The next day, everyone gathered in the meeting hall. Maximilian searched the group of harpies, but either the ones he saw weren’t around or they were further away. He checked on the treants as well, but it was hard to tell them apart. He wondered if they had to face the forest quest or if they had something else. When the dwarves appeared, he gave them his full focus.
“Greetings, Fledglings. You all have completed the first three quests, which represents a good milestone. You should pat yourselves on the back.” Thrawn paused as if he expected them to applaud. After nothing happened for several moments, he continued. “Your hard work has earned you a privilege. Your lives as practitioners are now in your control. You can decide how you wish to proceed. You can take the easy road in favor of safety, or you can pave a road of power through danger. Starting two days from now, you can select the danger rating of the quests you undertake. Danger and opportunity are often bedfellows.”
His words landed on the crowd like a cold blanket. The crowd was silent for several moments as everyone processed what he had just said. A cacophony of questions shattered the silence. The more Thrawn explained, the more the crowd reacted. The concept wasn’t difficult, but the reaction of the crowd concerned him. The dominant impression was that everyone would pick the easier quests. Favoring survival over opportunity, which he understood but also knew to be a trap. The Network didn’t want you to play it safe. That last comment about danger and opportunity further supported his assumption. If anything, it felt more like they were being trapped.
“Alright, alright, enough. You all will have plenty of time to discuss what you will or won’t do. For now, it’s time we continued your education.” Thrawn gestured to the scholarly dwarf, who stepped forward.
“Before I begin.” The scholarly dwarf clapped his fingers, and pill bottles appeared. “Some of you should be near the threshold for your ancestry. If you haven’t evolved, do not lose hope.” Maximilian put his pill bottle away as the dwarf continued. “Now, as we mentioned before, you all are cultivators. It is time we explained what that means. For reasons unknown to us, some people are born without the ability to cultivate. That is the ability to absorb spiritual energy from the world and into their bodies. That is a process different from kill energy absorption. Anyone can absorb kill energy. Even the ‘mortals’ as they are called. At first, you won’t notice much of a difference between the two. Attributes and even leveling speed will be comparable. That often gives people on young planets such as yours a deflated view of the difference between mortals and cultivators.”
Maximilian nodded along as the dwarf continued. He had a feeling he knew where this was going. He had already noticed that he didn’t need as much sleep, which meant he could devote more time to cultivation. He had also seen every level increase the amount of energy he needed to reach the next. Sure enough, the dwarf’s explanation breached the topic.
“As the requirements for each level grow, the mortal will fall behind. While the cultivator can grow gradually, the mortal must fight for every step. Over time, the mortals will die out as their personal power falters compared to their peers. This is the plight of mortals.”
“So you’ve created a caste system? Where you will always be at the top?” someone called out.
The dwarf shook his head. “No, the difference is power. The difference between mortals and cultivators has always been present. Neither I nor the Network control that. No one is sure why some people can absorb energy while others can not. The only rule seems to be that lower-ranked worlds. Worlds like your own produce a higher number of mortals. While upper-ranked worlds have no mortals. If you wish to blame someone for this, blame their lack of fate. That isn’t what today’s lesson is for. Today’s lesson is about the road ahead of you.”
The crowd met his words with a resounding chorus of curses and complaints that lasted a few minutes before the pressure returned. Maximilian grunted as he fell to his knees, and silence once again fell on the room. He tried to resist the pressure and found that it was easier than the first time. He could move his arms, but he couldn’t stand.
“Now that everyone has calmed down, I shall continue. You have seen what it takes to walk the road of the practitioner. You have yet to truly understand it. The road is paradoxical. It is both a solo and personal journey and one that you can not take alone. Allow me to explain. The practitioner requires four things to be successful. Of these four things, not one can lack or else your journey will end. The first,” He raised one finger. “Is environment. In the same way that crops can not grow in a barren field, neither can a cultivator or practitioner develop in barren environments. You all received a message that told you the extent of your planet. If you are fortunate, you will encounter unique opportunities. Chances that will forge your path in ways unimagined before the Network and spiritual energy arrive. No matter you will need to make a choice. You can stay on your home planet in relative safety, or you can take to the stars in search of better opportunities.”
Maximilian’s breath caught in his chest as a smile tugged at the edges of his mouth. He could already see himself exploring the stars and encountering weird planets or whatever else was out there. He had no idea how they were supposed to leave the planet, but that seemed like a formality at this point. It was a foregone conclusion that he would leave and explore. He glanced around and found a few people with similar looks on their faces. They were still in the minority. The majority looked concerned and apprehensive at the idea. A part of him understood. There would obviously be dangers. Dangers that would get many people killed, but he didn’t want to let that stop him. Fear had stopped too many people from doing too many things.
“The second, and no less important, is Technique. This includes the cultivation manuals we provided, but those are small parts of a greater whole. You need to learn from those who walk or walked ahead of you. These lessons can come from proper teachers and from recorded lessons. They come in all shapes and sizes, and we will not go into the full suite of options you can find. You must understand that many in the multiverse received an education from factions similar to the one you are receiving now. Others have had much more extensive educations, while e more have no formal education. It will fall on you to find these opportunities when you leave here. Third is the one I find people lose too easily. Companionship. The road of the practitioner and even those devoted to the crafts is long. It is common for people to struggle against impossible odds for the miniscule chance of advancing even a single level. It is on those cold nights that you will need something to fight for. Something to strive for. Your companions will fill the role. Further, you often find that the road needs others. You will need array masters, alchemists, and merchants to find or create the things you need to advance. You need guards to keep you safe, people to defend your homeland, and a myriad of other things. “
Maximilian wished he could pull out a pen and paper. He had confidence in his memory after the upgrades, but how could that compare to reading it again later? He made a mental note to figure out how to make those slips. If he could engrave the memory in a video-like format, that would be even better. Everything he had explained made sense. It wasn’t that different from before. Life couldn’t be lived alone. You needed friends, family, and everything in between. You also needed an education. He wondered if colleges also existed and had to chuckle at the insane prices they would charge. When your lessons could mean the difference between a life span measured in decades and one measured in centuries or even millennia, it was hard to argue it wasn’t worth it. He returned his attention to the dwarf as he listed the fourth requirement.
“That leaves us with the wealth. The road in front of you requires a multitude of things. From pills and baths that heal you to weapons and armor that defend you and everything in between. You will burn money every step of the way. More often than not, you will struggle to afford the things you need to survive. Especially those of you on baby planets.”
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Maximilian sighed at that. Some things changed while others stayed the same. He wasn’t sure what the economy was like, but he would bet everything cost more than he had. Even his 1.5 million credits felt hollow. Of course, they hadn’t seen a shop, so it was hard to know for sure. The dwarves went over a few more details about the nature of cultivators and mortals, but it wasn’t anything new. When they finished, the trio stood up and were gone in a flash of light. Maximilian waited a few moments before he got to his feet and rolled his shoulders. Everyone was in better spirits than normal, and it wasn’t hard to figure out why. He listened to a few conversations but continued on his own. The dwarves said it was possible to form a group from now on, but he decided against it. From what he could see, everyone wanted to play it safe, and he didn’t. There were also too many people for him to ask everyone. There was also a thought he didn’t voice. The one that let him walk out of the room and back to his apartment.
When he was alone, he settled into his routine. He stripped down and took his evolution pill. There was less black gunk than the first time, but that was it. He wasn’t sure if he was behind the curve or if he was normal. He leaned toward the latter. It was hard to know for sure, but everyone here was young. He couldn’t find anyone over forty, which meant either they had died or they hadn’t been chosen. He ignored that thought for now. He couldn’t get a good picture of everyone’s ages, nor did he know how the others’ ages worked. He also didn’t care. He entered his cultivation chamber and calmed his heart. He went over the last battle in search of that feeling. That ethereal progress and found it. He still couldn’t tell just what was changing. He reflected on it until the sensation went away. After that, he spent a few hours on cultivation and then headed to bed.
The next day was the same. Maximilian stayed in his apartment and focused on his technique. Instead of just gathering the energy, he focused on spreading it throughout his body. He wasn’t sure if they wanted them to wait or not, but he leaned toward not. Now that they could control their quests, he had the feeling the training wheels were off now to them now. Which meant he needed to get this done. His channels had formed already, only they were inconsistent. The area that held his skills was well defined, while other areas weren’t. He used his cardiovascular system as a model and painstakingly detailed its channels. By the time he finished, he had used all the energy he had gathered, but it flowed much better. He couldn’t put a number on it, but he figured the time it took to activate his skills had decreased by twenty to thirty percent. He wanted to spend a bit of time improving his skills, but it was time to get some sleep.
The next day he gathered in the meeting room as usual. The white light engulfed him, but instead of being sent somewhere, he received a notification window. The window was what they explained. He could pick between several difficulties, each one promised a different threat level. He ignored the extreme options. There was no way he would do a quest with a 99% death rate, nor would he do one with 1%. He wanted to get stronger, but he wasn’t an idiot. That left the moderate options. He didn’t know how the Network ranked the quests. If they were designed for him or based on the average strength of the tutorial takers. He assumed the worst. He went back on the risk for a moment but decided to follow his gut. He selected the “moderate” difficulty and exhaled. Now that he had chosen, the ball of anxiety in his stomach was replaced with excitement. The white room disappeared, and he found himself in a forest. This one felt more alive than the last one. So much so that for a moment he believed he had been sent back to Earth. It didn’t take long for reality to return.
The forest felt primal for lack of a better word. Like he had been sent to the start of the world. The air was purer and warmer. Like he had taken off a mask he hadn’t known he wore and then entered a sauna. His mind flashed to a documentary on the dinosaurs and giant bugs that used to roam the planet. His heart pounded as he did his best to ignore the horrific creatures that could be here. He wasn’t sure if the Network could read his mind but he didn’t tempt it. He received a much-needed and desired distraction when a notification appeared. He scanned the words twice before he calmed down.
Hunt down and slayer the Nemean Lion. Reward: Spatial Treasure
As soon as he finished the prompt he sighed. He wasn’t sure if the Network had a connection to Earth’s myths but the nemean lion was a monstrous creature. Of course, it probably wasn’t worse than a giant tree that could crush you or a horde of giant locusts. He didn’t think the Network would create an immortal monster either. Especially if this was a fifty/fifty shot. He turned his attention to the reward. He didn’t have to think too hard about it. He remembered magical bags from several fantasy books and figured that was a “spatial Treasure”. The message said nothing about how big it was so he figured it would be determined by how he did.
He decided to stay put for a few more moments. When no new pillars of light appeared he picked a direction and started walking. Now that he was alone he found it disconcerting. There was no one to rely on but himself but it also meant there was no one to worry about. No risk of betrayal. His excitement faded after the first thirty minutes of nothing happening. The heat of the forest only made him more irritated as he walked through the rows of never-ending trees. He started to wonder if the forest had any threats in it. He was sure the Network wouldn’t drop him here for no reason but that confidence had started to falter. He had decided to take a break when a branch snapped.
He spun around arms raised as his energy surged toward the sigil for Static Bolt. At first he didn’t see anything, that didn’t stop the fear that gripped his heart. He was about to attack the area when he saw it. A pair of leonine amber eyes locked on him. His blood froze in his veins as the lion stepped out of the foliage. It was twice as big as one from earth, its eyes had an awareness that made it more frightening. He tried to open his mouth, to speak but his mouth refused to obey. The few seconds they stood there felt like an eternity. The stillness was shattered a moment later. Static Bolt slammed into the lion. Maximilian’s brief elation at the successful hit died when the lion didn’t move. The electricity hadn’t so much as scorched the beast’s mane.
He had a moment to realize that he had fucked up before the lion moved. It turned into a blur a second before it crashed into him. Even with his robe’s distribution several of his ribs cracked. He was launched ten away where he slammed into a tree hard enough to crack it. He had just enough time to get to his feet before the lion was on him again. He leaped to the side to avoid the lion’s claws. Before he could capitalize the lion surged back and rammed into his chest. Maximilian was knocked to the ground but before the lion could rip out his heart he unleashed Static Bolt. This time he caught the lion in its right eye. Blood spurted from the wound as the lion roared. The sound slammed into him with almost tangible force. Energy surged into the robe as he scrambled to his feet. The lion let out another roar and slammed into him just as the defensive array triggered.
The barrier formed and was shattered in the same breath. It bought him just enough time to avoid the lion’s charge and aim an imbued kick into the beast’s stomach. It felt like he had tried to kick a brick wall. He resisted the urge to scream as he retreated from the lion. He activated Prismatic Barrier. The moment before the shield formed felt like an eternity. Just as the barrier finished, the lion tossed its head back and unleashed a bone shattering roar. The sound washed over the field and slammed into the barrier like a cannon. Cracks spread across the rainbow-like surface, but it held. Now that he knew he was safe for the moment, Maximilian shifted from defense to offense. The lion blurred as it avoided attack after attack. The lion took every opportunity it could to slash at the barrier. Its claws were like swords as it slashed and tore it the shield. Maximilian gritted his teeth as he faced collapsed,the truth. His attack wasn’t strong enough to get through the lion’s fur. He had to get to the softer flesh. Which meant he had to let his barrier fall. He took a breath to calm his heart as the lion renewed its charge. Time slowed as it slammed into the barrier. As soon as it collapsed, Maximilian roared in defiance and rushed the beast.
