“This should help him make his dantian, now just wait and cultivate if you can, we will talk another time. Any help I will give to any of you will be accompanied by excruciating pain, as long, as I do not want to kill you. You will atone for the rest of the time, that you will live, so do not forget what is your purpose.”

Rising to his feet, Levis left his words to a confused and angered Zuger, while Square was constantly trembling and giving the feeling of being in great pain, as he could care less for the two while leaving the tent to the two prisoners.

“Square-! How are you, are you feeling well?”

“Fuck! Ahhhh—, this kid, he is a real monster. I nearly lost consciousness from the pain. But what he said—, is true! My dantian, actually reformed.”

As he was listening to the words his brother was speaking, Zuger was growing more terrified, about the boy, but at the same time, a hidden excitement was taking form, as this could become his only option for any kind of revenge he might want to take before dying.

But while the two men were trying to get themselves together, Levis was already out of their tent, as he was waving his hand towards Adrian, that was some distance away, speaking with several guards that were facing him.

[Was this good?]

[Good enough.]

[Alright! Now, all I need is to grow sufficiently strong, and obliterate all, one by one.]

[Hmmm.]

[What?]

[Do you think that is enough?]

[Is it not?]

[Well with the speed that you cultivate, it will not be long before you will surpass everybody here.]

[Is that not good? After all, all I need to do is to become more powerful than everybody else, right?]

[Yes, but what about your servants, that boy Square, his cultivation is starting again from nothing, how long before he can become truly useful? If he gets killed on the first task, then all of our investment would be wasted, and the boy Zuger, you are almost just as strong as him, it will not be long before you will surpass him, and then boy Adrian and boy Rowen though well we can leave them for another time. However, these two know part of your secret, in a sense they are the closes pawns for you to use.]

[Mmm—, do you have a way?]

[Aha, excellent question, because I in fact do, and with an extra perk for you.]

[For me?]

[You said that you will give them pain in exchange for power, so why not torture them for this power?]

[Realy? Is that possible?]

[Yes, but you need to fasten your cultivation a little bit, on your own, not just letting your body do it by itself, and grind your consciousness against the energy, you need a stronger mind.]

[Alright, alright! I will start right now.]

With a strange and almost insane renewed enthusiasm, Levis walked to Adrain, as to inform him that he was going to rest early, with the excuse of being tired. As once he was in the tent meant for him, he scooped up a hole, and he began to absorb energy through the skin of his arm, while also doing breathing exercises to increase the rate of absorption and grind his consciousness, and of increasing his overall mental prowess.

[ [Are you guiding his fate or probing him?] ]

[ [What darn fate, I am probing him! And you should have taken an understanding about him by now.] ]

[ [The transformation has messed his mind a little. The way he talks about wanting to torment others like it is a candy that he has to work for, is a bit disturbing, and we still have no clue when he will lose himself again.] ]

[ [All in due time, we will arrive at that soon. And, are you the one to criticize others, about torture?] ]

[ [Fate, fate. His fate is spreading.] ]

[ [Tsch---! Hmmm.] ]

“Levis! Hubert! Wake up, time to leave!”

“Ahhh, my head. Wait a moment!”

“Right now, I am awake, I am awake.”

Another night went by, and one tough session of cultivation was concluded by Levis, resulting in him being rather exhausted by it, as his all-going attitude and enthusiasm were akin to a depleted bottle, making him look tired and slightly worn. But someone next to him was in an even worst condition, as he had the appearance of having just escaped a very challenging and complex situation, that could push one to the very limit that one could go.

“Now! You two are the only ones left. Pack the tent and tied it up to the horse, the captain wants us ready now!”

“Aaa-, fuck, this is not the time for being hungover. Levis, up, up!”

“Now, now!”

“You think? I told you to moderate yourself.”

With a fast movement, in his rather sickly state, Hubert pulled down the tent, and tied it up around the horse, as fast as he could, after which he cleaned himself a bit, alongside Levis that was washing his left hand of the soil.

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It did not take them long, as once they were ready, they begin to march the east entrance, where, Rowen and old Wan, were in the presence of a fat man with several others surrounding him, men and young women, while the guards from the inn were to the side, waiting for them to arrive.

Though once caught to them, Rowen immediately nodded to Adrian, and they immediately moved out of the village, as the young captain displayed a rather unusual annoying disposition, once out of the village.

“Finely out, that man kept talking about his daughters, to no end. Hmm? Hubert, Levis you alright?”

“Just a bit tired.”

“Nothing serious sir, just a short night of sleep.”

“Hmm-, alright. Levis!?”

“Yes?”

“I have heard from Hubert, that you can not read nor write, is that true?”

“Hmmmmm---, y-yes.”

“Alright. From now on, Hubert, you will teach him how to read and write the letters of the Kingdom, since we have time. Though this is my shortcoming, as I have omitted to tell you, at the beginning of the journey.”

“Yes sir, no problem, I will commence immediately.”

“Good. Adrain?”

“Captain! Everybody present, and no problems to report.”

“Verry good. Forward!”

“Forward!!!”

Once again, at the loud call from Adrian, the group took their formation, and they began to march off as though a small army, on the road going east from the village.

Though for Levis the long and monotonous journey, took a bend, as Hubert began his torrent of words and gesticulation, while he was trying all the possible ways he could, to make him learn and memorize the characters as fast as possible.

However, as they continued to march eastwards, many more villages came to be, nevertheless, these villages at some point evolved into towns, as the number of people that were inhabiting them grew to the numbers of the four digits and more. Though what really changed, was the surrounding of said towns, as outside of the ever-present walls, stood an opening area in the surrounding, utilized for the various farming activities, while guards from the towns were patrolling the areas as though to anticipate some kind of attack.

“Big, and so many people around, the walls look very strong and very durable. This place—.”

“This is still small. You will have to wait, as this is the last town, tomorrow when we reach Rud, you will understand what a city is truly about.”

“Even bigger!?”

Even as he knew what he was to be respected of, Levis was still bouncing with his gaze at the tall buildings and the people moving all over the place, as this was nonetheless shocking to him, not from excitement but from anxiety, as there were so many people, looking in their direction, that he himself was taking notice of them.

“Adrian, take them all to an inn, I will see the guard’s branch here, and announce myself to the Lord of this town. Limit the movement of the guards, and do not intervene in any situation that you have no understanding of. ”

“Understood.”

As it has become the norm of the last few days, Rowen and old Wan, separated from the group, moving in towards the center of the town, while Levis and the rest took the closes lodging to where they could rest the horses.

However, even as there were the two scouts, Zuger and Square, that had chains on their bodies, the woman that was booking them in, held a wide smile at the prospect of filling most of the rooms, as she was being given a dozen silver coins.

“Levis, Hubert, Zuger, and Square, with me. the two scouts with you. The rest, to the rooms. Do not leave the inn, without informing a superior, and do not create any problems, the same routine we leave early so get a good night of sleep, we will most likely fasten our pace to reach Rud by nightfall.”

As he ended his orders, the guards disbanded and moved to the respected rooms or the open bar of the inn, while Levis and the rest took for their room as well, a rather cramped room with six beds, and a window facing the street on the second floor of the building.

“Ahh, I am tired! I do not have the strength to go drink again.”

“And you should not! You two, those beds. I will come back after I am done with the follow-up. Hubert, look after them till I am back, I should return in an hour or so.”

“Yes, yes, go already, and stop with the nagging.”

With a final look at the lazy man that was with his back on the bed, Adrian left the room, leaving the four of them alone.

“Hmmm–, Hubert is it!?”

“Yes, what do you want?”

“Can you do something about these chains, we can not--- will not do anything, to you or to the kid.”

“Even though you know, you still ask me? I do not have the keys, even if I have them, why would I take such a risk, as having you free? You have fought with the captain, I have seen you fight, and even as you have done nothing much, you still have survived him, that alone is enough to scare me stupid, so stay quiet and enjoy the beds while you can.”

“How to enjoy the beds, when the chains, are on my neck, wrists, and ankles? We really can do nothing with the kid here.”

“Not. My. Problem. Levis, you can go to sleep.”

“Yes, just a moment.”

Though Zuger's weak and futile attempt of striking a conversation, or a deal with the tired Huber ended up in smoke, Levis continue to stand by the window of their room, looking down at the illuminated street as people were walking about their own business.

[Even though it is night, you can see everything, and there are so many people still moving left and right. The light comes from the top of those tall poles, which is similar to the light, that the guards use on the horse's neck—. I want to go out and look around.]

[There is not much to see, and you can not escape, pop one of the soybeans in your mouth, and start your session since you have no way to touch the ground.]

[Sigh---.]

With slightly diminished enthusiasm, Levis took the energy shard that he had been using for a while, as he could feel that he had made it lose a tiny bit of its energy, prompting him to wonder how fast could he finish it if he were to constantly absorb its energy.

Though, with his curiosity peaked, the night was rather restless, as he could not enter his optimal state, remaining half asleep most of the time, till morning time arrived as Adrian woke them all to depart.

However, this time around, the speed of the ride was increased, as the distance towards the city of Rud was farther away than what they had done in a single day before this one. Yet Levis could not witness any of it, as once outside of the city, he began to doze off, for the whole day of fast-traveling thru the woods. Awaking by the time, when the sun was almost gone. As once he opened his eyes, shaded by the red dawn of the sun stood the vast open domain, used for a mixed variety of grain fields, larger than anything he had ever seen till now, with several hamlets here and there, and the trees that surrounded the whole open domain to the far distance, as it took a large curvature from the part that they had come out. However, his attention was on the small hills towards the north-east, and before the hills, the wide river that was flowing towards the south-east, which stood in the middle of many big structures that could be seen, and the various big ships in the said river. Though the most prominent construct, was the huge wall of the circular structure, and of the buildings that were popping over the height of the barrier that separated the city from the outside world, as it stood a bit farther away from the buildings and the river, However at this moment, the city gave the impression of being a monster, resting near a river and various red sheep.

“Finely here-, hmm–-? Have you finally decided to wake up? Now look, this is what you wanted to see—, big-, right?”

“Big and vast, it is like a valley, that has the trees as the mountains, and the big city as the depth that attracts all the people.”

“You—? You can say that!? Whatever---, you are attempting to, well---, convey.”

“What, w-what is that!?? Is that a—?”

“It is obviously a ship.”

“But!”

“I know, but, all we can do is watch, we do not have the budget to get on one of those, so it is better if we just look without saying much.”

“Alright.”

However, the thing that had attracted Levis's attention, left him with his gaze stuck on the same object even as the group advance on the road between the fields, which were clearly indicating the need to be reaped. Though, as for what had stolen Levis’s attention, it was non-other than the sight of a huge ship that had all of a sudden risen above the river and begun to accelerate into the distance, as after a long time of watching it, and he could not observe it anymore, he turned his attention in his surroundings, finding himself still in between the fields, as the true distance from where the opened area begun, to the wall of the city, had far escaped his originally expectation and understanding.

Although, after a period of slow riding as the sun was already down, they arrived before the massive gates of the city. Though, only now it could be understood, the true size of the wall, as it was not only extremely tall but also very broad. The guards that were meant for inspection, stood under it, while the wall was forming a short tunnel as they entered the city.

With the inspection accomplished in a short time, due to Rowen's anticipating notice of his arrival, from the prior guard branch of the last town, they immediately walked from the west gate to the north part of the city, where many big and extensive buildings stood. Nonetheless, as they entered in their premise, they were guided by several guards of the branch they were in, towards a specific smaller building.

As they tended to the lodging of the horses, and for the “criminals”, the guards moved into the buildings, as they were given the rooms to rest and cultivate.

“Ahhh---, this is nice! Finely a good bath! No longer using the fucking rivers.”