Walters residence in the Homeless Hamlet

A day had passed and Seshwan was busy cultivating his earth essence within his five realms. He had cultivated the [Tectonic Shell] for a total of eight hours now and the difference in essence strength was already drastic in comparison.

The technique is a chanted phrase with many chapters, and by slowly contemplating the phrases, essence would be drawn in; insight could be gained through contemplation. Along with the chant there was a physical body training technique; recite passages while circulating essence forcefully and not allowing any to escape of his body. Essence flowed vigorously throughout his body.

Walter had gone to one the smiths to trade some trash for other essential items for the recruitment day. Down in the cistern life was different, the people here never traded with money because that is easily stolen, rather the shopkeepers and smiths only traded in items and goods. Pants and sackcloth shirts were commonly used as they were easy to come across. Other gathered materials from the areas near the city were considered tender as a lot of herbs for medicine grew along the coasts.

When Walter returned a short while later, Seshwan was still absorbed in cultivation, trying hard to gain insight into the earth essence. Walter stored the food he had just traded some stolen items for; he'd only just finished when he felt powerful essence close to him, almost like it had sprung from the shadows and gripped his throat. He spun around to see that Seshwan was the only one in the room. Small stones had begun to float near Seshwan as they gathered they began to arrange around his chest.

'Amazing! This boy has talent he's already started to form his first stage real guard.' Walter thought about his students’ progress, a real guard would mean he's in the last stages of trainee realm and about to step into the Apprentice stage.

The difference between stage or even levels within the stages is great, an apprentice level one could not hope to compete with a level three; perhaps a level two with the right combat techniques but not normally. The starting stages were a lot easier to ascend through compared to later cultivation stages. Walter smiled; perhaps Seshwan would turn out to be the hidden treasure he had hoped to find in this dump of a city.

Seshwan opened his eyes; there was a majestic feeling in his chest. He looked toward the source to see an incomplete cuirass of stone had begun to form. A feeling of shock spread throughout his body and as he reacted the stones fell away.

It seemed once he'd broken his concentration his control over the stone had failed. The majestic energy was gone for now and he sat wondering if it was going to always be like this; even in combat would he need to keep focusing so hard?

"Walter are these stones part of the cultivation technique? I also just felt some kind of majestic energy within my essences realms, is that normal?" Seshwan may as well ask even if Walter scolded him for asking stupid questions.

"Those stones were drawn to you to form your first stage real guard. A real guard allows for physical enhancement and grants other essence abilities. If I'm correct you should form a cuirass first and the ability to absorb large impacts at way less cost. Since you’re an earth type the majority of your base abilities should be defensive and crowd controlling; those roles are essential for a Guardian Knight." Walter had seen many earth essences in his years but none had gone through trainee realm so fast or said they'd felt majestic energy before they made it into the expert realm.

Seshwan felt full of energy as he stood up, his essence surged throughout him. The smell of the cistern no longer bothered him; the pressure he'd felt when he first arrived was still there but he could feel it was beneficial to his current cultivation. The pressure allowed him to absorb a seemingly limitless amount of earth essence from his surroundings.

"Hey Sesh, catch!" Walter tossed him a set of beggars’ clothes about his size. "You’ll have to dress right in the sewers or else you'll get mugged." Walter smiled as he sat down and lit his pipe, today he was smoking a different herb that smelled like mint; the smoke hung low and felt as though it lowered the temperature of the room.

Seshwan got changed and stored his items in his loot box. A loot box was a box which could store items to be extracted later. Food, water, clothes and weapons were commonly stored in these boxes but since they were hard to enchant and crafted from uncommon materials they were expensive and only employed by the higher class. With Walters smoke hanging in the air, and having sat for roughly ten hours Seshwan decided to go for a walk around, he'd gained some energy now and wanted to walk around unafraid for the first time in his life.

The homeless hamlet

This hamlet within the scarlet sewers was not as bad as one might picture a community of impoverished people. Fires crackled as people trained and conversed at the small ship stalls surrounding the edge of the cistern. They were deep underground beneath the city but this place was rather well lit. If one could get over the toxic odor this hamlet in the depths of the earth could be a charming place to live. There were no guards, the people here were on their own, not looking for trouble or looking to start it. Everyone knew the others were down on their luck and wouldn't hesitate to help if they could. These people had nothing but still had far more than the nobles at the highest tiers of the city.

Seshwan had gained some sort of small insight into what a true community looked like, the impression he got from this place was much more charming and welcoming then even his own home.

"I've never seen you before young man, if you need so guidance this old man would happily help." Seshwan turned around to face an old man with a walking cane. He had snuck up on Seshwan while he was observing people in their daily lives.

"Sorry sir I'm not looking for anything, just taking in the sights. It's my first time here and in my opinion it's a rather nice place." Seshwan was trying to be polite to the old man; he was in rags but, like Walter, this old man could be dangerous.

"It's all we have so who could complain. If you need anything stop by my shop on the east side of the cistern, it's a converted abandoned drainage channel." The old man smiled as he turned and walked away.

'What an odd old guy he never told me his name and he approached me so easily' Seshwan was pondering the logic of the old man's decision to talk to him.

Seshwan had always been an introvert and tried to not get into discussions with strangers if it could be helped. For this old man to walk up like that had him confused and feeling odd in a way he couldn’t put into words.

After his walk was complete, he traded a hand full of food for some attribute-less leather wrap gauntlets. Attributes on armor could strengthen wearers abilities an attribute-less item was made with no essence imbued into it; it could have essence added to it by the wearer. For Seshwan, gauntlets would be helpful if he had to fight anyone in the future if he couldn't fully form and sustain a real guard.

He returned to Walters hut; Walter had been sitting cultivating essence since Seshwan left. The hut was frigid; icicles hung from the ceiling. Frost and small pieces of ice rotated around Walters' seated figure.

Seshwan sat on the frozen pillow starring in awe, previously he had felt foolish calling this small kid looking man master; now his body had formed a full ice real guard. Ice spikes covered his back and forearms, the rest was smooth and deep blue ice that looked sleek and though frozen solid, it had a fluid flexibility to it.

Seshwan had only seen full real guard a hand full of times, all of whom were generals back home while training at a martial hall many years ago.

White light appeared in the ice as Walter opened his eyes. The ice began to melt and absorb into him as he breathed deeply. He had full control over his element and without a doubt was a true master.

"Sorry about that I was just taking a moment to recover some of my essence I used to purify that curse." Walter stared toward Seshwan, a grin on his face "Your jealous, aren't you? Don't worry this is a similar technique to your Tectonic Shell, one day you'll hit master rank and have a full real guard stronger than mine."

Seshwan shocked by what was just said starred at Walter. "Stronger than yours how? I'm only an earth type essence user?" Seshwan had doubts about Walters claim.

"Kid, earth is naturally the strongest defensive type essence, how can a mutation essence like ice be as strong? It can't! Ice is a mutation of water and wind essence types, it's extremely rare and though it holds defensive properties it is just as easily used as an offensive essence." Walter was careful to explain his intended meaning.

Seshwan was a bright kid but and was no doubt book smart; he lacked personality, He had, without a doubt, been looked down on for his lack of talent. Meaning he'd only begun to learn about application of essence and types of essence when he was labeled trash and kicked aside.

"No one essence has more potential the others, the person controlling it is what makes the difference in potential and strength." Walter had learned this from his master a long time ago and he'd seen it for himself on many contract missions.

"I understand, I'll train till I become the strongest and show my family I'm not trash!" Seshwan had a fire lit in his heart, he could be great like others, they just had a head start on cultivation now.

They both returned to training, Walter did not reform his real guard near Seshwan again. The side effects and pressure would eventually affect him if he couldn't form a second stage real guard. Only two days till the recruitment date Seshwan could not be set back in cultivation if he wanted to be accepted into a guild.

Two days later Seshwan had had break through after break through, he was now into apprentice stage of cultivation and could finally form and hold his real guard for up to five minutes at rest. In combat, he could only hold it for less than a minute. For the time being he had to rely on his only none combat technique [shadow step transition]. Most of the last two days were spent cultivating but a portion was also spent manipulating essence as an extension of your body and studying the technique Walter had given him.

Walter had made Seshwan learn to control his essence better by picking up small stones and holding them above him for a whole minute, Seshwan struggled to raise the stones above his shoulder level so this is where they’d start. The [shadow step transition] on the other hand was not an essence ability but rather a precise footing drill to accurately maneuver tight spaces quickly. It assisted in climbing walls quickly; an excellent escape technique that would allow Seshwan to run if he ever was threatened by a much stronger opponent within the city or in the future.

Both training techniques required diligence to master; and would become a part of Seshwan’s daily training routine.

The day of recruitment

“Sesh you’ve made a few major steps in cultivation in the last three days and I believe your just strong enough now to make it as a member of our guild, but that’ll depend on your performance at the recruitment today. I believe you will do just fine.” Walter was surprised that Seshwan had trained up into the beginning stages of apprentice grade within three days!

If he could keep up his training, he should break into apprentice level five or even six within a year with the right resources and techniques. All things the guild no doubt had, however first he must pass the tests laid down by the masters of the guild.

“Thank you Walter I'll continue to try harder and become stronger.” Seshwan was overjoyed at the sound of Walter’s praise. He had been labelled trash for more than eight years, so to be praised now after only three days felt good.

“Before heading to the guild hall I should explain the rules and reasoning for why I accepted you as my student.” Walter was going to tell him eventually but decided now was the best time. “Every year the guild members bring in new recruits as apprentices.

Unlike other guilds where apprentices are assigned by the guild masters, I chose to bring you in not because you need work or because of your talent as a cultivator, rather I offered to be your master because you have ties to nobles and the guild has needed more standing in this city. We could easily bribe the nobles, lord knows they love money, but that doesn’t guarantee the guards to leave us alone. If one of our own was from the families, the guards couldn’t touch them.”

Seshwan was first shocked but quickly understood what was wanted from him. “I don’t have that sort of influence in this city; I’m new here and not loved by the family. As for the guild; what kind of guild is this that’s in trouble with the guards all the time?” Seshwan had never thought to ask he just wanted work and to not have to rely on others to get through the day.

“Were called criminals and rightly so; the Black Lotus thieves guild has been in this city for a few centuries. We steal, kill, and raid other guilds. You can imagine why were in trouble rather often.” Walter grinned as he was rather proud to be more than just an assassin for nobles, he would rather steal from them than kill for them making twice the money.

“An unofficial guild of assassins and thieves?” Seshwan wore a disturbed expression, he knew they existed but he had no idea he would soon be trying to join them.

“Eh, not just an unofficial guild of assassins and thieves, we also accept marauders and bandits.” Walter was being sarcastic just out of spite of Seshwan's concerned expression. “Don’t worry they’re not that bad we just don’t like seeing the wealth in the hands of a select few we would rather distribute it like it should be.”

“How noble of you.” Seshwan rolled his eyes trying to look as sarcastic as possible.

“Kid, you’re in the sewers among the bottom class, compared to the higher ups, which would you rather see succeed in life?” Walter bumped Seshwan’s shoulder.

Seshwan was at the rock bottom of the social hierarchy. An outcast that was labeled trash. He had been kicked around by his brothers and sisters all his life. Looked down on by his father and uncles. Even his original master and tutor thought he was worthless.

Seshwan had been thrown out without any explanation other than that he was useless trash. Ever one of the other noble children looked down on him because he spent more time studying and reading then training in a skill of craft. He now could become just as strong as those who looked down on him.

“Your right, those bastards on the upper tiers have always looked down on me, I can’t stand the thought of their smug faces. They never gave a damn about me, so why not? I’ll do my best to get in and take them down a few pegs!” Seshwan always hated his uncle; during his contemplation of joining he thought of his father as well. At the mere thought of his father and brothers his blood boiled.

“I’ll show all of those bastards I’m not trash and one day I'll return to the capitol to make you all regret kicking me out.” Seshwan made this oath under his breath so Walter wouldn’t hear

“Okay Sesh, I am sure you will do great, though I have no idea what the tests will be this year. I am confident in your ability.” Walter said assuring Seshwan.