Lord Braxand kept his true feelings of irritation neatly out of sight as he responded to his guest, “You still have doubts?”

“Doubts? No. I am certain that this is the right path forward. Concerns, though? Yes.” Valena, the Court Alchemist, answered.

He didn’t like being questioned, but decided to let her impudence slide since she was an essential part of his plans to replace the City Lord. Not to mention, she had brought him the information about the mortal alchemist and how he had actually crafted two elixirs–not one. Without that knowledge, he might’ve actually believed that Samantha had given him the rumored potion, instead of a flawed version. If he didn’t already know that Valena would gladly stab her own mother in the back to gain even a scrap of influence, he would’ve considered her a trustworthy ally.

“Go on then–voice them.” he commanded.

“For starters, who is that girl and why is she here at the safehouse?” Valena gestured to an unconscious Samantha laying on the ground nearby. “Aren’t you concerned she’ll hear?”

“That girl is our infamous saboteur. She blew up the warehouse last week and also put a few of my lesser family members to shame in the Coliseum–got them exiled to the next floor.” he explained, “I had the mercenary knock her out with the strongest sleeping poison I owned, so she should be out for the next couple hours at least. Feel free to re-dose her if you’d like, though. I can always give her the antidote if I want to speak with her sooner.”

“I’d feel more comfortable with that, yes. You can never be too careful.” Valena said, soaking a cloth with the nearby sleeping poison and holding it over Samantha’s nose and mouth for a few breaths. Valena wondered if this girl had really gotten past all of the warehouse security when her own agents couldn’t, or if Lord Braxand was keeping the truth in his back pocket like he always did. The girl didn’t even look to be out of her teens yet, though admittedly it was hard to tell with cultivators.

Eventually satisfied when the rhythm of the girl’s breathing didn’t change, Valena returned to the conversation and dropped the soaked cloth on a side table, “Now then, my next concern is whether or not the elixir you did receive is enough to push you up to Peak Bronze. If it isn’t, I don’t see how our original strategy is going to work. You and I both know you won’t stand a chance against the Ruler as you are now.”

Lord Braxand worked to reign in his killing intent as his temper flared. If he lost control now, it would not only mean that he lacked the ability to manage his aura and his emotions, but it would prove that she had succeeded in pricking his pride. He needed to maintain a strong front.

“Valena…” he said smoothly and calmly, the woman instinctually drawing back from him slightly, “Rest assured, it is enough. I have been at the threshold to Peak Bronze for the last several years, and only needed a little something to help push past the barrier. I’ve just been waiting for the elixir to fully mature before consuming it. Besides, even if this is not the more potent of the two potions it will suffice for our purposes.”

Seeing that his words didn’t completely assuage her fears, he continued, “As you well know, no one with more than four open meridians has ever reached Silver. Thus, the Ruler has only chosen to invest in the meridians for his skin, bones, heart, and lungs. You are right that his martial prowess is unmatched, but that is never how I planned to challenge him in the first place. I not only have more open meridians and access to more arts than he does, but I can attack the area he has left most undefended–his mind. All I need for him to do is to come out from the protective wards of his palace. That is where our partnership comes in. You provide the alchemicals to lure and enrage the spirit beasts, and I have my family members herd them where they need to go. When the walls are breached and the ravenous beasts rampage through his city, the Ruler will have no choice but to come out and intervene–if only to take credit and glory for fending off the enemy.”

Still dissatisfied, Valena asked, “If you were so certain of victory in the first place, why go through so much effort to obtain the elixir? It could’ve ended badly for you.”

Lord Braxand brought his hand up to his chest in mock offense and smiled, “Lady Valena, I am still a cultivator at heart! Who in their right mind would turn down power like that?”

Valena looked back at him blankly, refusing to play along with his eccentric persona.

He sighed and lowered his hand, “Just think about it for a moment. There would be nothing anyone could do if that elixir actually helped the Ruler break through to Silver. None of us would be able to oppose him, and the extra 500 years of life the rank up would give him would ensure that he would maintain his iron grip over this city for centuries to come, long after we were dead and buried. In other words, preventing him from getting that potion was crucial regardless of the risk, and me gaining some extra power is simply a nice additional benefit.”

He stopped speaking for a moment to take in her reaction, seeing if this was enough information for her. She was frustratingly good at masking her reactions, so it was difficult to tell one way or the other. He disliked revealing so much of his hand, but he needed her to follow through with her end of the plan. If he couldn’t get her to fully commit, she was likely to turn on him. Of course, he didn’t want her to get too comfortable with having the upper hand either. He changed his laid back posture ever so slightly to be a touch more predatory.

“Is there anything else that’s bothering you?” he finished, his words taking on a slight edge of warning.

Valena raised her hands in surrender, finally determining that she had pushed her luck far enough for one conversation, “Very well, consider me convinced. You’ll not hear any more complaints from me. When do you need the powdered doses? I have most of it prepared and am just waiting for your order to deliver it.”

“It will take several days to gather the volume of beasts needed to truly threaten the city. If you already have what I need, I’ll take it now and start sending my men out to the herds we’ve been tracking.”

Valena bowed to him and began to leave, but before she fully departed he called out cheerily, “Oh, and remember! Once I am the City Lord, you will remain the Head Alchemist for as long as I rule. I will elevate your position and provide you with more rare materials than you’ll know what to do with! You can experiment and create to your heart’s content, but…”

Valena paused in the doorway to let him finish speaking.

His tone turned dark, “...if you betray me… well… I don’t need to remind you of what will happen then.”

The woman paled at these words, bowed once more in acknowledgement, and rushed out the room at a pace that could just barely still be considered a walk.

Samantha sluggishly awoke from her poison-induced slumber to the sounds of a man and a woman conversing. The woman’s voice was unfamiliar, but she knew who the man was at once. She did the best she could to appear like she was still asleep, keeping her breathing and heart rate steady so as not to draw any attention to herself. After several moments without any noticeable reactions from them, she deduced that she was in the clear.

After her anxiety settled somewhat, she noticed a system message had been patiently waiting for her attention.

Sleep Poison Resistance - Rank 1 -> 2

Future encounters with sleep poisons will have their effects and duration decreased by 2/3rds.

As she finished reading the short notification, she heard Ol’ Man Whisper offhandedly state, “...Feel free to re-dose her if you’d like, though…” and fought off a new wave of panic. Samantha had 18 qi in her pool when Alex had first poisoned her, and she was up to 36 now. This meant that she had already been unconscious for around 3 hours. She needed to remain awake so that she could get out of whatever mess she had found herself in this time.

In case she needed the extra energy for what happened next, she pulled another 15 qi from Silas to bolster her pool further. This brought her total to 51/88.

“Samantha! Are you awake again? I’m nearby, but can’t sneak any closer. That dumb dog is guarding the area. I can fight through if you need me to, though.” Silas told her as he felt the energy be siphoned away from him.

“No, stay where you are! I’m still figuring out the situation and need to concentrate. Lord Braxand is the one who’s taken me, and–”

Samantha cut off the thought as she heard the woman’s footsteps approach. Hoping to fool the stranger, she subtly took as deep a breath as she could before a wet cloth was placed over her face. She pretended to continue breathing by raising and lowering her stomach, and occasionally let out air through her nostrils so the woman could feel her breath through the cloth. If the other person paid close attention they would notice that she wasn’t inhaling at all, but hoped that the small detail would be overlooked.

After applying the cloth for a few false breaths, the woman took it away and departed. Samantha’s ruse had worked perfectly, as far as she could tell.

Unfortunately, there was still a dampness left over on her face that she was sure would cause her to be re-poisoned if she breathed in too early. She had to continue to practice false breathing until the liquid fully evaporated, but with her cultivator’s Endurance she could maintain this state for several minutes without too much difficulty.

“Sorry Silas, I needed to focus for a second. Can you tell me where they took me?” Samantha sent.

“I don’t know how far, but away from the city. We’re in the forest still, but they took you beneath the ground. They opened up a large dead tree and walked inside carrying you.” he reported.

“Okay, great job.” she praised, trying to send feelings of appreciation and pride, “Continue keeping watch and I’ll let you know if I need you to do something.”

Just as she was wondering what made Ol’ Man Whisper take such drastic action against her, he mentioned to the woman whom he called “Valena” that “even if this is not the more potent of the two potions, it will suffice for our purposes”, and knew she had been found out. She didn’t know how he discovered that she had taken the more powerful elixir for herself, but now that the secret was out she and her family would likely be in grave danger. She’d need to resort to her emergency contingency.

Samantha devised a plan of action while Lord Braxand and Valena openly discussed their plans for insurrection against the current City Lord. Considering the perilous situation she found herself in, she couldn’t be bothered to concern herself with the politics themselves. What was horrifying, however, was Lord Braxand’s plans to lead dangerous beasts into the city to achieve his goals–and this plan was already being put into motion.

She needed to warn her family, but first she had to escape from wherever Alex had taken her.

Samantha was admittedly naive in many areas, but even she was not ignorant enough to believe that Lord Braxand would let her ascend the floor peacefully without more interference after their last encounter. After she had completed his mission, she had replayed all of their conversations within her memory–scouring every word and action for an exploitable weakness that would allow her to fight back. It wasn’t until she received an Attribute increase notification during her first day of training that she finally thought of something.

The sight of the system message reminded her of the conversation she had with Ol’ Man Whisper on the day of her duel with Eileen, right before the banquet held in Samantha’s honor.

“... I received a final System notification that I had failed the quest and was deemed unworthy. My Vortex mark shattered, halving my qi pool and regeneration, and I never received another notification again–even to this day...”

Samantha’s Hyperfocus had connected this memory to the description of a certain Utility Art that she had found while shopping at the “Art of Combat”. She theorized that if he had been telling her the truth about the consequences of failing his hidden quest, then this utility art would be able to exploit that weakness.

She had no doubt that Ol’ Man Whisper had spies watching her actions, so Samantha decided to play it safe and requested that Thomas get the tome for her through a third party. If Ol’ Man Whisper caught wind of her learning this technique, then he would be on guard against it and wouldn’t give her the opening she needed. So, after receiving the manual, Samantha had secretly learned the art in hopes that it could protect her if things went poorly. However, now that the moment was upon her, she was worried that it wouldn’t be enough. She would need to make skin to skin contact with him without drawing suspicion–twice. Not to mention that if he lied about not being able to receive notifications, he would immediately realize what she was trying to do and probably kill her.

Samantha continued to feign sleep as the two finished their conversation and plotting. Once Valena left her and Ol’ Man Whisper alone in the room, Samantha gathered her courage for the moment when she would need to strike. Although she was risking swift retaliation, she was not willing to play it ‘safe’ and potentially miss her window of opportunity. If she did nothing the best case scenario she could imagine was that Lord Braxand would prevent her ascension and then offer her knowledge about how to cultivate without the system in exchange for her service. In the worst case, she was as good as dead already–she just didn’t know it yet.

She waited patiently as she heard him walk around the room and shuffle some papers. Her current best bet to make contact was to continue her act of being unconscious so that he would be forced to give her the antidote to the poison. When he got within touching range while administering the cure, that was when she would make her move.

As she predicted, she didn’t need to wait long before he approached her. He brought some sort of bottle up under her nose, and his hand was so close to her face that she could feel the heat radiating from it as he held the concoction in place. This was the perfect opportunity.

Needing to make her performance as believable as possible, Samantha inhaled once. The fumes sent an icy jolt of pain through her mind, but that was actually perfect for displaying a semi-genuine reaction. As the pain hit her, she released a blast of killing intent to mask her actions and activated Swift. However, instead of using the speed to attack, she jerked her body forward as if being unexpectedly awoken had caused a body spasm. She used the forward jolt as an excuse to brush her cheek against the exposed skin of his hand, and as soon as contact was made she activated the art.

*Ding* You are attempting to establish a Geas. Designate the amount of qi to reserve (minimum: 5, maximum: 20) and define the task for the Geas so that the target can be properly notified of your intent.

She recalled the description of skill as she reserved 20 qi for the art and carefully considered the exact wording of the task she would assign.

Geas (Base Cost 5 qi/instance)

By reserving 5-20 qi of your overall pool, you can form a contractual thread between you and your target. Each contractual thread can be assigned a single, well-defined task which the target must be able to reasonably complete. If the target knowingly refuses to complete the task, they will receive damage to their cultivation base proportional to the amount of qi reserved. When the task is completed, the contractual thread will be harmlessly dissolved and the invested qi will no longer be reserved.

The manual that she had learned Geas from had also provided additional information that the system-generated description didn’t elaborate on, such as features of the art that were discovered through experimentation. For example, after the Geas notification was sent to the target they had 24 hours to review and respond to the contract. If that time elapsed, the system would count the non-response as a rejection, and the user would then have the opportunity to try and overpower the target’s natural qi defenses and force the contract without their consent.

Forcing a Geas came with downsides, however. For one, if the user failed to overcome their target’s qi defenses, they would receive backlash damage to their own cultivation base as if they had broken the Geas themselves. Secondly, even if the user succeeded in forcing the contractual thread, it would naturally be weaker than a mutually accepted one. Moreover, the target’s qi defenses would continue to reject and chip away at the forced connection, causing the power of the Geas to wane over time and eventually dissipate.

If Samantha’s theory was correct, because Lord Braxand failed his cultivation quest and no longer received notifications, he would have no idea that she had just initiated a Geas against him. As a result, she could spend the next 24 hours preparing for the moment when his notification expired and she could begin her assault. Since he didn’t know it was coming, he would be unprepared to respond and that would hopefully give her an advantage.

Normally, a Peak Copper would not be able to break through the natural qi defenses of a High Bronze. In general, the more qi a person could hold and generate (qi pool size and regeneration) and the denser their qi was (cultivation rank), the more resistant they were to outside qi intrusion and the more powerful their own intrusive qi attacks became. Lord Braxand’s qi was incredibly dense, however his qi defenses were weaker than they should be since his qi pool size and regeneration were halved when his Vortex mark shattered. In addition, Samantha’s qi attacks were stronger than they should be because her qi pool size and regeneration had doubled from her body’s qi saturation. This meant there was actually a small chance that she could force a Geas on the man.

Since this entire plan was dependent on whether Lord Braxand noticed what she had done or not, Samantha observed his smirking form with both terror and trepidation. Then, she resisted the urge to physically flinch as she finalized the wording of her task.

*Ding* Target has been sent the terms of your Geas. Awaiting reply.

He showed no sign that he sensed anything amiss at all.

Lord Braxand stood, closed the unlabeled bottle held in his hand, and set it down on a side table next to a damp cloth. “Had a good nap? You’ve been sleeping for… 3 or so hours at this point.”

Samantha slowly stood and brushed the dirt off of her robes, not saying anything in response yet. She quickly took in the small room, since there wasn’t much to see. It was a windowless, cube-shaped space with tan colored floor tiles. The walls and ceilings looked to be smoothed, gray stone, while the singular door was made of wood. The space was sparsely furnished with high quality pieces: a desk and chair, a side table, and some bookshelves with books.

After seeing her surroundings, she turned her full attention to Lord Braxand. His demeanor appeared unbothered at the moment, but she feared that if she said the wrong thing that that could change in an instant. So, she chose to remain silent to get a better gauge for his mood before saying anything.

“Let’s get straight to the point. I know that you took the better of the two cultivation elixirs for yourself. You’ve stolen from me–and don’t even bother trying to pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about. Your lack of immediate questions about why you’ve found yourself in this situation is proof enough that you know why you’re here. Do you have anything you want to say in your defense, or shall I just tell you the consequences of your actions?”

Choosing her words carefully, Samantha said, “I don’t deny that I took one of the elixirs for myself, however I can’t say with any certainty that one was better than the other as both felt incredibly powerful and unlike anything I had seen before. And, to be fair, I followed your order to the letter. Your exact instructions to me were ‘retrieve the cultivation elixir from Harold Greene’s alchemy workshop and return it to me’. I found a cultivation elixir in his workshop and returned it to you, as promised.”

He looked down at her with an odd expression between disdain and respect, “I could’ve perhaps overlooked your transgression if you had taken the flawed concoction for yourself instead. As you said, I asked for only a single elixir from the alchemy lab, and I could’ve considered it a bonus payment for your hard work and subsequent success. Taking the elixir I actually wanted though, the one meant to advance the City Lord into Silver… that I cannot allow to pass without suitable punishment.”

“Lord Braxand, I have no alchemical training or knowledge whatsoever. I do not understand how I could be expected to reliably differentiate between the two grades of elixir.” Samantha offered weakly.

“And so you just… what? Picked which one you would keep at random?” he snarled, his anger getting the better of him and his killing intent flooding the room. “I’m not sure if that excuse makes this offense better or worse. Perhaps I gave you too much credit. I have use for clever agents, but none whatsoever for fools.”

Samantha dropped to her knees as the wave of unrelenting pressure crushed her to the ground, and Lord Braxand stood over her menacingly. Though filled with dread, Samantha saw an opportunity to attach her second Geas.

She reached forward and grabbed hold of Lord Braxands feet, as if pleading and begging while pressing her face to the floor in a kowtow. She felt one of her fingertips brush against the skin of his ankle and immediately reserved another 20 qi for the art while setting the terms of her task.

*Ding* Target has been sent the terms of your Geas. Awaiting reply.

“Please, Lord! Mercy!” she gasped, hardly able to breathe, “I admit it. I knowingly took the stronger of the two elixirs for myself. I will do whatever it takes to repay my debt to you.”

The pressure in the room suddenly eased, though it did not completely vanish.

“And that,” Ol’ Man Whisper announced cheerily to no one in particular, “is how you successfully interrogate someone without resorting to the barbarics of violence!”

Ol’ Man Whisper let out a boisterous laugh while slapping his knee. Samantha looked up from her still-kneeling position dumbfounded.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that! You’re the one who started playing this dangerous game first, after all. Sometimes you win, sometimes you…” he pointed to her as he spoke the next word, “...lose. But now that we’ve been open and honest with one another, let me tell you what’s going to happen next. I understand that you probably made this terrible decision due to feeling pressured about your upcoming ascension and wanting to gain power quickly. Luckily for you, you no longer need to concern yourself about it, since I will not be permitting you to ascend. This lovely safehouse will be your home until your Vortex mark shatters.”

Samantha strongly suspected that this was a tactic the powerful cultivator would employ, but she put on a shocked expression anyway, “Isn’t there any other way we can resolve this?”

He raised a skeptical eyebrow at her, “Perhaps you didn’t realize it at the time, but that elixir was priceless. I would love to hear how you plan to repay me for the loss of a priceless object in the next week.”

Samantha didn’t have a response for that.

“So you see the problem… but don’t worry! I have decided to take you under my wing. Once your connection to the system is severed, you will work for me in return for the knowledge I’ve spent decades accumulating–just like an apprentice would for their master. And, since this folly stemmed from your youthful ignorance, I won’t even hold it against your family. I will uphold the trade contracts made with the Cray’s and your businesses will prosper. Really, I think in the long term you will actually thank me for my benevolence. Actually, why don’t you thank me for my generosity right now?”

“...Thank you, Master Branxand.” Samantha said with all the forced humility she could, returning to a kowtow position to hide her expression of contempt.

“I’m glad you understand your position. Oh, and one more thing! I can sense you are very close to breaking through to Low Bronze. I suggest spending your time here trying to advance before your system access is revoked. If you don’t manage it before then, you likely will never be able to. I’ve left a few books on the subject in your room for you to research and study–they’re ones that my own family members have used for the process.” he explained.

Samantha raised her head from the floor and looked at the man, trying to understand his motivations for encouraging her to advance and even providing her with study aids. Her best guess was that he was planning on holding this slight against her for the rest of her life, and her service would last much longer if she gained the extended lifespan of a Bronze. Not to mention that she would be more useful as an asset at Bronze than if she was stuck at Peak Copper forever.

As she was considering his reasonings, Ol’ Man Whisper turned to the nearby door and called, “Alex! Take my guest to her accommodations.”

The Low Bronze promptly came into the room to fetch Samantha, practically dragging her towards the door until Lord Braxand motioned for him to stop, “No need to be so rough with the girl, she knows her place now. And remember I’ll be back in a few days to check on her, so make sure she is well taken care of.”

“Yes, Lord Braxand.” Alex said dutifully, putting Samantha upright and letting her walk under her own power.

As Samantha was led through the underground complex, she made mental notes of anything and everything. She counted how many rooms there were, what hallways led where, and placed all this information into a mental map of the facility for later reference.

Alex led her into a space that was nearly identical to the study-like room she had just left. The main differences between the two lay in the furnishings and the door. There was a bed for her to sleep on against one wall, a small desk with a couple of books next to the bed, a toilet, and a sink. On the bed there was a mundane change of clothing and a set of sandals. The room would feel almost home-y, if not for the only door being made of solid, qi-enchanted metal. It was obviously intended to prevent anyone from breaking out of it.

“Just so there’s no ambiguity here, don’t bother trying to escape from this room. The walls and doors are tough enough to withstand attacks from at least a Mid-Bronze, so you’d only be hurting yourself. I’m stationed outside at all times as well, so I will be both your guard and caretaker for the next week. Knock three times on this door if you need something, but don’t you dare call me over for stupid reasons or I’ll ignore you from then on. Got it?” Alex said, looking a bit bored.

Samantha nodded, and he proceeded to close the door behind her and lock it into place.

As soon as she was left alone, Samantha grabbed the books off of the desk and started skimming through them to see if they would actually be helpful for her progression into Low Bronze or not.

The first book mainly addressed what Body Cultivation Types could be available for a person to select when ranking up based on what meridians they had open and what (if any) tenets they had uncovered. Since there was not anything she could change about those things in the time she had left, she didn’t do much more than scan what options could be available to her to get a general idea of what she could expect.

The second book was much more helpful for her practical needs. It detailed the process of core formation and different strategies she could adapt if she began to lose control. She allotted an hour of time to studying and picking a handful of different procedures she thought would work for her, then put the book away. As much as she would love to be more prepared, she had a lot to accomplish before Lord Braxand’s Geas notifications expired and not a lot of time to accomplish it. If she didn’t start right away, she could really be stuck in his service forever.

She sat in the lotus position and began cultivating and drawing qi into her already overful dantian. Although not as dense as a qi fount would be, the qi density out in the forest was still much better than within the city. Given how close she was to the threshold of Bronze her progress was incredibly quick, even considering the fact that she had recently opened a meridian and the qi density around her was merely average. It only took a couple hours for the vapors within her dantian to begin condensing into a single liquid droplet.

At first, she strained to get the vapor particles to stick together and congregate in the center of her dantian. As more and more of the vapor clustered together, though, that miniscule bead of liquid qi began to glow in her mind’s eye like a beacon. As the bead grew in size it seemed to increase in brightness and intensity as if looking into the light of a star.

With time, it became easier and easier to funnel the vapor into the droplet as it seemed to gain a sort of magnetism. Unfortunately, though the remaining mist seemed to flow towards the liquid qi of its own accord, it became more and more challenging to control it. Samantha struggled to keep the increasingly unstable droplet from splitting apart as it gained in power and began to vibrate within her. Fearing that all of her efforts would be for naught, she began employing one of the tactics that she had read about in the book earlier.

First, she visualized that she was watching water as it circled down an open drain. As she pictured this, she worked to move the remaining vapor surrounding the droplet into a whirlpool pattern that matched her image. This, in turn, began to slowly rotate the liquid qi in the center of her dantian. Although she didn’t fully understand why this method worked, the spinning motion that was applied to the droplet helped stabilize it and minimized the vibrations that threatened to fracture it.

As the last of the vapor was sucked into the droplet, the liquid fully stabilized and ignited with a fresh, potent wave of power. Tendrils of arcing energy shot out from the bead of qi like small lightning bolts, and struck the surrounding area painfully.

*Ding* Congratulations! You have taken your first steps on the path of Bronze! Now that you have successfully condensed a droplet of qi, you will need to form a core to safely store it within you. The core specialty you pick now will greatly impact your future advancement, so choose wisely. Based on the following factors…

Foundational Tenet - Ambition

Qi Saturated Body

Vortex Mark

Open Meridians:

Heart (Endurance)

Mind (Mental Acuity)

Left Leg (Strength)

Right Leg (Strength)

Left Foot (Agility)

Right Foot (Agility)

Skin (Resilience)

Aptitudes:

Agility - Exceptional

Endurance - High

Strength - Average

Resilience - Average

Spirit Bonds:

Silas - Rank 4 Lunar Jackalope (High)

Binding Thread Properties: Expanded

…you can select from the following core specialties (Note* Weaker versions of cores you qualify for are hidden for the sake of brevity):

Abundant Core (Epic)

Requirements: Qi Saturated Body, Vortex Mark, Tenet of Ambition or Transformation

Vastly improves cultivation rate by rapidly converting ambient or raw qi into internal qi Immediately receive a static* +20 to qi pool (*static increases cannot be influenced by any internal or external source) Each future rank up will grant a static* +5 to qi pool Immediately receive a static* +10 qi regeneration per hour Each future rank up will grant a static* +2.5 qi regeneration per hour

Advanced Meridian Augmentation Core (Epic)

Requirements: 7 open meridians, Tenet of Ambition, Determination, or Enlightenment

Qi becomes especially destructive to detritus blocking meridians, making the process of opening new meridians much easier Arts that utilize an open meridian will be 50% more efficient All meridian bonuses and synergy effects will be doubled Mind Mental Acuity 50% increase -> 100% increase +6 qi -> 12 qi x 2 Qi Saturation Heart Endurance 1 -> 2 +3 qi -> 6 qi x 2 Qi Saturation Left Leg Strength 1.5 -> 3 +3 qi -> 6 qi x 2 Qi Saturation Right Leg Strength 1.5 -> 3 +3 qi -> 6 qi x 2 Qi Saturation Left Foot Agility 1.5 -> 3 +3 qi -> 6 qi x 2 Qi Saturation Right Foot Agility 1.5 -> 3 +3 qi -> 6 qi x 2 Qi Saturation Skin Resilience 2 -> 4 +3 qi -> +6 qi x 2 Qi Saturation

Rebirth Core (Unique)

Requirements: At least High Endurance Aptitude, at least Average Resilience Aptitude, at least one open Endurance meridian, at least one open Resilience meridian Hidden Requirements: Vortex Mark, One healing or regeneration art of at least Rare quality, at least one lost limb regenerated with a healing art

The formed core will consume and integrate the art Flawless Regeneration, and gain a unique passive healing effect based upon the skill. The Vortex Mark, along with its passive qi regeneration (0.2qi / hour), will be consumed and integrated with the core to power the healing effect. Effect: Wounds will flawlessly regenerate at a rate of 1 ounce of flesh/hour–prioritizing the most vital areas. Upon sustaining a fatal injury (and so long as your body and core are not completely destroyed), your spirit will reside inside your dantian until your body is repaired to a survivable state. Immediately receive +4 to Endurance and +2 to Resilience Each future rank up will grant a +1 bonus to Endurance and +0.5 bonus to Resilience

Enhanced Relentless Core (Rare)

Requirements: At least High Endurance and Agility Aptitudes, at least one open Agility meridian and one open Endurance meridian, Spirit Beast Bond with at least high aptitudes in Agility and Endurance, Expanded Binding Thread

Immediately receive +6 to Agility and Endurance Each future rank up will grant a +1.5 bonus to Agility and Endurance Arts that utilize an Agility-based or Endurance-based Meridians will be 25% more efficient Bond immediately receives +2 to Agility and Endurance Each future rank up will grant a +0.5 bonus to your bond’s Agility and Endurance

Enhanced Agility Core (Uncommon)

Requirements: 2 or more open Agility Meridians, at least Exceptional Agility Aptitude

Immediately receive +8 to Agility Each future rank up will grant a permanent +2 bonus to Agility Arts that utilize an Agility-based Meridian will be 50% more efficient

Physical Augmentation Core (Uncommon)

Requirements: At least 1 open meridian for each attribute, at least average aptitude in all attributes Immediately receive +2 to all attributes Each future rank up will grant a permanent +0.5 bonus to each attribute Arts that directly enhance your body or attributes will be 25% more efficient

Strength Core (Common)

Requirements: 2 or more open Strength Meridians, at least Average Strength Aptitude

Immediately receive +4 to Strength Each future rank up will grant a permanent +1 bonus to Strength Arts that utilize a Strength-based Meridian will be 25% more efficient

Lesser Endurance Core (Poor)

Requirements: 1 or more open Endurance Meridians, at least Low Endurance Aptitude

Immediately receive +2 to Endurance Each future rank up will grant a permanent +0.5 bonus to Endurance

Lesser Resilience Core (Poor)

Requirements: 1 or more open Resilience Meridians, at least Low Resilience Aptitude

Immediately receive +2 to Resilience Each future rank up will grant a permanent +0.5 bonus to Resilience

Despite the stinging jolts of power that continued to pain her as she read through her options, she did not rush her decision. The least appealing options were obviously the ones that were below Rare quality, since they seemed somewhat generic. Most of them simply gave attribute bonuses or minor efficiency bonuses, which would be helpful, but she would already receive a large jump in her stats from ranking up to Low Bronze. It wouldn’t be adding anything groundbreaking. The Enhanced Relentless core was slightly better due to the attribute bonuses also applying to Silas, but that was still not significant enough of a boost to draw her eye. The really exciting core options were the first three, which she hadn’t even seen listed in the book that Lord Braxand had left here with her.

The Abundant Core was amazing, as she would gain an enormous boost to her qi pool and regeneration. She also took note of the static* description, in which it stated these gains could not be influenced. On the one hand, she suspected this meant that her qi saturated body and her Sage’s Rumination would have no effect on the amount she received. On the other hand, she knew that there were materials out there that could drain cultivators of their qi and regeneration–their usage was common in prisons. She wondered if she encountered such materials, she would always have access to at least a small pool of qi and 10 qi regeneration. Arguably though, the best part about this core was the increased cultivation speed it would give her. Considering how she had already done several things that would slow her progress, the long term benefits could really help her reach new heights of power.

The Advanced Meridian Augmentation Core was also incredibly tempting. The immediate increase to her stats, qi pool, and mental acuity would almost instantly transform her into a real force to be reckoned with. The only downside was that it would further impede her ascension through the higher cultivation ranks. She hadn’t yet fully experienced the impact of having so many open meridians or the expanded binding thread sucking away more of her cultivation progress than usual, but now that she had reached Low Bronze she imagined the climb to Mid Bronze and beyond would be excruciatingly slow.

The core that really appealed to her was the Rebirth Core, for multiple reasons. First and foremost, she would gain the chance to cheat death. So long as her death wasn’t too extreme–such as being burnt to ashes or perhaps swallowed whole by some Spirit Beast–she could come back to life. If she unlocked one of the bloodlines that would also give Silas a second chance if he was killed, that would go a long way to making her feel more prepared for future fights and challenges. She might even be able to keep some aspect of As One which would further increase her and Silas’s chances of survival.

Her ambitious side was screaming at her to take one of the Epic core options so that she could gain the most power quickly, but she shut that line of thinking down. None of that would matter if she died. The possibility of returning from the dead was too enticing a reward to turn down. Without languishing over the decision further she made her selection.

*Ding* Congratulations! You have chosen to form a Rebirth Core (Unique). When ascending to Low Copper, gained attributes were automatically distributed evenly to give you a firm foundation as a cultivator. As a Low Bronze, you now have more control over how you advance. If you would like to customize your attribute distribution, select a primary attribute (Strength, Agility, Endurance, or Resilience).

Unlike the core selections which were unique to each individual, Samantha had known this choice was coming. Being able to alter distribution of the flood of attribute points received during the Low Bronze rank-up was one of the reasons why there was such a noticeable power increase. Cultivators could either enhance their strengths or shore up their weaknesses, instead of generally improving across the board. Samantha had already spent some time thinking about this decision, so it didn’t take long for her to make the selection.

*Ding* Congratulations! You have selected Agility as your Primary Attribute. If you would like to customize your attribute selection further, select a secondary attribute (Strength, Endurance, or Resilience). Note* Choosing a secondary attribute will lower the overall gains of your primary attribute.

Samantha then selected Resilience as her secondary attribute, as it was widely acknowledged to be the most difficult to improve even if someone had a high aptitude for it. The extra points in Resilience would give her the extra durability she felt she desperately needed.

*Ding* Congratulations! You have selected Resilience as your Secondary Attribute. If you would like to customize your attribute selection further, select a tertiary attribute (Strength or Endurance). Note* Choosing a tertiary attribute will lower the overall gains of your primary and secondary attributes.

Samantha finalized her customizations and opted not to choose a tertiary attribute.

*Ding* Low Bronze Selections Finalized: Rebirth Core (Unique), Primary Attribute: Agility, Secondary Attribute: Resilience. Beginning core formation.

The electric pain in her dantian did not immediately subside even as the core was formed inside of her cultivation system. However, as the core thickened and hardened over the next several hours, the tendrils of energy coming off of the drop of liquid qi were contained by the shell and no longer struck her exposed dantian. Unfortunately, just as one pain ended a new one began.

The next part of the Low Bronze rank up was her body forcing impurities out of her flesh. She groaned and did her best not to scream as her muscles, bones, and tendons were reformed to accommodate her increased potential for inhuman power. She had hoped that breaking down and building her body back up with qi saturation would have shortened this process or made it less painful, but it seemed like the processes transformed different aspects of her flesh. While qi saturation made every cell more receptive to the vital energies of the world, it did not rid them of the impurities that every mortal was born with. So, just as every cultivator had before her, she grit her teeth and suffered through the hours-long process.

Only when she was drenched with sweat and a rank smelling sludge did the pain cease.

*Ding* Congratulations! You have ascended to Low Bronze. You have gained +2 to Strength, +6 to Agility, +6 to Endurance (+2 from rank up, +4 from Rebirth Core), and +6 to Resilience (+4 from rank up, +2 from Rebirth Core).

Samantha looked at her current stats to see the final values listed:

Attributes:

Strength: 11 => 13

Agility: 16 => 22

Endurance: 11 => 17

Resilience: 9 => 15

Samantha could tell that at least 5 hours had passed while she ranked up, since her qi pool was now nearly full at 45/88 available qi (40 qi reserved). She had finished faster than she expected, so she allowed herself a small break to recenter herself, cleaned herself off using water from the sink, and then changed into the new set of clean clothing that was left on the bed for her. She set the soiled clothes into one of the corners to keep the stench as far away as possible, then returned to the lotus position to get started on her next task.

After she had retrieved the elixir for Lord Braxand, she had been permitted to study the Indomitable Body art and internalize the qi patterns scribed within the reusable manual. She had held off on consuming the potion that went along with the art–which opened false meridian pathways–in the hopes that she could open the correct meridians herself and save the potion for Thomas’s use. Once she learned the art she would still need to pay a scribe to transfer her understanding of the art into a single-use manual for Thomas to learn from, but once that was finished, Thomas could also learn the Indomitable Body art.

Now was the moment of truth to see if the Skin Meridian was truly the pathway she needed, or if there was something else that she needed.

Samantha began the process of cycling the pattern of the art through the skin meridian in the hopes that the art would activate. She focused the energy on the skin of her right fist as she became more familiar with the flows of the pattern. It took numerous tries to get the speed of the cycling timed correctly with the alignment of the stream of qi flowing through her channels, but eventually she felt the energy of the art coalesce around her fist like armor and received the notification she had been hoping for.

*Ding* Congratulations! You have learned the combat art [Indomitable Body]!

*Ding* Synergy detected with Qi Saturated Body. Art effectiveness doubled! Art description has been updated.

Indomitable Body

Expend 1 qi point to saturate a chosen body part with fortifying energy, temporarily increasing the Resilience of that part by 10 points for 6 seconds or until the energy is spent absorbing damage.

Samantha couldn’t help but smile as she read the new description of the combat art. Although the static attribute bonus would become less relevant as she kept advancing in cultivation ranks and gaining attributes, having the effectiveness doubled greatly extended its usefulness.

The last decision she needed to make caused her heart to ache, but given her perilous situation she couldn’t take any half-measures. Samantha checked in with Silas to ensure that he would be okay with her choice of bloodline, since it would greatly impact his own progression as well. After a few moments of back and forth discussion, they both agreed that it was the correct choice and Samantha made the bond ability selection.

Nearly every bloodline ability appealed to Samantha in one aspect or another. The two bloodlines that she had been leaning towards were either the Celestial Hare bloodline, or the Mongrel bloodline, but the deciding factor had been her core selection.

The Moonlight Gate ability alone sounded amazing, and a not-small part of her had hoped that she could use it somehow to return to the first floor after she left. However, she couldn’t justify it to herself considering that she had decided to be someone that embodied courage and decisiveness in her pursuit of becoming a true cultivator. That determination, combined with taking a potentially-deadly elixir, gave her the core tenet of Ambition. If she made every decision around finding ways to return home to her family, that would be a betrayal of her goals and cause stagnation in her advancement.

The other consideration was that she couldn’t possibly be the only person on this floor to ever find some teleportation or waypoint skill. She strongly suspected there would be some mechanism in place to prevent people from descending floors using such methods, given that the System’s main purpose seemed to be to foster growth and ascension. She held out hope that there would be some way for her to descend the floors, and that she would find the answer eventually.

One of the glaring weaknesses of the Jackalope of All Trades skill was that although it allowed Silas to die and be brought back, if they both died then there was nothing that could be done to save either of them. Other than that, it possessed useful aspects from all the other bloodlines. Considering that the ability would grow stronger when she ranked it up, she imagined that it would eventually be more useful than any other singular bloodline. After addressing that one weakness through her Rebirth Core, she believed that she was making the right decision. If it wasn’t the right decision, at least she didn’t believe it was a wrong one.

The possible loss of her two special bond abilities would sting, but upon further reflection it might actually be for the best. Although As One had saved both of their lives repeatedly, and Energizer had gotten her out of multiple tight spots today, the bloodline selection would give her something more powerful than either of them. Not to mention that with the upcoming fights against extremely powerful opponents, it was possible that either she or Silas could be killed with a single blow. She wasn’t sure how As One would react to one of them being beheaded or otherwise definitively killed, and she didn’t want to risk both of them dying if one of them was hit. Hopefully, she could at least keep one or two useful aspects of the abilities.

*Ding* Congratulations! You have sacrificed As One and Energizer to unlock the Mongrel Bloodline. Changes have been made to your stat page.

*Ding* Congratulations! Due to the exceptionally strong bond and expanded binding thread between you and your bond, not all aspects of your sacrificed [Special] skills have been lost! Choose one aspect to reform into a new skill (Share healing or Share qi).

Samantha let out a sigh of relief and selected ‘Share healing’. Of all the aspects of As One and Energizer she was hoping to keep, the ability to share healing between both of them was the one that was most important to her. If her theory was right, even if both of them were killed now, Samantha could have her Rebirth Core’s passive healing effect prioritize Silas first. This way, she could restore him to life before the time limit on his body’s stasis expired, and he could guard her body as she healed her own fatal wounds afterwards.

Wanting to confirm to herself that she had made the correct choice, Samantha looked at what the second rank of Jackalope of all Trades would offer.

Jackalope of All Trades - Rank 2 [Rare] (2 Bond Ability Points): You and your bond will gain the ability to instantly swap places or transport to the other’s location while within 500 feet of each other so long as movement to the other party is not impeded (qi cost increases with distance). If your bond suffers a killing blow and their body isn’t completely destroyed, their spirit will reside in your dantian for up to a month and their physical form will be put in stasis. If their body is not restored to a survivable condition within that time, your binding thread will be dissolved and your bond will truly die. You and your bond will gain a 20% overall increase to qi pool and regeneration.

She was excited to see that the transport range would increase by 10 times, and would also become instantaneous. She noted that they would also gain the ability to transport to the other’s location instead of only swapping places. In addition, she would gain more time to heal Silas’s body if he were killed (a month, instead of only a week), and the increase to qi pool and regeneration doubled from 10 to 20 percent. Seeing this progression she understood that while all aspects of this skill had significantly improved, they were still individually less powerful than a single rank 1 ability from a pure bloodline. She thought that the tradeoff of power for versatility was fair, and looked forward to what other bond abilities may emerge from advancing down this bloodline.

Satisfied with her choice, Samantha also glanced at the new bond ability which had taken the place of As One.

Transfer Vitality: You and your bond can share healing or regenerative energies through your binding thread. If shared, the healing effects can be split equally between the two parties (effects for each party will be halved) or full effects of the healing can be passed through the bond (the other party receives full effects of the healing).

Samantha was pleased with the new skill that had been generated. She liked that they had the choice to pass the full healing effects to the other party now, rather than before when As One automatically divided everything evenly.

Given how many changes she had just gone through, she pulled up her profile to review her status.

Name: Samantha Cray

Age: 17

Attributes:

Strength: 13

Agility: 22

Endurance: 17

Resilience: 15

Cultivation Level: Low Bronze (Rebirth Core [Contains Vortex Mark])

Qi pool: Vital Wellspring Cultivation Technique (Mid Copper)

48/96.8

+3.1 qi point/hour [+6.2 with Sage’s Rumination]

Body Cultivation:

Qi Saturation (x2 to qi pool and qi regeneration)

Heart Meridian (Endurance)

Mind Meridian (Mental Acuity)

*Left Leg and Foot (Strength and Agility)

*Right Leg and Foot (Strength and Agility)

Skin Meridian (Resilience)

Core Concepts/ Tenets:

Ambition

Combat Arts:

Inspect (Base cost 1 qi)

By focusing your spiritual senses on a target, you can get basic information about it. This art will have a higher rate of success for targets at or below your cultivation level and stage. On failure, has a chance to notify the target of your attempt. Extra qi can be expended to learn more details, but the cost will always be a minimum of 1.

Swift (Base cost 0.5 qi/second) [100% efficiency]

For the first 0.5 qi points spent per second, you will gain +2 agility. For each additional 0.5 qi points spent per second, gain +1 agility. After the ability ends agility will return to normal levels

Flurry (Base cost 1 qi/second) [100% efficiency]

By spending 1 qi points per second, your kick speed will be doubled and kick damage will be increased by half.

Translucence (Base Cost 1 qi)

For every 1 qi point spent, you will become partially transparent for 30 seconds. Remaining motionless while translucent will make you exceedingly difficult to spot

Cloud Step (1 qi)

Meridian Requirements: Left Foot, Right Foot

Spend 1 qi point to create a solid surface of condensed qi directly beneath a chosen foot. This platform will remain a steady and usable platform until one second has passed or the user chooses to move their foot to another place.

Indomitable Body (1 qi)

Expend 1 qi point to saturate a chosen body part with fortifying energy, temporarily increasing the Resilience of that part by 10 points for 6 seconds or until the energy is spent absorbing damage.

Jackalope of All Trades (Variable qi cost)

You and your bond will gain the ability to swap places while within 50 feet of each other so long as movement to the other party is not impeded (qi cost increases with distance and speed of transfer). If your bond suffers a killing blow and their body isn’t completely destroyed, their spirit will reside in your dantian for up to a week and their physical form will be put in stasis. If their body is not restored to a survivable condition within that time, your binding thread will be dissolved and your bond will truly die. You and your bond will gain a 10% overall increase to qi pool and regeneration.

Passive Arts:

Transfer Vitality

You and your bond can share healing or regenerative energies through your binding thread. If shared, the healing effects can be split equally between the two parties (effects for each party will be halved) or full effects of the healing can be passed through the bond (the other party receives full effects of the healing).

Prey’s Awareness

Passive Effect: Gain increased perception of your surroundings that affects all senses.

Active Effect [Sphere of Dominion]: Can enter a hyper-focused state that greatly enhances spatial awareness of immediate vicinity (Rank 1: 15 foot sphere)

Poison Connoisseur

Inherit the toxin processing abilities of your bond. You will more easily gain resistances to any poisons you encounter

Blood Toxicity Tolerance - Rank 3

Future blood poisoning will have its effects and duration decreased by 3/4ths.

Corrosive Poison Resistance – Rank 2

Future encounters with corrosive poisons will have their effects and duration decreased by 2/3rds.

Sleep Poison Resistance - Rank 2Future encounters with sleep poisons will have their effects and duration decreased by 2/3rds.

Paralyzation Poison Resistance – Rank 1

Future encounters with paralyzing poisons will have their effects and duration decreased by half.

Hemotoxin Resistance – Rank 1

Future encounters with hemotoxins will have their effects and duration decreased by half.

Sage’s Rumination

You have mastered the art of multitasking. Regardless of what your conscious mind is doing, you are

able to maintain a permanent state of meditation, doubling your natural qi regeneration rate.

Hyperfocus

Meridian Requirements: Mind

While this passive mental technique is practiced, reaction and mental processing speeds will be doubled.

Spirit Bonds:

Silas (Rank 4 Lunar Jackalope – High)

Strength: 5

Agility: 15

Endurance: 7

Resilience: 7

Bond Ability Points: 0 remaining

Swift (Rank 2 – 2 Points) - For every 0.5 qi point spent per second, you will gain +2 agility. After skill ends, effects will persist for 5 seconds, losing 1/5th of gained Agility per second until the original agility level is reached. Herb Hunter (1 Point) – Like the Lunar Hare, you have an uncanny ability for finding the best quality herbs around. Translucence (Rank 2 - 2 Points) – For every 1 qi point spent, you will become mostly transparent for 60 seconds. All other signs of your presence will be partially muted (sound, smell, aura, etc). Remaining motionless while translucent will make you exceedingly difficult to spot. Antler Genesis (1 Point) - You can spend at least 1 qi point to grow an antler from any bone. Size and shape of the antler can be affected by increasing qi investment during creation. Once disconnected from the body, the antler will continue to exist for 1 minute or until consciously dismissed. Jackalope of All Trades (Rank 2 - 2 Points): You and your bond will gain the ability to instantly swap places or transport to the other’s location while within 500 feet of each other so long as movement to the other party is not impeded (qi cost increases with distance). If your bond suffers a killing blow and their body isn’t completely destroyed, their spirit will reside in your dantian for up to a month and their physical form will be put in stasis. If their body is not restored to a survivable condition within that time, your binding thread will be dissolved and your bond will truly die. You and your bond will gain a 20% overall increase to qi pool and regeneration.

Samantha noted that the marks section of her status page had vanished, and that her Vortex mark was now listed as being contained within her Rebirth Core. Curious, she pulled up her shirt to check the spot around her navel where the mark had previously been, and indeed saw that it was gone. She hadn’t noticed it’s absence when she was cleaning herself after breaking through to the next rank.

Looking inward, she saw the shell of her new core shining brightly. On the outside of the core was the same script and mandala pattern that previously made up the mark on her stomach. Seeing the core be so intimately connected with the mark made her a little nervous. What would happen if she failed the quest now? Would her core break too?

She put the unhelpful worries from her mind and began meditating again. She wasn’t going to humor the idea that she would be trapped on the first floor. She was going to ascend, as planned!

In the hours she had left, she would attempt to learn the High Copper rank of the Vital Wellspring cultivation technique. Her mind meridian kept the information she had seen in the training manual fresh in her mind, as well as the lessons that Thomas had been trying to impart to her over the last week. She did not expect to accomplish this before Lord Braxand’s Geas notifications expired, but she also refused to sit around in this empty room and do nothing. She would drive herself crazy if she didn’t stay at least somewhat busy.

And so, the hours slowly passed in silence as she tried and failed repeatedly to perfect the technique–her concentration never fully diverting from the awareness of her system notifications. Whenever those messages reached her, she would be ready… and she prayed that Lord Braxand wouldn’t be.