'He's lying.' Vex concluded as he followed the man.
It wasn't hard to guess. Why would an Exalted, or someone whose power neared one, need help from an unranked? It was pure madness.
'Also, war?' Vex felt like he had done it. Finally, his misfortune had bested him. A crazy zealot recruited him into their Church before immediately declaring war.
As they stepped outside, Vex took in the world around him. It was breathtaking, in an eerie way.
A starless black sky stretched endlessly toward the horizon. The streets below were cloaked in shadows, almost devoid of life. Here and there, faint glimmers of light flickered from within scattered houses.
And it stunk.
The sharp tang of metal and the sickly scent of blood assaulted his senses as soon as he stepped outside.
Thankfully, Vex had grown accustomed to such odors, though he still grimaced instinctively.
As he followed the man, Vex asked, "What's your name?"
"Lex, but you can call me leader." The man answered. He passed the street before knocking on the door of one of the houses.
"What's this city called?" Vex asked, glancing around. "Where exactly are we?"
"This city has no name," Lex replied, his gaze fixed on the door. "We're in the Torr region. Specifically, southwest."
The Torr region lay at the northernmost edge of the known continent, nearly a hundred thousand kilometers from the nearest human settlement.
"In other words, I'm screwed," Vex thought, numb to the situation. At least no meteor had crashed down—yet.
The door creaked open, revealing a young man who couldn't have been older than eighteen. His messy brown hair and drowsy eyes made it clear he'd just been roused.
"Father?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Need something?"
"Call me leader or Lex in front of others." Lex reprimanded before voicing his order. "This is a new member. I want you to take care of him and show him how the Church works. He'll stay here for a long time."
Vex bitterly chuckled while raising his hand in an awkward wave. 'He somehow knows I can make portals and blocked it! Sly old fox.'
Vex didn't believe for a second that Lex's appearance reflected his age. After all, once one stepped upon the path of ascension, aging process was significantly reduced.
"I'm busy figuring out how to kill myself, and babysitting homeless kids isn't exactly on my to-do list. Can't this wait?" The teenager cast a lazy glance at Vex as he spoke.
Vex's brow twitched in annoyance. Sure, his unkempt black hair and bright blue eyes weren't remarkable, and his face was a bit dirty, but he hardly looked like a homeless kid. Besides, the teenager didn't seem much older than him.
'Planning to kill himself? Later? Is everyone here insane?!' Vex nearly let out an ironic laugh at the absurdity of it all.
If only he weren't standing in front of a terrifyingly powerful cult leader.
"Ast." Lex's piercing gaze bore into the young man, conveying more than words ever could.
"Alright, alright." Ast raised his hands in a defeated manner. His tone shifted, becoming slightly more serious. "What's your name, kid?"
"Vex." The kid in question answered.
"How old are you?" Ast fired another question.
"Almost sixteen," Vex answered, his calm gaze fixed on the unimpressive-looking teenager.
"Alright. From today onwards, you'll be under my care." Ast nodded. "If anyone bullies you, tell them you are my little brother."
"Little brother?" Vex resisted the urge to slap the young man. There was something unsettling about him, something that felt even more dangerous than Lex.
Seeing the quiet nod, Ast grinned. "Good, let me show you around the place. You are new, right?"
Vex didn't expect residents to be used to new people but he still nodded, prompting Ast to grin even more widely.
"See this dome above?" Ast pointed at the sky. "It's our prison."
Spreading his hands, Ast continued. "Eternal prison that envelops this cursed city."
"And our mission is simple." Ast's voice contained a hint of inexplicable sadness. "We'll bring light to this prison and free ourselves. For that, we are even willing to imagine a god into existence."
Vex could swear he could see faints stars in Ast's eyes.
'In other words, they are a cult of crazy bastards worshiping a non-existing deity.' Vex translated in familiar terms, but outwardly, he simply nodded.
"Good," Ast said with a laugh. "Your first mission is to awaken."
He handed Vex a manual, significantly thinner than the one Vex stole from city of Dam.
"How to awaken, tips and tricks." Vex read the title aloud. Even the capitalization was wrong.
"Yep. Come inside," Ast beckoned.
The house was mostly bare with with barely any furniture made of wood. If Vex hadn't known better, he'd never have guessed a powerful person lived here.
"This here will be your room." Ast nudged with his head.
The room had a stone door.
With a confused expression, Vex tried opening it. It took almost his entire strength, but he succeeded.
Inside was a small few meters square space with a blanket on the floor. Not even a pillow.
'I shouldn't have expected anything from those psychos.' He sighed.
Ast patted Vex on the shoulder.
"You can explore the city and come back. Don't be poached by other Cu- Churches." Ast left leaving those words behind, making Vex awkwardly stare. What was he supposed to do now?
'Also, did he almost call it a cult? He did, right? So much about being a pious worshipper.'
Vex took a look at the book in his other hand, the same one he had been carrying all this time.
"Ways of Cultivation," he muttered, running a hand over its worn cover. It was a book he'd 'borrowed' from the powerful lord of Dam City. As he flipped it open, his eyes lit up—a treasure trove of high-ranking cultivation techniques filled its pages, some of them were even of highest quality.
But what truly made Vex's heart leap with joy was the sudden notification that echoed in his ears.
[ Advancement manual detected. Analyzing... ]
[ Suggestion: Unnamed System can improve manuals. Please provide Unnamed System with energy. ]