“You can start by introducing yourself.”

“Okay, well my name is Samuel, and I am from the region around the Mountain of Transcendence on the Cyan continent.”

“Nothing more to add? Like hobbies, interests, known achievements, etc. Nothing like that?”

“Nothing of real importance. I don’t really have any hobbies or anything. I just enjoy doing whatever is fun at the time, and at the moment I don’t have anything like that. As for interests, I find philosophy quite intriguing, the same way I find pondering on the laws of the universe fascinating. I don’t find this to be pertinent or relevant in any way, but I do have a minor achievement in the art of runes. Other than that, there is nothing more to know about who I am that would be relevant to my joining of the Knowledge Guild.”

“Very well, have it your way. Why do you want to join the guild, and what do you think that you can contribute to it?”

“I want to join because of the safe environment here, allowing me the freedom of leading my life how I please, without worrying about other worldly matters. I find distractions annoying, and I have been told the personal freedom within the guild is the best in the entire Shattered Realm. As for what I can contribute, I can produce new results on research you have every ten years until I choose to leave or need to enter a cultivation retreat, where this will be extended. Before you become skeptical about this, just know that I possess a mental talent that allows me greater comprehension, deduction and general intelligence, meaning I’m confident in my words. If I can’t fulfill my promise in ten years, you can demand reimbursement from me and kick me out of the guild.”

“You seem really confident in your words, young man. Confidence is good, but too much of it and it becomes arrogance. Arrogance has never once done anyone well, so be mindful. I only need one thing from you before I allow you to join the guild. What was the achievement you had in the art of runes?”

“I don’t know if I am allowed to talk about it with you or not. I’m already at odds with the Runemaster Guild, I can’t be bothered to piss them off further.”

“No matter what they want to do to you, they can’t touch a hair on your body if you are here. So, don’t worry about such matters.”

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

“You misunderstood; I am not afraid of them. I just find it better not to have enemies, as they can make your life difficult in a great many ways. Imagine if they portray me to be something I am not, barring me from going where I want to go, or something similar. Wouldn’t it be a huge loss?”

“It certainly would, but I guarantee that not a single person within the Knowledge Guild would leak such information. We all pursue the path of knowledge, not worldly benefits. Meaning you don’t need to worry about that.”

“In that case, I worked together with Merling Strand in developing a technique allowing for runes to be engraved on the human body. Well, I say worked together, in reality it was me doing all of it, and testing it on Merling, but whatever. In any case, that is what the big hubbub with the Runemaster Guild and shadow world is about.”

“Boy, are you trying to trick an old man? You didn’t really achieve something so unrealistic, right?”

“I am as serious as a heart attack. I can give you the technique for it, granted it’s very crude and difficult to realize as you need a mental talent allowing for you to do this more easily.”

Samuel went on to explain the technique to the old man interviewing him. As Samuel got further and further into his explanation, the old man’s face changed from slight disbelief to pure, radiating happiness. He was over the moon.

“Boy, you have contributed greatly to the guild this time. You are now a core member effective immediately. You also won’t have to bother about any quotas you need to fulfill. If you want to, there is nothing stopping you of course. Welcome to the guild. Come, follow me. I’ll take you to where you will be staying from now on. Your courtyard will be situated near the core of the formation, meaning no one will disturb you unless it’s urgent, which is a situation that is highly unlikely to happen.”

The old man dragged Samuel through the air as they flew towards his new home. That’s right. Flew. Turns out the old man was an Enlightenment stage expert, as only those at this level could fly like he did. After about four minutes of flying, they arrived at a simple courtyard. The white marble walls were adorned with seemingly simplistic runes in the myriad colors. The inside contained a house, a ‘lab’ and a garden. The house had three stories, with the two above ground being like a normal mortal house, while the basement was a designated cultivation room. How can one pursue the truth when lacking power or lifespan? This question motivated all members of the scientific community in the cultivation world to pursue power, although for a different reason compared to most.

“This is your new home. I hope you like it. If you need anything, there is a formation inside that allows you to connect to the assistant network. What this does is self-explanatory, so I won’t explain it to you. I hope that when you go out later, we can get together and discuss the Dao. But for now, I need to go. This research you have brought us has given me inspiration, and it will surely do so for the others as well. Thank you so much for this! Take care!”

Upon saying his final piece, the old man left like the wind. Samuel was stunned at the speed he left at, but soon became overjoyed at how easy it was to become a member of the guild, as well as the perfect environment he received upon entry.

“Time to figure out the effect of the calendar, and consequently become invincible!”