Chapter 54: Mysterious resident.
Seated on a public bench in the open expanse outside a well-frequented rest area, Alaric gazed thoughtfully at the golden card resting in his palm. The recent events he had witnessed surpassed his expectations, and he found his earlier hypotheses steadily being validated.
Initially, he had harbored deep skepticism about the city’s inhabitants and their peculiar behaviors. However, after spending the past week among them, Alaric had gradually developed a more nuanced understanding of the dynamics at play.
The residents exhibited no hostility toward participants; on the contrary, their demeanor was unfailingly gracious and accommodating. Ever-smiling, some even took on the role of personal guides or counselors, offering support and reassurance to help newcomers maintain their mental well-being.
This settlement closely resembled the archetypal ’starter village’ from the games of his previous life, a sanctuary or central hub where aspiring cultivators first gathered at the outset of their journey. It served not only as a training ground but also as a preparatory haven: a place to acclimate oneself before undertaking the selection process, to encounter influential figures and prospective allies, to acquire essential equipment, and to gain familiarity with the broader world prior to venturing into more perilous territories.
How did they get the items they were selling if they weren’t provided by the Archive Mountain Academy to help newcomers? Mortals couldn’t create alchemical items; it was impossible to achieve.
Nevertheless, Alaric could not shake the suspicion that the city’s residents were not truly human. Despite scrutinizing several individuals, he had detected no outward anomalies in their composition; all evidence suggested they were ordinary people. Yet, an indefinable intuition persisted, leaving him with the unsettling impression that something fundamental set them apart from genuine humans.
While these circumstances greatly favored individuals without influential backgrounds, they nonetheless posed a troubling dilemma.
Security measures, however, appeared to be sorely inadequate.
Practitioners, by their very nature, possessed an innate sense of pride, some more so than others. Alaric doubted that every interaction or transaction between practitioners and mortals would proceed without incident. He was certain that, as the city welcomed an increasing number of practitioners, inevitable conflicts would arise, threatening the fragile peace.
Just today, with the number of participants being in the thousands, two almost started a brawl in the open market he was at just earlier; if some sensible ones hadn’t separated them on time, things would have turned ugly for everyone.
Had those level-headed practitioners not intervened, who could have prevented the city from descending into utter chaos? Alaric realized he would need to secure resources with urgency and devise a strategy to avert potential devastation.
’Thankfully, I already have a solution for that.’ He thought as he glanced at the card.
With a soft sigh, he leaned back against the bench, tilting his head upward to contemplate the expanse of the serene blue sky. His thoughts inevitably returned to the complexities of his present circumstances.
’What should I do? What do the heavens want from me, I wonder. Is every blessed in the same situation as me right now?’ He saw a cloud, eerily shaped like a mushroom, drifting in the sky, a small smile tugging at his lips. ’I doubt that. Old Tian would have informed me if that were the case. Am I a special case, then? But all the blessed selected are special in their own way. No one knows the exact criteria for the selection of a blessed, but it is said even before they were picked, they were very special in their own ways.’
This thought has haunted him for years now. The idea of the heavenly Dao or some other powerful force holding his soul captive was enough to keep him up at night.
This situation was very dangerous to him and those around him. If the intentions behind such behavior were nefarious, he could easily be in the other party’s control without even realizing it. Who could say he hasn’t been given minor suggestions to manipulate some of his decisions?
’But I seriously doubted that. With how pure his mental energy was, if he were ever given mental suggestions, he would surely notice, right?’
He had searched every corner of his memory thousands of times, replaying every minute detail,every decision he ever made, every battle he ever fought, and still he couldn’t figure it out.
He needed a reason for his mind to stop wandering about the topic every single chance of respite he could get.
What had he done?
What crime warranted the attention of Heaven itself? Was it something that happened in his past life? Maybe it was something tied to the blind spot in his last moments, he can’t seem to piece together.
The Heavenly Dao did not concern itself with mortals. Cultivators slaughtered cities, destroyed kingdoms, and shattered mountains every day. Heaven watched in silence.
Yet here he was feeling like a prisoner in his own earthly shell.
’How frustrating.’ A wave of gloom washed over him, muting the lively noise and exuberant energy surrounding him until all seemed distant and subdued.
He could tell he had a purpose he needed to fulfill, or that very feeling could be a displacement. It could be the Heavenly Dao just doesn’t want me going rogue.
’I am pretty sure if it were me from before, I wouldn’t care about this situation in the slightest, but now all I desire is freedom.’
’Maybe I can trade my soul for something of equal value? Or I can use accomplishments to claim it. According to records, people who manage to accomplish great progress in the development of the cultivation society are awarded great merits from heaven, which can be exchanged for various benefits. If that doesn’t work, the only solution would be to become strong enough to claim it back. Question is, would the heavens allow such a thing to happen?’
Alaric didn’t know how long he sat there thinking about his troubles, but at a certain point, a calming aura washed over him, threatening to break him away from his thoughts, but he persisted without a break. He noted the source of that unique aura to be a man who was currently sitting beside him on the bench, a few meters of space separating them.
The man appeared to be in his early thirties, possessing strikingly handsome features and a physique that represented the pinnacle of mortal potential. Alaric decided not to acknowledge the newcomer’s presence, assuming he was merely another resident seeking solace in the scenery, and perhaps, like himself, reflecting on his own personal burdens.
What truly distinguished this individual was the tranquil aura radiating from him. The man, in turn, observed Alaric’s youthful, striking appearance, taking particular note of his long crimson hair as it danced in the faintest breeze.
"Interesting. Are you afraid?" The man’s deep, heavy voice graced his ears like a hammer.
Alaric was forced to pay more attention to him as his half-lid eyes finally fell on the man’s figure, confusedly. He wanted to give a dismissive reply, but stopped himself at the last moment. He took his time to truly ponder the question.
Before he became a blessed, he was closer to a machine, with his emotions heavily suppressed, but now he has come to understand some things about his past life.
Back then, he was what the world would consider a monstrous genius, with the potential to push the world and technology to greater heights, even with the short time he spent there, but he was very reluctant to even consider it.
He thought nothing of it, believing himself confident enough to deal with anyone when it came to fights, but he never shunned bright even at that little stage called earth. Now, however, he has come to realize that it was his unawakened intuition that was gently guiding him not to do too much. He was very afraid, even in that emotionless state. That instinct told him he would die if he stood out too much, and sure enough, he did die, and what is even scarier is that he doesn’t even know what happened that led to his demise. He couldn’t remember any of it.
In this life, that fear has only grown to an extreme. Knowing his soul was not in his hands, that his fate was probably being manipulated; he couldn’t even take a step without others noticing, and, most of all, he was afraid for those around him, not to mention his flaw, which was considered as much a blessing as a curse. One slip up and everyone around him would be dead. Sometimes he wished he didn’t have the knowledge he currently has.
It felt as if he was more cursed than blessed. Everything seems to push him toward becoming emotionless and lonely. Thankfully, that snake wasn’t here to rant about the best state of mind to achieve the Dao.
’I guess my Dao heart is just not firm enough.’
Considering the question, he replied in his ever-calm voice after a brief pause, "Yes, I am very afraid."
There was no point lying; he didn’t have that habit... Yet.
