I wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry as I walked out of the Hall of Records, clutching that slip of paper in my hand. The words "Rank F" glared back at me like they were mocking me. F for failure. F for forgotten. F for forever stuck at the bottom.

If I’d known greatness started with grunt work, I’d have just stayed in bed. But no, I’m here, living the dream.

I wandered around the outer courtyard, hoping to soak in my new status. The place was... too quiet. Not the serene, meditative kind of quiet that inspires enlightenment. This was the "nobody cares about us losers" kind of quiet.

Most of the higher-ranked disciples probably didn’t even know this part of the sect existed. The few Rank E and D disciples hanging around looked busy too busy to bother sparing a glance at someone like me.

That’s when I spotted it: the Mission Board.

It stood there like a beacon of opportunity or maybe despair filled with tasks for the lower ranks. I walked up, already bracing myself for the worst.

"Mission: Fetch Water for Elder Hurky."

Reward: 1 Primvel Stone.

Rank: F-E.

Yep. That sounded about right. Fetching water. The cornerstone of every great cultivator’s journey.

As I stared at the board, contemplating whether this was rock bottom or just the start of a new, deeper abyss, an older disciple noticed me. Rank E, judging by his badge and the smug look on his face.

“First time taking a mission?” he asked, his tone practically dripping with amusement.

I nodded, still holding onto that paper like it was a lifeline. “Yeah. Just got appointed.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Rank F, huh? Congratulations, I guess. Don’t get your hopes up, though. The only missions you will get are glorified chores. Fetching tea, delivering packages, cleaning the Elders’ gardens. You know, important stuff.”

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“So… I’m just an errand boy,” I said flatly.

“Exactly,” he said with a grin. “But hey, if you don’t screw it up, you might eventually get better jobs. Maybe.”

Great. Exactly the pep talk I needed.

Water for the Mighty Elder Hurky.

I sighed and grabbed the slip for Elder Hurky’s water-fetching mission. A mission’s a mission, right? Right?

With bucket in hand, I headed to the sect’s well. The air here was thick with the earthy smell of dirt, moss, and... sweat. Distant shouts from the training grounds echoed faintly, a reminder that somewhere out there, real disciples were actually getting stronger while I was here preparing to deliver a bucket of water.

I paused for a moment, staring into the still water of the well. The reflections danced with a rippling calmness, almost poetic in its simplicity.

“Admiring nature is it the of life itself-unforgiving yet infinitely beautiful; In its chaos, what I see is it my own reflection? In it's persistence, my own path. What is progress if not a relentless ascent, carved only by those who dared to climb.”

Okay, no. That’s way too profound for me. I’m here to get water, not have an existential crisis.

I dunked the bucket into the well and started pulling it up. It wasn’t heavy, but the repetitive motion was enough to make me question my life choices.

With the bucket finally full, I turned to head back only to stop dead in my tracks.

An old man stood in the corner of the courtyard, arms crossed. He wasn’t wearing anything flashy- Wait why wasn't he wearing anything above waist. His presence practically screamed important.

I froze. No way… Was this an Elder?

Before I could bolt and pretend I hadn’t noticed him, he spoke.

“You’re Amon, right?”

His voice was calm, but it carried the weight of someone who could vaporize me with a thought.

I blinked, too shocked to lie. “Uh… yeah. That’s me.”

He chuckled dryly, shaking his head. “Figures. I’m not here to waste your time, kid. Just get that water to Elder Hurky.”

And with that, he disappeared. One moment he was there, the next poof. Gone.

I stood there for a moment, bucket in hand, trying to process what had just happened. Was that… normal? Did old men just vanish like that around here? Well it was better than a half naked man asking me to show way in the forest.

Shaking off the weirdness, I started walking toward Elder Hurky’s quarters. Whatever that encounter was, I didn’t have time to dwell on it. I had water to deliver.