"Well. It sounds like you came to me with 70% of a decent plan. Don't worry though, I don't want anything like treasures or contribution points from you. I'm guessing you're a low badge rank?"
"Yes, I'm just a D Rank nobody."
"You say that so casually, yet surely you don't want to stay that way since you approached me."
"Ah, that is, um," By now they were totally red-faced. If this was some kind of bit they were doing to garner pity from me, I had to admit it was a good one.
"No, I respect it. How many years have you been an Outer Court Disciple of the Library?"
"Five years, and a couple months. From the 5th Earth Realm, I was able to reach the 3rd Stage of the 7th Realm in that time."
"7th Realm, good. 5 years, even better. If you've stayed out of trouble enough to advance that much, you must be good at staying clear of those who pick on 'D Rank nobodies' then."
"Ah, more or less."
"Well, I don't like those sorts of people. I'd like to stay clear of them too, though for probably different reasons from you. I only joined the sect in the last special entry exam, so trying to learn who the arrogant ones are, without actually running afoul of them, has been a struggle. Not to mention I spent a lot of time out on missions shortly after I first arrived.
What I really need, what I really want are people who don't bother me and who can stop others from bothering me. Helping me to recognize those who would be particularly eager to try to cause me trouble is a big part of that second point."
"Oh! Well, sure I could help you there. Only, most of the time you can recognize them by how they carry themselves. Sometimes too someone just decides to go after you no matter what."
"You're right, my luck in that regard can't hold out forever. Especially after I actually have my ranking match."
"Yes, senior brother Xu will definitely win!"
"That will mean the ire of someone in the rankings, almost inevitably. I doubt you'll be able to help me much there either…ah, but here's a thought. You basically came to me because you admire me, right? Do you know of any others who do?"
"A few. I'm sure I could find more…you want us to be your witnesses, right? In case someone tries to claim offense from something that didn't happen."
"That's the idea. Round up a few witnesses, enough to convince an elder in the event something like that happens, and I'll see about giving you some sword training from time to time."
"All right! We can gather here at morning meal. I'll need a few days."
"Let's say 5 days. Here at morning meal is a good idea."
"All right. I'll see you again, senior brother."
A few minutes passed. "So," I spoke up, "I'd put the chances of him not hiding something that's going to put me in conflict with at least one other disciple at…17%. Generously."
Shokoya snorted. "Oh please. I'm the patient one, remember? And I can tell when someone else is getting impatient. Besides, even I didn't choose this life to play it safe."
"Yeah. It's not how to get ahead, anyway. I'm going to come into conflict with other disciples sooner or later. As long as we're on guard against dirty tricks, we should be able to avoid a situation where we're overwhelmingly outmatched."
"The biggest problem is that we're still new enough here to be lacking techniques, in the sect known for having literally thousands of them. In particular, even though you defeated them all, besides Hou Lu, all but one of the disciples you faced used at least one Spirit Rank technique against you. Given their price in contribution points, even someone as talentless as Lo Kien can save up enough for one in about 2 years. Your high cultivation base relative to average Outer Court disciples won't save you in the ranking matches."
"I should start taking extermination missions. For now, let's get some rest. The message regarding my match should come today, I'll make it easy for 'em to find me and take a stay home and cultivate day."
Shokoya spoke up again on the way back to the residential district. "You know, this feels weird in a way I never saw coming."
I stopped to look at him for a moment. "And what would that be?"
"This PVE was pretty new when we signed up for it. I figured it wouldn't be any kind of paradise, but that I could still handle it like studios usually did. Realizing the level of time dilation in play was quite a shock.
But it doesn't really matter how many 'players' are ahead of us, does it? We're in a situation no studio would be caught dead in. The sects and families and factions and whatever else, they're no mere backdrop. This world has genuine solid powerbases, as though top studios have already entrenched themselves. We're latecomers to this game. We would have been even if we'd been among the very first to enter it. It's hard not to feel out of my depth."
"Well, they prepared us as well as anyone could possibly hope for, at the Academy," I said, not unsympathetic, "me, I wasn't really thinking about that kind of thing when I signed up. Honestly, if I hadn't discovered I'd somehow been granted a high level talent, I'd probably just have laid low, not even joined an elite sect."
"Why did you join this PVE anyway? From everything you've ever told me about your studio days, you still might have had a shot at the pro leagues in a few years, in spite of whatever happened between you and that guy. And you're not some hot-blooded challenge seeker like Jong, either. So what did it for you?"
I sighed. We were almost to the junction between A and B districts. "Shoko, I appreciate how long you waited to ask that question. Please don't ask it again."
It was well past midday when I heard the knock on my door. When I answered it, the person standing there looked like an ordinary disciple. "Disciple Xu Zuhui?"
"Yes. I take it this is regarding my upcoming challenge match?" If they hadn't been a messenger, or otherwise on official business, they wouldn't have been able to get past the outer door.
"Yes, that's right. It has been scheduled for 11 AM the day after tomorrow on Court 21 of the ranked courts. Here is the official paper for the match."
He handed me a paper, which had written on it the same details he'd just told me, along with an Elder's signature. "Thank you. You may go."