Chapter 22: Trials Of The Island

As Lester stepped onto the pristine white section of the room, the space felt unnervingly still. Felix stood on the opposite side, watching him with a focused expression, a remote control in hand.

“We shall begin the assessment,” Felix declared, pressing a series of buttons on the remote.

Lester tensed, positioning himself into a defensive stance. A shimmering layer of qi surrounded his body, faintly glowing as he readied himself for whatever was about to come. His heart thudded in his chest, not with fear, but with anticipation. This was the moment that would determine his initial standing as a cultivator.

Suddenly, the ceiling lit up, bathing the room in a blinding array of lights that darted across every surface. The soft rumbling underfoot signaled that the machinery had sprung to life. The stark white walls around him began to shift and morph. In a matter of moments, the room transformed into a dense, lush forest, the air filled with the fresh, earthy scent of foliage.

Lester blinked in astonishment. Even though he knew how far technology had advanced thanks to the alien tech from the crashed ship, seeing it firsthand in such an immersive way was surreal. He found himself in the middle of a hyper-realistic simulation. Leaves rustled in the wind, sunlight streamed through the branches, and the sounds of wildlife echoed around him. For a brief second, he couldn’t help but smile in awe.

His admiration was short-lived.

“Ahh oohhh!”

A guttural cry shattered the peaceful atmosphere. Lester whipped around to face the source of the sound. His eyes narrowed as he spotted a creature not far from him—a large monkey, nearly human-sized, with a peculiar mix of brown fur and striking blue stripes across its head. Its yellow eyes gleamed as it studied him, its body swaying slightly as though testing his reactions.

Lester took a breath, steeling himself. This was no time for distraction.

Swoosh!

The monkey lunged, moving faster than its size suggested, but Lester had anticipated the attack. He sidestepped the charge with practiced ease, his body moving fluidly. In the same motion, he summoned his qi tentacles—light blue, translucent tendrils that coiled around the monkey, restraining it with surprising ease.

“Not as tough as the binturong,” Lester thought, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

He jumped into the air, his body twisting mid-leap, and brought his foot down with force on the monkey’s chest. The creature released a final grunt as it hit the ground, dissolving into a wisp of light as it faded from existence.

Lester barely had time to enjoy his victory before he heard it again.

“Ahh oohhh!” “Ahh oohhh!”

Two more monkeys appeared, emerging from the thick underbrush. They stood side by side, their eyes locked onto Lester with predatory intent.

“Two now, huh?” Lester muttered, his mind racing. It made sense that the system would test him with increasingly difficult challenges. It wasn’t just about defeating an enemy—it was about gauging his limits.

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Lester’s expression hardened as he got into position again, eyes flicking between the two creatures. They charged together, their movements synchronized in their attack. One came from the left, the other from the right, their claws aimed at his chest.

Lester swiftly released his tentacles, wrapping them around the nearest monkey, pulling it off course and tossing it aside. He barely had time to dissolve the tentacles before dodging the second monkey’s swipe, his body moving with reflexive precision.

With a flick of his hand, Lester re-summoned the tentacles, slashing at the first monkey. The creature’s body dissolved like its predecessor. A quick sidestep, a sharp motion—he slashed the remaining monkey with another strike of his qi, and it too vanished.

He barely caught his breath when a low growl reverberated through the air.

Bang!

The ground shook as a much larger figure entered the simulation. A towering gorilla-like monster stomped toward him, its muscular body rippling with blue and black stripes across its limbs. Its crimson eyes locked onto Lester with deadly intent.

Lester’s heart pounded. This was no simple beast. It exuded power, and its presence filled the air with danger.

The gorilla lunged, swinging a massive fist toward Lester’s head. He barely dodged in time, the sheer force of the punch causing the air to ripple. But this wasn’t like the sluggish monkeys. The gorilla was fast—too fast. It followed its first attack with a brutal hook, catching Lester completely off guard.

Bang!

The blow connected with Lester’s ribs, sending him flying backward. Pain flared up his side, but thanks to his protective qi layer, the damage wasn’t as severe as it could have been. Still, it hurt. A lot.

Before the gorilla could press its advantage, the room suddenly flickered, and the forest faded away. The hologram deactivated, leaving Lester lying on the smooth white floor, panting but alive.

“Wow... that was powerful,” Lester muttered as he pushed himself to his feet, his mind racing with determination. He was far from satisfied. The gorilla had pushed him to his limit, but the encounter had only fueled his desire to improve.

Felix’s voice echoed from the side. “Not bad for your first time. The system will now calculate your ranking based on your performance.” He pressed another button on the remote, and a soft hum filled the room. “You’ve shown you can defend yourself, so congratulations—you’re officially eligible to become a partner of Cultivation Island.”

Lester stood straight, listening intently as Felix explained further.

“As a partner, you’ll have access to a variety of privileges. Residency on the island, which offers some of the best facilities for training, health care, missions, and even trading rare items. Trust me, the living quarters here are top-tier.”

Felix handed Lester a booklet, which contained more detailed information. “The first two months are free, and after that, you can either pay with contribution points or complete two missions per month. And just so you know, if you had managed to defeat that gorilla, we’d be having a different conversation—you’d be a prime candidate for the patrol or discipline teams.”

Lester nodded, absorbing the information as Felix walked over to a glowing compartment in the wall. With a smile, Felix pulled out a small, circular badge.

“Here it is! Your official Cultivator badge,” Felix said, handing it to Lester. The badge was beautifully crafted, with the Earth’s colors swirled around the edges, and in the center was the name Lester had chosen—Black Seed. Beneath the name, a number was inscribed: 1422.

Felix smiled. “Ranking 1422 out of tens of thousands of cultivators. That’s a solid start. Some people can barely get past the first monkey. You reaching the gorilla is impressive.”

Lester felt a surge of pride but tempered it with the knowledge that he could do better. Much better.

“There are a few required courses before you can take on missions,” Felix added. “It’s mostly orientation to get you used to the tech we use here. The details are all in your booklet.”

Lester took the badge, communicator, and booklet, feeling a sense of achievement swell within him. He wasn’t at the top yet, but he had made the first real step toward his goal. The path ahead was long, but his ambition was growing. He had tasted what it meant to be a cultivator, and now, he was determined to see just how far he could go.

With a final nod, Lester left the room, eager to see how Patrick's trial went.