Lassim decided to return to the sect and see if he could turn in both this week’s and next week’s quotas at the same time. That way he’d be able to focus fully on training his activation of [Hydroburst] without needing to make a second trip to the mission hall in the middle of it.
His haul with the mini motherlode of Thunder Source Stones had been bountiful, enough to spare over 100 additional stones. Plus, he’d soon be able to redeem the slips of paper he received for several more stones as well. He hadn’t really had the spares to experiment with them, but he was sure there was some benefit in using them over regular Elemental Source Stones (ESS).
Although, with his divine mana and progenitor marks, he doubted their beneficial aspects could do much for him. It was still worth trying at least, or so he thought, when he returned.
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He felt happy as he approached the mission hall, his steps light on the stone path, surrounded by the ever-present hum of lightning that loomed overhead. When Lassim glanced up at it, he oddly got a sensation of happiness from it as well.
"Odd…" He thought to himself as he continued on.
The mission hall stood tall with its lightning pole adorned roofs attracting and redirecting the miscellaneous lightning strikes that struck the structure. Lassim entered, greeted by the now familiar sight of bustling activity.
Disciples of various ranks moved about, exchanging items at the counters or collecting new assignments. The clerks passed the items to the workers behind them, busily examining many different beast carcasses, gems and herbs. The process of it all organized as usual.
Lassim made his way to the submission counter, where a clerk awaited him with a bored expression that quickly turned to one of surprise as Lassim produced a significant number of Thunder Source Stones on their counter, 100 in total.
The clerk’s eyes widened at the sight, and after a moment of stunned silence, he quickly began the process of verifying and recording the submission.
"You’ve outdone yourself, Lassim," the clerk remarked, his tone a mixture of admiration and disbelief as he checked an enchanted logbook with Lassim’s details. "10..20..50…80..100. Ah, so with 100 Thunder Source Stones, I take it you wish to complete next week’s quota as well? You’re still servant rank so you’re unable to receive sect merits yet for excessive turn ins.
If you were officially a part of the sec we could reward you for any additional stones you may have."
Lassim nodded, a modest smile playing on his lips. "Thank you. That’s correct. I had a bit of luck on my side so it’d be nice if I could complete this week and next with today’s turn in.""
Very well. Please wait a moment for me to conclude this. Also, congratulations! It seems like you’ll have finished your time as a sect servant and can officially join soon. We’ll see you again very soon, I’m sure. At least, for an official mission at that time." The clerk passed the gems to the examiner behind him and received two stamped slips that he then stamped before passing to Lassim.
"Have a good break and thank you again for the early submission."
With his quotas submitted and approved, Lassim left the mission hall and turned his attention to the next week and a half of free time.
He quickly settled into a routine, heading to the arena each day to practice his new [Hydroburst] technique. The technique, a potent fusion of his lightning and water elements, was challenging to master. His attempts were often met with failure, the energy dissipating or running out of his control before it could fully coalesce under the strain of keeping the water mana particles tightly bound.
Yet, with each failure, he learned little-by-little, adapting his approach and refining his control. By the end of the period, his success rate had improved to about once in every twenty attempts—a massive victory compared to the original nearly 1 in 1000 attempts for success it took.
Throughout this time, Lassim couldn’t escape the attention of his fellow sect members.
The whispers and stares followed him wherever he went, a repeated reminder of his victory over Kaito. The murmurs of his two elements and the ability to jump up to Spirit Transcendent stage prowess, to the glares from Outer Sect disciples, and the occasional nods of respect from the disciples of other ranks created a wide range of reactions that was hard to ignore.
He tried his best to remain focused, brushing off the attention as he would commute between the arena and the servant’s residence.
Finally, the end of the month arrived, marking the conclusion of his servant rank servitude. During this entire time, it seemed that Riku was quite busy and had never returned during a time when Lassim was present. He sadly wasn’t able to ask about the requirements to reach the Spirit Ascension stage, but hopefully he’d be able to ask an elder or make a trip to the library soon.
Elder Qin, the older gentlemanly figure he met during the arrival tests, arrived to escort him.
"Good day, Lassim," Elder Qin greeted, his voice carrying a note of approval. "I must say, you’ve impressed many of us with how you’ve handled your time as a servant rank disciple. Accepting the incredibly difficult weekly quota without fuss and even completing the task early each and every week is quite commendable, I dare say."
"Thank you, Elder Qin," Lassim replied, feeling a bit of pride as the praise. "I wanted to prove myself and show that I’ll gladly work hard, despite how poorly the Sect Master may view me. I hope he can see me as not some spoiled brat or whatever he thinks."
Elder Qin nodded, a rare smile touching his lips. "Your diligence and hard work have not gone unnoticed by the other Elders at the very least. Reading your reports was quite a pleasure. Though, it was a bit concerning to see what happened between you and Kaito. I hope you keep any future actions strictly to the duel arenas like you’ve done so far.
If you have any issues, you can just report it to an elder to review. We are pleased to have you soon join our ranks as an Initiate. That said, let’s get you sorted now and head out. There’s lots to take care of."
As they made their way to the sect’s Quartermaster’s hall, Lassim felt a growing sense of anticipation. The hall was another grand structure, its entrance flanked by towering statues of past sect masters, their forms carved with exquisite detail.
Lassim followed, his heart pounding with anticipation.
They left the servant quarters and walked through the streets and past the expansive courtyard toward the quartermaster’s office. Lassim recognized the imposing structure, constructed from dark stone and adorned with lightning motifs, just as he remembered from his first visit a month ago.
The lightning-shaped spires still reached toward the sky, and the entrance was flanked by the same large pillars carved with intricate runes that flickered with energy.
As they arrived, Lassim once again touched the thick rune words above the entrance with his spirit sense, confirming the meaning of "supplies" and "office" combined.
Inside, the familiar atmosphere of order and formidability greeted him. The high ceilings and walls lined with shelves holding various items and equipment necessary for the sect’s daily operations were just as impressive as he recalled. The room was illuminated by the same hanging crystal lamps that emitted a soft, electric blue glow, casting a unique yet comforting warmth across the room.
The elderly man’s stern face, the Sect Quartermaster, and his meticulous demeanor were unchanged, his sharp eyes taking in every detail as they approached his polished stone counter in the center of the hall. His neatly manicured beard, twisted into a single braid that hung down to just above his collarbones, was as precise as Lassim remembered from the first time he saw it.
"Elder Qin," the Quartermaster greeted with a slight nod. "What brings you here today?"
"We’re here to collect the Initiate robes and monthly allowance for Lassim," Elder Qin replied. "He has completed his time as a servant rank disciple."
The Quartermaster nodded and turned to retrieve the items. "Congratulations on your promotion, Lassim," he said as he handed over the rich purple robe with dark gray accents. The sect’s emblem—a rune of three bolts of lightning lined together underneath a cloud—was prominently displayed on the chest and back.
"Thank you, sir," Lassim said, accepting the robe with a bow.
The Quartermaster then handed Lassim a small pouch containing some thunder source stones. "You will need to return after four weeks from today for your next monthly allowance if you wish to claim it. If an allowance is not claimed that month, it is carried over to the next month’s allowance.
However, you can only save repeat this twice, with two previous month’s allowances in addition to whenever the current month you claim the resources is. This policy ensures that even during secluded cultivation, you will have the necessary resources. However, wait too long and you’ll miss out on multiple months of supplies. Remember to stay diligent if you wish to receive them."
Lassim nodded, absorbing the information. "Understood."
"And if you hand me your slips for the Thunder Source Stones," the Quartermaster continued, "I’ll exchange these for four Thunder Source Stones each. Any slips you receive in the future relating to supply rewards from mission completions can be exchanged here."
Lassim thanked the Quartermaster and then handed over the four slips he collected for successful quotas. He exchanged his slips, receiving a total of sixteen Thunder Source Stones.
The Quartermaster then handed him a few booklets. "These contain the rules of the sect, including a map of the different education buildings, lecture halls and all of the arenas and training facilities within the sect."
He then pointed to one of the books behind the topmost, "You’ll also find that booklet contains the current lectures available to the different ranks. The tabbed section has the lectures available to Initiate Rank disciples.
All lectures are not mandatory, but if you sign up for a lecture, you must attend or pay a cancellation fee if it’s a course that requires supplemental materials like the array enchantment or alchemist learning lectures."
Lassim took the booklets, thanking the Quartermaster once more. He glanced at the maps and lists of lectures, already thinking about which ones he might attend.
As they exited the hall, Lassim turned to the Qin. "Thank you for your guidance, Elder Qin. I appreciate all the support."
"You’re welcome. Our next stop will be the Mission hall for you to request your first mission. After that I will show you to your new residence, where you’ll be free to explore the sect rules, the lesson list, and sect map. It’ll be up to you to grow your power and advance ranks dutifully. Let’s continue"
With that, the duo made way for the Sect’s Mission Hall.