Chapter 5: Planning for the future?
For a few seconds, I thought that Saber existed in this world and that I was gonna take a direct hit from her Noble Phantasm, but when my eyes finally regained sight I realized that in front of me was handsome guy A from this morning. It seems like he was my attacker or rather I happened to walk in front of him while he was training. That sword was only a few inches away from my face, he didn't seem to care that he almost split someone in two and was excited that he finally made some progress in his training.
"I just knew I was one of the select few people chosen to practice this. All those people who doubted me will forever live in the shadows of my light! Once I've fully completed the sword training from this manual will there be anyone who can stop my sword!?" He shouted as such he immediately got back into his training.
I really should break my habit of not paying attention to my surroundings. I've only been here a few hours and almost got my self killed by someone training out in the open. Also, I must find a place that sells sunglasses. Otherwise bright lights are gonna be the death of me.
The layout of this town is rather interesting, from the north gate to the south gate is pretty much one long road. All sorts of shops, inns, bars, and a marketplace are arranged on this road. The adventurers guild is pretty much the center of this town. A bunch of roads branch off from this main road and lead to different areas of the town. Weirdly enough it seems that homeowners can pretty much set their house where every they have a land deed. Near the south gate, there's a forested area that the townsmen use as their own park-like area, complete with a waterfall. Finding this place made me happy. I decided to raise my affinities here and It seems I'm not the only one with the idea. I can even see a few couples hanging around the place.
Pushing away my own bitterness I found a nice place near the waterfall, under the shade of a tree. Resting against the tree I close my eyes and try to relax focusing my attention on the sounds of the waterfall. As time passed the sound of the waterfall fades from my head and is replaced with a world of colorful little specks. I notice a lot of these specks are mainly brown, sandy, blue, green, a small amount of gold and an even smaller amount of orange.
I feel much more comfortable with the brown and blue specks. I'm sure these are my affinity for wood and water. I focus on the blue specks, not trying to draw them to me. I try to make them move from one place to another. Try as I might other than drawing them near me I can't move them otherwise. So instead I just focus on one speckle. forgetting about the rest of the speckles, I only had eyes on this one alone. I didn't try to move it I just allowed my mind to follow it. After a long period of time, I feel familiar with that speckle. As if even if it was in a crowd of speckles I could still find it. As I unfocused from the speckle it becomes buried in a bunch of other blue speckles but like I thought I can still feel it a little if I focus a bit. Not sure how much time has passed I decided to do the same with a brown speckle. Just like the blue one after a while, I feel familiar with it and can find it in a crowd of speckles. Finding both speckles again I pull each one towards me. Still not trying to draw them into me I focus on the blue speckle once again. Instead of forcing it to move I put all my focus onto it and as if trying to speak with it I ask it to drift to the side. Nothing happened so I continue to push my mind focusing on the familiarity I have with it. Trying to deepen the feeling.
After feeling a lot more familiar with the speckle I did the same for the other one too. After a long while, I finally open my eyes. Noticing that the sun was starting to set, I try to make the two speckles follow me and it was pretty easy since drawing the speckles towards the body was very easy. Since I wasn't trying to absorb them I would softly pull them with me. After some testing, I got the right amount of force. Although I couldn't see them with my eyes open I could feel them there. With that, I head back to the guild. Along the way, I gave my status a quick check. After so much time I hoped my affinities increased.
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Welcome back Luke~
Status*
Name: Luke
race: Human
Age: 25
strength: 7
endurance: 7
Agility: 10
intelligence: 14
Mana: 100% 100|100
Stamina: 100% 100|100
Innate abilities: minor body regeneration 8.53
Absorb true essence from the atmosphere
innate affinity: minor water affinity 68.68
Basic wood affinity 24.75
{skill slots}
[Renegade immortal cultivation path]
[Appraisal 3.30]
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A few hours of working with these element went well. As the sun goes down the bars and inns begin to grow more active. I can hear people cheering for successful hunts and people whining over failed ones. It seems quite a few transfers died today. I see a bunch of them crying in corners wanting to go home. When I was at the starting lobby I had long since prepared my mind, knowing that this isn't a game. A lot of people seem to be learning the harsh reality only now. Casing away my melancholy, I continue to the guild.
Compared to this morning, the guild is less active tonight. Not seeing Kestrel outside the guild I walk inside. This morning I was focused on getting in and out so I didn't pay attention to the inside of the guild. There isn't much worth mentioning. There's the reception counters, a set of stairs going up, a corridor that leads to the training hall, and behind the reception counters was a large double door back area. Not sure what's back there. Not sure what's upstairs but most people are coming up and down the stairs. Speaking of that I see Kestrel coming down the stairs so I walk over to meet her. Spotting me she waves me to follow and heads towards the exit.
Leaving the guild instead of heading to an inn, Kestrel leads me through a maze of streets. Originally I was going to remember the path as to not get lost later but that seems to be a lost cause, so I'll forget about it for now. Finally, we arrive at a building. Comparing the other houses in the area to this building was like comparing a was like putting a peacock and a duckling next to each other. I don't know what it was made of but if this building was put up on auction on earth, it would easily reach the 100 million just form the look alone. While I was admiring the building I saw her just walk up to the door, slide it open, and walk-in. There didn't seem to be any type of security in place. When I was gonna ask why that was I saw her walk back out with a body? Yep differently a body. The person seemed to still be alive, frothing at the mouth. She seemed used to this and simply chucked the body to the side of the road like a trash bag. Getting a closer look at the person, it was a transfer. If he was on earth he looked very shady. The type of shady that if you saw him walking on the same sidewalk as you, you would cross the road.
"Come on in, leave your shoes at the front door and don't touch anything. Don't say I didn't warn you." She simply said and once more disappeared back into the building. Looking at the poor fellow on the curb, I took the hint.
Walking inside was like stepping into a science lab. Just near the front door was a colorful looking lamp similar to those lava lamps. Everything within my eyesight looked very attention-grabbing. If not for the poor bloke outside. I wouldn't have been able to resist the urge to touch something. Like a kid being told not to do something yet still wanting to do it I neatly place my shoes near the door. Walking forward taking in the strange and intriguing liquids many of which seemed to glow. This only makes me wanna touch something more so I hurry through this area. Coming to what could only be a dining room I find Kestrel. In the little time that she had vanished from my sight she has changed clothes. She's now sporting a lab coat, buttoned-up shirt, and black pants. Complete with notebook, pen and for whatever reason a very small pair of small framed glasses. The type that sat on the tip of her nose and nowhere near her eyes. Pointing her pen to a chair, I take the hint and sit. She begins to write something into her notebook looking up every few moments then continues to write. I feel like a test subject right now.
Closing her notebook, she shifted the glasses on her nose and began to speak. "Now before anything you should tell me about Theodore's biography so that I can be better planned for the future." I don't know why but It felt like she put a very heavy emphasis on the word 'future'. I didn't put any thought into it and began to speak word for word. Since I was in for a penny why not go for the pound so I told her about my plan and cultivation path also. After I was finished she sat there in silence. Her eyebrows were scrunched up showing how hard she was thinking. Even though I had my plan it was pretty much using my chakra to level up my innate ability alongside using my elements to assist my innate then hope for the best. A very straightforward plan it was either go big or go home. If she can come up with something better then, by all means, I'm more then happy to trash my plan and follow hers. I know my self well enough to know I suck at managing.
After a few silent minutes, she picked up her notebook again and flipped it open. She stared at the page and seemed to hesitate for a few moments then looked up to me. "If this is going to work then we will need a new plan. Yours is far too simple and high maintenance. One slip up and you're a goner so I will provide you things that will help keep you from dying free of charge." At first, I was happy that I would have help and was going to start thinking up ways to repay her in the future but when she got to the end I was shocked! Although I don't know what she will give me, I do know that when I was checking out the stores in town. I found out that even basic potions can cost up to a silver, not to mention a lesser grade healing potions coat 5 silver each other potions cost even more!
" Wait! Wait for a second! I don't think I can afford to get so much. I thought early you said you would sell them to me at a discount!? Why is it free now!?" I asked in a hurry. Her face showed a look of hesitation again but it was quickly replaced by a look of determination. Opening her eyes slightly she stared straight into mine and said with a firm voice.
"I also said that we would be partners until the day you died. Also, you don't need to worry about repaying me. I will also be giving you test drugs. With your innate as long as it doesn't kill you instantly you can heal. So for the successful drugs, I can sell them and make more then I spent using them on you. Also, I will draw up a soul contact. With that, you won't need to worry at all about me trying to kill you." She said and started to write into her notebook again. Leaving me to process what she just said. While I was thinking she tore a page from her notebook and slide in front of me. Her eyes where still open still with that look of determination.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone