The next several days passed the same as the previous few, with the only change being that Alex now had an easier time staying up into the late hours of the night, even with his exhausted body. The new [Sleep Resistance] passive allowed his mind to continue functioning through his fatigue. Though he noticed it didn’t actually reduce the amount of sleep that his body needed and his tired brain wanted, it just allowed him to function on less of it.
15 more days until we break out of this place.
Alex pulled up his Status Window and checked his progress. While his level and stats hadn’t moved, he felt like his progress over the last two weeks of being trained by the Celestial Lotus Sect’s Martial Masters was night and day. He had a newfound confidence in himself and his capabilities that he’d never had before.
After Eura’s explanation the previous day, Alex couldn’t help but let his eyes linger on his trait and think that he might really have a promising future in this new world and just how wrong he’d been in those early days to think that his trait was bad.
As long as we make it out of this nonsense alive…
Status
Name: Alex Moore - Level 24
Class: Ritualist (Novice)
HP: 530/530
MP: 520/520
Traits: (1/3)
{Primordial Will}
Titles: < Unbound >
Pathfinder
Unbound
One Against Many
Control Freak
Physical Stats:
Strength: 24
Agility: 39
Constitution: 53
Vitality: 26
Magical Stats:
Intellect: 40
Willpower: 318
Mana: 26 + 26
Wisdom: 68
Bond Skills:
[Mana Siphon] (Novice - Level 13)
Primary Stat Shared - Mana
Active Skills:
[Mana Thread] (Novice - Level 13)
[Mana Infusion] (Novice - Level 14)
[Feather Step] (Novice - Level 5)
[Ritual Insight] (Novice - Level 15)
[Mirage] (Journeyman - Level 6)
Passive Skills:
[Efficient Rites] (Tier I)
[Sleep Resistance] (Tier I)
Bound Items:
Unique E Rank Growth Item - Heavenly Eye of the Celestial Sage
Alex knew he was just trying to distract himself.
He was in a different environment that morning compared to the previous two weeks. Rather than Eura’s offices, which were largely private, he stood in one of the lotus petals of the main training field. He wore his robes and the sandals provided to him, and his jian was loosely strapped to his back.
I should probably be more nervous, all things considered…
He dismissed his Status Window and looked around the outer ring of the petal. Groups of people had gathered and more who were passing stopped to ask what was happening.
I hope Eura knows what he’s doing.
In the last two days, the Council had hounded Eura publicly and privately to allow a sparring match to occur between Alex and one of the other disciples. Eura had remained silent at first. But to Alex’s surprise, as the council began to make more and more of a fuss, he seemed to become more pleased rather than more frustrated. After the tension built, Eura put on his public persona and addressed the council in a way that made it appear that he was caving into their demands.
There was a deeper game, and Alex was frustrated that he was being pulled into the middle of it. While he was sure that the council didn’t like him, it was even more clear that he was not their target. Eura was.
Alex scratched his forehead, feeling slightly bored. While he felt some anxiety, he realized quickly that it wasn’t because of the upcoming spar or the potential loss; he was just uncomfortable with this many people looking at him.
Before the fight, Eura had told Alex to agree to whatever terms were set for the spar. Alex had raised an eyebrow but just nodded. Since it was a spar, his life shouldn’t be in danger. They would be using practice weapons that were enchanted to feel the exact same as a counterpart blade. Alex clenched his fist around the hilt of the wooden sword as he waited.
After some time, a disciple walked up to the sandy area and bowed to Alex. Alex recognized the man as the Elder Brother who had come to him during his time in the cell. He was unsure if he should be frustrated that they clearly picked someone with a lot more experience in fighting than him or elated that he’d been given a chance at some revenge.
The fact that they picked him can’t be a coincidence, right?
From behind the disciple, the same portly council member called out. Even though he was acting like he was talking to Alex, it was obvious he wanted the entire crowd to hear what he had to say. “This is a spar between a disciple and an outsider. A mock battle between warriors, you may not use your filthy beast.”
Alex felt some heat rise in his chest. Not at the fact that it was a dirty tactic to prevent Alex from using a big part of his personal combat kit, but that the man would insinuate Valtherion was just a beast on a leash and not a bond.
Through an effort of will, Alex pushed down his rage at the silly politics and called Val out of his robe. He heard some people begin whispering as the blue mana wyrm rose in the air in a spiral. At Alex’s instruction, Valtherion flew over to Sam, who was seated on the ground near Master Shen.
Sam smiled as wyrm flew around him and settled on his shoulders, though he quickly blushed as everyone’s eyes watching Val suddenly stared at him.
A few more pleasantries, insults, and conditions were set, and as the time to fight drew closer, Alex could feel his pulse begin to quicken. He watched the other man’s posture and where he distributed his weight as he paced. The Heavenly Eye did little to reveal new information to Alex other than the disciple’s name and most used ability, which was [Qi Cycling].
This was unsurprising; as by now, Alex had realized that most sect warriors had this as their most used skill since it was something that they began practicing at an early age for many hours each week.
As the sparring match started, Alex fell into the Lotus Roots position. He allowed his mind to concentrate completely on the fight in front of him and to tune out the distractions of the crowd. His eyes followed every movement of his opponent, and he waited patiently. As soon as the man stepped forward, Alex transitioned into Flowing Water and shifted his weight to the side for the third Eight Petal Step.
He’s going to use a movement skill, I’ll use Willow Branch Sways.
As Alex moved to the right, the other disciple launched forward with a movement technique that was common in the sect. His sword was extended toward Alex’s face. There was a split second where Alex’s body wanted to freeze up; seeing another sword travel toward his face frightened him at a fundamental level and caused him to remember the Shadow Serpent Sects member’s sword.
Just before the sword came into contact, Alex activated [Mirage] and swayed to the left, narrowly avoiding the wooden sparring sword. To his opponent, it would appear that he was going to strike Alex until the very moment that the blade passed through the illusion with no resistance. At that moment, Alex stuck out his foot, causing the other man to stumble and follow along with his own momentum.
As he passed, Alex tapped the back of his head with the flat of his sword.
Okay, maybe it was a bit harder than a tap…
Alex didn’t allow himself to lose focus as he knew that he needed two contacts to win the spar. However, when he saw the anger on the other man’s face, he knew how the rest of the fight would go and that it would end quickly.
Before the Elder Brother could finish gaining his balance, Alex used a [Mana Thread] to begin forming a foot-wide ritual several feet behind himself. He waited patiently for the other man to straighten back up and assume a fighting position, as was customary.
He knew from the start that the elder brother was more skilled than he was, and the easiest path to victory lay in continuing to fight as he had for the last several weeks. By capitalizing on a more confident opponents sense of superiority which he noticed was blown even further out of proportion by the way that the sect warriors behaved. When they were both set, Alex pretended to note the anger in the man’s face and changed his own look to one of panic or fear.
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Immediately, Alex looked over his shoulder and activated [Feather Step] and jumped back to the far side of the sandpit. He held the jian at a slightly odd angle, intentionally letting it fall out of its normal position.
The Elder Brother, in his confidence and anger, took the bait. He smiled and, to his credit, did not use another movement ability to close the gap. Instead, he moved forward with perfect form, using a style that Alex hadn’t learned. Watching him move, Alex was impressed by his use of the form, there were no openings he could see to strike or counter. But Alex wasn’t looking for an opening that existed. He had been planning to make his own.
And…there!
Alex turned his body to the side, right shoulder leading forward. His right hand, holding the sword, came up to his cheek, and he pointed the blade forward at eye level, passing his shoulder and leading his body. He bent his legs and activated [Feather Step] again, stopping the movement a few feet in front of his own ritual.
At the same moment, he sent a pulse of mana through the thread he’d been holding on to, allowing it to activate the small version of the Binding Ritual. This particular ritual was special in that the only material Alex needed to use as a Catalyst were additional [Mana Threads]. While the binding wasn’t nearly as strong as if he used a rope in a Binding Ritual, it did work as a physical manifestation of the thread, slowing movement within as if held back by spider webs. He’d used the long cooldown of [Ritual Insight] to better understand how to progress the ritual.
The results were astonishing. The System responded to his desire to progress the ritual, specifically how to achieve it with fewer materials. Information flooded his mind as he realized that Catalysts, while essential for rituals, represented a universal essence of their being rather than mere physical forms.
Alex had to admit, even after three hours of explanation from Eura, it all felt too esoteric for him to fully grasp. He could repeat the information he’d absorbed thanks to the System, but any kind of true understanding eluded him.
By the end of Eura’s detailed discussion, Alex resolved to explore the distinctions between Catalysts and Reagents. Eura had clarified that they were fundamentally different; but most modern practitioners found it easier to use Reagents where Catalysts were intended, as it required less intricate knowledge and coordination of mana flows in rituals.
A fragment of insight lingered at the back of Alex’s mind: rituals, in their truest form, weren’t supposed to consume physical materials at all. Yet, due to the training material he had available, he had learned to treat Reagents as a shortcut rather than appreciate how Catalysts should ideally function. He felt a growing desire to find something or a method that could better represent the concepts that were originally intended for the catalyst nodes.
What mattered most in that moment to Alex was that the ritual worked perfectly in the fight. It caused the Elder Brother’s lead foot to halt for a mere moment. Thanks to Alex’s timing, this was the exact moment he would need to center his weight and prepare to receive the incoming blow. Unable to plant his feet firmly or reposition how he should, Alex’s sparring sword connected with a resounding crack as he stepped forward and stabbed it into the other man’s sternum with as much force as his momentum would allow.
Alex released a grin as he heard the sound, confident that the other man’s sternum was at least cracked.
Serves you right, dick head.
Alex had nightmares about the beating that had followed the Elder Brother’s visit. There had been a special kind of frustration and helplessness that followed him, thinking that he had finally gotten someone to listen to him and verify his story, only to have that person order his beating. Worse yet, the reasoning behind the order was simply because he didn’t like the way that Alex looked at him.
Part of Alex wanted to let out more of the frustration and lay into the sprawled-out man. But, he felt that just as the Council was playing a bigger game, so was Eura.
He forced himself to step away from the man as he allowed his focus to return to all of his surroundings.
The scene that played out seemed like it was directly out of a television drama. Rather than take the loss in any form of grace, the Council member began to spout excuses and insults toward Alex and a few less-than-subtle jabs at Eura’s decision-making.
This seemed to be the moment that Eura was waiting for. The celestial sect leader stood, and it felt as if a blanket of tension spread out over everyone gathered, causing them to fall quiet.
Is he doing that? What is this feeling?
It reminded Alex of the first moments that they’d met in the cavern beneath the dark side of the Rift. The celestial man’s presence seemed to fill the area, almost making it harder to breathe.
Eura stepped forward, mirroring the Council Elder’s earlier stance. Just as the other had done, he addressed the man while speaking to the crowd. “The Council demanded this spar to validate my use of training resources and to see if the Honored Guest is on the way to joining an expedition with our sect warriors,” he declared. “Yet, in the face of irrefutable proof that our guest has triumphed two to zero, you instead seize the opportunity to question my leadership?”
The portly Council member opened his mouth to protest, but Eura held up his hand and continued. He could be clearly heard over the murmuring of the onlookers. “I’d like to ask, are you issuing a personal challenge? Because if so, I assure you, I am more than prepared to defend my honor.”
The man’s already pale complexion drained noticeably. He shook his head fervently while raising his hands.
Eura took a visible and measured breath, letting the moment between them drag out. “Let me be clear. The Council does not dictate martial matters. Your purpose has always been to manage logistics and supplies for the sect, and it will remain that way unless you continue to push me or attempt to call me authority into question.”
Nobody dared to speak as Eura delivered his final words and made his stance clear in front of the entire gathered crowd. The Council’s illusion of continued authority cracked under the public declaration, and Alex could even see many in the crowd nodding in approval at the entire situation.
He could hear quiet whispers of things like, “…back to how things should be,” or “The true leader of the sect…”
Without waiting for further dramatics, Eura left with his head held high and a clear statement made in front of a large audience: The sect leader is back, and he’s in charge, not the Council.
Alex left with Sam and Valtherion, heading back to the Sect Head’s offices to continue with their daily training. As they walked, he was surprised to see Sam extending a mana tendril, initiating a conversation on his own. Alex connected with a [Mana Thread] to hear the boy’s thoughts.
“That was a good fight. The ritual worked well.”
Alex smiled down at Sam.
Thanks, buddy. Yeah, it felt good to teach that guy a lesson. Did you know he was one of the ones who beat me while I was tied up when I first came to Tianluo?
Sam’s eyes went wide in response, and he shook his head.
Yeah, anyway… could you feel it when I started to use the ritual?
Sam nodded with a sly smile.
Cheeky kid. Your sensitivity is getting better. What’s the level up to now?
There was a pause, and Sam shared the window with him rather than responding.
Alex squinted at it and nodded. The skill had grown a lot in the last two weeks. Since Sam’s captor had no knowledge of skills or the System, he had only forced Sam to use his healing ability over and over rather than finding out if the boy knew any other skills.
Hey, I’ve been avoiding this a lot, but things are going to change a lot when we go back home… I’d be very careful about who you show your Status Window to, okay? I don’t think people out there share that sort of thing, and with your healing ability, I think there are a lot of people who would want to recruit you.
While he didn’t say it outright, Alex knew that some people might take it even further than that. If they believed that Sam could cure diseases or save soldiers from battles, who knew what lengths people might go to?
Sam nodded somberly and walked a bit closer to Alex. They walked with the connection for some time, though neither spoke. Instead, Alex just sent through reassuring feelings of confidence and contentment.
They spent a few hours in Eura’s office talking about the fight in greater detail. Alex was pleased with the positive feedback he received and had expected more criticism about the moment he’d frozen up. To a Martial Master, something like that was very noticeable. When Alex mentioned the reasoning behind it, all three of the mentors just nodded after sharing a glance.
Eura explained that those kinds of wounds were normal in any seasoned fighter. Wounds were inevitable and healing from them often went deeper than just the physical healing.
Thanks to modern medicine, Alex likely knew more about psychological damage than they did. If he took into account the second-hand knowledge he had from hanging out with Sarah during her college studies, he was above even more people on Earth in terms of general understanding, even if he was far from an actual expert on the subject.
Alex sighed.
Knowing about it isn’t the same as using it or making sure I can heal from it. I really hope Sarah is willing to chat or point me to someone I can talk to…
While he knew she would be there for him in an emergency, there were also some professional lines he didn’t think they should cross. If- when he was ready to seek some professional help about the Rift experience, he’d need to do it with someone who was not one of his best friends.
Their conversation was interrupted as a knock came through the wooden sliding door frame. When Alex went to the door, there was a note pinned to the softwood; he removed it and walked it over to Eura.
The sect head just sighed and shook his head.
“Rather than be humbled, it seems that the event from this afternoon has only made the Council more petty than ever,” Eura said as he passed the note to Master Shen.
After the note made it’s rounds, the three discussed the implications and sent Alex and Sam back to their small house. The paper was a notice of asset requisition and supply allocation. The Council had taken Eura’s lecture literally and realized that while they could not make martial changes within the sect, they had the ability to divide resources as they saw fit.
In Alex’s particular case, that just meant fewer magical supplements for training.
“Ugh, that’s going to make staying up and keeping this sort of training pace almost impossible. Even with [Sleep Resistance], I don’t think I’ll be able to stay up without those Stamina potions.”
For Valtherion, this meant that he would no longer be receiving the promised Mana Stones from the sect’s treasury.
Back to burning through our personal funds, I guess. Val!
“Yes, Alex?” his companion responded in an oddly clear and well dictated voice. It almost reminded him of one of the AI home devices from the modern world.
Gah, stop that. Use your normal voice. I’ve got bad news… You’re going on a diet, bud. Sorry.
“Diet?” Val asked, saying the new word slowly.
It means less mana for now.
“Noooo!”
His companion, who had been flying above and in front of the two humans, dropped to the ground like a rock. It reminded Alex of seeing a bird go limp and fall through the air mid-flight.
Sam, who hadn’t been privy to their conversation, called out in alarm and ran to check on the mana wyrm.
Alex just rolled his eyes and covered his face with his hands.
So dramatic…