Lassim sat quietly in front of Sect Master Volten.
The words, "What kind of fighter do you want to become," echoed in his thoughts, turning over and over as he tried to think about it.
Volten’s orange-tinted eyes watched Lassim with patience and expectation. The Sect Master had seen countless disciples rise to power over his many centuries of life, and he knew that the next step in Lassim’s development would be one of the most critical.
"I… don’t know where to start," Lassim finally admitted, his voice heavy with uncertainty.
Volten leaned back in his chair, his cloth-wrapped fingers tapping thoughtfully against the surface of his desk. "That’s normal. Most cultivators who reach your stage have had centuries, even millennia, to figure out their techniques. You’ve had what? Nine years?"
"Less than that," Lassim said with a nervous chuckle.
"Exactly," Volten replied. "You probably still recall your early childhood as if it was yesterday, while that was so long ago for me I’ve nearly forgotten where I even grew up. The lands have changed so drastically since then that if I returned it’d be completely different and unrecognizable."
"But that’s besides the point. This is why you will need to take this time now to experiment. You have power, but raw power alone isn’t enough to face the enemies you’ll encounter in the future. You need techniques that make that power efficient, techniques that make you stand apart."
Lassim nodded, though he still felt a sense of apprehension. "So… where do you suggest that I begin?"
Volten replied, "Well, like I said. You lack experience. You’ve not experienced enough life or been exposed to enough techniques of others to have any real basis for what you should do—you’re going to need inspiration."
But how could Lassim find that? How could he figure out what worked for him? His latest teammates Tristan and Eveline were the only ones he’d worked with that matched his level of power but had developed their own styles, playing to their strengths.
"That’s why I’m planning to send you on a mission. You need time—time to experience different approaches, to see how other cultivators use their power. You’ve been running headfirst into battles, relying on sheer strength and your blessings from the gods. But now it’s time to take a step back. Observe. Learn."
Lassim met his Master’s gaze. "A mission? Who will I go observe?"
Volten nodded. "Every Spirit Ascension and Spirit Transcendence cultivator you meet will have spent centuries honing their techniques, and so far that number is probably one that you can count on two hands."Volten tapped a spot on his desk where a rune lit up and a drawer slid open. He shuffled through the papers and handed it to him.
"Here. These are the missions I want you to complete while you’re away. This is an important time for the Lightning Sect to rebuild and help retake management over what was lost and gained through the war.
You’re now my personal disciple and helping manage the wellness of the sect would be one of your general responsibilities as one of my additional hands, so you might as well take over this task first since it aligns with your immediate needs."
He paused for a breath and then continued, "Your missions will be traveling to several Lightning Sect outposts and cities across the Southern Continent. These outposts are all managed and overseen by high-ranking cultivators—Spirit Ascension or Spirit Transcendence spirit warriors. Help them with any tasks you’re able to complete and check to see if their requests for aid are valid.
You’ll be my eyes and ears and can confirm if their requests line up with the actual needs of their city or if things are even worse and they need additional help. Some of these old coots are quite stubborn and might cause the citizens to suffer, which could look badly on us taking over everything, now that our main competition is gone. Watch them. Take the time to learn from them.
And, most importantly, don’t rush the inspiration process. This journey is about exploration, expanding your horizons, not speed."
Lassim took the stack of papers, feeling the weight of his new responsibilities settle on his shoulders. "I’ll do my best, Master."
"I’m sure you will," Volten said, his expression softening slightly. "You’ve got the power and necessary cultivation stage, Lassim. Now it’s time to find yourself and learn the finesse to take it to the next level. Now go, prepare yourself and set off. There are still things around here that I must take care of and you have work to do."
Volten stood up from the desk and waved his hands, picking up and shooing Lassim out the door of the office and on his way.
—
After a quick trip to his room and back for a quick refreshing showing and cleaning of his upgraded personal disciple ranked martial attire, Lassim stood outside the sect’s gates, ready for his journey.
His first stop was a Lightning Sect outpost near the northern border of the continent, overseen by a Spirit Transcendence cultivator known for his mastery of manipulation of lightning into ring techniques.
But as he set off, flying through the air, a familiar stirring in his inner heart world caught his attention.
"[Brother! We’re going to adventure and explore again? This is gonna be awesome!]" Zaphy’s excited voice rang out in his mind, filled with her usual boundless energy.
Lassim smiled to himself. "[Yeah, Zaphy. We’re heading out to adventure again. Got a lot to think about this time.]"
"[I was thinking too! Lightning and speed, Brother—we’re made for this! Maybe your new technique’s style could just be an endless amount of lightning bolts shooting from your eyes! Like, BAM ZAP ZAP ZAP BRRRRR~!]" Zaphy’s enthusiasm was infectious, her spirit crackling with energy like the thunderclouds she loved.
Before Lassim could respond as he chuckled at the mental image of him shooting lightning from his eyes, another voice flowed into his thoughts, calm and gentle, like the soft current of a peaceful river. "[Zaphy, let him focus,]" Marinelle’s voice echoed, her presence soothing. "[Lassim has much to consider.
He can’t just focus solely on only lightning, and that’s why it’s so difficult for him right now.]"
Lassim smiled, grateful for the balance his two companions brought to his thoughts. "[You’re right, Mari, but it’s somewhat frustrating to be in this situation. Volten’s right. I’ve been fighting like some brute, just swinging my halberd around compared to other cultivators at our level...
I know I need to find something that works for me, something more refined, but I don’t even know where to start.]"
"[Start where you’re strongest, Brother!]" Zaphy chirped in, her voice full of encouragement. "[Lightning strikes fast and hard, just like you! I vote you just need to throw more lightning around, zap ’em before they can even blink!]"
Lassim chuckled. "[You’re not wrong, Zaphy. But like Marinelle said, it’s more than just lightning to consider. I need to balance everything—lightning, water, and now space. It’s hard to figure out how to combine them into a style or set of techniques that all fit together.]"
"[They fit together like the sky and the sea,]" Marinelle said gently. "[You have the power of lightning and water at your fingertips, and now you have space to move between them. You have the elements of the world at the ready. Perhaps there’s something there to consider?]"
Lassim couldn’t help his eyes lightning up, a bit more energetic with the release of lightning bolts as Mari’s words moved him, "[Thanks, Mari, and you too, Zaphy. You’re both right. We’ll figure it out together!]"
"[Exactly,]" Marinelle said, "[I must say though, Volten was quite good with this suggestion. Take this journey as a chance to observe and grow. We’ll find the answers you seek in time.]"
With a renewed sense of determination and hopefulness, Lassim activated his [Tempest Steps] mid flight to speed things up, his body becoming a blur of lightning as he launched himself through the air.
The ground beneath him turned into a blur as he soared the skies, heading north toward the outpost where his path forward would begin.
—
The day’s afternoon passed quickly as Lassim left the protective cover of the lightning storm and traveled under the scorching sun across the Southern Continent’s desert. The areas north of the Sect’s Headquarters were still the same hot desert that he crossed initially to arrive over a year ago.
The idea of meeting powerful cultivators and observing their techniques sounded fun, but checking on their situations was something he hoped he could do well, but filled him with a little anxiety. He wasn’t sure what to expect, but he was excited regardless.
As he neared the northern border, the landscape began to change from the desert to now more like a sandy beach coastline.
When Lassim finally arrived at the outpost, he was greeted by the sight of towering stone walls etched with glowing runes of lightning. It didn’t fit the typical idea of a coastal town or city, but the Lightning Sect’s presence was definitely the first certainty anyone would have upon arriving. It was definitely a city controlled by his sect.
Yet, there was at least still the coastal breeze and smell of the sea that filled the air that was quite similar to the natural perfume Lassim had.
As he landed, a Spirit Ascension cultivator greeted him at the gate, his armor adorned with intricate lightning patterns that sparked faintly as he moved. Different from the sect’s purple with red accented guard uniform the typical disciples wore when guarding the sect, "Welcome, Sect Master Volten’s personal sisciple, Lassim," the man said with a respectful bow.
"The headquarter’s mission hall has informed us of your incoming arrival. You’ve come to observe our humble city of Fogbeach and Master Lorcan, correct?"
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Lassim nodded and gestured to try and stop his bow, "Yes, that’s correct. Nice to meet you, and please I just became his disciple recently and am still fairly new to the sect. I’m sure you’re actually the one more deserving of any bows and respect out of the two of us."
The cultivator smiled. "I’m glad the Sect Master chose a good seed. Very well. Master Lorcan is one of the best and I’ve served him and lived in this town for the last 347 years. If there’s anything you need, feel free to ask me if Master Lorcan is too busy. Follow me, and I’ll take you to him right away."
As Lassim followed the cultivator through the outpost city Fogbeach, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of anticipation building in his chest. He could only ask himself, would there be any inspiration from the techniques Mast Lorcan used? This was the first step in his journey of self-discovery for his own style, and he was eager to see what he could learn from Master Lorcan.