Leroy had been out investigating the area for the last few days. The gathering of metals was only completed because of his further development of the Metal Seed and navigation of weird the metal could be found.
*Shine!* Depositing the metal ore into the bag, the Inscription on it lit up. Words lit up to send him to his next location. He was to work in a Town called Port Tundra and report to the Lord what he had. Another part of his Mission was to treat and assist the population medically.
Gathering a little of the ore for himself, Leroy came across an old plate in the ground. A few old markings had him excited at first but it didn't turn out to be anything special after circulating Qi inside.
Making some additional markings on it, he marked the same as a few rocks he used so far to see if it can hold his Qi well. Not much better than used Qi Stones it at least looked important.
Putting away his failed Inscription Pattern, it was time to finish up here he hoped.
'How in the hell am I supposed to get there? I don't remember reading anything about such a place in the Empire.' As he looked back at the Storage Bag for any other information, he then notice the shine didn't go away yet. 'I just need this to keep going well as it has been, please don't let this be the shit point!'
As things go, that is what happened. The Storage Pouch had a Formation Pattern that wouldn't activate or reveal itself until after it was filled. Then he had to actually be in the NoerthEastern Fringe itself.
*Woosh!* Inside of a Main Hall, very far away from his previous location, Leroy popped out. Already in a battle stance, he only settled down when no immediate threat was found. Bodies all around in telltales signs of something he was very familiar with could be seen.
'Gods be damned!' Leroy was not wanting to deal with Demon Plants again. The Sucking Plant still gave him nightmares at times of exhaustion. 'Dropped this off treat people, that will be the end of it!'
Several people ran down the hall to the location but they looked to be perfectly fine. Seeing the covered Leroy who eyes were the only thing visible they stopped. The sash on Leroy's waist had them pay respects quickly.
"Welcome to Port Tundra honorable Doctor!" One of the gathered shouted loudly. Much higher than he needed to actually. "Please come with us! Time is short!"
"Look I am only heard to give this to the Lord here so kindly give me directions to him. I then have to treat some patients and nothing else." Sending a pulse out he detected lots of people moving to the outside area in the corridors with weapons. 'Well, into the frying pan it looks like.'
"Of course, we will take you there immediately."
The only speaker didn't say anything else as well as the others. No names were exchanged which made Leroy more annoyed and suspicious of the situation. Going down the corridors he was able to map out and see the place was a wreck.
Not only was the Main Hall unguarded and had been that way for a while it also only functioned in taking people in from different areas. Nothing to get out seemed to be working and the boats in port looked to be destroyed.
The only good news no other Sucking Plants were around and the people who escorted him just seemed to be up to something. Like the robbing kind and not anything else to extreme yet.
'Hmm?' Leroy spotted a few other groups who were dressed the same but had different colors and iconography. 'I do not know any of these Sects or Akademy people. Just how far did I flipping travel?'
"Tch, you bastard Abyss Bone Sect bastards cut in line, we were supposed to escort the next representatives." So pissed off, the unknown cultivator called them bastards twice. "You take this Lu Cheng for a weakling, hand him over!"
"Hehe, no can do, he has to get to the Lord quickly. Better luck next time loser Lu Cheng! I your father Meng Sao will make sure to treat you well later!" The only speaker of this group said arrogantly.
"Where is the Lord, I can go there myself at this point!" Leroy was annoyed by these children and could only assume they were those dumbass Sect Heirs one read about in light novels. He didn't want to be anywhere near them if the Main Character somehow made it here to cause trouble. 'It would be just my luck Chu Xue ended up here!'
Hearing his annoyance, a few surrounding cultivators started shouting and trying to get his attention.
"Honorable Doctor, it will be just a few moments more!" One of the others in the group finally spoke up. This got rid of the notion Leroy thought they were controlled. "Meng Sao hurry on, we will deal with this loser!"
They broke off and immediately attacked Lu Cheng. Meng Sao moved on in a hurry despite his bravado just moments ago. He was not weaker than the other but the other Sect groups would attack if he weakened just a little.
"Abandoning your comrades.. terrible thing. Your Sect must have strict regulations." Leroy didn't look back as he could tell enough how it would end. "What is the current situation here?"
Meng Sao said nothing for a few breaths. Feeling anger from Leroy but unable to tell his cultivation since he kept it bay to push his Body Tempering, the Qi Refining Cultivation like the majority of those here couldn't tell.
Several elites of the various Sects had tried but couldn't do so. Even the Foundation Realm Cultivators couldn't do so which had them keeping a closer watch on Leroy now.
"The situation is the situation you see. We arrived too late and the useless Akademy personnel that sent Occupation Cultivators failed to keep up! They should have sent real fighters or at least competent doctors!"
Meng Sao was definitely angry at Leroy for speaking out and enticing those in the area. He did not want to leave his sect brothers behind.
"Or your Sect disciples were to-shitty at guarding anyone!" Leroy shouted back. He hadn't seen anyone who could be townspeople or locals. And suspicious activity resulted in a more aggressive response for him. 'Both Flight and Fight is about to be in fact. They place is huge with lots of fighting having taken place already.'
Making it the area where the Lord resided, he was back at a heightened level. A mixture of Cultivators that exuded Antilife Qi and Undead Qi was a cause for concern.
"Who goes there?" A guard stepped forward very aggressively. Spear pointed out and Qi at the ready to attack. Meng Sao stopped immediately in response. "Who do you have there?"
"A Doctor!" Meng Sao shouted, much to loudly like before. "He needed to get here quickly to report! The Lord will surely like this one!"
'This one?' Leroy was about to take off running but several guards had swarmed the area's outskirts. The situation was worse and he couldn't believe this was happening so fast. 'The way he talked earlier, the other Occupation Cultivators were trash. So why the hell would he talk like this now?'
"Here you go, now get out of here." The Guard threw a pouch at Meng Sao before telling to disciples from another Sect to escort Leroy inside. "Hand over the delivery before going on."
Meng Sao opened the pouch and smiled at the purple rocks that stank something fierce. He immediately shot off and at first it looked like he would go and help his Sect brothers but he turned to the side and went elsewhere.
"Delivery is to hand over to the Lord, not anyone else." Leroy refused to hand it over.
Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say.
*Bam!* A blow was delivered to his stomach that lifted off the ground a little. He could have reacted but he needed to know the strength of the guard at the front door.
"I said hand it over!" Looking at him maliciously, as if he was looking at a bug that could be squashed, the guard spoke again. "Unless you want more of this?"
'Well, he is not that hard to kill and is only at the Foundation Establishment Realm. Even the armor and weapons are nothing special. Numbers on the outside directly and the inner numbers are not that troublesome so far.'
Hitting Leroy a few more times, the guard started to get winded. So much so that Leroy gaines some more information on the situation.
*Schlick!* Another guard killed the one beating on Leroy with his sword. Ordering the guards who were supposed to escort him inside to lift him up.
"Take him to the Lord and stop wasting time like this idiot!" The guard cared nothing for killing his comrade and on closer look one could tell he was smiling. "Tough ones always do better. The Lord will be very happy."
As Leroy was taken away, the doors closed activating a Formation that sealed it tight. The various windows and openings in the dilapidated side could still provide him a chance of escape so he was not too worried yet.
"You are a tough one doc, it is a shame you weren't here in the beginning."
"Yeah, things might not have been this bad. But it will be over soon." The second guard stopped after them after making it to another door. It was not protected by a doctor but by the Disciples of a Sect. "Here to report to the Lord this one is."
Leroy was to stand on his own feet as the doors opened up. Inside was a sickening sight straight out of a horror movie. Nodules of flesh hanging from the ceilings and walls pulsed with the breathing of a large blob inside.
The disciples kneeled down and pushed him inside.
"Lord Ghast, this Doctor has come to make a delivery."
"Proceed." Leroy dumbfounded moved and outstretched the Storage Pouch with the delivery. "A 5th Tier Doctor, you will do very well." As the Pouch was taken away, it slithered a touch to his wrist and check the pulse. "A body Tempering Cultivator almost at the 11th Rank! You are hardy indeed, best to take you for breeding!"
"Ehh..." Leroy was really sick of these creatures trying to breed him. ".. haha, how about I go and treat the townsfolk like I am supposed to? Surely that is much better for my skills and life?"
His words were full of fear to the creature that called itself Lord Ghast. But it was utter disgust and absolute revulsion at something that looked human but was more monstrous in other areas.
Despite his Intellect to allow him to keep planning an escape, the creature really gave him pause as he forced himself to analyze how much hu man was left. Human faces were visible in the flesh and legs could be seen moving inside.
"A coward the same as those disciples. Hahahhaha, the mewling of inferior creatures all of you." The laughter and grumbling was at a level similar to B-rate monster villains. Menacing enough to cause control to the populace. "Take him to the others and provide the resources as needed for treatment. I need better meals."
"Of course Lord Ghast." Lifting up, they took Leroy back out and handed him over to the previous disciples.
"What does the Lord want us to do?"
"Take him to the held Townsfolk." Saying it with a look of disinterest, veins on the neck moved briefly. "The Doctor is to be given resources to treat the offerings. Make sure to get everything needed."
The two disciples nodded and moved to take Leroy where the others were. Out of earshot of others and not other disciples or guards in the area. Which was really weird in case and tried to run away.
"So what made all of you betray the town?" Leroy was grateful they only took his storage bags that contained stuff he could afford to lose. All his important stuff was in the Internal Space. 'When they break the seal to steal from me, they are in for a surprise!'
"The townsfolk are just useless mortals, no reason to concern ourselves with their lives anymore." The disciples may have said it like he didn't care but the body language suggested otherwise.