by Pegaz
The two waited in anticipation for the impurities to surface. The older woman was waiting to see John shocked face. All the newcomers had the same look of utter surprise on their faces upon seeing what their bodies produced, and she was prepared to console him. However, after a few minutes, it was Amanda’s face that was shocked.
“This is not right,” she muttered. “Why are there no impurities coming out of your body? No matter how slow or sparse the Life Power is when you first absorb it, impurities will be filtered out.”
John guessed that his body must have very little or no impurities at all.
“Let me check your body.” With a nod of approval from John, Amanda put her hand onto John’s shoulder and then closed her eyes. John could feel the Life Power entering his body from her hand, but it was in her complete control this time.
A few minutes later, the Life Power returned to her hand. Amanda’s hands returned to her side, and she narrowed her eyes at John.
“This is impossible. You have NO impurities whatsoever!” Her voice was steady, but her hands shook ever so slightly. “Your Life Power is unhindered and is travelling roughly twenty times faster than anyone I’ve ever introduced down this path. How did you live? Did you not eat or drink at all?”
How was John supposed to explain? He felt a trickle of sweat slide down his temples. If she found out about the System, she’d want to dissect him!
“I ate very little,” John spoke very carefully. “I made sure it was cooked and only ate the basics for survival. I never indulged myself.”
That was the only excuse he could think of, but he could tell by her expression that Amanda wasn’t buying it.
John sighed.
“Do you know what Siders are?”
That’s when it clicked.
“So you’re a Sider.” Amanda’s gaze softened. “That would explain things. The last Sider to come here was over thirty thousand years ago. Since then, there have been Siders in the other villages, but not here.”
“Other villages?” John was plunged into a pool of confusion at that part. After so many months of working and living here, he’d never heard anything about any other villages.
“In the immortals’ area, there are four villages at the bottom of four mountains,” Amanda explained. “These villages face directly north, east, south and west of the Capitals. Once a person has reached any of these villages, like you have, they’ll be able to become an immortal. They will then be teleported to the immortals’ sect in the centre.”
John nodded, trying to piece it all together. With a frown, he was struck by a sudden thought.
“What happens if people stray from the path? When if they went slightly east when they should have gone south?”
“They either get killed in one way or another, or they are sent back.”
John went pale. On his way to this village, he’d made a few spur-of-the-moment decisions as far as direction goes. How close had he been to not making it here?
“Since you are now officially one of us, I should reintroduce myself,” Amanda changed the subject with a warm but firm smile. “My position is Outer Elder, and my full name is Amanda Burch. I am on the 5th Level of Creation Stage on the road to immortality. As an Outer Sect Elder, I only have information on the first four stages. Each stage has nine levels, and every three levels is a small stage.”
Amanda went on to explain the stages:
1. Starting Stage. The stage where you’ll learn how to absorb Life Power from the earth and learn how to purify it too.
2. Life Stage. The stage where you’ll learn how to create Life Systems all over your body so Life Power can be used to attack or defend.
3. Shrink Stage. The stage where you’ll learn how to compact the brain cells.
4. Creation Stage. The stage where you’ll learn how to create more brain cells.
“You can only learn these inside the main sect,” she concluded, placing a hand on John’s shoulder. “As an Outer Sect Elder, I formally invite you to join the only immortals’ sect in this world: The Rogue Sect.”
Chapter 2
Getting Started
The only immortals’ sect in this world? Does that mean there are other worlds?
John smiled, “Of course, I’ll join. I’d be foolish not to.”
“Great, then I’ll give you this badge as proof that you’ve joined the sect.” Amanda reached into her robes and retrieved a small bundle. “You’ll need to use the greater teleportation rune at the back of the village. That will teleport you to the main sect, and from there, you’ll need to register yourself as a sect member with this badge.” She unwrapped the bundle and placed the badge into John’s hand.
The badge was only two inches big but somehow felt heavy. It was round and felt cool against the skin of John’s palms. Flipping it around, both sides were all black with a green R in the middle and a sword through the letter.
“Most people in the sect are friendly, but they also compete with each other for resources. Before you get a solid footing in the sect, just be careful of everyone.”
John nodded, and then tilted his head. “I don’t have to go to the sect straight away, do I? I... need to kill one monster for, ah... a thing... I’ll be back in a few hours at the most. Then, I’ll leave for the sect first thing in the morning. Is that okay?”
Amanda found John’s wording a little strange but found no wrong in his request.
With the elder’s blessing, John ran straight north, heading for the closest red dot on his map. He soon encountered his target and killed it quickly—the creature was no match for his prowess. To his disappointment, however, nothing happened. There was no Life Pool added, no time... nothing!
Depressed, he headed back to the village, arriving in time for nightfall. He decided to head home and rest.
Amanda was sitting at a desk in her house at the back of the village, scribbling intensely onto a piece of parchment. She was writing a letter.
Sect Master,
Please forgive me for my rudeness, but I feel that this is of the utmost importance.
The person bearing this letter is named John. He is joining the sect and is a Sider who has achieved peak body condition. I have tested his Life Power system, and he has roughly twenty times the speed of ordinary people in the Starting Stage. He has no impurities in his body whatsoever—he was made to be an immortal.
I understand that the last Sider from the North Kingdom almost annihilated the sect, but this Sider can be different. It is with utmost confidence that I say he can be roped into joining our side.
Therefore, I beseech sect master to treat him well. Nurture him and the sect will have a bountiful harvest in the future.
Outer Sect Elder,
Amanda Burch
Amanda sealed the letter and put a rune on it. Only the person supposed to receive the message would be able to open it.
In the morning, Amanda gave the letter to John. She instructed him to give it to the Sect Master personally, that no one else was allowed to have it no matter what. John agreed.
Amanda led John to the back of the village where she opened up a hidden passage inside the mountain. The two walked in, John’s eyes darting around excitedly. The inside of the mountain was dark and cold. In the distance, a dim light appeared as they walked.
As John’s eyes adjusted, they entered a small circular room. The source of the light was hanging from the ceiling of the room, illuminating the bare walls. On the floor, John spotted a glowing rune, which he assumed to be the teleportation rune.
“Do you know how these things work?” Amanda turned around to John.
“No.” John shook his head.
“The greater teleportation rune needs to be set up in pairs, one on the receiving end and the other on the departure end. If you fail to pair them up, you could be transported to anywhere in the world at a completely random location,” Amanda explained. “The paired rune to this is inside a small house outside the sect where you’ll meet another Elder of
the sect. They will help you register. Once you’ve registered, ask to see the sect master.”
John nodded in understanding. “Thank you for everything then.”
Amanda smiled back at him, eyes twinkling in the dim light. “No problem,” she said. “Just concentrate on getting stronger! When the time comes, you can always come back to return the favour.”
John then walked onto the rune on the floor and waited.
Amanda crouched down and touched the rune. She infused Life Power into it, which wasn’t required, but made the journey more stable and comfortable.
Without a sound, John disappeared from the room.
Amanda stood back up. If he remains on our side and grows up properly, it might be possible to enter a new era in which the Rogue Sect will be much more powerful. More resources and more protection for our world.
John felt like he was on a roller coaster that went from 0 to 500 MPH in a split-second. His breath caught in his throat and he choked, unable to scream or even breathe.
Then, just as sudden as it began, the ride came to an immediate halt. Vision bleary, John collapsed onto the floor. His head was spinning, and his stomach was doing loops. It took everything he had not to be sick.
“Oh, a rookie from North village. It’s been a while since we got one of those. Still makes me smile seeing a new guy suffer from the transfer…. Don’t worry though. It’ll pass in a minute or so, and you get used to the travel too.”
John couldn’t see very well because of the tears in his eyes, but he heard the voice very clearly.
It’s got to be a bored elder who likes seeing other people suffer.
A few seconds later.
‘Ding!’
Disorientation removed.
Senses clear, John stood up steadily. He took in deep breaths.
“Oh? You got used to that fast,” said the voice that came from behind him. “You’ve got the potential, brat.”
“Thanks,” John smiled and turned toward the voice. “This is the Rogue Sect, right?” Behind him was a man sitting in a chair. He was older, maybe in his sixties, with dark and messy hair. His eyes were a sombre brown, and his eyebrows and beard were scraggly and thick, but not in an unkempt way. Judging from his arms and torso, the man was slimly built.
“Yup.” The elder quirked an eyebrow and reached his hand out to John, extending his palm. “You got something for me?”
Caught a little off guard, John’s mind raced. What could he possibly… Oh, right! The badge!
“Yup, this is it.” John placed the badge into the man’s outstretched hands and the elder chuckled. “You need to take this and go to the administrative office south of here.” The man gave the badge back.
“Thank you, elder...?”
“Just call me Brian, I hate formal stuff.”
“Okay, Brian it is then,” John grinned. He liked this guy’s style. “Thanks for the info! I’ll see you later.”
“Bye.” Brian waved him away and carried on with what he was doing.
The door creaked open and John walked out of the building. All around him there were pathways made of bricks with signs in the middle of the crossroads. There were plants, grass, and small animals running about everywhere. However, to John’s curiosity, there were no people to be seen.
John walked away from the house that he came from and went to the nearest sign.
North: North Village Teleport Rune
South: Administrative Building.
He kept walking south.
Eventually, he came to a wooden building that was three storeys tall. It had windows wrapping around the visible portion of the house, though they were shaded and too opaque to see through. The entrance was a big wooden door and on it was a sign that reads, “Administrative Building”.
John walked up to the building and knocked on the door. He heard a “Come in,” from inside, so he pushed the door handle down and opened the door.
Inside were six people sitting at desks, writing viciously on parchments. Stacks of files sat on each of the desks, giving the appearance of a busy work environment. Just in front of him, there was a small desk with a man sitting on the other side, writing on a parchment too.
He walked up and stood there, waiting for the man to finish. A few minutes of awkward silence passed, and John decided to clear his throat. At the sound, the man placed his document into a pile on his left and looked up. “What can I do for you?”
John smiled. “Hello, I’ve just come from North Village and need to register as a disciple of Rogue Sect.”
“Badge?”
“Here.” John passed the badge to him.
“North Village, huh? We’re getting fewer and fewer people from the North Kingdom. What’s the situation over there?”
“Well, I wasn’t part of the upper class or anything, so I can only tell you what I know. The West Kingdom declared war against the North Kingdom, but lost and retreated.”
The man’s eyebrow raised and John shuffled his feet, continuing with what he knew.
“There was a machine invented and field tested to lure beasts so that the people can exterminate them. I did see the king once, and he looked healthy. Other than that, it’s just the usual. The people kill for survival.”
The man nodded. “Wonder what the reason is then. Are the candidates getting weaker, or the monsters getting stronger?”
“No idea.” John shrugged. “Though there was no information about the village so maybe people aren’t headed south as I did. Outer Elder Amanda explained that they would die or return because of that.”
“Could be,” the man said. “And if that is the case, then they’re not fated to be an immortal. Okay, let’s start your registration. Name?”
For a few minutes, John answered all the personal questions, though the issue of being a Sider didn’t come up.
“Okay, registration complete. You need to go upstairs and pick up your disciple robes. Here’s the form.”
“Thank you.” John accepted the form and looked the man in the eye. “I do have one question though. I have a letter from Amanda to the Sect Head, and she told me I must hand the letter over to him in person because it’s of the utmost importance. Will I be able to see the Sect Head?”
This question shocked the man.
Chapter 3
Sect Head
A few seconds passed before the man came out of his shock, shaking his head. “I can send the request up the chain of command, but whether you can see him or not, I’m unsure. Is the letter significant? If a new disciple that hasn’t even registered yet is the one delivering it, it can’t be that important... right?”
“No idea.” John shrugged. “Outer Elder Amanda just told me that it’s important and for the Sect Head’s eyes only.”
“Alright, I’ll send word up,” the man said with a sigh. “Go get your robes and then someone will show you to your new living quarters.”
“Thank you.” John looked around for the stairs and went up to the second floor with the form in-hand.
John was soon in possession of his new robes. They were black with silver edges, just like his gloves and mask. What is it with the black and silver colours in this world? He checked the robe with Analyser Eye and noted them to be Mythical class too.
John changed into the Daoist robe. It tied together at the front, coming down to his knees. The sleeves were long though, John was tempted to remove them. He’d have to ask permission to do that.
Dressed and prepared, he walked back down to the first floor.
“We’ve received a reply,” the desk man said. “The Sect Head will see you. He can’t be kept waiting, so go up to see him first. We’ll see to your living quarters after.”
John was stunned at how quickly he’d gotten the go-ahead. “Which way do I go then?”
“If you walk it from here, it will take you weeks to arrive. You’re going through the greater teleportation rune at the back.” The man pointed towards a door at the back of the room.
; John went pale at the thought of the teleportation rune, but it was a necessary evil.
He walked into the room, saw the only rune on the floor, and stepped on it.
Because there was no one inserting Life Power into it, the ride was ten times worse than before. John could feel his organs shift and his stomach lurched. He wondered how people survived these trips.
When he arrived at the other end, he collapsed face down. Although the system removed his disorientation, he was still heavily affected by the journey. After a moment of rest, he slowly brought himself to his feet and took in his surroundings.
It was a small, plain room almost identical to the one on the other end, made entirely of wood. John shook off his reservations and opened the nearby door.
What he saw shocked him. It was a massive hall with pillars reaching a hundred feet into the air. They were made out of white marble, and they seemed to go on forever in both directions. He looked up and saw stained glass windows in all sorts of different designs, a window in between every pillar.
The ceiling, too, was made of marble but was decorated by ornate paintings, not one inch plainly coloured. Before each pillar, there were statues and items such as vases, swords and armours on display.
“Done looking?” The voice interrupted the serene silence and scared the shit out of John. It came from nowhere! John glanced around and saw no one.
“Turn to your left and walk to the end,” the voice sounded again.
John did as told, but his eyes were torn between absorbing the scenery and searching for the speaker. As he walked, his gaze drifted back to the many displays. Back on Earth, he’d been in a museum once, sure—but this place felt completely different.
He eventually came to the end of the corridor. In front of him was a green garden in a circular shape, and in the middle was an old man sitting on a throne. The old man had brown hair, blue eyes, and a white beard that went down to his stomach. On the old man’s left side was a table with a few drinks and snacks on it. John couldn’t help but guess at the identity of this man.