Alex almost jumped for joy. But before he could do so, his father''s voice brought him back to reality. ¡°Son. Although you passed your mother''s requirements, you still need to pass mine.¡± Alex let a startled gasp escape his lips. ¡°E-eh? What are they?¡± Kaesan laughed when he saw and heard his son''s reaction. ¡°Hahaha, relax. They''re simple. Since you''ve met your mother''s requirements, next you''ll need to go into the Nilyl Forest to get a Qi core from a profound beast, right?¡± Alex hastily nodded. Kaesan then continued to say, ¡°Well while you''re there, I want you to gather up the necessary herbs to make three different medicines that you should''ve learned from the books I gave you.¡± Alex released a breath of relief after he heard that. ¡°Dad, I thought for a moment there you were going to impose some impossible requirement on me, haha.¡± Kaesan gave a wry smile in return to his comment, as he asked, ¡°When do you plan to go to the forest?¡± Alex brought his hand to his chin as he thought for a moment. Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. ¡°Um...I guess around noon...Maybe after lunch?¡± Laylah nodded as she interjected. ¡°Good idea. Until then, why don''t you rest and make sure you''re fully prepared.¡± Alex quickly acknowledged his mother. ¡°Yes mom. I was planning on it. I don''t plan on losing my life, haha.¡± Laylah gave a dry laugh as Alex began to move the furniture back to their positions. Noticing that his mother was staring at him, he awkwardly asked, ¡°What''s the matter mom? Did you not want me to move the furniture back?¡± She slightly shook her head as she softly replied, ¡°No, that''s not it honey. I''m just so proud of you...¡± Alex felt his cheeks growing warm as he rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the ground. Giggling at her son''s reaction, Laylah said, ¡°Alright, let''s move this stuff back.¡± ** ** ** ** After they returned the furniture to their former positions, Alex went upstairs to his room. He sat on the edge of his bed and began to think to himself. ''After I get this Qi core from a profound beast, all that will be left is to look for a sect or school. I can''t wait...'' He glanced down at his sword that was resting on his lap. ''Huh...Now that I think about it, I could''ve just used my Qi Enhancement ability on my clothes...I feel like such an idiot.'' He took his shirt off and held it in his hand. Focusing on it, he used identify.
White Linen Shirt - Standard cloth shirt made from white colored linen.
Quality - Standard
Attack - 0Defense - 0Durability - 10/10
Special Properties - None
He sighed after he viewed the status window. ''I really should have done this sooner...Qi Enhancement.'' Heeding his mental command, a status window appeared.
Qi Enhancement: How much Qi would you like to infuse? Maximum amount: 18 Qi Enhancement Effects: + 1 Attack = 10 Qi +1 Durability = 10 Qi +1 Defense = 10 Qi
¡°Plus one defense.¡± As soon as his words fell, a blue mist seeped out of his pores. It traveled to the shirt and completely engulfed it. Not too long after, the mist vanished as if it had been absorbed by the shirt. Staring at the shirt in his hand, he thought, ''Identify.''
White Linen Shirt - Standard cloth shirt made from white colored linen.
Quality - Standard
Attack - 0Defense - 0+1Durability - 10/10
Special Properties - Defense +1
Alex smiled after he saw the improvement. ''I''ll improve all of my clothes when I have the Qi. At least this way it''s better than nothing.'' He put his shirt back on and walked over to his dresser. He rummaged around through the drawers until he found a medium-size leather backpack. Yanking it out, he placed it on his bed and opened it up. ''This''ll do. I should pack a change of clothes, food, some medicine and bandages in case I get injured. Hmm, anything else?'' He glanced around his room. ''Ahh, the mortar and pestle as well. This way I''ll be able to make more medicine in case I need it.'' He nodded his head and began to load everything into his backpack. ** ** ** ** Almost an hour later, Alex was seated on his bed with his legs crossed. He looked over his backpack and sword that were next to him. ''All set...I still have a few hours to kill until lunch. May as well meditate until then.'' He closed his eyes and started to clear his mind. It took him longer than usual to calm and relax his mind to enter into a meditative state. He was brimming with excitement. Soon he would be able to leave the town and join a sect. He was extremely looking forward to it. Finally after about a quarter of an hour, he managed successfully enter the state he was trying to reach. He sat on his bed with his legs crossed and eyes closed for nearly three hours. His mother''s voice ended up waking him. ¡°Alex, lunch is ready!¡± Opening his eyes, he grinned and hopped off his bed. He slung his backpack over his shoulder and carried his sword in hand as he went downstairs. As soon as he entered the kitchen, he was greeted by both of his parents. Kaesan had a beaming smile on his face, while Laylah wore a worried smile. Alex walked over to and sat down at the table. ¡°Thanks for making lunch mom.¡± He said as he picked up the sandwich that was on the plate in front of him. She only gave a slight nod in response. When he looked at her, he noticed her downcast expression. Before he could say anything, Kaesan spoke in a cautious tone. ¡°Alex. When you go into the forest you need to be extremely careful.¡± Alex smiled while he nodded. ¡°I know dad. I won''t let my guard down.¡± When Kaesan saw that his son wasn''t worried, he was quite happy on the inside. ''My son is becoming a man...'' As Kaesan thought this to himself, he couldn''t prevent a proud smile from creeping onto his face. Laylah frowned when Kaesan didn''t say any more. She started to speak in a very firm tone, ¡°Alex.¡± ¡°Yes mom?¡± He was quick to respond when he noticed her tone. ¡°Although there are only beginner and novice rank profound beasts in the Nilyl forest, they are still more than enough to kill you.¡± He gulped down the mouthful of sandwich he was chewing as he listened attentively. ¡°Once you enter the forest, stay on your guard. In the eyes of these profound beasts, you will only look like a meal to them...Should you encounter any profound beasts that you feel you can''t defeat, then immediately focus on defense and retreat. Do I make myself clear?¡± Alex hastily nodded in understanding. She smiled somewhat as she continued to speak. ¡°Alex. You will be on your own in the forest. Make sure to pay attention to your surroundings.¡± Alex nodded again as he replied in a solemn tone, ¡°I understand mom. Should I encounter any profound beasts that I feel I can''t handle, I''ll immediately run away.¡± She nodded as a warm and gentle smile spread on her face. ¡°I just want you to be safe honey. Come back home in one piece okay?¡± Alex chuckled as he responded. ¡°Sure thing mom.¡± After listening to his mother''s warnings, he finished eating his lunch. Once he was done he stood up. The moment he did so, Laylah gently said, ¡°Hold on honey. There''s something I want to give you.¡± She left the kitchen and took a few minutes to come back. When she returned, she carried what looked like a belt in her hands. When he saw it, Alex tilted his head to the side. Laylah giggled as she watched him. ¡°Alex, I got you this belt. This way you can fasten the scabbard onto it...You can''t be carrying your sword everywhere. That wouldn''t be good if you had to fight and had a hand occupied.¡± Alex grinned as he received the belt from his mother. ¡°Thanks a lot mom!¡± After she handed him the belt, Alex focused on it and used identify. Right as he did so, three chimes rang out along with the appearance of a few status windows. *Ting*
Level up: Identify (Beginner Level 5 [0/30xp]
*Ting*
You have gained 1 Intelligence (+1 INT)
*Ting*
Brown Leather Belt - Standard leather belt made from dyed animal hide.
Quality - Standard
Attack - 0Defense - 1Durability - 20/20
Special Properties - None
As he viewed the belt''s information, he couldn''t help but smile. ''This belt has a defense rating of one. Must be since it''s made from leather?'' He looked towards his mother and said in a joyous tone, ¡°Thanks mom!¡± He gave her a hug and then thanked his father as well. After he did that, he fastened his short-sword''s scabbard onto his belt, with the sword on his left side. Once it was secured, he slung his backpack onto his back and made sure he could draw his sword without his pack hindering him. Checking everything once, twice and thrice, Alex beamed as he said, ¡°Alright mom, dad. I''m gonna head out now. It may take me a day or two, or maybe even longer, but I''ll make sure to stay safe. I love you guys.¡± Laylah hugged him and kissed his cheek. ¡°Be careful honey...No matter what, avoid going deep into the forest, try to stay on the outskirts. The deeper you go, the stronger the profound beasts and monsters will be.¡± Kaesan walked over and patted Alex on the back as he said, ¡°Stay safe son.¡± After his farewells were said, he left the house with his parents seeing him off. As Laylah and Kaesan watched him walk down the street, Kaesan spoke to Laylah in a low voice. ¡°When are you going to leave?¡± Laylah responded with a warm smile on her face. ¡°Once he''s out of sight.¡± Nodding, Kaesan replied in a solemn tone. ¡°Be careful out there...Take care of our son.¡± Laylah looked at him showing a gentle smile. ¡°Of course. There shouldn''t be any profound beasts or monsters above the novice rank...Even if there were, I''d die before letting any harm come to him. Don''t worry dear. I''ll make sure he comes back in one piece.¡± As they were chatting, Alex''s back slowly disappeared down the street. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Chapter XI Chapter XI Alex had just entered the forest and was cautiously observing his surroundings as he proceeded forward. He had an excited grin on his face as he advanced. ''I can''t believe this day is finally here! I just need to get an early-stage beginner rank profound beast or monster''s Qi core. Once I do, I''ll be able to read about all the sects and schools in the kingdom. Then I can choose one of them to join. I can''t wait!!'' As he was moving forward and thinking, nothing out of the ordinary occurred. He stopped moving for a moment and thought, ''It''s only been a few minutes, but still...Well, guess I should just look around the outskirts of the forest first. I''ll go around a few times. If I don''t find anything...'' He shook his head and started to walk along the edge of the forest. The Nilyl Forest was a small forest located to the south of the town of Solaris. Its total size was about 8km by 4km. Thus, in only a couple of hours, Alex had already circled around the outskirts of the forest three times. He came to a stop, looked down at the ground and released a disgruntled sigh. ''Seriously?...I''ve circled around a few times now and haven''t found a single profound beast or monster...Just a few critters...'' He raised his head and gazed into the deeper parts of the forest. As he did so, a frown surfaced on his face. ''Guess I need to go further in...'' As he finished his thoughts, he rubbed the back of his neck and muttered under his breath, ¡°Just hope my luck holds up...¡± ** ** ** ** While Alex proceeded deeper into the forest, a figure was hiding in some distant foliage watching him. A woman''s familiar aggravated voice was barely audible. ¡°That foolish boy! I specifically told him not to enter the deeper parts of the forest!...¡± Following an exasperated sigh, she continued to say, ¡°Just what is he thinking!? He should know how dangerous the forest is for him. Has he forgotten the state that Kaesan and I found him in!?¡± Shortly after her rant, Laylah stealthily followed after Alex. ** ** ** ** An hour had gone by while Alex traversed deeper into the forest. Along his way, he had still yet to see any profound beasts or monsters. As he was walking forward, he suddenly heard a noise. Pausing in his steps, he immediately gripped the hilt of his sword as he surveyed his surroundings with utmost diligence. Straining his senses, he wasn''t able to find anything out of the ordinary. Just as he was about to relax, a couple of chimes rang out startling him. *Ting*
Congratulations! You have unlocked a new stat [Perception]
*Ting*
You have gained 2 perception (+2 PER)
''Holy crap! That almost gave me a heart attack.'' As he thought this, he wiped some cold sweat from his forehead. He looked at his hand that was on the hilt of his sword and wryly smiled. He was gripping it so hard that his knuckles had turned white. ''I need to calm down...'' He let go of the hilt and stretched his hand somewhat. ''A new stat though huh?...Perception, if it does what I think it does...Help Perception.'' Heeding his mental call, a status window appeared.
Perception (PER) ¨C your ability to notice or become aware of something through your senses. Increasing Perception will allow you to more easily detect/perceive hidden entities.
''So it''s just like I thought. That''s good. If I can manage to increase that enough, the effects it would have on me would probably be enormous.'' A small smile emerged on his face at that thought. He dismissed the windows and continued to move forward. As he did so, he remained vigilant. ''Wonder what made that noise...I can''t believe I haven''t found a single profound beast or monster yet...What''s up with that?'' He continued to advance deeper into the forest. Another hour passed while he trekked along. As he did so, he would continuously scan his surroundings. He was starting to feel dejected. All this time and he had yet to find a profound beast or monster. According to what he knows, the forest should have a decent amount of beginner or novice rank profound beasts and monsters running around. Just as he was thinking that perhaps he would never find one, he stumbled upon a glade. The moment he noticed it, he hid behind some foliage and carefully observed it. At first sight, he couldn''t see anything off about the glade. There were only a few small boulders scattered here and there among the tall grass. But the grass near the boulders was short, as if it couldn''t grow any taller. However, right as he was about to step out from behind his hiding place he saw movement in the corner of his eye. The moment he looked to the area where he thought he saw movement, he didn''t see anything. Still hiding behind some foliage, he waited. After about a minute of keeping his eyes on that one spot, he finally discovered what the source of movement was. A brown wolf with grey stripes was hiding among the tall grass and slowly prowling its way forward. Glancing in the direction it was moving in, Alex only saw a few boulders. ''That''s a Listra Vikas! Brown with...how many stripes is that?...Six? According to what mom said, based on its color and number of stripes...This one should be a mid-stage beginner rank?...Just what is it doing?'' As he thought this, he kept watching the actions of the wolf. Slowly but steadily it drew nearer and nearer to those boulders. When it was about six meters away, Alex noticed that there were patches of grass on the surrounding sides of the boulder that were also moving. Straining his eyes, he was just barely able to see the shape of a wolf in those spots. ''Holy crap, there''s more than one.'' He continued to curiously watch just what these wolves were up to. After five minutes of waiting, all of the wolves were within two meters of the largest boulder. ''What''s so special about that boulder?'' Alex focused on the boulder but couldn''t find anything out of the ordinary. The wolves moved closer and were now one meter away. At this point, they all stopped moving. Then abruptly, as if on a signal, a total of four wolves leapt from the grass towards the boulder with fangs and claws poised to strike. ''They''re attacking the boulder? Are they st-'' He stopped his thoughts mid-way when he saw a glint of light flash by in the air near one of the wolves. The wolf it was near, was suddenly bisected across the middle of its body. The front section continued to travel through the air and smash into the boulder. While its hind section fell short. When it crashed to the ground blood and viscera spilled forth where it landed, creating a gory scene. The three other wolves landed near the boulder and swiftly turned to face the direction that their comrade had leapt from. They growled and bared their fangs. ''What''s going on!? What happened to that wolf!?'' Alex frantically thought. It happened so fast, he didn''t even see what caused the wolf to be killed. There was just a glint of light and then the wolf was dead. Keeping his eyes on what was unfolding, he couldn''t help but draw in a breath of cold air. Walking towards the wolves from the tall grass was something akin to a mountain lion. However, this one looked more menacing. Its body was hulking and at least two meters long. Its tail was a little longer than its body. Attached to the tail''s surface, almost as if it was growing from it, was an extremely sharp looking blade. When he saw this mountain lion-like creature, Alex could only exclaim in his mind, ''Shit! Is that a Pala Lew!? According to mom, that thing should be around the early or mid-stage novice rank...'' As he thought this, the three remaining wolves jumped into action. They charged towards the Pala Lew. One of the wolves went straight for its neck, intending to bite it. The Pala Lew dodged the attempt and swatted the wolf away with it''s claws, slashing its body in the process. Of the other two wolves, one attempted to bite a chunk out of the Pala Lew''s left hind leg, while the other tried to rip a chunk out of its body with its teeth. When the Pala Lew noticed what they were trying to do, it roared in anger and flung its tail out. The wolf that went for the leg dodged the tail but was forced back. The other wolf managed to grab hold of the Pala Lew''s body with its teeth. Where the wolf had grabbed onto was an awkward spot for the Pala Lew. It couldn''t reach the wolf with its tail or claws. Spotting an opening, the other two wolves rushed towards the Pala Lew and tried to take bites out of it. But the moment they got close, the Pala Lew furiously retaliated. Its claw managed to slash one of the wolve''s snouts off. As it made noises in pain, the Pala Lew swung its body around and managed to cleave off the wolf''s head with its tail''s blade. But this came at a cost. When it maneuvered its body to swing its tail, the other wolf managed to rip out a lump of flesh from one of its front legs. The wolf that was hanging from the Pala Lew''s back managed to claw deep wounds into its flesh. Blood was flowing off its body. The wolf was fiercely digging away with its claws on the Pala Lew''s back. Roaring in pain, the Pala Lew dashed towards the boulder and threw its body into it, back first. The wolf was smashed against the boulder and yelped in pain. The moment it fell off of its body, the Pala Lew savagely smashed down with its paws. A sicking crunch rang out as it used its body weight to crush the wolf''s skull. The last remaining wolf upon witnessing the deaths of its comrades lifted its head to the sky and let loose an anguished howl. The howl echoed out in the forest before it was cut short. The Pala Lew rushed over and slashed the wolf''s neck with its claws, ending its grief stricken cry. Alex watched all of this happen. The moment the final wolf fell, he couldn''t stop himself from trembling. ''That Pala Lew is dangerous...I need to get out of here.'' As he finished his thoughts, his eyes were still on the Pala Lew. As if sensing his gaze, it turned its head and glared in his area. ''N-no way.'' Right as he was contemplating turning tail and sprinting away, countless howls filled the air. When the Pala Lew heard them, it quickly scanned the area and turned around. It darted into the forest at the opposite end from where Alex was. He was breathing heavily as he thought, ''Holy shit! That was close!'' He clenched his chest with his hand. He could hear his pulse beating in his ears. ''Calm down...If I''m going to be a cultivator, I need to be able to handle this much!'' He frowned as he heard more wolf howls. Alex glanced over towards the corpses of the wolves. ''Four beginner rank cores...From the looks of that battle, they had to be anywhere from mid to late-stage...If I could get one...'' Interrupting his thoughts was an earsplitting howl that sounded awfully close to him. ''Shit! Forget it! It''s not worth dying over!'' He quickly swung his body around and jogged back the way he came. As he was moving through the forest at a steady pace, he thought to himself, ''From the sounds of things, there has to be a lot of wolves converging towards that glade. If I had stayed, that would have been the same thing as suicide.'' He turned his head around as he ran, glancing back towards the direction of the glade. He was still able to hear the howls. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ''Alright, I''ll go just a little further and wait. Maybe those wolves will move on and chase down that Pala Lew. If I''m lucky, the corpses of those other wolves will still be there and I can dig out their Qi cores. Okay! That''s the plan th-'' Before he could finish his thoughts, he abruptly had an extremely dreadful feeling and snapped his head back towards the front. When his eyes landed on what was up ahead of him, he felt a slight dismay rise from his heart. He abruptly slid to a halt as a cold sweat started to drench his back. *Ting*
You have gained 1 Perception (+1 PER)
''NOT THE TIME FOR THAT!!'' He yelled in his mind as he dismissed the window. Standing in front of him was a brown wolf with multiple grey stripes. It looked at Alex with a chilling glare, in the way a predator looks at its prey. Alex tried to remain calm and analyze its body. ''Oh shit! Not good...This wolf has nine stripes! Beginner rank, level 9...That''s the late-stage...Shit!'' He scanned the area with his eyes, not daring to move his body. ''This seems to be the only wolf around...I don''t know if I can handle it...Mom specifically told me to get an early-stage beginner rank Qi Core...So I should be comparable to a early-stage beginner right? Do I have a chance against this wolf!?'' A cold sweat slid down the side of his face as he weighed his options. As his eyes darted about looking for a path of escape, his breathing had become heavy. His hands were trembling. The wolf remained motionless as it stared him down. After a few moments of looking around, he stopped. His eyes focused on the wolf. Sighing mentally, he thought to himself, ''Just what the hell am I doing?...I want to be strong? I want to be a cultivator?...I was looking for a way to escape! How is that being strong!?'' His breathing started to return to normal as his hands stopped shaking. ''I will not run!..I will fight or I will die!! There are no other options!'' A firm flame of resolution appeared within Alex''s eyes as he glared back at the wolf. As he did so, a chime rang out. However, the moment a status window appeared, he thought, ''Not now!'' As soon as he thought it, the window minimized off to the side of his view. As he stared down the wolf, neither of them moved. ''This''ll be rough, but there''s no other way!...My stats aren''t that high, I don''t know if I can fight it head to head...Hmm, but there is that...I''ve yet to actually try it against an opponent...It''s worth a shot.'' As he thought this, he remembered back to the night in his room when he accidentally activated The Raindrop Sword and his body moved on its own accord. This standstill between him and the wolf lasted a little over a minute. It finally came to an end once the wolf slowly took a step forward. It started to approach him. The wolf seemed very calm and leisurely as it did so. As if it viewed him as no more than another meal. ¡°Hmph!¡± Alex snorted as he hastily drew his short-sword from its scabbard and assumed the first stance of The Raindrop Sword. Although the wolf watched him draw his weapon, it did not react. It continued to approach him. Looking imposing and menacing as it did so. ''This wolf thinks I''m easy prey huh? Fine! I''ll make you work for your food!'' When he entered into the first stance, he actually activated his skill, The Raindrop Sword Style. ''Let''s see what happens! Emit Killing Intent!'' He narrowed his eyes at the wolf. The wolf picked up its pace as it advanced towards Alex unimpaired. ''Okay, so that had no effect...'' While he thought this, the wolf was only four meters away. He focused his everything onto the wolf while it charged at him. ''Three meters...Almost here...Two meters...'' When the wolf reached one meter, it lunged towards Alex with its fangs bared as it attempted to bite and claw him. Just as the wolf was about to make contact with him, he sidestepped with haste, narrowly avoiding an injury. The wolf''s claws came dangerously close, leaving five tears in his shirt. ''Dangerous!'' He immediately thought. Had he been a single moment slower, his shirt wouldn''t have been the only thing ripped apart. As the wolf landed, it rapidly turned around to face Alex and once more pounced towards him. This time, instead of dodging, he raised his blade in an attempt to parry the wolf''s claws. The loud sound of something being scraped against metal rang out in the forest as the claws clashed with the blade, creating small sparks. After its attack was parried, the wolf was slightly off-balance. Alex used this chance to swing his blade with all the strength he could muster. The blade came down towards the wolf''s shoulder. Sensing immediate danger, the wolf leapt backwards with utmost urgency. However, it wasn''t able to get away scot-free. A shallow cut was left on its right shoulder with a small amount of blood staining its fur. When Alex noticed the wound he managed to inflict, a jubilant grin spread on his face. ''Haha, I managed to injure it! It''s only a small cut, but still...I should be able to kill it!'' As he thought this, the wolf started to snarl and growl, clearly enraged at being wounded by what it considered to be prey. Furious, the wolf charged once more at Alex. Instead of lunging forward with an attack, the wolf began to circle Alex. Seeing the wolf''s actions, he entered back into the first stance of The Raindrop Sword and waited for an attack to come his way. The wolf glared at him while it continued moving around him. After a couple minutes of circling, the wolf dashed towards him with a cold light in its eyes. Once it was within range of him, the wolf lashed out with the claws on its right paw aiming for Alex''s legs. The moment that the claws came close to him, he swiftly reacted. He swung his blade downwards intending to parry them. The short-sword was met with nothing but air. As his blade encountered no resistance, he widened his eyes while he let out a surprised gasp. Just as he realized the wolf''s absence, he heard a chilling snarl come from his left side. He only had time to move his eyes towards the direction of the noise before a sharp pain assaulted him as he stumbled backwards and almost fell over. Tightly gripping the hilt of his short-sword in his right hand, he cursed to himself mentally. ''Shit! That hurts!!'' He grimaced as he hastily viewed his left arm. On his forearm laid four grisly gashes. The arm of his shirt was quickly being dyed red as warm blood trickled down to his hand and dripped to the forest floor. He turned his eyes to the wolf that hadn''t pursued to attack. Perhaps it was Alex''s imagination, but he could swear that the wolf was grinning as if it was gloating at having inflicted a larger injury on him than he had been able to do to it. Frowning, he flexed his left hand to make sure he could still use it and then gripped the hilt of his sword while ignoring the onslaught of pain. Lifting his sword and entering into the first stance of The Raindrop Sword once more, he chided himself mentally. ''Foolish! I never should have believed that this wolf was a simple beast. It clearly has some intelligence to perform a feint like that...No matter what, I will defeat this wolf!'' A fierce fire of determination ignited in the depths of his eyes as he glared at the wolf. As if sensing this, the wolf growled and sprinted towards him. The instant it arrived in front of him, it thrashed its claws out towards his chest. A loud clanging rang out as he met the claws with his short-sword. Enraged at having met resistance, the wolf started to launch a barrage of attacks towards Alex. Suddenly encountering so many attacks Alex became somewhat flustered. He managed to block most of the strikes and was continuously knocked back from their force. However, the wolf did not relent. It pushed the attack and struck with reckless abandon. As the strikes did not let up and even increased in ferocity, Alex started to become frantic. At first he was able to block or parry most of the attacks. But as they increased in number and savageness he started to have trouble. Being continuously pushed back, he was just barely able to parry and dodge the attacks by a hair''s breadth. He received the wolf''s attacks for what felt like an eternity. While his face was drenched in a cold sweat, his thoughts had started to become hectic. ''Crap, crap, crap!! What do I do!? I can''t keep going like this! I don''t think I''ll be able to last much longer...My arms are starting to feel numb...'' As his thoughts raced, he was scouring the wolf''s entire body with his eyes. Another strike from the wolf''s claws was barely parried by Alex''s sword. This strike was heavier than the rest and caused him to take two steps back. Then the wolf lunged forward with its mouth wide, trying to bite him. It only received a mouthful of air and some of his shirt as he dodged to the side by a hair''s breadth. The moment he skirted to the side, he immediately jumped backwards in an attempt to put a little more distance between him and the wolf. The wolf was aware of this but did not pursue. It slowly turned to face him. Growling, it spit out the remnants of his shirt in its mouth and stood in place. Panting heavily and sweating profusely, Alex''s thoughts were still running wild as he stared at the wolf. ''What do I do!?...There has to be something!!'' As the wolf had been attacking him, he strained himself to the utmost defending against the attacks. Alex was in a very haggard state as he searched for a way to defeat the wolf. His clothes were torn and drenched in sweat. The left arm of his shirt had been dyed red from his wound. All of the color in his face had left long ago. He felt his eyelids becoming heavy. Hastily shaking his head, he frowned. ''Shit! I need to finish this and take care of my injury!! I''ve started to lose way too much blood!'' After what felt like an eternity to him, he managed to come to a realization. ''That''s it!'' Widening his eyes, he grinned and started to chuckle to himself. ''How stupid am I!?...That wolf is exhausted too! That must be why it''s not pursuing me right now...I can do this! I can win! The way I originally thought was wrong!'' He lowered his sword, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The wolf was perplexed as it witnessed him do this. It raised its guard and was vigilant as it glared at him. However, it dared not make a move. Prudence could be seen in the wolf''s gaze as it glared at him. It was bewildered. Why had this human boy suddenly lowered his weapon and closed his eyes? The wolf couldn''t understand it. Just moments ago it had been able to easily wound the boy. Then, stimulated by the smell of fresh blood, it had unleashed a relentless torrent of attacks. Yet no matter what it tried, it was incapable of inflicting another injury to the human. At first he could barely manage to block or avoid its attacks. Though as time went on, the boy seemed to improve at an astonishing rate and was actually able to evade any further injuries. The wolf felt that something wasn''t right. Thus, it choose to err on the side of caution and catch its breath for a moment as it observed the human boy. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Chapter XII Author''s Note: Firstly, been busy with work lately. So, I haven''t been able to write as much as I want. But I will still be trying to write whenever I can. Okay, now onto the real topic: Most of these chapters have probably been boring...Fret not, for the story shall be picking up soon. This chapter was relatively shorter than the rest by about 500 words. I like to aim for 4k+ words with each chapter, but I don''t want to just fluff the story with pointless words. So, I decided I''m going to throw my 4k+ word goal out the window and just stop the chapters where they feel right. Now then, most likely one or two more chapters to go until the story starts to pick up and more action/drama/stuff seeps its way in. Now without further ado, enjoy the chapter. :P ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Chapter XII Alex opened his eyes as a solemn expression emerged on his face. He raised his short-sword and once more entered into the first stance of The Raindrop Sword. He stood motionless as he calmed his mind. ''This is a huge risk...But what other choice besides running away do I have? I will not run!...Either the wolf dies or I die!!'' A bone-chilling cold glint flashed in the depths of his ice-blue eyes as he glared at the wolf. Unbeknownst to him, his skill Emit Killing Intent activated as his thoughts reached the latter part. As it did so, the wolf suddenly let out a deep snarl as its fur stood on end. It returned a glare right back towards Alex. Almost like they both came to an understanding, it too seemed to have sensed that this fight could no longer drag on. Abruptly, the wolf dashed forth towards Alex. As it did so, his expression remained unchanged. Holding his sword in front of him, he waited for the wolf to approach. In only a couple of breaths of time, the wolf was upon him. It leapt into the air, its eyes focused on Alex''s neck. Clearly it was ready to receive a wound in exchange for a killing blow. It opened its mouth and bared its sharp fangs. It would bite and rip out his throat; in exchange it would receive a minor or medium wound. Like this it would emerge victorious, is what the wolf thought. However, the human its eyes were locked onto suddenly vanished from its vision. Its eyes jolted wide open as a look of consternation appeared on its face. The moment that the wolf was close enough for him to feel its breath, he moved with haste. Rather than retreating or trying to avoid the attack, he instead stepped forward and to the side of the wolf. As he did so, he swung his blade in an upwards motion. It tried to twist its body and swing its claws at him. However, the wolf was helpless while it was in the air. The blade slashed across its midsection leaving a deep laceration. Warm blood spewed out, covering Alex''s blade and splattering onto his face. The wolf crashed to the ground in the former spot Alex had been in. It growled in agony as it struggled to its feet. It endeavored to turn to face him. As it did so, it snarled. A bloody froth started to form at the corners of its mouth as saliva dripped to the ground. It began to take shaky steps towards Alex. While the wolf approached him, blood seeped to the ground leaving a bloody trail behind. ¡°I-impossible...¡± He couldn''t help but stutter as he witnessed the wolf move closer to him. ''It can still move!? That should have been a deep wound! I felt the blade pass through bone!!'' His hands trembled slightly as he gawked at the wolf. Only a few steps remained until the wolf would reach him. As it took two steps forward, Alex raised his blade, preparing to strike again. However, before it could take another stride the Listra Vikas collapsed to the ground. It spasmed for a moment before it ceased all movement. Alex stared wide-eyed as he watched the life fade from its eyes. He slowly lowered his blade as his legs began to tremble. ¡°I-I did it?¡± He uttered in disbelief as he stared at the wolf''s corpse. Chuckling to himself, he fell onto his butt. ¡°I did it! I actually managed to kill a late-stage beginner profound beast!¡± As he sat there, he grinned and let his body fall backwards. Laying on his back staring up through the canopy of the forest, he had a foolish smile on his face. ''I can''t believe I really did it!...Now I just need to take care of my wound and get the wolf''s Qi Core, then I can return to town...I wonder what mom and dad will say, when I show them a late-stage beginn-'' His thoughts were interrupted as a loud chime rang out. Multiple status windows appeared, filling his vision. As he read them, his smile turned into a radiant grin. *Ting*
Congratulations! For killing a profound beast that was vastly stronger than yourself, you have earned four times the normal xp. You have gained 80xp.
Level Up! You have gained 5 distributable stat points You have gained 10 Health, 10 Energy and 10 Qi.
Level up: Sword Style ¨C The Raindrop Sword (Beginner Level 8 [3/45xp])
Level up: Sword Mastery (Beginner Level 8 [3/45xp])
You have gained 3 Willpower (+3 WILL)
You have gained 3 Focus (+3 FOC)
You have gained 1 Perception (+1 PER)
You have gained 2 Agility (+2 AGI)
You have gained 3 Dexterity (+3 DEX)
You have gained 1 Endurance (+1 END)
You have gained 1 Constitution (+1 CON)
You have gained 1 Stamina (+1 STA)
You have gained 2 Bloodlust (+2 BLDLST)
After reading all of the status windows, he dismissed them and closed his eyes. Lying on the cool grass, Alex started to drift into deep thought. As he did so, a silly smile crept onto his face. ''Finally...I''ve finally managed to level up! I can''t believe I actually received more health, energy and Qi from doing so...Unbelievable.'' He let out a deep breath. ''Five distributable stat points...Hmm, just what are they and how do I use them?'' After thinking to there, he opened his eyes and mentally called for help regarding the latter part of his thoughts.
Distributable Stat Points are unallocated points that you may assign to an attribute of your choosing. Doing so will increase the chosen stat by one.
When he finished reading the help message, his eyes widened. ''Holy crap! No way!...I can increase my stats like that too!?...Then doesn''t that mean I could continue to level up and gain a ridiculous amount of stats?'' He chuckled to himself as he opened his status window. *Ting*
Name: Alexander Hartlow
Age: 12
Level: 1XP: 0/200
Health: 40/40Qi: 28/28
Energy: 200/200Satiety: 100/100
Titles: None
Stats: Distributable Points: 5
+ Constitution: 3+ Intelligence: 18
+ Vitality: 1+ Wisdom: 14
+ Stamina: 10+ Endurance: 3
+ Strength: 6+ Charisma: 9
+ Agility: 8+ Dexterity: 10
+ Willpower: 10+ Bloodlust: 4
+ Perception: 4+ Focus: 5
+ Luck: 50???
??????
??????
+ Attack: 1 (+21)+ Defense: 0 (+6)
Element Resistance: None
Additional Information:
Race: HumanGender: Male
Element Affinity: All Elements
Alignment: NeutralAllegiance: Undeclared
When he opened it up, he noticed something different from all of the other times he had done so. Currently, there was a small plus sign next to all of the different attributes including Attack and Defense. As he viewed them, his thoughts once more started to race. ''I guess I need to press the little plus sign in order to assign a point to that attribute?...Wait a minute! If I can add points to attack and defense...Couldn''t I increase my defense to such a level that I wouldn''t be able to be harmed!? Then couldn''t I do the same for attack!? Maybe I''d be able to split mountains with a single swing of my sword!...'' He frowned as his thoughts continued on. ''What nonsense am I thinking? So far I''ve increased my strength by five but only feel a tiny amount stronger than before...To reach the level I was thinking of would probably take hundreds of points wouldn''t it?...If I get five points per level...'' He furrowed his brow as he remained engrossed in his thoughts. ''By the gods, I would need to level up at least twenty times just to get one hundred points to distribute...It took me a month to gain just this one level!! How long would it take for twenty!?...'' His facial expression continued to quickly change along with his thoughts. ''Maybe it wouldn''t take that long?...If I were to kill profound beasts and monsters all day...I could even get their Qi cores and try to consume them...Mother said that doing so could increase a cultivator''s strength.'' He shook his head and sat up. Letting out a deep sigh, his thoughts started to calm down as if a bucket of cold water was poured on him. ''What am I thinking? I''m not even a cultivator yet. I have no idea how to guide Qi throughout my body or even how to go about absorbing a Qi core...I''ll just have to wait for a bit. Once I find out how...'' A slight ambitious smile hung on his face as he reached the latter part of his thoughts. Glancing down at the sword in his hand, a sudden realization struck him. ''Oh crap! I forgot about my wound! Not good!'' He quickly let go of his sword and examined the injury that was left by the wolf. However, to his astonishment the wound was gone. He stuck his fingers in the torn area of his shirt''s sleeve and felt around. Rubbing the spots where there was previously a set of deep gashes, Alex was dumbfounded. ''W-what...Just what is going on?'' He rolled up his sleeve and examined his arm more closely. Furrowing his brow, he wiped what blood was still there away with his shirt''s midsection. Disbelief flashed across his eyes as he widened them. ''It''s gone! The wound is completely healed!'' Staring at his arm, he muttered, ¡°Just what exactly is going on?¡± He raised an eyebrow. ''The only thing that happened was I leveled up...'' He glanced at his health, Qi and energy bars. ''Holy shit! They''re all full! I regained my lost health, energy and Qi! How!?!?...Was it from leveling up!? Hahaha! Amazing! Absolutely astonishing! That means that when I level, everything is restored to full!! I wonder how it works though. Just what exact-'' Alex stopped his thoughts where they were and quickly grasped his sword. He stood up and turned around with haste, entering into the first form of The Raindrop Sword as he did so. With utmost scrutiny he scanned his surroundings. After a couple minutes of staying on guard, he finally settled down and lowered his blade. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ''What the hell was that?...It felt like I was being watched...'' His gaze landed onto the status window that had minimized the moment he sprung into action. Before he could think about his stats again, a chime rang out while multiple new windows appeared. *Ting*
You have gained 4 Perception (+4 PER)
Congratulations! You have learned the skill [Sense Presence ¨C Beginner]
Pleasantly surprised, Alex smiled and opened up his new skill.
Sense Presence ¨C Level 1 [0/10xp] Beginner (Passive) ¨C your ability to detect/perceive hidden entities within a certain range of yourself. Current level allows you to discern the relative direction of hidden entities.
''So that''s what happened. It felt like someone was watching me from behind...Hmm, this will be another very handy skill.'' He closed all of his status windows. ''Alright, I''ll carve that wolf''s Qi core out of its body and then get the hell out of this forest for now...I don''t want to risk going back for those other wolves'' corpses...If that Pala Lew were to come back or if I encountered any more wolves...'' He shuddered and then looked around his surroundings once more. Seeing that it was still all clear, he walked over towards the wolf''s corpse and knelt down. ''Once this is done, I''ll go back home and then figure out what stats to grant those points to.'' He held his blade and brought it closer to the corpse. For a moment, he looked at a loss for what to do. ''Mom said that the Qi core should be located near the heart...This is my first time doing this, so it''s probably bound to be messy...'' He sighed and then proceeded to carve open the wolf''s chest cavity. ** ** ** ** As Alex set to work removing the Qi core from the dead Listra Vikas, Laylah stared slack-jawed at him with a slight disbelief on her face. She was overjoyed that her son was able to defeat a late-stage beginner profound beast, but she just couldn''t wrap her mind around it. ''How did me manage that?'' She watched the fight from start to finish. Laylah was certain that Alex had no chance of winning. The entire time, she was prepared to leap into action and save her son the moment things turned for the worst. She wanted him to have a taste of what it was like to risk his life in battle. Where the slightest misstep could be fatal. As the wolf recklessly attacked and pushed him back, Laylah was just about to intervene. However, she stayed her hand when she noticed that Alex seemed to be able to hold on. At first, he was pushed back continuously and could barely dodge or parry the attacks. But as it went on, he improved at a visible rate. She was startled by it. Laylah closed her mouth as she continued to watch Alex. ''Ever since he was born, I''ve checked his Qi veins a few times every year. Yet, they''ve always remained the same. Only two were open. His potential as a cultivator is horrible...I never would have thought that despite that, he has such a talent for swordsmanship...Maybe him becoming a cultivator would be good.'' A warm smile surfaced on her face. ''Although his potential for cultivating is horrible, if he manages to learn how to control Qi and maybe learn some techniques, he could integrate that into his swordplay...Then maybe...Just maybe, he could advance as a cultivator.'' She let out a breath and brushed some hair out of her face. ''It seems like he has some good senses too. He almost found me, I had no choice to put a little more distance between us. I hid myself almost perfectly and yet...Maybe it was just a fluke...'' She shook her head and continued to watch Alex. ** ** ** ** A quarter of an hour passed as Alex searched for the Qi core. Finally, he withdrew his right arm from the chest of the Listra Vikas. Sweating and covered in blood, he raised his hand in front of his face. He chuckled as he viewed what he was holding. Grasped between his index finger and thumb was something that looked akin to a blood-covered marble. He frowned slightly and then wiped it off on a relatively clean portion of his shirt. The marble was a grayish-green color and its size was around three centimeters in diameter. A beaming smile spread on Alex''s face as he inspected it. ''Finally found it!...So this is a Qi core, huh?...It''s kind of warm.'' As he focused on the Qi core, he thought, ''Huh, I wonder...Identify.'' Heeding his mental command, a status window appeared with the sound of a chime. *Ting*
Qi Core - A standard Qi Core attained from a profound beast.
Qi - 25/25Rank - Late-stage (Level 9) Beginner
''Amazing!...It has twenty-five Qi...Did that Listra Vikas have that much Qi?...I have twenty-eight Qi right now. So am I comparable to a late-stage beginner rank then?...No, I shouldn''t be. I may have that much Qi, but my body is definitely not at that level yet.'' He shook his head as he dismissed the status window. ''Hmm, I feel like I''m still being watched...For now I''ll play it safe.'' He placed the Qi core in the pocket of his pants. However, before he removed his hand, he made sure to store it into his inventory. ''I don''t know who or what is watching me, but I''d rather be extra careful so that no one learns of these abilities of mine. Who knows what troubles it may bring me if they''re ever found out.'' He looked around his surroundings once more. Not noticing anything out of the ordinary, he wiped the short-sword off on the fur of the dead Listra Vikas. After it was clean he sheathed his blade and started to walk in the direction that would lead out of the forest. ''I''m not going to go for the corpses of those four Listra Vikas. Who knows if they''re even there still. I don''t want to risk encountering any higher rank profound beasts or monsters.'' A slight frown surfaced on his face while he walked. ''I really want those Qi cores, but...Not worth it! Definitely not going to let greed cloud my judgment.'' He let out a deep breath and mumbled, ¡°Okay, time to find some herbs.¡± As he was walking, he suddenly halted in his steps. ¡°Shit.¡± He mumbled. ''I knew something was weird. I thought I felt lighter...'' He turned around and frowned. Laying on the ground was his backpack with torn straps. ''Crap...It must''ve happened when I was dodging the attacks of that Listra Vikas...'' He glanced around his surroundings. His frown deepened as he thought to himself. ''Still feels like I''m being watched...Guess using my inventory is out of the question.'' He walked over to his backpack and picked it up. ''I suppose I''ll just carry it then.'' Holding the pack in his left hand, he began to trot in the direction that led out of the forest. ** ** ** ** It didn''t take long for Alex to reach the outskirts of the forest. As he made his way there, the sound of wolves howling became distant. ''I probably shouldn''t run into any out here...'' He thought as he slowed his pace down. ''Alright, should be safe to check some things now...Open quest log.'' Heeding his mental command, a status window appeared.
Quest Log Meet your Mother''s requirements: Acquire a Qi Core Show Qi Core to Laylah Hartlow Meet your Father''s requirements: Create three difference medicines from herbs in the Nilyl Forest
After he read his log, a grin surfaced on his face. ''I figured they would be quests...Great, it shouldn''t be too difficult to make three medicines and bring them back...I wonder how much experience I''ll earn.'' He dismissed the window and mumbled, ¡°Alright, time to find some herbs.¡± Alex diligently set forth to find the herbs he required to make three different medicines. ** ** ** ** Time quickly passed. As Alex was searching for herbs, the night arrived with haste. He was covered in dirt and some sweat as he finished digging up a plant. He exclaimed, ¡°Yes! Perfect! Finally, I have all the ingredients!¡± He grinned as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He carefully stored the herb into his backpack and proceeded to leave the forest. It didn''t take long for him to reach a clearing outside of the forest. With the light of the full moon and stars, Alex sat down on the grass. ''Okay, time to get this done!'' He gently laid his backpack down in front of him and opened it up. Slowly, he removed each ingredient and organized them. Once done, he pulled out his mortar and pestle. ''Alrighty.'' He chuckled as he thought to himself. ''Hope dad doesn''t complain about this one...'' He inspected the laid out herbs. ''Izaley, Aheves and Essu Husk all in good condition. Some Blood Sealing Paste coming right up.'' He smiled as he set to work grinding the herbs into a fine powder. When he finished, he pulled out a flask from his pack and uncorked it. He poured the contents of it into the mortar. ''Water, check. Time to mix it up.'' After pouring out about a quarter of the water flask''s contents, he began to stir everything together. A few minutes later, he had an odd smelling white paste in the mortar. He reached into his pack and pulled out a different flask. He uncorked it as he thought to himself, ''One medicine down. Two to go.'' He smiled as he scooped the paste into the flask. Once more he picked up the water flask and poured some into the mortar. He grabbed a cloth from his pack and wiped out any residue that was left behind from the paste. ''Okay, this next one is easy. Six ounces of Eccu Leaf and four ounces of Ebbeley.'' He placed the ingredients into the mortar and ground them up. Then he poured in some water and mixed the powder together. When he finished, he was left with a greenish-yellow ointment that had a strong medicinal smell. ''Bruise Easing Ointment, check!...One medicine left.'' He thought to himself as he stored the ointment in a different flask. As he viewed the remaining ingredients, he couldn''t help but grin. ''Four ounces of Monk''s Leaf and four ounces of Saffron.'' He placed the ingredients into the mortar and ground them into a fine powder. Then he added some water and mixed it all together. When he finished, he was left with a faint red liquid. Smiling, he poured the red liquid into an empty flask. Chuckling to himself, he uttered, ¡°One flask of Lesser Wound Recovery Tonic. Three medicines check! Now I can go back home.¡± Having finished creating all the medicines, he carefully packed them into his backpack and started to head towards the town of Solaris. ''Hahaha, I did it! I have a Qi core and three different medicines that I made! And the Qi core isn''t any early-stage rank profound beast''s...It''s a late-stage rank! Hahaha, I bet mom and dad are going to be speechless! When I get back, I''ll probably have to wait until tomorrow to learn about all the sects and schools...I can''t wait!'' Alex rejoiced mentally the entire way home. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Chapter XIII Author''s Note: I hated writing this chapter. It was rough. While writing it, I was just wanting to get it done so that the story could advance...I guess I could have just skipped it completely, but I don''t want a story where my main character just magically appears somewhere. By that I mean, oh he left point A and is now at point B. I mean, I guess that''s perfectly fine, but it sort of feels too sudden? Oh who am I kidding, I''ll probably do that in the next chapter, haha... Good news though, is that this little roadblock for me is finished, so the next few chapters should go more smoothly? Or at least maybe not take as long for me to write? I don''t know. Sorry about the rant. It''s the tiredness talking, I swear!...But anywho, here''s the chapter. :P ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Chapter XIII It was late at night as Alex reached the front door of his family''s house. A smile was on his face as he unlocked the door and walked inside. The moment he entered, he was greeted by his father''s surprised voice. ¡°Alex? You''re back? Did you decide to give up?¡± Kaesan was seated next to Laylah on the couch in the living room. Alex gave a wry smile as he responded, ¡°No, I didn''t give up...¡± He walked into the living room and carefully laid his backpack on the ground. Stretching, he said, ¡°I completed all of yours and mother''s requirements a lot sooner than I thought I would.¡± Kaesan looked his son over and a frown started to surface on his face as he noticed the bloodstains on his clothes. But seeing that Alex seemed to be in good spirits, he warmly smiled as he curiously asked, ¡°You managed to complete everything already?...You got a Qi core and made three different medicines?¡± Alex chuckled as he answered, ¡°Dad, Mom. You won''t believe it!¡± He reached down into his bag and pretended to dig through it for something. Stealthily, he took the Qi core out of his inventory while his hand was in the pack. When he pulled his hand out, he was holding a greyish-green marble. Kaesan widened his eyes as he viewed what his son was holding. Laylah had a wry smile on her face as she looked at the Qi core. It was clear to Alex that she was happy yet sad at the same time. Mumbling, Laylah spoke in a slight disbelief, ¡°You actually managed to get one...¡± Alex grinned. ¡°Yep! And that''s not all! This isn''t an early-stage beginner rank Qi core...¡± Kaesan rose an eyebrow as he inquired, ¡°It''s not? Just what rank profound beast did you manage to defeat?¡± A proud smile was on Alex''s face as he answered. ¡°It''s a late-stage beginner rank profound beast''s!¡± An amazed gasp escaped Kaesan''s mouth. Laylah didn''t react much though. Alex noticed this and was slightly confused. However, before he could speak, his mother spoke out. ¡°Alexander, based on the condition of your clothes it must have been a very tough and dangerous fight...Why would you do something so foolish as to fight a profound beast that was so much stronger than you?¡± Alex frowned. ¡°Mom. At first, I thought I should run away and I tried to find a path to escape...¡± A solemn expression emerged on his face as he continued. ¡°But, if I did that....Could I really become a cultivator?¡± He stared at his mother. As he did so, Laylah could see a firm determination in the depths of his eyes. ¡°As a cultivator, I''ll have to face many dangers and even other cultivators in life or death battles...¡± Alex looked to the ground for a moment. Lifting his head back up, in a solemn tone he said, ¡°If it was the me from before...I would have run away at the first sight or hint of danger. But not anymore. I will become strong! I will become a cultivator! I will face challenges head-on. I won''t shirk away!¡± Laylah and Kaesan were both stunned as they gazed at their son. He had always been rather timid and placid. They never heard him talk of becoming a cultivator before. It was almost as if his personality had somewhat changed after that incident in the forest. A warm and gentle smile surfaced on Laylah''s face as she viewed her son. ¡°Alright, fine. Promise me though, that if you ever encounter anyone or anything that is vastly stronger than you and you have no chance of coming out victorious, you''ll run away without hesitation!¡± A grin spread across Alex''s face as he responded. ¡°I promise mom!...Then this means that I can become a cultivator, right!?¡± Laylah chuckled and looked at Kaesan. ¡°Well, you still need to pass your father''s requirements.¡± Alex turned his attention towards Kaesan. Giving a slight cough and clearing his throat, Kaesan asked, ¡°Okay Alex. You said you made three medicines already. Let''s see them.¡± Alex nodded his head and began to rummage through his backpack. After a few minutes he had taken out three flasks. ¡°Alright dad. These are the medicines.¡± He handed the flasks one at a time to his father. As he did so, he told him what was in each. ¡°This first one contains Blood Sealing Paste.¡± His father took the flask and uncorked it. He gave it a sniff. He smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, that''s one.¡± Alex handed him a second flask. ¡°This one is Bruise Easing Ointment.¡± Kaesan repeated the same thing he did with the previous flask. After he was done, he nodded. ¡°Alright, that''s two.¡± Smiling, Alex handed him the third flask and excitedly told him what it was. ¡°This one is some Lesser Wound Recovery Tonic.¡± Just like the previous two flasks, Kaesan uncorked and sniffed the contents. After a few moments of silence a beaming grin spread across his face as he happily announced, ¡°Alright son! You passed all of my requirements! You have your mother''s and my approval.¡± Alex had a radiant smile as he heard his father''s words. Laylah let out a small sigh as she stood up and said, ¡°For now, why don''t you go to bed. You could probably use some rest...Tomorrow we''ll discuss the sects and schools that are in the Kingdom of Wrurin.¡± When he heard this, Alex rushed forward and hugged his mother. ¡°Thank you so much mom!¡± He then hugged Kaesan as well and thanked him. After which, he bid his parents goodnight and went upstairs to clean himself up before going to bed. ** ** ** ** As soon as Alex had gone upstairs, Kaesan whispered to Laylah, ¡°You alright honey?¡± She sighed and slumped down onto the couch. ¡°Yeah, I''m fine...¡± Kaesan patted her back as he asked, ¡°Are you sure? I thought you would have been more opposed to Alex becoming a cultivator. Or at the least, not willing to let him go so soon.¡± Laylah smiled wryly as she replied, ¡°Dear...You should have seen him out there.¡± She let out a deep breath before she continued to speak. ¡°His talent with the sword is incredible...If he can become a cultivator, even if he can only manage to become a low-rank one, he would probably be able to reach heights that I''ve never thought possible...¡± She slowly shook her head. A gentle smile surfaced after she did so. ¡°I''ll support him wholeheartedly...In the future, he may just become someone great...¡± ** ** ** ** Alex was currently reclining in the bath tub with a silly grin on his face. Chuckling to himself, he was in deep thought. ''I knew it! These quests are amazing!'' After he had shown his parents the Qi core and the medicines, a couple status windows had appeared. At the time, he didn''t read them and had minimized them off to the side of his view. Now that he had a moment by himself, he was inspecting them.
Quest Complete Meet your mother''s requirements. You have gained 50xp.
Quest Complete Meet your father''s requirements. You have gained 50xp.
You have gained 1 Willpower (+1 WILL)
''If I can get and complete quests...Then I could level up so many times and get status points easily!!'' He dismissed the windows and leaned his head back. A laugh couldn''t help but escape his mouth. ''Honestly, this is amazing!'' He let out a satisfied sigh. ''Tomorrow, I''ll be able to learn about the sects and schools...Then, I''ll be able to leave home and attempt to join one...'' He shook his head and proceeded to finish cleaning himself. When Alex was finished he went to his room and laid down. Shortly after, he fell asleep. ** ** ** ** Morning swiftly arrived. Sunlight drifted in through the windows and landed on Alex''s face. ¡°Ugh¡± he groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. ¡°It''s morning already!¡± He grinned and hastily sat up. While rubbing his eyes, he stood up and got dressed. ''Today''s the day!'' He thought to himself as he proceeded downstairs. As he entered the kitchen, he noticed that a large book was sitting on the table near the seat where he usually sits. He walked over and sat in his seat. ''This is the book that mom had when she came home that night.'' He pulled the book closer to him and opened it up. He widened his eyes as he read the first page. Chuckling to himself, he muttered, ¡°Incredible!¡± On the first page was simply the table of contents. But what amazed Alex was the sheer number of sects and schools that were listed. From the looks of things, each sect or school had an entire page dedicated to themselves. Grinning, he read through each listing in the table of contents, trying to memorize each sect and school. He was running his finger down along the page stopping at each name. However, not long after he started, he abruptly paused. Unknowingly, a scowl appeared on his face. ''Argent Viper Sect!'' He thought in a menacing tone. ''Huh, why do they have three pages?'' Noting the page numbers that this sect had, he flipped to the starting page. After a couple of minutes, he frowned once more. ''It says here that the Argent Viper Sect is extremely cruel and merciless. That most of their members are vicious and unforgiving...That about sums up what I''ve seen from them so far...'' He let out a sigh and shook his head. ''This book says that this sect is rather powerful in the Kingdom of Wrurin. They''re within the top fifty sects of the kingdom, sitting at position forty-nine.'' He tilted his head for a moment while he was thinking. ''Forty-nine? Then if that elder of the Gallant Eagle Sect was willing to offend them, shouldn''t his sect be strong too?...Let''s see where it is.'' He flipped back to the first page and viewed the table of contents. After a few moments, he found what he was looking for. After turning through some pages, he stopped and smiled. ''There it is. Gallant Eagle Sect...I had a good impression of them.'' He read through all of the contents on the sect. After a couple of minutes, he nodded his head. ''It says here that most of their members are tenacious and fearless...The senior members look after the younger and newer members...Hmm.'' He brought his hand to his chin as he was in thought. ''So they nurture their younger members and expect them to do the same in the future...Sounds like a good sect to me...'' After reading a little more he let out a surprised, ¡°Whoa¡± as he continued to think. ''They''re rank forty-five out of fifty in the kingdom.'' This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. He chuckled to himself. ''No wonder those boys from the Argent Viper Sect chose to run away instead of facing that elder...What was his name?...'' Alex was in deep thought as he pondered about the elder. ''Oh that''s right, his name was Harvey Cote...'' With his hand on his chin, he looked down at the table. ''Hmm, he did say that if I ever wanted to start on the path of cultivation to go to his sect and use his name...Hmm, maybe.'' He shrugged and flipped the book back to the table of contents. Alex sat there at the table browsing the various sects and schools for a little over an hour. He was so absorbed into the book that he didn''t notice his parents walk into the kitchen and sit down at the table. Laylah spoke while staring at Alex, ¡°Good morning. How long have you been reading that book?¡± Alex jumped a little the moment he heard his mother''s voice. Placing his hand on his chest, he replied in a surprised tone, ¡°Geez mom, you scared the crap out of me!¡± Laylah and Kaesan both laughed as they heard his response. ¡°Good morning mom, dad. When did you guys get here?¡± Kaesan slightly shook his head. ¡°A little bit ago son. You were really into reading that book, so we didn''t want to disturb you.¡± Alex scratched his cheek as he responded, ¡°Heh, sorry about that.¡± Laylah smiled as she inquired, ¡°So you''ve been reading about all the sects and schools...Have you figured out which one you want to join?..Originally, I was planning on going through them with you. I didn''t expect you to get up so early and already read about them all, haha.¡± Alex wryly smiled. ¡°Sorry about that mom.¡± Laylah shook her head. ¡°It''s okay. So, did you figure it out?¡± Alex nodded. ¡°There are a lot of sects and schools...But the one I think I''m leaning towards would have to be the Gallant Eagle Sect.¡± Laylah tilted her head as she asked, ¡°Why them? Any specific reason?¡± Nodding, Alex answered, ¡°I met some of their members and one of their elders. They were all really nice. I have a really good impression of them.¡± Laylah gave a slight nod in response but then quickly frowned. ¡°The Gallant Eagle Sect is within the top fifty sects of the Kingdom...But they''re located at the town of Brightwatch. That''s practically at the other side of the kingdom.¡± With a wry smile, Alex nodded. ¡°I know...¡± Laylah let out a deep breath. A pained smile formed on her face as she stared at Alex. ¡°If that''s where you want to go, then so be it...Just promise your father and I that you''ll come back home to visit.¡± Alex grinned while he looked between his mother and father. In an excited tone, he said, ¡°I promise mom, dad. I''ll come back to visit whenever I get the chance!¡± Kaesan chuckled as he responded, ¡°Alright then son. You''re completely decided on the Gallant Eagle Sect?¡± Alex swiftly nodded. ¡°Good...I''ll see if I can get some of my friends from the Earthly Sword Sect to travel with you.¡± Alex tilted his head and curiously asked, ¡°Eh? Why dad? I thought I''d travel by myself.¡± Shaking his head, Kaesan replied in a pensive tone, ¡°You''re still a kid Alex. The world is fraught with danger. There are countless cultivators that turn to banditry and commit various malicious acts. If you travel by yourself, who knows what kind of perils you may face...I at least want you to arrive at the town of Brightwatch safely.¡± A warm smile spread across Alex''s face as he heard his father''s concern for his well-being. He looked between Kaesan and Laylah. ¡°Dad. Mom.¡± He took a breath and then spoke in a solemn tone. ¡°I really, really appreciate your thought for my safety...But, I want to travel by myself...¡± Kaesan frowned and was about to say something, but immediately stopped when he heard what Alex said next. Staring at his father and mother with a very determined look, he continued on. ¡°I need to be able to do this...I can''t continue to be sheltered. I need to experience the world...¡± Kaesan''s frown faded away. He felt that if he didn''t let his son go by himself, he''d be stifling his growth. However, Laylah wasn''t happy. She scolded, ¡°Do you think you''re invincible!? There are plenty of existences stronger than you that could kill you as easily as lifting a finger!! I won''t let you trav-¡± ¡°Dear, that''s enough.¡± Kaesan''s voice quickly cut off Laylah''s rant. She paused and let out a confused, ¡°Eh?¡± As she stared at him with a furious and confused look, Kaesan let out a deep sigh. He gave her a thoughtful look and then turned his attention towards Alex. ¡°Son...Alright. You can travel by yourself.¡± Alex was surprised as he gazed at his father. ¡°Just promise us that you''ll be careful.¡± Alex hurriedly nodded at his father''s words and stated, ¡°I promise! I''ll be extra careful. I''ll even stick to the roads for the whole trip! Thanks dad, I re-¡± Laylah was furious as she cut him off. ¡°Kaesan! What are you saying!? How can you let our son go by himself!?¡± Kaesan calmly responded, ¡°Honey, we can''t keep babying him and sheltering him from the world. He''s determined to go by himself...This will be a good experience for him. We shouldn''t stand in his way.¡± Laylah was flabbergasted. ¡°But...¡± Kaesan had a genuine heart-felt smile on his face as he gazed at his wife. ¡°He''s growing up before our very eyes. Instead of trying to obstruct him, I think we should encourage and support him.¡± Laylah looked down at the table and frowned. After a few moments, she let out a deep breath and looked up at Alex. Resignedly, she said, ¡°Fine...You can go by yourself...When do you plan on going?¡± Alex grinned as he said, ¡°I was thinking maybe tomorrow or the day after. I want to say goodbye to Sarah before I leave.¡± Laylah gave a slight nod as she replied, ¡°Good idea. That girl likes you a lot you know. You''re probably breaking her heart by leaving.¡± Alex tilted his head as he heard what his mother said. ''Breaking her heart? How? We''re just friends...'' He thought to himself as a bewildered expression floated onto his face. His mother chuckled as she saw this. She shook her head as she said, ¡°Forget it. It''s your business. I won''t interfere...Just be gentle when you say goodbye, okay?¡± Alex slowly nodded his head. ¡°Alright mom...I''ll try?¡± She chuckled and then said, ¡°Alright! How about I start making breakfast?¡± The day quickly passed by as Alex spent the entire time with his parents. He felt as though this would probably be the last time in a long while that he would be able to be together with them. ** ** ** ** The following day swiftly arrived. Laylah made a hearty breakfast that they all enjoyed together. After spending the morning with his parents, Alex immediately set to packing for his journey to the town of Brightwatch. Once he was done, he brought his things downstairs and set them on the couch. His parents were sitting in the living room watching him. ¡°Alright mom, dad. I''m going to go say my farewells to Sarah, then I''ll be back for my things.¡± They nodded and saw him off. As soon as he left the house, Laylah turned to Kaesan. Sadly, she said, ¡°That boy is so oblivious sometimes. I really hope Sarah is okay afterwards.¡± Kaesan patted Laylah''s back as he spoke. ¡°I''m sure she''ll be fine...After all, time heals all wounds...¡± As he said the latter part, a look of longing appeared while he glanced to where his left arm used to be located. ** ** ** ** Alex was currently waiting at the front door of the Collford''s residence. He tilted his head and frowned. ''Huh, is no one home?'' He had just knocked on the door, but received no response. Furrowing his brow, he knocked a second time. A few moments passed and yet he still received no response. He checked the time in the corner of his vision. ''It''s 12:14 right now...Surely they''re home?'' He knocked a third time. Five minutes swiftly passed. ''Guess no one''s home.'' He turned around and was about to walk away. But just as he was turning, he noticed there seemed to be a figure in the window. ''Eh? They''re home?'' Alex turned to face the door again and knocked once more. Still being met with silence, he called out, ¡°Sarah! It''s me Alex!...I just wanted to talk to you for a minute!¡± No response. He let out a dejected sigh and looked towards the ground. ''Is she mad at me? Does she not want to see me?'' He frowned and then yelled out, ¡°Sarah, I''m sorry about the last time we talked...I just came over this time to say goodbye...I''ll be leaving to join a sect so I probably won''t be back for a while...¡± When he still hadn''t received a response, he turned around and started to walk back home. A quarter of an hour after he had left, Sarah was standing in the living room with her mother. ¡°Are you sure you don''t want to see him?¡± Asked Sarah''s mother. ¡°No! I hate him!¡± Her mother frowned as she replied, ¡°Honey, this may be your last chance to see him for a long time. He said he was leaving to join a sect.¡± Sarah went wide-eyed when she heard this. She sounded frustrated as she exclaimed, ¡°Eh!? He''s leaving to join a sect!?...Why didn''t you tell me sooner!?¡± Sarah dashed to the door and opened it, hoping to see Alex still standing there. Though, to her chagrin, he wasn''t there any longer. ¡°Mom! I''m going to Alex''s house! I''ll be back in a bit!¡± Sarah called out as she hastily ran out the door. Sarah''s mother chuckled and shook her head as she watched her daughter run down the street. Shortly after, she frowned. ¡°That foolish girl...¡± ** ** ** ** Alex had already arrived home and was grabbing his things. Kaesan and Laylah were standing in the doorway as Alex prepared to leave. ¡°Remember, don''t talk to strangers!...Don''t accept rides in carriages from anyone that offers you candy!¡± Laylah warned him about many other things as he prepared to leave. ¡°I know mom...Geeze, I''m not eight years old.¡± Laylah wryly smiled. ¡°I just want you to be safe honey.¡± Alex chuckled and nodded. ¡°I know mom.¡± Alex was all prepared to leave as he walked towards the door and his parents. Kaesan stepped forward and patted Alex on the shoulder. ¡°Son. You might not have a lot of talent for cultivation. But no matter what, don''t give up. When you don''t give up, you can''t fail!¡± He smiled and then gave his son a bear hug. ¡°I love you son. You''ve made me proud.¡± As Alex was being smothered, he let out a muffled, ¡°I love you too dad.¡± After he separated from his father''s hug, Laylah stepped forward and embraced him in a hug as well. ¡°I love you dear. No matter what you do, we''re so proud of you.¡± After that, they said their farewells. Alex walked out the front door and proceeded to travel down the street. It was rather busy, with many people coming and going. He turned around and viewed his parents who were waving to him one last time. He smiled and waved back as he thought to himself, ''I''ll become strong! I''ll become so strong that no one will dare to trample on our family. I''ll get revenge for dad losing his arm! And for what those boys did to me!'' After he finished his thoughts, he turned back around and continued down the street. Not long after, he disappeared into the crowd. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** Chapter XIV AN: Greetings and Salutations everyone. First of all, I''m sorry for taking so long to release a chapter. Life has been hitting me with sticks lately. Secondly, I wasn''t very satisfied with what I had planned for this novel. Thus, I decided to rethink/re-plan a lot of stuff. This took a lot longer than I thought it would. Thirdly, I don''t think I really like the way I was writing before. So I think I may try to change the way I write? I don''t know. Only time will tell. Anywho, enjoy the chapter. Chapter XIV Alex was following the road that led west from Solaris. After walking for some time, he paused in his steps and looked back the way he came. As he gazed into the distance at the speck on the horizon, he let out a deep emotion-filled sigh. ¡°I can''t believe this day has finally come...¡± A solemn expression emerged on his face as he took one last look at the town he called home. ''Who knows how long it''ll be until I come back here...'' He looked down towards the ground and clenched his fists. ''I have to do this!'' A frown surfaced as he was engrossed in his thoughts. ''I''m sorry Sarah...Right now, I''m too weak. In the future I''ll make it up to you. I swear.'' He raised his head and gazed at Solaris one last time. Alex shook his head. ''I can''t be distracted...I won''t be distracted! I''m going to become strong!'' A fierce determination flashed by in the depths of his eyes. No longer hesitating, he turned around and continued to travel west. ** ** ** ** Four and a half days swiftly passed by as Alex travelled. Currently, he was sitting with a blanket draped over his shoulders by the side of a small fire that he had struggled to create. ''Holy crap, what was I thinking!?'' He frowned as he felt the night''s cold breeze. ''I''m such an idiot!'' Alex looked down and raised his hands in front of his face. He grimaced as he inspected the torn skin on the palms of his hands. ''I really should''ve learned how to properly make a fire! Rubbing sticks together definitely isn''t the most effective way...If I knew how to use my Qi properly...'' Alex shook his head and lowered his hands. ''Oh well. It''ll heal eventually...'' He raised his head and looked to the star-filled sky. A small smile formed on his face. ''I should arrive at the city of Bearcrest tomorrow. I''ve never been to one of the big cities before, I''m so excited!'' He turned his gaze back to his hand as a piece of dried meat appeared in it. ''If I hadn''t packed all this stuff before hand, I''d probably be scavenging for food or trying to hunt some animals.'' He sighed as a water flask appeared in his other hand. Taking a bite of the meat, he thought, ''I''ll buy some more food at the city tomorrow. I''ll get enough to last me for the trip to Brightwatch. I couldn''t bring too much from home, without raising my parents'' suspicions. I don''t know how I''d explain to them where it all went.'' He shrugged as he continued to eat and think. ''This inventory is probably one of the most amazing things from this blessing. When I stored the five gold my parents gave me, it actually displayed the amount of money I have in the bottom right of the inventory screen. That''s just too awesome.'' He smiled and then took a drink from his water flask. Setting his flask down, his expression turned solemn. ''From Bearcrest to Brightwatch, it will probably take a few weeks by walking...Maybe I could get a horse to speed things up...I wonder how much a horse would cost.'' He slightly tilted his head. ''Or maybe I could find some people heading in the same direction and hitch a ride?...I''ll figure it out tomorrow once I reach the city. For now, I need to get some rest. All this walking is pretty tiring.'' After concluding his thoughts, Alex finished eating and then laid down to rest. He finally fell asleep after some tossing and turning due to his excitement keeping him awake. The night quickly passed as he slept. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** *** One and a half months ago *** Elsewhere, on a continent far away, in a land of perpetual snow and ice, a solemn atmosphere permeated the main hall of a large palace. Dozens of white-robed men and women were gathered before an empty throne in silence. Some were fidgeting and nervously looking to each other as they stood there waiting. After some time passed, the silence was disturbed by the side doors of the hall being pushed open. Slowly walking inside, was a man with white, waist-length hair. Although his hair was white, he did not appear very old. He still had a youthful face. As this man entered, the entire group of people''s attention was centered on him. However, no one dared to speak. He slowly walked up to the throne and sat down. After he was seated, everyone present in the hall knelt, and called out, ¡°We pay our respects to you, Sect Master!¡± The man gave a slight nod, to which everyone stood up. He swept everyone with his gaze and stopped on an elderly man. Narrowing his eyes, he then spoke in a stern tone, ¡°Grand Elder, for what is so urgent that you summoned all of the elders and even requested my presence?¡± The elderly man stepped forth and knelt down. He hesitantly spoke, ¡°Sect Master...Not too long ago, the ancient barrier formation in the Hall of Sealing activated...¡± The sect master''s eyes widened. ¡°What!? Are you sure you''re not mistaken!?¡± The grand elder shook his head with haste. ¡°The disciples we had guarding the Hall of Sealing immediately reported an odd tremor and that the runes covering the exterior of the building have completely lit up in a red light.¡± When the sect master heard the grand elder''s response, his brow furrowed as he slammed his fist down onto the arm of the throne, shattering it into dust. Everyone was startled by this sudden action. They didn''t understand why he was getting angry. The sect master was furious as he exclaimed, ¡°You wait until now to inform me!? Quickly! Gather the entire sect outside of the Hall of Sealing!¡± After his words fell, there had yet to be movement. ¡°What are you fools waiting for!? This is no time to tarry!! If we don''t act fast, a serious calamity could befall this world of Aeseruin!¡± As if they were awoken by the sect master''s yell, everyone present began to move. The moment they were all out of the hall, the sect master spoke to himself in a troubled tone. ¡°Why now? It has been thousands of years since our ancestors sealed it away. If it breaks free...I fear that there is no one who can contend with it...Even with my strength as a Celestial, I doubt I can stop it...I need to disturb the Grand Sect Master''s cultivation. We''re going to need him.¡± As soon as his last words fell, the sect master disappeared from the hall in a gust of cold wind. ** ** ** ** A quarter of an hour had gone by since the elders had met with the sect master in the main hall of the palace. After their meeting, they urgently gathered all 1200 members of the sect in the plaza outside of the Hall of Sealing. The Hall of Sealing was a massive dome shaped building with intricate carvings covering its exterior. At first glance one would think that these carvings were just there for decorative purposes. However, upon closer inspection, once could see that they were actually very organized and seemed intricate in their placing. Each carving was actually a rune, serving as the base of a formation. Runes had been used since ancient times as a way to support and defend cultivators or any location. Those who were proficient in using runes to create formations were known as Rune-Masters. In the past, runes were simply written words from the many different languages that existed, imbued with Qi. However, in the present most of the ancient languages and cultures had been lost. Along with them, the knowledge of formations has regressed. Thus, Rune-masters were considered very rare and held in high regard. A skilled rune-master was capable of creating a formation that could erect an enormous barrier formed from Qi that could prevent anyone or thing from entering. They could create bewildering formations that would cause anyone who entered them to be lost, confused and unable to find their way out. They could even create formations that would bolster their own or allies'' abilities should they fight within the formation. These were just a few types of formations that rune-masters were capable of creating. A basic formation could be formed from three runes. As the number of runes involved in the creation of a formation increased, than the difficulty of controlling it would increase as well. In order to control a formation composed of many runes, great skill and ability would be required. The exterior of the Hall of Sealing was covered with a little over six thousand runes. From the sheer number of runes alone, one could tell that a very skilled individual or group created this formation. On a normal day all of these runes would be colorless and look like ordinary carvings. Currently however, they were all emitting an eerie red light and tremors could be felt originating form the Hall of Sealing. Clearly something was amiss. As time slowly passed, the tremors that were emanating from the Hall of Sealing were growing more intense. The surrounding area was starting to shake violently with each one. Of the 1200 sect members gathered, no one had any idea was going on. Startled and confused voices were echoing in the plaza. A middle-aged man in a grey robe stepped forth and called out, ¡°Elders! What''s happening!?¡± To his question, no one responded. The elders awkwardly looked to one another before one of the them swiftly called out, ¡°We''re waiting for the sect master! Everyone calm down!¡± His shout echoed in the plaza. In response to his yell, multiple voices were heard amongst the crowd. ¡°The sect master!? What''s going on!?¡± ¡°What''s making those tremors!?¡± ¡°Why are the carvings on the Hall of Sealing glowing!?¡± ¡°Why are we gathered here!?¡± Countless questions were launched towards the elders. The elders were helpless as they didn''t know how to answer as they themselves didn''t even know what was going on. Luckily for them though, they wouldn''t need to answer. Before anymore questions could be raised, a cold wind blew throughout the plaza causing some of the people present to shiver. Out of nowhere, the sect master appeared in the air above the Hall of Sealing. His voice reverberated throughout the plaza. ¡°Everyone! A great calamity is about to befall the world!!¡± This statement caused everyone to go silent. A great calamity? What was the sect master talking about? Everyone was even more confused. A loud boom was heard as an even larger tremor shook the area knocking some people off their feet. The sect master furrowed his brow as he gazed at the Hall of Sealing. ''It truly has awakened...Grand sect master, please hurry...'' He looked towards all of his sect''s members and swept them with his gaze. He frowned as he thought, ''We don''t have the strength to stop this...At best, we can slow it down. But that''s it...Over the years our sect has truly deteriorated...Beside the grand sect master, I''m the only celestial our sect has...If only we were more vigilant...To think it would awaken in my lifetime...'' He shook his head and then yelled out to the crowd. ¡°Everyone!!¡± As his voice fell, multiple people looked towards the sky at him. ¡°Long ago, our ancestors imprisoned a powerful and evil demon within a formation. Its power was too great. They could not defeat it. The best they could do was to seal it away.¡± Many of the sect members looked to each other in shock. This was something none of them knew. Not even the elders. The sect master continued. ¡°Our ancestors knew that this was only a temporary solution...For countless generations, those that took up the position of Sect Master would be told this secret. We were entrusted with guarding this sealed demon...To prevent it from escaping should it ever awake.¡± The sect master looked somewhat distraught as he continued on. ¡°I truly hoped that a day like today would never come...¡± Another loud boom echoed out and some cracks formed on the Hall of Sealing''s structure. The sect master remained silent for a moment. He took a deep breath before he said in a solemn voice, ¡°When you all joined the sect, you swore an oath...However, right now, I will not hold you to it!¡± Everyone was stunned. Just what was the sect master saying? The elders were growing worried. This was unlike the sect master. He was usually stern and resolute. Before they could think anymore, the sect master''s next words startled everyone. ¡°Everyone below the rank of Late-Stage Master is to flee immediately!! This is my last order to you as the sect master of the Empyreal Praesidium!!¡± Everyone was stunned. Whoever was below the rank of late-stage master was to flee? What kind of entity were they facing where only those above master were of any help? Just as everyone''s thoughts were beginning to grow frantic, the sect master''s voice once more filled their ears. ¡°This demon should have the strength of at least a Peak-stage Celestial!! Those of you who are above the rank of Late-stage Master, I would like to ask for your assistance against this demon!¡± His gaze swept the crowd once more. ¡°If you wish to flee as well, then so be it. I will not stop you. We can onl-¡± A deafening boom occurred, cutting off the sect master. Along with it, came a great tremor that caused some of the surrounding buildings to tremble. The sect master frowned as he looked out at the crowd that had yet to move. ¡°What are you all waiting for!! I gave an order! Flee at once!¡± As if startled awake, a commotion suddenly arose. Almost all of the crowd began to run at once. As he gazed at those who remained behind, a rare smile floated across the sect master''s face. A few dozen figures rose into the air, stopping when they were at the same height as the sect master. He nodded as he viewed them. ¡°Are all of you sure about this?¡± The grand elder was amongst those who remained. He spoke in a steadfast tone, ¡°Sect Master! The sect is everything to me! If it is to perish then I will die alongside it!¡± ¡°Is this how all of you feel as well?¡± He questioned those who remained. Smiles and nods answered his query. Witnessing their devotion, he grinned. ¡°Alright then! Everyone fan out and form the Aegis formation! We need to hold on until the grand sect master arrives!¡± The remaining 36 people had looks of shock plastered on their faces. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. One of the women who remained behind sounded astonished as she questioned, ¡°The grand sect master!? Hadn''t he perished long ago?¡± The sect master chuckled as he replied, ¡°Nonsense. He simply went into closed-door cultivation. He was attempting to break through the celestial rank.¡± Everyone felt their hearts skip a beat when they heard this news. To break through the celestial rank!? When was the last time anyone on their continent had succeeded in doing so? It had been countless years. The sect master was smiling as he saw their reactions. ¡°I don''t know if he succeeded or not, but if he did, then he will be the first demigod our sect has given rise to since the ancestors.¡± Before anyone could rejoice, the moment they had dreaded finally arrived as an earsplitting bang resounded throughout the area. All of the sect members who had started to flee stopped in their tracks and turned to look back. What they saw drained the color from their faces. Accompanying the deafening bang, the Hall of Sealing erupted outwards as debris flew in every direction. The entire building was made of a special stone that was extremely heavy, durable and could withstand the attack of a peak-stage celestial and yet it was torn apart as easy as tofu. Chunks of rubble landed everywhere. Some even landed as far away as one kilometer. Some of the unlucky fleeing sect members were crushed to death under the enormous weight of the rubble. Some random chunks flattened the nearby buildings. The elders were pale-faced as they stared towards where the Hall of Sealing had previously been. Currently, only a cloud of dust that had arisen from the building being destroyed could be seen. The sect master hastily yelled out, ¡°Everyone, be on your guard! No matter what, we must sto-¡± He stopped mid-sentence as a translucent colossal clawed red-hand burst out from the dust cloud and smashed into three of the elders who were in the sky, creating a bloody mist. The others who had remained behind, were dumbfounded. To become an elder of the Empyreal Praesidium sect, one had to be of at least the Sage rank. Reaching this rank, one could be considered a true expert on their continent. They would only need to bow their heads before Saints and Celestials. Even then, a Saint or Celestial wouldn''t be able to so effortlessly defeat three sages like that. Yet, three sages had been turned into a bloody mist with just the swing of a hand, like swatting a fly. Just how terrifying is this existence that was sealed away in their sect. After witnessing how three elders of his sect had died, the Sect Master was furious. He immediately launched a barrage of attacks towards the dust cloud. An enormous translucent bluish-white Snow-Ape formed from Qi appeared in front of him and hammered down with its fists. As it was pounding away, an enormous serpentine dragon formed from ice appeared behind the sect master and flew through the air towards the dust cloud, gathering a ball of Qi in its mouth. Opening its maw, it released a beam of blue light similar to a laser into the dust cloud. Finally, the sect master summoned a massive blade of ice out of thin air. It hovered in the air above him as he lifted his hand and pointed it towards the dust cloud. It sailed through the air and slashed downwards towards the center of the cloud. Loud bangs reverberated throughout the area from the attacks, as an enormous explosion occurred from the point of impact of the dragon''s Qi-beam attack. The enormous snow-ape retreated to the sect master''s side as the enormous serpentine ice-dragon coiled around them, prepared to strike again. All of those who had remained behind were stunned. These were attacks from a Late-Stage Celestial. This was a realm completely above them. The second strongest who remained behind was the grand elder. He was a Mid-Stage Saint. Even he was incapable of releasing such devastating attacks. As everything quieted down, there was no further movement from within the the cloud of dust and smoke. Everyone began to cheer as they believed the demon to be defeated. However, to their dismay, a behemoth translucent blood-red sword cleaved apart the smoke and bisected several of the elders. It didn''t stop there as it continued towards the sect master. As it did so, it even severed the distant mountaintops, encountering little to no resistance. The sect master went wide-eyed as he saw this sword coming towards him. He willed the serpentine ice-dragon to meat the blade head on as the snow-ape followed closely behind. All the while he retreated backwards and summoned forth more blades of ice. As the other remaining sect members saw this, they too finally moved into action. They all released their most powerful attacks towards the demon whose figure they could barely make out. Gigantic spears, swords, arrows, hands and even different creatures made from ice and Qi all darted forth towards the demon. As all of their attacks impacted, deafening explosions occurred. However, that red translucent sword wasn''t hindered in the slightest. It continued on its path. The serpentine ice-dragon collided head on against the sword and was shattered without so much as even making the blade halt. The snow-ape was hewed in two as it tried to grapple the sword. The sect master grimaced as a mouthful of blood splurted out. He had created the ice-dragon and snow-ape by using and infusing a large amount of his Qi into the natural elements of the world. Losing them so suddenly caused some backlash to occur. He tried to escape the trajectory of the sword by flying upwards, but it changed course and came straight at him. Hastily, he willed the countless blades of ice he created to form a barrier between him and the sword. The blood-red sword easily shattered all of the blades of ice and continued unhindered towards the sect master. There wasn''t enough time for him to do anything else, the sword was about to be upon him. ''It''s inevitable...'' He thought as he closed his eyes and awaited the embrace of death. Countless pained cries sounded out as those present were unable to aid him. ¡°SECT MASTER!!!¡± A thunderous bang echoed out as a gargantuan shock-wave occurred in front of the sect master. When he heard the noise, he jolted his eyes open in shock. Everyone was speechless at the spectacle they were witnessing. An elderly white-robed man with shoulder-length grey hair stood in the air directly in front of the sect master. His left hand was raised and a massive shield of ice was blocking the blood-red sword. The sect master''s voice trembled as he weakly said, ¡°Grand Sect Master!¡± The elderly man chuckled. ¡°Never give up boy. No matter what, we must stop this demon!¡± All those present gaped at the grand sect master. As he noticed their gazes, he chided, ¡°What are you all staring at!? If you have the time to gawk, then attack!!!¡± His voice thundered in the sky. Everyone hurriedly assented and began their barrage of attacks once again. The grand sect master raised his right hand and hastily called out while sweat began to drip down his face, ¡°What are you waiting for!? Move out of the way! I can''t hold this thing forever!¡± The sect master nodded in a panic and darted to the side. Once he was out of the way, the grand sect master moved as well and tilted the shield making the sword slide off and collide into the ground. The earth shook violently as the remaining intact buildings collapsed. Not long after, the sword raised once more into the air, leaving behind an immense fissure on the ground. It swung towards the grand sect master. He willed the enormous ice shield to meet the blade head on. As it did so the shield slightly moved and parried the blade. Once more the blade collided into the ground. Shortly after, the sword once more rose into the air towards the grand sect master. However, this time a blood-red beam of light erupted from where the demon was, blasting away all of the smoke and dust. It carved through more than half of remaining sect members, bisecting them in two. It made its way towards the grand sect master. He urgently moved the shield to block the beam and willed a second smaller shield to form. The beam collided into the large shield and began to push the grand sect master back. The demon''s sword slashed towards the grand sect master once more. This time however, he could only use the small shield to block it. As the sword impacted the small shield, large cracks immediately emerged. The grand sect master''s face was ugly. Blocking all of these strong attacks was putting a great deal of strain on him. Boom! A thunderous explosion rang out as both of the shields shattered and the grand sect master narrowly avoided being struck. He put distance between himself and the blade, he grimaced as he cursed, ¡°This damned thing should have weakened after being sealed away for so long! How is it so strong!?!?¡± By now the smoke and dust had cleared. Everyone present was finally able to see the demon. The grand sect master was stunned and confused at what he saw. Standing there in torn clothes, was a human man with silver hair that fell down to his feet and rested on the ground. Stuttering, the sect master asked, ¡°A...A human?...I thought it was supposed to be a demon?¡± The grand sect master furrowed his brow and narrowed his eyes. He was trying to think of a plan. He had yet to be able to get close to the so called ''demon'', however his power was already terrifying at such a great range. In close combat, surely his strength was even greater. The grand sect master thought to himself as he stood there in the air. ''I finally managed to become an early-stage demigod and yet I can barely defend against his ranged attacks...I doubt I can match him in close combat...'' He glanced around at the handful of survivors and then at the sect master. ''No choice...'' He frowned as he spoke in a solemn voice, ¡°Sect Master Visimar. Take the remaining survivors and flee...¡± The sect master, Visimar, shook his head. ¡°No! I will fight to the end!¡± The grand sect master chuckled and smacked Visimar upside the back of his head. ¡°You''re still the same as you were back then, you foolish boy! Four centuries and you haven''t changed.¡± He shook his head as a warm smile spread on his face. ¡°Visimar. I want you to flee. Our sect is only one of many. Back then, multiple ancient sects united to fight this demon and seal him away. It wasn''t just our sect alone...I''ve never told you this, since I never thought it would really matter...¡± He sighed as he continued on. ¡°After the battle with the demon back then, all of the surviving sects changed their names...They all adopted the name Empyreal before their original names...If they are still around to this day, find them and unite them! Only then will we be able to stop this demon!¡± Visimar clenched his fists as he stared at the grand sect master. ¡°Don''t give me that look boy. Do as I say. Unite all of the Empyreal sects...Unite as many sects as you can. Only then will you have a chance at stopping this demon. I''ll do my best to slow him down. I should be able to wound him and delay him for some time.¡± Seeing that Visimar still had yet to move, the grand sect master chuckled. ¡°I''ve already lived for seven centuries Visimar. These old bones are finally going to get a rest. I leave everything to you.¡± The grand sect master smiled and then turned around and charged through the air towards the demon. ¡°Father!!!¡± Visimar called out at the grand sect master''s back as he drew further and further away. ¡°Damn it!¡± Cursed Visimar as he clenched his fists and mentally transmitted a message to the survivors. Upon receiving the message, everyone immediately retreated as fast as they could. Visimar also darted away. As they did so, the grand sect master was closing in on the demon. ''Visimar. Live on, my son.'' As his thoughts reached there, the grand sect master''s body started to emit a white glow and his speed immediately increased several fold. Noticing his presence, the demon swung his sword and fired off that red beam of light towards the grand sect master. He nimbly avoided the attacks, narrowly dodging the blade and beams of light. Within seconds he was almost upon the demon. When it noticed how close he had gotten, the demon scowled. Abruptly, multiple orbs of red light appeared in the air around the demon. They all flew towards the grand sect master at an unprecedented speed. His eyes widened as he urgently erected an ice barrier in front of him and closed the distance towards the demon. The red orbs impacted and shattered on the barrier. When the demon saw this, he rose an eyebrow and then smirked. Promptly, countless orbs of red light appeared and all darted forth at an even faster speed. The first five impacted and shattered against the ice barrier. But the next four started to crack the barrier. When the grand sect master noticed this he frowned. ¡°Empyreal Bulwark!¡± As he called out, his barrier transformed into a white-blue shield and all of the cracks vanished. He was within twenty meters of the demon. ''Almost there!'' He thought to himself as the white glow started to become more intense. The demon reacted by raising his hand and pointing it towards the grand sect master. As he did this, a massive hand that seemed to be formed from blood appeared out of nowhere and grabbed towards the grand sect master. It happened so fast that he couldn''t avoid it. The hand surrounded him and instantly closed around him. As he was in its grasp, it immediately squeezed, intending to pulverize him. ¡°AHHH!!!!¡± A rage filled yell echoed out from within the hand. Suddenly, a portion of the hand exploded outwards as the grand sect master charged out. The demon was surprised. He widened his eyes as he had not expected the grand sect master to erupt with such strength so suddenly. He surged right up towards the demon. When he was within two meters, he grinned and said with content, ¡°I''ll see you in hell, demon.¡± The white light that was being emitted from the grand sect master''s body instantly flared up, encompassing the demon within. ** ** ** ** Visimar was was fleeing with the eight surviving elders when he abruptly came to a stop. He could have sworn he heard his father''s voice in his mind. ''You''ve made me proud son.'' He quickly turned around. As he did so, abruptly there was a monstrous explosion that occurred from the direction of their sect. Tears formed in the corner of Visimar''s eyes as he weakly said, ¡°Father...¡± Only a few seconds later a massive shock-wave impacted him and the elders, knocking them back through the air. After stabilizing themselves, one of the elders called out, ¡°Sect Master, what was that!?¡± Visimar clenched his fists and closed his eyes. A moment later he opened them and turned around. ¡°That was the grand sect master buying us time. Let''s move!¡± They no longer dallied and urgently flew towards the south. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **