The core traveled in the white void seemingly forgotten.

I wonder how long I have to wait to get started. At least I don’t become bored so quickly anymore I if I have nothing to do I can just cultivate.

Wait, can I even cultivate as a core? Even if I can, I don't know how. Oh damn, what do I do? Nothing is happening for a seemingly long time and not being able to do anything is insanely dull.

Strange female System voice thingy get on with it, create faster I am bored.

OK then let's just think about the stuff they talked about. First of all, there are parties, and you go there in a Tuxedo. Unimportant; what do I expect of course my mind keeps on wandering and yet I can’t help myself since there is nothing else to do.

Wait there is one critical issue. I do understand the people here. Now that I think about it, I don't think I really heard any voices at least not vocally. Hm does this mean the secret arts to communicate with mind-speech exist here? But how do they do it, I still can't feel any qi or chi?

Is it the energy called mana, but if it is how did I understand them? Like they said I have no idea on how to utilize mana.

Let’s see they said I was on some lower level…

What did they call it? Late qi and chi combination.

Well I guess, you could call it that. Divine energy is made up out of qi and chi. So does that mean the 3rd Combination implies qi, chi, and mana? No wait that doesn't make any sense.

If qi and chi is the first level then the third level needs to consist out of four types of energy, but what is that last one?

Look at me thinking about the fourth energy when I don't even know what exactly mana is.

Well if mind speech does work correctly then the words I hear will at least be translated into something I have an understanding of.

Mana…. Mana… I heard that word before, it’s not a concept entirely unknown to me. WAIT!!! Mana as in mana the energy used to cast spells in fantasy worlds.

If this is true, it could get quite interesting.

Hahahaha. Who would have thought people on earth got so much right in their fantasy books. So if mana is real, the question arises, how can I control it. I don’t believe it is an energy of body or mind. If it were, someone I knew would have found it long ago. We discussed other types of energy often enough while we debated about advancing further. I guess I..

Initializing Integration Process…

The core was interrupted in his thought process by the robotic voice of the system.

Connecting entity… Connection successful… entity classified as Alpha… Alpha core entity detected… Implementing Alpha protocol… Alpha protocol implemented…”

Welcome, Alpha Sect Core.

Äh thanks. Where am I? The core tries to communicate.

Information not accessible at this level.

Wait, what? No, wait you can hear me? So what is happening?

Integration of entity into the System is in process.

So it’s not really helpful, that's something I already knew. But what does the alpha protocol mean?

Alpha Protocol is meant for the first entity to walk a path in the System. For more information see System: Alpha.

Ok? System: Alpha…

Suddenly there was a window in front of the core.

Alpha:

Alpha status is gained by being the first entity on a specific path. The alpha status can only be lost through betting inside the same class (System: Betting) or by evolving into an established path, under which circumstances the classification becomes void. Exemptions are system issued quests. (System: Quest)

As Alpha, an entity has concierge status (System: Concierge Status).

Let’s try this again.

System: Betting

Information not accessible at this level.

Damm again with that message, ok the other one then.

System: Quest

Information not accessible at this level.

Ok, that's just teasing giving me information that tells me there is more and then telling me no you can't know. I hate it when people do that. Grrrrr.

Concierge Status? Well, it does sound nice. Wonder what that is about?

System: Concierge Status

Information will become accessible after integration process.

Entity, please list the two most important things for cultivation.

Body and soul.

Body scanning Database … Attribute Astral projection and Avatar found. Do you wish for these to be included in your starter package?

Soul scanning Database… No Attribute found. Scanning System… Entry found. A soul is necessary to be called entity.

Scanning newcomer… Alpha Sect Core…

Wish for a soul... Soul scanning Database… No Attribute found. Scanning System… Entry found. A soul is necessary to be called entity.

Scanning newcomer… Alpha Sect Core…

Wish for a soul... Soul scanning Database… No Attribute found. Scanning System… Entry found. Soul is necessary to be called entity.

Oh shit, I broke it!!! STOP STOP STOP! I don’t wish for a soul.

Wish retracted… Attribute Astral Projection and Avatar found. Do you wish these to be included in your starter package?

Hm, it does sound nice to have a body again but astral projection no I already know how to do that.

Implementing Avatar… Avatar couldn't be bought, not enough Energy Points.

Wait, what? What are Energy Points?

...

Hm, System: Energy Points?

Energy Points:

Energy Points for Core-Class entities or Experience Points for most other lifeforms is the System currency to buy anything from the System Shop (System: Shop). They can be earned through active training, quests, achievements or killing and absorbing the free energy the souls leave behind.

?? That last part doesn’t really sound so encouraging. But..

System: Shop

Shop:

The Shop is your way to spend all those Energy Points (System: Energy Points). There you can buy everything you can imagine. Not everything will be available right from the start, and certain things will require specific certifications.

Really everything? I will test that in the future. So with other words, I have energy points but not enough to buy Avatar. But how do I see how much Energy Points I have?

Command... User: Energy Points

The User has 1,250,730 Energy Points. 1,000,000 EP were used for Alpha Status.

WHAT? Alpha Status cost me nearly halve my points? How much does Avatar cost?

Avatar cost for Alpha Core Sect: 750,000,000,000 EP

At least getting Alpha didn't prevent me from getting Avatar.

Whishes unable to be fulfilled. Implementing Backup plan one… Attribute Spatial included in starter package!

Please list two resources…

Wait, Spatial? What does that mean now, this system thing could really be a bit more helpful.

Spatial:

The core is in control of a spatial domain. The ability to change this space depends on level. The expansion of the territory is possible (Spatial Domain: Expansion).

Spacial Domains are only accessible through portals under control of the owner; each domain has one primary gateway. For more information see (Spatial Domain: Portal).

Hey, that does sound nice, it’s something I would have bought myself if I knew to look for it. Let's try those commands instead.

Spatial Domain: Expansion

Spatial Domain: Portal

Information not accessible at this level.

Portal:

Portals are stable rifts in the space-time continuum. They can be claimed, if claimed depending on the class of the portal, different settings are available.

Spatial Domain: Portal

Each Spatial Domain must have, upon ownership, one main portal open. The location will be chosen upon gaining ownership. The position of the primary gateway is fixed, to a place on any item in normal space. The object can be a planet but could also be something like a dagger or ring.

Besides the primary gateway, the owner can open secondary portals, these cost EP-Upkeep.

Please list two resources…

Please list two resources? If I knew what they meant with that, it would be a lot easier.

Please list two resources…

Ok. that isn't really helpful at all. Ok, what would be the essentials to start out strong? Some resources for formations and pills I guess are the minimum required.

Choice: Formations added to the starter package.

Choice: Pills not enough EP left… searching for substitute… Found entry Cultivation Flora. Is Cultivation Flora acceptable?

I don't like the sound of that.

User: Energy Points

The User has 50730 Energy Points.

??? Where have all those points gone?

1,000,000 EP were used for Attribute: Spatial.

200,000 EP were used for Resource: Formation

How much would Pills be and how much is Cultivation Flora?

Resource: Pills cost for Alpha Core Sect: 200,000 EP

Resource: Cultivation Flora cost for Alpha Core Sect: 50000 EP.

So if I take Cultivation Flora, I will have 730 EP left. System do I have to choose anything else? And what is left in the integration process?

The user has to choose one more resource, then the user will be integrated.

So I there is nothing more to choose, guess I take the flora then.

Starter package completed… Integration process completed.

Starting creation process...

Spatial Domain creation… Owner: Sect core…Choosing domain size...1st Combination Level…Creating spatial domain of 125 cubic meters. User, please select a name for your sect.

I can name it right now? Well, Five Dragon Sect would be a little bit too pompous for a Sect inhabiting 125 cubic meters. System can the name be changed?

All entities can buy one name-change every 100 years.

Interesting that you can buy a name change from the system but, only every 100 years, I wonder if there were problems with people changing their name too often. Ok, let’s start with Black Scale Sect. And work us up from there.

Spatial Sect registered name Black Scale Sect.

New Owned Spatial Domain found… Starting Portal Creation Process…

Owner has 730 Energy Points, advanced location options disabled. The location will be random.

Owner has 730 Energy Points, highest fixture type the user can afford: Planemo for 725 EP. Do you wish to buy this option or go smaller?

AHHHH. I did ask if I need any more EP. Damn shouldn't have asked about the integration process only.

System can I change my previous selection.

User has not enough EP to change location options.

Please?!

User has not enough EP to change location options.

No, not the location option at least not yet. I want to change my choices in the integration process!

Integration process completed.

So I can´t change formation for something else?

Integration process completed.

WHY NOT!!! Damned System, that's why we cultivators don’t work with technology, you can achieve a lot with it but in the end it can still just follow a given path. Why couldn’t they use a ghost or something similar to that!

Maybe they do understand! After all the Tux called in the Main as soon as the normal System didn’t do a good enough job.

I guess it makes sense use the automated System to do the trivial stuff and if a significant problem comes up, the female takes over. …. That just shows how insignificant I am…

Ok, so the location of my primary portal will be random, but I still have some control over the object it will be placed on.

If I remember correctly, planemo means an astronomical object with enough mass to achieve a spherical shape. So basically I can end up on anything in the planet class, well that doesn't sound so bad does it. I just hope I don’t end up in the outskirts of the galaxy.

Wait am I still in the same universe and if so, does this galaxy work on the same basic principles as the milky way? I guess it should after all.The rift did bring me here, so it has to have some connection and if there is a connection the basic principles should be the same.

So if the basics are the same, I really want my primary gateway to be… thinking upon this further it’s actually a really tricky question, isn't it?

The energy level is highest in the center of any galaxy and gets lower the nearer to the boundary you get. Ok, you could still get quite high levels at the outskirts you just needed a really massive white star as a sun.

Haha, that brings back memories, I don't know how often we tried to get through the boundary. But really what should we have done. We knew there had to be more out there, but all we could do was to explore our own galaxy.

On the outside was the boundary, and we were too weak to even make a scratch on it and in the center was the rift. To get through that, you first had to be sturdy enough to withstand the pure energy around it, and even then it still ripped everyone and everything apart.

Apparently, I got through in my current form, but if the Tux is right, it was more luck than anything else.

Back to the problem at hand. So the center would have all the prominent characters, I guess that wouldn't be too good for me, I am after all at the lower level of strength around here.

A star system with a white star also wouldn’t be a good idea, even on the outskirts they produce too much energy, and are used by reclusive characters and most of them have power over 9000. Kidding aside they are fucking powerful. And you never know what one of those bastards does next.

Damn I just don't have enough information about this galaxy to make an informed decision. Maybe it’s good that I can’t make one. Yeah, it definitely is.

Ha-ah. Fucking System.

User has 730 Energy Points, highest fixture type the user can afford: Planemo for 725 EP. Do you wish to choose this option or go smaller?

Hehe, I did theorize a bit much there didn’t I. Yes I’ll take the option.

User has 5 Energy Points, 725 EP were used for Planemo. The fixture type will be Planemo.

Starting fixture selection.

Suddenly a fortune wheel materialized in front of the core.

The sections regarded different types of planets and it’s corresponding color such as water, ice, gas, desert, barren, ferrous or oceanic and some more.

In addition to that, each type was divided into categories of subpar, standard and super. But listed were not only planet types but also moons, asteroids and dwarf planets.

I like it, nice touch with the fortune wheel, even though they just could have told me on which type of planemo my primary portal will end up on. So let’s spin the damn thing…

The wheel started to spin, there was a rattata to hear, and the wheel was a blur of colors. After some time the wheel slowed down and the individual sections could be seen again. After a few rotations you could even read the script again.

Please don’t let it land on a moon or dwarf planet, and even more important not on a gas-type! I mean how the hell do you even fix a portal to gas, and what cultivator would live on a gas planet, or do you say in a gas planet?

I still don’t know how all that sect core stuff works, but I am quite sure I need cultivators. So a planet with a lot of them would be essential for my growth.

The wheel was slowly grinding to a halt, and you could Roguely guess that it would end up on a green field with Super Earthlike or a black field where you couldn’t read the equally black skript.

Wait, what’s that black one it can’t be anything good right! Don’t give me that, pleaaase don’t!

The needle was on the green field, but still, the wheel kept slowly turning, and you could nearly see the core sweating. Relentlessly the wheel moved forward.

The needle was already on the pin differentiating the green and black field, but still, the wheel inched forward, slowly ever so slowly the needle bend under the pressure, and the wheel got even slower so that it seemed like it would stop any second.

The needle was nearly over the pin and into the black field, but there was also almost no more movement forward by the wheel.

NOOOO! Stopp! I said stop you fucking wheel. Stoooop!

KLICK!!!

No no no no NO!

Who said a fortune wheel is a nice touch? I definitely didn't! Come on, to see the nearly perfect choice only to get something awful..

Wait! Where will my primary gateway even be placed? I can’t read shit on that black field.

Starting fixture will be on a Rogue planet of earth like standard.

??? Rogue planet… OH COME ON A ROGUE PLANET?

Hopefully not all is lost. At least the type isn't too bad, but ROGUE PLANET. God DAMN! How bad is my luck?

Are there even lifeforms on a Rogue? Even if there are I sincerely question the existence of cultivators!

I mean without a star the energy in the air is too sparse to be used in any secret art. And who cultivates Qi if you can’t really use it.

IF! there are any cultivators at all they could only be body cultivators.

I mean yes, body/chi-cultivators are as strong as mind/qi-cultivators. But dual cultivators just rock. All powerhouses back home were dual cultivators. So how can I build a dominant sect if I don't have any Qi cultivators? It would feel like having arms but no legs.

Ok, let's calm down! Let’s just see what will happen! Maybe I get a position near the center of the universe where the systems are close enough together that even a Rogue would have enough starlight.

Starting location assignment... randomizing…

Starting location will be in the third expansion ring.

Third expansion ring? Somehow I don’t like the sound of that.

The Tux and the female did say something about expansions and that the milky way being in its first expansion is still considered quite young. I guess this galaxy has been through at least three expansions and is super old.

Damn my starting position is totally messed up! I just hope it’s not getting worse even at the outskirts of the galaxy and on a Rogue planet

Creating of primary gateway completed… Placing core into Sect domain…

The Core vanished out of the white void.