Hundreds of Times, the system announcement rang out and it became like a constant droning. The spirit boat was traveling over a wetlands and there were many, many creatures both in the air and on the ground.
[Unknown Lifeform Detected]
[Unknown Lifeform Detected]
..
[System Muted]
"HAHA!" Martin gave a great guffaw, the System had been muted by Isek. He felt dignified and as an equal for once.
"So does that mean you're annoyed?!?" Martin's sarcastic tone was enough to catch Isek's attentions and all three projections were cut off, he started to apologize immediately but it wasn't working. It seemed like there was a limit to the AI's ability to analyze things, at least while it was constantly being interrupted.
'Fuck.' Martin thought for a moment and sat down in the dark. His hand landed on a handheld gaming device and he started to play.
Saeden excused himself and went outside, he found the Mistress and told her of Isek's progress. There was still a lot of time left before their arrival back at the Sect. When he went back into the Cabin afterward, he entered the room and found Isek asleep on the floor in the corner.
The AI found that the body felt most comfortable in the small space and with the formations and ambient energy, even passive absorption in the space was beneficial. He had immediately fallen asleep when left alone from sheer relaxation.
֍ꟷꟷꟷꟷ֍
[Alert: Destination Reached]
The system finally had something useful to share.
Martin yawned and looked around, the projections were still offline. "Ughh, Why bother giving me updates if Isek isn't even awake!" He had a hangover, the bottle of Vodka rolled out of his lap. He was surprised that he could get a hangover at all but in that moment, he still hated it.
"HEY! Isek! Wake up!" Martin wasn't sure if he was still muted but he didn't care, he had been woken up. 'The AI can fuck off if it thinks that I'm going to be the only one tortured by this arrangement!' There was still no light in the Mindspace like it had been shut down but the System still gave it's announcements and the life support, whatever it was, seemed to be functioning normally.
The Spirit Boat came to a stop and it shook everything within. Isek stirred from his sleep by the motion and sat up. Beside him, several the two others who had come along with the Mistress and Saeden were quietly cultivating.
"It's time." One of them stood up and noticed that Isek was awake. They both got up and left.
Isek got up, the pressure from behind his eyes seemed to vanish and when he left the cabin, there was a fragrant smell, like fresh cooking in the streets below.
Hundreds of people were walking around, there were tiny creatures scattered everywhere and though the system was notifying him of his surroundings, the AI couldn't help but stretch in the morning air above the Sect.
The spirit boat had come to a stop next to a tower and everyone but him had gotten off.
"Hurry up." Mistress Wrey started to put the boat away and in less time that it took to expand, the ship began to vanish.
With the boat disappearing beneath his feet, Isek jumped off the decking and onto the Tower.
"System, Reroute Alerts to HUD and move to left corner. Proceed with Active Scanning." Isek spoke quietly to himself after calculating that no one was able to hear.
[System Initializing]
[Processing]
[Rerouting, Scaling]
[Active Scanning Enabled]
Dozens of images, materials, items, furniture, skins, liquids, other races and many other details started to populate the Active Scanning Discovery Alert List. They fluttered by and the alerts kept passing through the HUD in the corner of his vision.
The Projection blinked, a line appeared and then the screens expanded one by one.
"System, Can you give me another window with the alerts list on it?" Martin had a request of the System but as per usual, he was being ignored.
Just when he was about to go into self pity mode once again, a window lit up. It was smaller and easier to read but only one thing ran across it, the system alerts and updates.
Martin almost cried at that moment, the system was being nice to him. Even if it was an act of mercy or pittance, he couldn't ignore the response. He stood up and thanked the system with a bow, pulled over a box of cereal and started to eat it straight out of the container.
Mistress Wrey waved her hand and the five of them walked inside, "Saeden, take him, have his status plate created and then have him report back." She disappeared behind a partition in the room and the left.
"Isek, come with me." Saeden didn't stay in the chamber long, it was the Mistress's Tower and no one was allowed to be inside if when she was not present.
They went down a set of elevators that moved on magical pads.
"YAY! A CITY!" Martin was ecstatic, his volume was uncontrolled. He apologized and sat down in his chair.
Saeden looked Isek over and watched the City Streets rapidly approaching from below. The formation was translucent and they could easily watch the view from every angle. "This way." The Elevator came to a stop and Saeden began to stroll down the street at a brisk pace. "The testing grounds are just this way. You'll be expected to pass three evaluations, how you do it is of no concern but time will eventually run out."
"Time?" Isek looked up at the sun.
[Approximate Local Time 1:15PM]
"Come. We don't have all day." Saeden noticed Isek's blank stare into nothingness and misunderstood.
Ten minutes later, they arrived at the testing grounds. Several students were nearby, all of them had been working to improve themselves and had come to measure the changes.
As Saeden approached, most of the students scattered like bugs in the sun. "Place your hand here and feed it all the energy you can. This evaluation has a ten minute time limit."
"Ten Minutes?" Martin wondered what sort of test the 'love tester' styled machine would provide. In truth, he wasn't sure what the machine could do.
Isek didn't say anything, he walked up to the hand pad and rest his palm neatly on top of it.
Several student's went berserk with laughter, there was no reaction.
Even if Isek was just a Child from the Wilderness, he should have been able to come by a measurable reading. To them, as a full grown man, he was nothing but trash.
One minute later, there had been no change.
"Relax your mind and feed energy into the touchstone." Saeden had seen the Isek's ability to absorb, the test should have been nothing at all to complete.
Isek felt the air around him and pulled the particles in the air until they finally started to change course.
Saeden could feel the changes in the magic that surrounded him and said, "That's the way. Like before, this time, put it into the stone."
The energy began to condense and a light appeared to gather over Isek's hand. It accumulated and brightened like a lamp with high voltage.
"Now!" Martin yelled in the Mindspace.
Like a Gong had been struck, Isek's hand slammed against the touchstone and cracked it with the pressure.
All the indentations and marks on the contraption seemed to go haywire and then the tester itself started to smolder and crack apart.
Smoke rose above it and the older students started to whisper among themselves.
"I can count that as a pass but please refrain from destroying future equipment when possible." Saeden didn't believe that he was forced to utter such words, alas, there was no helping it, the words had already come out of his mouth.
Saeden folded his fan and started walking away like he had better things to occupy his time. "The Second test is a test of understanding. We'll head to the Treasure Hall and a Random ability will be handed to you for five minutes. You must do your best to master it, if you fail, you will be rejected as a disciple and junior member of the Sect."
Isek chose not to say anything, the evaluations were also a good way to understand the complexities of both this world's hierarchy structure, and the abilities of humans.
They came to a large building, two large doors sat side by side. Saeden thew out a seal and the doors cracked open slowly, "Wait here."
Saeden went inside and started looking through the shelves. He wanted to find something challenging, the cultivation technique that the Mistress had given him was one of the most basic but well rounded techniques that they had in their possession. Even though it had been an act of kindness and a rather spontaneous one at that, the technique itself was rather lacking.
Skimming the shelves, he first found a beginner techniques. When the shelves started to show intermediate grade 1 techniques, he chose one at random. Basic skills were important but Saeden had been instructed by the Mistress to test him and he would do a thorough job.
Reading it's label, Saeden stopped before heading out. He turned around to find a different technique. It was obvious that the technique had been placed there by accident, he was holding an intermediate grade three sword technique called the Elemental Sword Body. It was the second Stance of the Elemental Body Technique.
Saeden checked the shelves for a more appropriate test. He scrolled his fingers down the bindings and scroll tips until he found one that reminded him of Isek's Aura. Reading it's cover, he stopped again.
It was the scroll of Elemental Heart.
"Fates see things differently." He sighed, "I will give him both and see how he fares." Gripping the second scroll in his hand, Saeden found his way outside.
Isek was scanning things as they passed, the roofs, the streets, anything that came into view. It was all being analyzed.
"I have what I've come for." Saeden held onto the scrolls. "Lets go back to the testing grounds."
No one in the sect would understand or believe that the test was fair if it was conducted out of view. He held a higher position in the Sect as the Mistress's right hand. Saeden would not falter on his duty.
Arriving at the Testing Grounds, even more student's had come to watch. Try outs sometimes had promise but energy activation gauge had shattered and burned into a ruin. The news spread within the sect like the wind and the possibility of seeing a good show was extremely high.
Martin bounced around in his seats, the time would finally arrive when he got to see what a real cultivation technique of the world actually looked like. Speculation as to what cultivation techniques actually looked like had been something Martin had spent a lot of time looking into while he was on Earth. He had his own thoughts on the matter and like the so many that had gathered, he was on pins and needles with anticipation.
The center of the training ground held an arena with an isolation formation. First time cultivators and new recruits would be given techniques to try out as part of their testing and the time allotted to understand the technique itself was rushed at best.
Saeden stood beside the barrier after it activated and stopped at the edge, "Since I've been given this task, let us do this appropriately."
The scrolls left his hand and flew into the formation. They hovered and flew around Isek.
"You have two hours to comprehend this method. After that, what you gain will determine your worth."
"Two Hours?" People were confused and some of the spectators who were lounging on the rocks and ruins were questioning the short time period. Two hours was just too short and flowing overhead, there were two techniques.
Martin gulped down some of his soda and made slurping noises within the Mindspace.
Isek grabbed onto the scroll nearest to him, it was the Elemental Heart. He waved and the next one flew open. The second scroll was Elemental Sword Body.
In front of everyone, he closed the scrolls and sat down quietly.
"He must be trying to clear his mind." Some of the spectators who had been laying around waiting for a show sighed. Two Hours was a still a short time but when it came to the level of anticipation, the wait seemed endless.
Isek sat there cross legged and the system announcements were scrolling.
[Scanning Complete.]
[Modifying Original Cultivation Template.]
[Construction of Elemental Heart Techniques Initiated.]
[Adapting]
[Scanning]
[Scanning Complete]
[Recalculating]
[Construction Complete: Elemental Vascular System Body Cultivation Technique]
[Initiating]
"Hey look, he's moving." Someone that was watching pointed and tried to cause a scene. Isek was behind a barrier so the problems that were going on outside did not interfere.
The AI was struggling, Isek's body heaved and his head bobbed a few times and it had only been a minutes since he had sat down.
"Things were far too scary for some new comers, perhaps he's just not cut out of Martial Arts." Some more rumors carried out in the stands and some were even exchanging bets on whether the man would even survive the trial.
"What's going on? Display the Cultivation technique for me please." Martin asked to see the actual page but what came up was ones and zeros. 'Dammit, I should have been more specific.' Dejected, Martin shut his mouth.
Pulsations started to rise and beat against the barrier from within.
"Oh? Maybe he'll finally start reading the technique." A few of the girls who were standing nearby were curious, he was clearly suffering what looked to be a backlash and they wondered what could make a man continue to persevere. "He doesn't look like he's interested in reading."
'What is with this guy?' Saeden had seen it up close, closer than anyone else. Isek had only looked at the technique, he had only spent a fraction of a second reading its contents and then he had grabbed the next scroll to find out which was better suited. He thought that Isek would choose carefully, clear his mind, then decide which one he wanted to read over first. Though they were both part of a set, no one else in the audience knew about it and that only added to the confusion. 'Come on, pick up the scrolls, time matters..'
Saeden started to strum his foot in frustration but from within the Formation, Isek had no idea who was saying what, much less what they were discussing. A one way mirror fog shrouded his view and allowed others to see inside.
"Elder Saeden." One of the other instructors came over, he had been watching since the meltdown from before.
"Hmm?" Saeden flicked his robes and stared down at the instructor.
"Sorry to interrupt you but.. Why is this student not even looking at the cultivation technique? He couldn't have memorized it in such a short amount of time, right?" Instructor Eriks had his own understanding but probing the arena bubble was not possible, they could only watch and wait for the outcome.
"As an Elder, I cannot speak on such things. However, it was the Mistress that wanted him to be tested." Saeden turned his attention away and focused on what he could understand with his eyes.
Isek was sweating a dark sweat, his skin was covered in bodily fluids and it looked like his blood was boiling. It was like heat that had come down from the sun and beat upon his body for an entire day, his skin was peeling.
[Phase One Complete]
[Initializing Phase Two]
[Additional Resources Required]
[Accessing]
"Phase two of what?!" Martin was incensed. He wanted to see what the techniques looked like but felt robbed in the process. Now, something strange was happening to the body and Isek was silent through it all.
The Energy within the bubble stopped moving entirely and though there was roughly fifty meters separating himself and the edge of the bubble. the draw he had upon energy sources that were nearby was so strong that the barrier began to implode.
The bubble burst and the energy that was within the training grounds began to rush toward Isek like a great stream.
Saeden felt the absence particles nearby. There were none, just like before in the spirit boat but now that they were outside, it should have been impossible to get them all.
The audience moved back, then back some more.
None of them dared to speak, what was happening was too far outside of the norm.
Energy began to gather from the sources and within the center arena stage, Isek was still concentrating and experiencing the change.
As it was a matter of Security for the Sect, Saeden held his ground and told the nearby disciples and first years to leave the area.
A great wall of energy came up between the students and instructors present.
"This student's aura is out of control." Instructor Aot grit his teeth, it was taking everything just to maintain the shield for the students and he was still being drained.
They were all being drained.
The disturbances that came from the Training ground were so loud and spread throughout the City that word had even reached the Mistress while she was in meetings with the Sect Leader. She came barging out, along with the Patriarch.
In a matter of ten steps, they had arrived at the Training grounds as if traversing the sky. The Patriarch looked below and saw the warped energy that flowed like a tide toward a single student in the middle of the Arena. "This is the one you've brought back with you?"
"Yes, Patriarch." She bowed respectfully and waited.
"So much power, and you say that he's an itinerant cultivator?" The Patriarch's gaze seemed to penetrate the energy that was being torn apart and sorted before it was absorbed. His gaze, when it got to within a certain range, began to fizzle and vanish, just like the energies.
Just then, as if a massive boost in power had come along. A wave of energy spread out, a thud could be heard and then another. It was deep and thunderous, a Heartbeat, it moved with precision.
'Elemental Heart?' The Patriarch ignored the Mistress and flew to Saeden. "What technique did you give this newcomer?"
"Reporting. Patriarch, I gave him two." He nodded a few times and continued, "Elemental Heart and Elemental Sword Body." He kept his posture and hoped he wouldn't be scrutinized over the event. Feeling like he would suffer if he didn't, Saeden began to explain, "I grabbed one at random from among the proper shelves but when I was about to leave, I noticed it was elemental sword body. I went to go put it back and search for one that at least matched the man's aura. However.." He pointed his fingers toward Isek. "However, the only one that matched his aura was the Elemental Heart."
"Mm.." The patriarch seemed to be listening intently and he nodded for a second.
"It was the Mistress who wanted him tested, so I did my best and when such a thing happened, I considered it fate. Who knew this guy was like this.." Saeden was preparing himself mentally for a beating but when he looked up, all he could see was the Patriarch walking forward.
"What an Amazing Skill." Energy was streaming from the Patriarch like rain falling from a cloud. The Closer he got, the stronger the pulling sensation. He could feel the energies that rushed by him, like they wanted to rip him apart and take him along for the ride. "Magnificence. There will be no need for a third test, I will take him to the council myself after all of this."
"Yes, Patriarch." Saeden's throat was dry, he felt like he was wrung dry of energy and fell to his knees.
"Don't worry, It's over." Patriarch Blimare turned toward the other teachers who were guarding the students. "Good Job, when he regains consciousness, bring him to me."
Saeden looked at the Patriarch and wondered why he had such a premonition, Isek was still absorbing energy like a madman.
Martin could hear the patriarchs words. He too gulped, it sounded like Isek had gotten the wrong kind of attention.
The system gave an Alert.
[Warning, Energy Levels at Critical.]
[Energy Organ Containment Rupture Immanent]
[Calculating.]
[Warning: Emergency Protocol Enacted.]
[Initiating Phase Three]
[Targeting.]
[Target Locked.]
[Condensing]
"What's going on!" Martin stared at the stat screen for answers but he could only watch and guess.
[Energy Organ Capacity – (1000/225)]
[Energy Metafunction Activation Rate: (.103%)]
[Active Energy Absorption Range: 5 Meters]
[Energy Organ Capacity – (900/255)]
[Energy Metafunction Activation Rate: (.123%)]
[Active Energy Absorption Range: 8 Meters]
[Energy Organ Capacity – (800/305)]
[Energy Metafunction Activation Rate: (.148%)]
[Active Energy Absorption Range: 12 Meters]
[Energy Organ Capacity – (700/355)]
[Energy Metafunction Activation Rate: (.163%)]
[Active Energy Absorption Range: 18 Meters]
'It looks like the energy values are stabilizing but what's with this growth, it was only one breakthrough!' Martin wondered if other people had anywhere near the same level of success as Isek.
More system alerts kept scrolling by and then the energy that was flowing inward no longer felt the drag, the rise in stats began to slow and when it came to rest, the numbers had gotten a lot higher.
[Energy Organ Capacity – (655/655)]
[Energy Metafunction Activation Rate: (.199%)]
[Active Energy Absorption Range: 30 Meters]
Isek collapsed after the growth massive growth in his energy potential, however, as he was passing out, he saw his body being caught by Saeden.