Dave slept like the dead, he had the ability to remain awake indefinitely, he just didn't care enough about the world around him to bother. Lilly had found her way into his bed 5 seconds after Dave fell asleep as per usual. The saintess taking her first look at the world for the first time in over 700 years knew something was off, at the moment she could no more place it than the colors not seen since childhood. Sadly this was a result of Dave's advanced int. score working faster than what one could call a soul. This would not be the first nor last time his stats spoke for him rather than backing his decisions.
"We must keep him here, by any means necessary." while the line of a villain, the saintess fully aware of her 'sins' brought forth the most drastic proposal in the history of the sect. "Grant him full unrestricted access to everything from outer sect applicants to the deep master of origin's folio." this statement was akin to demanding the U.S. government admit to the JFK assassination in writing. "are you insane!" well ya that is the normal response. Still, the 4th elder was not in any position to ask such things. "Is this man so far above us we must live on our knees?" the sect master looked ready for war even if it meant the end of all things.
The warmth in her smile reached her golden eyes. "he is the shadow of the moon, he stands far above us all yet has no weight. If it were his will, shadow would end us all or hold us aloft upon the stars . . ." trying to both convey power and indifference akin to a god in a world without. "his mere presence shall be an immeasurable boon to the whole sect, maybe even the world." as her eyes of gold locked on every member assembled no room for question was left. "at your leave, what would you have of me?" the calming tone nearly enough to placate even the nut case 4th elder "welcome him with open arms, his mind is powerful and deep, but not sharp" Dave was hard to explain to anyone that had not met him. An idiot with a 10,000 IQ, wisdom of the ancients barely able to sus out the stupidity of communism, a toddler with the nuclear launch codes. "show him all you can and listen to all he speaks."
For the first time in months, Dave woke up first, setting Lilly aside yet looking at her [what am I to do with you] unsure whether he loved her as daughter, lover, or pet, not as if this current world had much distinction, only the stigma of now 3 lifetimes ago held him back. "what's wrong with me?" in a world where might make's right Dave was always right, yet could not leave ancient beliefs behind.
"Lilly is sorry, Master is awake before Lilly," 'SLEEP!" still not ready to deal with anything beyond superficial acknowledgment. "you still leave mystery even in free welcome." Dong greets him this morning, "I know not your faith nor will, the girl however is yours more so than the air you breathe." huff "I know."
"so what do we open to him first?" Mèng yáo did not even try to think with all that had transpired in the last few hours. "take him to the GRAND library, then the pill maker's hall." [effectively area 51 followed by Pentagon super soldier R'n'D'] The cacophony of expletives that followed summoned a true demon in a distant land unbeknownst to all. "shall we also offer our manhoods to this oh-so-amazing expert?" again the 4th elder pushing his luck. "if you hold the sect above all in your heart, yes." for the first time in 500 years the 4th elder was left speechless.
Dave was escorted to the 'grand library' he immediately checked his copy of [the Akashick records] "Well that's a little better at least" {information updated, conditions not met} now shown on every page. "you aren't gonna make this easy are you?" for a normal person the odds of a god even noticing you even in the most extreme event possible falls between 1 in a 100 million to 1 in a billion. for Dave, it was 1 in 1. "you are blessed so shall be all your disciples, is that not enough?" fuc....
Dave asked hundreds of questions, and Mèng yáo had great difficulty answering even the simple ones, "Wait so you're saying, divine Providence is only the first proposition of cultivation but not a defining characteristic in regards to the quantitative nor qualitative value of the end product?" by days end even the 4th elder understood why Dave stood so far above everyone, which he hated. 'equity' was in violation.
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"do those with sharp wit or deep recollection truly hold more worth than any of you? Do the already blessed truly need even more resources? Hum? My young disciples, you work diligently even tho you have been disadvantaged by your backgrounds. Is diversity, not its own strength? Should not resources be given to those in most need?" while he had the most direct disciples not even one could pass for average, he simply took anyone not from the empire. The 4th elder was a hairsbreadth away from execution, he was an idiot, he could however use the jade world palm strike. [get slapped by a galactic size palm] The sect's ultimate technique, rendered moot by Dave's simple 'stats'. "we must show the other elders why diversity matters by defeating this upstarts disciple!"
Lilly was given private tutoring by the 6th elder, 'the ice fairy' bèi yè. also known for her ice-type cultivation but famed for her figure. Where she was born on 'an earth' in modern times she would be unopposed as the world's most beautiful woman. Lilly found meditating in an ice-filled room boring, but she was happy that for the first time in he life, she could feel the cold without worrying about dying. "Lilly wants master, Lilly doesn't understand this!" bèi yè was as cold as her element "Your master has entrusted you to me, you will learn this to please him, yes?" Lilly pouted for a moment then tried again. She spent half the day drawing in the cold it was a slow process but Lilly got the hang of traditional cultivation techniques. Around lunch time Lilly told the fairy "Lilly has to eat now, master makes Lilly eat a lot." this was odd as most cultivators stopped eating altogether outside the occasional pill or fortuitous medicinal meal. "Lilly will share, master gave Lilly lots, Lilly knows being hungry is sad."
The two ate in the outer courtyard this meal was 'only' worth a billion or so. "oh, by the ancestors, I see why your master feeds you so." a full meal of 'elixirs' and monster meat worth years of meditation had brought bèi yè around on the idea of 'food' and more so on Dave as a whole. For the first time in a century, she smiled. "Child, you dare stand so boldly in the face of true inner disciples?" several of the 4th elder's students accosted Lilly. "you dare speak so in my presence?" the ice fairy chilled the group to the core. "can Lilly fight? Master taught Lilly, Lilly wants fun!" that was not a reasonable response, fighting amongst sect members was normal enough but for an outsider, it was a good way to get hurt. Before anyone could say anything Kel ra the oldest of the deciples took a swing and found himself with a broken arm on the ground gasping for air. The others scattered in less than 1 second. "Lilly didn't have fun, Lilly needs a challenge." that hurt Kel ra more than his beat down.
The 4th elder confronted Dave over Lilly's actions, while not the outcome he'd expected it was a good political move. he was desperate, in 300 years he had not produced a single master or even a sect champion he'd have been dismissed where it not for what was effectively 10year. as things stood the sect head and most of the elders disliked him deeply for his constant demand for more resources for his mediocre students. "your privileged student has injured my best, how shall you compensate?" Dave held the man at eye level with one arm his feet dangling feet off the ground.
"I've known morons like you in the past, you think just doling out extra resources will raise the mediocre to above average, idiots like you make everyone resent the others the outsiders. Have you for even one second considered them as individuals? as anything more than a goddamn check box?" Dave used his ability to see others' stats and looked over the disciples a full half had no hope of ever attaining immortality, many needed wholly different cultivation methods and all of them could benefit from simple integration. "you hold up diversity, equity, and inclusion as the end goal, without ever considering the path there nor the one beyond!" like any normal sane person Dave hated grandstanding and empty ideology. "those 3, give them to me I will show you how to raise minority from nothing, my Lilly is a flower that will bloom for all time, your best is but grass that will never hold a place in the sun because you don't believe in merit."
Kel ra, Kaelasa, and Ahiga were selected. "the sun shines upon the whole of the world, only a fool declares that the soil of origin decides what can grow and a greater fool thinks all need the same amount of water."
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