After leaving the shop I went home to briefly write a note, that I then left with one of the folks currently on guard duty. I told them to hand it to Richard when he gets back. It wasn’t a big secret or anything, so I didn’t care if they read it. The was just telling Richard to ask around if anyone is interested in being a merchant, and that person will likely play a big role even after the Tutorial.

Well that second part was mostly just an assumption on my part based on what Greja said to me, but it felt right.

Eventually I made it back home, but instead of any sort of training, I washed myself up and kind of just laid on my bed. There was a lot on my mind.

I’ve been kind of thinking about it for a while now, but the words from the Outpost Leader today kind of brought it to the forefront again. I think he was referring to the Tutorial getting more dangerous, for me. Likely in the next stage, but that’s not where my thoughts drifted towards.

It was life after the Tutorial…

I became something akin to a leading figure here in the Tutorial. I have people that I am willingly choosing to protect, I’m not even sure when it happened but it did. I chose this, and the group will likely get bigger once we integrate Chao’s group. Obviously, Richard and the others will be there as well, but I see the difference in all of them. They would listen to me, they trust me, they see me as a leader. Is this what I want to do after the Tutorial?

There will be no more governments, at least not in the way we’re used to having them. People will cling to strength. And that strength will want to lead. I mean of course they would, why would you take orders from someone you easily defeat should a disagreement arise? Before all of this, one of the biggest deterrents to crime was prison. No one wanted to go to prison, of course people still committed crimes every day, but it was a small % in the grand scheme of things, but now? How are you going to take me to prison if I could destroy your entire city? If your strongest fighters can’t hold me down? No…I can put you in prison for defying me instead. Who would stop me? Who would dare complain?

Words will no longer have the affect on people in power like they did before. Not unless there was a even playing field. It would all depend on who had the biggest fist. If a tyrant was running a city into the ground, just get stronger than the tyrant and you can take over, and likewise if you were a good leader with happy people, but someone stronger than you, and your combined military force showed up, then it wouldn’t matter if you were good or not, your life would be in their hands.

That is the type of place this new world would be, even if everything was good for a while, greed will eventually come into the picture. Human beings are inherently greedy. Most know how to keep that greed in check, or perhaps that greed is limited to food, or clothes, just things that wouldn’t harm other people if you acquired a lot of it through legal means, but what if its your sword? That paid a pretty sum to have made. Or a maybe necklace that can save your life. Or maybe it’s the city you live in…perhaps you have access to resources that the other city/country doesn’t.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

There were entire wars fought over resources in life before people could decimate entire buildings with a fist. I could only imagine what a war between cultivators would look like.

So Raz…what is it you want to do eh…

Do I want to live away from civilization? Like a powerful hidden hermit in the stories? Or maybe I want to live in someone else’s lands but keep my head down as much as possible. Or is it leading? Do I want to start my own country? Have citizens depend on me for help? For support? Protection? Guidance? Stability? Is this the type of responsibility I want on my shoulders?

I don’t know…

I’m getting a taste of it now…but I’m close with many of the residents here, and even the ones I’m not close to, I at least have spoken to once or twice. What would a country look like? Wouldn’t it be potentially thousands of people eventually? Maybe millions? I won’t know majority of them. Is this what I want for myself…

Honestly…the answer is no.

I do not want to be tied to due to responsibility of a leader of a country.

But I do not want to be under the rule of another person. I simply can’t do it. Even the thought of it causes my flames to feel disgusted. As if they’re telling me that no one is allowed to stand above me. That doesn’t mean I can’t live in someone else’s country and be fine, but it means I will likely not do well if they try to enforce a rule, I don’t like on me. Taxes for example. All places will eventually have them…I can even imagine places where they will control the entrances to dungeons, and tax people for using it. Maybe even take a % of their rewards.

I would find that unacceptable.

So the best way to avoid a scenario like that If I want to live amongst others, would be to make sure I’m the one who makes the rules. Why would I tax myself I didn’t want to?

But I don’t want to be bogged down by the pains or ruling…though at the same time if I decide to start a country, I will not do so willy nilly. It would need to be done properly. I don’t like the idea of appointing someone to do everything for me while I’m nowhere to be found.

Though…there is a balance there that I like…I could have someone kind of like a mayor or a governor or something handle to day to day, while I am training or in a dungeon, or exploring or whatever it is I want to do…but I just need to make sure I am kept up to date, and there are contingences in place for certain decisions when I’m not there to make them. And when I am there, make sure to be hands on as much as possible. If I do this, it will be done right.

Which begs the question…who would I make this mayor person? Well, who else but Richard? Of course I can’t make him, and who knows if we’ll even get sent back together…

Hmm…alright I have my plan. If Richard is available and is willing to do this, then I’ll go ahead and start my own country. If Richard is not available, then I’ll just live my life accordingly. Although I would like to avoid causing problems everywhere I go, it won’t be too much of a problem to put someone in their place if they get too rowdy.

Now with that being said…whether I want to start a country, or I just want to be free, I will need strength. Strength to make sure I can protect this potentially country, or the strength to make sure I can walk freely anywhere I want without fear. I’ll be speeding up my development. I will reach Qi Refinement before the Tutorial is over, but the 9th Cycle is first. No more waiting. As long as my body can handle it, I will push until I reach it. All someone has to do is reach the 5th Cycle then they can attempt to reach the next realm. Which means in the time I’m spending to make it to the 9th Cycle, Qi Refinement realm cultivators could be popping up. Plus, there’s the added danger’s the Outpost Leader mentioned. He wouldn’t say that for no reason.

Alright…I know what I need to do…