Diego opened his eyes, causing the Scarlet-Gold sheen covering his body to retract into his skin before he could even notice it. His whole body felt light and energetic despite the fact that he had been sitting unmoving on the hard stone for nine full days. He stood and stretched, noticing a few popping and cracking sounds.
"Now then, Ishu normally leaves his training spear in here," Diego said to himself as he moved over to what seemed to be an empty wall.
He pressed a series of runes and then a section of wall moved aside. The small compartment held a rack where polished hide armor hung and two spears rested in the corners, one wood and the other was the golden one that Diego wielded in his mental plane. He could not help but reach out and pick up the golden spear. For ninety days, this spear had hardly left his hand, so when he held it in his real hand, he knew instantly that they were truly identical. With a smile, he placed it back into the corner and grabbed the wooden one.
Diego returned to the center of the room and closed his eyes. He knew the moves, he had practiced them countless times in his mental plane, so he just needed to act. The Solar Energy inside his body flared and he struck out with his spear.
::[Serpent's Strike] skill learned. 5 mastery points awarded::
Katalina had already explained a lot about the system and the various points he would receive. Skill points could be used to increase a skill without any extra effort on his part, but there were limits like evolving. Mastery points could be invested into his overall ability with a spear or even a profession or type of magic. Experience points could only be received after defeating a person or beast, but they could be used to power up his cultivation. For now though, he placed these thoughts aside and continued what he was doing.
::[Unyielding Thrust] skill learned. 5 mastery points awarded::
::[Ten Strikes, One Thrust] skill learned. 5 mastery points awarded::
::[Spinning Shield] skill learned. 5 mastery points awarded::
Diego was breathing hard as using each of his skills back to back took up most of his energy which he never realized inside the dream world with Katalina. His energy refilled almost as fast as he could use it so there was no way he could have guessed.
"Okay, Kat, show me my stat!"
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Host: Diego Alavos
Body: Ishu Telryn
Position: 4th heir to the Telryn Clan
Cultivation: Scarlet-Gold Sun Skin, 4th stage (middle), Mortal Body
Magic: None
Solar Energy = 48/400
Mana = 25/25
Skill points: 0
Mastery points: 20
Experience points: 0
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"Middle of the fourth stage? I thought I just broke through," Diego said.
::That is because you spent the passed nine days in a deep meditation, greatly increasing your cultivation speed::
"Oh? That makes sense, I guess. Man, I'm hungry!" Diego complained with a laugh as his stomach growled.
Diego returned the practice spear to the compartment then closed it and headed upstairs. When he returned to his room, he found it much the way as it had been, but a small lantern had been lit on a nearby table, lighting the room. It was the start of false dawn in the sky, so the candle had likely been burning all night. He picked it up by the handle and carried it with him as he moved through the house quietly.
Jia and Tue should still be asleep as they did not cultivate. Ishu would have woken them up, despite knowing that, and ordered them to prepare a large meal for him, but Diego would rather they sleep. He found his way to the kitchen and lit the hanging lanterns in there before lighting the small stone oven. He found a stew pot resting next to the oven which he filled with water from a jug then placed it over the fire.
The pantry was little more than a stone cabinet with different dried fruits, vegetables, and meat. He frowned when he only found a small sack of salt and pouch of dried herbs that had a strong peppery flavor for his seasons, but he could not complain too much he knew. Ishu had never cooked a meal in his life so he had no idea of what kind of seasonings he could find in the village, but he did know most meals were bland as everything was made with dried products.
He picked out his chosen ingredients: peppers, carrots, radishes, goat jerky, and more. He chopped up everything into unified pieces then dumped everything into the boiling water and added some salt and some of the peppery herb for flavor. About this time, a sleepy figure walked into the kitchen and was shocked awake by the sight.
"Good morning, Jia," Diego said as he dusted off the dried herbs from his hands over the pot.
"Young master! Jia is most sorry she did not prepare your morning meal yet," Jia said with a deep bow.
"The sun has yet to rise, so why should you have in its stead?" Diego said, annoyed by the strange way these people talked.
Jia gave him a confused look as this was not the young master she, and her twin sister, had come to know. He was crude, lustful, and lazy. There was no way he would waste his precious time in the kitchen, unless he had been chasing after her, but here he was.
Noticing the confusion in Jia's face and his "unusual" behavior, Diego explained, "I've recently had a breakthrough in my cultivation and realized I needed to put more effort into my everyday life. I can't expect for you and your sister to follow me when I leave to explore the sands."
"Explore the sands?" she mumbled. She did not dare refute the young master's words aloud, but she laughed in her heart. Every knew that the position of heir belonged to the Wolf Faction and it was just because they schemed against each other that any of the other heirs still lived.
"Go back to bed, Jia. I'll be gone for the day, but return for the evening meal," Diego said, dismissing her with the tone of his voice.
"Yes, young master!" Jia said with another bow then turned around and left.
He watched her leave with a bit of relief as he could feel her judging eyes. For now, he would have to deal with all of Ishu's negative karma with the Oasis, but he knew he would be free of it once he could leave.
Once the stew was done, Diego wolfed down the meal with the help of a clay bowl. It was no where near the top of best food list of his past life, but he was sure it was far tastier than anything Ishu had eaten. He finished the entire pot then rinsed it out before he left. While he had practiced, he had also been coming up with a plan of everything he wanted to get done and there was even a Mission he could complete before the end of the day!
The library of the Telryn Clan was attached to the Bastion, so Diego had to pass a number of servants and a few warriors. The Oasis was beginning to awaken, so there was no way to avoid detection, but Diego knew as much. He was bound to be watched and reported on back to the various Faction Heads, but Ishu would have no reason to hide, so neither would Diego. He had given a bold proclamation, challenging all of his brothers, so now he needed to act the part of a proud son of heaven. He strolled into the library with his head held high and started his plan.
(I just need to touch the scrolls, right?) Diego asked silently.
::Correct, I will create a copy and compile it into your 'Lore' window::
Diego could not help but chuckle as he rubbed his chin and looked over the large room with hundred of scrolls arranged across many crisscrossing stone shelves that covered the walls. The lattice work allowed for a single scroll to be held in a single cubby which would make his job even easier.
He lit a lamp on the only table in the room, giving the room a gentle glow and also him an easy explanation if anyone else decided to visit the library. He started at one end of the room and slowly made his way to the other side, passing a hand across each and every one of the scrolls. It was past dawn when he finally finished and Katalina's voice rang in his ears.
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Mission Complete!
- Scan every scroll within the library!
- Awarded: Access to the 'Lore' window and 50 skill points
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Diego was so excited about completing his first mission, he did not notice someone approaching from behind. He was a young man with vibrant orange skin and similar facial features. Out of fashion in this sunburnt land, he wore black robes that hid his sickly frame, but his eyes burned with clever light. He was Catro, fifth eldest son of Barru and child of Tula of the Lizard Faction, but he also had one more title… Killer of Ishu Telryn.