"Levis! Let us return, and see how Hubert is doing with those two."
Currently, the sun was rising up slowly on the horizon to the east, as though it was suffering from the drowsiness, of an early wakening. But as the sun was moving unhurriedly, Rowen and the rest had already left the river port, via the massive flying ship, on which at least a few hundred people had boarded together.
Yet, as the ones on the ground and watching the ship leaving, Adrian and Levis, were next in turn to leave and return to the guard branch, as they had left Hubert alone with the two former slave bandits, Zuger and Square.
"Hm, yes---, let us go." - [Time to begin?]
[Yes. It is time, you have to begin your seclusion.]
"Then let us begin this!"
"Ah?! Begin what?"
“No, no, no, nothing, just talking to myself---, just talking to myself--, aha-, aha, ha.” - [Shit, I got confused again.]
[Use your mind you fool.]
“Hmmm---! Understood.”
[Although that ship was really big! It can probably accommodate and carry a house inside of it.]
[That is---, not so ludicrous out of you, as in fact, you could fit a house and move it around like that? But you will probably be faster if you were to build a new one, or better, just make the house capable of independent movement.]
[A moveable house!? That sounds useful if I were to travel around.]
But as the two of them were leaving the river port from where the ship had flown off, Levis turned his head back one last time, to catch the last glimpses of the ship which Rowen and the rest had boarded, as it was still visible even as the flying ship was already quite far away from where they were right now. Nonetheless, the ship was becoming smaller and smaller, and in the end, it became a small dot in the sky.
But despite the fact, that the sailless flying ship had a ridiculous, one hundred and fifty meters in length, thirty in its depth and forty in its width. The immense building of a ship, was now only a small dot in the distant north, as Levis was giving its last gaze upon its existence.
[It might be. But now focus on what you need to do at the moment, not some, into the future ridiculous thought, that you will most likely forget before the noon of the day arrives!]
[Yes, yes, yes. I know it already, it is time for my long seclusion.]
[That is correct. It is time to observe how you will perform, with and in a more prolonged period and with a far more concentration of energy at hand.]
[I am ready. Let us go and do it. After this, I will equal brother Rowen's rank 6 in power, and then begin to work for my resources! Let us go, go, gooo---! Mmmm---, how do I go about it again?]
[---.]
[---.]
“Hmm?! Are you alright?”
“Ah---? Yes—, no. No! Yes, I am fine, I am fine.”
“Good.” - [Then why are you so flustered and excited at the same time?]
----------------------------------------
“---, this place sure is fucking big! Six entire and separated big rooms. I can see and feel the difference in treatment, between a captain and just a normal fucking guard. But fuck---, this is too apparent. A kitchen stocked with food, weapons and shields all over the place, a dense—, fuck this is some really fucking thick concentration of energy in the air. The building must have a separate gathering formation array for itself. This truly makes me mad.”
It was after some time, that Levis and Adrian moved from the river port of the outer city, to the inner city, then to the guard complex, and finally to the habitation which belonged to Rowen.
But as the two of them arrived inside, they were greeted with the sight of an agitated Hubert, moving around the residence, inspecting it while cursing out of frustration due to the difference, in lodging and support given by the guard branch, between the simple guard and that of a captain or high-ranked guard.
“You can look and curse all day long, but this can be obtained only if you are to reach a high rank like mister Gill---, no, most likely you need to reach the Immortal stage, given the energy inside, otherwise you can only look in frustration.”
“Tsk---! You really know how to dampen someone's mood."
"I just said the truth. If you are to put some time into your cultivation, you would reach the immortal stage in less than a decade, no?!"
"Tsk---, how am I to know, when my aptitude is all over the place."
"Hm---. Anyway, how has your situation been?"
"There had been no problems, so you can rest assured. Square had stayed with me all the time, and we had talked some nonsense, as for the bastard one---, he is in training, and has not come out even once.”
“Mmm—, that should be the case. From what senior Wan had informed me, he should be about to break to rank 5.”
“Eh! What? This mother—, how the fuck is he already breaking through to rank 5? Was he not injured?"
“He was at the peak of rank 4, to begin with. And as for his injury----, it had not been so grave, so it is no surprise that he is about to have a breakthrough.”
“Fuck, fuck! This guy. First you, now Zuger. Wait! Square, are you going to break to rank 5 as well!!!”
“No. I am just at rank 1 now. But I believe that this time around, I will reach rank 2 in six months' time.”
“Huuuuuuu—! If you were to reach rank 5 as well, I will start to lose my confidence. Wait a moment?! Levis, how are you standing right now?” - [You are not secretly a rank 5 as well, right?!]
[There it is kid, do as I told you.]
“No, still rank 1, but---. Well---, actually—!”
"Rank 1." [Good, good, good.] - "Hmm? Do you nee-, have something to say?"
In the short period of time, after which the two of them had arrived, Hubert's ongoing release of swears and frustrations carried on, to even more prominent swearings. As out of his conversation with Adrian, the issue of Zuger's seclusion and of his aim to break to rank 5, had him even more vocal, in his torrent of vulgarities.
Yet, as he turned towards Square and Levis, Hubert acquired some consolation from the fact he was not the weakest of the group, as he gave a physical and mental sigh. But as Levis was about to say something, Hubert's engagement moved towards listening to the boy who seemed reluctant to express himself.
But if Hubert were to know, that at the current moment, Levis was very likely the most powerful, and by far the more dangerous member of the current crowd, he would probably lose and yield most of his will as a cultivator. Moreover, if he or any of them were to know, that if the boy that they were always looking at, was to move and attack them in an underhanded manner, any one of them, would be blown to pieces and die on the spot, would only result in Hubert's despair at his incapability as a cultivator or to the shock from the bizarre monster who was disguised as a child.
“Hmm?” - [This---? Why is---, was he happy?!?]
Nonetheless, returning to Hubert's question towards Levis, a strange and almost undetectable event occurred.
As Square was watching Levis during his interaction with Huber and Adrian, the corner of the boy's mouth was roughly about to turn into a smile, but it was all brought down immediately, an imperceivable move, that no one other than Squared had the chance of observing it, or rather saying noticing it, as even he was uncertain due to the fact, that it had all been too fast, as there was not even the chance of taking all the information he required to arrive at a more certain judgment.
“—, truth be told, I too am facing a sort of a problem right now.”
And yet, Levis’s face at the moment was one of concern and worry, as though he was having a problem which he did not know how to tackle or resolve by himself.
“What is it? Tell me, since I can probably help you more, than this boulder head.”
“Hmm?! Then let me see if you can do something which I can not. Anyway, what is the matter Levis, what is it that you have problems with?”
To his doubting and troubled face, Levis was quite surprised, as Hubert and Adrian came to his aid as soon as they detected his problem, which was why he almost broke out into a strange grin which he covered with a normal smile immediately.
But due to his mishap, Square was able to perceive a mood of double happiness, one shown to them on the outside, and another one, hidden beneath the normal happy face he was putting for them, as though he was hiding the success of his accomplishment.
Although it was all because Square could "sense" and "see" him. Due to his closeness and full attentiveness, Square was capable of reaching his conclusion, otherwise, he would probably have no insight whatsoever about this master of his. But with all that he knew, Square became sceptical of Levis, as he continued to look attentively and to observe him well, wanting to find if there was more about him or not, as the way Levis was behaving now, and the initially settled smile was all coalescing into to being a big dubious act.
----------------------------------------
[They---, they really have moved, as you have predicted.]
[Obviously, these two little boys are ready to help at any time. After all, good people are always eager to fight and help, when they can feel they can assist, if the effort is minimal. So just use this to your benefit, and you will resolve most of your problems---, most of them--, no maybe some of them.]
[Ah?!]
----------------------------------------
Ultimately, Square was right about his suspicion, as Levis had a real hidden ploy against Adrian and Hubert, who unknowingly were moving without seeing that he was putting an imperceptible act before the two of them.
“Well—, how do I put it? I have this strange sensation, this weird feeling, as every time I attempt to have a breakthrough, I can never advance with my dantian, and no matter how I absorbed further energy, it is hard to cultivate. I fear I am not able to make my dantian advance towards rank 2?”
“Hmm—, is that what I think it is?” - [Shit! He is actually this fast!? At this rate I will be left in the dust in a few years.]
With his supposed concern exposed at large, Levis turned to face the two of them with an anticipatory face, as if almost knowing, that they would have a ready solution waiting for him.
At his words, Hubert met Adrian's gaze as though having understood his problem, and yet he was waiting to see his opinion.
“Probably—, given how he got his cultivation, and how he had cultivated all alone until this point, it is natural. But---.” - [Were you on the verge of breaking for rank 2 already?]
Even as Adrian responded towards Hubert, Levis stood still, perplexed by the two's words, as they were speaking as though knowing the problem at hand, while not saying it out loud.
Still, the two of them were finding the situation a tad bit perplexing, for two diverse reasons.
“Sigh! Levis, what you are suffering from is nothing more than the challenge to condensate your dantian for rank 2.”
“The condensation?!”
“Has senior Wan talked with you about---, cultivation in general?!”
“Yes.”
“Then you know what the condensation and growth of the dantian are---, right?"
"I know."
"Well, you are at the floor of this challenge, the first condensation by your own will, different than the random awakening. Now all you need to do is to push your dantian using your mind, but remember to toughen your body during the process. It would be best if you were to have a breaking elixir or pill, so as to have a large quantity of mellower energy when you are to do your condensation. Do you have one, or should I buy you one---?”
To answer Levis's so-called doubt, was surprisingly Hubert, who appeared quite knowledgeable about the issue he was supposed to be dealing with, while almost taking care of him, as though he was becoming a second old Wan.
“I already have one.”
“Ohh—, then it is all too simple then. Just take whatever you have, and make your breakthrough.”
“But—, but the problem is that---, I can not! There is always something which makes some distracting noise---, and--, and-, I can never fully concentrate. If I could have absolute silence, maybe I could focus on myself, and make the breakthrough.”
“Hmmm—, this!? What do you think?”
But to the explanation of the troubles which Levis was having, Huber was forced to rub his chin, for he was unsure as to what to say and how to answer. In the end, he was forced to look at Adrian again, who had yet to come out from his silence and say something useful. But instead, he was looking weirdly at Levis.
“The only silent places here are------, well—, the cultivation chambers. I can not think of anywhere else.”
“The cultivation chambers?! But how can he go there? He is not a guard, nor can we do something about this. This is not even an option we could---.”
After coming out of his silence, Adrian's suggestion made Hubert more troubled, because he was not able to come up with a fast decision at the moment.
“Hmm—?! Hmmm—?!!! Wait—! Maybe! I am not sure, but this might work!”
“What is it?”
However, while Hubert seemed to be at a loss, Adrian began to ponder even more, as after some internal deliberation, he began to blabber toward himself, as though he had found some sort of an answer to this problem, intriguing Hubert who was still stuck as though his mental capacity was blocked all of a sudden.
“We might not be able to take him, but if we are to ask someone else to take him?”
“And whom we might ask—?!”
“Well, there is only one person to whom we can speak, and he has a high chance of making it happen.”
“You mean?”
----------------------------------------
[Mmmm—, so he left?]
[Yes. For what reason---, I can not tell you, since I too am unaware as to why he has been summoned. Moreover, I am not sure or aware of any other reports which could be the explanation for this sudden move. Anyhow, I am sorry if I have not notified you earlier, as I have been with my hands full, as it had all occurred without any warning. The kid had tried to find you, but—.]
[I see. I have been on night vigil through the night and did not preoccupy myself with anything other that the city. Anyway, it is alright, since it is my fault for not having informed them of a way to communicate with me. Nevertheless, if he has to leave so urgently, he will leave no matter what, nothing more and nothing less.]
[Then, with this I can conclud—. Ahh! Yes, yes almost forgot. Send all of your papers to me, as I need to sign them as soon as possible.]
[Very well. Once I am done with the meeting of the new members I will see to it. Then a good day to you general Obse---, head Captain.]
[To you as well, sir William.]
"---."
"---."
“Sigh!” - [They are here—!? But---, why is--, why is he-, here as well?!]
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
Currently, it was noon, and the sun was halfway through the daytime since Rowen and his group had departed the city using the flying ship.
But the present location was a medium size room with a desk at the back end of it, a chair to said desk and some miscellaneous objects on it.
The walls of the room were covered with some strange paintings and some ornaments, which were mostly weapons and a set of armour that appeared to be unworn, although it could not be comprehended if it was an ornamental one or a functional one.
Nevertheless, the reason for all the ornaments in the room was quite blatant, so as to make the chamber not seem vacant or forsaken, as otherwise, in case of the absence of all the objects on display, the room would give the impression that no one was inhabiting the chamber at all, even as the owner was presently sitting on the chair behind the desk.
For as the truth of the situation was rather strange, as even though the owner was present in the room, the man currently sitting on the chair behind the desk, facing the door of the room, appeared detached from the room, as though he seem to exist far for the place he was in, as though he was a different kind of beast and this was simply not his natural habitat, to begin with.
However, right now one could observe a storage particular about the man, which was that at this moment, the man was lowering a black plate from his forehead, a communication plate, for he appeared to have been in communication with someone, just a moment ago.
But, as the man lowered the communication plate from his forehead, and made it disappear at his waist, after which he moved his gaze towards the door of the room, once his eyes fell on the door, his eyes squinted for a moment upon looking at it. Although, what he was looking at at this moment was the presences behind the door, which made him a tad puzzled, causing his right eyebrow to rise in confusion.
“It does not matter---. You all can come inside now!!!”
Nevertheless, his perplexity did not last for long, as after a moment, with a loud and clear shout which could be heard from beyond the door, the man called at the presences which were out of the room, waiting.
"Knock!" - "Knock!"
"Please excuse my entrance, Captain.”
“Excuse me, Captain.”
“Excuse me for my entry, Captain.”
“---.”
"Excuse---, me!"
After his loud shout, five men entered the room, one after the other, greeting the man in sequence as they entered the room which was soon filled with life, providing the liveliness that was missing in this chamber.
“You can all—, rest.” - [Good determination and behaviour. This time's batch is a good addition. Though, why did the chap enter here as well!? Mmm---, something is definitely up if he is here!]
But to enter the room, were not only the five men, as after the last man to enter, one youthful child made his way as well. A child which he knew very well, even though he had met just once, and had only a rather short and brief interaction with him. But despite this unexpected intrusion, the man could not put much of his time into the reasons why the child was here as well. For right now, the boy was standing still, silent behind the five men, while waiting patiently as though he had been instructed by someone to behave as so, once inside.
“First! I have to congratulate you all for completing the seven days which I made you endure. Even though we are one short of your original numbers, I have to congratulate all of you for reaching and applying to my second division.”
Nonetheless, after retracting the gaze from the boy, the man looked upon the five men before him, and with a smile on his face, he began to converse with them in a very amicable manner, so as to not put any pressure, or anxiety on them, since this could be said to be their true first contact with him, other than the early morning greetings during their seven days of trial.
At his words, some of the five smiled, while others sighed softly. But all of them nodded in unison to the man, and in return, the captain nodded as well while wearing a smile as he faced them.
“Aham—! Yet, there are several remarks I must say to all of you. After all, at the moment, you are not simple guards or recruits under the general Observer. As of now, I am your second highest head of authority to whom you will report, next to the general Observed of the guards. Am I understood?”
"---."
"---."
“Ah—, I am sorry. But what—, or who is “the general Observer”?”
But to the man's words, some eyebrows were raised in doubt, as none of the five men present knew, to whom the man was referring.
Yet despite the slight confusion of words which was caused by the man, the one to question him back was none other than Hubert, who did not carry much respect or fear as the others did. For in a rather laid-back tone, he questioned the man immediately after the silence was starting to be too obnoxiously prolonged.
“Mmm!? Right, right, right—, I am embarrassed to say, but sometimes I forget to change this term. As this is an old word which has stuck with me since my first days. To put it simply, the general Observer is the first Captain, or as the majority of the guard branch calls him now, Head Captain. It is just an addressing term to the previous head Captain”
“Ohh—, is that so!”
Although Hubert was not giving off signs of respect or fear, which the man could see, he nonetheless promptly answered him with a quick and clear clarification, as it was not much of a problem to the man himself given that they did not know him yet.
“Now, with that out of the way, let us continue. Foremost, your current assignment will not change greatly from what you have done prior to this. Patrols and calls to action will be the same as normal as when you started. As such, two days from now I will assign you under one of my vice captains, so you can begin your watch over the city."
"---."
As the man paused for a second, he took in the faces of all the five men before him, as he nodded encouragingly at them.
"Well, this is just the standard part of what I needed to convey to you all, now for the significant segment which you are all waiting for.”
“---.”
With another pause and a look at their faces, the man could see that anticipation was leaking from them, even as they were trying to hide it.
“Since you have all been chosen by the general Observer—, the Head Captain and the supervisors of the Kingdom to enter my division, all of this indicates, that you have been selected as a potential individual worthy to aid in the growth and development to become a strong cultivator. As such, from now on your monthly monetary and energy remuneration will increase, as well as the time allowed to be in the seclusion chambers, while also having a higher increase in the quantity and quality of the many texts regarding previous cultivator's insights, explanations, breathing techniques, use of element and its manifestation, for when you are to reach for the Immortal stage or higher.”
At the sound of his words, the five men had an uplifting in their spirit and energy, as with a more sumptuous compensation for their labour while standing as guards under the man's second division, was a better prospect than what they had been doing up until this point.
Although the one most happy at the moment was Hubert, who was playing with his fingers, appearing to be calculating something in his mind. This was most accurate, for he, at this moment, was currently making future expectations on how he could enjoy this surplus of wealth.
But the excitement from the man's announcement did not stay for long, or have a considerable effect on all of the men, for they appeared to be already looking beyond, the short prospect, that Hubert was currently envisioning inside his mind.
“However!!! I have to repeat, what you have been already informed when you all first entered the guard branch! Which is that this position, will come with an even higher subordination to the Kingdom and its people. For we represent the extension of the Royal Guards, in the name of the King and the Punitive Order of the Kingdom. We are to protect the peace and order, we are to keep the people of Green City safe and assured that we are here to protect them, not to abuse our power in any capacity. For otherwise—,”
Up until this point, the tone and voice of the man, proceeded to change from happy and encouraging to serious and somewhat solemn, until his presence in the room was changed completely while giving them a hard and stern gaze.
At the same time, the air inside the room became stifled and sluggish, as all five of them were currently experiencing tremendous pressure which was being emanated from the man, as though a flood was taking place inside the room itself.
“For otherwise---, you will have to deal with me, if you are to tread the wrong path, and abuse the power you are invested with, by the guard branch.”
Yet, as the man continued with his sentence, the five men became immobilized, though being buried under a massive solid stone just with the weight of his words.
“But that is unlikely. As all of you have been ruled to have a reasonable and sound, moral character and nature, despite any of your shortcomings. So for now, you can relax.”
The lack of freedom prevailed only for a few moments, after which the man became loose, unburdening them of the pressure he was emanating. In the end, he gave them a smile of encouragement once more, as he looked at all of them before nodding deeply at the young men before him.
But the smile did not alleviate the apprehension of the momentary dread from a moment ago, as the gaze in all the five present changed while they were looking at the man.
“You can all leave, as I have already stated what I need to convey. Anyhow, two days from now, return here again, as I will allocate all of you to your vice-captains so you can begin your daily assignments. For now, you are free to move, until I will otherwise call for you.”
“Captain, good day!”
“Good day!”
“Good da—!”
“---------.”
“------.”
“---.”
“So------. What is it that the three of you want from me?”
However, as three of the five men move out, which were the middle age man and two other young men. Adrian, Hubert, and Levis nevertheless stood still before the man, with the latter being close to the wall, right under the scrutinizing gaze of the man.
“We meet again, moustache Village Chief—, ouch!”
“Slap!”
“Good day sir—, second—?! Captain?!?”
But as Levis, came forward to stand next to the two of them and greet the man, he instantly received a slap from Adrian once his greeting call of “moustache Village Chief” came out of his mouth. But as he rephrased his greeting, the words came half botched and unsure, making the man look amused and strangely at the chap who he had seen one time, seven days ago.
“You chap! You do not need to greet me as such, just Captain or sir is enough.”
“Alright, then I am going to say it again. Greetings Captain!”
“Good. So I will also say it again as well. What is that you require of me, given your current presence before myself.”
“Yes, I need something which you can hel—!”
“Captain! Please allow me to address this issue.”
Though as Levis was about to ask for his "help" from the man. Adrian cut his short, as he took the conversation onto himself, as he did not want to find what problem could arise if he were to let Levis talk.
“Hmm! Go on.”
“Then, I would like to discuss the possibility of letting Levis—”
“---------.”
“------.”
“---.”
“--- as such, this will not have any effect on sir, and we will gladly take---!"
“Sighhh—, enough, enough! It is possible! You do not need to go into such detail, for a simple request.”
After a short, yet at the same time long-winded explanation held by Adrian, the man reached his limit, appearing as though having just run out of a screaming contest. For he was visibly irritated by the young man before him, who had a clear intention of making his explanation lengthy and bothersome, just so that he would accept it, merely so he would escape this irksome plea.
“Then can you give me one of those seclusion chambe—?!”
“Levis!”
“Yes---, I will just shut up.”
“Sigh—! Chap Levis, before this, I have a few questions. As on our first meeting, we did not speak that much.”
[Hooo—, he remembers me.] - “Yes. What it is captain mousta—, Captain?”
“Nothing much, just a curiosity of mine regarding your age, and the time you have cultivated till the present moment?”
“Eh—, that would be—.” - [Urger!!!]
[Danm it kid. Six to seven months, and do you not know how old are you?]
“---, I am twelve years old, I will be thirteen in a month from now—, I think. As for my time cultivating, it should be around six to seven months.”
“Hooo—, you are quite the talented chap, I see, I see.” - [A medium to short time to reach rank 2. A slightly higher age than the childer of the big family, but if groomed properly, he should become a King at fifty, or even early, definitely worth helpi—]
“------.”
“---.”
“Mmm, excuse me, captain?!”
However, after the man's last words, he continued by entering into a long silence with his chin held by his hand, as he pondered over something for a dozen breaths. But as time passed Levis called the man back, as all three of them were waiting for him to speak again.
“Ahh—, sorry, sorry! I was thinking about other issues here---. But as I was saying earlier, this is not a big matter, if all that you request is a silent place for you to have your breakthrough, I can help you. After all, you young chap, are not an evil doer at heart, so I will aid you if I can.”
“Goo---, thank you, sir Captain. Then---, I will need seven days at my disposal.”
“Eh! Seven days? That long? Are you sure seven days is what you need? Can you even stay one day in solitary and isolated seclusion? Will your mind not be affected?”
But as the man accepted to help Levis, the person in question rattled the man, as in his opinion the boy would not last, nor would he need seven days for his breakthrough.
“Yes, after all, after my breakthrough, I will need time to adjust, stabilise and fortify my dantian.”
“Fortefie? You chap, are you going to lose time for more power?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm—. Have you done any confined seclusion lasting multiple days, before this one?”
The seven-day demand continued to be unexpected and strange to the man, as by all accounts secluding oneself alone for days and days, especially since the one involved was a young and immature child, the mental repercussions could be long-lasting and detrimental, in terms of one's cognitive sanity.
“No.”
“No!?! Then do you know what you are implying? Staying all alone to cultivate this is not achieved so easily even by adults, much less by you, as you have a very limited understanding of what this entails, with no experience under your belt.”
“Do not worry captain, I am—.”
“How can I not worry, and do not start with "I am alright." or "I am different from the rest.", as this is not such a simple matter at all. After all, there is another part which you can not see clearly, which is the will that you are growing. Let us say that you want to go for seven days, but you will last for only two, can you say that this will have no negative impact on you?”
As the man and boy continued to talk with one another, the discussion became heated by the moment, as by the end of his words of concern, fury was evident in the eyes of the man who looked at Levis, while sporting a resolute face, which was already implying he was not going to have his way in this situation.
----------------------------------------
[Urger!!! This is not going as you have said! He is not conceding---, at this rate--, at this rate-, at this rate I will not be able to do this “short seclusion” of yours!]
[Do not worry. This was to be expected, now proceed with this---,]
----------------------------------------
“Levis, let us relent for fewer days. Your request is a bit too much at the moment, stop yourself here, and take your win, alright.”
From the side, Hubert who has stayed silent for most of the part, whispered towards Levis's ear, as this was the most opportune moment to stop and retrieve his gained yield from the man.
“Then---. Then let us do this way—, captain!”
Nonetheless, Levis was not ready to admit defeat, as he seemed about to put his last bet on the table.
“Captain, give me seven days from which I can come out at any time.”
“Mhm? Where are you going with this?”
Though, as Levis seemed to say his last words, the man seemed a bit confused, as from his request the commotions seemed to calm down, but there was something which he instinctively knew that was about to arrive from the little chap in front of him.
“Nowhere in truth. But—! But if I am to take one foot out of the seclusion chamber, I will never ask you anything in my entire life.”
“Eh!”
“What? Levis! Is that not a bit too excessive of a gamble?”
But hearing of Levis’s retort and stubborn determination to the man, Adrian and Hubert were taken aback,k as the situation appeared to escalate again for no reason whatsoever.
“Hoooo—! You chap. Are you so confident in yourself, that you can make this declaration?”
Yet, the man seemed intrigued by Levis’s statement, as in his opinion if he were to put such a condition on himself, it would only mean his mental fortitude was strong and confident, able of achieving what he would put himself to perform, even though there was the possibility it would all pan in his face.
“Yes.”
“Hm---, hmm--, hmmm, very well, very well! I see no more reason to stop you if you are so adamant about this. But beware, for if you are to open the door of the chamber, even by a small crack, it will count as you having forfeited and renounced any request from me in the future. Are we clear?”
“Yes.”
“Alright then---. Ah! One last thing, what alchemic brews do you have for your breakthrough?”
“Now---, I have one rank 2 breakthrough elixir and one rank 1 supplement elixir.”
“Just that?”
“Yes.”
"Mmm---, alright, alright. Adrian, tomorrow morning, before dawn, come with him to the training grounds."
"Yes, sir."
With the man having tolerated Levis’s request, and with his last inquiry, his eyes squinted for a moment as he first appeared perplexed, after which he fell into his thoughts for a second, before speaking again, but his gaze shifted towards Adrian, as he addresses him about the timing of their next meeting.
"You can leave."
"Thank you, Captain."
"Excuse me, sir."
“---------.”
“------.”
“---.”
"Seclusion huh---! Now to the issue of general Observ---, Head Captain--, Head Captain."
----------------------------------------
“Now that I see him, he is definitely not like the rumours make him be!"
"It is strange. Although, when I first saw him, I actually got frightened, since I have actually seen him quite a few times around the city. Even after I stayed for a few years here I did not know he was the captain of the second guard division."
"Now that you are saying it, I might have seen him myself a few times as well. But we need to interact with him a few more times before we can be sure. After all, I do not want to find myself killed by him."
"What!? Why would he kill you? "
After the three of them were excused by the captain of the second division, Adrian and Hubert began to discuss about the man in question, as they were walking back to their quarters, more precisely, about the rumours that Hubert knew about him, and of his strange presence, which was nighter clear, nor unclear.
However, in truth the majority of the captains would rarely appear in public, the same could be said for the Immortal stage and the high-ranked guards under them.
But at the mention of murder being put out by Hubert, Levis who was following the two of them in silence, made an exclamation as well, at this ominous and strange remark about the "moustache village chief".
"Well, this is what I have heard from hearsay. But supposedly he is responsible for the deaths of many guards throughout the years. Some say that he is abusing his power, and others call him "the cleaner" of the guard branch. All kinds of wild opinions and views are thrown around, however, what is to be true is hard to say, as he had never been charged with anything, so what can be said about him then? But one commonality is present in the rumours, as he is some sort of a justice freak, but how true is that, I have no idea. But he is indeed strange, as while he seems to be famous, not many actually know his appearance, even I, as I have seen him time and time again in years had no idea of who he was, and now this is driving me crazy about whom I may have been overlooking."
"Hmm---, yes." - [Hubert is definitely crazy.]
"Well, it matters not, in time all will be revealed. Now Levis, two good shoe boy, see you tomorrow---, mmm--, or actually the day after, or in seven days?!."
"You too."
"See you in seven days."
"Well, first go and see if you can last that long. Aha---, ha--, aha-!"
Yet, amidst Hubert's rambling of rumours of which he was always in high supply, their walk came to an end, as Levis and Adrian stood in front of the building where Rowen had let them stay, while Hubert had to return to his quarters after accompanying then till this point.
"---."
"Levis, let us go inside."
"Yes, coming!"
----------------------------------------
"Mor---morrrning!! Sighhh---, gasppp----!"
"Good morning Captain."
"Good morning to you two as well. Chap Levis, have you not slept well this night?"
It was the early morning of the following day, after the request for a seclusion chamber, as Adrian and Levis were standing before the captain of the second division, after waiting for him for quite some time. Though the truth was that the two of them had come fairly early, as Adrian had wakened him hours before even needing to be present for the meeting.
"Yes, and no. I was coming and going from my sleep, due to my excitement, but now all I want to do is to sleep a bit more, sir Captain." - [Is this helping?]
[Yes. Try to appear more like a brat of your age. After all, if you act all the time with exuberance as though you never need any sleep, you will rouse suspicion in weird ways, eighter that you are a bizarre monster who never sleeps or a sleazy good-for-nothing who sleeps too much.]
[Ahhh! That is true.]
[Plus, have you not noticed that you do not need to sleep all that much?]
"Understood, you can take your time inside, maybe you will stay a few more days if all you are going to do is sleep, aha---, ha--, aha-! Now, the two of you, follow me."
[Hmmm---, I did not notice it.] - "I will stay even more than seven days then."
"Ha---, aha--, ha-, aha, I truly hope you prove your words, you chap."
"------."
"---."
"Here."
"Here?! This was a really short journey. We barely entered and---."
But as all three of them were before the building with the words "Practice Ground", the second division Captain took the lead in entering, after which he moved up to the first floor of the building, where they arrived before a big stone door, where he stopped abruptly, ending all the enthusiasm which Levis had in him, as he looked at the monotonous stone door before him.
"Did you aspect to proceed we would go through a maze or some underground catacombs---?"
"No, no. Just that---, it was right next to us and---, never mind."
However, after a moment, Levis had no other choice but to shut his mouth from speaking, as the man looked at him as though questioning his thought process.
"You youngsters are all weirder and weirder with your expectations. Here!"
"Eh?"
But as the man made a short answer and retort towards his behaviour, out of nowhere, he pushed a small pouch into Levis's hands, surprising him, as he did not aspected to receive anything from the man.
"What is this?"
"Well, I have seen that the room is supplied with some food that will last you for a week, but if you can not eat, take one of these pills, and you will be alright to go for a day or two without eating too much food."
"Several days? What are these."
With the pouch in his hand, Levis took the hard object from inside of it, a transparent vial containing two brown-green pills inside.
"Yes, these are "Supply Pills", they are meant to combat hunger, however, do not think that you do not need to eat, as these do not have the nutrition you need to supply yourself for a few days, and will merely help you by stopping the feeling of hunger for a short period of time, allowing you to remain focus and unperturbed by any nutritional need."
"These are amazing, thank yo---."
"Do not---!"
But as the man explained the strange pills which he was now offering to Levis, he raise his hand to stop him from being thanked, as he looked with a severe look at the boy before him as though giving him a warning.
"Do not thank me, as I do not want you to take them, if possible. Honestly, the more I think about this, the more I believe you should cultivate at a more lenient pace, not hurry and force yourself this way. But I know that I can not stop you, so I will give you a hand and a warning. If you feel like you can not advance, just stop and take a step back before making two steps forward---."
With a serious look and hardened eyes, the man continued to give a warning to Levis as though he was instructing him on how to proceed while not forcing his way of thinking, and just warning him, as he knew that the chap before him was of the type to possess a hardened and thick skull, which would not listen to the worry of others unless he would get hurt on its own.
"Thrum!" - "Rumble!"
"---. As for the supply of pills. Given your age and your body constitution, it is best not to use them as these are usually used for weight loss and can be harsh on your small body, think of them as a reminder and a warning from me, use them only when you will judge that my words held no truth anymore. Now go, and see if you can keep your word, all alone for seven days."
"Thrum!!" - "Rumble!!" - "Thrum!!" - "Rumble!!"
"Understood."
While giving an equal hardened gaze, Levis took the vial with the two pills as he gave back the pouch and then moved towards the stone door which was now opening for him.
"Second Captain Moustache, Adrian. See you in seven days."
"Mmm."
"Levis---, you--, sigh-. Go for as long as you can."
"Thrum!!!" - "Rumble!!!" - "Thrum!!!" - "Rumble!!!" - "Thrum!!!" - "Rumble!!!" - "Rumble!!!"
Yet, while inside the cultivation chamber, as the large stone door moved to close itself, Levis gave the two men a last look and fare well as though he was about to go on a long, arduous and perilous journey.
On the other side, the man and Adrian gave Levis a nod, as the stone door continued to close itself.
"Rumble!!!!"
"Now time to wait and see how long will he last!"
"Captain! I am sorry if his misbehaving words have angered you si---."
"No problem, no problem, since it is of no bother to me. After all, he is right about my grand moustache. Captain-moustache, huh!? It has been a while since I have heard that name."
"---."
"Eh--, yes, truly, as the sir---, Captain says." - [Huh---? You---, are you truly, so self-aware and conscious of your own moustache, that you will compliment yourself?! I better not say anything about this.]
----------------------------------------
"Time to begin!"
[It is time, but first, wait a moment so that these two little boys move away from us.]
"Mmmm? Alright?!"