"How dare you… a mere street urchin… die!"
Min Jia's voice dripped with contempt as he grabbed his sword. Without warning, he drew it and swung it toward Aziel's neck with a speed that left him helpless.
They say your life flashes before your eyes at the brink of death, and that was exactly what happened to Aziel. In that instant, he recalled the desperate struggles of his life—always fighting to survive, always protecting Anais. Yet despite their underhanded tactics, it seemed fate had decreed that the powerless were doomed to this end.
Still, Aziel refused to accept his fate. He kept his eyes wide open, resisting with every ounce of his will. Anais's face hovered in his mind, urging him not to surrender.
But just as the blade neared his neck, it halted.
Someone had stopped it. Standing between Aziel and the furious Min Jia was Master Xun, calmly pinching the blade with two fingers.
Aziel's eyes widened at the sight of the grinning old man. Master Xun turned his head to address him.
"You've done well, my disciple. You certainly put on quite a show," he said, confidence lacing his voice.
Aziel could only stare, struggling to comprehend this impossible turn of events. He opened his mouth to question it, but his vision blurred, and the world began to spin.
"Huh…?"
That single, bewildered exclamation escaped him before everything faded to black. His knees buckled, and he lost consciousness.
[Quest: 'A Disciple's First Task.' has failed.]
***
He awoke to the hollow thunk of wood striking stone, each impact resonating in his ears. Pain throbbed through Aziel's body. Groaning, he forced his eyes open. Around him, several figures lay sprawled on the ground, nursing bruises or gasping for breath.
Blinking against the haze, he focused on a circular dais of cracked rock, where two people sparred with wooden swords. A ring of onlookers watched from the sidelines—some in deep blue robes, others in green.
Aziel staggered to his feet, his head spinning. "Huh…?"
He surveyed his surroundings: a vast courtyard surrounded by slender pillars and ancient wooden buildings with elegantly curving roofs. Mist-shrouded mountains loomed in the distance.
Then he glanced down at himself, and alarm coursed through him. His tattered rags were gone, replaced by green robes like those worn by several onlookers.
Just moments ago—or what felt like moments—he had been saved by that old man. Now, everything had changed.
'Wait… I lost consciousness… Shit! It looks like morning now, so I've spent a whole day in this world?!' he thought, furrowing his brow. 'Damn it! Anais must be worried sick! Where the hell am I?'
"Hey… you're awake," said a shaky voice behind him.
Aziel turned to see a bespectacled boy with a swollen, bruised face perched on a low stone step. The boy offered a nervous smile. "So you're finally awake. I'm Yi Chen. And you…?"
Aziel pressed a trembling hand to his face and sighed, acutely aware of the gazes fixed on him. "Where am I?" he asked more firmly.
"This is the Mount Ting Sect," Yi Chen answered, his brow creasing in mild surprise. "You really don't know?"
"Mount… Ting," Aziel repeated, his gaze flitting to the training platform, the robed figures milling about, and the carved wooden halls. Definitely not the red-light district. "What am I doing here…?"
Yi Chen blinked. "Aren't you a new disciple? Elder Xun brought you in while we were training and told the instructor you needed to be whipped into shape."
"Elder Xun…?" Aziel murmured. The name struck a chord, and realization dawned: that old man from before. A dozen questions rattled in his mind, anger sparking in his veins.
'Why did that old man drag me here…?!'
"Look," Yi Chen said gently, sensing Aziel's confusion, "we should get back to the dorms. Elder Ji said everyone who lost their sparring match ought to rest for tomorrow and you don't look like you're in the mood to fight."
Aziel shook his head stubbornly. "Forget that. Take me to that old pervert. I need a word with him."
Yi Chen looked baffled. "Old pervert…?"
"Yeah, Elder Xun. I need to talk to him."
"Ah… about that. He's right over there with the other elders, watching the outer disciples spar. But, um, I don't think it's a good idea to bother them right now. Today is—"
Before Yi Chen could finish, Aziel stomped off in the direction he'd indicated. A few people glanced at him curiously, but he ignored them, the pain in his body overshadowed by mounting frustration. At the edge of the sparring arena, several elders sat on plain wooden chairs, wearing gray robes as they discussed the disciples' progress.
Aziel marched straight up to Elder Xun, blocking his view of the arena with folded arms.
"Oh," Xun remarked, lifting his gaze to meet Aziel's. "You've finally woken up."
"Why did you bring me here, old begger or should I say, Elder Xun?" Aziel demanded, anger evident in his voice.
Xun smiled, unfazed by Aziel's glare. "You sound upset. That's understandable—I never properly explained things. But before we get into that…" He stood, grabbed Aziel by the shoulders, and turned him to face two nearby elders. "Elders, this is the boy I told you about. The one I've decided to take on as my first disciple."
The elder on the left was burly, with a long gray beard and keen, discerning eyes—Elder Tang Zeqi. The elder on the right was slimmer, bald, and exuded a calm, wise demeanor—Elder Deng Jianhao. Neither looked especially impressed as they scrutinized Aziel.
"He doesn't appear that special," Elder Tang rumbled. "Not enough to merit the ruckus you caused."
"Hoho, I see a certain spark in the lad's eyes, though," Elder Deng said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Xun nudged Aziel, indicating he should greet them. Instead, Aziel shrugged off the old man's hand, ready to vent his frustration. But he paused, recalling how Xun had saved his life mere hours—apparently a whole day—ago. After a moment of hesitation, Aziel exhaled heavily, pressing a palm to his forehead.
"Listen, old man," he muttered, "I don't know what you're planning, and I don't care. Just give me another quest. I'm running out of time."
"Quest?" Xun repeated, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. Another task—something easy this time, please," Aziel insisted.
Xun ran a hand through his beard, looking thoughtful. "Another task, is it? Well, I'm quite busy now that I've returned to the sect. I won't have time to teach you anything myself, so let's keep it simple: achieve your first breakthrough. Learn the basics of cultivation and reach the Initiate Realm."
As Xun spoke, a shimmering interface appeared in front of Aziel, glowing a radiant gold.
[Main Quest Has Been Unlocked.]
[Quest: The Path Of A Cultivator.]
[Reach The Initiate Realm's First Stage.]
Aziel's eyes widened at the sight. Gold… the same color as the [Key To Return] reward he'd seen before. Was this finally his ticket home?
"I'll do it," he said immediately.
[Quest has been accepted.]
"But how do I do it?" Aziel asked after a moment.
"Like I said, learn the basics of cultivation. I've already registered you as an Outer Disciple of the Mount Ting Sect. Here, you'll get all the instruction you need."
Aziel regarded Xun for a few seconds, then nodded. He'd gotten what he wanted—a quest. That was all that mattered right now.
He offered the two elders a brief nod before turning away. As he did, he felt several hostile stares drilling into him. Even the disciples sparring on the platform had paused to look.
Scowling, Aziel ignored their glares and headed back to Yi Chen, who still looked uneasy.
"So, where's this dorm you mentioned?" Aziel asked, trying to sound calm.
Yi Chen nodded quickly and motioned for Aziel to follow. Together, they walked toward a cluster of modest wooden buildings. On the way, Aziel let his curiosity get the better of him.
"What's with everyone glaring at me like that?"
Yi Chen hesitated. "It's… well, you spoke casually to the sect elders. That never happens with outer disciples—most of us never see an elder up close, let alone talk back to one. And then there's the fact Elder Xun personally brought you here. Everyone else had to pass a tough entrance exam to join."
Aziel snorted. "So they're jealous. I don't care. It's not like I asked to be here."