I take a few minutes to explain to Maria how I believe the gathering process in the pod will go. I give her some technique advice on long-term cultivation training. Isolation pods are a little bit different than my time in the Titans' domain, though.

They make the user slip into a calming and relaxing state, making it easier to channel energy, float in place, think through tough problems, or even sleep for prolonged periods of time.

It truly is the ideal environment for this type of training. I'm eager to try myself, but am happy to see Maria take the first shot at it. Considering the amount of Qi on hand, and the smaller enclosed environment that we'll be testing the process in, the Qi absorption rate may actually be more efficient than in the Titan's Domain...

Meanwhile, Monk begins to separate the Qi pills into even piles on the center table of the room.

I finish transferring enough food, water, and comfort supplies to Maria, and we all turn back to Monk as he's separated the white pills into 5 piles. Then, he takes out smaller silver containers and places them inside each of them for easier storage.

"There are 1,688 pills. I made 4 groups of 300 for us Qi users to take full advantage of, then 488 leftover pills to utilize for battle and further training for non-Qi users."

Monk points to Arie, Fisher, and Lydia.

"While Maria gathers Qi, Ember prepares the next pod, and you deal with the waking townspeople; I can awaken and begin to train these 3 with Qi."

He looks around the room.

"This is a closed-off and sturdy enough environment to go through the awakening and beginning stages of their development."

At his words, I use telekinesis and move the Isolation pods to the furthest side of the room to give way for maximum open space in the center area, then speak up again.

"The mana shielding won't affect their training? One of the perks of the monastery is that the only energy available to use is Qi. It may be tempting or distracting with all this excess mana in the air."

He reaches into his item box and pulls out another silver briefcase, but this one is full of black bars of stone that look just like the monastery walls, and identical to the small bar he gifted me with my first set of Qi pills.

"They'll be isolated from mana while training as well. Their mana control allowance is off the charts after the training in the labyrinth we just went through, meaning their aptitude for learning Qi will be heightened too. All three of them will have the basics down by nightfall. However, for intense combat, it'll be a few days before they'll really be ready. I think the first wave of whatever comes our way is going to need to be handled by the 4 of us who already wield Qi."

He turns to Arie.

"However, I can tell you've already been partially exposed. Your learning curve may be much quicker. Only some time and testing will make it known."

Maria stands in front of the pod with a determined stare at the back of the room, at the same time, I begin to sense hundreds of people moving around on the surface above us now, telling me pretty much everyone in the town has woken up from their long night of rest.

"Alright. The preparations are complete. It's now or never. Every minute wasted thinking about it is almost an hour gone inside the pod. It's been almost 16 hours since I defeated the 7th ranked Dark Guard, and just over 6 since you all got away from the 5th. They could be arriving 10 seconds from now... 10 minutes... 10 hours... Or 10 days... Whenever it may be, we need to be as ready as we can to fight."

Maria turns around and walks toward the center table, then grabs a silver casing with 300 pills inside.

"You're right, let's do this. I'm ready."

I smile and take a casing with 300 pills off the table myself, then reply, following her over to the pod and viewing all of the dilation settings and timer numbers while she walks inside.

There's a very intense wave of dense and pure mana that pours out when the door is opened, and it looks like there's an endless white void inside the pod. It's on a whole different level than the 6-7x Dilation pods I witnessed back at the Galeheart tower.

The pod is set to open back up automatically in 48 hours but can be opened from the inside at any time. As a Mythic Grade Craftsman, I also have an override function to open the door from the outside if need be, but I'm hoping I won't have to use that option. It would distract her isolated cultivation, and waste valuable Qi trapped inside.

Maria looks at me as the door slowly closes.

"I'll come back stronger soon, protect everyone while I'm gone, Jay."

"I will."

*Click*

The pod closes and a 48-hour countdown timer starts on the top of the pod.

Monk begins explaining the basics of Qi to Arie, Fisher, and Lydia. So, I walk over to Abby.

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"Alright, I'm going to go confront the townspeople now. You can come and help if you'd like. With all my body doubles busy, I'm going to need a hand."

She shrugs while taking her silver casing of Qi pills off the table and following me as I walk up the spiral stairs.

"Sure."

Before we hit the surface, I use my concealment abilities to turn back into the flaming man that saved every group of refugees here. On top of it, I mask my presence with a dense Qi barrier to make sure I don't overpower anyone's psyche by accident from walking by.

I give Abby the option to use my conceal skill, but she decides to walk out of the empty guildhall in her unaltered form. To my surprise, there are quite a few people wandering the streets.

Many are still inside the bedrooms that were made for them yesterday, but some are curious to see what is going on for themselves.

I begin walking through the town on my way to the densest part of the housing area.

People that see me on my way there have mixed expressions of thankfulness, awe, confusion, and fear. There's a wide mixture of people getting down on their knees to thank me, while others stand in shock without saying a word, then a few just run away screaming.

My response to all of them is to meet me at the guildhall in an hour, that I have more food and water for all of them, and a very important announcement.

I walk in and out of all the housing developments crafted by my double and the slave grunts last night, making sure every single person in the town knows that there is a meeting.

Once I make my rounds, I circle back to the guildhall, and Abby asks a question.

"So... you'll be taking care of them for now it seems, the burden isn't too heavy to bear? I feel bad that they're all stranded out here too. What's the long-term goal with everyone here? Start up a new town and have them help in working for the new Sector 2 trading company once we're in business?"

I nod, responding as we approach the empty guildhall entrance.

"Yeah... something like that. There's going to be a lot of useful positions these people can take on. However, I'd like to give them the choice."

I detail my plans a little further with Abby and hear her simple critiques and feedback while a crowd begins to form all around the center square.

Abby and I decide to float up to the guild's rooftop for a better view of the people approaching, and I wait the full hour like I promised before making a headcount.

"347 showed up, almost all of them, not bad..." I whisper under my breath.

The chattering noises of villagers fill the streets. People are beginning to get antsy, and they're all clumping up on ⅓ of the square in particular, closest to where I stand.

I step off the roof and slowly float down toward them, then stop about 5 meters off the ground.

Everyone stops talking, and their eyes stay fixated on the illusion of rippling black flames that give off no heat.

I activate my [Screech] skill, and use its special perk to project my voice throughout the entire town square, but keep the tone even and calm.

"Welcome all, I'm glad you came to hear what I have to say."

All of the lingering chatters cease once my voice echoes through everyone's ears.

"First of all, you may call me The Flame Emperor. I will be taking over Sector 2 as its new leader, and my reign begins here."

Again, no one speaks in the crowd, but some of the neutral faces from before turn to worry and fearful looks.

To combat this, I continue.

"Fear not, I won't subject you all to mindless labor like your captors that I've disposed of. I am merely here to give you all a choice, and another shot at a fruitful and successful life."

The gazes calm down and people begin to think about my words.

"I want to make a fair and peaceful settlement here. One where this guild hall behind us may give work to hunters that farm in the dungeons, and one where merchants and businessmen can trade those hunters' goods. I wish to see restaurants, community, and entertainment thrive. I want the people here to enjoy a life they thought was gone forever."

Some of the dull gazes in the crowd begin to see a glimmer of hope in their eyes, while some more cynical thinkers try to determine what the catch in all of this must be.

"I am powerful and wealthy enough to support and protect many, or even all of you if you wish to stay in my growing settlement. Safe shelter, weekly food, water, and basic need supplies will be provided free of cost during our first few months of buildup. I will personally interview each and every one of you to find a suitable job and place where you fit in to help this town grow."

Then, a scruffy man with a mean gaze yells out from the crowd in a sour tone.

"What's in it for you? How do we know we're not being saved from one slave labor camp and taken into another? All of that sounds too good to be true!"

A few crowd members begin to murmur and agree with him, while others complain that he's trying to ruin the only good chance they have.

I think about raising this man up into the sky and burning him alive to prove a point, but the only point I'd be proving is his own, not mine. A little fear-induced loyalty is a good thing to possess as a leader, but too much may become a very negative trait quickly.

So, instead, I just burst into a bigger illusion of flames and let under 0.5% of my intimidation perk's intensity bleed out of my Qi barrier.

It instantly suppresses the crowd's chatter, and they listen closely again.

"You're right. This does seem like an offer that benefits only one side. I see where you're coming from and hear your concerns."

No one moves a muscle, and I let my Qi barrier cover my body again so the intimidation aura stops leaking out.

"You all have 2 options. You may swear your loyalty to me, The Flame Emperor, as your leader and stay here under my protection and guidance for as long as you please. Or, you may leave unharmed and with enough food, water, and money to survive a month on your own. I will make arrangements to drop you off in Solara if this is the path you wish to take."

I leave the crowd in silence again, and murmurs, chatter, and conversation fill the air.

I float down toward the crowd, and people move away, making a wide-open circle on the stone for me to land.

Soon after, Abby floats down behind me, and I turn around to walk inside the guild hall.

As the door opens and I walk through, I leave the crowd with a final remark.

"Once you've made up your mind, come inside the hall and meet with me one-on-one. Whatever your decision is, make sure it is final. If you attempt to deceive me, I will know, and you will face a punishment worse than death."

The guild hall door shuts behind me, and I'm left in the empty octagonal room with Abby as the volume of chatter outside grows and grows. However, no one approaches the doors; they're all hesitant to come inside.

Both Abby and I walk into the middle work space, and I begin pulling large portions of non-perishable food out from my item storage along with piles of silver and bronze coins that show the fire and dragon emblem on their sides.

Before I can even finish sorting them, a familiar face bursts through the door.

She points right at me with a single finger, and her light blue eyes show the same determination that they did at the moment she was resisting the Elixir of Suggestion from the deceased grunt named Finn.

She yells out in a tone I can't tell apart from anger or excitement.

"It's you! It's really you! You're the same guy from yesterday, I'm sure of it! Your flaming disguise can't fool me!"