Floki strode through the bustling garrison, his new staff resting lightly against his shoulder.
The faint hum of spiritual energy from the weapon felt comforting in this unfamiliar world.
His sharp eyes scanned the crowd, looking for someone who might know more than they were letting on.
"Excuse me," Floki said, stopping a soldier carrying a bundle of supplies.
"I'm looking for someone skilled in cultivation. A teacher, perhaps. Know anyone worth my time?"
The soldier blinked, clearly taken aback by Floki's directness.
"You mean a Master? Someone who can guide you through the paths?"
"Yes," Floki replied, his grin sharp.
"Preferably someone who doesn't faint at the sight of blood."
The soldier frowned.
"You won't find anyone like that here. The garrison is for fighters, not scholars."
Floki's eyes narrowed.
"Then point me to where the scholars hide. Or do I need to dig it out of you?"
The soldier's face paled slightly, and he gestured toward a stall selling maps and scrolls.
"Try the cartographer. He might know where the sects and Masters gather."
Floki clapped the soldier on the shoulder, making him flinch.
"Good lad. Now run along before you faint."
He approached the stall, its shelves lined with faded maps and scrolls bound in cracked leather.
An elderly man with a long white beard sat behind the counter, peering through a magnifying glass at a half-drawn map.
"Do you sell directions to power?" Floki asked, leaning casually against the counter.
The old man glanced up, his eyes sharp despite his age.
"Power? That depends on the kind you seek."
"The kind that makes me unstoppable," Floki replied, his tone dry.
"And the kind that comes with a teacher willing to put up with my winning personality."
The old man chuckled, stroking his beard.
"Masters don't come cheap, nor do they teach just anyone."
"Good thing I'm not just anyone," Floki said, tossing a Mid-Tier Spirit Shard onto the counter.
"Consider this a down payment for information."
The old man picked up the shard, inspecting it carefully.
"There are Masters scattered across the regions. Each follows a different path of cultivation. Spirit, Elements—even the forbidden paths of Shadow and Death."
Floki's grin widened.
"Shadow and Death, you say? Finally, something interesting."
The cartographer's expression turned cautious.
"Masters of those paths are dangerous. They demand loyalty and often exact a heavy price."
Floki leaned closer, his voice dropping.
"Dangerous is exactly what I need. Where can I find them?"
The old man unrolled a map, his finger tracing along jagged mountain ranges and dense forests.
"To the west, in the Western Region, you will find Master Sho-Nuff. He is said to command the forbidden Path of Shadow."
"To the east, in the Eastern Region, Master Pai Mei presides over the Path of Death."
Floki studied the map, his fingers tapping against the counter.
"And the safer options? Not that I'll pick them, but humor me."
The old man smirked.
"To the north, in the Northern Region, you might find Shifu Wong Fei-hung. He is renowned for mastery of the Path of Spirit."
"And to the south, in the Southern Region, Shifu Liu Kang teaches the Path of Elements."
Floki nodded, committing the names and locations to memory.
"Helpful. Let's hope they're as accommodating as you."
As he turned to leave, the cartographer called out.
"A word of advice, traveler. Masters test more than your strength. They'll test your will, your loyalty, and your soul."
Floki paused, glancing over his shoulder.
"They can test all they like. Just don't be surprised when I pass with flying colors."
Floki wandered through the market, his mind racing with plans.
The names of the Masters danced in his thoughts, each promising a unique path to power.
He stopped at a stall selling cultivation tools, his eyes drawn to a small orb glowing faintly with blue light.
"What does this do?" Floki asked, picking up the orb.
The merchant, a wiry man with sharp features, grinned.
"That's a Spirit Resonance Orb. It amplifies the flow of energy in your spirit well."
Floki raised an eyebrow.
"Amplifies? Sounds useful. How much?"
"Five Mid-Tier Shards," the merchant said, rubbing his hands together, his grin widening.
Floki's brow arched as he casually placed the orb back on the counter.
"Five shards for something that barely hums? Tell me, does it also sing songs to justify the price?"
The merchant chuckled, crossing his arms.
"Quality doesn't come cheap. But if you can't afford it—"
"Oh, I can afford it," Floki interrupted, his grin sharp.
"But I hate overpaying. How about a wager instead?"
The merchant's eyes narrowed with interest.
"A wager? What kind?"
Floki spotted a nearby table with three wooden cups, grabbing them along with a small stone from the ground.
"Simple. The classic three-cup game. I'll place the stone under one of these cups and shuffle them. If you guess correctly, I'll pay your asking price of five shards."
He set the cups down, lining them neatly.
"But if you guess wrong, I take the orb for three shards."
The merchant's grin turned wolfish.
"You think you can outsmart me with a child's game?"
Floki leaned in, his eyes glinting.
"Try me."
The merchant clapped his hands together.
"Fine. Let's see what you've got."
Floki placed the stone under one cup, his movements slow and deliberate to let the merchant watch.
Then, with a flourish, he began shuffling the cups at lightning speed.
The wooden cups clattered against the table as they swapped positions, Floki's hands moving with almost supernatural precision.
He stopped, folding his arms and gesturing at the cups.
"Your move."
The merchant stared at the cups, his eyes narrowing as he pointed to the middle one.
"That one."
Floki's grin widened as he lifted the cup, revealing nothing underneath.
"Better luck next time."
The merchant groaned, running a hand through his hair.
"Fine. Three shards, it is."
Floki tossed the shards onto the counter and picked up the orb, its energy pulsing faintly in his hand.
"Pleasure doing business with you."
The orb pulsed as Floki held it, its energy syncing with his own.
He felt a faint ripple in his spirit well, the flow of energy smoother and more potent.
"Not bad," Floki muttered, pocketing the orb.
"Might make the next fight a little more interesting."
That night, Floki sat in his room at the garrison, the map spread out before him.
He traced the routes with his finger, weighing his options.
Each sect offered something different, but the forbidden paths intrigued him the most.
"Shadow and Death," Floki murmured, his grin widening.
"What secrets are you hiding?"
As he studied the map, the faint glow of the system interface appeared in the corner of his vision.
Floki focused on it, and the symbols shifted, revealing new details about his cultivation progress.
The interface displayed a breakdown of his spirit well, highlighting areas of imbalance and potential growth.
[Spirit Well Status:]
- Capacity: 72% of Standard Cultivator Baseline
- Flow Efficiency: 84%
- Stability: Moderate
[Path Compatibility:]
- Shadow Path: High Synergy
- Death Path: Medium Synergy
- Elemental Path: Low Synergy
The details flashed before Floki's eyes, each line sparking new ideas.
"Fascinating," Floki said, leaning closer.
"You're like a cheat sheet for success."
He explored the interface further, discovering a feature that analyzed the resources he carried.
[Resources Analysis:]
- High-Spirit Elixir: Optimal Use During Breakthrough
- Mid-Tier Spirit Shards (x12): Recommended for Refinement
- Shadow Essence Fragment: Compatible with Path of Shadow
Floki smirked as the system highlighted the best uses for each item. "You're more helpful than half the mortals I've met," he muttered.
It provided suggestions for how best to use them, optimizing their energy yield.
"No wonder this world doesn't have this," Floki muttered, his tone laced with dark amusement.
"If everyone had it, then I would be just... Average."
The interface pulsed again, a new symbol catching his attention.
It glowed faintly, shaped like a chain of interlocking circles.
Floki tapped the symbol, and a new screen unfolded, showing potential connections between his spirit well and external cultivation techniques.
"You're full of surprises," Floki said, his grin sharp.
"What else are you hiding from me?"
As he delved deeper, the system highlighted paths of synergy between Shadow cultivation and his growing spirit well.
[Synergy Analysis:]
[Shadow Cultivation Integration:]
[Suggested Techniques:]
- Weave Shadow Veil: Enhances stealth and perception.
- Spectral Blade: Channels energy into attacks for amplified power.
- Stability: High, with regular energy balancing.
The diagrams flashed before Floki's eyes, showing an intricate weave of energy lines circling his spirit well.
He saw shadowy tendrils curling outward, each one connecting to vital points in the diagram.
The interface shifted to display a step-by-step process, complete with energy flow maps that pulsed faintly.
Floki leaned closer, captivated by the visualization of power at his fingertips.
It suggested strategies to harness forbidden energy, presenting detailed diagrams.
Each one demonstrated how to weave Shadow's power into his spirit well, stabilizing the core with calculated pauses.
[Core Stabilization Protocol:]
- Energy Cycle: 80% Shadow, 20% Neutral Energy
[Recommended Focus Points:]
- Lower Dantian for storage.
- Outer Meridian Channels for flow efficiency.
Floki watched as the system simulated what would happen if he overstepped these guidelines.
The glowing lines on the diagram flared before breaking apart, resulting in a depiction of destabilization and critical failure.
Floki chuckled darkly. "Good thing you're here to keep me clever."
Floki leaned back, letting the possibilities wash over him.
"With you on my side, I might not even need a Master," he said, half-joking.
The interface pulsed again, this time with a warning.
["Instability risk at 12%. Proceed with caution."]
Floki chuckled darkly.
"Caution's never been my style."
He closed the system, his mind buzzing with the insights it had provided.
The map lay forgotten as he stared at the ceiling, plotting his next move.
Tomorrow, he would decide which sect to approach.
The forbidden paths called to him, their promises of power too tempting to ignore.
"Shadow or Death?" Floki murmured.
"Which of you wants to teach me first?"
His grin widened as he drifted off to sleep, the faint hum of the staff by his side resonating with his ambition.
For the first time in centuries, Floki felt alive.
And the world had no idea what was coming.