Jack awoke to a brorilla jumping up and down on his chest. Oof! he exclaid. Brock! What are you Oh! Right!
A smile instantly blossod on his face. He ripped off the covers and Brock with them, then jumped up straight and got dressed in a heartbeat. Only then did he greet the brorilla.
Morning, brother! Did you sleep well?
Yes.
Brocks reply was curt, but he was equally excited. His face was morphed into a permanent monkey grin, and he was hopping from one leg to the other like he was itchy. Jack understood the feeling. He had it too. Today was their first day in the Exploding Sun faction!
Lets go! he exclaid, grabbing Brock and pushing the door open.
The space hed been given was a spacious courtyard close to the estates wall. He had his own little house and garden, with the caveat that he had no servants yet, so he had to take care of everything. But that wasnt an issue; when he lived alone in Valville, he did everything by himself, too.
His house was made up of a living room, a kitchen, a cellar, a bedroom, and a bathroom. It was small yet cozy, made of warm wood with red trimming. It also had many windows, which Jack enjoyed. As for his bedroom, the only room hed used so far, it contained just a double bed, two bed stands, and a wardrobe.
The houses in Master Hualis estate were neither opulent nor spartansothing in between.
Jack didnt mind or care. He didnt plan to stay at ho much. He had one job here, and that was to cultivate!
With Brock hopping onto his back, Jack dashed out through the open window and took to the sky, drawing a deep breath of clean, fresh air. He saw the estate under hima sprawling collection of houses, gardens, courtyards, and snaking paths. Vegetation was aplenty, including many beautiful flowers carefully tended to by gardeners. A few immortals were flying, like him, but most of the people went about their lives on the ground.
Jack saw servants laughing as they worked; he saw them taking walks, chatting, or drinking what looked and slled like tea. Nobody was in a rush. A pleasant atmosphere enveloped the entire estate, and under the light of the solar gasses that surrounded this place, it looked like a slice of heaven.
Master Hualis manor dominated the very top of the mountain, while a forest stretched around its base, extending in all directions like the mountain was a thumb rising from a plain.
There couldnt be too many people here; a few thousand, maybe, the vast majority of which were servants. Which, as Jack was realizing, was an inaccurate na. The estate was like a small town, and these people were its citizens, going about their lives joyfully and respectfully. Their only job was to take care of the city they lived in, as well as assist the immortals when possible.
It looked like a happy life.
Jack did wonder how food was produced here, or how it was distributed, but he temporarily found the image too beautiful to ruin with mundane issues. This was a place of gods. Food should be the smallest of its concerns.
Jack! A voice bood through the sky as Shol flew up to et him. He was smiling, but also looked slightly annoyed. What are you doing up here? I was waiting at your garden.
Oh. I didnt know.
Hello, bro, said Brock, waving from Jacks back.
Hi, Brock. You should have known. We agreed to et.
I didnt understand youd be waiting in my garden.
It went without saying. Bah! Forget about it. Maybe Ill just go be a hermit sowhere.
No, brother, dont do that! Jack replied, laughing. Sorry, sorry. Good morning.
Good morning to you, too. To both of you. Now; theres a lot to go over today. We should get started.
He broke off like a sprouting rainbow, forcing Jack to follow. Where are we going? he yelled through the wind.
Youll see! Shol responded.
They crossed the air like arrows, drawing many eyes from the servants below. They waved. Smiling, Jack waved back.
Their flight ended a few monts later, when Shol landed before a round building with a do for a roof. It was brown and made of wood, with few windows, and the entire thing exuded an earthly aura. Were here, Shol said as Jack landed too. This is the artificing laboratory. Every personal disciple of Master Huali is allocated a Dao Magnet, and we are here to get yours.
Does master have many disciples? Jack asked.
Only a few dozensbut not for lack of volunteers. Shes just very selective.
Why so? So this estate doesnt run out of space?
Shol snorted. Expanding the estate is easy. However, as I think Ive explained to you before, immortals do not take disciples lightly. This applies to D-Grades taking mortal disciples, as well as C-Grades taking D-Grade disciples. If the disciple does not reach the sa Grade as the master, their lifespan will be far shorter. A master can watch many generations of disciples wither away and die, which takes a great toll on a persons soul. I admire my master for taking on so many disciples.
I see. Is that why you have none?
I have one. You. And youre a handful, anyway, so you count for ten.
He opened the door. The chi of a bell welcod them from above, as well as the sight of a wide open space surrounded by shelves along the circular walls. A staircase stood at the far back, leading both down and up, while a large square table took up the center of the building, covered in all sorts of tools and materials. Jack also saw so tal contraptions there, whose function was a mystery.
What he did not see was the person who ran this place.
Shell co, Shol said. Give her a minute.
Sure. You said that C-Grades have longer lifespans than D-Grades?
Oh, yes. From the D-Grade onward, every major breakthrough increases your lifespan by ten tis. D-Grades, like us, live for around a thousand years. C-Grades live for ten thousand years, and B-Grades for a hundred thousand.
A hundred thousand years Wow.
Jack couldnt wrap his mind around this length of ti. It was just beyond the scope of his experience. To him, even a thousand years was trendousenough ti to witness mortal empires rise and fall, and see civilizations evolve from dieval to spacefaring.
What would soone even do for a hundred thousand years? Watch the tectonic plates move?
Very big, Brock agreed, nodding alongside Jacks thoughts.
Jack looked over in surprise. How did you
I am smart.
Their train of thought was interrupted by a green girl erging from the stairs. She was blonde and small, barely reaching up to Jacks chest, but carried herself with such frantic energy that it almost made him dizzy. But that was no girl. She was a goblin!
Goblin, Level 67 (Elite)
Goblins are weak, primal humanoids who move in large groups. They are barely intelligent enough to cook their food, and they often derive pleasure from torturing their victims. Cultivators are advised to kill them on sight.
This particular goblin has discovered the Dao and began cultivating. As such, it has ascended beyond the norm for its kindthough its inner nature remains to be seen.
Sup, the goblin said, zooming through the room to arrive before the large table. She only spared them a single glance before her eyes surveyed the tools before her, then she picked up a screwdriver and started tightening the screws onsothing.
Good morning, Goblinete, Shol said. We would like a Dao Magnet for masters new personal disciple.
This guy here? she asked, glancing up at Jack. Or the monkey?
The human.
Sure.
She reached under the table to retrieve a device from a drawer. To Jack, it looked like a large batterybut it felt wobbly in his Dao sense, like sothing wasnt quite right.
What are you looking at, newbie? she asked him, still buzzing with energy. I dont have all day. Stuff your Dao inside this already.
Stuff my Dao?
At his question, she had to force herself to slow down and take a deep, irritated breath. Jack felt like he was slowwhich shouldnt be the case. He was an immortal! And she was a goblin! Who the hell gave her the right to call him a newbie!?
Brock, however, seed to be enjoying this very much.
Touch the port at the top and push your Dao inside the magnet, she explained, still speaking faster than most people. Got it?
I think so.
He approached and did as she said. As soon as he touched the tal at the top, he felt its insides empty of Dao. He knew this feeling. This was a Dao vacuum!
With a triumphant smile, he willed his Dao of the Fist inside and filled it to the brim.
Oh, good, the goblin said, a hint of surprise in her eyes. At least he got this part.
He can be quite slow sotis, Shol agreed with sorrow.
Jack raised a brow. Hey.
Very slow, Brock corrected him, receiving Jacks stunned stare.
What the fuck, bro? You are literally a monkey. How do you even know these words?
Because I am smart.
Jack ran his hand over his face. He turned to the goblin. I thought you were in a hurry.
I am. But this magnet needs ti to adjust, and I can do two things at the sa tibig shocker, I know.
Indeed, she hadnt stopped tinkering with her tools all the while. By now, she had tightened the screws on all of the tables contraptions and was moving on to the table legs.
You are just tightening screws, Jack said. How demanding.
Dont underestimate good labor. Do you even know how many people die every year because their machines had a slightly loose screw? Many. But none from my machines. Since they go loose from use, I always screw when I have the chance.
Thatsnot even funny.
She didnt seem like shed said that on purpose. Once again, Jack wondered about the Systems universal translation. How well did puns like that carry over from the goblin language to English?
A purple light appeared in the middle of the Dao Magnet.
Ready, Goblinete said, basically throwing the magnet at Jacks lap. If thats all, you can go.
Thats all, said Shol. Thank you, Goblinete.
She looked back and smiled. No problem, Shol. Take care. And, newbie, brorilla Welco to Master Hualis Estate.
Jack was surprised, but he still replied, Thank you.
Now go. I really am busy.
She dove back into the stairs before they even left her shop.
What the hell was that? Jack asked.
That was Goblinete, Shol explained calmly. The most competent artificer around. She may not seem like much, but shes very important to us disciples.
Shes a goblin, Jack said, shivering at the mory of the first goblin he ever killed. And she called a newbie.
So what if shes a goblin?
Goblins are supposed to be enemies.
And brorillas are supposed to live in jungles, but look at Brock. Hes doing just fine.
Jack opened his mouth to speak and closed it again. I guess he finally said, turning his gaze down. So, what is this Dao Magnet?
An extrely useful contraption. Most immortals never get one in their lifeti, but Master Huali is kind to us. Treat it very carefullyif it breaks, you dont get a second.
What does it do?
It enhances your cultivation chamber, Shol explained simply. You have cultivated at least once since reaching the D-Grade, yes? Did you feel that the environnt contained all sorts of Daos, and you had to filter it for the ones compatible with you before absorbing them?
Yes.
The Dao Magnet does that for you. After it attunes to your Dao, you can just place it sowhere, and it will draw in compatible Daos while repelling incompatible ones. When cultivating beside it, things will go much faster.
Jacks eyes widened in surprise. When hed cultivated on Derion, the teleporter hub, he had to pass the environnts Dao particles through a ntal sieve before absorbing them. Naturally, that took significant ti and effort. If this little Dao Magnet could get rid of that procedure, then over the course of his entire D-Grade, it would save him an incalculable amount of ti.
I see, he said. Thank you, brother Shol.
Dont thank . Thank our master, who is generous enough to provide these to each of her disciples. Shol turned to Jack and looked at him seriously. You may not understand the weight of your position, but let tell you: it is highly coveted. If Master Huali expressed the desire to take a disciple, there would be thousands of immortals lining up before her gates for a chance to impress her.
Is she that impressive?
Of course! Not only is she an elder of the faction, of which there are only twenty, but she is special even amongst them. When the next Grand Elder is selected in a few months, she is one of the main candidates for the position.
That sounds impressive.
It is.
Do you think shell get it?
Shols face hardened. Lets not talk about that now, he said. Lets stop by your house so you can leave the Dao Magnet in your cultivation chamber. After that, I have more things to show you.
Jack did a double-take. I have a cultivation chamber?
Of course. Did you not see the trapdoor in your kitchen?
I assud it led to the cellar.
You do not need a cellar. Its a cultivation chamber. Lets go.
They took to the skies, but Jack remained morose. Oh, man, he said. I liked my cellar.
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