Chapter 5- Project Vermilion City

Rancer’s POV

Night has arrived, I am taking my bath in the pool when Jeslyn jumps into the pool. Puush! The water of the pool splashes out as Jeslyn makes her mischievous jump into the pool. “Hello, Rancer,” Jeslyn says. “What are you doing here?” I asked. “I come to join you in bathing,” she answers proudly. “Okay...” I answer and then the situation turns rather silent and awkward. We then mind our own business and after I bath finish. I tell Jeslyn that I am leaving for I am soaking in the pool for quite some time. I then find that the human beds are surprisingly soft. I heard that they are made from cotton. Soon, the soft feeling from the bed becomes a comfort for me and I snooze off. Sometime later which I do not know the exact time, I feel the warm sensation that I longed for. It feels like eternal until my brain registers a pain so familiar. I instantly got up and subconsciously move a step back for I know it is Grandpa Dugo’s flick on my forehead. “Wake up, shall you, it is already morning and look at yourself,” says Grandpa Dugo. I look at myself and find that both my hands are interlocking together and Jeslyn is under my embrace. I am temporarily stun. What just happen? I quickly put Jeslyn down back to her sleeping position before she notices. Phew. Luckily, she is not awake from the commotion.

After all of this, Grandpa Dugo gathers all the villagers together with his loud sound infused with chi. All the villagers quickly arrive quickly as their common sense tells them that only a certain level of an expert is capable of doing so. When all of them are here, Grandpa Dugo announces to everyone that he will be training everyone. Some is shock, some is at dazed, some breaks down and cries. There is a lot of emotions going on. Before he starts his training, he starts of the basic by telling us more about the cultivation world especially the cultivation ranking.

I learn that human’s cultivator has a ranking system especially for them. It starts off by:

Novice

Elementary

Advanced

True

Warrior

Warlord

Wargod

Well, for the magical beasts’ ranking, it is more about stars and stripes. The number of stars correspond to the realm of the human ranking. Basically, 2 stars will mean that the person is at Elementary level. The stripes are more like a sub realm. The beast need cultivate for a full ten stripes and be at the peak of that realm to impact the next realm or stars. For the human, human also do has ten sub realm in each realm. 1 to 3 is low, 4 to 6 is middle, 6 to 9 is high and 10 is peak. We are also told that although when the magical beasts are bound to win when the human is at the same realm and sub realm. At times, even when the humans is still higher by the magical beasts by one or two sub realms and are in the same realm, the humans will still lose. The reason is because the magical beast are born to have a superior physical abilities and some even have innate abilities. However, the world is always fair for the magical beasts have a slower speed of cultivation compared to the humans.

The more wide known term for 2 stars or Elementary realm is called the Learning stage. It is at this stage that every cultivators are starting to learn martial technique without chi. The 3 stars or the Advanced realm is also known as the Utilisation stage. This is mainly due to the fact at this stage any cultivators will have created a chi reservoir which is capable of keeping the chi to be used for martial art techniques that require chi. The 4 stars or True realm is called as Metamorphosis stage for the human cultivators are able to fly and glide in the air while most of the magical beast is capable of transforming into human.

The information sure is mind-blowing. After all of this knowledge, Grandpa Dugo introduces the meditation techniques to everyone and supervises everyone. All they have to do is sit down on the ground cross-legged and have their palm together. It seems entirely different from mine. Probably, it is due to the compatibility with the human body. By the end of the day, many have broken through the limits of a human and have their first step towards the world of cultivation. Those who have broken through are excited for they can feel a surge in strength while those who have not, they are dejected. Well, that is the cruel part of the life of cultivation. The lack of talent can be a very disappointing thing. Nevertheless, Grandpa Dugo tries not to break their will and encourage them to try again tomorrow. Before everyone disperses, Grandpa Dugo warns everyone power is used for the better good and not to bully the weak one. Grandpa Dugo then continues that he has laid an enchantment and if anyone are to use it for the evil, they will be punished for I can see it. Everyone seems to take it seriously for what Grandpa Dugo has said as he is the expert that bring such changes so what can he not do.

When the boring meditation is over, I rush to see Chouno, Jeslyn’s father and Jeslyn. Jeslyn does not have the chance to cultivate together as she needs to tend to her father for Chouno may suffer backlash or in need of something. However, nothing seems to happen. Just maybe, Jeslyn will be joining us tomorrow. Hurray! Upon reaching the home, Jeslyn then seems to be excited and then asks me for how was today. I then tell her about the cultivation info and about the meditation. Jeslyn seems to be elated about it and begs me to teach her for she wants to be a cultivator. After a long and torturous begging and shedding crocodile tears, I finally give in. She jumps continuously in expressing the feeling of joy through her body. I then calm her down and the meditation started. Who would have known that she is genius? No she is a monster. Her cultivation speed greatly outstrips the others. What’s more is that a huge influx of chi is gathering at such a quick pace. It is then when someone dashes in with superb speed. It is Grandpa Dugo. He then does use his finger coated heavily with chi and taps into five spots. The huge chi influx seems to have subsided. As expected from Grandpa Dugo but he does not seem pleas at all. Grandpa Dugo gives me a smack. Angrily Grandpa Dugo asks,” What have you done? If I am not fast enough to sense this, she will have die.” I cry and replies, “BBut she says she wants to do it.” “Okay, forget about it. It is also my mistake. I am sorry,” Grandpa Dugo says. I nod and then rub away my tears. I ask, “Grandpa Dugo, what exactly go wrong on Jeslyn.” I ask. “I will tell you tomorrow.” Grandpa Dugo says. I then head off to my spot and then have quickly fallen asleep.

Grandpa Dugo’s POV

As the day is coming to an end, I am preparing to head to the house and rest after giving my guidance to the last student. After pointing out his mistakes and giving suggestion for further improvements, I stroll down the alley until I feel such a huge movement of chi and the chi are heading towards where Rancer is staying. I move as quickly as possible and happen to see the cause of this movement. I cannot fathom that all of this is done by this girl. Upon further concentration, I gasp in shock. It is a revelation to know that karma has its way to award me for helping these humans. At first, Chouno has some potential but now this girl has clearly caught my full attention. To think that she has a unique body which occurs one in million. The reason why people called it the unique body is that those people will have extra meridians. This will mean that they can cultivate faster than anybody and have lesser bottleneck experience. The best part of all is that these unique bodies appear to be heredity thing which makes the owner of unique body to be quite a priceless commodity to any sect or kingdom. The sect or kingdom will use any sort method to capture the owners of unique bodies. Sadly, this unique body is the gift that humans can have. Most of the user that has a unique body have one or two extra meridians. Three is rare, four is abnormal while five is legendary. If anyone are to know that this girl has a unique body with five extra meridians, her life will be terribly sad. With quick thoughts, I concentrate a small portion of chi into my finger and the lock the five extra meridians. The problem should be alright now. For this girl, now she is facing a situation called chi overload. Overtime, this chi should slowly disperse out of her body and by that time should have reach middle level novice.

I then doze off until I am awoke by someone. I am a bit irritated until I notice it is my grandson. He has this worried face on him and he ask me whether Jesyln is fine as she has never move from the spot since. I pat him and rub his head then telling him everything is just fine.

Jeslyn’s POV

As I wake up, I see Rancer popping his face so near to me. HUUU! “You are fine,” says Rancer. I cannot comprehend what he is saying and I can smell something so bad like some rotten meat. It cannot be Rancer’s bad breath? URGH! I pinch my nose and start moving. “What are you doing,” Rancer asks. “I am going for a bath,” I lie in my reply as I suspect that he is the cause for such a smell but I do not want to hurt his heart. “That’s right. Breaking through cultivation in the novice realm can make your body and smelly. Even I would have taken a bath,” says Rancer. What is he saying? I then quickly move but the smell seems to linger around me. Linger around me!!! I smell my cloth and it is the same stench smell that I previously smell. Thinking about what has happened, I flush red in embarrassment.